This is my contribution to the CS ship which hopefully is still alive even after more than a decade of its creation. I've added hints of IS and ORS/LGS because the OG 8 holds a special part of my heart. Futureverse so I'm making up Drew's backstory and future endeavours for fanon purposes. Not Beta read.
Drew Hayden did not choose the heartthrob life.
Rather, it was a mix of good genetics, added by a large mileage of perseverance and confidence in his skills and Pokémon; topped off with a dash of luck in being able to forge valuable relationships with experienced coordinators, that led to his popularity among the female population.
That didn't stop the fact that his love life was often shoved into the spotlight - much to his chagrin.
The first time it became a relevant topic came from a memory of a large party his parents had thrown when he was eight. Spearheaded by his mother, a beautiful but emotionally withdrawn woman. She was famously known in the Pokémon fashion world as a highly sought after model, who had celebrated a: new, expensive, prestigious and permanent contract to a Pokémon magazine in Hoenn.
It had been a decision made after much deliberation and had been a toss-up between his mother's homeland of Kalos, or his father's birthplace of La Rousse City. The contract had sealed the deal, and the family had moved from the summerhouse in Kalos, and finally settled in the eco-friendly island city.
He remembered a lavish party, clustered with men and women dressed in expensive clothes; evening gowns sparkled and women draped onto their partners with coy smiles and flirty stares; while the suits of the men created a dark sea of velvet and silk, and the alcohol in crystal glasses flowed through the gathering like a river.
He had been stuck with the other children who had been dragged alongside their parents. Glitzy heels and itchy ties were common complaints from the other kids, so young yet so polished already.
Postures were straight, smiles set on thin lips that never quite reflected glee or happiness, and giddy voices were hushed when thought as a growing distraction to the classical orchestra that played sweet smooth melodies.
"Andrew come here, please. I want you to meet some people." A familiar voice beckoned to Drew as he sipped his cranberry juice in a glass cup; such a childish mimicry of the deep red wine that swirled in the glasses poured for the adults.
"Yes, mother?" Drew politely replied as he shifted to stand beside his mother's towering frame.
"These are the Rockefeller's. Their family runs a mining company. Your father has been working for them recently." Scarlet Hayden murmured in a quick breath. "They have been curious to meet you, come say hello sweetheart."
"Hello Mr and Mrs Rockefeller. It's a pleasure to make your a-acquaintance. I hope you're enjoying yourselves." Drew spoke slowly, just like how he rehearsed it, but he bit his inner mouth as he fumbled over the long strange word.
"Oh, such a charming boy you have Scarlet! You must be very proud to have such a darling son." Mrs Rockefeller, a dark-haired woman with deep-set caramel eyes and wicked purple lips purred as she pinched Drew's pudgy cheek with a sharp clasp.
"I couldn't ask for anything more." His mother flaunted with pride, drinking in the flattery with a devouring thirst.
The polite smile he had plastered on started to grow heavy as the two women exchanged sickly compliments with hidden poison.
"He's such a lovely gentleman. Why the ladies must be infatuated with him. You must really have your hands full with all the attention." Mrs Rockefeller commented airily.
"No more than I'm sure you have to do yourself for Ruth." His mother waved off with a shake of her ringed hand in an equally passive-aggressive pleasant tone.
"Speaking of, I think the two of them should chat with each other while us adults converse. Ruth, come here and meet Andrew." Mr Rockefeller interrupted a stocky man who had grey whisps already apparent in his sideburns, complemented with spectacles of thin white rims that made him look more like a librarian than a CEO.
A meek-looking girl with blonde pigtails sprung to Mr Rockefeller's side. She wore a puffy baby-blue dress that fell just below her knees. Delicate pearls seemed to have been embroidered into the hem, with glittering sequins that caught the chandelier light as the girl swished the material around with light hand.
"H-hello Andrew. My name is Ruth, it's very nice to meet you." She stuttered through the pleasantry and Drew's smile grew tighter.
"Yes. I feel the same way...Ruth." He replied with an awareness of his mother's expectant gaze.
"Well, the two of you can go talk on your own then. Andrew, be a good boy and show Ruth around won't you?" His mother offered breezily, her attention already settled on the two adult Rockefellers.
He supposed Ruth was an insanely shy girl since he had not seen her before with the other children. She was quiet for most of the tour; only replied with dainty nods or shakes to yes or no questions, and orange-coloured averted eyes for the rest.
It was honestly like talking to a human brick wall.
He sipped more of his drink, trying to drown the awkward silence between the two of them. At least they were outside near the gardens where the rest of the party only served as ambient music. The roses were in bloom, and the afternoon sun glowed over the foliage. His mother had spent a lot of time to keep the garden prim and proper. It was constantly complimented by the guests and Drew felt pride as well by relation to his mother's efforts.
"I'm very sorry." His companion blurted out just as he had a sip of cordial swirled around his mouth.
He quickly gulped the liquid before he turned to her with confused eyes. She averted her own from the direct attention.
"What, why?"
"Because-because," she stammered, "I'm not very good at this.."
"Talking?" Drew spoke dryly.
"No! Being a good future wife!" She almost yelled it out, embarrassment clear as day, scattered across her rosy cheeks.
"W-wait, what?" Drew faltered at this revelation. "What on Mew's name are you talking about?"
She seemed to grow even a deeper red. "H-huh, you mean you don't know?"
"Know what?" Drew mildly growled in annoyance.
"I'm your..b-beh-betrothed?" She recounted with a pinched expression, "I think dad said it means we're supposed to get married when we're old enough in the future?"
Drew wished he misheard it.
When he arrived for breakfast the next day, he could feel the interrogation boiling underneath the surface from the expressions of both his parents.
"What did you think about Ruth son?" His father asked as the older man cut a piece of bacon on his ceramic plate with clattering silverware.
"She's quiet," Drew answered cautiously. "Why?"
"I'm sure you have more to say considering you spent most of your time with her. Do you think you could grow to like her?" His mother innocently commented as she took a nonchalant sip of her morning coffee.
"I guess she's pretty?" Drew offered as he focused on cutting his benedict eggs.
"That's good. Good enough." His father scooped the piece of bacon up into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
Drew remembered how his mother gave a satisfied nod, and that was that.
By the time he had left for his coordinating career, the Rockefeller's went bankrupt, and the conversation at breakfast was the last time the topic of Ruth had ever come up.
"Hello anyone who has just tuned in. My name is Adriana, and you're watching Jubilife City Station on this fantastic day. We have with us a very special guest everyone. Meet this year's winner at the Sinnoh Festival, the beloved Top Coordinator Drew Hayden!"
He schooled his features to a dazzled smile as the camera turned onto him. Expressing a confident smirk had become second-nature after so many years of domestic and international attention.
