Hello, everyone! This is my first contestshipping fic in this site. I posted this story on another website under the same name, but decided it would be more favorable to post it here instead. The story was rewritten and revised for your satisfaction.

Enjoy!

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The sun shone quite brightly in LaRousse City that day, and Drew stared out of his balcony, trying to figure out why. He hadn't visited his hometown in a while. Maybe the city was gleaming at his return.

Drew leaned against the railing and gave Roserade, who was sitting on the railing beside him, a smile. Roserade had been his partner since the beginning. Back from when they trained for their first contest, to when they won their first, and not last, ribbon cup, they were together. Always together. In fact, they just won their second ribbon cup last year. It was sitting beside the first one in his room, glimmering in the daylight.

Drew had officially been coordinating for nine years, and he wasn't stopping anytime soon. Coordinating wasn't just a hobby, it was lifestyle. Drew and his pokémon worked hard to get where they were, and their efforts were rewarded with a wall full of ribbons and two ribbon cups on a shelf. Did that satiate them? Of course not. They were back in Hoenn, and one of the first contests of the season happened to be in Drew's hometown. It was a start of another journey, and Drew didn't have to travel to begin.

Drew flinched when something flashed him from below. When he searched for the source, he smirked when he found it. Roserade followed his eyes and smiled. Drew nodded to her in agreement before they headed out the room.

"Alright, Glaceon, let's try it again!"

Glaceon roared before positioning herself.

"Use Blizzard one more time!" May commanded.

A storm of snow and wind blasted from Glaceon's jaws as Glaceon leapt into the air. Ice crystals surrounded the pokémon, reflecting sparks of sunlight that twinkled on the ice.

"Now spin around!" May added.

Glaceon obeyed, and a tornado of snow started fabricating around her. It was a beautiful sight, like an icy rocket ascending to the sky.

But Glaceon started to get dizzy. The tornado started wavering, and then disappeared all-together. May gasped as the fresh-snow pokémon fell from grace. Glaceon plummeted into the ground, creating a cloud of dust around her.

"Glaceon!"

May immediately ran towards her pokémon and held her in her arms. "Glaceon, are you okay?"

Glaceon responded with a gruff noise, assuring her she was. May sighed and gave her a small smile. "Why don't we take a break?" she suggested.

Glaceon grunted in agreement, and her trainer lifted her until they were back on their feet.

"Not bad."

May and Glaceon turned around.

"But if you want to win the contest," Drew continued, Roserade following behind, "you gotta do a better than that."

May's eyes widened. Drew was taller, his green hair was longer, and his face was more structured. His purple jacket was replaced with a brown leather one. He still had a black shirt, but his pants were replaced with a darker green pair of jeans. His shoes were still black, but larger to accommodate his size. There was a short break after the last festival, which Drew won, but May still felt like it had been too long since she saw him. She didn't realize she was staring until Drew smirked.

May snorted. "Nice to see you too."

Drew took that moment to look at her closely. Her short brown hair grew to sway freely at her waist, and her bandanna was replaced with a pink headband with a bow on the side. Her usual biker outfit was replaced by a dress that was white on top and pink on the bottom. White socks stuck out from her pink sneakers, and a brown bag slung over her shoulder and rested on her hip. Drew hid a blush. Wasn't May a tomboy a decade ago? When did she become so…feminine?

Drew coughed. "I see you're using Glaceon for the appeal," he noted. "Who are you gonna use for the battle portion?"

"That's a secret, Mr. Nosy," May pointed and winked. "Scared I might beat you?"

Drew scoffed. "As if," he flipped his hair. "My pokémon and I trained non-stop since we got here. We're just resting before we get back to work."

Roserade and Glaceon stood in the sidelines, watching in amusement as their trainers made their usual exchange.

"We'll settle this in the contest!" May challenged. "And believe me, Drew, I'm gonna win!"

"May?"

May paused.

"Is that you?"

The four of them turned to see a woman walking towards them. She had long black hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a white summer dress that flowed to her knees, and white wedged sandals that crunched the grass.

"I thought I recognized you. How have you been?" she asked. But then she turned to Drew.

