Chapter Seven

The confusion I felt was pretty justifying as the stain glass windows of a church shone proudly above me. Something didn't feel right. My gaze looked to an empty altar and lonely pews that would usually hold people. However, that was the least of my problems; a huge bouquet of flowers were suddenly in hand. What the?! Why would I be holding a bo-"WHAT AM I WEARING?!"

Fear swiftly gripped my stomach as I realized that my usual attire of clothes were replaced by a big and fluffy wedding dress. While being a small child, I pictured how fairy tale weddings would go after that said story would end, but not for me! Definitely not for me!

"There you are May! You couldn't wait to get started?"

Oh no, that voice!

Every muscle in my body grew stiff from just hearing that soft, sweet but irritating voice. I dreaded doing it, but I turned around to find Professor Sycamore standing coolly behind me wearing that same blue shirt (three buttons undone), black trousers and perfectly shined brown shoes. Even his face remained handsomely calm.

Without warning, he pulled me towards him and bowed his head to come in contact with my face.

"Finally! After this moment, I can whisk you away with me to my castle where I will be able to kiss you all I want….now…" He said unashamedly as he moved in for the kill.

"Be a good little birdie and let me sweep you off your feet,"

My eyes widened and I tried to back my face away, but fear had kept me in place. There was no escape and the terror was in full swing.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"


My body shot up from under my thick covers; sweating and breathing heavily. It took me a minute to realize that the scenario was just horrific images summoned by my wild imagination before sucking in oxygen got easier. It wasn't enough that the professor had robbed me of sleep for the first few hours because of worrying about what would happen to me, he had to go and corrupt my dreams too! What a selfish bastard!

As much as I wanted to stay in bed, my mother would probably come in the room any second and drag me downstairs. Regretably, the covers were thrown off and my feet touched the hardwood floor of my room.

The look I wore in the mornings were pretty much the same as an average person who was just fresh from their bed. My bedhead was among the worst in history complete with dark circles that rested under my lids. The red, oversized shirt and black sweat pants I had on was though a wrinkle bomb had gone off. I had a feeling that this look would follow me for the rest of my life.

Since I was in the safety of my home and not out in the wilderness, there was no urgency to get dressed. Food would be the first order of business. My feet picked up the pace and I traveled downstairs. When I got to the kitchen however, it felt like half of the blood in my body dedicated itself to flowing up to my face and turn a deep red.

My mother was at the sink washing dishes, but sitting at the table was-"Ah! So the darling May Maple finally rouses from her slumber! I hope you slept well, for we have much to do today!"-that guy. Flashbacks of my horrific dream and last night went through my brain. Incidentally, my eyes stole a glance at the oven clock; 6:45 a.m. What the hell was he doing here so early?! Did he even sleep last night?! How long does it take him to get ready?! As fancy as he dressed, it must have taken forever or something! Speaking of which, he didn't have his lab coat on(he'd have to be a complete moron to travel around wearing that) but he still wore that fancy silk long sleeve(two buttons undone) with the carefully pressed black pants and scuffless brown leather shoes. He had a dark green traveling bag by his side that was most likely filled with stuff for all researching needs. His hair was still in that same messy black style; I could just imagine the complaints coming from him while we went on our way…..if he wasn't going to be all weird with me first. Screw it, I just wanted to eat.

The grogginess hanging over me was enough to prevent my being from getting nervous or doing anything ridiculous. After the heavy blushing went away and I focused on my primary objective, the features on my face changed into an annoyed expression that was purposely directed at him and I went on my not-so-very-merry way to grab the items I needed to concoct the essential breakfast that 50℅ of the teenagers on the planet ate; cereal. Despite the obvious look of distaste, Sycamore's ecstatic blue gaze kept stalking my every move I made as he bursted out laughing.

"So I take it that you do not bode so well in the mornings? Dear me! What a shame! And here I was thinking that I could steal you away as soon as you awoke!"

"Professor?"

"Hm?"

"Please kindly go fuck yourse-"

"MAY MAPLE!"

