"And that's basically what I've been doing since we last saw each other," concluded Drew as he and May continued to travel through the scorching Route 30 after settling their mid-day argument.
"Training, huh? Yeah, I did a lot of that too, back in Petalburg. And sometimes if my dad wasn't busy, he'd help me out too," replied May.
"You're dad's the Gym Leader, right?" he asked.
May asked, "Yeah, but how did you-"
"M.F.P.," he sighed, not to fond of the memory of the Mothers For Pokémon fanclub all over him (and May) in Rubello Town, the site of May's humilating loss after her two straight wins had gone to her head.
May let out a small laugh and continued, "Yeah, well, anyways, sometimes he'd help me train, but most of the time it was Max."
"I thought your little brother didn't have any Pokémon," recalled Drew.
"He doesn't, at least not for a year. He just borrowed mine and we sparred a little," she explained. "If there's one person that knows them as well as I do, it's definitely Max."
"That's good, I guess," he commented. "Why didn't he come with you this time?"
"Well, first was because he needed to start preparing to become a trainer. The other reason is that I don't want to depend on him so much. I mean, I didn't know anything about Pokémon or what I wanted when I started out. To tell the truth, I didn't even like Pokémon. I just used them as an excuse to travel the world. And when I was traveling around with everyone, I found out what I really wanted to be: a coordinator. And now that I know what I want to do, I want do my best to achieve my goal. There's so much for me to learn in Johto, whether its battling skills or contest techniques. I know that it'll be better to learn them on my own than depending on other people to teach me. That's why I'm here alone."
"You're not alone…anymore," added Drew, quietly.
May smiled but didn't reply, knowing an awkward silence would follow if she did. Changing the subject, May asked, "Have you seen Soledad?"
Drew answered, "No, actually. I got an e-mail from her a couple of weeks ago. She said that she's been doing well, training and entering a lot of contests. I guess she's aiming for that Ribbon Cup again."
"She won't get it this time," said May, determined.
"Yeah," agreed Drew. "'Cause I'm gonna get it."
"That's what you think," replied May competively.
"It's what I know," he retorted suavely. "You're still two ribbons behind."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely catch up," she remarked.
"You always do," commented Drew.
"And it won't be long until I win that Ribbon Cup! No one's going to get in my way!" said a determined May.
"Except for me. And don't you forget it," reminded Drew competively.
"Of course not!" she replied. "I know you like winning, Drew. But let me tell you one thing. I don't like losing."
"Well, you better get used to it," said Drew smugly.
"No way! I hate to admit this but you're my number one rival, Drew. But there's absolutely no way I'm gonna lose to you again!"
"Really?" asked Drew, slightly touched by the first part of her statement.
"Count on it, Mister!" she retorted, fired up.
Drew silently chuckled and said, "Well, save your breath. The contest in Goldenrod isn't for a while and we'll settle our score there."
May nodded her head, her fists tightly clenched and to her chest. I'm not going to lose! No matter what! I know everyone's cheering for me. Back home…in Sinnoh…everywhere!
Interrupting her thoughts, Drew asked, "Have you been in any contests since Mulberry?"
"Just one, except it was unofficial. It was a tie though," answered May.
"Tie?" repeated Drew.
"Yeah. It was between me and Ash. Blaziken and Sceptile battled it out but in the end, it was a tie."
"What'd you do with the medal? You both couldn't keep it."
"Yes we could!" replied May. Drew gave her a 'are you crazy?' look and she explained, "Sceptile used Leaf Blade and split it in half. Wanna see it?"
Drew nodded his head as May zipped opened her black backpack that she had gotten off her back, regardless of whether or not Drew was intent on seeing it. She dug through her backpack until she was satisfied and took out a small wooden box, about a foot long.
"Hold this for me," requested May, handing the box to Drew who took it into his arms, a bewildered look on a his face.
