Hi all,

Here's the latest update for May, Gym Leader. Hope you like it :)

Chapter 7

Having trained extensively alongside her pokémon that morning, May continued to make her pokéblock as she saw Wartortle spurt water gun at Skitty. She'd returned to Petalburg earlier that week after a very tearful farewell to her parents, though duties at the Gym had called for her attention. Challengers could only wait so long, and she wasn't about to become the Fantina of Hoenn if she could avoid it.

Smiling as Skitty jumped over the water, May diligently completed the last parts of the pokéblock, silently marvelling at just how far her recipes had come. Perhaps Dawn, Serena or even Brock would be proud of her culinary skills after everything they'd taught her.

Hearing her Xtransceiver ring, May called, 'Venusaur, can you get it for me please?'

Drying her hands on a nearby towel, May saw her grass type rushing to her, the device held tightly in one of her vines.

'Thanks Venusaur!' May beamed at the pokémon before answering the device, 'hello this is May.'

'May, I fucked up,' a familiar voice grimaced into the device, surprising her.

'What did you do?' The woman questioned, feeling her eyes narrow in disbelief.

'I don't know, I fucked up,' the familiar voice of Ash's traveling companion breathed down the device, sending shock waves through her body.

'What's up? What did you do, Serena?' May questioned as she began to pace, her sapphire eyes flickering from one pokémon to the next, silently regretting that she'd never captured a flying type of her own, like Ash.

'I was thinking about a new costume for in my next video when I saw a certain someone with another girl. I didn't believe my eyes and I may have gotten stuck in a toilet cubicle lest they both see me,' Serena chuckled anxiously, surprising the woman. She couldn't imagine the woman finding herself in such a scenario, or what it was in regard to.

'What are you talking about?' May frowned at the woman in disbelief, wondering what her honey haired friend was talking about.

'May, it's Drew, he's here with another woman,' Serena whispered, her voice laced with guilt as May blinked at the news.

'I'm not sure I'm following you,' May grimaced at the woman, her lips frowned in confused disbelief.

'They look pretty close, like they're on a date,' Serena responded, her voice slow and deliberate.

Hearing this, May felt the panic overcome her. She'd read what the tabloids had said, but she hadn't pictured the man actually moving on, but supposed she should have seen it. After all, the rumours of Drew's mysterious woman had been circulating for months now. Still, May felt an overwhelming wave of grief wash over her, though she tried to suppress it. She wouldn't give the man the ability to control her emotions and break her down when he wouldn't even give her the time of day.

With a strangled cry, she clenched her hand, focusing her thoughts as far away from the chartreuse haired Trainer as she could. With an annoyed huff, she asked 'and you're calling me about this why? The man is his own person, I have no say in what he can and can't do.'

'I thought it was best you heard it from me, May!' The Kalosian woman whimpered in her ear, filled with a dejection that May was beginning to resent.

'I appreciate your concern, Serena, but I have more than enough on my plate as it is. Whether Drew is with someone or not has absolutely nothing to do with me. I haven't spoken to the man for the better part of at least two years, so it doesn't affect me.' May snarled as she saw a figure sneak into her Gym, but disregarded it.

Hearing an enraged hiss in the background of her Xtransceiver, May hissed, 'what was that? Serena?'

'Who does she think she is to disregard me so?' She heard a high-pitched woman snarl in the background, making her heart pound in her throat.

'Serena?' May squeaked, imagining her friend, all alone in a bathroom stall.

'Yveltal, this is just what I need. Why do obsessive fan girls have to follow me into the bathroom? I'll call you back!' Her friend all but yelped before terminating the call.

'W-what? Serena? Serena!' May cried before hurriedly trying to call the woman back.

'May, what's up?' Brendan's voice frowned as her childhood friend appeared before her, jumping lightly on the ground from above.

'Not now, diaper buddy!' May growled back, though her friend's device didn't ring—her line was engaged.

'Talk to me,' the man persisted, making her growl angrily.

'No, I need to talk to Serena!' May hissed back before glaring at the man in clear irritation.

'Why don't you battle me and I might just let it slide?' The man chuckled back, knowing that the woman was working herself up.

'Birch, not now,' May glared at the man, imagining various ways of killing him.

'Yes, now. Your friend will be fine, like Ash or yourself. I don't know what she's got herself into, but she's probably the kind of girl to always come out on top,' Brendan mused with the faintest hint of a chuckle.

'We'll see about that! Blaziken, you're on stage!' May cried to her starter, smirking as Brendan's eyes widened slightly.

'All right, Swampert, you're up!' Brendan cried as Blaziken jumped forward on his powerful hind legs.

'Use surf!' The man commanded, as he sent May a knowing smirk.

Rather than glare at him, she snapped back, 'dodge it by jumping over him, then use a combination of sky uppercut and flame thrower!'

'No way you're escaping my Swampert!' Brendan chortled as Blaziken did a double flip in the air, rotating his streamlined body perfectly.

'Swampert, ice beam that Torchic!' Brendan cried, seeing the irritation flash in the pokémon's eyes, mirrored by his Trainer.

'Brendan!' May seethed at the insult before crying, 'use overheat!'

The ice attack met the powerful fire-type attack, melting and plummeting back to the ground.

'Protect yourself with surf!' Brendan snarled, clenching his hand by his side.

'No you don't! Blaziken, jump up on his head!' May responded, causing the man to hesitate.

'Grab his foot and slam him on the ground!' Brendan snarled back, glancing at his childhood friend's clear irritation, trying not to wince as her friend smashed head first into the ground.

'Use earthquake and make it a good one!' He snarled as May cried, 'Blaziken, get up!'

Both pokémon were huffing and puffing, but neither were giving an inch. Swampert jumped into the air and landed on the ground, causing the ground to shake.

Steadying himself, Brendan didn't see Blaziken climb closer, utilising a sky uppercut attack that hadn't been heard by either of them.

'Yes, get in there!' May cried as Blaziken's claw attacked Swampert's face.

'Swampert! While he's up close, use scald!' The Hoenn man cried, taking all of his resolve not to rush forward to appease his pokémon.

'No!' May gasped as her starter pokémon tried, and failed, to stumble back.

Swampert smirked once before releasing the powerful water attack, causing the fire and fighting type to faint almost instantly.

'Blaziken is unable to battle, Marshtomp and Brendan win!' A familiar voice cried, causing the duo to glance up at Kenny, who sent them a soft smile.

'Were you standing there for long?' Brendan questioned as he glanced at the Gym Assistant.

'Well, you two were making quite a ruckus. I don't know what Caroline or Norman will say about this, by the way,' Kenny chuckled as his eyes lingered on the almost destroyed living room.

'Oh no! My parents are going to kill me!' May cried as she frantically began to move around the room.

'Both your parents and mine will kill me!' Brendan mirrored as he imitated the woman's movements.

'I won't get off scot-free either,' Kenny chuckled before hurriedly helping restore the room to as pristine a condition as possible, helping Swampert and Blaziken clear up any evidence of their fire and water attacks.