Unfortunately, I was within reaching distance of my mother while saying the incriminating words. That earned me her heavy, vice-like grip on my ear. I didn't know what hurt more: The punishment or the fact that it was on display.

"That is NOT how we speak to guests…IS IT?!"

"…no"

She squeezed my ear harder at the dissatisfaction of my answer. Through the tear-jerking pain though, I managed an angry frown upon finding the mischievous professor casually covering his mouth to hold in a laugh. Was he enjoying this?! I had to say what she wanted to hear fast if I was to save what was left of my dignity.

"No ma'am! It's not!"

"Good. Now hurry up and eat"

I was released from the torture and sat down begrudgingly to pour out my meal. My mother let out a frustrated sigh. Sycamore still look too amused.

"I'm very sorry Professor Sycamore. My daughter unfortunately gets her unsightly manners from her stubborn father,"

"It is quite alright madam! I am used to such scorn. My assistant back home does not like it when I tease her in the mornings as well; though her choice of words are more…colourful,"

While angrily shoving food in my mouth, I wondered what his assistant was like and why she would still be working for him. Were jobs as a scientist too scarce in the Kalos region to quit? To me, staying there with the full knowledge of his true behaviors was akin to asking for trouble.

About three minutes into my breakfast, mom eventually finished the chore and excused herself to start on the laundry; leaving the two of us by ourselves. It didn't take long for Sycamore to resume his tormenting investment in me. I was seated diagonally from him on the rectangular wooden family table, but he took it upon himself to get up and sit down right next to me. Geez! I couldn't even have a break to eat a semi-decent meal? What the hell was wrong with this guy?! Despite the growing annoyance, a small part of me that had been repressed for so long started to grow in a way that kept me from full on hating this person. I couldn't put my finger on what it was. It felt warm and….strange.

While on that subject, my furious glare caught sight of his sneaky hand already around my exposed shoulder; his fingers caressing up to the side of my neck. Playfully rubbing over the spot where he softly kissed me the night before. The skin being lovingly touched by him tingled before going numb. Instead of giving in this time, I forced my brain as hard as I could to block out any submissive actions and focused on feeding my stomach.

As I finished a bite of cereal, the hand touching the side of my neck suddenly held it in place and his free hand grabbed the cheeks of my face. Shock took a hold of me as my eyes quickly darted to the professor. His naive look twisted back into the one I was unlucky enough to recognize from last night.

"May darling! I am very hurt that you greeted me with such a cold look and ugly response! Especially after I went through all that trouble to repair your pokenav," he said as his voice faked a sad tone while continuing to keep me in his hold. I felt too exposed and he had no shame in putting his advances on me; which he loved doing if it wasn't clear by now.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any scarier, Sycamore crept closer. I tried pulling away, but his grasp was too tight. Not to mention, my lips were puckered out from the way my face was held. I had barely just swallowed my food!

"I believe some compensation is in order…"

His hot breath tickled my face and those light pink lips that belonged to him moved forward eagerly so they could meet mine. ARCEUS! he was going to attack me in my own kitchen!

"May are you up yet?! It's almost 7:00! I'm going to work in a few minutes!" A voice suddenly called out; effectively halting the scheming professor and forcing him to unlatch himself from me. Some cross look was etched in his face before being replaced by a happy, naive grin again. For some reason, I could have sworn that something other than annoyance had been hidden behind those eyes of his. It wouldn't be later until I figured it out.

My father came into view with a bag in hand and his wooden kendo sword in the other. He was already dressed and his hair was neatly combed back. Saved by the dad!

I quickly got up from my chair and assaulted my parent with a glad hug. Though my features were haggard by the lack of sleep, they magically brightened up the moment I wrapped my arms around his torso. I looked up at his intimidating face and smiled really big.

"Morning dad! Are you leaving already?"

It took him a minute to recover from the attack.

"…yes May. And if I want to be on time, I'll have to go in five minutes. Don't you need to leave with the professor too?"

Oh, him. Now currently on that subject my bedhead head turned to the man in question that was still seated at the table with a seemingly friendly look on his face when the question came up. I wish that he wasn't taking up space in my house right now.

