Italian Latte– In which Solidad gives Drew some final advice before the Grand Festival.

Author's notes:

- Mentions of the episode, "The Ribbon Cup Caper."
- I bet you guys thought I was going straight into the Grand Festival chapter, huh? Well, no, and let me take a moment to explain why quickly. That's about four episodes to pull dialogue from and transcribe, let alone add all the additional stuff I'm going to put it. I also have to account that the Grand Festival in Hoenn creates the bridge for the story to go into Kanto, so I have to try to write this chapter to set up that transition. Translation: I'm expecting that it's going to be a LONG chapter, and I want to take my time writing it so hopefully I can create something you guys can enjoy. Hopefully you'll like this little piece to hold you over until I can get through it. And I apologize now for however long it takes me to get it done with school. The consolation is that I've already started it, so there's that. I'm doing my best guys, I promise.
- Spoiler alert, I'm changing ages from the anime canon in this chapter, because I'm sorry, but there's no way Ash is still 10 years old.
- Italian Latte: coffee made with espresso and steamed milk.


Three days.

Three days, three days, three days, THREE DAYS.

There were three days until the beginning of the biggest and best contest around. Drew could practically feel himself shaking with anticipation as he was counting down the hours until then. Ever since he'd arrived in Slateport the week before that morning, the week had truly rushed by. In a mere 48 hours, Drew would be on the preliminary stage, presenting his first appeal in the Grand Festival.

It was another beautiful and sunny morning in Slateport City. Drew strolled throughout the streets of the city, noting how it grew more and more crowded in the coming days as the festival approached. He was making his way back towards the eastern side of town, where the park, which was home to the Grand Festival was reserved. Anyone was welcome in the city portion of Slateport, and it was flooded with thousands upon thousands of locals and tourists gearing up for the main event. Only coordinators who qualified for the festival itself could go near the arena before the start; they were also required to stay in the onsite dorms as well.

The notion of staying in a dorm wasn't appealing to Drew in the least, but these dorms were top quality. Private rooms were reserved for every competing coordinator, and the location next to the beach couldn't be beat. He couldn't complain about his lodgings even if he wanted to, and almost hated himself for not entering the festival a year prior so he and his Pokémon could have stayed longer.

Having arrived so early, Drew was given his pick of any room he wanted. He chose a room on the top floor, at the end of the hall. He was somewhat away from everyone, and the first to see when the sun would rise over the horizon; the first to wake up so that he could get out there and practice. It was a benefit he'd taken full advantage of, daily.

By the late afternoon, when he and Masquerain had gotten their fill of training for the morning and was making their way into town for lunch, his Masquerain caught his attention. Drew saw his Pokémon flutter towards the water, and his gaze fell upon a ship heading for the harbor.

Oh, right. The S.S. Flower was set to arrive that day.

The Flower was a magnificent ship, or at least, that was what he inferred about it after having so many pictures of it spammed in his email inbox from the contest committee. They'd sent him message after message and promotion after promotion, telling him he was granted permission to board the ship if he'd wanted to enjoy the trip to Slateport, because he'd won his five ribbons. Anyone who qualified for the festival was allowed to ride the ship for free with their friends and family to the Grand Festival arena. It offered multiple luxury dining options, moving theaters, spas and lots of other over-the-top unnecessary things. It even housed the ribbon cup, and it sat on display in the ship's coordinator hall of fame for anyone to get an up-close view of the first place prize.

Riding the ship was widely considered a prestigious honor in the coordinating world. Drew could recall Solidad raving about her experience on the ship the season prior. He, however, had no interest in the whole ordeal, for a few reasons.

One, the ship wasn't set to arrive until three days before the contest started, and Drew cringed at the number of coordinators who opted to waste their training time every year to ride the boat. The Flower usually left its port in Lilycove City with three days to go, and the whole promotion stated it was to give the competitors one last chance to relax before the contest kicked off. What coordinators in their right minds would want to wait that late to get to Slateport, and would want to waste the training time so close to the festival? The ones he was going to beat, that's who.

Second, he didn't need permission to ride on a boat to tell him he and his Pokémon had worked hard to get there. He already knew that, and so did his team. After all, he and Roselia had only been training for this event for two years, and his other Pokémon had been preparing for over 10 months as well. So showing his five ribbons to some dockhand at a boat harbor didn't seem all that necessary.

Third, he had no need for the things that were offered on that ship. He didn't need the fancy restaurants or the movie theater and he definitely didn't need to get a few moments to look at the ribbon cup. He'd be holding in in a few short days, anyway.

So he'd declined every email offer he'd received to ride on the S.S. Flower. This was the day that the ship was to arrive and finish transporting the last wave of coordinators who would be competing, and Drew found himself sitting at a small deli across the street from the harbor to get a glimpse of the last leg of competition. His sandwich and soup were barely remembered as he eyed all of his fellow coordinators as they stepped foot on dry land.

