Chapter 3

May Maple stared out the private jet's window, watching the puffy clouds hover over the vast ocean. The morning sunrise painted the entire sky in a vibrant mixture of yellow and orange. In just a few hours she and her boyfriend Drew would be landing in Lumiose City for a special appearance.

The engine vibrated silently inside the luxurious cabin provided by the Contest Committee. After years of competing and incurring millions for them, May and Drew were in the upper echelon of Coordinators and therefore reaped the benefits. The media had dubbed them 'Contest Royalty' due to their combined wins and the fact that they were involved romantically.

They went as far as to call her the 'Princess of Hoenn', a name she secretly enjoyed but carried a large amount of pressure behind it. Truth be told, her prince wasn't the man sitting next to her, sleeping comfortably. No, her prince was a certain raven-haired boy she met when she first started her journey. At least, he used to be.

That's not to say Drew wasn't a good boyfriend, in fact, he was more giving than she thought. They flirted a lot when they first met, but she kept it friendly because her heart was transfixed on her traveling partner. He would occasionally hand her roses as a sign of wanting more than friendship, but she was too busy falling for somebody else to give him more. When she and her partner had a falling out, Drew was the first person to be there for her. She eventually chose to be with him once she knew it was over. Even now, as she stroked his hand with her thumb, she knew she made the right choice.

"You should get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us." He said through closed eyes.

She complied, reclining her seat and resting her head on his broad shoulder.


"Hello and welcome to Boutique Couture. We thank you for spending your day with us." Grace, their hired publicist, acknowledged the roaring crowd while they sat behind a makeshift curtain separating them from the others.

Drew sat calmly next to her. Having done this only a handful of times, she was more nervous. It seemed silly now that she thought of it. She had no problem performing in front of thousands, and millions more watching on TV, in Pokémon Contests. What was there to be afraid of speaking to a significantly smaller audience?

May knew the answer before the thought came to mind. She called Brock one day after hearing that he was working with a well-known Breeder in Kanto. Aside from the usual catching up, he informed her of the whereabouts of her former lover. Apparently, Ash was traveling around the Kalos region but didn't specify his exact location. Not that she cared. She stopped thinking about him a year after they separated.

At the time she didn't believe she'd set foot on the region, but when Drew said they had a commitment there his image came flooding back. When she wasn't training for the Sinnoh Grand Festival, the free time was spent thinking about her first love. All the fun and spontaneous adventures they had, each night spent sleeping in each other's arms, kept invading her mind.

"So without further ado, please welcome May and Drew!"

She was so lost in thought that she didn't stand up with Drew until he squeezed her hand and pulled her up.

"Are you okay?" His piercing green eyes still held her attention after all their time together. The sincere concern she noticed only after they started dating. His confident attitude was still there but the caring side is what she came to love.

With a squeeze right back and a beaming smile, she nodded. "I'm doing great."

They walked through the curtain and were greeted with a deafening roar of thousands of screaming fans, waving and trying to grab them as they walked up to the stage. They both waved back and took a seat behind a long table with microphones.

"My oh my, what a great crowd. First off, let's give another hand to these amazing Coordinators." Grace pointed to them and another loud roar erupted.

May scanned the crowd and saw the many different faces of their fans. From young girls talking to their friends, to older gentlemen standing next to their girlfriends and wives. One couple, in particular, caught her attention. A girl wearing a pink hat kept tugging at the boy next to her who kept his head down. Her eyes must have imagined a yellow mouse climbing up to his shoulder.

Surely it couldn't be...

She returned her attention back to Grace as she asked Drew what it was like to compete against his girlfriend in the finale. This she wanted to hear, not only to distract her wandering mind, but to hear his honest answer.

"It was incredible. We both set aside our feelings and gave it all we had. Of course, it wasn't the first time we went head-to-head." He flicked his mossy hair backwards, causing the girls to swoon over him.

He then went on to tell their battle in the Kanto Grand Festival many years ago. May feigned a kind smile, but inside she was dreading his story. It did nothing but conjure up the same feelings she was trying to get rid of.

"May, how did it feel winning your very first Grand Festival?"

Clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, she inched herself to the microphone and said, "The feeling is beyond this world. As a Coordinator you alway look for ways to improve your craft, and it is a great way to bond with your Pokemon. Winning the Grand Festival is a culmination of all that hard work."

Everybody cheered like it was the greatest thing ever said. After that the questions became easier to answer as she settled in to the newfound fame bestowed upon her. Her smile never wavered and she laughed at a few embarrassing questions. In all, it was a great success.

"Thank you for coming out. To those who were lucky enough to receive a wristband, May and Drew will be signing autographs in a half-hour." Grace then proceeded to give instructions on where to line up and how long it would last.

