A/N: So let it be known that I'm not a big fat liar. Next chapter here! Almost same length, and I'm quite convinced this is a trifecta, so look out for the next (and hopefully last) chapter in a few more days. I'm going to be updating MOM soon, and it's a new story so I want to get Drew's POV outta the way.

Setting: Hoenn, Ever Grande City (anime), Ever Grande Headquarters (game)
Pairing: Steven/May (Hoennchampionshipping), one-sided Drew/May (Contestshipping)
Time: Some years after ORAS
Warnings: Mesh of game and anime

Ages:

Drew Hayden: 15
May Maple: 15
Brock Slate: 17
Ash Ketchum: 13 (yes, I know he's immortal but I let him grow)

More revelations and surprises.

~OOOOOOOOOOO~

Interesting was an understatement.

They were hoisted up into Drake's Flygon and Altaria, who flew them above the skies and waters of Hoenn. They all shivered at the cold, except for Drake who looked like he was having the time of his life.

At first, there wasn't anything remotely interesting to see but waves down below and fat clouds right above, but Pikachu pinched Ash's cheeks and gestured towards the front excitedly. Squinting, they tried to decipher the tiny hills in front of their vision. A moment later, they realized that those two 'hills' were actually moving. Slowly, but yes, they were moving.

"What the hell?!"

The glossy dark blue color of the one entrenched in the waters spanned for a few meters, giving way to the white and red marks it had in its giant fins. The seawater was agitated as it moved around, twisting and turning slowly, eyes on the other giant being who was a menacing dark red, emitting a heat that Drew and the others could feel from above. Proud black lines were traced all over its giant body and it gave a low rumble, the ground quaking from its movements.

"Holy Arceus! It that-"

"Yes it is. Groudon and Kyogre in all their glory." Drake barked out, laughing. "Well, nice to know they're making nice. Last time they almost flipped the region upside down."

Drew's eye twitched at his blasé tone.

They could see everything clearer now. The gargantuan shapes of the Legendaries of Land and Seas; of Groudon's black and red form crouched in a mass of land, growling lowly at the shape of a rumbling Kyogre half-submerged in the saltwater, waves and rocks crashing in a petulant manner.

They were moving oddly.

Kyogre would swim nearer and Groudon would growl out what sounded like a warning. Kyogre would then move away and Groudon would attempt to advance a bit, only for Kyogre to swim more agitatedly, prompting the dark red Legendary to step back.

"It's like they want to fight but can't." Ash muttered, holding onto his cap.

"Felt that too, huh? For a bunch of ancients they sure are a bunch of squabbling children." Drake said, grinning. "But you didn't hear that from me."

There was a piece of shallow land a few meters away from the huge Legendaries. There were a few people standing in alert, darting glances at the two titanic Pokemon, some of them in uniforms of blue and red. They also saw a large anchored ship with a blue insignia nearby, along with an airplane with a red crest.

"Oh, the pain in the necks are here." Drake groaned, landing at the plateau with a crunch of stone and rubble. "Archie and Maxie, what a surprise."

"Drake. For once we had nothing to do with this." The gruff one in the blue pirate get-up said, eyes narrowed.

"I hate to agree with him but it's true." The one in the red one said, as if it pained him to admit it.

"Team Aqua and Magma fighting for the same side, now we've seen everything." Brock muttered. Ash and Drew started at him in surprise. "Gym Leader here. I at least know Team syndicates when I see them. Archie of Aqua and Maxie of Magma."

"These are the people May ran into trouble a few years ago?" Ash whispered back.

Drew nodded, noting with dry amusement at how the two leaders seem to be acting the same way as the Legendaries at the background. "Most likely. Although they seem to be on… not exactly good terms but…"

"Behaving better than Team Rocket." Brock finished.

"Oh, definitely." Ash snorted.

"Well, unless we manage to get Big Bad Red and Blue to sleep we'll be spending a lot of money for daycare." A flamboyant voice commented. It came from a handsome young man with light green hair and mischievous eyes with a Milotic by his side, his smirk promising nothing but trouble. His clothes were… showing some skin, to put it mildly.