There were more than he'd anticipated. Drew watched as hundreds of people got off of the ship, eager to look all around and acknowledge their surroundings. At one point, he looked away as he reached for the guidebook he'd received when he'd first checked in and flipped through the pages.

While he looked down, he missed seeing May and her friends step off the ship and wander down the road going to sign in at the front desk and get assigned to her dorm room.

According to the book, 247 competitors had qualified and enrolled in Hoenn's Grand Festival that season; that was 247 people he'd be going up against.

Initially, he'd known there would be quite a few going for the Top Coordinator title this year, but he was not expecting 247. Especially considering that only 64 would advance to the second appeal round. The odds were horrendous; it wasn't even a 50/50 shot, and just over 75 percent of the competition would be eliminated on day one. He had to prove he was better than everyone there to win, but in that moment, the reality of it all really felt like it set it.

Drew had to be better than Hoenn's best 246 other coordinators. The fact hit him a little harder than he'd ever expected it to.

His eyes drifted over his competition one more time before he looked back down to his Masquerain who had just finished eating. He knew he wanted to open the competition with Roselia, and he planned on using Masquerain to perform in the secondary appeal.

And he had some really big stunts planned for Masquerain.

"Are you finished?" he asked his bug Pokémon politely.

The small creature looked up to him and nodded.

"Good. Let's train."


As if he wasn't stressed out enough, he got a text around 6:30 p.m. that made him all the more anxious.

Why, he didn't know. He'd known she wasn't going to be there for a few weeks now. It was not new information that Solidad wasn't going to be able to attend this year's Hoenn Grand Festival. She'd told him that during the week while they were traveling together. But it still stung a bit when he'd gotten that text in the middle of a practice session that if he wanted to talk to her one last time before the festival began, he'd have to call her within the next few hours.

Solidad was set to travel to Johto with several other Kanto-based coordinators to give presentation as to why Kanto should host the next season's Wallace Cup; a coordinator's tournament that jumped from contest region to contest region every year. Competing coordinators from all over the world went to compete, because the Aqua Ribbon was accepted in any region's Grand Festival.

Rumors spreading throughout the coordinating community said that Wallace, the Hoenn gym leader and coordinator who hosted the massively popular event had his eye on the Johto region that year, mainly because contests were brand new in the region and he wanted to increase the popularity. He'd announced the conference for the upcoming year's event would be held in Goldenrod City, and invited every region to give an informative presentation on why their region would be best to host the tournament. From there, he would pick whichever he felt deserved it the most.

Solidad, being a well-established coordinator already, was asked if she would be interested in attending the conference and being one of five Kanto coordinators to represent her region. She didn't know it, but Solidad was more or less the pride and joy of Kanto contests; it was a fact she was too humble to ever acknowledge or admit. Maybe it was because she wasn't a Top Coordinator, or maybe it was because it was her natural self to be overly modest.

At the conference, Solidad would be incredibly busy and wouldn't be around her PokéNav as much as he would like. He respected her reasoning completely, but it didn't make him any less disappointed. He'd wanted to be able to stay in touch with her as the contest went on; get instant feedback after he was done. And though she'd promised she'd be in touch as much as possible, it still was a bit deflating.

Her flight was set to leave early in the morning, before the sun even rose, and she needed to be in bed early that night before, not only so she could be ready to represent Kanto as soon as she landed to the best of her abilities, but also because Soidad was a stickler for getting at least eight hours of sleep every night. She wouldn't leave her bed until she felt completely rested. He didn't know how she did that; he couldn't lie in bed to save his life.

The doors of the dorm hall slid open automatically as he crossed the lobby over to the dining room area. Thankfully, the kitchen was open and taking orders 24/7 for all the coordinators training for the Grand Festival. Sleep and eating schedules tended to go off the rails while the coordinators were training for the contest. It wasn't uncommon to have a have a surge of anxious coordinators come in and place orders for dinner to the chef at 3 a.m. the days leading up to the start of the festival.

His PokéNav buzzed in his jacket pocket alerting him to a text from Solidad.

I'll call in about 10 minutes; trying to cram these last few shirts into my suitcase!

Drew rolled his eyes with a small smirk in response. The notion of Solidad packing multiple outfits was slightly hilarious. He'd realized early on that she wasn't a girly-girl by any means, and she preferred to stick with her simple athlete's dress, red rain boots and signature orange overcoat. It was 100 percent her style, and the thought of her dressing differently was amusing.

His mind briefly flashed back to watching her appearances in the Sinnoh Super Contests, where dressing up was required. She always looked cool, calm and confident when she performed, but Drew knew her so well, and he could see the distaste in her eyes as she habitually pulled at the straps of her Super Contest costume.

