Enjoy!
Chapter 9
*With May*
Not knowing that Gary was going to meet up with both Ash and Drew, May walked home slowly. When she arrived, she saw that the house was dark and quiet.
"Ash?" May called out.
She walked into the kitchen and saw a note.
May,
Went out to buy some stuff. See you later!
Love,
Ash
May just sighed and went upstairs. She sat on the bed thinking about the conversation she had with Gary. 'The letter.' Walking quickly to the closet, she took out the box with the glass rose and the letter. She found the part where she stopped and began to read once more:
-at the Cerulean Brink. Don't tell Ash about this. Tell him until you make your decision, him or me. Sorry if this is a lot of pressure but you need to decide. I would either hold you in my arms forever or be with you in my dreams and you in the arms of another.
Love forever,
Drew ShūHayden
P.S: When you arrive, bring your Beautifly. It's a surprise. I won't ask you for a battle, so don't worry. Although it will satisfy me that I won against you if you were to choose Ash, I won't be a gentleman to ask for such a battle. Either choice will give you the surprise. Can't wait to see you then.
She can imagine the smirk on his face in the P.S note. However, this made her feel more hurt and confused. May didn't want to hurt either young men. The day Ash asked her out was a surprise for her. She felt Drew was going to ask her out, she didn't know why, and felt excited by it. In the end, it was Ash that asked her, and having feelings towards him as well, accepted to be his girlfriend. In the end, she found out her feelings were right, that Drew was going to ask her. She wondered what would happen if Pikachu and Roserade weren't accidently hurt, thinking who she would have chosen… Ash or Drew. But she wasn't in the past, she was in the present. This time she would have to make her decision, whether she would stay in Ash's arms or run into Drew's waiting arms. Her head and heart didn't agree with one another, one telling her to stay with Ash or to leave him and go to Drew. Wanting to wash her problems away, she went to the bathroom and filled the tube with warm water and vanilla-scent bubbles to be able to relax and have time for herself before Ash came home.
*With Gary*
Gary left the Oak's laboratory and headed to the restaurant where he would meet up with Ash. When he got there, he saw Ash waiting for him outside.
"Hey Gary," Ash said happily. Gary just nodded in response.
"Let's go inside," Ash spoke again.
"Yeah, to talk or eat? I bet to eat right Ashy-boy," Gary smirked.
"Whatever Gary," responded Ash, but felt a blush in his face. Confusion was seen in his eyes, but Gary didn't notice, since he was already heading to a table. After a while, Ash walked to the table where Gary was sitting, trying to disguise his confusion and to make himself look like he never blushed. They ordered their food, and waited to start speaking until the waiter was out of earshot.
"What are you, stupid?" Gary asked.
"W-wh-what?" Ash stuttered confusedly.
Gary rolled his eyes and replied, "You showed up yelling in the lab while May was there."
"I thought she would be gone by then, perhaps meeting up with her Pokémon after she talked to you."
Gary tensed up at that moment but he didn't say anything.
"You did let her have days off to start participating in contests right?"
Gary gave him a 'what-do-you-think' look.
"Well, I saw her crying," hissed Ash in his defense, adding, "Why was she crying?"
Thinking of a quick lie, for it was one of his best abilities, he said, "May was scared going back. She also believed she wouldn't be that good anymore. The thought of going back into something she loves excites her, but scares her because she feels that people will judge her if she doesn't does like she did before or better."
Ash nodded in acknowledgement.
"So what did you wanted to talk about?"
"Oh well…" Ash began telling him the same story May has told him earlier, except that Ash didn't know about what happened between Drew and herself, and both Ash and Brock suspected about her secret person and that Drew probably dedicated the glass rose to May. Pretending to be shocked and surprised, Gary didn't talk for a few minutes after Ash was done.
"So what do you think Gary?" Ash asked believing Gary's silence was that of a thoughtful one.
"I…I don't know," Gary said slowly, for he didn't want to say something suspicious. "I haven't seen any contests lately, too much work in the lab. But the news about Drew does seem to be suspicious."
Ash waited for him to continue but he didn't.
So Ash said, "What… what if she chooses him?" Gary raised an eyebrow making him continue. "Brock said to not be surprised if she chooses him. What if she does? Am I suppose to be mad, sad, surprised, or happy?"
"Ash," Gary began. "It's all up to May. She has to choose and no one can make that decision for her. I… well, I can't say who she is going to choose. I'm not sure about it either, but I doubt that two years of you two being together will be thrown down the drain. But I'll always be here whether she chooses you or Drew."
"Thanks Gary. You're a true friend," Ash said quietly, looking down in embarrassment for telling this to Gary.
"Yeah, no problem," Gary forced out.
The food arrived for them a minute later, a quiet Ash raising his head and beginning eating happily. Gary just smiled a little and began eating slower than Ash, thinking if that 'What if' came true. When they were done eating, they both headed back to Pallet town, Pikachu asleep in Ash's ar. Ash talked very happily about his recent Pokémon capture and Gary told him about the hurt Cyndaquil he found, being on e of the rarest moments he has had in finding a Pokémon that's not from the Kanto region and without an owner. It was 7:30 p.m. when Ash headed to his house while Gary headed back to the Oak's lab to meet up with Drew.