I thought she was gonna show me a medal not a old box. Drew shrugged and handed the box back to May after she had the backpack back on her back. She opened the box slowly, as if to create suspense. Drew rolled his eyes but slightly smiled at her childish behavior. At last, the box was open. Drew saw a book, most likely a diary, some pictures of her and her friends and family, a blue bracelet, a few envelopes and a few other things. The thing that caught Drew's eye was the left half of a ribbon. By the looks of it, it seemed the original medal was an orange circle that was bordered by yellow spikes. Around it were a few laces of pink ribbon that were outlined in white.
"Ta-da!" exclaimed May, holding out the medal to Drew for a better look.
"Nice," he said, looking at it and then handing it back it to May. "Is that when your Combusken evolved?"
"Yeah," replied May. "Come to think of it, you didn't look too surprised when you saw Blaziken."
"I could tell by our last battle it was only a matter of time," explained Drew.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" asked May.
"Take it the way you want to take it," he shrugged.
May scoffed but couldn't help but smile. How typical of Drew to be indirect with compliments.
To avoid further questioning, Drew asked, "So, how about some dinner?"
xoxoxoxoxoxo
After eating another delicious meal prepared by Drew, our two favorite coordinators continued to follow the path that would soon lead them to Cherrygrove City. The sun was beginning to sink lower into the ground, indicating nightfall was coming soon.
"This is strange," commented Drew as he looked around.
"What's strange?" asked May curiously.
"Last time I was here, there were a whole ton of Pokémon but now there's hardly any at all," explained Drew.
"That is weird," agreed May. "Maybe they moved to a different place?"
"Maybe," said Drew, not exactly convinced.
After a few moments of silence, May asked, "How much longer?"
"I'm not sure," replied Drew. "We-"
"You're not sure! Looks like Mister Know-It-All finally lost his touch," announced May.
"May…don't start. I'm just trying to answer your question so I'd be quiet and listen if I was you," he shot back, obviously irritated.
"I was just kidding," replied May quietly, a little hurt.
Drew sighed and said, "It's all right. I guess I overreacted a little. Must be this stupid heat."
"Oh, you're probably right, I guess," said May.
Drew nodded and looked ahead. They coming near an area that was quite bumpy from the surrounding hills it had. There was one hill that was the tallest of them all and it seemed to block the sunlight. Drew remembered something and ran towards it.
"Where are you going?" called May as she chased after him. He had already started making his way to the top.
"Why are you asking when you can find out for yourself," he called back, causing May to go up the steep hill as well.
"Wow!" exclaimed May when she reached the top.
"You see. That's why it's better to experience things on your own," lectured Drew although he was being ignored. "The view is-"
"Awesome!" interrupted May.
"I was going to say amazing but I guess awesome works too," replied Drew as he too took a better look.
The hill they were on was overlooking Cherrygrove City, which was still far away. To make things better, the sunset illuminated the west side of town and gave it a rainbow of colors.
They sat down on the grass lazily and watched the sun set behind the city, forgetting that they were supposed to get there soon. Both were mesmorized by the different hues the sun reflected onto the clouds. May and Drew looked down on the little town, noticing how everything looked so small and fragile. The people looked like ants from their point of view. They were so intent on watching, they forgot they were supposed to go there.
It wasn't until the last ray of sunlight was gone that they snapped out of their trance.
"I think we lost track of time," commented May sheepishly.
"I wonder what gave you that idea," asked Drew sarcastically as they got up, both surrounded by the light of the moon.
"Hardihar. You're so funny," replied May, equally sarcastic. Then she asked, "What do we do now?"
"We keep on going," answered Drew with a shrug.
"What?" exclaimed May. "But it's nighttime!"
"What's the matter, May? Scared of the dark?" asked Drew teasingly.
"Of course I'm not!" she protested. "I'm just saying that it might be dangerous."
"But we're really close, May!" reasoned Drew. "We can't waste anymore time."
"Yeah but…I'm sleepy!"