May and Drew waved goodbye to the raucous crowd before returning backstage for a quick lunch. Her appetite remained the one constant in her life. She ate twice as many sandwiches than the rest of the group, and at one time choked on a few bites that she ate too fast.

"Let's finish up. We don't want to keep your fans waiting." Grace said as she finished the last bite of her food and heading back out.

"Mr. Drew, I am such a big fan." An enthusiastic blond girl handed him a poster of the Grand Festival with shaky hands.

"Hey, don't be so nervous." He signed and handed it back. "Thank you for the support." The girl grinned ear to ear as she headed down the steps.

"They all seem to flock towards you." May laughed as she was passed once again by another teen girl anxious to meet him. The line was trimming down quickly and only a dozen or so people asked for her autograph. You would think the winner would get the most attention than the runner-up. It just so happened that the runner-up had a bigger fan base than she thought.

He gave her a smile out of the corner of his mouth while he signed the small poster. "There's one for you."

She turned back and recognized the perky girl standing before her as the one she saw in the crowd earlier, and she happened to be the last person in line. "Hi, there."

"Hello, Ms. May. I am huge fan of yours." She clutched a small notebook against her dark blouse. "I have seen all your Contests, and it's such an honor to meet you."

"Aren't you sweet." May blushed lightly as she took the book from her. "Who should I make this out to?"

"Serena. Oh and can you also put my boyfriend's name?"

"Sure. What's his name?"

"Ash."

She stopped scribbling and simply stared at the inside cover decorated with small flowers. The name was like a sharp knife driving into her heart, releasing all sorts of bottled emotions. It couldn't have been the same, she said to herself. She wouldn't allow herself to think it was the very same.

"He's standing right over there." Serena said, and she looked up to see her pointing to a pillar near the exit.

There he stood, arms crossed and hat bent so low it partially shielded his eyes. He was a ghost of his former self. The cheery, always-ready-for-anything boy she had known growing up, had he himself grown over the years. But the one thing she liked that stayed the same was his yellow friend, who jumped off his shoulder and dashed towards them

"Pikaa!" It jumped over the table and nuzzled her chest as it hugged her. She felt an overwhelming sense of joy knowing that Pikachu still remembered her.

"I missed you, too." She said while petting her longtime friend.

"Wait, you know Pikachu? You must know Ash then?"

As if on cue, she saw Ash stroll down the walkway, head hanging low and hands shoved into his pockets.

"Small world.." she heard Drew say under his breath. In all her excitement of seeing Pikachu, she forgot Drew was still sitting next to her. He and Ash had prior history, dating all the way back to when they were still travelling through Hoenn. It was one of the reasons she argued with both of them to bury the hatchet. But they were both as stubborn as a sleeping Snorlax.

"Ash, why didn't you tell me you knew Ms. May?" Serena asked once he was close to the table.

"Please, just call me May." She never liked formalities. It gave her a sense of entitlement that was undeserved as of yet.

Ash raised his head and exposed his chestnut eyes. "It's good to see you, May." His voice was rougher, raspier than she remembered.

"Same here." May supressed a lump forming in her throat. Why were these feelings showing themselves now? Hadn't she moved on and been happier with Drew?

The tension between them could be sliced with a knife. They stared at each other like it was the first time all over. His eyes were still the peaceful brown color that always made her smile. But she couldn't smile, not now. There was something deep in her mind preventing her from rekindling old emotions.

"Ahem.." Drew cleared his throat, "Ash, nice seeing you here." He extended his hand to him and they greeted each other. Albeit, both with false grins that hid their hatred for one another. "It's a pity we can't stay. We have reservations at a restaurant later tonight and May said she wanted to do a bit of shopping while we're here."

May listened to Drew try and find an excuse to leave. Yet as he did, she couldn't think of leaving without talking to Ash for a little longer, but just as friends. Good friends catching up on old times. "Serena if you're not busy, do you mind showing me around the best stores?"

The words left her mouth before she could think of the consequences. Serena seemed like a nice girl and she knew Drew wouldn't be able to get them out of this one.

Serena's face lit up and let out a small squeal of delight. "It would be an honor Ms. M-I mean, May. I hope you don't mind if I bring along my friend. She's a big fan of yours, too."

"The more the merrier." May handed back her notebook and let go of the little mouse who looked up at her with its small, beady eyes. She felt a pang of sadness when it hopped off her lap and back to Ash's shoulder. "Okay, I'll meet you in Centrico Plaza in an hour."

Serena and Ash said their goodbyes and left them alone at the autograph table. The event was over and done with, but the trouble was just beginning. Drew walked off back to the hotel without her, muttering nonsense she couldn't understand. It was just the beginning, she knew. He threw a nasty fit when things didn't go his way. Now she had to deal with that and Ash. Oh, to be young and stupid.