Chapter 2: Stalker
"Okay. Time to hit the road again." May said, climbing up on Rapidash.
Rapidash looked ahead of them at a forest full of berries and he neighed.
May looked forward. She smiled. "But first...how does some breakfast sound?"
Rapidash neighed happily in agreement.
"Then let's go." May signaled with her foot and Rapidash started walking out of the flower field. The forest ahead of them has tons of berries on the trees.
The forest is also where Drew headed for. He actually slept in the forest, because he wants to keep an eye on May and Rapidash. He figured that they must be going in that direction when they woke up, and he was right. Yesterday when he heard the sound of a horse and someone talking, he went to investigate. That's when he had his run-in with May and her Rapidash. But as soon as he saw them just on the ground alone at night, at first he thought that May was actually homeless. But when he saw her clothes and Rapidash's fur, it seemed like his suspicions were wrong. But he still wants to make sure that she really can survive on her own.
Drew doesn't even know why he's doing that. He heard the sound of May's Rapidash and he hid behind a tree, spying on them. Something about May yesterday seemed...different. And he just feels like making sure that she can survive on her own in the wild.
May and Rapidash entered the forest and stopped at a nearby Pecha Berry tree. Drew is actually behind the tree next to the one they stopped at.
May removed the saddle bag from the saddle. She opened it and held it out in front of her, next to Rapidash's head. Rapidash turned his head and bit the edge of the saddle bag. May released it, Rapidash holding it in his mouth.
("What is she doing?") Drew thought from behind a tree.
"Okay. Time for food." May said. She brought both feet up on Rapidash, slowly going up into a squat position. She then found her balance and slowly stood up, standing up completely on Rapidash.
Drew's eyes widened. ("She can do that?") He thought, shocked.
May then faced the tree and jumped off of Rapidash, grabbing a branch. She pulled herself up and stood on the branch. Rapidash changed his position and now faced the tree, looking up at May.
May started picking some Pecha Berries from the tree. "Okay. Here they come!" She called.
Rapidash held up the saddlebag and May started throwing the Pecha Berries down one at a time. She threw them perfectly into the saddlebag. And Rapidash was sure to move quickly to catch all of them.
Drew was staring in awe of May and Rapidash. May was picking some more berries and throwing them down to Rapidash who catches them perfectly. Drew also noticed the bright smile on May's face and slight laughter coming from her. She's clearly having fun shooting baskets into the saddlebag.
"Okay. Just a few more." May said, reaching over to a different branch. However, the branch was too far and her foot slipped off of the branch she's on. She completely lost her balance and found herself falling to the ground with her eyes closed.
She felt someone grab her and she immediately wrapped her arms around the person's neck. She opened her eyes. And then they widened. "Drew?"
"Umm...hi." Drew said, blushing slightly. He had seen how May's foot slipped and he immediately jumped into action. And he managed to catch her bridal style.
May blushed slightly as well at the position they're in. "Umm...hi to yourself." May and Drew are just staring into each other's eyes. Emerald staring into sapphire.
Rapidash furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of Drew holding May. He neighed angrily at Drew.
Drew snapped out of his trance. He carefully put May down, her standing on her feet. "So umm...nice little show you put on." Drew said.
"Huh?" May questioned. "Oh, right. That. Umm...are you...following us?" She asked suspiciously.
"What? No. Of course not. I'm not a stalker."
"Then why did you just so happen to be here to catch me?"
"Uhh…"
"You should've been long gone since yesterday."
"Well, I was just...coming back this way."
"Why?"
"To see if you need any help?" Drew answered.
"Drew, we can handle ourselves." May walked to Rapidash and pet him, taking the saddlebag from him and attaching it back to the saddle. She faced Drew. "We don't need any help."
Drew smirked. "You just fell out of a tree."
May blushed and looked away from him. "And I thank you for catching me. But we'll get going now." She climbed up on Rapidash.
"Are you sure you don't need anything else from me besides being your knight in shining armor?"
May blushed. "Yes. I'm sure." She then furrowed her eyebrows at Drew. "And you're not a knight in shining armor."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. A knight in shining armor has a horse." May said.
