A/N: Thank you very much for reading! Sorry it's a day late again, but Camp NaNo is going well, so hopefully the next one will be on a Sunday again :) I hope you enjoy!

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

Days

The day when journeys are prepared for

Drew

Wednesday, January 8th

Drew sighed and stared at his half-full bag.

"It is going to fit in there, you know," Solidad said amusedly, seated on the bed in his Pokémon Center room.

"Oh, I know," Drew said. "It fit before, and it'll fit again, but that was not…" He trailed off and knew that Solidad was expectantly looking at him.

"I need more clothes," Drew only half explained. "The weather in Sinnoh is a whole lot colder and I don't have all my Contest clothing with me…"

"But… oh," Solidad said in realization. "Your stuff is not still at May's apartment, right?"

Drew shook his head. "I left it at my parents' house."

"Ah."

Drew continued packing his bag. "Well, I suppose that just means that I'll drop by my parents' before continuing on to Sinnoh." There was quite a chance that he wouldn't see them, anyway, if he were lucky. "Don't worry, it won't take long, I'll just see you guys at the airport."

"I'm not worried about that." The way Solidad said it implied she was worried about something else. "And I wouldn't blame you if you 'missed' the plane, Harley is a nightmare to fly with."

Yes, the overdramatic purple-haired Coordinator always seemed convinced they were going to die whenever they were on a plane. And he was completely stressed out the days before a flight.

Drew chuckled. "No, I won't leave you to suffer alone."

He would make sure it was a quick visit. He really ought to get back into apartment searching, he had left that for way too long. After… After his break with May, he couldn't very well leave his stuff there, and neither could he carry it around while he traveled. And since he didn't own a place of his own, it had to be stored at his parents'.

Well, he'd look into apartments after the Tournament. And, if he were honest with himself, that would probably be after the Grand Festival as well, which came after the Tournament. Priorities, priorities.

That is, of course, if everything was still going to happen.

"No more news about the ghosts, right?" Drew asked, glancing at Solidad and pausing in the folding of his clothes.

Solidad's expression sobered. "No, nothing. But it's probably best if we leave early for the airport, the controls are going to be heavier."

"Harley is going to have the most problems, with his Banette," Drew said. "Let's hope he acts normal or he might actually get in trouble."

"He knows when things are serious," Solidad said. Drew raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Solidad didn't respond and he continued packing.

Still, he supposed they were lucky. Ever since the news about the murder on Phoebe had gotten out, there had been rumors floating around that big events such as the Wayland Tournament, the Grand Festival and the Ever Grande Conference would be called off.

It had soon been confirmed that the Tournament would go on, but things about the Grand Festival and the Ever Grande Conference were still in the air. They had just lost their Elite Four member, after all.

"Well, the Tournament starts Sunday, so if Harley does get in trouble tomorrow, we'll still have some time to get him out," Drew said.

Solidad shook her head with a smile. "You would just be happy if you didn't have to battle him."

"Please, Harley is hardly a challenge," Drew scoffed and flipped his hair.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Solidad said, scolding but also smiling.

He was joking, of course. While Drew was pretty certain he could beat Harley, the other man was no pushover, and if they had to face each other in a competitive battle, Drew didn't know if he could come out on top…

"You know who would be a challenge?" Solidad asked, her voice more quiet than before.

"Hm?" Drew grabbed two socks and folded them together, then put them in the bag.

"May."

Abruptly, Drew looked up. "May?"

Solidad hummed in response, looking relaxed sitting there on the bed, but a serious glint in her eyes.

"She would be a challenge, wouldn't she," Solidad said.

"She's out of practice, and even before she was only a passable rival," Drew sniffed, all but throwing the next piece of clothing in his bag.

Solidad's silence was ice-cold.

Drew glared at his bag, feeling her stare heavy on him.

"She used to be a challenge," Drew grudgingly corrected. "But like I said, I doubt she'd be one now. She was too happy playing house."

"Not too happy, I think," Solidad said.

Drew looked back to her again, eyes narrowing warily. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because she's participating in the Wayland Tournament."

"What?" Drew frowned, confusion overruling his other emotions. "How do you know that?"

"Coordinator's Weekly published an article online this morning," Solidad said. "It has an excerpt from an interview with May in it. I'm sure they'll publish the whole thing this week in the actual magazine. But she spoke of her intent to participate, and that she's happy to be welcomed back into the Contest world like this."

Solidad shrugged. "I'm not sure if she has a Badge yet, though she probably does have a Ribbon from earlier years laying around. As far as I know she hasn't participated in any Contests this season."

"She certainly hasn't. I would have known," Drew muttered as he mulled over this new information. He was unsure how he felt about this. Why now? Why had his arguments never convinced her, but now that he was gone she suddenly returned to the Contest scene?

His fists clenched and he breathed in deeply a few times to calm the hot anger burning in his gut. It was over between them, and her actions shouldn't affect him like this. So what if she got back to Coordinating? She could live like a hermit somewhere in the woods and he shouldn't care.

"Drew?"

"I'm fine," he bit out. He straightened, trying to reign in his emotions. "I'm fine, I don't care." He flicked his hair. "She probably won't be able to participate, anyway. And if she does…" Despite the anger and the strange feeling of hurt he couldn't place, there was a thread of excitement. His smirk turned fierce. "Well, I have beaten her often enough before."

