…Well, that'll teach me to promise faster updates. Sorry for the delay – checks date of last chapter oh, dear, the incredibly huge delay – I've had the worst writer's block in human memory. But hopefully, the chapter will make up for it! (Ah, who am I kidding.)

I'll Know

"I've lived here one day, and already I feel like taking a pickaxe and ripping up Viridian City from end to end!"

Norman and Caroline looked up from their cups of coffee, eyebrows raised. At the same time, May flung herself into the nearest armchair, fuming.

"Now, May," Norman said at last. "Angry words are unbecoming of a gym leader's daughter."

May deflated slightly. "You're right, Daddy. I'm sorry."

"Besides, from what I hear, they rip up Viridian City every day," Norman added before returning to his newspaper.

"What are you upset about, May?" Caroline asked.

"It's nothing, really…"

May didn't feel like recounting her afternoon. In her opinion, it had been an experience best forgotten. At least she had learned one important lesson: word in this town travelled very quickly. The news that she was a 'League-loving fascist', among other things, had reached the ears of nearly every person on the street she had passed while going to the store for milk. May didn't think she had ever been the target of so many stares and glowers in her life, let alone in a single hour. By the looks of things, any trainer who set foot in the gym would be doing so with the intent to vandalise it, not earn a badge. At least in Petalburg, they had been merely ignored, rather than despised…

"I wish we could go back home," she sighed without thinking.

Her parents exchanged looks. After a pregnant pause, Norman put down his coffee. "Why? Because there were so many challengers in Petalburg?"

"Well, what difference does it make which town we get no challengers from?" May burst out. "At least at home we knew everybody and people were nicer…"

"May, I'm ashamed of you," said Norman sharply. "Just because a gang of trainers didn't come and beat down the door as soon as they heard we'd moved here. We're having to deal with an apathy that's been ingrained into Pokémon trainers by the League for a whole ten years now. That's not the kind of thing you can undo in a day – it's going to take time." He glanced at his watch. "Which reminds me, it's about time to go out again. Maybe I'll have more luck rustling up challengers on the other side of town. Caroline, weren't you going to see that contractor about the roof?"

Caroline nodded. "Thanks for reminding me. The appointment's in half an hour."

"We can set off together, then." Norman got to his feet. "May - we'll talk later, OK?"

"OK," May said in a small voice.

"Would you mind watching the gym while we're gone?"

At this, the aura of gloom hanging around May instantly vanished. "Sure can, Daddy!" she chirped. "Just leave it to me!" She raised both hands to her face, forming a rectangle with her thumbs and index fingers. "An unexpected assignment has pitched the cast of May's Expedition into a dangerous game of spying and deception! Can they guard the secrets of the Viridian Gym from enemies who would seek to destroy it?"

"Don't you think you're a little old for that game?" said Norman as he pulled on his jacket.

May 'zoomed in' on his face. "You're never too old to defend the mother country, Daddy! Mother gym, at least."

"Quite," said Norman, looking as though he'd prefer not to get into this any further. He moved towards the door, followed by Caroline. "Well, bye, sweetheart."

May waved. "Bye!"

Shortly, a distant boom told her that her parents had left through the front entrance. She was left entirely to her own devices.

"Today on May's Expedition, this reporter finds herself the sole guardian of her family's gym," she said in a dramatic whisper. "She alone can defend the stronghold from invading barbarian forces!"

May crept onto the landing. "As she fearlessly prowls the corridors, she is completely alert for any signs of danger…"

Suddenly, there came a noise from downstairs. May stopped dead. It had sounded like the side door opening. Sure enough, a few seconds later she heard it slam shut.

"An intruder has broken in," she breathed. She began to creep down the stairs, poised to swing her pretend camera towards the first hint of movement. "Someone approaches to ransack the fort! It is now up to our heroine to catch the thief and drive him out!"

She tiptoed up the hall and slipped into the tiny office that her father had claimed for his paperwork. There was a corridor between this room and the side entrance – that meant that the only way into the gym was through her.

She crept to the door, nose millimetres away from the wooden panelling. Whoever was on the other side, he or she hadn't called out for the gym leader. May could hear footsteps, getting steadily closer. Their owner came to a halt behind the door… and pulled it open.

