A/N: Here's the much-anticipated next chapter. I'm not sure if you're expecting this or not, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter…Keep reviewing because it makes me feel happy. Let's face it: who doesn't like a nice review?

Disclaimer: No matter how many times I write this, the fact that I don't own Pokémon or the characters will never change…

Last Time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…

Then, Drew fell asleep next to May while the storm raged outside. The storm, though, was nothing compared to the mayhem that was going on in the catty contest world…

Chapter 10: Is it True?

May lied on the bed, transfixed, as she looked into Drew's emerald eyes. They looked so warm and loving…she could just stare into them forever.

But what were they doing on a bed? Why was she lying on a bed? With DREW?

She felt so at ease as his strong arms wrapped around her body. She was a little surprised to find that his arms were touching her bare skin…

Bare skin? How? May demanded in her head. It seemed as though she had no control over her dream self. She felt her own lips touch Drew's, and they were kissing. It was weird, though, because May couldn't break away—not that she wanted to. She breathed his scent that surrounded her as they kissed. It smelled just as sweet and seductive as ever…

Finally, they separated. The funny thing was, neither May nor Drew was out of breath.

Dream Drew's face formed a kind smile as he looked into her eyes. "I love you, May," his melodic voice said.

Wait, love? She was having a dream about Drew? What?

"May…" he said, his loving smile fading. "May…" His voice was getting louder, and slowly, the dream faded. "MAY!"

May jumped and sat bolt upright. Drew instantly moved back as May sat up, but the blush was plain on his cheeks, and that brought May to the question of why. Why's he blushing? she thought.

May opened her eyes again and looked around, blinking. She appeared to be in a cave…but why? Then, last night's events rushed back to her. There'd been a storm…and she and Drew had taken shelter in this cave.

She was about to say something when she remembered that she wasn't talking to him.

"I see you remembered your promise," Drew said, putting his gear back into his bag. "I'll see you later, May," Then, he handed her a red rose and jumped off the ledge.

May was numb. Drew had just jumped off the edge of a cliff? How could he…? Then, she remembered that he had Flygon. Well, that'd saved her from an awkward situation. She almost smiled as she saw Drew riding his Flygon away. She was surprised it was even strong enough to support the teenager's weight…not that Drew was too heavy or anything…

Then, she made quick work of packing up her belongings. The storm had cleared up, and May sat on the edge of the cave, watching the beautiful sunrise. The sky looked like Blaziken had used Overheat on Venusaur's Petal Dance. It looked fiery, pink, and red, all at the same time. As she watched, May was filled with a sense of peace. Although she wasn't speaking to Drew, it didn't matter. She would beat him next time—no matter what.

Drew was deep in thought that morning as he lied on the cold cave floor (he'd called back Arcanine once the storm cleared up so that it could have some well-deserved rest). His tired eyes softened as he gazed longingly at May's face. She was fast asleep in his arms, and he felt so calm and happy with her warm body so close to his.

He was thinking about her, too. Drew had woken up early because of nightmares, and he hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Of course, he didn't really mind. May's presence made him feel so restful that he didn't need to actually need to lose his eyes for the sweet feeling of relaxation to overcome him.

As he looked at May, a smile formed on her sleeping face, and Drew wondered what she was dreaming about. He heard her murmur something that he couldn't quite understand, but he thought it sounded like she was saying his name. He couldn't be sure, though, and he didn't want to make any assumptions. After all, a dream was a dream, and Drew knew from experience that one can't control who and what one dreams about.

Then, he felt her warm arms wrap around his neck. The smile on her innocent, sleeping face had become bigger. Of course, Drew didn't want to wake her, so he gently pulled the brunette's arms off. Aforementioned brunette then laid her head on his shoulder, and he breathed the scent of her soft hair. It smelled slightly like cinnamon.

"Don' let go," May cried suddenly, gripping his wrist with her dainty fingers. Her eyes were closed tight, and Drew wished he could find out what she was dreaming about—better yet, whom.

The chartreuse-haired coordinator sighed and kept his arms around her. He made a mental note to tease her about the sleep talking later. He sincerely hoped that she didn't really mean what she said about not speaking to him.

Then, sitting in that cave, listening to May's soft breathing and the leftover rain that was now drip-dropping from the nearby trees, Drew figured it out. He wanted her—no, he needed May…so badly that it almost scared him. He'd never admit it, though. He knew that May was probably having a dream about another boy…most likely Ash. He knew that she liked the black-haired Pokémon trainer, even though he tried to deny it inside.

