Part 1: Coffee at Midnight
Small talk, he drives
Coffee at Midnight
The light reflects
The chain on your neck
He says, look up
And your shoulders brush
No proof, one touch
You felt enough,
- You Are In Love, Taylor Swift
The ship's horn blew loudly as waves crashed against the hull and it neared the shoreline. May's hand secured itself atop her head, holding her green bandana in place. She peered through squinted eyes at the approaching city with a certain apprehension she'd not felt before. The sea breeze ripped across the deck, much colder than the breezes felt in May's home region. Already her orange tank top and shorts felt like the wrong clothing choice for October in Johto and she hadn't even hit shore yet.
May was nervous to set foot on the land. Those first steps would mark the first steps of her Johto journey after traveling through both Kanto and her home region of Hoenn. This would be May's first journey by herself as she had traveled before with her friends Ash and Brock and her annoying little brother Max. May herself had decided to come to Johto to compete in the contest circuit as Max headed home to Petalburg in Hoenn, Brock to Pewter City in Kanto and Ash to Sinnoh to start a new journey.
May knew she wouldn't be completely alone in Johto. Three of her rivals, Drew, Harley and Solidad, would also be competing there. Drew was the one who had convinced May that she should go to Johto and discover her own style of battling. She had taken his advice to heart. While her three friends, if they could be called that, would be in Johto competing, that didn't mean May was traveling with them. Thus, she was nervous to travel alone for the first time.
The ship's horn blared again as it finally pulled into port at Olivine City, the port city of Johto. May scooped up her backpack, which had been resting at her feet, and slung it over her back. She moved towards the middle deck of the ship as they lowered the boarding platform. May descended somewhat reluctantly from the ship and took her first steps into the region of Johto.
When she exited the ship's terminal, she was met with a bustling and charming port city, reminiscent of Ever Grande City in Hoenn. She adjusted the straps of her bag and stepped towards the city. May wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do so she pulled out a map of the city she'd acquired on the boat. There was a contest office about a block's walk from the terminal, so she decided that was her destination. When she arrived at the office and went inside, the building was relatively quiet.
May approached the young receptionist at the desk. "Hello? I was wondering if you could give me some information on the contests here in Johto."
The young woman looked up. "Oh! I recognize you! You're May Maple, Princess of Hoenn." May blushed and the woman chuckled. "You're a great coordinator my dear. Welcome to Johto. The new contest circuit here doesn't start for another three weeks. The first contest is located in Len Town near Azalea Town. I've got a schedule I can give you if you'd like?" The woman pulled a pamphlet out from a drawer in her desk.
May accepted it gratefully and flipped through. It gave the dates and locations of all the contests for the next season as well as a page on the Grand Festival and its requirements. Apparently the Grand festival was to be held in Goldenrod, the largest city in Johto. "Thank you very much!" May said happily to the receptionist who bid the coordinator a fine farewell as May left back onto the streets of Olivine.
Now that she had her information about the contests here in Johto, May didn't really have any idea of what to do about the three weeks she had to spare. Eventually, like any coordinator, May decided to explore Olivine by doing some shopping. She located a small clothing store on her map that wasn't too far from her and she set off.
May found that residents of Olivine City and tourists alike were all very friendly and willing to offer her advice. As she thanked an older woman who had given her directions to her desired destination, she could have sworn she glimpsed a head of familiar green hair.
"Drew?" May mumbled under her breath, surprised at possibly seeing her rival.
Remembering that she had headed home to Petalburg for a while first before coming to Johto and that Drew had come straight to Johto, May knew it was unlikely that her rival and possibly friend had stuck around in the same place for so long. Shaking off the creeping suspicion that had edged over her neck, May entered the clothing store.
She browsed through several racks of clothing for slightly warmer attire, as she had begun noticing that her cool Hoenn clothing probably would not help with Johto's cooler climate, much like it hadn't in Kanto. She was flipped through a rack of long sleeved tops when she was interrupted.
"Excuse me? Are you May Maple?" A woman asked. May turned from the rack of clothes and saw a young woman around Brock's age before her. She had long brown hair and warm, curious brown eyes. She was wearing a blue dress with a white sweater over top.