May nearly toppled forward. Regaining her balance, she straightened up and found herself standing face to face with a man in his early twenties. He regarded her with calm detachment - despite the fact that she had an imaginary lens two inches away from his nose - through vivid green eyes that were only a shade darker than his long, artfully rumpled hair.

"The gym leader, I presume?" he said.

"Uhhh… n-no…" May stammered.

It took more than a jolt of reality to shake her off-course when in the middle of her latest scoop, however. This man had come here looking for her father, and that meant…

"A mysterious stranger has arrived on a quest!" May exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "I am not the one he seeks, but our commander will be home soon."

"I get it." Grinning, the man placed a hand on top of hers and gently pushed the 'camera' down. "So you're not the gym leader… that means you must be the girl who makes the coffee."

"Sometimes," May replied. "Would you like some?"

"No." The man reached into his jacket, withdrew something and handed it to her with a flourish. "For you."

It was a rose, its petals a deep crimson, somehow perfectly preserved despite being crammed inside his pocket. May's cheeks grew warm. For a moment, she could do nothing but stare at the flower in silent astonishment. At last it occurred to her to muster some words of thanks; however, just as she opened her mouth, her benefactor strolled past her into the office, giving the door a tug so that it slammed closed behind him.

The noise brought May back down to earth. She swung around to see the man wandering around the room, hands in his pockets, with no acknowledgement that he was a stranger in another's home. She would have been annoyed at this, had the gift of the rose not thrown her off. She looked around in hope of seeing a vase left on one of the windowsills, and upon finding none, placed the flower carefully on the desk.

"Was – was there something you wanted?" she asked.

The man looked away from the peeling paintwork, which he had been eyeing with distaste. "This is a gym, isn't it?"

"Yes…"

"Well, I'm a Pokémon trainer. You do take trainers, right?"

May's eyes widened. "You mean – you're a challenger? A real one?"

"A real, live challenger. So, can I get a match?"

"Sure, you can get a match!" May clapped her hands together, letting out a squeal of glee. "Wow! Daddy will be so excited! Wait right there, there's a form you have to fill in…"

Still beaming from ear to ear, she began to rummage through the papers strewn over the desk. It took her a while to find the right one; Norman had yet to organise his files, and everything was all jumbled up together in a heap. Finally, she seized the slip and waved it in the air. "Got it!"

The man stayed where he was, amusement playing upon his face. "Are you like this every time you get a challenger?"

"We don't get a lot of challengers," May admitted.

"You don't say." He sauntered over, withdrawing an expensive-looking fountain pen from the inside of his jacket. "New to the gym business, are you?" he added, casting an eye over the state of the desk.

"Oh, no, my dad's been a gym leader since before I was born."

"So then you must be in charge of the paperwork."

The sting in these words came so out of left field that it took a while for May to even register it. She blinked several times, temporarily speechless. Surely he hadn't meant that the way it sounded?

"It's not normally like this," she defended herself in a slightly higher-pitched voice than usual. "We've only just moved here today."

"Hmm, my mistake. I'm sure you ordinarily have a great filing system. To deal with all those challengers you said you get."

May's jaw dropped. She gaped at him for several seconds; he coolly returned her stare.

"Um – you – actually, I think my dad's going to be out for a while," she managed at last. "Would you like to come back later?"

The man just grinned. "No need, I can entertain myself in here just fine until he arrives. What did you say your name was?"

"It's May," May said stiffly.

The man flipped a lock of hair off his forehead. "Drew," he said, in the tones of one making a very impressive declaration. "Co-ordinator. I expect you've heard of me before."

May cast her mind back over all the famous names she could remember her father ever mentioning over the dinner table. She had a vague notion of what a co-ordinator was, but beyond that, the name wasn't ringing any bells. "No, I don't think so."

Drew looked taken-aback. "You haven't?"

"Nope."

He stared at her, rattled. May felt a flicker of satisfaction at the scored point. He recovered well, however, shrugging and saying, "You have now. So what kind of gym is this, anyway? Aside from an empty one."

You need challengers, May. Be polite. May swallowed her annoyance and hitched a smile onto her face. "Daddy trains Normal types. You get a Balance Badge if you win. Aren't you a co-ordinator?"

"So?"

"I thought they didn't need to earn badges."

"Does anyone, nowadays? I just felt like a change. Surely you can understand that. How long have you been working here, exactly?"

May's smile was beginning to slip. "Since I was fourteen."

"About a year, then?"

"Six years!"

