Slowly and reluctantly, he uncovered his face. He blinked, closed his eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight peeked through the window and blinded him. He sat up, dragged his feet off the bed, and rubbed his knuckles onto his eyes. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He watched his legs dangle above the off-white polyester carpet. He turned his head and looked at the digital clock on the bedside table.

08:28A.M.

Drew sighed and fell back against the bed - the mattress sunk under his weight and he snuggled deeper into the silken duvet. His brain was on five percent battery and it was slightly annoying. He had initially planned to have an early morning and slowly get into competitive mode, or as some would say - the calm before the storm. But no. He had spent hours thinking about the events of last night, even after he had got into bed and shut his eyes. His mind was like a broken television, stuck on pause.

But how could he possibly sleep?

The one person whom he was so anxious to meet, who for some reason had disappeared from the face of the earth for the last five years, at least to him, came back. And he was going to be competing in a grand festival with her once more. It was the same kind of feeling when he was always looking forward to seeing her compete in contests back when they were ten. Only difference was they were just rivals. Now, they were definitely past that.

And last night was like a rollercoaster. It started with them reminiscing about their younger days to May being so close to revealing the truth behind her absence, to them ending the night off with a battle. Well, not exactly.

He pressed his fingers against his cheek, the same spot where she had kissed him. Even though he could barely sleep a wink last night, he still couldn't come to a concrete conclusion for why she had even done that. Maybe as a form of an apology?

Drew sat up again and looked at his Pokémon, each one of them were in different parts of the room and appeared to still be resting. On regular days, he would wake them up and start on their training by this time. But he decided to let them rest awhile more seeing that they needed their energy entering day one of the Grand Festival. It bugged him a little that they haven't done much training as they normally would before one, but he was confident in his Pokémon and he knew that they haven't lost their A-game despite the many years of not competing.

He yawned. Insomnia has this effect on you - it will turn you into a living zombie. Your body will beg and beg for you to rest. But as much as he wanted to take some time to rest and sleep in, it wouldn't be a wise decision, considering that the first round of appeal was scheduled to begin at 11 in the morning. He should get started with his morning routine and if there's still enough time, he could get his coffee fix.

He entered the bathroom and stepped into the shower, toes flinching as they touched the chilled ceramic floor. The shower turned on at the press of a button, water started pouring down like a waterfall from the shower head and it was the perfect pressure and temperature. He rinsed off the soap and shampoo and promptly dried himself with the towel provided. He quickly got dressed, putting on a short-sleeve buttoned shirt, long trousers and black loafers.

Drew slipped out of the bathroom quietly and noticed that his Pokémon were already sitting up and wide awake, perking up as he entered the room. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

9:32A.M.

"Hey guys. Today's the day. I know it's been awhile, but I'm confident that we'll all do well. Let's give them a good show, okay?" he said, lips curving upwards. He began to fill up bowls of Pokémon food and gave them to his Pokémon. "Eat up. We'll leave in half an hour."

His Pokémon nodded and trilled cheerfully, as they munched on the food. Drew walked over to the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. As he took a sip, a fleeting expression on his face showed malcontent, yet soon he was smiling broadly once more as if nothing was wrong at all. Well, the instant coffee provided wasn't exactly awful but it wasn't great either.

He shrugged.

Guess it'll do to at least get caffeine flowing inside his system and fuel him for today.

The usual congregation before the beginning of any Grand Festival was as expected - crowded and stuffy. But Drew had to admit, of all the Grand Festivals across the regions, Hoenn's was still his favourite. It was simple and casual, with no flashy fireworks, sparklers or dressing up of that sort. With Hoenn being the birthplace of contests, it was probably the best attended among the regions. Everything was held outside and he was always pleased about that as it would mean that there were more varieties that a coordinator could do with their appeals as opposed to being indoors.

Grand Festival opening ceremonies usually require coordinators to walk out together into the main arena where the opening announcements would be made, judges would be introduced and the ribbon cup would be displayed. However, they were informed during the party that they should gather in the huge holding room instead. Rumours were going around that there was something special being planned for this event.

Drew leaned against the wall at the back of the room in order to avoid getting pushed around by other dozens of coordinators that were busy interacting with one another or preparing for the first appeal round.

"Crowded, huh?" Solidad said as she emerged from the crowd, her arm locked around Harley's.

"Tell me about it," he groaned, though he gave a quick shrug. "But, it's basically the same as the ones we attended before. Congested, people overly enthusiastic… Nothing new."

"This just proves how superior coordinating is even till today!" Harley grinned.

Drew scoffed as he scanned the room. He was definitely in no mood for Harley and his exuberant remarks.

"Looking for someone?" Solidad asked, smirking a little. Drew turned to face her, but said nothing. "Knowing May, she'll arrive at the very last minute. Especially after the late night you two had yesterday after running off to who knows where."

