"So we're just going to let him run off on his own?" May questioned, giving the two boys next to her a hard glare. Drew just glared at the ground while rubbing his jaw, ignoring her question.
Red opened his mouth to reply, but then quickly closed it as a sad expression crossed his face.
"There's no point in trying to talk to him when he's like that. He's way too stubborn. If he wants to run off like an idiot, I say let him." Drew huffed, finally speaking up.
May turned her glare to him. "You're being just as bad as he is! You didn't have to hit him!" She fumed.
He copied her expression as he turned to look at her. He knew she was right, but didn't really want to admit it, so he let out a grunt before looking away in anger.
May let out a sigh as she massaged her temples, she had a real headache coming on. Actually, it had been there since she'd been whacked on the head by that crazy bounty hunter. It was then that she remembered something and let out a gasp. "Ash!" She suddenly blurted out. "Oh no! She stabbed him. Right before I blacked out, she stabbed him and he fell to the ground!" She said in dismay as she grabbed a hold of Drew's shoulders. The green haired teen's eyes widened from her outburst. Ash was stabbed and left for dead and she was just bringing it up NOW?
"Your friend is fine," Red finally spoke up. "He's with Leaf. We should probably head over there."
The two looked over to him and May let out a sigh of relief while Drew visibly relaxed. Deciding that Gary would find his way back, the three started back toward where Leaf was waiting.
"You know, you two have a lot of explaining to do." Red said as they walked. The two teens stiffed and glanced nervously at each other. They were hoping this conversation wouldn't come up. "Especially you," He added giving a pointed look to Drew.
May didn't really sympathize with that one, considering she was still a little upset about it herself.
"Yeah, yeah. I know." The green head replied with a huff of annoyance.
It didn't take them long before Leaf came into view. She was sitting over Ash, wiping his face with a wet cloth. She paused when she heard them walking up, and reached for her sword, but stopped when she saw who it was. Her eyes instantly fell on May and the bandanna wearing girl froze on the spot. It had seemed like so long since she'd seen her best friend. What was she going to say? She had to be beyond furious that she'd left without her. Would she hit her like Gary had done to Drew? Would she stop talking to her?
She was so lost in her fears that she didn't notice Leaf had stood up. Suddenly the long haired brunette was running over to them, passed Red and Drew before finally making it to her friend.
"Leaf.. I..." May didn't know what to say as her friend came to a stop in front of her. Her expression was unreadable and she didn't say anything as she stared her down.
As soon as she moved May flinched, but instead of hitting her, suddenly she threw her arms around May as her face crumbled. "Thank goodness!" She said as tears started falling down her face. "I was so worried!"
May's eyes widened as Leaf cried over her shoulder. "You mean... You're not mad?" May questioned, afraid to hear her response.
"Of course I am! But, I was more scared. I was so scared something would happen, and I'd never see you again. I thought I'd lose the only family I have left!" Her words hit May hard. She had been so inconsiderate. She knew just how much she meant to Leaf, and leaving her was the same as abandoning her all alone. She knew that Leaf had no family, and to her, May was the closest thing to family she had. "Don't ever leave me again!" She pleaded between sobs.
May felt her own eyes water as she returned the hug. "I won't! I'm sorry!"
"I missed you," Leaf stated.
"I missed you too," May said over her shoulder.
Red and Drew watched the exchange in silence. Drew eyed them and frowned from Leaf's words. While he knew he'd never cry or admit it, he was sure Gary felt the same. He had run off with May without even thinking about how his best friend would feel. He probably felt just as betrayed as when his brother left him. He cursed to himself as he realized just how crappy of a friend he was. With a look of determination he turned and started running back in the direction Gary had disappeared.
"Where are you going?" Red called after him.
"I have to talk to him!" He yelled over his shoulder.
May and Leaf turned their heads to watch him run off. "What did I miss?" Leaf asked as she finally pulled away from May.
"It's a long story..." May laughed awkwardly.
Gary finally stopped walking when he came to a small river. The only sound he could hear was the running water, and it helped him to relax, at least until he heard the flapping of wings. He looked up to find Charizard had followed him, and the Pokemon landed rather loudly next to him.
The Pokemon's mere existence hurt him. He remembered the fire type as a Charmeleon when he was younger, but obviously the Pokemon had evolved in his time away. He got along with his brother's Pokemon rather well, in fact, before Blue left, Charmeleon was often found sleeping in Gary's room when the boy was afraid at night. Now, he couldn't stand the fact that his brother's Pokemon now had a close bond with the one that killed him.
