A brown haired girl with blue eyes, wearing a green bandana with a white "Pokie Styles" symbol on it, a green collared tank top and shorts, was lying on the beach soaking up the sun of the Johto region's Cianwood City beach. She was taking a short break from a long day of training. Her Pokemon sprawled out around her; Blaziken, Ivysaur, Munchlax, Beautifly, Squirtle and Eevee. Except Eevee wasn't there. She had wandered off because she caught a familiar scent.
She followed the scent until she felt she had wandered too far. Eevee looked up from sniffing and realized she had never been to this part of the beach. She sighed and sat down. She looked around trying to figure out the best way to get back to her trainer. While she had been thinking someone had walked up behind her and watched her.
The boy had light green hair and emerald green eyes. He was wearing a purple jacket over a black turtleneck. He had his hands shoved into the pockets of his black pants. He studied the eevee, wondering how it had gotten here. His Pokemon, Roselia seemed happy to see the eevee. She tugged at her trainer's pant leg to get his attention. The boy looked down at his Pokemon and gave her an odd look. Roselia pointed at the eevee and started walking forward and tripped.
Eevee heard something and hopped up and started growling in the direction the noise had come from. She studied the forest line that was about 30 feet away. She saw movement and took a step backwards defensively.
The brown haired girl and woken up from her nap in the sun and looked over her Pokemon and noticed something missing. A small brown something.
"Eevee?!" She cried thus startling the rest of her Pokemon awake. "Guys where did Eevee go? Ahh..." They scrambled for a minute trying to think of some explanation. Then Squirtle noticed pawprints leading away from them that looked like they belonged to their friend.
"Squirt! Squirtle!" He pointed and shouted at the rest of the team and his trainer.
"Oh! Come on gang!" The group hustled off in the direction of the pawprints.
The boy helped his Pokemon to her feet but she brushed him off and went running off to her friend. The boy sighed, his green eyes looking old and tired for a 15 year old. He walked out of the shadows and followed his Pokemon.
Eevee saw the familiar Pokemon and immediately perked up. She yipped at her friend and ran forward. Roselia and Eevee frolicked for a minute or two while they got reacquainted. Roselia's trainer smiled at them realizing whom this eevee belongs to. He remembered the brown haired, blue eyed, bandana wearing girl, he called his rival; May.
May came running around the corner in the rock and saw Eevee. She also saw another Pokemon with her. A certain Pokemon that meant the appearance of a certain cocky coordinator who had light green hair and sparkling emerald green eyes, her rival that enjoyed when he mad her mad; Drew.
"Drew!" She called as her and her Pokemon ran up to them. He looked her way and smirked.
"Of course you, of all people, May, would end up being so air-brained to loose track of one of their Pokemon." He replied airily.
May ground her teeth. She hated that he treated her like a little kid. It's been three years since they first met and he had treated her the same. She decided to act as if it hadn't happened, "So are you here for the contest?"
This question didn't seem to faze him, "Well why else would I be here?"
May rolled her eyes. He was so arrogant. "Well then I guess I'll be seeing you there then." She turned on her heel and walked off fuming while her Pokemon followed.
Eevee started to follow but then Drew stopped her and handed her a rose and winked. She understood and nodded. Then rushed off to catch up to her team, a rose in her mouth.
Later that night, at the Pokemon Center and after dinner, May decided she'd go chat with some of the other trainers and see what kind of things she could learn or what new friends she could meet and put into her PokeGear. May had left all but one Pokemon back in her room.
May was curious as to why Drew had given Eevee a rose to give to her. The only times Drew had given a rose to her was in an attempt to either sike her out or make her shut up for a minute so he could put his two cents worth into the conversation. She held Eevee in her arms and chewed on the thought of the rose. What if it had more meaning than what she thought? What if Drew had some sort of crush on her?
She so deep in thought that she bumped into someone, "Oh sorry!"
