Growing up: Eighteen and Nineteen
Dewford Town
"Are you really sure this is necessary?" Drew was not always a big fan of May's Expeditions. Granted, it sometimes lead to rare pokemon sightings, or interesting locations to train, and so frequently he allowed her to badger him into accompanying her. But more often than not, it lead to getting lost in dense woodlands with dead PokeNavs, or someone (May) falling over something (her feet) and needing to be half carried back to the Pokemon Center. Drew was not confident with close contact with May. This was not a situation he needed repeating.
Regardless, May turned to him with an excited gleam to her big blue eyes, and her hand snapped across to grab his wrist. The fabric of her fingerless gloves was warm. He blinked, hoping she couldn't see the red colour building around the top of his ears.
"Where's your sense of adventure, Drew?" She challenged bravely, her free arm brandished forwards in an exaggerated display of heroism. "Come on, I haven't explored Granite Cave since my very first contest season, and it was so exciting! I met Steven Stone and everything!"
"You met the Hoenn Champion?" Drew scoffed. "May, telling tall tales won't convince me this is a good idea."
"I'm not telling tales, and it's a great idea." She pulled a face, sticking her tongue out at him childishly. "Besides, I didn't realise he was the champion until much much later. He was having time off then, wasn't he?"
"Alright then May." Rolling his eyes, Drew sauntered past her, pulling her arm from her grip and shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. He heard her huff behind him. Smirking, he looked over his shoulder long enough to irritate her further. "Whatever you want to believe."
"I did meet him!" She insisted in a whine, catching up to him with and shoving his shoulder lightly. "Ash and Brock and Max - they were all there too! They'll back me up!"
"Sometimes, I think your brain exists in a different time plane to the rest of the world." He offered her a teasing grin, and she silenced. They'd been rivals for about eight years or so now, and friends for about seven. She knew him well enough to know when his mockery was lighthearted. Dewford was as beautiful as it had been in May's memories, with beautiful golden sand caught under the blistering hot sun. They'd set off from the main hub of Dewford Town some time ago, and although it could be made out in the distance behind them, they now walked near the cliff faces and rock formations that lead the way towards Granite Cave. May was full of all sorts of stories of the danger and thrills she'd encountered there when she was ten, and Drew was not enamoured with the prospect of getting lost in this apparently dangerous cave.
But there was a part of him that didn't mind the thought of being lost with her.
The years had been kind to May, and Drew wasn't blind to it. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been blind to her. There was something in the lilt of her voice, and the grace in her clumsy kindness, and the sheer force of her will. There was something in the blue of her eyes, and the blush in her skin, and the quirk of her lips. It was how she bit her lip and clenched her jaw when she was thinking through a battle plan, or how whenever her smile stretched far enough, her face wrinkled in dimples and creases that Harley mocked her for, but Drew could only see it as endearing.
There was just something about May. And he'd spent eight long years trying to pinpoint exactly what it was.
The cave entrance was beginning to open up before them. Giggling in apparent excitement, May scrambled ahead, her fanny pack nearly coming loose with the force of her bouncing forwards. Drew cocked an eyebrow at her, but followed obligingly. The entrance seemed little more than a vast, gaping hole in the masses of rock and boulder ahead of them, but a small warning sign nearby dutifully informed Drew she'd somehow remembered the way correctly. He was almost impressed.
"Here!" She wasted no time, sprinting forwards and pulling him along with her. There was no hesitation as she plunged them into relative darkness after the intense brightness of the Hoenn summer sun, and it took Drew a moment for his eyes to adjust to the limited light of the cavern. May seemed to have little issue, but he had to blink for a second and make sure he was stepping in the right place so to not trip up. "Come on, keep up!"
"You're gonna kill me one day, Maple," Drew groaned. There were two main paths; one seemed to plummet into deeper, darker territories and the other seemed more like a simple, easy slope downwards, with a somewhat ominous opening at the bottom. It did not take long for Drew to have a preference.
"Which way dya want to go first?" May's voice implied a level of compliance, but he could see her staring at the more worrisome of the pathways.
"Maybe this way." Drew didn't flinch as he made his way towards the milder slope. He could practically hear May pouting. "We can always explore down the other pathway later."