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
"What? There's nothing wrong with that!"
"Do you want to make it back in time for the Goldenrod Contest?" asked Drew.
"Yes," answered May.
"Then trust me, May," he replied.
"Okay…" agreed May, still doubtful.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
"Are we there yet?" asked May for the millionth time, this time accompanied with a yawn.
"No," replied Drew monotonously, bored from answering the same question. Many hours had passed by since they had watched the sunset over Cherrygrove City. Drew was certain it was well past midnight.
"Are we there yet?" she asked again, this time drowsily.
"No," sighed Drew.
With half-open eyes, May complained, "Drew, if I don't get some sleep soon, I'm going to collapse."
"We're almost there," replied Drew automatically.
"You said that six hours ago," recalled May dully.
"And it's just as true now as it was then. I said 'almost'," reminded Drew.
"I'm too tired to fight with you. I just want to go to sleep!" she whined.
Poor May. She's not used to staying up as late as me. "We'll be there soon," reassured Drew.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
About two hours later, Drew and a (half) sleep-walking May finally arrived the small town of Cherrygrove City. As it was the middle of the night, one could hear the ocean's waves crashing onto the shore, not too far from the entrance of the city.
"Are we there yet," whispered May, subconciously.
"Yes!" exclaimed Drew with bloodshot green eyes. He sighed in relief, glad to have finally made it to Cherrygrove City.
"Pokémon Center," mumbled May.
Drew inwardly groaned. It's not to say that he didn't like Pokémon Centers, they just weren't 'his style'. "Okay, we're going. C'mon," said Drew as he steered May by the shoulders towards the east side of town and the Pokémon Center.
After a few moments of walking through the empty streets, the duo finally reached the Pokémon Center. As they reached the entrance, the glass doors automatically opened and allowed them entry inside. They were welcomed by the cold air inside of the Pokémon Center, the air conditioner obviously on the fritz. Just a few steps away from the door was Nurse Joy's reception desk and to the far right was a comfy, little lobby with blue cushioned chairs and sofas and a few wooden tables. To the far left were the rooms used only for emergencies and operations.
Drew rang the bell on the desk numerous times but no one came. Well, it is pretty late and I guess it's tough being a nurse.
"Where's my bed?" asked May a few seconds later, her eyes nearly closed.
"I guess no one's coming," murmured Drew to himself. He looked over to the lobby and sighed. "Better than nothing." Turning to May, he said, "C'mon." He dragged her over to a three-seat sofa and tiredly dropped into into the couch. May did the same on the middle cushion but her eyes closed immediately after.
"G'night…," she managed to mumble.
Drew rolled his eyes before whispering back, "Sweet dreams, May," and falling asleep as well.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
May opened her sapphire eyes the next morning and was surprised to see that she was in a bed, neatly tucked in. She sat up and looked to her right where she saw another bed with Drew sleeping in it, his chest rising up and down slowly under the covers as he took in quiet breaths. May smiled softly, noticing the almost peaceful expression on his face. No smirk, no frown, just Drew. Then she noticed what she was doing and snapped out of it. May stood up and walked over to a wooden desk where her fanny pack was and she snapped it back around her waist.
"What happened?" pondered May out loud as she looked out the window that was located above the desk. The scorching sun was in the middle of the sky, meaning it was around noon.
"Do you really want to know or are you just asking a rhetorical question?" asked a voice from behind.
May jumped, obviously startled by the sudden noise in the quiet atmosphere. She immediately and turned around to see Drew, who was standing next to his bed. "Drew!" exclaimed May.
"Who else?" asked Drew sarcastically.
"Some weirdo with green hair," replied May teasingly.
"Don't hate. Appreciate," scolded Drew playfully as he flipped his hair. The two of them snickered under their breath until they burst out in laughter.
"So what really happened yesterday?" asked May once they recovered from their sudden outburst.