"No brothers or sisters to dump some of the work off onto, or are you an only child?"

"I have a brother, but he's not here. He left to become a Pokémon trainer," May added defiantly.

Drew gave her a pleasant smile. "Well, I only hope that his work is half as fulfilling as yours is."

"My work here is plenty fulfilling, thanks," May retorted, glaring at him.

"So, has a job in the secretarial department always been your life-long dream?"

May gritted her teeth. "Are you going to fill in that form?"

"No need to get upset," said Drew, holding his hands up. "I just thought that if I'm going to be hanging around in here, why not get to know you a little? It's only the polite thing to do."

May doubted that politeness featured anywhere on his list of priorities, but she was determined not to sink to his level. Maybe if she just answered his questions, he'd eventually grow tired of asking them. "All right," she said, coldly. "My life-long dream is to travel around the world."

For some reason, Drew looked extremely pleased to hear this. "That sounds promising. Anywhere in particular?"

He might as well have asked her which of her parents she loved more. May screwed her face up as she tried to think. "Oh, I don't know - everywhere. Uh… the Orange Islands sound wonderful."

Drew paused. "That's… a little far. But there are lots of other places, closer to home - say, just off the top of my head - Vermillion City?"

"Vermillion's nice," said May, eyeing him with suspicion. "You're not trying to sell me travel brochures or anything, are you?"

Drew laughed. "One job is more than enough to be going on with. For me, that is – can't speak for everybody," he added, eyes lingering on her.

May balled her hands into fists. Not trusting herself to speak, she stalked over to her father's office chair, bent her head over the desk and began to sort through the papers. For a minute, the only sounds in the room were her aggressive shuffling and the scratching of Drew's pen as he filled in the form. May found it almost impossible to concentrate; indignation was preventing her from taking in a single word. It didn't help that her gaze kept sliding towards Drew as though magnetically drawn. There was something about him that defied all attempts to ignore him. Whatever it was, it was enough to drive her mad.

She had just forcibly wrenched her gaze back to her work for the third time, when he straightened up and pushed the form towards her. "Done."

May checked it over quickly. "That seems fine – oh, wait, I need to sign it." She began to hunt amongst the clutter for a pen.

"Use mine if you want."

"Thank you." May accepted the fountain pen with a nod. Close-to, it was even more obvious how flashy it was.

"Pretty nice, huh?" said Drew, noticing her looking at it. "The guy I got it from said it's worth five thousand dollars."

May's signature dissolved halfway through in an inkblot. "Five thousand?" She'd guessed that he was rich, and probably not afraid to show it, but still… "I guess that's OK for anyone who can afford to blow that much on a pen," she added, unable to resist the urge to take a dig at him.

It didn't have much effect; Drew merely smiled and said, "Actually, I didn't spend anything. I won it."

"Was it a prize for a contest or something?"

"Not exactly. It was… a private game."

May stared at him blankly.

"A dice game," Drew clarified.

Understanding dawned. "You mean - you were gambling?" May exclaimed. "For five thousand dollars?"

"Ten thousand, actually. But I decided to go easy on the other guy. All he had was the pen."

May gaped at him for a long moment; then, contempt settled in. He was nothing more than a rude, stuck-up jerk with too much money and too few scruples, yet he had the nerve to give her a hard time? Challenger or not, at that moment she was sorely tempted to just tell him to get out of the gym - that would teach him a thing or two.

"I'm guessing you don't approve," Drew said, watching her from out of the corner of his eye.

May started guiltily. She hadn't realised that her thoughts had been so transparent. In an attempt to retain some dignity, she said primly, "My dad always told me that only people with way too much time on their hands become gamblers."

"Then I'm amazed you've managed to stay out of it for this long."

May gasped. "How dare –"

Drew cut her off. "And for your information, I had time enough to train my Pokémon, travel through eight regions and earn the title of Master co-ordinator, so I'd watch which insults you fling around."

"That's rich coming from you!" May blurted. "You've done nothing except put me down since you got here! I might not have made all the same achievements as you, but you know why not? Because I wanted to help my family instead!"

"Really? I assumed it was because you had no talent. Please correct me if I'm wrong."

"I can't wait until my dad gets home and cuts you down to size!" May spat.

"Hiding behind your father? How pathetic. You know, if I were in your place, I'd be mad at him. He's obviously made you into some kind of shut-in."

