"Drew!"
Soledad's eyes darted over the area before her, her voice sailing across the deserted lot like a mother Luxray searching for her lost cub. No one was responding, though; even the sounds of Lilycove could barely be heard from her position, the filled stadium right behind her just as silent. She felt bad for leaving Harley, May, and everyone else back in the stadium, clueless to what was going on, but she knew that she had to find Drew.
She had to.
"Drew!" she called again, though like before she received no response. She could feel a lump beginning to form in her throat, stinging and nearly causing her to grab her neck in an attempt to relieve it. But she ignored the discomfort of it all – the only way to fix everything was to speak to Drew, if Drew would even talk to her.
She moved forward, continuing with scanning her eyes over her surroundings. A small patch of trees seemed to thrive behind the stadium, hidden away by the stadium's large exterior, and Soledad couldn't remember if they had always been there or if the designers of the city had recently moved them there to add to the appeal of the building. However they got there, the dark areas between and beneath them seemed like the perfect sanctuary for one to hide in, isolating themselves from others to sort out their thoughts.
Soledad's face grew softer. Somehow, she knew that Drew was somewhere in there.
She made her way down the small, worn pathway that led into the trees, walking past multiple bushes until she reached a small clearing in the center of it all. The trees towered over the area, preventing any light that could've possibly been reflecting off the storm clouds above from getting through. Because of this, Soledad almost didn't notice a figure standing towards the middle of the clearing, his back facing her, fists clenched at his sides so tightly that his nails were practically digging into the flesh of his palms.
Soledad's eyebrows slightly rose, though once she saw the figure's familiar chartreuse-colored hair, she let out a small sigh. She slowly stepped forward, as if any quick movement would cause Drew to run off again and away from her reach – a Pokemon who wanted nothing but to get away from the person pursuing it. She cringed when a dried leaf crunched beneath her step, but Drew didn't seem to respond to her motion, instead standing in the same spot with his head turned down. Soledad couldn't see the expression on his face, which only made her worry more.
"Drew…" she said, her tone soft, eyes somewhat glowing in the darkness that surrounded them.
Drew didn't move. It appeared as if he wasn't even breathing.
"Drew…please…look at me."
At that, Drew turned his head, staring at Soledad out of the corner of his narrowed eye. His gaze was carrying that reptilian hue it was known to carry, and it caused Soledad to shiver in place. She almost wished she hadn't requested such a thing; there was so much hurt and anger in his eyes that she felt like a murderer of some sort.
Still, he said nothing.
Soledad looked at the ground. "Drew…I know that what you saw back in the stadium wasn't something you wanted to see, but-"
"'Something I didn't want to see'?" Drew repeated, his frown tightening and his voice almost hisslike. "That's an understatement."
Before Soledad could say another word, Drew spoke again:
"How long has this been going on?"
Soledad looked up at him. "What?"
"How long have you been keeping this a secret from me? The fact that you love…that…that…monster?"
"Monster?" Soledad said. Feeling guilt begin to build up in her chest, Soledad averted her eyes away from Drew's again. "Harley…he's not a monster…"
"Oh?" Drew scoffed, turning around to face her completely. His glare was so demonic Soledad figured that even Giratina would cringe in fear at the sight of it. "Did you forget all of the stuff I warned you about – all of the stuff he's done in the past? Did you ever think about any of those things? The risks? The dangers? Hell, he's probably considered pulling a knife on you while you two played tonsil hockey!"
"Drew! He wouldn't do such a thing!" Soledad said.
"Then where's your proof?" Drew hissed. "Where's the halo above his head to replace the devil horns that have always been there? I fail to see it!"
"Maybe it's because you refuse to look!"
Drew pulled back, shocked by the fact that Soledad had practically snapped at him. However, he only narrowed his eyes again, his voice low. "I never wanted to believe it…"
Soledad arched an eyebrow. "Believe what?"
It was then when Drew's expression changed into a familiar one – that look of sadness Soledad had been seeing over the last few weeks. It was then when she finally figured out the origin of it, her face falling at the thought of it.