"Well hello there," she extended a hand. "My name is Natasha."

"Drew," Drew shook her hand.

"I still can't believe you're polite to everyone but me," May huffed. She turned back to Natasha. "Hi, Natasha! I'm doing well, thanks for asking. How about you?"

"Wait a minute," Natasha put a finger on her lip. "Are you Drew, the famous coordinator from LaRousse itself?"

Drew sweat-dropped as stars formed in Natasha's eyes.

"Yes..."

"Oh, I'm such a big fan!" Natasha cheered. "Oh May, why didn't you tell me you were dating a celebrity?"

"Huh?" May and Drew asked simultaneously.

"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong, Natasha!" May waved her hands. "Drew and I are just friends!"

"Hmph, yeah," Drew flipped his hair. "I would never go out with a girl like May. I have more class than that."

May gasped. "Hey!" she protested. "Who do you think you are? You're not dating-material either, Mr. Stuck-Up!"

"Nice comeback," Drew retorted. "Spoken like a real class-act."

May growled. "Why you…"

"Oh there you are, Natasha."

The group turned around to see a man walking to their direction. He had spiky blue hair and wore a black jacket, white shirt, dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. His eyes glinted at the sight of May.

"These must be your friends," he extended a hand to May. "My name is Dean."

"Ohh," May blushed and met him halfway. "Nice to meet you, Dean. I'm M-May."

Drew scowled.

"You must be Drew," Dean guessed, extending a hand to him. "I've heard a lot about you. It's an honor to meet a good trainer from LaRousse City."

"I'm more than good," Drew corrected, ignoring his hand. "I'm better."

Dean blinked and awkwardly took his hand back.

"I have to apologize for Drew," May sweat-dropped. "You're not the only person he looks down on. I know first-hand what it's like to be his victim."

She stuck her tongue out at Drew, and he snorted in return.

"It's fine," Dean chuckled. "So you're a coordinator too, May?"

"Yup!" May held up a piece sign. "Eight years in a row!"

"That's great," Dean grinned. "Say, have you ever been around LaRousse before?"

May tapped her chin in thought.

"I've been to LaRousse before," she said, "but I've never been around it."

"Why don't I give you a tour then?" Dean suggested, eliciting different responses from the group. "I can show you all of LaRousse's beautiful landmarks. We can have the tour tonight, when the whole city is illuminated with lights."

May gasped. Drew stared at her, waiting for her answer. She can't say yes to this guy, Drew told himself. He's nothing but a no-good son o-

"Of course!" May squeaked. "I would love that!"

Drew paled.

"Great!" Dean beamed. He pointed to the fountain at the center of the park. "Let's meet at that fountain at sunset," he said. "I know a great place we could have dinner before we tour the city."

May bit her lip to prevent herself from squealing. "Okay…"

Dean turned to Natasha.

"I'm gonna go back to train," he told her. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Natasha blinked. "Okay..."

Dean turned back to May and Drew, but kept his eyes on May.

"I'll you guys later," he nodded to them. He gave May a little wink before walking away. May's cheeks immediately turned red.

As did Drew's.

"Who was that guy?" Drew snapped.

"That's Dean Winter," Natasha turned back to them. "He used to battle gyms, but recently changed to contests. He's competing in this week's Pokémon contest. It'll be his first one."

May gasped. "He's competing?"

Drew smirked.

"Yeah," Natasha nodded. "His pokémon are really strong. If he makes it through the appeals, he could wipe everyone in the battles."

Drew scoffed, rather loudly. The ladies gave him a weird look.

"We'll see about that," he spun around. "C'mon, Roserade."

"Ros," Roserade beamed and followed him.

May blinked as Drew practically stomped away. "What was that about?" she asked. "I know Drew is arrogant, but he was never this cocky before."

Natasha gave her a knowing look, which confused May even more.

"I'll go talk to him," Natasha sighed. She started walking to Drew's direction, but stopped. "Why don't you go to town and get ready for your date?"

"Oh!" May jumped. "But it's not...okay."

When Natasha disappeared, May spun to Glaceon.

