Chapter 8
Deep sleep was quite the hassle to achieve. Every once in a while he'd jerk up and see shadows in different places than they were moments ago. Hazy lights flashed in and out of the room from the surrounding buildings. He would rearrange his body and get a few minutes of shut eye only to have his body aching and waking him. The room would get drearier each time thanks to the rolling gray clouds drifting across the skyline.
By morning the rain came and trickled down the large windows. He sat with legs resting on the coffee table and arms behind his head, watching the city being cleansed by the little droplets of water. Along with the calming pings of rain, he could hear the muffled snoring of a certain friend from behind his chair. He thought it comforting that her mannerisms remained the same and wondered if she thought the same of him. There were many things he did differently now that he was Serena but then again he wasn't very aware of his behavior to notice anything odd. His friends were usually the ones to comment and bring attention to his actions. It was all positive for the most part, but every now and then he'd do something foolish and would be called out on it.
Once he was fully awake, he began thinking spending the night was one of those foolish things he would be scolded on. It wasn't so much the talking they did, but more of the single flashback that ran through his mind afterwards. He couldn't put it into words, yet it brought back the feeling of love he had for her during that time. That in turn brought guilt when thinking of his current status with Serena and how he left her alone with Pikachu for the night. He justified his actions by repeating the same statement of being there for a friend, but maybe it wasn't just that that led him to accompany May. Maybe...
"Ash, are you awake?"
He closed his eyes and drew in a huge breath. Lowering his feet, he raised his arms overhead and stretched his back out. The chair was comfortable to sit in, not so much for sleeping. His back and shoulders ached a bit, though that was most likely caused by the labor of cleaning the Gym. On a different day he'd sleep through the entire morning and be refreshed for the entire day.
He twisted around and met her sleepy gaze with a smile. "Morning, May. Feeling better?"
"Yeah, I really needed some rest. Did it just start raining?"
"No, it's been at least a few hours." Ash stood up and arched his back to loosen the tight muscles. The curled position he slept in did a number on his exhausted body. "I'm guessing it'll last all morning."
"Oh. When is Serena coming by?" She mimicked his actions and extended her legs outward.
"She's stopping by Clemont and Bonnie's first. Which reminds me, I have to call her." He finished by yawning and scratching the back of his head.
"The phone's over by the television. I'm going to take a shower if you don't mind." She pointed to the dresser before standing up and reaching down under the bed for a duffle bag. Seconds later she disappeared into the bathroom with clothes in hand and left him to speak with Serena in private.
The phone began ringing as he paced around the room, hearing the tone on one end and the stream of showers on the other. A quick flash coming from outside the window distracted him momentarily. Strong gusts of wind came with swirling rain and loose papers flying around. The weather definitely would affect their search efforts.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, sunshine. How'd you sleep?"
"Not so good. I missed you."
"Me too. My neck's a little stiff from sleeping on a chair." He paced back and forth in front of the enormous window grabbing and twisting his neck around. Her soft laugh made him smile and led him to continue their plans. He explained that the rain wouldn't slow down their search but may make it difficult to notice something if it really started to pour.
"Where are we going to be looking so I can tell Clemont and Officer Jenny?"
"I was thinking we'd search around the restaurant. It's the last place they were together, maybe we'll find something there." It was a long shot but maybe somebody saw where he went off to. There weren't many places to look so all they had where the last two places he was at.
With the rain slowly dying out he decided to step out on the terrace and get some fresh air. "Afterwards I thought we'd go back to the cafe and check the area again. There might be something we missed the first time around." He said as he closed the sliding door behind him.
There were a few stray drops but the air remained fresh and comfortable. He swept the seat of a wooden chair with his free hand, sat down, and breathed in the coolness the morning storm left behind.
"I have to tell you, you were absolutely right about talking with May. We spent most of the night catching up and it wasn't weird at all."
"Oh, that's nice. What did you guys talk about?"
"I'll tell you later when we have some more time. I'll be waiting in the lobby for you and the others."
"We'll be there in a bit. Looks like the rain stopped, it'll make things easier at least."
They exchanged their goodbyes, after a lengthy back and forth of loving remarks, and Ash stood up and bent over the railing. From his position he could see the movements of colorful circular objects roaming the streets below. He was rarely up early to witness the peacefulness of the city, and when he was he wasn't able to enjoy it enough. There was always something important needing attention that kept him preoccupied. The only time he felt a sense of relaxation was waking up at a campsite in the wilderness and leaving to do some early training.
"Lumiose is a very beautiful city." May wandered out from inside and stood next to him admiring the landscape as well.
He nodded his head and kept staring out below. "It's definitely one of my favorite places so far."
