In the streets of Pallet Town, a young boy still wearing his waiter uniform was running as fast as his legs could carry him towards the famous Professor Oak's lab.
His breath came in short gasps, but his eyes shone with determination.
"Just wait a bit, my Pokémon! I am coming to claim you!" he shouted to himself, his voice a little breathless but filled with excitement and determination.
He imagined all the amazing Pokémon Professor Oak had at his lab, and the thought spurred him on.
But just as he was about to take another step, his focus entirely on the lab ahead, a bicycle came speeding from behind, the whirring of its wheels barely audible before impact, sending him flying a few meters through the air.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he groaned in pain as he landed on the dusty road with a thud, his uniform getting slightly dirtier, much to May's future dismay.
He sat up, rubbing his backside, wincing, and snapped at the culprit of his sudden flight, his initial anger bubbling to the surface.
"Are you bli-…" he started to say angrily, his fists clenched, but his words caught in his throat as he looked up and saw May standing over him with a very angry expression on her face, her foot still resting on the pedal of her bike.
He then saw her pointing a finger at his now dirtied waiter uniform, her brow furrowed in annoyance, and that's when it finally clicked.
'I AM STILL WEARING THAT UNIFORM!' he internally exploded in embarrassment, his face turning even redder than before.
He had been so focused on getting to the lab that he had completely forgotten.
"Ash, do you realize what an idiot you are?"
May said, her voice filled with displeasure, her arms crossed over her chest. "Running off like that in your work clothes!"
"Yes, ma'am! I am the world's dumbest guy!" he shouted while kneeling down in front of her, his head bowed in shame, hoping to appease her quickly.
"Good. Then give back that uniform and wear this," she said, tossing his regular clothes towards him, which landed in a crumpled heap beside him.
Ash was about to do just that when he suddenly realized, "Wait, we are outside now," he said with a dumbfounded expression, looking around at the passing townsfolk who were giving them curious glances.
"I don't want to hear your excuses! Don't you know how hard it is to wash a white uniform? Look how dirty you made it!" she said with a stern expression, tapping her foot impatiently. "Honestly, Ash!"
Ash wanted to retort that it was kind of her fault for running him over in the first place, but he wisely kept his mouth shut under her scary gaze.
"Yes, ma'am," he whispered in resignation, picking up his clothes.
"Ah, but having you get undressed in the open would embarrass me as well, so…" she said, then reached for a Poké Ball on her belt and called out, "Come out, Graveler!"
She released an Alolan Graveler, its rocky body crackling with faint sparks of electricity as it appeared with a flash of light. It rumbled softly, looking around with its glowing eyes.
"Graveler, can you make a makeshift shelter for this dummy to change clothes?" she requested, pointing towards Ash with a sigh.
"Grav, grav," Graveler let out a rumbling nod and began to manipulate the rocks around it, lifting and arranging them to form a small, enclosed space just big enough for Ash to stand in.
"Go get changed quickly," she urged him, gesturing towards the rocky shelter with an impatient wave of her hand. "And don't take all day!"
"O...Okay," he said with a slight pause, still a little flustered by the whole ordeal. He scurried into the rocky enclosure.
Then he quickly entered the makeshift changing room, the rough edges of the rocks cool against his skin, and changed from the dirty waiter uniform into his blue hoodie with the Poké Ball symbol and black pants. He folded the soiled uniform neatly, mindful of May's earlier lecture.
"Hm hm. You look much better now," May said with a nod and a thumbs-up, inspecting his clean clothes as he emerged from the rocky shelter. Graveler rumbled contentedly and stood by May's side.
"If that's all, I am on my way to Gramps' lab," Ash said with a slight blush still lingering on his cheeks, while pointedly averting his eyes from May, eager to get to the Professor's lab.
"What's with that sudden enthusiasm? You are making me curious," May said, narrowing her eyes at him with a suspicious glare. "What's so important at the lab?"