"That's not true!"

"Then tell me something. Before you came to Viridian, what's the furthest you'd ever been outside of your hometown? Give it to me in miles."

May's fingers were flexing with the desire to throttle him; yet, Drew's question struck an uncomfortable chord. Until three days ago, she had never actually been anywhere beyond the villages surrounding Petalburg. Her family's work at the gym kept them too busy to spend much time on anything else, and that included long, extravagant holidays. Their only concession had been a yearly, weeklong trip to the coastline, barely five miles away. To May, the arrangement had been torture. Only by throwing herself into the tasks given to her by her parents had she been able to distract herself from her disappointment.

"I… can't remember," she at last said, lamely.

Drew turned his head to hide a smirk. "If you say so."

May didn't think she had ever before in her life grown to dislike someone in such a short space of time. "So I suppose if I'd been running off to the slot machines in Neon Town every weekend, that would be just fine?" she demanded.

"Are you kidding?" said Drew scornfully. "You wouldn't last two seconds in Neon Town. They can sniff out your type from eighty paces. You'd get roped into a sucker bet faster than you could blink."

"What's a sucker bet?"

"A bet that only a sucker would take. Very embarrassing, I can tell you." For some reason, Drew shot May a disgruntled look as he said this.

She turned her nose up. "Humph! The whole thing sounds awful."

"I admit, I'm beginning to see some of the drawbacks myself," said Drew, with another side-glance at May. Before she could wonder what he meant by that, he had reached for a Poké-ball. "But maybe you and I should have a battle to settle this dispute. What do you say?"

The thought of wiping the smirk off his face was a pleasant one; yet, May knew that it would not be possible. "I can't," she admitted. "I'm not registered."

The smirk broadened. "A gym leader's daughter, and you're not registered?"

"I don't like Pokémon," May said, defensively.

"Do you even own any?"

"No."

"Well, that doesn't need to be a problem. Borrow some of the gym's. There must be a few spares your father doesn't use for his matches."

May frowned. "I told you, I'm not registered."

Drew took a step towards her. There was a strange look in his eyes; it was as though he wanted to test her. "Maybe not… but there's only me here, and I promise not to tell on you," he said in a low voice that was practically a purr.

May jumped, tipping the stack of papers all over the desk. She stared up at Drew in total shock. "What?" she squeaked. "Are you saying I should fight you illegally?"

A flicker in Drew's eyes showed that he realised he'd gone too far. "Not only talentless, but humourless, too," he said, with an airy laugh. "You should learn to take a joke."

May licked her lips nervously. She slid out from behind the desk and backed towards the door. "Um – you know what, I really think it'll be a long time before my dad gets home. Maybe it'd be better if you came back in a few hours…" She groped for the doorknob. Immediately, cool air from the passage outside swirled around her. She hadn't realised how hot it must be inside the room. "Our doors are always open," she added politely.

Drew didn't move. All traces of laughter had disappeared; the look he now turned upon her was sober and calculating. "May, I think you're trying to get rid of me."

May opened her mouth to deny it, and immediately realised there would be no point. The last thing she could afford to do right now was underestimate him. Drawing a deep breath, she looked directly into his eyes. "Alright, maybe I am," she said. "I'm afraid I don't trust you."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He didn't seem about to attack her. Feeling slightly bolder, May let go of the door handle and took a step towards him. "Why are you here?"

"I told you. I want a gym battle."

"No. Why are you really here?"

At this, a smile spread across Drew's face. It was the first indication of admiration towards her that he'd given since entering the room. "OK, then, I confess," he said. "I'm here because I'm a black-hearted sinner, desperate to repent of my evil ways and searching for redemption through the love of a good woman."

May's eyes narrowed. "You're lying."

Drew shrugged. "Lying's a sin. Your sign's wrong, by the way."

"My – huh?"

Drew pointed at something above her head. May turned and saw a card hanging on the wall, bearing the legend, in her father's neat handwriting, 'Thought for the day (5/14): Through living as one with Pokémon, we can receive our spiritual nourishment. - Hadaka'.

May cringed. "Oh, don't say Daddy's putting those things up already…" It had been an embarrassing habit of his back in Petalburg, despite the fact that days when anyone came into the office apart from him were few and far between.

"Enlightenment and a battle," said Drew. "I feel spoiled. Does he really have a thought for every day of the year?"