"The pleasure is all mine, thank you for having me." He smoothly replied. His hand moved to thread through his green locks and with a flick of his wrist, the action sent an excited gush from the female TV host seated beside Drew. The camera focused intently on his movements and Drew was no stranger to the effect his hair flick tended to have both on women and girls.
She girlishly raved about his previous achievements, a light dust of pink on her face as she detailed all his accomplishments. He was on the cusp of adulthood, and as his achievements were recounted, he momentarily forgot he was on national television just for a brief second.
"-won the title of Top Coordinator at fifteen in his homeland of Hoenn, an absolutely incredible accomplishment for someone that age and you've been making headlines in Johto for your charity-work for the Olivine City disaster with the destruction of the Glitter Lighthouse." She paused to take a breath before she resumed. "And most recently, of course, the tile of Top Coordinator in Sinnoh this year. What an amazing performance you gave in both the appeals and battle rounds. You must be very proud to have achieved a perfect score in both your single and double appeal rounds." The woman - clad in a smart business suit with bright red lipstick lined across her mouth - prattled on with fervour.
"My Roserade and Flygon gave their absolute best during training and it completely paid off." Drew agreed with pride when he dragged himself back to Earth.
"Not to mention, that stunning double battle that resulted in your title. I'm pretty sure the intensity of that battle took a few years off my life," Adriana joked as she explained to the viewers, "Your decision to debut Luxray will be analysed for years to come, such a risky choice, but what made you sure it was going to work?"
Drew didn't come to the interview without having researched and rehearsed what questions might be thrown at him. He took a deep breath and delivered a statement he had memorised for this exact query. "I had the utmost confidence in both Luxray and Absol's ability to work together and defeat their opponents. Both of them are always willing to give it their best, and I had no doubt that the combinations they performed could not be done without complete assurance in themselves and in me."
"Wow, such a bold statement! One might call you arrogant if you didn't prove them wrong by winning with such grace and style. Your Luxray especially, with his first appearance caused quite a stir. Definitely unpredictable with its gorgeous golden coat rather than the usual blue scheme. How did you keep such a surprise hidden?"
"It wasn't easy," Drew admitted to the camera with a calm look. "I had a lot of close calls when I thought the Skitty was out of the bag, but I managed to train Luxray in secret and it turned out better than I imagined."
"I concur! The first time any of us saw the beautiful creature I was sure the judges were going to give you the Sinnoh Cup then and there." Adriana playfully declared. "You must be very lucky to stumble upon such a rare coloured Shinx in the wild."
"Maybe it was fate." Drew stated as he shrugged his shoulders. Adriana whispered something into her microphone and nodded as she listened to whoever was talking to her on the other end.
"Did you ever think you were at a Type-advantage with the final battle?" She prompted. "Critics say that it was the major factor that led to your win. What are your thoughts from this harsh accusation?"
"I understand their concerns, but coordinators have won Ribbon Cups with massive type-disadvantages before and it rather relies on the trust and style between the coordinator and Pokémon than simple brute strength. I still admire Amelia's strong efforts but I believe my Pokémon and I were just a step ahead." He answered carefully.
"To the new viewers who have just tuned in, we would like to showcase just exactly what I'm talking about with the double battle. Roll the clip!" Adriana called and Drew watched the television that faced him transition into a video of the battle between Amelia Arehart and himself in the last round.
"There's less than one minute on the clock, and both Amelia's Skarmory and Swanna are looking like they are giving everything they've got. No surprise that Drew's Absol and Luxray and giving the Flying-pokémon a run for their Pokédollar, with no evidence of either team backing down. Both coordinators are neck and neck in their points, so we're looking at a fierce battle to the bitter end!" Marian proclaims into her microphone as the crowds' cheer and roar in encouragement for both sides.
Drew's instructions are quick and precise. "Absol I want you to use Razor Wind where Swanna is. Luxray, get close enough to launch Discharge on that Skarmory."
"Swanna dodge it by flying down and use Rain Dance, Skarmory follow Swanna and start launching a Sky Attack!"
The White Bird Pokémon flaps his wings and a barrel roll downwards completely ignores any of the oncoming damage from Absol's Razor Wind. With a powerful flap and cry, dark heavy clouds fall over the stadium and rain begins to pour, drenching both coordinators and Pokémon. Bright light starts to glow around Skarmory until the Steel-Flying type is a ball of brilliant white to any viewer, the raindrops bouncing off like speckles of crystal against the backdrop of dark clouds.
"Ouch, that's a hit to Drew's points for not being able to pull off a successful attack, if he can't turn it around in the next thirty-seconds he's looking at a bad spot." Marian interprets the blow to Drew's bar on the massive TV screen.
He can't keep the smirk off his face, not even if he tried to pinch his cheeks then and there. With a strange coolness Drew orders the last moves for the battle. "Okay. Luxray and Absol this is what we've been training for. Remember the exercises we did for aerobatics? Well, you two are going to show off all that practice. Ready you two?"
Absol throws his head back with a resounding cry. The Disaster and Gleam Eye Pokémon run towards the two Flying Pokémon, their paws trample on the mushy ground and leave wet footprints in their wake. Absol gathers large ominous energy and sends the strength downwards with a deep purple blast, just as Luxray pounces onto the Disaster Pokémon.
The Electric Pokémon launches himself with a loud roar, the bright light from Skarmory's powered up move sparkles against the gleaming gold coat. "Thunder now Luxray!" Drew shouts as Amelia's eyes widen.
"S-Swanna! Aqua Jet out of there!" Amelia cries out, as she frantically looks at her vulnerable Steel-Flying Pokémon.
The rain pours over everyone, and shimmering flash envelopes the stadium, blinding the crowd and the coordinators. In a deafening noise, thunder slams into the area where Swanna and Skarmory hover. The light continues to completely encompasses the area and people fall silent as they wait for the flash to finish. The alarm on the countdown rings and Drew inhales deeply as his eyes adjust to the light.
"And what a finale to such a difficult battle!" Marian shouts as soon as the glow disappears, "The winner for this Sinnoh Festival after this fantastic move is…"
Drew lets out his breath as soon as he sees which Pokémon stand strong.
"-Drew from La Rousse City with this incredible battle that has resulted in a double knock-out of Swanna and Skarmory! What a delightful end to this year's festival." Marian exclaims with excitement in her voice.
"Now that's what I call a flashy end for such an intense battle," Adriana commented as soon as the video ended. "I still feel the same anxiousness even after viewing it again, you must have trained profoundly with both of them in teamwork just to pull off such an acrobatic move."
"It was definitely one of our strongest combinations." Drew cooly responded, "But I had more up my sleeve for other situations."
"My, my. Well, I'm sure the rest of the viewers including myself are waiting for all your future endeavours." Adriana reacted to the statement with a beaming smile. "Since we've gotten up to speed for this year's festival, we're opening up our calls to questions from our viewers! Call in now and maybe your question will be answered by the fabulous Drew Hayden."
