The day of the battle against Clair and Lorelei, May no longer regretted having Roxanne on their team. Joining forces with her and Wally, the three of them managed to defeat the two ice and dragon type trainers after a gruelling battle. Congratulating her Blaziken, May was ready to leave the arena to join her teammates, when the two trainers caught up with her. For a second, she feared the worst. Did Lance's cousin have something to say about their victory? Fortunately, she was relieved to hear Lorelei congratulate her in quiet voice:
"It was a great battle, champion May. You didn't steal your title."
May never knew what to say to that kind of compliment.
"Um... Thanks... You battled well too..."
"Even though we lost, I think my Pokemon and I were still able to show you the power of dragon-Type Pokemon!" Clair said, feeling very proud despite her fresh defeat.
"Yes, it was impressive." May agreed, uncomfortable.
"Come on!" Clair insisted. "I think you've clearly understood that without me, this tournament is pointless. But don't worry! In my great kindness, I agree to give you a hand."
Clair put her hands on her hips. May looked at her, unsure to understand what was going on. Clair was definitely not acting like a loser. She spoke as if she was the one who had beaten them.
"Say something! You're not going to refuse my generous offer, are you?" the dracologist asked, outraged.
"I-I... uh... I'm not sure to get what your offer is?" May mumbled, caught off guard by her attitude.
Was Clair trying to continue the PML by imposing herself on their team? Even though she and Brendan had agreed to recruit as many new trainers as possible, May wasn't sure she wanted to take on someone like Clair. She seemed to be a stubborn, opinionated kind of trainer who just wanted to do her own thing and couldn't understand the principle of teamwork. Would she be able to listen to May during training and respect her choices as the team captain?
"What a phenomenon that Clair is, right?" Lorelei laughed lightly. "But I'm also asking you, May: would you agree to take her in your team? Clair has a special character, of course... but she's someone you can count on."
May gave them a forced smile. It wasn't as if she could still say no without sounding rude.
Accompanied by their new ally, May left the arena to look for her team. Brendan and Lisia had been kind enough to wait for her, while Roxanne and Wally had already returned to the Pokemon center to look after their team. The young woman introduced them to their latest recruit, and tried to ignore the surprised look her best friend gave her. Fortunately, Clair didn't stay long, as she too had to heal her Pokemon, still knocked out in its Poke Ball.
"Sooo May… you've become friends with Lance's cousin? I don't know if that's a brilliant or a very dangerous idea. She kind of freaks me out!" Brendan said.
"Me too. But she didn't give me much of a choice... and imagine if we ended up against Lance's team… Clair looks like she'll do anything to prove she's the best, so she'll probably be a big help in beating him!"
"I don't know May... maybe she's very good in normal battle but if she can't cooperate with us..."
As always, Brendan shared the same fears as her without her having to verbalize them.
"Yes, I know. It would be annoying... but we'll see that tomorrow, during the training..."
"Guys, stop worrying so much," Lisia interjected. "We just won our third battle, I remind you! Isn't that great? I mean, as a coordinator, I wouldn't even have dreamed of getting this far!"
"Haha, that's true... we're thinking so much about the competition that we don't even bother to celebrate our victories anymore," Brendan laughed.
May shrugged. It's true that they were doing well so far, but she didn't want to get too proud. Because most of the time, it was always when she was starting to gain confidence that she made mistakes. Never claim victory too soon, that was the quote that had allowed her to reach the top. The day she would have nothing left to prove would probably also be the day she would lose her title.
"Anyway, I think we deserve an afternoon off. Wally, Hau, Barry, Calem and I wanted to have some video game time at the Pokemon center. Do you want to join us?"
"That's really kind, Brendan! But I'm already meeting Dawn and Serena. We're going to the bakery."
"Oh I see, spending time together is just an excuse to stuff yourselves!" Brendan said, rolling his eyes.
Lisia gave him a sharp tap on the arm.
"Ouch!"
"And you, May? Do you want to come with us? Or would you rather go play with some stupid nerdy boys?
It was almost a dilemma for May. She usually liked playing video games with Brendan, but on the other hand, she didn't want to be alone among the boys. Going to eat with the three girls would make her feel more comfortable.
"Sorry Brendan, but I think I'll go with Lisia this time..." she decided.
"Okay May... Let's meet tonight at the arena then, to find out who are our next opponents together!"
"Sure," Lisia said. "See you later Brendan."
"The profiteroles here are really delicious. One bite and I feel right at home," Serena exclaimed, closing her eyes in wonder.
