Fennel Valley– In which we've reached the end of the journey, or have we?

Author's notes:
- We're at the end. FINALLY, right?
- Based on the episode, "The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing."
- One more note at the end...


Johto.

No, Drew wasn't in Johto at the moment, but there was no doubt in his mind that he soon would be.

He was still reeling, or "recovering" might have been a better word. The Kanto Grand Festival felt as if it had just happened, and simultaneously happened eons ago. It had taken a real toll on him. His best friend won it all, he had a nasty encounter with the creepiest human he'd ever known, he lost to his rival, he realized he was in love with his rival, just to name a few things…

In summary, a pretty eventful weekend.

It was all still so mind-blowing. Still raw, in a sense. And he couldn't say he didn't have some regrets.

It had been three days since the end of the Grand Festival, and he'd been hiding out in the Fennel Valley Resort, stewing.

The resort had so much to offer. His days were filled with soaking in scalding natural hot spring mineral baths, various hiking trails for all skill levels, trying new foods at the different restaurants, letting his Pokémon relax at the spa. The resort even hosted a mock contest stage, and practice battlefields. It was a nice mountain retreat he came to discover he and his Pokémon really needed. It was the perfect place to rest.

And it was a good place to think.

A part of him was feeling guilty, over a few things. First and foremost, he felt awful that he hadn't actually talked to May at the end of the festival. At the time, he rationalized that walking away from her was best, because he told himself he didn't know how to say whatever it was that he needed to say. But it had just been a weak excuse; if Drew really thought about it – really, really concentrated – he knew he could have at least put together a coherent apology for yelling at her. But he knew that the truth was, at the core of his being, after realizing how badly he needed her in his life, he was scared. Terrified, even.

Everything at the time seemed like it had mellowed out, and she seemed content with everything that had happened as she sent him off with a smile when he left. But it wasn't right; even if she'd already forgiven him, she still deserved an apology. He firmly resolved himself to give her the best one he could when he saw her again.

The real problem was when would he see her again?

He had no idea what May's plans were beyond the Grand Festival; if she was going back home or if she was going somewhere new for another contest season or what.

He'd already made up his mind about going to Johto on his first full day at the resort. There were flyers strung up all over the place, advertising the Johto Contest Circuits start date in just a few short weeks. When one region's circuit ended, another was either in full swing, or about to begin. It was a good way to keep the coordinating world alive and well.

Johto enticed him. He'd never been to Johto before, much like he'd never been to Kanto prior to the start of the season. But the mild region with its colorful towns and various landscapes had grown on him. He was sure Johto would do the same.

And it might be good for him; another fresh start. There would be new Pokémon to meet and compete with. He'd be working on his team and changing up his move sets and strategies. New contests and challenged to overcome would be abound in the new region. It just made sense to him. He was a coordinator, always looking for opportunity, and Johto seemed like the natural next step.

As far as he knew, he'd be there alone. It might have been a good thing to try a new place with all new people. Hoenn was always an option, but he wasn't ready to go back home yet.

All the poster there had to be some kind of sign; it just made sense for him to go.

Solidad was going to arrive at some point that day. She promised to meet him there for one night before she headed back to Pewter City. He was glad she was one, going to get a break, but two, happy he'd get the chance to talk to her about it.

Drew valued Solidad's opinion a lot, and he wanted to hear what she thought about him wanting to go to Johto. She'd been there before, as well, so she would definitely have some solid advice.

It was after 3 in the afternoon when Solidad finally stepped into the Grand Hotel's lobby.

She'd been camped out at Indigo Plateau, working with the contest committee on post-Grand Festival things, like advertising campaigns and press interviews with top officials and photo shoots and so much more. It was exhausting being the newest Top Coordinator, she'd come to find, but she was honored, nonetheless.

The smells of floral scent boosters and sparkling marble floors greeted her. A giant crystal chandelier hung in the foyer, hanging over what had to be the biggest potted arrangement of brightly colored flowers she'd ever seen. A fire was roaring in the huge stone fireplace off to the right, across from the receptionist desk where a young woman with a dark messy bun stood, typing away on her computer.

The receptionist's eyes went a little wide upon recognizing her, and Solidad waved the woman off saying she was just a regular person checking in. Nevertheless, the woman gushed about how big a fan she was and how honored she was to meet the Grand Festival champion. She even boldly asked if she could see the ribbon cup, but Solidad laughed nervously and told her the Contest Committee still had it and it was being engraved. It'd be a few weeks before she got it back.

A little disappointed, but still star struck, the woman finished checking Solidad in, telling her about the complimentary hot towels she'd find in her room and the magnificent dining options the resort offered. She was given free passes to the outdoor restaurant as a bonus add on for her big win.

She laughed to herself; it was definitely a Drew-caliber hotel. She'd never been to the resort, but she promised Drew she'd hang out with him there for one night. She'd won a few free stays here from her newly crowned status; she'd bring her family back or something for the rest of the prepaid nights.

Solidad made her way up to the third floor and down the lavish hall to her room, her shoes clicking with each step on the polished marble floor. The card key clicked in the slot and she pushed her way into a dim hallway flipping all the light switches she could. The room was more than just a room; this was a massive suite. She wandered through the living room and marveled at how large the television set was before sauntering into the bathroom. There was a huge porcelain claw tub with golden waterspout on one side, and a walk in rain shower with more marble siding. Even towels folded into small Pokémon shapes? This was too much.

The kitchen she saw was fully stocked with designer dishes and crystal glasses, with cards reminding her she didn't have to cook and room service would be happy to bring her anything she ordered. Finally, she found the bedroom in the back. It was bigger than her room at home; even the king-sized bed seemed tiny compared to all the open space she had in here.

When she made it to the huge window, she pulled the deep red satin curtains back to see the view of the entire Fennel Valley just beyond her window. The massive expanse of rolling hills and mountains encasing the rolling meadows and the large river flowing through in the distance was beyond words. She'd definitely be back.

The shock of the suite slowly wore off, and she settled her bag down on her bed and released Butterfree. The butterfly Pokémon hovered over to the massive window and took in the view for a few moments. While distracted, Solidad watched Butterfree for a moment before she whipped out her PokéNav to alert Drew she'd made it.

I'm here; this place is amazing! You gotta come see my room.

Drew replied pretty quickly.

Sounds good – enjoy being free from the clutches of the press for a while.

She laughed; she found his disdain for media hilarious, though he himself was a big name in the coordinating world. How he avoided every interview was a skill she didn't have, and was occasionally envious of.

I have free dinner passes for tonight. Let's meet at the Terrace Grill for 7. There is something important I want to talk to you about.

There was a noticeable pause this time, but finally, his text confirming he'd see her then came through.

Tossing her PokéNav to the side, Solidad fell back onto the bed, Butter free floating over her and looking down at her.

Solidad smiled up to her Pokémon.

"Are we sure about this?" she asked.

Butterfree shyly nodded, and landed next to Solidad cuddling up to her.

"Yeah, for sure," Solidad nodded. "I think you're right. This is for the best."


They both loved the restaurant.

Solidad was immediately recognized as the newest top coordinator, and Drew's accomplishments were acknowledged as well. They were seated in a special area out on a private patio, and they were allowed to release their Pokémon to eat with them. Their Pokémon were each given a special, customary meal.

Solidad swore she had set some kind of world record when she was there before the ever-punctual Drew. He sauntered in She teased him about it a little. When he did finally appear out on the deck, Butterfree hovered over to him as she always did. Solidad smiled as Drew grinned up at the bug Pokémon and greeted her with open arms. He looked happy and healthy and just so much better than he had days ago at the Grand Festival. There was color back in his face. The bags under his eyes had disappeared. And there was a light in his eyes that she'd never seen before.

He seemed more at peace than she'd ever known him to be, and she was so glad.

Butterfree and Drew met with big smiles. The two of them had always gotten along so well; Solidad even swore Butterfree took to Drew way quicker and more easily than she had taken to her. Not to say that Solidad and Butterfree didn't start off great and make a swell pair; Drew just always seemed to have a pure energy that attracted Pokémon to him. It was a good quality to have and an even greater attribute for a coordinator. Butterfree had always seemed at ease with him, and comforted by his presence.

The waiter brought out a fine bottle of complimentary wine for the Top Coordinator and a Top Eight finisher. Drew respectfully declined as he explained he just wanted to keep a clear head, but Solidad indulged. She'd grown a taste for wine during her travels, and this was by far the best she'd ever had. When she commented as much, Drew informed her the selection was $108 for just the bottle.

"Wow," she gulped after looking at the price on the wine menu. "Do you think they'll let me take the rest home?"

"I'm sure that was the intent," Drew snorted.

The two friends and their Pokémon conversed and laughed through dinner, reflecting on their Kanto adventures. Solidad told Drew about the contest in which Butterfree got into some red paint backstage mistaking it for something sweet, and how Solidad had to frantically wipe her down before their performance.

"I didn't have enough time," Solidad tried to speak between fits of laughter. "So we go through this whole routine perfectly, but her left wing was still partially red and her foot was totally colored. And I had to try to keep this straight face throughout but when you watch the replay, you can totally see my left eye twitching. And some kid backstage asked me if she was a shiny."

Butterfree nervously snuggled into Drew's hair, and he reached up to rub her head as he laughed along with Solidad.

In return, Drew could only offer a story about mixing up Roselia and Absol's Pokéblock once while they were all training, and that was the best "funny" story he had, because he was "perfect" and "didn't make mistakes." Solidad almost spit out her expensive wine in response.

It was a great evening.

The food was unbelievable. Solidad had never tasted something so…well, perfect. Drew was impressed as well, and he wasn't one to be easily swayed by food. Even the Pokémon hummed their approval with each bite. Her prime rib with fresh herb sauce was so amazing, that even though she was more full than she'd ever been, she knew she had to have some kind of dessert that this place made.

