It wasn't long before May and Drew made their way onto the stage in the outside arena, Soledad and Harley, still in the waiting room with the rest of the eager competitors, watching it on the large TV that hung from the ceiling which showed what was going on out on the battlefield like a feeding camera at a sports event. It showed quick glimpses of the cheering fans in the seats that consisted the walls of the stadium, reaching up to the cathedral-sized ceiling, all of it held together by metallic beams that surged through it like organized veins. Apart from the overhead stage lights, most of the coliseum's shine came through the large window that had been installed into the roof, allowing the afternoon sky to be visible and the passing sun's light to enter and illuminate everything, including the anticipating expressions on the judges' faces as the camera turned to show them sitting patiently at the stand beside the stage, Vivian jumping around in front of it, making victorious poses at the audience.

Soledad hummed, somewhat glad that the camera was showing what the arena looked like in case some of the competitors (or viewers worldwide, as this was being shown as a live broadcast) hadn't seen it yet, which helped in confirming her suspicion that the stadium was almost as epically big as the ones used for Grand Festivals. This didn't make her feel relieved, however, as such a thing meant that she and Harley had a chance to falter in front of hundreds of people, as well as the fans who were watching it on television. Then again, this was the first time Slateport held a partner contest competition, so at the same time the pink-red-haired woman wasn't really surprised that it was being seen as a large event.

The audience continued to cheer as May waved to her fans, childish grin bigger than before, while Drew only bowed in an elegant manner, his smile more smirklike than anything else. Any hints of sadness from before had vanished from his emerald gaze and therefore the reptilian qualities of his eyes could cast their full hypnotizing hue onto the spectators all around him. Soledad could hear awe-inspired comments gasp from mouths behind her and Harley, and she didn't have to turn around to tell that a few of the coordinators in the competition were fans themselves, looking up to May and Drew as idols, thus completely amazed by the fact that they were in the same general area as them. Of course, she said nothing and instead leaned her head against Harley's shoulder, the amethyst-haired man then ducking his chin close to her ear to whisper: "You think any of these coordinators will have a chance against May and Drew when the battle rounds come up?"

Apparently he had interpreted the possible origin from the gasps behind them as well.

Soledad shrugged her shoulders, turning her head to eye him, shivering slightly when his metallic blue-green gaze bore into hers with depthness. "Not if they're infatuated with them," she replied indolently, keeping an unimpressed look among her countenance, though it wasn't really directed towards the other coordinators. Since the Johto journeys, all of their names had gotten more and more famous, soon bringing in devotees that resided within actual competitions. However, May and Drew had always had a bigger span when it came to the fan genre, possibly because they had proven that something as big as a famous coordinating career could be achieved even by young folk. It was inspiring, needless to say, and Soledad would easily agree with that.

She just hoped that the coordinators in the current contest wouldn't allow their fancy towards May and Drew to distract them for when it came to the battle rounds; otherwise the said chartreuse-haired and brown-haired teens would be able to pass most of the rounds without trying.

Then again, when she turned her head to gaze at the coordinators that had gasped in amazement, she arched an eyebrow at the sight of their determined expressions – obvious signs that they wanted to prove to May and Drew what they had, and therefore Soledad was convinced that they were more needy to beat them rather than praise them at the moment. She hummed, slowly turning her attention back around towards the TV, leaning her head against Harley's shoulder again as his arm tightened around her waist. "I think they're willing to fight, though," she chuckled slightly, finally adding more to her sentence when silence had dominated the both of them for the past few seconds. She could hear Harley grunt in agreement, pulling her closer, and she inhaled his scent again, addicted to it as if his aroma was heroin.