Rapidash gave Drew a glare before walking off on May's command. Drew watched them leave, smirking to himself.
("She's definitely different. And special.") Drew thought. ("But she still seems to be homeless. I wonder if she ever has money to pay for real restaurant food.") And with that, Drew walked after them.
"Well Rapidash, we're here." May said. Rapidash stopped walking at the entrance to this city. May jumped off and held onto the rein, walking Rapidash into the city.
They had eaten the Pecha Berries that were in the saddlebag during the ride. May would feed Rapidash by reaching forward with the berry. And she ate some as well. The berries are all gone now. And they made it to the city right on time for lunch.
May looked around them as they walked on the sidewalk. Some people were stealing glances at them and some were just staring with their mouth agape. May figured that since this is a city, the people don't really have horses here.
"Well Rapidash, I think I'll go buy us some food first." May said.
May and Rapidash continued walking and came across the Pokémon Center. They went to the right side of it where there's a few trees and there's grass. She walked to the front of Rapidash and pet his head. "I'll be back, okay?" Rapidash neighed in agreement.
May walked away from Rapidash and she entered the Pokémon Center. What her and Rapidash don't know is that Drew has been following them all the way here. He saw May enter the Pokémon Center and he decided to just go to the left in an alley between the Center and a fence.
After 5 minutes, May walked out of the Pokémon Center with a box and a can in her hands. She walked to where Rapidash is and Drew continued to spy on them.
"I'm back." May said. Rapidash neighed happily.
May opened the saddlebag and took out a food bowl. She placed it on the ground close to the wall. She then opened the can and poured the Pokémon food into the bowl. Rapidash walked to the bowl and bent her head down to start eating the food.
May sat next to the bowl and opened the box that she had. The box has human food in it. It's like a take-out box from a restaurant. May started eating her food as well.
"Hmm…" Drew hummed while spying on them. He then walked away from the Pokémon Center. ("I guess she really can handle herself.")
Drew walked all the way to his home which happens to be in this city. By the time he got there, May and Rapidash finished their food. May took the bowl and can and put them in the saddlebag. She threw the box away in an outdoor trash can.
"Okay, boy." May said. "Want to explore the city?"
Rapidash neighed in agreement.
"Then let's go." May took the reins and started walking Rapidash. She figures that riding Rapidash would bring way more attention than they're already getting.
The people that they pass either look at them or steal glances at them. It's like they've never seen anything so big.
"I think you're becoming famous here." May said. Rapidash neighed softly. May giggled. "Being famous...isn't bad."
Rapidash gave May a look that said, 'Really?" sarcastically.
"I guess it is bad." May said. Rapidash faced forward. "I mean, the only bad thing was that I was going to be forced to marry someone. Being famous was actually pretty cool. But of course, I am Royalty. The royal family is always famous. But it's still cool."
Rapidash rolled his eyes and May didn't see.
They walked for a few more minutes. And then…
Rapidash neighed, alerting May of something. May looked up at Rapidash and then at where he's looking. There are some kids sitting in an alley against the wall. Their clothes are torn and dirty, their skin is dirty, their hair is messy and dirty. May could tell that they must be starving. And they must be homeless. They don't even have parents. There's just 3 kids.
May and Rapidash exchanged looks with each other. They both nodded and then faced forward. They walked to the kids. The three kids looked up at them.
May opened the saddlebag and took out her wallet. She pulled out three 100 dollar bills. She gave one each to the kids. They all stared at it in awe. "Buy yourselves something." May said. With that said, she put her wallet away and they continued walking. The three kids ran out of the alley and directly to a store.
May exhaled. "Always good to do a good deed. I guess that's just the Princess in me, huh?" Rapidash neighed, agreeing.
May and Rapidash were still eyed by the people all throughout the city. Once it got dark, they found an exit of the city and walked into a nearby forest.
"Let's sleep over here." May said.
They stopped walking in a small opening in the forest. Rapidash laid on the grass. May brought out her blanket and laid down on the grass too. They both drifted off to sleep.
