Chapter 12

Sunnyshore City, Sinnoh.

The warm rays of sun shone down below as May entered the PokeSeal market; after all, this was the only time she had to stock up on seals for the Grand Festival. Her eyes beamed as they stared at the limited edition ones behind the glass frames. She glanced back at Gary, who was always a few steps behind. She pointed at the crystal seal collection excitedly. At this point, her enthusiasm took charge, and the worry etched on Gary's face went unnoticed.

In fact if she did, May put it down to seasickness. After just arriving to Sinnoh after Hoenn, they would need to take yet another voyage to the Island. Gary became somewhat withdrawn towards the end of the trip. It became clear he wanted to be alone, and May understood that. She knew he was a person who relished the silence from time to time. So while Gary spent time alone in his cabin- probably on some sort of research work- May watched the ocean waves and beamed whenever a pokemon made its way above the waters. Her mind would often wonder about Manaphy too.

"I'm gonna buy this!" she squealed, almost dancing into the shop.

There were stalls as far as the eyes could see, and crowds in every corner. The hustle and bustle of the city was something that brought May even more excitement. While Solidad announced that she would to continue her journey to Battle Island, May belatedly realised how unprepared she was regarding her Grand Festival fashion. During her Kanto and Johto journeys, contest fashion was hardly a thing. Even in Johto there wasn't much emphasis, but Sinnoh super contests really took pride in their appearance. May flicked through her mental checklist; she stocked up on pokeblocks and poffins (she wasn't a bad baker, according to Gary, but sadly her Venasaur disagreed), and ordered a dress from Dawn, and as soon as she was done with pokeseal shopping, she and Gary could take a quick voyage to Battle Island too.

"I think these are enough!" she decided, in awe of the pristine glass casing which contained her contest seals.

"Enough for year," Gary added, offering to hold the shopping back. She smiled at his chivalry. He hated shopping, but she really appreciated his effort.

"They were all so cute! Plus, with my membership card, I get discounts." She said, waving the platinum card in the air.

The walk back wasn't long. Staying temporarily at the PokeCentres were no longer an option since they would either be surrounded by trainers who wanted to take photos, or tabloid photographers who intruded privacy to take a secret snap. Privacy was no longer hers to keep. But slowly, she had gotten used to it. For now, they took a detour across the beach.

The waves crashed against the shore. The white sands stretched for what seemed like miles. Sunnyshore Lighthouse was nearby, the tall building overlooking the vast northern ocean seemed rather ominous as the grey clouds loomed above. May marveled at the solar panels and glanced at Gary. She expected him to be more fascinated than she was, but to her surprise, he remained pensive. She pursed her lips nervously. Though the beach was void of the hustle and bustle of life, in Gary's mind, it still feel too claustrophobic. It was now or never.

"May, we need to talk," he suddenly spoke, the air suddenly becoming thick.

She stopped in her tracks. "About what?"

"I've got an admission to Lumoise City, and Leaf is on her way." He was always blunt.

But this time, she didn't like it one bit. Her heart dropped at his strained tone. "Who?"


Resort Area, Battle Island, Sinnoh.

The weather was unusually cloudy today. For a luxury area known not only for its decadent resorts and frequent elite holidaymakers, but also its all-round warm, sunny weather, this was strange indeed. And while trainers would either be taking refuge in expensive hotel rooms, dining in extravagant restaurants, two trainers stood alone in the fields of wild grass. However, dangerous pokemon that lurked in these grass was the last thing on their mind.

Aria couldn't stop the tears from falling, listening to each and every deafening words robotically leaving Drew's mouth, gripping the umbrella handle tightly.

"I can't do this anymore." He sighed, his eyes gazing down, as if he was protecting himself from the guilt that would overwhelm him if he saw her reaction. "I should have said this earlier."

A drizzle began to pour from the grey clouds, splashing on his hair and trailing down his face. The silence ensued, only the soft ruffling if trees broke the stillness.

"It's not your fault," she said weakly. She knew this was coming. "It's not you. Your dad, and Palermo are the reason this happened. And I was too trusting of Palermo... I never thought she would do this." Her words ended on a harsh note, bringing Drew's attention up.