She returned her eyes to the TV screen, learning that May had released her Blastoise, Drew's Masquerain appearing right beside him, both of them making eye contact before examining their surroundings and immediately identifying the situation. Because of this, it didn't take much for them to get into position, and Blastoise grunted his name as he prepared himself to impress the vast audience around the flat grounds whereas Masquerain flapped his wings more vigorously to cast a nice first impression towards the judges. Vivian grinned in glee upon seeing the two familiar Pokemon and therefore wasted no time in raising her fist into the air, slim figure dancing as she pointed to the overhead console, which was much more colossal than any other TV in the area and hung down from the ceiling above the judges, showing the statuses of the current coordinators on the field.

As if on cue, the IDs of May and Drew appeared on the screen, along with rows underneath it all to show the scores for their appeal for when the judges listed them. Soledad couldn't help but chuckle slightly; no matter how many times Drew attempted to smile in pictures, his portraits always looked like mug shots. She cut off her giggling when Harley turned to eye her in bewilderment, not catching the moment's humor, but dropped the subject when she waved it off with her hand.

"Blastoise!" May called out, starting the appeal as she balled her fist in determination. "Withdraw and head forward!"

The turtle Pokemon replied with a growl, retreating into his shell before launching himself towards the middle of the battlefield, going into a spin when he reached the center.

"Now," May continued, "use Hydro Pump!"

Another faint snarl emitted from the spinning shell, two shafts opening up towards the top of the brown armor, revealing two cannonlike appendages that shined silver in the overhead lights. The crowds gasped in anticipation, the judges remaining silent as Vivian narrated everything that was happening, and Soledad and Harley only exchanged looks; too busy watching to say anything. Soon enough, large beams of water shot through Blastoise's cannons, forming a 'V' symbol in the air that turned with his spinning, cutting off towards the top in a fountainlike manner. The audience gasped and cheered in excitement, and Masquerain hadn't even played his part yet.

Speaking of which, May turned her eyes to Drew, giving him a slight nod, signaling that her ends were tied up and it was up to him to finish the rest. He frowned, keeping on a poker face as his eyes narrowed, and he returned his gaze to his Pokemon, who had been patiently hovering in front of him, awaiting the order to go. "Masquerain," the chartreuse-haired teen called out, suave tone deep with pride, "fly forward with Quick Attack!"

Masquerain chirped before heading out, white energy forming on the back of his wings and body as the mothlike Pokemon shot forward with amplified speed. Knowing the formation, Masquerain didn't need Drew's commands to follow through on what to do next and therefore even when the chartreuse-haired teen called them out, the bug and flying type was already on the verge of charging up the next step to the technique that had been dubbed the 'Silver Water formation' – which was a Silver Wind strike. Masquerain, in the midst of heading towards Blastoise's Hydro Pumps using Quick Attack, allowed the silvery powder of a Silver Wind to form behind him, following his figure. He turned upward before colliding with the churning tunnels of aqua that roared with life above Blastoise's spinning shell, now flying around and between the two arches, the Silver Wind's powdery scales trailing behind him like obedient dogs, thus soon forming a ray of frosty white as the mothlike Pokemon then increased his Quick Attack's speed. The audience gasped as Masquerain was enshrouded within his attack, appearing as an albino blur that revolved around the Hydro Pumps like the rings around an atom's nucleus.

Harley and Soledad blinked, amazed, but at the same time expecting no less from May and Drew.

A little into the Silver Water Formation, the Hydro Pumps' beams, Masquerain still revolving around them, began to turn, shifting into the shape that the mothlike Pokemon's Quick Attack and Silver Wind combination was pressuring them to be. The waters soon churned with each other, wrapping around each other's foundations like the strings found in a DNA strand, and as the two water spouts shifted into a joined place, Masquerain changed his revolving pathway into a regular orbiting one. He now ringed around the connected Hydro Pumps, glowing brighter than before as the powdery scales of his Silver Wind skimmed the surface of the attack, adding silver to its blue texture.

The audience was now awestruck, watching as the formation brightened the room at its own accord, the joined Hydro Pumps seeming alive as they danced to Blastoise and Masquerain's movements, argent surfaces appearing palpable. May and Drew exchanged looks, both of them smirking at the obvious praise they were getting for the technique, though it wasn't long before Drew counted it to be enough and spoke out such a thing over the roaring formation: "Finish!"

