Chapter 13

When May walks into the meeting on Monday evening, she's surprised to not see the familiar green hair she's used to seeing. After dinner on Saturday, Drew had helped May clean up and he left. He didn't want to stay too late in case the media figured he was alone with her. Even though May was disappointed that he left, she is grateful because she wasn't sure she could keep her composure around Drew. Her heart beats too quickly when he's near her, and she loses all thought.

"Where's Drew?" asks the brunette at the end of the meeting.

Marina lets out a breath because she had told the rest of the committee earlier, but May doesn't arrive until well into the meetings. "He had to go back to Olivine City. He said the city still needs help, and with you here, he knows the contest hall will be just fine."

May blinks at her in confusion because Drew didn't mention this to her. If Drew was leaving, why didn't he say anything? Nodding at Marina, May thanks her before exiting the building. Once in her car, May finds Drew's contact on her pokenav, and she calls him. When the line stops ringing but she doesn't hear a response, she says, "Hey, Drew."

"You need to stop bothering him." May freezes from the female voice she assumes is Brianna.

"I'm just checking on him since he left quickly." May calmly replies to the woman.

"He's fine. The only person he needs is me, so leave him alone."

May is glad Drew doesn't like Brianna because May doesn't like her either. "You should let him be happy."

The woman scoffs. "Watch what you say, May Maple. I can ruin your life."

"That's Drew's money. You got your fame and money from him." May knowingly tells the annoying woman.

"And that kid isn't yours. He just came to you because you're lonely."

May instantly glares at her steering wheel. How dare Brianna bring Kai into this! "He has nothing to do with this!"

"And you have nothing to do with Drew." warns Brianna. "Leave us alone if you care about that kid."

Before May can argue back, Brianna has hung up. Tossing her pokenav angrily to the side, May starts her car to drive home. Even though Drew left her again, she has a feeling it has to do with Brianna. The way that woman answered his pokenav and spoke to May seems like she knows about Drew and May hanging out while he was on Cianwood.

However, Drew did agree to leave back to Brianna, so May shouldn't be upset. They were just starting to be friends again, though it's only been a few days. She doubts Drew will visit her anytime soon. Sighing, May realizes that she and Drew were always meant to be strangers. She can't be mad at him when she's the one who let him in. Even if Brianna did drive them apart, which Drew said he wouldn't let happen, May is grateful for the small amount of happiness she had while he was here.

A Few Days Later

"Can we have dinner with Drew again?" Shay excitedly asks May who stops eating to look at her. May and Kai have dinner with the Enbars on Fridays.

"I thought you keep up with him on the news?" Inquires the woman.

Shaking her head, Shay replies, "Not since you've been with him, May! Now I don't need the news to know about him."

With a weak smile on her face, May says, "Drew moved back to Olivine City last weekend." She's sad to see Shay's smile fall.

"Why?"

"The city still needs help. I can handle the contest hall here, but I'm sure he'll visit when he can." Reassures May even though she knows otherwise.

"I wanted to talk to him some more." pouts the girl.

Rolling his eyes, Kai eats from his plate. "You've talked to him enough."

"It's because you never talk back to me!" she sticks her tongue out at her friend.

"Shay." Pam sternly says to her daughter who shies away from the tone.

"Wanna hear my favorite Pokemon journey story?" offers the brunette to the defeated girl. Why does it seem like Shay is taking Drew's leave worse than her? May can't help but feel for the girl who has a celebrity crush on Drew.

"You mean when you became the Top Coordinator?" Shay asks. May did mention that it's her favorite memory during dinner last week.

Shaking her head, May replies, "It was when I was on Mirage Island."

"Mirage Island sounds cool!" Kai exclaims excitedly.

"I wanna visit it someday! You and Drew say it's your favorite memories!" agrees Shay.

Smiling at the kids, May starts her story. "I was training with Ash when we were attacked by Team Rocket. They were trying to steal Pikachu again."

"Again?" George asks.

Nodding, May says, "They've been trying to steal Pikachu since Ash's first day as a trainer." She then looks at the children. "That's why I always tell my students that they need to know how to battle. There are bad people out there."

"Tell us the story!" insists the eager girl, which makes her parents give May apologetic looks.

"When the submarine blew up, me and a friend got separated from Ash and my other friends." May tells them. "We were later told about the Liechi berries on the island, so we went looking for them while also trying to find my other friends."

"Wow. These berries must be really good if everyone looks for them when they're on the island." Shay astounds.

"They're really good." affirms May. "Anyway, we accidentally fell into the river, and my friend had passed out. I managed to keep him above the water long enough for the Wynaut to rescue us. They had a bunch of berries and let us stay with them until we found my friends."

