Mulberry City– In which the final contest of Kanto's season arrives; it's all or nothing and the stakes have never been higher.
Author's notes:
- I really blasted through the Kanto portion of this story, huh? Not that I've written and posted it quickly, but there's not as many Kanto chapters. We've still got a ways to go after we're done here in Mulberry, i.e. the Grand Festival, but let's close out the regular circuit and get to the post season, shall we?
- It's definitely time for a little Drew vs. Harley. I've avoided the subject for far too long.
- Based on the episodes, "New Plot, Old Lot" and "Going for Choke!" (Although, if you watch "New Plot, Old Lot," you'll notice I changed like…minor things. Nothing dialogue-wise, of course. First time I strayed from the actual episode, but it's not big and it's in the name of plot development.)
- Happy 2019. I hope you all have the most wonderful New Year.
- Guys, I know it sometimes takes me a long time to update, but I promise you, I am going to finish this story.
As per his typical tradition, Drew was on his way to see the last Pokémon contest of the season, which this season, was in Mulberry City. He and Solidad had planned to meet up for the contest a few weeks ago, seeing as they had barely gotten the chance to connect lately. They'd been so focused on their training the previous few months, and things were basically silent between them, one not wanting to disturb the other and vice versa.
And there they were, with just under one month to go before the Kanto Grand Festival would begin. It was hard for Drew to believe how quickly the time went by. The Kanto season had felt so short compared to the last one.
Through the rapidly-passing months, Drew had noticed a lot of differences in preparing for this Grand Festival as opposed to how he trained for Hoenn's.
First and foremost, he recalled how different had been training Vibrava than it was working with Absol. Absol knew attacks Drew had never previously used in contests, and at first, it proved to be quite a curve for him trying to figure out how to incorporate razor winds and water pulses together in beautiful combinations. But learning move sets wasn't the only curveball Drew was thrown while working with his dark type; Absol had a completely different personality to him. It wasn't that he wasn't getting along with his new partners than much less the time it was taking him to adjust. Gradual improvement felt slow, and Drew wondered if Absol would be truly ready for the ultimate contest.
He bit back the feelings and fought with himself over it. Absol was working harder than anyone else on his team, because he was new to all of this and fiercely trying to prove himself. After watching contests for months on the sidelines, Absol grew to share in the dream of competing and winning.
But that was just one of the struggles.
There was also the feeling of more pressure riding on this Grand Festival. More pressure than he'd ever felt for any contest, ever.
In Hoenn, he worried about May and Robert. No one else stuck out to him more than they had, and he spent the most time working on ways to best them. May's skills hadn't worried him as much as the strain of trying to cope with his growing feelings for the girl. He knew it wouldn't be an easy win by any means, but he knew he would win the match against her. Robert was a whole different entity. He defeated May in the quarterfinals with a few bumps along the way, but sure enough, he fell to Robert in the actual finale.
Robert was gone, having not competed in Kanto, and while Drew would have loved having the chance to make up for his losses against the Top Coordinator, it helped knowing there was one less threat. He had May, Harley, Solidad and scores of others he'd have to be wary of. The first three were bad enough, especially Solidad, who had a speedy run to her five ribbons, and then over seven full months of practice since. May and Harley were also performing at top level, with May improving far more rapidly than any other coordinator he'd ever seen. She'd come so far since her first appearance in Hoenn.
This was definitely going to be harder than the last Grand Festival.
He'd been hard at work for months, too, but still, so had everyone else. And they were only getting better and better. It would be a struggle no doubt.
One of Drew's favorite ways to prepare for the Grand Festival had always been seeing the coordinators whose last chance it was for entry compete in the last contest of the season. The last contests always brought out both the absolute best in coordinators, as well as the absolute most desperation.
Typically, final contests were a blood bath, and only the best coordinators dared enter them.
He knew May was one of those coordinators.
She'd gone through Kanto and had done extraordinarily well, losing only once in her second competing season. A remarkable achievement, no less; he'd lost several times during his second run. May was a natural for contests, and acknowledging that made him feel some guilt as to judging her so harshly in her first go almost two years ago in Slateport.
But seeing as this was the final contest on the season, May only had earned four ribbons. She would have to trump everyone in Mulberry to get her shot at the Top Coordinator title.
Why did she do this? She'd waited until the very last contest last season to gun for her fifth ribbon as well. Why did she love taking risks so damn much? It was a real strain on his anxiety, which he had never known he had until he met her, too.
Arceus, that girl had turned his world so upside down…
Drew knew with 100 percent certainty he'd see May in Mulberry.
The real concern was trying to keep Solidad away from her as well, especially since Solidad had made it so blatantly clear that she was determined to meet May.
For a day that had started out with such promise (the best cup of coffee he'd encountered in Kanto, a near flawless practice run with Absol, clear skies for flying, etc.), things turned pretty sour pretty quickly.
It wasn't long after he'd landed that Drew returned Flygon to his Pokéball, giving him a nice rest after a semi-long flight. Drew could walk a few blocks to his hotel, and a few extra to drop off his team at a Pokémon Center to get a few check-ups after some intense days of practicing for battles. The nice thing about having a team of four meant they could practice a double battle, and Drew facing off against himself gave him some creative opportunities.
The first bad thing to happen during his day was the text from Solidad he'd received just before taking off for Mulberry City. He'd been excited to see her and catch up, because it had been so long since they'd had the chance to just talk. With both of them giving 100 percent of their focus on their practice sessions, they hadn't had a real conversation since before Drew met Absol, and that had been months ago. He was dying to know how she was, and he was extremely eager to see her in Mulberry; they'd agreed to attend the last contest together months in advance.
Solidad apologized multiple times in the paragraph she'd sent him, saying she had stayed out too late practicing and had caught a cold. She wasn't up for getting him sick, too, and said she was staying home. Drew's disappointment stuck with him for the whole flight, but he tried not to let it get to him. She followed up with a text saying she'd been watching from bed, that they could text-commentate the whole contest if he wanted, and that she would absolutely see him at the Grand Festival in a few short weeks, which would fly by.
Once he landed, he shot her an, "It's okay, feel better, see you soon," message. But still, he was missing his best friend, and her extra ticket for the contest in his back pocket would go to waste.
The city was decked out in posters and commercial graphics advertising the contest. He couldn't find a building without some kind of advertising for it. And why not go all out? It was sure to draw loud crowds and attract lots of business to local vendors.
Drew strolled into the lobby of the hotel he'd reserved and stopped dead in the doorway, feeling all the blood practically drain out of his face.
There, standing at the front desk and causing a scene was none other than Harley.
The urge to turn and walk out the door was so strong, Drew thought he might bolt. But he didn't want to make things any more dramatic, and he wanted to understand what was happening. So he waited in the background and watched the scene play out.
"I cannot believe that this hotel expects me to go through this whole weekend with just ONE bottle of extra moisturizing shampoo!" Harley whined to the poor desk attendant, who looked more embarrassed than anything else. "And look how small it is! You see these luscious locks, hun? This is a three-bottle-a-night head of hair, so I demand that you send more up to my room right away! At least a dozen of them!"
The purple-haired coordinator spun around and stuck his nose straight up with his eyes closed. If it wasn't physically impossible for him, Drew felt as though his eyes would have rolled right out of the back of his head. Harley was such a mess.
"I'm so sorry, Mr…" she tried.
Harley wheeled back around faster than should have been humanly possibly – if Harley was actually human, though – and stared down the front desk representative.
"As a well-known coordinator, with FIVE Kanto ribbons, you should know my name," Harley challenged, but was met with silence, and muttered "Harley" in utter disbelief that someone couldn't instantly recognize him.
So Harley did have his five ribbons. Drew pondered for a bit why he would even be here for the last contest if he didn't need to be. The (incredibly-hard-for-Drew-to-admit) fact was, with or without cheating, Harley was a good coordinator. Drew had watched him perform throughout the season on live streams, and once in person. Harley had even bested his rival once that season, overtaking her in Wisteria Town. He was a force to be reckoned with, but why was he here?
The receptionist smiled sweetly, but awkwardly.
"We apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Harley, but please be assured we'll have someone send up extra services to your room at once."
"Humph," Harley cracked one eye open down at her. "It's about time."
Harley then spun on his heel to walk away, and Drew froze, realizing his mistake. He was right out in the open. Should he run for it? Harley's eyes were still somewhat closed. Maybe he would ignore him? Maybe Drew should-
Harley's eyes opened.
Oh fuck.
A huge, sly smile crept over Harley's face upon seeing Drew, and Drew shivered internally. Arceus, this guy was such a creep.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite grass-headed pipsqueak," Harley whistled. "What are ya doing here, boy toy?"
"Checking in to my hotel…" Drew said hesitantly.
Harley's eyes lit up, and something almost dangerous flashed in them. Drew held his ground, though his instincts told him to recoil.
"Oh?" Harley smiled. "Going for your fifth ribbon here?"
"No," Drew fought back. "I earned my fifth ribbon months ago, just like you did a few weeks ago. If you were really focused on coordinating, you would have known that."
"As if I care whether or not you got into the Grand Festival, twerp, because I'll be the one winning it all," Harley yawned, with one eye cracked open. "FYI, there is one little gingerbread cookie that needs to get her fifth ribbon."
Drew kept his face even. He had known May was going to be here competing, because she needed her final ribbon. Drew had gone merely to observe, as he always did every last contest of the season. He wasn't there specifically to watch her. No, of course not… But she would be there, and he had anticipated that he would see her… But definitely not the only reason. No way.
Why was his heart beating so damn violently?
Seconds went by, and much to Drew's horror, he realized no verbal response had left his mouth. Harley's eyes gleamed; that was the reaction from Drew he had wanted.
"I saw her and her brood of boy toys earlier," Harley sang. "Your girlfriend is pretty nervous about this contest, probably as she should be."
"May is not my girlfriend," Drew suddenly snapped.
Drew had made the mistake of not correcting Harley one too many times when Harley threw the term around him. May as his girlfriend? He knew he liked her, but he'd never actually pictured them in some kind of…relationship.
What exactly did relationships entail, anyway? Were there set rules? Did you have to spend certain amounts of time with your partner? What were you required to do for them to hold the title of "significant other?" It was a thought process Drew didn't want to have, particularly not in those moments, anyway.
Drew had only ever cared about coordinating. It was his passion in life and the only thing he thought mattered to be was becoming a champion. Then May entered the picture.
"HA, your face is priceless," Harley cracked up, holding his stomach as laughter rocked his system and Drew twitched before gaining his glare back. "You're such a dweeb, I swear."
Harley continued to cackle, and it irked Drew. Something about this older coordinator's superiority complex had always bothered him, but now more so than ever. Drew shrugged, rolling his eyes and stuffing his hands in his pockets, in an attempt to seem casual. He wanted to convey that he didn't care about Harley's persistence.
"At least I don't need to cheat and manipulate people to win against my rivals," Drew spit out.
"Same," Harley drawled. "If you've really been watching me all season, then you know I won my five gorgeous ribbons because my Pokémon are simply the best. I even beat little Maysy, but I'm sure you already know that."
Drew's eye twitched, and Harley didn't miss it. It was what he'd been counting on.