Blastoise shut off his cannons, Masquerain escaping from his Quick Attack-Silver Wind prison as he flew upward and around. The joined Hydro Pumps, or what was left of them, fell to the ground around Blastoise like the last upchuck of a rain cloud, and Masquerain soon appeared by his side, the both of them then basking in the sparkles that also showered down – figments of the powdery Silver Wind that had been left behind in the water vortex. Blastoise freed himself from his shell, performing one last twirl before landing in a victorious stance on his feet, his pose intimidating as he bore his arrogant gaze towards the judges. As everything quieted down and the air liberated itself from the vast event that had left the atmosphere feeling adventurous, the audience burst into cheer, chants of May and Drew's names sailing across the crowds as the two said beings bowed down, ending their appeal then and there, their Pokemon mimicking them.

Meanwhile, the coordinators in the waiting room reflected the same mood as the spectators, jumping up and down as if in a rock band concert's mosh pit. Soledad and Harley were staring wide-eyed at the TV screen; though they had been expecting such an amazing formation they still couldn't help but be awestruck as well, memories of when May and Drew first started out as amateurs surging through their minds. A lot had changed since then - that was obvious.

"Wow!" Vivian exclaimed as she leaned against the judges' stand, her voice assisting in calming the audience. "What an amazing performance, but we expect no different from the great May and Drew, am I right?"

Loud cheers were the response.

Vivian laughed, then turning to face the judges as they sat grinning among their stand, the audience calming themselves yet again. This was the time when the judges spoke a few comments before turning in their scores, which would go on to confirm if the competitors were to make it to the next round. As if on cue, Vivian threw her hand outwards towards Mr. Contesta, the middle-aged man crossing his hands in front of him, stern face easing slightly when he smiled, proving the existence of positive opinions towards the appeal. Of course, everyone was expecting May and Drew to get a good enough score to continue anyway, and if they didn't their very fans in the audience appeared ready to rebel and burn the place down.

"Amazing technique," Mr. Contesta chimed, elegant voice filled with kindness, though not any exaggeration. "I can tell you two were born to work together; in only the first round you seemed to have mastered the art of partner appeals. Very well done!"

May and Drew smirked to each other, but said nothing as Mr. Sukizo then emitted his review.

"Pure brilliance!" the short man announced, remaining still in place despite his obvious urge to get up and clap. His round face brightened as he grinned. "Such good teamwork; it was just so…so…" He hummed as he tried to think of the right word to say.

Meanwhile, everyone else in the room only arched their eyebrows.

Mr. Sukizo beamed. "Remarkable!"

Silence.

Slateport City's Nurse Joy then continued with her comment. "Well, my fellow judges have taken the words right out of my mouth," she laughed, clapping her hands together in front of her, pink-colored hair dancing to her movements. "Excellent work!"

And, with that said, the given scores were placed on the overhead screen, and May and Drew smiled when it was listed that they had more than enough to be accepted into the next round. They both looked at each other, back at the crowd, waved goodbye as their Pokemon retreated to their side, and receded into the hallways to return to the waiting room, Vivian, in the midst of it, announcing that the next pair would be called forth shortly.

Soledad allowed her verdigris gaze to fall onto Drew when he walked through the doorway, hands in his pockets, looking as casual as ever. May was right behind him, hands clasped behind her back, obviously proud for her and her partner's successful appeal. Soledad hummed as she sailed her eyes over the other coordinators in the room, surprised that none of them were asking May and Drew for an autograph or a chance to hear how 'professionals' did it, though some did cast surprised glances towards the two teens, saying nothing as they instead returned their focus to preparing their Pokemon for their own appeals.