"Oh no, it's ok," the girl smiled.
May looked at her and studied her for a minute. She had glossy lips and short blonde hair with a pink sort of stripe along the front. She had light blue eyes and was wearing a pink t-shirt with a red "Pokie Styles" logo on it. Her ears had black ball earrings in them.
"I'm Naiomi," she said sticking out her hand, "Pokemon coordinator.
May smiled, happy she had found another coordinator to talk to, "May. Pokemon coordinator"
"Really? Like May from Petalburg?" Naiomi seemed really excited; her eyes were sparkling with interest.
"Yup that's me," May said proudly.
"Wow. Ma couzin's told me zo much 'bout you!"
Who could her cousin be, May wondered. She went through her list of friends and rivals. There was Solidad, but she didn't seem like she'd talk too much about May. There was Drew, but she really doubted that he talked about her. That left one person, Harley. May shivered at this thought.
Naiomi giggled, "You're tryin' to figure out ma couzin's name ain't cha?"
"Uh… Yeah," May shrugged sheepishly.
"Naio, who are you talking to?" a boy's voice came from behind May. She turned and saw Drew standing there. He looked surprised to see her talking to his cousin.
"Oh hey there cuz! I wuz juzt talkin' to yer friend, May." Naiomi motioned towards May.
"Oh. I see," Drew seemed to glare at Naiomi for a minute but she seemed oblivious to it.
May's PokeGear rang and she reached to answer it, "Excuse me. Hello?"
Naiomi and Drew stood there looking at eachother. Well, Drew was glaring and Naiomi was grinning.
"Oh hey, Ash!" May said enthusiastically and then dove into full detail about her training and the contest coming up.
Drew ground his teeth at the sound of Ash's name. He hated that guy. He couldn't understand what May saw in him. She did know that he was cheating on her right? With that blue haired diva from Sinnoh. It killed Drew every time May answered one of his calls not even thinking about what he's doing.
Naiomi noticed this a frowned. She tapped May on the shoulder and pointed at her wrist with a sorry look on her face and then waved.
"Oh Bye! See you at the contest tomorrow!"
Eevee saw Drew's face as his cousin dragged him off. She frowned. How could her trainer be so oblivious to what she was doing to him? Eevee looked up at her trainer and saw her happy face and decided it wasn't worth trying. May was so happy that Ash had chosen her it didn't matter what he did wrong; May would never believe anything bad about him.
Drew was sulking by the time Naiomi had gotten him into their room. He flopped on to his bed and lied there face down while Naio rummaged around in her bag. When she finally stopped he turned his head so that he could see her. She gave him skeptical look.
"She wuz zurprised you were ma couzin," she said bluntly.
"Everyone's surprised that we're cousin," he mumbled into the comforter.
"Not in that way."
"Then what do you mean?" Drew sat up cross legged and leaned forward, curious.
"I mean she wuz shocked that you were ma cousin that talked about her a lot."
"Ugh," he groaned and laid back down his head draping over the other side of the bed. "Why would you tell her that!"
"I'm guezzing that there'z a redundant queztion, hmm?" Naio raised an eye brow at Drew.
"Of course it is!" Drew exclaimed, already tired out by his cousin and her odd personality.
"Uh huh…"
The two sat in silence for ten minutes. Each thinking their own thoughts. Drew about how he's going to explain that to May if she asks. Naiomi think about how to get Drew to be less cocky.
"So…"
"So…"
"What were you getting out of your bag?" Drew sat up and looked at his cousin. Naiomi's mouth curved into an evil grin. She hopped up from her position on the floor and waltzed over to the bed and sat down, a pokeball and notebook in hand. "No…"
"Yes. Now what is your favorite feature you see on May?" She asked pen on a clean white piece of notepaper.
"I am not doing this," he crossed his arms and glared at her.
"Ok. Then you can't uze Rozelia tomorrow."
