A/N No-Life Sama, sorry I'm just replying to your comment – I'd love to see more of your amazing work. For those of you who don't know, No-Life Sama has created spectacular drawings of my story. I suggest you check them out.
May wasn't sure what she wanted more – to sleep, or to die of embarrassment.
Why, oh why, did Brendan of all people, have to catch her straddling the future president of Devon?
She jumped off of Steven and backed up until she hit the wall.
Brendan looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "What's going on here?"
"Nothing," May said. Her voice cracked.
Steven sat up. Unlike her, he appeared completely unfazed by the intrusion.
Brendan was still looking at her. "I thought you said you were gonna rest," he said, his lips quivering with poorly restrained laughter.
"I'm still going to," May insisted.
He raised a hand to his chin as if he were studying a piece of art. "Hmm…"
"Get out, Brendan."
He held up his hands in mock resignation. "Alright, alright, I'll get out of your way. You can continue with… whatever it was you were doing." He retreated back into his own room. May was one-hundred-percent certain that he was going to share his findings with Lisia.
May couldn't bring herself to look at Steven. She stared at the floor. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for, May."
Did he forget that she had just forcefully pinned him to the bed?
She lifted her head. He was back to his usual, composed self, as if their earlier conversation had never even happened.
He rose to his feet. "I'll let you rest now. Come find me if you need anything." And then, before she could say anything, he was gone.
She went back to the bed and fell against the mattress. The area where Steven had been lying was still warm.
"Why didn't anybody wake me?" May demanded as she charged into the kitchen. Steven, Lisia, and Brendan were all seated around the table.
"What do you mean?" Brendan asked. "You never told us to wake you."
"I said that I just wanted to close my eyes for a few minutes."
She'd slept through the morning and well into the afternoon. For all the hours she'd been unconscious, Wally had gotten closer to the Cave of Origin. How many people had he hurt along the way?
Her throat began to tighten.
"It's only been a few hours," Lisia pointed out.
"Yeah," Brendan said. "Besides, you needed the sleep anyway, and – hey, you okay?"
She couldn't answer him. There wasn't enough air in the room.
She stared at her friends with panicked eyes. Why was she the only one who was suffocating?
"Breathe, May," Brendan said, his voice lightening with concern.
I'm trying, was what she wanted to say.
She didn't remember seeing him stand up, but suddenly, Steven was beside her. He held her by the elbows.
"May," he said.
She shook her head and shoved away from him. She couldn't allow him to hold her in place, not when she needed to be out and looking for Wally. Her vision began to darken and sway as if she'd suddenly found herself in the hull of a ship.
Steven advanced toward her again and grabbed her wrists. She shoved at him again, but this time, he did not let go.
He ducked his head to hers so that their gazes were level. His mouth was moving. He was talking to her.
"I can't hear you," she mouthed.
"It's okay," he said.
It wasn't. May knew that it wasn't. How could he say that it was? Didn't he understand the severity of the situation? People's lives were at stake. If Wally hurt anyone, the blood would be on her hands.
"I'm so stupid," she said, sounding as though she'd just finished running a marathon. "How could I…?"
"You're not stupid," Steven said. "You've done nothing wrong."
"But I –"
"Nothing happened during the time you were asleep," Steven reassured. "The Elite, the police, and every gym leader are all on the lookout for Wally. Everything is under control. We would have been contacted otherwise."
Her panicked mind trampled down his logic like a herd of stampeding Tauros. She heard his words, but didn't quite understand their meaning.
"He's still out there," she said. "Somebody's going to get killed."
"That won't happen."
"But what if it does?" May ripped her hands free of his grasp. She didn't wait for him to answer. "We need to go. Right now."
Steven gently shook his head. "Not until you calm down."
"I am calm," she insisted. "So we need… to go and find Wally before… before…" Her lungs were dying inside her, shriveling up like wilted flowers. Her stomach plummeted to her toes as if the room had become an elevator with a snapped cable.
She was going to pass out.
She barely registered Steven's hands on her elbows as he held her in place again.
He took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly let it out. It felt nice against her skin. Again, he pulled in a deep breath, held it, and then let it out. Then he did it again. And again. And again.
