Every day, the temperature rose. The air was heavy, and the sun seemed almost aggressive. The battles for the PML were postponed, allowing trainers to get some rest and preserve their health. Automatic messages were repeated in the Pokemon center's hall, advising trainers to keep their heads covered and stay well-hydrated throughout the day. May and her team now trained only in the early morning; it was the best way to cope with the intense heat.
In the afternoons, they often went swimming to cool off. Later, May and Wally would sit on the sand, enjoying the sun with Blaziken and Gallade, while Lisia pushed Brendan to practice his guitar for the music contest, while she and Dawn came up with a song and dance routine. Serena often came by to watch their rehearsals and provide an outsider's perspective on their work. Their practice sessions were often interrupted by bursts of laughter. From her spot on the sand, May often heard Lisia's high-pitched voice when she scolded her guitarist.
"Brendan, you're out of tune!"
"No, it's you who are not in tune with my guitar."
"It's not us who should adapt to what you play; it's the guitar that should adapt to our voices!"
"Well I'm trying, but it's not easy," the boy defended himself.
"How many years ago did you take your guitar lessons?" Dawn asked gently.
"I never said I was good at it, it's Lisia who insisted that I join your group, so..."
"So what? You're doing as little as possible because you don't want to be there?"
"Of course not! I'm doing my best!"
Though they seemed to be constantly yelling at each other, May could tell they were all having fun together. She could almost see the bonds forming between them over time, and it made her happy.
"Dawn, you were just perfect. Don't change a thing."
"Thank you Lisia!"
"Dawn is perfect and I suck, I get it."
"Oooh, don't be so sensitive, Brendy! If you focus more, you'll be perfect too, I'm sure."
Lisia made a big, genuine smile to the young man. Sometimes, May envied her attitude so much. She was so good at leading, and May wished she could be as warm and at ease with everyone as she were.
In the evening, the heat decreased slightly, and the air began to circulate again. Lisia, Brendan, and Wally had dinner at the Pokemon center's cafeteria and then lingered on one of the couches in the hall.
This time, Wally didn't stay long. He was less focused than usual lately and kept to himself a lot. May hadn't immediately noticed this change; she was so preoccupied with the tournament and her own issues that she gave little attention to her friend's health. Besides, Wally never spontaneously opened up about anything bothering him. He preferred to conceal his health concerns so much so that both Brendan and May often forgot about them. May felt uncomfortable in this situation; she should have taken better care of Wally, but on the other hand, he wanted to be treated like any other trainer, so she hesitated to make too many remarks.
"It breaks my heart sometimes," Lisia whispered after Wally had gone up the stairs. "I sometimes feel like he's not feeling well but doesn't dare to say it. Do you know if everything is okay with him?"
"Well Wally doesn't talk to us much about his problems... We only know about his asthma and his anxiety." Brendan summed up. "But he says that since he started training, he feels way better. Before, his parents barely let him leave the house but now he can travel and battle like any other trainer. However, he still has to be careful because if he has a panic or an asthma attack, it can quickly become dangerous for him, especially if it happens in the tall grass around wild Pokemons... It was one of his parents' biggest fears, which is why they categorically refused to let him have any Pokemon before he turned sixteen. At least now, he's free to do what he wants..."
"Sure, it's better to live fully than spending all your time avoiding trouble at home," Lisia replied. "But still, it must be so frustrating for him to have to stay careful all the time."
"At least here, nurse Joy's always in the center if anything happens," May said, attempting to bring a little optimism to the conversation.
Brendan and Lisia didn't seem to hear her remark, distracted by Wallace's entrance into the center. May looked at him apprehensively but luckily for her, he was alone this time. No sign of Steven. Her stomach eased slightly upon realizing that.
"So, how are you young people doing? Enjoying the beautiful summer sun?"
"Yes, we had a good time at the beach today, practicing for the music contest with Dawn and Brendan."
"Oh, of course! That famous contest you've been talking about for a week... Poor Brendan, are you surviving the rehearsals?"
"Lisia is pushing me hard, I'm not going to lie..."
"Hihi, Brendy is exaggerating, I'm very nice to him," Lisia assured, patting the young man's shoulder. "But demanding, as a pro should be. I want them to give their best."
"Yeah, Lisia is a real pro." Brendan admitted. "I can certainly say is that you see that in her training."
Lisia couldn't hide a big smile at this concession.
"Of course she's a pro," Wallace responded arrogantly, "it runs in her blood."
"Actually, uncle Wallace, I was surprised you didn't want to participate too."
"Oh, I admit I was tempted to take part in this little contest, but... you know my retirement is final. And I don't want to overshadow the new rising star in the family. Now, it's your turn to be in the spotlight and I'm counting on you to win the first place, my dear Lisia."