As he entered the dining room, the smells from all kinds of delicious foods wafted through the air. Drew himself actually enjoyed the food prepared in the cafeteria. Famous chefs from all over Hoenn were brought in to prepare the meals of the region's best coordinators. Still, he avoided it when he could. Walking all the way back to the dorms wasted so much time.

"I don't know what to get!" he heard the familiar voice shriek.

He'd barely made it through the doorway when he spotted her, and her friends. Their backs were to him, and he noticed her face buried in a menu while her friends all held theirs to the sides. She was in the middle of the group.

"C'mon, May, just pick something already!" Max complained, his foot tapping in impatience.

"Why don't you try the ramen?" Ash prodded, pointing to a spot on the paper. "You love ramen, it's your favorite."

"It is, but everything else sounds so yummy…" she droned on. "I want to try it all…"

"I'm just thankful I don't have to cook tonight after that fiasco on the S.S. Flower today!" Brock laughed from beside her.

So they had come on the Flower. Drew thought it odd he missed seeing them exit the boat, and contemplated how many other coordinators and their Pokémon he might have missed. But then felt eyes watching him, and he looked to the right out of the corners of his eyes to see two coordinators seated and indeed watching him. He'd been standing still in the middle of the entry-way silently for almost a minute, and he instantly snapped himself into motion. He made a B-line for the coffee station, where he's gotten his morning caffeine fix in the beginning of the day, keeping his head down and rushing the whole way.

It felt like it had been forever since he'd seen her, and a part of him realized (somewhat in shock) that he had missed her. In reality, it had only been five weeks since he'd seen her compete at the Pacifidlog Contest, but even longer since he'd actually spoken to her. And he wanted to; it was a fact that was terrifying.

He'd admitted to himself all those weeks ago that he had feelings for this girl, but he hadn't let himself dwell on the fact, because he was painfully unaware how deep those feelings even went, he had a contest season to focus on and she was a rival to him. She was someone he had to beat.

Contests first, feelings second.

That was the motto he'd adopted and told himself he'd stick with.

But he couldn't help but think back to "the day," where he'd seen so many sides of her and realized he'd barely scratched the surface. There were so many unknowns to the girl in the red bandana across the room from him, and he craved to solve the mysteries she radiated. Why, he didn't know. He just knew he'd never felt drawn to anyone else the way he had felt drawn to her.

"We're gonna be here all night, May, C'MON…" he brother complained again.

"Max, food is very important to me," she chided him. "I appreciate these things, unlike you. Just give me a minute, will ya?"

Her brother groaned and her other companions laughed. But with the smallest one getting more and more impatient, Drew knew he needed to get his coffee and leave before he was spotted. He definitely wanted to talk to her, but the heat he felt in his face told him it wasn't the best time.

Why he would be so nervous to see her, Arceus only knew. But he was, and he couldn't stop those feelings.

Feelings were weird; no wonder he'd never bothered with them before and no wonder he was trying his hardest to suppress them now.

That was what he needed more than anything; to suppress those weird butterflies in his chest until they eventually just went away.

Contests first, feelings second, always.

But despite his mindset, his fingers still twitches at his sides while he watched her, and he knew the best course of action would be to leave.

Coffee. He just needed to get his coffee and slip out undetected. He could do that.

When he finally reached the table, he made a horrific discovery. The coffee pots were not turned on, and worse, they were empty. A little sign was placed on top of one of the machines.

"Fresh pots of coffee are brewed daily in the morning; please use and enjoy our convenient Keurig with over ten flavors available!" the little notecard read.

Sure enough, on the opposite end of the table sat a Keurig with a bowl of assorted flavor cups.

Drew's eyes went back and forth between his coffee-making enemy and his contest rival across the room.

He groaned inwardly and reached for the basket.


Once he was safely settled in his dorm room, he set up his PokéNav on the desk and went to his speed dial menu. Solidad's number was the only one saved to it.

She answered on the fifth ring, took a few steps back from her screen and waved to Drew from the middle of her bedroom.

He'd never seen her bedroom in person, but had seen it on multiple video calls, and it never ceased to amuse him how utterly Solidad the room looked. Cream-colored walls with a tan carper, dull red curtains hiding he window, a huge sleigh bed with an orange comforter and red pillows. There was a bookshelf to the side of her bed, completely filled with countless novels on various subjects. On the opposite side, a small bedside table with a Lapras desk lamp; no doubt something she'd picked up on one of her adventures, because she had a habit of picking souvenirs that bled sentimentality to her (Lapras was her first Pokémon).

On the middle of the bed sat an uncharacteristic pile of unorganized clothes. She stared them down and began sorting them again.

"I lied," she said, turning her focus back to an open suitcase on the bed. "It's taken me longer than five minutes to get this all together."