The other uniformed people looked indignant.

"Lord Groudon might here you!"

"To speak like that in front of Kyogre!"

"Unforgivable!"

"An insult!"

"Bunch of suck-ups." the young man muttered. "I thought May already told you about talking to your minions about mindless worship."

"It's taking some work." Archie said in a bored tone.

"Same."

"Drake, what are these young men doing here?" A lady with platinum-blonde hair commented and Drew realized with a thrill that she was Glacia, the Ice Mistress of the Elite Four. They were in front of the rest of the Elite Four. And probably most of the key figures of Hoenn. He could definitely see some Gym Leaders here.

"Ah, some of May's friends. Gave them the pass and everything."

The green-haired man's eyes brightened. "Oh, you must be Ash and Brock! And the green hair… Drew is it?"

"Yes?" he said warily. Right. He forgot. They kept keen tabs on May.

"Don't mind Wallace, he scares everyone with his enthusiasm."

Drew's eyes widened when he realized that Wallace… Wallace Mikuri was the name of the man who held the much-coveted title of Contest Master of Hoenn. He was also the founder of the Wallace Cup. Known for his dazzling Water pokemon performances and the grace and beauty of his Pokemon…

Shit. Damn it all. He was in the presence of not only the most successful and admired Coordinator of the nation but one who held the image of the perfect Contest coordinator, the one person every Coordinator aspired to be.

Wallace, having no idea that he had a hyperventilating fan beside him, pouted at Glacia. "Just wanted to know some of May's friends."

"You practically stalk her through your niece." Glacia's tone was amused.

"Lisia doesn't mind, and May loves my calls!"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"You sound patronizing!"

"I do not."

"Anyway, you three seem to recognize Glacia." Wallace told them then gestured to a red-haired man who grinned. "Sidney of the Elite Four, and the other Gym Leaders are here. And some of the Frontier Brains—"

After a few rounds of introductions they seemed to be oddly settled, murmuring in groups and nodding once in a while. Wallace decided to keep them company, talking to Ash and Brock about proper handling of Water Pokemon. He also included Drew in the conversation, complimenting the few contests he saw Drew compete in (and wasn't that faint-inducing), giving him hints and advice.

Drew still couldn't believe he woke up this morning to have most of Hoenn's power loitering in a muddy patch of land, watching over two sulky Legendary Pokemon. He didn't know if he should be star struck or disturbed.

"So… so why are Groudon and Kyogre… erm…" Ash gestured wildly at the Legendaries who didn't even spare him a glance as they continued staring at each other moodily with grunts and growls in between.

"Awake? Bah, if we knew." Archie grumbled a few feet away from them. "The orbs are right in place but we sensed 'em awakening this mornin'-"

"So we had to track them down and see the cause of their commotion." Maxie finished. "No oddities, seems that they woke up by themselves. They were about to start their fight-"

"-more like Armageddon-"

"-thankfully Miss May had the sense to go directly to the source of trouble instead of through Champion Headquarters. They stopped their titanic brawl and they were reduced to this. Glaring and such."

"Wait, May got here earlier?" Ash gaped.

"That's right. Reckless, if you ask me. But brave of her." Ash realized it was Wattson who spoke, having received a badge from him already.

"Just don't let Norman know. He's already jumpy about his little girl." Frontier Brain Noland barked out a laugh.

"I don't think Norman can get any more paranoid about his daughter. Sooner or later he'll lock her down and throw away the key." Winona smiled.

"But she'll find a way to break out. She's that hard-headed."

There was a general assent of murmurs and the three boys glanced at each other, surprised at how they all knew May's temperament enough to presume that of her. Not that they were wrong, in fact.

"Is that her?" Wallace piped up and everyone stared at the dot in the sky, watching as it got bigger and bigger.

It wasn't May, the build of the person riding the Pokemon was too tall, too broad, but the way the Gym Leaders and Elite Four suddenly sported sly smiles before smothering it from their faces made them realize there was something else going on.

