Update August 2013: This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

READ THIS ONLY IF YOU THINK MY PLOT SHARES SOME SIMILARITIES WITH TWILIGHT...or if you're interested enough :P
I'd like to clarify something—or somethings, I suppose. I had two reviewers point out to me that my plot shares some similarities with Twilight. The similarities that were pointed out to me included: the love triangle involving May, Drew, and Gary; "all the guys" pining after May; and May's seemingly "flawless" personality. I agree, now that I've had those pointed out to me, I do see slight similarities, but they're so minor that you can barely pinpoint them yourselves. Let me just point out the major differences between my story and Twilight.

Now, I haven't read Twilight in an extremely long time (since not too long after the first movie came out, I believe) so the plots of the books are a bit blurry to me. But what I can draw from the movies: May and Bella are nearly complete opposites. I've portrayed May as a playful, witty, and kind-hearted girl. While Bella may be kind-hearted, she's not very witty and—well, let's face it—not fun at all (but then again, that may just be Kristen Stewart's acting...no offense or anything). And May is definitely not flawless; she has her flaws. Sometimes she's bratty, sometimes she's dramatic. Bella's just...kind of somber...all the time.

And not all the guys are or have pined after May; there were only three guys. In reality (aka, the real world), more than two guys going after one girl is a possiblity, so that's hardly a cliché—and Gary didn't even reveal that he had feelings for May until just recently! Brendan backed out on his own, and Gary and Drew never fought against one another directly for May the way that Jacob and Edward did for Bella. Jacob acted like a jerk to Bella, and Edward confronted him about it—something that Gary never did to May and something that Drew never did to Gary. Even the way that May and Gary kissed are entirely different from the two times that Bella and Jacob kissed. Besides, May never asked him to.

Basically, Drew (all along) and Brendan (shortly) were the only ones who put forth any effort to go after May, but even they didn't have a direct conflict. Gary didn't even try to pursue her until the recent chapters. And the ways that he tried barely count since they were such weak attempts.

So, with those things said, do you see the differences? I sincerely hope you do, because they're clear as day to me.

Don't get me wrong, I mean no offense to Stephenie Meyer with any of this, but I just really wanted to clarify that Twilight really was the furthest thing from my mind when I came up with the ideas for this story. Twilight was a good story, but my story is nearly entirely different from it. With those things said, I'd like to thank you for reading this excessively long note. I'm really sorry about the length :\ but if you chose to read it all the way through, surely you were interested?

Wish you some happy reading, please leave a review when you're finished. Thank you kindly. :)

