Viridian Forest– In which our two favorite coordinators are finally reunited and renew their rivalry against each other in something in a different kind of contest.

Author's notes:
- Welcome back; let's ship.
- Not wasting any time here; I can bore you guys with bullet points later. Let's just ship, damn it.
- Based on the episode, "On Cloud Arcanine."


Drew felt as though he was on cloud nine.

Everything was going so perfectly in Kanto that it felt surreal. He couldn't recall a time he'd felt this positive in a contest season, and the season had only just begun.

His first contest in Cerulean City had been a breeze. True to Solidad's word, the town had been overrun by water Pokémon, and he was certain he's entered the only grass-type in the entire contest. His petal dance and magical leaf combination appeal had scored highly, because not only had it been astounding to watch, but also because it was the only non-water-type appeal. His rare, Hoenn-based Roselia stood out more than she usually did, and he almost slapped himself it had been so easy to advance to the battle rounds.

Inside the locker room, he'd had a few coordinators approach him, asking if he was the Drew Hayden – the well-known coordinator and second place runner up from Hoenn's Grand Festival – and if he really was competing in the Kanto Contest Circuit in the new cycle. His bored replies of "yes" and "I am" seemed to intimidate his competition. But he wasn't bothered by it; this was one of the first contents of the new season, and it was bound to be plagued by rookies and newcomers. That always happened.

Drew continued to sail through the contest from there. He hadn't broken a sweat in his two battles trying to earn that ribbon. In the first match, Roselia all but wiped the floor with her opposing Kingler. Bubble beams and water guns failed to even stand up to her attacks; he won the match with just under four minutes remaining, both knocking out his opponent and draining all his points away.

In the final battle, he faced a girl named Tasha. She had shown so much promise in her appeal and first battle, but when it came time to step up to the plate, her Vaporeon couldn't withstand the solar beam Roselia fired off. Drew had won his first ribbon without much effort.

Solidad had also won her first contest in Pewter City, and they'd talked about it the night afterwards, both celebrating their first victories and congratulating each other's Pokémon via video calls and traditional coffees. The contest had been Solidad's chance to debut her Butterfree, and from the live feed Drew had tuned into, her new Pokémon partner had looked and performed stunningly. It didn't seem like it was a first-time performance; Butterfree and Solidad could have been partners for years and there wouldn't have been a difference.

He recalled their discussion from that night, when Solidad's Butterfree seemed so happy to see him, and how he told Butterfree that she had looked amazing in her first contest, and he couldn't wait to continue watching her go on throughout the season.

Solidad questioned him on his next plans, whether he'd seen any top-notch coordinators so far, and even if he knew where May was competing.

It had been a few weeks since he'd seen his red-clad Hoenn rival, and he didn't have any ways of getting in touch with her, so he just shrugged and told Solidad that May had stayed in Hoenn.

"What did May think when you told her you were coming over here?" Solidad had inquired.

"I didn't actually tell her I was coming here to compete," Drew admitted. "The last time I saw her was before I decided to come here, and I actually told her I had planned to compete in Hoenn again…"

"Oh."

Solidad had seemed disappointed for some reason, but dropped it and they moved on into their plans for their next contests. May had not been brought up again since that conversation, but she forever stayed in the back of Drew's thoughts.

Yes, the season had been off to a marvelous start; Drew was loving Kanto and the feelings of excitement competing again.

But it was very, very early on in the new circuit's season.

Drew knew better than to expect the rest of the season to be so easy, but for the moment, he was elated to know his Pokémon were just as fired up as he was, that he and his team would only grow stronger from there and that his loss in the Grand Festival just under a month prior hadn't affected him or his abilities to compete. A small part of him had worried once or twice that it would happen.

His confidence had been restored, and he found himself at an all time high of optimism for the season.

He'd figured he'd head on over to Saffron City next; he'd known a contest was coming up, and it seemed to make sense. Solidad had told him she was off to compete over on Cinnabar Island. He'd wanted to make his way over there eventually, but he still had so much of Kanto's main land to see.

Saffron City it was, then.

He took a moment to admire his first Kanto ribbon for a moment before carefully placing his case back into his pocket.

In addition to his excellent first win, he'd also found inspiration in the new and different Pokémon he had seen. Kanto was filled to the brim with Pokémon he'd never encountered before in Hoenn, and it got him thinking it was time to add a fresh face to the team. After all, his team was composed solely of Pokémon from his home region; he needed a little variety and the new creatures of this land had shown promise.

Okay, new Pokémon first, Saffron City after.

Initially, he couldn't settle on what type of new Pokémon he wanted to catch. He scrolled through a list of known Pokémon of the Kanto region on his PokéNav, and a few caught his eye, but he didn't feel truly excited about one, or like any of the ones he'd seen would fit into his style. After researching for an hour, he resolved to just find one out in the wild. When he'd found the one he wanted, he would know. That was how he'd come to partner with his Flygon, after all, and his Flygon had proven to be a marvelous Pokémon for him.

He's rationalized that as long as he was heading in the direction of Saffron City, the thick forests and open grassy plains he'd traverse through would have been a good start for him to find a new Pokémon.

That was how he'd found himself in the middle of Kanto's Viridian Forest.

He'd happened upon a seemingly older man chopping and gathering firewood outside of what Drew assumed to be his home in the middle of the forest. He was hulky and huge in appearance. His hair was gray, and he had a thick beard that extended all the way down his chin. The man wore an all brown suit and looked a bit sweaty from the effort he was expelling.

He seemed a little intimidating to approach, but he decided it was better to approach him rather than try to sneak by and avoid verbal confrontation. There was no way he could go undetected without rifling through the forest, especially when they'd made eye contact.

Oops.

Drew was surprised to see someone had lived out there in such a remote place. The man also seemed equally surprised to see a young boy traveling alone. He had assumed Drew had gotten lost trying to find the popular bakery that operated out in the lonely woods.

"Are you looking for the cake shop?" he'd asked of Drew when the coordinator had first approached. "You're not far from it; it's just down the road here, and I know it's a cake shop, but you should really try their coconut cream pie! I tell everyone that."

"Oh, no sir, I'm not looking for cakes or anything like that," Drew smiled politely. "I'm just out here seeing if there are any rare Pokémon. I'm a Pokémon coordinator from Hoenn."