Meanwhile, Drew soon turned his head, meeting Soledad's spying eyes, and nodded in slight support, despite that when he shifted his gaze to the left, spotting Harley beside her, he immediately frowned and the whole semblance of depression that had covered him before the start of the contest returned in what seemed like a split second, dragging his eyebrows to curve, the glow of his reptilian eyes dimming to a pale, lost hue. Soledad grunted slightly in frustration, longing to know what was wrong with the chartreuse-haired teen, but yet again pushed it away when Harley's voice emitted from beside her.

"Wonderful appeal, eh?"

Soledad turned to him, nodding. "That was almost as good as the Wall of Fire formation," she replied, crossing her arms, slight worry in her voice. Apart from other previously-mentioned things, the possible outcome of the contest still ran laps through her mind like endless waves smashing a rocky shore, and the cold sensation that caressed her stomach in response added to such a mental reality. Despite that such a thing as partner contests were new to all of them, May and Drew had pulled it off like pros, and Soledad was aware that they tended to train a lot with tag-team battles, which was most likely the origin behind their prior knowledge of partner-based matches. Still, though…

"Well…we'll just have to be better…"

She blinked, returning her eyes to Harley, who now had a devious smirk on his face, his voice hisslike. Of course, images of Harley's past as a schemer obsessed with cheating failed to enter her mind, and therefore she only slapped him playfully on the shoulder, convincing him to crack a goofy smile that made her feel at ease. He was right, however; if they wanted to win, then they needed to be better, despite that Soledad had never been one to be in it just for the victory - though she indeed felt determined enough to strive for the winning title of this competition.

"All right, coordinators!" Vivian's voice suddenly exploded from the intercom, causing most of the coordinators to jump. "The judges are ready for the next pair, which is to be…"

Everyone held his or her breaths in exaggerated suspense.

"…Soledad Sierra of Pewter and Harley Davidson of Slateport!"

Speak of Giratina…again, thought Soledad, letting out a quick sigh of self-confidence before following her partner as he led the way towards the hall to the outside arena. On the way there they passed by May and Drew, who were waiting by the door, and while May waved happily and whispered a quick good luck, Drew only crossed his arms, gazing at Soledad out of the corner of his narrowed eye.

Then, they made their way down the hall, the crowds' cheers growing louder as the arena approached, and Soledad felt Harley squeeze her hand in support. "Still nervous?" he chimed, just as he had done before he had pulled her into a hug prior of May and Drew's appeal.

And, because she didn't want to go out there blushing, she slowly shook her head, portraying an eased smile. "Could be worse."

At least that was somewhat true.


Soledad felt her breath get trapped in her throat as she and Harley emerged into the arena, the audience now ten times louder than they were before, the cool air of the room swiping across her skin as the vast space gave her the sensation of inferiority. The lights partially blinded her since half of them shone directly on the coordinators' entrance, but she pushed it away as she followed Harley forward, watching him tilt his head to examine the far ceiling. He didn't show any signs of anxiousness, so Soledad couldn't help but wonder what was with her today.

The two coordinators, now side-by-side, cocked their heads to gaze at one another, and nodded in a determined manner, then continuing forward with calm strides as Vivian introduced them to the cheering audience. Meanwhile, Soledad shifted her eyes back to Harley, examining his firm posture, and, out of mere curiosity as she and the amethyst-haired man approached their places on the battlefield, she whispered, "Are you nervous at all?"

She could feel him shift weight between his shoulders, but he eventually met her eyes. "Sort of."

He hid it well.

Of course, she couldn't help but find humor in the moment. "You want me to hug you?" she asked, her smirk teasing.

"Not in front of the children, darling."

Soledad rolled her eyes in a playful manner as he grinned, though they both pushed it aside when they entered their required places among the battlefield's pattern, Vivian leaning against the judges' tables during the whole ordeal; however, she soon moved forward and hyped up the crowd once everything was in place, then announcing the start of the appeal.