"More than that," said May ruefully. "He's got over two drawers full of the things."

"That's pretty impressive. I know a few people whose thoughts wouldn't even fill one drawer."

"I don't even know where he gets all the sayings from -" Suddenly, May remembered that she wasn't meant to be making friendly chitchat with the enemy. She gave herself a shake and rearranged her features into their former glare. "And what do you mean, it's wrong?"

Drew raised an eyebrow. "That phrase comes from 'The Symbiotic Relationship Between Humans and Pokémon - A Philosophy', right?"

"Um…"

"Well, the part about spiritual nourishment wasn't said by Hadaka. It was Itako."

"Of course it was Hadaka!" May snapped. In truth, she had no idea who either Hadaka or Itako was, but she was positive that she wasn't going to let Drew doubt her father's expertise on any subject.

"Itako," he repeated. "Look it up if you don't believe me."

May glowered at him, stalked over to the desk and opened each drawer until finding the one that her father kept the cards in. Sure enough, a thick, dog-eared volume of the title Drew had recited rested at the very bottom. She heaved it onto the part of the desk that contained the smallest amount of paper, and began to flick through to the reference section.

"Chapter twenty-six, I think you'll find."

May did her best to tune him out. At last she found the correct page number (which to her irritation was in chapter twenty-six) and flipped to it. Her eyes skimmed over the paper until they found the correct phrase – and next to it, in neat, bold typeface, was the name 'Itako'.

May slammed the book closed with a noise like an angry cat. She could sense Drew's grin without needing to turn around.

"Itako?" he enquired.

May took in a breath and released it in a long sigh. "Itako," she said, grudgingly.

She looked up at Drew; he had folded his arms and was leaning against the desk. "Never tangle with me over the old philosophers," he said. "I'm guessing there are only two things that have been in every room in every Pokémon Centre in the country: me, and that book. It's like their version of the Bible. I must have read it cover-to-cover hundreds of times. Of course, in my line of work, obscure information often comes in handy."

May snorted. "Sounds to me like you really do have too much time on your hands."

"Sounds to me like if that's true, you ought to be saying the same about your father."

May scowled at him. "Mr. Drew, my dad works very hard here," she said hotly. "We all do. And if you're just going to come in here and waste my time –"

"Miss May, I have no intention of wasting anyone's time. In fact, I think that I could be very useful to you."

"Useful?" May spluttered. "For what – insulting me, or getting me in trouble with the law?"

Drew's eyes twinkled. "Both entertaining options, if not quite what I had in mind. Although speaking of trouble with the law, my offer of a battle still stands."

"And my answer is still no."

"Look at it this way – even if I did turn you in, at least it'd be a change of scenery."

"If anyone's going to turn anyone in, I ought to be calling the police on you!"

"Yeah, you probably should," said Drew, with an air of mock-repentance. "And then they'll pat you on the head and say, "good girl, May," and you'll go right back to sitting in an empty gym for the rest of the day – and the next day, and the next." He levelled a look at her that made her wonder, with a slight chill, how it was that he always seemed to know exactly which buttons to press to get his desired reaction. "The whole town's already against you. You really think having me arrested will make them like you any better?"

May glanced at him sharply. "How did –"

"I've been watching you."

"You were spying on me?"

"Just doing my research," Drew said calmly. "And I can tell you for sure that the only way you'll ever get any challengers in here is if you promise them badges made out of solid gold. That is, unless you let me stay."

"Is that a threat?"

"No – an assessment."

For a long moment, their eyes locked. Drew's glittered with some emotion that bore shades of both anticipation and triumph. Whatever his feelings may be, one thing was clear, and that was that he had no difficulty in reading hers; there would be no use in pretending that she wasn't intrigued. May's pride struggled to overcome her curiosity, and was quickly forced to succumb.

"All right," she sighed. "How can you be useful to me?"

"Well, if you insist…" Drew began to walk slow circles around her. "You asked me just now why I came into your gym. I did have a reason – besides seeing how much I could wind you up before you started fighting back, of course –"

"Could you could hurry this up?" May growled.

Drew came to a halt in front of her and flashed a brilliant smile. "Very well. May, I have a proposition for you that I think you might be interested in."

May stared at him in disgust. All that build up, and that was all he had ever been after? "A proposition, huh?" she said, folding her arms. "I've had those before. Thanks, but I'm not interested."

