"...the best thing you can do is wish her well, wherever she may be."
Drew sighed. He had managed to snap himself into a working mindset. It was the last day to prepare for the Grand Festival and he knew he couldn't waste more time. It had been a long time since he had been under the contest spotlight, and obviously he had to show and prove that he was still a worthy coordinator.
He had begun training since he parted ways with Solidad after their conversation over coffee yesterday morning. He spent the whole day working with his Pokemon, fine-tuning their moves and prepping them. They seemed more than eager to finally be able to compete again the second Drew told them about the Grand Festival. They have been pushing themselves a little harder than before, knowing how important these things are to their trainer.
The sunbeams poured through narrow openings of the pale clouds as it outlined the fringes of the lazy drifting clouds. The calm relaxing shade of blue in the background supported the clouds and sun.
There were a lot of coordinators who flocked to the grounds outside of the contest hall to train and work on their moves. Just like his young coordinating days, he preferred to train in private, so he stuck to the secluded beaches and the deep end of the forests surrounding Slateport's main contest plaza. He didn't want the other coordinators to watch him train and plan his appeals. It had always been a system that had served him well throughout his coordinating career and he wouldn't change it.
He turned to face his awaiting Pokemon.
"Alright Absol, you're up," he said. "Let's work on that Dark Pulse."
Absol nodded and mewed softly, taking his position in front of Drew.
"Absol, use Dark Pulse!" Drew yelled.
Absol leaped forward and let out a loud growl. The scythe protruding from his head glowed a vicious purple and a distinctive and grim aura was released, busting several barks of trees nearby. He landed on his feet gracefully and straightened his posture.
Drew let out a slight smirk. "Great job, Absol," he praised, walking forward and stroked his pure white fur gently. "Your Dark Pulse's so much better now. Just a little bit more practice and you should be able to master it."
Absol nodded, nuzzling his head against Drew.
Suddenly, he heard his PokeNav ring. He dug his hand deep into the pocket of his pants and fished it out.
A photo of his pink-haired companion flashed on the screen. He raised an eyebrow before hitting the 'accept' button after the fifth ring.
"Come on, Drew," she said instantly. "You aren't seriously going to spend the whole day training, are you?"
He rolled his eyes. "Hello to you too, Sol."
"I'm surprised you can even do some training after our conversation yesterday," she remarked, laughing a little. "I thought you would… "
"Isolate myself in my room and bawl my eyes out?" he cut her off, scoffing at her. "Please. I'm not going to let that get in the way of my training. The festival starts tomorrow, you know."
"Sure," Solidad said, evidently not convinced. "So, I'll see you at the opening ceremony party tonight?"
"Oh, I don't think I'm going. You know I always skip these things."
"Drew, come on. I know it's not your scene. But it'd be lovely to have you there. We haven't seen each other for five years and it'd be great to spend every moment together. You, me and even Harley," she insisted. He heard her pause before she added, "also, wouldn't it be a good idea to scout the competition for this festival?"
He could hear her smirk at the other end of the line and sighed. The pink-haired coordinator definitely knew how to choose her words to persuade and make him change his mind.
"Fine. I'll be there."
"Great! Harley and I will meet you at the entrance of the contest hall half an hour before the ceremony starts. See you!" Solidad squealed before the call briefly ended.
The screen to his PokeNav turned black and he promptly slipped it back into his pocket with a sigh.
It's true. He always skipped the opening and closing ceremonies of any Grand Festival. He saw no point in attending them. Loud music, socializing, dancing, alcoholic beverages for the adults … It really wasn't his scene.
"... and how do you suppose he got good enough to win? You always have to keep trying to get better or someone will pass you by."
Those were his exact words to a certain brunette with her iconic red bandana after he had lost to Robert in the Hoenn Grand Festival 11 years ago and she had caught him training on the beach, wondering why he was not at the after party.
"... there's always someone better."
He was so close to clinching the title of Top Coordinator that day. There's no worse place than second place. From then on, he was always determined to keep improving himself and refused to let anyone surpass him. Especially that same brunette. His friend. His rival.
May - the girl with the red bandana.
She wasn't a rookie coordinator anymore. What started out as a mundane and tacky frisbee routine became a rather acceptable and satisfactory performance by her. For someone who just started out, she actually made it into the top eight. He couldn't deny that she was actually a decent coordinator.
She was good, for a first-timer.
And he knew that it wouldn't be long before she would become better and eventually, be his equal.
And she did, when she beat him in the Kanto Grand Festival and managed to get into the Top 4.
He let out another sigh before turning back to face his Pokemon.
"We still have time," he said, his tight frown slowly breaking into a small smile. "Let's continue training."
Drew didn't like wearing suits.
Well, he wasn't exactly decked in a full tuxedo. He was wearing a black dress shirt that was tucked neatly in a pair of tight, khaki pants.
There were a lot of factors that went into fueling his disdain for these kinds of outfits. They were too stuffy and uncomfortable - definitely too hot for Hoenn. He fumbled as he pulled down his sleeve slightly and glanced at his watch.