"I can't believe it!" she squealed. "It's true! I am going on my first date! Oh, what am I going to do? What am I going to wear?"

She squealed.

"I have to tell Mom about this!"

May immediately ran to the Pokémon Center, leaving Glaceon behind. Glaceon gave her trainer an amused look and followed.

"So this is how you train?"

Drew grunted as Natasha sat beside him. He was sitting on a bench, far from their meeting place.

"It looks more like sulking to me," Natasha commented. "Then again, you're a really good coordinator. Who am I to tell you how to train your pokémon?"

"What do you want?" Drew demanded.

Natasha waved him off. "Does this have to do with Dean asking May out?" she guessed. "I felt your mood practically plummet when you saw him checking her out."

Drew snorted. "I don't care about that," he stated. "May can go out with whoever she wants."

"You don't seem too happy about it," Natasha pointed out. "Friends are usually happy when their friend gets asked out on a date."

"May is not my friend."

"Oh really?" Natasha tilted her head. "Then what is she?"

Drew stood up.

"I'm leaving," he turned to leave.

"There's a way to get her back, you know."

Drew stopped.

"What do you mean?"

"What's there to clarify?"

Drew narrowed his eyes and turned back. "I thought May and the other guy were your friends."

"They are," Natasha nodded, "doesn't mean I approve what's happening between them."

"You're a hypocrite," Drew crossed his arms. "You claim to be their friend, but you're not happy for them either."

Natasha frowned and crossed her arms as well.

"Okay," she stood up. "Let me level with you."

She took a deep breath.

"Dean and I...used to date."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Natasha sighed. "But he was a gym battler while I was a coordinator. He and I always fought when we traveled because the gyms and contest arenas were far from each other. We eventually broke up so we could pursue our goals, but agreed to stay friends."

"How's that working out for you?" Drew smirked.

"Don't patronize me," Natasha snapped. "At least I dated him. You've probably been in the friend-zone with May since you met her."

Drew scowled. "She isn't my friend."

"Because you want something more," Natasha remarked.

Drew opened his mouth.

"Don't bother denying it. I've seen the way you look at her," Natasha added. "Lie to me all you want, but don't lie to yourself."

Drew glared at her, but gradually relaxed and sighed.

"So what do you suggest?" he asked. "What's this big plan of yours?"

"Same thing they're doing," she jerked her head. "Go on a date."

Drew paled. "No."

"I'm not doing this because I'm interested in you," Natasha rolled her eyes. "This is to make Dean and May jealous. Don't you think it's a little unfair for them to have fun while we sulk?"

Drew looked down. "I'm not sure about this."

"Would you rather sulk on this bench while they make out?" Natasha asked. "Who knows? Maybe they'll get married and stay here in LaRousse. You can babysit their kids."

Drew growled. "Fine!" he said. "How are we doing this?"

Natasha smirked.

"Oh, Mom! You'll never guess what happened to me today!"

"You sound excited," Caroline smiled through the computer screen. "What's the news?"

"I got asked out by a really hot guy!" May squealed. "We're supposed to meet by a fountain here at sunset. Isn't that romantic?"

"Yes, very dreamy," Caroline nodded. "What's his name?"

"Dean Winter," May answered. "A friend of mine said he's a strong trainer that used to battle gyms. He switched to contests, but I forgot to ask why."

"Intriguing," Caroline commented. "If he's as strong as you say he is, you might face him in the contest."

"Yeah," May frowned, "but...that's okay! Whoever wins the contest wins!" she told her. "It doesn't have to get personal..."

Caroline smiled. "Well I'm glad you see it that way," she said. "To be honest, May, I was hoping you were talking about Drew."

May inched back. "D-Drew?" she blushed. "W-wha…Mom! I told you there's nothing between us! Drew and I are just FRIENDS!"

"If you say so," Caroline giggled. "You're 18-years old now. You'll figure out your feelings eventually."

May's cheeks turned redder.

"I d-don't know what you're talking about," she turned away. "I gotta go prepare for my date. With Dean. Not Drew. DEAN. I'll see you later."

"Bye, honey!"

