Hi all,
I'm so sorry for being MIA, but here's a long awaited update.
Chapter 35'Hey there, sexy thing,' Gary smirked in the suddenly flushed ear of his cousin as he snuck up on her in the busy café.
'Gary Oak, that is absolutely disgusting!' May squawked before hitting the man's arm, appearing oblivious to the disbelieving stares of both Dawn and Paul at their unusual encounter.
'Excuse me?' The man scoffed sarcastically as he lounged next to her, picking a pecha berry from her pancake, Ash sitting by his side and looking on with a longing expression.
'Hey, that's mine!' May glared at the man as Dawn frowned at Paul, who shrugged uncertainly at their interaction.
'Oh, too late,' Gary winked at the brunette, ruffling her hair as she pouted at him.
'Come on, Gary,' May grimaced as the man chuckled, sending a smug smirk to Ash, who wouldn't have survived stealing her food.
Taking her fork from her hand, he pointedly continued to eat her meal, ignoring her whine, 'I was eating that, and it was only my third helping!'
Rolling his eyes, the man swallowed his bite before grinning, 'Oh, only! Hey, not to worry you or anything, but don't look left.'
His cousin blinked once before glancing to her left to see none other than Leaf Green and Misty from Cerulean City walking towards them, the brunette holding a cake box in her hand as the red haired woman walked beside her, hands in her denim short's pockets.
'Oh Arceus, Gary you didn't!' May squeaked, her face flushing at the sight of the Champion bringing a cake.
'Where's Harley?' Dawn giggled, nudging Paul as she whipped out her Xtransceiver.
'I did,' Gary chuckled as May pulled him into a tight hug, her eyes shining with delight as the black haired man grinned, 'they came here just for you.'
'Harley will be around,' Paul scowled, though May didn't hear.
Jumping to her feet, she rushed out of the café, calling, 'Misty, Leaf!'
'May, I was hoping it wasn't you,' Misty's usually cheerful voice yelled back as the orange haired woman ran towards her friend, pulling her into a tight hug.
'Well, it's not me, it's Drew,' May grimaced sheepishly as her friend glanced her over.
'Wow, you look terrible,' Misty grimaced as Leaf stood to the side, holding the box before her with a frown.
'Gee thanks,' May responded drily, though she couldn't sum up the courage to care.
'Oh, May, this is Leaf Green, Leaf this is May. She travelled with Ash and Brock through Hoenn with her brother Max,' Misty beamed from one brunette to the other.
'Hi, it's such an honour to meet you!' May smiled politely at the Kanto woman.
The woman, in response, sent the younger woman a forced smile, her voice dripping with sarcasm, 'indeed.'
Blinking at the unanticipated hostility, May returned her attention to a rather surprised Misty, who quickly changed the topic, 'I can't tell you how sorry I was to find that something happened to Drew. After all those years, you were finally reunited and now this has happened.'
'Yeah,' May grimaced as her eyes sought Roserade's narrowed glare.
'Who is this Drew?' Leaf scowled, her eyes narrowed on the flushed brunette.
Glancing down at her feet, May grimaced, 'he's one of the best men I've ever had the opportunity to meet. He's always pushed me on, even if it meant he had stiffer competition.'
'You sound smitten,' Leaf responded drily, her eyes flickering past them to the brunet in the café, finishing up the remainders of May's meal. He seemed completely oblivious to the trio of women nearby, lounging at ease as Dawn was undoubtedly interrogating him and Ash about their interaction with May.
'What? No way!' May yelped as Misty chuckled, 'she sure is.'
'Then what's your plan for Gary? I've been friends with him for a while, and I've never seen him pull this many strings for anyone,' Leaf scowled back, a hint of jealousy entering her voice.
'Really? And here I was thinking he was just another insufferable prankster,' May frowned, her sapphire eyes turning to her cousin as Roserade glared at the man in an overprotective manner.
'Look, I'm not going to keep standing here with this cake in my hands. Once I've completed my favour, I'm out of here,' Leaf scoffed, surprising the other two women by leaving the cake on their table before stalking away from them.
'I… Misty, did I do something wrong?' May frowned as she stared at the taller brunette who trailed away from them.
'No, she's just learnt a lesson I've been subtly trying to get her to realise. Come on,' Misty responded with a reassuring smile before nudging the Johto woman and walking to join the group of friends.
Frowning at Misty's retreating back, May wasn't too certain how to react. She glanced nervously at the grass type beside her, who glared at the brunette in anger.
'Roserade, please don't leave me until Drew is better,' May murmured, pressing a hand on the back of the grass type's head. The pokémon frowned in response, his red eyes flickering from May to Gary.
'I know it looks like I have a lot of support, but I just really need a reminder of Drew now,' May grimaced as she pressed the back of her hand to her eyes in a bid to suppress her tears.
Letting out a shaky breath, she continued, 'never mind. I'm sure Dawn will have called Harley and Solidad over by now.'