Drew refused a dessert, but she forced him to try a bite of the chocolate ganache tart she'd selected, and he caved and ordered one, too…but really it was for her, she just didn't want to admit it. While he picked at it and declared himself finished after three bites, she scooped up his plate, declared it was his loss, and finished it off.

At the end of it all, when the waiter returned to find two fully satisfied coordinators, and he fully expected them to turn down his offer for coffee, but the pair of old friends laughed, saying there was no way they couldn't top this meal off without their old standard. He reappeared with two steaming mugs and a small basket of sweeteners and creams shortly after. Solidad began working on hers immediately under the good-natured and judgmental stare of Drew.

"I mean I thought it was never going to end," Solidad giggled. "I seriously had to pee the whole time, but the guy just kept asking me question after question."

Drew laughed at the absurdity of it all. Solidad just seemed so happy.

"Honestly, Sol, that sounds awful," Drew deadpanned. "But there isn't a coordinator in this world who deserved it more than you. Congrats again, really."

"Thanks," she smiles, sipping at her mug. "I'm just so…so happy, you know?"

Drew nodded, sipping at his own beverage.

"I can't wait to feel like that," he sighed.

Solidad held her warm mug against her lips to hide her understanding smile. She knew there was more to that statement than winning a Grand Festival, which he would. It was only a matter of time until Drew was a Top Coordinator. But she could tell through all the laughter, the jokes, the conversations, he still carried some pain.

But she could also tell he was lighter, freer. He was bleeding an aura of moving forward in more ways than just coordinating. He'd finally found the truth in himself, and he was relaxed in a way she'd never seen from him.

He was content. He was at peace.

"So what's next?" she asked.

"Johto," he replied without any hesitation. "The contest season is starting soon, and I don't want to stop now. I keep getting so close, and to stop now…it just seems crazy, and it seems right."

"I see," Solidad mused and rolled her eyes playfully, taking another sip. "Just like you, never sitting still."

"I figured it would just be good for me to keep going," Drew shrugged. "Kinda leave all the drama behind and push forward."

"Not a bad idea. But you better be–"

Solidad's PokéNav rang, its vibrations rocking the metal outdoor table. The shaking made a loud buzzing noise, and it was the first time Drew noticed that her phone was even out.

Her focus shifted to the text message she'd received, and she scooped up her device and read the screen with sudden and sharp interest. She started tapping away, her finger nails clicking against the screen. Drew's eyebrows quirked; he'd almost never seen Solidad use her phone at the table unless it was an emergency. But she didn't seem panicked. Rather, eager?

"Everything okay?" he cleared his throat.

She looked up at him, then back down. Drew didn't miss the way her lip twitched as she finished typing her message and put her PokéNav back on the table. The screen was dark again.

"Oh, it was just May," Solidad waved him off. "She said Ash had a bad loss at the Battle Pyramid, and that they're taking a few days off…"

"Oh," Drew nodded, looking away and sitting back farther in his chair. "Sucks for him, especially after May's loss in the Festival. Which…did you both get the chance to talk about it?"

"Yes, we did," Solidad nodded. "After you left, I met her outside we both took a long walk together. We had to clear the air."

"How did you do that?" Drew turned back, curious. "How did you…clear the air?"

Solidad noticed the subtle change in his expression; like he was looking for advice on how to do this exact thing the next time he met up with May. Obviously they hadn't gotten the chance to really speak after everything that had happened.

"Honestly," Solidad leaned back in her seat. "We went out to one of the practice fields, and we had another battle."

Drew's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He leaned forward and folded his arms on the table and his eyes fell on the basket of sweeteners. A few moments of silence passed as he tried to process.

"Huh," Drew hummed to himself. "What happened?"

"To be honest, I just asked her in the spur of the moment," Solidad confessed, shrugging against the back of her seat. "I went out to look for her and when I did find her, she was just so quiet. She was looking at that rose and she seemed a little startled to see me, because up until that point, we hadn't really talked about our battle, either.

"I did speak to Brock about it for a few minutes while I was inside. I asked how she was doing. He told me she had a hard cry. Totally broke down after the fact, and I felt sort of bad…guilty, even. He explained how beating you was the highest of highs for her, and how he thought that May overcoming you was the hardest thing she'd done so far. So losing to me by so many points immediately afterwards was shattering to her."

Drew shook his head slowly.

"Well, to be honest – and you'll never hear me say this in the future – you were the better coordinator this season, so for now, you were better than I was," Drew spoke softly. "I'm sure she knew it wasn't going to be easy."

"Right, but still…" Solidad continued. "She congratulated me once, but it felt awkward. You could see she was struggling with it. And when I found her outside after you left, it felt kinda awkward. We chatted a little, but there were these lulls in conversation. We even had these awfully tense silences. And it worried me; I didn't want that one, tough battle define our friendship, or our rivalry, just like you and my first battle.

"So I asked her to battle me again."

Drew's mouth fell open, wondering what her motive behind that seemingly rash decision could be.

"I wanted her to see that the one battle we had didn't define our whole relationship," Solidad explained. "That we could have fun battles, too. That we could have battles and still be friends, and not everything had to hinge on a single championship. So…that's what we did. And it was great. It helped just having a casual match instead of carrying the whole weight of the Grand Festival."

Drew nodded, his lips pursed. It…it made sense.

"And it was just us. We didn't even ask her friends to officiate. We just walked along in more silence until we got to the practice fields out back behind the Pokémon Center.

"At first, she started out just as chaotic as the end of our first match. She was aggressive and going on such a brutal offense…"

"She's super aggressive in battle," Drew conceded. "She often goes for the knockout more than style."

"Which I think we've discussed before, but this was different than our first match," Solidad mused. "This felt like, she needed revenge?"

"I think validation is a better word," Drew offered. "I think she felt like she needed you to see she could be strong, too, because you really did thrash her in the quarterfinals…"

"You're right, it felt like seeking validation," Solidad suddenly smiled softly to herself. "But as soon as I could see she was on that war path, I already knew she wouldn't have any fun with this battle, either. So after Slowbro dodged another rushed mega kick from her Combusken, I didn't call any rebound. And we both just stopped.

"May was looking over at me so confused for a few moments, and I called over to her to just relax. I asked her to show me some combinations she loved to use. At first, she seemed stunned, but then she fell back a little. Her stance changed; she stood up from her hunch and she just smiled. She had tears in her eyes I could see and she just smiled.

"And you know, she held that rose the whole time. She never put it away, or down anywhere…it stayed in her hands the whole time. And when I asked her to show me some combos she loved, she held it in front of her, looked down on it, and looked back up to me. Then, the battle continued. She called for a petal dance."

Drew tried to steal himself, but he knew he had some kind of reaction on his face, because Solidad just laughed.

"No comment," Drew muttered, glaring at her.

Solidad waved him off.

"Anyway," Solidad pushed the hair back out of her face. "We had a great battle after that. So few people fuse grass and fire, and she had a few hiccups, but she pulled some cool combos I've never seen before. She got really creative, and we had a blast.

"I won again, but barely. And she thanked me after we finished. She even told me I was a good friend, and she couldn't wait until we competed for real again some day. After that, everything was fine. And she's such a sweet person. I'm glad we're friends and I'm glad she has a friend in you, too. I can tell we're all gonna be one big happy coordinator family!"

"We'll see," Drew said quietly, almost sadly, looking down. "I still have to talk to her, too. I have to clear the air, too…"

"She'll forgive you," Solidad responded confidently. "I have no doubt; we were all under so much pressure during this festival and she knows that."

Finally, Drew met her eyes. And he looked so innocent. So doubtful and so trepid. Solidad just stared back, warmly.

"You two will be fine, whenever you see her again," she reassured him.

They stayed quiet for a moment, Drew absentmindedly rubbing Butterfree's head, who was still settled on top of his head. Solidad could see her growing tired. She looked around Drew to the end of the patio where all their Pokémon were. Most were actually sleeping. Drew refocused when she looked up to the sky, somewhat but not entirely surprised to see a half moon out.

She looked down at her phone briefly, and saw it was nearing closing time for the restaurant.

"What time is it?" Drew asked.

"Almost 11," she replied. "Time really flies when you're having fun."

"Sure does. We should probably get these guys to bed, and you, too. Aren't you leaving early in the morning?"

"Whenever I wake up," Solidad commented. "Which isn't probably your definition of early. I'm pretty wiped, though. My tiredness is definitely setting in."

The two coordinators bid their Pokémon goodnight and returned them to their Pokéballs. All except for one. Butterfree was not returned, and as Solidad began stacking the remaining dirty dishes to the side of the table, Drew took note of how suddenly fidgety Butterfree was becoming. She fluttered over to Solidad's side and turned to face her trainer. Solidad too looked to her butterfly Pokémon somewhat sadly, but a calm smile on her face as she patted her Pokémon. And then she grabbed her Butterfree and hugged her tightly.

It was an extremely tender and emotional moment. Drew watched them, more confused, and kind of awkwardly. It almost seemed like this was a goodbye, which was incredibly strange. He could hear Solidad whispering things quickly and emotionally to her Pokémon. He couldn't make it all out, but he definitely heard the words "Arthur," and "he's so proud," and "it's time."

What was happening?

Silence dragged, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, they let go. Both of them turned to face him again, more serious. Drew tensed, suddenly very nervous for what was going on.

"Listen, Drew," Solidad said, wiping at her left eye a bit; there were the beginnings of tears.

Oh no, what is going on…?

"I have a favor to ask you."

"O-Okay?" Drew stumbled with his words, taken way back.

"Everything's fine," Solidad laughed suddenly, but there was still something strange about the way she was looking at him, and the way Butterfree was now looking at him.

It was nervous energy; he was slowly beginning to recognize that.

"Okay…" he repeated.