"Ah, like those contests?" the man pondered for a second. "That's interesting. All the way from Hoenn, huh? Haven't been there in years, but I remember it fondly from a few work trips. Anyways, I can tell you about the Pokémon that live out here if you'd like. I'm not sure if they're what you're looking for, but then again, I don't know what it is you're looking for! Have a seat, son; my name is Bryan."

"Thank you," Drew nodded, sitting in the chair offered to him.

Bryan produced a detailed and seemingly handmade personal map of the forest surrounding them and began explaining the topography to Drew, who listened intently. The woodsman spoke of tons of bug types, and a few grass types that were common to the area. What Drew had gathered was that mostly hoards of Oddish and Weedle thrived in the area. It wasn't really what Drew was looking for, and he had just started to think maybe he'd come to the wrong place.

"There is an Arcanine that's been running around here lately…" Bryan offhandedly commented.

That instantly grabbed his attention. Drew had never actually seen one before…anywhere. An Arcanine; it was a powerful and gorgeous Pokémon, considered by many to be legendary. Drew had heard stories of the dog Pokémon, known mostly for it's unfathomable speeds and strong fire attacks. He could only begin to imagine the possibilities of having one on his team… He'd be unstoppable.

"An Arcanine?" Drew questioned.

"I don't know why it's been coming down from the mountains more often lately; not really the place you'd see one of those things typically," Bryan continued, pointing at his map. "But it likes to hover around this natural spring for water and this grove of pecha berry trees. I reckon if you'd hang around either of these spots, or wander up into the mountains, you'll see it sooner or later. I'd recommend the berry trees, though; it really likes to hang around over there; snacks on a whole bunch of them every day. You'd think that Pokémon was eating for three with the amount of berries it can put away."

With a rush of energy, and the potential to capture such an incredible Pokémon, Drew practically jumped out of his seat.

"Thank you so much, sir; you've been a great help," Drew bowed respectfully.

Bryan bid Drew a polite farewell and wished him luck in capturing Pokémon and entering contests.

That had been hours ago, and how Drew and Flygon ended up hiding in the bushes, both keeping a faithful watch over the open patch of ground surrounded by trees bursting with ripe pecha berries. The lush trees surrounding the meadow were packed with countless fruits, and it was no mystery as to why any Pokémon would want to feed here. It was a perfect berry-filled oasis.

They'd gone over their plans to capture it several times. Arcanine was a Pokémon known to be speedy, so once they sighted it, they would charge straight in. Give it less of a chance to escape, and it would more than likely make a stand against Drew and his Pokémon. Drew knew with absolute certainty that his Flygon could take it down. He hadn't even laid eyes on the Arcanine, but he knew Flygon was tough enough.

Then, it was a waiting game, but a game that didn't last.

It wasn't long before said legendary Pokémon appeared. Just as Bryan had said, a huge Arcanine appeared from the bushes, standing up on its back legs and swatting at berries to make them fall. The heart-shaped fruits rained down all around then, and Arcanine snatched them off the ground one-by-one.

It was time. With a quick glance between he and his Flygon, the two nodded, perfectly in sync, and jumped out of the bushes to ambush their target.

"Arcanine!" Drew boomed, his Flygon hovering above him.

The startled canine Pokémon jumped, turned to face them and looked them over quickly. It growled at the two of them and slowly began to step back. Its look of confusion and fear only lasted for a brief moment, and was now replaced by a look of determination and aggression.

"Flygon, quick, let's get him with flamethrower!"

Before Flygon could even open his mouth to shoot off the flames, the Arcanine showed off its speed, and took off before the two could even blink. They watched the retreating Pokémon bolting away before Drew's brain processed what was happening, and started chasing after it.

The hunt had begun.


"ARCANINE!"

Drew had shouted the name over and over again, chasing the Pokémon down with everything he had in him. His faithful Flygon flew right above his head, waiting for an order from his trainer to strike. Drew held his tongue, though; he knew the Arcanine was gaining ground, and any attack now would most likely miss. He had to be closer.

But something in his gut told him to take the shot. Both Drew and his Flygon were falling behind, and this might be their only chance for a while before he could find the Pokémon again.

"Go, Flygon, flamethrower!"

To Drew's amazement, his dragon's attack nearly clipped the Arcanine. The accuracy was there, but Arcanine was much too swift. It bounded on its back legs and pivoted in the air, and before Drew could fully process the motion, it fired back at his Flygon with its own powerful heat wave attack. Flygon thankfully was able to dodge, and the two started their mad sprint at the Arcanine again.

Closer; we have to be closer.

As if out of nowhere, a group of people came into view. Drew spared them a millisecond of a glance, as the entirety of his focus was set on that legendary Pokémon running in front of him. Nothing else in the entire world mattered except him capturing that Pokémon and–

There was a flash of red.

He passed by so quickly, so focused on that speeding blur of a beautiful Pokémon in front of him, that he almost missed it.

But it was a flash of red; unmistakably and undeniably a flash of red, drifting within a sea of forest greens and other people standing in an orderly line. He'd recognized it almost instantly, and for the moment that flash of red took his breath away more than the Pokémon he had spent the better half of the day sprinting at his top speed after.

He swore he had felt his heart speed up, and it wasn't from all the dashing he had done.

Suddenly his legs felt a bit shaky. It must have been all the running; the weight of keeping that pace up for so long surely was catching him now. That was it; that was definitely why his legs were suddenly ready to stop. He pushed himself past the end of the line of curious onlookers before things got out of hand.

His beautiful Arcanine bolted out of his vision, using its extreme speed attack to gain velocity and make a clean getaway, and Drew skidded to a halt, knowing he wouldn't catch it then. How could he? The Pokémon was running so fast, it was almost impossible to see, leaving only a large dust cloud in its wake. It had been pretty disappointing, but there would be more opportunities later, though; he wasn't leaving without that Pokémon on his team.

"It got away…" Drew couldn't help but shout, slightly frustrated.

If he hadn't had his doubts, and fired off the order quicker, Flygon's flamethrower might had hit its mark, and the battle could have gone down right then and there.

