Hey everyone! Here's another chapter! This one took longer so I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter 5: Oddish Ones Out

Drew would never admit it but his travels had never been as eventful and enjoyable as they were now with May. He had never expected to feel any amount of comfort when traveling with anyone, let alone someone as energetic and outgoing as her. He shouldn't have been surprised however. It was May after all. You could never be sure about anything when it came to her. While there were times where he wanted to be alone, he found the two hours of training in the morning before she woke up and the two hours they trained separately before lunch to be sufficient.

It had been several days since the Bug-catching contest and Drew had estimated that it would take another six hours of travel before they reached Goldenrod city. They had just finished their lunch and their pokemon were out and about, enjoying the small grassy plain where they had chosen to stop. Beautifly and Butterfree hovered nearby next to a mass of fragrant multi-coloured flowers that made the air smell sweet. They trilled as though having a conversation and Drew wondered what they were talking about. Absol lay exhausted under the beating afternoon sun. Its fur glistened with sweat from playing with a still energetic Eevee, who hopped around it. Drew was amused to see Squirtle making crowns out of flowers then showing them to Roselia as if to be judged before piling them on its own head. A short distance away Blaziken sat up in a tree, watching the others or occasionally looking out into the distance. Drew was surprised at how easily his and May's pokemon had bonded. They talked and played as though they had known each other for years.

"I think it's time we tried it out," May said getting Drew's attention as she slipped her phone back into her bag. "Should I call Blaziken down?"

Since Drew had let Scyther out the first time to introduce it to the other pokemon, things had gone similarly between it and Blaziken every time they were taken out of their pokeballs at the same time. Scyther would start battling Blaziken and Blaziken would not back down. Before May or Drew could do anything they would be in the midst of a heated battle, each with a fierce hatred in their eyes. It had taken a few days for Drew to discipline Scyther enough that it would eat with the other pokemon. Even then it still would not interact with them and would often sit up in a tree away from them when taken out if its pokeball. Whenever it did this, May was reminded of Ash's Sceptile when it had been a Treecko in its earlier days. Even training had been difficult for Drew as Scyther was not the most obedient of the pokemon he had and he was not exactly accustomed to dealing with a pokemon that didn't listen.

A few days ago when they had stopped by in a small town, Drew had tried to do some research on what might be wrong and had learned that it was common for Scyther to become aggressive upon seeing the colour red. He and May had understood then that because Blaziken was largely red in colour, Scyther had become hostile toward it.

"I suppose it's worth a try," Drew replied, clearing up the dishes they had used and getting to his feet. May walked to the tree on which Blaziken still sat.

"Blaziken can you come down please!" She called and he looked down then swiftly landed on the ground next to her. "Okay, we know you're having a problem with Scyther so we're going to get you to have a proper battle with it and see if that'll settle things." Blaziken gave a firm nod of agreement. "Great! Thanks Blaziken!" May smiled. "You ready Drew? She called, turning in his direction. He stood across the other side of the plain, Parkball in hand. He nodded then tossed it in the air. Scyther emerged in a burst of translucent red light. The first thing its eyes locked on was Blaziken and they immediately narrowed.

"Scyther we're going to have a proper one on one battle so you have to work with me if you want to beat Blaziken, alright?'' Drew told Scyther firmly. It turned to him and nodded then snapped its head back to face its opponent.

"Blaziken use Blaze Kick!" May called out and Blaziken charged forward, ready to strike with its flaming leg.

"Dodge and use Steel Wing!" Scyther easily dodged and was ready to strike back.

"Jump to dodge it then use Flamethrower!" Blaziken pulled off a swift dodge and was in the air for a few moments as it opened its mouth to let out a burst of flames that shot straight down toward Scyther. Scyther dodged then streaked straight toward Blaziken and struck a fierce blow with Air Slash. Blaziken flew back and hit the ground hard.

"Wait, Scyther I didn't tell you to do that," Drew called. Scyther ignored him, its breath shaky as it glared at Blaziken.

"Blaziken can you get up?" May asked and Blaziken immediately jumped to its feet, fire in its eyes. "Great, then use Overheat!"

"Quick dodge it Scyther!" Drew ordered and Scyther obeyed, flying up to do so. The Overheat had been the most powerful May had ever seen it and shot far past Drew, completely burning a bush that bordered the forest. A loud cry rang out from behind it. Drew turned at the sound and May jerked her head in its direction.

