Hello, anyone reading this AU one-shot! QuartzClaw here!

I decided to write this birthday one-shot dedicated to my friend Anica! So without further ado, reading time! And happy birthday, Anica! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!


May's Popsicle

It was a summer day, and the sun was beating down on the world with a heat wave. This meant it was the perfect day to cool down by enjoying a delicious, Pecha berry-flavoured Popsicle. And that was exactly what a certain teenage girl was doing today.

May, who could easily be identified by the bright red bandana on her head, was walking outside on the sidewalk, heading to nowhere in particular, as she licked her Popsicle. She savoured every drop, not letting even one escape her. Yes, it was one delicious Popsicle.

May was enjoying her leisurely walk alone. True, usually, she would rather be with her friends, but today, she was perfectly fine being by herself. Mostly because of the fact that none of her friends were available today. But she was too busy relishing her Popsicle to feel bored.

Dawn had left for the week with her mother to Nimbasa City in the Unova region. May frequently received pictures from her, showing her all the sights of the city, including the fashion shows, musicals, and even the famous Nimbasa Ferris wheel and amusement park. She said she had gone on the Ferris wheel twice, once with her mother, and once with some cool-looking man with long, tea green hair and grey eyes (her mother had gone to get something for lunch that time, and had said Dawn could go by herself).

Misty was out-of-town too. She had a huge swimming competition that was in a different city coming up, for which she had been practising nonstop. And now, she had left to compete in it, though it wasn't going to be for another two days.

Ash and Leaf had both gone as volunteers for some Pokemon training camp. Both had Pokemon, and were striving to become trainers, so it made sense that they would be eager to volunteer in some program for younger children, and show them the basics of Pokemon training. May knew Ash would probably be super-stoked to explain battling to others. Especially if he were convinced that they all looked up to him.

Gary was working as an assistant to his grandpa, Professor Oak. He was interested in becoming a Pokemon researcher, which meant he would have to get into a good university when the time came. And he was absolutely certain being able to say that he worked with a famous scientist would help him do just that.

Paul... Well, actually, May had no idea where he was. He hadn't gone on vacation, as far as she knew. Maybe... ah, it didn't matter! She was far too busy enjoying her Popsicle. Although she did get a feeling she was forgetting someone. Whom was she forgetting? There was Dawn, Misty, Leaf, Ash, Gary, Paul...

"Hey, April!"

A voice cut her out of her thoughts. Yup, she remembered whom she was forgetting now. It was none other than...

"My name is May, you grass-head!" she corrected irritatedly. Okay, his name wasn't actually 'grass-head'. No, the one she was addressing was Drew Hayden, a fellow green-haired coordinator-to-be, who had the habit of flipping the fringe of his hair in an arrogant sort of way. Like he was doing right now.

"All right, all right, no need to blow a fuse," Drew said, chuckling at his friend's pout.

May frowned a bit as she remembered something. "Wait, weren't you saying you were very busy today? Like, your tutors were making you work a lot or something?"

"Oh, that? I'm done for the day. Besides, who would want to stay indoors on a nice, warm day like this?"

Today was a pretty warm day, May had to agree. Hearing him say that reminded her of the nice, cold treat she was holding, and she licked her Popsicle, which she had almost forgotten about. The heat was making it melt at a rapid pace, and May wanted to finish it before it melted too much. Usually, when Popsicles became too melted, they tended to slip off the stick, and May did not want that. Not when she still had over half that she needed to finish.

"You know, I could go for a Popsicle too, right about now," Drew remarked as he watched her enjoy her frozen dessert. "Where did you buy yours, June?"

"It's MAY!" May yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

Big mistake.

May's eyes widened in horror as she looked at her hand which was holding her Popsicle. Or was supposed to be holding it, anyway, as it wasn't anymore. The only thing clutched in her grasp was a wooden stick, covered in a thin layer of sticky juice.

The Popsicle? It had flown off its stick and landed on the sidewalk, broken and melting, forming a puddle of juice where it was lying.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" May hollered to the sky. She quickly knelt down to where her Popsicle had crashed. She turned to Drew.

