"Happy Birthday, Kai!" Exclaims May to the now 8 year old. He shyly smiles at her after he blows out his candles.
"What'd you wish for?" Shay eagerly asks her friend.
"Shay." Pam narrows her eyes at her daughter.
"You're not supposed to tell anyone or it won't come true." George knowingly tells the children.
"It won't come true." Kai mutters. He wishes for the same thing every year, but he knows it won't come true.
Giving him a warm smile, Drew ruffles the boy's hair. "It's okay to hope, Kai."
Knowing that it's Kai's birthday, Drew managed to make up an excuse to leave Olivine City and Brianna for the day. He really wants to celebrate the boy's birthday because he wants to get close to Kai. However, Kai is still very reserved around him. This is Drew's first time visiting since Shane's welcome home party a few months ago.
May appreciates Drew's efforts in trying to be involved with her and Kai. It shows he does want to be her friend again, which she wants to be his too. When Drew called the other day about coming to the party, May was surprised he even knew Kai's birthday. Nevertheless, she is happy for her friend's visit.
After everyone eats cake and Kai opens his presents, they all relax in the small living room. Of course, Shane is in Hoenn, but he had called Kai earlier to wish him a happy birthday. May is happy to see all of these people who cherish Kai as much as she does. He won't ever be alone again.
"Got that contest move ready?"
The voice makes her smirk as she turns to face her friend sitting down beside her. "Don't copy it."
Flicking his hair, Drew scoffs. "I don't need to copy inferior techniques."
She raises a challenging eyebrow at him. "Really?"
"Really." He returns her smirk while blue meets green. As if on cue, both adults get up to race out the back door, which makes everyone curiously look in that direction.
"Where are they going?" George asks.
With a huge grin on her face, Shay exclaims, "Maybe they're battling again!"
This comment makes Kai's eyes light up in excitement. As much as he doesn't like Drew, Kai can enjoy a good battle. When May battled Drew last time, Kai has never seen her so excited and passionate. He likes that look on May because she is usually just going through the motions of life. It's another reason he tolerates Drew since Drew seems to make May happier.
Once everyone is outside, they spot May's Glaceon and Beautifly on one part of the yard while Drew's Flygon and Masquerain are on the other. However, this isn't a double battle since neither Pokémon are attacking each other. The Enbars and Kai watch in awe as May's Pokemon work together to create a magnificent show. Drew soon follows suit with his own show.
Grinning at May, the man approaches her. "I'll admit, January. That was pretty impressive."
"Good thing I had all these months to practice." She smiles back at him after thanking her pokemon. May had been training and practicing every day since Drew's last visit. While the two don't communicate when he's away, for fear of Brianna, May can always trust that he will visit when he can. She will give Drew time because that's what friends are for, especially since he's at least making an effort to visit.
Drew looks up at Masquerain and Beautifly to hide his blush. May's smile always gets his heart beating fast, and seeing her so passionate about this contest move reminds him of old childhood feelings. Just like May, Drew had been training and practicing for when he visits Cianwood again. "Do you still remember that move?"
May follows his gaze to their bug pokemon chatting happily above them. With a big grin on her face, she exclaims, "I can never forget it!"
Drew can't help but smirk and flick his hair. He looks over at their spectators. "This is a once in a lifetime show free of charge!" He shouts to them. "Watch closely!"
"Beautifly!"
"Masquerain!"
The two coordinators then have their Pokémon put on a spectacular show where Masquerain freezes his bubbles in the air, and Beautifly uses psychic to keep them afloat before spinning them in a silver wind attack. Drew adds in a hidden power attack to add more bright lights, and May has Beautifly use a morning sun attack, which melts the bubbles. The Pokémon stop their attacks as the beautiful sparkles glitter to the ground around everyone, especially with Beautifly's previous gust attack causing the autumn tree leaves to crumple and add to the mix.
"Whoa!" Shay exclaims in awe at the colors and sparkles.