She began leaning on top of the suitcase, trying to weigh it down enough to seal the zipper all the way around and failing. It was amusing to say the least, and Drew couldn't hold back his laughter.

"I never thought I'd see the day," he joked. "Solidad, professional Pokémon Coordinator, pride and joy of the Kanto region, defeated by a suitcase."

"Whatever, dweeb…" she half-laughed-half-grunted, putting all her effort in closing the bag.

After a few more moments of Drew's chuckling and witty comments, Solidad finally succeeded in her task and plopped down on the seat at her desk, facing Drew with an accomplished smile that screamed, 'I'd like to see you try to close it.'

"You could just pack lighter," Drew offered, mentally debating if he even wanted to try the coffee he'd brewed in the Keurig.

"This conference lasts five days," she explained. "I have to be perfect and presentable for five straight days. You're not a girl, so I don't think you know this, but we tend to dress up for big events."

"Or super contests," he quipped.

"Speaking of big events and super contests…" a smile formed on her lips as she reached for her mug on the desk.

Drew rolled his eyes again but didn't say anything. Solidad blew the steam away from her tea before she took a few small sips.

"Just two more days to go," she finally said. "Are you excited?"

"I am," he admitted. "I really am. My Pokémon all look so good, Sol. I wish you could be here to watch them perform. They're going to put on a show to remember."

"I know they will; you've all worked so hard for this," she smiled warmly. "And now you're finally there. You're going to do so well."

"Well, the plan is to win," Drew smirked.

With his comment, Solidad pursed her lips. A strange emotion settled in her eyes, but her face was unreadable as an unnatural smile seemed to overtake her face. Drew waited for her to speak, or explain, but she didn't right away. The two sat in a strange silence for a moment before Solidad finally nodded.

"Yeah," was all she said. "Yeah."

He didn't know how to take it. He didn't know what she was implying, if she was implying anything at all. And it left an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach; one he didn't quite understand.

The silence continued, and he realized his fingers were drumming on the sides of his still-full cup.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her when he gave up trying to figure it out.

Her eyes shifted around slightly.

"I'm just a little nervous for the convention is all," she supplied, her eyes not returning to the screen. "It's kind of a big deal; I'm nervous about representing my whole region."

"Bullshit," Drew said back, staring at her intently. "You're never nervous; not about stuff like that. What are you really thinking?"

She blinked a few times, seeming surprised he didn't believe her at first. But Drew knew Solidad, and he knew she was a terrible liar. She bit the inside of her lip for a second before finally looking back at him and reading his face.

In the time that they had been friends, it still amazed her how much like family Drew had become for her. She loved Drew like the sibling she never had but always wanted, and she knew since the day she'd realized how much she cared for him, she would do whatever she needed to do to look out for him. Now, with the biggest contest of his life just over 48 hours away, he sat there, staring her down harshly without even realizing it. He radiated nervous energy while being completely unaware that he was doing so, but she knew he was beyond anxious, even if he couldn't admit it to himself.

She'd noticed it in the way he instantly demanded to know what she was thinking about. And the way his fingers were drumming on the sides of his little disposable plastic coffee cup. But especially in the way he hadn't even made a move to drink his coffee at all during the entirety of their conversation thus far. From what she could see, the cup was still completely full.

It worried her; to know that he was so nervous to compete in the Grand Festival, that not only would he not admit to himself that he felt that anxiety, but also that he had sold himself on the idea that he would win.

"We've been friends for too long," Solidad smiled and looked down, shaking her head slowly. "You're too good at reading me now, kiddo."

"You're actually just the world's worst liar," he said, and then paused for a second. "Tell me what you're thinking, please."

Again, she pursed her lips, but she slowly brought her eyes up to meet his through the screen. And then she sighed; it made his stomach twist a little. He didn't know what to expect; was something wrong with her?

And then, she spoke.

"Don't take this the wrong way," she warned him softly. "You know that I believe in you more than anyone else does, and I will always be supporting you no matter what."

"I know, Solidad."

"But let me ask you something," she continued, never wavering. "What happens if you don't win this Grand Festival?"

Of everything she could have said; for every possible scenario that could have escaped her lips…that was the last thing he expected.

He sat there, looking blankly at the monitor and at the face of his best friend in the whole world as he finally realized what that emotion he couldn't quite name earlier was: concern. She was concerned for him.

And…he didn't know what to say to her, because he hadn't thought about it. The possibility of losing seemed, well, impossible. He'd worked so hard for this. He'd barely stopped training and preparing for this festival since the beginning of the season. The idea that all of that hard work he and his Pokémon had put in meaning absolutely nothing completely dumbfounded him.

"C'mon, Solidad, that's crazy" he laughed out, though it sounded foreign to him. "You know I got this. I've been training for two seasons to get here. There's no way I'll lose."