"How can you stand even being around him?" He lashed out at the fire type. "He killed your trainer! Does that mean nothing to you?"
The Charizard looked down at him with a sorrowful expression. "I get that Pokemon are sensitive when their trainers die, but were you so desperate for attention that you'd settle for that traitor?" The Pokemon once again failed to respond, so Gary turned away with a huff. Of course, it wasn't like the Pokemon could respond even if he wanted to.
Drew was completely out of breath by the time he finally found Gary. The brunette boy was by a small river, angrily throwing rocks into the crystal blue water. Charizard was standing off to the side. Gary was clearly ignoring the Pokemon, but the fire type stayed by his side regardless. He stopped mid throw when he heard someone behind him. He only turned to see who it was before looking back and continuing what he was doing.
"The hell do you want?" Gary asked with venom in his voice. "I don't really feel like talking to you."
"Then shut up and listen." Drew replied, still feeling out of breath from running.
Gary turned around to glare at him, but didn't say anything.
"I suck. No, I beyond suck. I'm probably the worst friend in the history of friends." Drew started. "I kept a secret from you. I pretty much kept my whole life from you, while you were always honest. You told me everything, and trusted me, and I broke that trust."
Gary's glare hardened. "Yes, you did. I can never trust you again."
"I said shut up." Drew asserted, causing Gary to scoff and roll his eyes. "I deserve that. You should probably hate me forever, but know this." He made it a point to stare directly into Gary's eyes. "Despite secrets I kept, you are still my best friend. More than that, you're like a brother. You are the person that I trust to have my back, and there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you."
Gary tried his best to keep his glare, but he could feel himself start to frown. Why was he bringing that up? It didn't change anything. Yet he could feel his anger dissipating. As pissed as he was at Drew, he felt the same. He had always resented his brother for abandoning him, but then he found Drew. They were inseparable, and he became his family. When he felt lost and alone, he knew that he always had a family with Drew. Someone who knew what it was like to feel alone.
"My family was gone, and I was alone. That wasn't a lie." He continued, as if reading Gary's mind. "To me, you were my family, and that will never change." He added. "So no matter how much you hate me, I'm going to be here. Even if you ignore me, and never talk to me again, you're my family."
Gary's hands clenched at his sides. He was making it really hard to stay mad. Yet despite everything that had happened, he still wanted to believe in his friend.
"It's the same for me you know," He finally spoke up. Drew's eyes widened in surprise. "Despite everything, you'll always be my brother. No matter how much I hate your guts."
He didn't miss the look of pure relief that crossed Drew's face as he smiled a soft smile. One that showed just how worried he was that his friend would never talk to him again. One that showed how relieved he was to still have his brother.
"But you're still and asshole." He muttered as he rubbed his bruised jaw where Drew had punched him.
"Yeah, I know." Drew said with a small laugh as he brushed his hand over the scab forming on his lip.
"And you have a lot of explaining to do." Gary said as he walked passed Drew and started back to where the others were.
Drew smiled to himself as he followed behind with his hands in his pockets. "So I've heard."
When they finally got back, they were practically attacked by the two girls. They had both thrown their arms around the boys, pulling them into a group hug between the four friends. Charizard instantly flew to Red's side, and the squad leader returned him to his crystal with a sigh as he watched the four teens with a small smile.
"It's about time you guys came back!" May exclaimed with her cheek pressed up against Drew's, making said boy extremely uncomfortable.
"You guys made up right?" Leaf asked with her own face pressed against Gary's.
"I don't know if I'd call it that." Gary muttered, refusing to look at his best friend who was squished next to him.
"Good, then we're back together again." May said with a big smile, ignoring his negative comment. "I missed you guys."
"Yeah, let's promise to never separate again. Okay?" Leaf said, making it a point to look at each of them.
Gary looked at her expectant face and then quickly looked away. "It's not like I was the one that ran off." He muttered.
Her gaze then turned to May who nodded her head in agreement. "I promise!" She stated with a smile.
They all turned their gazes to Drew who looked at each of them before rolling his eyes. "Ah," He agreed.
The girls smiled while the boys attempted to get out of their iron tight hold. When they finally separated, Gary looked over to find Red watching over Ash.
"How is he?" He inquired, nodding his head in Ash's direction.
