3
She doesn't stop training the next day.
Of course, she knows she mustn't tire out her Pokémon right before the Contest, so by the time afternoon rolls around, she returns them to their respective Pokéballs and sends them to the Pokémon Centre to have a good rest.
No distractions, she tells herself resolutely. No distractions.
She's spent so much time in and around the Pokémon Centre, Nurse Joy sees her as a familiar face by now. As the automatic doors slide open for May to stride into the healing centre for the fifth time today, Nurse Joy smiles at her knowingly.
"Your Pokémon have all been restored to full health and are good to go," she tells May. Then her voice turns stern. "I would suggest not to overtire them with any more practice, please. You have all been working very hard and I think it's time to take a good long rest before the Contest tomorrow. As a judge, I can tell you that a tired Pokémon won't be able to show off their beauty and power."
She winks at May, and May smiles. Nurse Joy, as always, is right. She has been working hard.
"Definitely. We'll take a break, then. Thank you, Nurse Joy!" she replies cheerfully as she receives her Pokéballs from Chansey.
She stifles a sigh as she sinks down onto a couch, feeling her tired body relax against the soft cushion. Even she is tired. Even if she wants no distractions, no distractions just simply isn't possible with no breaks from practicing.
She tries to quell the irrational worry that's constantly niggling at her mind—the worry that she won't be good enough for the Contest, that she'll lose because of that inexperience and carelessness, that complacency and overconfidence. After all, isn't that what's happened for every one of her Contest losses? The R1 Rubello Town Contest, where she lost to Savannah. The Kanto Grand Festival, where she lost to Solidad. The Wallace Cup, where she lost to Dawn. And not to mention every single Johto Contest she lost. She rushed into each battle without thinking, believing she'll somehow pull off a win—because she's a great Coordinator.
No, she mustn't think this way. She mustn't think any way, because once she thinks, she can't stop thinking, and then she won't be able to think at all during the Contest battle.
May knows she's managed to polish her appeals and combination attacks to near perfection—perfection is impossible and that's something she tries to make peace with because her mind just can't seem to understand that concept—so she knows she deserves a break, a long break.
She blinks her bleary eyes, trying to block out the too-bright glare of the Pokémon Centre's overhead lights. Maybe the Pokémon Centre just isn't the place to be right now. Maybe doing some shopping or something will take her mind off things.
May leaves the Centre and retraces her steps to the Gym, taking the same route she and Sylvia took two nights ago, after the Gym's official opening ceremony. She remembers every word of the conversation between them, and marvels at how it has only been two nights since she stumbled across Drew—and a previously undiscovered facet of his personal life.
We grew up together in LaRousse City, but we always had very different ideals. Against our parents' wishes, Drew had always expressed his wish to become a Coordinator…
LaRousse City. Her rival grew up in LaRousse City. May still remembers her time at the technologically advanced city, so unlike the rest of Hoenn with its Block Bots and moving lanes. Of course, that was where they encountered Deoxys, the Pokémon from outer space—and lived through the battle between Deoxys and Rayquaza, the mass evacuation of the city, the intense matchups in the crowded Battle Tower… but she doesn't like to relive those memories. What she remembers most vividly, strangely, is the stunning aurorae hanging in the sky over the city, and annoyingly, her LaRousse passport, where her less-than-glamorous passport portrait is, to this day, still ingrained in her mind.
The soles of May's boots crunch against the sidewalk as she stops to gaze at the fresh Berries laid out in front of her. A handwritten sign pasted above tells her there's a discount for the Berries, and as she debates whether to buy the Berries and make some May's Pink Surprise for Munchlax, her thoughts start to slip away again.
She remembers LaRousse City, alright—and she remembers not knowing that LaRousse is Drew's hometown. Then again, he's just a rival, just like Harley and Solidad, and rivals don't know much about each other except for their battling styles.
There was a fleeting moment in time when she thought they could be friends—that fateful sunset back in Kanto's Fennel Valley after their unofficial Contest battle, on a cliff overlooking the valley—the last time she ever saw him in the Kanto region. It was where she leaned back against the fence sitting down and he leaned forward against the fence standing, and they talked about developing new styles and improving and going to new places. She looked at him and he looked back at her with those surprisingly gentle eyes, and she thought she felt an unlikely friendship blossoming.
