Fortunately, Drake had taken care of reserving a cabin for May on board of the ship, because there were none left. She had never seen so many people; all the benches at the bow were crowded from morning till night. May could barely walk there with all the Pokemons playing on deck, and the constant brouhaha was covering the noise of the ship's engine. Contrary to what she thought, Pasio didn't only attract trainers in search of new challenges, but also an audience of all ages, from children who must not have been more than four years old, to retirees who probably came to support the battles rather than taking part in them. Many people pointed at her and whispered behind her back when she came to enjoy the sea air, so the champion spent most of her time locked in her cabin, away from the hustle and bustle and prying eyes.
It was a small sacrifice because once she arrived in Pasio, she would no longer be the only "celebrity" on the stage. She could then come and go as she pleased, climb the mountain or venture on the man-made glacier of the island. But for now, May was spending her free time lying on her bed, studying Pasio's map. There was so much to discover, this PML was much bigger than she had thought.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please, in a few moments we will arrive at the port of Centra City, in Pasio. We ask you to get ready to get off the boat and wish you a good stay on this lovely island."
May finally saw the colourful village housing the Pokemon center. The famous arena where the PML battles would take place could be seen behind the roofs of the houses, with a shining star at the top of it, from which fell what looked like two huge blue ribbons.
"Ah, Phoebe and Sidney are waiting for us at the Pokemon center to assign rooms, Glacia announced next to her, consulting her Poke Nav. Each of them has two beds so I imagine you and Sydney will take one together?"
"That will be more appropriate," Drake approved.
May and the two elite 4 had already gathered their belongings and were watching the boat turn along the shore. At the port, many people were waiting, waving at the newcomers, but May didn't recognize anyone among them.
That's it, the boat is coming, and I'm on it , she wrote to Brendan. We're meeting at the Pokemon center?
Awesome! Wait… Wally and I are near the port. We come to meet you!
People were starting to get off the boat. May put away her Poke Nav and followed suit. Once outside, Drake, Glacia and her had to wait a long time to get out of the crowd, but it still felt good to be back on the ground. A light wind was blowing on the shores of the ocean. For now, the atmosphere of the port reminded her a little of Hoenn.
"May! Look who's there," Glacia smiled.
In the back of the port, leaning against a large red house, Brendan and Wally were looking at her with a friendly look. The two boys were in shorts and t-shirts, with their Pokemons, Scepticle and Gallade, next to them. May noticed a little jealous that her friends' skin had slightly tanned since the last time she saw them.
"So miss champion can land quietly in Centra City without having to collect any badge for the tournament...?" Brendan asked bluntly while May ran to meet them.
"You could have started with a hello if you were polite! And yeah, being the champion of the league has some advantages sometimes, don't tell me you're jealous?"
"Hahaha, I'm kidding May… It's good to see you!"
"Yeah, it's great that you were able to come, finally," Wally added.
The young boy was always more peaceful than his sidekick, and his introverted side balanced Brendan's constant teasing.
"Yes, I would have blamed myself for missing that."
"Hello boys... Glacia said as she and Drake joined the young woman with their suitcases. Hmm, Norman's son and…?"
"Wally," May helped her.
"Hi!"
"Yes, I'm remembering you now… so it's with them that you intend to participate in the PML, May?
"Yeah... They didn't give me too much choice."
"We need a team captain in our trio, to lead us straight to victory."
"I see you're aiming high, that's a good sign," Drake smiled, even though there was a hint of condescension in his eyes.
"And you? May asked Drake and Glacia, do you already know which team you are going to compete on?"
"As I told you the other day, Glacia replied, I plan to meet some old friends here in Pasio, but I'm not sure yet."
"I don't have a team either, Drake said. But go with your friends May, don't worry about us. Like the champion, we elite 4 also have some strength to spare!"
She knew that very well; with their austere temperament, Drake and Glacia never allowed themselves to be disturbed during Pokemon battles, and May secretly believed they were finer strategists than her. Her victory against them had been very close.
"It's awfully hot here already, and everyone knows I don't appreciate that" Glacia sighed, lifting her blonde hair with the back of her hand. "Drake and I are already on our way to the Pokemon center, but you can join us later May. Enjoy your friends' company."
"Okay." May wasn't going to argue. "See you later then."