Responses to Reviews...
Claudette14: Well, you can't help who you love, can you? :)
Acetrainer77: Thanks, sweetheart!
Random Reviewer: HAHAHAHA! Sorry! I only update on Saturdays! xD
Anonymous: THANKS!
61wisampa: I'm an evil person. :3 Don't worry, though—I willfix this...soon enough. :)
EeveeTransformed: Well, I'm updating! :D It's going pretty good! Aside from the large cockroach that decided to appear in the bathroom while I was butt naked and taking a shower, and the medium-sized one that fell from the ceiling and died when I walked through the door... Freakin' cockroaches and their random appearances in a normally cockroach-free house. I will remain traumatized for life. -_-
Pear-Shaped: I'm a sap, too!
theasianwonder: Lol! Same! I know guys who would have went to Gary and pummeled the heck out of him!
dorkyreader859: Thank you!
Fprmr1: Don't worry—I never leave you guys with a cliffhanger for long! xD By the way, if you don't mind me asking, whatever happened to your story? The one you wrote that was Teen Titans-esque? I've been wanting to read it. :(
Inkorporated: Don't worry—I won't shun you if you don't shun me because I don't think I'll be able to respond to your PM until I get back to the states. For some reason, the laptop I'm using won't show the words that I type everytime I try to respond to your message! Maybe it'll work eventually, but for now, I doubt it. :\ Hahahaha, oh Alta. I wish I could've included more cameos of her in this fic; she was fun to portray. :P
Otaku25: Thank you so much for everything you said! You're such a sweetie! It's reviewers like you that get me to update every week, regardless of the fact that I'm on vacation! :D
PorcelainDollxx: I wouldn't be me if I didn't write a heckful of drama. :)
Sora-May: It's okay! How was camp? :) Thanks!
lyrical-harmonies: Cousins, eh? Haha, I've never pictured them as relatives, but now that you've mentioned it, their personalities are actually quite similar. :)
SunshineTails: Well, the guy is pretty thick sometimes, but we've all got to give him credit. He was the main character in the anime that made up our childhoods. :) I wish that sometimes, too. He and Drew both—and May, too. :(
KittyRin: It will, don't fret. :) Well, thank you for the review! I did not mean to rhyme, by the way. That was a mere coincidence. :D
KanamexYuuki fan: ...holy crap. That was...phenomenal, especially for something you thought of in just five minutes. I wish I could think of a plot like that that quickly. :O I probably would have used that plot if I hadn't already written out the final four chapters! Good job!
The Last Poison Apple: Gosh, it's hot where I am now, too! It wasn't that hot in Singapore when I was there because I landed just before the sun rose, and since I was inside the airport for the entire time, I didn't get a chance to feel the weather. But I got to ride one of those cool skytrains! At least, I think that's what it was called. It took me to the next terminal so that I could get on my flight to where I am now. :) I hate the heat...
DracoBlitzen: I love you, too, honey! And thank you for asking! My depression is getting worse because of a few problems that have arised, I'm afraid, but I suppose it's under control...I think. :\ The States are pretty cool! I like living there, though I wouldn't mind getting a chance to visit Australia, either. What's it like there, besides laidback? :P ...too late, that's all I've been eating—and I have in fact gotten diarrhea. :( It's pretty simple! Just make an account, click "Publish", click "Doc Manager (Upload)", upload the document, and then click "New Story". The rest should be fairly easy to figure out. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. Just be sure to pay back my favor by telling me when you upload your story so that I can (hopefully) be the first to read and review it, sunshine. :)
meh: Lol, please read the author's note I wrote above if you haven't already. That should hopefully clear everything up for you. My story is no where near Twilight. :P
Live. backwards: Please read my author's note above...
FlygonFan: Hahaha, you're such a silly goose! :D
mudkip lover: Thank you so much, darling!
Pokemaster: He's alive! Only in the anime... :P
parkhyunjae: I'm actually planning out two or three stories! I have most of the plots down, so after they're complete, I'll try to see if I can find the inspiration to get started on the writing. For the time being, I only have a oneshot near completion. Should be up sometime this week. Keep your eye out for it if you'd like to read it. Pretty please promise (hooray for alliteration!) to review if you do? :P
SpikEarPichu'sTrainer: You're so silly, sunshine. :)

Love Unexpected chapter 37

Dear May,

By the time that you are reading this, I probably have already left Pallet Town and well on my way to Vermillion to get on the next ferry to LaRousse City.

I left, because I just don't know how I'm supposed to face you right now. I need some time to myself, just to think about this. And now, since you were so honest with me, I'm going to be honest with you.

I'm angry—that much is clear—and I won't lie and say that I'm not. I have never felt so betrayed in my entire life. I never expected for you to cheat on me, and the fact that you did hurts like hell. This must be the sixtieth time that I've asked myself this all night: how could you do that to me?

I still don't have an answer to that question.

Honestly, I have never been more angry at you than at the moment when I found out—I was so angry with you for what you did. But now, after thinking about it, I realized that you weren't entirely the one to blame. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame Gary, either

You can't help who you love, May, and I can't blame him for loving you—just like I can't blame you for loving him. He has been such an important person in your life since you were twelve, and you were practically in love with him since then, even long after I came in the picture. It's hard to forget a love that's been around for that long—seven years is a long time. And though you say that you love me, that love hasn't even come close to a year yet. How could it compare?

But I haven't stopped loving you—I don't think that fact will change for a while, even if this is the end between us. Like I told you before, I fell for you the moment I first met you. I'm so sorry for leaving so abruptly. I never meant to hurt you last night, and I hope you can forgive me.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see you until you decide who it is that you want most. You need some time to reach that decision, and I need some time to myself. Until you do, I won't be contacting you. I just can't speak to you until you make your choice.

When you do reach your decision—whenever that may be—be sure to let me know. If you want to tell me in person, you know how to find me. I'll be waiting for you until then.

Love always,
Drew

The first time May read the letter, it was mid-January. By the time she was folding up the letter for the fifty-second time, it was nearing the end of February.