Drew stared at the settling dust for a few moments, trying to calm his breathing down and cursing himself. It wasn't Flygon's fault he missed, and the desert dragon Pokémon in question landed by his side carefully, seemingly out of breath as well.

The two stayed silent for a few moments; Flygon seemed to slow his own heart rate faster than Drew could his own. How strange.

Then there was the matter of turning around…

Drew knew they were watching him. He could almost feel their stares on his back as he claimed the last few seconds of calmness. He knew once he turned around and saw her, because it was undoubtedly and surely and definitely and totally 100 percent her, everything was going to change. So he braced himself and straightened his back, inhaling one last deep breath. He wiped at his forehead just to make sure there wasn't any sweat, and cringed when he found a bit on his sleeve. How wonderful his appearance must have been after all that running; he tried not to think about it.

Drew knew what he was going to look at. He mentally prepared himself to see the girl he had feelings for; the girl who had unknowingly changed him in so many ways both in and outside of coordinating; the girl he'd never stopped thinking about after he left her in Hoenn; the girl he had come to see and respect as a rival.

The girl he had realized he had missed…

He could do this; he had seen and spoken to and been around May dozens of times, even after the whole 'I have feelings for you oddly enough' thing came to be; why should this instance be any different? It would be fine; he just had to say hello and be on his way. After all, there was a Pokémon to catch.

So he finally shoved his right hand in his pocket – subconsciously to check for a rose, which he didn't have any of, darn – and turned to face her and her friends…

It didn't matter what Drew had told himself in his head, because there was nothing that could have prepared him for seeing her face for the first time in what felt like eons.

She was staring straight at him. From the few yards that separated them, Drew and May's eyes instantly connected the second he focused in on her. Her sapphire pool eyes watched him curiously; her mouth parted a little, obviously just as surprised to see him there as he was to see her.

And she was beautiful, just as she had always been.

May's big, blue eyes shining in the Kanto sun, her hair swaying gently with the small breeze that rustled the air around them, a slight dusting of pink her cheeks…or was he imagining that? She stood perfectly still as she watched him. He felt as though he should go to her in those moments, because it looked weird to just stand there and stare, and he began slowly taking uneasy steps towards her.

But just as he opened his mouth to speak to her, he noticed the people with her.

Her friends.

Oh, right; her friends are right beside her.

Suddenly the moment felt uneasy for entirely different reasons. Drew shoved his hands in his pockets and focused all his effort into straightening out his facial expression, hoping he didn't look as dumb as he felt. The shock gnawing at the inside of his stomach wouldn't settle and he had a dreadful feeling it might be obvious. They all watched him as he and his Flygon got closer, and he wondered what they were thinking. Still, he kept his stroll casual and his face expressionless.

His eyes fell right back onto May as he planted himself before them.

"Only an amateur would ask a question like that, May," he found himself saying, which was good.

That was the natural Drew he expressed to the world, and he didn't dare let May or her friends see him as torn up as he actually was. As he had approached, she seemed to turn her focus on the Pokémon that had dashed passed them, and Brock was filling her in on extreme speed.

"I didn't know you were in Kanto here, too, Drew…" May pointed out.

The question stung him a little, because he had wanted to point out the same thing to her, but it just seemed like it wasn't the right opportunity with her friends all hovering around her. Deep down, he would have loved to tell her that he was elated that she was there, most likely to compete in the region's contest circuit or at least that was what he assumed. He could have been wrong. But saying things like that wasn't something Drew Hayden was known to do, and his reputation was everything. He wanted her to know that whatever she was there for, he was still dead set on being the best…but he was curious, and thought up a way to ask her why she was there.

"Real winners can never resist competition," he informed her, flicking his hair out of his eyes for good measure. "That does make me wonder why you're here?"

A little rougher than he'd intended, but it was the best and most Drew-like he could do. And his question sparked some fire in her. The fire he loved.

May's hands shot to her hips, and a small glare took over her face.

"Can't you try to be polite?" she demanded.

Okay, maybe he went too far, but he knew she would ask about his progress so far if they kept going, and he loved to see her face when he showed her his ribbons…

"I guess that means you've come to enter the Kanto Grand Festival, too, huh?" Brock observed.

"Well more accurately, I'm here to win it," Drew corrected with a well timed eye roll for added emphasis.

"You're a lock for most annoying, but I'm winning the festival," May taunted him, giving him the perfect opportunity.

He smirked, reached into his pocket and pulled out his custom ribbon case.

"Yeah?" he retorted. "Think so? Check it out."

Click.

Drew's index and middle fingers pressed down on the lock button, releasing the latch. Both outer sides of the case flapped open and revealing to the group the Cerulean City ribbon he'd won just under a week prior to their meeting. May's gasp made him smirk just a little more.

"Is that a genuine Kanto Contest ribbon…?" May squeaked out.

"That it is," he confirmed, closing the case and placing back inside his pocket for protection.

"I still haven't won a single one of those…" she whined.

That didn't surprise him; she clearly hadn't been in Kanto for very long. Drew and Solidad watched every contest in the region religiously. Both regarded the process as a part of their contest training. It gave them both the opportunities to scan the competition of the region as well as draw inspiration for new appeals and etc.

"Well of course you haven't," Drew said, not intending it to be an insult.

Drew had seen every contest in Kanto that season so far, and that was how he knew May had not competed yet, and also why he was so surprised to see her there at all.

In the back of his mind, the nagging sensation of why he was there in the forest was starting to come back to him. With the shock of seeing May and her group dying down, he remembered the Pokémon he'd spent all morning chasing after, and suddenly, he felt as though talking to the group might have been a distraction. If he was going to catch that Arcanine, he needed to go.

He could see and talk to May later, most likely at an upcoming contest...

"I'm on my way to catch that Arcanine now so I can continue winning my way through Kanto," he informed them, beginning to turn away.

"For your information, I'm gonna catch that Arcanine!" May surprised him by saying.

He stopped halfway and looked back at her; her determination and undying will to beat him was hyping him up. The thrill of competing against her was coming back, and he could feel it in his fingertips. She wanted this to be a challenge? Fine by him; after all, she was his rival.

"Love to see you try, but I hate to see you humiliated," he fired back.

"I'm gonna show you!" she growled, stepping forward with her fists clenched.