Drew flickered his wrist as he smirked at the camera. He had waited for this and had accepted the free-call on the premise that all questions would be vetted and any mention of his family would be instantly rejected.
"Okay! Our first question comes from Berri, who asks 'What are your plans after winning the Sinnoh Festival?', an intriguing question and something I'm sure all your fans are interested in." Adriana requested with a cock of her head.
"Well, I'm certainly thinking about taking a well-deserved break for both my Pokémon and myself. I would like to travel to other regions without constantly training for a Festival, and enjoy the sights." Drew delivered with finality.
"A valid goal, as sad as it will be to not see you in a contest season next year your supporters will completely understand." Adriana mentioned, "Afterall, your fans would want you to be in tip-top shape for the best results."
"Of course, I appreciate all their best wishes and I hope to surpass their expectations for my comeback." Drew demurely answered with sincereness in his words. The camera lapped up the look, and he was sure his popularity would have jumped from that.
"Next question from Chloe, 'Due to your close encounters with Gym Leaders Jasmine and Volkner, can you confirm a blossoming romance between the two of them?' Oh, exciting, the current rumours between our Sunnyshore Gym Leader Volkner and Johto Gym Leader Jasmine have erupted from the recent photos leaked of the two in an embrace." Adriana explained to the camera.
Drew lightly laughed. "I can neither confirm nor deny any allegations between the two Gym Leaders. It's not my place to discuss such matters. Better to ask themselves instead and get it answered in person."
"Fair enough, moving on. Jayce asks 'What are your personal thoughts on your new position as the third most sought after bachelor due to Ash Ketchum's recent announcement of his relationship between the Sensational Sister and current Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty Waterflower?' In the spirit of getting the gossip in-person."
Drew scoffed, but maintained an airy attitude. "It's the first time I heard the announcement of Ash and Misty's relationship, and while I am not especially close to either of them, I'm glad they finally managed things out considering this is Ash we're talking about." That comment sparked a giggle from the purple-haired woman. "Still, I wish them the best and I'm confident that they will do great things." He claimed with polite confidence. "As for my personal opinion on my position on the bachelor list, well. I suppose I can't be first for everything?" He smirked with a boyish charm.
"Ah such a fair-minded response. What a diplomatic comment. Last question for our TV interview! This comes from, H? Just signed off as H, alright, well he says, 'What is your ideal type of girl?' And what a gripping question to end today. So Drew, what qualities would your ideal girl have?" Adriana asked with a tinge of curious intent.
Drew widened his eyes. This wasn't part of any plans. He thought that the question of his non-existent love life would have been ignored for other more pressing queries, that he was sure were much more relevant. He swallowed his spit and held a thoughtful expression as he tried to extend the time to answer appropriately.
"Well, I guess someone who would be supportive of my coordinating career will be a top priority…" Drew respectfully voiced, "And someone who loves Pokémon too, that's probably the only thing I can think off the top of my head." He expressed with dwindled confidence.
"What about the cultural background of your ideal girl? Are you interested in native-Hoenn girls, perhaps you're interested in Sinnoh ladies, or rather a girl from Kalos like your own family history?" Adriana pushed further, her gaze steely and focused on Drew's floundered words.
"I-I never thought about it that far." Drew flubbed, "It's not a huge issue for me if she's from a different region. So no particular preferences, as long as we don't have completely contrasting principles.."
"Any particular physical characteristics you're interested in? Tall or short? Loud or quiet? Trainer, coordinator or neither? Comfortable age-gap? Your favourite hair-colour?" Adriana's rapid fire of questions launched staggered his composure.
His ideal girl? A concept he never fully delved in. His plans often revolved around training and learning and maintaining the few relationships he did value. He had rivals to compete against, no time to allow daydreaming about what type of girl he would appreciate. The ladies in his life consisted of Solidad, who in no way would he ever think about her in a romantic sense, and then May who would have laughed at the existence of Drew's fan club.
May who tripped over grass.
May who seemed to never ever be able to stop eating.
May whose spirit and growing confidence allowed her heart-of-gold to be shared with everyone she met...
"Brunettes!" Drew burst out from his strange self-reflection, "I've always found brunettes especially attractive." From the smallest frown on the tips of Adriana's lips, he hastily added, "And blondes too. I also like, um, blonde hair on my women.."
"Well. That's the answer to H's question for the ideal type of girl for Drew Hayden." Adriana disclosed with a tight-lipped remark. "Thank you to everyone who has watched to the end, and thank you Drew Hayden for giving your precious time to speak with Jubilife City Station. We hope to see you next time when you exceed our expectations."
"Thanks again for having me." He weakly said.
The TV hostess clicked her tongue and stood up to leave. Drew tried to shake her hand in respect, and she begrudgingly returned the gesture.
"I appreciate taking time out of your busy schedule to give us an interview." She curtly said.
"No problem," Drew replied as he spied his exit. "I'll be going now."
She nodded, her eyes turned away as she chatted to her fellow employees. Her complete 180 seemed to make Drew uneasy and he gave a small wave to the workers as he dodged any further questions.
Drew found the chance to leave, and he slipped out while he grabbed a cap and sunglasses to wear as he left the studio. The crowd of people outside that waited for his presence ignored him as he smoothly manoeuvred around the fans.
He checked his PokéNav, and was unsurprised that he had been sent several messages after his interview.
The first came from Solidad, and it was simple.
[Solidad] : So blondes AND brunettes huh?
[Drew] : At least give me a second to recover from my stupidness
[Solidad] : A little late there. You were on live television afterall
[Drew] : Something I almost regret
[Soliad] : Ah don't worry, it'll blow over after a few months. In the meantime, go on your holiday you said you're planning for
[Drew] : Fine. I do deserve some good R and R
[Solidad] : Let me know where you decide to choose! Talk to you later brunette-loving boy
[Drew] : Solidad nO
The next message was from S.H. He huffed as someone bumped into him, and he glanced at the four words in the message.
[S.H] : Your Luxray suits you
[Drew] : Imagine that, another word. So does that mean the next Festival I win, I get a five word sentence?
[S.H] : You have your father's sarcasm
[Drew] : I always thought I had his good looks?
He inwardly felt a nervous rush through his veins. It was always strange when he was contacted by this woman. He had exchanged a few sentences with his mother the last time she had messaged him. He had dodged any face-calls in the Pokémon Centres and had ignored any calls. The only substance he ever allowed were words on a pixelated screen between his mother and himself. His father didn't intervene, and if Drew was honest, he forgot the last time he had communicated with his dad. He shoved his PokéNav back in his pocket, unsure what the response, if any, would be.