Solidad said nothing, letting him simmer in his thoughts for a while. He could feel her eyes on him, though, even as he let the silence stretch on and continued packing. He had a fairly good idea what topic Solidad was going to bring up now.

"When are you going to talk to her?"

Yup, he was correct. Drew clenched his teeth as he pulled the lid of his backpack closed.

"Well, if she's feeling well enough to completely change her life and get back into Contests, she probably doesn't need my help," he said coldly.

He didn't need to look at Solidad to know her disappointed expression.

"I know," he said, trying for a more placating tone. "I will talk to her." He smiled wryly. "And if she's truly at the Tournament, it'll only make it easier to track her down."

Solidad's expression softened and she smiled slightly. "That's good to hear."

Drew grunted, not liking her patronizing him, even if she did her best to make it not sound like it.

He finished pulling at the straps of his bag and nodded in satisfaction. It all fit, just like it had before.

"So… Did you talk to May?" He reminded himself that he didn't care what she was doing, but he knew that Solidad did.

Solidad frowned and shook her head. "Not recently, no. And our conversations are never very long." There was a definite sad tone in Solidad's voice, and Drew felt a pang of guilt for being the cause of the rift between the two. Then he shook it away, because May knew that Solidad would never take sides and it was her own choice to push Solidad away.

"As far as I knew she was still in Unova, but the article suggested that she was in Hoenn," Solidad continued.

Drew made to answer, but loud knocking at the door interrupted him.

"Harley," Solidad said straight away, getting up from the bed to open the door.

"Hello, my lovelies!" Harley burst into the room as soon as the door was opened. "Are you all ready for our great Sinnoh adventure? I know I am!"

"Hey, Harley," Drew greeted the man with a weary sigh and a small smile. "I've got to pick up some other clothes first, but I'll join you at in Mauville City."

Harley had already opened his mouth for a dramatic exclamation, but quickly switched gears at the end of Drew's sentence. "Of course! Clothes are very important." Harley nodded sagely. "I've got two suitcases. Sol, what about you?"

"Just having to pack the last things, then I'm ready as well," she said.

Harley gasped. "You still have to finish packing?!" He didn't wait for Solidad's confirmation, looking at her in wide-eyed panic. "Our bus leaves in one hour! You have to hurry up!"

"It's closer to two hours, we'll be fine," Solidad said with a calm smile.

As Harley launched in another panic attack at Solidad's lack of preparation and lousy time management, Drew pulled out his PokéNav. If he needed to go to LaRousse City first, he would need to get another bus…

"Well, mine is leaving in half an hour, so I'm going to check out," Drew said loudly to break through Solidad and Harley's silly argument. He crossed his arms when Harley was about to ignore him and continue arguing. "So that means you guys need to get out of this room, too."

Harley pouted, but with Solidad's guiding hand he was made to leave, Solidad right behind him. Drew put on his coat and grabbed his bag, and after a last check of the room to see if he had left nothing behind, he followed after his two companions.

Harley was already talking enthusiastically again as they walked back to the lobby of the Pokémon Center, though Drew wasn't paying attention, mentally going over how long this detour would take him. He would have to stay the night in Mauville City, but the bus connections between the cities were good, so the actual extra travel time would probably be no more than two hours.

Solidad and Harley remained behind as Drew moved to the desk to check out. The Nurse Joy smiled sweetly at him, and Drew was surprised and pleased to note that he could see how this Nurse Joy differed from his friend Yvonne. Which reminded him to call her, and he decided right away to do that during the bus ride. Make the best of something unpleasant and so.

"I would like to check out," Drew said after the greeting.

"Of course," Nurse Joy said, accepting the key. "I hope you have enjoyed your stay in Lilycove's Pokémon Center."

Drew nodded and thanked her, and turned back to Solidad and Harley. The other man immediately noticed him coming closer.

"Have a good journey, Drew, and don't be late for our plane!" Harley said his goodbyes quickly, and then started pulling on Solidad's arm. "C'mon, Sol, you still need to pack!"

"We have time enough, we can see Drew off," Solidad said, sounding exasperated.

"No, it's fine, my bus will be here soon, and you probably should start packing…" Drew said.

"It's just a few little things-"

"Drew can handle himself, he's a big boy!"

Solidad sighed at Harley's insistent talking and tugging at her arm.

"Alright," she said, even as she was shaking her head. Harley crowed in victory and Drew rolled his eyes at the man.

"Drew," Solidad said, voice serious though there was a smile on her face. "Have a safe journey, and we'll see you tomorrow in Mauville City." She gave him a meaningful look. "Good luck."

Drew pressed his lips together but nodded. "See you tomorrow."

After some last goodbyes, Solidad allowed herself to be pulled away by Harley and Drew walked to the exit of the Pokémon Center. It drizzled outside, though it had fortunately gotten warmer than before.

Drew pulled up his hood, adjusted the heavy backpack, and then stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. Time for another journey, and time for another adventure.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading! I admit that I rewrote this chapter pretty much completely, because the conversation between Drew and Solidad went very differently and there was no Harley in my first draft. Still, I think I like this better. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and please review!

Thank you!

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