Weeks later after she saved the world a second time, he left. Everything that remained from him, besides his empty house, was a letter and a beldum.
And as she clung to the letter, emotionally devastated, she swore to hate him.
But that was one year ago and now it was clear to May, that she could never keep that promise. At this point she already loved him too much.
Every day was spent thinking about him and scaring herself with the question, if he still was alive.
"I'm going to get May!"
Phoebe's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and May wondered what happened. She could hear the talking, but was only able to understand a bit.
Soon steps echoed outside her office - his former office - and the door opened.
It wasn't Phoebe, who walked in, like declared. Instead May met the icy blue eyes of Glacia. They were softer than normally.
May gathered her paperwork to a pile, before she spoke up, worry evident in her voice, "Is something?"
Glacia sighed, before looking directly into her eyes, "He is back."
It took some seconds, but then May proceeded the words, leaving a cluster of paper on the ground, as she sank to her knees.
Then arms wrapped themselves around her and she looked up into the eyes of the former Champion.
"I'm back," he whispered, his voice reassuring.
But she knew by the look on his face, that he wouldn't stay.
She was right, May realized, three months later, after she cried her soul out in his arms, her head pressed into his chest. He didn't stay, but vanished one day, once again leaving a letter behind.
See you again, May.
She spent said day, sitting on a couch, in between Wallace and Lisia, sobbing quietly, as both hugged her. Wallace didn't look better and the contest idol was sad for both of them.
After that she continued her life like used, until she heard, months later, that he, once again, came back. He visited her, smiling happily at her. May wanted to punch him in the face, but refrained from doing so.
That time he only stayed for two weeks, before leaving. That time there also wasn't a letter.
But he came back. And he kept leaving, creating a never-ending cycle. And breaking her apart with every time.
One day Wallace and Lisia decided she couldn't live alone anymore, in that house way too big only for May and her pokemon.
So she started living with them, trying to stop her pain - or at least to ignore it.
But months later, she came to a decision.
He came back once again, trying to settle in his almost never used home. After he finished laying his things away, he decided to visit Wallace and May.
He never realized how close the two were, until he saw them living together. On one of his former visits, he decided to look how things were going by them.
May was smiling. Squished in between Wallace and Lisia, she looked the most comfortable and her smile was genuine. He hadn't seen a true smile from here for awhile.
"Steven?"
He looked up, every intention to greet his friend politely and talk with the Champion.
But instead he was met by a glare more terrifying than anything he already saw.
"... Wallace? Is something? Did I come back at a wrong time?"
"Come back, huh?"
Suddenly he heard fast steps, surly belonging to a confident person. May?
It was Lisia.
First she looked at her uncle, worry on her face, but then her gaze met his and chaos erupted. She shoved her uncle gently aside and took Steven by his collar.
"You," she growled out, so much venom in her voice, that Steven couldn't move.
"It's all your fault!" She shouted, tear drops starting to form in the corner of her eyes.
Then he felt her hold on his collar vanish, as Wallace calmly embraced her.
"Come back," he muttered, leaving the former Champion confused.
And then teal colored eyes looked into his blue ones, such a depth to them, almost as if they were looking through his soul, "Come back when you know."
"What do yo-"
"Leave and come back, Steven. You're the best at it after all, aren't you?"
Minutes passed before he realized that he was alone, the other both having returned inside.
He pretended that the words didn't bother him as much as they truly did.
He later visited Ever Grande, looking confused as he was. Sidney approached him, whilst everyone else was ignoring him.
"Hey! Rare to see you here, I thought you hated this place?"
"Sidney," he mumbled, musing about what might have happened, "where is May?"
Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, as Sidney's gaze darkened and everything seemed even more awkward.
After a moment, he finally got his answer. But from Glacia instead of Sidney.
"She quite," she said, ignoring Sidney's astonished stare at her.
"What?" His whole world seemed to spin.
Glacia scoffed, "Didn't I tell just right now? May Maple quite being Champion."
And his world crashed.
"Glacia! That was too har-"
Sidney's sentence was interrupted by Phoebe, who stood up, her chair falling down on the ground. She was looking directly at Steven, her eyes blazing like a fire, almost reminding him of his successor. Almost.
"Don't protect him, Sidney! It's alone his fault...! If he... only had cared... enough," she started crying and Steven felt like shit making every girl he saw that day cry.
"Phoebe," Drake spoke up for the first time since Steven arrived, his voice carrying wisdom like it always did, "He cares and you know it as well."
"B-but..."
The eldest of the four elite members shook his head, "He is just a little blind and that's why he lost his most precious out of his sight."
Then he turned to look at Steven. The air seemed colder than before, in the former Champion's opinion.
"Maybe you should take some time and think things through. I'm sure that will answer some of your questions."
In silence he left, deciding to rest in a park nearby. May quite. May Maple, the most confident, alive, strong, beau- she quite. And if he thought Phoebe's words through, it was his fault.
"Steven Stone?"
He looked up, meeting the blue eyes of a young boy with green hair. He remembered him as May's best friend - Wally, if he remembered correctly.
"I'm Wally." The boy introduced himself.
So he was correct, huh? Then he sighed, waiting for the hateful words to come, filled with sadness beyond Steven's understanding.
They never came though.
"You're not mad?" With whatever he did.
"Of course I'm mad, but there must be a reason she thinks so highly of you."
"Huh?" Now the former Champion was confused beyond words. What did the boy mean?
Said boy noticed his expression and smiled genuinely, "There must be a reason May loves you."
And Steven's eyes widened - he was surprised, even shocked. How could he never notice?
Wally chuckled a bit, before looking as serious as before, "I think you should visit Wallace and Lizia."
"But," Steven spoke up, wanting to protest. Wally's warm voice interrupted him gently.
"They will know. Believe me, they'll see it in your eyes."
And that was an hour ago and now he was again in front of his friend's house, intending to knock on the door. But said door opened and a girl came out. Lisia.
She glared at the sight of him, but stepped to the side, "I think you know now."
He stepped in, ignoring the ache in his heart, "She... left, I presume?" He hoped it wasn't suicide. He was sure he wouldn't be allowed to step in that house if she did.
Lisia nodded, but the next words came from Wallace, "Correctly, she left weeks ago."
Steven should be relieved. May didn't commit suicide, she was alive. But there was still this immense pain in his chest and for once he wondered if that's what everyone felt, whenever he vanished. If that's what she felt.
"I'm... I'm an idiot," he muttered, trying to control his emotions and calm down.
"We know, but apparently you're an inspirational idiot."
His blue eyes shot from the ground to look at him. What?
"Do you know how she left?"
He shook his head slowly. No, he didn't. But he had a bad guess.
"She left a letter, just like you," Lisia's voice echoed in the room and Steven inhaled sharply. Why? It was his fault, wasn't it? No wonder, he was her mentor after all.
"Alola," his friend said quietly.
"Huh?"
Wallace smiled a bitter smile, "That's where she is. Now, what will you do, Steven?"
Yes, what should he do?