"Butterfree and I have talked a lot about this over the last few hours," Solidad told him. "And she's ready for a new adventure, with you."

"WHAT?"

Drew immediately fell back, his face totally red. His eyes looked around to make sure no one heard his almost-shout. Luckily for his, the patio was empty – save for them. The rest of the staff was indoors. After he realized he was in the clear, he absorbed the words again. He was embarrassed by his outburst, but even more so shocked by her statement.

"It's just that, I think she's accomplished the most of what she can with me," Solidad told him softly. "And we both know you and your coordinating can take her to new heights. We did what we set out to do; we won a Grand Festival and she made Arthur proud. That was what our journey together was all about, and we've finished it."

"Sol, I don't know about this…"

"I know this is sudden," Solidad admitted. "But here's the thing…I've exhausted just about every combination and technique with her I can think of!"

Solidad laughed again, but there was a light in her eyes. She was reflecting.

"I've been covered on more poison powder than is probably recommended, actually thinking about it, now…"

"That would explain a few things," Drew attempted to joke, but his voice cracked, betraying just how stunned he still was.

Her eyes lit up again, and she stuck her tongue out at him before continuing, her smiled never wavering.

"But she has so much more talent and is absolutely ready to go farther; this Pokémon was born to compete, and she's maxed out what I'm capable of doing," she spoke candidly. "I think– I know she can go on and on with a new style and a new trainer. And she loves you, Drew. She always has. Since the first time she met you, she's loved you. I genuinely can't think of anyone better to continue to train her from here onwards."

Drew didn't respond. He just looked back and forth between a resigned Top Coordinator, and a hopefully and suddenly shy Butterfree. They both looked nervous, but they both looked hopeful. All Drew felt, for some reason, was doubt. He'd never before felt such a sense of apprehension. Was this really the right thing to do? Solidad seemed to think so.

And he loved Butterfree, too. She was a gorgeous Pokémon, inside and out. Just considering this insane request for a millisecond suddenly filled his mind with all of the untapped potential this beautiful butterfly Pokémon radiated. And Solidad was right; she was absolutely born to compete.

She would enhance ANY team she would be a part of.

"I just don't know if I can separate you two," Drew spoke up after a moment.

"It's hard saying goodbye," Solidad admitted. "For both of us. I love her so much, and we cried for like 10 minutes after we talked about this, but what's that saying? 'It's not goodbye; it's see you later?' That's what this is. I know I'll see her again, and I can't wait to see how much she accomplishes with you.

"I know this is a big thing to ask, but do it for me, for yourself, and for Butterfree. You both deserve each other. And you will absolutely go far with her on your team."

Another moment of silence fell between them, and Butterfree took the iniative. She landed back on Drew's head. Drew looked up to her, and she chirped to him.

He thought about it, and came to a conclusion: either way, Solidad wasn't going to accept a no as an answer. When she set her mind on something, or when she believed in something, she was one, usually right and two, steadfast.

Solidad looked at the pair, and she warmed inside when Drew finally smiled back. He closed his eyes, patted Butterfree on the head and nodded. It was the beginning of a new and beautiful friendship. Butterfree then dove for Drew's lap, overjoyed and snuggling up to him. She was chirping dozens of promises to him, and he just laughed in response. She seemed just as ready to go as he did.

They both let Butterfree wiggle excitedly for a few more moments. Eventually she settled, and Solidad fished out her Pokéball, handing it to Drew.

"See?" Solidad grinned. "You're already great together. I was right again…"

One of the waitresses pulled a curtain back and peaked at them. Drew noticed her, and she quickly let the curtain go. Solidad, meanwhile, stretched her arms out above her head.

"What a day," she said, reaching back into her pocket to pull out some cash.

They left tips on the table, and stood to say goodbye. Solidad squeezed Butterfree one last time. The sleepy Pokémon nuzzled her former partner, and gratefully returned to her Pokéball. Drew held it for a moment, marveling at his new Pokémon, before placing safely it in his jacket next to Masquerain and faced Solidad.

Solidad pulled him in for a traditional goodbye hug. He didn't hesitate to squeeze back. She had always been the best friend to him, and he couldn't help but feel like he owed her a lot. He did. He knew he did. And he swore he'd pay her back some day for it.

"Keep in touch, kiddo," she ruffled his hair a bit.

"You, too."

Walking through the restaurant, they thanked the staff for the incredible meal. Solidad had to confirm three extra times it was okay that she take the remainder of the wine with her. They insisted she take it with her status as the newest Top Coordinator.

They were about to part ways when they both realized with a laugh that they were heading to the same elevator.

"Top floor for me," Drew said.

"Ninth one," she replied.

The elevator music softly played in the background while the floors beeped passed them during their ascent. There was always some form of tension when they said goodbye like this. With a the season ended, a new one looming, and Drew heading off to a new region, there was no telling when they'd see each other again.

She didn't acknowledge it, though, and he didn't dare bring it up. If he did, it would be real. And deep down, he really didn't like goodbyes. He hated them, loathed them.

It was why he always tried to avoid them.

"You never told me what your next plans were," Drew mentioned.

"Oh, yeah," Solidad smiled to herself. "I meant to tell you good luck in Johto because you're going to need it."

Drew's eyebrows shot up, and in the pit of his stomach, he had a nervous but excited feeling.

"Why is that…?" he tested.

The elevator beeped, informing them they were coming up to Solidad's floor.

"Because I'll be there to win again," she said with a wink.

A grin exploded on her face, and Drew smirked back. Of course she was…

The doors slid open, and Solidad stepped out of the elevator, card key in hand.

"I'll see you in a few weeks in Johto," she bid him goodnight.

"Butterfree and I will be the ones to win, so come ready to lose, Top Coordinator."


The whole resort was buzzing with the news: the famed Pokémon professor of Kanto was there. Drew had never met Professor Oak. He'd never seen even seen his poetry book people were suddenly flooding the gift shop to buy copies of.

Celebrities didn't seem like they'd be too big of a deal around here; there was no way a five-star resort like this didn't see important clients all the time. Maybe it was a testament to how important this professor actually was.

Drew didn't know where exactly the professor was; he'd been hearing rumors all morning from various people's conversations that he was at different places. Which meant avoiding him and the mobs of his fans all over wasn't the easiest task. And these people seemed very intent on seeing him; they all had their prized Pokémon out, probably hoping that the professor would give them a rating or whatever. Probably a valuable assessment, but Drew didn't need anyone to tell him his Pokémon were already top notch.

Solidad was lucky she'd left before the insanity.

All these people with their Pokémon felt like they were taking up too much space, and it was almost suffocating how many people he finally noticed were actually staying here. But even though he felt like he was weaving in and out of tight spaces between the people and Pokémon that surrounded him, he felt somewhat isolated. And he suddenly wanted a friendly face as he made his way towards the exit. He reached inside his jacket for his best friend's Pokéball.

His goal was to start working with Butterfree right away. After a private breakfast between him and his team in their room thanks to the room service, he asked if Butterfree was up for trying a few combinations outside to get a feel for how they'd work together. Butterfree naturally was up for a practice session, and suddenly he had an agenda for the day.

Roselia and Drew sauntered through the hallway. The crowds seemed to be thinning towards the cafeteria, and he knew there was an exit he could go through in there. He had no doubt the lobby was packed.

Perfect escape.

His eyes were fixed on the exit as he made his way through the large room. Roselia was faithfully by his side until she wasn't. She almost squeaked in delight at something, slapped his hand with hers, and then walked in the opposite direction.

"Roselia, where are you–"

And there she was, because of course she was there. Of course the universe, or fate, or karma, or whatever would allow this to happen.

Of course the girl with the red bandana was there.

Her back was to him, but he 'd recognize that bandana anywhere at this point. And her friends were at her side, conversing with who he immediately recognized from his internet searches that morning as the famous professor everyone seemed to be losing their minds over. Though they seemed pretty at ease, like he was an old family friend. Strange.

But this wasn't a time to focus on whatever their connection to this famous man was.

Drew gulped, panicked, was happy, was scared, was frozen, was so overwhelmed. In mere seconds, he swore he'd gone through every emotion anxiety could produce.

With May being there, he could no longer ignore or run away from the events of the Grand Festival. He hadn't even tried to think of what to say when he was going to see her again. And there was ice in his blood. How was she going to react to seeing him again? Was she still upset?

May didn't seem to be upset when he left the festival, despite not getting the apology she deserved from him. Solidad seemed very convinced that she was going to forgive him, too. Should he be this nervous? It still felt justified.

But he was committed unwillingly to this encounter now; his Roselia made sure of that as she gleefully made her way towards May and her friends.

Each step felt heavier and heavier. His heart was pounding and his chest felt empty. It felt like he was walking towards a fight completely unprepared.

What was going to happen?

Just as Roselia made herself known to May, she turned and kneelt down before her. May's eye's sparkled with confusion for a moment.

Just seeing her face stirred something in Drew. There was no anger, no malice, no resentment. May surely knew whose Roselia this was; there was no doubt. And that calm almost stopped Drew in his tracks. A tranquil feeling suddenly flooded Drew's heart; were things really going to be okay?

Or was it just seeing her there, looking beautiful as always, and her being so close that made him feel better?

It didn't matter. He could feel the smile on his face stretching when he stopped before her.

"But you can't be here alone…" May questioned Roselia.

"Right," Drew agreed, stopping before them. "Imagine running into you guys here…"

May's friends looked surprised, and May stood up quickly, staring at him in wonder.

"Drew?"

She looked stunned to see him. It was very clear that something was raging in her head as she processed the sight of him. Drew could see curiosity and hard thoughts in her eyes. He couldn't even guess as to what she was thinking, but the big positive was that she still didn't seem angry, or upset that he was there before her.

When he walked away from her at the Festival, it was a giant relief to him that she didn't seem to harbor any negative feelings towards him. But he figured as time went on, some form of bitterness or resent would build up for her.