"You…knew about me and Harley…didn't you?"
Drew turned his gaze away. "I suspected something, but I never confronted you about it because I didn't want to believe it was true."
"Since when did you suspect it?"
"Since our talk in that park in Slateport." Drew looked back at her. "I can't believe that you would do this…"
"My life is not yours to control, Drew," Soledad said, dropping the previous matter, her own fists clenching.
"But I have a right to protect it!" Drew's eyes grew darker. "How far have you two gone?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Have you slept with him?"
Soledad's eyes widened, memories of last night flashing through her head. Her expression morphed into one of anger. "Tha-that's none of your business!"
Drew snarled. "You did sleep with him, didn't you? You've kissed him. You've spent entire days by his side, and you're wondering why I'm worried – why I'm scared? Why the fact that the entire time we've been apart, the only thing I could ever think about was the possibility that I would hear that you were found murdered one day and Harley was nowhere to be seen?"
"I understand why you're scared, Drew," Soledad said, her voice now calm. "I would be lying if I said I never thought about the…possibilities…but as I spent more time with Harley I realized he changed. He's a better person now. He almost sacrificed himself to save me – you remember that, don't you?"
"That. Proves. Nothing."
Soledad glared. "Then I guess you're too stubborn to accept anything."
"Stubborn?" Drew let out a dry laugh. "Not stubborn. I'm skeptic. There's a difference, Soledad."
Soledad turned her gaze to the ground. "This is what I was afraid of – the fact that you would shun me away because I wouldn't listen to you."
"You fell in love with a monster! A person who was willing to manipulate and scheme just to get his way!"
"I fell in love with Harley. Why can't you just accept it and leave it be?"
"Because I love you!" Drew said. "If you truly cared for me, you would forget him for the sake of your own safety!"
"I'm not going to forget him," Soledad muttered. "I'm not going to stop loving him – I can't stop loving him just because you tell me to."
"I'm trying to protect you!"
Soledad bared her teeth. "Well stop!"
"Why?"
"Because I don't need you!"
Drew pulled back again, and this time his look of anger didn't return; it was as if Soledad had ripped his heart out then and there. At that instant Soledad regretted what she had said, and she began to move towards him.
"Drew…I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean that…I…"
Drew turned his eyes to the ground. "This is it then."
Soledad stopped. "What? What do you mean?"
"You know what they say – there's only room for one man in a woman's life."
"Drew, that's not what I was saying-"
Drew met her eyes. "Like you said, you don't need me anymore. You have Harley now."
"Drew…please." Soledad moved forward to embrace him, but he stepped back and out of her reach.
"Go be with Harley – if that's what you truly want." Drew's frown tightened. "But don't expect me to be there anymore."
"Drew-"
"Goodbye, Soledad."
And with that, Drew walked past her, his hands in his pockets as he headed out of the clearing and disappeared from sight. Soledad swore she saw tears in his eyes, but she didn't think much of it – because she was too busy trying to hold back her own. She clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to scream into the air – let out all of the hurt and frustration that was filling her. But she held that back as well, knowing that doing such a thing wouldn't bring Drew back.
Nothing would.
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Losing Drew was something that was inevitable; she had been considering the possibility since the beginning. But the fact that it actually happened…it was like a nightmare brought to life.
What could she do, though?
As she pondered on something that had no answer, she didn't notice that someone was watching her from behind a nearby tree, having followed her shortly after she left the stadium and listening to the conversation between her and Drew, witnessing Drew walk away, leaving her.
A pair of metallic blue-green eyes lowered to the ground, their owner letting out a sigh.
You fell in love with a monster! A person who was willing to manipulate and scheme just to get his way!
A monster…
Without notifying Soledad of his presence, Harley turned around and left.