Drew began, "Well…a couple hours after we fell asleep…"
Flashback
Drew awoke tiredly to find a young woman shaking him awake. She was in a short sleeved, collared, light pink dress that was covered by a white apron. The straps of the apron were covered by her orange, pigtailed loops that settled neatly on her shoulders. Her white nurse hat had a light blue medical cross that matched with her eyes, which contrasted to her orange bangs that came down on her forehead.
"Oh, dear, I'm sorry I didn't notice you before," said the young nurse worriedly. "With the heat, hardly anybody has been coming so I didn't expect anyone to come, especially so late."
"It's all right, Nurse Joy," said Drew groggily, obviously still tired. He looked at the nearby clock and noticed it was almost six.
"Well, let me get you a room at least," insisted Nurse Joy. "What about her?"
Drew's tired, green eyes moved to see a young girl sleeping peacefully with her head on his lap and in a fetal position. "She's not gonna wake up easily but I'll carry her, I guess," answered Drew. He carefully removed her from his lap and carried her in his arms. May had surprisingly not woken up, despite the movement that was going. Drew noticed that she was very light, despite the fact that she engorged her self in food the previous night. Nurse Joy led him to a room with two beds, both on opposite walls. Removing her fanny pack and placing it on the desk, he gently tucked her in, said a quick thank you to Nurse Joy and went back to sleep himself.
End of Flashback
"And here we are," he concluded.
To her greatest discomfort, May felt her face heat up into a deep crimson when she heard about when she slept on his lap and when he carried her to the room.
"May, you're so red you're matching your outfit," teased Drew, unable to resist taunting her. Then he stretched, causing his purple jacket to rise and show a bit of skin.
May felt all of her awkwardness melt away and be replaced with guilt when she saw a bluish spot by his stomach. "Is that…" she began before trailing off, not being able to continue.
Drew looked down at the bruise (refer to Chapter 12) and back at May. "Yeah," he answered.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why would I tell you? It's not gonna kill me or anything. And besides, you need to forget the past and focus on the future."
"Yeah, but-" she started before being interrupted.
"I don't want to hear it! You know what your problem is, May? You have a hard time letting go. You need to learn that some things happen for a reason and what's done is done," lectured Drew. "Live, learn and forget."
"Easier said than done," she whispered ever so quietly.
"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" asked Drew suspiciously, his sharp ears listening.
Realizing what she just said out loud, May quickly said, "Nothing!" and began to laugh it off nervously. Changing the subject, May added, "C'mon. Let's get some breakfast!"
"All right," he agreed reluctantly. Drew wanted to know what she meant but he was hungry so he couldn't argue.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
May wore her usual red and black blouse with her white skirt over black shorts. Her yellow fanny pack was fastened safely around her waist while she had left her backpack and other belongings in the Pokémon Center. Drew, deciding that it was cooler in Cherrygrove than Route 30, wore his black turtleneck with his shirt sleeve purple jacket over it. He walked alongside May with his left hand inside of his pocket towards a restaurant that was near the Pokémon Center, about a fifteen-minute walk down the street. As they continued to travel west, their senses could tell they were near the ocean. The Wingull cawed over the crashing, blue waves, trying to steal food from tourists while the smell of saltwater surfed the wind.
"This place is so peaceful," commented May with a blissful sigh. They were near the park and a few minutes away from where they hoped to get some brunch.
"Yeah," agreed Drew. "This town has a good climate."
"Now, use Sweet Scent!" shouted a feminine voice.
May and Drew turned to see a brunette commanding small Grass Pokémon that wore a green and yellow leaf skirt had two red flowers attached to its head. In her arms she held a yellow seed Pokémon with a few vertical black stripes and two green leaves on its head and by her side was a small green Pokémon with a yellow flower on its head.
"Now you use Petal Dance!" ordered the brunette. On its trainer's command, the Pokémon released a stream of shiny pink petals that mixed into the pink powder that was Sweet Scent, sending white and pink sparkles to shine with the petals.
