Chapter 17
The sun shone brightly in the cloudless blue sky. Starlies chirped from the trees that surrounded the clearing. After a quick detour through Floaroma Town (the routes leading to Celestic Town was infamous for its thick fogs; something both Gary and May wanted to avoid), it wasn't long until May and Gary reached their destination: Oreburgh City. Perched on a rock, Gary watched May ponder, sigh and then suddenly grin as a proverbial light bulb clicked above her head. He smiled as she gathered her pokemon around her.
Gary realized exactly why Ash always travelled with others, especially if that friend was May. He couldn't help but feel a teeny bit jealous (okay, a lot) that Ash not only met her first, but travelled through Kanto and Hoenn with her. Why had he not bumped into Ashy-boy during those journeys? I mean, he's met Misty and Dawn. On first impressions, Misty was a hot-head (ironic considering she's a water type trainer) and sorta still is, and Dawn was indeed confident for such a clumsy coordinator. Harsh, but true nontheless. Would events turn out differently if he had encountered May as a novice trainer? Would he have thought May to be a clueless, infuriatingly indecisive beginner? One to be simply labelled as Ash's hundredth friend?
And, more importantly, how did Ash not fall for her? Then again, this was Ash. Gary didn't think he was stupid, but he was completely dense in the romance department. He'd thought Brock would teach him a thing or two about romance since he wasn't very subtle about the girl's he liked. Gary arrived at the conclusion that the guy had a one-track mind, and that was to be a pokemon master. Ashy-boy wouldn't know a thing about love even a girl kissed him goodbye!
A nudge on his leg pulled him out of his thoughts. Jumping off the rock, he turned to Alakazam, who stared at him knowingly.
"It's not what you think," Gary stated dismissively as Alakazam simply smiled at him. Ah, this is a mind-reading psychic pokemon I'm was talking to! Gary muttered inwardly. His pokemon could see straight through him. Gary stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "No, I can't talk to her about that!" He reiterated as Alakazam pointed in May's direction with the spoon he held. "I'm just glad to meet someone so optimistic, kind, caring, passionate, insightful, determined, wonderf-"
Gary was cut off; he could have sworn he heard his Electrive sniggering behind him. As he spun around, he saw that all his pokemon wore the same look as Alakazam. "Guys, I am not this desperate," he reprimanded, somewhat desperately. "She's a friend!"
"Are you ready to leave?" May asked over his shoulder. Confusion washed over her, especially since all his pokemon seemed to be looking at them expectantly.
If Gary didn't naturally possess a cool, calm and collected personality, he would have sprung ten feet in the air. He cleared his throat as May shot him a curious glance. "Of course," he replied smoothly, "if we're lucky, we'll reach the city by nightfall." They returned their pokemon back into their pokeballs, and made their way though the swathes of trees and wild grass. "Plus, it's not exactly fun wandering through Mount Coronet in the dead of night."
Though she had been here before, May awed as they walked past the magnificent trees, and passed the crystal clear streams. She appreciated Gary's random facts and descriptive commentaries about pokemon they saw, but today they relished the soothing silence that settled between them. She could she Mount Coronet ahead which meant they were close. May hated the labyrinthine caves of the mountain range, unlike Gary. He was always right at home, even holding her hand, puling her along to different routes and caverns. He had a flair for making dark, dangerous places seem exciting. She wasn't entirely sure whether she should be worried about that.
"Hey Gary," she spoke up, cautiously studying his face. "You aren't going to drag me to see another passage in Mount Coronet, are you?"
He raised his eyebrows, partly confounded. "I thought you liked that," he remarked, amusement colouring his tone.
"I think we should leave exploring precarious caves and rocky dungeons for another day."
"Another day?" Gary smirked. "Wow, I didn't realize you wanted to join me on my archaeological adventures so much."
"In hindsight," May differed, her hands resting on her hips as Gary cocked his head towards her. "I'd rather not get mud on my clothes- again!"
"Admit it May, you love having me around," he said smugly, folding his arms.
The mirth dancing in his eyes brought an equally smug smirk on her face. "Just as much as you like having me," she countered, satisfied by his split-second surprised expression.
