Chapter Two: Black Coffee– In which Drew and Solidad chat, and Drew recalls when he'd first met her.

Author's note:
- I stopped watching the anime after May wasn't a main part of the show anymore. I wish she'd get a side series of her and her contest rivals' travels through Johto and beyond. I'd watch that in a heartbeat. (I miss Solidad, sometimes Harley and I miss Drew and May more than any other characters on the show.)
- Black Coffee: coffee served as a beverage without the addition of cream or sweeteners.


The clock hanging on the wall behind him sung out a tacky song, indicating that it had struck 11 p.m.

How such a nice hotel could have such a gaudy thing, he'd never know.

Drew rolled his eyes and took a seat at one of the video phones in the hotel's main lobby. Although he would have prefered to call on his PokéNav, he didn't want to disturb his Pokémon while they were resting. He set his coffee down inserted his credit card into a pay slot on the video phone, quickly punching in the only phone number he'd ever memorized. It was about 5 p.m. in the Sinnoh region; exactly when his friend told her she'd be available for a conversation.

Coffee at this hour was never the best idea, but there was a timeless tradition that Drew kept with Solidad.


After he'd lost to her in his first contest, she'd approached him with an easy smile and a pat on the back.

"Drew, right?" she had asked him.

His lip trembled as he did everything he could to keep his tears from falling. He had done so well in his first contest ever up to the final battle, and the loss that he'd just endured was absolutely heartbreaking. His Pokémon had worked so hard to get him to that point, and he'd let his partner down with poor timing and bad judgments. His opponent, Solidad, was just too good.

"Yeah, that's me," he mumbled, not meeting her in the eye.

Although he knew it was good tradition for the two participants of the final match to shake hands after their battle, it still stung his pride. He hadn't expected to lose. He hadn't realized he had a lot to learn about all of this before he could get to the skill level of the coordinator standing before him.

"Listen, don't beat yourself up," she told him sincerely. "That was one heck of a battle, and did Vivian say this was your first contest? I've never seen a coordinator make it this far on their first go."

Her praise caught him off guard. How could someone with such powerful and incredible Pokémon be so kind? How could she not take pride in her victory? Just who was this girl with pink hair?

"Yeah, I guess," Drew exhaled, finally meeting her gaze. "Your Pokémon were awesome…Solidad?"

"Correct," she laughed. "But seriously, some of your combinations left me breathless. I'd love to talk to you more about it all, and maybe clear the air a little after that battle. Are you free to go get coffee or maybe a light dinner after all this?"

He furrowed his brows, looking for any sign of anything on her face. The only thing he found was a warm smile and trusting, friendly eyes. It scared him a bit; he never made an effort to get close to people, because he knew from past experiences that people sucked. He was always better off on his own.

"Are you…are you asking me on a date?" he inquired skeptically.

He knew he was good looking. He'd met plenty of girls who swooned at his hair flick and adored his Roselia to a point of almost obsession. It was a little too much to bear some times. He avoided it when ever he could.

"What?" Solidad blinked a few times, composed herself and then laughed lightly. "No, no. I think I'm a little too old for you…I'm just interested in getting to know you is all. I've never met someone with so little experience who performed like he was a professional, and I'd love to talk to you about the contest, coordinator to coordinator."

She gave him another reassuring smile, and an idea formed in his head. This girl before him – who looked to be about 18 or 19 at his best guess – was clearly someone who'd been doing this for a while. She had insight and expertise she could share with him if he prodded her for it. The opportunity to learn from an expert was too good to pass up.

"The place next to the Starview Hotel," Drew said as he reached his hand out to shake her's. "There's a café right there on the corner. They make the best espresso in all of Hoenn. I'll be there at 7:30 tonight."

She shook his hand and nodded, and Drew turned to leave the stage so the presentation of the ribbon could commence. He didn't expect much to come from their conversation: just a few minutes of getting some coordinating tips was really all he'd wanted.

It was a little awkward when she'd first arrived and took a seat in the booth across from him. He had to remind himself not to dwell on the fact that he'd just suffered his first defeat because of this girl, and now they were having coffee. It was weird, but he couldn't let it show.

The waitress arrived and took their orders first thing: a small cup of espresso for him and a hazelnut brew for her. They didn't speak until the drinks were placed in front of them, Solidad producing a large bill to cover the cost of both orders and the tip. Drew protested, but she wouldn't relent. Suddenly, it all made sense to him.

"You didn't have to do that," Drew huffed, falling back into his seat. "I lost to you fair and square, I don't need your pity."