May clapped loudly, startling the girl who turned around quickly. "That was awesome!" complimented May.
"Oh…thank you," she responded sweetly. Then she noticed the green-haired boy and gasped. "Drew!"
"Yeah?" he asked hesitantly while praying in his head, Please don't be a fangirl, please don't be a fangirl!
"You don't recognize me?" asked the girl.
Drew looked at the girl and studied her for a moment. She was around his and May's age, probably older. The brunette had amber eyes and wore a long-sleeved white blouse and white, knee length skirt. Then it came to him when he saw her Pokémon that had just performed stepping next to her. Snapping his fingers in realization, he said, "Oh, now I remember you. You were in the Violet City Contest. You went to the semi-finals but Harley managed to beat you."
"But you managed to beat Harley. That was a really stunning battle and your Roselia's appeal was absolutely gorgeous!" complimented the new brunette.
"Thanks, but yours wasn't too bad either," replied Drew.
"Introductions, please!" interrupted May.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Flor. I'm a Grass-type Pokémon Coordinator," she introduced.
"Hi, I'm May and I'm just a Coordinator," she said jokingly.
"May? So you're the girl Drew and Harley were talking about," recalled Flor.
"Huh, they were talking…about me?" asked May, pointing to herself.
"You were eavesdropping?" asked Drew, surprised.
"I was nearby and it's not like I could tell my ears to stop listening," shrugged Flor innocently.
"Wait. Flor, what were they saying about me?" asked May.
"Well…" she began.
Flashback
"Well if it isn't the Lettuce Head?" said a man in his early 20's dressed in a green Cacturne costume. His long purple hair was loose and ran down his back except for two locks that were on the front. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Why? It's obvious I'm here to win, Harley," replied Drew indifferently, dressed in his usual teal pants, black turtleneck and purple jacket. His green eyes hinted annoyance as well as a bit of curiosity.
"There's only going to be one winner today and that's gonna be me!" declared Harley, his beady blue eyes fierce in determination. Although Harley towered over him, Drew wasn't intimidated.
"We'll see about that," said Drew confidently.
"Yes, we will," he replied, not necessarily agreeing. "So, where's your little girlfriend?"
"May's not here," answered Drew, still keeping his calm exterior.
"Oh, so you admit she's your girlfriend?" asked Harley slyly, trying to gain the upper hand.
"Even if I said she wasn't, you'd still call her that so what's the point of wasting my time?" asked Drew coolly before putting his left hand in his pocket and walking away from the fuming Harley.
End of Flashback
"And yeah…" concluded Flor.
"Oh," replied May. She was speechless. There was nothing to say. Drew stayed quiet as well.
Noticing May and Drew kept silent, Flor spoke up, "May, can I ask you a favor?"
"Um, yeah, I guess," said May.
"If it's okay, can I battle with you," requested Flor.
"Battle? Why me?" asked May.
"Because you seem like a strong trainer," she answered, plain and simple.
"I'd like to but we were just on our way to get some breakfast," explained May but still glad she received that compliment.
"Breakfast?" asked Flor, confused.
"We arrived REALLY late so we slept in," laughed May sheepishly. "Besides, a meal's a meal."
"Oh…well I was going to have a lunch break anyway so why don't we all go together?" asked Flor.
"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. What do you think, Drew?" asked May.
"Sure, that's cool," he replied.
"Great," exclaimed Flor. Turning to May, she added, "And then, we can battle!"
"Fine by me!" agreed May.
"Well, let me introduce you to my Pokémon," she said. "This is Bellossom," referring to the Pokémon that had just performed.
May took out her yellow Pokédex to find out more about her Pokémon. Dexette said in her computerized voice, "Bellossom: the Dance Pokémon. This Grass is one of the two final evolutions of Gloom. Its flower petals deepen in color through exposure to sunlight. When cloudy weather persists, it does a dance that is thought to be a ritual for summoning the sun. It is said its petals rub together and make a pleasant ringing sound."