It was always exciting to occasionally crack the cool, confidant exterior and see Gary's astonishment. There was something deeply gratifying about getting to know more about him, she just couldn't put her finger on it. They have these playful exchanges often, to the point it was second-nature for her. Was this what people consider flirting? Gary was just a really good friend, but she knew maybe this was why trainers they had met mistook them as a couple. Not that she minded- wait, did she seriously just think that! May shook her head, as if it reset her lewd imagination.
In some ways, Gary reminded her of Drew. It was definitely the self-assured personality. The confidence they possessed was undeniable, but while Drew's arrogance unwittingly diminished her self-belief, Gary's scholarly pomposity gave her reasons to grow confident. Plus, Gary was more of a nerd, she thought fondly. It reminded her of Max. Drew, on the other hand, was well-suited to the celebrity life.
"Touche," Gary replied after a pause. He'll have to get payback later.
Back in Petalburg City, the sound of the crowd reverberated from the TV screen. "Mom, Dad!" Max called loudly, ushering his parents over. "Come'on, it's already started!" Norman and Caroline hurried into the living room where Max was already cheering for his sister. Their face shone with pride as they watched May calling out her first attack.
"She can do this," Gary said, his tone brimming with conviction as he watched May counter attack Solidad's technique with a Rapid Spin-Shock Wave combo.
"Solidad is awfully good," Serena admitted reluctantly. She gulped nervously, Solidad easily outmaneuvering May's attack with a psychic combination, instantly causing May to lose a quarter of her points.
"A part of me is glad I'm not facing her," Zoey remarked lowly, her arms crossed.
Dawn bit her lip. May was always a better coordinator than she was. The Wallace Cup final she won was pure luck, May's tactic were vastly better and sharper than her ideas. She could beat Solidad, Dawn was certain of it, but if May didn't quickly turn around the tables, her chances at winning were thinning by the second.
"Double Team, then Silver Wind. Slowbro, Psywave again!"
Psywave's unpredictable power and the simultaneous silver-wind surrounding her pokémon pushed May into panic-mode. The beautiful move had trapper her pokémon in a psychedelic circle, one impossible to escape without getting hurt, but she couldn't afford any more losses. As Ash Ketchum once said, defense is the best offence. Solidad's smirk aggravated her, and with hidden rage bubbling inside, her confidence found a new outlet. After all, May did love the element of surprise.
"Delcatty, Assist! Wartotle, Rapid Spin again!"
"How can she rely on a move like Assist at this point!" Dawn cried out.
However, the edge of Zoey's smile tugged as she closed her eyes. "Because Solidad can't anticipate her next move if May doesn't even know what it is herself." Serena glanced sideways at her, puzzled.
"May works best when she's improvising," Gary agreed, curious as Delcatty obeyed. "It'll be interesting to see how Solidad deals with this."
Delcatty's entire body glistened liked a mirror, taking in the damage from Psywave and Silver Wind from every direction. She absorbed each hit, and Solidad paled, realising her combination wasn't attacking Delcatty as she planned. It was doing the opposite; it was empowering the cat pokemon.
May punched the air. "It's Glaceon's Mirror Coat! Perfect."
"No!" Solidad yelled, her eyes flashed wide open as Delcatty unleashed the attack.
Her pokémon were struck with twice the power, shattering Butterfree's clones and catapulting Slowbro and Butterfree across the stage. Wartotle's spinning motion protected him from the outburst, the kinetic energy creating a barrier of protection around it. Instead, the power that reflected from Delcatty twirled around Wartotle like a gleaming magenta cyclone. As Wartotle stopped, the energy transformed into sparkles that spread across the whole arena. May grinned as Solidad lost a third of her total points. She was still in the lead, though only by a minuscule margin. May was certain that she could fix that problem soon.
"Thunderbolt, and Butterfree use Bug Buzz!" Solidad wasn't holding back. Eyes burning with persistence, she pointed at them. May grinned at the hint of desperation in her voice.
"Wartotle, Aurora Beam, Delcatty counter with Disarming Voice!" The two attacks created a a display of rainbow hearts, seemingly matching Solidad's spinning electrical waves combination. In the chaos, a stray golden wave hit Wartotle directly.
"How does a water-type know an electric type move?" Serena gasped as Marian noted the super-effective attack lost May points. Solidad was currently in the lead, but just barely.
"Solidad probably used a TM," Gary answered, his eyes narrowing. Solidad knew May wouldn't expect an electric type move, and used it at the perfect time.