"She and I just talked. You know, to clear the air," he explained quietly.

"I see. So, everything's alright between you two?"

He shrugged and continued to focus his attention on the big television that was propped in the middle of the room to broadcast the events happening in the main arena. He was not in the mood to talk about it now, not when the competition was just about to start. And especially when this wasn't the best place to have that conversation. One, there was everyone else around, mainly Harley. Two, it would only throw him off guard and that won't be good to start off the festival after years of hiatus.

Not even a minute later, Harley's voice had grabbed his attention again. "May, my precious pumpkin!" Harley squealed, dashing towards the door. "Don't you look just beautiful today?"

Drew turned towards the door and watched as the brunette walked in. She was wearing a light blue flutter sleeve top with white pants and even dressed as casual as that, she looked pretty. He continued watching as Harley instantly pulled her into a tight hug.

May gasped, squirming in his arms. "Ah, Harley, I ca-can't br-breathe."

At that, Harley let her go, resting his hands on her shoulders and mumbled a quick apology.

"Hey May," Solidad said, walking over and giving her a quick hug which to May's relief, was a softer one.

"So! A little green bird told us that you two had quite a night yesterday. You know -" he paused, grinning at her. "Private… possibly romantic."

May's cheeks suddenly turned kissed pink like a spring rose, the blooming colour so vibrant against her pale skin. Her whole face started to turn red as well. Though her ears had been hidden by her hair, it was obvious that they were as rosy as her face. She looked away and tried to find a distraction by looking at the television screen.

But Harley clearly wasn't going to let it slide.

"Drew said that the two of you just talked. But, I don't believe anything from that grasshead!" Harley chuckled, winking at her. "So, tell us everything! Give us the deets!"

Solidad glared at him, smacking him lightly. "Harley! Not now!"

"But -"

"We can all meet up after and talk. For now, let's all focus on what's more important. And that is the appeals round," she chided.

As they continued to bicker, Drew tightened his frown and rolled his eyes. He still couldn't understand how and why Solidad even chose to marry a guy like him. A guy like Harley. He still could not stand the man. And he definitely had to watch out for him, just in case.

"Uh hey," May said, making her way over to his side. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back, constantly fiddling with her knuckles and weaved her fingers in and out of each other. She looked at him and gave a nervous smile. "Same old Harley, huh?"

He met her eyes and scoffed. Before he could say anything, a voice emitted from the intercoms across the whole room. Everyone's eyes including his instantly fixated on the screen.

It's finally about to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the very first Elite Grand Festival! I'm sure most of you recognise me. I'm Vivian Meridian and it's such an honour and privilege to be your host for this entire event. This isn't like any other Grand Festival that you see every year. Only the best and well-known 150 coordinators in the Hoenn region who have shown exceptional performances during their past coordinating days were invited to participate," she piped into the microphone.

The rest of her speech was a standard affair. The explanation of Grand Festival's rules, the showcasing of the ribbon cup with a single spotlight directed on it and the introduction of the judges. Vivian took a deep breath before revealing that there was a surprise this time. There was a special guest judge for the occasion - highly accomplished coordinator of the Hoenn Region, Wallace himself. He gave his own speech and announced an additional prize for the winner. Not only will the victor claim the coveted trophy, but also be invited to become a member of the 'Pokémon Contest Committee' led by Mr Raoul Contesta and be able to judge in future contests and Grand Festivals. Also, the winner would get the chance to teach for the Pokémon Contest class at the Pokémon Trainers' School in Rustboro City.

What was once hollow air was soon filled with excited chatter of fellow coordinators in the waiting room. It was definitely a great opportunity and Drew had always been thinking about what he could do to expand his goals and dream in this coordinating career, and being a member of the 'Pokemon Contest Committee' would be a great start. Not to mention, teaching a class for future Pokémon coordinators about contests and practice ideas for appeals.

He was determined to win now.

"Being a judge sounds perfect for you," May suddenly spoke, causing him to turn and face her. Her eyes were twinkling and her lips curved upwards.

"Come on, May. Giving up already?" he scoffed, giving his hair a quick flick for good measure.

"Yeah, you wish. I'm just saying it because you have always been the type to criticise one's appeal," she retorted. She gave him a smirk and held her nose high in the air. "You've got no finesse, no moves! You and your pokemon here, you've got no style!"

"Geez, May. You aren't going to let that go, are you?"

"No, not until I beat you again in this festival and make you admit that I'm as good a coordinator as you are," she challenged him.

"Oh yeah? Let's see if you can make it through to the secondaries first."

May glared at him and he couldn't stifle a laugh. Two can play that game and if she wanted to mimic him, he could too.

Their conversation was interrupted with Vivian's voice booming through the intercoms once again.