"Don't worry uncle! I'll give it my all, as usual," his niece reassured him.
Before the music contest, May's team still had one battle left to win, against the team of Cheren, Ludwig, and Ludvina. She had recruited Brendan and his Sceptile to face Ludwig's water type Pokemon, as well as Wally and his Gallade.
"Ah, I'm really glad to battle today," Brendan confided to May as they entered the arena. "That way, Lisia will have to give me some space for a bit."
"We all know that deep down you're actually enjoying all those rehearsals. You get to spend even more time with her," she teased to lighten the mood.
"I don't see what you're talking about…"
May shook her head, of course Brendan would never admit it.
"Anyway, forget about Lisia for now because we have a battle to win."
"You can count on me, captain."
She was always stressed before a battle. Even though their opponents seemed to be at a similar level to theirs, May knew they shouldn't make the beginner's mistake of underestimating them. To her left, Wally wore an impassive expression, but the bags under his eyes seemed to be getting more pronounced with each passing day.
"Are you okay Wally? Can you handle this?" May asked as they each took their positions for the battle.
"Of course, May! Don't underestimate me."
It was an automatic response, one that might not have been entirely sincere, but May didn't want to press further. Besides, it was a little too late to change her teammates now.
"Our next battle will be between May's and Cheren's team," the commentator's voice announced over the arena's loudspeakers. "Are you all ready? Perfect! Then let the battle begin!"
After the battle, which they had finally won with little difficulty, Wally, Brendan, and May returned to the Pokemon center to heal their Pokemons. They had recruited Cheren into their team, as their first teammate with a normal type Pokemon. Ludwig and Ludvina, however, perhaps out of pride, declined their offer to join, preferring to spend the rest of the PML watching the battles in the bleachers. With fewer and fewer teams remaining in the competition, the organizers could announce the next matches one hour after each new round, so May already knew that their next opponents would be Brawly, Marshal, and Bruno's team. Fortunately, their battle was scheduled for more than two weeks from now, giving them time to rest until then.
"Here you go, your three Pokemons have been healed successfully. But be careful not to overtrain in this heat," nurse Joy advised.
"Thank you very much," Brendan replied as May put her Poke Ball back into her bag.
"So, what should we do now?"
"Well as for you, I don't know. But for me, I don't really have the choice," Brendan sighed. "I have to join Dawn and Lisia, they're still rehearsing their choreography… maybe you can come too! Lisia likes having people watching her…"
"Um… Maybe I'll just stay here if you don't mind," Wally murmured.
"Are you okay?" May asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel like I need to rest a bit."
This decision reassured her. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she thought Wally looked paler than usual, and the more she looked at him, the more she thought he didn't look well. She really hoped he was being honest with them and not hiding any potential health issues.
"Okay, then see you later, my friend… and don't lock the room for me please," Brendan said, seeming less concerned than her.
Wally waved goodbye and headed up the stairs.
"Are you sure he's okay? Is he sleeping well at night? Do you notice anything unusual?"
Brendan shrugged.
"Stop trying to steal nurse Joy's job… and trust him, May. Wally knows how to take care of himself. If something happened to him, he would be forced to go back to his parents' house and give up his dreams of becoming a Pokemon champion one day. That's the deal he made with his mother. So Wally knows he can't afford to neglect his health."
It was a logical reasoning. May wished she could be as serene as her friend. Besides, Brendan was already changing the subject, as he took out his PokeNav.
"Ah Lis is waiting for me… They're at the beach with Dawn. So May, you're coming or not?"
They passed through the village, taking the quickest route to the ocean. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, many restaurants had set up outdoor terraces, filled with trainers and their Pokemons. In front of the bakery, a little boy enjoyed an ice cream with his Houndour, while a group of friends chatted over some drinks. At one of the tables, May spotted Wallace. Unable to see who was with him, she instinctively slowed down.
"What's wrong, May? Is your leg hurting?"
"No, but… can you see who Wallace is eating with?" She whispered.
Brendan, initially surprised, grinned widely.
"You're a desperate case… You do know that sooner or later, you'll have to stop avoiding him like this."
Despite his words, Brendan discreetly sneaked towards the bakery before giving her a weary look.
"It's fine, he's with Winona. And they seem… pretty close… do you think they're dating?"
"Lower your voice!" May urged him.
She didn't want to be as indiscreet as him, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to Wallace's table. He and Winona were eating ice cream… from the same cup. However, that didn't necessarily mean anything. And even if it did, it was none of their business.
"I guess we can go say hello to them; they're not busy making out," Brendan said as he started walking again.
"Isn't Lisia waiting for you?"
"She is, but I want to have a good relationship with her uncle."
"Why? You're not going to propose to her tomorrow, or are you?"
