Hey everyone,

Hope you like the latest chapter. I'm trying to post as many updates as I can, but I'm working on a few other projects at the moment, so I'll get to this as often as I can :)

Chapter 51

Seeing May pout as she sat on the grass in the nearby park, Gary noticed how her expression was as dejected as her isolated position on the ground. Instantly, the Kanto man sighed before walking towards her. After all, her expression alone spoke volumes, and he already knew that she hadn't intended to have the afternoon to herself. The reality was that someone had upset her, and Gary silently resigned himself to being her counsellor as he took a seat beside her.

From the fact that she was seated alone, he could only imagine what was bothering his cousin. He'd noticed that she had a ridiculous amount of friends who cared for her, and yet she'd avoided all of them. Whatever it was, he knew it was something she felt she couldn't confide in others. None of it left the brunet feeling particularly friendly to any who might have upset the younger woman. Whilst she was beautiful and capable, he knew from Max's and Ash's stories that she was nowhere near confident enough. Add to that that she could be emotional about the smallest things, and he knew he needed to comfort her. He'd heard all about her fear of pokémon from Max and didn't want her to hide in another shell, especially if he could help it.

'What's up? Didn't he wake up?' He murmured, recognising the slump in her shoulders as one he'd seen Ash Ketchum wear himself. Since the two were so alike, he could only imagine that his cousin was wearing her heart on her sleeve as thoroughly as Ash did. As much as he wanted to use his Ash tactics, he knew it wouldn't work on his more fragile cousin.

'He did, but he wasn't in one of his good moods,' she grimaced, staring at the grass with clear anxiety.

Hearing her statement, Gary waited, hoping that no one recognised him as he sat beside May. The last thing either of them needed was for them to be caught in a publicity storm together, especially when she was feeling so obviously depressed.

'I don't know if it was a very wise idea for me to be in that room,' May whispered as she wrapped her arms around her legs, leaning her chin on her knees, her expression so heartbroken that Gary suppressed the urge to find Drew.

'Ah, I see. What did he say?' Gary pried as innocently as he could. Knowing she was struggling, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him as he wondered if he should buy her ice cream like he would his sister. Food always helped Daisy forget her problems, even if it was only for a fleeting moment, and Gary Oak had never been able to tolerate seeing any woman cry. If anyone ever found out about it, though, his reputation would be shot to pieces.

'He was so angry, and then he started saying that I need to have more confidence and that I need to grow up. He said that I shouldn't be so hard on myself, but I honestly don't think I'm that out of line when I'm constantly around others who're already successful. You're so confident and so is he, Lisia and Wallace are extremely confident too, and you all have every reason to be. I'm out of practice and I feel like I missed my chance,' May muttered as she pouted up at her cousin, a tear sliding down her cheek, sending a wave of panic through the brunet man. This was going to do nothing for his reputation, and he needed to stop the tears before it became a full-blown waterfall.

'Firstly, he's got absolutely no right to tell you whether or not you have to grow up—that's something for you to decide, and if you're comfortable and happy with the way you are, then Ho-Oh burn him in the Lost Tower. Unfortunately he's right about your confidence, but becoming confident won't happen over night, and there's always the risk of arrogance with over-confidence. Besides, you won't improve unless you see your faults and actively work on improving them. You can't stay where you are forever, and being confident is a blessing as much as a curse,' Gary frowned at the younger woman, who pouted at his words.

Seeing her forlorn expression, Gary had a sudden idea. He'd seen a store in a nearby street that he suspected might be just up May's alley—from what she'd just said, and from what Ash, Max and Brendan had told him, she had some childhood tendencies that were as endearing as they were immature. If what they'd said about her was true, then this would definitely cheer her up.

With a soft smile, he muttered, 'come on, I spotted a place I think you might like, and we both know that you crying your eyes out while I'm with you is bad for my reputation. If anyone sees you, I'm sure I'll get crucified—especially by Ash, Brendan and Daisy.'

The woman spluttered slightly, her sapphire eyes widening, and, from the subtle crease in her brown and the twitch of her lips, Gary had the distinct impression that she was uncertain whether to laugh or tell him off. Seeing her inner conflict, he simply chuckled at her startled expression before clambering up and helping her to her feet.

Leading the way, Gary ensured that his pace was slow enough for her to amble along beside him. Seeing her obvious trepidation, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer into his side in an unspoken reminder that she was not alone.

Walking along, Gary wondered if he should say somethingto her, though he was clueless as to what to say. Comforting women was a delicate art, and one that Gary gladly avoided.

'Do you think he'll forgive me for walking out on him?' May questioned, breaking the silence as her cousin ignored the stares of those around them.

Considering her words, Gary frowned. He hadn't had the privilege of interrogating Drew, and from all accounts he'd stumbled upon, the man shared quite a few similarities with him—excluding, of course, Gary's successful conquest of numerous women. For some reason Drew seemed to fear any level of intimacy, and Gary had a few suspicions as to why that would be.