It was 20 minutes to seven.
He rolled his eyes and let out a long breath, like he didn't even know he'd been holding it in. They were late. He wrinkled his nose as he could feel his sweat seeping into the armpit area of his shirt. This was a complete waste of time. He could be carrying on with his training, something that he thoroughly enjoyed doing. But instead, he was dragged into attending this redundant ceremony - well, to him at least.
The shadows were now growing twice as long as themselves, the air was damp and cool smelling faintly of a car's exhaust fumes, the sun dipped lower in the sky until the buildings that line the pavements stood as black statues silhouetted against the darkening sky, slowly their shadows melted away into the blackness of night.
Drew felt his PokeNav buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a text from Solidad.
Hey big guy. We're running a little late. Why don't you head in first?
He rolled his eyes again, pressing his lips firmly together as he slipped his PokeNav back into his pocket. He let out an exasperated sigh, dragging his feet slowly towards the doors of the contest hall.
The music soared through the air like an eagle on an up-draft, taking with it the very souls of the listening audience. They ascended together in a magical flight to the heavens, a breathtaking melody of orchestral exuberance. Then after the crescendo they dived back down, giddy, their breath stolen from their bodies.
As he walked in, the music became louder and louder, just like thunder. The auditorium where the ceremony will be held was dim with neon lights flashing everywhere into various corners of the room, making the entire room seem like a nightclub. It had taken him a while to find this place within the contest hall. The first thing he noticed when he entered was how packed it was. It looked like most of the coordinators were already there, if not, all of them. The place buzzed with excited chatter, as the music slowly mellowed down into a low volume.
Drew arched his eyebrow, scanning the room to see if he could recognise anyone. So far, the people he saw as he walked deeper into the room towards one of the tables weren't those whose names immediately came back to him.
He gave up. He figured that if anyone wanted to say hello to him, they'd make the first move. Furthermore, he didn't really feel like being cornered into a conversation right now - at least until his friends joined him.
Just as he was about to look away, he spotted a flurry of light brown tress that seemed oddly familiar standing there in the middle of the room.
No, it couldn't be her. It could never be her. How could it be her?
He blinked hurriedly, slightly hoping that the image he had seen would disappear and it would just be a figure of his imagination.
He opened his eyes one last time and looked ahead.
Five years. It had been five years. Impossible. It wasn't her.
His breathing stopped.
It was her.
What he was seeing - who he was seeing - could not have possibly been the same person that was standing a few feet away from him. The same person who was now making her way over to him.
He paused, swallowing hard as he met the gaze of that woman.
It really was her.
May.
And even after these 5 years, she still looked stunning as ever. Her hair was a soft brown, like the colour of fallen leaves, not dark but simply gentle in any light, bouncing softly at the sides of her face. It was much longer than when he had last seen her and it brought a certain warmth to her features. She had the kindest pair of ocean blue eyes trimmed by long, gorgeous lashes. Alluringly, she would blink her eyes from time to time, allowing her eyelashes to flutter like the wings of a butterfly. Arceus, her eyes were simply spellbinding. Florid cheeks and flawlessly sculpted lips, as if crafted by angels themselves. Now, standing close to her, he could see them clearly. All these features formed together on a delicate, angelic face.
Silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground as the woman stood in front of him. The silence was like a gaping void, needing to be filled with sounds, words, anything. Her soft lips stretched into a smile. It was the prettiest thing, just like how he remembered.
She was wearing a short baby pink halter dress made of soft, satiny fabric. It had lovely, intricate lace details at the front and in her ears were large silver hoops, skinny at the top and widening towards the base. As her head moved, they did too.
Arceus, she looked really beautiful.
"Hello Drew," May whispered, her smile growing wider.
He could feel his heartbeat, every single pound in his chest. This great pounding, this great pressure; every beat. He couldn't hear it, but he could feel it. He started in an attempt at relief, from the beating; some trickle of words to relieve the flood. He can feel it still, beating, pulsing, thumping.
It didn't work. Why won't it stop?
He breathed out slowly.
"May…" he faltered, clearing his throat. "I... H-How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. And you?"
"Good," he replied, biting the inside of his cheeks. Why was he feeling nervous around her? Was it because he hadn't seen her for five whole years? He shot her a small smile before he added, "It's been awhile. I didn't think you'd be coming."
She placed her hand over her mouth and giggled softly. "Oh, come on Drew. You know I wouldn't miss an opportunity to compete. And to also beat you."
He smirked. There was the familiar wildfire in her eyes. The one that showed that she was more than ready to take him on. To have another unforgettable battle. To prove yet again she was his best and strongest rival. He loved it. He missed it.
Silence followed as the two stood there just staring at each other, not knowing what to say. It was poisonous in it's nothingness, cruelly underscoring how vapid their conversation had become.
"Crowded, huh?" May said, piercing the silence as she scanned the room.
He nodded. "Yeah."