May nodded in response to the question. "Yeah that's me."
The woman smiled brightly. "Wow! I'm a big fan of yours. I loved watching you in the Kanto Grand Festival. You improved a lot from your performance in Hoenn to now. I assume you're participating in the Johto contests this year?"
May smiled. "Yeah, and I plan to win it all. But, since you know my name already, could I get yours?"
The woman laughed. "Sorry, I'm Jasmine. I'm the Gym Leader here in Olivine and I'm a big fan of contests." She held out a slender hand for May to shake and the coordinator took it with a smile.
May returned to browsing the clothing rack as Jasmine walked away for a minute. The gym leader reappeared a moment later, holding a green jacket with an orange Pokéball design across the lower right side. "Try this on!" Jasmine prompted. "I think it would look good on you, if you're looking for something warmer."
May tried on the coat and found it was warm and comfortable with a decent price too. "Thanks Jasmine! It's perfect!"
The gym leader grinned. "It looks good on you. Are you looking for anything else?"
May thought for a moment. "I guess I might want to pick up a fancier outfit for any ceremonies I might attend."
Jasmine looped her arm through the coordinator's. "I think I know just the dress."
Five minutes later, May emerged from a change room wearing a sapphire blue halter dress that fell to her knees with a flattering waistline. She felt very pretty and elegant. She twirled in front of the mirror and Jasmine clapped happily.
"I knew it would fit you! You'd look absolutely darling on a date with your boyfriend."
May turned, surprised. "Boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Drew Hayden, isn't he your boyfriend? Everyone inside and outside the coordinating world seems to think so."
May blushed. "No, no. Drew and I are just rivals. We're barely even friends."
Jasmine shrugged. "Sorry for calling him your beau then. But, from a girl who deals with a lot of people, you two would be a cute couple."
May's blush worsened, her face was practically glowing. "Well, back to the dress. Should I buy it?"
Jasmine nodded. "Definitely. The folks here in Johto sure know how to throw a fun party. Especially after contests."
May smiled and twirled a little more. "I think I will. Thank you for all your help Jasmine. I really like the dress and the jacket." May paid for her new clothing articles and bid the gym leader farewell as she headed for the Pokémon centre, intent on getting some rest after a long day of travel. Jasmine gave May her Pokégear number and told the coordinator to call if she was ever in Olivine again, for a contest or otherwise.
May arrived at the Pokémon centre after grabbing a quick bite to eat for dinner from a nearby restaurant. As Nurse Joy was taking her trainer card to get her a room, May couldn't help but to overhear a group of girls who were sitting around a table in the lobby.
"I'm so excited that Drew Hayden is in Johto!" One of the girls cried out excitedly.
"He's so dreamy! I hope he wins the Grand Festival this year." Another girl said, clutching her hands to her chest.
May was thoroughly confused. Did that mean Drew was still in Olivine? From the way the sentence was phrased, May guessed that Drew had been here recently and had already left, leaving his fangirls to, well, fangirl. Nurse Joy interrupted May's chain of thought by returning her trainer card to her along with a room key.
"Thank you!" May said pleasantly as she slid the key into her pocket.
"You're welcome. Welcome to Olivine City Miss Maple." Nurse Joy replied cheerfully.
"Chansey!" Her Chansey chirped excitedly, waving its hand at May. May giggled and waved back.
The brunette made her way to her room and all but collapsed on the bed. She dumped her backpack by the dresser and went into the bathroom to wash up. She changed into her pajamas and crawled beneath the sheets. She felt strange, knowing that she'd wake up and go on with her journey at her own pace, not Ash's as he rushed to get his gym badges. Somehow even the thought of sleeping in made her miss her friends and family less. May was almost tempted to phone Ash, just for old times sake, but then she remembered that she had no idea where the trainer might be in Sinnoh or even what time it was.