"What was that?" She asked Drew. He shrugged looking back to her. Even Scyther and Blaziken had turned at the sound. Then they heard a quieter cry of pain that turned into a whimper. May quickly rushed toward the bush, Drew also making his way to it. Upon reaching the destination where the cry had resounded, they were surprised to see an Oddish. It seemed to be only half conscious. It was slumped at the base of a bush next to the one that had been burned down by Blaziken's overheat and was letting out soft whimpers, its eyes shut tight.

"Oh no Blaziken's Overheat must've hit this Oddish really hard," May said, dropping to her knees and scooping it into her arms. Drew stood next to her, watching it with concern.

"Maybe we can do something to help," He offered. May nodded, getting to her feet. It continued to let out small cries and moans of pain. Then there was a sudden loud thud that caused May and Drew to snap their heads in the direction of the clearing. They weren't surprised to see that Scyther and Blaziken were battling once again and Scyther had just hit Blaziken with powerful steel wing that made it hit a tree behind it. Beautifly and Butterfree were hovering overhead trying to break up the fight.

"What do I do with that one?" Drew grunted in frustration before rushing back into the clearing and recalling Scyther to its pokeball. May rushed behind him still holding the Oddish and quickly returned Blaziken to its pokeball as well.

After May had set the Oddish down, she and Drew took a closer look at it.

"I don't think Blaziken's Overheat did all the damage," He said.

"Really? How can you tell?" May asked, looking at him curiously.

"Before we started battling I thought I could hear something from behind the bush but I didn't think anything of it," Drew told her. "I think it must've been sick from before and that Overheat just made it even weaker." May frowned at this piece of information.
"So do you know what we can do?" She asked him. He shook his head slowly.

"I don't know much about caring for injured Pokemon." He rummaged in his bag. "But we can probably cover up some of the cuts and burns with these." He pulled out a box of bandages and dropped some into his hands, and passed a few to May. She nodded, taking them.

They worked silently for a few minutes, covering up any marks of injury. The Oddish would occasionally let out a small whimper.

"I think we need to get it to a Pokemon Centre," May looked at him worriedly, having finished the bandaging. "How long will it take us to get to Goldenrod?" Drew checked his phone for the time.

"With the pace we go at it'll probably take six hours but if we hurry we might make it in five." He showed her the screen where the time flashed. "We might make it by midnight."

"I don't think this Oddish is doing well. I think we should hurry and get there," May suggested. Drew nodded.

"You won't get to eat anything if we want to make it there in five hours."

"That's okay! I can be hungry for a bit if it means we can help this Oddish," May said. Drew nodded before getting to his feet.

"Let's hurry then." May carefully scooped the Oddish into her arms and swung her bag onto her shoulder. Then she followed after Drew, back on the road to Goldenrod.

May was exhausted beyond belief when they finally saw Goldenrod in the distance. She still held the Oddish firmly in her hands. Its condition had weakened the longer they had walked and she grew worried as the sky grew darker above them. She was surprised at how little she had asked to take a break. Both of them had walked much quicker than usual and even Drew's exhaustion was evident from his heaving breaths and the sweat that glistened on his forehead, reflecting the moonlight. Upon catching sight of the city, they pushed themselves harder and quickened their pace. The city was large, the largest in Johto in fact, but they didn't have time to take everything in as they ran on the sidewalk, past the shops and buildings, past the people that were out and enjoying the night, and made straight for the Pokemon centre. When they finally reached the doors, Drew pulled them open letting May rush inside then following after. May skidded to a halt at the front desk where Nurse Joy looked up concerned by her haste.

"Nurse Joy," May panted, "this Oddish is really sick. Can you help it please?"

"Right away. Chansey will take it in." She took the Oddish from May's arms and laid it down on a hospital bed that Chansey rolled toward the left and down a small hallway.

"Could I go too, Nurse Joy?" May asked worriedly as Chansey disappeared around the corner.

"Of course. Come with me." Nurse Joy walked in the direction Chansey had gone and May turned to Drew before following.

"Are you coming too?"

"I'll go to the cafeteria and grab us something to eat first." He said, his breath easing. May nodded.

"Thanks," she smiled before hurriedly following Nurse Joy.

"This Oddish had a very high fever which is why it was so weak. I've given it medicine for that. After a good night's rest it should be good as new," Nurse Joy explained to May as she replaced the last of the old bandages with a new and clean one.

"Thank you so much Nurse Joy," May smiled, relieved. "Would it be alright if I stayed with it for the night?"