She ran the paper in between her thumb and index finger, folding along the lines that had become worn from being folded and unfolded too many times. Once every crease was completely folded down, she tucked the letter away into the case with her contest ribbons, which hadn't received a new addition since Christmas.

Ever since Drew left, she hadn't even left Pallet Town, let alone enter any contests. She simply didn't have the motivation to participate in a contest when she had so much going on in her life.

Her boyfriend—who she wasn't even sure was still her boyfriend or not—was all the way in a different region, while her best friend—whom she had kissed at his grandfather's funeral while she was sure that her boyfrind was still her boyfriend—was still getting over the loss of his grandfather. She had been visiting him at Professor Oak's old lab every day since his grandfather's funeral.

Every time she was there, he was either occupying himself with the work that he had to take over for his grandfather, or tending to the pokémon that had been left in his grandfather's care. He seemed to be coping well enough with his grandfather's death—at least around her.

He always put on a strong façade for her whenever she was there, pretending to be alright when in reality, he wasn't. She had had a feeling his cheery mood was only skindeep, and secretly watched him somedays before she made her presence known, just to see if she were correct. Each and every time she did, she proved herself right. He didn't smile when he wasn't around her and his eyes appeared more lost than she had ever seen them before.

It was heartbreaking, and even more so when she found herself wondering on some days why she was even visiting Gary on a daily basis when she really needed to be going to find Drew in LaRousse. He had left her a little over a month ago with nothing but a letter that she had read almost once every day of his absence. She had read it so much to the point where she practically memorized it word for word.

Despite this, she still felt her heart throb painfully. It made her so reprehensible to think that he was still able to offer such benevolence to her when she had done absolutely nothing to deserve it. He truly was a wonderful boyfriend, and instead of reimbursing him, she cheated on him.

And the sad part was, she still couldn't choose between him or Gary. She was making him wait for her.

How long would it be until he decided he had been waiting too long?

Sighing, she took her ribbons case and replaced it inside her bag, which was resting on the couch in the entrance room. Trying to push the thoughts out of her head, she headed out of the entrance room and down the hallway to the left.

She ran into a few of Professor Oak's old lab assistants, who all waved and smiled at her familiar face. She returned the friendly gestures as she walked past them, and made her way out to the back of the lab. A girl with brunette hair stood by the tall sliding doors that would lead outside to the fields.

"Hey, May," she greeted as she heard May approached.

May smiled at the girl, having gotten to know her better and befriend her over the past month, their similarity being their will to keep Gary as happy as he could possibly be.

"Hi, Leaf," she greeted back. "How's your day been going?"

"It's been going pretty great, May. What about you? There's some dinner in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"No, thanks—I already ate. Do you know where Gary is?"

Leaf nodded her head in the direction of the fields, frowning slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"He's outside taking care of some pokémon," she informed.

May stepped closer to the door to get a better look outside. Her eyes scanned the vast fields that were lit up by the setting sun, taking in the multifarious pokémon that were scattered about the land. They grouped together and stayed with their own kind, either grazing or frolicking about.

Off to the far east, a large pond was situated right outside the entrance of the dense forest that some pokémon temporarily inhabited. All the way on the opposite end of the land, multiple stables stood, housing a few of the rapidash and ponyta that had been dropped off by trainers. She had a feeling that she would find Gary there.

"I'm going to go find him," she told Leaf.

When the brunette nodded at her, she slid the door open and stepped out onto the lush grass of the field.

Various small pokémon scurried up to her as she made her way to the stables, including her own lillipup, the only pokémon she had brought with her from Lilycove. She had left the little pokémon at the lab the night before since she felt that it was probably lonely from the lack of pokémon interaction.

It waggled its tail at her and stuck out its tongue in an endearing way, causing her to smile and scoop it up into her arms. She carried it with her while she walked to the stables.

Gary appeared outside the stables, seeming to not have noticed her presence. He leapt over the fence that rimmed the stables ground, and headed over to the last of the ponyta that had been grazing outside. He placed a gentle hand on both of their necks and guided them into the direction of stables. They walked on either side of him and followed him as he led them through the gate.

May smiled at the gentleness that he displayed with the two pokémon.

"Need some help there?" she asked, making her presence known.

Gary looked up at the sound of her voice and his eyes zeroed in on her. A bright smile immediately lit up his face.