"You made me drop my Popsicle! YOU KILLED IT!" she shrieked accusingly.

"What?! How is it my fault?!" he protested. "I didn't...! But it was...!"

"Stop making excuses, you Pecha berry Popsicle murderer! Why?! What did it ever do to you? You had no right harming an innocent piece of flavoured ice like that! Despicable! Just utterly despicable!"

Drew sighed, knowing she would dismiss his reasoning as excuses, and that there was no point in arguing. "Okay, calm down. It's just a Popsicle. How about I buy you a new one?"

May stood up, facing him furiously. "You think you can replace it just like that, huh? Well you're wrong! I wanted that Popsicle! I wanted to finish it all! But no, you make me drop it! It didn't even get to have a full life!"

"Oh, quit being so dramatic," Drew said exasperatedly. "It's not like you can pick it up now, so there's no point in wasting your day moping over it. Why don't you just leave it be, and I buy you another one? Or two, if you like."

"You're right," May said somberly, eyes lowered. "Though, you could be a bit more sensitive." She pulled a napkin from her pocket, and placed it onto the melted puddle. "Rest in peace, Pecha-flavoured Popsicle."

"Um, May? Isn't that littering, leaving your napkin on the sidewalk like that?"

"Well, who asked you?! Can't you see I'm trying to give someone a proper burial?!"

"It's a Popsicle, not someone! And nobody asked me; I'm just pointing out the obvious!"

"I want to leave that napkin there, and I WILL!"

"Young lady, is that your napkin?" May gasped at the voice and turned around, coming face-to-face with a frowning Officer Jenny. "You're not supposed to litter, understand?" she scolded. "I can give you a fine for littering, but I'll let you off with a warning this time. I want to see this napkin picked up right now."

"B-but-!" May stuttered, causing Officer Jenny to raise her eyebrow, as if to say, 'Well? What are you waiting for?'

May slowly picked up the napkin, which had soaked up most of the melted Popsicle's juice. She looked at the officer gravely. "It was meant to be a burial site for my Popsicle," she explained in a quiet voice. "It fell there."

Officer Jenny looked shocked. "Oh my," she said in a hushed voice. "I'm so sorry..."

"I wasn't even done. Not even halfway."

Drew stared at the two in sheer bemusement. Okay, this was an... an odd sight. Officer Jenny seemed to be genuinely feeling sorry for the Popsicle. It was just a Popsicle, though! May was going to eat it, so it wouldn't have lasted very long anyway. What was the big deal?

"Sweetie," Officer Jenny said gently. "I understand why you would be upset over the loss. However, not everyone can understand it. To them, this will look like littering, so it's best if you don't leave it on the ground like that. Okay?"

"Okay," May answered. She sadly tossed the napkin into a nearby trashcan.

"Good. Now I need to be off to fulfill my duties of patrolling the area. Good luck with your next Popsicle!" Officer Jenny gave a warm smile before walking off, leaving the two teenagers standing by themselves.

The instant she was gone, May began walking again. Drew followed close behind. Both were completely silent before Drew spoke up, albeit somewhat hesitantly.

"So, do you want me to buy you a new one or...?"

May didn't answer, or even look at him. Instead, she stuck her nose in the air, and began striding much more briskly.

"Oh, come on! Are you giving me the silent treatment over just that?"

No answer. Drew picked up the pace to keep up with her.

"Oh, please! You wouldn't be angry over just that, now, would you?"

Apparently, she would. Drew seemed to realize that, and tried to take a different approach.

"Oh, July," he said, smirking, giving his tone an arrogant touch.

"My name is May!" the girl hissed through gritted teeth, although she still wouldn't look at him.

"Come on, September. You can't keep this up forever!"

"Watch me."

"I will. I definitely will... March."

May glared at him from the corner of her eye, only to catch sight of a red rose being held out to her. Stunned, she stopped, turning fully to face the flower. For a second, it seemed a smile was appearing at her lips, before she quickly erased it from her face.

"No thank you," she said defiantly.

"I know you want it."

"Nope."

"Come on, May. Just take it. I already said sorry."

May cocked her head, considering the offer. "You didn't."