Harley pulled Banette's Pokeball from his black belt, tossing it outwards to release the said marionette Pokemon. Banette allowed his red-tinted eyes to gaze upon the crowd, the ends of his zipperlike mouth creasing upward into a smile; it was good to be in the loud, yet cool air of a contest hall stadium again. Meanwhile, Soledad let out Butterfree, the bug and flying type fluttering her wings as she hovered beside Banette. Harley and Soledad exchanged glances, smirked, and then began:

"Butterfree! Head forward!"

"Banette, jump onto Butterfree!"

The two Pokemon followed their masters' commands, Butterfree soaring out, first lowering to the ground to allow her marionette ally to climb aboard her back. They then shot forward, following Soledad's next order of hovering in the center of the battlefield, Banette balancing himself on Butterfree's back so he could obey Harley's instruction of using Will-O-Wisp. Splotches of bluish-white flames formed around his arms, his eyes narrowing as he focused on keeping them alive. Butterfree only cooed her name, remaining still in midair.

"Now, Butterfree, use Psychic on the Will-O-Wisp flames!" Soledad ordered, her Pokemon following the command, allowing her eyes to glow a deep blue as she directed her mental power towards controlling the flames circulating Banette's arms. Once a chirp emitted from Butterfree's concentrating figure, Soledad exchanged a look with Harley, who nodded, giving her the signal to start the formation. "Wheel of Wisp formation!" she ordered, and the two Pokemon wasted no time in complying.

Banette wrapped his arm around Butterfree's neck, keeping the other free to produce more Will-O-Wisp flames, while Butterfree, using Psychic to control how the flames moved, began to fly up and around in a circle formation, Banette's fire type attack trailing behind her. Due to her mental abilities the flames grouped together on her accord, forming a pathway of fire that marked where she went, and therefore soon a wheel-shaped ring of blue-white blazes thrived in the center of the battlefield. The audience gasped at the beauty of the attack, though the formation wasn't over yet.

Following the next steps of the technique, Butterfree made one last revolution around the wheel before shifting left, continuing with making circles of Will-O-Wisp flames as Banette continued to produce them, each one connected as if the whole thing was a recoiling Arbok. Soon enough, a long, curled string of Will-O-Wisp flames stretched across the entire battlefield, and as Butterfree and Banette reached the end, the marionette Pokemon held his arms up, allowing static electricity to begin to charge up at the tips. The last step to the formation was up, as shown in how Butterfree cut off her Psychic connection with the flames, now flying over it all, allowing Banette to jump up off of her and head directly into the pit of the fiery wheels.

When he reached the center, he allowed the stored energy of his charging Thunderbolt to release, the room roaring with the sounds of thunder as lightning surged across the tunnel of blue-white flames, striking every part of it as if it was all a stormy, horizontal vortex, yellowish crackles of electricity reaching out from the sides. Then, with one last thrust of his arms, Banette sent another Thunderbolt across the joined wheels, the added power causing it all to explode, shooting the dozens of Will-O-Wisp flames that it consisted of in every direction. The blazes dissipated as they moved outwards, drenching the area in dark-colored sparkles as Banette, now falling to the ground, landed on the back of Butterfree when she retaliated to catch him.

They both settled on the floor shortly afterwards, the sparkles showering them like black-tinted snowflakes, and the audience jumped into cheer, their collaged voices even louder than the rumbles that had come with Banette's Thunderbolt attack. The marionette and butterfly Pokemon exchanged looks of pride, even slapping their hand and wing together – the Pokemons' equivalent to a high-five.

Meanwhile, Harley and Soledad, too amazed by how well the Wheel of Wisp formation had gone to say anything, met each other's eyes, Soledad then smiling in relief as her amethyst-haired partner smirked in slight arrogance. The technique had turned out bigger than when they first practiced it and Soledad was grateful for that; it meant that Banette and Butterfree had given it all they had.

"Amazing!" Vivian gasped from the side, grin big, all eyes turning to her as the crowds' cheers quieted down. "Was that epic or what?" She turned her eyes to the judges, then adding, "But let's see what the judges have to say!"