He made it look so easy, breathing in this airless room. She found herself leaning forward, reveling in the calming coolness of his breath.
She felt then as if someone had removed a black veil from her face. The darkness clouding her vision began to disperse like a retreating storm. The swaying room slowly came to a standstill.
Her breathing had evened out, she belatedly realized. Her lungs were working properly again. When had that happened?
She'd been subconsciously mirroring Steven, inhaling and exhaling in time with him.
While her mind had been running in circles, her body had been aware of everything Steven did, drawn to him like a magnet to steel.
As the last traces of panic released her from its hold, May saw that her friends were staring at her. They were wide-eyed, looking as though they'd just witnessed her murder someone.
She wished one of them would just walk up and slap her in the face. She deserved it.
She stepped away from Steven. "I'm okay," she said before anyone could ask.
Her friends were still looking at her like she wasn't.
"I'm okay," she repeated. "Really."
"Then what was that?" Brendan asked.
May shrugged. "I just… got a little stressed."
"A little stressed," Brendan echoed.
"Yes," she said. "That's all."
Her friends looked at each other, engaged in a private conversation.
Frustrated, May turned and started back for her room. "Gather your things," she called over her shoulder. "We're leaving."
It didn't take long for her friends to pack. Lisia had only her bag carrying her and Brendan's things, and Steven had already filled a gray backpack for himself.
The group left the apartment and headed downstairs. As soon as she stepped outside, May froze. "What are all these people doing out here?"
The city's inhabitants were out and about, bicycling, shopping, talking, and laughing, like nothing was wrong. Hadn't they seen the emergency broadcast?
"Why isn't anybody taking this seriously?" she wondered aloud.
"People rarely heed warnings right away," Steven said. He eyed her warily, his body tense as a bowstring.
"I'm fine," she told him. She wouldn't break down again, even though she could feel the anxiety begin to rise in her throat like bile.
"But this isn't too bad, right?" Brendan nodded at the busy sidewalks. "I mean, would you rather have everybody running around in a panic?"
"I'd rather have everybody indoors, where it's safe," May said. "If Wally were to show up right now…" She shook her head, not allowing herself to dwell on the what-ifs. "Let's go see Roxanne," she said. "I want to see how she's holding up. And keep your heads low. I don't want to advertise our presence here."
Unfortunately, keeping their heads low wasn't enough to deflect attention.
"Hey," someone called out. "Isn't that Champion May?"
Passersby stopped and stared at the group.
"It is her," someone else said. "And Steven Stone, too."
"Oh my gosh, that's Lisia!"
"And isn't that Professor Birch's son?"
May freed her hair of its ponytail so that it could conceal the sides of her face. "Just keep walking," she muttered. She wasn't sure if she was talking to her friends or to herself.
"We should've gotten disguises or something," Lisia said, though she didn't sound particularly bothered by the following eyes.
Just as more people began to congregate around them, they reached the gym and headed inside.
Roxanne was pacing along the front of the room. She stopped when she spotted the group.
"Hello, May," she greeted. "And Steven."
"Roxanne," Steven greeted back.
Roxanne turned to the rest of the group with raised eyebrows. "And… Brendan Birch. And… Lisia the contest star."
"They're traveling with me for the time being," May said, answering the questioning look on Roxanne's face.
"I see," Roxanne said, though she threw one more perplexed glance toward Lisia.
"Have you heard anything?" May asked.
"I haven't, but Sidney's been stopping in every now and then to check in. He said he'd let me know if anything comes up."
May felt her insides tighten with shame. While she'd been sleeping, her colleagues had been working nonstop. Some Champion she was.
"He told me the full story," Roxanne continued. "It's crazy, isn't it? That a mere boy could become so powerful."
"He's incredibly dangerous," May agreed. "Especially since we don't even know where he is."
What sounded like two boulders crashing into each other could be heard coming from the back of the gym.
Roxanne rubbed her temples as if soothing a terrible headache. "I'm sorry about that. My students do not seem to comprehend the direness of the situation."
May thought about her father's students and their similar battle-hungry excitement. She thought about all the people that filled Rustboro's streets. Everyone was acting too carefree in the face of danger.