"But it's not about me right now," Harley smiled. "It's about May. Our little superstar needs to win tomorrow, or she's done for."
"She'll win," Drew replied confidently. "With you not trying to cheat her, she's got this."
But then the mirth in Harley's gaze faded, and a darker smile burned on his features. Drew gulped a little and instinctively stepped back, his fingers reaching for one of his Pokéballs in his picket…
"Listen, sweetie," Harley cooed, a sickeningly sweet tone that betrayed his expression. "Stay outta my way, you hear me? I'm winning this season, not you. Not your girlfriend. And nobody's gonna stop me, so if you wanna avoid getting hurt, I'd suggest you know who's really better."
Drew glared right up at his creepy opponent. There was definitely something going on here. Harley wasn't in the contest, which was a relief for Drew regarding May's presence there. She deserved a fair shot at her last ribbon, and Drew knew she could absolutely win it, especially if Harley was't there trying to cheat her of it.
Part of Drew's brain wished he could believe Harley was there simply to observe the contest, but the way he was smiling said otherwise. Harley had something planned, and Drew knew it. Drew just hoped he could figure it out before it was too late.
"Well, unlike some of us, this coordinator cares about his appearance and is going to enjoy some spa time," Harley placed a hand on his hip and turned his attention to his fingernails. "Consider yourself warned, grasshead."
Harley seemed satisfied with himself, and blew Drew a kiss (which broke Drew's composure and caused his face to twist up in disgust) before turning around to walk away.
Drew was seething, and he knew it was showing on his face.
The contest was sold out. Drew was glad he'd reserved two tickets weeks prior to the day.
It was the type of atmosphere that could make a person claustrophobic. Something told Drew the stadium sold more tickets than they had seats. There were absolutely no open seats, but it seemed like people were still pouring into the stands. Drew was silently thankful that Solidad didn't show up, leaving the seat next to him open, and giving him a little bit of breathing room.
About 15 minutes before the contest began, Drew had been texting Solidad how suffocating the environment was, when an overly cheery voice from an all too familiar voice stood out from the casual conversations appeared.
"S'cuse me, pardon me hun, coming through!"
Drew immediately ducked down in his seat, turning his back to the stairs and sticking his PokéNav in his face to hide himself.
After their unpleasant encounter the day before, Drew definitely did not feel like dealing with Harley.
Either the older coordinator didn't see him in his admittedly pathetic attempt to hide in plain sight, or he ignored him (highly unlikely, though), Harley kept going past Drew's isle until he made it to his own. Drew watched as Harley took a seat, just one isle separating the two of them.
A minute of stillness passed with Drew watching the back of Harley's head. No incidents had occurred. Maybe he really hadn't seen Drew as he walked past?
Just as Drew was breathing a sigh of relief, Harley turned and looked back. Their eyes connected, and Drew felt a chill shoot down his spine. Harley simply winked at his with dark eyes, and turned his attention back to the front.
Drew felt like he was going to be sick.
The judges appeared on stage. The main lights dimmed and the spotlights lit up. Everyone's attention fell to the stage.
The opening to the contest was underway.
"WOW, what a crowd!" Lillian shouted. "I want to welcome you all to the Mulberry City Pokémon contest! Things are going to heat up around here pretty darn quickly, so let's start with a big round of applause…for yourselves!"
The crowd erupted on command. Even Harley was clapping and blowing kisses out to everyone, as if they were clapping for him. Drew rolled his eyes.
"You all know we're just one contest away from the Grand Festival, and that means for those coordinators with only four ribbons, this moment is do or die! So, sense we're all pumped up, let's get this show on the road!"
Lillian went on with the introduction of the judges, but Drew tuned it out. His eyes kept flickering back from the action on stage to the back of Harley's head. Something about Harley's presence forced Drew to feel anxiety. Harley didn't seem like he was the type of coordinator who just observed contests. So why was he here? Was it really because of May? Drew dreaded the possibilities.
"…And here's what our contestants are competing for: the Mulberry ribbon!"
Drew's eyes were briefly drawn to the Mulberry ribbon being displayed on the big screen above the stage. He had one of his own tucked inside his ribbon case, granting him permission to enter the Grand Festival.
Now, he hoped May would earn one so she could join him on the next stage as well.
Backstage, May was looking at the same ribbon he was, dreaming about the same things as he was. She didn't know Drew was there watching, but she was plagued with nerves for that ribbon. She wanted to earn it, because she needed to be in the Grand Festival competing against him.
May's mind flashed back to the last time she'd seen Drew, just a few short weeks prior. He told her he'd see he at the Grand Festival, and something in his eyes told her he wanted to see her there just as much as she wanted to see him there.
She and her Pokémon had worked so hard to get to that point, and this was the last chance she had to go for it all.
She couldn't let her Pokémon down.
She couldn't let Drew down.
"Everyone strapped to their seats? So let's get busy!"
The appeals round, in the final contest of the season. The talent was basically unmatched by any other contest. It was his favorite thing to watch.
But Drew couldn't focus. He was too paranoid.
Fantastic hydro pumps, expertly executed smog attacks, masterful metronomes, he was missing the fabulous executions. The culminations of entire seasons of practice and work were happening before him. He could hear the cheers; Drew knew he was in the presence of great coordinators. But…he couldn't bring himself to keep his eyes on the performances.
And it was bothering him. A lot.
The paranoia he was experiencing from Harley's mere presence was excruciating. Drew's damn leg was bouncing. It drove Drew crazy when people did that, and now here he was, doing it himself at an alarming speed. What was wrong with him? It was just Harley for Arceus sakes!
Drew's eyes flickered back to the Clampearl on stage, glowing like a rainbow and aweing the crowd. It was a magnificent display, and Drew tried to stay focused long enough to see how the judges were reacting…but he found his eyes fell on the back of Harley's once again.
Drew let out a frustrated groan, and fell back into his seat. He rubbed his eyes a bit, and tried shaking his head. It didn't dispel the anger.
The whole show, Harley had sat completely still in his seat. Drew watched as he lazily clapped for a few coordinators, and cleaned his nails for most of others. He definitely wasn't the type to watch other people's contests.
What was he up to? Whatever Harley's plan was, it had something to do with his bitter feud with May. Harley's disdain for her clearly went past contests. Drew knew he shouldn't have cared this much, but he couldn't help it. His head was way past him now. Drew knew that this insanity and desperation were now fueled by his heart.
Drew was going crazy trying to figure it out. He'd never been this emotionally invested in anything else other than contests. How terrifying, to know that he was so torn up about all of this, simply because he wanted May to succeed.
After almost an hour of watching Harley and watching appeals, suddenly the momentum shifted. Harley suddenly shot up in his chair, his gaze fixated on the stage. Drew's eyes followed, expecting to see May finally enter.
Instead, it was that Jessie girl from Team Rocket, in her typical contest disguise and going under the name, 'jessebella'. She was doing some sort of greeting, but Drew ignored it. He looked back and fourth between the enemy of his enemy and…the enemy of his enemy, but also his enemies? It didn't matter. What did matter was that Harley had taken great interest in her appearance on the stage, and that was disarming.
Then suddenly, it all made sense.
When Jessie summoned a Cacturne, Harley nearly exploded in cheers. There was absolutely no doubt that it was Harley's own Pokémon. Which was confusing.
Was that his master plan? To have a common criminal use his Pokémon to be better than May in this contest? From what little of the appeal round Drew had managed to see (when he wasn't glaring daggers into Harley's head), he'd been able to determine very quickly that May was definitely better than most of the people here. She could take the appeals round easily. And Drew knew that both he and Harley had seen Jessie try to compete before. She'd never won a contest.
Jessie and Harley's Pokémon wouldn't have enough of a connection to win this one. Drew partially relaxed back into his seat.
Jessie ordered for a needle arm, followed by tossing vegetables over her head for Cacturne to strike. Cacturne obliged, and effortlessly sliced all of the pieces to fall in the shape of a small structure on Jessie's waiting plate. Cacturne finished it all up in a daunting pose.
It was a little corny to him, but then again, Drew had always considered using props in appeals corny. Well, most of the time…
"Wow!" Lillian shouted. "A combination of needle arm and cut! A new twist! This unexpected move has the crowd going wild!"
And it was true; a lot of people were screaming for them. In fact, the whole stadium, save for Drew, was applauding. Harley was screaming his head off like a maniac, naturally.
"Great, just like the old man!" he shouted.
With applause and cheering like this, as well as pleasant smiles on the judges' faces, Drew realized with a shutter.
"Those two will be tough to beat," Drew admitted with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest.
And then, it got worse. The appeal wasn't over. Jessie kept going.
"Now, Cacturne, cotton spore!" she stunned everyone by commanding.
With a wave of his arms, Cacturne summoned numerous cotton balls to fly around the stage. The soft spores wafted through the air slowly, like clouds slowly drifting through the sky. Drew watched curiously, trying his hardest to ignore the shouts of the enamored Harley in the seats below him.
With a burst of accurate bullet seeds, Cacturne shot every cotton spore that floated through the air. Each spore made some strange popping noise while they burst. The sparkling fragments of the shatters seeds and spores showered the whole stadium, and Drew had never seen or heard something like this before. The novelty of the first half of the act was worn off. Suddenly, Jessie seems like a real threat.
Harley was screaming his approval for his Pokémon until she left the stage. Then he rapidly began conversing with those around him.
"How great was that?"
"That Cacturne sure was incredible, huh?"
"Can you believe that?"
Drew couldn't believe Harley. The thing was, he was cheating, without actually cheating. Coordinators could legally use Pokémon that weren't their own in contests.
But that rule didn't cover the moral aspect of it. The fact was, Jessie went out and claimed that she had owned that Cacturne. She didn't deny it when the judges commented on how well she had raised it.
Legally, Harley was safe. Morally, who knew?
Finally, Harley turned back up to face Drew, as if he knew had been thinking about him. Harley gave him yet another sly smile, and Drew recognized immediately that something in Harley's expression was still way too over confident.
Harley wasn't done.
Drew gulped.
The crowd, meanwhile, kept cheering. The last contests of the season were always a madhouse…
Jessie finally left the stage after what felt like an eternity. Drew and Harley's gazes remained locked on each other, neither side showing any signs of backing down.
"And now, it's time for our next contestant!" Lillian commanded the attention of the audience. "So bring her on!"
Harley's attention snapped forwards, completely forgetting Drew. Drew blinked; only one person in this contest could have made him lose interest like that.
Dare he hope?
Yes, yes he should.
There, center stage, looking powerful and confident and determined and beautiful and ready to go was his rival. The look of sheer and utter anticipation to begin was magnified on the big screen, and Drew couldn't help but grin at her. He was excited to see what she would do, sure. But to just see her in general…it made his chest warm.
May stood there at ease, waiting for the signal to begin and soaking up the cheers of the crowd. They all finally sat back down into their seats after the last performance. Drew's eyes briefly scanned the crowd, trying to see her friends and brother. Too many people, though, so he gave up quickly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Drew saw Harley briefly look up towards the rafters, and it looked like he said something. Drew raised an eyebrow, and had to pry his eyes off Harley to focus on May.