Drew gave a snort. "Don't flatter yourself. This is strictly business." He leaned towards her; May took a step back. "Listen, I'm a champion co-ordinator. I have connections. And you need challengers. I can get them for you."

"We're managing fine without your help," said May frostily.

Drew rolled his eyes. "Please. You're calling me a liar? When's the last time you had a trainer come to your gym in Petalburg?"

"That's none of your business!"

"I thought so. Face it, May - you're never going to succeed under your own steam. Why not let me help you? I bet that I could fill this place with challengers."

"I don't bet," May snapped.

Drew walked past her, taking out the fountain pen once more, and tugged the 'thought for the day' card down from the wall. "There's a big trainer's festival here in Viridian in a couple of days, isn't there?" he said, turning the card over and beginning to write on the blank side. "The only time of the year that unlicensed Pokémon owners can use attacks, provided they do so within the city boundaries? I can get at least a dozen of them in here, easy."

May was beginning to feel interested again, despite herself. "And what do I have to do in return?"

Drew looked up at her, his expression oddly serious. "Have dinner with me tomorrow night."

May's breath caught in her chest. For an instant, she felt a strange sensation of falling backwards through endless space. "Wh-why would that be something that you – you want?" she stammered.

"I'll probably be hungry by then. Here."

He was holding out the card. After a moment's hesitation, May took it. "What's this for?"

Drew indicated that she should turn it over. On the other side to Itako's proverb were the words, in elegant, spidery handwriting, 'I.O.U. one dozen challengers'.

May stared at the square of cardboard in her hand, thoughts whirling around her head. Drew sauntered past her towards the door. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at four," he called over his shoulder.

May spun around to look at him. "Four? To go to dinner?"

Drew paused with his hand on the doorknob. "It'll take us a while to get there."

"Get where?"

"I'm invited to a fundraiser tomorrow on the St. Helena. It's docked in Vermillion City."

May's eyes grew wide. "Vermillion City?"

"Why, where do you want to eat?"

May was beginning to feel as though this all must be an elaborate practical joke. "You want to take me to dinner in Vermillion City?"

"Well, they eat in Vermillion, same as we do," said Drew in the tones of one explaining something to an idiot. Upon seeing her expression, he added, "Oh, relax, it'll be fun. We can get there and back on the train in one night. And it's one glamorous party – you'll love it."

The anger was now returning in full force. "What do you take me for?" May snarled, throwing the card down onto the desk.

Drew gave her an exasperated look. "What are they worth to you? One dozen challengers, ready for a battle – what are they worth to you, a chicken salad in a tearoom? If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for the gym."

"Go away!"

May sat down in the office chair, reached for some papers and began to stack them in a manner that showed the conversation was over. Drew, however, apparently lacked the ability to pick up on such subtle hints. He folded his arms, giving her a contemplative look. "You're a tough girl to win over," he remarked. "I'm surprised – you looked like the kind who might appreciate a good time. But I guess I was wrong."

May ignored him. Undeterred, Drew began to walk towards her, a taunting gleam in his eye. "Say, maybe you should tell your dad to change his pitch? 'Come to the gym, one and all! Oh, except guys. My daughter hates guys'."

"I don't hate anybody," May said shortly.

"Except me, by the looks of it," said Drew, moving even closer. "Well, it's good to know you're giving me some special attention after all."

"I'm sure you're so famous that you're used to special attention," May retorted, her resolve not to answer already forgotten. "So why don't you go look for it somewhere else?"

Drew came to a halt. For a long time, he stared at her, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips. "Amazing," he said softly. "I wonder what he'll be like."

"Who?"

"The one man in all the world good enough to win over the lovely May."

May slowly raised her gaze to his. When she spoke, her voice, despite being soft, was filled with pure steel. "He won't be a criminal, for one thing."

Drew crossed the remaining space between them and leaned down until his face was inches from hers, gripping the arms of her chair. "I can imagine for myself all of the things he won't be. I'm interested in what he will be."

May continued to stare him down. "Don't worry. I'll know."

"Do share."

"I don't think so."

"Go on. I'll tell you mine."

"I don't care what yours is." As soon as she said it, May realised to her annoyance that it was not completely true. "Someone who feeds your ego, I'll bet."

"Come on – you're telling me you have no interest at all in what a celebrity thinks of the big heartthrob?" Drew smirked. "And I thought you didn't bet?"