"We should have been a bit more candid during the broadcast," May said, her tone heavy with regret.
Roxanne waved her off. "The broadcast was fine."
"But the people outside are way too calm," May said. "What are we going to do if Wally makes an appearance?"
To her credit, Roxanne had an answer ready. "My students would escort everyone to Petalburg, Verdanturf, or Fallarbor, depending on which direction Wally would come in from. They each have a full team of pokémon to help with the evacuation. I, and Sidney if he can get here in time, would do everything to hold Wally off until reinforcements arrive. Even if I'm by myself, I can still defend everybody – I may be the weakest gym leader, but believe me when I say that I will protect Rustboro and the people in it with my life."
"I know you will," May said. "And don't call yourself the weakest gym leader. If you're a gym leader at all, then there is nothing weak about you."
"You've always been too kind, May," Roxanne said with a smile and a small shake of her head. Then her face grew serious. "Are you going to continue your search?"
"Yes," May said. "We're moving on to Verdanturf. Contact me if anything happens."
"Alright."
The group turned to leave.
"Um." Roxanne cleared her throat.
May looked back at her. "What is it?"
"Do you think that Wally could, um, get to Dewford?"
May blinked. "Dewford?"
Roxanne nodded.
May was immediately on alert. "Did something happen in Dewford?"
"No, no. Nothing happened," Roxanne reassured. "It's just… I'm a bit worried. I mean, it is isolated from the rest of Hoenn, so it wouldn't exactly be easy for reinforcements to get there, should anything happen."
"Oh." May blinked. "I don't think you need to worry too much. Wally's goal is Sootopolis, not Dewford. He has no reason to go there. Of course, Brawly will still be stationed at his gym just in case, but I doubt that he will see much action, if any."
Roxanne looked down. "Okay."
"That was weird," May said to Brendan as they made their way out of Rustboro and towards Rusturf Tunnel. Roxanne had shown them the back exit of the gym, and they'd managed to escape the crowd that had been waiting for them at the front.
"What was?" Brendan asked.
"The way Roxanne was acting. Why was she so concerned about Dewford?"
Brendan raised his brows. "Are you seriously that dense?"
"What?" May asked, offended.
Brendan looked down at her. "I really can't tell if you're joking or not."
"I'm not."
"Wow."
"What is it?" she practically spat.
"Roxanne is, like, in love with Brawly."
May blinked. "Roxanne? In love with… Brawly?"
Brendan nodded. "Yup. Has been for as long as I've known her."
May couldn't see it. Roxanne was a prim and proper city girl. Brawly was a laid-back surfer dude. They couldn't have been any more different.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"One-hundred percent."
"Does Brawly know?"
"I don't know. Probably not. He doesn't strike me as the type to pick up on things like that." A slow grin spanned across his face. "But now that we're on the topic of relationships…"
May didn't like where this was going.
"I want to know what's going on between you and Steven."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Brendan said. "Or do you want to come up with an excuse as to why you were on top of –"
"Shh!" May's eyes flashed to Steven. He was a few meters ahead of her, engaged in a conversation with Lisia. She looked back at Brendan. "That wasn't what it looked like," she said. "You know how exhausted I was. I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Suuuurre you weren't," Brendan said. "Were you also not thinking clearly when you told Steven that you'd never forgive yourself if he got hurt?"
He just had to bring up that conversation. "You really shouldn't eavesdrop. It's unbecoming."
"I already told you, we weren't eavesdropping. And you're changing the subject."
"What do you want me to say? Steven and I aren't like that."
"Oh, please. You guys are like a pair of Luvdiscs."
"I don't want to hear that from you, Brendy-boo," May said, using Lisia's pet name for him like an insult.
Brendan's ears turned pink, but he kept at it. "C'mon, May. We're best buds. I told you about me and Lisia, but you can't tell me about you and Steven?"
"There's nothing to tell," she said. "Besides, I think he has a girlfriend."
"Really? Who?"
"Annette Harrison."
"As in, the famous actress?"
May nodded. "Yes."
Brendan wrinkled his nose. "What? There's no way that's true."