"I don't need any help, but some company wouldn't hurt," he responded.

May chuckled and hurried over to his side. She followed him as he got the ponyta into their proper stables, chatting with him about things that they used to talk about before everything in the past two months had happened, much like they had been doing every day since the funeral.

The only time that they had ever talked about anything but was the immediate day after the funeral, when they discussed the kiss. She had been so upset about Drew's sudden departure that she hadn't even been able to hold in the tears when Gary asked her what was wrong. He detected the strangeness in her behavior when she came to the lab to visit him, and just like that, she had bursted into tears.

Gary had comforted her and waited until her crying ebbed before he began to speak, all the while feeling confused and worried for her. Once her crying had subsided to sniffles and hiccups, he asked her what had happened—and she told him everything.

At first, he didn't know how to react—hopeful, because he technically got another chance with her, or remorseful, because of the pain he caused her. In the end, he felt a mixture of both, but the guilt definitely stood out. He had held her closer and told her that everything would be alright, and that he knew she would make the right decision.

And then he had asked her if Drew were right—if that's why she didn't answer Drew when Drew asked whether or not she still loved Gary.

To that question, May just shook her head and told him that she didn't know.

Though he desperately wanted the answer, Gary didn't push the issue. After that, they just tried to go back to normal—or as normal as possible under the circumstances. For the most part, their friendship succeeded in doing so, remaining platonic as well.

"So, should I be walking you back to the Ketchums' house later on, or are you going to be heading home yourself?" Gary inquired as he walked through the lab with May. He played with Lillipup's ears while he walked alongside her.

May grinned at him. "Don't you always?"

"That I do," Gary grinned back, and then they left the lab to start for the Ketchums' house.

The night had long settled in as they walked through Pallet Town. Most of the citizens had already turned in for the night, but the lights in the occasional home and the streetlights illuminated the streets enough for people to see.

Lillipup wagged excitedly at the chance of seeing the town at night for the first time. Gary and May smiled at the little bundle of fluff in her arms and both reached to scratch the top of its head. Their fingers accidentally collided with one another atop the small space.

A slight blush swept across May's cheeks.

"Sorry," she laughed, and then handed Lillipup over to Gary. "I think you should take Lillipup now—we're almost there."

Gary smiled at her while looking off into the distance, like he was deep in thought. A couple steps later, they reached the red door of the Ketchums' house. The porch light was on, but the lights on the first floor were all shut off. He turned to May on the porch.

"Well, this is it for tonight," he said. "Good night and sweet dreams—I'll see you tomorrow."

May nodded and smiled at him. "See you tomorrow," she said, and reached into her bag to dig out her keys, only to find that she didn't have it with her.

"You forgot your bag, didn't you?" Gary asked as he saw her frown.

"Yeah," she sighed and reached into the pocket of her coat, hoping to find the spare key to the Ketchums' house. To her relief, she found it. A smile crossed her face as she held it up to her face. "Well, at least I didn't forget the keys."

Gary chuckled at her triumphant expression. He found it endearing the way she was grinning gleefully like a little kid. Next thing he knew, he had leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead, unable to help himself.

"I'll keep your bag safe until tomorrow," he promised. "Good night."

May stared after him in bewilderment as he walked off the porch. It was the first time that he had ever kissed after his grandfather's funeral, and she felt her cheeks burning away and quickly went to stick the key into the lock so that she could enter the Ketchums' house. She pondered over her body's reaction to Gary's touch. Placing a hand over her heart, she felt it pounding madly against her chest.

Yes, she liked Gary—that she would acknowledge and admit—and just about every little quirk about him. She liked how he walked around with his hands in his pocket in a nonchalant manner. She liked how he would run his hand through his hair as he was working and muss up the spikes. She liked how his demeanor alone was enough to make other girls swoon.

She liked how dedicated he was to his work and those he loved. She liked how he handled pokémon. She liked how he looked in his white lab coat. And she liked how he was able to smile around her, despite all that had happened.

With those things in mind, she considered that she could possibly still love him like Drew had said.

But why was it that the feeling felt so...wrong?

Her feet dragged her to and up the stairs of the Ketchums' home. For the most part, all three of the Ketchums, including Pikachu, had gotten accustomed to the fact that Professor Oak had left the world for good. Though Delia had taken the longest to recover from the despair of the loss, even she had been coping rather well. Her dearest friend had departed for good, but she willingly accepted that fact, no matter how reluctantly.