Instead, she let her exhaustion take over and May drifted into sleep. Several fitful hours later, May woke up suddenly. She groaned, still tired. A glance at the clock next to her bed revealed it to be just past eleven. She tried for several minutes to get back to sleep, but it was to no avail. Maybe, she wondered, if she phoned Max or her mum she might be able to sleep again. May quickly dressed and ran her fingers through her hair so she didn't look too totally sleep deprived and glanced at her Pokégear. Factoring in the time change, it was around eight thirty or nine at night in Hoenn so someone at her house should still be awake.
Making her way quietly down into the Pokémon centre lobby, May was greeted by an empty room besides Nurse Joy who was quietly tending to some Pokémon in the back room. Not wanting to bother her, May walked over to the videophones. Instead of working phones, she instead found black screens along with a note saying that the phones needed repairs because of a recent power surge that had fried all their wires. Sighing, May knew she probably couldn't call home tonight.
Deciding that it wasn't worth it to return to her room, the brunette took a seat on the couch in front of the fireplace for a bit, hoping the warmth might bring her drowsiness back so that she might get some more shut-eye.
When the doors of the centre slid open, May's head snapped back so quickly she nearly got whiplash. She couldn't tell who was more surprised: her or Drew. Drew had just got into the Pokémon centre after what May assumed was a late day of training.
Drew shook off his surprise faster and smirked at his rival, walking towards her. "Well May, you finally caught up."
"Drew? Hi?" May mumbled somewhat still confused.
Drew chuckled at her a little. "Tired?" He sat down on an armchair near the fire as well.
May sighed. "Yeah. I just got into Johto today and I'm exhausted. It must be the time change or something because I just couldn't get much sleep. I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep."
Drew shrugged. "That's unfortunate. Since we're both here, would you like to get coffee?"
"Coffee? At midnight?"
Her rival nodded slowly. "Yes May. It'll be your welcome to Johto."
May paused but eventually shrugged. "Why not. It's not like either of us will get much sleep tonight anyways."
Drew led the way out of the Pokémon centre. May was wearing the jacket that Jasmine had picked out, but the wind was still chilly that late at night. She shivered involuntarily and rubbed her arms as she kept pace with her rival. Drew had apparently picked up a new wardrobe in Johto too because he wore black slacks that were a change from usual as well as a grey jacket over a purple t-shirt. He also had a dark grey scarf wrapped around his neck. May presumed that he had probably been prepared to be out in the cool night for a while.
May peeked a look at Drew's face as they walked. He was quite a bit taller than her now. She supposed that if she wished, she could tuck her head under his chin. At the thought of the affectionate gesture, May's cheeks flushed pink and she looked away. Drew glanced down at her moments later and saw her shiver again. He paused in his stride and unwrapped his scarf from his neck before offering it to his rival.
May glanced at him in shock. "Drew what are you doing?"
"Giving you my scarf. You look cold." He offered it to her again and May accepted it meekly, wrapping it around her own neck.
Already she was warmer and it smelled faintly of sandalwood and other pleasant scents. "Thanks." She murmured. "But won't you be cold now?"
He laughed. "I'll be fine May. My jacket is a lot thicker than yours."
He continued leading the way to wherever they were going for coffee. At midnight. May supposed she was crazy, but then again Drew was the one that suggested it. Perhaps they were both insane. After another two minutes, Drew turned towards a café to their left that was miraculously still open. He held the door open for May and she scurried inside. They found a small table near the window and May removed Drew's scarf, the warmth of the coffee shop comforting. She offered the clothing article back to him but he waved her off.
"Keep it. I've got another just like it. Would you like anything?"
May reached at her side for her purse and wallet before realizing that she'd forgotten them both in her room at the Pokécentre. "Oh shoot, I don't have my wallet."
Again, Drew waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I've got it."
May smiled at him gratefully. "A mocha would be great then."
Drew perked a brow. "Kind of boring for you Maple."
May rolled her eyes. "I bet you take your coffee black. Just like your soul."
Drew laughed. "Yeah right. No, I drink lattes with an extra shot of espresso. It's a cultured drink."
May wrinkled her nose. "Ew coffee," she joked.
Drew raised an eyebrow. "You drink a mocha which is just hot chocolate with coffee."