"Good morning Mr. Maple! And yes! I was rather hoping that Miss May and I would reach Slateport City this afternoon!"

Sycamore got up from his seat and boldly walked towards the both of us; his smile growing wider. When he stopped just a few feet away from dad and I, the professor put a hand over his heart in a sophisticated manner. Though putting on niceties for my parent, it was clear to me that he was trying to flatter my father into handing me over as soon as possible.

"Since your wondrous daughter already acquired two badges in such a short amount of time, I was certain that she would be eager to reach for the next one in Mauville,"

I frowned at his pushy attempt to get me all to himself. He was ruining an obvious father-daughter moment.

As my dad now tried to peel me off, I quickly held tighter to try and stall.

"WAIT! Can't I at least walk to your work with you?! I promise I'll get ready fast! Please, please?!"

To make the plea seem more appealing, I made myself give my father those big puppy dog eyes. Normally I wouldn't make such a cutesy expression with other people watching. I had to swallow my pride and do it if it meant that Sycamore would be tame for the moment. There was a painful silence as the request was contemplated.

"….alright, but hurry. If you're not ready in five minutes, I'll have to leave you behind,"

YES, YES,YES!

My face beamed at the desired answer. I took a quick glance at the professor. His calm face remained unchanging. Not even so much as a twitch of a finger. I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but didn't want dad to get mad at me for disrespecting the guest and change his mind about letting me walk with him. With urgency, I finally unlatched myself from him and ran upstairs to get ready.

Four and a half minutes later…

The door to my house opened and I was the first to come out with my pack worn firmly around my waist. The second to follow was Professor Sycamore and then my father as he locked the door. I had also let my Poochyena out; she held a squeaking chew toy in her maw. And so the four of set out to Petalburg City. Overall, the trip would take thirty minutes on foot, but I was glad to spend any time with dad and get a little breathing space from the professor. Trees with great branches canopied the view of the sky with a few small spaces of light filtering through. The grass was thick most of the way and when Poochyena would stop biting down on her toy long enough, one could hear the distant rustling noises of unseen Pokémon.

My father momentarily closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace for what it was. Apparently, he loved his daily ritual and it could be argued that it was the best part about his judge; and how could I blame him? I too had found myself enchanted by the scenery just like the first time I came through here with Brendan.

It would have been great to say that all of us fell in love with the current environment that we were in, but alas, our third member of the party had a different opinion. It wasn't long before I could hear the bothersome sounds of notes being scribbled down, pages turning and finally the constant beeping buttons he pressed frustratingly on a weird device that was strapped on his wrist.

"Goodness! For the life of me, I still cannot get my holo-caster to work!"

My father's eyes opened to give Sycamore a mildly surprised look.

"Didn't Albert tell you? Unless it's been properly equipped, any technology made outside the region won't work. At any rate, you must remain vigilant. Anything can happen while we're out here, " he replied right as my foot got caught on a large object and I once again fell down. Hell that hurt! Why do I have to do that so much?

Using my blunder as an excuse, Sycamore immediately went into action and got me back up on my feet by the waist. Innocent from a third party standpoint; not so innocent from professor's or mine.

"Are you hurt, Miss May? Allow me to perform a thorough examination to ch-"

"I'M FINE! I'M FINE! DON'T BOTHER!"

I quickly backed away from his sneaky attempt to seek out the safety of my father. My eyes finally located him kneeling down in the spot where I tripped. A dark, terrible look crossed his features and my Poochyena was suddenly bombarded on with distinct chattering noises of a stressed out Pokémon. It looked like it was pleading for something as it made gestures to where dad was. I could feel the gravity of the new situation and my mouth suddenly went dry. After a terrible silence, he stood up and turned to me.

"May, carry my sword,"

"Huh? Why?"

At that moment, that answer came in the form of dad picking up a body and setting it over his shoulder. My breath was hitched and ran over to perform that said order. All while doing so however, he was adamant about distancing himself from me. Pretty soon, we resumed our walk with a more urgent pace. The stressed Pokémon had also followed us; staying by my Poochyena the rest of the time.