Mr. Contesta smiled as the spotlight shone on him. "Breathtaking!" he described, hands still clasped together in front of him. His expression showed amazement and his face was even slightly flushed, as if having just been in a mode of serious adrenaline. "That formation blew me away and it obviously took quite some practice to master. Wonderful work!"

"It was amazing," Mr. Sukizo commented when all eyes shifted to him. "And…well…" He chuckled and shrugged. "Remarkable!"

"Your Pokemon worked together in perfect harmony," Nurse Joy pointed out when her review was up. "A great team owned by two skilled coordinators, to make a long story short."

It was then when Harley and Soledad's scores appeared on the overhead screen, showing that their points nearly added to the total May and Drew had obtained, which was more than enough to be considered for the next round. Harley and Soledad met each other's gazes, and as their Pokemon came to their side, the two coordinators smiled in relief, Harley holding up his hand and Soledad easily complying the victory by slapping it with hers, just as their Pokemon had done. Afterwards, they then headed back into the hall, faintly hearing Vivian repeat her words that the next pair up would be announced shortly.

In the midst of heading down the empty hall back to the waiting room, Harley wrapped his arm around Soledad's shoulders, pulling her close to him, causing her face to heat up as he mumbled to her, "Think we did as good as May and Drew?"

She shook her blush away and nodded. "I have a hunch we did."

He chuckled softly, and she nearly melted at the sound of his voice. When she thought about it, though, despite that the appeal round was over and their continuation onto the battle rounds was guaranteed with their high scores, they weren't out of the woods yet. The battle round was going to be longer, harder, and more risky, as shown in the fact that the Brave Rush formation was going to be used there.

Soledad sighed as she leaned her head against Harley's chest, his arm tightening around her shoulders in response. She felt relieved by doing so, feeling her worries wash away as she lingered in his warm, securing hold, though one saying did continue to haunt her mind like a tumor that wouldn't die.

The appeal round was just the beginning.

Now the hard part was ready to start.


A few hours later, the appeal round for the contest was over with, though since there had been much more competitors than in a normal contest, the judges had decided to end it there and continue with the battle rounds tomorrow. Of course, at the end of the appeal round, the competitors viable to enter the next part had been announced, leaving half of the pairs who didn't make it to return home with hopes of doing better next time. Harley and Soledad were thrilled to see that they had made it to the next round with flying colors, May and Drew passing all requirements as well, as did the other pairs of the competition who had been seen worthy enough to continue.

Soon afterwards, May, Drew, Harley and Soledad found themselves seated at a restaurant, the sunset visible through the window in which their booth had been placed beside. Soledad wasn't really surprised that the judges had decided to continue the contest tomorrow; it had been getting late by the time the appeal round was over, and the battle section was predicted to last twice as long as that. Because of this, the coordinators who had made it to the next round were sent home for now, set to return to the contest hall stadium the following day to continue and finish off the competition. Of course, she, Harley, and May and Drew had agreed to dine before returning home, using the time to discuss formations and congratulations on making it to the next round.

"The Wheel of Wisp formation turned out better than I thought it was going to," Soledad answered once May had questioned about their used technique. It was true, too, as she had seriously thought it wouldn't be that epically vast of a move when put on the battlefield. But, then again, her Pokemon were always amazing her.

Harley grunted in agreement from the side of her, both of them sitting next to one another on one side of the table's booth, while May and Drew were side-by-side opposite from them. "Same here," he added, tone mellow, as if unable to think of anything else to say. Soledad cocked her head to meet his gaze, noticing that he had put on a warm smile, which made her blush and snap her head away.

"Any of you have any idea who you're first set to battle tomorrow?" May asked, examining the ramen twirled around her fork like a bored scientist studying a desk pen. She brought her sapphire eyes to Soledad's face, noticing that it was red for some reason, but said nothing, instead turning to Drew, who had been silent during the whole meal between them, only emitting a slurping sound for when he took a sip of his drink. Apart from that, he didn't move his eyes away from Harley, his sadness from before still haunting his face like a phantom.

