"I'll tell you what. If you can beat me in a battle, I'll join your crew."
His mocking words reverberated in her head, echoing so loudly against the sides of her skull that she could hardly hear her own voice as she called out to her Pokémon. "Beautifly, String Shot!"
"It's going to take more than a little sticky string to keep us grounded! Dodge!" With a flick of his wrist, Drew signaled out to Roselia the direction in which he wished her to move. She side-stepped the shot with ease. "Now follow up with Magical Leaf!" The dual grass and poison type stepped on the tip of her foot to turn her evasion into a spin move. Her floral hands began to glow, and by the time she turned all the way around, she was already prepared and immediately started firing glowing, dangerously sharp leaves in Beautifly's direction.
Although May's butterfly Pokémon had excellent balance and was a stable flyer, a pierce from those leaves could bring her to the ground. Never mind a hole in her offense; those plants could poke holes through her wings! "Beautifly, use Gust to propel yourself upward!"
With Gust providing an extra burst of speed, Beautifly was able to narrowly avoid her opponent's assault. However, both Pokémon and trainer were so focused on the first attack that they didn't react quickly enough to the second.
"Petal Dance!"
A flurry of petals slammed into the bug type, knocking the wind out of her. She tried to brace herself against the onslaught, but Roselia's sheer power and concentrated technique were overwhelming. May's jaws dropped in horror and her eyes swam with fear as she watched her precious Pokémon tumble to the ground. "Beautifly!" She scrambled forward onto the battlefield, reaching out her arms to catch the battered butterfly. Beautifly fell into her arms in a crumpled heap, unconscious.
"Thanks for the warmup." Drew brushed his bangs out of his face as he walked over to the defeated captain. May slowly lifted her head to glare at him, ferocity and frustration bringing forth burning blue flames in her eyes. The intensity of her gaze must have caught him aback, because his expression softened. "You lasted longer than last time. Also, that Gust was pretty powerful. Your technique is just… lackluster."
As Beautifly began to stir, May finally rose to her feet. The chains around her waist softly clinked and jingled. "Well, sorry that I'm still new to this. I'm trying to learn, okay?" Her voice carried a biting tone, but it was almost more directed at herself than at Drew.
Rather than sympathize with the irritated young woman, Drew instead retaliated with some venom of his own. "You shouldn't take to the seas until you're better at battling," he told her coldly. "Gain some strength. How else will you be able to assemble a crew that respects you? When you're battling other pirates for the legendary ribbons, how can you rely on a crew that doesn't respect you?"
Fuming, the brunette spat back, "I have a crew!"
Drew snorted and waved his hand dismissively. "Your crew is just your father's leftovers who are so loyal to him that they feel obligated to serve you, too!"
"Why bother battling me, then? If I'm so hopeless and weak, why do you insist on 'training' with me every time you see me?" The fire hadn't faded from her face or her voice, but now tears were beginning to well at the corner of her eyes, sparkling like flames on her lashes as they reflected the setting sun.
"I never said you were hopeless. That's why I'm trying to help-" Drew began, perhaps feeling remorseful for kicking May while she was already down, but he was interrupted in his apology as May took a menacing step forward. The heel of her boot clicked sharply against the ground. Beautifly was afloat once again, and with her hands now freed, May pointed her finger right at the green-haired boy's nose.
"You keep lecturing me about building strength and earning respect, but if push came to shove, I would launch myself into a fight for my crew." She stepped back and withdrew her cutlass from its holder, running her finger along the flat side of its blade. "I didn't set out to be a trainer, I set out first and foremost to see the world. I have dueling skills of my own." Suddenly she shook her head rapidly, as if trying to send the tears flying away. Her eyes now reflected a new emotion; the burning intensity was still there, but they were mixed with a feisty flash rather than a furious fog. "I bet you couldn't hold your own in physical combat. Could you defeat me without Roselia by your side?" Giggling impishly, she swung her arm with a dramatic flourish, slicing through the air before her. Even beneath her ruffling sleeves, the power behind her strike was evident; the fear that flashed across Drew's face had not gone unnoticed. "I'll tell you what," she murmured, smirking as the boy's earlier challenge repeated in her head once more. This time, however, it didn't mock her but instead encouraged her. "If you can beat me in a battle, I'll let you join my crew."