But friends would know each other's hometown. Friends would know each other's personal stories, outside of Contest battling. Friends would talk the day away without any awkwardness between them, because friends know each other too well for that.
She and Drew aren't friends. She doesn't know why it bothers her so much, but she's always known this very fact and it has always niggled at the back of her mind. Like how the fence on the cliff separated them, their rivalry has always stood in the way of potential friendship. She's always known this fact, but now it is shoved up in her face as she reaches the end of the street and Sylvia's Gym looms before her, cold and grey and telling of a story she doesn't know.
She wants to know the story—Drew's story. With her ever-curious mind and her love for stories, there's no denying that. But she knows that Drew will never tell her his side of the story, because at the end of the day, she and Drew aren't friends. And for some reason, that knowledge stings her the most, even more than the knowledge that he's, as usual, three steps ahead of her.
May comes to a halt in front of the Gym. She stares at the modern structure for a few stilted seconds before she turns on her heel, walks back to the Berry store and buys some Pecha Berries. Swinging her plastic bag over her shoulder, she trudges back to Sylvia's apartment with a heavy heart and swirling thoughts.
In the kitchen, she grinds the Berries into a pulp in a stone mortar. Each time she lifts the pestle, a different image surfaces in her mind, right before she smashes it into the mortar along with the Berry pulp.
Lift pestle.
Roserade using Mega Drain and finishing off her Eevee with a flash of green in the Cherrygrove Contest.
Smash pestle against mortar. Lift pestle again.
Wigglytuff Body Slamming her Skitty into the battlefield in the Ecruteak Contest, right as the timer runs out.
Slam pestle into pulp. Raise pestle.
The timer running out and Dawn's face lighting up on the screen as winner of the Wallace Cup.
Smash pestle against mortar repeatedly. Lift pestle shakily.
Sylvia's Glaceon slamming Drew's Roserade into the barrier of the rink with Giga Impact.
Slam pestle into pulp. Raise pestle. Slam it against the mortar again. Lift pestle up.
Dawn commenting what a great pair she and Drew make.
May's hand holding the pestle falters as her breath finally lodges in her throat, and she rests the pestle down on the kitchen cabinet, chest heaving and hands pressing against the edge of the worktable, trying to catch her breath. She stares down at the sludge in the mortar and manages a tired but satisfied smile. Sylvia has a Berry Blender in the kitchen, but she prefers to fall back on the traditional mortar and pestle to grind it into a finer pulp before putting it into the Blender, even if it means giving her an upper body workout.
As she pours her Berry pulp into the Berry Blender, the front door clicks and swings open with a whoosh, and Drew steps into the apartment.
May blinks in surprise, but recovers quickly to greet him, "Hi, Drew."
He nods in acknowledgement, his hands stuffed in his pockets of his aqua pants as he asks, "Back so soon, May?"
"Yeah, I've been training all day…" May hums a tune under her breath as she selects some options on the Berry Blender, pushing buttons to get the Blender started. As it blends the Berries, she raises her voice over the din, "I decided to call it a day, seeing the Contest's tomorrow."
He smiles, and he opens his mouth. May's eyes flit to his lips to lip-read what he's saying. "Makes sense." Throwing a glance her way, he says, "I see you're replenishing your Pokéblock supply. You custom make them for your Pokémon?"
She realises she's still staring at his mouth, and with a start, she raises her eyes from his lips, and a hand to her forehead to wipe the sweat off the skin behind her bangs. "Yeah, but it's mostly for Munchlax as he has different tastes—for my other Pokémon I usually just buy ready-made Pokéblocks from the store," she explains with a raised voice, and Drew's eyebrows lift, surely news to him. It feels sort of funny, talking about this to her rival, as she follows Ash's belief of not talking about one's own training style to one's rival outside of the battlefield—but it was the good type of funny: a pleasant feeling, albeit unfamiliar. It's definitely something she can get used to, now that they've moved past petty insults.
May smirks and represses the urge to pump her fist in the air—they're one step closer to being friends.
The Berry Blender whirls to a stop, and they're greeted with sweet silence, save for the sound of May's Pink Surprise Pokéblocks falling out of the Blender and into the ceramic bowl May has placed below. It sounds like raindrops against the roof, and it's refreshing and invigorating all at once.
