May was sitting in the Pokemon Center in Sunnyshore for the Sinnoh Grand Festival. She was calmly sitting at a table in the cafeteria, until four other coordinators decided to crash her one person party.
"Gingerbread Cookie!" screeched a high-pitched male voice. A purple-haired man in a cacturne suit launched himself at the female coordinator with a sheaf of papers clutched in her hand. May, startled by such an attack, choked on the scoop of rice she just put in her mouth and started choking.
"Harley, would you try to contain yourself of killing May?" Solidad mused.
A close friend of May, who joined the entourage, came around to pat May on the back. "Are you okay, May?" Dawn asked.
After a few more coughs May choked out. "I'm fine. I'm fine." She waved her hand at Dawn.
"Oh, good." She grinned but made an abrupt change in mood by slapping May's shoulder, scowling. "Why didn't you tell me! I'm your friend! You could have told me if you wanted it to be a secret! But I had to find out from a magazine?! What the hell, May!"
Harley snuggled his hands under his chin and wiggled in excitement. "Ooooh, really May, you should have told us! But a hidden romance is sooooo romantic!" he cooed.
"Really, it was about time." Solidad smiled at her.
Hidden behind everyone out came Brianna to say her piece. "I am really happy for you, May. If Drew isn't with me I'm glad that he's with you."
Through what they have been saying May had just been gaping at them like a magikarp. Screwing up her face in confusion she rubs the back of her head. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about to be honest. What about me and Drew?"
Solidad, Dawn, and Brianna shared a puzzled look behind Harley who jumped forward with the glossy papers in his hands. "This, Sugar-plum! Coordinator's Weekly! Do you see who's on the front?! I knew you two would be together, I have a talent for that. It's destinyyyy!" He spun around on his right foot, letting the magazine flop in front of May.
May picked up the cause for all this hullabaloo. We have the poll results of who is the cutest contest couple! May skipped a few lines. Now, finally the winners of the cutest coordinator couple that participate in our esteemed contests are…. May and Drew! Cue fangirl squeal! Aren't they adorable? Anonymous reports always say that Drew gives his one and only romantic red roses and that she always blushes (a sure sign she loves him). Sorry guys! You can't keep it a secret anymore! Time to confess! Now I always loved Contestshipping…...
May stopped reading the magazine, dumbfounded. She looked up at everyone staring at her with anticipation for her reaction. "I'm not in a relationship with Drew! He's just a friend! I don't know why people thought that we are but we aren't!"
"Gingerbread! It says right there in Coordinator's-"
"They lied!" May face was growing a steady red. "They lied and you shouldn't believe liars!" She stormed out of the cafeteria with them watching her move. Brianna made a step to her before a hand landed on her shoulder stopping her. Solidad shook her head at her, telling her silently to let her go and cool down a bit.
On her way out she saw Drew. Still worked up she marched over to him, grabbed him by his purple shirt, and dragged a protesting Drew outside. Gripping his shirt she turned on him. "Do you know what this is?!" She shoved the magazine she unconsciously brought along into his face.
"It's a magazine, May. I was so certain that you would know what this is, but I guess that I overestimated your intelligence."
She let him go and shoved the rag into his hands. "Just read it you jerk."
He started reading the cover and his eyebrow rose. He didn't say anything but continued reading and flipped a few pages in. "Well apparently there's this new Pokeblock recipe that makes your Pokemon fart sparkles."
"Not that! Just- wait, let me see." Drew pulled back the issue of Coordinator's Weekly, laughing. "I was kidding, May."
She pulled back pouting and punched him in the shoulder. "Grass-brain. Well what about the other thing!"
He smirked. "What other thing?"
She flailed her hands, trying to be discreet when she wanted to scream and make a fuss. "The thing! About… us" She whispered the last word.
"Oh, the part where the most talented young coordinator and the air-headed brunette that is lucky to even have him being voted cutest couple of the entire contest world?"
She shifted her weight to one side, placing her hands on her hips. "It doesn't say that and you know it."
