Chapter 9: Fake Couple

On the road to Eterna City, May is training in a forest. The last two Contests she entered were losses, and she plans on ending her losing streak, so she can finally beat Drew. She has her Delcatty out.

"Use Blizzard and then Thunderbolt!"

Delcatty fires Blizzard upward towards the sky before launching a Thunderbolt at the Blizzard. The Thunderbolt forms into sharp crystals as it freezes. The crystals have electricity stored in them, giving off a yellow glow. They crash together way above Delcatty and explode. Snow and electricity fall all around Delcatty.

"Wow…that was amazing!" May said. "We'll definitely use that combination in the next Contest."

Snap!

"Huh?" May turns her head after hearing a sound come from the forest.

But nothing is there…

Delcatty meows, running to where the sound came from. She glances at the nearby trees.

"Is something there, Delcatty?" May asked.

Delcatty narrows her eyes. She launches a Thunderbolt through the bushes in front of her.

"Aaaah!"

"What?" May questioned.

Delcatty steps back, and a man stumbles out of the forest. May gasped and goes to help him up.

"Are you okay? Sorry about that."

"I'm fine. I should've just said something instead of keeping quiet. Hi. My name is Mark, and I'm a writer for Coordinator's Weekly."

"Oh." May notices the camera around Mark's neck. "Did you take a picture of me earlier?"

"Yes. I hope you don't mind. I must photograph all the Coordinators I come across on my travels. And find out some interesting things going on in their lives. So…May…where's your boyfriend Drew? Don't you guys travel together?"

May frowned. "Umm…can I not answer questions about Drew?"

"Did something happen?" Mark lifts his camera and snaps another picture of May.

May narrows her eyes.

"Did you two break up?"

"Umm…"

"Because that's what Drew said."

"Huh?"

"See?" Mark takes out a book of Coordinators Weekly. "I'm able to create the book as I go, and add new pages when they come. This is my meeting with Drew a couple days ago." He showed May Drew's page in the book.

She reads it to herself before gasping. "Drew said 'May was a really sweet person to travel with, but I've moved on." She read again. There's a picture of Drew and Julianna, and she's placing a kiss on his cheek. Her eyes get watery. "I knew he'd move on quickly…and here I thought that…he might want to be with me again."

Mark pulls the book back. "Yeah. I saw those two together and I believe they also said that they're traveling together now. Or…they might've just said to the next city…"

"T-traveling together?"

It feels like her heart broke all over again. She thought that Drew would never be one to travel with someone. She's the exception, of course. But he's always been so independent. Now he's supposedly not so independent? And for Julianna? That movie star that possibly hates May? They're traveling together? And dating?

"So, are you sure you can't spare some time to tell Coordinators Weekly about what happened between you and Drew?" Mark asked.

May exhaled. "Fine. Let's go to my campsite."

They walk across the field to where May's campfire is, and a sleeping bag. They sit by the fire. "Okay. So, first question." Mark said. "When did you and Drew separate?"

Drew is walking on the route to Eterna City with Roserade by his side. Since May is no longer traveling with him, he ended up talking to himself about things. He thought that was weird, so he called out Roserade to talk to.

Drew sighed. He gazed up at the clouds while walking, thinking of a certain brunette. He could see her face in the sky, smiling down at him. He shook his head. The next time he looked at the clouds, she was gone. It's like he could hear her cute giggle echo through his head.

Giggling.

Oh wait. That giggling is real. And it's not cute.

Drew stopped and looked behind him. Roserade did to.

The giggling gets louder as a certain movie star runs to them. "Drewy! I finally found you!"

Drew sighed. "What do you want, Julianna?" He asked, sounding uninterested.

Julianna wrapped her arms around Drew's arm. "I was wondering why my boyfriend left me behind. I thought we're supposed to be traveling together as a couple."

"No, Julianna." Drew slipped his arm out of Julianna's arms. "I never said that we'd be traveling together. You did. To that writer. Now the entire Coordinator world is going to believe something that's not true."

"But Drew…"

"I told you already that the only traveling partner I'd ever want is May."

Julianna crossed her arms. "Well, she's not here, is she? No. But I'm here to keep you company. Have you forgotten that she called it off between you two?"

"I told you. We both decided it'll be for the best. And she's the only one I have feelings for."

Julianna sighed, frustrated. "Get over it, Drew. Everyone thinks we're together, probably even May, so we might as well keep our word and go out for real."

"Don't feel like it." Drew said before turning and walking away.

"Drew!" Julianna yelled. She rushed to the front of him. He stopped.

"Answer me this, Julianna…why are you trying so hard to get me to date you?"

Julianna sighed before frowning. She looks down. "It's just…"

"Just…"

Julianna groaned in frustration before looking at Drew. "My manager wants me to!"

Drew's stays frozen. "…what?"

