Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or anything you recognise.

So I probably shouldn't be starting another story, but hey. This idea just wouldn't go away so I decided to write it down and just get it out there.

Enjoy.

Prologue

The atmosphere inside the Grand Festival hall throbbed with electricity. My palms were sweating, my breathing was fast, and my heart was pounding so hard inside my chest that it was capable of breaking out at any moment.

This was it; the moment I had spent years building up to. Finally I would have a chance to win back my title of Grand Festival Champion after my long term rival had stolen it from right under my nose three years ago.

Okay, so it was never really my title since it was Drew who won and became the youngest ever co-ordinator to win the grand festival at fifteen, but I had been close. So, so close. And finally, having done nothing but train ever since my defeat, at eighteen I would claim my rightful title and wipe the smug look right off my green-eyed rival's face.

While the judges conferred between themselves as to who would become the winner (Drew and I had drawn, with both our pokémon fainting at exactly the same moment, and so it was up to the judges as to who would go home with the trophy and title), I glanced across the stage to where Drew stood with his hands in his pockets and a look of cool detachment on his handsome face. When I say he looked detached I mean that his relaxed body language clearly signalled that he was confident, but he appeared not to care whatever the outcome may be. I knew him better than that though. To everyone else, he looked like he couldn't care less. But I could see the slight tension in his hands as he balled them into fists in his pockets, and the way his eyes were carefully shielded from the rest of the world was always a sign that he was deliberately concealing a strong emotion for reasons known only to him.

Suddenly Drew looked up, meeting my sapphire stare with a cocked eyebrow. Good luck, he mouthed to me. You'll need it. He was as arrogant as ever, and it infuriated me to no end. I wasn't going to give the satisfaction of knowing how badly I wanted to see the look of shock on his face when I won.

I crossed my arms, refusing to let his taunts get under my skin. You're the one in need of luck tonight, I mouthed back, but he was already looking away. I scowled.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Vivian, the host, spoke into the microphone and instantly silence descended. "The judges have informed me that they have made a decision."

The tension in the air was almost enough to suffocate me. I wanted - needed - this so badly it hurt. Drew had already won three years running; there was no way he could possibly win again. If I lost, I didn't know what I would do. But I pushed the thought of losing to the back of my mind. Losing isn't even a possibility tonight, I told myself. Today's grand festival had been the best my pokémon and I had ever performed, and I couldn't have been more proud of them all. They deserved to win even if I didn't. True, Drew had outdone himself once again with a completely astounding performance, but in my heart I knew I was better. I just needed the judges to confirm this fact so Drew would be forced to admit that at last, I am the better co-ordinator.

I briefly considered what winning the Grand Festival would mean. Along with the fame and fortune (which in all honesty I couldn't care less about), how would Drew react? Would it be the end of our rivalry? Deep down I actually enjoyed our rivalry, and I hoped that if I did win then Drew wouldn't stop seeing me as a rival. Hopefully he'd just work even harder to attempt to beat me next time.

"First however, do our two finalists have any last words for each other before the winner is named? From what I understand they're long-term rivals, and both eager to prove they're better than the other. For Drew Hayden, his worth has already been proved with the amazing three Grand Festival Champion awards under his belt from the previous few years, but May Maple, while having appeared in several grand festivals, has never before managed to steal the show herself." While Vivian was filling the crowd in on our backstories, Drew and I both walked forward to take our places either side of her in the centre of the stage. Looking out at the audience, a huge smile began to bloom on my face. Lots of them held up 'We love you May' and 'May for Grand Festival Champion' signs, among other supportive phrases, and it filled me with a warm glow inside to realise I had so many fans. Of course Drew had at least as many fans as me but this was something I was willing to overlook.

"Yeah," Drew's level voice brought my attention away from the crown and I refocused on him as he continued to say, "May and I have known each other for a long time. Whatever happens next isn't going to alter our rivalry one bit. Mostly because her performance today just wasn't good enough to win her the trophy, and so nothing will change."

His arrogance was practically bursting through every word he said, and I was seething by the time he finished his mini-speech but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me unleashing my anger in front of the crowd. He'd said what he did to get me riled up, and I was determined not to let him get to me (at least not visibly, anyway).

"I hope you're prepared to eat those words, Drew Hayden," I said in the sweetest voice possible, "because I'm sorry to inform you but your performance today was sub-par at best."

There were several 'Ooooh's and wolf whistles from the audience at this, but Drew merely smirked at me as Vivian attempted to regain control of the excitable crowd once more.

"Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us," Vivian said loudly into the microphone. "I shall now reveal the winner of this year's Grand Festival." She paused for dramatic effect, the audience now so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. I crossed my fingers behind my back and muttered prayers to Arceus under my breath. I was going to win this, I knew it.

"Drew Hayden! Congratulations young man, you are now the fourth-time winner of the Grand Festival! You may collect your trophy from the judges now."

Vivian beamed.

No…

The crowd erupted in applause.

How could this be?

Drew flicked his hair.

I worked so hard…

He thanked Vivian.

My pokémon worked even harder than ever…

He began to walk towards the judges table.

Every step he took felt like a hammer knocking my heart into the ground as if it were a stubborn nail.

Drew collected his prize.

He held it up, and the crowd went even wilder.

And I just stood there, watching him soak in all the glory of his win, as my hopes and dreams shattered into thousands of pieces right in front of my eyes.

I lost…

It took me a moment to realise Drew was walking towards me. I drew in a shaky breath, determined to hold myself together in front of him. I wasn't the little girl of ten years old he used to know anymore. I was a big girl now, and big girls don't cry.

So as Drew walked towards me, shiny Grand Festival trophy in hand, I bit my lip and tried to smile. He stopped just in front of me. His back was to the audience so they couldn't see what he was doing, and I looked at the red rose he was twirling with his fingers in silence. "You actually weren't too bad of an opponent today." Drew's voice was quiet but even over all of the cheering fans I still heard him. "You're getting better, but you're not quite up to my standard just yet. Here, your pokémon deserve this. They performed well today," he finished, tossing me the rose. I caught it automatically.

"Thanks, so did yours," I managed to force out. I'm an adult now, I can handle this maturely. "You deserved this win." The words felt like poison on my tongue. But the acid wasn't aimed at Drew – it was soaking into my pores and invading my bloodstream. Because even as I said them, I realised they were true. Drew does deserve this. He's the better co-ordinator, he always has been. Me? I'm nothing. The thought reverberated around my mind. After today, all of Hoenn would be celebrating his victory, and I would just be another nobody once again.

Drew walked back to Vivian to deliver his winners speech, and as he began to speak into the microphone his words blurred as they entered one of my ears and promptly flew out of the other.

I found myself clutching the rose tightly. One thought was sitting at the front of my brain, bolder and harsher than if it was pasted in block capitals all over the trophy Drew cradled to his chest.

What am I going to do now?

Author's Note: Thank you for reading!

Of course this is just the prologue and the story really picks up in the next chapter, but I'd still love to hear what you thought in a review :D

~ Jay