But hey, if she's happy with Ash, so be it, the let's-be-best- friends-with-May side of him thought. After all, the only thing that matters is if May is happy…he reminded himself, his conscience taking on a lecturing tone. Then, his thoughts were interrupted by the very object of his affections.

"…Drew," she murmured, her face forming a cute pout.

What is she dreaming about? he wondered.

She said his name again, louder and more clearly this time. "Please don't go, Drew," she whispered in her sleep. The girl rolled over in Drew's arms, and he fought to keep her steady—and prevent his legs from falling asleep.

Drew was shocked; May was having a dream about him! Could it mean what he thought it meant? Did May feel the same way? After all the roses, the insults…was it even possible for May—let alone any girl—to feel that way? The incident that happened yesterday, which would later be known as simply the Violet Incident, had really made Drew think. What if his charms were wearing off? What if the ladies didn't feel that way about him anymore? What if this was it for Drew? Then, an even scarier thought struck him: what if May had liked him before, but the incident had ruined everything? What if he'd never have a chance with her again? What if she never spoke to him again? What if his charms were wearing off, and that was why May wouldn't speak to him? What if the ladies didn't feel that way about him? What if this was it for Drew's career? What if—

And so, Drew sat in that cave for the rest of that night, holding May in his arms, listening to the storm, his thoughts spiraling. His brain was betraying him, he realized. Before, he'd simply thrown such self-doubting notions from his head without a second thought…but now, the one thing he thought would never change—the one being he thought would never betray him—did, and it shook him to his very core. Drew Greene (A/N: yes, I just came up with this surname—sorry if someone else thought of it first; if so, the credit is yours.) was scared, and, of every single terrifying thought that was flying through his head that night, that one was the most frightening.

Then, as the night wore on, May's movements came closer and closer to him. Her arms were wrapped around him. He wasn't really complaining, but he didn't really want to have a sleeping girl hanging all over him; it was just a little bit creepy.

He slowly removed her arms and rose silently, wincing as his stiff legs threatened to buckle underneath him. He stood firm, though, and Drew quickly and silently packed his things. Then, he sent out Flygon; hey, Drew was famous for his exits, and he didn't want to disappoint—even after the long night with hardly any sleep. Finally, after packing up and giving Flygon its instructions, he picked up May's surprisingly light body and held her in his arms.

Drew noticed, with an eye roll, that May was still fast asleep, so he said her name. "May," he whispered, shaking her slightly. He brought his face closer to hers, in case she hadn't heard him. "May," he said a little bit more loudly. There was still no response, and Drew could see the sunlight filtering in through the cave entrance. They'd already been gone for hours, and it wasn't like Drew's rep wasn't bad enough as it was. "MAY!" he said loudly, finally becoming impatient.

She jumped, and Drew instantly moved his head back. To his mortification, he began to bush. Inwardly, he instantly ordered himself t snap out of it. May didn't seem to notice as she took in the cave, a "where am I?" look plastered on her angelic face. Then, turning to Drew, her eyes slightly cold, which deeply hurt him, May looked like she was about to say something, but then she clamped her mouth shut stubbornly.

"So, I see you've kept your promise," he said, smirking slightly. His tone bore some resemblance to a schoolteacher scolding a child for doing something she knew she wasn't supposed to do. Then, Drew flipped his perfect, jade-colored hair and tossed a rose over his shoulder, which he heard May catch. The catch was accompanied by an audible gasp. Drew smirked again; messing with May was so much fun—not to mention easy. "See ya later, May," he said, jumping off the edge.

He heard another gasp and chuckled to himself as Flygon caught him expertly. Drew slung his bag over his back, sitting down on Flygon.

"Gon, fly?" (Where to now, Master?) the Desert Spirit chimed. Its rhombus-shaped wings glittered in the sunlight, and, as the Pokémon flapped them, it made a beautiful singing voice. That was Flygon's pride and joy—that voice was how it got its name.

"Let's head to Cottonbrook Town," Drew said over the wind, recalling that Solidad had told him via video phone there was a contest there in a few days. "It's between Blackthorn and Mahogany Town," the green-haired teen instructed.

"Fly!" (Yes, Master!) the Pokémon cried, happy that its master trusted him. Poor Roserade, Flygon thought. But then, I told it not to meddle in other people's love lives.

Drew looked at the view from his dragon's back. They'd just flown over Violet City, and they were now flying above a grassy plain. It was full of flowers, and it instantly made the coordinator think of Roserade. He winced as he thought of its name. Roserade had been his first Pokémon—but then it had betrayed him. He'd thought Roserade was there for Drew, that it hoped for what was best. He knew that Roserade had been planning to tear himself and May apart, but he also knew that Roserade really liked May. That meant that Roserade didn't like…Drew himself, its own master. With that realization, Drew almost fell off Flygon. The startled Pokémon instantly righted itself with a little effort, though.