Drew flicks his hair, and May tells herself she'll bring herself to tell him to stop that habit when they're closer—if they ever become closer than this. "Well, I know we always talk about how good I am in taking care of my Pokémon," he says, eliciting an unladylike snort from May, "but you know, I have to give credit where it's due. You take great care of your Pokémon, May. The Pokéblock stunt you pulled off with Munchlax at the Chrysanthemum Contest really showed that off, as does how Beautifly's wings sparkle in the sun. It's a beautiful Pokémon, I have to say." As he speaks, he pours himself a cup of water, lifting the cup to his lips.
"I know," says May, amused. Behind the cup, Drew gives her a blank look, and she elaborates with a smirk, "You gave Beautifly so many roses, you'd think you were in love with it."
Mid-gulp, he spits out the water, sputtering. Some of the water splashes onto May's shirt and arm, and she mutters, "Okay. Ew," before proceeding to wipe up the mess on the table as Drew let out the longest groan she has ever heard him let out. She raises her eyebrows at him.
"I'm in love with Beautifly?" he manages to ask. May gives him a strange look.
"Yeah!" she confirms, not understanding why he's so caught up in this. It was just a joke. "Back in Hoenn and Kanto, you used to give me roses all the time and say they were for Beautifly, Mr. Rose."
At the nickname she used to call him in Kanto, his face flushes red and he mutters, "Well, I am not in love with Beautifly."
"Whatever you say, Mr. It's-For-Your-Beautifly," May quips.
He gives her the side-eye—and that's how May knows he's genuinely riled up—before walking away, his cup of water forgotten and his hands still in his pockets. Shrugging, May smiles at his back as she collects the Pokéblocks in the bowl and stores them into her Pokéblock Case.
He obviously is flustered, but really, he only has himself to blame. After all, who else gives roses to a girl and says they're for her Pokémon? May shakes her head as she fishes out her Pokéballs and calls out her Pokémon.
Glaceon, Venusaur and Munchlax materialise in a shower of white light, and she smiles down fondly at them as she feeds them with a Pokéblock each. She pours them a bowl of Pokémon food as well. Munchlax, being Munchlax, seems to be begging her for more with those wide eyes, but May shakes her head gently.
"Nuh-uh, one is more than enough for a day. Sorry, Munchlax, you'll get it in tomorrow's Contest." She shifts her attention to Glaceon, who is nibbling at the Pokéblock appreciatively. "Eat up, Glaceon, you'll be in both the Appeals and Battle round tomorrow…"
Glaceon lets out a tinkling noise, the sound akin to ice crystals clinking against each other. It's the sound Glaceon makes when it's content, and May can't help but smile, reaching out a hand to stroke its head. She looks at the three of them, and she knows there's no way she can't win this Contest with these three amazing Pokémon by her side tomorrow.
She just has to find back that spark, and summon it to start a blaze.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Mahogany Town Contest Hall, where we'll be commencing our first ever Mahogany Town Pokémon Contest! I'm Gillian Meridian, and I'm happy to be your announcer for this exciting Contest!"
Through the screen of the plasma TV, the magnified face of the announcer is a spitting image of Hoenn's Contest announcer Vivian Meridian as well as Kanto's Contest announcer Lillian Meridian. Just like all the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys in the world, this Johto announcer must somehow be related to both Vivian and Lillian—and with a start, May realises this is the same voice she listened to three nights ago, back in the Mahogany Gym.
Her hands grip the edge of the cushioned bench, willing them not to shake. Above her, a cold draft blows out of the air conditioner shaft, and May tells herself that's the reason why goosebumps have started to dot the length of her forearms. Glaceon curls up beside her on the bench, basking in the frosty air even as May shivers. At least one of them is enjoying the temperature, and it's better to have Glaceon relax in a habitat more natural to the Ice-type, right before the Contest.
Mahogany Town sure likes the cold.
The backstage of the Contest Hall is packed with fellow Coordinators, waiting for their turn to be called up on stage for their appeals round. A few of them throw curious glances at May and her Glaceon, no doubt recognising the girl who competed in the finals of the Wallace Cup—and she recognises some of them, too. But they don't bother to say hello, or even wave, so May just silently watches them pass her by.