"The Wynaut are very friendly." Shay mutters in awe. "I wanna meet them!"

Before May can say anything though, Kai speaks for what is also on the Enbar parents' minds. "That's the same story Drew told us."

May looks over and smiles warmly at him while a pink tint spreads on her cheeks. "Drew and I always had the most fun when we traveled together."

"Did you guys date?" Shay asks, causing her parents to scold her.

Waving her hand at them, May laughs. "It's okay, Pam. George." She giggles and faces the apologetic girl. "Never. We were best friends though."

Despite wanting to ask more questions, Shay's parents' gazes are keeping her quiet. She is grateful for her friend. "Why is that your favorite memory?" Kai finds it stupid that May's favorite memory is the same as Drew's.

"Drew and I used to argue all the time before then." reflects the nostalgic woman. "That day was the first time we had to work together. We protected each other, and we saw each other differently. We were then able to communicate better and give each other advice on contest strategies."

"So out of all your 8 years of traveling, that is your favorite memory?" the skeptical boy asks.

"Without Drew, I wouldn't have been a successful coordinator. I attribute a lot of success to him."

Shaking his head, Kai stands up from the table. "He left you again. I don't get why your favorite memory is about him."

Sighing, May looks at the boy. "You will understand when you're older."

"No!" He snaps at her with his intense blue eyes. "People always leave, May!" He runs off before she can stop him.

"I'll get him!" Shay quickly says as she rushes to put on her boots and jacket.

Once the girl is out the door, May smiles apologetically at the parents. "I'm always ruining your dinners. I'm sorry."

George lets out a breath. "Shay is always starting conversations she shouldn't be having. It's not your fault."

"But it's good that Kai got mad at you just now." Pam knowingly tells May. "You said he's never been upset with you before."

While May is feeling bad for making Kai run off, she sees where Pam is coming from. Kai is always so hesitant with his words around May, so the fact that he just shouted at her must mean he's getting closer to her. "I'll talk to him when we're home."

Outside

"Kai!" shouts the girl chasing after her friend. He had stormed out in only a tshirt and his boots. Since he's walking, she quickly catches up to him where she puts his coat around him. "It's cold!"

"I wanna be alone!"

"No you don't!" She's realized that even though Kai requests to be alone, he hates it. Therefore, Shay never leaves him alone.

He glares into her green eyes, which makes her flinch because she's never seen that anger and pain in his before. "Everyone leaves. Just leave me already!"

Hugging him tightly, Shay whispers, "I'll never leave you, Kai."

Although he wants to resist the hug, he finds himself crying into her shoulder. He knows what it's like to be left. It's the reason he's so careful around May because he fears she'll leave him too. Everyone he loves always leaves him, which is why he guards his heart. He's only let Shay and May in right now, but he's still very scared of them leaving him too.

Hearing about Drew leaving May again really irked the boy. Drew was so insistent on being May's friend, but he just left her like this? Yes, May says Drew might visit, but Kai can read her face. May was trying to convince herself of the words. Kai could tell she was upset at Drew's departure, and with May being his caretaker, Kai hates seeing her hurt. She doesn't deserve this pain that Drew keeps inflicting on her!

Once he stops crying, Kai lets go of Shay, though he keeps his gaze away so she doesn't see his puffy red eyes. "I need to say sorry to May."

Putting an arm around his shoulders, Shay grins at him. "I think you two need to talk. You're too mysterious, New." He chuckles at the nickname, but he agrees with her. He and May do need to talk. He needs to trust May more, which will help with any misunderstandings.

Later

When Kai and Shay had arrived back at the Enbars, the group finished their dinner. Kai and May then left where they drove in silence back home. After May shuts the front door behind them, Kai speaks. "Can we talk, May?"

Hanging up her coat, she gives him a curious look. "You don't need to apologize, Kai. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

He shakes his head, and they both sit on the couch. "You don't even know why I'm mad."

"I've been giving Drew more attention than you. Of course you'd be mad."

"No you haven't." he tells her because it's true. May still gives him a lot of attention, and the two spend time together. Drew hasn't affected that, though Kai did notice her absentmindedness had increased once Drew arrived. "I hate when people leave." admits the boy as he looks away from her.

Giving him a warm smile, May moves closer to Kai. She puts an arm around his shoulders to pull him close to her. The two rarely have physical contact, but they find comfort in each other when they do. "I won't leave you."

Taking in a deep shaky breath, he asks, "Really?" Kai wants to believe her words. He already cherishes May a lot, and he's grateful towards her.