"Maybe they've been brought directly from Kalos?... All the food here is succulent, you would almost believe that the hired chefs all worked in five-star restaurants," smiled Dawn.
The four girls had arrived in the middle of the afternoon, but the bakery was already almost full of customers. The good reputation of the establishment had quickly spread among the trainers who had come to Pasio. Despite the crowds, there was never any type of pastries missing on the shelves, with the shop assistants filling in the gaps after each purchase, to give newcomers plenty of choice.
Serena couldn't resist ordering a dozen profiteroles for everyone, while Dawn settled for an ice cream for her Empoleon and herself. Lisia had taken a millefeuille and May truffles. She wasn't usually particularly greedy, seeing food primarily as a means of substitution, but even she hadn't remained insensitive to the delights of the bakery.
"I can assure you," Dawn insisted, "their ice creams are just as good as they are in Sinnoh. What do you think, Empo?"
"Empoleon!" This Pokemon nodded happily.
"As unpleasant as he looks, the prince knows how to make his island a paradise," Serena laughed.
"Yeah... that's a gift that rich people usually have," Lisia commented sarcastically as she spooned her mille-feuille. "Make the most of their money to live in the lap of luxury!"
Dawn chuckled:
"Are you speaking from experience, Lisia? I imagine you're probably rubbing shoulders with lots of rich and famous people thanks to your job! Oh but I'm being silly; you're rich and famous too! I still can't believe I'm friends with the big star of the Hoenn contests!" Dawn exclaimed, feeling Lisia's arm as if to make sure she was real.
Lisia flinched slightly before bursting out laughing:
"You know, I'm a pretty simple girl despite appearances... The only thing that makes me different is that I'm really passionate about Pokemon contests. It's the only thing that explains my success."
"No, come on, you're being too modest, Lisia! You were born to be famous, you're so charismatic!" Dawn insisted, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Oh, and you Dawn, you are adorable..."
May listened to her friends complimenting each other, wondering how to intervene in their conversation. As much as she adored Lisia, she always felt that her presence completely outshined her in the eyes of the two girls. They were much more impressed by the young coordinator's achievements than by hers, probably because May was much less charismatic than her friend. She couldn't communicate her passion for battles as easily as Lisia could for Pokemon contests.
"Speaking of famous and rich people..." Serena remarked, glancing at her Delphox. "I've been so excited since this morning!"
"Why?" Dawn asked.
"Haven't you heard the news? Diantha's coming to Pasio soon. Finally! I didn't believe she was coming anymore..."
Oh great... One more champion, among the most popular in the media, was going to arrive on the island. And for May and her team, a new potential adversary. Try as she might, she couldn't get excited about it.
"Wow! Serena, that's so cool! I wonder which team she would like to join? Probably one with very high-level trainers..."
"Maybe she'll team up with the members of the elite 4 from Kalos?" Serena wondered.
"That would make sense... or maybe she'll just team up with other champions..." Lisia mused. "Imagine if she and Cynthia got together?"
"Oh my god! They would be unbeatable!"
"What about you, May?" said Serena, suddenly remembering her presence around the table, "As a champion, you might have a chance of her agreeing to come on your team...?"
"That's the advantage of being a champion," Dawn laughed, "You and I, Serena... not only will we never be able to team up with her, but Diantha hasn't the slightest idea of who we are. We're complete strangers because we're not in any league."
"You know," May tried to reply, "even though I'm a champion now, Diantha and I don't know each other at all. She has no reason to want to join my team."
"True, but you still have a better chance of getting her attention than we do, so don't complain!"
She was not complaining. Actually, May didn't care if she met Diantha or not, she just didn't dare say it out loud.
"If I ever meet her, I'll tell her about you two." she said instead.
With this promise, May was entitled to all the gratitude of the two trainers. That made her feel a little bit better.
Once they had left the bakery, the girls decided to do a bit of shopping. Lisia was looking for lighter clothes to cope with the heat of July and Dawn and Serena were only too happy to accompany the coordinator on her shopping trip. They visited several shops until Lisia found one to her liking, and began to flit from one clothing to another.
"Wow," she exclaimed at a shelf full of accessories. "These hats are the latest fashions in the magazines I follow! I didn't think I'd find any of them here."
"They really do have everything at Pasio," Dawn agreed, taking off her hat to try on a cap with the PML logo drawn on it.
"You Serena, nothing should impress you any more... since you live in Kalos..."