"Huh?" Drew was clearly puzzled by her statement.

"You didn't say sorry."

"I didn't?"

"Nope."

"I'm pretty sure I did!"

"You didn't."

"Are you sure? You must just be forgetful."

May scowled at him, her eyes locked onto his with a glare.

"Okay, okay! Just in case I didn't, I'll say sorry now. Sorry, May."

May stiffly took the flower, and twirled it in her hand thoughtfully. "You didn't sound sorry," she accused.

Drew rolled his eyes. How long was she going to keep this up? And all because of a Popsicle that she (and not he) dropped!

"Do you like the rose?" he questioned somewhat irritatedly.

"Huh? Well, yeah, I guess..."

"I am as sorry as much as you like it. So however much you like it, that is how sorry I am."

May began a close inspection of the flower, examining every detail.

"Well, it's not as red on this petal, and the very teeny tiny edge of this petal is kinda sorta wilting, and-"

"Oh, I give up!" Drew rolled his eyes, and stuffed his hands in his pocket. "I'll just go, and see if you're still mad the next time we meet."

"But I like it. I really like it. It's a really nice rose. Thank you."

Drew turned back to the girl to see that she was smiling at him, somewhat mischievously. Obviously because she had been acting so critical on purpose, just to annoy him. Drew felt a tiny bit irked that he hadn't noticed what she was doing earlier, thinking instead that she was just being stubborn and finding excuses to keep acting unforgiving. But of course, he smirked in his calm but haughty way, and gave his hair a little flip.

"Of course you'd like it! It is from me anyway."

"You owe me something else, too."

"Oh?"

"A Popsicle! Two, actually."

Drew smirked. May never let a chance to satisfy her sweet tooth slide, did she?


"Two, no, three Popsicles, an Oran-flavoured one for me, and, May, you want...?" Drew turned to the girl. They were at a small shop now, hoping to get their hands on the deliciousness they sought.

"Hm..." May stared at the different kinds of icy treats through the glass counter. The young man behind the counter seemed to be growing impatient as Drew waited for his friend to pick what she wanted.

"I want... um... Oh! A Sitr- no... Not a Sitrus one. Uh... How about a Pecha, and a..." She cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "I think I'll be taking..."

"Come on, May, just pick another Pecha one or something," Drew urged calmly. Although, in reality, he was ready to pick for her and get going. He hadn't come to just stare at Popsicles all day; he had just wanted to enjoy a walk!

"Mago! Mago-flavoured!" May exclaimed.

"Okay! An Oran, a Pecha, and a Mago then!" Drew gave the order quickly.

"WAIT!" May burst out, waving her arms. "Hold the Pecha! I think I want something else other than that. Hold on, give me a sec..."

She stared at the choices once again, her eyebrows furrowed. The cashier let out a frustrated sigh, gaining a sympathetic look from Drew. He knew how annoying this was.

"I know! Watmel! I'm taking Watmel!"

"Done!" Before May could change her mind, the cashier quickly pulled out the right three, and Drew swiftly handed him some cash, accidentally handing him a fifty dollar bill as well.

"Hey, you gave me an extra fifty!" the cashier called out to him.

"Oh, just keep the change!" Drew insisted as he hurried May out of the shop. Being so rich, losing a fifty dollar bill didn't really make too much of a difference. Plus he wanted to get out of there before May changed her mind again. They had been standing at the counter for a full ten minutes before she had settled on a choice.

"You sure took a long time deciding," Drew commented as he walked alongside the girl outside. He pulled off the wrapper of his Oran-flavoured treat, tossing the wrapper into a nearby garbage can.

"There were just so many flavours! I only had enough money for a Pecha one when I went by myself, but because of you, I could get much more than just that! Especially the more expensive ones." She had the Mago one in one hand, and the Watmel one in the other, and she was dividing her attention between the two, giving each an equal number of licks.

"Are you sure you should be eating so much?"

"Of course I am! Why not?"

"Well, there are the risks of brain freeze, sugar rush, and-"

"Yeah yeah! Drew, you only get brain freeze if you eat cold things too quickly, and seriously, I can handle sugar. You should know that! Besides, this isn't that sugary."