By the time he had returned to his accommodation at the Pokémon Centre, the crowd in the morning had dissipated, possibly gotten bored from camping outside just to glimpse him - which he was very thankful because it meant the disguise worked - and he strolled in, his hand in the other pocket squeezed his room's key in a painful manner. He avoided anyone's curious eyes, and he slipped into his room with swift feet. Officially away from prying eyes, he cautiously picked his PokéNav out of his pocket and opened the screen.
[S.H] : You have the best parts from him and I. We're both proud of you
He slumped over his bed. The PokéNav bounced on the pillow when he dropped it, and the device settled on the covers. He rubbed his fingers gingerly and took several deep breaths. His mother's face popped into his mind, her pale pink hair tied in a neat bun as she handed a Poké Balll in her manicured hands. Her perfect teeth with her ruby-red lipstick as she spoke, the first time, the very first time she said those words, as she dropped the Poké Ball in Drew's eager outstretched hands.
'-proud of you.'
Such simple words. But they burned into his memory, scorched with the intensity like a direct hit from Flygon's Dragon Breath.
He choked down an emotion that crept up at the back of his throat. A ping rang in the air as his PokéNav buzzed in reaction to a new message.
Drew stuck his hand out to grab the PokéNav, mentally prepared to deal with whatever was sent to him.
[Harley] : Hey weenie, congratulations on confessing your undying love for May Maple on live television! xx h
He blew out his held breath in a mangled snort. Well, anything but Harley's antics apparently.
Drew felt light-headed as he stepped off the plane. The sunlight was intense, so he squinted at the sights of lush palm trees and the hazy wave of heat. He rummaged around his backpack for the necessary solution. With a soft 'aha' he pulled his sunglasses out and perched it across the bridge of his nose, and followed the rest of the passengers down the stairs to officially step on the tropical land. The crowd bustled around him, ignoring his presence to which he was thankful of. It wouldn't be much of a holiday if he was going to get recognised every ten-step he took.
He did come to Alola for a break after all.
The Hano Grand Resort was extremely hard to book in, with spots taken faster than one could blink. Still, he had planned a trip even before his Sinnoh win, and his title as a Top Coordinator had sweetened the deal to provide a room on the off-season.
The resort was nothing short of breathtaking. It was magnificent, a sweeping piece of land next to clear waves from the clean beach that bordered the hotel.
Pools of water greeted Drew has he pulled his suitcase behind him down the entrance of the resort. People lounged on tanning chairs, colourful fruity drinks laid on tables and the atmosphere made him relaxed by proxy. The air was humid, and he palmed his forehead where sweat had started to gather.
As soon as the automatic doors opened, the cool breeze that blew over his drenched hair and face gave him the precious reprieve from the stifling heat of the outside tropics. The owner seemed to have spared no expense because the decor was stunning, with a royal red and mahogany colour palette with golden highlights around the walls and floor. There were multiple water features placed around the indoor vicinity, and a giant grey rectangular stone that held up a waterfall right behind the reception table caught his eye.
"Reservation for Hayden. I've already paid in advance and was told it was a beach-side view." Drew removed his sunglasses and slid them into his sweaty hair. With a hint of teeth, he smiled at the receptionist - a woman with short black hair cropped to her shoulders and was dressed in a flowy dress - who blinked at his presence. Her cheekbones raised as she opened her mouth when she realised his presence and face. Any plans of going incognito died as the sunglasses were removed, but well, it wasn't possible that he could avoid all types of paparazzi considering his double Top Coordinator title.
"Ah-yes, right." She stammered when Drew raised an eyebrow from her silence. "Your room is 162, and here is your key card." She typed into her computer before she grabbed a white card with a silver stripe across the back. She slipped the card into his outstretched hand and returned Drew's smirk with a wide smile. "Enjoy your stay, and please let us know if we can do anything to make your stay more comfortable."
"Will do." Drew acknowledged as he flipped his hair with his free hand. The receptionist tinted red as she turned her head, and coughed demurely into her hand.
Worked like a charm.
By the time he found his room, the only thing he wanted to do was to take a nap. He sighed, sat down for a second and turned his PokéNav on. There were a few messages, one from Solidad who had wished him the best for his Alola trip. His mother sent a photo of Luxray snuggled in her lap, with the caption of 'I think he likes me'. The edges of his mouth quirked up, but he smothered it down as he sent a quick response, 'Don't get too used to it'.
May, surprisingly had sent a message too.
[May] : Enjoy your Alola holiday. When you get back, I hope you're ready to give it your best
She added a Torchic sticker with her message and Drew absently smiled at her antics. His fingers flew over the screen as he replied to her note.
[Drew] : Don't get too excited to lose to me again June
[May] : Here I was thinking the tropical weather made u less of a jerk. Guess I thought wrong
[Drew] : Wow, why so aggressive? Maybe you should be the one taking a break
[May] : Unlike u, I'm not slacking off, I'm training hard in Unova and catching new pokémon to kick your butt next time we meet!
[Drew] : Tut tut, so unladylike with such threats. And who said I was slacking off, Alola has many new Pokémon too, perhaps I'll beat your new addition to your team with my own
[May] : Well, ur on! Next time we meet, let's battle and see who needs to eat their words
[Drew] : It's a date
Oh Azelf, he thought.
So caught up with his banter between May did it only occur to him that making a joke like that could be taken a different way. With hasty fingers, he sent a follow-up text.
[Drew] : I mean, we should settle on a date to when we coincide again, just to make sure we have a countdown to meet
He sucked in a breath from anticipation. Would May be dense enough that this statement be enough to convince her?
[May] : Fine by me! Next time we catch-up I'm going to sweep the floor with my awesome cool new Pokémon
Apparently so. With a resigned sigh, and a thankful exhale, Drew responded with a weary reply.
[Drew] : Right back at you
[May] : Great! Ttyl, gotta go, the Pokémon Musical is starting!
[Drew] : Bye, good luck
He wasn't sure if he should be thankful, or exasperated with May's ability to ignore any semblance of understanding of how to read between the lines.
He jolted upright in his position. Wait, he wasn't dropping any hints, right? It was just some friendly rivalry banter, something to fire up both parties for an engaging battle of course.
Distantly, in the back of his mind, a tiny voiced supplied that he never would have said such a line to Solidad. He squashed that thought as soon as it came and decided instead to unpack.
Hours later, when the sun's rays started to wean off in intensity, Drew made his way to Hano Beach. Sunscreen had been generously rubbed into his sensitive skin, and he had Butterfree to accompany him as they made their way down the warm sand.
There were a handful amount of people around; the bulk of the crowd seemed to have wandered elsewhere. 'Better for him', he thought as he took his towel and laid it across an empty tanning chair.
He took a book out and smoothed out the page he left off at. Butterfree fluttered his wing once before the Bug-Pokémon settled at the end of the furniture. The minutes passed quickly, the sound of the waves overshadowed the chatter of the nearby people.