No, from what he'd heard from Ash about their relations, Drew had it bad for May and was absolutely horrible at communicating it to her. It irritated him that, Drew had scolded May, stating that she was the one who had to grow up. After everything he'd heard about the duo, Gary personally perceived the man to be a poor imitation of him, one who was frigid, at that. If the green haired man couldn't sum up the courage to confess his emotions for May—and if they were so obvious that even Ash Ketchum could see them, they were very much there—then Gary would intervene and sternly advise his naïve cousin that she should not wait for miracles. No, it was time to begin spelling it out for May, lest Drew really make her wait.

'May, he's a fool if he lets a catch like you go. Seriously, you've got looks, brains and modesty. If we weren't related, I'd totally dig you myself,' Gary smirked at her, causing her to push him away with a disbelieving giggle, her expression scrunched up to portray her disgust.

From beside him, she made a quealing noise to indicate that she was appalled by his words, though Gary only let out a chuckle in response. He'd often had to tell Daisy similar sentiments—not that he'd be interested in her, but that there were better fish in the sea and that whoever she was pining after had no idea what they were missing out on. The honesty behind his words for May were sparked by his assessment of her before he'd known that she was the real May. She honestly drew people in with her eager smile and childish antics, and Gary was thankful that they were related. If they hadn't been, he had no idea what he would have said or done to gain even a date with her. That thought alone was discomforting in itself, and he quickly suppressed it.

'Don't be inappropriate, Gareth! It's bad enough everyone else thinks we're a couple,' May scolded, though she couldn't keep the smile off of her face, appearing overjoyed at the compliment. The display alone told Gary that, for all her friend's support, they rarely complimented her. He made a mental note of advising Daisy of this, knowing that confidence started with being aware of one's strengths. After all, arrogance may be an issue, but having zero faith in oneself could be just as disastrous, especially for anything related to pokémon. No matter how hard the Trainer tried to hide it, their pokémon could always tell when something was wrong.

Registering May's words, Gary did his best to suppress a wolfish grin, already registering all of the way he could prank not just May, but also their friends. From what he'd seen of Steven Stone, the man had it bad for May, and that didn't include Drew needing to be punished for upsetting her, either. The thought of all the chaos he could cause almost made him grin, knowing how upset they would be.

'Really? Everyone really thinks that we're together? You have no idea how tempting it is to hold your hand and lead everyone on,' Gary responded with a laugh before rushing ahead as May scowled at him, her eyes narrowed in irritation as she clenched her fists.

Seeing her reaction, Gary called out, 'can you just imagine Dawn's reaction? I bet she'd be squealing with the Tepig!'

'She's not nearby, is she?' May yelped upon registering his statement, glancing around to see if the bluenette was hiding anywhere. Her reaction made him chuckle all the more, surprised by how adorable his cousin was. In moments like these, he found it hard to believe she was an Oak.

'No, have you forgotten she's in Kalos with her boutique? The grande opening has just happened, darling, and she needs to reap the profits whilst she can.' The man chuckled as she pouted at him, smacking his arm softly.

'Oh yeah,' May murmured, her expression lighting up at the realisation as the man ushered her into a store. From behind them, neither of them noticed the small group of paparazzi who were watching their movements, Xtransceivers capturing their interractions perfectly.

'May, what am I going to do with you? Not only are you gullible, but you're forgetful too. Clearly Max got the real brains out of you two,' Gary chuckled as he rubbed her hair, smirking as her eyes widened at the contents of the shop. She was too distracted to even chastise him for messing up her hair or for his remarks, her eyes staring around her in disbelief.

Around them was every imaginable pokémon in plush toy. There were Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Meganium, Feraligator, Typhlosion, Sceptile, Blaziken, Mudkip and more. Gary noticed how her eyes lingered on one of each of her pokémon before brightening at the sight of a Marril doll.

'Unbelievable! They have a Marril doll!' She grinned as she walked towards it.

Watching her, Gary stared in disbelief as she eagerly picked it up and hugged it, acting every bit the child her rival had accused her of being.

'You like Marril?' Gary questioned, his eyes lingering on any number of normal type pokémon. He knew from Max that they both did enjoy the company of the normal types, especially after their father showed such an affinity with them, so he would have put his money on her picking any of them instead of Marril. That pokémon had been completely random, and Gary had no idea why she'd chosen it.

'Yes, I had one of these same dolls as a child, and it really comforted me when we moved to Hoenn. I'd always play with it and hug it when I felt lonely. Not a lot could remind me of Johto, which I'm sure you know has very different pokémon to Hoenn,' May smiled up at the man, her eyes glancing at the other soft toys in the room, though Gary noticed with some amusement the way the woman's arms clung steadily onto the Marril.