"Fine," May sulked, falling into step with him reluctantly. "But we are exploring the other way later. That's the way I went last time, and we saw-"
"May, if I hear any more stories of your old incompetent travelling companions, I am going to abandon you in this cave." It was an empty threat and she knew it, but she resigned herself to the comfortable silence they often fell into and examined the cave walls surrounding them as they made their way further down the slope.
It got steeper, and morphed slowly into a stairwell formed out of dirt and human footprint. It became a little less steady and a little weaker underfoot, and Drew felt a surge of relief he'd brought Flygon with him, so if it was needed later, they could fly back up rather than scale a nearly vertical wall. There was light at the bottom though, which seemed odd. They were travelling further and further underground, and he couldn't think of a natural source of light to be found anywhere under here. May seemed equally puzzled, and she send him inquisitive, curious glances with furrowed brows and questioning smiles. She was used to him having the logical explanation that she had missed. He shrugged at her, before offering his arm to help her down a particularly deep step. She didn't take it, and hopped down with surprising ease, her feet finding footholds quite naturally. He blinked back a smile.
Another entrance formed ahead of them, and as the floors evened out and they were back on flat land, making their way through, it was easier to make out the torches that were lit in the distance. Drew frowned for a moment, surprised.
"Someone else is here," he observed. May gave him a cautious glance. It was probably just a tourist, or someone studying the ruins, or even just someone training for the Dewford Gym. But there had been sightings of Team Magma widespread throughout Hoenn, and ever since the incident with Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon back a few years ago, the region was constantly a little on edge. There had been media frenzies, pushing stories of Team Magma's appearances to the point of occasional public hysteria. It was hard not to feel a little cautious. Drew had Roserade's pokeball in hand, and May had Blaziken's in hers. They approached a little more apprehensively. They entered into a new room, with impossibly high ceilings and patches of light where suspended burning torches flickered. Drew cast May an unsure look. The torches couldn't have been lit for long. She let out a long breath, but gave him an easy smile, and made a show of pocketing her pokeball and striding forwards. Drew scowled. She always had been too trusting.
"Hello?" Her voice echoed in the empty room. "Is someone here?" There was the grunt of a Pokemon turning in surprise. She didn't recognise it immediately, and took out her Pokedex, ready to scan the red and yellow humanoid pokemon that wandered into view. It watched her curiously.
Magmortar, the Blast Pokemon. It blasts fireballs of over 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit out of its arms. Its breath also sears and sizzles.
"A Magmortar?" Drew frowned again. "We're nowhere near a volcano, and the Magmar family isn't native to Hoenn."
"It'll belong to whoever lit up these torches then." May hardened her resolve, and turned to him with a smile. "If it's not native to Hoenn, then we can guess it wouldn't belong to a criminal organisation based in Hoenn, right?"
"Wrong," Drew countered, staring at her in disbelief as she hurried on thoughtlessly. "That's so wrong. May, people other than you have left the region before. I can't tell you how dumb an assumption that is, even for you."
"You worry too much!" She laughed airily, no longer concerned. "Come on, ya big Slowpoke! I want to see more of this room!" Growing more concerned, he hurried after her, somewhat in disbelief of her frivolous attitude towards safety. The back of the room was hard to make out, but it was clear there were intricate markings high in the ceiling, platformed by another staircase and clearing, almost as though it was built to be a shrine. There was the shadowy outline of someone stood looking up at the walls, but with only the firelight from the torches and the height of the stairs, they was hard to make out.
May took the stairs two at a time, pulled in by the excitement of the shrine and the mystery of the person atop it. Drew followed close behind, wanting to keep up pace with her inexplicable eager speed. If she was going to throw herself into trouble, he at least wanted to be there to help bail her out of it. As the figure grew clearer, her face became furrowed in confusion while Drew noticeably relaxed. It just seemed like another regular trainer. There was no absurd red or blue uniform to give away the presence of something more sinister. He slowed a little, somewhat breathless from the rapid ascent of stairs, while May was only spurred onward. The trainer turned towards them as they grew nearer, dispassionate at their arrival. May exhaled hard, her exertion catching up with her. Drew couldn't identify anything familiar about the trainer. He had lilac hair, or grey, or somewhere in between. It was hard to tell in their limited lighting. But he didn't recognise him at all, so he didn't see why May would.
"Paul." His name left her mouth in almost a pant, and the trainer stared at her for a moment. "It's been, what, nine years?" He didn't respond immediately, taking a moment to stare her down and contemplate a response. There was something in a twitch of his fingers that gave him away, but Drew couldn't be sure.