"No, Drew, that's not what I'm saying," she amended. "I know you've worked so hard – this season, especially – to get here, and I'm proud of you for al that you've accomplished so far. You're a great coordinator; I know it, you know it and a lot of people know it."

"Then what are you trying to tell me?" Drew asked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm just saying…" she bit her lip. "I'm just saying, you've got your heart and your head set on winning this, and that's great. We're all rooting for you, Drew, really…but what if you don't win? What happens then?"

Again, Drew's brain seemed to pause. Losing this Grand Festival didn't even seem like it could happen. It was like his brain couldn't formulate a proper response to the question. Every sentence he wanted to start was the same. 'I will win.' But he knew that wasn't what she wanted to hear. He knew that she wouldn't take that answer; not now, when she seemed to have something in her head. And for the first time, Drew started to realize there was a part of him that was unsure. What if he really didn't…

He looked away from her, and his eyes landed on his untouched coffee in his hands.

"I've spent two years working for this," Drew said, more to himself than to her. "Two long years of nonstop work. I even skipped the Grand Festival last year because I knew I wasn't ready for it."

Then the thought occurred to him; had that been the right decision? Aside from his loss to Solidad, he hadn't faced any other problems in his first season, and he breezed through it with confidence and swagger. Now here he was, going into the festival after a shaky season, having faced a few losses. He'd had to bounce back a few times this season, and that wasn't something he'd experienced in his first drive in the contest circuit. Had he killed that momentum when he skipped the previous Grand Festival? Could he have won last year?

Solidad watched him with worry. She's never seen him look so deflated before in his life; not even a few weeks ago, when he seemed so off his game for whatever reason (he still hadn't told her about whatever had happened to him, and though he seemed to be better from it, she still wondered). But she definitely hadn't meant to make him unsure of himself.

In the time that she'd known him, she'd realized Drew wasn't someone who took other people's advice, and she knew it would be tricky to talk to him about this. She didn't know how to navigate him out of the mindset he was in, but she knew she had to try. She wouldn't let him go into the Festival like that.

No one believed in him more than she did; she had meant it when she said it. No one wanted him to win more than her; her entire heart was filled with hope for her best friend. But he reminded her of herself, and she didn't want to see him repeat what she had gone through one year prior.

"I remember going into my first Grand Festival last year," she told him softly, and smiled sweetly when he looked back up to her. "I was just like you, Drew. I had every ambition and every bit of confidence in myself; I was going to win. I was absolutely and definitely going to win, ya know? Well, I know you know, because that's you right now. And we both know what happened at that Grand Festival."

She stopped, and encouraged him to say it.

"You lost…" he breathed after a moment of silence.

"I lost," Solidad closed her eyes and sighed for a moment. "I lost in the Top Four, and it…well, it sucked. It sucked pretty badly and I didn't handle it too well."

Drew's brows furrowed and he tilted his head in confusion.

"You seemed okay when we spoke on the phone after…" he admitted.

"Yeah, I remember that call," she nodded. "I remember you bashing Helen's Dewgong for like, 10 minutes straight."

"That was the coordinator who beat you?" he clarified.

"Yes, Helen," Solidad confirmed. "Really nice lady, I spoke to her the other day. I can't wait to see her in Johto tomorrow…but yeah. I remember laughing with you and so much of that conversation, and I did seem okay after the loss, huh?"

Drew nodded.

"After you hung up, I cried," she told him. "I cried all night long. I freaked out and I sobbed and I went through a whole box of tissues. I just cried."

The confession stunned him a bit. Drew had never seen Solidad cry, or anything close to it. For the entire time they'd been friends, she'd always radiated positivity at alarmingly high rates and she didn't seem to be capable of holding an ounce of sadness in her body. She was a constant ray of sunshine, and she'd often chased the clouds away from him when he faced his occasional bad moods. The idea of Solidad crying was just something he couldn't see.

"I cried because I went into that Festival thinking I was definitely going to win," she continued after a moment. "I'd done so much to prepare and to get there, that I didn't think losing could happen. I was still such a young coordinator; I still had so much to learn. And even though I wanted that win, I was nowhere near ready for it, no matter how much I thought I was.

"She, what I didn't know at the time was, I still had so much to learn. I couldn't get that back then, because I felt like I was at the top of my game…but I wasn't. Oh Mew, I was not there, Drew."

It was a sobering statement, and his eyes went wide for a second. He remembered that day, watching her shake hands with the girl who'd bested her in the Grand Festival. Solidad had been her usual graceful self, an easy (although somewhat sad) smile on her face as she left the stage and her victorious competitor Helen headed the opposite way to the final stage.