"Of course. Let me know if there's a problem," she said before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. May placed her arms on the bed and rested her chin on top of them, watching the Oddish. Slowly, she felt her eyes start to droop, the day's exhaustion taking over and pulling her into a restless sleep.

Drew cautiously approached the door, careful not to drop the tray he was holding. He had bought two cups of tea and two toasted and buttered bagels for each of them. He balanced the tray on one arm as he turned the door knob. It cracked open and he peered inside to see the Oddish sleeping soundlessly on the bed and next to it, head resting on her arms and breathing deeply as she slept, was May. He watched for a moment then smiled and stepped back. He placed the tray on the small coffee table next to the door then gently closed it.

May's eyes snapped open at the sound. She blinked a few times and lifted her head from where it rested to look at the door. Then she remembered Drew had gone to get food and her empty stomach grumbled. She pushed her chair back as she stood and took a quick look at the Oddish. After seeing it was sleeping quite calmly, she slowly made her way to the door and pulled it open. She stepped out to see Drew turn to look at her from where he sat on the bench, mug half raised to his lips. She smiled upon noticing the coffee table next to him had a tray with another mug and two bagels on it; one had a bite taken out of it.

"You should have woken me." She said, picking the mug and untouched bagel and making her way to his other side before taking a seat.

"I figured you were tired so you'd rather sleep." He shrugged, "Plus, more for me." He offered a small smile. She rolled her eyes despite the smile that brushed her own lips.

"Well, thank you." She sipped her tea. Drew sipped his own before asking, "How's the Oddish?"

"Nurse Joy said it'll be good as new by the morning!" May smiled brightly just before a yawn escaped her.

"That's good." Drew nodded and took another sip from his mug. They were silent for a few moments. Then May sighed with relief, "We're finally in Goldenrod." Drew nodded.

"The next contest is in four days, you know."

"It is?" May snapped her head toward him.

"I asked someone on my way to the cafeteria and that's what they said." Drew set his mug down on the tray. "So are you ready?"

"Yup!" May said enthusiastically, "I'm getting that ribbon for sure!"

"I think you might," Drew said, then felt his neck warm. May looked at him, surprised.

"Wow Drew, was that a compliment?" she laughed. He shrugged.

"If you want to take it that way." They were silent for a few minutes, finishing their tea and bagels before May asked hesitantly, "When are you leaving for Azalea town?" Drew looked at her, then back down at the empty mug in his hands.

"I'll stick around for the contest," He said casually. "Check out the competition." May nodded and smiled.

"That's good."

"Do you know what Pokemon you're going to use?" He perked a brow.

"Hmm no," she said between a yawn. "But there's plenty of time to decide." Then she rested her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Drew copied her action. "Maybe I'll use Blaziken or Beautifly," she mumbled before her breathing became deeper and she was asleep. Not long after Drew felt himself slip into a calm sleep as well.

Drew was the first to wake up the next morning. He nearly jerked upright when he felt the weight that pressed against his left shoulder. He managed not to however, when he realized it was May leaning on it. He cracked an eye open to see that she was still deeply asleep. He blinked a few times and slowly shifted his head to see light streaming through the window at the far end of the hall. Then he looked at May again and felt his face flush. He could hear her inhaling and exhaling softly. He realized he had never been this close to her. He looked away quickly and shook off those thoughts then slowly reached for his bag where it was slumped against his leg. He pulled his phone out to see if he had received any messages and was surprised to see one message from his mom. It was the only message he had got since he had first arrived in Johto nearly two months ago and he had texted her to let her know. It was a quick, "How are you?" which he knew was all she had time for. He typed a response that read: "Good. How are you?" and pressed send then sighed and slipped his phone back into his bag. It was not that he wanted to hear from her or his dad everyday but he would appreciate some sort of contact at least once a week. Especially after being around May for so long and seeing how often she would get a call from her mom or Max or texts from the friends she had made. She would even occasionally tell him about the stories she heard from her friends and family. She mentioned that Max was about to challenge his second gym in a few days.

Drew looked down at May again and sighed. He sat there for a few minutes wondering whether he should wake her. He would occasionally hear voices down the hall, no doubt pokemon trainers giving their pokemon to Nurse Joy. He hoped no one would spot them. He knew it was likely to provoke questions or curious stares. He was relieved however when he felt May's head slowly lift from his shoulder. Then she jerked upright more suddenly and looked at him.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I…." she trailed off, face flushing.