She never thought her long time mentor would ever play on her emotions and twist an innocent crush into a scheme of deception in order to boost her popularity. She never needed such a fake display to push her career; she just wanted someone who genuinely liked her. Not because of her fame. And Drew was pushed into this ridiculous play too. And to think his father was part of it too caused her to feel pity for him.

"I am to blame though," he stated earnestly. "I went with it all and left you in the dark. I'm sorry, forgive me."

"You, like me, were deceived," she said boldly, wiping her tears. "Don't you dare apologise again."

The corner of Drew's mouth twitched into a small smile as her scolding. "We're still friends, right?"

"Yes," she said, her voice sounding much clearer. Though the sting of rejected love was still painful, friendship would be the healer for now. "Now get under this umbrella before you get soaking wet."

He walked under the umbrella, sharing a small laugh as she adjusted the umbrella higher to suit him. Though, he didn't think they would need it any longer; the clouds disappeared and the sun was finally seen again.

"I'm gonna give Palermo a piece of my mind!" Aria declared. And indeed, she would.


Everything crashed down too fast. Too suddenly. She was speechless. Was she hurt? Or just confused? Nothing made sense anymore. Was this even Gary speaking? Her ears heard everything perfectly, but her mind failed to fathom the ridiculous mess.

"It was an on-off relationship which we left without officially ending it," he whispered, a fresh wave of guilt colouring his voice. "She's a private person, and I was no longer in the spotlight. That was why no one knew I was even dating."

"Seemed like you didn't know you were dating either." She wished it came out tough and angry, but instead it was fragile and defeated. "If we stop this-" a lump appeared in her throat, "-then this negative press isn't good from my Grand Festival performance, Gary!"

"I know, I know," he said quickly, as if to pacify her growing frustration. "I would never do that to you."

"Then?" A part of her knew that it wasn't truly about the Grand Festival.

"I will tell Leaf that it's off."

"But she's your girlfriend!" It hurt too much to say that.

"I don't think I feel the same about her anymore."

Gary stared at her, his eyes clouded with emotional. A small flame of hope burst inside May, suddenly calming her anxiety.

He then cast his eyes into the distance. It wasn't until that fateful phone call did he remember that someone was supposed to already have his heart. Their relationship had been so inconsistent that Gary at some point couldn't care less about their romantic status. Did he want to continue his relationship with Leaf? No... not anymore. But he chastised himself for not breaking up sooner. And as he watched the person he had grown to have such a deep affection for so shocked and baffled, made him hate himself even more. As some who never entertained the toxic thoughts of self-loathing, it hurt him in ways he couldn't express.

"What do you mean?"

"I know what I'm doing. It's gonna work, I promise. It's hard to trust me now, but this is gonna work. It is."

A sudden rage erupted inside her. Pure, unadulterated rage seeped in her veins, as she marched towards him and prodded an accusing finger in her chest. "Trust you?" An incredulous laugh escaped her mouth. "You've proven to be a good liar, you know?"

Indignation rose inside him, offended and even perplexed at her comment. "Everything is fake, remember?" He retorted. "Why does it mean so much if it was never real. This so-called relationship is a sham."

May faltered. He was right. It wasn't real. None of it was. She shook her head in disappointed. It was truly stupid how she actually began to think, some part of this- just a tiny part- was real. But it wasn't. Not for him.

"...I didn't-"

"No, you're right," she murmured, tearing her eyes away from him. "You should sort this out with your girlfriend. Tell her the truth. The papers don't have to know."

"May-"

"I want to go Battle Island alone, Gary."

He ran a hand through his hair, panicking at her quick declaration. His cool composure slowly broke as the seconds ticked by.

"That's a bit drastic." He couldn't let her go. "I know how to fix everything-"

May abruptly took off her yellow bag and rummaged through it gently. Curious at the sudden movement, Gary paused, unsure. The wind whistled between them as the tide continued to push forward. His confusion grew more when she approached him, clutching at what looked like half a ribbon.

"This is my special charm. It means a lot to me, and gave me so much strength when I felt hopeless." She put the Terracotta Town Ribbon in his hand and curled his fingers over it. As he was about to protest, she quickly interrupted.

"When we see each other again... when everything is fine, give me this, okay?"

He reluctantly accepted the purple ribbon. "You'll get it soon."