Kai, who has always focused on battling, is also amazed by the sight. He's never seen attacks be so coordinated and beautiful. May has really surprised him today because he's only ever seen her battle. He has more respect for her and coordinating after this. Also, Kai sees Drew in a different light since Drew and May have a great relationship. He makes her happy, and Kai sees May is more excited about Pokémon than before.
Smirking at the woman beside him, Drew puts up a hand. "We still got it!" The two had practiced this move for the times they would double battle in contests. It's their favorite show, and they would often just do it in practice to see the sparkles. With it being fall, Drew likes how May added the addition of the leaves. She's gotten better at improvising.
High fiving him in excitement, May shouts, "Yeah!" She then goes off to thank the Pokémon, and Drew can't help but grin at her. May cares deeply for Pokémon, which is why she always takes her losses worse than them. He's really missed this caring woman who puts effort into everything.
"That was awesome!" Shay cries while tackling May in a hug. Welcoming the hug, May giggles from the energetic girl.
Kai makes his way over to Drew, who is admiring May, and says, "I still don't like you."
Chuckling, Drew ruffles the boy's white hair but he keeps his eyes on the smiling May. "She likes you, so I do too."
Kai swats Drew's hand away and grumbles, "I don't hate you. Just don't hurt her."
The man now turns his gaze to Kai where he gives the boy a warm smile. "That's the last thing I ever wanna do." Drew then notices the brunette approaching him, making his heart beat quicker.
Once she's in front of him with Shay by her side, May enthusiastically says, "We should come up with another one."
"Maybe we should start competing again?" He suggests. Drew is also very excited about coordinating again, and he knows it's because of her.
However, May gives him a weak smile. "I have Kai, and you have a girlfriend, Drew."
Since the kids are still around them, Drew is careful with his words. "I was saying after Kai leaves for his journey. Maybe we should compete in contests like the Cianwood one once it's built?"
Before May can come up with another excuse, Kai speaks up, "I think you should compete again, May." He sees how happy she is with coordinating, so he wants her to keep doing it. She shouldn't quit just because she's raising him, especially since he will be gone in a few years.
Hearing Kai actually give his opinion about something relating to her makes May smile since Kai is usually too scared of rejection to say anything. Bending down to fix the bandana wrapped around his head, May looks into his blue eyes. "Will you come cheer for me?"
He shyly nods, and Shay wraps an arm around his shoulders. "I'll come too! And mom and dad and Shane if he's here!"
"I can see why you two earned Top Coordinator titles." Pam says as she and George walk up to the group.
Drew sheepishly rubs the back of his head from the compliment. "Thanks."
Giggling at him, May pretends to gasp. "Is The Drew Hayden being shy?"
Of course, this causes him to roll his eyes at her before smirking and flicking his hair. "As if, April."
As the young adults argue, George and Pam bring the kids back inside. "I wanna be a coordinator!" announces Shay to the other three.
George and Pam look at their daughter to give her proud smiles. "You can be whatever you want to be." George tells Shay. When Pam nods, Shay hugs both of her parents tightly. She then turns her hopeful attention to her friend. Kai and Shay have been planning to be Pokemon trainers since they met, so she knows this change will affect them greatly. She does hope to be able to travel with him still.
When Shay's green eyes meet Kai's confused blue ones, he asks, "Are we still gonna travel together?"
This question causes the girl to tackle her friend in a tight hug. "Yes, New! We're gonna travel everywhere together! Even Mirage Island!" Blushing from her hug, Kai wraps his arms around her too while the Enbar parents smile at the children.
Hours later, the Enbars have left, so Kai, Drew, and May are cleaning. Even though May told Kai he doesn't have to clean because it's his birthday, the boy never wants to cause trouble for May. Therefore, he's helping with the cleaning, like he does for every one of his birthday celebrations. When there aren't many things left to clean up, Kai heads off to bed since tomorrow is a school day.
Drew makes an excuse to use the bathroom, but he stops by the boy's room instead. Knocking on the open door makes Kai look up at Drew, so the boy frowns. "I'm going to sleep."