"You recognise someone you haven't seen in nine years?" Drew glanced at her incredulously. "Is that even logical?"
"I've seen him battle on tv a few times since then," May retorted defensively, sparing Drew a cursory glance. Paul cocked an eyebrow at this admission.
"I don't remember you" he stated firmly, and May nearly laughed. "Who are you?"
"Of course you don't." May nodded, smiling obligingly. "You said that last time, too. I don't really know if you mean it though." Paul blinked at her, but he didn't give much away by facial expression. May's smile grew. "Petalburg Gym. It was your third gym challenge. I was the girl in the pink shirt."
"I don't recall." His response was stiff and measured, and May knew immediately it was a lie. "I'm going to return to my training elsewhere. Excuse me."
"Oh, come on!" May pouted, and as he moved around her to head down the stairs her arm shot forward reflexively and caught his sleeve, pulling him so he had to turn over his shoulder to face her. Her eyes narrowed, and her teeth bared in a grin. "How about a battle, Paul? Wanna see if you can beat the clueless daughter of Petalburg Gym?"
"I don't need to battle you to know if I'd beat you." His words were cool and precise, but apparently exactly what May wanted to hear, and she stepped closer to him, silently daring him to walk away.
"Battle me." She insisted, and he had no real reason to say no. So instead, he shrugged, nodded, and continued his walk down the rest of the stairs. He never gestured for her to follow, but she knew it was implied, and she hopped after him, no longer exhausted.
Lilycove City
The small red ball flew through the air, and the sound of rubber hitting gloved hands echoed in the steely office space. Madison sat in Courtney's desk chair while it's owner paced the room, occasionally pausing to stare at her corkboard full of papers and pins and diagrams. Each time she would frown. Catching the ball, Madison quickly threw it back, and then Courtney caught it with ease regardless of where in the room it was.
"I can't talk to you about it without clearance." Courtney stated monotonously. "I'm not allowed."
"I know." Madison caught the ball again, and tossed it to herself for a moment while she watched Courtney swivel on her heel.
"I want to bounce ideas off you." Courtney's voice never rose or fell. "I need to process this information and it's difficult."
"I know." The Kalosian girl went for an overarm throw, and Courtney caught it effortlessly without even looking. "How do you do that?"
"Physics." Madison didn't understand her reply. "How am I supposed to…"
"For the love of all that is good, Courtney stop." Letting her head roll over the back of the desk chair, her hair tumbled out of her uniform as it flew out behind her. "We've been over this like a million times."
"We've been over it three times," Courtney corrected dryly. "But I appreciate that you're embellishing for dramatic flair and effect."
"If you want to talk to me about it, talk." Madison ignored the comment. "There's no recording equipment in here, the office is soundproof and the door has a lock. We've discussed classified stuff before. However, if you really feel like you can't discuss it with me, go talk to Maxie about it." Madison caught the ball again, though she had to stretch out over the side of her chair to reach it. Courtney never misjudged a throw. Madison frowned. "Court, in the two years I've been your second, not once have you ever paced."
"I'm aware." Courtney didn't look at her. "Throw the ball."
"But you're not talking," Madison pressed. "We throw the ball when you're talking."
"I'm internally talking," Courtney compromised. "I'm discussing the classified information in my head, with me. I just need you to go through the motions of talking. Throw the ball."
"Yes Ma'am." Madison put a bit of spin on it, but Courtney nearly crushed it in her hand when she caught it, her fingers pressing into the rubber and leaving it to bulge in her hand.
Dewford Town
"Electivire, stand by for battle!" Paul called forward the Thunderbolt Pokemon, and he leapt forward in the white light of his pokeball keenly. Electivire enjoyed a good battle. May paused, thumbing over the pokeballs in her bag carefully. Electivire looked stronger than any pokemon she'd faced in battle before. She took a moment to check her Pokedex entry for him, and take a long hard look at the anatomy of the humanoid pokemon. Drew watched her awkwardly from the side, halfheartedly refereeing their battle. Reluctantly, he gestured to her that she needed to hurry up a little.
"Blaziken," she didn't really have any other option, "take the stage!" She tossed the pokeball high, spinning as she did in her signature call out. It was usually reserved for contest battles, but she needed the momentum it gave her. Paul snorted, immediately dismissive. However, as Blaziken emerged, he could appreciate the strength in his legs and the time that would have gone into training what appeared to be a relatively powerful pokemon for a coordinator's team.