They stood side by side by the railing, watching in silence as the people began their morning activities. Things didn't seem out of the ordinary as he looked at the streets and the other buildings. There wasn't much life inside the buildings, except for a few people moving about their business and oblivious to his prying. There was something he couldn't quite make out, though. He leaned a bit forward and squinted his eyes at a single red dot blinking through the window pane a building over. One would most likely miss it if they weren't paying close attention. But it was too far away to make a clear assumption of what the light could be.
"Ash," She cleared her throat and caused him to tear away from the red dot. "I'm sorry I ruined your plans last night. I'm guessing you and Serena had something special planned and instead you spent the night consoling me." A nervous laugh escaped her lips but he knew she was genuinely sorry.
"Don't worry about it." He smiled and waved away her apology. "It's like I said last night, I'm you're friend. I'll always be there when you need me." His honesty was rewarded with a shy smile he hadn't seen in ages. It was odd seeing her cheeks flushed and making her turn away to hide it.
She coughed into her hand before speaking. "Still, both of you were dressed nice and I feel like intruded on a special evening."
"We were about to head out for dinner. She wanted to show off a new dress she bought on your shopping spree."
"Well, the least I can do is offer to buy you breakfast. There's a great buffet in the lobby."
He couldn't say no to free food, especially a buffet. After doing some more stretching and yawning, he gripped the phone in his hand and followed her inside and down to the lobby.
It was a good thing breakfast was complimentary because each of them went through four plates stacked with food and showed no signs of slowing down. Eggs and bacon, hotcakes smothered in syrup, and a small bowl of mixed fruit that they watered down with freshly squeezed orange juice. Before long, they became full and sat waiting for Serena and the others to show up. The busboy came by and cleared their table, looking surprised at the amount of plates sitting between the two of them. Ash and May could only share a slight chuckle as he walked away holding two stacks with a single while holding on to his tray.
"You weren't kidding about the food. It really hit the spot." Ash leaned back into the chair, stroking his unruly hair that failed to stay flat. He had left his hat back in his hotel room and now had to deal with clumps of hair sticking out at different ends. He hoped Serena brought his hat with her. He didn't feel the same without it.
May placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin against her palms, smiling but distracted all the same. She was supposed to depart in the afternoon and return to Hoenn but would most likely postpone her leave until they found Drew. He couldn't figure out what to say without sounding repetitive all the time. He kept telling her they'd find him, but the odds were against them. Two places they could look and one yielded zero clues other than Drew being seen once. It didn't look good, and yet he couldn't fail her. They had to find him.
"Ash! May!"
They both turned after hearing somebody calling out their names. A small group of people were walking briskly towards them, headed by Serena who held Pikachu in her arms and followed by his friends and Officer Jenny.
"Based on what you're friends have told me, we have a missing person on our hands. He hasn't called or tried to contact you in any way?" Officer Jenny sat down directly in front of her while the others pulled chairs up and crowded around Ash.
"Not since he stormed off from our table at the restaurant." May shook her head when questioned by Officer Jenny, gently stroking Pikachu's yellow fur to calm her down. Once Serena and the others reached their table, it jumped out of her arms and darted past him to May's lap. He laughed it off, slicking his hair back and putting his hat on that Serena brought with her. Pikachu cared about her probably more than he did and was trying its best to comfort her. So far, Pikachu was doing a far better job than he could ever do. May was still visibly upset but having her little friend close by provided some relief from her pain.
"I've sent other officers to search the area and others are on the lookout while on patrol. Hopefully one them will see him, but right now we don't have much to go on. Our best course of action right now is to have you stay in one spot if he does decide to make contact."
"With all due respect, I can't be sitting around doing nothing. I need to be out there looking for him." May handed off Pikachu to Ash and leaned forward with her head down.
Just by reading her body language, he knew she was on the verge of breaking down. She flicked a clump of loose hairs behind her ears before placing one on top of the other in front of her. Everyone at the table seemed to sense the tension arise as she stared down the Officer. No tears in her eyes this time; just pent up anger held in for at least the entire day and night before.
"I understand your frustration but–"
"No, I don't think you do." She interjected calmly, lowering her head and voice to the others and bringing her palms to her forehead. "Someone knows where he is. He wouldn't just leave without giving me a reason." Her voice remained composed but contained an annoyance of having people sympathize as if he was gone forever.
Ash wasn't surprised by her reaction to Officer Jenny's questions. He was fully aware of her passionate behavior that others would deem melodramatic in the wrong context. It rubbed some people the wrong way if they didn't know her personally, like he did. But something was way different. Before, she'd give a strong and fiery explanation to get her point across, and would often yell in some instances. It may not have been very practical, but it worked more often than not in changing the other person's opinion.