"It's fine," he said and quickly picked up his bag, avoiding her eyes and hoping she wouldn't notice his pink ears. "We should probably ask Nurse Joy if the Oddish is okay." He stood.

"Right!" May quickly jumped to her feet and grabbed her bag, cheeks still tinted red. They walked down the hall together and spotted Nurse Joy at the desk.

"Hi Nurse Joy! Is the Oddish doing alright?" May asked. Nurse Joy turned to look at her and smiled.

"It's doing just fine. Would you like to see it before we let it back out?"

"Yes I'd love to!" May smiled brightly before following Nurse Joy down the hall again and into the room where the Oddish still slept, Drew following close behind. As May approached the bed, its eyes cracked open slightly, then fully.

"Oddish!" it squeaked happily and hopped upright.

"Aw what a cutie!" May exclaimed, smiling down at the Oddish. Drew watched with an amused smile. "Are you feeling better now Oddish?" She kneeled eye-level with it.

"Oddish odd!" It jumped into her arms. May squeaked with surprise and then laughed lightly.

"Is it alright if I let it out Nurse Joy?" She turned to ask and Nurse Joy nodded and smiled.

May led the way out of the room and Drew followed after her. They passed many trainers and coordinators with their pokemon on their way out of the Pokemon Centre. It took them a ten minute walk to get to where the forest bordered the city. Drew had agreed to come along for a morning walk. At this time of day and with no pressurizing circumstances, they were able to see the city properly. May talked animatedly about all the places she recognized from the travel guides she had taken a look at before leaving home. Once they reached the forest, she set the Oddish down.

"There you go! Now you're back home!" she said happily. The Oddish took a few steps forward and peeked into the forest. May and Drew watched for a moment before slowly turning to leave.

"Bye Oddish!" May called to it, then she and Drew began walking back toward the city. However, both of them stopped abruptly when they heard a cry behind them. They turned to see the Oddish running toward them as fast as its small feet would carry it. Then it leaped into May's arms for a second time. This time too she was caught by surprise and let out a small yelp.

"Hey, what's the matter?" May held the Oddish out in front of her.

"Oddish odd!" It squeaked happily.

"I think I know what it wants," Drew said simply. "It wants to come with you."

"Really?" May looked at him then back at the Oddish. "Is that what you want Oddish? You want to come along with us?" Once again the Oddish squeaked happily. May nodded and smiled. "Alright then! You're a part of the team!"

May bit into her egg sandwich, lost in thought. She was sitting at a table in the cafeteria of the Pokemon Centre. Drew sat across her, uninterestedly flipping through a newspaper while sipping on his orange juice. They had met up to eat lunch after Drew had decided to train and May had done some shopping at the Department store. She couldn't miss the opportunity to shop at the biggest mall of the biggest city. Zoned out, she didn't notice Drew occasionally glance up at her and then back down.

"So when are you going to register for the contest?" He finally asked, now keeping his eyes fixed on the newspaper.

"Huh?" May snapped out of her stupor. "Oh.. yeah I was just thinking about that." She picked a napkin from the table and cleaned her fingers and mouth with it. "I was thinking of entering Oddish into the contest." Drew was not surprised to hear this. He had, in fact, expected it.

"If that's what you've decided then go for it." He folded the newspaper and dropped it onto the table.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" She looked at him with a perked brow.

"If you're asking what I would do then I probably wouldn't because I wouldn't feel fully comfortable using a pokemon I had just got. But for you that might work so you should just do what works for you." He shrugged and took another sip. May nodded slowly.

"Alright then! I'm gonna go register! I'll enter Oddish for the appeals and Beautifly for the battle." She jumped to her feet, full of energy. "I'll see you later Drew!" Then she turned and hurried away. Drew watched her go, smiling, before turning to gaze outside of the window, lost in thoughts of his own.

"Okay Oddish! Now try Petal Dance!" May ordered and Oddish happily obliged releasing a whirl of pink petals. "Great job!" May picked it up and hugged it. "You can do so many attacks! Now we just need to figure out a good appeal for them." She tapped her chin, considering a good combination of attacks for the appeals round. She flinched all of a sudden when a few drops of water hit her forehead. She looked up expecting dark clouds and water to be drizzling down but the sky was completely clear. She looked around in confusion and then turned to see some twenty or thirty feet away was a girl with striking silvery-blue hair training her Croconaw. It was doing an attack combination of Hail, Water Gun, and Ice Punch in the air. The water had sprayed so far that even May felt a few drops. But the effect of the combination was so beautiful that May couldn't help but walk over to the girl.