Lillian gave her a slight smile of encouragement and a nod, telling her it was time to begin. May nodded back, and raised a Pokéball; who would she appeal with? Drew couldn't wait to find out.
"Combusken," May started, working herself into an elegant spin. "It's time to take the st-!"
She fell. Hard. May slipped and fell to the ground, looking a bit shaken up and her face was scrunched in a slight expression of pain. The whole stadium gasped. Drew winced, and watched with both curiosity and worry. May hadn't fallen since her first appearance in the contest circuit back in Hoenn over a year ago.
Harley laughed; Drew didn't miss that. Something was strange.
May was slow to get up, holding her lower back to support herself. The big screen showcased her trying to blink back the frustration. Lillian ran to her side, inspecting the young girl.
May and Lillian exchanged some quick words, and May assured her that she was okay to perform. Lillian looked concerned, but nodded. Drew knew May was in some discomfort, but she wasn't about to let her last chance at the Grand Festival slip away.
Harley fidgeted again in his seat, and again, Drew caught the movement.
"Combusken, one more time, take the stage!" May tried again, this time successful in her entrance.
Her Combusken, looking more ready then ever, all but exploded out of his Pokéball, leaping into the air with his powerful legs.
Drew was glad to see Combusken. It was always obvious that May and all of her Pokémon shared great bonds, but something about her and Combusken just seemed to work. She was comfortable with him, and he loved her. It was pretty obvious Combusken must have been May's first partner.
"Use mega kick!" May ordered, ready to start her appeal.
Up in the air, Combusken began to glow and braced itself for a mega kick, and the audience leaned forward in anticipation. As Combusken began to plummet downwards, suddenly his powered up leg shot above him, and he did an awkward flip landing on his back.
May watched in horror, and rushed to her Pokémon's side. Lillian was in the process of asking May if her Pokémon was all right when May fell forwards, nearly landing flat on her face. Both May and her Pokémon were down on the ground, both shaken up and confused. Both in pain. Combusken tried to stand, but fell again.
Drew gritted his teeth; something was absolutely and horribly wrong with this. Especially with the way Harley was snickering to himself as the rest of the audience was whispering concerns.
Drew's eyes caught the rapid motion of someone running, way down at the bottom row of seats. He could make out Ash's form, running behind his Pikachu urgently with a strange look on his face. Drew knew Ash could also figure out something was wrong, and maybe he knew.
For a moment, Drew thought about following him, but with his suspicions about Harley, he knew he'd be better off keeping an eye on him. Ash could handle whatever it was he was going to do.
May and her Combusken had finally found their footing, and both were looking at each other worriedly. But May tried to smile reassuringly at her Pokémon, and gave Combusken a thumbs up.
We got this, Combusken, don't worry.
She grabbed the Frisbee from her side, and Combusken's eyes lit up. It was the routine he was familiar with, and he was ready when she was.
May lobbed the Frisbee into the air, calling for a sky uppercut attack. Combusken responded, and leapt into the air aiming directly for the plastic disk. There was absolutely no way he could miss. He was right on the money, claw raised and ready to hit. But Combusken's arm was jerked away at the last minute, and Combusken missed its absolute mark.
May, the judges and the audience watched in horror and disbelief. Drew pursed his lips and took a deep breath through his nose. This was hard to watch.
"There seems to be a problem!" Lillian voiced her concerns. "May's timing with Combusken is off."
Combusken landed on the ground, but slipped and fell yet again. May looked at Lillian, pleading, and the MC nodded, giving May a few seconds to approach her Pokémon slowly, in fear of falling herself. She kneeled beside her starter.
"Combusken, are you okay?" she whispered.
Combusken only looked to her with pleading eyes, apologizing silently and furiously. May nodded and smiled sadly.
"It's not your fault, Combusken, it's mine," May assured her Pokémon. "I think my timing is off…or something. I don't know. I'm so sorry if you're hurt."
Combusken instantly protested his trainer's response. May hugged her Pokémon softly.
Drew watched the sad scene before him, and watched Harley's body shake with mirth and silenced laughter. Drew burned inside. He was watching May suffer right before his eyes, her pain amplified to everyone in that stadium. Drew could tell by the look on her face that while she was trying to be strong for her Pokémon, she was well aware of the weight of this disastrous performance.
He didn't know how Harley was doing it, but he needed to do something about it.
"Let's just try to finish this up, okay?" May whispered. "And no matter what, I'm really proud of you."
Combusken nodded, scared to continue, but determined to not let these mistakes go on anymore. May stood back up and took a few steps away from her Pokémon. It was now or never, and everything was on the line.
The next few seconds would determine the fate of months of hard work. Of the struggles and victories of the season in Kanto. It was all resting on these next few, precious seconds. The final seconds of her appeal; her last chance to prove to everyone that she was worthy of the ribbon, and worthy of her chance to go for the ribbon cup.
Part of her mind wondered if Drew was watching, wherever he was. What was he thinking about her? He probably didn't consider her a rival anymore. He was probably embarrassed to know her. He would probably be glad if she didn't get into the Festival…
The thoughts broke something in her; to think that Drew was somewhere, and might be disregarding her, when all she craved was his respect. She was here to show her rival and the world that she and her Pokémon could be great. So far, she'd failed. Miserably.
She plastered her biggest smile she was capable of on her face, and nodded to Lillian and the judges. Drew watched her, and hoped for her with everything in him.
"Fire spin, let's go!" May boomed, her confidence faltering.
Almost everyone was watching Combusken as he charged up the attack. Harley was looking upwards. Drew was watching May's face.
Drew saw the smile she had fade slowly, into worry and anxiety. He hated to see her give up; it felt like it was physically hurting him.
Combusken finally released the fire he had built up. Brilliant flames ripped from his mouth as he spun, wrapping himself into a molten tornado of bright, explosive reds and oranges. And he didn't stop there; Combusken wove himself around and around, faster and faster and showing no signs of stopped.
Everyone in the stadium gaped at the amazing move; a sharp contrast from how May's performance had begun. Drew noticed some light returned to her eyes as she observed her own Pokémon's power on display. A small smile graced her lips, and he exhaled.
There you are, May.
More noticeably, Harley flinched. Drew watched as he frantically looked back up again, muttering something into his hand in a panicked state.
Above the top of Combusken's vortex, a new flame twister started to spread. A smaller, skinny flame twisted it's way up over the main cylinder of the original tornado, and kept going. It wafted up higher and higher. Drew's eyes watched in amazement as it went all the way up to the ceiling. Was this part of her routine? How in the hell did May and Combusken manage to perfect this level of mastery over fire?
The judges were suddenly speechless; all traces of disappointment left their faces/ Now there was only sheer awe at the fire spin's power.
This was incredible…
…This was impossible.
May's face said it all; she had no idea what was happening. Drew's eyes flickered back and forth from May's shock, Harley's trembling/incoherent shouting and Combusken's fire.
Just as quickly as they'd appeared, the flames traveling up to the roof dissipated, and everyone refocused on the main twister below, still going bright and strong.
But Drew noticed, something had caught fire up in the rafters, and it was moving rapidly. He squinted his eyes and tried to make out what was happening. All he could make out were several figures, followed by a strong glow, and then a blast out of nowhere.
Drew blinked as his brain now processed a giant, gaping hole in the ceiling. Someone had been fiercely ejected, and Harley freaked out, standing up and debating whether or not to bolt or stay and watch the outcome. Drew quickly recognized Ash was at the top, looking back down and cheering on his friend to finish strong.
With…whatever thing was happening now apparently settled, Drew looked back to May. Just in time to see May, armed with another Frisbee. Her confidence seemingly restored, May launched the Frisbee with everything she had, calling fourth her powerful fire type.
Combusken launched out of his fire tornado, spinning rapidly fast and slashing at the Frisbee, dragging flames along him as he soared upwards. He hit his mark dead center, amazing all those who were watching him. The Frisbee was sent right back to May, who caught it on one finger and spun it, grinning.
Her entire performance was completely turned around. Harley was freaking out. Drew was smiling right back down at both of them.
"May's finally back to her old tricks," Drew sighed to himself.
"Let's finish this up with mega kick, now!" May screamed, letting everyone watching her she meant business; that she was better than her slow start; that she deserved a place in the second round.
With all of herself – all of her mistakes, failures, victories, emotions, and heart – she tossed that Frisbee up in the air, watching it spin and believing in herself more than she ever had.
Combusken released its energy. He kicked that Frisbee right back at his trainer, who locked eyes with him and caught it without breaking contact. She burst into a huge, proud smile and Combusken flipped back over, landing on his feet, celebrating a strong finish.
The faith in the audience had been restored, and they gave all the love to May they'd given to the other performers before her.
May rushed to her Combusken, placing her hand on his shoulder and holding back the tears. After such a hard struggle, her starter had pulled it off, better than she could have ever imagined. She was surging with pride for Combusken, and she loved him so, so much.
Drew, wherever you are, I hope you saw that.
May, you deserved all this applause and more.
The happiness didn't last.
The judges' comments said it all; they still had their doubts. While they were impressed with the outcome, the shaky start was something they couldn't look past.
May bowed and smiled, but Drew didn't miss the way she looked dejected as she left the stage. He couldn't imagine how hard it was for her to walk off stage after all of that.
But he could imagine how satisfied Harley must have been.
As the next coordinator was called on stage to perform, Harley shot up out of his seat. He didn't waste time looking at Drew. Instead, he just rushed up the stairs, muttering something about 'I'm gonna kill those clowns,' or something like that under his breath.
Drew stood up, too, a sudden thought entering his mind. Maybe he should go see May.
She probably needed some moral support after that round, and maybe he could try to give her some reassurance. It was the least he could do; after all, it couldn't be easy going through that (it was hard enough to watch as it was). And Drew remember the last Grand Festival, when he lost in the heartbreaking finale, and May tried to comfort him. He owed her that support back, and he wanted to show her he genuinely wanted to see her move to the next round.
Mulberry's contest hall was familiar to him, and he had no problem finding his way back stage to the coordinator's waiting room.
The last coordinator of the round was going up to perform, but Drew didn't mind missing it. All he cared about in those moments was finding May, and trying to give her some encouragement.
As he turned the corner, the door to the waiting area were open, and Drew hadn't crossed the threshold before he recognized her signature bandana. May sat at a table on the far side of the room, her head in her hands. Disappointment was radiating off her person, and Drew's heart dropped out of his chest for her.
He wasn't good with this kind of thing, and he suddenly didn't know what to say or how to help. The reality of the situation dawned on him. May was actually in danger of not making it past the appeal round. Nothing he could say to her would change that.
"They're so lame!" Drew heard Max's voice from around the corner.
So May's group was coming for her. Maybe that was what she needed; at least they probably knew what to tell her.
"At least they're gone," Brock assured the boy. "Let's just go see May and let her know."
Drew panicked. He couldn't leave now, because they would see him and ask why he was there, and he wasn't up for that conversation. There wasn't enough time to escape the way he'd come in, so he dove into the room, closing the door behind him and slipping behind a locker keeping his head down hoping no one would bother him.