"He's okay. Fortunately she didn't hit anything vital. He just lost a good amount of blood, but with some rest and fluids, I think he'll be okay. I sent Peeko back to his base to get some help down here to bring him back." Leaf answered.
"I love it when you talk medical." Gary said as he nudged her with his elbow while wiggling his eyebrow suggestively.
Leaf instantly narrowed her eyes before slugging him in the arm. "Cut it out!" She scolded while hiding a blush.
"So since we'll be waiting for a while, which one of you would like to start explaining?" Red asked in a stern voice as he walked over to join their group.
May and Drew shared a look before Drew let out a sigh. It was about time he properly explained himself. They all had a right to know. So he told them his story, starting from the very beginning.
By the time he got to the part where he escaped with Solidad, May and Leaf were giving him heartbroken expressions. "What's with that look?" He asked in an annoyed voice.
"It's just so sad! I had no idea that was the kind of background you came from! No wonder you're the way you are!" Leaf exclaimed.
Drew narrowed his eyes, his annoyance rising. May instantly nudged her friend. "What she meant was, she's sorry." She corrected, covering for her friend's rude remark.
"I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me." He asserted.
"So why did you join the Defiance?" Red asked, moving the conversation back on topic.
"After Solidad and I got to Hoenn, we moved to LaRousse City where I started a special training program. She said getting training from the Defiance would be good for me. By the time I was old enough to apply for a Defiance training school, I was already leagues ahead of the other applicants, getting accepted into the top academy was a piece of cake." He said with a shrug like it was no big deal. "While I went off to school, Solidad joined up with the Defiance. But I never had any intentions of actually joining. My plan was to graduate the academy and then find Solidad. From there I'd go back to Unova."
This news made May frown. "So the reason you came with me?" She inquired.
Drew turned to look at her with a frown of his own. "I did some digging back at the base in Johto. I found the list of all the Defiance members that were sent to Hoenn after the attack. Solidad's name was on the list."
While May knew she wasn't the real reason Drew came with her to Hoenn, it kind of hurt to hear him actually say it out loud.
Upon seeing her face fall, Drew patted her on the head. She looked up at him to find a smirk on his face. "Don't be too disappointed. That wasn't the only reason I went with you, you know..."
His words made her blush before she swatted away his hand. "I wasn't disappointed!" She denied.
"Wait... You stole classified Defiance information?" Red asked with an angry expression.
Drew just scoffed at the man. "It's not like it was hard. Honestly, you people made it so easy, I was almost embarrassed FOR you."
"You're just digging yourself deeper," May scolded.
Drew shrugged. "Like I said. I have no intentions of being a part of the Defiance."
"So you're going to leave then?" May asked with a hint of sadness.
Drew gave her a pointed look. "No. I promised I'd help you find your brother." He assured her.
May let out a sigh from his words. She wasn't sure what she'd do if he really did up and leave.
"About your brother..." Red spoke up once again. "He's the reason you guys ran out here right?"
May nodded her head with a look of determination. "I couldn't stand not knowing. I have to find my brother." She stated. "He's my most important person, it's my job to look out for him, and I'm not leaving until I find him."
"I want to help!" Leaf exclaimed. "I know that if I had family that was out here, I'd want to find them too."
"I'm in too." Gary stated after hearing Leaf.
Red let out a sigh as he removed his hat and ran a hand through his raven colored hair. He looked at each of his squad members all giving him looks of determination.
"Fine. We'll find May's brother." He finally gave in.
The two girls let out cheers as the boys smiled in triumph.
"But know this. You may not like what you find." He warned.
May frowned from his words. "I know." She assured him. She knew there was a chance her brother was dead. In fact, that was a very high chance. Yet, she couldn't give up. Even if it turned out that her brother was dead, she still had to know.
With that decision made, the group went back to looking after Ash while they waited for Peeko to return with help.
"Your Majesty," The King was interrupted from his game of chess as one of his grunts addressed him with a bow.
"This had better be good. You've wrecked my concentration." He complained, eyeing the grunt's trembling form.
The man looked up to his King with a hint of fear in his eyes, a look that the King did not miss. That certainly meant news that would not make him happy.
"We've received word back from Hunter J, my liege." He started. Ghetsis narrowed his eyes, he knew where this was going. "It would seem as though she failed to capture her target."