"Right..."

"You know, we should do something! Let's go to the movies, or to an amusement park or something! Of course, I'd rather go with everyone, but you're the only one available, so I'll have to take what I can get. So, how about... the movies? Let's watch a movie! There are a bunch of new releases, so we can go see which ones are running in the theatres today at this time!"


And that was exactly where they headed. Well, it wasn't as if Drew had a choice, as May had continuously rambled on about going there, and then led him to the theatre.

"So what movie should we watch? I was thinking maybe The Pyroar King, or Kung Fu Pancham? Oh, or how about The Princess and the Politoad?"

"Why don't we just watch-"

"Kung Fu Pancham it is, then! Come on, Slowpoke!" May got into line to get the tickets immediately, while Drew just gaped.

"Come on, Drew!" she called. "Who else is going to be paying for the tickets?"

Me, apparently, Drew thought, as he stood behind her. May took a large lick of each of her Popsicles. While Drew had finished his, May still had about half of each of hers left over.

"Actually, who says I'm paying for the tickets?" Drew said, smirking. "You need to have your own money for yours." He was planning on paying anyways, but thought he'd just joke around while they waited in line.

"W-what?! But you-! I don't have money!"

"Your problem, not mine." Drew shrugged. "Did you think that just because I bought you Popsicles, I would buy your tickets too?"

May pouted. "But you're supposed to! You're the one with the money! I'll pay you back!"

"Nah, don't feel like it."

By this time, they had reached the front of the line. Drew, noticing this, began taking out money for two tickets, but then, someone spoke.

"Hey, you know, you should pay for your friend's ticket," the man selling the tickets said. Apparently, he had been listening to their conversation.

"Hm? Yeah, I was going to-"

"It isn't nice. You take your friend to the movies, but make her pay herself?" the man continued.

"Yeah, he's right!" the woman behind them chimed.

"Justice needs to be served!" some random guy yelled.

"I was going to pay for her anyways!" Drew insisted irritatedly as he pulled out the money.

"Yeah, right. Sure," the cashier said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he handed them the tickets.

"Thanks!" May chirped as she took hers.

She and Drew both got out of line and began heading for the movies. At least, while they watched, she wouldn't cause anymore trouble. Hopefully.

"You know, I can pay you back," May said as they walked.

"No, no." Drew waved her off. "I was just kidding. I was going to pay for your ticket anyway."

"I know." Drew turned to her to see a mischievous glint in her eyes. Of course. She had known all along, and she hadn't even tried defending him when everyone else thought he was such a selfish friend.

"So when does the movie start?" May inquired, licking her two Popsicles.

"Hm," Drew looked at his watch. "At about-"

"Oomph!" The boy turned to see that his friend had crashed into someone, and had fallen on the floor.

"You okay?" he asked. However, May's widened eyes seemed to be saying that she wasn't at all.

"NOOOOO!" she howled. "My Popsicles!"

"Uh-oh..."

Both of May's icy treats had crash-landed on the ground with her, and were slowly melting into puddles. She turned to Drew, giving him a vicious look.

"You killed them! You were distracting me while we walked, and I bumped into someone, and now they're dead!"

Drew groaned. "You asked me what the time was, and I was just answering you!" Here we go again...

"But that made me drop them! You should have stopped, and told me to stop too, and then answered!"

"How was I supposed to know you were going to be clumsy?!"

"Sorry." The one who had apologized in a bored, indifferent voice was the same person May had bumped into. He was still standing there, not having left yet. It was actually someone they knew. And immediately, May's anger became directed at him.

"Paul!" she yelled. "You made me drop my Popsicles! You bumped into me, and now, they're gone!"

Paul raised an eyebrow, glancing at Drew, as if to ask what was going on.

"You deal with her!" Drew suddenly shoved his movie ticket at him. "I'm outta here!"

With that he hurried away, leaving his purple-haired friend to stand there and receive May's scolding.


Done! And thus ends the story of May's Popsicles!

Thanks for reading!

Bye bye! Have a spectacular day, and smile all the way! And Anica, happy birthday! :D