The match was one he'd never forget watching. Seeing Solidad's battle live on television had been an eye-opener. Solidad was someone he didn't think could lose, and it had been the only time he'd ever seen it happen. Still, remembering it was possible was insane.

The memories of that battle were still vivid for him. The second her Slowbro had fainted, he remembered feeling scared for her; it was the first moment he realized that she could actually lose, and she was the most talented coordinator he knew. But when her Pidgeot was left to face Helen's Dewgong (an ice type) and Manectric (an electric type), the combination of a double type disadvantage proved to be too much.

And he remembered talking to her, just hours after her loss. She'd seemed okay more or less. Knowing that she had broken down, probably after he'd gotten off the phone with her made his chest feel a little tight. It had been over a year, but he couldn't help but feel guilty and that he should have been there for her, even though he had no idea how to handle people when they cried. But she had done so much for him, and he suddenly felt like he hadn't done enough for her.

Suddenly, Drew felt a little off balance; like if he moved at all, he would fall out of the chair he was sitting in. It was a thought he'd never had before that moment, but it hit him like a sac of bricks. Solidad was the best coordinator he'd ever known or faced, and he would be the first to admit he was not as good as she was yet. But if she could lose, so could he.

And it horrified him; after all of the months of grinding and practice and work to get to that point…to know it could all be in vain…

"But that's the thing about coordinators," she quickly added when she saw his face twist. "We never stop striving to be the best. I learned that after my loss in the Grand Festival; I let the experience help me grow."

It hadn't been Solidad's intention to upset Drew or scare him in any way, but from the unreadable expression on his face and the inner turmoil clearly raging in his eyes, she knew she had done just that. Unintentionally, but still; she had done it. Her wish was to simply warn him that should he face a loss in the festival, he didn't need to take it so hard.

When she lost in the top four at her first Grand Festival, it felt like the world had ended, and there was a brief period of a few hours when she wanted to give up coordinating all together. But after a few encouraging moments with her Pokémon, she knew she couldn't give it up. She knew she had to keep striving to be great. She knew there would always be something for her to learn, and she wanted nothing more than the same positive mindset for Drew.

He could win; he could be a top coordinator in a few short days, but he could also have his soul crushed. Coordinating was everything to him, and watching him face his losses that season had hurt her just as much as it had him. She didn't want to think about how badly he'd suffer should he lose in the festival, but just incase, she wanted him to know there were ways to move on after the loss, and lessons to take from it.

"Is that the real reason why you went to compete in Sinnoh this season?" he asked her slowly.

It didn't surprise her that he'd pieced it together. He was a smart kid and he was extremely perceptive. Give Drew a puzzle and some time, and he could solve it for sure. It was how he always managed to string together such incredible combinations. It was one of the many reasons why he was meant to be a coordinator; he was always good at thinking on his feet and coming up with answers.

"Yes," she affirmed. "After I lost, I took a lot of inspiration from my opponents. I had a chance to talk to Helen at the after party. She's from Sinnoh originally. She told me traveling and competing in different regions had given her a lot of insight into coordinating. It helped her come up with new strategies and approaches for contests.

"That was what I wanted; I wanted to break away from what I had done all season and try new things. Work on new techniques with my Pokémon and come up with new appeals. Going to Sinnoh was one of the best things I've ever done, honestly. Breaking away and trying something new helped round me.

"Now I feel so ready for this coming season in Kanto. I'm energized and pumped up. I have new things I'm ready to showcase and my Pokémon are just as excited as I am."

It was quiet for a few moments as Drew absorbed her words and wisdom. He'd been so set on winning for so long, and just the thoughts of him losing had seemed completely impossible.

"All in all, losing feels like it really sucks," Solidad said softly. "But it's not that bad in the grand scheme of things, because that's what competition is. It's forever working to be the very best, like no one ever was. And from my experience, knowing that there's always someone better just makes me want to work harder. Someday, I will win my Top Coordinator title, but until then, I have to work to surpass those around me."

His three losses of the season flashed through his mind. The times he'd felt feelings of disappointment and loss. The first loss to Robert had been the hardest, because aside from Solidad, he'd never lost before, and he hadn't expected to; especially not in the first contest of the season. It had showed him he would face other powerful coordinators throughout the season. He wasn't the only tough coordinator in the Hoenn Circuit. He took that caution with him from then on and went on to win three straight contests in a row after that.

The second loss came from the Coordinator Grace and her impressive Medicham. After that defeat, he realized that he couldn't underestimate anyone. A powerhouse coordinator could come from anywhere.

His third loss didn't come from a contest, but his Roselia had been injured in a pre-contest battle. He had his ego to thank for that one, and it reminded him of his current mentality: how he was so assured he'd win, he was fearless and careless.

But the season wasn't a loss, despite all of those tough times. He had to remind himself of that.