He took that as the sign; the chase was back on, and now he had even more of a drive. He loved it.

"Let's go, Flygon," he said back to his Pokémon, and then clarified "Let's go get that Arcanine!"

With adrenaline coursing through him, and the excitement of both a new challenge against his rival, he took off, not able to contain the laughter that fell from his lips.


Thanks to the help of Bryan, Drew knew at least several points that Arcanine could be. His ledge was prime hiding territory.

He and Flygon had gone over several plans with different alternatives. What they should do when the Arcanien appeared, how they should position themselves for minimal escape potential, what to do if Arcanine made a run for it. There were several outcomes they were anticipating, but the bottom line was this: when Arcanine appeared, strike fast and strike hard.

And unbeknownst to her, May was actually quite vital to Drew's plan.

There was the grove of pecha berry trees, which seemed to be the most obvious to avoid, seeing as Drew and Flygon had disturbed its feeding time earlier that morning. There was little to no doubt in Drew's mind that would be the sure fire bet to locate Arcanine. But there was also no doubt that May and her crew would be there as well, because it was the most obvious choice.

It took him no time at all to decide to avoid the pecha berry trees. There'd be too much going on with both he and May trying to capture it, and he didn't need the distractions all around. Besides, he knew May wouldn't be able to capture the Pokémon there. No way.

The second option was the natural spring Bryan said the Pokémon loved to drink from. It was also a strong possibility for running into his prized Pokémon. With all the running Arcanine had been doing, it would definitely need to hydrate sooner or later. His digital map even told him that he wasn't far away from the site, but he had his reserves.

May's friends were definitely going to help her capture the Arcanine, and Drew suspected they would either split up, or would all end up there together anyway. Again, Drew didn't need to risk trying to battle with and against May to capture the same Pokémon; it would have been way too difficult.

So Drew found himself hiking up in the mountains, overlooking Viridian Forest and looking for signs Arcanine had been there.

Various tufts of orange fur seemed to confirm to him what he suspected: he was in the right place to find Arcanine. This was clearly its habitat, and the more he looked, the more patches of fur it shed appeared, or various claw marks on trees. This was the best spot. And he hatched a plan.

Surely after May and her companions chased Arcanine throughout the forest for a few hours, it would grow tired and eventually retreat to its den or wherever it lived up here among the steep cliffs. Then it would have no chance to run; Drew would corner it along a ledge, and he and Flygon would finish the job.

Drew had found both he and his Flygon the perfect perch for watching out over a stable platform of stone right near a cliff. The space should provide ample room for a final battle between he and Arcanine, should it have come to that. And with only two narrow paths to escape (one of which he would block, and the other which his Flygon would guard), there was no way Arcanine could escape so easily. It was perfect.

It was also nice knowing he could count on May's group to tire it out, and unknowingly help him capture the legendary Pokémon they were both after.

May…

She was there. May was in Kanto with him. And she had made it clear she was there to compete in contests.

His mind was flooded with memories of her.

He remembered meeting her on the beach in Slateport, almost a year to the day. How he taunted and teased her and laughed at her dreams of becoming a great coordinator when all she had was a pretty Beautifly, a silver wind attack and Frisbees. Back then, things were so different; she seemed to have no potential, and he didn't believe in her at all.

He recalled her face when she lost that first content; how defeated and dejected she had appeared, and how he was so certain she would never try entering a contest ever again. But she had surprised him, and after Robert had defeated him for the first time, she promised him that she wasn't going to give up and was going to win when they faced off again. Though she hadn't yet made good on her promise to beat him, she did hold up her vow to continue on in contests.

From there, his mind jumped forward to when she'd won her first ribbon. How impossible it had seemed that she could achieve such a feet, and how she'd proved herself from that point on. Earning ribbon after ribbon until she qualified for the contest that only the best of the best could enter. It seemed like that had been a lifetime ago: when he would laugh at the thought of May qualifying for the Grand Festival. And then he watched her prove him wrong, time and time again.

Then came the unstoppable thoughts of their time together on Mirage Island, where everything he ever thought about her had changed. His very perception of her role in his life was ripped to pieces. She'd gone from the girl he'd laughed at in contests to the girl he'd…liked? Admired? Respected? There was a word that seemed to fit, but he couldn't pick it out. He'd never been able to.

But she had proved to him that she was a plethora of things that day. And he wanted to discover all of them. He'd felt more drawn to her than any one else in existence. She was May, the enigma coordinator who had surprised him more than a few times.

And then, how could he not reflect on their battle at the contest circuit's biggest stage? The way they danced through their semifinals match, giving him the greatest Pokémon battle he'd ever had the honor of participating in. He could remember just how hard his heart had been hammering in his chest, from the moment they met on the field to the way she maneuvered into his defenses, and chomped at his points bit by bit while he did the same to her.

When he thought he'd left her in Hoenn, and that he wouldn't compete against one of his biggest sources of inspiration last season (if not his biggest), he'd been at war with himself about it. He'd never admit it, but knowing he was going into a season without her seemed like it would be boring. Solidad would have been there to keep him on his toes, and who knew what other coordinators he'd encounter in the brand new region, but the thought of not having his rival to compete against made the season feel empty somehow. Like it wasn't going to be as good as it could have been, or like not having her physically there to watch him accept his ribbon cup would have made it less meaningful somehow.

He'd spent his first few weeks almost agonizing at times over the fact that he'd never told her that he was going to Kanto, and how simply boring the season could have been without her there to mix it up in the ways only she could.

Now, here he was, his heart beating in odd rhythms knowing she was there, and all his worrying about her not being there had been pointless.

She had a wonderful habit of surprising him in the best ways. And her being in Kanto to compete against him had been the best surprise of them all so far. He couldn't wait to see what would come next.

Drew's thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps. He jumped up from his spot and focused his gaze on the path below, expecting his prized Arcanine to appear. Instead, it was none other than May and her friends, and he almost rolled off the cliff.

"Right there is a good spot!" Ash pointed to a large rock the four of them could hide behind.

"It's definitely a good spot to stay out of sight," Brock complimented. "Arcanine won't see us behind that boulder if it passes this way."

"Okay!" May chirped, a tiny Squirtle in her arms; Drew filed away the new information that she'd captured a new water type. "Let's hurry!"