Harley shrugged. "No idea. I don't think anyone knows; they're probably going to pair battlers tomorrow when the contest continues." He turned his metallic blue-green gaze downward, noticing that their meals were finished and that the check for the whole thing sat in the middle of the oak wood table. "Guess I'll go pay the bill," he then commented as he got up, leaving the booth to head towards the front desk. Drew watched him leave, his sadness dissipating slightly as his eyes narrowed with suspiciousness.

"I'll split it with him," he muttered before getting up and following the amethyst-haired coordinator. At first Soledad found the act generous – Drew paying half the cost of the dinner. Of course, once she realized that he had probably only done so so he could follow Harley and make sure that the man wasn't up to something with his absence, she frowned and shook her head in slight disappointment. However, she ignored it all and leaned back against her seat, May watching her from the opposite side of the table, sapphire eyes bright with curiosity as if she was contemplating on something. Silence dominated the two female coordinators for the next few seconds, clashing plates and other conversing consumers sounding distant amongst the restaurant's warm atmosphere.

"So…how long has this been going on?"

Soledad blinked, turning her eyes to May, whose gaze was fixated on her in an inquisitive manner. "How long has what been going on?" she repeated, confused, and May only frowned as if the answer to that was obvious.

"You know…" she replied, tone implying. "…you and Harley…"

Soledad, still bewildered, reached for her drink. "What about me and Harley?"

"How long have you loved him?"

The pink-red-haired woman, who had been taking a sip of her water around the time that sentence emitted from May's mouth, choked on the liquid, gagging forward and nearly spilling the glass's contents all over the table. She pounded her chest to help clear her throat, and May only scooted back slightly, not wanting to get hit by a stray ice cube. "Wha-what?" Soledad hacked, trying to recover from her large inhale of water.

Meanwhile, May only shrugged. "How long have you had a thing for Harley?" she asked, spacing out her words as if explaining the concept to a kindergartner.

"I-I don't like Harley in that way!" Soledad said, face flushed, wondering where May had gotten the idea that she did.

May seemed unfazed by her answer. "But you just blushed at him a few minutes ago. Oh, and you've been doing that for the past few days…"

Soledad growled.

"It took me a while to connect it all," May continued, unaware to how Soledad was now flabbergasted, "but it totally explains your recent behavior towards him."

"I don't like Harley in that way."

"You sure? 'Cause it seems like you do-"

"I don't like Harley in that way."

"Well, I'm just saying-"

"I don't like Harley in that way."

"I mean, it's completely fine if you do-"

"I. Don't. Like. Harley. In. That. Way."

May quirked her eyebrow, but shook it away when she shrugged, as if dropping the subject then and there. "If you say so," she said, taking another sip of her drink. "But, like I said, I was just saying, and with the way you've been acting lately…it's just something I sort of figured." She grinned bashfully. "Sorry about that. Don't worry, neither Drew or Harley has to know about this little misinterpretation."

Soledad forced herself to calm down, relieved that May had finally understood that there was nothing going on between her and Harley, nor did she have any feelings towards the said amethyst-haired coordinator whatsoever. It was preposterous anyway – her being in love with Harley Davidson. He was a good friend…but there was no way it would be anything beyond that.

…it could never be anything beyond that…

Before Soledad could frown, Harley and Drew returned, the chartreuse-haired teen's arms crossed over his chest in a disappointed fashion, which made Soledad assume that he had failed to see Harley scheming an act behind everyone's backs. She wanted to chuckle at the sight, but held it in. "It's getting late," Harley commented, stuffing the dinner's receipt into his jacket pocket, both he and Drew completely unaware of the conversation that had just taken place between her and May – and she was grateful for that. "We should probably head back."