"Well, it's true that the shops in Kalos are always at the cutting edge of fashion but I can't afford to buy anything there. Whereas here, the prices are much more affordable. Look at these scarves... do you think it would go well with my dress?"
"Oh it's a perfect match, Serena!" Lisia assured her. "You've got to try them on."
And so the three girls each set off to find the clothes they were most attracted to. May pretended to imitate them to not look too lost. She could see a few tops she might have liked, but she didn't feel comfortable trying them on now, and she was worried that Lisia, Dawn and Serena would judge her style. She'd been told too often that she didn't know how to show off, that her outfits were all a bit tomboyish and she didn't want to hear that again. After half an hour looking at the shelves without trying too hard, May felt bored. Surely, she could find some place in the village that suited her better than this shop, where the music was too loud for her taste. Brendan and Wally had mentioned a library when she first arrived, perhaps May could take a look there.
"Lisia..."
May took advantage of the fact that the coordinator had just come out of the fitting room wearing a blue lace dress to go and talk to her.
"May darling, are you finding any clothes you like?" she asked. "You see the dresses over there? I'm sure you'd look wonderful in the red one. It's your favourite colour, isn't it?"
"Yes, um... that's kind, Lisia, but I don't really like dresses... Actually, I was rather thinking of going for a walk to the library... um... does anyone want to come with me?"
May looked around for Serena and Dawn, the former standing a few metres away trying on bracelets, the latter nowhere to be seen. She wasn't getting her hopes up.
"Maybe later. Right now, as you can see, I can't really go with you..." Lisia began to stir. "Pff, this dress is much too tight, excuse me for a minute..."
Lisia immediately disappeared into her cabin, eagerly pulling back the curtain.
"Next time, I'd love to come with you," said Serena. "But right now, I really wanted to try on some jewellery... you don't mind, do you, May?"
"No, no, it's fine. I can go on my own just fine... Will you tell Dawn and Lisia I've gone? You three have fun."
Even though she felt guilty about leaving like that, May felt a wave of relief when she could finally get back into the fresh air. Clothes shops always had a suffocating effect on her... After walking around for a while, she finally found the library, a large white stone building with statues of Pyroar on either side of the entrance.
The place looked more austere than she had expected. As she stepped inside, she was overcome by a feeling of freshness. The library was completely silent, with shelves full of books until the back of the room. Tables had been arranged at the sides, alongside the windows, most of them already occupied by trainers engrossed in their reading.
May wandered calmly between the books, trying to pick out the different subject areas in the library. Unsurprisingly, most of the books dealt with Pokemons, classified according to type and region of origin. But there were other disciplines, like history, herbalism, art, medicine and science. Having looked around the shelves, May was thinking about what kind of books might interest her, she had no specific idea in mind, when a voice whispered her name.
"Champion May..."
Not recognising it, the young trainer turned around to find herself facing Cynthia, in her long black coat, a thick grimoire between her arms.
"Oh, hello champion Cynthia," May replied in surprise, doing her best not to speak too loudly.
"Please, just Cynthia is fine," the champion smiled. "I wasn't sure it was you... This library is fabulous, isn't it? I've heard that it contains many books from the Prince's personal collection, which can't be found anywhere else. They can't be borrowed, but they're a godsend for a mythology enthusiast like me. I was able to get my hands on some precious books on the legendary Pokemons of Sinnoh... And you, what did you wish to find here?"
"Hem... well, I don't really know... it's my first time here."
"I see. Let your curiosity lead you and you'll find wonders, I can guarantee it. You can take most of the books available to borrow for a week, just show your PML registration card to specify that you're taking part."
"Thanks, I didn't know it was that easy," May said, thinking with annoyance that she didn't even have her card with her.
"You're welcome, May. I won't keep you any longer. I hope you will find what you're looking for."
The Sinnoh champion walked away, her book clutched to her chest. May found it hard to believe that she had just spontaneously chatted with Cynthia. For a moment, she understood Dawn and Serena's excitement better; it was true that it was unsettling to be able to bump into one of the world's most famous trainers in a library like that. If the two young women had known that Cynthia was there, perhaps they would have fought to accompany her all of a sudden...
After a quick glance at the books on Fire type Pokemons, May decided to leave, knowing that she wouldn't be able to borrow anything today anyway, her card still lying on the bedside table of her room.