"That was a gorgeous attack!" She exclaimed, stopping a few feet behind the blue-haired girl. The girl turned suddenly then smiled.

"Thank you! Have I met you before?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"Probably not. See, this is my first time in the Johto region. I'm May." May held out a hand.

"Yeah I thought you seemed familiar! I've seen your performance at the Kanto Grand Festival! You made it to the semi finals." She shook May's hand. "I'm Sophie. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too! I had no idea so many people watched that Grand Festival." May giggled bashfully.

"It's not a common thing to watch other regions' Festivals. I'm just one of the people that does." She smiled. "I'm actually not from Johto either. I'm from Sinnoh and I've been in the Grand Festival twice over there. This is my first time here."

"Wow you've been in a Grand Festival twice as well!" May said enthusiastically. "That's awesome! How far did you make it if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind. The first time I didn't make it past my first battle but the second time I made it to the semi-finals."

"Wow that's a big improvement! So are you entering the contest in a few days?"

"Yeah I am. Are you?"

"Yeah! I hope we get to face each other in the finals!" May grinned.

"I hope so too." Sophie returned the smile, then said, "Well I better get back to training. I'll see you around." May nodded.

"Definitely!" Then she turned and walked back in the direction of the Centre. She needed to figure out an appeal combination for Oddish.

"Meet Oddish you guys!" May told her and Drew's pokemon as they stood in a small clearing a short distance from the Pokemon Centre. "Oddish!" the small grass type pokemon squeaked, standing before them all and the others replied with a call of their own names. Drew had not let Scyther out, knowing it would start fighting Blaziken again. May and him had decided that they would figure out a solution to the problem later on at some point if they felt the need to. They knew they were going their separate ways after the Goldenrod contest and weren't sure when they might see each other again before the Grand Festival. Beautifly was the first to hover forward and greet Oddish. They had a short conversation as May watched curiously.

"I wonder what they're talking about," May said, turning to Drew as if she thought he understood them.

"Beautifly's probably warning Oddish," Drew said simply.

"Warning it about what?" May asked, confused.

"About what comes with being your pokemon." He smirked as he looked at her.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" May turned on him with narrowed eyes, her hands on her hips.

"It can only mean one thing." His smirk grew.

"Oh yeah? I bet Beautifly's saying what an awesome trainer I am! Right Beautifly?" May turned to look at her butterfly pokemon. Beautifly took too long to respond and May sucked in an offended breath. She heard Drew let out a light laugh and she felt her face flush. "Really? You too Beautifly?" May asked and Beautifly shook its head and trilled quickly as though apologizing. Then it landed on May's head as she continued to pout.

"Beautifly Beautifly," it said and May's face softened into a small smile.

"It's alright Beautifly I know you were just joking." She stroked Beautifly's head. Even Drew felt himself smile as he watched them. "And I know Drew was joking too." She turned to look at him.

"You can't be so sure about that," Drew teased, "I did mean it. Any pokemon needs to be warned when it comes to being your pokemon." May pouted again at this. "But I don't necessarily mean it in a bad way."

"Oh?" May perked a brow. "How do you mean it?"

"I mean I think everyone deserves to be warned about your crazy expeditions." He smiled. May felt her face flush again and she let out a nervous laugh.

"I suppose they do." Then she joked. "No one warned you, did they?"

"Unfortunately, no." He replied solemnly.

"Well you'll be rid of me soon so you won't have any of that anymore!" May said cheerily. Drew nodded but thought about how much he would miss all the time they had spent together.

"Well my trips have never been as eventful so it was definitely something new." He shrugged. He didn't want her to think he hated it nor could he let her know that he liked it either. May smiled at that.

The next two days went by too fast for either May or Drew's liking even if they would never admit it out loud. May had figured out an appeal for Oddish and had practiced some combinations with Beautifly. She felt fairly confident in both of the pokemon she was using and she was partly excited and partly nervous about facing Sophie. Drew would often go off to train on his own as well, mainly with Scyther who he wanted to use for his next contest in Azalea Town but had to make sure they could work well together first. Usually he and May would only meet up for meals or occasionally to let their pokemon play together as they had grown accustomed to doing. May had dragged him once or twice to the restaurants she had on her list, claiming that if there were any restaurants they had to try it would be the ones in Goldenrod.