A knowing smile graced her features.

"It's nothing like that; I was just being nice. Haven't you ever been nice to your friends before?"

"I don't really do the whole friendship thing," he informed her, taking a sip from his drink.

"Well where does that leave us, then?" she asked politely.

He almost choked on his drink. She invited him out because she considered him a friend? How did that work? How'd she come to that conclusion? They'd only just met on the battlefield hours before. All they were to each other were competition; nothing more, nothing less.

"I, err, well–"

She just smiled sweetly at him before taking a sip of her own coffee, and setting it down.

"Your Roselia was gorgeous today," she commented while he recovered. "Her first petal dance and stun spore combination had a lot of the other coordinators talking in the locker room."

Ah, talk of contests. Sweet common ground.

"Same to your Lapras," he told her. "I didn't think it was possible to pull off such an incredible appeal with such a large Pokémon. That blizzard he pulled was unreal. You absolutely owned the entire stage."

"Wow, thank you!"

"How long have you been competing?" he asked her next.

"Almost three years now," she answered. "I knew I wasn't meant to be a trainer, so when I'd heard about coordinating, I hopped a fairy from Kanto to here and I've been in contests ever since."

They fell into an easy conversation, then. It was almost like an interview; each taking turns asking the other questions, listening to responses and sharing their stories. Solidad inquired about his Pokémon, and he asked her about previous contests she'd been in. He'd learned more about this girl before him than he'd learned about any other human on the planet in such a short time. But she was so interesting; the places she'd been, the people she'd met, the things she'd seen…all of it. And he couldn't get enough.

What really surprised Drew was just how well he and Solidad had gotten along with each other. They both had similar interests, opinions and tastes, which was an oddity to him. He never really got along with anyone this well before.

They stayed in that booth and spoke for hours, coffee long finished and forgotten.

"My first year was more trial and error than anything else," she admitted. "I didn't focus so much on the winning as I did just trying things out. Seeing what worked and what didn't, and learning how other people handled themselves as well. It was a big help, but even now I'm still learning. Today was a good example of that; I learned so much just by watching you perform."

"You're kidding," Drew gasped. "How could someone as talented as you have possibly learned anything from me? You beat me."

She shook her head.

"Coordinators never stop learning, Drew. If one ever thinks they know everything, they're going to fall behind. I remember my first contest; I didn't even make it through the second round of battling."

"No way."

"Way," she laughed at his surprise. "You reminded me a lot of my younger self today. I was just as determined; I wanted to win from the beginning and never stop. But that loss humbled me; it's why this will be my first year going for the Grand Festival. I've spent so much time these last few years developing the bond between my Pokémon and I. I saw that same bond with you and your Roselia."

"Yeah, she was my first Pokémon," Drew snickered. "I found her in the park of my hometown one day and tried to find her trainer, but she didn't have one. I knew I couldn't take her home, because my parents– well, my dad, anyway…he hated Pokémon. But I grew to love this Pokémon so much, so I'd sneak out all the time to see her. We became good friends, and the day I turned 10, I told my father goodbye, found Roselia and asked her if she wanted to come with me. We've been together ever since."

"Hmm," Solidad hummed, nodding her head. "That seems about right. You can really tell just how much you two care about each other from the way you both work so well as a team."

"Yeah."

Drew was about to ask her another question when the waitress from earlier awkwardly approached them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two," she said shyly. "But we close in five minutes and I just wanted to give you a heads up. We hate to kick out customers, but –"

It was then that both he and Solidad realized they were the only two remaining people in the entire café. The clock read 10 minutes to midnight; they'd been there for much longer than either of them realized.

Drew hunched, disappointed. He still had so much he'd wanted to ask her. They had barely even spoken of the contest that day, and what they thought of the other coordinators they'd faced.

"No need to explain, we understand," Solidad responded reassuringly. "We're sorry if we've been a burden."

"Oh no, oh no!" the girl waved her arms nervously. "The fact that you stayed so long just means you enjoyed your coffee! We sincerely appreciate your business and hope we'll see you again!"

Solidad nodded, sliding out of the booth and standing to the side, waiting for him to get up as well. They both thanked the waitress again and walked out the door.

Once outside, the night air around them, Drew looked back up at Solidad.

"Well, thanks for tonight, Solidad," he said. "It's been great, really."

"Thanks for recommending this place," she smiled for the billionth time that night; Drew had never met someone who was as kind and happy a person as she was. "You were definitely right; best coffee I've had in Hoenn, hands down."