A zoom of vivid yellow peaked in the peripheral of his eye. Butterfree seemed intrigued and hovered above his seat.
"What's wrong Butterfree?" Drew asked kindly as he bookmarked his book from his distracted Pokémon.
"Butter." The Butterfly Pokémon cried as it followed the diversion, "Butterfree, free."
"Alright, I'm coming. What's got you in a tiff all of a sudden?" Drew good-naturedly laughed as he stowed his things away.
As he followed his Pokémon, he found himself at the edge of the water, while his companion floated next to a Kanto-found inhabitant.
"This Pikachu seems oddly familiar…" Drew murmured as he observed the friendliness of the Electric mouse who chatted to the Bug Pokémon.
"Hey, Pikachu! There you are." A voice rang out, and Drew could understand the reason for the intrigue. "I was looking all over for you."
"Chuu." The Pikachu cooed before the Electric-type pointed at Butterfree and the owner comprehended Drew's presence.
"Ash Ketchum." Drew smirked in recognition. "I didn't expect to find you here."
"Drew! Me neither, what are you doing here?" The black-haired man asked in excitement.
"On a holiday," Drew replied flippantly. "What about you?"
Ash laughed amicably. "We're on vacation too! I won some tickets in a lottery draw so that's why I'm here."
"We?" Drew quizzed, "You're with someone else?"
"Hah, yeah." Ash waved with a little embarrassment on his cheeks. "I'm not here on holiday alone." He trailed off as he turned around and pointed to the sea.
Drew followed the direction and spied a Sharpedo with a rider strapped on its back. A vibrant head of red caught his eye and Drew understood the implication of we.
"Oh. You came here with Misty huh." Drew remarked with a hint of playful tease in his voice. "Couple's retreat then?"
Ash chuckled at the scene of his girlfriend who yelped at a sudden presence of a Pyukumuku that floated to the surface. The trainer turned back to his amused audience and answered vaguely. "Something like that I guess."
Drew hummed knowingly. "So it's true then. I heard it from rumours that you had been dropped from the Top Bachelor list. I didn't realise such a ranking even existed."
"Oh yeah! That thing. The only reason why I've heard about it was because Gary mentioned it before since he was Number Two or something. Um, Gary's my childhood friend and past rival from my hometown, by the way. Apparently, he got some uh, weird, backlash when his and Leaf's relationship went public." Ash clarified, "Leaf is one of my other childhood friends, and she's currently the Gym Leader of Viridian City."
"Fascinating," Drew concluded from the spill of information. "So it's true then. I'm happy for you two."
Ash scratched his hair, seemingly still not used to the attention as he accepted the kind wishes. "Haha, yeah. It's true. You could not imagine the number of cameras and reporters that scrambled to us when it was first announced. We couldn't go anywhere without being bombarded with the press trying to get an interview about the details. You're really brave for going on that live interview in Sinnoh." Ash added.
"Brave or really stupid." Drew spoke under his breath. Ash merely looked back at the two Pokémon who were in the middle of the rapid conversation and didn't pick up the snarky remark. He commented out loud as the thought came to him just then and there.
"Like, is it really a big deal that I wanted Misty to be my girlfriend?"
Drew snapped his fingers in front of Ash. With a deadpan voice, the coordinator intoned "Are you serious? You two were so obvious to anyone who knew either of you guys that there ended up being a betting pool to see when it would happen."
"A betting pool?" Ash hooted. "What, why wasn't informed about it?" At Drew's bland expression, the tanned man expanded. "I mean, who won, and why didn't anyone tell us it existed after we got together?"
"If I remember correctly, I think someone called Ritchie won." Drew answered as he pried the information from the recesses of his memory.
Ash's face scrunched up. "Oh man! Ritchie. I wouldn't have thought he would ever bet on my love-life, but he did know both of us for a very long time. Maybe he thought it was easy money?"
"I'm not sure," Drew supplied, "But I think the winner did get the bulk of the prize money which had accumulated over the years from all the participating regions."
Ash paled. "R-regions?"
"You two were that bad." Drew explained.
"Oh come on." Ash grumbled, "We managed to figure it out."
"Eventually." Drew agreed with a shake of his head and then angled his head towards the waves that lapped on the shoreline.
"Did you confess, or was it her?" The green-haired boy asked.
Ash had a silly grin on his face when the question was posed. "Would you believe me if I said first?"
Drew caught himself from a full-blown laugh, but a tiny chortle escaped his mouth. "No way. Never in a million years did I think you would be the one confess first."
The black-haired man scrowled (well, more like pouted because this was Ash), "Hey! I resent that sentiment. 'Sides that's what happened. The gossip has it all wrong. The tabloids don't have the full story, but I was the one who admitted it first."
"Sounds fake, but fine. I won't argue against that." Drew acquiesced in an easy-going manner.
"I guess you didn't hear my relationship from May?" Ash rubbed a thumb thoughtfully under his chin as he mulled over the coordinator's question.
May's unanticipated name drop made the coordinator tense. The insinuation, the subtle nudge-nudge-wink-wink seemed to make his ears hot.
It was his time to scowl. "No, I don't have the slightest idea why on Arceus' name May would be the one to update me on your love life."
"Erm, I thought you guys were close enough that you would exchange chats." Ash nervously replied as the Kanto trainer tilted his head to avoid Drew's stare."N-nevermind me then ahahaa I'm just being dumb..."
"Ri-ght." Drew slowly articulated as he took in breaths of air - in and out, in and out - before he resumed to expand further. "I believe you, so no need to act so suspiciously. I'm not going to question your manhood."
Ash fell into silence as he watched his girlfriend zip around the water while the seafoam ebbed and flowed from the edges of the sandy ground. After a while, the black-haired man cleared his throat.
"You know, the fact that everyone is so weirdly involved in someone's personal love-life is a little strange anyway. It's more of an infringement on people's privacy to ask so many private questions in order to broadcast it out to the public." Ash spoke a matter-of-factly.
"I'm guessing it wasn't your idea to go official then?" Drew replied as his embarrassment slowly cooled.
"Hah, oh man was it not. Misty made me wait for at least six months before we decide to announce our relationship, and we were comfortable enough that we could stomach calling each other 'partner' without bursting into laughter." Ash nodded his head to the beat of his confession.
"Six months?" Drew raised an eyebrow at the strange answer. "So you mean in the two months ago that it was 'official', you actually had been already together for four months?"
"On the down-low, but yeah. A few people knew, but we're talking about really, really, really close friends who we could trust to not spill." Ash clarified.
"I see." Drew pursed his lips, still a little tilted from the implication of May and his' relationship by Ash Ketchum of all people.