No one seemed to pay him any mind, all the coordinators in the room aside form May too focused on the TV screen awaiting the results of the appeal round. Drew sighed in relief, but then turned back to May. His rival seemed consumed by sadness, and he swore he could hear her say, "how will I make it to the second round?"
Drew tensed a bit. The sadness in her voice was so prominent, as was the hopelessness. Poor May…
The door burst open.
"Hey, May!"
Drew's eyes shot to her friends' entrance, and May's attention fell on them. She looked embarrassed to see them.
"I know, Ash," she sighed as they approached her. "I messed up today…"
"Wrong, you didn't mess up," Ash replied, and Drew raised an eyebrow. "It was all 'cause of Team Rocket."
"Team Rocket?" May looked dumbfounded.
Drew then noticed Jessie, across the room from May, look terrified. He rolled his eyes and kept listening, but his mind slowly pieced together what had happened.
Harley's Pokémon. The fire spin. Team Rocket. The rafters.
Oh.
It all clicked.
Without hesitation, Drew bolted from the room.
The judges had gone backstage a few minutes ago to deliberate the top eight.
Drew all but jogged to find the office in which they sat. His footsteps were heavy and he moved with purpose; he felt like he had a lot riding on his shoulders here.
A stage director saw him briskly walk past him in the hall, and shouted to him when Drew failed to stop.
"Sir, uh, SIR?" he called from behind. "You can't be back here at this time! SIR!"
Drew continued to ignore him, and he heard the confused crewmember making some kind of plea call on a radio. Drew pushed on, and finally arrived at the door he was looking for. A large "DO NOT DISTURB" sign was mounted on the center, which he also ignored. Drew knocked on the door with a sense of urgency and stepped back.
Drew could hear the sounds of confusion muffled by the door. It slowly opened to reveal a confused looking Mr. Contesta.
"I don't mean to interrupt you guys, but I think you need to know something important before you make your final decisions on the appeals," Drew explained quickly.
Mr. Contesta's eyes slowly morphed from confusion as he recognized Drew and who he was. He still looked slightly lost, but he slowly stepped to the side to allow Drew to enter the office. Beyond the door, Drew could see the concerned faces of Mr. Sukizo and the local Nurse Joy looking over to him as well.
Just before Drew could enter, the same crewmember who had tried to stop him earlier ran up to the door, panting a little.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Contesta, sir!" he apologies furiously. "I tried to stop him from coming back here, and–"
"It's fine, Carl," Mr. Contesta assured him as Drew slipped into the room. "This young man is a talented coordinator we know and is a friend. He's apparently got something important to bring up, though, so thank you for doing your job, but in this case, it's fine. You can go."
"Oh, uh–yes sir," Carl nodded, and shuffled away as Contesta closed the door once more.
Mr. Contesta made it back to his chair and retook his place at the table, a slew of pictures and appeal notes written in three distinct styles were scattered all over the flat surface. Drew's eyes briefly locked on May's picture in the mix, and he turned his attention back up to the confused panelists.
"Well, Mr. Hayden, it is nice to see you again," Mr. Contesta properly greeted him. "What seems to have you so worked up now, young man?"
"I'm here to report some cheating that took place during the appeal round."
The three judges gasped, and Mr. Contesta pulled out a radio to make a quick call.
"Tell Lillian to go into protocol B and give us a few extra minutes back here," he ordered, and received a confirmation instantly after.
"Who would do such a thing in a contest?" Nurse Joy demanded, a little fired up at Drew's revelation.
"It's unremarkable, and troubling," Mr. Sukizo agreed.
"How much do you know about what happened?" Mr. Contesta asked.
Drew had figured it all out while he ran to the judges' room. He knew that both Harley and Team Rocket were clearly working together, but Harley hadn't actually personally done anything. Of course, it was Harley's Ariados, and Drew pieced together that it was also his Cacturne Jessie had gone through the first round with soon after, but if Harley didn't actually order those Pokémon to do any of it, it didn't matter and Harley was basically untouchable. As much as Drew would have loved to spite Harley, and get him banned from the Grand Festival, he knew there was nothing he could do seeing as Harley himself hadn't actually cheated, but got Team Rocket to do all the dirty work. Harley covered his tracks well, once again.
"One of the last coordinators of the round and her Combusken were being manipulated by an Ariados' spider webs hiding up in the rafters above the stage," Drew explained. "That's why she slipped so many times, and why her combinations weren't in sync the first half of the appeal."
"What?" Mr. Contesta gasped. "Are the perpetrators still up there? Do I need to call security?"
"I don't think you need to," Drew said. "I saw one of her friends catch on to the commotion as well, and he ran up there to confront the people responsible. Knowing that he's a pretty experienced trainer, and seeing him rush down to the seats after she got her performance back on track, I think he handled it. If you have security cameras up there, I'm sure you'll see the whole thing."
A laptop appeared on the table, and Drew rushed behind the three judges to watch the footage to actually see what happened for himself.
"So that's how Combusken's fire spin wove upwards the way it did," Nurse Joy mused. "It burned the webs that were coming down onto the stage."
"Well, at least that young man got rid of the trouble makers," Mr. Contesta said. "We'll have to find a way to thank him if we can, and to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, Mr. Hayden. Cheating in contests is a serious offense and we don't take it lightly."
"I genuinely don't believe May would have messed up during the first half of her performance had those guys not been messing with her," Drew explained. "I'm not here to try to influence your decision in this. I think it's fair to ask if you scrap the shaky start she had, and really only judge the second half of her appeal. But if May didn't make it through, then she didn't make it through."
The last part left a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth, but he'd at least done all he could to at least help her stand on fair ground. In truth, Drew wanted nothing more than to tell them May deserved to be in first place, but this was something she needed to earn the right way. It wouldn't have been fair for him to try to convince the judges she had already earned the right. They had to see that for themselves. Had her chance at her final ribbon been taken from her because of cheating, it wouldn't have been right.
"Yes, of course," Mr. Contesta stood, reaching out to shake Drew's hand. "We'll finish our discussions and return to the stage in a few minutes. Of course you know you can't be in here while we decide, but we appreciate your honesty and integrity, Mr. Hayden. I know I've said this to you already, but I want to say that I truly look forward to seeing you in the Grand Festival next month."
"Thank you, sir," Drew clasped his hand and shook it firmly, turning to take his leave.
Back on the other side of the door, Drew heard the lock click in place behind him. He'd done his part, and he made his way back to his place in the arena to wait for the results.
Now it was up to May and her talent to take her the rest of the way.
Drew took his seat back amongst the eager crowd, seeing that Lillian was performing with one of her own Pokémon. Probably a part of the "stall the audience as the judges need more time" protocol.
Drew also noticed Harley was back in place as well, though he wasn't in his casual relaxed position. No, now his shoulders were tight and his body language showcased a whole lot of tension. Drew just rolled his eyes and eased back into his seat, feeling all the more relieved.
Lillian's performance was drawing to a close, and the audience began to cheer once again as the judges appeared on the left side of the arena, making their way back to the panel. Their faces were confident as they smiled and waved to the cheering fans.
They took their seats and nodded to Lillian. Drew focused.
This was it.
"It's time for the first round results!" Lillian announced with a fist in the air. "Here we go; these are the eight contestants that will be moving on to round two. Look!"
Lillian gestured up to the big screen, and contest pass portraits began to appear. One by one, all eight faces lit up the screen, and May's picture shined out from the last available spot. Drew burst out into a huge smile, so relieved, and clapped along with everyone for a few moments.
Meanwhile, below him, Harley was fuming.
"What?" he demanded from no one. "She made it?"
The Cacturne-clad coordinator shot backwards and locked eyes with a now-cocky Drew, who smirked right back at him, and brushed his hair out of his eyes.
"Guess it had to be," Drew mocked Harley.
Eyes twitching, Harley turned back down to the stage, and Drew kept on smirking. He felt like he'd won.
But Harley just smiled to himself. That was just one battle.
And this? This was war.
The intermission between the appeals and the battle rounds was extended for a few minutes, as Lillian was filled in on the events that transpired in the appeals round. The battle generator randomly paired up the coordinators for their first matches. May was to battle some random coordinator named Dillion. She'd be the last battle of the first round. That meant plenty of time for Drew to watch Harley in the contest's second half. And after the first half, he knew he'd need to.
Drew thought about using the extra time to go see May. He wanted to go back stage and make sure she was okay to keep going into the battle rounds. After all, she'd had a few nasty falls in the first round. It would be okay to go and check on his rival, tell her he was glad she was advancing and wish her luck in the battle rounds. Easy enough, right?
But…he was nervous. Drew had never been nervous before, but he found himself shivering at the thought of seeing May one on one for some reason. Which was absurd; he'd talked to May plenty of times on his own. Why was his heart thudding in his chest so violently?
It was nerve-wracking, and he didn't quite understand it. So, he did the one thing he knew could either calm him down, or help him make sense of this.
He slipped out into an almost empty hallway of the building. Most of the attending persons were either still in the main arena awaiting the second half, or were sneaking off to hit the snack bar or restrooms in between. It was fairly private and Drew felt like he was alone for the most part.
He summoned Roselia.
His starter seemed a bit confused for the sudden wake up call; she'd been enjoying a nice nap inside her Pokéball when Drew asked her to come out into an empty wing of a contest hall. She knew he'd been planning on going to the day's contest to observe.
She used her roses rubbed at her eyes a little bit and looked up towards Drew, stifling a small yawn and stretching a bit. Drew smiled embarrassingly.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?" he asked.
Roselia shrugged him off and smiled sweetly. Whatever this was, it must have been important; she knew her trainer wasn't one to waste time. He nodded.
Drew delved into the story of the first half of the contest; what had happened to May during the appeals and how he was debating on whether or not to go see her. May didn't know he was there, and he didn't know how she would react. She was probably nervous enough as it was.
Roselia listened intently, already knowing they would end up backstage talking to his trainer's rival. Roselia liked the girl a lot, and she knew how flustered Drew could get around her. So when Drew finished talking, she simply grabbed his hand and starting walked towards the backstage waiting rooms.
Drew rolled his eyes with a good-natured smile. Of course Roselia would do this, and maybe she was right; it would be good to see May.
They wandered through the halls together, Drew only stopped briefly to show his contest pass to a person backstage.
He was just about to turn a corner when he swore he could hear May yelling…something about over-sized glasses? His eyebrows went up, and he looked down at Roselia. She returned his confused look, but the two kept going.
That was when he saw her: one of the finalist coordinators wandering the other way muttering something about not blowing her cover. Jessie, from Team Rocket, no doubt. Drew watched her go from behind an open door, debating on whether or not to go after her. He should, shouldn't he? But what good would that do? Drew paused, musing.
"We'll be watching, May!" Ash's voice boomed from inside the waiting room.
Drew and Roselia's gazes shifted to see May, surrounded by her friends as they encouraged her.
"We'll be cheering you on," Brock assured her.
"You're gonna be great out there!" Max added.
May's huge smile beamed, and she nodded to her friends and brother, feeling confident.
"Thanks!"
She looked fine. The first round may not have even happened. Her smile and her posture and her entire being radiated her comfort in taking on the next round, and all her friends had been there with her. She was set, and she didn't need whatever words Drew had been going to give her.