Ghetsis let out an enraged growl as he stood up from his chair. "Are you all THAT incompetent? How hard can it possibly be to catch a mere teenage boy?" He questioned in furry.
The grunt flinched, keeping his head bowed in fear of his king's rage. "It would seem that he has taken allegiance with the Defiance, and is on a team with an elite."
The King froze from his words. He's joined the Defiance? That must be a joke... But then, he wouldn't put it passed Solidad to come up with a plan like that. Use the Defiance to their advantage.
"Was there any sign of Solidad?" The King wondered.
The grunt shook his head. "No, my Lord. She was not with him."
Now that was certainly interesting. It was very unlike her to leave him on his own... that is unless she thought he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Part of him wondered just how far his youngest son had come.
"Hunter J said that she will regroup and-" The grunt started, but was cut off.
"No." The King asserted. "She's already failed me. Tell her to pull back. I'll send someone who is more up to the task."
"If I may..." The two finally turned to look at the other man in the room, the one the King had been playing chess with. Ghetsis was so caught up in his rage, he'd nearly forgotten he was there.
The young man had long mint green hair, that matched that of the King, which was pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing a white and black hat that shaded his face while his chin rested lazily on his hand. He reached out to make his final move on the game he was playing with his father, knocking over his father's piece, and winning the game.
"I'd be more than happy to give it a try. He is after all, my little brother." He said as he finally looked up with a smirk.
So I was listening to 'Hey Brother' by Avicii and it totally got me thinking about how well it fits with their little group. They'd all do just about anything for each other, even if they aren't blood related, they think of each other as family, and so I was rocking out to that song while it inspired me to write this chapter! I'm glad they're all finally back together, and worked out most of their issues. Also, sorry this was a few days late, I know I usually post on Thursdays, but I was sick all last week and really wasn't up for writing until yesterday. So I had a cloudy head while writing this whole thing so it's probably full of mistakes, and for that, I apologize!
QUEENSPELLER67: Yes, Gary blew his top! But he's working on getting over it. Too much anger is bad for you anyways. Thanks for the review!
Guess Who: Yeah, I feel really bad making them all suffer... but then I remind myself that it makes for a good story. XD
Forevershine: Because for some reason we think it makes the story feel more intense? Kidding, I don't really know. I usually just cut off the chapter when I feel like it's long enough, and it always seems to leave it with a cliffie. Sorry for that! :P
Lolaxp: Okay so I just noticed that every time I put your name it gets cut out, so I made sure it showed up this time! Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked her reaction, I was really worried about that! But yes, May really doesn't like her parents. I think it might have been brought up in the very first chapter that her parents were the reason she joined the Defiance, but that was some foreshadowing I did so long ago! XD It will all be explained in the future, because Drew isn't the only one with things unsaid.
Siamofelici: What? You want MORE back story? Hmmmm... I'll have to see what I can think up to do something about that ;)
Guest: Don't worry I have every intention of finishing this story. I know I started it over a year ago, but back then I wasn't really that dedicated to it, and I wasn't really sure where it was going to go. But then I realized people actually liked it, and now I'm totally into this story myself. Also, as opposed to only updating every one or two months when it first started, I've been pretty good about updating weekly. So I hope you'll bear with me and keep following along with the story. Not sure about a date or the amount of chapters... from what I have outlined and planned out, I'd say we're about halfway through, so maybe around 40 or 50 chapters all together? Here's hoping it doesn't take me another year to do them XD
Shouting Guest: I totally laughed at that name. No way would I disapprove of your capital letters! I think it makes your reviews stand out and I totally read it as shouting in my head! Thanks for your thoughts, I'm glad you're liking it! Also, I so agree! I just want one episode where they bring back May and Drew and say they've been traveling together or something. I still remember how much I freaked when May showed up during the Wallace Cup in DP. Even if Drew was only there for half a second, I did a girly shriek at the sight of him and Solidad. Happy summer to you too! AND THANK YOU FOR BEING MY 100TH REVIEW! YOU ROCK!
Scriptress: Thanks! I'm glad you liked her reaction! I was hoping you'd approve. I like that about Drew too, like he can be cocky and act all smug, but he knows when he's out matched, and can admit when he needs to get the heck out of there to avoid getting the stuffing beat out of him. Thank you very much for that review. I really liked the whole reviewing while you read. It really gives me a view of just how you were feeling at each part, and I love that! I love hearing people's thoughts on different scenes that really stuck out to them, that way I know what I'm doing right.