Hi all,

Since my previous chapter was quite a short one and was uploaded a little late, I thought I'd upload this one early. It's another short one, but I've added in a new character as well.

Hope you all like it, and honestly thank you all so much for your reviews. It makes me feel extremely grateful to hear this feedback. I know I do ask for it at the end of every chapter, but we grow by receiving feedback.

Chapter 7

'Come on, Skitty, use blizzard!' May called as Munchlax rushed forward, his right hand glowing with an all mighty focus punch. As a Gym Leader, she'd done her best to improve her pokémon's learned moves. Whilst there was some limitations with individual pokémon's memories and such, she'd managed to do quite well. Not only had their move's precision improved, but also their execution. Besides, she was pleased that she'd significantly improved their general statistics, furthering her bond by training with them every morning.

Though she was doing her best, improving her pokémon wasn't her only goal. She herself was striving to learn more about pokémon, improving alongside them when possible. It lead her to consult others who were experts in their field until she was confident herself that her pokémon were well on their way to reaching their potential. Even Munchlax wasn't sleeping as often as some of his counterparts after she'd consulted Brock and Professor Oak for an improved version of May's Purple Surprise. When she wanted to, she could learn and improve drastically, not only for her pokéblock, but also herself. Though, she still did enjoy her childish antics, nothing was going to change that.

It was early in the day, but May had rushed off to a secluded area just outside of the town to help her pokémon figure out their contest debut. Whilst she had the basics of the idea, the execution required a bit more practice. It was one of the reasons why she'd chosen the area near the newly built Pokémon Centre, which had a battle field and facilities hidden by carefully placed hedges. Lamp posts littered the area to offer strategic light at night.

Skitty called her name, returning May's attention to the matter at hand. Shaking her head slightly, she focused on her smaller pink pokémon to see her letting loose a powerful blizzard, right at Munchlax's waiting fist. However, rather than bouncing off it like she'd hoped, fusing with the normal type move, it simply froze her pokemon's hand.

'Oh, not again,' May sighed as she picked up her pink pokémon, who seemed equally perturbed as her. This was the fourth time they'd tried the appeal and it didn't look like it was going to improve any time soon.

'Munch, munchlax!' Her teal coloured pokémon cried, looking completely dejected as it stumbled over to her, its expression downcast.

'It's not your fault, guys; you tried your best, and that's all I can ask from you. Besides, we'll get it soon enough,' May smiled at her pokémon, petting them both on the head softly. After all, they'd both tried their hardest to create the appeal, she just had to find a strategy that would work for them. Appeals with two pokémon were harder to create than appeals with just one, and May was really beginning to struggle with Almia's requirement of two pokémon in the appeals round.

'May, hon, what are you trying to do?' Harley frowned, surprising her by appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Glancing at his perfectly manicured fingers, he casually leaned on a nearby lamp post whilst waiting for her disappointed response.

'We were trying to get an appeal sorted, but it kind of didn't work,' May whispered as she recalled both of her distraught pokémon into their pokéballs.

'Never mind, hon, there's always next time,' Harley grinned, surprising her by how chipper he could be. In the years that they'd been rivals, he'd never shown her this side of himself.

'I suppose,' May frowned as she walked beside him, unaware of the things he was continuing to say to her, words of encouragement she didn't want to hear.

She knew it was rude to ignore the man, but she just couldn't figure out why that move wouldn't work. From her experience, and from what she had heard from Ash and Dawn, the moves should collide and create a new, unseen fusion move. The two seemed compatible from her deductions, it wasn't like it was an electric and ground move.

'And Drew said he'd try to come a little later in our journey, though he's not too sure if he'll be competing or not,' Harley was rambling, taking May completely by surprise.

'Drew is coming?' May whispered, blinking at her friend in disbelief. Solidad had only just told her that there was uncertainty on whether he would come, how had Harley attained more information than the pink haired woman?

'Of course he is, sweetpea,' Harley giggled as they reached the front of the Pokémon Centre where Solidad was staying. To her relief, he seemed completely oblivious of her having ignored him. She wasn't exactly subtle, but at least Harley hadn't picked up her subconscious hints for once.

Hearing this, May focused her attention on her pokéballs. If he was coming, then she'd have to perfect some appeals soon. There was no way she'd let him see how much she was struggling with the basics, especially after the constant grilling and teasing whenever she encountered him in the past. The problem was, whilst she was on struggle street, she knew he was already on the highway, racing ahead of her so she'd never catch up.

'Yoohoo! Solidad, where are you?' Harley called in his surprisingly delicate voice, drawing the attention of many of the Pokémon Centre's visitors, including the young brunette by his side.

'Here Harley,' Solidad smiled from one of the phone booths, apparently in discussion with a rather attractive man, whose mahogany hair stuck out at odd angles, his dark viridian eyes intent upon Harley from the screen. The man, to his credit, only looked mildly bemused, though May was certain he seemed familiar, though she had forgotten where. Had he been a challenger at her gym? If Solidad was talking to him, could he possibly be another aspiring Top Coordinator?

'Oooh, who's the hunk, hon? Have you been holding out on me again?' Harley grinned, nudging Solidad in a suggestive manner as he nearly pushed her off her perch before the computer.

'Harley, this is Gary, Gary, this is Harley and that's May over there,' Solidad smiled politely, only seeming slightly embarrassed by Harley's antics as he seemed to lean into the screen, apparently inspecting the stranger's physique as close as possible.

'May?' Gary frowned as he focused his gaze on her, apparently having grown accustomed to Harley's abnormalities quicker than the average human. As she hesitantly walked towards her friends, she offered them a tentative smile.