As dusk fell, May made her way back to the Pokemon Centre. As she entered through the doors, she noticed Drew standing at that front desk and giving Nurse Joy a pokeball. She walked up next to him.

"Hey is something wrong, Drew?" She asked, concerned. He sighed.

"Just Scyther again." He turned to her as Nurse Joy went into the back room with his pokeball. "It's still not great at listening to my instructions and does whatever it wants. That backfired and it ended up injuring its left arm."

"Oh," was all May could think to say. Then she added, "I wonder why it's having such a hard time." He shrugged.

"Sometimes pokemon are just like that and you have to learn to work with them."

May nodded and smiled before saying, "I'm sure things will work out eventually."

Drew nodded. "Yeah hopefully." Nurse Joy stepped out of the room and came to stand behind the front desk once more.

"After a good night's rest your Scyther should be just fine."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Drew smiled then turned to May. "Should we eat?"

"Yup! I was just thinking about it."

"May I suggest a good restaurant?" Nurse Joy interjected. Drew didn't have a chance to deny the offer.

"Oooh I love a good restaurant! Which one is it?" May asked enthusiastically. "I would have had it on my list of the best places to eat in Johto."

"It's a new restaurant that opened just a few weeks ago. If you walk down the street across from the Centre and then turn left and pass two shops, you'll see it."

"Oh thank you Nurse Joy! Come on Drew!" May dragged him out of the Centre. They followed Nurse Joy's instructions and not long after found themselves in front of a comfy looking cafe. Upon looking inside Drew felt uncomfortable seeing that all the people who sat inside appeared to be couples, young and old. Then he looked up to see the name and felt himself cringe upon seeing it was called The Luvdisc Cafe.

"May, I think this is the wrong pla-" He began but was cut short.
"Oooh they have spicy noodles! And some really good desserts too!" May was not looking inside but rather at the menu poster that was on the glass door of the cafe. "Come on let's go!" Then she rushed inside. Drew opened his mouth to protest but the door had already closed. He sighed then slowly and reluctantly pulled the door open and stepped inside. It was even worse on the inside. The place was dimly lit with a few decorative candles lining the walls at equal intervals. The music in the background was clearly a tune from a romance movie if Drew had to guess. He turned to his left to see May waving him over to the table she was sitting at. A table for two. She didn't seem to be fazed by or even notice this. Her eyes were instead fixed on the menu even as Drew awkwardly sat across her. He looked around and saw one of the couples who sat nearby holding hands. He looked at May to see if she had noticed but she hadn't and he looked away quickly, his face flushing.

"Okay I know what I'm getting!" May declared after a few minutes.

"That's a relief," Drew replied quietly.

"What was that?" May looked at him. He shook his head. "Well here, you see what you want." She slid the menu to him and he took it reluctantly, glancing around every so often to make sure nobody was watching them. When he had made a decision, he looked up to see May observing the place with a bit of embarrassment clear on her face.

"Is this the right place?" she asked quietly.

"That's what I was trying to say when we were outside but you just rushed straight in," Drew said pointedly.

"I don't know why Nurse Joy would recommend this place. She can't have thought…." May looked at Drew and her cheeks flushed. She looked away quickly. "I mean, we could always leave and just eat at the Pokemon Centre if you don't feel comfortable."

"If you want to." Drew shrugged. "You seemed really excited about the food... so...we can stay."

"Really? That's great! Cause I really wanted to try these noodles. I have this thing where I rate all the noodles that I've tried at every restaurant I've been to so I can remember which places have the best ones." May babbled excitedly and Drew just watched her, amused. Then a waiter appeared at their table wearing a black and white tuxedo and holding a notepad and pen.

"Good evening. Have you and your boyfriend decided what you would like, miss?" He asked May. May's eyes widened in horror. Before she could deny it loud and clear however, Drew said, "Yes we have. May, you can go first." She looked at him with wide eyes and he gave her a serious look. She looked back at the waiter and gave her order very quietly and Drew followed with his own. The waiter scribbled the orders down before leaving. Once he had gone, May looked at Drew.

"Why did you-"

"I figured this whole thing would be a lot less awkward if we pretended to be like everyone else here and not like we accidentally walked in." He shrugged.

"I guess you're right," May replied, though her cheeks were still red. The time it took for the waiter to bring their orders felt excruciatingly long. May twiddled her thumbs nervously and kept her eyes glued to them. Drew also kept his eyes down and fixed on the table, though he tried to loosen his posture and seem less out of place. Every so often he would take a quick glance at May until he couldn't bear the awkward silence between them and the light chatter and music were getting to be too much.