He saw none of that when she answered Officer Jenny, though. Her impassive responses showed how much control she attained over the years. This side of May was almost terrifying once thought about it. This new dimension to her personality was like a powder keg of rage that could explode at any moment, but her soothing demeanor hid it extremely well and one wouldn't know when it would go off. What he saw now was a completely different person than the one he grew up and fell in love with.
"We are doing our best with the information we received. Lumiose is an enormous city and there are many places he could be. Not to mention all the secret buildings in the alleyways that are unaccounted for." Officer Jenny, for her part, remained just as relaxed as May and handled it the best she could.
"I'm sorry, I-I would just like to be involved in the search. I'm really starting to fear the worst."
Ash couldn't stand by, either, while his friend was teetering on hysteria. He had to propose their plan and get the ball rolling. "Can we, as our own group, search some areas. I'm certain we'll cover more ground that way if we're all looking." They couldn't afford to sit around wasting time. It was sure to rain again and would make their efforts more difficult.
Officer Jenny stared at him, and back to May, tapping her fingers on the table in deep thought. When she finally spoke, she gave them a defeated smile. "Fine. I need to start getting progress reports from my officers. If you see or hear anything, give us a call and I'll send the nearest person available. Good luck to all of you."
Ash stood up and Pikachu immediately sprinted up his arm to rest on his shoulder. "Will do. Alright, are you guys ready?"
A full day hadn't passed yet but they were up against the clock. He believed Drew would come back soon, or at least try to get in touch with May. But enough time had passed to warrant a higher level of caution to the situation. Though he detested him, he knew Drew wouldn't abandon her in a strange land, having her worry all through the night. There had to be a good reason he wasn't showing up and they couldn't give up without finding the answer.
"Do you see? Do you now see the truth in what I have told you?"
He held the small screen in his trembling hands, breathing heavily at the vision unfolding before his eyes. He wanted to toss the device against the brick wall and forget he ever saw it. Her smile and laughter kept replaying in his head and it drove him mad. Not so much by her gleeful expression, but by the fact that she was with him.
"You knew he'd be here. She definitely knew he'd be here. Their history is one I do not know well, but judging by her expression, I can tell their feelings are very deep."
He listened closely to the words the man spoke to him. Deep down in the recesses of his mind, he knew the man was right. All these years he was lying to himself, saying she moved on and there was nothing to worry about. For the longest time he believed it and was happy to have her at his side. But seeing her touching his arm, grinning at whatever stupid remark he made, it all started to make sense. She was never completely over him.
Placing the video device on the table, he balled his hands into fist and struck the wooden surface hard, making an empty glass shake with the force of the impact. Years together and it appeared to be a waste. She still wanted him but had to settle for second place. The thought alone was infuriating and caused him to rethink their relationship. She was becoming more and more distant over the past few weeks and seeing the video confirmed his suspicions on why. It all came back to one person.
"This is one of the reasons I am going forward with my plan. There will be no secrets among our new society. Those that lie will be punished severely. I will not let these people ruin our beautiful, perfect world. The world is better off without the liars and cheaters, and those that choose to follow our truthful ways will be rewarded. Now tell me, will you join our cause, Drew?"
Drew raised his head and stared at the man's relaxed, blue eyes. Each word he said added fuel to his anger and he wanted nothing more than to see him suffer by any and all means. Yet, the thought of his girlfriend having to suffer the same fate was enough to make him think rationally. In spite of what he saw, he still loved her. He didn't want to leave her behind when, and if, they completed the plan.
"I'll need a minute to think it over, Lysandre. Do you mind if I step out?" He asked the man with burning orange hair, and was kindly motioned to the door.
He stood up slowly, still shaking with anger, and headed to the back exit of the cafe. He breathed in the fresh scent of rain water and instantly looked up at the gray sky. Red walls were stained with dried drops, rooftops rolled many more to the ground beneath him. Many people walked passed the alley with an umbrella while others took their chances with only a hoodie to protect them. It wouldn't be long for the rain to come down hard again.
He ran a hand through his hair and gripped a good chunk of it, pulling it in frustration. As Lysandre had said, he had a gut feeling they would meet each other in this region and she would unexpectedly try to talk with him. That feeling proved true when he showed up at their event and her expression change the moment they locked eyes. He saw a sort of twinkle he had never seen before but dismissed it as poor lighting in the building. How stupid of him to not see the warning signs even before that. On the plane ride she was fidgeting in her seat and wouldn't finish a meal. At the Grand Festival, she wasn't focused at all and her early performances were atrocious. They spent a lot of time apart during the tournament and barely spoke two words to each other. Only after she had beaten him in the final stage did things go back to normal for a while.
She told him she loved him, and he thought it to be true. Everything in his life was infinitely better when she was around. Seeing her be affectionate with someone else, someone he loathed, shattered the trust he had. If he did follow through with Lysandre's plan, no matter how outlandish, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to abandon her. She was the only person in the world who made his life worthwhile and it killed a small part of him to see the truth.