She squeezes his shoulder. "I promise, Kai. You're my family now, so I won't leave you." May finds it ironic because she left her own family a few years ago. She hasn't spoken to any of them since, but May has been trying to move on.

"Are we really a family?"

Nodding, she gazes down at the shy boy. "I think so. We live together and take care of each other."

He leans into her side. "I like having you in my family, May."

"I like having you in my family too, Kai."

Olivine City

"Why'd you leave?" shouts Leaf over the call at her friend.

Frowning, Drew knows he can't explain that Brianna is blackmailing him. "They don't need me. They have a former Hoenn Top Coordinator there."

"But I asked you to go!"

"Olivine City needs me more than them, Leaf. You know that."

Leaf inwardly groans because she knows Drew is right. "Fine. When you're done with Olivine City, I expect you to go back to Cianwood."

"Why? There's nothing to do there." Drew has been confused about why Leaf is so insistent that he be in Cianwood.

Leaf is silent as she thinks. There's nothing there? Did Drew not run into May? Does he not care about her? While Leaf has never heard Drew talk about the woman, she only knows about May from Ash and Misty. Maybe this May girl just has a one-sided crush on Drew, like Brianna does? "Do whatever you want, Drew." she disappointedly tells her friend before hanging up.

Furrowing his brows, Drew opens his call log to call her back when he notices a call from a few days ago. May had called him on Monday? It shows he picked up the call, but he doesn't remember it. Drew had been upset that she didn't contact him when she found out he left, but he blamed it on himself for leaving abruptly. He had promised not to leave again, though he did. He promised not to let Brianna drive them apart, but he did. In the end, May has every right to be mad at him.

However, right now, he's angry because he knows he didn't pick up her call. The only person who could would be Brianna since he's been with her once he came back last weekend. Storming into the bedroom, he exclaims, "You picked up my calls?"

She looks up from her tablet innocently. "What was that?"

Glaring at her, Drew shouts, "May called on Monday, and I know you picked it up."

"Did she call back to tell you that?" Brianna snaps at her boyfriend. Ever since Drew came back from Cianwood, he's been more cold to her than usual. She hates it, and she knows it has something to do with May.

"I left Cianwood for you! Leave May alone!" he sternly tells her.

"Then you better make sure she leaves you alone, Drew." the woman knowingly replies.

Groaning, Drew leaves the room again. Brianna makes his life unbearable, but he can't let her ruin May's relationship with Kai. While Drew doesn't know their story, he does know that the two care for each other deeply. He scrolls through his pokenav to call a friend of his. He needs answers, and she may be the best one who knows them.

"Hello?" answers the male voice on the other end.

"Hello, George? It's Drew Hayden." Drew says once he's outside. He doesn't want to risk Brianna hearing his call.

"Oh! Hello, Drew! How'd you get our number?"

Chuckling, Drew thinks about the purple haired girl. "Shay gave it to me a long time ago. Can I talk to her?" He hears some hesitation on the other end, which Drew can accept from the man. "I just wanna ask her about May and Kai."

"I think you should ask May about that…"

"She won't tell me. I just wanna know more about them." insists Drew. "Please, George. I don't mean any harm."

Sighing, George agrees to get Shay. After hearing May's story the other day, he knows May cares deeply for Drew. With them sharing the same story, George knows Drew cares deeply for her too. He had said he really cared about the friend who rescued him, which the Enbars and Kai found out was May. Therefore, George trusts Drew's words. Drew hasn't given him a reason not to.

When Shay is on the phone, she excitedly greets Drew who greets her back. "I don't have a lot of time, Shay." He tells her. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"Sure!" George had wanted to prepare his daughter for Drew's questions, but when he told her Drew was on the phone, she hurried away.

"Can you tell me about Kai and May?"

Slightly disappointed that he wants to talk about them rather than her, Shay begrudgingly asks, "What about them?"

"What's their relationship? Why are they together?"

"You should ask May." the girl tells him. It's not her place to tell her friends' business like this.

"Please, Shay. May won't tell me, but I want to know. I want to protect them, and I can do it better if I know their relationship."

Shay thinks for a moment. Kai had cried to her because people keep leaving, like Drew. She can't tell the man anything since he's caused Kai's tears. "First tell me why you left."

"I can't."

"Then I can't tell you about them." shrugs Shay. As much as she admires Drew, she cares about Kai and May more.

Sighing, Drew says, "I don't want to risk separating them."

"What do you mean?" Even if Drew is in May's life, Shay doubts May will let it distract her from Kai. May and Kai have been fine when he was around.

"It's complicated, Shay. But I had to leave. If it were up to me, I would've never left, even after the contest hall gets built. But I have to leave." he closes his eyes in frustration.