"Steven. How nice of him to drop by." Wallace drawled. Drew could practically hear the delight pouring from every syllable.

~OOOOOOOOOOO~

It was a Mega Latios so it was reasonable they mistook it for May, but the person that dropped off the Pokemon was anything but her.

The young man's expression was calm and held a genial smile. He had steel grey eyes and light blue hair tinged with silver, was wearing a crisp black suit with a red ascot, a number of rings decorating his fingers. He dusted the wrinkles off his attire and tried to tame his hair which was buffeted by the wind.

His face was one Drew recognized for all the years he grew up in Hoenn.

Steven. Steven Stone. The talk of the region, the most eligible bachelor of Hoenn. Rich, handsome, gentlemanly, a genius, and an insanely powerful trainer who held a team of rare Pokemon hailing from different regions. Sole son and heir of the President of Devon Corp., Hoenn's largest conglomerate. The elite of the elite, one of the most desired yet most elusive young men of the world.

Drew inwardly snorted. 'Thank you mother, for all those mind-numbingly boring times when you droned about Steven Stone. I have his descriptions seared in my brain. Unwillingly.'

The Devon heir responded to everyone's greeting with a small nod and a smile, before turning to the Sootopolis Gym Leader. The others casually returned to their own conversations, although Drew could see them secretly listening in.

Wallace enveloped Steven in a bear hug, and Drew snorted at the resignation he could see as he gave in to the green-haired man's cuddles.

"Wallace. Where is May?" were the first words he said, and Drew immediately found himself disliking the man, from his tips of his flyaway blue hair down to his polished black shoes. He was looking at the Contest Master expectantly, as if he would produce the brunette out of thin air for him.

"Oh-ho. No 'hi, how are you Wallace?' or 'Hope you're doing well'? You've been in Sinnoh for the past year. A greeting would be nice." Wallace grinned wickedly.

Steven didn't falter, his smile still polite. "How are you Wallace? Where is May?"

"Oh, I don't know." Wallace sang out. "I certainly have no idea what she'd been up to-"

Liar.

"-but you seem to be oddly interested after refusing to hear about her for a year."

Drew frowned when Steven flinched, his grey eyes flashing in what seemed like regret, before composing himself with a grimace.

"I was busy. Researching Mega Evolution takes much of my time." His voice was still pleasant, but he could hear an undertone of emotion in it.

"I'm sure."

There was that sarcastic drawl again. Drew really needed to know how to perfect it. It seemed to jab the pretty boy heir right in the chest.

"Is that her?" an Aqua grunt called out. "Yeah, I think it is! It's… oh."

Everyone swiveled to look above, confused at the tone the grunt adapted. A second later, they understood.

Everyone paled.

The long, twisting green form of a majestic Rayquaza was flying towards them, emitting a shrill sound that stilled Groudon and Kyogre, making the rest of them freeze. Flying beside the Legendary Sky High Pokemon was—

"May!"

The relief Drew felt at the sight of her was short-lived, as Groudon and Kyogre began to roar angrily at the advancing Rayquaza and in effect, her.

Mega Latias swerved to avoid the two enraged Legendaries, landing neatly on the ground as May deactivated the Mega Evolution of the Eon Pokemon. Latias returned to her original state, just as Rayquaza was engulfed in a brilliant white light, making half of the people witnessing it choke in disbelief.

Mega Evolution.

The Mega Evolved Rayquaza towered above them all, streaks of yellow appearing all over its new body like bright chains, hovering in the sky like an avenging god bent on punishing its wayward people. The winds howled even stronger, a cyclone of violent air that surrounded the green dragon who screeched angrily at the Sea Basin and Continent Pokemon who was swiping at the flying Rayquaza half-heartedly.

May seemed to have ordered her Latias to create a shield around them, a transparent red film that covered the whole patch of land, leaving them unaffected by the winds. However the sight of Hoenn's three legendary beings seemed to strike them all dumb, a thrill running through their spines in a mixture of awe, fear, and concern for the Champion who was in front of the line of fire. They could do nothing but watch as May seemed to communicate with Rayquaza wordlessly, her expression focused.