May had no answer to that. Turning away, she reached for another stack of paper and began to sort through it. After half a minute, to her relief, Drew pulled away. However, he then perched on the edge of the desk, right in her line of vision. "OK, I'll guess. You've had an image of him in your head ever since you were seven. He's… respectable, calm, honest, wise… steady voice, feet on the ground… pillar of the community… how am I doing?"

May stared fixedly at the files in her hand, a feeling of growing discomfort in the pit of her stomach. Drew's smile widened. "So you're holding out for an easy listening, four-button, slippers and pipe kind of guy?"

"Maybe I am," May admitted, not meeting his eyes. "So what?"

"And you'll meet him when the time is ripe," said Drew mockingly. "You just know it."

May dropped the papers and scowled at him. "OK, fine. If you're not going to go until we've had this conversation, tell me. Who's your ideal woman?"

"Oh, no idea," Drew replied lightly. "I want it to be a surprise. Leaving it all to chance. It's more exciting that way."

May snorted. "Spoken like a true gambler."

"Then I guess we're both playing to type. Doesn't it bore you, having everything so planned out? I bet you even know what kind of shirts he wears."

May blushed bright scarlet. She had to lower her head quickly in the hope that Drew wouldn't notice.

He snickered. "And you say you want to travel? You're going to have to acquire a little spontaneity."

"I can start being spontaneous when I meet him," May muttered, still red in the face.

"Oh yeah… because you'll know. Eyes across a crowded room, and you'll drop everything and run to his arms…" Drew shook his head, giving her an almost pitying look. "Jeez, even when you're being impulsive you're boring."

That was the final straw. Slamming her hand on the desk, May leapt to her feet, sending papers flying. "You know what?" she yelled. "Maybe it's a little hard to be exciting when the only place you've even seen up until today is the area you grew up in, and you had to watch your little brother go out and see the world while you're spending your whole life stuck in this wretched gym!"

Drew blinked, taken aback. For once, no snappy comeback sprung to his lips. For her part, May was breathing heavily, still carried by the tide of her outburst. Despite the fury coursing through her, somehow she felt oddly elated; she had finally voiced the frustrations that had been building inside her for the past ten years. In that instance, she didn't care how Drew reacted - whether he ran for the door, shouted at her in turn, or even laughed at her.

Nothing, however, could have prepared her for what he did next. Without warning, he seized her by the shoulders, causing all of the breath to leave her lungs at once in a squeak of shock. Before she even had time to realise what was happening, he pulled her close and kissed her.

May's mind froze. Her rage evaporated on the spot, giving way to pure astonishment that overrode every other sense in her possession. For what felt like an age, she stood motionless as a statue. Eventually, she regained enough control over her limbs to struggle, but Drew only held her tighter, and the desire to fight left her almost as soon as it had arrived. She had been kissed before, a couple of times, but they had been awkward, fumbling, teenaged affairs, with neither party having much idea what they were doing. This, on the other hand, was completely different. It was rough and heated, and the urge to return it was strong enough to make her head reel. Lost in sheer sensation, the remembrance that they had been locked in a vicious verbal battle mere seconds ago seemed the least important thing in the world.

As though sensing that she would not pull away, Drew's grip on her shoulders relaxed. He pulled her into an embrace, cupping her cheek and stroking her hair back from her face. The unexpectedly tender gesture caused a sigh to escape May's lips. For an instant, she wavered on the brink of indecision – then, finally, she surrendered, going limp in his arms.

At long last, it came to an end. May's eyes were glazed; she felt as though she had slipped into a trance. All of the usual background noise – the wind in the trees outside the window, the humming of the electric lights – seemed to have faded away. It was as though she and Drew were standing inside a bubble; for the moment, nothing else existed.

Finally, he stepped away from her, breaking the spell. It seemed to May as though the air had just grown very slightly cooler. She wanted to say or do something, but the kiss had struck her dumb; all she could do was blink, stupidly. Drew was gazing at her, a strange half-smile playing upon his lips - partly triumphant and partly amused, and yet, impossibly, affectionate. Without saying a word, he turned and crossed the room, not looking back.

May came to herself as she watched him go. Not even conscious of the decision to move, she found herself taking a step towards him, then another, and another. Her head felt light; she was floating, walking on air. At the same time, her heart was hammering – she knew that this was stupid, but they had already gone too far for her not to act. Drew caught sight of her as he reached the door, and stood waiting, quietly confident.