Soledad emerged out of the front doors of the contest hall, facing the parking lot that was still somewhat packed. After leaving the clearing where she had confronted Drew, she had made her way back to the arena in an attempt to find him. However, he was nowhere to be seen, and with the fact that May was also gone Soledad concluded that Drew had forced them to leave then and there, undoubtedly not answering May's questions so she wouldn't try to stop him from leaving. The audience members had also been in the midst of departing, some of them wishing Soledad good luck with her relationship with Harley, completely unaware of the whole matter that had just transpired between her and Drew. She preferred it that way, though; she didn't want to attract attention to a subject she wished hadn't happened, but at the same time had known it was inevitable.
Soledad had tried to look for Harley when she couldn't find Drew, but she noticed that he was absent as well. His Pokemon were gone, too, probably having been returned to their Pokeballs, their own questions left unanswered (and in response she returned her own Pokemon to their Pokeballs, not answering their questions either). Vivian had approached Soledad, giving her the ribbon for winning, which Soledad just stuffed in her pocket like an unimportant object before taking off in search of Harley, leaving her fans and supporters to return to their own business - their happy and problem-lacking lives she wished she could relate to.
She walked down the parking lot, figuring that Harley was somewhere by his car. When the said vehicle came into view, she saw Harley leaning against it, back facing her as he gazed on beyond Lilycove with that same pondering expression she assumed he had when she woke up this morning. She walked closer to him, in which he slightly turned his head, acknowledging her presence out of the corner of his eye, examining how hurt was still swirling around in her darkened gaze.
"Where's Drew?" Harley asked, his tone low – though he already knew the answer.
"Gone," was all Soledad said, trying to keep her tone firm. She shook her head, not wanting to explain it. It was best if Harley didn't know – if he just forgot about Drew. After all, that's all Soledad could do. "Let's just go. Let's head back to Slateport."
Harley turned his eyes back to the city, and he let out a sigh.
"No, Soledad…"
Soledad's head perked up at his words. "What?"
Harley looked at her, his own gaze dark. "No."
Soledad arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'no'?"
"I mean," Harley said, turning to face her completely, "Drew was right."
At that, Soledad pulled back. She didn't even bother to wonder how Harley had learned of her and Drew's conversation, as all she said was: "Drew was right?"
"I am a monster, Soledad." Before Soledad could respond, Harley added, "I've been lying to you this whole time."
"W-what?" Soledad said.
"This." Harley gestured to his body – his personality, his attire, himself. "This isn't me. This isn't me at all. What you saw before all of this – back during our coordinating journeys in Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto – that was me. I've been lying to you, Soledad. I've been lying to everyone."
"But-"
"This is all a façade, Soledad – a disguise I've been hiding myself behind."
Soledad's heart began to speed up. What did Harley mean by all of this – that all she saw in front of her was a façade? Unless… "You…you can't be serious."
Harley turned his eyes away. "I'm afraid I am, hon."
And, just like that, his feminine voice had returned – as if it had never been gone.
Soledad almost forgot to breathe, and all she could get out was: "Why?"
"Because I wanted to become the guy everyone would love," Harley said, his hold on the edge of his car tightening so much that his muscles ached. His voice was now a mixture of virile seriousness and feminine flamboyancy, as if it couldn't even make up its own mind of what it wanted to be. "I wanted to become the guy you would love."
Soledad remained silent. She couldn't believe her ears.
"When we first met," Harley continued to explain, avoiding Soledad's widened gaze, "I considered you the only friend I had at the time. You were one of the few people who didn't judge me by how I acted, even when May and Drew came along. You didn't hold anger towards me, even with all of the things I did to others – all those evil, cruel things I was willing to do just to get my way. I was mad at the world for shunning me away, Soledad, but I wasn't mad at you." He looked at Soledad. "It was towards the beginning of our Johto journeys when I realized I was in love with you."
"But…but…" Soledad said. "You-you never showed any signs – any hints. I never had any idea of your feelings, I-"
Harley closed his eyes. "I'm good at hiding things."
Soledad didn't have a response to that.