One thing she's noticed competing in Pokémon Contests is Johto is that the Coordinators here are less friendly to each other—it seems as though it's every man for himself, each to his own. The Contest culture here doesn't agree with her at all—there's nothing nicer than making new friends everywhere—but May can see why people like Drew, for instance, would be suited here. Harley and Solidad, who have always travelled alone as well, as far as she knows, are unaffected by the atmosphere too. But for May, it chills her to the bone, and she doesn't like it at all, one bit. Johto isn't for her, she knows. If it wasn't for Drew, Solidad and Harley who chose to compete in Contests here, she would've just left the second she found out about this culture.
But she didn't, and she's still here, with three ribbons to boot and in too deep. So she has to finish this—it's go big, or go home. She has to win this.
Her hands curl into fists, no longer trembling as her anxiety fades away with the determination and adrenaline. She reaches out to scoop Glaceon into her lap and Glaceon purrs, her tinkling voice mixing with Gillian's excited chatter from the PA system in the backstage.
At a distance behind her, she hears the backstage manager call out contestants number one to go onstage and contestants number two to five to stand by and get ready for their turn, and May fumbles in her fanny pack to check the tag the staff at the registration counter has given her two hours ago. She's contestant number 14. In Johto, the order in which contestants go up onstage is completely randomised; not based on the time you register yourself into the Contest.
She lifts her head to look at the TV screen one more time, and the first contestant has sent out his Quilava, a Pokémon native to Johto and the evolved form of the adorable Cyndaquil, one of the three starters for Trainers. She narrows her eyes at its undeniably fierce Flamethrower, which sends the audience into loud cheers. She'll have to watch out for that Quilava, that's for sure.
Contestant after contestant perform their dazzling routines, and May feels herself starting to yawn. She stifles it, shaking her head vigorously in an attempt to wake herself up. She didn't have the best good night's sleep yesterday due to Contest nerves, as usual, and she's feeling the consequences today. And it's barely ten in the morning.
She gets up from the bench, stretching her limbs as she does so, ready to get some coffee from the front of the room, with Glaceon following closely at her feet. The lingering smell of coffee has been calling her ever since she walked into the Contest Hall. But Gillian's voice rings out in the backstage again, noticeably more excited than ever—and the Coordinators around her start to murmur and point at the TV screen as well. Frowning in confusion, May turns her head up again to look at the screen, and she lets out an audible gasp.
"And for our next contestant, it's none other than Mahogany Town's very own Gym Leader, Sylvia! This is Sylvia's first time in a Pokémon Contest, after a hiatus of eight years since her last Contest in the Hoenn region, so let's give it up for her!" Gillian announces with a wink.
"What is she doing here, stealing our thunder?" May hears someone behind her mutter bitterly, and a few other Coordinators murmur their agreement. She purses her lips at their attitude and looks up at the screen to see Sylvia walk onto the stage with such a grace, she almost looks like she's gliding across the silvered floor. May can't help but smile through her shock at how happy Sylvia looks performing onstage, her face fixed with a beam that was absent during her skating routine in the Gym three nights ago.
She's let her hair down, too, and the green streaks in her hair are visible for all to see.
"She did it," May whispers. "She made it. Oh, Sylvia…"
"Glaceon, Bergmite," Sylvia calls out, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she thrusts her Pokéball out towards the stage, "let's go!"
With its glittering coat, Sylvia's Glaceon appears on the stage, letting out a cry so similar to May's own Glaceon's, the latter Pokémon stirs at the sound, glancing up at the TV. May smiles, bending down to hoist Glaceon up, cradling the Eeveelution in her arms so that it can watch Sylvia's performance as well. She shifts her attention to the other Pokémon that has appeared alongside Sylvia's Glaceon, frowning again.
What did Sylvia call that Pokémon again—Bergmite? From her trusty fanny pack, she takes out her Pokédex and points it at the foreign Pokémon—it can't be from around Johto, Hoenn, or Kanto, in that matter of fact.
Her Pokédex lets out a single beep, and the words "NO DATA" light up on its screen. "No data is found on this Pokémon as it is unidentifiable in the system of this Pokédex," the robotic female voice proclaims, and May bites her bottom lip as she snaps her Pokédex shut.
"No data, huh?" she murmurs to herself, glancing up at the mysterious Pokémon again.
"Oh, it seems like Sylvia has called out her beautiful Glaceon… and Bergmite, an Ice-type Pokémon that is native to the Kalos region!" Gillian exclaims. "With a never-seen-before Pokémon like Bergmite, what new cards will it bring to the table?"