"So have you decided on an appeal for Oddish?" He asked casually. May's head snapped in his direction and she nodded.

"Yeah it took awhile but we figured something out." Drew nodded and they were once again swallowed by an awkward silence. Then, they both wished they could sink into the marble floor of the restaurant when the couple a few feet to their right began making out and not in the quietest way possible. May was greatly regretting coming here and felt herself trying to find something to say so they would not have to hear the couple.

"So you're going to Azalea Town next, right?" she asked though she knew the answer. Drew immediately caught on and answered, "Yeah, it'll take maybe two to three weeks to get there." He paused, then asked, though he knew the answer, "And you're heading to Ecruteak?" May nodded and said, "Yeah I'm gonna be travelling alone for a bit and then I'm meeting up with Luna, Cora, and Kace and we're going to go the rest of the way together." She tried to think of more to say but her mind was blanking and the couple was still going at it. They both inwardly sighed with relief when the waiter appeared before them with their main course orders. Drew had ordered a simple salad and orange juice. May had ordered spicy noodles, fries, and a lemonade. They immediately began eating, finally having something to keep themselves busy with. Drew would occasionally chance a glance at May. She appeared to be having the time of her life eating the noodles and Drew couldn't help but smile inwardly. Once they had finished the main course, dessert was placed before them. Drew had ordered a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream and May ordered a chocolate fudge brownie with a scoop of caramel ice cream on top.

"Is that really all you're getting?" May asked him as she stabbed her brownie with a fork. He looked at her and nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's so bland," She stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, it's a classic. It has a subtle taste," he said simply. "You wouldn't understand it."

"Excuse me I know all about dessert! Plain vanilla ice cream's supposed to be paired with something!" she argued as though the debate were a matter of life and death.

"Some things are better alone so you can taste their distinct flavour. Not everything needs a hundred grams of sugar in it," he maintained, gesturing to her now half finished brownie.

"Hey don't insult my brownie! I bet you'd love it if you tried it! Way more than that," she pointed at his quarter finished scoop of vanilla ice cream.

"I bet I wouldn't."

"You would! Here," she pushed the plate toward him slightly. "Just give it a taste." He shook his head.

"I think I'm good."

"Oh come on just take one bite!" May insisted, pushing it closer to him. He sighed, giving in.

"Fine." He used his spoon to take a small piece of the brownie with a bit of the caramel ice cream. He reluctantly took a bite as May watched him intently with a smile. He scrunched his face slightly.

"That's way too sweet." He quickly took a bite of the vanilla to get rid of the sweetness.

"Oh you're so dramatic." May rolled her eyes as she pulled the plate back toward her and began eating again.

"Now I know where you get all that energy from," he said quietly.

"Huh?" May looked up at him, having not heard his comment. He shook his head.

"So since I tried yours, you try mine," He pushed the bowl toward her. She wrinkled her nose but used the unused spoon next to her plate to scoop a bit of the vanilla ice cream. She took a bite and didn't say anything as she tried to fully absorb the taste.

"Doesn't taste like anything to me," she decided in the end. "It's bland like I said." Then, after a pause, she added, "But if you were to combine it with the brownie then it would be great."

"Alright give it a try." Drew said, leaning back into his chair casually, a smile brushing his lips. She did so and her face seemed to light up.

"Mmm, that's just the right amount of sweet! I think the caramel was too much." She closed her eyes, savouring the taste. Then coming out of her trance, she pushed both toward him. "Here. Now you try it." Drew was about to deny and tell her she could eat the rest but then decided to give it a taste.

"Yeah that's not bad."

"Not bad! It's amazing!"

"Here you can finish it then." He pushed both the plate and bowl back to her.

"Are you sure? Don't you want your vanilla ice cream?" She perked a brow. He shook his head.

"No I'm full now. I don't think I can eat more."

"Okay!" May said, gladly taking both and savouring every bite. Drew watched her with a faint smile.

"Aw you two are so cute!" Drew turned in the direction of the female voice to see who had spoken to whom and was taken aback to see that the woman, who appeared to be in her mid twenties, was talking to him and May. The man who sat across her was also watching them with a smile. May looked at the woman too upon realizing she was talking to her and Drew. Something about her blue hair made her seem familiar.

"Sorry, are you talking to us?" May asked nervously.

"Of course! You two are adorable together!" the woman laughed.