"See you soon."
Brendan waited until they were both gone to say:
"Wow, it's still weird to see you're friend with the elite 4 now."
"I wouldn't say we're friends. Our relationship is rather… professional."
"It must be so cool anyway, to be in the league all the time and to live intense battles with each trainer who come to challenge you! You must feel like the queen of the world!"
May wasn't sure what to answer to that. While she envied Wally and Brendan's freedom of movement, they admired her champion's role. It was a situation that made her feel uncomfortable at times.
"Come on, Wally said, cutting Brendan's thoughts short. We're going to show you around the village, okay?"
"That would be great, thank you."
The village that had been built around the arena was very elegant. Each dwelling had a slightly different style, but all were sophisticated, with brightly coloured facades. The path was paved with smooth stones, flowerpots were arranged on its edges. There was also a fountain and festive garlands hanging from some buildings.
"There's a bakery over there that makes delicious pastries! And here's a gift shop!" Wally pointed out a house after the other. "Next door is a store that also designs Sygna Suit on demand!"
"There's also a supermarket not far away. That's where we buy food for our Pokemons, Scepticle loves their vegetarian croquettes, right Scept?"
Brendan's Pokemon nodded happily.
"Wow… you'll have to come with me first… There are so many places to go that I'm a bit lost…"
"And we're only talking about the village. Wally and I have already ventured into the mountains to see the volcano, but we still have all the other corners of the island to discover. The forest, the beach, the caves, the glacier…"
"Yes, we were waiting for you to be here to start the real adventures." Wally smiled.
"Do you think we'll have time for all that? Shouldn't we start training as a trio right now…?"
"Don't worry, May, the PML starts on May 1st, in two weeks. It gives us the opportunity to train and visit a little. You have just arrived, let's take advantage of this day to get together and relax... We'll start training tomorrow... Is that okay with you?"
The young woman nodded. It's true that she wasn't in a hurry, but her brain hadn't disconnected from her duties as a league champion yet. She had been so busy lately that spending the afternoon with her friends seemed unreasonable to her. However, Brendan was right, the three of them could afford that time.
The two boys first took her to the bakery, where they bought chocolate eclairs and some Pikachu shaped cookies. Then they walked through the village until they reached the beach, where many families were enjoying the sun and the beauty of the ocean. Sitting on the sand with their Pokemons, May was able to catch up with her friends while building sand castles that her Blaziken made crumble immediately with a blow from his clawed paws. Brendan and Wally told her more about their journey in search of the five badges, and about the trainers they had met along the way.
May realized she didn't have much news to tell them; the days in the league were very similar once the title had been won, and there could be long periods of time before a new trainer came to challenge her.
"We met two trainers our age from Kalos, Calem and Serena, Wally said, putting his hand under the warm sand. Like us, after a professor gave them a Pokedex, they were able to start a journey in their region. They're very nice, I think you'll get along with them well, May."
"When we told them we were friends with the current champion of Hoenn, they refused to believe us, Brendan laughed. They will overwhelm you with questions if we introduce you to them."
"Haha…I'm not sure I want to be overwhelmed, actually…"
Great. Did Brendan go tell everyone he met that his best friend was the champion of the Hoenn region? These two trainers, as nice as they could be, surely only wanted to meet her because of that and it didn't excite her much. She already had to put up with being constantly reduced to her title in Hoenn, she didn't want to go through that again in Pasio.
"What's good, Brendan went on while stroking his Scepticle, is that there is no barrier here. You can meet anyone at the Pokemon center and talk to whoever you want. Yesterday morning, Wally and I were leaving our room for lunch and guess what?!... We ran into Cynthia in the hallway! And she said hello to us like nothing had happened!"
"It's true that there seems to be a very good atmosphere despite the competition, Wally added. All the gym leaders and champions are nice and encouraging with us."
"Besides, I wonder if some of them are still without a team. We could offer them to join ours. Having a few more league members would be a significant advantage."
"Do we have the right to welcome people into our teams like that?" May asked.
"Didn't you read the PML rules?"
"I've never liked rules that much."
"It's written that we can welcome as many people as we want in our team, but the bare minimum is three. And even if a trainer and their Pokemon are eliminated, they can continue to participate if they manage to be accepted in a team still in competition."