And now here she was, still not angry. Just…surprised.

Before he could reply, another figure jumped between them. Drew flinched back a little as the resort's local Nurse Joy drew closer and closer to him.

"First, all of these stars, and now YOU?" Nurse Joy sang.

He'd never understood the phrase "stars in her eyes," until this moment. Nurse Joy looked like she'd been struck by lightning, and before he could do anything else, she was shoving a book filled with pictures of him and Roselia at him, a pen in the other hand.

"Would you mind giving me your autograph?" she practically begged.

Drew found himself feeling suddenly clammy again. He knew he had some dedicated fans, but he'd never been swarmed by a professional before. It felt weird, even wrong somehow considering Nurse Joy's were typically gust contest judges…

"Uh, no…" Drew leaned back a bit.

The sooner he got this done, the sooner he could have his personal bubble back. He quickly took the pen and scribbled his name. For a brief second, he worried that wouldn't be enough, but couldn't even begin to think of whatever personal note he would write. She snatched the book back from him the second he lifted the pen and gushed over his messily scribbled "Drew," much to his relief. He watched her run back to the Professor, and shove the same book in his direction, frantically flipping through pages.

"Funny running into you here," Brock spoke, calling Drew's attention back to their group.

"Oh, yeah, we've been here for a few days," Drew answered.

He rubbed the back of his head for some reason; where did that peace from earlier go? The fact that May was staring at him curiously felt like it was burning him. But it also…wasn't bad?

Arceus help me…

"Solidad was here yesterday, too, but she left this morning," he added.

"We missed Solidad?" Brock questioned. "Aw, man…"

"We just got here yesterday, too," Max said. "But we went to the hot springs and May went to the buffet."

"MAX!" May wheeled around, giving her brother a light smack on the head.

"HEY!"

"I did not go there," May defended harshly, but then timidly locked her fingers together as she turned back to face him, her eyes anywhere but on his face. "I actually went to the practice stage and tried out some combinations…"

"Ah, how did they turn out?" Drew attempted.

Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she very slowly looked at his face.

"Not great…or, I mean, they didn't– not exactly the way I wanted them to turn out."

There was potential here. Drew recognized an opportunity forming in the moment. He owed her a lot, and that started with some form of apology for what had happened between them at the Festival. He'd never given a fair amount of thought to how to apologize to her, but maybe this just needed to be a spur of the moment thing.

Maybe he was looking for an excuse to be alone with her.

Why did this always have to be so hard? She deserved better from him.

"Do you mind if I see them?" he asked, without thinking much beyond that.

There wasn't much to think about, though. He had to try to show her he was sorry. Whatever that meant.

The groups' mouths all fell open. It seemed completely out of nowhere that he was even there with them, and then he was asking to see what she was working on?

May looked back and forth between Drew and Roselia a few times. They were both smiling at her. Roselia seemed to be encouraging her. Drew seemed to be asking something else entirely. She couldn't identify what it was.

"Um, sure…" May said slowly. "I guess– let's go to the practice stage?"

"Sure."

The pair started to turn to leave. The stage was fairly close to where they were; basically, it was a short walk down the east wing of the main building. Going into this didn't seem like such a bad idea, now. Not much time for him to screw up any more on that short of a walk, he realized. Anything after the walk, he'd have to make up as he went.

"Alright, let's go see!" Ash cheered. "I know you'll nail it this time, May!"

Drew almost rolled his eyes. May's friends seemed nice enough, but they could definitely be oblivious… He started trying to formulate an excuse

Max and Ash started to follow, but Brock held out his arm in front of them.

"We'll meet you guys in a few," he told them. "We should help Professor Oak wrap all of this stuff he brought up and bring it back to the room."

May seemed to miss the cue, but Brock gave Drew a quick thumb up and a nod, and Drew nodded in appreciation back to him. Brock always seemed to understand him. And he didn't seem mad at him, either.

Although May didn't indicate that she was feeling anything negative, he couldn't tell what he was in for.

The two coordinators walked together towards the exit. Neither said a word.


The practice stage was as basic as any other contest hall, just on a much smaller scale.

There were cascading rows of seats, leading down to a simple stage. The standard size and marked stage lay in the middle, with three judge panels and a scoreboard above it all. Drew couldn't figure out if the space was used for small-scale appeals, performances for guests, or strictly for practice. He hadn't seen anyone in here since he'd arrived.

Their short walk had been unbearably devoid of any talking. Drew was hoping she would have initiated some sort of conversation. Even her accusing him of being a bad person would have been easier than that silence, because at least he could have just agreed and begged for forgiveness.

It was a surprise that May wasn't talking, at all. Even if she was angry deep down, he knew she wasn't a person who would stay this quiet.

It wasn't long before Drew finally pieced together what May seemed to be feeling. There wasn't anger or frustration from her. She was sad. She seemed so, so sad. And Drew realized that wasn't because of him.

May shuffled to the far side of the stage, and Drew stayed on the sideline in the middle. Roselia stood beside him, eager to see what would happen.

"So what Pokémon are you using?" Drew asked.

"Skitty and Beautily," she answered, pulling two respective Pokéballs out of her pack. "I had my mom send them over this morning because she told me Beautifly learned psychic a few days."

"May, that's awesome!" he encouraged, and she blinked a few times, surprised. "That's a great attack for battles and appeals. You can do so many awesome combinations with it in contests!"

"I know," she seemed to perk up a little bit. "I kind of had this vision of combining it with…well, I'll just show you."

Beautifly and Skitty appeared from their Pokéballs and struck poses before they registered Drew before him. Beautifly's eyes lit up and she dashed over to him, fluttering in excited circles around his head. Skitty was less familiar with him, but responded to Beautifly's excitement with her own, bounding to Drew and Roselia. She hopped and purred. Roselia nodded to whatever she was saying.

Drew reached up and rubbed Beautifly's head.

"It's good to see you, too," he smiled. "It's been a while, huh?"

Following that first greeting, he bent down and gave Skitty a fond pat and hello as well. May watched as Drew embraced her Pokémon sweetly, and she couldn't stop the small smile that graced her own lips. Drew's sweet side was a joy to see when she got to see it, and his ability to get along with every Pokémon was so endearing.

At one point, he looked over to her, that handsome and genuine smile still on his face, but now directed at her. She gulped, and her smile faded away and her face suddenly burned.

"They both look great," he complimented. "Tell your mom to share whatever she's been feeding them."

"Oh, yeah, they get plenty of fresh stuff from the greenhouse," May quickly said, clearing her throat and knitting her fingers together behind her back.

She really hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt.

Drew stood up with a nod, and May's Pokémon returned to their positions, looking at her and awaiting instructions. May was still looking at Drew for a moment, but then shook her head and turned back to her teammates.

"Drew was asking to see what we were working on earlier," she told her Pokémon. "You two ready to give it another go?"

The two Pokémon's expressions changed to fiery determination, and they turned around to the stage.

"Alright, Skitty, use blizzard! And Beautifly, grab it with psychic!"

Skitty's mouth opened, producing a powerful blue stream of powdery snow and shards of ice, shooting at an impressive speed. Drew watched with a raise eyebrow. Beautifly began to glow herself, and grabbed the untamed blizzard. A blue aura wrapped around the icy blast, and it quickly morphed into a twister. Drew marveled with immense interest as the contained ice stream still seemed to spiral out of control. The force of the attack as it blasted past him rustled his hair and Roselia shielded her face with her buds. He leaned forward waiting to see what was next.

The combination continued, cutting a jagged path across the stage as steered to nowhere. And then, as quickly as it came together, it broke apart. Both attacks seemingly disappeared as they faded away. A few flakes of residual snow flurried around him. He moved his hair out of his face as it settled back over his eyes.

May groaned in frustration.

"It always just breaks up like that," she sighed. "I can't ever get it to go into what I want before it just breaks. It's not a very good combination, I guess."

"Are you kidding me?" Drew wheeled to face her. "It looks fantastic. I could absolutely feel how massive of an attack those two come together to make. So it needs some work. Have you ever pulled a perfect combination the first few times you ever tried it?"

"Well, no," May admitted. "I guess not…"

"Exactly," he continued, relaxing back into his stance and putting his hands in his pockets. "This is what practice is for. You'll get this one. Beautifly is no doubt still trying to master her new attack, and Skitty puts out an incredible amount of power with that blizzard. It'll take a little more work before both of your Pokémon can balance out and match each other. It's part of what makes double combinations so tough."

May pursed her lips and looked at her two Pokémon. They both seemed so happy, so determined. And then there was Drew, one of the best coordinators out there. She felt so out of place. She had beaten him, yes, but just barely. And then she turned around and was floored by Solidad. She felt so unworthy being in their presence.

She returned her Pokémon quietly, not really sure how to feel.

With her doubt still persisting, Drew tried something else.

"Would you like to see a combination I've been working on?" he offered.

May nodded slowly, and moved over to the sideline. Drew took his place on the opposite side of the stage where she had stood moments ago. Roselia merely stepped forward to the middle.

"Alright, Roselia, let's start with petal dance!" he ordered. "And then follow up with dazzling gleam!"

Roselia began to spin, and shot out a swarm of petals from her buds. Sweet smells and pink petals flew all around the stage, and May took in the aroma with awe. There was never a performance by Drew that didn't amaze her, and she couldn't count the number of times she'd seen this move. Every time felt like the first time, to be honest.

When there was a sufficient amount of petals swarming the air, Roselia began to produce a rainbow orb. It floated above her in the middle of the stage, casting rainbows and flickers of sparkles mixed with the steaming petals. There were so many colors, so many sweet floral scents…

It was one of the most magnificent things she'd ever seen. Roselia must have just learned this attack.

The combination died down slowly, and Roselia took a bow just as she was accustomed to doing after each performance, whether it was real or just a test run.