The Kalos region? May narrows her eyes at the mention of the foreign region. She doesn't know much of the faraway exotic region, but occasionally the local TV would broadcast documentaries and travel ads about Kalos, the former discussing about it as the originating region for Mega Evolution, a foreign concept here, and the latter showing off the romantic atmosphere of Lumiose City, Kalos's capital city. She's always been intrigued and enraptured by Kalos, that's for sure, and she wants nothing more but to travel there as another one of her exciting expeditions… but with Sylvia having been there, taking away valuable experiences and skills and bringing them to the Contest here… May knows she needs to watch out.
"Alright, let's get started!" Sylvia says with a smile. "Glaceon, use Aurora Veil, and Bergmite, you use Ice Beam!"
Sylvia's Glaceon lifts its head, baring its graceful neck as it lets out a tinkling cry, and the high-pitched, melodious sound is music to May's ears. A lovely rainbow-coloured aurora, tinted with rich greens and violets, surrounds its body and reaches up to the sky, casting the whole Contest Hall in the beautiful light. The crowd oohs and aahs at the sight, and Bergmite leaps into the air, half-masked by the veil of coloured lights as it fires a glowing blue beam of ice at the field. As the powerful Ice Beam hits the ground, it quickly covers the length of the field in a shining surface of ice, transforming the stage into an ice rink. In the magical glow of the Aurora Veil, the ice glimmers a million beautiful colours.
May's breath catches in her throat at the sight, and Gillian comments with an awestruck tone, "With the rare Ice-type move Aurora Veil in the air and Bergmite's Ice Beam transforming the Hall into a winter wonderland, it's as if we're being teleported to the magical Northern Hemisphere!"
But Sylvia's nowhere near done, May notes.
"And now," Sylvia calls out, sending herself into an effortless twirl across the ice despite the fact that she's not even wearing ice skates, "Let's dance! Glaceon, use Icy Wind! Bergmite, use Powder Snow while you show them your Rapid Spin!"
Glaceon opens its mouth and lets out a gust of frosty air while it takes lunging steps across the sheet of ice, gaining momentum before twirling and spinning gracefully with its four legs, occasionally even leaping into the air spinning before landing down onto the ice without a single slip. It looks just like Sylvia when she's skating across the ice, with as much poise and grace as Sylvia had back at the Mahogany Gym—and when the camera zooms into Glaceon's legs, May realises Glaceon's paws have blocks of ice underneath them that enable it to glide on the ice so smoothly. The camera zooms out to show Bergmite launching into a Rapid Spin that takes off across the ice with incredible speed and control, slicing and carving intricate patterns on the ice. As it spins, a sparkling stream of pale blue powder spirals into the air from its mouth—Bergmite's Powder Snow. The fine bits of ice and snow catch the light of the multi-coloured Aurora Veil and glisten beautifully, rolling out a faint, shimmering rainbow that spreads across the length of the field above.
The crowd bursts out in amazed exclamations once again as Glaceon and Bergmite, taking centre ice, finish off their skating routine with a flourish and dip their heads in unison with Sylvia's curtsy.
"Amazing," May breathes. Around her, the temperature seems to drop even lower, and the Coordinators around her start to murmur again, but she pays none of it any attention, instead focusing on Glaceon, who is similarly starstruck.
"Stunning performance!" Mr. Contesta declares.
"I just got to say it's remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo says.
"An impressive showcase by our very own multi-talented Gym Leader!" agrees Nurse Joy. "I can't wait to see what more is in store for her and her Pokémon."
May straightens, tightening her hold on Glaceon. "After seeing that beautiful performance, Glaceon, how can we ever disappoint the audience by messing up? Let's get out there with Venusaur and show our absolute best!" She pumps her fist into the air, feeling her determination permeate her voice, and Glaceon nods in agreement as well. She smiles at Glaceon, before recalling it into its Pokéball.
"Contestants number 11 to 14, get ready for your turn!" the backstage manager calls, and May replies with a nod, shouting back, "Right!"
Sylvia might have put out a breathtaking and spellbinding appeal, but May isn't going to let her be in the spotlight for too long. May is sure to have hell waiting for her in the battles round, but first of all, she needs to storm the appeals round.
"And now, it's time for contestant number 14 to take the stage—you all know what that means! Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a big hand to welcome May!" Gillian shouts into the mic.
