Even though their names show up, there are only slight hints at Contestshipping and slight hints at FestivalShipping. If you try hard, then you can see: a possible romance between Drew x May; mutual liking between Harley and Solidad; brother/sister relationship between Solidad and Drew; hatred from Harley to Drew. Just saying.
This chapter is dedicated to Contestshipper16; the reason is down below. :)
It was then when Harley decided that apologizing was very, very, hard, especially to Solidad. He couldn't have believed it. Solidad, his bestie for forever, she was mad at him? It seemed so unthinkable to him. But there they were, in the Pokémon Center hallway, and Harley felt unnaturally withdrawn.
She didn't even yell at him. By the look on her face, that's just what he had imagined/dreaded, but she had only asked if she could have a little chat with him. He had had no idea what it was about, but when they got to the hallway, Solidad had simply folded her arms. "Harley. I hate to say this, but I'm very disappointed. You know better than to play pranks on the new coordinators."
And then it had hit him, and Harley gnashed his teeth, growling. "That pesky little..."
"Harley!" Solidad cut in. He paused and she sighed. "Harley, there is absolutely no reason to be upset at Drew-"
"Drew! He's the one?!"
"One who what?"
Harley threw his hands up in the air. "He's the one who told you all this junk about me, Soli!"
Solidad sighed again, one hand pressed against her forehead. "I was there. You were-" She stopped herself again, then continued in a different tone. "I am just telling you that I really expected more from you." Normally, anyone who spoke of him so demeaningly, and in such little regard, would go right into his blue book with a large frowny-face. But this time, he felt something different. Something new.
He was ashamed. Just from that look on Solidad's face, and Harley really saw that maybe he shouldn't have acted the way he did, no matter how much the pipsqueak deserved it. That thought alone spurred on a horde of new ones on ways he could get back at both of them, but suddenly, the tall coordinator in front of him was all he could see. The dismayed and regrettable look on her face was all that he could see.
And for all his height, he was feeling very small.
The thoughts quenched, leaving him with only his guilt. "Aw...well, I guess maybe there was no need for the extra step," he admitted, and Solidad nodded approvingly now.
"Exactly."
It really was better to ask permission than for forgiveness. Or at least, anything was easier in comparison to asking forgiveness from his Solidad.
Contestshipper16 gave me an awesome prompt, and I started writing for it, but I decided that it was too good. Plus, I didn't want to put another chapter thing in here, so I have a new story up! It is called A Confusing Mistake, it is ContestShipping, and I suggest NOT reading the prompt in the review, because then it's a big enough spoiler. So yeah. A huge thanks to Contestshipper16 because she's awesome and for giving me the prompt.
Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)