"Great job, Roselia," Drew praised. "A little bit more practice and we'll have it for sure."

The rose Pokémon cheered, pleased with the effort they produced.

"What?" May gasped. "That looked perfect? What more could you possibly do?"

"Well, for starters, yes, Roselia is perfect," Drew smirked. "But it's a little too much. We're trying to strike a better balance. Sometimes the dazzling gleam completely outshines the petal dance. Other times, it's the other way around. We want one attack to match and highlight the other, not overshadow it. But you're right; we're way closer, because we started trying a few days ago."

Reflecting on it, May did notice the amount of rainbow colors grabbed all her focus towards the end, and she completely zoned out of the pedal dance.

"When did you first start out trying that blizzard and psychic combination?" he prodded.

"This morning…" she admitted after a moment.

"Exactly," Drew and Roselia walked back to her side. "Don't give up so quickly, May. Keep trying."

He then bent over to Roselia, pulling out his Pokéblock case from his pocket. A few cubes dispensed in his hand and Roselia eagerly accepted the treats. May slid down onto the floor beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Not giving up seemed so hard at this point. She'd just barely bested him recently, and he already seemed to be excelling past her again. And then there was all that messiness and drama between them at the festival she suddenly remembered. That part felt like a lifetime ago.

Did he think poorly of her? He couldn't possibly if he was here with her, complimenting her and her Pokémon and encouraging her…

He could have felt sorry for her, too. She embarrassed herself and her Pokémon in her loss to Solidad. But this didn't feel like pity. This felt real. This felt like empathy and concern. This felt like Drew was reaching out to her and supporting her.

This felt like Drew was being the kind and wonderful friend she knew he could be. She wondered…

"You really gave me a shock back there," May admitted from her edge of the stage. "See, I was just thinking about you, when all of the sudden, there you were…"

He was shocked by her sudden admission. She was thinking about him when they weren't together, but what did that mean? In what ways?

He wondered…

"Were they good thoughts?" he tested slowly.

May jolted; he saw her jump and she turned to face him. Her face looked horrified.

"Come on, of course they were!" she said in a panic, her hands waving in front of her and her cheeks aflame.

And then her face morphed into a sad smile, directed at him. She was smiling at him again. He stared at her wordlessly, just trying to keep his heart rate down and his cheeks pale.

"We had all just been talking about rivals, so of course naturally, I started thinking about you…"

May shyly turned away from him, and he turned away, too, knowing there was no way he could hide his own nervous blush.

Despite everything, she still held him to that high, glorious standard. She still thought of him as a rival, and probably a friend. All his doubt seemed to ease; she wasn't angry at him. They were past the tension, and they could move on in competition and friendship and maybe…maybe beyond.

But there was still an issue. She was still sad. She was so, so sad. It wasn't a secret to anyone that she was still hanging on to her loss as the Grand Festival. And he didn't like seeing and hearing and feeling that pain in her. He wanted nothing more than to help her through it.

If he could just get her to talk about it, and he could target what her lowest point was, he could bring her out of it. That was how Solidad seemed to handle issues that she saw.

"Well, I'm honored," he spoke sincerely. "So, how have you been doing after the loss?"

"Alright, I guess…" she sighed, and looked back to the floor briefly.

The sadness was overwhelming, but all he did was smile reassuringly at her. Like it was okay. Like this was some sacred, safe space they were sharing in the moment, and nothing could hurt them here. And they could talk openly.

This was May's chance; she knew that. She very quickly realized that she wanted – no, she needed – confirmation that things weren't bad between them.

"How about you, after your loss…?"

"Guess I've been doing what any coordinator does," he shrugged, popping a few more Pokéblock out of his dispenser. "After a loss, I mean. They make sure that all of their Pokémon are well taken care of. And hopefully with a new friend."

May got his reference. He was talking about their argument now. Her mind flashed back to his harsh words. How he snapped at her for pointing out he wasn't being fair to his Absol.

"I'M NOT A WHIMP LIKE YOU!"

Drew would never, ever want to mistreat his Pokémon, in any way, shape or form. In the moment, he had let the words of someone else – someone nasty and vile and mean and ruthless – get the better of him. Harley had stirred up his emotions, and Drew took that anger and fear out on his Absol. Unbeknown to May, she was really at the heart of the issue. And he'd sworn he'd explain that to her some day. But this was about making sure she was okay first. Not his past drama.

He just wanted her to know that he knew better, and he would never let something like that happen again. And she was a good person for stepping in. She did nothing wrong, and he wanted her to know that.

May twisted around again, reflecting on his words. It was very clear to her that Drew was apologizing in his own way about losing his temper. And she didn't hold that against him. Especially after what Solidad had talked to her about afterwards. But at the time, the talk of feelings had been pushed back, because it wasn't the time or place to sort that out.

It hit her like a silent lightning bolt.

They weren't there anymore; the Grand Festival had come and gone, and they were in a new stage, both physically and metaphorically. Was this the time they could finally discuss this…? It became obvious to her that there had always, always been this unspoken tension between them. And that her heart was fluttering again, much like it did commonly when they were together.

Here they were, alone together, in a context they'd never experienced. A silence place, with only emotions between them at this point.

"New friend?" she whispered, mainly to herself.

New friend in what way? What could he mean? What did this mean?

"You're still holding on to your loss to Solidad, aren't you?" Drew questioned.

May blinked a few times.

Oh.

Not the time, nor the place for that conversation.

He wasn't wrong, though. That bombshell brought her back down to her body.

"Oh," she muttered.

He wasn't looking at her this time, and she was thankful, because he couldn't see her disappointment. She took a steadying breath.

"That means you discovered your weak point," Drew continued, oblivious, but with noble and good intentions.

Maybe talking about this issue would be good for her. She probably shouldn't focus on much else until she felt at peace again, anyway. Drew was right; this was still an extremely raw and painful topic.

She watched the back of his head as he spoke. He was hitting the nail on the head.

"But now I'll bet you're not feeling too sure about what you can do to overcome it."

He finally turned back to face her.

"Tell the truth," he requested. "Am I close?"

She didn't need to speak. She didn't feel like she could with all that disappointment washing back over her. It was apparent he wasn't judging her for it, but still, she felt unfit to call him a rival.

She nodded in defeat.

Drew just smiled softly. He had seen May doubt herself and her talent in the past, but never this badly. This was past any sadness he thought she ought to be capable of. He gotten to the root of the problem, but now he needed to find a way to defeat her insecurities.

He thought of Solidad. What would she do?

…What did she do?

He remembered.

"Okay," he said, pushing himself up. "I think we should have a battle."

"Huh? Drew, what for?"

"I don't know," he said casually. "It's just, since we've got this great stage and everything."

"There was a pause, and he looked at her with so much warmth and calmness, it radiated off of him. It was an expression an a feeling she'd never seen from him before.

"I think after the Grand Festival, it would clear the air," he concluded.

"You think?" May mumbled. "Maybe…"

The request wasn't lost on her; this was what Solidad had asked of her when they were facing their awkward and weird issues after the Festival. And they both left that battlefield feeling better than when they stepped on it.

Battling and competing were her passion; she couldn't deny it. After all, it had helped her once. Maybe it could help her again.

Maybe Drew could help her again.

"Go for it, May!" Ash's voice boomed from the isles of seats.

Drew and May both looked to see her group approaching. The group appeared all smiles and ready to cheer on their friend. Drew nodded to Brock's gaze. They couldn't have come at a better time.

"Sounds like a great idea to me," Ash said.

"For sure," Max agreed, always ready to take Ash's side.

"Get up and move around, May," Brock encouraged. "And give that brain of yours a little time off."

"Yeah, you think?" May seemed surprised, and still a little unsure.

She turned back to face Drew. Her face was still sad, her eyes wide and pleading for some kind of answer only he could give her. Drew gave her the most sincere, most positive silence he could. He didn't have to use words. He knew it was enough.

Something shifted. Things clicked and fell into place. Looking up at Drew triggered a rush of memories in her. She recalled all the times she'd met with him. From life-threatening experiences to intense battles, she admitted to herself that Drew had given her some of the most important memories and moments of her life.

And she remembered the feeling: the feeling of finally overcoming him, no matter how small a margin she'd done it in. She'd beaten him, and all the moments between them before then felt like a buildup to that very victory. The massive invasion of pride and adrenaline and happiness that flooded her when she won was unlike anything she'd ever felt. Because he was her rival. And overcoming her rival was her greatest achievement so far.

She wanted to feel that again. The drive to feel that again burned in her belly, and up to her chest, out to her fingers and toes…it overcame her so quickly, and she felt like her old self instantly, just looking at that beautiful, kind and gentle boy she'd never realized she'd needed so much.

A real, determined smile burst open on her face, and she shot to her feet, fists clenched.

"Okay, it's a deal," she agreed. "I'm not going easy on you!"

The teasing felt good, normal, even healthy somehow. Drew's shoulders fell, relaxed suddenly. The storm felt like it had passed.

"Now there's a surprise," he smirked.

The guys had just agreed to go grab Nurse Joy and the professor to be stand-in judges for their battle when two familiar faces appeared behind them.

First was Nurse Joy, who was looking suddenly devoid of anything but her namesake. He face seemed hardened and plastic almost. And…Mr. Contesta was there? Since when? Drew had seen a press conference from Sinnoh just yesterday.

Drew was just about to question this, when he looked down and noticed a third, poorly disguised Mr. Sukizo.

The trio was just beginning to question the strange guests' appearances when the three jumped into positions at the judges stands.

"Let's make history!" they proudly announced in unison.

"There's something not right about this…" May ventured.

Drew opened his mouth to agree when someone else's voice boomed over the stage.

"BULLET SEED!"

Shit.

Drew didn't have to look to know who it was. A Cacturne flew over them on the stage and fired a barrage of seeds at the fake judges. A small explosion ripped off their disguises and revealed Team Rocket behind the podiums.