As the audience bursts into cheers and applause, May bounds up onto the stage, standing her ground. The floor of the stage is still slightly wet in the wake of Sylvia's appeals performance. She takes a deep breath.
"Glaceon, Venusaur, take the stage!" she calls out her iconic catchphrase as she sends out her two Pokémon. Glaceon and Venusaur materialise in front of her, ready for their routine, and she smiles, clenching her fist as she shouts, "Venusaur, use Sunny Day!"
The flower on Venusaur's back begins to glow with a dazzling white orb of energy, which shoots up in a powerful jet of light into the sky. The foggy clouds in the sky part immediately, revealing a brilliantly bright sun with its sun rays shining down harshly on the battlefield. The water on the stage sizzles and evaporates into rising steam, leaving the stage spotless and dry.
"Amazing," remarks Gillian. "With Venusaur's powerful Sunny Day, May and her Pokémon have cleared the remnants from previous appeals and manipulated the stage to become their own."
And we're just getting started, May thinks with a smile on her face. "Glaceon, use Ice Shard!" she commands, pointing to the Ice-type Pokémon.
Glaceon's forehead glows light blue before it opens its mouth, firing thousands of ice shards into the air—which sparkle with all the colours of the rainbow in the harsh sunlight. The crowd exclaims in delight and awe at the beautiful sight, and the judges seem equally enraptured.
May only waits a split second for the shards to hang in the air before launching out another confident command to her trusty Grass-type Pokémon, "Venusaur, Petal Blizzard, let's go!" Venusaur releases a wild flurry of pink petals from the flower on its back. The petals swirl in the air frenziedly, cutting and slicing the gigantic ice shards into smaller pieces in the process and transforming the stadium into a garden of cherry blossoms.
She smiles. They learnt Petal Blizzard for Venusaur specifically as a nod to Drew and his Roserade's iconic Petal Dance, and it has contributed to both her appeals and battles significantly.
It's time to wrap this up, she thinks. As the force of the Petal Blizzard buffers the shards of ice from falling to the floor and lifts them further up into the air, she seizes the perfect timing. "Glaceon, jump and use Iron Tail!" she calls.
Glaceon leaps into the air spinning before launching its glowing tail against the nearest ice shard, shattering the ice into a million pieces before using that momentum to jump over to the next ice shard. Amongst the pink petals, Glaceon is a blurring blue figure with the grace of a dancer.
"Wow, it looks like Glaceon is showing off its Iron Tail and its agility and balance by moving from one Ice Shard to the next! A talented Pokémon alright—but one thing's for sure—without Venusaur's Sunny Day and simply exquisite Petal Blizzard, those talents can't ever be shown off as well as they are now."
With a final slash against the biggest ice shard, the ice shatters into a million tiny pieces, glistening in the radiant sunlight and forming faint rainbows in the air. Glaceon does a graceful tuck and roll in the sky as it lets itself fall through the air. Mid-fall, Venusaur lashes out its Vine Whip and catches Glaceon with both its vines, before resting it perfectly on its back. The both of them strike their final pose, causing the audience to burst into applause and cheers.
As May bows to the crowd along with Venusaur and Glaceon, Gillian says, "Now, let's see what the judges have to say about May and her Pokémon's performance!"
"Great teamwork between the two Pokémon and the Coordinator. You can really see the hard work put into perfecting the timing for the Ice Shard, Petal Blizzard and Iron Tail combination," praises Mr. Contesta.
"Simply remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo remarks, nodding in agreement.
"An unlikely pair at first sight but they managed to put out a beautiful performance nonetheless," comments Mahogany Town's Nurse Joy, smiling kindly at May. May bows deeply at the judges, then curtsies to the audience for a final time before walking off the stage and returning to the backstage.
In the empty corridor, she bends down to pull Glaceon and Venusaur into a tight hug. "You two were simply amazing," she praises them, fighting to keep the tremble in her voice away. Her Pokémon make delighted noises in their language, and she hugs them tighter, before returning them to their Pokéballs. "Rest well, both of you. You deserve it."
When she stands up and turns around to return to the common area, Sylvia is standing there, her face expressionless. When she meets May's eye, she breaks into a tired smile. May looks at her curiously before breaking the silence and saying, "Hey Sylvia! I can't believe you entered the Contest, that's so great to see—and you were totally amazing out there, too! I'm so proud of you."