"Wanna be tucked in?" Drew teases him since Kai always wants to be independent. However, the boy is unamused. Letting out a nervous breath, Drew asks, "Can I come in?"
"Why?"
"I wanna get to know you, Kai." Drew's genuine green eyes meet Kai's uninterested blue ones. "I will never take May away from you. She wouldn't like that, and she also wouldn't let it ever happen."
Kai looks away as he climbs into his bed. "Why are you with May?" Shay had asked him this question before, and Kai wasn't sure how to answer it the first few times. Now, though, Shay has helped him realize that May is his family. However, Kai wants to know what May is to Drew before the boy can let Drew into their lives.
Smiling, Drew welcomes himself into the room where he sits on Kai's desk chair and faces the boy. "She makes me happy." Drew can't help but grin wider while thinking about the airheaded brunette in the other room. "I haven't been this happy since we parted ways years ago."
"Why should I trust you?" asks the skeptical boy. Despite Drew seeming honest right now, Kai knows Drew has a girlfriend. Why would Drew hang out with another woman when he has a girlfriend of many years?
Sighing, Drew leans back in the chair and runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Kai." He admits. "But I'll show you you can. I'll show you and May that you guys can trust me."
"Are you okay, Drew?" comes the shout down the hall, which makes the man quickly sit up.
Giving Kai one quick final smile, Drew says, "She thinks I'm in the bathroom." Before exiting the room, Drew hurriedly adds, "Thanks for protecting May, Kai." The man then slips out while closing the door, and Kai looks at the chair Drew was just in.
Can he really trust Drew? He wants to, but it took him over a year to let May into his life. He's only seen Drew a handful of times, though May already seems to fully trust Drew. Closing his eyes, Kai won't let Drew in just yet. However, he will keep an open mind towards the man since Drew seems to want to get to know him despite Kai not wanting to interact with Drew. Soon, the boy slips off to sleep from the tiresome day.
"I like it when you worry about me, June." snickers the man walking out from the hallway.
Rolling her eyes, May ties up the last trashbag. "I thought you had diarrhea." Drew comes to take the trash bag from her and carry it out the front door. "Or you were avoiding cleaning up."
Chuckling, he tosses the bag in the can outside. "The Drew Hayden never leaves a lady in waiting." He turns to meet her face with a smirk on his.
Crossing her arms knowingly, May replies, "I'm pretty sure that's been Brianna blowing up your pokenav all day."
Sighing, Drew gives the woman an apologetic look. "That's different."
"Why won't you break up with her if she makes you this unhappy?"
"It's complicated, May."
"And so is my relationship with Kai, but I still told you!"
Drew really doesn't want May to know that Brianna is threatening her. It'd only make May feel guilty. With his pleading emerald eyes, he says, "Just give me some time."
Furrowing her brows, May replies, "You shouldn't have to sneak around to come see us."
The man steps closer to her where he puts his hands on her shoulders. Looking into her frustrated blue orbs, Drew gives her a small smile. "I miss it when you get mad for me."
May looks away from his mesmerizing emerald eyes before she can tiptoe to kiss him. "It's not right, Drew."
Chuckling, he walks past her and back into the house. "A lot of things in life aren't right, but we work with it." Once inside, Drew grabs his belongings.
"Drew." Her soft voice makes him turn to curiously look at her. She stands directly in front of him to gaze up at his face. Drew is a lot more handsome than when they were younger. When she had first met him almost a year ago, he seemed a little empty, which she could tell because she also felt empty too. Yes, they both have other people in their lives, but they've always felt like something was missing. With Drew back, May has been a lot happier. She hopes Drew is too, even though he looks more refreshed than back then.
"Yeah?" Drew speaks because he's scared that the silence will make him kiss her.
Smiling at her friend, May tells him, "Have a safe trip back."
Drew returns the smile and pulls out a rose to hand to her. "I'll be back."
"I know." May replies while taking the thornless rose. She then follows him out and watches as he flies off on Flygon. Every time Drew leaves, May feels an ache in her heart, but the fact that he will return helps alleviate the pain.