Thunderbolt's effect had taken its toll. Wartotle collapsed and May urged it to stand up. It was paralysed, May realised with fresh terror plastered on her face. Delcatty was also exhausted from the mirror-coat move, on the brink of collapsing. It wasn't a defensive type like Glaceon and so could't harness the power of the move properly. If a pokemon fainted in battle, it was an automatic win for the opponent. What if-
She couldn't panic, not now. This would not be a repeat of what happened in the Kanto Grand Festival!
"Wartotle, Aqua Tail! Delcatty, Shock Wave!" The two attacks collided, forming a shower of rain fizzling bright blue. The spectacular display transformed the stage. This was it; there was no way Solidad could dodge this-
"Slowbro, Light Screen!" Golden glass-like walls encased her pokemon, the contrast between the blue and gold captivating the audience.
"And Solidad outsmarts May in the most striking manner!" Marian announces in shock.
May's points decreased considerably since her combination failed. She gritted her teeth. If she lost any more points, it would be over. Another pathetic attempt, another disappointing failure. May clenched her fists as determination coursed through her veins. The hours training throughout the Sinnoh region, the evolution of her pokemon and new techniques she learned were all proof that she wanted to win more than anything. Solidad's smug smiles won't change that.
"Aurora Beam! Blizzard!" The attack formed a brilliant aura above as the stage, but Solidad simply grinned. Rows of icicles emerged from the stage floor several feet high with Delcatty and Wartotle perched at the top, stealing the spotlight. Despite the display of beauty, May didn't have the chance to celebrate. The golden cubes reappeared, protecting Solidad's pokemon from the sharp ice. It was impossible to land a hit!
"May, Light Screen makes special moves less effective!" Gary called out. "Use physical attacks!"
"Right!" May whispered to herself. "Wartotle, Aqua Tail! Delcatty, Assist!"
"Water Pulse and Silver Wind!"
Delcatty formed a glowing emerald orb: it was Venasaur's Energy Ball. The two attacks collided, but Wartotle barely moved. Stupid paralysis! May cursed mentally. Her eyes worriedly flickered instinctively to the scoreboard; Solidad combo scored points before it was nuetralised, and it was clear Wartotle was at the end of his health. It collapsed, gasps of shock echoing throughout the stadium.
"I was expecting more from you," Solidad taunted, an unfamiliar hubris colouring her tone. "When you know your are losing, you revert to your old style. All attack, no style."
May ignored her mockery and stared anxiously at her pokemon. "Wartotle, stand up!" She couldn't lose to Solidad. Her heart beat faster as Wartotle stayed still, but its eyes were open. There was still hope. "I know you can do it!" Wortotle's silhouette glistened white, and for a moment May thought its ability torrent was activated. The audience gasped in surprise at he blinding flash of light.
It was evolving.
"Blastoise!" The huge turtle pokemon cried.
"What!" Solidad cried in disbelief. "This is ridiculous, May. Time to end it once and for all."
"We'll see about that." Blastoise let out a furious cry. A massive sphere of water erupted from its back, landing a hit on Butterfree and Slowbro as it shattered the Light Screen. Solidad gawked in astonishment as the crowd cheered.
"Impossible!"
"Yes!" May exclaimed. She has no idea what move that was, but it finally broke the pesky defensive move. Maybe it was Hydro Cannon. It looked almost exactly like the move she'd seen Gary's Blastoise use when she watched him train.
Butterfree crashed down, plummeting to the icicles sticking up from the stage. A horrid sound echoed in the stadium as a cloud of grey smoke permeated the air. Everyone waited patiently for the smoke to subside, confused and curious. For Solidad, those mere moments felt like hours. As the mist disappeared, she let out a shriek at the state of her butterfree.
It fainted. Though she was in the lead, a 'x' appeared over her score. Butterfree's was disqualified which mean Solidad was also disqualified. She lost. The stadium erupted with a mighty cheer as Solidad held the butterfly in her arm, offering it a consoling smile. It battled hard, but lady luck seemed to be May's ally today. Deep down, Solidad believed she could have conquered the match had Wartortle not evolved.
"Well done, May," Solidad congratulated for afar, after all, she was not one to hold grudge against another. May won fairly, though it pained her to admit.