He shrugged. "Well what do you want me to do about it? I can't do anything."
"We have to fix it and tell people that we are not a couple! It's lies and it's just not... true."
"The Sinnoh branch for Coordinator's Weekly is in Jubilife not SunnyShore. The Grand Festival starts tomorrow, I can't do anything."
"Well there are reporters here for the Grand Festival. We get them to print a retraction and tell people that we aren't a couple and we fix it!"
He looked at her surprised and mildly impressed. "That's not bad, Maple. Smart for you."
"Oh, shut up, Grass-head." She grabbed him by the arm and hauled him to the insufferable magazine's tent at Lake Valor. Letting him go and marching up to the reporter in the tent she reining in her temper. "I'm not dating Drew!" she blurted to her back.
The reporter jumped, startled by the loud brunette, and turned around. "I'm sorry?"
"I just read the report for your magazine and they are all lies. I'm not dating Drew, he's not dating me, we are not dating each other! Let alone be cutest couple! I want you to fix it." She folded her arms while Drew in the back was just looking around at the knick knacks in the tent.
The reporter smiled. "I'm sorry if you wanted your relationship to be a secret, but it was getting obvious to everyone that you two are in love! It's so sweet and we had to print it. Plus, it wasn't the magazine that made you cutest couple but the people who voted."
"It's the truth! We are not dating! And I want you to fix it. It would be more believable if Drew dated his roserade than me!"
The reporter held up her hands. "Okay, okay. I'll fix it. Just wait until next issue and everything will be fine."
May exhaled, "Thank you."
The next week the Grand Festival was winding down but our favorite coordinators were still staying in SunnyShore for the beach and nice weather. They worked hard they deserved a vacation.
May was tanning on the beach, enjoying the warmth the sun gave. She was dozing off when Dawn sat down next to her with the lying magazine from last week. "Hey, May. I got Coordinator's Weekly and I think that you might want to read it." Dawn was trying, and failing hiding the smile twitching on her lips.
"Great!" May sat up and pushed her sunglasses on the top of her head. Reaching for the magazine in Dawn's hands she spoke. "I can't wait to read what that reporter said. This insanity about being Drew's girlfriend is done now."
Dawn kept just out of her reach. "Well don't you like Drew?"
"Well, yeah." She was still trying to reach the magazine without moving from her spot. "I like him, but it's embarrassing that people are insinuating that I'm his girlfriend when it's not true and he's just laughing at the idea that May Maple being with The Drew Hayden. It's just humiliating." She finally grabbed the issue from Dawn, who had a full blown smile dominating her face.
May's mouth dropped open. "'Drew Hayden Cheating on his Girlfriend with Pokemon'. The heck! 'May Maple came to me last week, in tears, that Andrew Hayden won't go out on a date with her in preference to take out his Pokemon, Roserade. She said that Drew cares more about winning contests with his precious roserade than her. She would rather not have the 'relationship' out and to please retract the issue. She- hmph, hmhmhm.'" May bit her lip at what she read and looked at Dawn.
They looked at each other, fighting smiles, but ended up collapsing in laughter. "Oh-ho-hah. Oh my- Arceus. That's- terrible. What was that reporter thinking! This is terrible, horrible, insanely-funny. Oh Mew. Hahahahahaha! Drew dating a Pokemon. My Arceus." They were coming down their laughing high when they heard a loud bellow.
"May!" Said person looked up to see a steaming Drew. His face dark he grabbed her hand and dragged her away. "We're going to go see that reporter and fix this! And stop laughing!"
"I'm sorry, I'm s-sorry. It's j-just too funny!" She gasped in a breath.
They found the tent that didn't leave just yet, they were in the midst of packing. "Hey!" Drew yelled to the reporter from last time. "What the heck do you think you're doing! I am not dating my Pokemon and I don't care more about winning than May!" He let May go to stomp up to the reporter. "What makes you think that you can print something based completely on lies. Who do you think you are!"