"So we can just get into one of the two remaining teams just before the final and we'll have 50% chance of winning the PML..." May figured out.
"I was hoping our captain would have more ambition than that." Brendan exaggeratedly sighed.
"It's a joke…"
May threw sand at him but that didn't stop him from laughing.
She had almost forgotten how good it felt to chat with her friends. Sitting quietly on the beach with the sun shining on the horizon just above the water, May really felt like she was on vacation. Yet, she couldn't fully realize how lucky she was to be able to participate in the PML. Although she was happy that the tournament was about to begin, she also felt a kind of apprehension gripping her throat, the origin of which she could not explain. Maybe it was the prospect of meeting all these new trainers that was stressing her out? Or was she afraid of not living up to her title or disappointing her friends? May didn't really know...
"Okay," she finally said, leaving those questions in the back of her head for now. "I guess I better get back to the Pokemon center now. See with the elite 4 for the rooms."
"Oh yeah that, Brendan remembered. We're going too."
The three of them dusted the sand off their clothes and set off.
The Pasio Pokemon center had been built on the same model as all the other regional centers, but on a scale perhaps four times larger. May had never seen a hall so huge, or so crowded. Groups of trainers were scattered everywhere, children were playing with their little Pokemons in the middle of the passage, and almost all the sofas against the walls were taken over. The young champion eventually spotted Glacia and Phoebe chatting on one of them, and instinctively walked towards them, Wally and Brendan following her.
"Ah May, you've finally arrived, Phoebe smiled. How was the boat ride?"
"It was fine."
"It's great that you could come… but we have a little problem with the rooms."
"Nothing serious, don't worry May, Glacia reassured her seeing her worried expression, but you see, we wanted to book a single room with the two other rooms since we are five. Unfortunately, the nurse Joy told me all the single rooms were already taken. Which means one of us three will have to share a room of two with another woman."
It was nothing serious, indeed, but the prospect of having to share a room with a stranger didn't delight her at all. Although on second thought, she wouldn't really be more comfortable sleeping in the same room as Glacia or Phoebe. Her relationship with them was cordial, but May didn't feel familiar enough for full-time cohabitation.
"It's okay if it's me, she said. I will try to find some roommate."
At her words, May stepped back to scan the hall. A few trainers seemed familiar to her, famous gym leaders from other regions, but she couldn't imagine asking them outright if they wanted to share their room with her.
"At worst, you can sleep with us, Brendan offered. In the bathroom."
"Very funny."
"You could look if you find some people from Hoenn, he advised her more seriously. I saw Wallace when I entered who…"
"Wallace? I'd rather find a girl instead."
"Yeah, well… he was with his niece. If you let me finish my sentences sometimes!"
May rolled her eyes. The incessant teasing of her best friend was quickly annoying but his idea wasn't bad. Wallace's niece must have been around her age, it would be less embarrassing than finding herself with a trainer twenty years her senior.
"Okay, I'll look for them then…"
May left her friends and the two members of the elite to sneak between the various groups of trainers inside the hall. She finally found Wallace, thanks to his eccentric green and white outfit. As always, the gym leader didn't go unnoticed. He was with Drake but his niece was also by his side, although she didn't seem very attentive to the discussion of the two men.
"Excuse me..." May said shyly.
"Oh, look who's there? Our adorable Hoenn champion!" Wallace's face lit up. "The whole league was waiting for your venue."
"Um… Thanks Wallace."
"Hi May, it's been a while!" Her niece said with an equally happy face.
"Hi Lisia. I didn't know you would come to Pasio too."
"Oh I absolutely wanted to be part of the PML! Even if Pokemon battles aren't really my thing, it wouldn't be funny to remain only a spectator. So my uncle is kind enough to help me practice every day!"
"And you're making big progress," Wallace assured, laying proudly a hand on his niece's shoulder. "So May… What's up? You seem to have something in mind."
"Problems with the rooms?" Drake guessed and May nodded.
She quickly explained the situation, wondering if she hadn't been wrong to come to them, after all. Maybe Lisia didn't want to share her room with a girl she barely knew. Although the young star of the Pokemon contests had always been very friendly with her, they had only met a few times, when Lisia had pushed her to enter a contest after having spotted her by chance in the street. She had also given her a pink outfit for her performance, which May had never dared to wear since. But that, Lisia didn't need to know.
