Author's Note: Welcome to the next installment. This is a lighthearted chapter that doesn't really have much to do with the main plot but focuses more on character interaction. The plot will pick up, again, next chapter, I promise.

Thank you to those of you who reviewed!

Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha – Paul will show up soon, and as for your other question, you'll just have to wait and see 😉

jayfeather12345 – I appreciate your feedback! Sometimes the character interactions feel longer or more involved to me when I'm writing them than they probably do to you when you're reading them. For example, I could spend several hours on one scene that takes you maybe five minutes to read. I'm glad you pointed that out, and I'll keep that in mind as I'm writing since I also love their arguments.

Please enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Three: Pokémon Versus Trainer

It was the last week of September, and May was sitting in her homeroom, listening to the morning announcements. After the incident with Drew and the Battle Room, May seemed to run into him more often. He still teased her and called her names, but it was more banter and less invasive as though he was trying harder to be her friend. May decided maybe, maybe Ash had been right about him after all.

It occurred to her that Drew used his popularity to mask his true nature. Although he came off as arrogant, confident, and selfish at times, she began to see glimpses of him out of the limelight. The group of "friends" he always had trailing after him could be better described as fan boys, and Drew didn't seem to care about any of them. From what May could gather his only real friends were Brendan Birch and Nate Berkeley. He seemed to have some level of respect for Ash and Gary Oak, but she wasn't sure she would go so far as to say they were friends, at least from what she had observed. He was a loner by nature and seemed to prefer his own company or the company of his pokémon to those of other people. For as well-liked and admired as he was, she could sense he was lonely. Of course, he would never admit it, and she in turn would never bring it up.

May's train of thought was broken when Dawn suddenly squealed and clapped her hands together in excitement. She turned to May and whispered, "What are you going to be? You have to choose pokémon!"

"What?"

At the blank expression on May's face, Dawn sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Weren't you listening to the announcements at all? We're having a school wide competition this Saturday! Have you ever heard of Humans Versus Zombies?" May shook her head and Dawn continued, "Well, it's like this. If you're a human, you defend yourself against zombies with a nerf gun or something. If you're a zombie, you tag a human to "kill" him. If you can survive as a human for the entire game, you win. Or something like that. Anyway, this is like that except we'll be pokémon and trainers!"

"Oh," May said, trying to absorb what Dawn was saying and listen to the rest of announcements at the same time. "I guess that could be fun."

"Oh, it will be," Dawn whispered. She reached over and grabbed May's arm. "You have to be a pokémon too, okay? We'll watch each other's back."

May felt an amused smile tug on her lips at her friend's enthusiasm. "I'm kind of surprised you'd be into this type of thing, Dawn. It doesn't seem like your style."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think so either," she replied, "but a bunch of us did this last year, and it was really fun!"

It turned out Pokémon Versus Trainer was a big deal at LaRousse Academy. The entire school from Eighth grade to Senior year participated, and the professors encouraged involvement by lightening the workload for the weekend and even offering extra credit to those who participated. Certain classrooms were designated "safe" zones where pokémon could relax for a set time limit without having to worry about being stalked by trainers. Water stations were set up at specified locations across the campus, and the school hired food trucks to camp out in the parking lot behind the Administration building.

The morning of the competition, Dawn and May met in the dining hall to sign up. Various tables were set up with assigned letters posted for the students. Pokémon were given infrared-sensitive vests to wear over their clothes until the end of the game. If a trainer hit the vest with a pokéball, a target would light up, and the pokémon was given the choice of either becoming a trainer or forfeiting the game. Trainers were given Velcro flags to hang around their waists. If a pokémon managed to grab the flag without being hit with a pokéball, the trainer automatically forfeited or was given the option of becoming a pokémon. The pokémon were given tasks to complete to keep them from hiding in one spot all day.

Of course, there were rules. Trainers couldn't use anything other than pokéballs to "capture" pokémon. Pokémon were allowed to steal pokéballs from trainers, but if they accidentally touched any part of their vest with the ball, the light would go off. Pokémon weren't allowed to wear anything over their vests that prevented a pokéball from hitting them (apparently, that rule had been added last year because a group of students had gone around with armor over their vests). Neither trainers nor pokémon were allowed to use their real pokémon on each other during the game. Trainers and pokémon could go anywhere on campus except the dormitories. Doors to classrooms were to be left unlocked. Trainers couldn't come within thirty feet of "safe" classrooms.