It chirped anxiously to itself. The Master it knew would never, ever lose focus and almost fall like that. Flygon knew that something was seriously wrong with its Master, and Flygon only existed for the happiness of Drew…

May cursed under her breath. She'd climbed up, but now she had to climb down! Up was a whole lot easier than DOWN! How was she supposed to do it? The only way she'd made it up in the first place was because Drew had helped her.

Drew…he was so flawless, so handsome, so talented. He made her want to swoon…Wait, why couldn't May stop thinking about him? She was supposed to hate him! She was supposed to be furious with him after what he did—no, after what he implied with his "loss" in Violet City!

Sighing, she slung her backpack onto her shoulder. Then, she slowly and painfully made her way down the sheer rock face, trying not to think about the fact that if she made one misstep, she'd die. Finally, she made it to the bottom. She sat on the ground for a minute to catch her breath. Then, May trudged back through the woods and up the hill. She was headed back to Violet City, so she could find out where the next contest was.

At last, Drew made it to Cottonbrook Town, and he called Flygon back into its Pokéball for some well-deserved rest. It seemed like a nice place. It had a clean, crisp feel to it. It was surrounded by farms and fields on one side and a brook and mysterious woods on the other. The buildings weren't very big. In fact, it was a pretty small town. Most of the shops were small and looked family-owned. The biggest visible building in town, in fact, was the Pokémon Center—apart from the Contest Hall, which he and Flygon had flown over on their way in; it was on the southern end of town, where it was a little more crowded and the buildings were a little bigger and closer together.

Drew smiled as he walked through the town, scoping it out. The people moved slowly and at a leisurely pace down the streets, as if they had somewhere to go, but they were going to get there when they got there. The place was kind of hushed, too, and some places were even deserted, but not in the run-down-ghost-town kind of way. It was just…quiet. The houses were painted cheery colors, though, and the buildings were old-fashioned. It had a homey kind of feel to it, and it suddenly made him homesick.

Of course, this place wasn't even a comparison to the amazing beauty of LaRousse City. Drew was a very proud person, and, above most other things (except, maybe, his devastating good looks…or talent), he was proud of his hometown. Its hustling, bustling, busy streets made his heart sing. He admitted it, Drew missed LaRousse City.

Finally, after a look around, Drew saw the familiar building of the Pokémon Center. Inside, he read a note on the table. Apparently, Nurse Joy was out on a field visit, examining some critically injured Pokémon. Her Chansey was also gone, which made him wonder just how serious the situation was. It didn't matter what was going on, though; the only thing that was important at the moment was that Nurse Joy wasn't there, so Drew would just have to wait.

So, he plopped onto the nearest couch and decided to catch up on some well-deserved sleep. His dreams were haunted by May and Roserade. Drew almost wished that he hadn't fallen asleep in the first place. Of course, he'd had nothing but nightmares the night before, so he felt a little better about his dreams.

Drew later woke up to the sound of voices. He didn't feel all that refreshed, either. The coordinator almost sighed out loud. Why, if they were fangirls interrupting his less-than-peaceful slumber, he would have to break something. Then, Drew realized that the voices were coming from the TV that was hanging above him. He felt something hard under his elbow and looked down. Of course; he'd slept on the remote, so it'd turned on.

He looked up at it. It was just Drew's luck; one of his least favorite shows was on. It was a gossip show on the "Access Johto" channel. The woman on it was obviously around thirty, but she'd had so many alterations done to her face, she looked like a robot. It was almost funny seeing her try to stretch her skin into a smile. There wasn't enough looseness for it to even smirk…not that many people could perfect that, anyway. Drew sighed and turned his attention back to the abhorrent woman.

"…and this is Behind the Ribbon, an exclusive show that goes into the lives of coordinators," she was saying in her phony voice. Drew hated this channel because they usually talked negatively about him—or Solidad…or one of their other friends. He was about to change it when he heard his own name being said. He turned his attention back to the screen and gasped. There was his picture, all right. After all, how many insanely attractive coordinators had green hair and eyes?

"And now, let's discuss Drew Greene's latest contest," said the woman. "Yesterday, in Violet City, Drew entered a contest with his fantastic Pokémon. Here's some footage of his appeal," A brief clip of Drew's appeal with Masquerain and Butterfree was shown. "Obviously, he made it on to the next round. We later found out that he was paired with rival and long-time lover, May Maple,"

Drew rolled his eyes at the word "lover". Then, he almost swooned as May's picture appeared on the screen. That photo was followed by a clip of some of their battles.