He heard the door knock. Gary checked the clock and it showed 8:00. 'He must be anxious to know what were going to talk about,'Gary thought. He opened the door and saw Drew, but was surprised to see his Roserade.
Seeing Gary's surprised expression, he said, "I don't like leaving my Pokémon alone when the others are back into their Poké Balls resting. Roserade also wanted to come along to meet up with you for the first time and to come with me here."
"I understand," Gary replied, thinking it was the same situation with Ash's Pikachu and his Umbreon and Electrive. "Some Pokémon are still outside. Your Roserade can be with the nocturnal Pokémon and others who love to sleep in the moonlight. Don't worry, Umbreon is outside taking care of them. My Umbreon is the strongest there is."
"Oh…well ok," responded Drew.
Roserade headed to the outside of the lab, while Gary and Drew headed to the living room, sitting on opposite sides of the room.
"Uh-" began Drew, but was interrupted by Gary.
"Don't worry. No one will hear our conversation. Everyone left home early for the day and my grandpa is away for the moment."
"Ok," Drew replied with confidence
"So…what about May?"
"You tell me" responded Gary.
"Me? Why me?"
"I need to know some information before I tell you the things thatyou don't know."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
They both held an intense gaze, emerald eyes looking at green eyes, neither breaking contact. Feeling neither would give up, Drew decided to talk to know about May.
"You know what happened two years ago right?" asked Drew. Gary nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"Ok, well I was May a few days ago…" and so he told his story, up to where she left.
"What about you becoming a judge?"
"I wanted to see her knowing now knowing her secret identity. I wanted to see her in contests. I doubt my fan girls would allow for me to see her after declaring my love for her, so a way to see her without anyone stopping me was becoming a judge. "
Gary, who told May the same thing, just simply nodded. They were both silent, Drew wanting for Gary to say his part. He was going to say something when Gary spoke.
"May told me all of this today earlier. She didn't know about you becoming a judge until I told her so…" Gary became silent again, but Drew's eyes showed impatience. Noticing this, Gary smirked but continued.
"I told her the same reason you told me why you became a judge. Now I have a surprise for you."
Drew raised an eyebrow, but Gary continued before he was interrupted, "May is going back to become a coordinator again."
Drew's face was blank. He didn't know how to feel, happy, surprised, or upset that she didn't tell him. Feeling he needed to explain how that came to be, Gary told Drew what happened earlier that morning.
"May came to talk to me around noon. She told me that Ash talked to Brock about you and her. Apparently, May said your name and Ash's name in her sleep. Also, they know, well suspect, that 'Haruka' is actually May and that you dedicated the glass rose secretly to her. Another thing was that it would cause problems for you to come back, such as May's love for you coming back alive. Ash, hoping May would stay with him, is trying to make up what happened two years ago. May is confused about who she will want to be with. What you told me I already heard this from her this morning. She didn't know things would turn out this way."
"So, she's coordinating again, well as herself?"
Gary nodded and said, "You will see her as herself, but this is what I really want to talk about."
Gary's emerald eyes went a bit dark. "May told me that you want to meet her again."
Drew waited for Gary to say something, but he didn't. Drew then said, "Yeah, I told her to come and meet me in Cerulean Brink and be ready for her choice. Ash or me."
"That's a lot of pressure for her. She broke down when she told me everything."
Drew looked down at the floor, feeling guilty for making May cry.
"Brock feels she is going to choose you. I can see why."
He lifted his head, a confused and curious expression on his face. Gary smirked, knowing that would catch his attention.
"You have the ability to bring out her true self. Not only in coordination, but other things as well. Also, you guys are each other's opposites. There is more balance no matter how compatible she is with Ash. Ash and May have too many similarities and the only thing that separates them is her love for coordinating and his love for being a Pokémon Master. I don't want you to get your hopes up that May is going to choose you. I can see why, buy I don't want to see Ash getting hurt."
Drew simply nodded and quietly said "Poor May."
"Yeah, I told her I'll be there for her and for the person she doesn't choose"
"Gary…"
"Hmm…."
"Tell me the truth. Who do you think May is going to choose? "
"Why?"
"Tell me… I need to know."
"Look, Ash is my friend-"
"No offense but I don't care! Both of us have to face the truth. I have a feeling that if Ash were to ask you the same question you would tell him the truth. Right?"
"I-"
"No! I know he is you best friend but you know, as well as others, who she's more likely to choose."
Gary didn't say anything, surprised by his outburst. It felt easier to tell him the truth then Ash. After all, he did extend the truth a bit during their lunch. Drew and him weren't friends, so there was no risk, but he also didn't want to betray his hopes that his best friend would end up being the chosen one.
"TELL ME!" Drew screamed, pounding his fist on the table and standing up.
"Fine" said Gary calmly, "It's more likely that it is-"
"Umbre!"
"Huh?" Gary looked next to him and saw his Umbreon coming towards him to him.
"Umbre! Umbreon!" Umbreon said, nudging Gary so he can stand up.
Gary stoop up, causing Umbreon to run towards the outside of the lab. Both looked at each other with a confused expression on their face.
"Come on, let's see what's going on," Gary said.
Drew simply nodded and stood up as well. Both ran following Umbreon's direction, wondering what was so important to interrupt their conversation.
I am already working on the new chapter for this story.
Thanks for reading :D!
