Disclaimer : I don't own the characters of May or Drew, but Diana is still my invention.

Chapter 4 : Something I would have loved to hide

May could not move. Drew's head was still on her shoulder, and she felt that he would not move either. She was blushing because of his contact, but he was, too. Drew's pride prevented him from looking at her eyes, frightened of what she could think, of the way she would judge him. No, this day, he wasn't able to see her face, because he knew he was crying, and that was too much weakness for her to see. He wanted to tell her about DIana and about himself, but it's something hard to do when it's the first time you do it. Drew have never been able to open his heart. When things didn't happen the way he wanted, he felt so bad that only Roserade, his closest friend, could give him the strengh to show up his face. So he glanced at Roserade slightly, and when he saw she was beside Sveawile, he remembered the first time they have all -Diana, the two Pokemons and himself- met. His story began, in a whispered-tone :

"I and Diana were born in Larousse City. I can't remember a lot about our parents, because they travelled a lot and, when they were home, they were always arguing. We spent our childhood alone, mostly, and with some scientists who lived in our city. Because of that, we were very close to each other and we loved Pokemons. Since we were about... seven ? we began to choose which one would travel with us, and what we were about to do. My dream was to become a Master, and Diana's was to be a Top-Coordinator. And together, we planed to be the greatest team in the whole world."

He made a pause, smiling at this memory. He could still remember his sister's face when she was playing with him : in his eyes, she had always been a best friend, a mother and the only one he could talk freely to. Ironically, he was now talking about her to May, the one he would have prefered to hide for ever his weaknesses. But she was listening attentively to him, making no comment, and he went on.

"In that time, I was thinking of my future Pokemon. And in my eyes, the strongest Pokemon was a pretty arrogant Sneasel", he said with a glance at Sveawile. "I was sure he was great at fighting. Diana, on the other hand, was taking care a shy Dudew. When I asked her why she loved her that way, she told me...", he looked deeply in Roserade's eyes, still smiling, "that she was sure that one day, she would become the most beautiful flower of her whole team. And she was right."

May stared at the two Pokemons, thinking of how weird it was to imagine Drew as a Master, fighting with his Sveawile. And the reverse was weird too : Diana with Roserade was somehow impossible. But she was thinking that because she had always seen Roserade with Drew, no matter what could happen. So the fact was that it was a question of point of view. If she had known them as a child, she would have been shocked.

"We were living happily, with great dreams and expectations. Our tiny world was frail, but we haven't realized it yet. The day I found it out, it all collapsed."

He sighed slowly and quickly showed his face up so that he could talk to May in her eyes. No matter how many tears have rolled over his cheeks, no matter how weak he felt.

"One day, I saw a Pokemon running under a bush. I thought it was an Umbreon, and so I ran after him. Diana was playing, and she hadn't noticed me. So here was I, running after a shadow... I came closer to the place it was hidden, thinking that there was no danger... Until I understood it was not an Umbreon. It was a Nidoran."

His green eyes shone with a strange sparkle. Fear. May thought he was remembering the scene, and became tense, waiting for him to go on. Seeing he was too focused on his memories, she shook his shoulder gently, calling him back to their world. No effect. The young girl saw Roserade making a sign : the Pokemon wanted May to touch his hair. May blushed intently, thinking it was a joke. However Drew's best friend was taking this very seriously, so May obeyed. While touching his hair, she whispered "It's all right, you can stop", and he shivered. Suddenly he moved, pulling her away from him, taking her hand in his. He smiled at the sight of her warm cheeks and murmured it was nothing.

"Don't worry, it was just scary... The Nidoran attacked me once, but I ran away. He ran after me. I was yelling, because he really wanted to hurt me. At one point, I fell in the ground, and just when I thought it was the end, Diana came. She received his attack in my place. Seeing she was hurt -and poisonned- Budew and Sneasel attacked too and Nidoran had to run away. But after that, Diana had never been the same. She could not move from our home during many months, and I've heard a doctor say she could never recover her health completely. As you can guess, I was depressed when I realized it was my fault. My own fault."

"Don't say that, you could not know it was a Nidoran ! And neither you could know it would attack you !"

"But if I had been faster, Diana wouldn't have been hurt either !... And even if it was not my fault exactly, how could I dare look into her eyes again after that ? She did just like there was no matter, but I knew -I felt- she was sorrowful. Because of me, she could not travel. When I left home, she was still there, and we were not supposed to be separated ! The first time, when I travelled alone, it happend that I began to talk, just as if she was with me, until I realized she was not."