'Can I help you?' A pretty assistant asked, smiling up at the duo, her black hair pulled behind her ears.

Seeing her bright pink eyes, lingering from him to his cousin, Gary saw May open her mouth, probably about to state they were fine.

Suppressing a scoff, Gary pulled the doll out of her arms and handed the assistant the toy, 'hi, I'll buy one of these for this very special lady. She's having a bit of a down moment and I think your merchandise might just do the trick. Problems with a boy, I think.'

He sent the woman a suave grin and a wink as May let out a gasp from beside him, instinctively slapping his arm in the process.

'Gary!' May squawked at her cousin in indignant disbelief, though he didn't react to her, simply smiling at the assistant, not at all intimidated by May's angered pout. The sales assistant glanced from one to the other before sending them both a knowing smile.

'What?' Gary responded innocently at the woman whilst May pouted at him, her sapphire eyes narrowed in anger.

'You know, I can pay for that myself. I don't need you to pay for things for me,' May retorted irritably, trying to find her wallet in her small bag.

'Nonsense, I'm not paying for you. I'm making up for lost time, and you'd better not be getting your wallet out. I was rivals with Ash for a reason and my pokémon can probably hold their own against yours,' Gary responded as he handed the assistant the money, sending May a warning glance.

Ushering May out of the door before she could argue further, he took the toy from the woman and called, 'keep the change!'

'Gary!' May yelped at the man before hitting him on the head with the doll, undoubtedly messing up his hair in the process.

'What? Is that how you treat me after I buy you a present? I've never met anyone as ungrateful as you!' Gary retorted with faux anger, though his eyes were alight with mirth as he watched May's anger evaporate in an instant.

'No, I'm grateful, come on! You know I am, but I could have paid for that myself!' May whispered with a pout, though Gary simply rolled his eyes at how stubborn she was being.

'And let you continue to wallop in your explosive relations with the Oddish brain?' Gary chuckled, sending her an appraising look.

'Oddish brain?' May frowned at him, her eyes flickering from the man to her newly attained pokémon doll. From her expression alone, the man chuckled, knowing that she didn't think he'd come up with the same nickname for Drew as her friends.

'You know, for all of our heated arguments, Misty and I don't actually hate each other, May. In fact, we get along rather well, especially when Ash has irritated either of us. He'd be beyond jealous if he knew just how close we are. Who knows? He might have manned up enough to ask her out already if he had any idea,' Gary mused with a small smirk, winking subtly at a group of women, who giggled at the sudden attention as May played with the Marril's arms, making them move slightly in her nervous apprehension.

'So you've gossiped about me?' May asked at the man, narrowing her eyes in anger, though it was dampened by her playing with the pokédoll.

'I'd like to think of it as research,' Gary teased with a subtle smirk, relishing the stunned expression which filled her face.

'Research my arse. You're nothing but a stalker,' May retorted, a flush filling her cheeks as she glared at the group of women, irritated by their flirtatious glances towards her cousin.

'Oh, you wound me so unnecessarily! Why must by relatives be so crude?' Gary exclaimed, surpressing a grin as May chuckled at his uncharacteristic antics.

'Besides, do you really think I would stalk you if we're related? Really?' Gary chuckled as he nudged her out of the way and into a nearby man, his blue hair styled meticulously around his face.

'Hi,' the strange man grinned at the suddenly flushed brunette, helping her keep a hold of her pokédoll as she almost dropped it in surprise.

Muttering a hasty apology, she turned to walk hurriedly after her cousin, who was suddenly rushing away at an increased pace, poorly smothering his laughter at May's panicked reaction.

'Gary Oak!' May hissed as she moved towards the man, who glanced back at another group of women, all of them with eyes on him.

He hesitated only slightly before recalling Misty's warnings about May's anger. Knowing that there was only so much his reputation could handle, and being abused by a woman was definitely going to cramp his style, he muttered, 'bailing!'

'Get back here!' May snarled, running after her cousin as he rushed through various groups of people, muttering apologies where appropriate. It might be unusual to see him running from a woman, but Gary had been pre-advised of May's anger.

The man let out a light laugh, not noticing a slender brunette pouting from inside a café, watching as May chased Gary, her Marril doll clutched tightly in her arms as she yelled at him to stop running form her.

Realising that May was motivated enough to chase him to another town, and that she, being part of the female sex, would probably hold a grudge, Gary knew he had to put a stop to this. So, thinking frantically, he thought about what would stop his sister in one of her moods.

'I'll give you ice cream if you forgive me!' Gary chuckled as he glanced back at her, grinning at her flushed skin—a sure sign of her having chased him, as well as her anger.

'Ice cream?' May grinned before squealing, 'you're on! Ice cream is delicious! Lemonade flavour, with the works!'

Seeing her eager grin, the man could only shake his head at how readily she forgave him, and thank his lucky stars that the woman had some very unusual similarities to his sister.