More glaring came from Drew, but he knew she was serious about not giving Roselia back. He needed Roselia for tomorrow. He sighed and laid back down, his head over the side of the bed.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But I really don't need this right now."
"Oh but Naiomi thinkz you do." It was always a bad sign when Naio started talking in 3rd person. "Ok. First question; what iz your favorite feature about May?"
They played this game until even Naiomi was too tired to stay awake, but by then Drew had gone into full-blown gab mode. Meaning he couldn't stop talking about how wonderful May was and how he couldn't understand how she didn't like him that way, at least he didn't think she did.
Naio lost it then, "Are you zeriouz! Drew, hunny, you are. In. Love."
Drew shut up and just stared at the ceiling, "No I'm not."
"Yez you are."
Drew thought for a minute. "No. It's just a stupid crush I can't get over."
Naiomi smacked her forehead with her palm. "You are really zupid you know that?"
She stood up and quickly changed into her P.J.s knowing that Drew was too preoccupied to even think about looking. She climbed into bed and pulled the cover to her chin. "Good night."
"But I can't be in love. Can I?" Drew mumbled softly.
"Anyone can be in love, hun. Now go to zleep."
But Drew didn't sleep, much anyways. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her again. Replaying when they first met, her first contest. The Kanto Grand Festival, when she had beaten him for the first time. The time they were on Wynaut Island. Every single time he had crossed paths with her.
He was so confused.
May had a tough time sleeping. She was still on a bit of a high since Ash had called. She felt so happy around him. But she could never bring herself to ask about the rumors that had been flying around about him and some blue haired girl from Sinnoh. She wouldn't believe any of it but… she wanted reassurance.
But then there was Drew. Cocky, arrogant Drew. He seemed to be there all the time. Like he was looking out for her. And then his cousin, Naiomi. She had said he talked about her a lot. Was that true? What did he say? Were they nice things? Or mean things?
May couldn't make sense of it. Was Ash really cheating on her with some new girl? Did Drew actually have a crush on her? How would she feel if either were true?
Sometime just after midnight Drew had had enough thinking and decided to go for a walk. He quietly closed the door after him, his shoes in hand. He tiptoed down the hallway. He heard a noise come from one of the rooms and stopped in front of the door of the room the noise had come from. He didn't understand why he had stopped or why he cared. But he put his ear up to the door and tried to listen in to what was going on.
"Drew…" he heard the familiar voice mumble. His face quickly reddened to the color of a cherry. He shook his head getting rid of the thought that she was dreaming good things about him.
Drew's hand traveled to the doorknob and held onto it. He thought about what could happen and decided she was probably an extremely deep sleeper and wouldn't even know he was there. So he turned the knob and slipped into the room.
May lay on her bed, her covers twisted around her like an ekans. Drew smirked at this thought. May was air headed enough to get caught in an ekans wrap. He stared at her for a time, just watching her sleeping. The steady up and down motion of her chest as she breathed deeply.
May's dream was extravagant in color and feeling. She kept seeing Drew out of the corner of her eye and then turning and not seeing him. Instead it was Ash standing there but then when May took a step forward he would disappear and Drew would appear in her peripheral vision. The dream continued in this fashion for what seemed like hours.
"May…" she heard Drew say when she had finally caught him in her sight.
"Why do you keep running?" She asked exasperated and risked taking a step forward; he didn't disappear.
"I'm scared." Drew was looking at his feet.
"Of what? Of me? Why would you be scared of me?" Another step.
"No. Not of you."
"Then what?" Another step.
"Of myself."
"What?" She stopped walking. "Why?"
"Because…" This time Drew was the one to walk forward. When he was standing a foot apart from her he looked up from his feet and looked her in the eye.
May could see hurt and confidence in his eyes and a glimmer of something else but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Because why?" She could scarcely breath because the answer to her question was about to be answered.
"Because…" Drew leaned forward hands shoved deep into his pockets. "I love you."