"Where are you off to now?" he asked her.

He had planned to walk her to her hotel, seeing as he was staying at the hotel right next to the café. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all…and it gave him an excuse to keep talking to her. It fascinated him: the thought that he actually wanted to continue the conversation. He'd never felt that with another person before.

He'd never felt like he'd had a friend before, not counting his Roselia.

"Probably to the park downtown to get a little training in," she laughed sheepishly, as if she were embarrassed. "That coffee has me a little hyper."

"But, why?" he was so confused. "You just won today…why do you have to keep training?"

She smirked.

"Like I said earlier: coordinators can never stop trying to improve themselves if they wanna stay ahead."

Drew pondered over her words for a few seconds, and nodded. After his loss today, he could definitely see how right she was. And if she trained that much, it was no wonder she was so good. He'd have to start training more, too…

"Tell ya what," she said, reaching into her coat and pulling out her PokéNav. "Let's make this a regular thing. Every time we compete together or are in the same area, let's get together and talk."

Drew smiled.

"Sounds good."

They exchanged numbers and parted ways, Drew walking up to his hotel room and falling on his bed lost in thought. He'd experienced a lot of firsts that day: entered a contest, lost a contest and made a friend, just to name a few.

The day hadn't turned out like he thought it was going to at all, but here he was at the end of it, and he didn't mind one bit. He now knew what he wanted to do: he vowed to himself he'd get to Solidad's level. The first step would be just what she had done. He'd spend this first year preparing. He'd work hard to train, build a respectable team and learn just what competing actually meant before he truly started.


They'd stuck to this routine since the day they'd met. It was a tradition that had morphed over the year they'd been friends: even if they weren't together, they'd set up video calls after every contest they'd been in and talk about it. And if they weren't available to talk after, they'd arrange a day to do so.

Texting was also a regularity between them. On the mornings of contest days, they'd be sure to send each other, 'good luck' and 'I'll be watching' messages, reassuring the other that they had someone to cheer them on, which was never truly an issue. They'd both steadily built fan bases, even though they both tried to avoid the spotlight as much as they possibly could. It was insane how close they were; they were practically brother and sister.

Solidad picked up on the fourth dial tone, her bright face lighting up the screen of Drew's monitor.

"So what is that, ribbon number three for you?" she grinned.

Hello's and simple greetings were past them now. They were too close to waste their precious call time with those.

"Of course," he smirked, flicking his hair. "Did you expect anything else?"

"I can't get over that solar beam and petal dance combination you pulled off today," she commented. "The TV in my room didn't do it justice; I'm sure it was even more exhilarating in person. Sorry I couldn't be there for you today."

"Don't sweat it," he shrugged her off, still smiling. "I had a big enough audience."

"I don't doubt it."

"Okay, but we can't not talk about that water pulse and psychic combination your Slowbro pulled off," Drew said. "I've never seen such refined control over water like that. You nailed it, Solidad, really. I was surprised you didn't score higher."

They'd also made sure they watched each other's contests on TV. There were days when both had to perform, but thanks to the timezone differences between the regions, it wasn't too much of an issue. And if there ever were conflicting times, they'd get on the contest organization sites and stream the recordings of live broadcasts. They'd always found a way to watch each other.

"Yeah, well, ya know…super contests and what not," she laughed. "The rules over here are a lot different than regular contests back in Hoenn and Kanto."

"No doubt," Drew admitted. "You have four ribbons over there now. Are you going for Top Coordinator? I know the Sinnoh Grand Festival is coming up."

"I don't think so actually," she paused, and he looked at her skeptically. "It would be my first title, and I'm not sure I'd want it to come from this region. I've always dreamed of earning my Top Coordinator status in Kanto, with regular contests. These super contests aren't really for me."

"They really don't seem like your style," he agreed.

"The dressing up is a bit much…" she laughed. "Using seals is kind of weird, too. I don't want the audience focusing on me or what my Pokéball is doing. I want them to truly appreciate my Pokémon as they are. It's been cool seeing Sinnoh but I think I'll stick around for one more ribbon and head back home."

"A pretty bold move, earning a spot in a Grand Festival and not actually entering," he commented.

"I wouldn't be the first."

"Touché."

"Alright, alright, enough about me!" Solidad readjusted in her seat, facing the camera full on now. "Tell me about the other people you saw today. Anyone interesting?"

Solidad had only managed to watch parts of Drew's contest that day, as she had her own contest to worry about. Drew also kept up with the highlights of her day. They were always genuinely interested in watching each other perform.