But then someone was shouting, and a second later everyone was scrambling to act.

"We should help!"

"It looks like she has it in the bag! We might just be in the way!" a Magma woman yelled.

"Scared? I should expect nothing less from you Magma cowards!" an Aqua minion shot back.

"Me, scared? Not in the least, Shelly!"

"You are! Besides, what could you do Courtney? Tell your Mightyena to Roar and hope for the best?"

"Why, you—"

"This is not the time for your squabbles!" Archie screamed. Beside him, Maxie was developing a tic in his jaw.

"Yeah, just duke it out once you're all in prison!" one of the Gym assistants jeered.

This led to another round of threats and screams. The Elite Four looked exasperated and Wallace face-palmed.

"Everyone, be on your guard at least." Glacia told her group firmly, ignoring the idiots behind her. Drake and Sidney, the Gym Leaders and Frontier Brains all nodded, releasing their most powerful Pokemons on standby.

Ash, Brock and Drew were solemnly staring at the Legendaries, not bothering with the others.

Drew was terrified for May. The tiny waif of a girl standing like a bamboo weed in the wind, her back to them, her fists pale white. His heart clenched at the thought of her hurt, or worse… gone forever—

No.

She wouldn't. She was strong. She was resilient. She was the Champion of Hoenn. She would return to him, all infuriating smiles and laughs, with that red blush of hers and that stammer that would appear whenever he would gift her Beautifly a rose… and Arceus help him that the girl who became Champion was so clueless about love of all things—

"Delta Stream. Rayquaza's Mega Ability."

Those words came from Steven, whose look was half-analytical, half-concerned, his eyes never leaving May. Drew noticed that he looked high-strung, as if he was forcing himself not to leap forward.

"That's where the winds are coming from then?" Wallace said.

"Yes. It cancels any other weather effects. I never knew May had Rayquaza's Mega stone. It was foolish of me to think that someone else could have sent me those information on its Mega Evolution."

And before anyone could do anything, he had stepped forward and posed himself by May's side, his eyes filled with steely determination as he unleashed a shiny, Mega-Evolved Metagross. She stiffened at his nearness but never spared him a glance, focusing on the battle.

Wallace tsked beside Drew. "That boy has it bad."

Drew's breath hitched.

~OOOOOOOOOOO~

The skies were clear.

Groudon and Kyogre had been finally subdued. Team Aqua and Magma had simultaneous heart attacks when May, seemingly reaching an understanding with Rayquaza, flung a Masterball at Kyogre and Groudon each, who let themselves be caught without any fuss. She let them out just as quickly and there was a moment when Rayquaza emitted a series of loud screeches, baring its jaws towards the two. It sounded like a reprimand and Drew wanted to laugh hysterically when the two Legendaries seemed to shuffle around in guilt.

Like he said. Trippy.

May was safe. She looked exhausted, and Drew didn't know if he should hug her tight or shake her violently but he didn't allow himself a step near her. He didn't know what he'd do, what he would reveal to all these people if he went near her. May never showed an inkling that she understood what Drew tried to express to her.

And… And if it ruined his chances of seeing her, then Drew would rather have her as a friend.

They retreated, Groudon and Kyogre. Kyogre to the depths of the seas while Groudon in its Masterball; finding it more convenient to return to the Cave of Origin via its new trainer without more destruction. The two Legendaries had been pensive, almost relaxed, and they gifted May with a blue and red sphere which made Maxie and Archie sputter.

"The Red and Blue orb." Wallace told them as May pocketed the hovering orbs. "Capable of calming or enraging Groudon and Kyogre."

"They must trust her explicitly if they would just hand over another pair of orbs." Juan said.

"Trust her? She has all the Weather Trio at her beck and call!" Drake barked out, looking excited. "We're gonna have this one as Champion for a few more years, aye."