"Oh um…." May felt her cheeks warm. Drew didn't say anything, his mind racing for a way to respond.

"They're just like us Matt," the woman laughed again as she looked at the man in front of her. "We used to get nervous like that too whenever anyone made a comment about our relationship." Then turning back to May and Drew she said, "I'm Bella and this is my fiancee, Matt. We just got engaged a few weeks ago."

"Oh!" May smiled, trying to hide her flustered demeanor. "Congratulations! That's awesome!" Drew nodded and smiled at them also trying to seem calm and composed.

"Yeah," the woman smiled. "So," she looked from May to Drew. "When did you two first meet if you don't mind me asking?" Her fiancee intervened rubbing the back of his neck, "Sorry, she loves hearing stories about young love."

"Oh.. um...well… we met on a beach," May stammered but immediately regretted saying it. Drew also cringed inwardly as she said it and he wanted nothing more than for this night to be over.

"Oh how romantic!" the blue haired woman exclaimed, clapping both hands together.
"Oh no not like that!" May quickly corrected. "It was for a pokemon contest."

"Oh you're coordinators?" Bella asked. May nodded. Drew was glad for the change of subject. "How nice!" she grinned. "So you must have had to compete against each other then?" she asked.

"Yeah plenty of times!" May said also relieved for the subject change. "We've competed in the Grand Festival twice."

"Wow you've been in the Grand Festival too? That's incredible!" Bella exclaimed. "So I assume you're here to compete in the upcoming contest here in Goldenrod?"

"Yes I'm competing!" May smiled.

"My sister is as well! I don't know if you've met her," Bella asked. "Sophie?"

"Oh I met her just two days ago!"

"I hope you two get to face each other in the finals," Bella smiled. "I guess we'll catch you around at some point then. Matt and I should get going, right hun?" She turned to her fiancee. He nodded and offered May and Drew a kind smile.

"Yeah let's go." The two of them stood and gathered their things. Matt placed the money on the table for the bill as Bella picked her purse up.

"Let us know if the two of you ever need anyone to talk to." Bella winked at them and May gave a nervous laugh, face still warm. "And good luck at the contest!" She waved as her and Matt left the cafe. May waved back. As soon as they had gone she dropped her hand and let out an exhausted sigh. Drew did the same as he ran a hand through his partially sweat dampened hair. May looked at him.

"Let's go. I don't think I can sit here much longer." He nodded.

"Neither can I." A few moments later the waiter came by to give them the bill.

"Did you enjoy your experience with us?" he asked them. He had a clipboard in his hands.

"Yes, we did thank you." Drew said, quickly taking the money from his wallet and placing it in the check folder. He wanted to get out of there as soon as he could.

"And how would you rate our cafe for couples?" He asked after scribbling something down on the clipboard. This time May quickly said, "Definitely a 10 out of 10. Thank you very much! We'll be going now." She swung her bag on, grabbed Drew's arm and they rushed out of the cafe before the waiter could ask anything else.

"That wasn't suspicious at all," Drew retorted as they stepped outside. But he sighed with relief as the cool outside air hit his face. He hadn't realized he was sweating so much.

"Would you rather we stayed longer?" May asked as she too took in the cool night air. There were still many people out and the city lights made the place feel alive.

"No," Drew said quickly. "I mean we were just trying not to seem like the odd ones out but I think it may have come across that way."

"I guess." May shrugged then she gasped, stopping in her tracks.

"What?" Drew paused as well, snapping his head toward her.

"I didn't pay!" she looked terrified at the thought of having to go back inside. Drew enjoyed the look on her face for a moment before saying, "I paid for both of us."

"You did?" she looked at him with surprise. He nodded. "Oh...you didn't have to…." she said shyly.

"I know. It's fine, you can pay next time," Drew said then he quickly corrected. "I mean not there again but if we ever….eat some place….again." He finished awkwardly. He hated when he became flustered. May smiled and nodded.

"Okay...well thanks," she said, her own cheeks pink. They walked to the pokemon centre together, in and up to the first floor where each of their rooms were. They didn't say anything more to each other, instead just nodded and went into their own rooms, both too flustered by the evening's events.

Well that ends chapter 5! I hope you enjoyed! Were you able to guess what pokemon May would get? I always felt like she would get an Oddish even though it's such a common Pokemon. I also have a plan for which Johto Pokemon each of them is going to get!

See you next time! Review so I know you enjoy what I'm writing!