"If you're quite finished twirling," Paul grunted, "Electivire, start with Electric Terrain."
"Blaziken, get right in there with Brick Break!" May ignored Paul's command all together, not wanting to give him the time to set up any big advantages. Blaziken flew forward, proud of his speed, and slammed a glowing, powerful arm into Electivire's shoulder while he was still lowering his arms to the ground preparing to charge it with power. Paul didn't flinch, and neither did Electivire. Blaziken jumped back. There was a graze across Electivire's shoulder, but no other sign that any damage had been taken. "No way, it's so strong!" May was a little breathless.
"As you were." Paul's voice was full of self assurance and snide superiority. Electivire seemed to mimic it in a smirk, and deliberately took his time in supercharging the room they were in. May began to grind her teeth together. She wasn't one to be patronised.
"Blaziken, get right back in there with Blaze Kick! Aim from above!" There was no time to waste. Blaziken showcased his powerful legs, shooting off into the sky and twisting slightly through the air, before aiming carefully at Electivire and dropping back down at a great speed, flames spiralling about his foot and leaving embers fading in their path. Drew hummed appreciatively.
"You've made an aggressive move look impressive." He nodded. "Not bad." Paul had to try hard to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
"Electivire, Thunder Punch!" He wasn't concerned about going too much on the defensive today. May narrowed her eyes, watching closely. Electivire pulled back his arm, letting it graze the floor and supercharged with energy from Electric Terrain, and it began to swing forward just as Blaziken approached for impact.
"Now!" She called, interrupting the attack. "Kick off, and bounce back!" Blaziken was grinning as he dropped his foot directly onto the Thunder Punch Electivire threw at him, and pushed off it, flying higher and with more power than before. Paul paused for a moment, wanting to see the outcome. The controlled spiral of flames around Blaziken's foot had been concentrated enough to protect him from the charge of electricity, and it was flying towards them again with invigorated strength. Despite himself, he nodded.
"Protect." Her Blaziken was strong, but not that strong. May winced as Blaziken bounced off the blue shield that suddenly appeared around Electivire and was sent back to stand by her trainer. "These flashy contest moves of yours aren't as strong as you think."
"How did you know I was a coordinator?" May pressed, her lips quirking into a smile. Paul chose not to reply.
"You knew that was coming?" He was referring to the Thunder Punch. May shook her head.
"I've never battled an Electivire before," she told him honestly. "But the Pokedex entry for him talks about the electric charge in his tails. I presumed you'd strike back with one of those. Using a fist worked better though, it was easier for Blaziken to bounce off." Paul paused, thinking her thought process through. "I learnt about checking physical characteristics of Pokemon by watching you battle Dad."
"Electivire," Paul continued, shoving a hand into his jacket pocket, dismissing the conversation. "Thunder." May paused, knowing she had to think fast. The strength of that Electivire, matched with the power of a Thunder attack and the boost from Electric Terrain all meant a bad time for Blaziken. She glanced around the huge empty cavern they battled in. There had to be something.
"Jump high, again," May attempted quickly. "Try and keep away from the electricity in the ground. Keep as high up as you can!" Blaziken agreed quickly, bending at the knee and shooting off into the air, bouncing between walls to keep himself airborne. May bit her lip. It was the only defense she could think of, and could only hope the power of the thunder would be weakened by the time it reached him.
"You've made a mistake," Paul told her crisply, and she screwed her eyes shut for a second. The thunderous attack released, and crackled as it sliced through the air towards the top of the cavern. "You can tell my Electivire is strong. Strong enough to fill this whole cavern with electricity if he wanted to, especially with Electric Terrain."
"I couldn't stay grounded because of the Electric Terrain though, it would have been worse on ground," May justified meekly, flinching deeply as the powerful blast of electricity began to course through her partner. Paul shrugged, unaffected.
"Better than the impact of falling?" His lips stretched into a smirk. "Let's see how you cope with this. Electivire, follow up with a Thunder Punch as he comes to land."