May grumbled and shut off the screen. She placed a hand on her forehead and tried to calm her flushing face. Glaceon grunted beside her, catching her attention. May smiled and petted it.

"Let's go shopping, Glaceon," May stood up. "We'll work on your appeal tomorrow. We may need to work on some stuff, but I know we can do it before the contest."

Glaceon let out a pleased grunt and followed her out the building.

May bit her glossy lips as she trudged towards the fountain. It was 6 PM, and the skies were pink and orange. Many children and pokémon went home, but adults walked around either alone or with a partner.

May gulped. Dean was standing by the ornate fountain, looking for her. He wore a white polo shirt folded at the elbows, a dark blue vest, and black slacks. When he saw her coming, he flashed her a smile. May tripped over a patch of grass.

"You look beautiful," Dean complimented.

May herself was wearing a short red dress with matching red wedges. Her hair was braided into two separate braids, and her pink headband was replaced with a simple red one. She clutched her, also, red handbag when Dean tilted his head.

"T-thanks," May muttered shyly, her cheeks turning as red as her outfit. "Y-you look really good too."

May stiffened when Dean laughed out.

"No need to be shy, May," she heard him assure. She almost collapsed when he took her hand.

"Let's have dinner," Dean told her. "I know a wonderful restaurant where the food is great and the ambiance is classy."

May only nodded as Dean took her away. Unbeknownst to them, another couple watched their exchange.

"If I know Dean like I know I do, he's probably taking her to The Midnight Rose," Natasha told the man beside her. The man cringed at the name of the restaurant. "It's a really fancy place," Natasha continued. "He took me there on our first date..."

Drew marched to the couple's direction.

"We'll eat there."

"What? Really?" Natasha ran to follow him. "It isn't a cheap place!"

"That's not stopping them," Drew growled, watching Dean tell May something that made her giggle.

The Midnight Rose was a large restaurant beside LaRousse's grand lake. If seated at the balcony, customers could eat alongside the pokémon that swam at the lake. The walls were painted with pictures of roses and angels. The ceiling was painted with its own starry sky, giving the room an everlasting night sky.

When the couples entered the restaurant, they were greeted by a soft musical piece played by the restaurant's string quartet. The Midnight Rose was packed with people, but neither couple waited to be seated. Dean and May had the pleasure to be seated next to the lake, while Drew and Natasha stayed inside the restaurant.

"What would you like to drink?" a waiter asked Natasha and Drew.

Natasha was about to ask Drew what he wanted, but after catching him stare at May, she shook her head.

"Water for the both of us please."

The waiter nodded and walked away. When Dean and May's waiter his view of May, Drew turned back to the table.

"Where's the waiter?"

"I told him to get us water," Natasha told him. "Look Drew," She sighed. "If you want to make May jealous, you can't ogle her like a love-sick puppy. You have to make her want you, not the other way around."

"I wasn't ogling her." Drew growled.

"Oh really?" Natasha asked. "What's the waiter's name?"

Drew glared at her and tried to remember the waiter's name. When Natasha gave him a knowing look, Drew huffed. "Does anyone really remember the waiter's name?"

"What accent did he have?" Natasha asked.

"French."

"No," Natasha shook her head. "It was British. What color was hi—"

"Can we just order?" Drew snatched the menu. Natasha rolled her eyes and took a menu too.

It was going to be a long night.

"Wow, you're from Petalburg City?" Dean asked. "That's pretty far from here."

"Yeah," May swallowed another forkful of alfredo. She was still nervous, but the pasta was too delicious for her to remember. "But I like traveling, so I don't mind. Don't you travel when you battle gyms?"

"Yeah, but traveling to them wasn't always a walk in the park," Dean told her. "The only thing that made the travel worthwhile were the gym battles."

"Sem, butt wid kwontess," May said with a mouthful of pasta. Dean laughed out, making May's face turn red.

"Maht?"

"You're so cute," Dean chuckled.

May huffed and swallowed her pasta.

"Anyway," she muttered, "if you loved battling gyms so much, why did you switch to contests?"

Dean took his glass and drank from it. When he swallowed the water, he looked up.