Harley opened his eyes. "After I realized my feelings towards you, the only thing I wanted was to have you in my arms – to tell you that I loved you and for you to return my feelings. But I knew that such a thing was impossible, because you would never fall for a guy like me. Yes, you saw me as a friend, but that's all you would ever see me as – unless I became the one guy you could ever want; unless I became someone that could completely contradict the…monster I was before.
"So, when we all took a break from the Johto journeys and we all went our separate ways, I left without saying a word – without explanation. I wanted everyone to forget me as soon as possible. When I returned to Slateport, I thought out a plan to fix everything – to finally be accepted in everyone's eyes, including yours.
"I trained myself. I started dressing differently; I changed my appearance and my personality. Whenever I was mad at something, so much that I wanted to go back to my old revengeful ways, I suppressed it. I forced myself to see things in a new light. I forced myself to become a man.
"When you came to Slateport, you surprised me. Out of all the place you could've went for a vacation, you came to where I was. I thought that that would be the perfect time to try to show you my new side – the generosity I never showed and the love I was willing to give. Despite this, I still thought it would never work, but then you told me you loved me in the car during that stormy night in Slateport, and it was as if Arceus had answered all of my prayers.
"Even after we became a couple, I was still worried. Were you in love with me or the façade I was wearing? What if, one day, you found out the truth? Would you leave? Such thoughts haunted me, but I still enjoyed the time we had together, because, as you said, good things never last. I wanted nothing but to be with you, so I chose to stay with you for as long as I could.
"The days we've been together, it has all been a dream come true. Just to finally have you in my arms has been a dream come true. I never wanted it to end, but when I saw you talking to Drew back there, realization hit me: I was fooling you – I was tricking you. I tried so hard to become the good guy, but in the end I was just scheming everyone like I used to do.
"I don't blame Drew for not trusting me. I wouldn't trust me either. If you need anyone to turn to for support, it should be Drew – not me. No matter how I act or what I do, I'm not a person worthy of your love."
Soledad was in awe by Harley's story. She felt her muscles go weak at the thought of it all; she had so many questions, but at the same time she couldn't think of any of them. All she could think about was his last words. "Wha-what are you trying to say?"
Harley met her eyes, his skin pale. "You deserve better than me, Soledad."
Soledad stepped forward. "I don't want anyone else, Harley! I want you! I love you!"
Harley shook his head. "No. You love this." He gestured to his body again. "I'm already a monster. I would become Giratina's advocate if I were to keep pretending I was someone I'm not just so I can be with you. That would be cruel to you, Soledad. Remember what Drew said – remember who I used to be. That's who I am. You deserve better than that."
"No, Harley-" Soledad slowly reached forward.
Harley shied away from her touch, his voice filled with so much hurt it strengthened the tears trying to escape Soledad's eyes. "Please, Soledad. I don't want to hurt you."
Soledad brought her hand back to her side. No matter what she said, Harley wouldn't listen. No matter how many times she said she loved him, he wouldn't listen. Because of this, she said nothing.
"I'll head back to Slateport," Harley said, turning away as if trying to fight back his own tears. "Go find Drew. He'll probably take you back with the knowledge that I'm gone."
"Harley, I-"
"This is for the best, Soledad. Just…forget about me and move on. Your life was better when I wasn't involved."
Soledad wrapped her arms around herself, trying to preserve the heat that had just escaped her body. Her shoulders shook, but she still held back the tears.
"I will always love you, Sol."
And when Harley said nothing after that, Soledad turned around and ran out of the parking lot, just wanting to escape it all – escape from this living hell.
She loved Harley.
She loved him so much.
But if he thought that he didn't deserve her love, then what could she do?
When the parking lot was gone from sight – when Harley was gone from sight - Soledad leaned against the brick wall of a secluded building and finally let it all out. Tears flowed down her face, and her sleeves grew wet as she wiped them away. She tried to stop them, but it wouldn't work. She knew it wouldn't work.
Because she had always figured that she would either lose Harley or Drew from all of this.
But, in the end, she had lost them both.
