Hi all,

I previously updated the wrong chapter data (hehe oops) but my phone is finally letting me copy a few pages of data! Yay for it being fixed xD

Chapter 37

'How dare you say I had no right to say any of that stuff? You demand that I come to another region with you, not even gracing me with an explanation! All of this effort was done, pulling us into a helicopter without any details, because of a woman I've never met? And then, when I thought you stooped as low as you could, after making me contact some friend of yours that I've, again, not met; you have the gal to shove a cake in my hand and demand I give it to some brown haired Gliscor I've never seen before, and you say that I was out of line? Gary Oak, I cannot believe you would even think that it is ok to treat a woman like that! I've known you for as long as I remember, and this is poor form, even for you!' Leaf retorted, her anger rising. She'd seen the supposedly glances he'd snuck at May, as well as the sickeningly worried act she was putting on, though she seemed perfectly happy to see Ash and Gary.

All Leaf could say was that this woman was a first class actress, managing to convince everyone else that she was so innocent. Please, as if anyone that innocent would associate with the purple haired demon who was glaring at her in anger. He was almost drooling at the sight of Gary, it was sickening.

'Who do you think you are to make my little gingerbread cookie cry?' The man in question seethed, appearing oblivious to the soothing noises of the pink haired woman beside him.

'Your little gingerbread cookie? What is she, your play thing?' Leaf scoffed, finding her anger at the woman increase exponentially. Why was everyone defending her? Couldn't she fight her own battles? Leaf had never relied on others to fight for her, and this made her loathe this woman all the more.

'No, she's my rival and friend, albeit an infuriatingly naïve one at that. Now, why don't you get your disgusting cake and leave, Rattata,' the man seethed as the woman whispered, 'Harley, take a breath. Remember that she wouldn't want you to cause a scene on her behalf.'

'Wouldn't she? Well, no, I suppose she might not, but Drew would personally ensure that Roserade sliced every bit of dignity off of this wild pokémon with his magical leaf! Where did he go? Roserade! Use magical leaf on this Ursaring!' Harley seethed, his eyes flickering around the street, appearing to be oblivious to the stares their group were getting from passersby.

'Roserade went off with May and Dawn,' a cold voice scowled from the other purple haired man, who was glaring at Leaf with an increased anger she wouldn't have imagined possible before.

'As Drew would have done,' the woman continued to soothe, ignoring Leaf's scoff and the other man's heated glower.

'Please, where is this Drew if he's such a martyr?' Leaf scowled, hating that so many people cared for this one woman who was taking everything Leaf had ever wanted.

'Leaf, stop this,' Misty pleaded, though the brunette ignored her.

'I can't help but note how you're all protecting her all the time. She's not as innocent as she pretends to be, especially if she associates with Gary in the way she does,' Leaf scowled, resenting her own resentment of their relationship. It just infuriated her how Gary would do anything for this brunette who'd Swanna'd in out of nowhere. Who was she and what had she done to the man? Was she a transformed pokémon whose attract had worked on the man? It didn't make any sense!

'Leaf, I'm warning you now, if you don't stop talking Trubbish about May, I will have absolutely nothing more to do with you,' Gary snarled, his face contorted with an anger she'd never seen before.

'Oh really? Then she must really mean a lot to you for a sly little Gothita,' Leaf scowled back, her heart pounding in her chest as tears stung at her eyes.

'You can't say I didn't warn you. From now on, Leaf, you're dead to me. You can talk to my sister all you like, and my grandfather too, but I won't acknowledge that you were ever my friend. You've always been incredibly jealous, as well as unbelievably stubborn. I'm done chasing someone as distrusting as you are,' Gary said, his voice unusually calm, though it left Leaf feelling the first signs of despair.

Staring at Gary Oak in shock, Leaf couldn't believe her ears. He'd just told her off, and profusely. Not only had he denied their relationship-or whatever relationship they might have, but he'd ended whatever they'd had. In all of the years they'd known each other, the pokémon Researcher had not once had the audacity to tell her off to this extent, and it made her feel hopeless.

With a scowl, she turned her gaze to Misty's, to see the orange haired woman displaying the same shock on her own face. Beside her, Ash seemed to be struggling with himself. If Ash didn't come to her defence, then she must definitely have overstepped the line.

She'd disappointed her friends, and she couldn't bear it when Daisy heard, and she would hear. The Pallet Town woman heard of everything that transpired in their little group.

'Look, I was out of line. I'm sorry,' Leaf said, surprising herself by how easily the apology came from her lips.

'It's not me you should be apologising to, Leaf. I knew you hated me, but I never thought you'd be so callous as to take your resentment for me out on someone like May,' Gary scowled, his voice filled with a bitter resentment that only fuelled Leaf's guilt.

'Misty?' Leaf questioned as the Cerulean woman grimaced.

'You did overstep the line, Leaf. May's my friend too, and the things you said were well below the belt. If you knew her as well as I did, you'd understand,' Misty grimaced as she rubbed the back of her neck slightly. The woman was never one to chastise others unnecessarily especially her friends.

'Right, I see,' Leaf whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat as Gary shook his head.

'You know, Leaf, I'm glad you spend all your time at the Ketchum residence,' Gary muttered, his eyes never leaving her own.

Glancing at his Xtransceiver, he grimaced to see a missed call.

Pressing a few buttons, the man brought the device to his ear. Hearing it ring, he said, 'I'm sorry I missed your call, do you need me?'

Hearing a female voice in the background, Leaf glanced at Misty, to see the young woman glance away slightly, her expression more crestfallen than she'd ever seen the woman.

Even Ash seemed uncertain as to what to do, wrapping an arm around Misty's shoulder and grimacing at his feet, Pikachu petting Misty's orange hair in a comforting manner.

'No, she's better, trust me. Don't worry your pretty little head over that, though it's good Caroline remembers,' Gary laughed, his eyes flickering to the others in their group, his rejection of Leaf apparently forgotten.

Glancing up, Leaf saw the man listen to something before grinning, 'yeah, I'll go with you to Kalos. Ash can stay here to keep an eye on things if you want?'

Realising who Gary was on the phone to, Leaf felt herself shrink in defeat. He'd never offered to go anywhere with her, bar mannerperhaps to ask her join his trips in a seedy manner. Maybe this May woman meant more to him than she ever would. It left her feeling even more distressed than before.

'Chin up,' Misty's voice whispered in her ear, surprising her.

'Misty, I'm sorry,' Leaf grimaced, seeing the pink haired woman glancing at her warily whilst the moody man glowered further.

'I know, just don't do it again,' Misty responded with a small smile, making Leaf feel a little more appeased.

'I won't,' Leaf responded back, shyly glancing at the brunet that had stolen her heart from a very young age.