Drew moved to stand closer to the group, particularly close to May. He always felt uneasy when these thugs were in close proximity to her after what happened on Mirage Island, and especially after the fiasco at the Mulberry City Contest…

The Cacturne stood tall in front of them and Harley didn't acknowledge them as he strutted up to Team Rocket. Drew was thankful to be ignored, but he also felt some anger bubbling up in him seeing Harley again.

There were more important things to focus on in the moment, though…

"Cacturne?" Jessie started, frightful.

"Followed by…" James continued in dread.

"Little Miss Sunshine," Meowth insulted, but shakily.

Harley went straight up to the table and wasted no time. His hands slammed down on the surface, as if his presence could be more known. But this creep knew how to properly threaten and intimidate people. Drew found himself slightly thankful for it in that moment.

"I told you, the only one who messes with the squirt is me," Harley threatened.

Drew was less thankful. He inched closer to May.

"We forgot?" the trio replied weakly.

"But why are you here?" May finally spoke what everyone was suddenly wondering.

"To make you cry, hun," Harley looked back for the moment and replied as matter-of-fact as possible. "But I don't need any help from them."

Drew inched closer again.

Harley turned his glare back to the thugs before him.

"We've already walked down that muddy road before," Harley sneered.

"He's got a good point," Jessie shook.

"And he's got a good aim…" James agreed.

The three suddenly jumped, and feebly attempted to run, Meowth screaming something about being moving targets. Cacturne in front of them bent, and then launched himself in a powerful leap across the stage, landing in front of them. Team Rocket skidded to a horrified halt. His spikes grew aggressively in a silent threat.

Defeated, the scared criminals sank to the floor. Harley kneelt down behind them, his voice dripping with sweet venom in every word.

"Now just because I want you clowns to butt out doesn't mean I want you to leave… Watching a battle between Shrimp-Toast and Green Hair would be good for you, girl."

The mood seemed to shift on their end of the stage, and none of the friends could make out what was being said anymore. They briefly exchanged hushed murmurs and Jessie flashed a somewhat deviant smile.

Harley stood up and faced them, all traces of the menacing bully gone. That gross, fake smile replaced his harsh glares.

"Alrighty, then!" he cheered. "For today, we'll just assume the role of the cheering throng."

What a joke. Max was the first to express the mutual outrage.

"I don't buy that," Max shot back, as aggressively as a seven-year-old could be. "How do I know you're not here to mess everything up for May?"

Harley kept approaching with ease. What a creep…

"Please," he almost laughed. "I give you my solemn word! Man to man!"

With a less than gentle slap on Max's back, Harley finished with a weird "of course I used the term loosely," and Max gave up. They all knew too well by now there was no getting rid of Harley.

"Let's just do this," May resigned.

Max dashed off to get the judges, and Harley didn't leave their sides even after the Professor and Nurse Joy appeared minutes later. He was eyeing them up and down, while pretending to be distracted by his nails. May's eyes looked to Drew, and he could see some hesitation returning. Harley was too good at ruining everything.

For some Arceus-known reason, Nurse Joy had a section dedicated to Harley in her book, and his distraction was completely thrown into being fawned over. If only the contest community could know how he really was, both behind the scenes in contests and in real life. Drew pondered how many fans Harley would lose…

May didn't seem to feel any better when Harley wasn't side-eyeing her.

And Drew didn't want May to feel alone, or whatever form of anxiety she could have been feeling. He also wasn't comfortable with saying anything to her with all of these people around. So many witnesses were probably what was keeping Harley in check at all. But he needed to make sure she didn't start to lose that fire again.

He did the only thing he could think to do, which was strange considering he'd never done anything like this and this reaction was his natural response.

Drew subtly scooted closer to May, and her eyes went wide as she felt his hand squeeze around hers.

He was so close, and they were more or less behind everyone, so no one else could see. Their fingers didn't intertwine, but he was absolutely holding her hand. And she was on fire inside.

Never one to be this forward, Drew was shocked he'd even done this, but he committed and he couldn't back down now. He simply waited for how she would respond.

May didn't say anything. But her eyes quickly looked down at her hand in his, then back up to his eyes. Drew just smiled at her, silently saying that it was okay and nothing bad was going to happen.

Slowly but surely, her shock morphed into gratitude, then some form of nervousness.

And he felt her hand squeeze back. Neither let go.


Somehow, the word got out in the resort that this battle was happening.

Two Top Eight finishers from the recent Grand Festival having a battle was bound to attract some attention, but when it was just them in the room, Drew couldn't help but wonder how word got out.

It must have been when Harley slipped out "to quickly use the restroom". Drew could picture Harley singing down the halls that this was going to happen. Whatever happened, people started pouring in, and there wasn't an open seat left.

Nurse Joy declined to be a judge, but rather, she took the MC role, which seemed off, but other than that, this felt a bit more legitimate. Suddenly, this felt more real.

May's energy shifted and lifted again. It was much higher than it was before, even when she had agreed to this battle. Drew wasn't totally a fan for having all these people watch what was supposed to be their private battle, but if May was happier this way, he would be, too.

"Wow," May remarked. "I can't believe how many people showed up."

"The better to give a great performance," he called to her.

She looked back across the way and smiled. Arceus did it feel good. The sparks were flying from across the stage, and he felt himself falling back into the undeniable excitement of battling his favorite opponent once again.

The rules were set: a double battle, just like at the Grand Festival. This was nowhere near that scale, but it felt good to be here, facing her across the field. He even felt his fingers twitch when she launched her Pokéballs into the air.

"Beautifly, Combusken, take the stage!"

Now this was exciting. Drew could had never seen May use these two as a team. She was trying something new, and he already knew this wouldn't be easy.

With the sudden development, he let go of Flygon's Pokéball and reached for a different one. He wanted to try something, too.

"Roselia, Butterfree, let's go!"

The small arena roared with excitement at these Pokémon pairings. May's smile grew when she noted Drew's new Pokémon.

"And here I thought you always waited until Grand Festivals to reveal new Pokémon!" May taunted goodheartedly.

"Looks like we're both trying new things," Drew flicked his hair out of his face.

"Except for that," May imitated him. "That's definitely not new."

"Old habits die hard," Drew laughed.

All four Pokémon took their spaces on the stage, staring each other down. Beautifly and Butterfree were investigating each other intently, while Combusken and Roselia acknowledged each other with small nods like old friends.

At one point, Butterfree recognized she was on a contest stage once again, and turned back to see her new coordinator grinning at her. She danced in the air excitedly, ready for her first true test with Drew.

"Five minutes on the clock!" Nurse Joy commanded the attention of the whole room. "So let's get busy!"

The timer ticked. May moved into her offense.

"Combusken, fire spin, let's go! Beautifly, you use psychic!"

Interesting opening, Drew remarked. Perhaps May thought Combusken's stronger control over his fire spin attack would make this combination more possible with her Beautifly.

It did work, from what he could see. A much more refined blast of fire was accelerating towards his Pokémon at an alarming rate. Drew was at a severed disadvantage in terms of types vs. types. A direct hit from any of Combusken's fire attacks would end him.

Good thing he thrived in flashy moves, and defensive strategies.

"Roselia, petal dance!" he countered.

A favorite and tried and true response, Roselia quickly launched a powerful pedal tornado that defied the flames and broke apart the attack. Scattered embers rose above and May jumped.

"That's it!" she declared. "Beautifly, use that fire to attack once more!"

A whole season apart didn't throw them out of sync at all. Beautifly instantly understood May's idea, and used psychic once more. She grabbed the broken up fireballs and threw them back towards Drew's Pokémon once again.

The flames were coming in hot again, and Drew asked Roselia for a magical leaf defense this time, knowing the leaves would not only shield his team again, but would also break up the flames for good so May couldn't try to counter with them a third time.

The glowing green leaves sparked and crackled and burned in a gorgeous flaming tornado. The whole audience was caught up in how interesting a sight it was. The colors alone were a wonder: greens and oranges and reds clashing together in a strange yet satisfying palette.

May was hoping Drew was too distracted in breaking up her attack and ordered Combusken to sneak in through the opening she'd created. But she should have known better, as Drew was always focused beyond belief. As Combusken closed in, it was Butterfree's time to shine.

In a move no one saw coming, with a powerful gust attack, Butterfree not only sent Combusken sliding back, but she also shot the remaining flaming magical leaves back to May's side as well. May recoiled as Combusken took the hit full on, and was sent crashing into Beautifly. The pair was slow to get up as May voiced her concerns.

But they did get up, and despite the huge loss of points, they were ready to continue.

Drew's new Pokémon was nothing to sneeze at. It reminded her of watching Soidad's Butterfree back in the Grand Festival, and if this Butterfree was truly like Solidad's, May was in trouble. She had to take out that Pokémon first.

"Both of you, focus your attacks on Butterfree!"

Drew smirked. May was shaken and thinking she could overpower his new partner was laughable.

"Butterfree, psybeam!"

It wasn't often when Drew underestimated May's Combusken, but he was still stunned every time he saw just how fast he was. It couldn't have been more than a second later when her Combusken not only managed to dodge his attack, but land a nasty sky uppercut on her as well.

"May hasn't lost any speed," he chuckled to himself.

She may have been faster, but her attention was not where it should have been.

"Roselia, petal dance!"

"Beautifly, use silver wind!"

Ah, silver wind…

Now that took him back.

It had been so long since he'd seen May use silver wind.

Although his favorite move that she ever used was on full dsplay before him, and although he was still enamored by how well she used that move, he was totally prepared for it. In fact, with her Beautifly, he was surprised she hadn't used it earlier.

"Not a chance!" he said.

Roselia's petal dance sliced through the silver wind to everyone's shock. Drew had been working hard with Roselia on this attack to do this exact thing, and finally seeing it in action felt great.