"But I mean." Ash continued seemingly unaware of Drew's inner monologue, "It's not like I was exactly counting the days and months that Misty and I were 'together'," Ash air-quoted the phrase as he babbled on, "Things kinda just fell naturally, honest. I don't get the hype about celebrating dating anniversaries like they're the be all and end all. Like why not just go out and celebrate on a nice night and call that an important day. It's all weird, with people having all these set plans. Sometimes it just feels right, and you want to spend the rest of your life with this one person and you don't need a date on a calendar to remind you."
Drew almost felt dumbstruck from the wisdom poured from Ash's brain. Weakly the green-haired boy said, "Are you saying this because you forgot your sixth month anniversary and Misty wouldn't let it down?"
Ash furrowed his eyebrows. "Nah, six months of dating feels kinda strange for a date to celebrate. At least I understand that when you're married, a decade or two might be really important."
"Well Ash Ketchum, if I wasn't a better person, I would have thought you're thinking about marrying Misty Waterflower." Drew joked. Upon seeing the other man's pinched expression, the former faltered. "You're not implying what I think you are right..? You've been dating her for six months. That's a short amount of time to consider something like marriage.."
Ash knitted his eyebrows together and jutted his lip out. "Well, I've known Misty for over thirteen years so it's not like we're total strangers." The trainer rolled his eyes before he explained his reasoning. "People date each other to figure out if they're compatible for a long period of time right? Misty and I have been aware of each other's personality for over a decade, it's not like we're randoms getting together. Why not make it legally binding and get it settled now?"
"Well damn Ash, you're nothing short of ambitious." Drew whistled. "You're so driven that I almost have to admire your style. You've definitely convinced me that it seems like a natural step. I must say I'm almost close to being impressed."
"Thanks Drew." Ash genuinely said as he turned to directly stare at the green-haired boy. "I think talking with you has been really helpful."
"The pleasure has been all mine." The response felt a little robotic, but it was more of an automatic reply after so many years of practising it in front of a mirror, "I should be going now. Wouldn't want to interrupt too much of the happy couple's precious time." He flicked his hair as a show of nonchalance.
"Nah, you're not a bother at all, but I think Misty is done with the Sharpedo ride and she'll want to say hi before you go." Ash lightly pleaded as the red-head started to make her way back to shore.
"I really don't want to intrude." Drew felt himself decline politely. He felt odd after he conversed with Ash such intimate and thought-provoking content. The green-haired boy edged closer to the stairs and made the necessary preparations to escape.
"Aww, alright Drew. I'll see you next time then." Ash said as he watched the coordinator walk away. "Good luck to your own journey for blondes and brunettes!" The tanned man added as an afterthought.
Drew almost tripped over the first stair but threw his hand up in a good-hearted wave.
'No one is ever going to let me down for that blunder will they?' he thought.
It seemed strange to be back home.
His mother's home to be exact.
The sights in Kalos seemed nostalgic. The abundance of cafes for strong coffees. The shops filled with trinkets for tourists. The restaurants with delicious dishes and drinks. He did miss it, distantly the memories of his early childhood spent with his grandparents flooded his mind.
The business building nestled next to each other in the district, with cobbled pathways that all led to the centre where the Prism Tower stood, that overlooked the glorious city.
He strolled around without a solid goal. It seemed easier to let his body decide where he should go, fueled by the familiar smells and sights that sparked bites of memories.
Scampered around in a spontaneous movement was a Delcatty who mewled at his presence and twirled around his legs. He squatted down and scratched the docile creature behind the fur of the Normal Pokémon. "Hello there, you're rather friendly to me aren't you. Where's your owner?"
"Del-catty." The Normal Pokémon tugged his palm and led him into a different direction.
"Ah, alright, alright. I'll go and meet them." Drew said in amusement. The Prim Pokémon tipped her head to an individual that sat at a cafe.
The sight of the Delcatty's owner made sense. A rising lump grew to his throat as he took in the sight of his rival who sipped at a glass with carefree movements in the nestled terrace of the small cafe.
May changed her appearance. She still kept her red bandana but instead it being wrapped around her head, it was turned into a large ribbon headband. The warm weather seemed to have influenced how she styled her clothes, with singlets and tights that replaced her previous orange and white outfit.
She looked if he dared to think…
Pretty.
He cleared his throat. A dual action to not only get his rival's attention but also shake the traitorous thoughts that dwelled in his brain.
"Drew?" May asked in surprise. "W-what are you doing here in Lumiose City?"
"Visiting family." Drew answered, "What's your excuse?"
"I'm here to catch-up with Serena." At Drew's curious stare she explained, "She's one of Ash's former companions. She's been explaining to me the Kalos special event of the Pokémon Showcase. I've been travelling on my own for a bit since she's currently spending time with her mother."
"I've heard of them. The Showcases are only native to Kalos." Drew said.
"They are girl-only contests," May said as she twirled a strand of her brown hair. "Not that you would be interested if they were open for boys too since you hate dressing up." She teased as she poked at him. "Sit down, it makes me nervous when people stand and talk while I'm sitting."
"Alright fine, fine I'll stop making you so jumpy." He pulled the chair opposite to her and sat down, settled himself and then waved his hand for a server.
A girl with her hair tied in a blonde ponytail bounced to their table. "Hello, what can I help you with?"
"I'll have a café au lait please," Drew answered with flare as he flicked his hair. "Do you need a refill on your drink?" The blonde gave a light smile from the flirtation and tipped her head in his direction. May's unamused look caught his eye.
"Er, I'm good." May blunty replied as she looked down on her half-finished mocha. The glass still had frothy renaments stuck to the rim and Drew didn't spy any crumbs on her plate...
"I'll also have a slice of flan and an apple pastry please." He said as he made up his mind.
"Of course." The waitress smiled as she jotted down the order, repeated it with a quick breath and left the two of them alone in their own thoughts.
"Skipped breakfast this morning? Is that why you're eating so much?" May asked intrigued.
"No. I had a perfectly balanced breakfast with une brioche washed down with un thé." He answered flippantly.
"Uh, a bi-osch and a what now?" May blinked incredulously at the foreign words.
Drew chortled, smugness reeking from his words. "I'm just being an ass. Une brioche is a type of sweet bread and un thé is just tea."
"Well sorry for not knowing french as a touris-, hey hang on! You speak french?!"
"Yes." Drew drawled, "I believe I just implied that I did just then May."
"So you can speak fluent French?"
"I'm pretty rusty after not using it for many years, but I'm passable." Drew shrugged.
"Wow, that's, that's, pretty cool you know?" May gushed. "I've always admired the french language. Isn't it such a pretty tongue?"
"I believe that is why it's called the language of love."
"So does that mean you grew up in Kalos and not Hoenn?" May asked as she tapped the corner of her mouth with her index finger in consideration.