As she walked along the tables leading to the exit, she spotted Roxanne at the table just in front of the entrance, her nose buried in a huge book with tiny print. She must have spent every afternoon studying here. As May approached, the scholar looked up at her absent-mindedly, and May couldn't tell whether she had seen her or not. Should she say hello? May wasn't sure that Roxanne would appreciate being disturbed; she certainly hadn't come to the library to make conversation, and even less so with her.
"Oh, hello May..."
To her astonishment, Roxanne gave her a slight wave. Well, she didn't have much choice now. May stopped in front of her to greet her in turn.
"I wanted to thank you again for yesterday," the young woman whispered. "It was very generous of you to let Flannery and me join your team when we'd just failed..."
"Well… you're welcome..."
Perhaps May had been a little hasty in her judgement. It was true that on the surface, Roxanne seemed rather cold, but in the end she knew so little about herself. Everyone kept saying that she was very intelligent, curious about everything and hard-working, so maybe May had just become jealous of this woman who was so perfect in every way.
"What are you reading?" May asked, encouraged to make a little conversation.
"An encyclopaedia on the natural sciences. Actually, I came in to borrow the few books available on geology, but Steven was quicker than me. I'll have to ask him to lend them to me next time he comes here. Unless it was Brock or Roark who took them...? There aren't that many rock-loving trainers here, fortunately for me."
"Oh... he comes here a lot... Steven, I mean?"
The question was out before May could even collect herself. Seriously, why did she care?
"I don't know... I meet him sometimes, by chance. So... quite often, I suppose? But you can never predict in advance what he'll be doing anyway... Why? Are you looking for him?"
"No, no. Absolutely not!" May replied, louder than she would have liked, shaking her hands.
She cast a quick glance around the rest of the room to make sure no one was staring at her. Roxanne smiled strangely at her reaction. Whether it was embarrassment or amusement, May couldn't tell.
"You two… you're not very close, are you?" She asked, pointing the cap of her pen against her lips. "You don't seem very comfortable with him..."
"Hem... no... I mean, we're just normally close… I don't know."
She was too surprised by the question to answer it smartly. Why was Roxanne asking her that out of nowhere? It was none of her business.
"Ha sorry, I'm often told that I'm interfering in things that don't concern me... It's just that, I would have thought that the two of you had forged a special bond or something. As you became his successor, he must have taught you a lot..."
That was on paper, yes. In reality, he hadn't had time to teach her much. But May certainly didn't want to tell Roxanne how Steven had abandoned her.
"No, it's okay... We were kind of close before he left..." She replied, hoping to end the conversation here.
"Oh, I'd almost forgotten... It's true that you've known him for less time than the other members of the league," Roxanne replied. "He often disappears like that, for several months, then he comes back and you can see him every day for a while... until he's gone again. Everyone in the league is used to that. We had to put up with his unpredictability pretty well before you came along."
"How long have you known him?"
"Well, ever since I became a gym leader. Our shared interest in stones brought us both together straight away. With him, I know I can say anything without looking like a nerd, because he's as interested as I am. It's really rewarding to be able to share a passion with someone without judgement... you see what I mean?"
"Yes..." May replied in a small voice. "I know exactly what you mean."
In spite of herself, Roxanne's words triggered in May a sort of feeling of envy. Did she really want to be a desperate rock nerd like them? Certainly not... it was more that she would have liked to know what it was like to be friend with Steven, to share a common passion with him.
Sometimes she almost saw his passion as a problem, a wall standing between him and the rest of the world. May felt that she could never really understand how he felt when he wandered into those sinister caves or studied a seemingly banal stone for hours on end or immersed himself in reading one of those huge encyclopaedias... whereas Roxanne could understand him. Roxanne was closer to Steven than May could probably ever be, but the real question was: why did this fact undermine her so much? Why couldn't she give up on the former Master, no matter how hard she tried?
"What about you, May? Do you have a passion too? I mean, apart from training, of course."
"Erm... Not really... Well, Pokemons..."
"Haha," Roxanne laughed unnaturally. "Of course... They're at the centre of our lives."
May couldn't tell if she was imagining it or if Roxanne really did have that smug look in her eyes whenever she spoke to her. She must have looked so ignorant in front of her, so confused. Roxanne probably knew a lot more about Pokemons than she did, but she was content with the position of gym leader. It was paradoxical to think that it was May and not her who had been given the title of champion.
Sometimes May even wondered how she'd managed to reach her level, if she'd cheated, skipped a step... or if Steven had been on a really bad day when she'd faced him... Because despite everything she'd achieved, everyone still seemed better than she was.