"There was one girl who had a decent Vulpix," he thought back to the entries. "It's going to make a great Ninetails when it evolves. One kid did an interesting combination with a Butterfree; it was some mix of sunny day and sleep spore. It could be tweaked a little, but the contrast of the purple powder and the sunshine definitely have some potential. I'll have to try it with my Masquerain at some point."

"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when you told me you'd caught a Masquerain," Solidad said. "Doesn't really seem like your type of Pokémon."

"I thought I'd try something new."

"Again, doesn't seem like a Drew thing to do," Solidad chuckled. "You're not really a risk-taker."

"It's not really taking a risk," Drew responded. "I don't plan on debuting Masquerain until he's had a lot more practice. He's got some moves with some potential."

"I don't doubt it, but I am curious as to what inspired you to catch it."

Drew bit his lip; of course he knew what inspired him to catch it, but he told himself it didn't mean anything. He just wanted to own a Pokémon that could pull off that impressive move he'd seen in that first contest…

He had told himself he was going to forget her after that day, and for the most part, he had. But what he couldn't forget was that Beautifly's silver wind, and all of the ideas he had about combinations he could pull with it if he was able to use the move as well.

"Was it another coordinator?" Solidad pressed.

"Yeah…" Drew said slowly. "This one girl I saw had a Beautifly back in the Slateport contest…I battled her and her Pokémon launched a silver wind. Really a top notch move; it got me wanting a Pokémon that could do it as well."

Solidad paused, and Drew could tell she was thinking.

"Oh, I remember!" Solidad exploded. "That girl, she had a red bandana! She fell down, poor thing, but it was only her first contest, right? What was her name again…?"

"May."

"May?"

"May."

"She was a little shaky, I'll admit," Solidad thought aloud. "I definitely agree with you, though. Her Beautifly was wonderful, and the silver win she pulled just as much."

"Exactly; just imagine what an experienced coordinator could do with a move like that."

"Well, I'm sure she's been getting better with it. Not everyone's a pro from the start like you were."

"Are you kidding?" Drew gaped. "Solidad, you watched that whole contest. Her appeal was garbage and I trashed her in our battle in the first round. She didn't even touch my points."

Solidad shrugged, taking a long sip of her drink before setting her mug down and smiling to herself.

"Like I said, not everyone starts off perfectly," she repeated. "At least that girl–"

"May," he was quick to correct her.

"Right, May," Solidad corrected, smirking even harder; it made Drew purse his lips. "At least May knew enough to go into that contest with the right type of Pokémon. I'm sure the further she goes, the better she'll get. That's how it always is."

"I don't think she's entered any contests since then," Drew responded. "I watch every contest in Hoenn, and so do you. Unless I missed one, I haven't seen her pop up again."

"Neither have I," Solidad agreed. "Maybe she's just reorganizing herself a bit! I hope she didn't quit after one loss; it's a shame when someone gives up on themselves so easily."

"She told me she planned on entering more contests," Drew responded lazily, leaning on the back legs of his chair and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, so you talked to her after your battle?" Solidad raised her eyebrows. "And you caught a Pokémon because of her? What could that mean?"

Drew nearly spit out his coffee. He lost his balance and his chair fell forward, the remaining coffee in his cup sloshing around. Some of it spilled out onto the desk. He cursed and reached for some napkins to wipe it up.

"How can you drink straight black coffee?" Solidad questioned. "I love coffee and I can't even do that."

"How can you drink…whatever it is you're drinking?"

Okay, not his best comeback ever… In fact, it was definitely one of his worst ones. It instantly was placed on Drew Hayden's top five worst comebacks ever list. But to be fair, he was completely caught off guard and flustered by her comments.

"It's chamomile tea," she responded in a matter-of-fact tone. "Lots of health benefits. You'd like it if you tried it."

He studiously ignored her, working to clean up the mess he accidentally made and trying to dispel the feelings of warmth in his face. Solidad just laughed harder.

"Relax, Drewbie," she calmed him. "It was a joke."

"Have I ever told you that you're not funny?" he muttered, tossing the coffee soaked napkins into the trashcan next to him.

"I've been told I'm hilarious, actually," she stuck out her tongue at him.

"Well whoever told you that, they lied."

"Doubtful."

It was silent then for a few seconds. Drew was wracking his brain to think of something, anything else to talk about. He definitely didn't want the conversation to steer back to May. And he definitely wasn't going to tell Solidad he'd given her a rose with how she reacted earlier. Not that the rose meant anything, of course. It was totally for her Beautifly's excellent performance despite having the worst coordinator ever training it.