"Blaziken, no!" May felt her heart stop for a moment. It was too much; she couldn't let her pokemon suffer like that. But there was no way she could give up now, not when she'd finally gotten the chance to battle him. Her hands balled into fists. She had to think of some way of Blaziken being able to power through that Thunder attack and rally by the time he hit the ground, so he could counter and continue to battle. Once again, she glanced around the room furiously, and her eyes fell upon the shrine at the back of the room. It depicted Groudon and Kyogre, and the beginnings of Hoenn. It was beautiful, engraved right into the rock wall that made up the cavern, and spread around the whole room in delicate, swirling marks. Rayquaza's tail stretched across the ceiling and twisted around above them.
Blaziken was plummeting fast. If he wasn't ready to respond, there was nothing she could do. She was quiet as Electivire's fist made contact with her already dangerously injured pokemon, throwing him back across the room towards her, leaving him to collide with the cavern wall, right under an engraving of Kyogre's worshipers. May let out a pained gasp, hating to see her companion in pain.
"Blaziken!" Her voice came out in a desperate, shrill cry. "Are you alright?" It was too much to stomach. There was so much more to them as battlers than this, but they couldn't compete with his ridiculous strength and overwhelming power. There was no way to counter it if you didn't have the strength to take it head on. Blaziken pulled himself out of the wall, brought to his knees a little. He stared up at May for a moment, viciously angry. He didn't like to be toyed with, especially not by someone who underestimated him. It was a trait he and May shared. "Can you continue?" Her starter nodded. May knew even if she had tried to recall him, he wouldn't have let her. "Alright, let's go!"
"A good trainer knows when to quit," Paul snorted, shaking his head from side to side. "What possible motivation do you have to continue? There's no way you'll win."
"Not all battles are about winning!" May slammed one of her feet into the ground, staring him down. Paul paused, folding his arms across his chest and offering her a vague, authoritative smirk. It infuriated her. Blaziken leapt forward to stand by her side, and the two of them stood together, observing him with focused, impenetrable eyes.
"You're just as clueless as ever." Paul shook his head, almost pityingly. "Pathetic. Electivire, finish this with Thunder Punch."
"Blaziken, don't let him touch you!" May's voice cracked a little. The charge of electricity running through the ground was making the room dusty, and it was starting to catch in her throat and make her eyes water. "You're faster than him; keep moving!" May knew that Blaziken was weakened, but that had never stopped them pulling out all the stops before. Years of contest experience had given Blaziken deft, quick feet, and he dodged gracefully, slipping between punch after punch and ducking under every attack. Slowly, the trainer from Sinnoh grew bored.
"Thunder." Paul wanted to end it.
"No!" May wouldn't let him. "Close range overheat, go!"
Blaziken was already right up by Electivire from dodging another hit, and threw out a powerful roar of flames before Paul could blink. There wasn't even time to form the usual orb of white hot embers they usually created before unleashing, simply a furious blast of fire that took Electivire by surprise, pushing him backwards and sending off billows of smoke as Electivire's fur became singed. Paul scowled. Electivire could survive with a burn condition. As soon as the flurry of fire disintegrated, Electivire flew forward without instruction from Paul, landing a Thunder Punch straight in Blaziken's jaw and throwing him down onto his back again.
"Electivire," Paul chastised quietly. His pokemon huffed his acknowledgement. Slowly, painfully, Blaziken peeled himself off from the ground, staring up at his opponent bitterly. May hissed between her teeth. They couldn't take very much more, but Blaziken wasn't going to quit, and neither was she. Paul was just getting ready to call out one final attack, lifting a finger in the lofty point that was burned into her memory like the engravings in the shrine, but he never did. He paused, his eyes growing wide as Blaziken screeched out a short breath of fire and fury, the bracelets of embers at his wrist flaring hotter, his eyes glowing darker, and his fur bristling with anticipation. He was almost glowing.
"Blaze!" May gave off an incredulous laugh of relief. "Yes! We're still in this. Come on Blaziken, let's show him how powerful we can really be! Blaze kick!"
"Thunder!" Paul ordered swiftly, suddenly looking much less cocky. "We just need one hit!"
"You're not gonna get it!" May shot back, a surge of confidence tingling up her spine. "I will not be ignored! Blaziken, hit hard and fast!" Thunder shot out towards them, but Blaziken's kick cut right through the electricity and slammed right into Electivire's belly. "Yes!"
"Not a chance," Paul shot back, his fists clenched. "Electivire, grab it!"
"What?" The tails May had previously been were now winding around Blaziken, and while seeming to be significantly weakened, Electivire still bore a wide, smug grin.