Sylvia smiles wider, but May can tell it's forced—the smile doesn't reach her green eyes at all, and she's tied up her hair into a bun again, hiding the green streaks in her hair once more. May wonders why she did that. "Hello, May," she finally says, reaching up a hand to smooth her bangs—not flick them, like she and Drew have a habit of doing, May realises. "Thank you. I saw your performance too. It was beautiful, even more so than what I saw in practice."
"Thank you!" May exclaims, but then quietens down when she sees Sylvia's worried expression surface again. She seems awfully subdued, and May softens her voice and asks, "Sylvia, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, really," Sylvia starts to say, then lets out a heavy sigh. "It's just that—Drew just asked me to meet him outside the Contest Hall. He was watching the Contest, right here. So I'm heading out now to see him."
May frowns as the implication of the words sink in. Drew's here, watching the Contest on site? "You didn't tell him you were entering the Contest?" she inquires. Sylvia shakes her head.
"I kept it from him, so he's probably mad now. But he would be mad either way," she says.
"Why?"
Sylvia glances at the Pokétch on her wrist and shakes her head. "I don't have time for this right now, May, I'm sorry. I have to go." She turns on her heel to stride towards the exit, and May stares after her retreating figure for a few seconds before making up her mind.
"Wait," she calls as she runs after Sylvia. Sylvia stops and turns her head to look at May questioningly. May meets her gaze steadily and flashes at her what she hopes looks like a confident and reassuring smile. "I'll come with you," she says.
Sylvia's eyes flicker with uncertainty. "Drew wouldn't like that," she tells May, but May shrugs.
"I've never cared about whether Drew likes what I'm doing or not." As soon as the words come out of her mouth, she knows it's only half-true—she does look for his opinion and advice on her Contest appeals and combinations. But then May remembers their first meeting back in Slateport City, where he laughed at her, degraded her skills and told her that Contests were no place for an amateur, wannabe Coordinator like her.
Back then, Drew made his opinion clear as day to May, and she didn't give a care about his opinion. She still carried on in Coordinating, improving and getting better through perseverance and determination, and here she is now, a worthy rival of his.
She's never taken Drew's opinion about her to heart, and she won't now. She's coming with Sylvia to see him, and whether he likes it or not, she doesn't care.
"Drew," Sylvia calls out tentatively as she and May near the back of the Contest Hall, which is framed by a stretch of forest. Outside the din of the Hall, the area is shockingly quiet, and May's shoes scrape against the concrete floor while Sylvia makes no sound at all with her graceful steps. In front of them, Drew stands with his back facing them and his hands in his pockets, unmoving, save for the gentle breeze that tousles his hair and ripples his jacket.
The green-haired boy turns around at Sylvia's voice, his eyes flashing at the sight of his sister. "Took you long enough," he says curtly. Then he catches sight of May, and presses his lips together, frowning.
"You shouldn't be here, May." His voice carries no warmth and gentleness May is used to hearing from him, and May shrinks back a few steps, realising this version of him is a version she faced back during the Kanto Grand Festival after his second round appeal, and a version she desperately doesn't want to relieve.
In an instant, her previous confidence drains out, and she sags. "Uh…" she mumbles, unable to meet his eye. "I just wanted to come and see you, but I guess this is a private moment and I'm intruding… so I'll, um, just—go." She glances at Sylvia, and Sylvia gives her a 'I-told-you-you-shouldn't-have-come' look.
She's just spun on her heel and taken a few hurried steps away from them and back to the Contest Hall when she hears Drew call out, "May, wait."
Stiffening, she turns back slowly and meets Drew's eyes. Sylvia stares at Drew curiously as he says, "You can stay here."
May frowns. "Really?" Why the sudden change of heart? Drew runs a hand through his bangs and nods once. Hesitation slowing down her steps, she walks back to Drew and Sylvia, lingering a small distance behind Sylvia as they face each other.
"You think you're clever, don't you?" Drew says to Sylvia, and May sees Sylvia flinch at his words. "And I don't just mean calling May to come over here with you. Joining the Town Contest now? Really? It's like you just have to show yourself off in as many ways as possible."
As Drew talks on, May gets more and more confused. There is nothing Sylvia gets to gain by bringing May over here—May knows Drew isn't in the least bothered by May's presence.