Brendan wasn't listening anymore; he was already heading towards the tables on the terrace, and May had no choice but to follow.
"Hey, you two, did your battle go well?" Wallace asked when he spotted them.
He didn't seem bothered to see them. Winona, on the other hand, was harder to read. She always had an inscrutable expression in her eyes and generally remained reserved.
"Yes, we won easily," Brendan boasted.
"Our battle is this afternoon, if you want to come watch us."
"Oh, Wallace, stop thinking everyone wants to see you battle; it's not like a contest," Winona reminded him in an unexpectedly cold tone.
"And what about you, will you come?"
Winona hesitated before replying, stirring her ice cream with her spoon.
"I don't know. I'd better train. But on the other hand, observing the strategy of your team might be useful when my team has to battle against you."
"Ah? I see you haven't lost your competitive spirit."
"I want to go as far as possible in the tournament, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes," Winona said before raising her spoon to her mouth with a raised eyebrow.
"It's that determination that I love so much about you," Wallace assured her in a flirtatious tone.
May and Brendan exchanged embarrassed glances. At least things were clearer now...
"I-I think we should go... Lisia is waiting for us at the beach," Brendan said with a nervous smile, taking May's arm.
"Oh, you're already leaving? Please say hello to her from me!" the gym leader called after them.
Had they seen something they shouldn't have? Wallace didn't seem bothered by their presence, but May still felt awkward. She had never heard him talk about his love life despite being quite chatty in general...
Lisia was annoyed when they joined her. Dawn and she were waiting for them on the beach already dressed for the contest, with a short skirt and a blue and white crop top for the coordinator, a pink and black one for Dawn. Their Pokemons were adorned with ribbons matching their trainers' colors. May would have felt uncomfortable in the same outfit, as if she were wearing a disguise. However, for the two young women, their attire only enhanced their appearance and amplified their natural elegance.
Brendan was, of course, late, but it seemed he hadn't grasped that the coordinator had set a fixed rehearsal time. May was beginning to understand why Lisia always reprimanded him.
"You're really not putting in much effort for this contest. I know I pushed you into it, but if you have so little desire to participate, just tell me now so I have the time to find a replacement for you."
As always when he was in trouble, Brendan played the card of the clumsy boy and offered profuse apologies.
"Sorry Lis, I didn't mean to make you think I didn't care. You know me, I'm pretty laid-back, but I'll make an effort for you and Dawn. Now, I'll really focus, I promise."
Lisia took a deep breath and they started the rehearsal. May sat in a corner and watched them practice, for once she was only being a spectator. Lisia had rhythm in her bones; she and Altaria were so synchronized that they seemed connected by threads. Dawn was also doing very well, though she occasionally made a mistake in the choreography and panicked slightly, but overall, she was also very talented; she just lacked confidence.
"That was great, Dawn! You're getting even better with each rehearsal!"
"Thank you, Lisia. I'm really giving it my all."
"And I can see it! Bravo my dear! And you, Brendan... well, it wasn't too bad, but don't think I didn't hear your mistakes. Everything has to be perfect on the day of the contest."
"I know Lis... I'll review my notes on my own, don't worry."
"Alright, let's do it one last time guys, okay?" Lisia asked, getting back into position. "1! 2! 3! 4!"
May enjoyed watching them. She could almost forget her own presence when she focused on them. It was a bit unsettling but also soothing. Although she was always afraid of being excluded by her friends, not feeling important had become quite a pleasant feeling for her. Her own behavior and how others treated her had been her main concerns ever since she became a Pokemon champion, to the point that her ego had become fragile. She felt like as a champion, she always had to impress others and be at the center of their attention, but it was actually good sometimes to be only an observer.
In the evening, Brendan and May returned together to the center, as Lisia and Dawn wanted to finalize some details in their routine. On their way, they bought sandwiches at the bakery and settled on one of the couches to eat with their Pokemons. It was nice to be alone with her best friend, it reminded her of all the times they had settle down like this together on the road, during their journey. Brendan was one of the few people with whom May felt completely free to be herself, show her true feelings, and say silly stuffs. She knew he would never judge her.
"Any strategy for the battle against Bruno's team?" Brendan asked with a smirk.
"We have two weeks to think about it, so let me finish my sandwich in peace," May replied bluntly. "But… if you really want to know, I'm a bit worried... We don't have any psychic or fairy type Pokemon... There's Lisia and her Altaria, which could have effective flying type moves, but she's so busy with her music contest right now... I don't know if she could focus on anything else. So, I think for once, we'll have to do without the type advantages. We do need a very good strategy, to find a way to catch our opponents off guard..."
Brendan looked at her with wide eyes before he started laughing.
"I should have know. You say we have time, but of course you've already thought about it thoroughly..."
"Well, I have to. I'm the mastermind of the team after all."