"So, without further ado, let's begin the first round of the performance and turn our attention to the first coordinator onstage!" she announced.

At that, the audience erupted into loud cheers as they pumped their fists in the air. They were electrified, awake and soaring to new heights of emotions.

The holding room was once again filled with enthusiastic chatter as some began talking about the appeals and what Pokémon they will be using, the grand prizes and also Wallace being the guest judge.

Drew crossed his arms and watched as a man ran onstage and sent out a Lunatone.

"Are you ready?" May asked, quirking her eyebrow a little.

He met her eyes and a smirk crept on his face.

"Aren't I always?"

It was the same, yet it was different at the same time.

The main arena seemed larger than what he remembered. The crowd was massive and had a life of its own. He could hear people continuously hollering and clapping as he waited for his cue in the corridor. His fingers traced nervously on a Pokéball in his pocket and like hail on a glass pane, the drumming of his fingers was as relentless as it was loud.

To say he felt drowned in crowds made as much sense as a raindrop protesting to join the ocean. But he did. He felt the energy, He loved the vibe and it definitely got him to switch into competitive mode.

He watched as Vivian waved to the audience to signal the start of the next contestant - him.

"And now, let's give a warm welcome for Drew Hayden from LaRousse City!"

As soon as he walked across the arena towards the centre, there were screams of excitement from the audience. Hundreds of people were chanting his name and it didn't feel particularly new to him. His reputation as a coordinator had always been on the top so it was natural.

"Drew! Drew! Drew! Drew! Drew!"

The noon sunlight conjured the most brilliant of mosaics, reflecting from each leaf and wisp of cloud. It was as if there was pure joy in the light, as if it were happy to create art where it shone, warm and steady. He looked up and his breath caught in his throat. The sky was streaked by brilliant orange, the sun giving a new light to the dull landscape. His lips curved into a small smile.

This was the perfect weather, just as had pictured it when he practised. It would create the perfect combination to wow the audience and judges. And that would mean big points.

Vivian gave him the okay to go and he nodded slightly. Drew felt a jolt of adrenaline, enough to bring his mind to focus and pursed his lips looking ahead at the crowd in front of him. He exhaled slowly and threw his Pokéball forward.

"Okay, Roserade, let's go!"

His faithful starter Pokémon emerged from her Pokéball, elegantly floating down onto the stage and waited for further commands from him. He had decided to keep his appeal simple, yet somewhat flashy. Nothing too over the top that would keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Besides, in this round, everyone was only able to use one move to prove how much they deserved to make it to round two.

"Roserade, use Dazzling Gleam!" he shouted.

Roserade leapt up into the air and she was slowly surrounded in an enchanting rainbow-colored shimmer before releasing a bright, sparkling light straight up into the sun. The beams of light reflected strongly in the sunlight, resulting in ripples of glowing sparkles raining down on the audience. He and his Roserade had used the whole arena together with the weather to their advantage, just the way he planned it.

The moment Roserade landed gracefully back in front of him, he stood breathless for a silent moment before it was soon filled with deafening applause. The crowd went absolutely nuts as their shrieks filled the entire arena. They had definitely received the whole appeal extremely well. Amazement doesn't quite cover it - the judges were immensely awed with his performance. The smile he showed on the outside can't adequately reflect what he truly felt inside; it's like every neurone of his brain was trying to fire in both directions at once - the best kind of paralysis.

It took a second or two for it to finally sink in, even though it was right before his eyes. Then, he felt his lips stretch wider into a gaping grin and his eyebrows arched for the sky. He did it. He was here. He was finally back in his element. His comfort zone. He knew he belonged on a stage like this - he and his Pokémon were meant to be competing in contests. He completely owned the stage, every move executed by his Pokémon to perfection and looked beautiful all at the same time.

The judges have nothing but high praises for his outstanding performance and gave him a score of 97. With a final flick of his hair and a bow, he left the arena and returned to the holding room. As he entered, Solidad was the first one to approach him, which he wasn't surprised at all. She gave him a huge smile and pulled him into a quick hug. He could tell she was so proud of him.

"That was spectacular," she praised, pulling back and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Even after all these years, you still haven't lost it!"

"Thanks Sol. I'm sure you'll do the same."

Harley who was standing beside his wife simply gave him a nod, to which he appreciated. He wasn't at that level of sentimental with him yet and he would prefer if it stayed that way.

May slowly walked up to him with a soft smile on her face. "That was amazing, Drew. Really beautiful."

"Thank you, May."

"You certainly haven't gotten rusty," she said, her eyes flashing as she maintained eye contact with him.

"Of course. Did you expect any less from me?" he casually told her.

"Not at all."

Solidad and Harley went up shortly after him, both having done pretty well in their own appeals with a score of 99 and 92 respectively. And not long after, the next coordinator was being called out on stage and it was none other than May.