"I was never yours, was I?"
He inhaled sharply at the sudden pain in his chest, stumbling to the side and kicking loose bottles around as he landed with a thud against the wall. Hunched over and breathing heavily, he clung to his shirt and pulled down as if it was the reason behind his lack of blood flow. The same thing happened the night before but not as severe as what he felt at the moment. That was a slight shiver that he easily shook off as opposed to the sharper and mind-numbingly excruciating throbbing that paralyzed him at the moment.
Drops of water contained memories that briefly came to life as they poured down. It started with him winning his first Grand Festival and looking out at the crowd and seeing her smile. Then missing the finals the next time and confessing his feelings for her before they left the city. Finally ending with her winning the last Grand Festival and seeing her beautiful smile grow even bigger was the highlight of his life. She trained so hard for years and to finally see her win the big competition, was no doubt the happiest he had seen her. He shut his eyes and was overcome with guilt for leaving her for the night. She deserved far better than someone who was insecure of his own relationship.
The rain started to pour with more intensity and there were less people in the streets because of it. If he were to pass out his only chance of being found would be by the cafe staff taking out the trash. But just as quick as it came, it went away and he was left sitting on the wet pavement with his back leaning on the wall and staring at the gray skies. His chest was still pounding loudly and a slight buzz rang in his years, but he was breathing normally again. The water felt refreshing against his burning skin and somewhat relieved the tension in his shoulders. He needed to see her again. Without talking to her, he couldn't go ahead with Lysandre's plan.
"Drew!"
An unexpected voice called to him at the entrance at the alley. He stayed put, drained from the abrupt discomfort that coursed through his body. Rain dripped from the tip of his nose and the ends of his hair that clung to his temple. His jacket and shirt were soaked and heavy against his tired body. Eyes refused to open to acknowledge the presence splashing its way closer and closer. Yet he forced himself to raise his head and meet face to face with the unknown person standing in front of him.
Almost immediately did his pain subside and was replaced with animosity upon noticing the bright red cap covering raven hair.
"You have a lot of nerve showing your face, Ash." His voice was low and mostly drowned by the downpour.
"Get up, I'm taking you back. May's been worried sick about you."
"You would know that, wouldn't you?" Tired as he was, he still managed to push away the hand that tried to pick him up. The last thing he wanted was help from the guy that was trying to replace him.
"What are you talking about?" Ash recoiled, wiping his face of the water that showed no signs of stopping.
Drew rolled his head back until it hit the wall. "Don't lie to me! I saw you in her room last night!" He burst out. The nerve he had, denying the truth when he saw it all unfold just minutes earlier.
Ash looked looked away, dropping his head and lowering his voice. "Nothing happened, Drew. All we did was talk. I was comforting her."
"Say what you will but it won't change the fact that she's not over you." He swept back wet green hairs from his eyes and followed Ash's movements as he paced in front him.
"It's not like that all. She's my friend and she always will be, but that's it."
As he attempted to clarify his statement, Drew moved his hands from his lap and placed them on the wall, knees buckling as he stood up. Feeling his otherwise healthy body give out for no reason was something he never experienced before. He had no idea what caused it and why it went away so fast, but he still felt the effects of it.
"You're full of it. I see the way she is around you, laughing at every stupid thing you say, blushing whenever she looks at you. You can't tell me you still don't hold any feelings for her." His body staggered in place, only preventing himself from falling over by leaning on the wet wall.
Ash fell silent once more, this time staring directly at him. Although the rain provided a great cover, Drew could see the faraway gaze that told him he was deep in thought. No matter which way he spun it, the outcome would not be favorable. Looking past him, two other figures emerged from the street and stood side by side at the entrance of the alley. Even with blurry eyes he could distinguish the people staring at them, and he saw his one opportunity to get back at Ash for ruining his relationship.
"Of course I still love her. She, she was the best thing to ever happen to me but–"
Drew wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smirked. His energy was coming back slowly but the fatigue wouldn't stop him from enjoying the satisfaction of his personal vengeance.
"I fucking knew it. Did you here that, May, Serena?"
The look on Ash's face was priceless. His body went stiff, mouth hung open in shock. It almost made up for the months of doubt he went through, but it wasn't enough. Not until the harrowing thought of losing his loved one destroyed his conscious.
A booming clap from the dreary skies filled the unbearable silence that came over them, resonating throughout the city and fading into nothing seconds later. He watched Ash reluctantly turn to the two girls fixed to the spot; one crying and hiding her face, the other holding an umbrella in one hand while making a fist with the other. Her smoldering gaze burned through the misty air. The damage was done. No matter what happened next, it wouldn't bring him the same gratification of seeing the one person who wrecked his life have to deal with losing the girl he loved.