"The two of them easily advanced, but then, when they battled in the finals, Drew blew the match!" the woman's overly made-up face was twisted in a shocked expression.

Drew took a pillow off the couch and yelled into it in fury. He did NOTHING wrong! Why couldn't people just see that? Then, suddenly, the TV turned off. Drew turned around, about to tell whoever it was that he'd been watching that show. Behind him was Nurse Joy, so he instantly stopped himself from being rude. After all, Nurse Joys were nice to everyone, and not even Drew was cold-hearted enough to disrespect one of them.

"I could see that it was bothering you, so I turned it off," said the Pokémon Doctor. "I'm assuming that you're here for the contest," she added.

Drew nodded dejectedly. "I've just got to win my fifth ribbon," he said flatly, fingering his ribbon case in his pocket.

"Now, you don't sound like the Drew Greene I've seen on TV," said Nurse Joy playfully.

He sighed, flopping back onto the couch. Nurse Joy met his tired, emerald-colored gaze with her kind, dark blue eyes.

"So, it's true, isn't it? Everything they all said about you," she said softly, her smile fading.

Drew raised an eyebrow at her. "What do they say?" he asked. He closed his eyes as he listened to her words.

"Well, they said you were in love with May, and that's obviously true,"

Drew opened his mouth to argue, but Nurse Joy continued, ignoring his protests.

"And, what happened in Violet City is true," she added. "From a contest fan's point of view, your career is toast,"

"Thanks for that insight, Nurse Joy," Drew said sarcastically. "As if I don't feel bad enough," he muttered.

"Sorry," she said softly. "I've just heard so much,"

"Well, about ninety nine point nine percent of it is a lie," Drew said harshly. "I didn't actually blow the contest—my Roserade took it in its own hands to make me see that love was getting in the way of my career. Of course, I actually feel no love for May, so—"

Nurse Joy cut him off. "Didn't you say you needed a room?" she asked, changing the subject to something less personal.

May sat in the Pokémon Center in Violet City, thinking about her options. She knew that she wouldn't be able to make in time for to the next contest in Cottonbrook Town, but the one after that was in Siennafield City. She'd heard that Siennafield City was beautiful, but since there was no gym, it wasn't too crowded. It overlooked the water like Cherrygrove City, and there were lots of great restaurants and places to shop.

So, she knew where the next city was. All that was left to do was get some new supplies—including a tent and some real things to cook with. May knew that she was on her own now. She had to journey by herself. Yet, the thought didn't scare her all that much; she was more excited than terrified.

May got up and collected her things. She was looking forward to the solitude, the peacefulness of not having a group of friends with her. Although it had been fun with Ash, Brock, and Max, May wanted to focus. She planned on winning this Grand Festival, after all.

Then, as May left the Pokémon Center, she bumped into something. Just as she predicted, it wasn't a something; it was a someone. It produced an "oomph" on contact, after all, and that was always the way to determine whether the object was a person or a thing.

Well, at least I didn't run into a pole, May reasoned. That would've been both embarrassing and painful.

"May!" cried Kelli, interrupting May's thoughts. The blonde coordinator then turned to the brunette, engulfing her in a hug. "Hi!" Kelli squealed.

"Uh, hey, Kelli," May gasped. "You're…kinda…squishing me,"

Kelli instantly relinquished her tight grasp. "So, where are you headed next?" she asked, her violet eyes shining with friendliness.

"I'm going to Siennafield City," May replied with a sunny smile. "But what about you?"

"Well, seeing as I have quite a lot of time to kill before the Grand Festival, I think I'll travel around a bit. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me," Kelli explained.

May grinned. So much for being alone. She liked being with a friend, anyways, and traveling with Kelli would help her understand why the blonde was so deadly in contests. "I'd love to travel with you," she said finally.

"Great! Then let's go!" she cried. Then, her expression darkened. "May, I know how sad you must be feeling right now—or angry. I'm thinking you're feeling more sad, though, because now you don't get to travel with him…"

May nodded, her expression becoming sad. Then, it turned into a scowl. "But then, he always was such a jerk to me!" May said.

"Really? Is that how you really feel? I think that you really like him. Is it true?" Kelli asked…

A/N: To be continued! I'm so evil, I know. Now, I'm hoping for some feedback this time; it's very disconcerting to write a story and not really how people really feel about it at this point. So, PLEASE review this story! Tell me if you think it's dead! Tell me what you think should change—if anything! Tell me how amazing it is (or maybe not)! I don't know, tell me something.