The expression that formed on the mahogany haired man's face upon seeing her triggered May's memory. Unfortunately, she now recalled exactly where she had encountered him, and the memory did not please her.

'Oh, hi Gary,' May offered anxiously, trying to suppress her first memory of the man. She'd never met anyone as cocky as he was, nor as rude. From her rant towards Ash after meeting the mahogany haired man, he'd cheerfully chuckled and stated the arrogant smart arse was his neighbour and childhood friend. From how her friend had described the man, she'd found it hard to believe that the caring, coercive and encouraging man was the same the man who'd taunted her for tripping into him, especially when it hadn't been her fault.

'May, this is a surprise. You still walking on your two feet?' Gary chuckled, his expression becoming goading as he spoke. Clearly luck wasn't on her side if the man was already referencing their first encounter. The news did not please May one bit, in fact, it irritated her.

'Hey, I'll have you know that it was you who walked in front of me! I was preoccupied at the time, all right?' May retorted, her anger rising at the clear bait.

'Wow, you really are easy to incite,' Gary smirked, appearing unaffected by May's impeding anger.

'You come over here and say that to my face!' May roared at the screen, ignoring the others in the centre who were staring at her in clear shock.

'So, I take it you know each other quite well,' Solidad smiled in a bemused manner as she glanced from one friend to another. She did not even turn to look at their other friend, who was currently dancing up and down behind them, attempting, and failing, to return the Centre's visitors attention to their previous amusements.

'We've met a few times,' Gary smiled at the woman in a respected tone, though his gaze flickered to May in a taunting manner. No, she definitely could not understand how this infuriating man could be the same man Ash had described to her.

'I'll have you know that that was 'a few times' too many!' May snapped back, a snarl contorting her face, though she tried her best to forgive and forget her encounters with the insufferable man. Honestly, he was worse than Drew, though she hadn't ever thought that was possible.

'Please, most people would kill to meet me at least once,' Gary scoffed, crossing his eyes and glaring at May. His tone made it quite clear to her that he resented her every bit as much as she resented him. Considering she'd had the grace to apologise to him despite being in the wrong, the realisation did not appease her anger.

With a laugh, May retorted, 'Yeah, right! I wish one of those people had met you instead of me, it would be one less worry for me to deal with!'

The man's eyes widened at the response, and May knew she'd hit a low blow. Just what she needed, another narcissistic fool who was adamant that he was Arceus' gift to women. At least Drew had the sense of avoiding them when required and not bragging about it, but Gary seemed another piece of work entirely.

'Are you kidding me, the guy's a hunk!' Harley growled at May, his green eyes ablaze with anger. All attempts at acquiescing the trainers in the Pokémon Centre were forgotten as he charged towards the suddenly afraid brunette, whose brain desperately sought for a distraction.

'Harley, why are you so interested in boys all of a sudden?' May frowned at the man, ignoring Gary's disbelieving laugh at her question, which she'd blurted out in an attempt at distracting him. Ignoring the man on the other side of the line, May hoped her expression was perfectly innocent, though she could see Solidad bite back a smile as she watched their exchange.

The older man, to his credit, blinked in response before muttering, 'Well, I've heard that everyone is in a happy relationship but me. It's quite distressing, you know. You know I've never wanted to be last in anything.'

'Harley, I'm not in a relationship with anyone and I'm not fawning over every person I meet!' May exclaimed, rolling her eyes slightly at her friend's antics. Sometimes it was so hard to remember that she was the younger of the two. The man was just an oddity, and not always the more mature and logical of the two.

'Well, I do apologise but I haven't ever found anyone I'm willing to spend my life with!' Harley retorted hotly, his fair skin darkening with embarrassment.

'Wait, do you mean you haven't found anyone you'd spend your life with or are you really saying that you haven't found someone who is willing to spend their life with you?' Gary questioned, a smug smirk filling his face. Though he was addressing Harley, his dark eyes never left May's expression, relishing how her face darkened with anger.

'Hey! You can say what you want about me, but leave my friends out of your line of fire!' May scowled at the brunette, who shrugged proudly in response.

'May is right, Gary, don't pick on Harley. I can tolerate what you're doing to May because you two seem to know each other, but Harley is a stranger to you and has done you no wrong,' Solidad frowned, her eyes harder than May had ever seen them before. The woman was usually pretty easy going, but she had never really tolerated bullying.

'That's fair, I suppose. I can always pick on that klutz anyway,' Gary chuckled, unintentionally stabbing May's heart by calling her the same name as Drew once had.

'How dare you!' May whispered, barely suppressing tears as she felt her bottom lip tremble. She didn't truly know Gary, but he had no right to belittle her and then remind her of the man who'd forgotten about her. Whilst talking to Gary hadn't been her chosen preoccupation, May could no longer ignore the striking similarities between the man she was talking to and the emerald eyed rival she was still infuriatingly pining over. It would be so much easier if he didn't talk to her in the same way Drew had.

Sure, Drew was gone out of her life, but she didn't need this kind of a reminder. Especially not from someone even more arrogant than the Oddish head, not that she'd ever thought that possible.

'What?' Gary frowned in confusion, appearing to be slightly disappointed and worried.

'You heard me, how dare you call me that!' May sniffled, hating how weak she sounded, especially to this man who simply belittled her with no reason.

The man opened and closed his mouth in apparent confusion before she turned on her heel and ran out of the Pokémon Centre, leaving even her friends speechless as they digested the events which had just unfolded.

Once again, thank you all for reading this. I know it's short, but I hope it makes up for the previously short chapter. Also, if you want to, please R&R :)