The holding room was half full at this point. Most of the coordinators who have finished with their appeal have left as they were not required to be present later in the day to see if they were selected to advance to the next round. Drew flopped down on the bench next to Solidad and watched May on the big screen as she simply took her place in the centre and waited for her cue to begin. That was definitely a fresh change. No running start or a big entrance like how she always did in the past. She stood still, totally focused and he could see it etched on her facial features.

"Altaria, take the stage!" she shouted, hurling her Pokéball into the air. It opened in a bright, white flash and the fluffy cloud Pokémon extended her wings, floating in the air.

"I didn't know she had an Altaria. Did you?" Solidad asked him, raising an eyebrow.

No, he wasn't aware too.

He shook his head, his eyes glued to the screen.

With a new Pokémon in May's possession, this meant that he had to watch out for her throughout the entire festival. Just from their practice battle yesterday, he could see how strong she'd become.

He watched as she pointed upwards, sending her Altaria into that direction.

"Altaria!" she called out. "Up into the sky!"

Altaria flapped her wings and soared into the air, her wings almost mirroring the wispy clouds above.

"Now, use Disarming Voice!"

Altaria let out a charming cry and released glowing beams of purple hearts, producing a beautiful song that echoed through the whole arena. Not only did it create a loud, beautiful melody, the beams of purple hearts collided into one another which resulted in showers of sparkles. The entire audience was completely entranced and blown away.

Drew couldn't even begin to describe how amazing that appeal was. He was beyond impressed. As expected, she received nothing but high praises from the judges and got a score of 95.

He swallowed hard.

"Wow, that was incredible," Solidad breathed. "Well deserved."

"Absolutely," he agreed.

Minutes later, May emerged back into the holding room and Harley was the first one to greet her.

"Oh honey, that was amazing! You were amazing!" he gushed, embracing her tightly.

"H-Harley…" she choked out as Harley continued to squeeze out every breath of oxygen in her. Someone should really educate him about personal space.

"Oops! Sorry sweetie," Harley said, releasing her immediately. "But, seriously, you were just perfect! Right, Sol dear?"

"I won't disagree with that. You were incredible, a very thought out appeal," Solidad commented as she walked over, wrapping an arm around May into a congratulatory hug. "Looks like we all haven't lost it even after all these years."

"Thank you, guys. It definitely feels good to be back under the spotlight!" May giggled.

"Hey, May?" Drew spoke, the left side of his lip slowly tugged upwards, creating a smirk on his face. "You certainly haven't gotten rusty too."

She returned his smirk. "If you could do it, I could."

"I never doubted you," he chuckled, flicking his hair. "So, when did you get an Altaria?"

She smiled. A smile that almost reached her eyes. Drew could see how it came from deep inside to light her eyes and spread into every part of her. "Back when I was travelling with Ash, we stumbled upon this Swablu who injured her wing. So I helped nurse her back to good shape. And -"

"You nurse the Swablu? You?" Drew said, holding back a laugh.

"I did! Well, with some guidance from Brock. Now keep quiet and let me finish the story, will you?" May retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. She inhaled deeply before she continued. "So when she recovered, it turned out that she was afraid of flying. So we all helped gain her confidence back. Then, when we relocated her flock at this lake with the help of this ranger, they seemed to have left already. So I offered Swablu to join my team but then her flock appeared and I let her go with them. Somehow, I met her again near Petalburg and she had already evolved into an Altaria. This time, she really chose to be on my team, so yeah!"

"Wow. You two really shared such a close bond huh," he said, and she nodded back at him. He smiled at her. "Well, your Altaria looked amazing and I think she'd be a good fit in your team."

"Yeah. Thank you, Drew."

Drew looked at her for a few moments. He processed his thoughts and feelings as they hit him. He was glad to compete with her again. To be with her. But still, that one thought kept eating his brain and he had to know. It was killing him.

"May? We need to talk," he said, slowly exhaling.

At that, May's face fell. She looked away and bit her bottom lip.

When she didn't say a word, he continued, "we need to talk about everything. Starting from why you left."

She slowly met his eyes again and sighed. But just as she opened her mouth to respond, a voice interrupted them.

"Well, if it isn't May Maple. What a stunning performance you put on just now."

May froze. She looked at Drew, who appeared just as startled as she was. They turned around to face the source of the voice and May's eyes instantly widened.

"Brendan?" she breathed.

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone, thank you for reading! So, the first round of the appeals stage has begun and… what a surprise! May has an Altaria! I know she doesn't in the anime but I just love the bond she had with that Swablu and I actually think that a Swablu/Altaria would make a perfect addition to May's team. It suits her!

And, another surprise! Brendan makes an appearance! But why? Why is he here?

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 'Rise' by Katy Perry