Chapter 18

The pathway was hardly noticeable. Dense thickets of trees blocked out the sunlight, leaving the forest dimly lit. The leafy canopy was the sky and the colossal branches hanging above his head were the clouds. As Gary walked on, the path dwindled into patches of tall, wild grass. The fragrance of sweet flowers tickled his nose as he listened to the incessant buzz that- without a doubt- belonged to a beedrill. Or beedrills, he thought with a grimace. He hoped he wouldn't stumble across the pugnacious species of bugs; he was in no mood to fight or train today. Though it was the middle of summer, Gary shivered as a mysterious chill went down his spine.

Meandering through the meadow, Gary trekked deeper into the heart of the forest. He stopped, exhaling with relief. How long had be been walking for? An hour? Delight blossomed on his face when he approached his goal: the Ilex forest shrine. Built a thousand years ago, it stood in the centre of the clearing, nearby a small pool of crystal clear water. The pool seemed to sparkle under the golden rays of light that filtered through the thick branches. Gary kneeled in front of the shrine, observing it with heartfelt curiosity. Being the avid historian he was, naturally, he knew it was dedicated to the protector of the forest, Celebi.

It was this legend that made Ilex Forest different. There was something magical in the air, even Gary couldn't deny that. He attempted to explain the phenomenon in his research, but no words could begin to describe the beautifully haunting enigma. A presence that cannot be seen or hear, but was felt in the heart. Perhaps it was indeed Celebi, but no one had ever been lucky enough to actually catch a glimpse of it.

The buzzing of the forest bugs had long disappeared. Gary closed his eyes, appreciating the soothing serenity. He had roamed through the lands and traversed through labyrinthine forests, but none compared to this. He vividly remembered collecting data on the moss rock in Eterna Forest during his journey in the Sinnoh region.

Sinnoh.

A rush of memories made his heart pound. It had been a year since the ordeal that lead him on the path of loneliness. Gary couldn't bear the disappointment in his grandfather's eyes; he knew he was a disgrace. After the sham, Gary braced himself for what had come; the academic board of Lumoise Academy retracted their statement soon after the Grand Festival fiasco.

It corroded his confidence, something that seldom happened. Gary's confidence was a steel wall. Try to break it with your bare hands, but you'll only succeed in a few measly scratches. The disappointment in Professor Oak's eyes crumbled that wall with a single look. Gary learned to rebuild that wall. With a new aim freshly embedded in his mind, he picked up his books (and what was left of his dignity) and left the region. He told no one where he was heading, or what he was doing next. His life was rolling downhill faster than a electrode using roll-out, but Gary was determined to change its course. Although he dealt with the consequences, some days he wished he could could turn back time, back to when he first met May. Those were simpler times.

He focussed on his passions, reflecting and writing. Gary began to author his first ever book: The Origin of the Universe: Truth and Myth. He was determined to put all those painstaking hours of studying and exploring into good use. How does Sinnoh mythology relate to ancient history? What archaeological proof substantiate Sinnoh lore? Does the Jewel of Life still exist? If Sinnoh's rumoured fourth lake is a portal to the Distortion World, does that mean other dimensions exist too; a parallel universe? He didn't need a snobby university to show that he was capable and intelligent. He would pave his own path. Plus, the project proved to be an excellent method to distract Gary from his misery.

Sat by the water cross-legged, he stared at his dismal reflection. Regret stared at his back. A whole year dragged by since he last saw May. The headline he read that day horrified him. She gave up. She stopped competing in contests and decided to become a gym leader like her father. Impossible. The stage was her home, the spotlights her sky. It had to be a lie. He would have vehemently disagreed with her choice, ask her to reconsider and remind her that Harley wanted her to give up contests, and that she could still succeed; she could still follow her dream. However, there was one problem with that:

May hated him.

"The challenger has lost!" Norman declared. "The win goes to the Petalburg Gym Leader, May!" The novice trainer called his Grovyle back dismally, but vowed to win the next time before taking off to the city's Pokecentre. Her Snorlax was a powerhouse.

May smiled as Norman gave her a thumbs up. "You're doing a better job that I did!"

"Dad, stop," May sighed, her smile fading into thin line. A part of her feel guilty for shunning her dad's effort to make her feel better. "Sorry, I'm just tired."

"I know, honey. Things are going to get better, I promise."

"I didn't think I'd end up here," May said, blinking back her tears. "I thought I-" She tried to push intrusive memories away, but she never succeeded in locking them up. The living nightmare still haunted her.

"Remember what you said to me before at the Alamos Town contest?" Harley spat menacingly. "You said I would lose. The tables have turned, darling!"

Norman engulfed her with a bear hug. "I know," he whispered softly. "Why don't you take a rest and I'll battle the next challenger?"

May squeezed back tightly. "Thanks, Dad."