"This is Skiploom," she continued, this time the small green Pokémon by her side.
"Skiploom: the evolved form of Hoppip. It spreads its petals to absorb sunlight. It also floats in the air to get closer to the sun. Skiploom's flower blossoms when the temperature rises above 64 degrees F. How much the flower opens depends on the temperature. For that reason, this Pokémon is sometimes used as a thermometer."
"Last but not least, this is Sunkern," said Flor, holding up the cheery yellow and black seed Pokémon.
"Sunkern: the seed Pokémon. Sunkern tries to move as little as it possibly can. It does so because it tries to conserve all the nutrients it has stored in its body for its evolution. It will not eat a thing, subsisting only on morning dew. It is very weak. Its only means of defense is to shake its leaves desperately at its attacker."
"Aw, it's so cute," commented May.
"Yeah. I just caught it just a few months ago," said Flor.
"Has it won any ribbons, yet?" asked May.
"Sunkern hasn't even debuted yet but it will soon. It needs to train a little more so it could be stronger," explained Flor.
May's eyes widened in surprise, her words reminding her of how she sounded when she battled the redheaded guy with the Rhydon. "Just don't go overboard," she advised, her head cast down.
"Don't worry, I'd never do that," she agreed, before returning her Pokémon to their Poké balls.
"That's good," replied May quietly.
"So, how many ribbons do you have, May?" asked Flor as trio of coordinators walked towards the restaurant May and Drew were headed to earlier.
"Well, no Johto ribbons since I arrived here like a week ago," answered May. "But hopefully I could win the Goldenrod Contest and win my first ribbon!"
"But if you're entering the Goldenrod Contest, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you practicing over there?" asked Flor.
"I'm running an errand for Professor Oak so I have to go to New Bark Town," explained May as the trio entered a tropical restaurant by the seaside. They took a seat at a booth where May and Flor sat together while Drew sat alone. After ordering their food, which was a lot, Flor continued interrogating.
"And what about Drew? Why'd he tag along? From what I've noticed, he doesn't really get along with the competition," inquired Flor,
Drew scowled a bit while May giggled and then replied, "He's overprotective."
Drew, nearly choking, spit out his drink. "Overprotective?! I'm here so I could make sure you don't get lost!"
"Same difference," replied May, laughing at Drew, who was cleaning up his spilt soda with napkins.
While Drew muttered something coherently to himself, May asked to Flor, "How many do you have?"
"Just one," she answered. "Bellossom worked really hard for it."
"Just your Bellossom? Doesn't Johto allow you to change Pokémon?" asked May.
"Drew hasn't told you the Johto Contest rules?" asked Flor, shocked. When May shook her head 'no', she replied, "Then I suppose you don't know about the Battle Bar system, either?"
"Battle Bar?" repeated May questioningly while tilting her head.
"Shame on you, Drew, not teaching May about the rules here," scolded Flor but Drew shrugged his shoulders uncaringly while dipping his fries in ketchup. "Well, we do things here a little differently in Johto. When it comes to appeals, the rules are basically the same everywhere but battling is where things take a turn. You know how Contests in other regions don't have their points linked to each other? Well, here they are linked."
"What do you mean 'linked'?" asked May.
"Well, say you and Drew are battling in the finals," she began. "Drew sends out a powerful attack and in any other Contest, that would cause you to lose points. But here, they're connected so Drew would also 'gain' points. Basically, you're not only battling each other and the clock, but also how much space on the bar you get."
"Wow, that's really different," commented May. "What about Pokémon? Can you switch them between rounds?"
"Well, yes you can but the judges here like to see how tough your Pokémon are, how long they can hold up before they wipe out," explained Flor. "But it's not necessary not to. They just like to see how high their endurance can go because that shows how well you raise your Pokémon."
