It was a nice summer's evening back in Hoenn. I had wanted to catch a break from all the coordinating and nice sleepy Petalburg seemed like the best place to chill. I'd decided to catch up with my old buddies, Solidad and Dawn, as the latter had conveniently journeyed here from Sinnoh to conquer the Hoenn Ribbon Cup and the former had decided on a little vacation time, as had I. We'd gathered at a small noodle bar around Petalburg to enjoy the food and gossip about things.
"Hey, did you hear? Drew's back from Johto," Dawn whispered conspiringly. "He's in Mossdeep now!"
"Oh yeah, he sent me a Match Call this morning," I looked up from my ramen. I hadn't seen Drew in a while, so we were arranging a meet-up with Ash and friends.
"You know he likes you right?" Solidad blurted out, before covering her mouth in mock shock.
I choked on the delicious spicy Tauros ramen in surprise. Solidad stared at me cheekily, twirling her straw as Dawn stifled a snort of laughter.
"Drew?" I managed to sputter out, heating up all of a sudden. "He's an insufferable egomaniac whose sole purpose in life is to torment me with witty one-liners and pretend to offer a helping hand every once in a while so I don't murder him in his sleep! And not to mention he gives roses and other things to Beautifly which is just I don't know totally weird cos she's a Pokémon?"
"He totally has the hots for you, not Beautifly," Dawn wiggled her eyebrows, nibbling on a salad. "He's like super cute too! After he got his hair cut and switched those horrifying lettuce pants, he looks so much better! OMG and like what's hotter than a guy who produces roses at will?"
"He switched his lettuce pants?" I asked in disbelief.
"Aw hell yes, and he looks so dreamy now," she sighed. "I'd totally go for him if it weren't for, you know, Paul's whole you-touch-you-die thing and that he's like head over heels for you."
"Shut up, he's not," I mumbled, unable to prevent the heat rising to my cheeks. "I don't want to ruin our friendship anyway."
Alright, fine. I might have had a little not-so-little crush on Drew for like 12 years. It wasn't totally huge! I just found him cute. And sexy sometimes. And nice. And sweet and handsome and he totally understands me and my weaknesses and helps me improve on them and that's what I want in a future husband because yes, when I was 13 I wanted to marry him okay?
"Oh please, what about that New Year's party we went to two years back?" Solidad said, cocking one eyebrow, interrupting my inner monologue. "You and Drew disappeared for so long!"
"I remember all the alcohol and the sparkles and the fireworks," Dawn sighed again. "I like alcohol and sparkles and fireworks."
"That was a pretty eventful party," I reminisced before telling them the story.
It'd just been a normal New Year's party in Jubilife's Pokémon Centre, which was huge because normal in Jubilife meant ridiculously wild in Petalburg. The strobe lights were ridiculously bright and the music obnoxiously loud. Never had I wished more for a good strong cup of tea and a cheesy romance novel in my comfy bed back at home in Hoenn.
I was having pretty much no fun. Solidad was somewhere canoodling with Nurse Joy and Dawn had disappeared along with Paul because they're just horndogs. Not only that, my "date" Lucas was off hooking up with some blonde bimbo and I was left sitting on the shelf (literally cos the couches were covered with dead-drunk people), nursing my one precious glass of Merlot.
"Hey," I heard a voice sound from above me.
I looked up from my self-pitying and burst out laughing.
Drew was standing in front of me, green hair slicked back with gel and topped with a little plastic hat. He was wearing a spiffy dark green suit with black boots and a blindingly shiny belt buckle, making him look like a rather sexy leprechaun.
"You know, it's neither St. Patrick's Day nor Halloween today," I chuckled, making my way over to him.
"Yeah, shut up," he groaned, pulling the hat off in disgust. "You look surprisingly good though."
"Aw, Drewy!" I gushed, eyes sparkling and twirling around to show my sexy dark green halter-neck maxi. "Thank you for noticing how utterly gorgeous I am today!"
"Always will, May-poo," he cooed just as disgustingly.
We gave each other a hard look before bursting into laughter.
"What are you even doing in Sinnoh anyway? I thought you were competing in Kanto!" I exclaimed after our bouts of laughter subsided.
"Eh, I was bored of spending New Year's Eve with Harley," he wrinkled his nose and yelled over the background noise. "Came here to enjoy the fireworks and possibly get inspiration for my next appeal. Hey, you wanna head outside? It's really noisy in here."
"Um, sure! Let me just do something first," I grinned at Drew.
Drew shrugged and followed me over to where Lucas was now snaking his fingers up the lady's thigh.
"I'm just gonna leave with a guy 100 times hotter than you, alright?" I smiled sweetly at Lucas, who stared at me in disbelief. "Have fun with Boobs!"
"Wait May-" he stood up only to be knocked back into his seat by Drew, my sexy leprechaun with a pot of gold.
"Yeah, it's over kid," he smiled ruefully at him before punching him in the face and running the hell out of there, tugging me along.
"You are insane!" I doubled over, laughing and panting at the same time as we dashed into the streets outside the Pokemon Centre.
"So are you. How on earth can you run in those heels?" He slowed down to strolling speed.
"Girls are equipped with special skills," I winked, before unstrapping those killer gladiators and holding them by the hand. "But you're right, now my feet hurt."
"Loser," he coughed into his palm before smirking. "So I'm 100 times hotter than that kid eh?"
"Hehehe…" I giggled nervously, trapped in a corner. "Maybe it's because-LOOK, IT'S RAYQUAZA!"
"I'm not falling for that," he narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm hot, don't you?"