By then Team Aqua and Magma were all but worshipping the ground she walked on; after all, she held the beasts they had dedicated their lives into searching for. Archie and Maxie looked exasperated at their minions, although that didn't stop them from finagling a deal from May to study and look at the Legendaries when they were in a more… reasonable mood.

The Gym leaders, Brains, and Elite Four were all gleeful, patting her in the back or hugging her around, mussing her hair as they laughed. Ash and Brock received a whooping hug from her, and she even pulled Drew in a hug that was hesitant, yet no less warm than the others.

The other League assistants looked harassed as they tried to urge Hoenn's leaders to arrest Team Aqua and Magma, looking scandalized when all they did was look on fondly as Archie and Maxie gave May a brief nod and a tap on her shoulder, climbed on their ship and plane respectively, and disappeared from sight.

Rayquaza was still there in all its dragon-ish glory, un-Mega Evolved, half of its body dipped in the water as it lazily splashed its tail up and down, burrowing its head in the gravel as it tried to find a more comfortable position to rest. The others looked on in fascination some distance away.

"He's mine." May said. "Rayquaza that is. I went to retrieve him today, since he dislikes being away from the Cave for a long time. I first found him in the Cave of Origin years ago when Team Aqua and Magma tried to control Groudon and Kyogre." Then she chuckled. "I lost count on how many Ultra Balls I threw at him; he kept on breaking out. Sometimes I think he let me catch him because he got bored and fell asleep since all I did was throw balls at the end."

"Amazing." Brock murmured, and it really was. That she was able to battle a Legendary and capture Rayquaza at such a young age… and looking at the way Rayquaza let May pet him gently while emitting a low croon-like sound—

"It likes her." Drew said, eyebrows raised.

"Of course." Wallace suddenly appeared beside them. "You'll find that with May, it's very difficult not to like her."

Drew nodded stiffly. Yes, he learned it the hard way.

"Although, there are people who like her more than they think they should."

Wallace words seemed to be prophetic as a second later, Steven Stone was beside May and her dragon, Rayquaza giving him a warning screech as he approached before May soothed him. They were staring at each other softly, like they had been deprived of each other's sight for years, never leaving each other's gaze.

Drew felt numb.

"Oh."

"Yes…" Wallace sighed. "Ugh, that boy is so infuriating. Leaving dear May all on her own, what if someone snatches her away—"

Drew wanted to laugh at the irony and retort that he was one of those who wanted to take her away. Who wanted to snatch the chance to be with her. He wanted to say to Wallace that he was that person he was talking about so uncertainly, who would take the girl from his friend without regret.

Yet he stayed silent. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he watched May break her gaze from the Devon heir hesitantly, even as he tried to say something.

He wanted to scream.

He wanted to laugh.

He…

He didn't know what to do.

He hadn't even tried yet. He wasn't even given a chance to explore his feelings. To find out if there was a chance that it could bloom into something wonderful, exhilarating, and if he could coax her to feel the same. Hell, he didn't even know if he should take the first step. If he should tip the scale from teasing friendship into love or whatever the hell his chest was feeling whenever she was near. But that choice was taken away before he could make up his mind.

Looking at the two of them…

Yes.

He closed his eyes and looked away.

He already lost.

~OOOOOOOOOOO~

"Why didn't you tell us?"

The question came from Ash as they dug into their lunch, bright light streaming into the windows of Ever Grande Headquarters. They tagged along earlier when May was requested to give her report of the incident and she left them to explore Ever Grande island while she went on business.

Turns out Drake was dead right. You had to swim, dive, smash rocks, cross a cave, if you wanted to challenge the Headquarters. Ash was more than enthusiastic to pass Ever Grande by himself and looked like he could barrel in that very moment until Brock hit him in the head and said that he needed HM's and all eight gym badges to even attempt to do so.

May generously handled it all instead, and Drew had to bite his tongue at the sight of a large Swampert, Gardevoir, and a sleek Swellow that she masterfully handled. Brock kept giving him glances which he refused to reciprocate.