"Now!" The thunder that Electivire let out was ground-shaking. Blaziken screeched out in pain, and May couldn't bear the sight of it. As the electricity coursed through her first pokemon and left him writhing in pain, trapped in the super powered, vine like tails, May accepted her defeat. She knew it before Blaziken crashed to the ground, and a bewildered Drew called out the victory.
"Oh, Blaziken, you were so incredible!" The words spilled out of her mouth before she could reach him, before she skidded onto her knees beside him to check his injuries. "You battled so wonderfully, thank you!" Blaziken let out a weak hum next to her, struggling to move much as she rooted through her fanny pack for pain relief for him. There was an awkward stillness as May tended to her pokemon, filling him with hyper potions and cheri berries. As Blaziken seemed to grow a little less weary, she thanked him again, kissing his forehead and returning to his pokeball. Paul recalled Electivire with a quiet nod of thanks.
"You battle very aggressively, and you take pointless risks." Paul's words were cool and cutting, and May screwed her face up for a moment before she stood to address him. Drew stepped forward to meet them, unsure as to what exactly he was approaching.
"After all these years, you still battle like that idiot." He gave an airy, falsely comfortable laugh. May shot him a weary look.
"Ash isn't an idiot," she said quietly, looking at the pokeball in her hand. "He's the best battler I know."
"...Ash." Paul's face uncharacteristically cracked, creasing in disbelief.
"Oh! Of course, you battled him!" May's eyes shot to his, suddenly brightening. "You battled him at the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh, years and years ago. Do you remember him?"
"Vaguely." Paul's eye twitched perceptibly. May nodded, smiling.
"I watched the battle from Johto," she explained deftly. "Ash taught me how to battle, and how to raise Pokemon. He traveled with me for the first few years of my journey. I watched him compete here in Hoenn, and when he took on the Battle Frontier in Kanto."
"You saw…" Paul's face hardened again, becoming stony and impassive. He did not finish his sentence, and May quirked an eyebrow.
"You know," she suddenly took on a singsong, knowing tone that immediately irritated him. "You said something during our battle. Something about me being just as clueless as ever? Kind of implies…" May's eyes flashed. "You remember me."
"I don't have time to waste talking to you any longer." Paul strode around her, snorting derisively as he made his way for the exit. "Your Blaziken needs training, kid."
"... Kid." May paused for a moment, her face relaxing. "You do remember." Her voice softened, and she hummed to herself, pleased. She watched him leave, content with what little confirmation she had of that. Turning on her heel, she smiled at Drew wearily. "I'm tired. Do you want to go back to the center?"
"It's up to you," Drew muttered disinterestedly, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't find it in himself to look at her. "I don't mind."
Lilycove City
"It's been causing Maxie a lot of grief." Courtney sighed into her hands a little, her elbows propping up her face on the desk for a moment. They'd switched places; Madison now paced while Courtney sat at her desk. "And the media push isn't helping."
"Why doesn't Team Aqua get any bad media?" Madison scowled, waiting for Courtney to look up before throwing the ball back. Her superior lifted and dropped her shoulders, not preparing to commit to an answer she wasn't certain of.
"We have suspicions. You'll be one of the first aware if a follow up happens." She sat back, and then gestured for Madison to throw the ball. "It doesn't quite add up. We're missing a piece of information somewhere."
"Then, we need to gather more information." Madison tossed the ball thoughtlessly. "You've been over this data a thousand times…"
"Five, times." Courtney corrected her under her breath.
"And you've not seen any root cause for the sudden emergence of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. Honestly, the whole situation makes so little sense." Madison frowned. "Why near Rustboro? What was the gem that called on Rayquaza? What happened to it?"
"We had our best hackers go through the leagues records on the events." Courtney pursed her lips, turning the ball over in her hand. "Steven Stone, the Champion of Hoenn, was involved. The incident started up just as his sabbatical from the League ended. He reported that the stone was said to have links to mega evolution, and also that Rayquaza had been guarding it. A group in Kalos took control of the stone briefly, but once it was ascertained it was being used for non-peaceful efforts, it was recovered and returned to Hoenn. Steven did not write in the report where it is now kept."
"Mega evolution." Madison hummed, unsure. "Perhaps that has something to do with the primal reversion that Maxi is trying to investigate?"
"Perhaps." Courtney pushed out her lower lip. "Mega evolution gives off energy. What we don't know, is if primal reversion has the same effect, or whether it absorbs energy." She tilted her head to the side. "Mega evolution requires key stones, and mega stones. I wonder if it's possible to create the effects of primal reversion through similar methods."