The group took their places behind the rock, each fixing their gaze on the trail. Drew snickered to himself; like he was going to actually let them take his place. Still, he couldn't exactly jump out and tell them he'd been there first; any commotion might scare away Arcanine should it be approaching. He'd just have to wait until the right moment presented itself.

Minutes passed, and there were no signs that the Arcanine was coming. Waiting was definitely boring, but it was the most important part of the hunt. Drew knew this, and May's group seemed to understand this as well, until May's younger brother started complaining. Sitting still apparently wasn't a fun activity for an eight-year-old.

Drew focused on listening to their conversation.

"So tell me again why we're up here?" Max wondered, clearly a bit bored.

"'Cause this is our last chance," Ash informed him.

"The old woodsman said Arcanine likes to come up here," Brock explained, indicating to Drew that the group had also spoken to the man he'd met earlier. "So if it does, we'll have it cornered on the ledge with nowhere else to run."

"And with no more distractions like pecha berries, what could possibly go wrong?" May expanded, also tipping off Drew that there had been a few failed capture encounters for May and her friends.

Well, at least that meant the first part of his plan – May tires out the Pokémon – had taken effect. Now it was just a matter of Arcanine showing up…

As if on queue, Squirlte's attention quickly shot to the left of the group, and the four of them followed his gaze down the path. Drew also turned. In the distance, they could all see the Arcanine slowly walking up the way.

Finally.

"There it is!" Brock whispered frantically to the group.

The incredible legendary powerhouse Pokémon in question strolled lazily over to the cliff, overlooking the scenery for a brief moment. It probably needed a moment to rest, seeing as it had spent almost all day running. Drew's eyes went back and forth between Arcanine and his rival, seeing who would react first.

"Go get it, May!" Ash encouraged her.

She nodded excitedly, hopped up from her crouched position, and made her way to face the Arcanine face on with only a few yards of distance between her and the Arcanine, and a tiny Squirtle as her offense. It was a cute Pokémon, but no way could it stand up to the challenge that Arcanine brought.

It was time to step in.

"So Arcanine, this time you're not getting away!" she boomed.

Just as Arcanine had turned its attention on her, Drew leapt off his own perch and landed gracefully in between the two, his back to the coordinator in red. May gasped in shock and her friends cried "oh no!" in unison. He smirked with his back turned to them. Worth it.

Arcanine seemed just as stunned as May did to see him. He didn't waste time.

"Go, Flygon!" he ordered, his Pokémon floating down at the ready.

"What are you doing?" May demanded from behind him. "I was here first, Drew!"

Something about her voice compelled him to turn around and face her. The moment should have been all about capturing the Pokémon he'd been hunting all day, but he wanted to see her face. Maybe because it had been so long since he'd seen it. Maybe because there had been a part of him wondering for weeks how long it would be until he would have gotten to see her face again after he'd left Hoenn. Maybe he just flat out wanted to look at her.

Maybe he wanted to remind her that he was always striving to be better than her, because she was his rival.

Whatever the reason, he did turn. He halfway faced her, keeping himself ready for anything Arcanine might throw at him while also giving May his signature smirk.

"Hardly; I was up on that ledge since this morning," he explained.

Arcanine saw the opportunity with both coordinators' divided attention. It used its powerful back legs to spring over the group; it even cleared Flygon's height with its ease. Everyone watched in amazement as it sailed over them and began scaling the extremely step cliffside until it was out of sight.

May seemed to mourn behind him, sighing and moaning to herself while her Squirtle also cried. She took a second to compose herself and turned to face Drew with an angry stare.

"Great," she directed at him. "Thanks to you, Arcanine got away and now neither one of us has it!"

But it wasn't getting away that easily. Not anymore. There weren't many places Arcanine could be going except straight to the top, and he knew it.

"Please," Drew scoffed. "Like you ever had a chance of catching it anyway."

"How dare you, Drew!" she exploded. "If you think you're so great, let's have a battle right now to see who goes after Arcanine!"

Now that intrigued him; a quick side battle against May's new Pokémon could give him some good insight as to what he should watch out for with her water type this season. That, and just the sheer prospect of battling her was always enticing to him. Of course he was going to say yes.

"Ha," he flicked his hair for good measure. "I guess a little warm up practice won't hurt."

With his final taunt, May curtly asked Brock to officiate, to which he agreed with a somewhat scared smile and hands raised. Apparently May's friends knew not to mess with her when she was fired up. Brock took a spot in the middle while May marched over across from Drew, and turned to face him head on.

It had been over a month since their incredible battle at the Hoenn Grand Festival in Slateport, and Drew's heart pounded a little bit harder, hoping for a match that caliber to match this one.

May nodded over to her friend, and Drew did the same, signaling they were ready.

"Let this one-on-one Pokémon battle begin!" shouted Brock.

Neither of them moved for a second, and Drew raised an eyebrow.

"I'll give you the first move," he clarified to May, because it was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all.

"You'll probably regret that!" she threatened. "Squirtle, start with tackle!"

Squirtle threw himself towards Drew's Flygon with great speed. Her little turtle Pokémon sailed through the air, clearly just as determined as she was.

His eyes rolled; May had to have known that was a poor call. She was more than likely blinded by her anger to actually think out a strategy. Tackle against a flying type? Please.

"Why'd she start off with that?" Ash wondered aloud.

"All Drew has to do is…" Max seemed to be reading his thoughts.

"Go, Flygon, fly!" Drew called easily.

Flygon effortlessly flapped its wings and raised itself up high in the air. May's Squirtle went sailing right underneath him, missing his target completely, and May growled to herself, realizing her mistake.

"Very good," Drew calmly praised his Pokémon. "Now why don't you show us all a beautiful steel wing?"

Flygon barreled through the air just like he and Drew had rehearsed and his wings began to glow a bright white color. He locked in on his target and began his rapid descent.

"Dodge it, May!" Max cried to her.

"What am I gonna do?!" May thought aloud, panicking. "Use your bubble attack, Squirtle!"

It was clear May's nerves were extending out to her Pokémon, and that they had very little practice together. Drew observed that the pair had a lot of training to do before they could successfully compete together in a contest.