May left the family gym and headed to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a water bottle from the shelf. Her mother was out grocery shopping and Max was in Rustboro City on an assignment for Professor Birch. Her heart filled with pride whenever she remembered that her little brother was starting his own pokemon journey. It was like yesterday she met Ash and chose Torchic as her first pokemon. Reminiscing about her obliviousness and naivety when she first started made her feel silly. Thanks to Ash, Brock and others she met, she learned more about pokemon and found her dream. Her chest puffed with pride as she recalled her contest wins throughout the regions.

Then, she failed.

"I don't understand... h-how? Why!?"

"I'm the mastermind behind this!" Harley cackled, sauntering around her in a circle. "It was so easy playing with you, like I did during the Hoenn Grand Festival. You just never learn," he whispered behind her ear. She spun on her heel, fire burning in her eyes as he cackled. "I fooled Drew, Gary Oak, your little friends and everyone else! After all these years, I have gotten my sweet, sweet revenge!"

"Do you honestly hate me that much?" May genuinely asked, the fire in her extinguished.

But at least her friends were happy.

It was a while since she talked to Dawn, but according to the news she was making a name or herself in the fashion world. Dawn invited her to her fashion show in Kalos, but May had no choice to shake her head in refusal. The spotlight still burned her; the scars of the Sinnoh scandal hadn't healed. Dawn understood her reasons and sent her a postcard and a scarf from her exclusive collection. May appreciated her efforts. At least someone was achieving their dreams.

As for Drew, he found success in Unova and became the youngest member of the International Contest Committee. He was qualified to judge contests. It was his idea to establish contests in the region, and it soon became just a popular as gyms. Serena took a break from her journey to become Kalos Queen and travelled with him, cutting off Palermo for good. She and Drew were together too. At least someone was having luck with love.

"Sweetheart, you can't begin to imagine how much I detest you!"

"What did I ever do to you?" she retorted with as much indignation as she could gather. "We're supposed to be friends; rivals that push each other to be the best we can!"

May was happy for Drew, truly. They met up once after the disaster that was the Sinnoh Grand Festival. She apologized to him, and he said sorry for his misunderstandings. Harley was the bastard that was behind it all, and so they had no qualms with each other. May bit the inside of her cheek when Drew asked about her next step. She had no idea, but eventually promised to keep in contact with him. Drew offered her to accompany him to Unova. She shook her head, telling him she wanted to stay home for a while to sort out her messy life. Drew gave her a commiserating smile, not pressing her on the matter. He was free from Palermo and his father's greed, but unlike her reputation, his was unblemished.

May played a game and lost. That was something she had to learn how to accept, and the 'how' part was the trickiest. She took a large gulp of ice-cold water.

Drew frequently sent her letters, encouraging her to take up contests again, but she couldn't bring herself to pick up her ribbon case. Her ball capsules and ribbons collected dust on the shelf. The joyful memories filled her with an mind-numbing emptiness like a dark, bottomless chasm. Drew occasionally sent he a red rose, reminding her of the good old days, another technique to motivate her to try out contests again. However, things changed and she forced herself to accept her new occupation: gym leader. She sat on the chair and placed the bottle on the table with a deep sigh, ruminating over her new job.

"They all think you're an angel, but I see the real you. You are a selfish, spoiled, dumb trainer who always fluked her way to the top," Harley spat, towering over her. "You're done! I've finally got rid of you, and if you had any shame, you would never ever step foot on a contest stage again!"

Was that all she really was? A silly, naive girl? A voice in her mind told her no, a voice she hadn't heard in over a year.

The person she yearned to see again was the person she screamed at. The one who could make her genuinely smile was the one she told that she hated him. The one that could motivate her, was the one she pushed away. May dropped her head into her hands, her elbows leaning on the table surface. She wanted to see Gary again, to hear his voice, to see that annoyingly smug yet adorable grin. She told him she never wanted to see him again- the only lie she ever told him. Regardless of the mess Harley made, her feelings for the researcher were real. Failure made her lash out at the one she loved, but she realised that too late.

Her biggest regret wasn't leaving contests like everyone assumed. In her selfish pursuit of fame and glory, she abandoned Gary while he was always there for her. The voice in her head (that freakishly sounded like Harley), told her she didn't deserve someone like him. She was just a screw-up that got lucky.

"You lost the game, May," Harley cooed, feigning sympathy. "You didn't deserve those ribbons anyways."

She pushed herself off the table and nervously walked towards the phone. Her fingers brushed against the button, her heart thudding loudly in her chest. She had made enough mistakes, but this was a wrong she desperately wanted to make right. Call him, she silently urged herself, her hands shaking. Press the damn numbers! What if he didn't call her because he'd moved on? What if she has pushed him out of her life for good? Doubt infected her mind like a plague and contaminated her hopes. What if he had a girlfriend? Her fingers hovered above the buttons.