"Then the information you need is obvious." Madison quirked her lips into a smile. "You need information on whether there were any minerals or materials that have a reaction of sorts to Groudon. Maybe that stone was something to do with it - an artifact that created a reaction within the two titan pokemon."
"We need more information on any relics from the Terrian Tribe." Courtney sat up in her seat. "We need to know if there's an object that can act as a mega stone. Once we've studied such an object, we can learn how to control it. To bring Groudon forwards and leave Kyogre undisturbed."
"We just need to know what to look for." Madison flashed her a grin. "Who's the leading academic on the Terrian Tribe? I think we need to take a look at their research."
Dewford Town
She was staring out the window again, her spoon stirring noncommittally around her mug as she looked out at the shore. The Pokemon Center cafe had a good view of the ocean, and May seemed drawn to it. Every time there was a lull in conversation, her eyes would flicker outwards to watch the moon reflected on the choppy waves of the sea. Occasionally, she would sigh deeply, like she was lost in some uncharacteristically ardent thought. Drew cleared his throat, again, and she snapped back to him, her cheeks tinted red as she laughed awkwardly, apologising.
"Are you worried about the contest tomorrow?" He asked politely. "You seem out of it."
"No, it'll be fine. I'll cream ya, no big deal." Flashing him a grin to try and placate him, May took a sip from her hot chocolate, holding her mug in both hands.
"Then, are you worried about Blaziken?" Drew knew May better than to be derailed by a faux smile, and May huffed a little, blowing her fringe out of her face. "He took a real beating today."
"Nah, Nurse Joy said he's okay, he just needs rest. And I'm using Beautifly tomorrow, so Nurse Joy said she'd keep him here during the contest if it was a concern." May shrugged. "It's not, but I'll let him stay here with Chansey anyway. Just to be safe."
"It was a good battle." Drew had obviously decided her loss had been weighing on her mind, and May nearly laughed.
"Don't be ridiculous, I knew I was gonna lose before I challenged him!" May giggled carelessly. "I've watched Paul in every Pokemon League he's competed in since I watched the Lily of the Valley, back in Johto. I always look up the entry names and find which one he's entered in that year. It's a little ritual of mine."
"You're a fan of his?" Drew deadpanned. "What, do you have a crush on him or something?"
"You're still being ridiculous," May scoffed. "No, he just…" Words suddenly became difficult to form in her mouth. She'd never tried to explain her fascination with Paul before, and now when it came to it, it became an incredibly difficult thing to do. "I'm not sure. He challenged my Dad's gym before I went on my journey."
"So you saw him win a badge or something?" Drew couldn't hide the inquisitive flash behind his own mug of tea. He was painfully curious, and May was growing uncharacteristically awkward with stringing together sentences.
"I saw him lose." May smiled, mostly to herself. "I saw a flash of something… of someone with something to prove. And then I saw him get stronger." Drew couldn't figure out what to say next to carry on the conversation, or to pull it away from Paul, who he was beginning to feel a little frustrated with. May began to stare out the window again, the stars catching in her eyes. "I wonder if he got as strong as he wanted to be?"
"He's pretty powerful." Drew's voice came out in a reluctant snipe. "But I'm not sure that's the same definition as strong."
"No, I'm not either." May's voice was moony and distant, and Drew felt a sudden surge of something angry in his chest.
"Well, it doesn't matter." He was beginning to get short with her, but even then May didn't seem to register it. "I guess I'll see you at the contest tomorrow. I hope you're ready to lose, you can't expect Beautifly to carry you all the way past a top coordinator, now can you?"
"We'll see." May didn't move her eyes from the window. Drew took up abruptly, pulling his chair out in a jagged, aggressive swipe, and May jumped back to attention, blinking at him apologetically.
"So you are still alive in there." Drew snorted. "It's hard to tell sometimes. I'm going to bed."
"O-Oh. Right." She stood up as well, moving her chair clumsily away from her and dithering slightly. "Sorry, I think I'm just a bit tired today."
"Right." He let out a short breath, but softened. "I'll see you tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah, wanna meet in the lobby and head down to the Contest Hall together?" May offered him a reconciliatory grin. "After the contest tomorrow I don't know when I'll see you next, it'd be nice to catch up." Drew raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if she was totally aware those were almost the exact words she'd used to convince him to come to Granite Cave with her.