There was a silence. The boy took his forehead in his hand, sighing softly. May's hand was still in his, but he didn't want to let her go. Her hand was soft and warm, just like the smile she used to give him when they met in a contest. A smile that brings you warmth to the heart, that made you feel like you're not alone. Even tough he had been rude and arrogant with her, she had never care of it. She was the first person he could call a real friend. Oh sure, there was also Solidad. And, in a way, there was Harley. But May was special. She was the one who stayed with him that day, just like she had done many times before. And somehow, if there was only one person he could talk to, he would choose May. She was enough for his happiness. "Hey, Bro, it's the first time you talked about a girl that way", Diana have said the first time. "Are you in love ?" He had replied with an awful blush that she was dreaming, but he was mixed-feelings. He loved her, yes. But he never understood who he was in her eyes.

She had a brother, she had friends that loved her ; yet differently. Or maybe not : she could have a boyfriend of some kind of secret lover. Drew was in a different category ; he was a rival, yet a friend, yet an "idiot arrogant" whom she used to be mad at, yet a boy who looked at her in every contest and gave her several roses. She was mixed-feelings, too. Most of what she had learnt about contests were Drew's advices. When she thought about her future presentation, she thought of what he would say. She wanted to find her own way to show her Pokemons, but she was constantly aware of what he'd say.

"There's still something I don't understand. Diana lives in Kalos, right ?" He nodded. "Then, it means that she had travelled to come here ! Why didn't she join you in Johto, for instance ?"

"The fact is... I asked her not to do it."

"Why ?"

"Because I wanted to talk with you about her, but I... I never found an occasion. In Johto, we used to meet at every contest, but we always got separate after it. So I didn't know how to say "hey, 'know what ? my twin sister is coming !". I think I was also a little bit ashamed."

"You, ashamed ? Of what ? Of Diana ?"

"Oh no", he said, amusedly. "It's just... See, I told you about the Sneasel and the Budew of our childhood, right ?" She nodded.

"You did. You said Diana was taking care of Budew, and you played with Sneasel."

"Yeah. Well, in fact, we have never been separate. Look."

He showed his own Roserade and Diana's Sveawile. May stared at them confusedly, not seeing what he meant, and then her eyes shone brightly.

"You mean that... Her Budew is now Roserade ?! And your Sneasel is her Sveawile ?"

"That's it."

Drew's smile became gentler when he glanced at the two of them. He went on with his story, telling how he and Diana had been received by a Professor to choose their future Pokemons. The only difference was that Diana could not make a trip with her brother. So they walked to see their old friends, and that day, Drew made a decision that influenced his whole life.

"Sneasel", he said, "I know I had promised you to become a Master with you. But I don't think that I'll be calm until I'm sure Diana is safe. I need someone to take care of her. Not my parents, and neither a grown-up. I want you to stay with her."

Sneasel hadn't protest. Both of the twins were his friends. Leaving the girl alone made him feel bad too. The boy was tough enough to take care of himself, yet she could not. So the two friends came to see Diana, sitting on a bench with Roselia -because Budew had evolved a few days before- and they talked : she had had the same idea.

"Hey, Drew. I don't know what you want to do, but... See, I'll feel better if you go on your adventures with Roselia. I know that you hate Poison-type's Pokemons, and that's why I want to show you that you can trust at least one of them."

The truth was that after the incident, Drew have carried all his hatred and guilt upon Poison-type's Pokemons. It was easier to say it was Nidoran's fault. So that day, a younger Drew stared at a younger Roselia. Her eyes were shinning with determination. They had nodded at the same time, and Drew said :

"I'll train Roselia, and you'll train Sneasel. Like that, it would be like when we were children."

She nodded, smiling. When they went out of the Laboratory, Diana in a chair, Drew behing her, they were still talking about what would come next.

"It's weird, don't you think so ?"

"What ?"
"To think that, soon, you'll be somewhere and I'll still be at home... Hey, you'll call me, don't you ?"
"Of course ! As soon as possible."

"Thank you..."

Diana was crying quietly, making all her possible so that he could not see her tears. But he had seen them, and wiped them with his hand, feeling bad too.