As his struggles from the season flashed through his mind, so did his successes. His ribbon case sat on the edge of the desk, and he slowly reached for it. He flipped the case open and admired his five ribbons from the season; the proof that he and his Pokémon had worked hard to get there.

Drew knew that the Grand Festival would be tough, and he knew he could win it, but he understood Solidad's words as well. She was right in telling him that he couldn't underestimate anyone he came across; he'd learned that lesson during the season on his own. But he also realized he wouldn't be there if he hadn't earned his spot, and he wouldn't have earned the spot if he didn't deserve it.

There was always someone better; he just had to watch out for who could be better than him, and fight harder than he ever had before.

He looked up to her then, his face a little less void and his eyes a little more hopeful, but she still wasn't 100 percent sure what he was feeling. But he nodded to her, and she felt a pang of relief in her chest.

She smiled sweetly at him.

"You're going to be so great, and I'll be screaming so loud, I promise you'll hear me from Johto," she told him.

"I'm sure I will," he sighed. "Thank you, Solidad, really. Thanks."

Drew reclined back into his chair. The clock on the top of his PokéNav screen told him it was still somewhat early, but he knew Solidad would want to go soon so she could rest before her flight.

"You're gonna do so well over in Johto, too," he told her. "If you were serious earlier, don't be nervous."

"Yeah," she sighed as well, leaning back. "We're both doing big things. Weird, huh? When did we grow up?"

"I was always grown up," Drew amended, a smirk gracing his lips. "You still have a ways to go."

She rolled her eyes at his remark, but was happy to see him joking. That was a good sign. She didn't want him to be nervous going into the contest; he had no reason to be. She just wanted the best for him.

"Whatever," she laughed lightly. "Sometimes I don't know where you get your crazy ideas from."

Their lighthearted moment ended and it became silent for a moment as Drew and Solidad looked each other down. They were oceans apart, but they were so connected in the moment; both chasing their dreams and both more determined than they'd ever been before. Solidad wanted to make Kanto proud, and Drew wanted to become a Top Coordinator. They were both so close, both within reach, and they knew they could do it.

Drew had two days before the start of his Grand Festival. Solidad, however, only had hours to go before her quest to get Kanto the next Wallace Cup began.

"Do your best," Solidad spoke slowly. "With or without the title, you're already a top coordinator. I'll be watching along the entire time."

"Same to you," he nodded. "Get over to Johto and make me proud, but remember that even if you don't win the Wallace Cup for Kanto, know they chose you for a reason."

She beamed at him, then, and he had to fight to hold back the laughter. It was so in her nature to never expect or believe the compliments she received, no matter how accurate or well deserved they were. But that was just who she was, and that was the girl he'd grown to love like the older sister he never had.

"Are you okay, though?" she asked him. "I don't want to leave if you're down."

"No, I'm fine," he assured her. "What makes you think I'm not?"

"I've never seen you not take a single sip of coffee while you had a cup before," she said, her eyebrows raised.

Drew blinked a few times before he remembered the untouched cup in his hands. The coffee was no doubt cold by now, and he didn't dare drink it.

"Oh yeah," he bit his lip. "I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it, though."

"Why'd that?"

"It's an Italian Latte flavored drink...that came from a Keurig."

Without warning, se burst out into laughter, and he looked at her strangely for a long moment before she finally spoke again.

"Didn't I just give you a speech on embracing things you're unfamiliar with?" she wiped at her eyes.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," he chided her, placing the cup back on the desk and eyeing the clock again.

"Yeah, probably," she agreed. "But one last thing before I go…"

"What?"

"Did you hear that the Ribbon Cup was stolen on the S.S. Flower before a group of people helped the police track it down?"

Drew's eyes went wide. He'd been so wrapped up in his training over the past few days that he hadn't heard anything about the news. It shocked him, to say the least.

"You're kidding," he said, leaning forward. "What happened? Who got the cup back?"

"I don't wanna spoil the story if you don't know yet," she grinned. "I'll send you a link. I'm going to bed now."

"Please do," Drew prodded, figuring a few minutes of reading a news article regarding the Ribbon Cup would be worth the loss of training time. "Goodnight, Solidad. Have a good flight, okay?"

"Thank you. Don't overdo it with the training these next few days."

"I won't," he assured her.

"You so will," she stuck her tongue out. "Goodnight."

With that, she ended the call, and Drew reached for his Pokéballs. He released his team into his room, save for Flygon, who he figured still needed rest after their grueling training together earlier in the day. Roselia and Masquerain appeared on either side of him, seeming a bit confused by the random summons.

"The Ribbon Cup was almost stolen today," he told them, and they seemed just as surprised as he had been. "Solidad going to send me an article about it; I figured you guys would want to hear about it, too. You've both been working for months to get it, after all."