She, along with her son and daughter-in-law, all agreed that the professor was in a better place. He was gone from the world, but would forever remain in the hearts of those who loved and respected him. His legacy would not be forgotten; it would live on in his place forever.

May eventually traveled to the guest room, where she had been staying in for the past month and a half. As usual, the room stirred up memories of the night Drew left, and she bit her lip as she was reminded of his absense. They still caused her stomach to lurch painfully and tears to sting the back of her eyes.

She missed him—Arceus, she missed him so much. She hadn't stopped thinking about him since he had left—the fact that she reread his letter once every day proved it. She had gotten close to buying a ticket to LaRousse during the week of his birthday in February, just so she could spend the day with him, even if she hadn't reached her decision yet.

But she refrained. She couldn't go find him—not yet, at least. He had said that he needed some time away from her and couldn't see her until she made her choice.

So, even though she desperately wanted to go to him—just to satisfy the desperate need to see his face, to be near him—she didn't. She couldn't do what she did to him again. If she was still struggling to choose between him and Gary, then she wasn't going to see him until she was completely sure that she wanted him. Him, and him alone.

There was a light rapping on the door, followed by a gentle voice requesting permission to come in.

May granted it, and watched from the bed as Misty entered the room.

"Hey, Misty," she greeted softly.

"Hey, honey," the woman greeted back as she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you holding up okay?"

The reference was clear.

"For the most part, yes," May answered. "I'm just having difficulty with making a choice."

"Who are you leaning more towards to?"

"The problem is—I don't know," she sighed. "I feel like I could possibly love Gary, like Drew said...and yet, I always get this strange, aching feeling whenever I think about the possibility.

"Meanwhile, I miss Drew every day to the point where it hurts and I feel like crying whenever I think about how much I hurt him. I love him—that I know for a fact. But I don't want to go find him if I'm still feeling something for Gary. When he's my choice, I want him to be my choice without the looming threat of someone else. Like, I want to be sure that I want him and only him." She bit her lip as she looked over at the woman perched at the end of the bed. "Do you understand what I mean, Misty?"

Misty nodded, pressing her lips together as she did so.

"I know what you mean," she affirmed, and then sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision in letting Drew go that day. I should have gone to wake you up—maybe you could have gotten him to stay."

May shook her head.

"No, don't say that," she insisted. "It's alright. He would have left regardless of who tried to stop him. I know him—once he makes up his mind, no one can change it." She looked up to the ceiling and clamped her hands together on the top of her legs. "It was probably best that he left, anyways. How could I make him wait for me and watch while I visit Gary every day? I did enough damage already." She swallowed to compose herself before her voice cracked. "I hurt him enough."

"Oh, May," Misty started, and reached out to squeeze the girl's hand. "Stop blaming yourself for everything. You didn't mean to hurt him—it just happened. Arceus knows Drew doesn't blame you, or else he never would've left that letter. You just need some time to make the right decision."

"I do, but I'm taking such a long time. Why am I even taking so long to choose between him and Gary? I make comparisons between the two of them every day, and I always end up leaning more towards him in the end. I should only love him—I shouldn't even think about the possibility of loving Gary."

"That's not your choice—your heart chooses that on its own, as clichéd as that sounds," Misty insisted, staring at the girl compassionately. "You can't help who you love."

A small smile actually tugged on the corners of May's lips. "You know—Drew said that exact thing in his letter," she said.

Misty smiled before giving her hand a pat and stood up from the bed.

"Then you know for a fact that Drew agrees with me," she said as she walked to the doorway. "You'll make the right decision eventually, May. For now, just get some sleep." She began to close the door. "Good night, honey."

"I know—I just hope I make it soon. All this waiting isn't good for any of us," May responded. She tried her best to return Misty's kind smile. "Good night, Misty."

Author's Note: Three chapters left after this one. Where has the time gone? D: May makes her choice next chapter! Make sure to read and review! Thanks!

Oh yeah, I'd like to point something else out. May's coping pretty well with Drew's absence; Bella didn't with Edward's. I'm just saying. :P

Expect a Contestshipping oneshot from me sometime this week, hopefully! I'll most likely have it up before I update again for this story. Please go read it and leave a review on your way out? I'd appreciate it greatly. :)