"Yes, I think you're incredibly sexy," I rolled my eyes (trying to play it cool here, yo), "Like Aphrodite level sexy."
"Aphrodite was a woman," he pouted. "I am manly."
"Yes you are sweetie. Yes you are," I reached up to pat him on the top of his grassy hair, which in reality felt like soft kittens because ohmygodI'mtouchingDrew-
"This is getting highly inappropriate," he cleared his throat as I caressed his scalp like it was made from unicorn tears.
"Oops, sorry," I harrumphed nervously, hoping the dim light from the streetlights wouldn't show off my horrified blush too much.
We walked in silence on the streets, me on my bare feet and him in his polished leather boots. It was way more crowded here, with partygoers and happy people dancing about. We continued along the winding roads as the crowds eventually thinned until we reached the entrance of a small park.
It felt surprisingly comfortable, the silence between the both of us.
"The countdown is starting soon," he remarked, linking my hand with his unexpectedly.
My heart fluttered.
"Oh yeah, it's 11.59 now," I checked my Poketch before looking up at him. Our eyes met just as the countdown started.
The clock slowed down as I mapped every contour and detail of his face in my mind. His mesmerising emerald eyes, his tanned skin, his chartreuse hair highlighted by the glow from the streetlights and how the corner of his lips quirked up into a bashful grin…
And just as the clock struck 12, he kissed me.
The world surrounding us slowed down. His lips were soft and gentle, pressing against mine with passion barely restrained. I locked my arms around his neck as he hugged me close to his body.
It was barely 5 seconds long but it felt like forever before we parted.
"It's…" he mumbled, cheeks enflamed. "Beautifly, it's Beautifly yes."
I could only stare in muted shock as he stumbled off, swallowed by the dark and in unsurprised realisation that I'd fallen another level deeper in love with this grass-haired prick who had an unhealthy obsession with my Beautifly.
"He's never mentioned it since," I finished. "I just forgot about it cos it got super awkward around him. Plus, he said it was for Beautifly, so…"
"So you are in love with him!" Dawn squealed, jumping up and down on her seat.
"Um that's not the point, the point is, he's a dick-"
"OMG we need to call him NOW get him here NOW make him confess to you NOW!" Dawn exploded into fireworks of happiness and glee. "This is such a cliché and cheesy and wonderful love story I might just cry!"
"Restrain her Dawn," Solidad ordered. "I'll call him over."
I struggled futilely against Dawn's surprisingly strong grip as Solidad dialled him on her Pokenav.
"He'll be here in 5," she winked as Dawn laughed manically.
"Hey, you needed to see me?" I heard that familiar voice sounding from behind me again and the telltale sign of a Flygon being returned to his Pokeball.
I refused to look up, deciding to stare murderously into my bowl of rapidly coagulating noodles.
"Not me," Solidad laughed that annoying tinkling laugh. "We'll be off now, so you two have fun alright!"
"Remember to use protection," Dawn stage-whispered into Drew's ear before cackling manically again and skipping off with Solidad.
An awkward pause ensued.
"So-" we both started before Drew laughed and gestured for me to continue.
Crap I forgot what I was going to say.
"You finally changed your lettuce pants?" I managed out.
The sound of a facepalm was very distinctly heard from the bushes.
"You haven't seen me in 2 years, and that's all you ask?" he stared at me weirdly. "2 years bro. But yes, I eventually switched to jeans."
"Well, what oh-so-enlightening question do you have for me?" I shot back. "And that was a good fashion choice. Never go back."
"I'm not planning to. Um," he looked at a loss for words. "How's Beautifly…?"
Another facepalm sounded from the bushes, inclusive of a soft but still audible "fuck that hurts" from Dawn.
"She's fine," I snapped, eyebrow twitching. "And she isn't for you!"
"… What?"
"Like, I know she's pretty and all but still she's a Pokémon and you really should respect that boundary between you and her-"
"What?"
"And plus, isn't your Masquerain in love with her? You're not a very good trainer if you want to steal your Masquerain's girl-"
"Seriously, May, what is going on?" he grabbed my shoulders forcefully, interrupting my rant.
"All those roses and the advice and all those times you popped by to see her and that…" I faltered. "That party with that thing…"
His face flared up.
"Oh. That."
"Yeah, that. She doesn't like you that way anyway-"
"IT WAS NEVER BEAUTIFLY, YOU DUMB SLUT!" a muffled yell came from the bushes. "IT WAS FOR YOU!"
Another awkward pause ensued.
"You thought it was for Beautifly?" his reply was disbelieving but his voice was full of mirth. "Man you really are dense."
I kicked him in the shin as he continued.
"It was never for Beautifly," he smirked. "Unfortunately, it seems like subtlety and hints are lost on you. Can you guess now who all those roses were for?"
I shot him a patented Drew smirk and pulled him towards me, meshing our lips together.
"Idiot," I breathed, millimetres away from his face. "You know I don't get hints."
"Loser," he chuckled, before pecking me on the mouth again and grinning. "Want to be my girlfriend?"
"THAT'S NOT HOW YOU ASK A GIRL OUT, DICKFACE!" another muffled yell came from the bushes. "AND THAT'S NOT A REAL KISS!"
Drew rolled his eyes and got off the seat before dropping to one knee.
"May Maple, would you be so kind as to offer me a chance to court you before inevitably proposing to you three months later as I love you so much I could die right now?" he asked, holding my hands sincerely.
"I accept graciously," I smiled back in pure happiness. "Drew Hayden, I will allow you to court me for 3 months until you inevitably propose to me because you love me so much you could die… right now."
"NOW KISS!"
And we did.