When we finally got to Petalburg, the large party made a beeline for the Pokémon center. Now that we were out of the heavy shading of the forest, I could now see that our sixth traveling companion was a boy. His lively tea green hair was befuddled and hung over his very serene looking features. The mystery boy also had a long smoke grey sweater jacket with a white collar poking out. His beige pants had grass stains on them. What stuck out the most to me was how sickly he looked. Could he have passed out from an illness?

Once we were in the center, my father stepped forward and unceremoniously dropped the body onto the counter; startling the usually happy nurse joy and chancy behind the counter.

"Here. We found him unconscious,"

"Oh my goodness! I'll take care of him right away. What a lucky boy!"

"Yes…lucky that he was unconscious,"

Suddenly, the air of the once pleasant place for healing turned uncomfortably dark and heavy. Trainers that had came in the center after us took one look at the person responsible for the heavy atmosphere and turned on their heels to leave. Even nurse Joy's Pokémon trembled as it held onto her leg; and those Pokémon weren't fazed by anything so easily. Poochyena and I stood frozen where we stood and dared not move an inch. Strangely enough, the ones who remained unaffected was Sycamore, who had that usual naive smile for show, and that green and white Pokémon that was too busy trying to reach the boy to notice the intimidation.

The nurse tried to pull herself together and make sense of it.

"I..uh…I don't quite understand. Lucky to be unconscious?"

Dad spoke in a way that sounded like his anger was completely justified within the normal means of reason.

"Yes, because his worthless body tripped over my daughter. Had he been awake at the time, I would have brought him before you broken and unconscious. If he even thinks about challenging me for a match, inform him of what horrors he faces if he decides to step into MY domain. Now, good day,"

The atmosphere returned to normal as some of his hostility subsided and walked out. The rest of us followed suit. Poochyena resumed chewing on her toy and Sycamore was insistently nudging me towards the door.


When we did get to the gym, a few gym trainers passed us and gave formal greetings to my father before going about their day. I wordlessly handed him his sword and attempted to shower him with affection in the form of a hug. As I got close however, he sensed the assault and swiftly stepped back. Huh?!

"I'm sorry May. I know it wasn't very clear and it is my fault for not discussing it with you sooner. As long as we are in this place, you are a trainer and I am the leader of this gym. Such open displays of affection are inappropriate. I hope you understand,"

I didn't. A sharp pain suddenly pricked my heart while the weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. At the same time, jealousy also took ahold of me. A jealousy that came from his job preventing me from giving him any hugs or kisses. Nevertheless, I put on a small smile and nodded. Dad's face didn't respond in the same way; he only remained stern.

"Farewell May. Good luck on your journey and I hope to see you in battle soon,"

"Uh…okay,"

Before I could try to recover from the cold words my father tried to make up with, a sneaky arm wrapped itself around mine. The sudden action startled me. How silly for me to be! I should have known by now who was responsible for such bold actions!

Sure enough, I could smell the fancy cologne of the professor's as he was now promptly at my side. His blue eyes lit up with shady anticipation and a brave grin stretched. Meanwhile, I felt smothered by the man; and not just because of his lack of space. His aura…it was too overwhelmingly calm with undertones of something strangely intimidating.

"Well then! The two of us shall be going! I wish you the most pleasant of days! Farewell Mr. Maple!" The professor quickly said before practically dragging me toward the gym's front doors.


Norman Maple watched as his daughter and the strange professor open the heavy doors of the building to take their leave. For some reason, he had this dreadful feeling that plagued him since this morning. At first he didn't know what it meant, however, it wasn't until the professor turned his back to meet the gym leader's gaze did he finally understand it. The Kalos native's excited, naive mask of expression momentarily moved to reveal a devious, scheming look that Norman had been all too familiar with. He took an urgent step forward, but at that moment, several gym coordinators called out for his presence in daily matters. There was nothing he could do as he let the two exit and hoped that he wouldn't end up regretting it. Eventually, he would.

*Continued in Chapter Eight*