"You're lucky, May. I took a room for two so I could have all the space I wanted… But since you're looking for someone, you're welcome to be my roommate! We'll split the price of the room in half, okay?!"
"Yes thank you very much Lisia!" May exclaimed with relief.
Lisia was always so generous and ready to help.
"Great! That's good, I don't like loneliness. We'll tell each other lots of stories and you'll tell me about all the competitions you've won since the last time we saw each other!"
"Yeah, uh… I've won… a few?"
"Hehe, don't be embarrassed, I'm just teasing you! I understand that you're very busy now, with your position as a champion and all that… It must be something to have all this responsibilities at your age!"
"No more than being a contest star at twenty."
"Hehee, I'm nineteen, May."
Lisia was the first person to say that to her, rather than how much she wished she could be in her place or how lucky May was to be famous and so talented...probably because the coordinator also knew what was behind all the apparent glory.
"Do you ever get nervous when you're about to go on stage in front of so many people? May asked her. I could never do that."
"Oh it's fine because I've been doing this since I was little so I got used to it... but it's true that the five minutes before the start of the contest are always very stressful. Then I clear my head, and everything goes well! And I know I can always count on Ali, it's almost more her who performs than me. She's the real idol of the public! If you only knew all the ovations she gets. Well during my last contest, there was this moment where..."
Lisia began to tell her a bit more about one of her performances. Beside them, Drake and Wallace had resumed their own discussion.
"By the way, I wanted to ask you Wallace, have you heard from Steven lately?"
May meant no disrespect to Lisia, but she couldn't help but lend an ear when she heard that name.
"Steven?..." Wallace repeated as if he had to work his brains out to remember who this was. "If I didn't check on him regularly, I think we would have lost contact a long time ago."
This phrase summed up the former champion's behaviour so well that May wanted to frame it on a wall of her bedroom. A man so obsessed with his passion for rocks that he didn't care about anything else, that was who Steven was in her eyes. May was still trying to avoid thinking about him just like he had never really thought about her, but as soon as she heard his name, despite her will, she couldn't help but listen to everything.
"But when he heard about the PML, he finally deigned to come back on the horizon." Wallace continued.
"Is he in Pasio?"
"Yes, he arrived a few days ago... but I'm afraid it was the countless caves on the island more than the PML that really convinced him to come. I wonder why this funny prince had put so many of them here. Anyway, Steven has spent his life underground since he's been here."
"That doesn't surprise me at all." Drake chuckled dryly.
May looked away. So Steven was there… Weirdly, this information left her indifferent. It had been over a year since he left overnight, after she beat him. His name had become almost taboo within the league. He had probably resented her for having taken his title, to the point of leaving May on her own in her new position. Because of his absence, the young woman had to assume her champion role without the usual transitional period between the succession of the old to the new league champion.
"May, hello? Are you listening to me? Ha, I know I'm very talkative sometimes but…"
"What? Oh I'm sorry Lisia! I guess I'm a little tired..."
"No, don't worry, it's okay! Actually, you probably want to settle in your room, right?"
Lisia took a key from her skirt pocket:
"Room 534, on the 5th floor. Here, I'll give you this one, they gave me two."
"Thank you, Lisia."
"Uncle Wallace?... I'm taking May to see her quarters." The coordinator said in an exaggeratedly distinguished voice.
"Alright. If we don't see each other by tomorrow, we'll meet here in the hall, as usual."
Lisa nodded. May and her greeted Wallace and Drake before heading up the grand staircase in the center of the hall.
For a Pokemon center, the room wasn't that small, with large windows overlooking Centra City. Composed of a desk, a wardrobe, a television and two beds, it had been brightened up by ribbons of all colours that were hanging everywhere on the white walls.
"Yeah, I added a bit of decoration…I always do this when I sleep outside. It may sound pretentious but…seeing all these awards reminds me of how much I have already achieved in my life…"
"No, I understand." May smiled.
"If I had known I would have a roommate, I wouldn't have done that though…I can take them off if you mind."
"No…no, don't! I find that motivating as well."
May pulled her suitcase to the empty bed, made of plain, impersonal white sheets. Lisia's ribbons really brought something nice to the room. This one would have been too sober otherwise.