He wanted to give a final hug, but he restrained himself, simply watching her as she walked off into the distance. He glanced down at the valuable memoir she endowed him and held it with conviction. He heard the foghorn in the distance; the last call today. His mind urged his to run after, to run along with her and get his ass on that boat. But his heart told him to stop, and ironically, it told him to think and not be hasty.

After all, he'll see her.

"Smell ya later," he whispered. It was a promise. As if she heard him, she stopped from a moment in her tracks, turning her head to face him. After a brief nod, she continued.


Resort Area, Battle Island, Sinnoh.

The normally quaint, rich resort reserved for the famous was now full fresh-faced and experienced coordinators alike from all corners of the worlds, all with one goal in mind: to earn the title of Sinnoh's Top Coordinator. Crowds huddled around the shopping centres, making last minute purchases. Others practiced passionately in the wild fields. Some were spotted socialising with other, learning more about their competition, and some walked by in awe, staring excitedly as they laid their eyes on the Grand Festival stadium. For novice coordinators, it was their first shot at major success, and for the advanced, it simply another competition, another hurdle they had faced before.

"The Grand Festival is starting here!" A young girl cried happily to her Mothim. "I can't believe it. Only a few days left!"

Zoey walked by cooly, her shades covering her eyes. Truth be told, she too was unbelievably excited, as if it was her first time ever competing. The lack of competition after her win was somewhat tedious. She could have opted to perform in contests in other regions, but Sinnoh Top Coordinator was her ultimate goal. And she planned to protect her title.

The grand building towered over the luxury apartments and villas, promising great things to come. Zoey made her way to the Contest Villiage, a large area of villas specifically for the coordinators free of charge who booked with the pokemon contest organisation in advance as they had won their five ribbons quickly.

Zoey dropped her bag as she unlocked the door to her room. She stared out the window, frowning. It was unlike other to be worried about a competition but she had to admit, the Coordinators from Hoenn were no joke at all. May had beaten her on more than one occasion, then the purple haired creepy one definitely shouldn't be underestimated. And although she personally had never directly battled against Drew, his reputation was formidable indeed. And Solidad, the winner from Kanto, was a top coordinator too. She closed her eyes, calming herself.

This will certainly be interesting. She was itching to feel the fire of a real fight again.

The sun was starting to set and the lonely girl hoped he was close to her destination. Serena held the map up, angling it in different ways while pursing her lips. She was sure she was on the right path... the Resort Area should be close by now. But with not a single trainer in sight and the dust storms in the distance, she whined loudly. She touched her hair compulsively. She cringed at the frizz, and the humidity of the route was not helping in the slightest. She trudged her way from Fight Area, running past every trainer who wanted a battle. She just wanted a nice hot bath.

"Come'on!" She cried, throwing he map on the floor. "My hair is a mess, my clothes smell and I'm hungry! Where is this resort place?" As if the universe answered her prayers, she heard voices becoming louder and louder. Suddenly enthused, she ran towards the sounds. And without realising, she whooshed past a signpost:

Welcome to the Resort Area. A Reminder to Those Wishing to Participate in the Grand Festival: Please Register at the Ribbon Syndicate as Soon as Possible. Thank You.

And perhaps she ran a little too fast.

Crash!

"Ouch!" Cried a voice. The girl sat up, rubbing her head. Her blue eyes glared at the culprit as she reached to pick up her piplup, who was also annoyed at the sudden push.

"Sorry," Serena apologised, offering her hand. "I guess I was excited about watching the performances for the Grand Festival." She can finally see Drew, and she'll also see Aria again! Oh, and May too! The flight from Mainland Sinnoh to Battle Island was short of an hour, and the damage the dry airplane air did to her hair made he want to cry. If she was lucky enough, she would find a free room in the pokecentre, otherwise she'd have to spend her time in an overpriced apartment. The sooner she finds somewhere to stay, the faster she can fix the monstrosity she calls her hair.

The girl's mouth curved into an excited smile. "Me too! By the way, I'm Dawn and I'm here to watch a friend!" She stuck her hand out which Serena gladly shook.

"Hi Dawn, my name is Serena."


A/N: It was a nightmare editing this. What do you expect to see happen next?