Frowning, Shay chooses not to pry him about this. Since he didn't tell her too much, she won't tell him too much either. "May adopted Kai."

"I knew that already. But why?"

Taking in a deep nervous breath, Shay mentally apologizes to her friend. "His dad died and his mom left." She softly tells Drew. "That's all I know. He doesn't like talking about his past or why he and May are together."

"Do you know his parents' names?" Maybe Drew can find Kai's mother or other relatives? Maybe a search on Kai's parents will help answer more of Drew's questions?

"I don't know. He doesn't talk about them." Shay repeats. "But his last name is Birch, like the Hoenn professor. Kai says he doesn't know the professor though."

"Birch?" Drew raises an eyebrow curiously. Professor Birch did have a son who passed away a few years ago from a drug overdose. It was all over the news because Professor Birch is famous, and his son was a great battler. What was his son's name again? Drew has never met the professor, so he has no idea, though if Kai is the professor's grandson, things will make sense. "Thanks, Shay! I'll treat you to dinner next time I'm on the island!" He then hangs up before the girl can respond.

Scrolling through his contacts, Drew's finger lingers above the next contact. He has also been curious about May living in Johto. There were no photos of her family in the house, and she never brought them up. Being someone who would talk about them non-stop when she was younger, Drew has been curious about why May seems so distant towards them.

Mustering up enough courage, he clicks on the Petalburg City Gym contact. It rings a while before someone finally picks up. "Petalburg City Gym. This is Kenny speaking!"

"Is one of the Maples there?" Drew nervously asks. He really hopes he can talk to Caroline because Norman doesn't like him.

"May I ask who's calling?"

"Drew Hayden." Drew breathes out. "Caroline and Max know me. Norman might not remember me."

"I'll be right back." the receptionist says and Drew is put on hold.

The nervous man really hopes Caroline picks up the call. Norman will hang up on him, but Caroline may listen to him. Eventually, the call is picked back up and Drew hears a woman's voice, making him thank the gods.

"May isn't here, Drew." Caroline sounds sad as she says this. She only knows Drew as May's former traveling partner and rival. Caroline suspected that the two liked each other when they were younger, but she's since learned that they aren't friends anymore. Drew must want to talk to her if he's calling the gym.

"No, ma'am. I wanted to talk to you." Drew tells her.

"Oh. Is everything okay?" Caroline is confused about why Drew wants to speak to her. The two rarely spoke except for when May was around.

"Do you know why May adopted Kai?"

His question causes the woman to almost drop the phone. Ever since May left years ago, Caroline has been very distraught. Max also rarely comes home now too. She's felt lonely without her children, especially since May left in anger. Norman is just as stubborn as May, so the two haven't contacted the other. Caroline isn't sure how to speak to May again because the older woman didn't support May's decision to adopt Kai.

Although no one knows why the professor is upset with Kai, they still stand by the man. He's a family friend. Therefore, Norman and Caroline are still upset that May decided to adopt this random child they know nothing about. Why did May have to go and complicate everything? She left with this boy and it broke the Maple family.

"No one does." Caroline finally answers Drew's question. He was scared that she had hung up, but he's grateful for her response.

"Who is Kai?"

Sighing, Caroline says, "Why do you want to know, Drew? I can't just tell anyone else's business."

"I met May in Johto." admits the man. "She won't tell me anything."

"Then what makes you think I will?"

"Because I want to protect May and Kai, ma'am."

Pursing her lips, Caroline debates about the information she knows. If Drew met May, then they must be friends again. Caroline is relieved to hear her daughter isn't alone anymore. Drew has always been a great friend to her. "There are claims that Kai is the professor's grandson."

"Claims?" Drew curiously asks.

"Yes. But the professor doesn't believe Brenden has a son." Caroline lets out a shaky breath. "When May adopted him, we all told her not to, but she left. It's why we haven't seen or heard from her in years."

"We'll visit, ma'am!" Drew quickly speaks because he can hear the woman sobbing. "I'll make sure we visit you guys! Me, May, and Kai!"

"Thank you, Drew, but I want May to contact us when she wants to."

"She does." Drew insists since he's seen how lonely May seems. Despite being surrounded by many people and Pokemon, May seems so alone. "We'll visit. I promise."

"Thank you, Drew." Caroline repeats.

Soon, the call ends, and Drew looks up at the snow falling, which reminds him of his snowball fight with May last week. Gosh, he misses her so much. It's like the first time they split up years ago but worse because he knows he didn't choose to leave her this time. Looking back at his pokenav, Drew gazes at May's name in her contact. He will fight for his happiness, and he knows he's the happiest with her.