"No, I consider my hometown to be La Rousse City. I used to live in Kalos for several months at a time because of my mother's family here." He explained as he crossed his arms on the table. The waitress interrupted and placed the order down, with the apple pastry placed in front of May as he indicated.
"Oh, you didn't have to…" She nervously said.
"My treat to show you the beauty of the Kalosian food." He explained before he returned to the conversation, "It was only because of my mother's job that we settled in La Rousse City where my father was born in."
"Thanks Drew. Your mother though?" May quizzically said as she tucked into her pastry, "What did she do that decided on staying in Hoenn?"
Now, this was the part he always felt awkward. He scooped a thin portion of his dessert before he spooned into his mouth. The caramel was delectable and the texture so soft it melted in his mouth. He really did miss the food here."She settled on a contract for a Hoenn magazine."
"Oh, she must do something really important if you decided to move to Hoenn. What's her name?" May inquired as she chewed on her apple treat.
Begrudgingly, Drew answered, "...It's Scarlet Hayden." He finished with a sip of his coffee as May thought over the answer.
"Hmm, it sounds familiar. Give me a second." She dropped her fork onto her plate, dug into her backpack and pulled out her PokéNav. She opened up Pokémon Online to undoubtedly look up the name in the search bar.
"...Scarlet Hayden...let's see…" May mumbled as she typed into the name. "Oh! Now I know why she sounds so familiar. She used be Scarlet Evergarden who was famous for competing in the Pokémon Showcases! Serena told me about her. She was famous for her speciality in-"
"-Grass-type Pokémon." Drew finished as he placed his cup down.
"Yes. Um." May picked up the tense atmosphere and hesitantly asked, "Did she talk about her past experience in the Showcases?"
"A little when I was younger. She swept it over and mostly focused on her modelling by the time I was old enough to start my Pokémon adventure." The coffee was smooth and rich, the beans were not burnt and the splash of milk was not too sweet either. He held the cup with both hands. "It's not too hard to fill in the blanks that she was my inspiration to compete in contests."
"Was she there when you won the Hoenn Cup?"
"No," Drew swirled his cup around. May seemed taken-aback from the answer. "She sent me a message after I won. I still remember it. She wrote 'Aqua pants really?' and no one has let me down for it."
May laughed. It was a girlish giggle, something that felt free from the conformity of what a lady should sound like. She snickered into her hand, and pointly stared at Drew's blank stare. "Oh Mew, I can't believe even your mother knew how horrible those aqua pants were. You might be a model's son, but you did not inherit her fashion tastes."
"There's nothing wrong with my aqua pants, I just decided to revamp my style after my win…"He muttered, slightly miffed from the accusation as he thought about his change to dark jeans for a completely non-related reason.
"Mmhmm." May said and continued to focus on her PokéNav to study his mother's profile further. "You know, if I look at her from a distance, tilt my head and squint she kinda looks like-"
"-don't finish that sentence…" Drew warned with a tight voice.
"..Solidad." May finished with awareness in her expression. She went quiet for a moment. With tentative words she prodded. "Is that why you cried the first time Solidad beat you..? Because you thought yo-"
The glass clinked sharply onto his ceramic plate. He took a deep breath - in and out - it's May, she doesn't mean to be vindictive, she's not worthy of your unpent anger…
"My relationship with my mother is difficult to explain. I rather not go into it if you want to keep this conversation civil." He jabbed his nails into his palm as he tried to calm his mind.
May looked nervous, she bit her lip and averted her eyes. With quiet words, she asked. "Do you hate her?"
Drew mulled over the question for a moment as he closed his eyes."...No I don't."
"I see," May nodded - perhaps not in complete understanding - but rather in selfless empathy. "I won't bring her up again unless you want to talk about first." She lets off with an offer in the future.
"Yeah. Thanks." He answered with some reluctance as he dug back into his dessert. The flan was sweeter than he remembered. He was grateful that May gave him an out. One day, when he had reflected on his exact relationship with his mother and decided how to interact with her, he might open up. But until that day arrived, he was happy to flip-flop with his attitude with his mom.
"So what are you planning to do now?" May asked as she stabbed the remains of her baked goods.
"Well, I've been enjoying my time off to travel and catch new Pokémon and finding inspirations in new environments, and," Drew started as he captured his companion's attention, "I think it'll be a chance for me to take a break until I feel refreshed again." He finished as May looked at him apprehensively.
"Are you...done with coordinating?" She spoke slowly, unsure if the answer she was to get was what she wanted.
"No." He scoffed, baffled at the idea that he would be finished with contests so early in his life. "There's just more to than grinding for a Ribbon Cup every year. My journey in Johto and Sinnoh have made me realise that."
"So just an indefinite hiatus then?" She said a little more brightened at the reply.
"Sure, something like that. Don't think I'll let you surpass me just because I'm on a prolonged vacation. I expect you to be in top shape when I get back," He smirked as the challenge was laid on the table. "You're my rival so I expect you to catch-up to me."
"I consider ourselves at least friends." She cheekily said as she stuck her tongue out in childish glee. "Alright, if you're going to be taking a break, where are you heading off to then?"
"Not sure. I enjoyed Alola, don't get me wrong. But." He stopped as he thought over his next statement. "...I've found out that without seeing familiar people in a region, there's no intrinsic push to get better so I found myself slacking more than I wanted to."
"Aww, is Drew Hayden actually feeling a little bit lonely?" May teased girlishly. "Don't worry, it happens to the best of us." She proclaimed as she stuck her fork into the air in a flourish.
"Watch the eyes December." Drew admonished as he held his hand up in a protective stance.
"Don't worry, May Maple will come and save you from your brooding lifestyle!" She theatrically exclaimed with a yell.
He could feel the gaze from curious patrons who titled their heads from the sudden noise. In a swift movement, he hovered his palm against her mouth, her hot breath on his skin made him tense up. "And why don't you announce our entire presence to the rest of Kalos while you're at it. Jeez, hush now or else we get paparazzi here faster than a Tauros stampede."
"Fine." She whined as she sat back onto her chair. "I wasn't joking though. If you are interested, I wouldn't...mind you as a travelling companion..." She added hesitantly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh May, I'm flattered that you think I'm a worth travelling companion. Feeling like I won't drag you behind like when you travelled with a big group?"
"I think it's easier to travel in a duo anyway. I accompanied my brother for a bit during Unova before we split, and things were definitely easier when I went with Serena." May waved off the dry remark and she casually propped her head with an open palm.
"Well, I suppose I don't mind. I would have thought you wanted to explore a region with one of your female friends." He hummed.
May pouted. "Well, If you have to know, Dawn, the girl who beat me in the Wallace Cup, said she was already going to Hoenn with someone. A guy who from what she described is a real stick-in-the-mud character, but she seems determined to deal with Mr. Dark and Gloomy so that was a no-show. Solidad is heading to Alola and Brianna is on her way to Sinnoh."