May signed her name and checked the box next to "pokémon". A student volunteer handed her a vest, and she began to slip it over her head when she heard a voice that made her cringe.

"Well, well, if it isn't Madame Klutz." She turned to see Drew sauntering toward the sign-up table. A few of his fanboys followed a couple feet behind.

Even though they'd been on friendlier terms lately, he still liked to tease and get a rise out of her, especially in front of a crowd. She knew this and, despite that, she still found herself falling for his obvious baiting tactics. "Hi, Drew," she said, glancing at the flag on his belt. "You're a trainer?"

"Yep, and it looks like you guys are pokémon. How cute. Say, how about we make this a little more interesting?"

May eyed Drew suspiciously, not liking his smug expression. "Interesting how, exactly?"

"Let's make a bet. Whoever turns to the other side first loses."

"Fine," she said, "but if I win, you have to stop calling me stupid nicknames. Got it?"

"Alright." The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. "But if I win, you owe me one favor. Whatever I ask, whenever I ask it."

"What?" May demanded, feeling her face heat up in indignation. "No way! That's crazy, Drew!" Her blush was definitely not from her mind going instantly to all the ways Drew could call in that favor, that was for sure. She was no pervert!

His eyes narrowed slightly at her expression, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Give me some credit, May, I wouldn't take advantage of you like that. But if you really don't think you can win, I get it…" He flipped his hair in that annoying way he had that made her clench her jaw.

"I can win!" She blurted and balled her hands into fists. "Fine, you're on!" They shook on it, and Drew walked away chuckling. May watched him go and suddenly felt her stomach tighten with apprehension. She had to win this now. There was no telling what horrible things he would make her do if she lost.

"Um, May?" She turned to look at her blue-haired friend. Dawn was watching her with a worried expression. "Do you really think that was a good idea?"

"Not at all," May replied, "but I can't back out now. Will you help me?"

"Of course!"

May and Dawn hadn't seen any signs of Drew, but they'd come across plenty of other trainers on their journey across the campus. Their first task was to retrieve a pokémon from the storage unit—inside the Academy Building—and deliver it to Professor Hawkins. It was taking longer to reach due to the number of trainers milling around the main entrance.

"Okay," Dawn whispered, crouched down next to May. "Let's make a run for the back door, all right?" They were hiding out by some bushes behind the Boys' Dorm, their backs pressed against the brick building. No one playing the game was allowed inside the dorms, so at least they didn't have to worry about any surprise attacks from the windows above them. Still, they kept their heads ducked down, out of sight. No sense taking any chances. "Ready… Go!" They jumped out of the bushes and sprinted across the yard. May could feel blood pounding in her ears, the adrenaline surging to her legs. The feeling was exhilarating! There was a shout, and someone threw a pokéball in their direction. It landed with a rustle in the grass a couple feet away.

The two girls ran around to the back and threw the door open. "Quick!" May squealed, pushing past Dawn. The door banged open after them, and May caught a glimpse of their pursuer over her shoulder. He was a tall guy with brown hair, a red bandana tied around his head. They ran down the hall, their footsteps echoing off the tiled walls. Something whizzed past May's ear, and she jumped as a pokéball landed on the floor a couple feet ahead of her, bounced off the wall, and rolled back toward her. She leapt over it and followed Dawn into a hallway that branched off to the right, attempting to lose their pursuer in the maze of hallways and doors. They ran into a small room that was used to hold training equipment. They waited with bated breath as the trainer's footsteps approached and paused at the door. After a few moments, the footsteps continued on and faded down the hallway. May put her hands on her knees and leaned over, breathing hard. "God, that was close," she said. "This game is intense."

Dawn nodded and gave a breathy laugh. "I have a stitch in my side. I'm so out of shape."

"Just keep breathing."

After a couple minutes, May looked around to assess their situation. "Well, what do you want to do now?"

"Let's stay here a little longer," Dawn said. "What if that guy's still out there?"

May rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms above her head, attempting to loosen her muscles. "Yeah, but what if he finds us in here? Then we're really in trouble."

Dawn reluctantly agreed, and the girls ventured back out, peering cautiously around. The hallway was empty, and there was no sign of their pursuer. They crept quietly back the way they'd come, made a couple detours, and finally found the glass doors leading to the pokémon storage unit. Students could borrow the school's pokémon for training if they signed out for them and returned them within twenty-four hours. May entered her Student ID into a little keypad on the wall and opened the door, ushering Dawn ahead of her. They walked to the back of the room where rows of pokéballs sat nestled in their holders. May put her name and Student ID on the sign out sheet and grabbed a random pokéball. "Mission complete," she whispered triumphantly.