Fine. She was a damn good trainer, what more could he say?

The island was lovely and it was unbelievable that the only building that was on it was the twenty-story high Headquarters. No houses or stores at all. There were all sorts of Pokemon in the island though and they were allowed to catch them if they could, according to the aides.

'If they could' was the key word.

The Pokemon were hellishly strong and Drew could only watch as Ash was beaten up by a particularly grouchy Mankey he had sprung up from behind while it was taking a nap.

It was peaceful, if a bit boring.

Then May returned by mid-afternoon. And it took all of Drew's willpower not to gasp at his first sight of her.

Gone was the bandana, the sneakers, and the twin pigtails. Her black gloves were not in sight, she had no yellow fanny pack, and she carried herself so differently that he had to make a double take just to make sure.

She was stunning.

Her hair was loose, flowing into a waterfall of brown ringlets down to her waist, slightly twisted into a design at the back with two curls at her ears. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright, and Drew could finally understand why the reporter from the Poke Magazine described her as such.

She was wearing a stylish white suitcoat with red accents, tight enough to accentuate her curves and her chest. The suit was split downwards, drifting at her sides and showing white shorts and a golden belt where her pokeballs were fastened. There was a red choker on her neck and she had thigh-high white boots on. Loosely tied at her side was a white cape that fluttered as she walked.

The Champion's cape.

She carried herself with grace, gliding more than walking, doing that thing with her hips that made all the blood rush up to Drew's cheeks. Even her hands looked elegant. Quick and sure, she waved them about as she emphasized her words to her companion, which turned out to be a green-haired girl who shared the same features as the Contest Master.

She greeted them warmly, seeming to devolve from the cool Champion to a sunny ball of warmth, introducing them to the pretty girl called Lisia. Drew's brows lifted in recognition and Brock was hit by the idol's Altaria with a mean Peck on the head when he tried to flirt heavily. She left soon after, waving energetically and whispering something in May's ear that made her cheeks redden and puff up in embarrassment.

May ignored their questions and dragged them into the food court, which looked more like a five-star restaurant with its very own chef (well, nothing less for the best of Hoenn) and they dug in, hungry from all the excitement earlier.

May stopped stabbing her salad and blinked at Ash, surprised to see that all three boys were staring at expectantly. She huffed and dropped her fork, sipping at water instead.

"I… Well how can you tell people that you're the Champion?" she muttered, eyes on her salad.

"Oh, I don't know. Something like, 'Hi there, Drew. I'm May. You already know me as a rival but I'm also the Champion of Hoenn so please stop making a fool of yourself by taunting me about my strength which is obviously downplayed.'" Drew said in a high-pitched voice, unable to keep the resentment in his tone.

He was surprised when she burst out laughing.

Drew was about to retort in annoyance when she cut him off, "You think I'm downplaying my skills? Oh, Drew. I know next to nothing about Contests when I first started. Whatever clumsiness you saw me do before was real."

"What?" he said, dumbfounded. "But… the way you move earlier. That—"

He broke off, ears red. Brock and Ash just nodded in agreement.

"Oh, that." May grinned in slight embarrassment. "Max calls it my shy switch. I was really clumsy as a kid. Tripped over things, bumped my head over anything. Even when I won the Championship, come to think about it. I was just given etiquette lessons by Wallace and Lisia and…" she paused, her face twisting. "…and the previous Champion."

There was an awkward silence.

"I got better, but sometimes I tend to revert back to being clumsy." she continued. "Especially when I'm out of place. And believe me, I often feel out of place during contests."

"So all of that was real? The contests, the moves, the rookie way you train your Pokemon?" Drew said incredulously.

"As real as if can get." she said. "I know next to nothing about raising contest Pokemon. I was out of my element. My father's a gym leader so I was raised to know how to bring up Pokemon for battling. Lisia helped me out but I couldn't rely on her all the time. So when Ash offered to include me on his journey, I agreed. Why not? I can do part of my job by inspecting gyms as we go, meet new friends and Pokemon, and explore Contests. It sounded like a good deal to me."