It was a brutal direct hit. Beautifly and Combusken did their best to stand against the assault as the audience roared in approval of the display.

May wasn't going down without a fight, though.

"Oh no you don't," she cried. "Now, Combusken, maximum power: overheat!"

Cumbusken's claws ripped through the silver shards and dispersed them. And glowing a bright red, a Jetstream of our flame exploded out of his mouth. It was the most powerful overheat Combusken had pulled to date.

Drew instantly realized that no attack he could counter with would stop the inferno, so there was only one option.

"Butterfree, protect!" he called as quickly as he could.

Arthur and Solidad had raised this Butterfree unbelievably well, because he'd sworn he'd never seen such speed, not even from Flygon.

Butterfree enveloped herself in a green protective aura and dove straight into the oncoming attack. She successfully shielded herself and Roselia from any fire, but Drew was stunned at just how hot the air around him had become so instantaneously.

"No way!" May cried.

Now that May was completely caught off guard, it was his time to end it.

"Alright," he cheered to Butterfree. "Butterfree use psybeam and Roselia, use solar beam!"

A combination that came to him in an instant, his two Pokémon executed one of the most powerful displays he had ever seen up close. The two beams of light soared side by side, hitting the targets with so much force, the ground shook. Everyone had to cover their eyes from the brightness of the blast.

Combusken and Beautifly emerged from the dust cloud, unconscious and unable to continue.

"It's a tremendous victory for Drew!" Nurse Joy declared.

May looked dejected for a split second, almost like she was reliving something painful. And just before Drew could worry that maybe this hadn't been such a solid idea, May shrugged. He frown reversed into a smile, and she looked content.

She went to the floor to help her Pokémon up, and Drew stopped watching to give her a private moment.

With the crowd applauding, he and his Pokémon turned to acknowledge them. They took their bows, Butterfree already well-versed in this practice after many victories with Solidad.

There was never a boring battle with her, and even though this one felt like it came and went more quickly than some others, it was still exhilarating. It was still more thrilling to best her than any other coordinator.

It was still the best rivalry he could have ever hoped to have.

"Thank you all so much for coming out to watch this incredible battle!" Nurse Joy called out. "Let's hear it one more time for these two amazing coordinators!"

Fans came up to the stage and swarmed him. He managed to get Roselia and Butterfree back into their Pokéballs before they were swamped by too many fans. As fans crowded him and aksed for pictures and autographs, he hoped May wasn't watching this from the other side of the stage and feeling left out.

A small break in the group surrounding him showed him that she had fans of her own hovering all over her, and she looked overwhelmed and excited and just so happy.

This was the attention she absolutely deserved. Because she was just as talented as he was and it was time she was recognized as so.

He reluctantly posed for a few photos, signed a few things handed to him and awkwardly thanked the fans for supporting him. Finally, they were asked to move on. May's friends helped the adults around them push back the crowds a little bit. Harley was distracted by his own fans praise, soaking it all in and ignoring all else. Team Rocket sad glumly beside him, preferring to be anywhere else, but not willing to challenge Harley again.

May finally had the chance to approach Drew, a warm and starry smile still plastered on her face.

"Hey," she greeted, extending her hand. "That was fun, and I needed it. Thank you."

"No doubt," his hands once again clasped with hers in a firm, congratulatory handshake, much like after their Grand Festival match. "That was great."

"Listen," May continued. "Let's go outside for a while and talk."

"Sure."

He smiled, and she pulled him along as they snuck out the back door without anyone noticing.


He hadn't realized how long they'd been in that room.

The sun was setting and the warm amber and golden glow of the ending day bathed them as they exited the building.

May led him to an overlook of the Fennel Valley. They were out in front of the entrance to the resort. It was the same view he had from his room, but somehow, seeing it like this, with May at his side, was way better.

He looked over to the side and briefly noticed the trail into the canyon he intended to take early that morning for his intended practice with Butterfree. The real first practice session was way better.

The sun was getting closer to the horizon when they approached the edge of the overlook, but not quite there yet. They ended up at a small wooden stake fence. May leapt over it and settled onto the ground, her back against one of the posts. Her arms wrapped underneath her legs as she relaxed. Drew opted to lean against the boards behind her.

They took a few moments to absorb the majesty of the scenery before them. This was definitely the most beautiful part of Kanto Drew had seen, and he wouldn't have wanted to experience it with anyone else.

May asked if they could come here to talk, but for the moment, they basked in the silence. Everything was at peace. The sun was setting on their Kanto adventures, and if this was the end, it felt right.

"We've come a long way, huh?" May almost startled him by saying. "You and me, I mean. We've grown a lot separately and together."

She sighed contentedly, and her head inclined in his direction ever so slightly. Most would have missed the motion, but he was now hyper aware of her, and everything about her.

"Yeah – we really have," Drew agreed.

"Listen Drew, I really just wanted to tell you thank you," May started, but Drew cut her off without realizing.

"You're welcome," he waved her off. "I know you would have done the same for me if I was in your shoes."

"No, silly, not just for today," she amended, looking up to him from her spot.

Drew's eyes went down to hers, and they gazed at each other. Drew couldn't help but think about how gorgeous she was here, with the fading light casting long shadows along her face. Her eyes sparkled more than they ever had before, and there was something in them he couldn't name, but he felt like he could feel.

"I mean thank you for everything," she continued. "For always looking out for me, in contests and in other situations, too. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"You didn't need me to push you, May," he told her. "You are a great coordinator, and you're going to keep going. I'm honored to call you a rival, and a friend."

The colors of the atmosphere masked their true colors of their faces in the moment. He had never felt so open and exposed and vulnerable with her before, but he also never felt more sure of himself, either.

There was never any doubt, but this moment, it told him that not only was he in love with this girl before him, but he knew he would never love anyone else this much, ever. She hadn't changed everything he thought he was, but rather, she taught him who he was, what he valued, and what happiness truly was. He could never repay her for that, but given the chance, he knew he would never stop trying.

"Remember all the stuff we went through on Mirage Island?" she pondered out loud.

"The only thing I let myself remember from that day are how spicy those Lychee berries were," Drew laughed.

"That's just what I was thinking!"

"What about when you tried to steal that Arcanine from me?" Drew teased.

"Please, you have no experience with fire types," May challenged. "I would have done way better with her on my team."

The two laughed. They spent a few minutes, reminiscing about their times together. It was the most natural thing for them, to just be to together, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Why hadn't they done this before? It felt so good.

It was nice, as they enjoyed each others' presence as the sun continued its slow and steady decent in the sky.

And she just sat there, so wonderful and perfect and so painfully unaware how he truly felt about her. He needed her to know, but he didn't know how to say it.

"May, listen..." he said, his usually steady voice shaking.

She looked up at him, her eyes eager and her expression full of wonder, like she was waiting to hear him say something.

"What is it, Drew?" she breathed.

"About what I said at the Grand Festival..."

"You don't need to worry about that," she told him. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay," Drew said firmly. "It's not okay that I spoke to you like that. I was dealing with something personal, and I was wrong to take it out on my Pokémon. You did the right thing by calling me out on it, and I snapped at you. I said something that hurt you, and it wasn't fair. And it's still not fair that I never apologized to you.

"So May, I'm asking for you to forgive me. I know you'll say you already have, but I just needed to say that to you. I am truly sorry. I regret it, and I will never do that to you or my Pokémon ever again. That isn't me."

"I know it isn't," May smiled. "And I'm sorry for whatever you went through. I hope you now that if you ever need anything, you can talk to me. Or Solidad. I know she would say the same."

"You've both always been so kind to me, even at times I've been hard on you," Drew sighed. "But thank you. I've...come to understand something about myself, and I'm doing better. I am better because of..."

He gulped, and suddenly, he couldn't find his voice. If he said it, there was no taking it back. If he said it and she didn't respond well, it could destroy this. And the thought of losing this, losing her, was a nightmare.

He tried again.

"May, there's something I really need to tell you."

"Yes?"

Drew felt small. After a near-perfect day and all the right signs were there and there could never be a more perfect time for this, he sucked in one last breath.

If only he'd had the foresight to ask Roselia for a rose. That definitely could have said it better than him.

"Drew?" she asked quietly.

He looked her dead in the eyes. And he was drowning in them.

He was drowning in how much he loved her.

And she deserved to know.

So he opened his mouth slowly.

"I…really loved your combinations today," he settled on. "They were breathtaking."

Her expression faltered just a bit. A quick flash of something that he likened to disappointment came and went, and she recomposed herself with a sweet and somehow knowing smile.

"Thanks, yours too," she said, and she was genuine.

She settled back into her spot, looking out at the sunset once more.

He felt utterly destroyed and relieved at the same time.

"I thought that I'd caught up to you," she continued the conversation. "But you pulled away again."

It brought a smile back to his face. May was so forgiving, or understanding. He could see a part of her knew, and that part of her was seemingly willing to accept that he was close, but he wasn't ready.

Or maybe he was reading into it too much and that was the farthest thing from the truth.

"Well, you gotta keep moving, I guess," he said lightly.

"Know what?" she pressed on. "I think…I was getting a little over confident, which I'm realizing is no way for a Top Coordinator to be. That's for sure.

"This battle made me realize a lot of things. Remember when you told me you needed to find a battling style that was yours and only yours? Well, I want to find my own style, too, and learn how to show off my Pokémon a lot better than I do now.

"All my own, and no one else."

Any shred of doubt she might have had was truly gone. He could see that in the way she smirked at him; she was serious. She felt the same way about being a coordinator that he did, and he wanted nothing more than to keep her close on their journeys to become top coordinators and more.

He was never more proud of her. And more inspired by her, too.

"Sounds good," was all he could say; he was so overwhelmed.

May stood up finally, getting closer to him.

"Drew, where are you going now?" she asked curiously.