He turned down to Roselia by his side, and she seemed to have the same idea.
Let's go back to the stands.
The pair turned on their heel, a little speed in their pace to avoid a confrontation with May's group.
"You with the hat; you're Ash Ketchum form Pallet Town, yes?" someone asked from behind.
Drew turned. What an oddly specific question. Most people didn't recognize people by the town they were from. It struck him as odd, and he watched the exchange between the confused boys and the mysterious…stage crewmembers? Something wasn't right about this.
"Uh, yeah?" Ash seemed a little taken back.
"There's a phone call for you from home," the man told him.
Yep, something definitely wasn't right. No way a stage crewmember for the contest would be tasked with finding a member of the crowd and then informing them of a phone call. It just wouldn't happen; security, maybe, but this wasn't right.
Drew rushed back to hide behind the open door, Roselia following wordlessly as she paid attention, too.
"Huh? From my mom?" Ash now seemed a little worried. "What's wrong?"
"Not to worry, son," the crewmember calmed him. "Why don't you all come?"
It was obvious that no red flags went up for the group. Not even Brock, who Drew had come to recognize as the intelligent member of their little team. It made no sense that a crewmember would seek out Ash for a phone call from his mother that required them all to go? If there truly was something wrong, that was a personal issue, and it didn't involve Max or Brock.
Were they all that dense? No wonder May missed the bigger picture a lot of the time; look at the people she hung out with…
"Let's go," Brock agreed.
"Let's!" the man led them away.
Drew rolled his eyes and face palmed, Roselia sharing his look of disbelief. The pair exchanged looks.
Distant echoes of Lillian addressing the crowd could be heard from the hallway. She was calling attention to the beginning of the battle rounds. Drew and his starter ignored the call for the audience to take their seats.
"Looks like we'll miss the first battle or two," Drew whispered to Roselia.
The two slowly emerged from their hiding spot, following the group from a safe distance, careful not to be seen.
Arceus help him. This was moronic at this point.
The mysterious crewmembers lead Ash, Brock and Max to an isolated hallway, far away from the main arena or anyone else. None of this made sense, and how could anyone fall for such an obvious ploy? The thought of Team Rocket entered his mind, and sure enough, it was about to be confirmed.
Drew stopped when they'd reached the end of a hallway, two large metal doors open revealing a dark space. The coordinator and his Roselia leaned against the wall, behind a rather large decorative plant. They blended in perfectly, not that he was worried about being seen at this point. No one in front of him seemed the least bit bright at this point.
In truth, he could have stopped this along the way, and made it back to the audience to see the battles. Wasn't that why he was here? To see the final contest of the season? It was mere weeks away from the Grand Festival; he should be training, not dealing with this. But he couldn't deny his curiosity. Of course, there was always the chance that something was wrong and he was just being paranoid. Fat chance, though.
"The phone is right in here," the man ushered the trio into the room.
"Thanks," Ash bided, stepping forward with his friends.
The second they were all inside, the crewmembers shut the doors, and locked them tightly. The reactions of betrayal were instant, and Drew could hear the friends shouting from behind the doors and banging on them. Now he'd have to play hero, and weren't they lucky he'd followed? Drew smirked to himself; who couldn't have see this coming?
"At this rate, we might miss all of the battles," he laughed darkly under his breath, and Roselia muttered something inaudible.
A Wobbuffet appeared beside the other two, confirming to Drew that it was in fact Team Rocket, and their schemes for the contest clearly weren't over. But this seemed too smart; Harley definitely planned this one for them. After all, this group was the reason his plan in the first round was thwarted. Ash was the one who'd stopped them in the rafters.
So that was the plan; separate May's friends from her so they couldn't stop whatever was coming next. Drew had to hand it to Harley; he was pretty evil.
Suddenly, Meowth produced some kind of remote and slammed his claw down on a button. The building began shaking. The walls surrounding the doors suddenly fell away, opening to the outside. Drew instinctually went down to his knees and grabbed Roselia close to him, just incase the walls behind them were fake as well. They held, and he breathed a quick sigh of relief.
Drew watched with somewhat wide eyes as the all-too familiar Meowth balloon inflated itself over a small metal box and began to pull the prison up into the sky. This was definitely going too far. The bad guys stifled laughter and wandered away while Drew watched, dumbstruck and frozen in place.
It was apparent that Team Rocket and Harley wanted to prove a point; we're not playing around. And it was clear, because May's friends were in serious danger.
May.
Realization hit Drew like a bolt of lighting. Roselia's eyes shot up as her partner stiffened, a dangerous look flashed in his eyes.
Priorities was the first word that came to mind. Who should he go after first? May, or her friends. Drew didn't have much time to go through the motions in his head. May's friends were getting higher and higher by the second, and the more up in the air they went, the more their lives were at risk. Logic told Drew this: the friends were in danger now and May at the moment, for all he knew, was safe.
The battle rounds had just begun, after all. May wouldn't go until last, and the two henchmen clearly needed direction from Harley on what to do next. So, for the moment, May was probably safe...hopefully. It was her companions that needed him in the moment. And looking up at that box made him feel physically ill.
If Team Rocket and Harley were willing to go this far with May's friends, Drew couldn't even begin to let himself imagine what they would do to her. It was frightening, to know that mere moments ago, he was laughing at the absurdity of this whole situation. Now there was ice in his veins.
Roselia had never seen Drew move so mechanically. It was almost terrifying, the dark look that settled on his features. In one swift motion, a new Pokéball was in his hand. He said nothing as he lobbed the ball back into the air and Flygon exploded out, landing on the ground before him and looking slightly startled by his trainer's expression. Drew switched Flygon's Pokéball with another.
"We need to go," Drew instructed, leaping on Flygon's back and returning Roselia to her Pokéball before she could protest.
Flygon waited for Drew to point in a direction before he took off, thinking they were flying to a new city, but Drew pointed straight up. Flygon's gaze caught sight of a mysterious box floating high above them.
"That thing has to come down, now," Drew ordered, his voice razor sharp.
Flygon obeyed, springing off the ground with his powerful wings, and leapt into the air to go after the giant box.
The winds had shifted, and started carrying the box towards the east. Drew and his Flygon chased it down as quickly as they could and soon were hovering right behind the massive steel trap. Looking at this immense prison was daunting. Drew was formulating just how he was going to safely get this box back on the ground; a seemingly impossible task. There were lives at stake in this situation; something Drew had only dealt with once, back on Mirage Island. But this time, it wasn't just his life, and it wasn't just May's life. there were three people involved. Three young lives now rested on Drew's shoulders, and nothing compared to the pressure of knowing that.
The wind whipped at his face as Drew tried not to focus on the possible negative outcome of this situation. He racked his brain in the few precious seconds he had to figure out a combination; anything that could get this box down, and he only came up with one that sort of made sense. It wasn't exactly ideal, but Drew was wasting time he didn't have trying to think of anything else. It was settled; he'd go with his only shot.
This combination had to both work, and it had to ensure that everyone lived, the latter being very, very, very important. Drew couldn't imagine having to tell May he fucked up coming up with a simple combination (a skill he bragged about often) and that he couldn't save her friends or her little brother.
He wouldn't fail her. This had to work.
"Listen, Flygon, there's people in there," Drew warned him. "We need to be extremely careful, and we need to be fast."
Flygon grew nervous; no doubt he could sense the nerves coursing through his trainer. And Drew knew he needed to calm himself down before even attempting this. So closing his eyes, he steadied himself on Flygon's back, and rubbed the sides of Flygon's neck in a comforting manner. He took in as much air as his lungs could hold and slowly released it. Flygon responded to his deep breath by taking on of his own.
Drew's eyes shot open and he glared at that damn balloon, waiting just one extra second to ensure they were in a good landing zone. They were hovering over a green space; Mulberry City Park, no doubt. This was as good a chance as he would get. Had he waited to get out of the city, he definitely wouldn't make it back in time to help May.
It was now or never, and he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.
"Flygon, the second you hit that thing, we need to get down below it, alright?" Drew commanded. "Drop me the second you can and get into position for a follow up."
Flygon sounded back. Drew braced himself.
"Steel wing that balloon, GO!"
Flygon's wings glowed blindingly bright, and he soared through the air onside of the balloon. His left wing clipped the material, effortlessly slicing a giant gaping hole through it. Not a second later, Flygon dove towards the ground, and Drew swung his legs over the right side of his Pokémon's back. Flygon swooped down close to the ground, and Drew threw himself off of his Pokémon, running towards the box as soon as his feet his the dirt to prevent himself from falling. Flygon flipped himself over in the air and darted back towards the now plummeting box. It was a perfect swoop of motions, and so far, so good. But Drew didn't dare sigh in relief just yet.
"SANDSTORM, GO!"
Flygon obliged immediately, understanding.
The sandy tornado quickly formed underneath the box, and Flygon did his absolute best to slow down the trap's descent. It didn't slow it down as much as Drew had wanted, but there was nothing more he could do. He watched as the box landed 50 yards in front of him and he kept up his sprint towards the box.
There weren't moans or cheers or any signs of reactions coming from the inside of the box as Drew approached. Maybe the metal walls were too thick...or maybe...
You idiots better be okay!
Flygon landed in front of the box just as Drew skidded to a halt as well. There were still no sounds coming from in the inside, and Drew bit his tongue and stared at the box intently.
"Alright, let's finish this up," Drew looked up to his Flygon, trying to mask his nerves. "Give it a flamethrower, but no where near full power. We need to make sure they're okay."
Flygon nodded, and let forth a stream of fire from his mouth. Drew marveled at just how small and skinny the flamethrower looked. This insignificant display was no where near what he was used to seeing from his Pokémon. But it was working; red hot metal and a small shower of sparks hinted at the metal bending to the will of the flames.
It was a long few seconds. The longest of Drew's life, just waiting to see if he'd done the right thing, or fucked up beyond the point of no return. His heart was beating so rapidly in his chest that he wondered if having a heart attack at his age was possible. At this heart rate, probably.
Slowly but surely the metal started to give way to his Pokémon's fire, and finally the door gave way and flew off.
Were they okay? A thick cloud of smoke and Flygon obstructed his view. He pulled out Flygon's Pokéball and hastily returned him. He'd have to thank Flygon later. The smoke continued to block the way. Drew held his breath.
"Whose there?!" he heard Ash demand from behind the thick cloud.
Thank. Fucking. Arceus.
Not that you were EVER supposed to curse the Pokémon god's name, but Drew couldn't help it. He was sure he'd never feel so much elation in his life. Drew almost cracked a smile with how relieved he was. Almost.
As May's group emerged from their prison, Drew's eyes scanned them all, especially May's younger brother, checking them for any signs of injuries. Mew only knew how May would have reacted had Max had any scratches on him. They all seemed perfectly okay, just surprised and shaken up a bit.
The stillness couldn't last, though. Time wasn't on their side.
"It's Drew!" they all realized simultaneously.
They looked like they wanted to thank him, but Drew shook his head furiously.
"Let's hurry, May's in big trouble!" he commanded.
They all looked startled, but Max's eyes were definitely the widest. Drew didn't waste time trying to explain the situation to them. He simply turned on his heel and started his mad sprint back to the contest hall. The sound of their thundering footsteps behind him could be heard.