"Thanks," May grinned, the infectious sound of applause making her dizzy with glee. She hugged Blastoise and Delcatty, and result of Solidad's loss catapulted her into an indescribable euphoria. She beamed at the crowd, grinning wider as she spotted Gary cheering among the hundreds of faces. Dawn, Zoey and Serena were all there too! If only her parents sat in the crowd too, but May knew they were watching her on television.
The final round was against Harley. One last hurdle between her and the ribbon cup.
The tunnel was an endless corridor of darkness. May was not scared, or rather that's what she kept telling herself as she absentmindedly clinged to Gary's arm. Electrive lead the way using flash which eased her nerves, but only slightly. Hordes of zubats flocked passed them, and that was enough to make May shriek. Gary's laughter wasn't helping her mood either.
"You said we're going the usual way!" she huffed, grasping his arm tighter. She darted her eyes around, growing more alarmed. "This isn't the normal route!"
"I guess we must have gone through the wrong entrance." Ha, payback time.
"You guess?" she hissed.
"Hey," Gary said enthusiastically,"this gives us time to-"
"I swear to Arceus, if you say 'explore' one more time, Gary Oak-"
"Fine, fine," he relented, unable to stop the huge grin spreading on his face. There was something undeniably funny about the way May glowered at the darkness, and the way she her clasped her arm around his with an iron grip, like he was her lifeline (not that he minded at all). "Let's talk about something you like."
"Coordinating?"
"The Grand Festival is your next goal, right?" Gary began, feeling May starting to relax by his side. "How do you plan to beat your toughest rivals?"
May paused, Drew, Harley and Solidad flickering through her mind. Mainly Solidad. "Well, it's been a while since I've seen some of them. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I mean I've trained my pokemon well, and I just thought of an amazing combination today. With a few tweaks, I am certain-"
"DODGE!"
May screamed as Gary pulled her down, another flock of zubats flying straight at them- a flock bigger than the last one they encountered. As soon as they disappeared, he pushed himself off the ground, and helped May up. There was a bright flash of a sizzling bolt as Electrive attacked a particularly aggressive golbat.
"As I was saying," May muttered, aggravated, "no one is going to underestimate me this time." She dusted her clothes, glaring ahead as though more zubats were going to materialise solely to terrorize her.
"Plus, you'll have me. I'll be there supporting you all the way," Gary winked. She was glad that the darkness hid the scarlet blush heating her cheeks. Instead of replying, May simply wrapped her arm around his once more as they continued following Electrive through the cave.
The scoreboard fizzled and cracked, the screen glitched in and out. Confusion poured into the hall, audience murmuring in puzzlement and worry. May glanced at the scoreboard, the sound frizzling noise snatching her attention. Harley crossed his arm, a henious smirk shadowing his expression. Dawn shrugged as Serena shot her a quizzical look, and Gary couldn't ignore the apprehension snowballing inside. Solidad, who stood at the back, pressed her lips into a thin line. Her gut instinct told her this was Harley's doing. Zoey stared at the screen with a frown. Leaf, who was surprisingly engrossed by the wonder and charm of the contest match, blinked thrice as the contestants stopped. Her attention, like everyone's else, now laid on the glitching screen. May was currently in the lead, but the score wasn't clear anymore. The match took an unprecedented pause, as Marian gestured covertly at the camera crew about the strange malfunction.
Then, a video played.
Time stood still. Every stare burned May's skin with a frightening ferocity, and every whisper amplified a thousand times, like the beating of drums against her ears. The judges had forgotten about the ticking clock, and May froze. A breathing, cold corpse.
It was a recording of May and Gary confessing their lies.
Harley's smirk widened as he indulged in the satisfaction that was May's living nightmare. The revenge was worth waiting for all those painstaking years of pretending to be just a rival, an opponent to help her test her limits. No, he was waiting for the right moment to crush her hopes and dreams until nothing remained but mere dust. Seeing the tears dripping down her face, Harley thought seeing May like this made him more happy than winning the Grand Festival itself!
May couldn't endure this. She couldn't breath.
"This can't be!" Dawn cried, shaking her head uncontrollably. "We have to help her!"
"I don't think we can do anything, at least not until the match is over," Zoey stated angrily.
"We knew Harley was up to something!" Serena cried worriedly, her shrill voice adding to the rising clamour.