May nodded in agreement, getting up, waving goodbye to Soledad and Harley before she followed Drew through the exit doors and into the neon-colored night of Slateport City, course set on their hotel. Meanwhile, Harley helped Soledad up, the both of them leaving through the opposite set of doors, the humid, cold air swiping across their facial skin as Harley unlocked his car, the flashing lights helping in locate its position through the murky darkness that drenched the restaurant's deserted parking lot.

Needless to say, the drive back to Harley's apartment was silent, because Soledad was too busy sorting out jumbled thoughts to say anything.


Darkness spread across the walls of the apartment, dominating the area like black water that poured from the nooks and crannies of the area, the moon's glow the only source of silvery shine as it bled through the various windows all around, casting its silhouette over the carpeted flooring. Apart from that, the neon light of the city's buildings mixed in with the moon's beams, adding color to the pale hues of it all, though it only made the quiet place seem eerie; even with the town's natural sounds faintly pounding on the walls from outside.

Soledad sighed as she lay sprawled out across the living room's couch, staring up at the blackened ceiling, only parts of her body illuminated in the peaking glow of the moon. Unable to sleep in her bed, she had walked out in hopes of finding comfort on the couch, seeing as how Cacturne slept in it most of time, this night being an exception. It was silent and she didn't bother to turn any lights on, basking in the darkness of nighttime, hoping it would help drift her off to sleep; but her conflicting thoughts over various things said otherwise, and she was left sleepless due to a knotted mind.

She turned to her side, sighing again, reading the alarm clock on the table not too far away which displayed that it was three in the morning. She had headed to bed at ten, so for six hours she had laid awake though to her it had felt like only five minutes. She allowed her eyes to wander, soon catching sight of the doorway into Harley's bedroom, and she blinked slightly when she realized that it was somewhat ajar, revealing the shadow-drenched area behind it. She got up, agreeing with herself that it wouldn't be right for her stalking around to have a chance to wake Harley up; therefore, when she reached the door, she placed her hand on the knob, attempting to close it.

That is, until she caught a glimpse inside.

Past all the darkness and silver-illuminated windows, Harley's king-sized bed was visible, even with its black sheets. The comforter was twisted, covering the body that lay snoozing away in it, and Soledad felt her breath get trapped in her throat as she gazed at Harley's slumbering figure, his snores hearable yet mostly silent.

For the next few seconds she just stared at him from his open door, and then, for a reason that escaped her, she began to walk forward, soon coming up to the side of the bed in which he lay on his front, arms dug around a pillow as his head buried itself against it. His expression was mellow, even in his sleep, but yet the moon's light from the nearby window leaked onto his countenance, amplifying the mature look of his facial features. His scent radiated from his body like an invisible veil – she could smell it as she stood over him, feeling light-headed towards it all. She was paranoid to make a sound for obvious reasons, and she couldn't help but hold her breath when she realized that his visible chest and back was free of any clothing.

He slept shirtless.

She felt the blood rush to her face, her eyes examining his slim physique. However, she only let out her breath slowly, and before she could realize it her hand had reached forward, her fingers gently touching the skin on his shoulder blade. His flesh was hot and soft beneath her touch, sending waves shooting from her fingertips to her quickened heart. Of course, once she realized what she was doing, she quickly took her hand back, now breathing heavily.

What was wrong with her?

Instead she slowly stepped back, tensing when he stirred, but relaxed when he only buried his head deeper into his pillow, a sigh escaping his lips, amethyst hair enshrouding his face. Quietly she continued to back away to the door, shutting it behind her when she left the room, and used that time to let out the rest of the breaths that had been trapped in her lungs for the past few minutes. Trying to sort out her thoughts and emotions, the only thing that lingered in her mind was May's earlier statement – on how she had...feelings...for Harley. She still denied it.

But, as she made her way to her bedroom, suddenly fatigued from too much thinking, she couldn't help but wonder why it felt like she was lying to herself.