May blinked in surprise. Love. That's what she saw. "Y-you wh-what?"
"You heard me you airhead," He smirked and leaned in and kissed her.
The kiss was so real. May was shocked. She thought maybe… just maybe this kiss wasn't a dream.
She woke with a start. She glanced around her room. No one. She sighed guess not. But it was so real, she thought some-what disappointed Drew wasn't there. She shook her head. She shouldn't be disappointed! She has a boyfriend. An extremely awesome boyfriend.
May realized that the sun had been trickling through the curtains. She sighed. "Time to get up and ready."
May quickly got ready for the contest and hustled out the door, hoping she wouldn't run into Drew before the contest got under way.
"You did what?" Naiomi exclaimed while brushing her teeth.
Drew pulled at the collar of his turtleneck and coughed. "You heard me…"
"Wowie… Look at you. Mr. Confidenze! Way to go, cuz!" She smacked him on the back.
"She was sleeping… It was cowardly…"
"Whatever." She spat and washed her mouth. "Let'z go, Confi."
"Shut up…" Drew was trying to resist blushing but it wasn't working.
They went to the contest hall ready for a good contest.
May decided it'd be best to avoid Drew for the entire contest, if she could help it. She saw Naiomi hanging around when everyone was waiting for the results of the first round. May hadn't seen Drew perform and decided it was a good idea to ask. She was worried.
May walked up to Naiomi and she said, "He felt zick. Zo he didn't come." She glanced at May to see her reaction.
"What? Is he alright?" May asked more shocked that Drew didn't even show up than that he was sick.
"I dunno…" Naiomi looked at the screen where the results were being posted. May turned to look not really looking. "Well that'z too bad for ya, May."
"Wha-?" Naiomi pointed and May saw that her name wasn't on the board. "Oh…" She was only slightly disappointed, still distracted by the news about Drew.
"He'z on the pier. He'z zulking over zomething." Naiomi said standing up to head to her match because she had made it through.
May usually stayed to find out what happened at the end of contests she didn't make it through but this time once Naiomi was out of sight she dashed out of the Contest Hall towards the pier.
Drew was swinging his legs over the edge of one of the empty docks looking into the water at his reflection. He wasn't thinking, he was just staring. He saw his tired green eyes and his tattered green hair. He sighed. He hated looking like this but he couldn't bring himself to face May at the contest and thus, played sick.
Drew looked up when he heard someone coming and saw the person he wanted to see the least. He frowned. May looked as if she had run all the way from the Contest Hall. The only reason why she was here was because Naiomi had blabbed.
"What are you dong here?" He asked standing up and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Shouldn't be at the contest?"
"Well, yeah but no. I didn't make through the first round…" She trailed off and looked at her feet. "But… Why are you here?"
This question threw Drew for a loop. Why would she care? "I wasn't feeling good and the sea helps me get better…"
"Bullcrap."
Drew had never heard May use a word like that before and it was kind of scary. "What are…"
May pursed her lips to stop herself from letting loose another insulting word. "Why are you avoiding me?"
"I-I'm not..." Drew stuttered.
"Yes you are. You don't look sick and you don't sound sick."
"W-well… hem…"
"You wanna know something? I had a dream about you last night." May's eyes were beginning to pool with tears.
"Y-you did?" Drew gulped and his ears started to burn.
"Yes. I did. And you wanna know what you said to me?" May shouted.
Drew looked down at his feet his face burning. "What?"
"I love you. That's what you said. And I don't get it! Why would I be dreaming about you! I have a boyfriend! A boyfriend I love!" Tears were streaming down May's face.
"But does he love you?"
"What?"
Drew looked up his face still red and his eye slightly teary, "Does he love you?"
"Well… yes! Of course he does!"
"How. Ahem. How do you know?" Drew was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. He was not going to crying in front of her.
"Be-because he told me!"
"And you're relying on that alone? Now that's bullcrap."