In a fearful and futile effort, May's Squirtle began frantically waving his arms and shooting off a straight jet of bubbles, which Flygon easily dodged without Drew having to tell him to do so. With one of his glowing wings, Flygon slammed straight into Squirtle, launching him a few feet back. The little Pokémon rolled and landed close to May's feet and burst into tears. Clearly it was a young Pokémon.

May rushed over to the tiny turtle and lifted him up into her arms.

"I'm sorry about that, Squirtle," May apologized and gently kissed the top of his head, seeming to calm the crying Pokémon down a great deal.

Drew was more or less disappointed in how quickly the battle between he and his favorite competitor came and went. He'd expected more, but then again, the bond between May and her Squirtle was too weak. He should have known it wasn't going to be all that great.

"You really left defenseless there," he commented dryly. "I didn't even use a full strength attack."

He could have stayed there all day and made snide comments, or given her more advice on what she'd done wrong, but he'd remembered why they were there in the first place, and how Arcanine had been given enough time to run. He needed to move if he was going to corner that Pokémon once and for all. There would be all the time in the world for teasing May later.

"Flygon, let's hit the road!" Drew called out, and the two began tracing the steps of the Arcanine up the mountain.

He ran right past Brock, who seemed surprised to watch him go so quickly, but didn't pay him any attention. He was now solely focused on capturing his Arcanine and ending this crazy race. Nothing was going to stop him or slow him down anymore, not even May's yelling about not being done with the battle from behind.

No, absolutely nothing would stop him from catching his–

Arcanine?

There was nothing there; no Pokémon met them at the next ledge up when they'd all seen Arcanine retreat to. They all stopped and looked around, curious as to where in the hell that Pokémon could have gone.

"Arcanine came up here and somehow it just disappeared?" Ash pointed out.

He was right. Drew scanned the walls around them and saw nothing. It was as if somehow, the Arcanine vanished. It made no sense. The only way the Arcanine could have gone from there…was up.

The Pikachu that belonged to Ash started pointing up. All of the trainers followed to the top, where they could just make out the top of Arcanine's form.

Perfect.

It hadn't gotten away again. At the very top of the steep mountain, there was no way Arcanine could escape this time. Just a short distance separated Drew from his prized…

Growlithe?

His eyes focused on a little of small Growlithe, eating the pecha berries Arcanine was retrieving from its pelt. It drowns the sweet berries down for the babies to eat, and suddenly, things made a lot more sense.

Neither Drew nor May had never seen baby Growlith before, and they watched someone entranced by the intimate moment. A mother caring for her children, feeding them and ensuring their safety.

"Arcanine," May breathed.

"And little ones," Max filled in.

"That explains why it was so interested in food!" Brock deduced.

"It has kids?" Ash pieced together.

"So I guess it must have figured it needed to come down the mountain more often to gather food for them," Drew finished the train of thoughts.

They all watched the peaceful scene before them for a few more moments. Unbeknown to Ash, Brock and Max, May and Drew were both slowly coming to terms with the fact that they wouldn't try to catch this Pokémon.

That's when the giant net descended from somewhere in the sky, and captured all of the baby Growlithe. Arcanine reeled from the shock as the next pulled her babies away from her.

"HEY!" Drew exploded, his eyes following the net to reveal the people he had come to dread more than any others in the world. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"

Then came the horrendously cheesy speech Team Rocket had given on more than one occasion. They recited the tired lines to the group from the safety of their hideous Meowth hot air balloon.

"Team Rocket, let those Growlthie babies go!" Ash yelled.

The bad guys looked confused by his demand, and looked down onto the ledge to see Arcanine – their real target – was still free, and they looked angry at the fact that they had kidnapped the wrong party. Drew felt a chill run up his body, seeing that these people intended to kidnap Arcanine even though it clearly had a liter of puppies. They were disgusting, and he was once again going to thwart their plans.

He just needed the right moment.

Arcanine took the initiative and shot out towards the next, trying to rescue her puppies; a situation Team Rocket was clearly prepared for, because they shot another preloaded net and captured Arcanine, too.

"How nice of Arcanine to simply surrender," the pink-haired one, whatever her name was (Jessibella, Jessie, Jessica – something like that, he couldn't remember, because she'd used several different named throughout contests she'd cheated and competed in) cooed from above.

"Now we have a complete matching set!" the purple-haired James agreed.

"So let's make like a match an blow out of here!" the Meowth lamely joked.

Instead of letting the babies go, their plans clearly changed and they intended to make off with the whole family. They started to drift away, and Drew shared a quick look with his Flygon, who was ready. They just needed the right moment to strike. What he didn't realize was that May was watching for the right moment, too.

"They can't get away!" Ash said, knowing all too well he and his Pikachu couldn't do much without hurting the captured Pokémon.

His Pikachu chirped angrily in agreement.

Team Rocket made it over to the edge of the forest, where they hovered over trees. A softer landing spot for the Growlithe and Arcanine, Drew was about to call out an order when May surprised him.

"Drew," May called to him.

They shared a brief look, and Drew could see in May's eyes she was just as angry as he was.

"Try and stop them with Flygon," she told him.

"Yeah, right!" he agreed it was the best opportunity to minimalize damage. "Flygon, let's give them steel wing attack!"

Flygon screeched, and rocketed over to the balloon, using it's razor-sharp glowing wings to slice a hole into the balloon.

"Let's go!" Ash said quickly.

They could hear Team Rocket's screams as they drifted down into the forest, and the group wasted no time in springing into action. They all raced down the mountain, practically sliding down the steep slopes as fast as they could. May and Drew led the charge. Flygon flew faithfully at Drew's side, and May kept her arms wrapped tightly and protectively around her Squirtle.

The two coordinators happened upon the balloon wreckage, and much to their elation, Arcanine and her puppies seemed perfectly fine; still trapped inside the next, but unharmed.

Looking up at the trapped Pokémon, a sense of dread seemed to settle over Drew. This was his fault, for attracting attention to the Arcanine and her family in the first place. He looked over to May, who appeared to have the same thoughts written on her face as she stared up at the net. Seeming to sense his look, she turned to Drew, and the two looked at each other for a few moments of silence.

Without warning, May suddenly smiled at Drew, and he smiled back, understanding.