Drew wanted to smack himself so badly at this point. Why was he acting this way around her? Why wasn't he able to have a proper conversation with her? He remembered the times five years ago when their friendship was strong. They were so comfortable with each other that they could speak whatever was on their mind. They were always shooting sarcastic remarks and silly banters at each other most of the time.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Here she was, showing up after five years of absence, standing next to him in a casual manner like nothing was wrong. Will she tell him the reason she left five years ago? Will she ever tell him what that kiss meant?
Maybe if he asked her, she would talk about it.
He was just about to do so when someone else started shouting her name.
"May! My little jellybean!"
Drew froze. He stole a glance at May, who appeared just as startled as he was. They turned around and began searching for the source of the voice.
A man with dark purple hair immediately pounced on her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"H-Harley?" May managed to squeak out, squirming in his arms as she tried to breathe.
"Oh May! I've missed you so much!" Harley squealed, kissing the top of her head softly. He pulled back and smiled, meeting her eyes. "Girl, don't you look darn beautiful?"
"Thanks, Harley. You look … different," she chuckled. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in more of his appearance. "And your hair! You cut it!"
"I figured it was time for a new look, baby girl."
"Well, you look great," she smiled. Her eyes lit up when she noticed the pink haired coordinator standing behind him. "Solidad!"
She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her older friend, making her stumble back a little. Solidad laughed, regaining her balance and patted her back. May pulled back moments later and grinned at her.
"It's good to see you, May. We thought you weren't able to make it when we didn't see you," Solidad said. "What have you been up to?"
"Are you dating anyone right now?" Harley prodded, clasping his hands together. "Because if you aren't, well… I know Drew will be totally over the moon to be your man!"
Drew furrowed his brows at the man. "Shut up."
"Oh, uh, no - I'm not seeing anyone at the moment," she stuttered awkwardly, letting out a nervous laugh. "Well, I've just been taking a break all this while. Nothing much."
Drew studied her face. A muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of her right eye, cold sweat glistening on her brow. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her stomach and she constantly fiddled with her knuckles, weaving her fingers in and out of one another.
She was hiding something. Or at least she wasn't telling the entire truth.
"Oh and congratulations on tying the knot, you two!" she beamed.
"Wait. You knew about it?" Drew asked.
May couldn't help but giggle. "Of course! It was all over their social media page. You should seriously get more involved on the web!"
Drew rolled his eyes. "Updating statuses and uploading photos of my life… sorry but, no thanks."
"You're just afraid your horde of fan girls will flood your page and stalk you!" May retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. "Anti social much."
"How mature, May."
"It's hard to believe that you two aren't in love! Right, Sol dear?" Harley sniggered, pushing his elbows playfully at his wife.
The conversation was interrupted when Raoul Contesta's voice emitted from the microphone on stage. His words echoed throughout the entire room, silencing everyone.
"Good evening, fellow coordinators! I hope all of you are having a wonderful time. It's so heartening to see so many familiar faces. I'm very pleased to welcome each and every one of you to the very first 'Elite Grand Festival'! You all are notable and respectable coordinators who have made a name in the contest sphere…"
The speech went on, with Mr Contesta explaining the rules and list of events. Appeals would be starting the next day and any special requests for the stage should be given to the committee already. It was practically everything that had already been listed in the manual.
"... Good luck to all of you!"
With that, all the coordinators exploded into loud cheers. Loud, throbbing music filled the entire auditorium once again and everyone made their way to the dance floor. The party was a riot of colour, everyone a little more hyped up than before.
"Solidad and I are heading to the dance floor ourselves. Why don't you two join us?" Harley asked, his eyes switched between the two younger coordinators in front of him.
"Uh, I'll pass. I don't really… dance," Drew said, waving him off.
Harley turned his attention to May, raising his eyebrow as he waited for her response.
"I'll pass too. It's been a long day and I'm just a little tired," she smiled apologetically.
Harley shot them a smug look before dashing towards the dance floor, dragging Solidad along.
Drew gave a wry laugh. "It's not like you at all to turn down being in the scene of a party. All the dancing, food…"
"Well, things have changed. And I…" May faltered. She shook her head, as if to forget what she originally wanted to say. She turned to face Drew and gave him a small smile, offering him her hand. "Do you want to head down to the beach instead? It's a lovely evening and I'd love to enjoy the night breeze. Come with me."
Drew watched her for a second, quiet.
May rolled her eyes at him and giggled. "Drew, this is the bit where you take my hand and follow me."
"I knew that," he retorted, taking her hand and letting her lead him out of the auditorium doors.
Author's Notes:
Hey everyone, thank you for reading! Finally! The chapter where May finally comes in! Seeing her again definitely stirred up all sorts of memories and emotions for Drew. Surprise. Love. Attraction. Bliss. So, what will happen on the beach? Will Drew finally learn the reason why May left five years ago? Will they reconcile?
If you liked this chapter, take a moment to leave a review so that I'd know about your opinions on the story so far. I appreciate every single feedback and it'll definitely encourage me to write and update quickly.
With that, stay tuned for the next chapter!
; This chapter title is inspired by the song 'I Saw Her Standing There' by The Beatles