"Honestly, Drew, I don't get why you're so upset." Sylvia crosses her arms across her chest. "I have my own life now, separate from you and our family. I can do whatever I want. I just joined this Content on a whim, not to pursue Coordinating like you do. Mahogany is my home now, and this is the last Contest I'll ever join. Heck, you're not even in this Contest, I don't understand why you're so affected." May could see the reason in her words, and she turns to Drew, waiting for his response.
"No, you don't get it," snarls Drew, and it's May's turn to flinch. She doesn't want to look up and see his face that's likely to be contorted with the same anger she felt from him in the Kanto Grand Festival. "Yes, it's your life. You can do whatever you want. But Coordinating? You can't ever touch that. That's my life. That's what I'm good at. You threw away Coordinating for figure skating and the position of Gym Leader. You abandoned Roselia. You have no right to walk away from that and suddenly walk in again to steal the show." He takes a deep breath before continuing. It's the most May has ever heard him speak in one go. "After you left, I picked up Roselia. I picked up Coordinating. I made a name for myself. I did it all by myself. You had everything—you had Mum and Dad's love and support, your coaches, your fans, Roselia—and you threw it all away. You left that life, and now it's mine, and now you just want to barge into my life and take everything I've earned from me—Roserade, ribbons, my friends, my fans…" His voice cracks, and he trails off, something in his fierce facade chipping off.
"Oh, Drew…" May whispers under her breath, her hand to her heart. She can feel the hurt and anger in his voice, and it hurts her, seeing him like that. She feels like she's intruding on something too private for her to see, like he's exposed an achingly vulnerable part of him for her to see, and it's hurting the both of them. Suddenly, she wonders why Drew even wanted her to stay for this conversation.
"God, Drew!" Sylvia spits out, frustration in her voice. "You're one to talk. If you didn't want me to barge into your life, then why did you come and challenge me at the Gym then? You came to see me, not the other way around."
"Because I knew you would pull this sort of shit!" Drew shouts back at her. "Actually, half the reason I even chose to come to Johto was so that I could keep an eye on you. I knew you were in Johto, and you haven't kept in touch with Mum and Dad, I know. Who knew what you were up to? And now, I find out you've joined the Contest and stolen the spotlight from other Coordinators who actually need this Ribbon to count towards their participation in the Grand Festival, just like you always enjoy doing—stealing the spotlight—because you just love attention so much, don't you?"
May widens her eyes. Drew came to the Johto region because his sister was there. It all made sense now. She shakes her head. Knowing his calculated nature, she should've realised Drew has a plan and a reason for everything he does.
"Oh, I see what this is really about. By other Coordinators, you mean May, right?" Sylvia scoffs. "Come on, Drew. I don't see you for six years and you're already this taken with a girl."
May gapes at her, and she feels heat rush to her cheeks. She doesn't want to look at Drew, but she lifts her gaze anyway, dreading. Drew stares at Sylvia for a second, somehow expressionless.
"I don't see you for six years, Sylvia, and you're still as shitty a person as ever," he says coolly. "Changing the subject and deflecting from your mistakes. Fine—join this Contest, whatever, I don't care anymore. The damage is already done, either way. But don't come into my life any more than you have, and don't take away any other things in my life. After today, I'm leaving your goddamn apartment." He flicks his hair with his fingers in a huff, his face shadowed as he walks away, brushing against Sylvia's shoulder. Sylvia stares after him wordlessly, and May takes a step back, unsure of what to do now.
Suddenly, Drew stops walking and turns back. May gives a start as she realises he's looking at her. As she tries not to squirm under his heated gaze, she bites her lip, unsure what to say to him, or what he wants with her.
"Good luck in the Contest, May," he finally says, and resumes walking towards the Contest Hall.
She feels herself blush again, goddamnit. Thank goodness he's not looking at her. "...Thanks, Drew," she says, still reeling from the conversation he and Sylvia just had in front of her.
"May?"
May turns back to face Sylvia, but she can't seem to meet Drew's sister's gaze after that conversation. "Uh, yeah?"
Sylvia exhales shakily. "I'm sorry. That wasn't something you should've seen." She glances at May, then says, "They ought to have announced the second round contestants and the matchups already. Shall we get going?"
So, for the second time, May follows the Mahogany Gym Leader—this time, out of the woods and back into the Contest Hall.