"Did you just imply that all your teammates were stupid?"
"No, I was only talking about one of them."
"How do you dare?!"
They both laughed heartily, and Brendan took a big bite of his sandwich. In her mind, May reviewed each member of their team, their moves, strengths, and weaknesses, trying to determine which ones were best suited to defeat their upcoming opponents. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sharp sound of the Pokemon center's sliding doors opening, letting in a group of loudly chatting trainers. Following them, Cynthia, Lance, and Steven entered the hall. At first, May thought she was hallucinating, but when they stopped a few meters from their couch, she had to admit that they were indeed there, and very real. The Pokemon center was definitely not a place for peaceful reflection.
A familiar tightness in her chest suddenly made her gasp. So, Steven was spending time with Cynthia and Lance, as he would with anyone else? Before the PML, she didn't realize just how close he was to the other Pokemon champions. If you only considered his professional relationships, it seemed he still held his position as the Hoenn champion in the eyes of the champion from other regions, and May could never replace him at that level. In their hearts.
"Oh, your best enemy is here..." Brendan whispered, unimpressed by the presence of the other champions. "Do you want to go upstairs, in our rooms?"
"No, no, don't worry. I don't care if he's here or not..."
She couldn't hear their conversation clearly, but she could see them laughing and chatting animatedly, Lance making sweeping gestures with his right hand to emphasize his words. Steven, for his part, was all smiles. He looked very comfortable, and against her will, May felt a sort of warm feeling rising in her body, seeing him so happy like that, his eyes so bright... No, don't let him charm you, she reminded herself. Don't forget what he did. She was still angry with him.
"Well I think I'll go upstairs anyway, check on Wally, and maybe take a quick shower," Brendan said once he finished his sandwich, crumpling the wrapper and stuffing it in his pocket.
"Oh, so you do take showers sometimes?" May teased him, mostly to divert her attention from Steven.
"Haha, you're soooo funny May," the young man sighed. "Are you coming or not?"
"Um... I just wanted to check something on my Pokemon Storage System... It's been a while since I looked at my boxes," she improvised.
"Oh?" Brendan said, surprised. "Okay, then see you later... and have good night if we don't see each other before tomorrow."
"Yeah, good night to you too," May replied before getting up and heading toward one of the large computers in the center, conveniently close to Steven and the other champions.
She couldn't really explain why she wanted to linger in the hall when she usually tried to avoid Steven. It was probably some inappropriate curiosity. Once in front of the computer, while accessing her Pokemon boxes, May realized with satisfaction that she could hear the conversation taking place just a few meters away from her more clearly. Cynthia was the one speaking.
"...the latest article from Pasio's secrets?"
"Oh, I don't know, I don't read any gossip magazines," Lance's voice said.
"That's definitely the healthiest thing to do to preserve your sanity..."
Steven. May loved and hated at the same time the soothing sound of his voice and the shivers it could send down her spine. The champions were certainly discussing a newspaper article or something they had read recently.
"I agree that you can find some pretty unsettling stuff in those... but it's amusing to flip through them from time to time while enjoying a good vanilla ice cream. It's one of my guilty pleasures. If you knew how the journalists went wild the day I was crowned champion... The magazines were filled with articles insinuating that I got my title because of my looks or that a woman wouldn't last two weeks at the head of the Sinnoh league."
"But the future proved them wrong," Steven smiled.
"I'm not surprised. Those magazines are filled with such content, they try to humiliate any figure that becomes too talked about. As for me, the press seems to enjoy portraying me as a cold man who always wears capes and only lives with dragons."
Cynthia burst into laughter:
"It's not that far from the truth!"
"And Steven, I remember how they fueled rumors about your alleged corruption at the time."
"Of course, they wouldn't miss that opportunity," the young man replied bitterly.
"When they spread slander, it's not so funny anymore," Cynthia sighed. "but what make me laugh is more the articles where you can feel the absurdity behind the statements made by the journalists."
May couldn't help but glance at the small group, feeling guilty for having heard so much. Steven had lost his smile and looked lost in thoughts. He was staring at the ceiling, his hair partially hiding the top of his face.
For a moment, she forgot that she wasn't supposed to eavesdrop on their conversation, and her gaze lingered on him, perhaps one second too long... Suddenly, their eyes were locked, and May didn't realize right away that he had caught her spying on them. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned her head and logged out of her account on her computer, fearing he might approach her and expose her childish behavior in public. But as she walked away, she could hear Lance and Cynthia resuming their conversation as if nothing had happened, while Steven remained silent. So she hurriedly headed for the stairs, not daring to look back.
A/N: Lisia is particularly mad at Brendan in this one, I don't know why I like writing her that way^^ just as I like writing Brendan as being the annoying best friend