"Umm…" She pointed to her her name tag. "Josephine Smythe."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't get smart with me. I thought you said you were going to fix this."
"I did. I made sound like you guys weren't in a relationship but I had to spice it up a bit."
"By making it sound like I care more about winning than my girlfriend." he deadpanned.
She pointed at him with a accusing finger. "Ah-ha! You admit you are in a relationship with May! It sounds like you are more upset about me making it sound like you don't care than you dating your Pokemon!"
"I was speaking hypothetically to your fake article. I am not dating Roserade but I do care about her and people will see that. But what I don't like is that you lied about my character. I do care about May. As much as one cares for a brick."
"Hey!"
His face grew a subtle smirk. "She's my rival and my friend and I do care about her. Put that in your article."
He turned around to see May watching the exchange...in a bikini. He forgot that he found her at the beach. He took off his purple overshirt and put it on her shoulders so she's more covered and walked past her.
Shoving her arms through the sleeves she raced after him. "It wasn't that bad." she said, in step with him. "Everyone knows that you love your Pokemon and no one would think to judge your character. Contests are competitive, of course you would want to win, everyone does."
"Thanks. Sorry I dragged you along I was just really incensed and I kind of blew up." He looked at her with an expression she can't read.
"Yeah, I never seen you like that before. You must have been pissed. Well I'm going back to the beach. Here." She started to give back his shirt but he held up a hand to stop her.
"Don't worry about it. I have others. Keep it as a cover-up for now. But wash it before you give it back I don't want to retain the stupidity virus."
She started putting it back on. "Don't worry I'll wash it- hey! What do you mean by that!" she shouted at him. He was already walking away when he responded.
"It means what you think." He smirked at her before disappearing in the crowd around them.
She roughly jerked his shirt. "Stupid Grass-head." she muttered before heading back to Dawn.
The next day she went home and stayed a few days. She was training her Pokemon at her dad's gym to get ready for another season of contests. She was ordering a Friction Uppercut when the doors opened. She turned expecting the pizza she ordered but instead found Drew with a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper.
"Drew what are you doing here?" she asked.
He held up the package. "This weeks Coordinator's Weekly."
She walked to him. "Why do you have it now? It comes out in tomorrow."
He rolled his eyes. "No duh, they gave me an early release. Here, you do the honors."
She ripped the package open slowly, not really wanting to see another mistake. She blushed bright red and hid it behind her back. "Uhh, they made another mistake. Let's go to Jubilife and get that crazy reporter fired." She was edging around him to the door, not wanting him to see it."
He didn't move. "May, just read it to me. What does it say." he demanded.
She sighed at his stubborness. "Fine. It says… umm 'Drew Hayden Confesses. Just last week the two leading couple came to complain to me again. But this time I got a ranting from Drew Hayden. Yes, I accidentally made a few mistakes last issue and to be clear he isn't dating his roserade and he cares for May Maple. He said that she is his rival and friend but also she's one of the most important people in his life. In fact he didn't say it in words but you can see in his actions that he does love May. I confronted him about it and he said 'Who am I to go against the contest world.' There it is folks! His basic-evasive-non confession! I'm sure you people are right along with me as we cheer 'Contestshipping!'" May bit her lip and looked at him for his reaction. "So should you or I go get that reporter fired?" May nervously laughed.
He shrugged. "Why? There's nothing wrong with it."
"Nothing wrong wi- Drew she just said in black and white that you love me!" Her face flamed at what she said but didn't stop her glare at him.
"Everyone in the contest world voted us cutest couple. Who am I to crush their dreams?" He walked past her and opened the door to leave. He paused in the doorway looking back at her he asked, "Well aren't you coming?"
Just the tiniest bit suspicious she followed him out the door. "Where?"
He didn't look at her, just straight ahead. "To dinner of course."
As they walked in the restaurant Josephine Smythe took a picture of them. "Mmmhmm. Next issue May and Drew's First Dinner Date." She grinned slyly as she left for Jubilife.