Brock hummed. "And you never told us because…"

"Because one, it would sound like bragging." she said, rolling her eyes. "And two, just like Drew's reaction earlier, they'd be harping about why I'm supposed to be stuffed in Headquarters. And three, I wanted to keep a low profile. No one wants reporters around."

Drew winced, recalling the few times paparazzi hounded him for photos.

"Not many know what I look like. So it was a breath of fresh air just to go around and travel like I did before." she grimaced. "And for people to act naturally around me. Not many see me as a friend once they know me as Champion. So I'm sorry if you feel offended I kept it to myself. I just wanted to be around people who just know me as May."

A gloomy air settled around her and they face-faulted.

Drew pinched his nose. Well. Say it like that and he suppose he could understand why she never told anyone. She wasn't the smug, bragging type. She wasn't an attention-seeker either. So her reasons… he can accept them.

"Can it." he finally said. May looked up, eyes hurt. He just flashed her a grin. "If you think I'll be treating you differently just because you're Champion then you're out of luck. You'll always be ditzy, clumsy May to me."

She laughed, and the relief in her tone was clear.

"And you'll always be two steps behind my marvelous self."

She stopped laughing and sniffed, pointing a finger at him. "Ha! You'll see! Skitty and Beautifly will knock you off your smug pedestal in the next Contest, Mr. Hayden."

"All talk and no proof, blah blah." Drew drawled, a surge of happiness erupting in his chest. This he could deal with. Their usual banter, an exchange of insults.

"Are you still gonna use your usual Pokemon for Contests? You have awesome Pokemon! Like that Manectric and Claydol! Why don't you use them for Contests?" Ash said.

May blinked. "Well, I might be recognized if I use them. And they're purely trained for battling. They don't know much about Contests and they're content to stay here in Headquarters for any challenger that might come. I see them every week even if I'm away. And…" she smiled wistfully. "Isn't that the point of an adventure? Meeting new friends and Pokemon? Arceus knows I love my first Pokemon but that doesn't mean I can add more to love."

Ash looked thoughtful. "I guess you're right. I love all my Pokemon but I also want to have new ones to befriend. In every region I challenge I get to know more Pokemons who turn out to be unique for me."

Brock smiled, nodding. "So as long as you watch over and continue to care for the ones you have, then I see no harm in doing so."

Ash then laughed, holding Pikachu up by the waist. "Well, what do you say, buddy? Are you watched over and cared for?"

Pikachu nodded vigorously, babbling in Pokespeak, cheeks sparking.

"And I guess we gotta look after all our pals at Professor Oak's too. Hey, May! Is there a computer we could use here?" Ash said eagerly.

"Sure. A floor up. It's connected to every region so you can call Kanto, no problem at all. Let me take you there." May said, standing up.

They left, leaving Brock and Drew to mull things over.

"That opened up a whole new side of May, don't you think?" Brock started, polishing off his pasta.

Drew just grunted and stuffed his face with asparagus.

"Okay, let's be honest here. May's a dear friend. Like a little sister to me. You obviously have feelings for her." Brock sighed. "What we saw earlier…"

"Is something between May and pretty boy Stone." Drew interrupted. At Brock's frown he snorted. "Look, I can deal with it. It's not like I'm in so deep—" Lie. "—that I won't know when to back off if she still doesn't get it. I'm fine."

Brock gave him a doubtful look. Again, he ignored him.

Because his mind was made up. No matter what, what mattered the most was May's happiness. And her happiness was evident in the way she looked at Steven Stone earlier. So if he made her happier than Drew could ever hope to, then he'd let go.

He owed her that much.

A/N: Aaand cut. Whew. Two chapters in a week. And yay, Steven's here! Only he's just dropping by, and imagine his shock when a bout of deja vu hit him when Groudon and Kyogre were going at it. Again. And May's at the thick of things. Again. Well, the last chapter from Drew's long POV (don't worry, we'll see him again) should be out by this week again, or the next. Just know I'm still here. Ta~