"What's gonna happen to my sister?!" Max demanded, running right along side him.
"I'm–I'm not really sure, Max," Drew admitted between huffs.
He heard Max mutter some kind of swear under his breath, but he couldn't blame the eight-year-old. He was swearing, too.
"Don't worry, Max," Ash assured him from behind. "We won't let anything bad happen to her."
Drew almost scoffed. He wouldn't let her be hurt, but he had his doubts about her crew. They got themselves into their own dangerous situation, and thanks to Drew, they were able to try to help her. Had it been up to them exclusively...Drew shivered. Thank Mew he'd gone to the Mulberry Contest.
The stress was getting to him, the fear that something might happen to her if he wasn't fast enough very prominent in his mind. Drew knew that by now, the battle rounds would be well underway. May had probably already finished her battle by now. Drew cringed; the unknown haunted him, and he felt himself run just a little faster.
The contest hall was just peaking up over the tree line of the park when suddenly, they weren't running anymore. They were falling.
The ground suddenly collapsed beneath their feet, and the group plummeted into a huge hole. They hit the ground with a huge thud, and they all moaned in pain.
Oh, what the fuck now…
Drew was the first one to get up. He ignored his pain and glared straight up at the sky. The hole they were in was too perfectly dug; this was probably another trap.
Suddenly, a steal gate was lowered over their only escape. Yep, definitely a trap.
"Perfect!" Meowth cheered, suddenly looking down at them. "Old tricks work the best!"
"We just love filling traps with twerps!" James sang.
Drew glared up at them with so much hatred he though he might somehow melt the bars. James and Meowth noticed this, and seemed to back away and inch.
Oh, when he got out of there, they'd better back away miles…
"Team Rocket!" Ash exploded, jumping back up on his feet.
"I should have known!" Brock hissed.
Yeah, you really should have.
"You know, Harley sure knows his stuff," Meowth bragged. "You make a trap, and then you back it up with anther trap!"
A thought occurred to Drew. Harley had planned for this. He knew Drew would follow May's friends and save them when they were trapped the first time. And he planned this second trap to ensnare Drew as well. Oh, he was good. Drew kicked himself for falling for it. And now, because he had been so foolish, May was going to suffer.
"Perhaps we should approach that green genius about joining Team Rocket's ranks!" James pondered gleefully. "Think of it: our own special ops anti blast-off officer!"
"Yeah, sounds real modern!" Meowth laughed.
His hands balled into fists and his teeth were gritted. This was not happening.
"Harley's a part of this, too?" Ash demanded, finally catching on.
"You guys–" Max started.
"Think of it as a one day vacation from all your twerp-filled stress," James bargained.
"Lots of fresh air and all that dirt!" Meowth spat.
The two backed away out of sight, and Ash glared hard up at the sky.
"You can't leave us!" he yelled.
"Yeah, watch!" Meowth called back.
Fear gripped Max's heart. He balled his fists up as if he was prepared to fight. Drew watched him, and noticed the panic in his eyes. He was scared for his sister. Drew could empathize; he was scared, too.
"We gotta figure out a way to get out of here and go help May!" Max said, desperately.
"You're right, Max," Ash said a little lowly, trying to calm the kid down a bit, but the worry was evident on his face, too. "What do we do?"
Flygon could have easily flown through that weak gate and gotten them out, but the hole was too small and Flygon couldn't fit in there without hurting itself, and possibly them, too. Masquerain would have been too light to push the gate up. Absol and Roselia couldn't do much, either. So as angry as he was, Drew also realized with a bit of dread that he was pretty useless.
Brock suddenly stepped forward, a Pokéball in hand. Drew raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"I'll take care of this," Brock said confidently. "Now, Forretress, let's go!"
Brock's steel-bug type burst out, levitating and awaiting command. Brock looked down proudly at his Pokémon.
"Forretress, rapid spin!" Brock shouted, pointing upward at the barrier.
The Pokémon obliged, and shot towards the top at an alarming rate of speed. The group watched amazed as the top cage torn as easily as if it were a piece of paper. Brock had raised this Pokémon well.
The Pokémon floated back down to the waiting trainers, and Brock patted him on the head.
"Way to go, buddy," Brock praised, much to his Pokémon's delight. "Do you think you could lift us out of this hole, one by one?"
Forretress affirmed him, and waited for the first volunteer.
"I'm going first," Drew informed everyone, not giving them the chance to refuse.
Everyone was surprised, but no one moved to object. Drew wrapped his arms around the Pokémon and they began to float up towards the opening in the ground. Drew jumped off instantly when he was in the clear and grabbed Roselia's Pokéball from his pocket ready to release her and take on Team Rocket.
But they were nowhere in sight.
Drew's eyes scanned the nearby area, and as he heard one of May's friends land behind him, he could just make out their retreating forms, nearing the entrance to the contest hall.
"We need to go," Drew informed whoever was behind him.
"Right."
It was Max, and he instantly agreed.
Forretress was just going back down to retrieve the next person, but Drew didn't wait. He and Max took off towards the hall, knowing Ash and Brock would follow suit.
The giant screen on the front of the building was broadcasting the contest live. Drew could see the hall was prepping for the final battle: May vs. Jessie.
Drew realized he'd missed all of the battle rounds, and he expected some part of him to feel something negative about it. He'd made his way to Mulberry City to watch this contest, and he's barely had the opportunity. But he couldn't find it in himself to care. Just like he couldn't spare any concern for the burning in his lungs as he ran with everything he had.
Nothing mattered in those moments. Not missing the contest, not the pain that his body was starting to feel from being dropped in a hole or pushed to his limits. Not even the Grand Festival. No.
The only thing that mattered in the whole universe right then and there, was making sure that the beautiful girl in the red bandana running on stage on the screen before him was safe, unharmed and happy.
May was just taking her place on the stage when Drew and Max burst through front doors, some stragglers looking at them strangely as they heaved.
"Where'd they go?" Drew hissed down to Max.
"There!" Max pointed, and Drew's eyes just barely caught the retreating back of James as they retreated around a corner.
Brock and Ash finally caught up to them, and the four ran after the crooks.
A sign above head told Drew they were heading for the basement.
"Get the lead out," Harley commanded as James and Meowth approached him. "Our girl is just about to begin."
The three of them were unaware that May's friends and her rival were hot on their trail. James and Meowth stopped in front of their temporary partner. Both were satisfied with themselves.
"Goodie, and this time, we're twerp-less," James assured Harley.
"They're in a hole, and we're on a roll!" Meowth proudly laughed.
Drew ran in the lead of May's friends. They could hear the echoes of the smirk remarks from the bad guys, and Drew realized they were close. Drew stopped himself before turning a corner, and held out his arm to stop the friends running behind him. He quickly turned to face their confused faces, and Ash opened his mouth to speak, but Drew held a finger to his mouth and shushed him with a hard glare. Ash's eyes were wide but he said nothing. The four of them slid against the wall, out of sight and stayed hidden. Drew wanted to hear this plan.
"Alright, where are we rolling to, next?" James asked.
"Your Pokémon if you please," Harley said simply.
"Our what?" James and Meowth gasped in surprise.
"If you'll notice, we're standing directly below where May is…" Harley began, and Drew gulped. "So what better place than here for us to snatch May's victory right out from under that annoying little button nose of hers?"
Harley's voice had risen in volume by the end, and the venom in his tone was evident. Drew pursed his lips and took a small breath through his nose, trying to steady himself. He prided himself on composure, and Harley was surely pushing it now.
Trapping May's friends and sending them off had angered him. Tricking and trapping him along with her friends had pissed him off. But threatening to physically harm May, by blowing out the stage from under her and causing her to fall…well, it lit something in him. In the pit of his stomach, Drew felt something dangerous and violent burning. It was a rage he'd never felt before, and it was a level of utter hatred he'd never though possible.
This was so far beyond a stunt at this point that it wasn't even funny. Harley was insane. He almost killed May's friends and now he was contemplating hurting her – possibly killing her – like it was nothing. All over a single contest. Nothing May could have done to Harley was worth this.
And it burned him, deeply.
Drew fought to keep his face even, but he could feel his eyes twitching, and his teeth grinded together and he tried to keep his breathing even.
No one threatened May.
No fucking one.
"Yeah, cool!" Meowth chimed, as if it was casual.
"Consider my Pokémon yours!" James provided, twisting the knife inside of Drew even more.
James' Cacnea and Mime Jr. appeared, and Harley cooed at their cuteness.
"We'll work the same as with Ariados," Harley explained, gesturing upwards. "You all just wait here for my signal, and BAM! Miss priss gets it."
"Okie dokie!" Team Rocket nodded.
Drew felt his foot slide forward. He'd had enough, and he was just reaching for a Pokéball – he didn't care which one he grabbed – but Max sprang out before him and a blinding speed. Ash followed him, and Drew jumped out before Brock could. The four of them appeared before Harley and Team Rocket.
"Team Rocket!" Ash practically screamed.
The group skidded to a halt before the bad guys, eyeing them up. James and Meowth exchanged glances between the four boys, and Ash, Brock and Max were looking at the others in turn. Drew and Harley, however, kept their eyes locked solely on each other. Drew was glaring at Harley with all the hate he felt, and Harley stared back at him, looking bored. It irked Drew even more. Harley was way too good at this game.
"Twerps on the lose?" Meowth called out in disbelief.
"We had a lock on you!" James complained.
"Alright, I know you guys are up to no good!" Ash yelled.
"We can't help it if our Jessie wants her 15 minutes of fame," James argued.
"And believe me, you don't wanna get on her bad side!" Meowth agreed.
"You mean to say that Jessabella is actually Jessie?" Brock recoiled a bit, and if Drew wasn't locked in a death stare with Harley, he would have rolled his eyes.
Max didn't seem so phased by the revelation.
"And I guess Harley's a full-fledged member of Team Rocket now, huh?" he challenged.
That did it. Harley's glare snapped away from Drew and focused down on May's little brother. He looked severely offended at Max's claim, and Drew raised an eyebrow watching the shift in expression.
"I MAY BE DEVIOUS, BUT I'M NOT DUMB!" Harley seethed, then seemingly recomposed himself. "You're all getting to be a big bore."
"Old habits die hard…" James whined.
Harley strolled through Team Rocket casually and planted himself right in front of Drew. Drew stared up at him, waiting for anything. And Harley had more than proved that he was willing to do just about anything.
"Drew, darling," Harley cooed down towards Drew softly, a dark smirk forming on his face. "So you're a twerp, too?"
Drew stepped forward to meet him.
"You think you're clever, don't you?" Drew shot back, but Harley seemed unaffected.
It bothered Drew immensely, knowing he clearly couldn't touch this guy. Harley had conned him and messed with his head all weekend.
"The cleverest," Harley waved him off. "Truth is true, hun."
Harley stepped to the side again, turning his back to the younger boys and prepared to make his exit. Team Rocket seemed just as shocked as they were that Harley intended to just…leave. It didn't surprise Drew in the slightest that Harley would cause all this trouble and then try to slip away.
"Where are you going?!" James questioned.