"To the Johto region, to enter some contests," he said confidently.

His confidence wavered slightly when he saw the look of surprise on her face, and he realized she probably wasn't going there.

"Seriosuly?"

"…Yeah."

He never truly thought about the fact that he would probably go into a new season without her. Even with Solidad there, the season would feel empty if May didn't compete against him.

The perfect moment suddenly felt heavy; when would he see May again after this?

"I think Solidad's gonna be there, too," he offered.

May looked a little sad at the prospect, which made Drew consider the shrinking possibility of her competing in Johto next season. It felt like she was holding back. Like going to Johto wasn't right for her.

But even if she didn't go, he wanted her to be happy in whatever choice she made. But he hoped his silence could convey to her what he was thinking.

Please come to Johto. Please come with me.

I don't want to do this without you anymore, or ever again.

He knew he should have said those things. He knew those words should have left her mouth, and that she deserved to hear them. But he couldn't. He didn't want her to feel like if she went to Johto, it was more for him and his needs. As a coordinator, she needed to make her own choices to grow and further her own ambitions.

As much as he loved her, he would never, ever try to hold her back.

But the unknown was scary. This could be the last time her saw her for a long time.

Drew tried to focus on soaking up her presence for their dwindling time together. She was so close, and looked so torn.

Unconsciously, his mind replayed the moment he kissed her on the cheek after they'd been rescued from Mirage Island. And her cheek was so close to him. He felt himself sliding closer to her.

"How touching…" Harley's unwelcome voice stated from behind them.

May shrieked and Drew immediately scooted a few inches away, looking mortified that Harley had found them in their private space.

"It's dangerous…two kids alone like this," Harley snickered, looking back and forth between the pair.

Drew felt the color drain out of his face and May protested that anything like that had happened. All Drew could think about was how Harley was entirely too good at being where he was unwanted.

"Joke, I was just pulling your impressionable legs," Harley laughed again seeing the panic on both their faces. "And this is an incredible coinkydink since I'm going to Johto as well!"

Drew felt a piece of his soul die. May's face deadpanned.

"How cozy," she remarked, unimpressed.

"And the next Grand Festival trophy will have my name on it!" Harley informed them before turning to acknowledge none other than Team Rocket, close to where they were.

For how long and how many people had been watching them? Drew was really blushing now.

"Aren't you going, too, girlfriend?" Harley asked over to Jessie.

Drew flinched. Was EVERYONE but May going to Johto now? If Team Rocket actually agreed, he might have to bail and go back to Hoenn…

Thankfully, Jessie looked caught off guard by Harley's question.

"No way, I'm too busy. After all, Team rocket calls…"

Harley stomped his foot disapprovingly.

"What?" he demanded. "Do you always wanna be a loser? You need to break out of that rut, honey."

Now it was Jessie's turn to be offended. She snapped back at him something about liking the rut she was in before anyone could move, Harley was calling on Cacturne to send them away. They watched as Team Rocket flew off into the distance and Drew recalled seeing this more than once…

How did they manage to survive these blasts…

He supposed it didn't matter. They didn't seem interested in Johto and that was one less worry for him.

"Well that was hardly worth the effort," Harley boasted when turning back to May and Drew. "Now, why don't we all go to Johto together like the happy family we are?"

"Uh," Drew just stalled.

"I think I'll pass…" May filled in.

Harley wasn't discouraged in the least.

"Then last one there's a little whimp…" he said, turning to take his leave. "And it won't be me!"

He was thankfully out of sight within seconds, and Drew exhaled. May still looked a bit shell shocked by the sudden action.

"I've got another one of my Harley headaches now," she mumbled, rubbing her head with her hand.

"Hey, May!"

Both the coordinators turned to see May's friends rushing up to them, all looking slightly alarmed.

"We thought we heard an explosion, are you okay?" Ash asked.

Drew rolled his eyes. As if he'd let anything happen to May if he was with her.

"Oh, we're fine," May assured them. "Harley let Team Rocket know they'd worn out their welcome."

"Really?" Brock seemed a bit miffed he'd missed the show.

"So where's Harley now?" Max asked.

"He just left," May said cheerfully.

She was no doubt happy that the fiasco was over like he was. But that's what it was: over. Their time competing in Kanto was over.

Drew felt a sharp pang in his heart as he realized this.

The sun was just hitting the horizon. This was it.

"I've got to go, too."

May wheeled around to face Drew, looking surprised by his wanting to leave, and disappointed by this sudden departure.

"Already?" she said slowly.

The day had been a lot. Had it just been the two of them alone, he probably would have stayed longer. But with her group there now, it felt like he had done all he could do for her there.

Now all he could do was hope, and wish and pray with everything he was that she'd find her way back to him.

In Johto, or wherever.

Drew just smiled, because he knew she would understand that he needed some time to process it all, too.

"The next time I catch up with you, I expect to see your new style, okay?" he offered.

He turned to leave with a sense of both resolve and dread. He hoped this wouldn't be the last time he saw her. Part of him knew it wouldn't. But when?

"It's a deal, Drew! Take care!" she called after him.

He threw her and her friends a wave for good measure.

And then she said the best words she could have possibly said.

"See you soon! And thank you for everything!"

See you soon?

He rounded the corner out of their sight and Drew's heart exploded with hope.


He had decided to shower before bed that night, because if he didn't have to shower in the morning, he could leave earlier.

Laying against the pillow with wet hair wasn't ideal, but Absol with his highly sensitive hearing was not a fan of the hairdryer in the bathroom, so Drew kept rubbing his head with the towel as best ad he could, followed by vigorous combing. No matter what, his hair was going to be a mess tomorrow, especially since he'd be flying for a few hours.

The destination was Goldenrod City, and from his new hotel in Celadon City, it would be at least a five hour flight. Flygon could probably get him there faster, though. He'd have to remember to set a timer.

The prospect of new contests, new Pokémon, new combinations…he was undeniably excited.

Solidad would be there. That was a huge plus, and having his oldest rival and best friend promised for some huge competition. Unfortunately, Harley was going to be there, too. But Johto was a big place, and he was fairly confident he'd be able to avoid that headache for the season.

And if things went perfectly, May would be there, too. He tried not to let himself think too much about the possibility of her competing somewhere else. But the potential of not competing against his biggest rival would make the season seem empty.

Not a good mindset to start the journey on. He pushed the thoughts away.

May had forgiven him, and they were on good terms. Maybe even great terms, and that was all he could ask for. All was well.

He reached over to lamp on his nightstand and hit the switch. The soft snoring of his Pokémon, namely Flygon, was filling the room. Some might find it annoying, but it was comforting to him. He knew with his faithful team, and his new teammate, the next season was his.

Drew slid down under the shot sheets and moved to get comfortable. The air conditioner suddenly kicked on and cool air started filling the room, chilling his damp hair. He could have gotten up and turned off the AC, but the thermostat was across the room and blocked by his sleeping Pokémon. He wasn't going to risk waking them up for that. Sleeping with all of the excitement, as well as the cold, was not going to be easy, but he had to try.

His eyes shut again and he pulled the covers over his head to shield him from the blowing air. It was working well enough and soon enough, he could feel himself drifting off…

But then he heard a dull noise out in the half way, and it grew louder and louder. He recognized it as a group of people, probably drunk, chatting excitedly as they headed down to their own room or rooms. He supposed he could have called the front desk to complain about it, but given that it wasn't extremely late, he guessed it wasn't that big of a deal. And, by the time he could have gotten up to call, the noise had already died down, as quickly as it had started.

His eyes closed again and he readjusted his position. His eyes slowly closed again when his PokéNav buzzed next to him on the nightstand. He groaned and pulled the pillow down over his head. Whatever Solidad was texting him about could wait until the morning.

But then it buzzed again. And a minute later, it buzzed again.

Perhaps something important had happened?

He sat up, embracing the rush of cold air as best as he could, and slapped his hand down on his phone. Begrudgingly pulling it towards him, his eyes winced when he tapped the home button and the brightness of the screen hit him. After a few seconds of his eyes readjusting, he saw he had several messages from a number he did not recognize.

Drew debated about ignoring them, but opened them anyway. He was already up.

Hey, it's May. I got your number from Solidad.

The phone slipped through his fingers as his brain processed the words on his screen. When his PokéNav crashed tono the floor with a bang, his head whipped around to make sure his sleeping Pokémon weren't disturbed by the commotion. They didn't stir, and Drew grabbed the charger wire and pulled his phone back onto the bed.

Sorry for the late text, but I just had some questions about Johto. I've never been, and I don't know much about it…

Drew swallowed hard and began typing a response.

No problem. I've never been, either, but I've been researching it lately, so I might be able to answer some questions.

He hit the send button and watched the screen as his chat bubble appeared on the screen. His heart was hammering in his chest as the seconds ticked by. And it felt like his heart stopped when a little read notification appeared underneath his sent message. And it felt like he'd caught on fire with anticipation when the "typing…" note followed suit.

The smile on his face stretched from ear to ear. She was thinking about it…actually thinking about going to Johto. And she was going to him for advice. While he waited for her response, he went to his PokéNav's menu and saved the contact. Typing "May Maple" in his phone felt like some kind of victory.

I guess I'm just wondering when you're going and how you're getting there? And what's the best town to go to?

His smile grew impossibly wider, and he knew he wasn't going to sleep that night.

He slid back down into his bed and began typing away.


Author's notes:
- To anyone who's followed this story for the YEARS I've been writing it, or if you just picked it up along the way and got here to the ending, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It was never easy finding time to get to the finale, and obviously I sucked at updating, but I made it. Thanks for all the support over the years, guys. This story wouldn't have happened without you. Know that.
- Stay healthy and safe. I'm working on other stuff. We'll see when it gets published.

- Chapter one of "The Girl with the Green Bandana," the sequel to this story, is live on my page!