Julianna took a deep breath. "She wants me to go after someone famous, and have like this whole drama thing going on, or something. So that's why I've been trying to make you admit you're my 'boyfriend'." She said with air quotes.

"Boyfriend?" Drew repeated, using air quotes. "Why use air quotes?"

"All I want is for you to pretend to be my boyfriend. My manager will be happy when the world wonders about the drama between you, me, and May."

"Uhh…"

"And my career will soar greater than it already does, because people will be more curious about me, right?"

"I…guess that makes sense…but one question…"

"Hm?"

"Do you actually have feelings for me?"

Julianna shakes her head. "No, not at all."

"Wow. It sure seemed like you did."

"I was just acting. It's what I do."

"Well…"

Julianna brings her hands together, and looks at Drew with her begging, pleading, puppy dog eyes. "Will you help me, please? Please?"

"That face would work for May, but not for you."

Julianna pouts.

Drew sighed. "You need to explain what you want me to do. In detail. Then…I'll think about it."

"Yay!"

Julianna and Drew start walking side-by-side.

"So, what I need you to do is be my pretend boyfriend. We'll travel together…hold hands…maybe share a kiss…"

Drew stopped and looked at Julianna. "No deal."

Julianna stopped and turned. "Hm?"

"I will not kiss you. I recently broke up with May."

"Okay, fine. We should eventually just lean in, but not kiss, okay?"

"Okay…"

They continue walking.

"We'll just make the writers and photographers think that we kissed. Get it?"

"Kinda…"

"Anyways, we just act like couples to fool everyone, and in the end, you pretend break up with me or something."

"And…what exactly will that do for you?"

"Bring more attention to my movies, and stuff. And you'll become more famous too."

"Hmm…but why me?"

"Well…I had to go after someone who's good-looking."

Drew chuckled. "I only have one more question for you."

"Hit me with it."

"What's in it for me?"

"More…popularity?" Julianna said as a question.

"Not good enough. I don't need more popularity."

"Hmm…do you want money?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"Then…I guess I don't have anything you could want…"

"It's fine. I'll help you out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't mind helping out."

"Oh, thank you so much, Drew!" Julianna tackles him in a hug.

Drew awkwardly pats Julianna's back. "Umm…"

Julianna backs away. "Oh, and one more thing…"

"Hm?"

"You can't tell May about this."

Drew's expression dropped.

Drew and Julianna entered Eterna City together. And surprisingly, he's been handling her pretty well. Before, she would try stealing him away from May. Now…she's actually been really nice to talk to.

"So, want to go to the Pokémon Center first, Drewy?" Julianna asked.

"Yeah. And then I think I'll go practice my appeal for the upcoming Contest."

"Okay. I'd love to watch that."

"Sorry. I train in private."

"You don't let anyone watch?"

"Nope. My tactics are secret. I never even let May watch."

"Wow…okay then."

They come across the Pokémon Center, and enter. They each ask Nurse Joy for separate rooms. Drew would feel weird if they were to share the same room when they're not actually together.

On the way to their rooms…

"Julianna, I've been wanting to ask you something since we started fake dating a couple days ago." Drew said.

"What is it?" Julianna asked.

"Why did you tell me that I can't tell May about this?"

"Because that'll make it more interesting. More…drama. It's what my manager wants."

Drew sighed, frowning. "What if I see her again, and…she thinks that I really like you for real?"

"She probably will."

"But…I won't tell her it's all fake, and then…she'll be really sad. What if she gets mad at me?"

"What if?"

Drew and Julianna stop at Drew's room.

"You two are over. She's probably already moved on from you. She does have many fanboys, doesn't she?"

"Yeah…"

Julianna slips her hand into Drew's, holding it gently. "Maybe you should too."

"I…" He shakes his head. "I don't know…Are you sure I can't tell her that this is fake?"

"What's the drama after that?" Julianna said before walking away from Drew to enter her room next door.

Drew took a deep breath before entering his room. He threw himself on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Oh, May…please don't hate me…"

"That's it, Delcatty!" May called happily. "You got it!"

Delcatty comes falling down from the sky fast towards a giant boulder, her tail glowing white. She meows loudly as she swings her tail. It hits the rock, making her bounce off of it. The rock cracks in half and breaks apart.

Delcatty lands in front of May, tail glow fading.

"That was great, Delcatty!" May said. "Let's try Iron Tail one more time."

Delcatty meows in agreement before jumping into the air again.

May had decided that it's about time Delcatty got some new moves under her belt, so she decided on teaching her Iron Tail. She remembers watching Ash train his Pikachu to use Iron Tail. It's a really powerful move, and May's sure she could come up with some new combinations with it.

Delcatty's tail glows white, and she falls fast over another rock. But when she swung her tail downward, using Iron Tail, the glow only faded before she hit the boulder.

Meow?

Delcatty sits on the rock, staring at her tail in confusion.

"I guess we still have plenty of work to do…"