"Yeah, we got work to do!" Meowth added.
"Alright, I'll come clean for a change," Harley faked a sigh, rubbing his nose a bit and dismissing their presence.
He then turned back around to face Drew and the others, clasping his hands together under his chin and smiling.
"See, I'm sure my lovely Banette will give May a run for her money," Harley explained.
Though Drew understood the point immediately, the boys beside him seemed appalled.
"I get it," Max screeched. "I guess that's your Cacturne she's using, too?"
"C'mon, you know that's not fair!" Ash boomed as well.
"What; you cut me to the quick!"" Harley gasped, but then morphed into a sinister smile, looking directly at Drew. "All is fair in love and in battle. And there is no rule anywhere that says you can't use someone else's Pokémon."
It was true. Drew had known that already, but May's friends seemed to be taking it a little harder. He didn't have time to blame them really, nor did Drew want to. None of them were coordinators, so he couldn't possibly expect them to know the rules that well. Plus, with the glint in his eye, it was clear Harley was going to proudly explain it. Drew just continued to glare.
"After all, darlings, it's not a coordinator's job to raise Pokémon," Harley continued. "It's to show them off. And hun, when it comes to that, there's not a soul in this ever-loving world who knows how to show off better than our Jessabella."
Harley's dark smile was menacing, and the three next to Drew seemed to recoil back a bit, but Drew held his ground. It was Drew's turn to go on the offensive, because he was done listening to this older coordinator's schemes and malicious intentions. He'd had enough of Harley.
But then Drew understood. Harley had spent the last few hours relentlessly messing with Drew's head and getting under his skin, with threats and cons and everything in between. And as Drew looked up at this sly, creepy and conniving coordinator in front of him, Drew knew that there was only one single way to get right back at him.
Drew planted a tight smirk on his face, showing Harley he wasn't afraid of him. That he wasn't bothered by Harley's antics, but his eyes said if he ever tried to hurt May again, he wouldn't hesitate to take him down.
"Aren't you smart?" Drew chimed in, relaxing back into himself.
Harley's eyes flashed, and locked themselves on Drew's own. Green eyes meeting blue, and Harley folded his arms over his chest.
"We're close to the Grand Festival, Drew," Harley reminded him. "I suggest you not make me any angrier than you already have."
"Back at ya," Drew said calmly, with daring eyes and a dark and tight smile on his face.
Then, finally, thankfully, Harley's smooth composure cracked. Drew saw it in the way his lip twitched slightly, and his smirk folded down into an irked smile. Drew just kept on grinning, and watched with satisfaction as Harley spun on his heel and strutted away, walking awkwardly. Team Rocket followed behind him, begging him to stop.
With all of their backs turned to him, Drew's smile faded back into a scowl, the adrenaline starting to fade and the anger catching back up with him. The danger was finally passed, and he was coming down off his high.
What a fucking day…
"I don't know what we would have done without you back there, Drew," Ash said graciously.
It felt like, in the middle of all his tension with Harley, Drew had forgotten he wasn't alone. And hearing Ash's voice so calm and relaxed while he felt torn up inside cut him a bit. He turned to face May's companions, a twinge of bitterness still clawing at his insides. May had almost gotten seriously hurt because of their carelessness. She could have even...
No.
He didn't want to think like that. Not now, or ever. Just the possibility alone fueled anxiety in his heart, and Drew was overwhelmed.
"I only did it so May would have someone cheering her own," he said roughly, flicking his hair out of his eyes.
Drew knew he was speaking out of spite. He knew he should have been nicer about it. He was holding onto a lot of anger and he knew it was going to stick with him for a while.
But deep down inside, he couldn't deny that he felt much better knowing everyone was safe, and that May and her friends would be okay.
Ash seemed a little surprised and angry at Drew's response, but before he could reply, Brock's hand settled on his shoulder, settling his young friend down.
"Well, anyways, thanks for the save, Drew," Brock said. "We'll be sure to tell May what happened."
"Yeah, sure," Drew shrugged, waving to them and leaving to go take his seat.
To his surprise, they followed him.
"Why don't you sit with us, Drew?" Brock tried again. "I'm sure May would love to see you after the show."
Drew bit his lip, and thought about it. Sitting with May's friends wasn't exactly appealing, but he concluded it was far better than sitting near Harley, assuming he'd gone back to his seat as well.
Drew hummed in response, and Brock moved in front of him to escort him there. It could have been worse.
At least he could watch May in the final battle, to see if she would, in fact, make it to the Grand Festival.
Because even after all that drama, this still contest wasn't over.
Drew and Brock sat together, while Ash and Max took up the two seats below. Ash and Max had been chatting it up while Drew remained silent, and Brock knew not to try to push him to talk.
It was obvious that the green-haired boy was still shaken up about May's almost ordeal.
"Okay, Squirtle, take the stage!" May ordered.
The tiny turtle Pokémon jumped out, flipping through the air and stretching its hands to wave to the crowd. It was greeted with a chorus of cheers, the crowd approving of the cuteness factor.
"Now, Banette, let's go!"
Banette sprang forward as well, landing in front of May's Squirtle and smiling darkly at its opponent.
"Let's have ourselves a good time for this final round, okay?" May called out to her partner.
The clock started its countdown, and the match began. Jessie wasted no time, clearly trying to get a quick K.O.
She called for Banette to use thunder, which would surely take out May's water type if it hit its target too many times. The electricity shot for Squirtle and knocked it back before May could even blink. Squirtle fell on its back in front of May, who looked surprised. Something seemed familiar to her about this Pokémon she was facing…
"Squirtle, please, get up!" Ash shouted from the seat below.
"That Banette's strong," Brock mused from next to Drew.
May kneelt down to talk to her Pokémon, and after a few seconds, Squirtle rose back up, ready to continue. Drew smirked; he knew May and her Pokémon were very aware of their final shot, and they wouldn't lose it to one single thunder.
Once he was ready, May called out for an ice beam, and the water type sprayed out a strong beam of ice, hitting Banette and encasing it in ice. The direct hit evened out the points, and Jessie looked appalled.
"Will-o-wisp!" Jessie ordered.
Banette shattered the ice surrounding it and breathed out shot after shot of blue flames after May's Pokémon, still soaring through the air after the last attack. May quickly called for Squirtle to dodge, and Squirtle cleverly tucked itself inside of its shell and maneuvered through the assaulting flames.
"Squirtle looks like a spaceship dodging meteorites, and that Banette's giving us some serious meteorites!"
The missed shots smashed into each other in the air, creating showers of blue sparks.
"I can't believe I'm seeing this," Ash commented.
"Yeah…" Brock murmured.
"Harley did a great job raising that Banette," Drew reluctantly admitted.
Brock seemed surprised that Drew had warmed up enough to speak, but he didn't want to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.
"Don't worry; I'm sure May's got something planned up," Brock said. "She spent a lot of time training for this contest, you know."
"We'll see…" Drew said.
Jessie tried another thunder attack, but May was ready this time.
"That's enough of that!" she cried out. "Use bubble!"
The strong jet of bubbles hit back at the thunder attack, and shocked everyone when it broke through and beat down Banette. Drew raised an eyebrow, impressed. May's Squirtle had undeniably gotten strong over a tough season of hard battles.
Jessie lost a lot of points from her electric attack being stopped by a water attack defense, and May cheered for her partner. But it was an entirely different display on the opposite side of the field. Jessie berated her Pokémon for the lost points, and Banette seemed extra distressed when it was ordered to go into frustration.
That wasn't good.
Banette's frustration attack was coming in hard and fast at Squirtle, slapping and smashing the poor turtle's head fiercely. May watched horrified and commanded for Squirtle to hide inside its shell once again.
Squirtle retreated, but Banette didn't let up, and kept stomping on Squirtle's shell relentlessly.
"Frustration's really powerful?" Ash said, but it sounded like a question.
"That's 'cause her Pokémon belongs to someone else," Drew explained.
"No way!" Max replied, still not understanding.
"Frustration is always much stronger when it's used by a Pokémon with a trainer they're not feeling close to," Brock supplied before Drew could finish.
"That means Banette must be feelin' the exact same way about Jessie," Ash pieced together.
"Why would you use a move like that when it's combinations that win contests?" Max observed.
Regardless of Max's observation, May was taking a lot of hits, and her points were dropping. She needed to do something if she didn't want to lose her one chance at the festival. But a brief look at May's expression told Drew not to worry, because she had an escape plan.
"Rapid spin, go!"
Brilliant.
Squirtle picked up speed as it began to twist, spinning Banette around in the process. May cried out for her partner to move even faster, and eventually, Banette couldn't stay balanced anymore. It flew off the top of its opponent, and Jessie lost more points for losing her advantage.
And she was furious.
"And here I thought you could think on your feet!" she yelled at the dizzy Banette.
Thinking back to her earlier success, she screamed out for another will-o-wisp attack. But May continued her momentum. Every blue ball of fire Banette produced, Squirtle used his rapid spin to dispel. The flames exploded, and May kept chipping away at her growingly-aggravated opponent's points.
"Good thinking!" Ash praised.
"That's my sister!" Max cheered.
"Not only have May and Squirtle got them completely off guard, they're both getting angrier," Brock commented.
"Hmm," Drew mused to himself.
May was doing well, but with Harley's Pokémon, you just never knew what to expect. Still, he had to admit it was an incredible sight, seeing May's water Pokémon bound so effortlessly across a water-less stage. Now this took serious talent. The judges seemed equally as impressed.
Once again, a thunder attack. Once again, May's Squirtle dodged it easily. The powerful electric attack crashed into the ground with a huge plum of smoke, but no one's eyes were on the damage. Everyone was watching May's Squirtle as it soared right above Banette.
May called for a tackle, and the Squirtle pounded itself into its opponent. Jessie flinched away as Banette slammed into the ground, and Squirtle bounced back to May cheerfully.
"Wow, awesome move!" Ash said.
"Banette sure got hit HARD!" Max agreed.
"Terrific combination," Brock prodded Drew gently.
Drew didn't reply verbally, but the smirk Brock saw slide onto his face said it all.
Even more satisfying to Drew, was the knowledge that somewhere, Harley was seeing this happen. And May was proving that she was better than his Pokémon. This was the best revenge he could have on Harley, and he soaked in every remaining second. Oh, what he would have paid to actually see Harley's face…
"I'm frustrated, so that's what we'll use!" Jessie shouted.
Banette desperately launched himself at his opponent. May wasn't having it, though. She knew frustration alone wasn't going to win this contest, and May had relaxed into herself a long time ago.
"Squirtle, ice beam, let's go now!"
Squirtle braced itself for the attack, but it never came. Instead of ice shooting out of Squirtle's slowly opening mouth, a huge ding rang through the arena. The match was over.
Everyone in the arena was shocked. Instead of the victor's face lighting up the scoreboard, the two coordinators seemed to be deadlocked. An even score, no clear winner emerged from the battle.
Drew shot forward in his seat a little. He had never seen this type of thing happen in a contest…well, ever. Of course there were rules in place should something like this happen, but still. Drew realized this was the first time in contest history a final match would be determined by a tiebreaker. Well, no one said getting the Grand Festival was easy.