"Wow, things here are so different," said May, amazed.
"You already said that," spoke up Drew, popping a fry into his mouth.
"That's because it's true!" retorted May.
"Shut up and eat your food," he responded coolly.
"Don't tell me what to do!" she replied loudly, not wanting to shout in public. Then, much to her dismay, her stomach grumbled hungrily, causing her to blush in embarrassment.
"Well, I think your stomach doesn't agree with you," he grinned.
"Yeah, well, my fist doesn't agree with you!" growled May, standing up.
"May, calm down," said Flor, trying to hold her back. "Eat up so you can be ready to give me a good battle when we're done."
"Huh? Oh yeah. That's true," agreed May, now relaxed. She sat down but not before sending a poisonous glare to Drew.
"You better eat up, May, because this isn't going to be easy," said Flor competitively.
"I was gonna say the same for you," smiled May determinedly.
"We'll see about that," she replied.
"Yes, we will," agreed May.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Flor asked, "So, Drew, I was wondering, are you ever planning on evolving your Roselia?"
May's ears perked up. Drew answered, "I'm not really sure yet. And even if I did, it'd be hard to get a Shiny Stone in Johto."
"Shiny Stone?" repeated May. "And what will Roselia evolve into?"
"Really, you haven't heard?" asked Flor, astonished. "Well, in Sinnoh, there's a stone that will evolve Roselia into a Roserade."
"Roserade? What's that?" asked May as she took out her Pokédex.
"No Data," said Dextette.
"No data?" she repeated.
"I guess you'll have to get your Pokédex updated," said Flor.
"Yeah, you're right," agreed May. "So, what's a Roserade?"
"Roselia's final evolution. It's mainly unique to the Sinnoh region since the stone is only available there," explained Flor.
"Wow, Flor. You sure know a lot about Grass Pokémon," commented May, amazed.
"What'd you expect?" she asked with a wink.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"Wow, May. I never knew that someone so little could eat so much," commented Drew.
"Well, after eating your food, anything tastes good," retorted May, slightly embarrassed even though she gave 'pig out' a new definition.
"Really? I seem to recall that you said otherwise. And I quote, 'This is delicious! You're a really good cook, Drew!'" he mocked, perfect with pitch and tone.
Before May could explode with frustration, Flor asked, "So, May, what kind of battle do you want?"
"You're the one who wanted it. What do you want?" asked May.
"How about a double battle?"
"Sounds good to me. Contest or regular?"
"Regular is good, since you aren't too familiar with the rules," replied Flor.
"Okay," agreed May. "Where?"
"Well, it's a nice day. How about the beach? I know the perfect spot!" she said with a wink.
"Ooh, let's go there then!" agreed May eagerly. She hadn't been to the beach in a while. The ports and docks didn't count however.
"Okay!" she said, leading May and Drew to a secluded cove that wasn't far from where they were.
"Wow, this place is perfect," commented May.
"Yeah. So, are you ready?" asked Flor.
"Yup," she replied.
"All right, I'll be the judge," spoke up Drew. The girls then backed away to opposite sides.
"Bellossom! Sunkern! I choose you!" cried Flor, throwing two Poké balls into the air. A white light came from each of the Poké balls and morphed into their respective shapes.
"Munchlax! Squirtle! You're on!" shouted May, also throwing two Poké balls that turned into a small, blue turtle and a dark blue and cream teddy bear.
"A Normal-type and a Water-type. I should have the advantage against Squirtle but she has to have something up her sleeve," muttered Flor to herself.
"Trainers ready?" asked Drew loudly so the girls could hear. They nodded their heads in response. "All right. Begin!"
"You can go first, May," called Flor.
"You're gonna regret that!" shouted May. "Okay! Munchlax, start off with Metronome! Squirtle, use Rapid Spin on Bellossom!"