"Well n-no…" May wasn't sure anymore.
"Then what else? How else does he show you he loves you? Is he here traveling with you and I just don't see him? How often does he call you? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month?"
"I…I…I…" May gulped down air as she tried to stop the tears.
"May he doesn't love you! He's just saying that so if whatever is going on in Sinnoh doesn't work out he still has you! You, May. Because you won't leave him. You won't think anything bad of him! He knows that you would go out of your way to help him. But would he do the same for you, May? Would he?" Drew was releasing all of his built up emotions; hate, sadness, anger, frustration. "I'm fed up with having to listen to you talk to him like he's a freaking God! It's sick!"
"D-Drew…" May reached out to him and tried to hold his arm.
"Don't. Touch me." Drew avoided any sort of body contact with her. He looked into her eyes and saw sadness and disappointment and most of all, shock. She had never seen him like this. About time, Drew thought as he walked away head down, hands shoved into his pockets. He left her standing there alone in the waning light.
May was shaking with grief. She had hurt him. She had hurt him. She. Had. Hurt. Drew. And she didn't know how she could fix it.
That night May couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about what Drew had said. She tossed and turned. Eventually she picked up her PokeGear and dialed the number. The number that belonged to the Canalave Pokemon Center.
"Hello, Nurse Joy speaking."
"H-hi Nurse Joy. I'm Looking for an Ash Ketchem. Could you see if he's there?"
"Of course dear. One second please…"
May waited a couple of minutes while Nurse Joy checked her databases for Ash Ketchem.
"I'm sorry dear. But there's been no Ash Ketchem here. Would you like me to call the near by Pokemon Centers for you?"
"N-no that's fine. Thank you, good night."
"Good night."
So Drew was right. Ash had lied to her. Last night he had said he was in Canalave and would be there for three days at least. May's eyes teared up again.
"Jeeze…" she swiped at her eyes. "Aren't I out of tears yet?"
She got up from her bed and decided she should go ask Nurse Joy for something to help her sleep. She opened the door and saw Drew standing there. Both teenagers were startled.
"Uh…"
"Yeah…"
Drew looked as if he had aged five years in the few hours since she last seen him. He had purple circles under his eyes, his hair was disheveled and his clothes were, well, baggy. May on the other wasn't much better. Hair was laying on her shoulders and was tangled. Her clothes were better than his but it's not a fashion contest here.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked looking at her feet.
"I was…" He coughed and looked at his feet, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "I was out of line earlier. I shouldn't have said any of what I said. I mean I don't know him as well as you and-"
"You were right."
"What?" He looked up a May who was looking at him, her mouth a straight line.
"You were right. About Ash. He lied." May looked like she was at the edge of crying again.
"Oh no. May." Drew's shoulders slumped. "I… I don't know… what to…"
"Just hold me." May hugged Drew around the waist and cried into his chest. He was taken aback but then hugged her back. They stood that way for five minutes, just holding each other not talking.
"Kay…" May sniffed letting go and pushing hair out of her face.
"Kay." Drew looked at her smirking a little.
"What?" She said defensively.
"Nothing?" He closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Drew," she said testingly.
"It's nothing! Honestly," he grinned down at her.
"When did you get so tall?" she looked him up and down not realizing until this moment that he was now taller than her by at least 4 inches.
"That tends to happen," he looked into her eyes and she saw them twinkling. She had made her decision.
"Drew."
He heard the seriousness in her voice and stopped smiling, "What?"
"Don't hurt me."
"Wha-"
May wrapped her arms around Drew's neck and kissed him. It took Drew a minute but then he relaxed and kissed her back. When they broke apart both of their faces were rosey.
"I won't. Promise." Drew kissed May on the forehead and turned back in the direction of his room. He had his hands shoved in his pockets and was walking away with that airy arrogance he had.
"You better not!" May half whispered half shouted. Drew's response was his signature wave as he walked off.