Time ticked. May wanted air. Scratch that, she needed it. She needed space.
"This was what Harley blackmailed Drew with," Serena realised ominously, trying to shake a reaction out of the stone statue that Gary had transformed into. "Harley must have promised him he would delete the video if he lost! But he didn't! He lied!" Her repetitive yanking of his arm did the trick as he snapped back to life.
"How dare he do this!" Dawn's hands covered her horrified face, unable to fathom how Harley had outsmarted all of them.
The break-up with Leaf, the meeting between Dawn and May, and the deal with Drew. Gary screwed his fist so tightly his knuckled were white, a drop of blood oozing from his palm. It was over; Harley ruined everything. The purple-haired devil reveled in the chaos. In the pandemonium he created simply to get back at May. It was painfully pathetic, yet he succeeded in making her the bad guy of the entire show. He didn't just destroy May; he shattered Gary's reputation. It wasn't supposed to be like this! Gary yelled internally. It began as a superficial game, but it evolved into something pure, untouched. He had a plan, and it almost worked out.
Almost.
Whispers. Those looks. Accusations. Shame. May had to run. The pressure constricted her chest and her heart thudded harder, as if to break the steel cage enclosing rapidly around it. Sweat drenched her outfit and her limbs started to shake uncontrollably. Fight or flight? Stand her ground against Harley? But he didn't make up lies. It would be easy to refute and argue if he did. Dread inched its way up her throat and May found it impossible to swallow the lump that formed. She ran. The judges rose, a mesh of worry and shock written all over their faces. The crowd gasped simultaneously as the shamed competitor fled from the omnipresent humiliation. She was a coward for abandoning Blaziken and Vensaur on the stage and a liar for cheating her way to the top. That was the conclusion everyone had arrived to.
"I need to go," Gary announced grimly.
His throat tightened uncomfortably and tears stung his eyes. Was it fear, or rage curdling inside his stomach? At this point he could barely reflect on it; breathing immediately turned into a burdensome task. Don't panic! He ordered himself mentally. Panic never got someone anywhere. Think, plan, strategies and solve: that was his style. His brain was failing him, unable to fall into his usual behavior. The predicament paralyzed his mind, threw his train of thought off a cliff and now, his tongue was lead. But one thing he knew for certain; he had to see May.
"I'm coming too-"
Gary stopped Dawn with a fierce glare. "No, I need to go alone!" Serena and Dawn watched wordlessly as he rushed out, members of the audience casting judgmental glances at the apparent fraud.
The timer stopped. 0:00. May forfeited. Harley was the new Sinnoh Top Coordinator; the winner of the Grand Festival, but there was no applause when Marian declared the result.
Amber light shone through at the end of the tunnel. No more swarms of zubats, no more random hostiles. May raced ahead and jumped with joy as she saw the scarlet sky. She inhaled the sweet grassy scent as Gary returned Electrive back into his pokeball. The childish excitement faded as May gazed at the scenery. They silently stood together, taking in the spectacular view. The mountain range that separated Sinnoh was truly a wonder as it overlooked the hills, towns, cities and lakes. A cool gust of wind fluttered passed them as starlies flew overhead, their twitters echoing.
"There's Oreburgh City," Gary mentioned, pointing at it. "Woah, you can see the mines from here."
"I can see Eterna Forest too," May noted, fascinated. She never had the opportunity to stand and simply watch the view. It was one town to the next, contest after contest, and she didn't enjoy travelling through mountains either. The mazes weren't exactly fun, nor was the idea of potentially getting stuck there. Gary certainly changed her mind about that. The caves weren't so bad once you realised you could find shards and evolutionary stones hidden in the walls, and getting lost in Mt Coronet didn't seem scary anymore once Gary told her all about Spear Pillar.
Standing at the on the mountain cliff, May realized how small everything was. People, cities, and even her dreams seemed tiny and mundane. May gasped, clasping her hand together.
"Just in time for the sunset!" she squealed, watching the sun begin its decent. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Definitely," he murmured in agreement, except he was gazing intently at May.
Phew, the drama is over. Next chapter is a time-skip. This chapter was written in a different style which I hoped you all liked. I'll try to update this story soon. Thanks for the reviews - tell me your thoughts on this chapter!