Both of his Pokémon nodded and his PokéNav buzzed with a text message. Drew tapped the notification and his Internet browser opened, taking him to the news story Solidad had sent him. A picture of the prized Ribbon Cup stood at the top, the headline reading "The Ribbon Cup Caper: Unlikely Heroes Stop Would-Be Thief." Roselia leaned in closer and Masquerain floated closer to him.

Drew read aloud to his Pokémon.

A group of travelers aided police in thwarting an attempted robbery of the Hoenn Ribbon Cup.

The Ribbon Cup was nearly stolen earlier today from the S.S. Flower by Brodie Boxer, infamously known throughout the Hoenn region as 'the Phantom Thief.' Boxer managed to escape from the authorities again, but he left without the Hoenn Contest Circuit's grand prize. The attempted robbery comes just days before the Hoenn Grand Festival in Slateport City.

Officer Jenny credited a group of trainers aboard the ship for helping locate and thwart the thief.

"We're still tracking Brodie and we won't give up until he's in custody for his crimes, but today we came closer than we ever have before, and that's thanks to this incredible group of young people who helped us," Jenny said. "Without their aid, Brodie surely would have been successful in stealing the Ribbon cup."

The group consisted of Ash Ketchum, 12, of Pallet Town, Kanto; Brock Harrison, 18, of Pewter City, Kanto; Max Maple, 7, of Petalburg City and May Maple, 12, of Petalburg City.

He paused for a second when he said her name, because of this all happened when she was on board. Of course she and her friends were involved. Every contest she'd ever entered always had a strange string of occurrences; odd circumstances seemed to follow them everywhere. That group definitely did have some insane adventures...

Roselia and Masquerain exchanged a look when Drew had stopped reading. Rosliea put her hands to her mouth to stifle her laughter and Masquerain suddenly became aware of what all those months of signs had meant. All the times he'd seen his trainer approach this girl, the one time Drew seemed to want nothing more than to get her back on that island…it all made sense. Espcially when Roselia quietly nodded up to him in confirmation.

The second he'd realized he'd stopped, he tried to play it off, cleared his throat and kept going.

Raoul Contesta, director of the Pokémon Contest Committee, agreed with Nurse Joy that the group was vital to the Ribbon Cup's recovery efforts.

"I've had the pleasure of knowing these four before today's events and they really came through for the whole contest Circuit today," said Contesta. "I don't know what we would have done had Brodie gotten away with our Ribbon Cup."

Each member of the group assisted in tracking the cup and its caper.

May Maple is the only member of the group who qualifies and is set to compete in the Grand Festival. She and her younger brother, Max, are the children of Hoenn Gym Leader, Norman Maple.

Harrison is a former gym leader from Kanto and a Pokémon breeder. Ketchum is a trainer currently registered for the Hoenn League, which is set to begin next month. The four were aboard the ship in route to Slateport City for the festival.

Boxer is a former member of the now-disbanded criminal organization, Team Magma. His current location is unknown, but Jenny advises that anyone who may encounter him should take caution.

"Brodie is a master of disguise and can hide in plain site," Jenny revealed. "If you have any tips that can help lead us to him, please call the authorities immediately."

Thanks to the efforts of all parties involved, the Ribbon Cup is safe and secure and the Grand Festival will proceed as planned. The winning coordinator will receive the Ribbon Cup and the title, Top Coordinator.

The Festival begins on Friday and will last throughout the weekend. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gates of Slateport Arena.

The article ended there, and Drew closed out his Internet browser, staring blankly at his home screen for a few minutes.

"Well," he spoke to his Pokémon without facing them. "That was…something."

As if she some how knew he was done reading, Solidad chose that exact moment to send him another message.

"So excited to see you and May compete! Have fun!"

He groaned and refused to reply. Their earlier conversation had been hard enough to get through; he wasn't about to let Solidad fluster him by talking about May.

Roselia and Masquerain sat behind him quietly and let him think for a few minutes. Neither of them moved or complained; they simply waited to see what Drew wanted to do.

Drew, meanwhile, was doing whatever he could to keep his mind off of May. Seeing her a few hours before had shaken him up enough, and now he had Solidad's advice to consider.

After a few moments of sitting still and breathing, Drew finally snapped himself into a working mindset. He had two days left to prepare himself for the Grand Festival, and he knew he couldn't waste any more time.

He stood up, stretched a bit and turned back to face his awaiting Pokémon.

"Roselia, you and I will train tomorrow," he explained, turning his attention up to his Masquerain after his starter had nodded. "Are you ready to do some more work on your appeal?"

Masquerain chirped happily, and Drew nodded.

"Right," he said. "Back to it."

They exited the dorms then, Drew all too aware that there were only 55 hours left to go.

He left that coffee on his desk, forgotten and untouched.