"Don't cry, or I'll cry too, Diana... I promise you -I promise- that I'll call you every day, if you want. And, I was thinking... You know, I still feel guilty because of what happened..."

"How many times would I have to say it was not your fault...-"

"I know it. But still, I want to make something for you. As you can't become a Top-Coordinator, I... I'll do it for you. One day, I'll win the Grand Festival for you !"

"Would you ?" Her big green eyes smiled. "I'm sure you can do it. With Roselia, nothing can stop you. But I don't want you to do it because of me. You have to have fun, or else it would never be meaningful. Promise me, that you won't do it if you dislike it."
"Promised."

They hugged briefly, enjoying their last hours together. Holding hands, they came to the edge of their city. Diana could not go further, due to the forrest. She felt quite tense. That sensation made her heart beat faster and faster, from the moment of Drew's departure to the moment he'd disappeared into the woods, beside Roselia. It was midday. Many people came to see Diana, saying she should turn back home, but she didn't even listened to them. She stared at the woods, hoping secretly from Drew to come back. But this was stupid and selfish. She sobbed, holding Sneasel in her arms, until her body could not give her more tears. So her Pokemon helped her to make her way home, and, the day after that, they began training as hard as Drew and Roselia.

"I could never have guessed how sorrowful your history was", May said with a sad expression. "You've been working so hard because you promised to win, don't you ? That's... Unbelievable."

May avoided looking at him, but she was impressed, and pained, and even if Drew was wearing an indifferent look, she knew he was hurt.

"I don't know what to say now. I hope it was not distubing to tell me everything, was it ? I mean, it might be pretty hard to confess, and-"

Drew suddenly gave her a rose, which she could not imagine where it had been hidding. Sometimes he looked like a wizard.

"Thank you for listening to me. I think it's the first time I ever said... all about Diana and I. It's quite..."

"Weird ?"

"Relieving", he murmured, shaking his head. Then he flipped his hair on his forehead, and stood up. May followed him, and have to hold on his hand for a second. "We should go and see if they are alright."

May agreed , blushing, holding his rose in her tiny fingers. When they pointed out that their fingers were still intertwined, they both blushed and avoided to look at each other. Their hearts were beating crazily in their chests. May was breathing fast, trying to lower her heart beats. Drew, on the other hand, played with his hair unconsciously, awful. The situation was as hanged in the air and the time, until a scream made them jump.

"Drew ! May !"

They hadn't seen Diana, who was running in their direction. Behind her, Solidad andHarley, walked slowly.

"At least !" The twin-sister said when she reache them. "I was so worried about you two ! Solidad told me the Tentacruel was gone, but still... I was sure it could be dangerous here. And I was sure you would be fearing the worst", she added to Drew, "but it's alright. I'm alright. I've just fainted because of the fear, nothing else."

"You...", Drew started sighing, and, before May could say anything, he shook Diana by the shoulders. "Are you mad ? Going in front of a Tentacruel that way ! My heart almost stopped ! And you're asking if I'm worried ?! You... !"

"Drew, calm down !"

The boy stopped shaking his sister, and grumbled something like "You idiot". Then, Diana supressed a laugh and gave him a hug. He replied the same way, without noticing how Diana talked quietly to May :

"Thank you for everything."

Then she winced at her, as a last thank. May shook both hands, showing it was nothing, and Drew's sister saw the flower in her hand. She smiled, and her smile made her look younger. Mischievously, she whispered in Drew's ear :

"I think you have found a pretty girlfriend, Bro. I'm proud of you."

He froze and pretended she was not his girlfriend, but in the middle of his sentence, he shutted up, and she understood that he was too shy to admit it. It was so cute, she thought. She winced again at the two of them when Solidad and Harley came closer, and began to talk about a restaurant in the city, where they should eat. May added that she was hungry, and tired. Solidad also told them that they may quit the city tomorrow if they wanted to go to Diana's house for Camphrier City's contest. Harley teased the two younger of the group about May's rose, but Solidad and Diana gave him a hit at the back to shut him up. Drew said nothing, smiling, thinking. So, tomorrow, hum ? Tomorrow would start his travel with both the girl he loved and the girl he was born with.

Jesus, how long it was ! I'm honestly quite tired of all that writting, so I may have done some incoherences in Drew and Diana's story. If you noticed something weird, please tell me ! the next chapter will come this week-end, I think, normally. But I'm not sure actually...