He raised an eyebrow. "So, where are you headed then?"
"I was actually thinking about heading to Kanto," May answered softly. "I know it's not the first region most people think about contests, but I wanted to try out my new knowledge in a more familiar environment. And I don't exactly feel ready for the Hoenn Grand Festival so it seemed like an obvious choice."
"Alright. I guess I wouldn't mind keeping you company. Mesprit knows that someone needs to watch out for you so you don't trip over your own feet and land in a ditch somewhere." He smoothly commented.
"Hey! I'm not that clumsy…" She fired back. "Well, I haven't fallen over anything for a few months now."
Drew shook his head."My point exactly."
"So did you hear from the engagement from Ash and Misty?" She diverted the conversation somewhere else.
"I did." He quickly jumped onto the new gossip. "I actually received a message from Ash a week before the public announcement."
"Oh! That's really cool. Misty messaged me a day before the article went live. I think I was so excited I teared up at the announcement." May added on, "She gave me an invitation and she told me she expected to bring a plus one. Well, less asked more like heavily encouraged." She bit her bottom lip.
Drew followed the movement with interest. Cooly, he questioned, "So do you have a date then?"
"Uh, you see," She started, her voice transitioned into a higher-pitch, "I was thinking since everyone else is either already invited or busy, do," She inhaled quickly, "...you mind accompanying me to the wedding?"
The spoon was half-way to his mouth when May asked. He placed his utensil back onto the plate and thought over how he should proceed.
"Sure." He replied. His answer left her relaxed and she flopped onto the table."I don't mind, I'm on speaking terms with Ash anyway."
"Oh thank Arceus! I didn't want to go alone. I don't think I'll be able to survive without at least someone to talk to on the trip." May huffed cutely. A light bulb went off in her mind and she slammed her palms on the table.
"Watch the furniture and your noise-levels." Drew mockingly tutted.
"Wait! Does that mean you're the one who encouraged Ash to propose? Misty said that Ash talked to someone I would know who gave him the necessary confidence to ask her hand in Alola." May babbled loudly as the cogs in her mind turned. "So it was you?"
"I guess so," Drew pondered over the statement, "I did talk to Ash who revealed he wanted to propose after six months of them dating."
"Oh, yeah. The...articles talked about how short and unexpected the proposal seemed." May vocalised. She seemed anxious as she continued, "How people were betting that they would be divorced in a year. How awful." She balled her fists up in anger.
"Tabloids can be brutal." Drew agreed. "The best thing you can do is ignore them."
"I know, but," She tapered off, "It's so terrible that they accused Ash of being a potential cheater."
"They did?" This was news to him.
"They totally did. Talking about how Ash was making a harem from all his travelling." May fumed, "The absolute nerve of them. Saying how Misty was his fall-back companion and implying that he was marrying her for her title."
"I'm guessing that 'harem' included you?"
"Yeah." May acknowledged, "It's terrible." She sunk into her chair and blew a strand of her hair in annoyance."I'm sorry for venting this. You probably didn't want to hear it."
"It's alright, I think it's better that you rant it to someone who understands." He took another scoop of his dessert, at least half of the sweet treat was gone by now.
"Thanks Drew. I'm glad I ran into you today." Her smile was genuine and it fluttered his heart just the slightest.
"You're welcome." He suppressed a growing heat that crept up his neck. He was still unused to the open and pure statements from his rival that he couldn't help the involuntary embarrassment that arose when it was directed at him.
"Did you bring your Alola Pokémon here?" She asked, seemingly unaware of her companion's mini-thought crisis.
"No, I didn't expect to need it this trip. We can postpone our battle for another day."
"Aw, that's alright. I was going to show you mine if you showed me yours." She commented off-handedly.
He choked on his flan. He punched his chest as the dessert went down the wrong pipe. "P-please don't say that to people without thinking of what you're insinuating."
"Huh." May furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mea-"
Drew could see the moment she realised what the implication of her comment raised.
"I-I don't mean it like that!" She waved her hands around in hysteria, "I meant like we can show each other's Pokémon. Not...that…" She faded off.
"I assumed." Drew rested his head on his hand to prop up his crown.
She placed her palms on her reddened cheeks as she took some breaths. With enough time, the redness decreased and she went back to the conversation.
"So, did you at least bring Luxray? Because ever since the Sinnoh interview, I always wanted to meet him."
"No, Luxray is at home. He's taking a rest. And trying to be incognito is a no-go if I'm showing off my golden, one-of-a-kind Luxray. " With his mother, he wanted to add, but he refrained.
"That's true. Maybe sometime in the future, you could introduce me to Luxray if you could." May mentioned. "All of my Pokémon would love to meet your new team as well!"
"Sure I don't mind." Drew agreed with the request. The flan was getting a little too sugary for his palate now.
"Great, I'll look forward to it." Her expression went sly, "You know what else I learned from watching the interview. H's question really got you tongue-tied huh?"
Drew groaned. "Not you too. This one fiasco is going to follow me more than my own coordinator titles."
"You have to admit, it's pretty funny. The usually calm-collected Drew stumbling over his words just to describe his dream girl. That's not something you see every day."
"You're getting a kick out of my misfortune." He grumbled as he took another swig of his coffee.
"Oh Drew, your favourite hair colour is blonde and brunettes, not my purple-hair colour." May spoke in a fake voice. "Seriously, everyone could tell she was hitting on you throughout the interview."
"You sound a little jealous there May. Besides she was at least half a decade other than me." He teased. "Calm down a little there, you're strung up like a Litten."
"I-I'm not jealous. I just feel bad because you bluntly said you were into blondes and…" She stopped for a second, her expression frozen as a thought stunned her into quietness.
"May?" Drew questioned his hand wrapped around the glass in curiosity.
"...brunettes.." Her comment was made in a quiet voice. Something clicked in her brain, he could see it how she straightened her posture, her eyes widened and her mouth gasped. "Drew, have you ever thought about me as...dream girl potential?"
He took a nonchalant sip of his coffee, swallowed and then threw his head back and breathed in. He could already imagine May's reaction, curiosity burned into her blue - so blue like sapphires - eyes and a delicate red that filled her cheeks again as she stared at him, gaze pleaded for an answer; to fulfill the need to know from the spontaneous observation and the years of the unspoken tension that pooled into their heart-to-heart; friendly conversations and bubbling emotions that boiled between the two of them over the years...
"Yeah I have."
And that was that.
Wow look at the size of that cliffhanger, I'm in awe.
The IS reference comes from the fic 'In Abundant Relations' by TurnaboutWriter on AO3, go and read it if you haven't and shower that story with some love!
Many thanks to HarvestGirl10 who has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement
If you enjoyed the story, please feel free to review. Thanks!