"Bellossom, hurry and dodge! Sunkern, use Sunny Day!" countered Flor. In the nick of time, Bellossom dodged Rapid Spin meanwhile Munchlax's wagging fingers began to glow. "Now use Petal Dance!"
Bellossom sent a stream of Petal Dance towards Munchlax but was burned to crisp by Metronome's Fire Spin.
"All right! A Fire Spin! Good job, Munchlax!" said May. "Squirtle, use Bubble on Sunkern!" Squirtle lunged forward and send small blue bubbles to the seed that had just increased to sun's strength.
"Bellossom! Use Solar Beam on Squirtle!" Bellossom began to gather energy, which was fast because of Sunkern's Sunny Day.
"Munchlax, block it with your Solarbeam!" shouted May.
"What the-!?" exclaimed Flor, surprised, but it was too late. Both Solarbeams, equal in power, collided and created a huge explosion, sending a cloud of sand in both directions.
"Bellossom, use your Petal Dance to blow the dust away!" ordered Flor. On cue, Bellossom sent a flurry of shining pink petals all around and caused the sand to blow away.
"Squirtle, hurry and use Ice Beam!" shouted May, once the sand was blown away.
"Ice Beam!?" she repeated loudly, shocked. "So that's why…Hurry and dodge it!" Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough it turned the two Grass Pokémon into ice sculptures.
"Munchlax, hurry and use Focus Punch!" ordered May. At her command, Munchlax's paw began to glow as it charged towards the frozen Pokémon. It broke the ice when it made impact and sent shards of ice everywhere.
Bellossom and Sunkern landed on the ground, completely knocked out.
"Bellossom and Sunkern are unable to battle. May's the winner," announced Drew.
"All right!" cheered May as she went up to her Pokémon. "You guys were so awesome!"
"Munch! Lax!/Squirtle!" cheered both of the Pokémon as they hugged their trainer.
"Good job, you two. I'm proud of you," said Flor to her Pokémon who smiled back at her. After she put them in her Poké balls, she walked over to May, who had just put back her Pokémon, and said, "That's was a great battle, May. You and your Pokémon are really strong."
"Thanks, Flor. That means a lot to me," replied May happily. "Your Pokémon were strong too. It was a really good idea to use Petal Dance to blow away the sand."
"Thanks. But if this was a contest battle, that Ice Beam and Focus Punch combination would've gotten you a lot of points," commented Flor. "Anyways, I should be heading home. I gotta baby-sit for my parents."
"Wait, you live here, Flor?" asked May.
"That's right," she answered. "Well, I hope I see you two in a contest or something. And next time, I won't lose, May."
"We'll see," replied May determinedly.
Flor nodded her head and walked off to a nearby neighborhood.
"Looks like you got yourself a new rival," commented Drew.
"Jealous?" asked May.
"Of what?" he asked.
"You might not be my number one anymore," replied May teasingly.
"Puh-lease, I'll always your number one," said Drew, flicking his hair.
"Yeah, you're right," she agreed laughingly as she looked out to the blue sea for a moment. The she turned around to face him, "So let's practice!"
"Practice?" he repeated.
"I'm not gonna win that ribbon with luck alone!"
Drew stared at her for a second before he nodded his head and replied, "Yeah."
"I'm not going to lose…" she said quietly. I know that I'm afraid…of getting Eevee hurt again but that's not going to stop me. I can't let myself fall apart, even if it hurts inside. I have to stay strong for my Pokémon. I can't let them down after they've all worked so hard. "I definitely not going to lose!" she cheered, jumping up and punching the air. No matter what!
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Sorry, I've been busy lately, preparing for school and so on. Next chapter will be a bit funnier but shorter. See ya next time.
And contestshippingrules (the user but it does rule), a coordinator is a trainer that shows off Pokemon so technically they are trainers. They were having a real match, not a contest match (I guess I should've specified) and in Chapter 11, Drew specifically states after May says she's just a coordinator, "But you're a trainer first."
But I'm glad you all like the story!