May raised her hands like she was surrendering. "Jeez, I'm sorry. I normally drink hot chocolates, but I think I need the caffeine right now."
Drew shook his head at her, amused. "I'll just be a minute."
He walked away to order their drinks. May drummed her fingernails over the polished wooden table in time to the soft music that was playing in the background. She and Drew were the only two customers. Considering it was past midnight now, she wasn't surprised. The barista had looked extremely surprised to see the two coordinators enter, but had seemed mildly relieved that he actually got to mix some drinks on his shift.
Drew returned several minutes later with two hot drinks. He placed one in front of May and sat back down in his seat, removing his jacket. May tentatively took a sip of the mocha and Drew raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not trying to poison you Maple."
May bit her tongue lightly. "Well you never know with you do you? I am going to be quite some tough competition this season," she remarked proudly. Her tongue tingled from a strange taste in her mocha. It wasn't bad, it was actually pretty good, but it was very different.
Drew seemed to notice her change in expression. "It seemed a little plain so I added a pump of hazelnut into it."
Now it was May's turn to perk an eyebrow. "That was actually really sweet. Thank you." Drew just shrugged, but continued to study her.
May caught his emerald eyes with her own and she felt herself growing warmer. Her neck was warm, so May knew she was blushing. Drew didn't seem to really notice as he leaned back and took a long sip of his latte.
The quietness in the atmosphere between them was making May nervous. "Why are you still in Olivine?" she blurted.
Drew shrugged. "I've been planning an effective route through Johto, hitting up as many contests as I can. Whether I participate in all of them or not depends. I may just go to one to scout out the competition." He pulled a map out of the deep pockets of his coat and passed it to May. He had marked where all the contests he wanted to hit up would be, where would be an interesting place to train, where he wanted to simply sightsee and even an estimated of how many days he could spend in one place.
May passed him the map back, impressed. "You've really done your research. I didn't really think it was like you to stick around in one place for so long. Couldn't you have made your map on your way to Len Town where the first contest will be held?"
"Probably," he replied, "but I wanted to do some training on Routes 38 and 39 too." He was back to studying May's face again, which made her nervous. "What took you so long to get to Johto?"
"I went home to Hoenn first. I wanted to make sure Max got home safely. He starts his journey next April! Also, my mum wanted to see me before I took off. I'd been missing Petalburg anyways." May said with a tiny smile etched on to her face at the thought of home.
Drew nodded. May briefly remembered the way Drew had phrased his question. He had obviously come straight from Kanto and maybe he had expected her to do the same. That left May wondering if maybe he had only stayed around Olivine because he was waiting for her.
"Drew, were you waiting for me?" May asked hesitantly.
He took another long sip of his coffee and placed the empty cup back on the table. He gave her a cryptic half-smile and half-smirk that infuriated May. He stood from the table and slid his jacket on again. "Thanks for the coffee May. I'll see you around Maple. I look forward to seeing your new style in action." He headed for the door to the café.
"Idiot. You were the one who paid for the coffee," she mumbled under her breath. Louder, she called, "Do you plan on sticking around any longer?"
Drew gave her his famous two-fingered salute. "Probably not. I need to get a move on to the Len Town contest. I'll see you there."
He said it with such a certainty that May felt obligated to go to Len Town that very moment. She wasn't even sure if she was going to participate in the contest or not yet. She watched Drew walk out the door and realized that he was leaving the city right that very moment.
"Idiot. It's the middle of the night and he hasn't even slept." She grumbled.
May picked up her jacket and his scarf. She'd have to return it in Len Town.
Author's Note: Welcome to my new story! This is Sand, a story of meetings between May and Drew during their Johto journeys. It's an eight part story with each featuring a different cliche. This chapter's was coffee shop meetings at midnight. I'm not sure when the next update will be, but it will hopefully be completed before 2016. I've got some other projects in the works, including an original story, but this one is on the front burner right now. Unfortunately, also on the front burner is school work.
Hope you enjoyed Part 1 of 8.
Don't forget to speak up,
The People Speak - Nicole