They would fix this together.

May's friends caught up with them, and seemed to be preparing for the fight that was not their own.

"We got 'em!" Ash said, Pokéball in hand. "Let's go, Brock!"

"Right!" Brock concurred, raising a Pokéball of his own.

"Wait," May said to them, breaking her gaze with Drew and turning to face her friends. "Let Drew and I finish it up this time."

"Yeah, since we were the ones who started this whole thing off," Drew said, smirking back at them.

Brock seemed to understand quickly, and smirked back at the two. Ash took another second before he conceited, but looked more than happy to let them take care of their business.

Drew turned his back to them, and once more faced Team Rocket with May by his side. His Flygon hovered next to him, waiting for orders.

"C'mon, Flygon, we gotta rescue Arcanine," Drew told his companion. "Steel wing the net!"

Flygon approached the captured Pokémon and charged up his attack, but gently delivered the blow, slicing the next open and allowing the Pokémon to escape. The family bounced to their feet off the ground, and Arcanine was instantly inspecting her babies, ensuring no harm had come to them. She then barked to them, instructing them to escape and hide. The Growlithe complied, and the family ran off to hide allowing May and Drew to handle business from there.

Team Rocket watched in horror as their stolen Pokémon got away.

Now that the Arcanine and her puppies were safe, there was no need to hold back. Both sides realized this.

James released his Cacnea, who went in for a quick yet painful hug to its trainer. Drew remembered how the same thing had happened on Mirage Island, and scoffed. Just like then, they didn't seem like such a threat anymore.

"Turn around and attack them!" James begged.

Cacnea did finally turn around, sensing the threat and launching a powerful pin missile attack. Glowing streaks flew towards them, and May jumped in.

"Squirtle, bubble attack!" May called, throwing her Squirtle up into the air.

The tiny Pokémon and May finally seemed in sync, and Squirtle was able to launch a spray of bubbles that disbanded the oncoming spikes. A great defensive move, if Drew was being critical.

"Not bad," he complimented her quick thinking.

"Wait 'til I really get going," May threw back at him and with a smirk.

Drew smirked for a second longer before turning back. Arceus, was she amazing, especially in moments like that. He'd have to show her some of his tricks, now…

"Well I wouldn't chalk up the victory yet if I were you!" Jessie called out, trying to ruin the moment. "Dustox, poison sting!"

The Dustox burst from its Pokéball and began firing a rapid assault of poison needles. Flygon was at the ready, and Drew countered.

"Bring it down with flamethrower, now!" Drew quickly remarked.

Flygon charged up and released a hot burst of fire, shattering the poison sting and thwarting Team Rocket's offense again. The two thieves seemed to be getting frustrated and desperate, but there was no way in hell Drew and May would let them win.

Drew could hear May's companions commenting from behind them.

"Yeah!" Max cheered on the display.

"Those two are a great team!" Ash acknowledged.

"Even though their styles are different, they work well together," Brock said.

They were right; when Drew and May worked together, they seemed unstoppable. The realization made Drew's ears burn a little, but now wasn't the time for that. Especially when James was calling for another attack.

"Don't give up, Cacnea!" James encouraged. "Use your sandstorm!"

A powerful tornado ripped open onto the battle field, and Drew couldn't help but laugh. James obviously didn't realize that he was against a Flygon, often called "the desert spirit." His dragon thrived in the environment James had just created. Thought Squirtle seemed to be struggling in the raging winds, Drew knew what he had to do.

He ordered his Flygon to shield May's Squirtle from the storm, and Flygon happily complied. Squirtle seemed confused for a moment, but soon grasped what was happening, as did May.

"Thanks for that, Drew!" May smiled.

He nodded.

"Well, ready to finish this up, May?" he asked.

"Yeah," she complied. "Squirtle, hop aboard Flygon!"

Flygon bent forward a little, and Squirtle hopped on, The two jumped into the air, Flygon easily soaring through the sandy winds as Squirtle shielded his eyes a little bit. Drew smirked to himself; his famous "Dragon Formation" technique was reserved for Flygon and Roselia, but somehow Squirtle seemed just fine.

His Flygon broke through the barrier of the sandstorm, and waited in the clear for a moment while Squirtle rubbed the last of the sand out of his eyes. With the moment of recovery, Flygon began his descent towards the enemy, targeting Cacnea with Squirtle aiming for Dustox.

"Jump off, and tackle it!" May ordered.

"Flygon, follow with steel wing!" Drew added.

Squirtle slammed into Dustox, and Flygon barreled right into Cacnea. Their two opposing Pokémon were throw back into the hot air balloon's basket with Team Rocket. The group seemed stunned for a moment, and the two coordinators took the initiative to strike their final blow.

"Now for the knockout!" May encouraged.

"Flygon!" Drew called out.

"Finish it with–"

"Water gun!"

"Flamethrower!"

Squritle mounted onto Flygon's back once again, and the two released the opposing attacks at the same time. The powerful jet of water rode side-by-side with the stream of fire, ultimately combining into a powerful vortex on impact. The pressure of the two attacks combining was so great, an explosive rocked through the surrounding trees. Drew shielded his own eyes and stepped slightly in front of May, who ducked behind him and held her ears with her eyes shut.

The smoke cleared, and the two coordinators stood back up straight, examining the scene before them. Team Rocket had been sent flying, nowhere to be seen. Drew let out a relaxed sigh, flicking his hair. Another day, another foiled Team Rocket plot. Though it wasn't how he'd expected the day to go, he couldn't deny the sense of pride he'd felt surge through him every time he'd been a part of stopping the crooks in their tracks.

And the attack combination both he and May had pulled off! It was intriguing; he'd never seen a combination of fire and water before, anywhere. Not in a contest, not in a trainer battle, nothing. He'd always thought it was impossible, seeing as water cancelled fire attacks out. But that was special, and he couldn't believe how well it had worked together. How well he and May had worked together.

Fire and water…what appeal it had. Their opposing attacks had looked quite rugged, and pretty unrefined, but the fact that they were so strong together was incredible. Drew would need to see if there was a way he could successfully fuse fire and water and somehow use it in a contest. Forever the coordinator.

"We did it!" May clasped her hands together and rejoiced. "We beat 'em!"

