Access All Areas.

Chapter One

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"...Just when is that fine line between admiration and obsession crossed?"

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"...And that's unfortunately all we have time for tonight, folks! Thank you so very, very much to all who made the effort to be here tonight! You've been a truly fantastic audience, I absolutely love each and every one of you!"

I then had no choice but to quickly cover my already pained, throbbing ears with my warm, sweaty hands as the overwhelmingly large crowd erupted, into an immense uproar. The sound was easily comparable to that of a good friend of mine; Iris, when she was out on another of her crazy nights out. When I removed my hands from my ears approximately a minute or so later, the pressuring sounds of the crowd going wild could still be heard, but on a level slightly less daunting.

I raised my head slowly, to meet the eyes of the one person whom so many thousands of people had come to see – May Maple, Pokémon Co-ordinator turned worldwide pop-star sensation. She hadn't really been in the music industry for too long, at the time of the concert, about a year or so at the most. Already though, she had easily and effortlessly attracted huge numbers of adoring fans. They forever flocked towards her like moths to a flame – and an incredibly beautiful flame at that.

To some fans, they had always simply loved her for her music. To them, whenever she would sing, it made them feel as if the entire weight of the world was gradually being lifted from their shoulders. Every individual note was a problem being picked-up and lifted away into nothingness, on the magical waves of her melodic voice.

To other fans, they personally were much more attracted towards her looks. I know it's practically essential for a pop-star to look amazing to be noticed. Ironically, this is typically the first thing a person often looks for in a singer. If the person's overall outward appearance fails to catch the eye, they're usually then dismissed as being no good in these fans' eyes – no matter how the person sounds when they sing.

Last but not least however, some fans adore her for both her mesmerizing musical talent and her looks. Such people take her and they accept her fully, for who she is, flaws and all. They choose to stick by her side, through the rises and the falls of her still young and fresh career – I am one of those fans.

My name is Ash Ketchum, I'm a Pokémon trainer; hailing from the quaint little peaceful town of Pallet. Until I turned ten years of age, I had been living happily at home with my mother. I had spent most of my young years, dreaming of eventually becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. Ever since my tenth birthday, I've been excitedly journeying across the globe, my trusty travel partner Pikachu by my side. Somehow, someway, hoping to one day discover a way in which that dream can be fulfilled. I still remember the older days, when May and I used to travel together as equals. With her treading her path and me treading mine, yet somehow I still felt our two paths, although separate, were interlocked somehow. It had been almost as if destiny were binding itself to us. But that would surely be impossible, wouldn't it? May; an outstandingly successful, popular Pokémon Co-ordinator and me; a mere simple, over-hyperactive Pokémon trainer, who never quite learnt to walk before he could run. For that reason, I never did manage to build-up the courage to tell her how I feel. So now here I am, hopelessly staring up at her as she effortlessly climbs the ladder, to a happy and wealthy life and luxury. While the very object of my seemingly wasted affections, stares down at me as I slide rapidly down the slide, into a truly sorrowful life of utter despair and depression. Emotions which were centred primarily on the fact, that I will never quite be able to come to terms with my catastrophic mistake... With what my heart has lost...

"Ash? ...Ash, are you in there?? Hello, Earth to Ash, wake-up!!"

"Huh, what the – Who's there?!"

I was then rather rudely awakened from my daydream, by an all-too familiar and panicked voice, it appeared to be calling to me. As I then proceeded to rub the overbearingly heavy feeling of drowsiness, from my obviously sleep-deprived eyes, I spun 'round to see that the voice belonged to one of my nearest and dearest friends; Dawn.

"Oh Dawn, it's you... I'm so sorry, I seem to have zoned-out again, didn't I?"

Dawn then merely giggled in her usual high-pitched, girlish way in response, which I have to admit rather annoyed me a little; snapping me back to my unfortunate reality.

"HEY, what's so funny?!?"

I hurriedly attempted to fix my posture, so that I was standing much straighter than I was before. Both my hands were fiercely clenched into fists and my teeth were bared, menacingly. This pathetically meagre attempt to appear "tough", only seemed to humour my friend further, causing her to almost collapse into fits of laughter. Nearly to the point where she found it difficult to even breathe correctly.

"Okay, okay... I'm sorry, Ash..."

This time it was Dawn's turn to apologise between breaths, her right hand resting gently on my shoulder.

"Well, the venue's going to be empty soon Ash, I really think we should start heading home now, before it starts to get too dark out."

'Home'.

That very word, the very thought of that word never failed to make my already shattered heart sink.

What is 'home'? Where is it, exactly? Is it simply the place in which one resides, or is it more than that?

To me, home meant nothing more than being in the company of friends. Surrounding myself with those I dearly loved. Though right now, right at this very moment, the one person I loved more so than any other, was May Maple. As what remained of the night's great crowd soon began to disperse; leaving me, Dawn and a small number of other stragglers, conspicuously hanging about the stage, in hopes of catching a final glimpse of May – I had an idea.

"Dawn, I can't go home just yet. I... I need to go and look for May. I need to talk to her."

Dawn was quite obviously very taken aback by my words. Contrary to popular belief; I hadn't mentioned May all that much at all, throughout all of my travels with Dawn. Except for the one time when May had come to visit me, Dawn and Brock, to compete in another of her Pokémon contests – and of course, to show-off her newly-evolved Glaceon to us all.

"M-May? Are you sure you're thinking straight, Ash? You haven't mentioned May in months. Besides, she'll likely be getting ready to head over to her next tour location, any minute now. If you want to catch her, you'll have to hurry."