"I guess...I just wanted a change," he said. "Battling gyms is fun and all-very rewarding too, but I feel like...I could do more. You know?"

May blinked, urging him to elaborate.

"My whole life has revolved around gym battles for the longest time," Dean continued. "I've been doing it since I was ten, and I'm twenty now! I don't know exactly when my life will end, but I want to know more about the world before I leave it."

May swallowed. Her pasta suddenly lost flavor.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dean clicked his tongue. "I dampened the mood, didn't I?"

"No, no, it's fine," May assured him. But her tone was low, uncertain.

"Let's just change the subject," Dean suggested. "So how long have you been a coordinator again? Eight years?"

"Yeah," May nodded. "I..."

She paused. Then look down. She was like that for a while, but Dean patiently waited.

May sighed.

"I think..." she said, "I think I agree with you."

"With what?"

"With...this," May gestured to the space in front of her. "I love being in contests and all, but sometimes, I don't know why I do it! I'm proud to win ribbons, and of my pokémon for helping me get them. I also love meeting other coordinators along the way, making friends and exchanging coordinating tips. But..."

May frowned. "Sometimes I feel like coordinating is all I know," she admitted. "What happens if I stop coordinating? I don't know how to do anything else. Yes, I get paid when I win battles, but the battles can't pay for everything. My parents are the ones that really pay for everything, just so I can keep performing."

May gasped. Her parents, she realized, spend so much money to keep her in contests. What if they couldn't spend money on themselves because they spend them all on her? And with Max traveling his own journey, battling gyms...

Dean frowned. He could see the anguish on May's face, but didn't know what to say. If he didn't know the answers to his own questions, how could he answer hers?

"What am I going to do?" May asked out loud. She stared off into space, seeing past her pasta.

"How long have you felt like this?"

May looked up. "Huh?"

"How long have you felt like this?" Dean repeated. "Lost...confused...scared."

May looked back down. When the answer came to her head, she felt worse.

"Too long."

"So why are you still doing it?" Dean asked. "If being a coordinator bothers you so much, why do you still do it?"

May widened her eyes. She never asked herself that before.

"I...I guess," May really thought. "Well, it's fun," she admitted. "And I've been in it for so long, I never thought about leaving. What would I do without it? Without contests, without my friends, without-"

May stopped. Images of a green-haired man appeared in her mind, flashing her a cocky grin. May trembled, fear coming into her head.

No.

Dean quickly noticed this and jumped.

"Hey. Hey!"

May flinched and looked up.

"Let's change the subject now. For real," Dean suggested, almost pleading. "I'm gonna be in my first contest in a few days. Any tips for a beginning coordinator?"

He flashed her a smile. May noticed this and smiled back.

He was trying to cheer her up.

"But of course!" she said, her mood lightening. "You learn from experience, and boy did I get a lot of that..."

Drew and Natasha turned from their meals to see May and Dean laughing. The couple seemed to be sharing stories, enjoying each other's company.

"Do you think they know we're here?" Natasha asked.

But Drew didn't hear her question. Instead, he watched Dean take something out from his pocket. It was rounded, bright red, and attached to a green stem.

"Wow. A rose in a restaurant called The Midnight Rose?" Natasha shook her head. "Redundant and a little cliché, don't you think?"

Drew seethed and raised a hand to a passing waiter.

"Check," he commanded. The waiter gave him an offended look, but left to get the bill.

"Drew!" Natasha protested. "That was rude!"

"We're leaving," Drew stood up. When the waiter returned, Drew snatched the check, took out the money, and slammed them on the table. Natasha opened her mouth to protest, but Drew was already gone. She groaned and followed him.

"I had a great time, Dean."

May and Dean grinned as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Well tonight's not over yet," Dean pointed out. "I still need to give you a tour."

May giggled. "Yeah," she nodded. "I'd like tha—"

The two of them turned to see Drew and Natasha under a street lamp. They were making out, roughly and shamelessly, for everyone to see.

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What's this? What's Drew doing, kissing Natasha like that? And how are May and Dean going to react?

Stay tuned for the next chapter!