"Sure. Otherwise I really doubt you'd find the way there." He knew when he was beaten. May brightened, but then scowled, and puffed out her cheeks, ready to retort in some snarky back and forth that they had rehearsed a million times. Pushing himself forwards, he knew he had once ace up his sleeve that was always guaranteed to silence her. He slipped the rose out from the inside of his jacket pocket - he'd had it ready since they'd gotten back from Granite Cave, and pressed it into her fingers delicately. May paused, flushing pink. "For Beautifly, of course. You said she's competing tomorrow."
"Sometimes I think I should just let you hang out with my Pokemon and not with me," May teased, but in a subdued, apprehensive voice. Drew suppressed a laugh, closing his eyes for a second.
"I think you're okay too." Before she could quite fathom his movements, he'd pressed his lips to her cheek, holding the other side of her face gently in the palm of his hand, taking a moment to smooth his thumb reassuringly along her jaw line. It had taken years. Years of awkwardly jerking forwards and backwards, years of infinite support and encouragement from Solidad, years of teasing, flustering comments from Harley, but finally he'd stepped forwards. There was a swell of some kind of pride in his chest. May was silent and unmoving, frozen to the spot. If he'd known it would take a surge of jealousy to take a forward step he'd have let her talk more about her travels with Ash and Brock in the first place.
When he pulled back, her face was a brighter red than her bandanna.
"The lobby, tomorrow morning, right?" He smiled lazily at her, and she nodded stiffly. Her flustered response gave him all the confidence he needed to walk away shamelessly. The hand with which May held the rose she had given him shook. A thorn pressed into her thumb, and a small bubble of blood began to trickle down her palm.
Lilycove City
"This isn't a plan we can execute without a lot of powerful trainers, and a carefully scripted backup plan." Courtney shot her a warning glance, and Madison nodded. They were pouring over strategy papers together, stringing together some semblance of a plot. "But I think if we take time to prepare, we can execute something pretty cleanly."
"You'll need to take this to Maxie in the morning," Madison told her stiffly, and Courtney glanced at her. Considering the analytical monotone that Courtney held as her staple, Madison understood the significance of it breaking for a moment.
"I am sincerely sorry I cannot give you credit for this." Courtney's lips became tight. "I'll recommend to Maxie that you head part of this mission. It's what we've been training for, anyhow."
"It's okay, Court." Madison smiled. "I didn't have clearance." Over the two years of them working in close quarters, Madison and Courtney had grown closer than Madison had ever anticipated. They were confidants, advisors, sparring partners and friends. They were well known as a duo through the organisation now. It was very rare that anyone beat the doubles combinations of Admin Courtney and her second, Madison. Formalities were often retained when in front of the grunts and other admins, but in private, they would speak openly and freely, unbarred by the structures of their hierarchy.
"If this goes well," Courtney continued, back to her clipped, emotionless tone. "I will be speaking to Maxie again about my recommendation for you to be elevated to Admin status."
"You think he'd be up for it?" Madison arched an eyebrow. Courtney gave a rare smile.
"He's been considering it for a few months now," she spoke candidly. "You heard nothing from me. When you successfully complete a reconnaissance mission with such a high risk, then yes. It's simple to deduce you'll be elevated immediately." Madison took a moment to stare at her lap, her fingers intertwining.
"I never imagined I'd come so far here." Her voice trembled for a moment. "Admins are… practically the seconds to Maxie. That's huge." Courtney paused for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she stared at Madison's face. It was not the first, nor the last time in their friendship that Madison felt like she was being scanned for information.
"Yes." Courtney said nothing else, but returned to her notes. "This will take a lot of planning. This mission is a long way off before we can execute it."
"I understand." Madison shook herself slightly, before turning back to the notes she'd made. "I'll get right into preparations." Courtney looked up again for a moment, before nodding, holding eye contact with her second as she did.
Dewford Town
As Beautifly finished her appeal, May presented together with her with a flourish, the shimmering light of their silver wind drifting about them. They curtsied together, and May took one last look at the audience. She had to stop herself from beaming.
"How did he know I was a coordinator?" She mumbled under her breath, her eye catching his for just a moment. Paul made no gesture of acknowledgement, but stood up straight from where he'd been leaning against the back wall of the arena, behind the audience, and left through the fire exit door.