Man in the Mirror

Chapter 13: This Time Around

Ash dialed the phone number for the Petalburg Gym. His mind was on one thing this morning. Why didn't May remember him? He learned from May's butler that the coordinator went out earlier, so it was just him and Pikachu at the breakfast table. Taking advantage of May's absence, Ash requested the location of the nearest phone after eating. As pleasant as last night's talk with May had been, he still needed an explanation. "I hope someone answers," Ash murmured while the phone rang. Pikachu patiently clung to his shoulder.

To Ash's relief, someone did pick up. "Ash, what a pleasant surprise! How are you?" Caroline greeted the trainer.

"Good morning, Caroline. I'm doing good. I wanted to let you know that I'm staying with May." Ash faked a smile. Nonetheless, he was pleased to see Caroline in better spirits than when he visited.

"That's wonderful news," Caroline was delighted. It was the kind of news she was hoping to hear from him.

"Is that Ash, dear?" Norman came up behind his wife. May's mother nodded. She didn't hide the enthusiasm in her eyes.

"Ash!" It turned out Norman was with his son. Max became as ecstatic as his mother when he saw one of his closest friends.

Ash waved at Norman and Max through the camera. "It's good to see you guys."

"Likewise," Max cheered. He didn't think about the reason for Ash's call. He was only glad that the trainer remembered to call.

Norman stood next to his wife. "What's new, Ash? I'm surprised by your call," he confessed but remained delighted to see him.

Ash was bashful over their attitudes, and then he shared the news of his reunion with May. Max and Norman were content to hear that the brunette was kind enough to feed him and let him spend the night with her. "Although, she did have a bit of a scuffle with a reporter when she left Lumiose Tower," the trainer sighed.

"I saw the tabloids with a photo of it when I went to buy groceries," Caroline grieved. The family wasn't surprised by the paparazzi's sleazy attempts to make a quick buck.

Ash shared in their grief. The boy pictured May's distressed face when they talked about it last night. "I reunited with May after that incident. I was there for her, but something was off," Ash segwayed into the purpose of the call.

A chill ran down Max's spine. Norman and Caroline gulped. They hoped it wasn't what they thought it was. "What was off?" Max could feel the sweat in his palms.

Ash lowered his head, his eyes concealed by the brim of his hat. "May doesn't seem to remember me." The disappointment in his voice was evident to the family. May's family feared this possibility since Ash left Hoenn. They'd remained hopeful that May would remember Ash upon seeing him, but they were wrong. Ash was just another stranger to her. The trainer tightened the grip on the phone. "Did you know about this?"

The family looked at each other. They weren't sure where to begin, but they couldn't stay silent. "Ash," Norman was the first to say something, "We are sorry for not telling you this earlier, but yes. We knew. May has no memory of you," Norman's guilt weighed on him.

Ash didn't want to be angry with the kind-hearted family but failed to hide his frustration. "Why wasn't I told this before?" his voice nearly cracked from the painful revelation.

"Pika," Pikachu patted Ash's shoulder. He urged him to keep his cool. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Ash and Pikachu knew lashing out would not resolve anything.

Norman prepared to reply until Caroline grabbed his arm. "We," Caroline intervened, "Were afraid that if we told you, you would get discouraged to see May."