"There's no way it isn't true. Didn't you see the way she held onto him at the party?"
"Yeah, I did. She was clinging onto him for dear life. I want to ask him if he lost circulation in his arm, the poor guy."
"Stop. I'm sure they're very happy," May said, though the words felt wrong, almost like curse words.
"They're not dating," Brendan insisted.
"How are you so sure?"
"Well, for one, the whole nation would know if they were – Annette would make sure of that."
"She made it pretty clear at the party."
Brendan snorted. "Sounds like someone's jealous."
"I'm not jealous," May said. "I'm just being realistic. Steven and I are friends, and nothing more."
"Is that what you think?"
"That's what I know."
Brendan opened his mouth to say something, hesitated and closed it, and then opened it again. May thought that he looked like a beached Magikarp. "What is it?" she asked.
"I don't know if you know this, but…" Brendan rubbed the back of his head. "He looked for you, May."
"What?"
"Steven," Brendan clarified. "He looked for you. When you disappeared."
This was news to her. "He… Really?"
"Yeah. Just called me up one day and asked if I knew where you went."
"And… what did you tell him?"
"That I didn't know where you were." Brendan looked up to make sure Steven was still out of earshot before saying, "He sounded pretty bad, May."
She swallowed back the sudden dryness in her throat. "What do you mean, bad?"
"I don't know. Just… not right. Like he was going crazy or something. Really scared the hell out of me." Brendan waited for her to respond. When she didn't, he asked, "You still wanna say that you two are nothing more than friends?"
May lowered her gaze to the ground."He probably just blamed himself for my disappearance."
"That's what you think it was? Guilt?"
"I know that's what it was."
Brendan scoffed. "Man. You really are that dense."
The group made its way into Rusturf Tunnel. Fog filled the area like a thick, white carpet. Somewhere to their left, a Whismur cried.
"Ugh. It's creepy in here," Lisia said. She found her way to Brendan's side.
"It's not too far until we reach Verdanturf," May said.
Years ago, she'd met Wanda, Wally's cousin, in this tunnel. She'd also met Wanda's boyfriend, Riley, who'd been trying to clear some rocks obstructing the tunnel's path. They'd been grateful for her Swampert's Rock Smash, and had given her an open invitation to their home in Verdanturf.
With her hand in Wally's current predicament, May wasn't sure if the invitation still stood. Even so, she needed to offer them and the rest of Wanda's family an apology. It was the least she could do.
"How's your foot?"
"What?" May looked to her left. She hadn't seen Steven come next to her.
"How's your foot?" Steven asked again. "It's not still bothering you, is it?"
"Oh, uh, no. It's fine now. Thanks."
They walked side-by-side, their hands almost brushing. She wanted to ask him if he'd really looked for her, but she feared his answer. How would she react if he said yes? If he said no?
The group soon found the end of the tunnel and exited into the adjoining town. The two policemen that were stationed just outside tipped their hats at May when they spotted her.
"Any sign of him?" she asked.
They shook their heads. "No, ma'am."
Like those of Rustboro, the citizens of Verdanturf were living their day-to-day lives like nothing was wrong. Though she'd expected this, May felt her heart sink. The emergency broadcast seemed to have served no purpose.
She turned to her friends. "I'm going to go visit some people."
"Who?" Brendan asked.
"Some of Wally's relatives. They have a house here."
"Want us to come with?" Lisia asked.
May shook her head. "No, that's okay." She alone created this mess, and she alone would apologize for it.
"I won't be too long," she said. "Do you want to wait for me in the pokécenter?"
"Sure," Lisia said. She and Brendan went on their way.
Steven didn't follow them. "Are you sure you don't want us to come?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. I need to go by myself."
"Why is that, May?"
She blinked, taken aback by his question. "Um, because…" What was she supposed to say? That she alone needed to stand before the family she'd inconvenienced and apologize until her voice went hoarse? That she alone deserved every angry insult and criticism they might throw her way? Somehow, she didn't think Steven would like that very much.
She raked her mind for an excuse that he would accept.
He waited as she fumbled with her words.
