A happy late birthday to Piplup1212! This is a one-shot I threw together after I remembered their birthday, and because I'm a slow writer, it's late. Sorry. But enjoy anyways… I know the story's a little weird, but I wanted to do SOMETHING.
May always ran out of tears before she wanted to be done crying. There were so many things to cry about, and she always ran dry before she wanted to be done.
"Not, my, bloody, fault." She said, sniffing between words. It hadn't been, but things like that were always blamed on her. The words that had scolded her still stung.
"I am very disappointed in you young lady. Why can't you be more like Max?" It had been at that point that she'd run away crying. Now she was crouched in a dark alleyway, one of the many ominous yet comforting spots she used to run too when she was sad before she left on her Pokemon journey. And I thought he'd be proud of me. But I mess up one time, and they all forget my achievements. May shuffled through all the times this or something similar had happened. She counted to about 204, but lost track. Things that hurt stuck with her the most.
"May? Maaay!" She heard yelling. They could search for her all they liked. They couldn't make her come. Shadows passed over the entrance to her alley, their silhouettes sharp against the bright noon sun. I never should have come back to Petalburg. The whole thing was a mistake. She stood up. She was never coming back to Petalburg, Not for anything. Her father's face burned against her eyelids as she snuck out of the alleyway. The gate leading away from Petalburg city loomed in front of her. She knew once she left she would never allow herself to return. May's steps were slow and deliberate. It was almost as if she was waiting for it to happen. And happen it did. A foot came out from another alleyway and tripped her up. May went sprawling, flat on her face. Dirt tasted awful. May flipped over onto her back. Grinning down at her, green hair, sparkling eyes and all, Drew.
"Oh." She said dissapointedly. "It's you."
"Don't sound so crestfallen. I'm here to help." She sat up, rubbing dirt off of her face.
"Help? You mean by tripping me into the dirt?"
"By not letting you leave this city." He said smoothly. She was wringning out her bandana now, not sure if it would get the dirt out.
"I'm leaving and I'm never coming back. Dad won't mind, he hates me."
"Come on." Drew grabbed her hand and started pulling her into a house.
"Why are we going in here?"
"Because this is where you'll be cleansed."
"Stop talking in riddles and give me a straight answer."
"Alright." He turned to face her in the dark. The house was ancient, full of Surskit webs and probably a few ghost-types. "This is Solidad's Slowbro." He pulled out a Pokeball. "She noticed what is wrong, and I volunteered to do the ceremony."
"Ceremony?" May asked nervously.
"Yes. Sit down." He brushed some dust off a chair. May looked at it distrustfully.
"Not offence Drew, but I don't trust you." He looked genuinely hurt.
"Do you trust Solidad?"
"With my life." She said without hesitation.
"Well, I'm acting on orders from Solidad. So you'll have to trust me now."
"Just this once…" She agreed uncertainly. Are you supposed to accept that kind of help from your rival? But then again, Drew's not an average rival.
"Good. Any questions before we begin?"
"Begin what, exactly?"
"This will take some explanation." Drew said with a sigh. He looked like had been hoping she wouldn't ask. He sat down in a chair opposite her. "There is a thing that the Duskull evolution line can do, even though it's rare."
"I hate Duskull." May said. Drew nodded.
"That's natural. The thing they can do is called Cursession, and it's rare and dangerous."
"It's kind of a funny word."
"Yes, it is, but this is no laughing matter. A person who suffers from Cursession was usually exposed to a Pokemon in the Duskull evolution line with this ability in their first week of life. The pokemon slides into the human's body, inhabiting them in a way that makes the person who is Cursessed have the problems they would have had anyway, far, far, FAR worse." May looked at him in wonderment.
"Me?" She asked, hoping Drew was wrong. He nodded, his face so solemn he could have been attending her funeral.
"But, what about my coordinating career? I've had pretty good luck with that."
"Am I to understand you met a ghost type before you started your journey?" May thought back.
"When I was biking to professor Birch's place, a Duskull flew out of the woods at me."
"Then there's your answer. A person who has been Cursessed is terrified of ghost types, yet ghost types are drawn to them. When a Cursessed person comes into contact with another ghost-type, their luck reverts for awhile into what it should have been, as if the spirit inside them is scared." May shuddered. The spirit inside them was a phrase she hoped would never be used to describe her again.
"So, can you get rid of it?"
"Depends on whether or not it's evolved inside you."
"Evolved INSIDE me?!" May yelled, shocked and terrified.
"Yes. With your level of Cursession, Solidad's Slowbro said you probably at least started with a Dusclops."
"Is that bad?"
"Yes." And without further explanation, he pulled out Slowbro's Pokeball and released it.
"Slowbro, scan her." May sat rigid in her chair, clutching it for life itself. Drew sighed in relief.
"It hasn't evolved. Not enough exp." May grinned at him.
"So, you CAN get rid of it then."
"Yes. I can." May nodded in relief.
"What do I need to do?"
"Don't fidget." May sat stock-still in her chair as Drew lay a hand on her forehead. She blushed rose-red from the touch. Drew took her left hand in his right, and Slowbro took her right hand in its, uh, flipper.
"May, Cursession victim, I cleanse thee of the spirit inside you. This psychic type shall absorb and release. Kera Mera Yema Powa Tu!" May gasped, her eyes wide and her mouth forced open. She stiffened and fell over from her chair, flat as a board.
"No!" Drew yelled. Something went wrong. Was the single thought running through her mind as she lay there. She slipped into oblivion.
May woke up to something warm and soft pressed against her lips. She opened her eyes and Drew broke away from her.
"Did-did-" She was panting hard. "Did you just kiss me?"
"No, idiot. I was giving you mouth-to-mouth."
"Am I alive?"
"I think so. You probably wouldn't be talking or breathing if you were dead." May broke out crying.
"I feel so alone."
"It's gone."
"Why do I feel so alone?"
"You've lived with its spirit your whole life. Being this independant is a new feeling, and you'll need help getting back on your feet."
"Will you help me?" She asked, looking at him. He really had been trying to help her. Would he help her more than he already had?
"Always." He said, reaching a hand down to help her up. She accepted and he yanked her to her feet. May smiled.
"I'm not scared of Duskull anymore!" She said happily.
"Glad I could help." Drew said. "Hey, May?"
"Yes Drew?"
"I gave you mouth to mouth earlier, yes?"
"Yes."
"Could I do it where it's not needed?" And without waiting for an answer, Drew leaned forward and kissed her. In the background, Slowbro clapped.