At last, she was standing in front of him once more. There was no yelling, this time; no flushed faces or heightened breaths. For the longest time, she stared into his eyes, a dreamy smile upon her face.

Then she drew her arm back and slapped him in the face with all the strength she could muster.

There was a pause in which the echo died away. Drew gingerly massaged his jaw, looking slightly stunned. "Right," he said at last. "I'll come back later. Just in case you want a shot at the other cheek."

May gave a shriek of fury. Drew turned to leave; however, at that moment, there came the sound of the side-door opening, and footsteps heading up the corridor. Before May had time to gather her thoughts, her father had appeared in the doorway. He stopped dead, his eyes travelling from her to Drew.

"Hello, there," he said uncertainly. "Did you want something?"

May closed her mouth with a snap. Her mind had just gone utterly blank. Drew recovered faster, however, stepping forward with a smile in place. "No, thank you, I think I already got it," he said. "The gym leader, am I right?"

Norman nodded; Drew shook his hand. "Your daughter is a very obliging young woman," he said. "I'm sorry – my name's Drew. Maybe you've heard of me before? I'm a co-ordinator."

Norman's eyes widened as he dropped Drew's hand. "Wait – you're that Drew? Heck, I've heard of you all right! You won the Hoenn region's Grand Festival four years in a row!"

Drew preened slightly. "Good to meet an informed individual," he said, shooting a pointed glance at May.

"Mr. Drew was just leaving," May ground out through gritted teeth.

"Oh, that's a shame," said Norman. "Perhaps I'll see you in here again."

"Maybe. I was going to ask for a gym battle, but I guess the timing wasn't right."

Norman looked panicked at the prospect of losing a challenger. "There's nothing wrong with anyone's timing!" he said quickly. "Please – stay, and I'll give you a battle!"

Drew shook his head apologetically. "No, I wish I could, but I have another engagement that I can't miss. I hope you get some other challengers, though."

"That's not looking too likely right now, I'm afraid," Norman sighed. "I've just been out searching for some."

"Have you tried during the night time?"

Norman's brow furrowed. "How's that?"

"As a Pokémon trainer myself, I happen to know that the best time to find trainers is between midnight and dawn," Drew explained. "You see, in the daytime they're all in bed, resting from their training the night before, in order to be in good shape for more training later on."

May looked sharply at Drew. Only the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth belied his innocent expression.

"You don't say?" said Norman, blinking. "That's… interesting. Thank you, I'll give it a try."

"I'll be on my way, then." Drew smiled at May, receiving a glower in return, and shook hands once again with Norman. "Goodbye. It was a pleasure meeting you."

With that, he stepped past Norman, headed up the corridor, and left. May continued to stare at the closed door, her fists tightly clenched.

"Nice young man," Norman commented. "Wish I'd found more people like him while I was out today. I don't suppose anyone else came in?"

"No, nobody," May said quietly, her attention still fixated elsewhere.

"Ah, well. I'm going to get some coffee. Coming?"

"In a minute, maybe."

Norman nodded and left the room. May stood stock still for several seconds longer; then, on a sudden impulse, she crossed to the desk, seized the rose Drew had given her and hurled it into the bin. It looked extremely sorry for itself now; half the petals were crushed and the stem had been bent.

With a jolt of shame, May realised that there was a lump in her throat. She swiped at her eyes, furious with herself. It was ridiculous to be upset. She couldn't just break down every time somebody made life difficult for her. Drew was gone, and now that he'd had his fun and gotten his twisted little mind game out of his system, chances were he wouldn't come back.

For some reason, this thought didn't make her feel any better.

It had to be the rose making her feel so emotional. It really was beautiful, even in a half-squashed state. May looked around for some scrap paper to hide it from view, and her eyes fell upon the card she had left on the desk. Drew's I.O.U. was visible on the side facing upwards. She reached for it with a snarl – but something made her halt, mid-movement. Slower, she turned it over again, and read her father's original print, her eyes fixing on the word 'Hadaka'.

After a moment's hesitation, she sat in the office chair and began to hunt for a pen.

Love? Hate? Want to shred my eyeballs in a blender? Just hit the review button and tell me so! ;) We get back to Ash and Misty next chapter, in which there are many shocking revelations. (Peanut gallery: "Yay.")