"This wouldn't be the first time," Drew smirked at her, and she nodded gleefully. "We've beaten them together, before."

"You're right!" May chirped. "And if they come back, they better hope they don't run into us again! We make a pretty good team, Drew."

He pursed his lips and nodded, feeling his face heat up just a little more and more. They did make a great team, and it made his stomach do little flips to acknowledge how great they worked together.

Thankfully, before his face could betray his thoughts, Brock cut in.

"Hey guys, let's go check on Arcanine and her Growlithe," he proposed, looking back in the direction they'd escaped to.

"Right!" Ash agreed.

"Where do you think they ran off to?" Max questioned.

"It's a safe bet they went this way," Brock said, pointing.

Her friends all turned on their heels and slowly made their way down the path to locate the legendary and her puppies. Drew and May followed a few feet behind, walking next to each other. Brock appeared to be digging through his bag, looking for some supplies. He pulled out a few potions and even some medical wrap. Drew raised an eyebrow, and May noticed his confusion.

"Brock is studying to become a Pokémon breeder," May explained to him. "He's always concerned for other Pokémon's health and is always ready to help an injured one."

"That's nice," Drew hummed, walking down the path and finding how comfortable it was to be next to her.

Drew had always preferred to travel alone, but in those moments, it was nice to walk next to her. And converse with her. And to just be with her.

What an odd yet pleasant feeling.


It took them almost no time at all to locate Arcanine and her babies. They'd only gone a few short yards down the trail back to the mountain.

When they'd approached the family slowly, Arcanine gave off a warning growl, but Ash's Pikachu took the initiative and began speaking to the family, probably explaining they were there to help. With the reassurance, Arcanine seemed to calm down.

Brock bend down and examined the young Pokémon, and confirmed to the relief of the group that they all seemed okay. He moved on to Arcanine, who aside from being a little tired from all the running and hiding, and the being temporarily captured, she was alright as well. Brock told her she'd been taking very good care of her Growlithe, and she barked happily, proceeding to lick her puppies clean. Brock laughed and backed up slowly.

The gang stood there for a moment, admiring the beautiful Pokémon for a few more moments.

"There it is," Ash whispered to May. "So, did you change your mind about catching it?"

"Yeah," May confirmed to Ash, then turned to Drew. "Go ahead."

Drew blinked for a moment, confused.

"As much as I think I could win with it, I don't want to break up a happy family," he explained.

Drew couldn't even stomach the thought of catching this Pokémon anymore. May had seemed to come to the same mutual conclusion. No contest, contest ribbon nor ribbon cup would ever be worth tearing apart this family. Nothing would. Drew wasn't like that, and he could tell May wasn't, either.

May watched as he raised his hand to his hair and moved his bangs out of his eyes for a moment. She could see his eyes, and how genuinely happy he was to watch the scene before him. Drew loved Pokémon; not just his own, but all of them. It warmed her heart and made her blush a bit. He didn't notice.

"So, I'll let them be," he concluded.

"Yeah," she sighed, turning her attention back to them for a moment.

After a minute, Arcanine stood, and her puppies did as well. Arcanine took a moment to bark her thanks to the trainers, and took her leave, her puppies hopping and bounding behind, following her closely. The family disappeared into the maze of trees, and that was that.


It took them all a few hours to eventually find their way back to the main road.

Viridian Forest was huge, a thick barrage of flora and fauna that it was very easy to get lost within. After the five of them argued which way to go for a while, they seemed to finally stumble back to what was a well marked road, with signs pointing in either direction.

Drew didn't say much while he was with them; just occasionally argued that they were going the wrong way now and then. He could have long left, asking Flygon to carry him up and out of there, but he never felt the need to. He found he was content with them, or rather, with her.

The sun was slowly beginning its final sink towards the horizon, and it wasn't long before it would be late.

"I guess this is goodbye," Drew acknowledged as they all prepared to separate.

"Until we meet again at least," May giggled a little, clarifying.

He nodded, and a thought came to him.

"You know there's a contest coming up in Saffron City I think you should enter," he stepped towards her.

Her eyes lit up, but her expression was a little guarded. Or maybe she was just surprised to learn this. Or perhaps she was just a little surprised that he'd actually taken a chance to get closer to her on his own accord. With her, it could mean anything. She had a habit of surprising him.

"I hadn't heard anything about it," she confessed, watching him closely. "Why, are you entering?"

Originally, yes, he was going to. But very abruptly, his plans had changed. And they had changed because of her.

If May was building her team, adding a small yet obviously fierce water type to her arsenal, it made him really think about his own team. He needed to keep up with her, and though he'd already been ahead of her on the ribbon count, he knew it was time to add a new member to his party, so he could stay one step ahead of her, like he'd always tried to do. Wasn't that the point of going after Arcanine in the first place?

"Nah; I have to focus on finding a new Pokémon to strengthen my team first," he elaborated. "But I think you'd do really well in it."

Her eyes widened at his compliment, because she knew to him, that was one of the highest forms of praise he could give. They'd had their fair share of pleasant moments since they'd met, and what seemed like a ton of less than cordial interactions, so May had learned to cherish these moments with him. The times when he was sweet and genuine and actually looking out for her, wishing her well in her coordinating career.

It was a sharp contrast to when they'd first started. In the beginning, there was only mocking and scorn. She had been convinced he hadn't had a nice bone in his body. But she'd noticed the change in him as time when on. Especially after their time on Mirage Island, she had begun to see a new, kinder and softer side to this boy that she had to admit made her feel closer to him in certain moments.

Those were the moments that kept her forever anticipating seeing him again.

She blushed once more and nodded.

"Wow, thank you, Drew."

He smiled and nodded one last time, taking his chance to leave. He threw a wave over his shoulder just for good measure.

He wouldn't be competing in Saffron; after all, he wanted her to take the ribbon. And as much as he wanted to battle her - for real - again, he knew it wasn't the right time. It would be her first contest of the season, and she didn't need to start it off nervous about facing him or anything like that. He wanted to see her succeed. He wanted to see her face light up when she was handed the ribbon, because he knew she could win it.

And he planned to be watching. Not just in Saffron City.

He planned to watch her throughout all of Kanto.