May and her Squirtle exchanged confused looked. Meanwhile, Jessie was throwing a hissy fit.
"But I don't wanna tie!" Jessie whined. "I wanna win!"
"Now what happens?" Ash inquired.
Drew hummed to himself, intrigued.
Lillian's MC duties kicked in, and the hot ran to the center of the stage to address the crowd, spinning with excitement.
"Because the Grand Festival is just ahead of us, this unusual turn of events will be settled in a most unusual way!" she said, finishing her elegant twirl. "So now, get ready: we're going into sudden death over time!"
"Overtime?" May seemed a little unsure, and her eyes shot over to where she knew her friends were sitting.
Max gave her a big smile and two thumbs up, while Ash gave her a strong nod.
"Fine with me!" Jessie smiled again. "Back from the brink."
May didn't have time to look over to Brock before she had to divert her attention back to Lillian and her opponent. She wasn't sure what overtime was, but she needed to learn as quickly as possible. Her trip to the Grand Festival was at stake here, as was her chance to prove to her rival that she could be just as good as he was. She hoped Drew was watching, wherever he was.
"In overtime, whoever reduces the other coordinator's points to zero is the winner," Lillian referenced the rulebook, which she handed back to Mr. Contesta. "Simple, right to the point, and no time limits!"
"Excellent," Brock remarked. "Straight to the point. After all, it's not like they don't know each other's moves or anything by now."
"This is exactly the kind of situation when the relationship between a coordinator and their Pokémon is most important," Drew explained to May's group.
And it was how Drew knew May had this. She loved her Pokémon, and had proved that time and time again. She had an unshakable sense of faith and an unbreakable bond with each member of her team. It was part of what made her such a great fit in the coordinating world. And it was one of the many things Drew had grown to admire about her so damn much.
Even now, standing on that stage, looking fiercely determined and undeniably proud of her Squirtle, Drew's heart thundered for the girl he'd come to know as his rival, and maybe something more.
The tension on the field between May and Jessie was growing. Both eagerly awaited the final buzzer so they could finish this. One of them was going to walk away a winner, and both of them wanted it horribly.
"Okay, Squirtle, just a little bit longer," May cheered on her tired Pokémon.
"Banette, that contest ribbon and I are destined for each other!" Jessie chided. "I warn you, don't mess this up!"
Banette seemed more tense than before. This trainer wasn't like his own, and he couldn't feel a connection to her like he did with Harley. Plus, it didn't help seeing how confident his opponents were opposite of him. It wracked Banette with nerves.
"Overtime, let's go!" Lillian shouted.
The crowd roared as the battle sprang back into life.
"Use thunder!" Jessie didn't hesitate.
Banette raised its hand and charged up the powerful attack, but May was already calling for the dodge before Banette could even strike. Squirtle leapt out of harm's way and shot off an ice beam at May's command, which in turn was also dodged.
"So fast and beautiful…" Lillian spoke of the teetering points. "When it comes to points, it's like a see-saw out here!"
May and Jessie's points each lowered with every dodge. But Banette took the initiative and jumped over Squirtle's head. The wil-o-wisp that followed was quick, but May had already gotten out of this situation multiple times in this battle. And Jessie clearly hadn't learned her lesson the first few times.
Squirtle tucked itself into another rapid spin, but this time, May combined it with bubble. A vortex of sparkly bubbles formed, and exploded when they collided in the air with the oncoming fireballs. The force pushed Banette back, much to May's delight and Jessie's fury.
"Banette, with you open your eyes?" Jessie demanded.
May was fired up now, not breaking down in her assault. Her heart pounded as she realized that she was inching towards the Grand Festival, and the ribbon cup. Her hands were sweating now, but she knew she couldn't stop.
"Use ice beam!"
Banette was still distracted by Jessie, and couldn't hope to dodge the violent ice beam that hit him. He found himself frozen once again in a huge block of ice. But still, May wasn't satisfied.
"Now use rapid spin!"
Drew watched with admiration from his seat. She was on fire, and this girl's power thrilled and terrified Drew all at once. It was the same rush he'd seen when they last faced off in Hoenn's Grand Festival, and Drew began to realize that that battle was going to come again. He was going to see her in the ultimate contest again.
He would get to battle May in the Grand Festival again.
The thought had his heart doing flips in his chest.
As Squirtle dash madly at Banette, the ghost Pokémon managed to break the ice trapping it just in time to be met with the sight of Squirtle's shell. May ordered a tackle combination just to utilized the speed Squirtle built up to its full potential, sending Banette plummeting to the ground and barely able to move at Jessie's feet.
When Jessie demanded Banette continue the fight, he collapsed back onto the ground, and the X's appeared on the judges' panels. Banette could not continue the fight.
In a lightning fast overtime, May had crushed her opponent and taken the match. Hell, she'd taken the whole contest.
"Jessabella and Banette's points are down to zero, which means this overtime is history!" Lillian announced to the stadium.
Jessie tired to argue that the match could continue, but with a quick re-explanation of the overtime rules, Jessie realized she had lost and fell down in shame.
"Here are your Mulberry contest winners: May and Squirtle! All of you people couldn't have a better champion!"
The applause and praise erupted from all of the stands. Everyone in the crowd shot to their feet and screamed for May and the incredible battle she'd put on. Drew shot up and was clapping before any of May's friends could stand. Her smiling face and gracious bows made him so damn proud of her.
May lifted her Squirtle into her arms and hugged him tightly in congratulations.
"Alright, May got her fifth ribbon for real!" Ash applauded.
"And now May's going to the Grand Festival!" Max grinned.
"It only gets crazier from here," Brock elbowed Drew lightly.
Drew was so damn happy for her, and loved watching May step up to receive her fifth ribbon.
The sun was setting on Mulberry City, as well as the regular contest season in all of Kanto.
What a crazy thought, to realize how quickly it had all gone by. Drew couldn't help but feel that this season felt even shorter than Hoenn's had. And now here they were, on their way to the start of Kanto's top contest.
Of course, by the time Drew checked his PokéNav at the end of the show, he'd been bombarded with missed messages from Solidad. Most of, if not all of them, mentioned May, and how excited Solidad would be to finally get to meet her at the Grand Festival. Drew pursed his lips at the thought, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. At least he still had a month of peace…
The golden sky in Mulberry was growing darker as the minutes ticked by. May had no doubt been trapped by press and reporters after the end of the contest, so it made sense that it was taking so long for her to emerge.
Drew separated from May's friends soon after the contest had ended. He knew he would be seeing them all again soon, so he bid them a simple, "catch you guys later," and waved over his shoulder as he walked away. Now he sat outside of the contest hall, sitting on a bench. He could see May's friends were waiting for her as well, just a few yards away. Max had noticed him earlier, but decided not to approach him again, which Drew was thankful for.
He had a million things going through his head at the moment, all of them either about the Grand Festival, May, or May being at the Grand Festival. It felt surreal to him, like he'd never been more excited for a contest in his life. She did that for him, though. The sheer thrill of competing against May was what made him fall in love with coordinating in ways he hadn't known before he met her on that beach in Slateport.
Eventually, May finally appeared, skipping up to her waiting party and holding a packet that looked exactly the same as the folder of information he'd received about the Grand Festival when he'd won his fifth ribbon. May was smiling bashfully when her friends praised her performance. Drew stood up off his bench and walked a few yards towards her and stopped, waiting for the right moment.
She seemed to notice his movements, and she turned to see him standing there. Their eyes connected, and Drew felt warmth spread through his chest. He knew his face was slightly red, and he hoped the sunset was hiding it.
"Drew? I didn't know you were here."
Ash had started speaking to her, but May didn't seem to notice him anymore. In fact, everyone else sort of faded into the background for May. It was a moment she'd been waiting for; the chance to show Drew that she had what it took to make it, and now she was going to give it everything she had. She was halfway expecting some sort of taunt, how she just barely made it in or how he would have done so much better than her had it been him. Her blue eyes stayed glued on Drew's green eyes as she slowly peeled herself away from her friends, and approached him. But before May could brag about her accomplishment, she noticed how softly he was smiling, and how sincere he looked. She had only seen Drew this unguarded a scarce amount of times, like after their misadventures on Mirage Island, or that night on the beach in Slateport after their last Grand Festival.
His eyes were aflame with so much of some emotion she couldn't understand, but it was real and it was warm and if was safe and it was all there for her. It took May's breath away for a moment. She couldn't find her words, suddenly.
"So, Grand Festival time is finally here, huh?" he said softly, slowly.
There was so many things he wanted to tell May. He wanted to tell her how glad he was that she was safe after such a chaotic day that she probably had no idea about yet. He wanted her to know how much she impressed him with her performance that day, and how evident it was that she raised her Squirtle into a truly amazing contest Pokémon. He wanted her to know that she was so beautiful when she smiled and accepted her ribbon, and that he couldn't take her eyes off of her throughout the award ceremony. He wanted her to know he was happier than he'd ever been to know he'd meet her again on stage at the Grand Festival.
May looked at him, her eyes somewhat expectant. They sparkled in the dimming sunshine and her face was somewhat flushed. Drew gulped, realizing how close they were.
"I knew you'd already gotten your five ribbons, Drew," she responded, gently.
Arceus, he loved the sound of her voice. He loved the way she said his name. He loved that this moment between them was so still, though they were on the verge of the toughest competition of their lives. Part of him wished they could just stay there for a while and talk, but a clock was ticking in the back of his head. One that was counting down the seconds between them, and the Grand Festival.
A Grand Festival where he'd have to be better than this lovely girl before him, and his scarily powerful best friend, and a menacing coordinator who'd no doubt be out for blood after today's events, and 257 other people he didn't even know about.
In these moments, however, it felt like none of it matter all that much. Just this girl before him, that was all that mattered.
Her eyes were still watching him, a small smile playing on her lips that his eyes focused in on. And the thought of kissing her right then and there made him feel like he was on fire.
In the background, he heard Ash's Pikachu chirp excitedly at something, and he was thrust back into reality realizing that May's companions were watching them.
Oh Arceus no.
Drew was suddenly really embarrassed. He had no idea what expression was on his face, but he suddenly wanted to lock himself in his hotel room and try to sort out some of crazy heart rhythms that he was experiencing, none of which could possibly be normal or healthy.
"Indigo Plateau, see ya," he said abruptly, slightly startling her.
May's face fell a bit as the tender moment was cut short, but she shook it off. It was rare to see Drew so…exposed, and she was thankful for the moments she got. The moments that seemed to be a little more frequent since the first few times they'd met along the journey.
"Drew…" he swore he heard her breathe his name after him, and it was driving him crazy.
She watched his retreating form, slowly stepping away from her, and a smile came back to her.
"Drew, I'm winning, you know!" she called out to him.
A smile exploded onto his lips, it took all of his willpower not to turn and run back to her. He simply allowed a small shrug, and threw a casual wave over his shoulder.
May beamed after him, watching him until he was out of sight, and missing him when he was finally gone. How odd, to miss her rival...
Drew smiled as he walked, and it stayed in place all the way until he got back to his hotel room.
Honestly, Drew could have sworn he'd fallen asleep that night smiling.