Gary stared at his pokegear, having contemplated for the past ten minutes. So what if May hated him? He needed to see her again, to sort out what happened because despite everything his feeling for her didn't waver one bit. Gary concluded that he needed advice, and there was one person he had in mind. Beep! Beep!

"Wassup?"

"I need some advice." The day had finally come come. Gary Oak was taking relationship advice from the one and only... Ash Ketchum.

"Sure, I'll try my best."

"Should I call May?"

"You mean you haven't talked to her all this time!" he spluttered.

Gary scoffed indignantly. "She made it clear that that she never wanted to see me again!"

"Well, duh! She was super mad. We all say things we don't mean when we're angry. May didn't mean that!"

"Really? You shoulda been there, man." He scratched the back of his head, skeptical. "She sounded really convincing."

"Listen, you and May are my best friends and I don't want either of you to get hurt, 'kay?" Gary heard Pikachu agree in the background. "I know how much you like her and I really want it to work out. May's like a sister to me and you're my best friend."

"Here I was thinking you were still ten years old." Gary snickered teasingly. "Ashy-boy, when did you become so mature?"

"Hey, stop calling me that," Ash whined as Gary burst into laughter.

"But er, Gary," Ash mumbled, suddenly taking a bleak turn. "I don't know how to say this nicely."

Gary's heart dropped. "What do you mean?"

"I remember talking to Serena, who talked to Dawn, who talks to May. I jus' don't want you to get hurt an' all-"

"Get to the point!" There was hesitation in Ash's tone that hurled Gary into a hot panic.

"May, are you in here?" someone called. May's concentration cracked like shattered glass. She slowly put the phone down, dragging her feet away."Your dad let me in."

"Hi Brendan," May said with faux enthusiasm. Brendan Birch was her childhood friend, one she hardly saw since he started his pokemon journey a year before she did. He decided to take a break from training and stayed in Littleroot Town. "What brings you here?"

"Ready for the date?"

May pursed her lips. The date slipped from her mind! She had always seen Brendan as a friend, despite his very obvious crush on her. Although she turned him down countless times, boy was he hopeful. May conceded after her parents thought it would be a good idea to move on. Truth be told, she hated seeing her parents sad because she was glum all the time. May could never wipe Gary from her heart and mind, but she'd give Brendan the benefit of doubt. Spending time with him made her remember the carefree days of her childhood, and that wasn't was bad thing.

"I didn't think you'd come so early." I was about to do something very important dammit!

"I was pretty excited," he admitted sheepishly, shuffling his feet.

"So where are we going?"

"I was thinking we should go have a picnic in the park," he said, holding up a large picnic basket.

"I do love food," May remarked as she walked with him out the door, the image of Gary flickering in her mind like a small flame.

"She told me May's dating a guy called Brendan Birch."

No way.

"Gary, you there? Hello?"

"Still here," he grinded out.

"Jus' wanted to give you a heads up."

"How long have they been... t-together?" He practically puked the last word.

"I dunno. I guess she thought you moved on. If you ever need me, I'm here." Ash offered sympathetically. He attempted to be supportive, but he knew he dropped a pretty big bomb.

"I gotta go." Beep!

An unearthly yell ripped from his throat as he threw the pokegear across the water. He paced back and forth, lost for words. He knew Serena was no liar, but the knowledge that May moved on was a bitter pill he could not swallow. Was it his fault she moved on? Was giving her space in fact a choice to push her away for good? It was futile, but he thought if only he could turn back time. He'd do things differently.

A strange mist snaked through the trees and danced atop the crystalline water. At first, Gary was mesmerized by it, almost like he was in a daydream, but the the silvery fog grew thicker and thicker until he couldn't see a thing. Panic rose within him as he picked up his pokegear. His breaths grew heavier as he thought of an escape plan. He scampered from the clearing, worry shrouding his senses. He had to get out. The fog was like a rope around his throat, asphyxiating him.

As Gary pushed himself though the opaque fog, he tripped over a rock and stumbled backwards into the shimmering pool. Panting, he clambered out but froze half-way. The fog dispersed, and Gary could see clearly again. A small silhouette levitating above the water caught his attention. The last swirls of mist slithered away and his breath hitched in his throat. His mouth gaped open and his eyes widened. The alarm bells ringing in his hear stopped. The figure fluttered towards him, smiling.

It was the mystical pokemon, the legend: Celebi. A flash of light emanated from its body, blinding Gary as he shielded himself with his arms.

And that was the last thing he saw.

I finished this chapter but then my work was lost so I had to rewrite half the chapter again from memory. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave your thoughts in a review! Special thanks to jayfeather12345, Guest, Spitfire52 and skyrosediamond for your reviews- they really made me smile!