"It's nothing," Ash stuttered, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead despite the cool breeze. He hoped she wouldn't press the issue.
'Of course, I can't say I am jealous and want my own Pokémon, can I?' he thought frantically in his head. That would sound childish and embarrassing.
May continued glaring at him for a moment, her gaze intense, trying to read his expression. But then a mischievous idea seemed to pop into her head, a playful smirk spreading across her lips.
"If that's the case, alright, but I am coming with you," she said with a smirk, gauging his reaction. "You don't have any problem with that, right?"
Ash sweated buckets internally but resigned himself to his fate with a sigh he tried to make sound casual. "Nope, no problem at all," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
'It's not like she will make fun of me the whole way there, right?' he thought, a sliver of hope flickering in his mind.
But remembering the teasing he had just experienced in the changing room, he shuddered slightly. He had a feeling this wouldn't be as straightforward as he hoped.
"No, no problem at all," he said with a slightly strained voice, then resumed his steps towards the lab, trying to put on a brave face.
"Ash, wait!" May called out, stopping him in his tracks again. He groaned inwardly.
"Now what?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief, turning back to face her with a look of mild exasperation.
"Since my legs are hurting from all that pedaling to catch up with you, I want you to pedal while I sit on the back," she said with a dramatically tired expression, leaning heavily on her bike. Then she added with a sweet smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "It's much better for you than running, right?"
Ash couldn't deny the logic in that, and he definitely felt tired from his earlier sprint. But he also had a sneaking suspicion that she was planning something more than just resting her legs.
"No need, I can go there on my own," Ash insisted, trying to politely decline her offer. "I don't mind the walk."
But…
"Did I ask for your opinion, dear?" May asked with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and it looked a little scary.
Her voice was sweet, but there was an underlying tone that sent a shiver down Ash's spine.
"Ah, now that I think about it, Ash, you saw me in my underwear, right? Was that on purpose?" Her smile was getting wider and more menacing as she continued, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"What a pervert! I wonder what the others would think? You know Misty hates perverts, right?"
Hearing that, Ash vividly remembered the various instances where Misty had given Brock a good beating with her signature ear pinch for his less-than-subtle flirting. He shuddered at the thought of facing Misty's wrath, especially with May as the accuser.
"Lady May, you don't need to say all this! I was just about to get on the bike!" Ash said quickly, his voice filled with desperation, his face paling slightly.
"Is that so? Good," May nodded with a smile that was no longer scary, but rather quite pleased with herself, as if she had just won a small victory.
Ash quickly got on the bike, his legs straddling the frame, and May hopped onto the back seat with a graceful movement, settling comfortably behind him.
With a push on the pedals, he started off, his small legs working hard to propel them forward, continuing his path towards Professor Oak's lab, albeit with an extra passenger and a slightly heavier load.
But…
Another problem soon made itself known to Ash. It was quite… close. May's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, her grip surprisingly strong.
"Lady May, don't you think you are hugging a little too tightly?" Ash nervously let out the words, his voice slightly strained as he pedaled, trying to maintain his balance.
"Do you have any problem with that, Dear~?" May said sweetly, her breath warm against his ear as her hair flowed in the wind created by their movement, tickling his cheek.
"No problem at all," Ash resigned himself to his fate with a sigh he tried to keep quiet, a slight blush creeping up his neck.
But it wasn't like he didn't like it entirely. The soft feeling of her chest pressing against his back was… noticeable and, in a strange way, not entirely unpleasant for his young senses.
It's just that it somehow felt a little uncomfortable and overwhelming for his young mind, a confusing mix of awkwardness and a budding sense of something new.
'Well, forget it,' he thought, trying to push the confusing sensations aside and focus on the task at hand. 'Just enjoy the moment, I guess, and get to the lab as quickly as possible.'
After pedaling for a while, his legs starting to ache slightly from the extra weight, Ash and May finally reached their destination:
The lab and house of the world's greatest Pokémon researcher, Professor Samuel Oak.