The Easter Orienteering (Advanceshipping)

Chapter 1: The annual "Easter" egg hunt

After May had competed in the Kanto Grand Festival, Ash's group continued its way towards the battle pyramid, so that the raven-haired boy could challenge Brandon for the second time. Being still a bit down after her loss at the festival, May seemed unusual nervous when she walked next to Ash.

"I still can't believe that you got to the Top 4 at the festival, May." Ash praised May's performance and smiled at her. Strangely enough, the brunette smiled quickly as well before she turned away in embarrassment.

Max looked suspiciously to his older sister.

"Ash's right with that." Brock admitted as well, not seeing May's reaction. "You even beat Drew."

"You're exaggerating ...." May answered, but it was obvious that she loved the compliments from her friends.

"Why do you blush, sis?" Max said straightaway.

May immediately hit her brother on his head after that comment. Unfortunately, Ash and Brock noticed it nevertheless and the two boys glared weirdly at the girl, at least the clueless Ash. Brock's facial expression immediately turned into a frown and the bandana-girl didn't like this at all.

"Did you catch a cold?" Ash asked, placing his hand on May's forehead.

The brunette removed Ash's hand from that spot before she thought about an excuse.

"I'm totally fine, Ash." May clarified. "Max just wanted to tease me like always."

Max was silenced for now and Ash believed her without any arguments. Being in the background, Brock wondered if it was possible that something was developing between two of his friends, although it seemed one-sided for now.

"Now it's my time to finish what I started." Ash said enthusiastically, spotting this determined gaze within his eyes.

May looked happily to the trainer, wishing Ash so much luck like never before.

Walking in front of the group, Pikachu enjoyed the silence of the nature and the yellow rodent even remembered some adventures during its first stint in Kanto. Everyone of the group expected that this wouldn't contain any surprises and that they would only walk along the road until the evening when they would set up their camp for the night.

May kept a constant distance between Ash and her, but that wasn't noticed by anyone so far.

Every silence had to end eventually and this time it ended with a loud growl.

The noise came from a raven-haired trainer who held his stomach and it seemed that it was the time of the day when Ash became hungry. It was just a few minutes before midday and the group just ate breakfast a few hours ago.

"Someone could assume that you fought at the festival, Ash." Brock joked before he heard some noises from the leafs of a nearby tree. After a few seconds, Aipom appeared and the monkey jumped quickly on the ground, informing the others that she was hungry as well.

"To be honest, I wouldn't mind a lunch right now either." May admitted and the girl held her stomach as well.

"Imitation is the biggest form of affection ...." Max quoted a line from one of his books before he received another hit onto his head.

"What does he mean with that ..." Ash asked naively, but he didn't receive an answer. On the one hand, Max didn't dare to tease his sister once more and on the other hand, Brock just laughed mentally.

"He's a kid and he doesn't know what he's talking about, but enough from that. I think that this here is the perfect spot to take a break." May changed quickly the topic, but actually, she was right with her statement.