Of course, Solidad didn't let it go.

"Well, I think it's a good thing you took inspiration from her," she said. "I always say you can always learn something from every performance. Maybe she'll take some inspiration from you and get better."

"Please. She has no chance in the contest circuit and you know it."

"I think she does. I think she'll surprise you."

"She won't."

"Said the boy who keeps talking about her."

Well, damn. Solidad was not only a great coordinator, but apparently she was a master of words as well. Drew had never once been annoyed with Solidad in the time that he'd known her, but in those moments, he was pretty close.

"Anyway," Drew said, intending to regain control of the conversation. "So what's your next contest going to be?"

Solidad took the hint; she could see Drew was getting uncomfortable, and she let it go…for now.

"I think I'll head to Hearthome City," Solidad said. "That contest happens in a few weeks, which gives me some time to head up to Snowpoint City. I wanna go check out some ice types, maybe add a new Pokémon to my roster. I haven't really done much catching since I've been here."

"Oh, yeah? What are you looking to get?"

For the rest of their phone call, they stayed strictly on Solidad and her journey. She told him that she planned to earn a fifth ribbon and head home to Pewter City to do some re-evaluating. Then, when the next season started, she'd enter the Kanto circuit and work to become a homegrown Top Coordinator; a rare title indeed. Most coordinators earned their ribbon cup in other regions.

After an hour, Solidad informed Drew that she needed to be at the Pokémon Center to pick up her companions. They were waiting for her and she needed to get to them before the Center closed for the evening.

"Where are you heading next?" Solidad questioned, gathering up her things in her room hotel room.

"Fallarbor Town for ribbon number four," he revealed. "I have a few weeks to get there, so I'll be thinking about what I'll want to do with Roselia on the way."

"I'll be looking forward to seeing it," Solidad smiled. "Bye, Drew."

"Talk to you later, Solidad."

The screen went black, and Drew relaxes back into his chair. Truth be told, he'd been planning to use Masquerain in the contest; get him used to performing with his newest team member. Now, that wasn't an option.

If Solidad saw that Pokémon performing so soon, he'd never hear the end of it; especially if he used Masquerain's silver wind.

He supposed it was a sign; he and Masquerain did need a bit more time and practice together, but with the ease he had won his last three contests with, he supposed he could afford to take a little bit of a chance and use a new Pokémon.

Roselia it was; he'd been unstoppable with her so far this season, save for the first contest. His system was working. If it wasn't broken, he shouldn't fix it, right?

Drew pulled his credit card out of the machine, bid goodnight to the person at the front desk and made his way up to his hotel room. It was almost one in the morning, and he'd had a long day. Between competing in the contest and training all week for it, not even the coffee he drank could keep him up much longer.

He pushed the door to his room quietly, careful not to disturb his sleeping Pokémon. Roselia was taking up one side of the bed while Masquerain was resting on the chair in the corner. He smiled at both of them; they'd both worked hard that week, and both deserved a day off tomorrow.

The next few days would be all about traveling. He preferred to arrive at his location early before starting his training. That way, he got there quickly and had more time to observe those who he'd be competing against.

Drew slipped into a comfortable tee shirt and shorts, and settled down into the bed gently not to disturb his Roselia. The soft mattress and cool sheets forced a yawn out of him and he worked to get comfortable, knowing he'd be out soon with the exhaustion he'd started feeling. He shifted onto his side and reached to turn off the table lamp when he noticed his newest Pokémon and friend across the room from him.

Masquerain…why a Masquerain? His tired mind wandered through the conversation he'd had with Solidad.

"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when you told me you'd caught a Masquerain."

"Doesn't really seem like your type of Pokémon."

"Again, doesn't seem like a Drew thing to do."

"You're not really a risk-taker."

She was right. He wasn't a risk-taker, nor had he been the type to see the appeal in a Masquerain before Slateport. His excuse that he'd told Solidad and himself was that he'd wanted a silver wind, but he knew that wasn't entirely the case. He wouldn't have caught a Pokémon he planned to use in contests based on one move alone.

Was there really an alternate reason? Solidad seemed to think so. He, however, wasn't convinced. It was for combinations; that was it.

The light clicked off, Drew curled up under the blanket and closed his eyes. He didn't want to waste anymore time thinking of things that didn't matter.

Eventually he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of silver winds and red bandanas.