"I'm sure you guys want to rest at the pokécenter," was the answer she settled on. "I mean, I don't need to, because I slept all day. You guys deserve to take a break."
Steven shrugged. "I'm perfectly fine."
"Well, um, you might feel tired in a few hours," May tried. "Why don't you rest up now while you can?"
"I thank you for your concern, but I really am fine," he said. "Why don't I accompany you on this visit of yours?"
"Actually, Steven…" May reached into her bag and tossed him her Swampert's pokéball. "Can you get him healed for me?"
Steven caught the pokéball with one hand. "Was he not already healed in Petalburg?"
"He was, but I want you to heal him again. Just in case. His injuries were pretty severe."
They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, both of their gazes unwavering. Finally, Steven turned away.
"Alright," was all he said. He headed for the pokécenter.
May released the breath she'd been holding. She wasn't sure what that had been all about, but she felt like she was walking away victorious.
She moved into the southern part of town and found Wanda's house. She knocked on the door. A second later, it opened.
"Oh," said a woman with dark brown hair. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Hello, Champion May."
"Hello, Wanda," May greeted Wally's cousin. "I'm sorry for showing up here unannounced."
"Not at all," Wanda said. "Am I right to assume that this visit is about Wally?"
May nodded. "That would be correct."
"Oh, but my aunt and uncle have already told us everything."
"I thought so," May said. "But if there's anything you or your parents want to ask me, or if you need me to do anything, please, let me help."
"That's very kind of you, Champion May." Wanda stepped to the side. "Please, come in."
"Thank you." May went inside.
Wanda's parents, Riley, and to May's surprise, Wally's parents, were seated around the kitchen table. They all had their heads lowered, like they were in the middle of prayer. They looked up as May entered the room.
"Champion May," Wally's aunt said. Her voice sounded thin, like ice on the verge of breaking.
"You're here about Wally?" Wally's uncle asked, his voice low and gruff.
May nodded once. "Yes."
"He's gone," Wally's mother said. Her brown eyes were like glass beads – glazed and unfocused. "He's gone."
A cold voice rang like bells in May's head. Look at what you did, it told her. Look at what you did to these poor people.
She squared her shoulders and inhaled a few deep breaths. She would keep it together long enough for her to give this family a well-deserved apology.
"I'm sorry," she said. "So, so sorry. For everything. I know my apology will never be enough to right my stupid mistakes, but I offer it nonetheless. You have every right to hate me."
"You didn't know any of this would happen," Wally's father said, neither accepting nor denying her apology.
May wasn't finished. "I will pay for the damages to your house," she said, "and I will do everything in my power to save Wally."
Wally's mother covered her ears. "Please. Please don't say that."
"I –" May took in a deep breath. "I failed Wally once, but I swear to you, I will not fail him again. I will bring him home."
"Stop that!" Wally's mother commanded. Her voice shot through the air like a bullet. "Don't make this more painful for us than it already is."
May shrunk back from the woman's outburst. "I – I didn't mean to –"
"Wally is gone. Can't you understand that?"
"But he's not gone for good," May said. "He may be under the influence of the blue orb, but there is a way to get it back.
Wally's mother didn't seem to hear her. "My sweet boy," she whispered, tears rolling down her face. "I will miss you for the rest of my days."
May couldn't believe what she was hearing. Wally's mother was acting like her son was already dead.
"He's still with us," May said.
Tears continued to flow down the grieving mother's face.
"Champion," Wally's uncle said. "It might be time for you to go."
"But he is," May insisted. "You can't give up on him like this."
"It's not a matter of giving up," Wanda said softly. "It's a matter of being realistic."
"Realistic?" May repeated.
"That's right," Riley agreed, finally speaking up. "If he could defeat you, our Champion, then nothing can stop him."
They weren't giving up on Wally. They were giving up on her. They didn't believe for a second that she could save him.
Hadn't she wanted people to take the situation seriously like this? She wasn't so sure anymore. Which was better – the carelessness of the townspeople outside, or the hopeless despair in here?
"The police told us everything," Wally's father said. "They said your pokémon was defeated with just one hit. Is that true?"