"I'm going to move my stuff around a bit. Do you mind if we each take a side of the closet? Oh, and I have to tidy up the bathroom, I've already put all my mess there…"
Lisia hastened to pick up the books and contest accessories lying on the floor while May opened her suitcase and began to settle in the room. Then she called her Blaziken, so that he could discover their new home for the coming weeks.
"Is this the Pokemon you chose for the PML?" Lisa asked.
She nodded.
"Wow, a Blaziken? He's so impressive! And he can also Mega Evolve, right?"
May touched her Mega Bracelet, the only "jewel" she always wore, despite its origin. Over time, she had begun to forget its presence on her arm.
"Yes…"
"Wallace taught me that my Ali could also Mega Evolve one day, if they found me a Key Stone and a Mega Stone. Wait, I'll call her, so our Pokemons can get to know each other."
Lisia's Altaria had the same elegance as her trainer, and Lisia's outfit matched her plumage perfectly. The Pokemon made a whisper similar to a greeting, which Blaziken returned.
"They seem to be getting along well, May said. So Lisia, I didn't know you were interested in Mega Evolution. I'm sure Ali and you would have a bond strong enough to Mega Evolve."
"Yes, it would be an advantage for the PML… and it could be useful for my contests afterwards… The next time I meet Steven, I will ask him for more info about their location. He's surely the one who knows the most about it in Hoenn… Is it him who gave you your Key Stone?"
"Yeah, it's him…"
Back when he was still kind to her. Back when he offered her something almost every time they met. He had always been very nice with her, so how could May have known that he would left her so abruptly later, when he no longer needed her help?
"Anyway, Lisia continued without knowing what was running through May's head, even if he could give me something to Mega Evolve, I surely wouldn't be able to master this power in time... And I know I probably wouldn't get far in the PML anyway but… I want to do my best with Ali."
"It's a good philosophy." May answered without much conviction, forcing herself to come back to the present.
"My uncle told me that I could compete in his team if I can't find anyone else but I would rather like to team up with trainers closer to my age… And so far I haven't really met trainers who would agree to welcome me..."
"You mean you don't have a team yet?"
The coordinator shook her head. May quickly understood what she expected of her.
"Well, you're welcome to ours. I'm sure Brendan and Wally will be willing to welcome you too…"
"Really May?...If you want to win, I'm surely not the best person to help you achieve it."
Was Lisia really doubting herself that much, or was she looking for compliments?
"You said you wanted to do your best with Ali, right? And me too, my goal is to surpass myself with my friends! There are so many talented trainers here that that's what seems most important to me, before aiming for victory: to compete while giving all we got."
"Yeah! I love that mood, May!"
Lisia got up to hug her Pokemon.
"Ali! You and I have just been accepted into the team of the Hoenn champion! Let's see, if I had to give a name to this day I would call it… The arrival of May: a promise of an exceptional tournament!" She said, striking a pose, raising one arm to the sky as her Altaria let out a happy cry.
May burst out laughing. She found Wallace's exuberance in her niece.
"Well, all of this is very nice but… it's getting late… Do you want to go to the bathroom first or second?"
"You can go. I'm in no rush."
"Okay, I'm going to take off my makeup, brush my teeth… and you can go."
The two young women got ready quietly, then May nibbled for supper the last cookies she had bought with her friends. When she was finally able to lie down on her bed, all the tiredness of this long day fell on her. She still had trouble realizing where she was now.
In this Pokemon center, dispatched between the different rooms, the majority of the members from all the Pokemon leagues were gathered; her league colleagues, and even Steven, if Wallace was right. This one was probably still awake, examining some dusty rock or reading a scientific revue… Despite what she claimed, May was annoyed to know he was there. She dreaded seeing him again after all this time. He must have changed, physically and mentally… She wondered what he looked like now.
May pushed that thought away from her mind. No, he didn't deserve her thinking about him. Sometimes, she would have liked to erase his entire existence from her memory. The champion heaved a deep sigh, she was hearing Lisia's regular breathing which told her that she must already be asleep. After turning several times on the mattress that was too hard for her liking, May felt her mind clouding, and she ended up falling asleep too.
A/N: There's still no Steven in this chapter but he'll be there soon, I promise
