A/N: So, a nice fast update. I hope this will become the rule rather than the exception :P Thank you all very much for your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy!

To cake0108: Thanks so much :D If you have any recommendations, please let me know :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the picture used as cover, though I did edit it.

Days

The day with the blank walls

May

Sunday, November 10th

Standing not completely steady on a chair as she reached for the orange pumpkin decoration on the wall, May hummed along with the song on the radio. The song was a bit too sad for her taste, and an hollow feeling settled in her stomach as she looked at the now blank wall. The apartment she and Drew were renting together did not have that homey feeling yet, and removing the Halloween decorations made it even more obvious.

But, May consoled herself, as she moved the chair to another spot, at least soon enough she could put up the Christmas decorations. And even though right now it was hardly cold, the weatherman had predicted snow soon. The song picked up and May smiled to herself.

Drew and May had moved to Mauville City in September, but they hadn't had much time yet to settle in. Drew was travelling a lot for his Coordinating, and in October the two of them had travelled together through Kanto, with Ash and Misty's wedding at the end of their short journey.

May slowly put the decorations in the box, perhaps with more care than needed. The blank walls seemed even more stark than before, staring her down, but with a quick shake of her head May pulled herself out of her depressing thoughts.

Photographs. She ought to put up some photographs. She should talk with Drew about that, yes. With a determined nod, May put a smile on her face and confidently walked to the bedroom.

Drew was sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes on the laptop on his lap. Roserade was looking intently at the screen as well, perched on Drew's shoulder, and May felt the smile slip off her face. A weight settled in her stomach. It meant nothing, he wouldn't-

"May?" Drew asked, sitting up straighter and turning to face her. The tone of his voice made the stone in her stomach heavier, though she pasted a quick smile on her face. Drew turned the laptop and with a satisfied smile, he gestured for her to look at the screen.

"It's a Contest in Slateport City. It's still two weeks away, but I was thinking of leaving tomorrow and doing some training on the road," Drew said, his eyes back on the screen. Roserade let out an agreeing sound.

"Tomorrow?" May couldn't help but blurt out, before mentally scolding herself. Drew could do what he wanted, it was perfectly fine, he didn't need her permission or anything like that, but still-

Drew's eyes hardened and he finally turned his head to look at her. "You know I have to keep up with training if I want to stay on top. I don't have time to slack off."

It was a logical argument, and one he had offered more times than she could count. After all, Drew was a two times Top Coordinator and hopefully this season would be his third time. He was still fully emerged in the Contest scene, and while May admitted that participating in a Contest might be fun, she had moved on with her life.

"But we trained in Kanto just last week..."

Drew's eyes hardened even more and a crease appeared between his eyebrows. May hastily continued, "No, yes, you're right. You need to train. And the road is the best place, of course." She smiled – he was following his dreams, she should support him – and Drew's expression softened somewhat.

He turned to her more fully and took her hand. May felt her smile become lighter. "I know you don't like it if I'm away for so long," Drew said, giving her hand a soft squeeze, "but that's my job, and your job keeps you here."

He let go of her hand and turned back to the laptop screen. May felt her smile drop. "Yes, that's right, I have a job here."

The words came out harsher than she had intended (right?) and the frown reappeared on Drew's face, though he didn't react in any other way. May opened her mouth to say something more, but found nothing, and instead turned and walked away.

The blank walls of her new house met her, and she stopped. The photographs. She turned back to the bedroom, hesitating in the doorway. Drew didn't seem to notice her, his posture and face relaxed again, and May pressed her lips together. She hesitated a moment longer, and then turned away. She could ask him about the photographs later.

Her eyes fell on the box with the Halloween decorations left on the table, and with a sigh May picked it up. Slowly she made her way to the small second bedroom of their apartment, though they didn't use it as such. Instead more boxes and the washing machine and dryer and other such things had found their place there.

The washing machine was just done in working its way through the last bit of the pile of clothes from their Kanto trip, and with a sigh May leaned against the machine. A slight smile appeared on her face as she thought back on their journey.

It had been ages since she had felt so well. The Kanto trip had gone flawlessly – well, except for getting lost several times and a short infection that had gotten her stuck in bed with antibiotics – but that was all part of travelling.

And it had been so long since she had travelled. Perhaps it would be an investment to plan out journeys like that, for people who wanted to relive their childhood travels. May's smile widened. That was her job, creating and planning journeys and travels for other people, her dream job at a travel agency. Yes, this was definitely something to look into further.

For herself, it had been an unexpectedly relaxing experience and she had felt she and Drew had reconnected again. And the wedding in Viridian City had been the perfect way to end their journey. Ash and Misty were just too cute together, May thought with a smile. A feeling of longing welled up, and she let out a wishful sigh.

Drew wasn't ready for that yet, she knew. But who knows, soon, in the future… And then maybe even this second bedroom would be used as it was meant to be.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading! I'll try to update as soon as possible again, and in the meantime, please let me know what you thought about it :D

Thank you!

Recommendations:

Pokémon: Lost in Halloweenia! by anjumstar. FFN. A finished story written in the style of the anime, featuring Ash, Misty and Brock, and our favorite villainous trio. Lots of fun, with an exciting plot and just great for nostalgia.

Pokémon: The Games We Play by mad-dog13. FFN. A slowly progressing but very promising story, in which Team Rocket takes over and of course Ash and company get thrown in the middle of it. Really exciting story, with romance to the side: Poke, Contest, Ikari, LeafGreen, and I'm suspecting Wishful and GeekChic as well.

Harry Potter: Oh, For The Love Of All Things Crack! by APhoenixRising. FFN. M-RATED! A collection of hilariously funny and cringe-worthy stories about, you guessed it, crack pairings. Well written and very funny :D

Please, any recommendations are very welcome!