"Yes," May admitted. "But I –"
"How do you even begin to face something that's far stronger than you?" Riley asked, his tone hard.
"I –"
Wally's uncle added his own question. "He's already defeated you so easily. What makes you think he won't do it again?"
Too many questions. Before she could answer any of them, Wally's mother spoke. "One loss is enough. Go home to your mother."
Their words kept echoing as if they'd been shouted at the top of a mountain peak. May couldn't say anything. These people were right to doubt her. All she'd done since setting out on her search was take a nap. She didn't know if she'd be able to retrieve the blue orb once she found Wally. She didn't even know if she'd be able to find Wally at all.
Her throat began to close. The room began to darken.
It was happening again.
"Champion May?" Wanda stepped closer to her. "Are you okay?"
There were two loud knocks on the door. Before anyone could move to answer it, Steven let himself in.
"Pardon the intrusion," he said, "but we really must be going. I'm sure Wally would prefer being saved sooner rather than later." He grabbed May by the hand and led the way out of the house.
The interruption was enough to snap May out of her panic attack. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "I thought you were at the pokécenter."
Steven kept walking "I was."
"Where are Brendan and Lisia?"
"Still there."
"How – how much did you hear?" she asked.
"Just the part when multiple people decided to interrogate you all at once."
"Steven, stop." May pulled her hand back. Steven turned to face her. His blue eyes looked like ice.
"Why did you come after me?" she asked.
"Because I knew why you wanted to go alone," he said. "I knew, and I still let you go." He exhaled sharply. "I always do."
"What are you talking about?"
"I knew that you were going to apologize for something that was not your fault."
"It was my fault," she said.
"It's not as though you handed the blue orb to Wally," he said. "What happened was purely accidental. You shouldn't keep blaming yourself for it, and you shouldn't let anybody else blame you for it, either."
"Steven, those people lost a family member because of my carelessness. Of course it's my fault."
"They haven't lost anyone."
"In their minds, they have." May shook her head. "You should've heard them. They were talking as if Wally was already dead."
"They're afraid," Steven said. "They're afraid to hope he can be saved."
"Or they're just being realistic," May said, recalling what Wanda had said. "They know everything. They know what Wally is capable of, and they know that I don't stand a chance against him. I might as well call off the search and begin preparations to evacuate everyone to Kanto."
"I was afraid of this," Steven said, his voice low. "I was afraid that you would come back thinking even less of yourself than you already did."
"I'm just considering the possibility that I will fail."
"You won't."
"But what if I do?"
"You won't," he said again. His voice grew a touch softer. "I won't let you."
How did he come to have so much faith in her?
"Steven, I don't –" She cut herself off. People were beginning to stop and stare. She could only imagine what they saw – the Champion and ex-Champion arguing in the middle of town. It was only a matter of time before the paparazzi caught wind of this.
"Let's go get Lisia and Brendan," she whispered. This time, she was the one to take Steven's hand and lead the way.
"Ah, Mauville," Lisia mused as they approached the indoor city. "This place has the best shops."
"We're not here to shop," May reminded her. "We're here to check in with Wattson."
When Steven had given her Swampert back a few minutes ago, the exchange had been reduced to just two words: "Here," and "Thanks." Aside from that, they hadn't spoken since their last conversation. It felt unfinished, hanging in the air between them like a heavy rain cloud.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things.
"Let's go," she said, pushing through the city's doors.
Mauville had always looked more like a shopping mall than a city. Shops and restaurants lined either side of the marbled hallways, and citizens carried bags full of recently purchased items.
"We've already stood out too much in Rustboro and Verdanturf," she whispered to her friends. "I'd rather that we don't do it agai –"
"Steven?"
They all looked up. Standing a few feet away was a blonde woman wearing huge sunglasses.
The woman broke out into a smile. Her teeth were blinding white. "Steven, it is you!"
"Uh…" Steven studied her. "I'm sorry. Have we met before?"
The woman laughed a little too loudly. "Oh, Steven, you're so funny. I guess I can't get too mad – this wig must be throwing you off."
She lowered her sunglasses, revealing dark, Glameow-like eyes.
Recognition hit May at the same time Lisia hissed, "Annette."