"Now we just need to get it back to Professor Hawkins," Dawn said.

May hummed in agreement and placed the pokéball carefully on her belt. They turned to leave but a sudden motion near the door caught their attention. "It's Drew," May breathed, dragging Dawn back behind the shelves. "Be quiet!"

Drew looked up and stared through the glass doors as though he'd heard them. Then, to May's horror, he entered his Student ID and stood in the open doorway, peering around with an unreadable expression.

May and Dawn stood completely still, hardly daring to breathe as he walked slowly toward them, armed with a pokéball. The girls shrank back against the shelves, trying to stay in the shadows. Then May's foot caught on the wheel of a cart of pokedex, and she tripped, sending them crashing to the floor. Drew spun around, and his eyes lit up when he saw them.

"Run!" May screamed, "Dawn, run!"

They ran around the shelves of pokémon, but Drew hit Dawn in the back with a well-aimed pokéball. The target in the middle of her vest lit up like a Christmas tree, and she stared at it in surprise. "No…"

"Dawn!" May stood, frozen in indecision as she stared at her friend, the light on her vest blinking red and blue. Drew was already pulling out another pokéball.

"Run, May! Don't worry about me!" Dawn exclaimed, throwing herself between her friend and Drew. "Go!"

May ran for the door. Out the door. Down the hallway. She could hear her friend yelling encouragement, and then Drew was at the door, running after her. He threw a pokéball, but she dodged it with a squeal. She turned left, but her momentum was too much, and she nearly crashed into the wall. She raced on, ignoring the sharp pain in her side. If she stopped now, Drew would catch her, and she'd lose the bet. She had to get the pokéball to Professor Hawkins. She couldn't let Dawn's sacrifice be for nothing.

She could hear Drew close behind her, breathing as hard as she was. She couldn't remember which way to go, just kept running in a loop, trying to lose Drew. Another well placed pokéball hit her in the arm, but it didn't touch her vest, so she was safe.

Then May made a stupid mistake. She ducked into a classroom and looked around frantically for a way out, but there was no door on the other side, only a window on the far wall. Drew followed her in and stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. She felt apprehension take hold as she realized she was trapped.

Ash stood outside the Birtwick building, his focus completely zeroed in on a boy wearing a Bulbasaur t-shirt under his vest. With his other senses on hyper drive, Ash could feel rather than see Gary Oak standing next to him, completely calm and in control, despite the chaos of the game. Being in control of himself and his emotions was something he'd often admired and envied about his friend as Ash had never been good at filtering his words and often carried his feelings on his sleeves. Despite their differences, they both lived for the thrill of the chase and absolutely thrived on competition.

The boy peeked out warily from behind a tree. His three friends had already disappeared inside the building, and Ash and Gary had put themselves between him and Birtwick, effectively cutting him off from his destination. However, the rock training field was only a few yards away, and if he decided to hide in there instead, they'd lose their advantage.

"Ash," Gary muttered next to him, nudging his elbow. Ash glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before refocusing his attention back on Bulbasaur boy, but he cocked his head to acknowledge he'd heard him. "Stay here, and I'll go around behind him. We'll cut him off before he can make a run for it into that field."

"Yeah, good idea." Gary started to move away, but Ash grabbed his arm. "Hey, go wide around that tree so you don't spook him. I'll go right and try to draw his attention on me."

Gary paused, and his eyes flitted to Ash's hand still on his arm. He grinned when Ash pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned. "You know, you're not half bad when you actually put your brain to good use."

"Shut up," Ash hissed, turning his attention back to Bulbasaur boy. He moved away from Gary, ignoring the heat creeping up his neck, and made a show of pulling a pokéball out of his pocket and brandishing it around. His plan worked as he now had Bulbasaur's full attention.

Gary took advantage of the opening and took off at a sprint around behind their target, launching a pokéball at his back. The boy jumped to the side, just narrowly avoiding the pokéball, and ran forward in Ash's direction.

"Get him, Ash!" he yelled, "He's coming right at you!"

Before Ash had a chance to react, he heard a shout from behind him. "No, Charles! We're coming!" He turned in time to see Bulbasaur's three friends running down the steps toward them, swinging their arms wildly in all directions. They were too late.

He spun back around and threw a pokéball, hitting Bulbasaur directly in the chest and causing his vest to light up. He didn't have time to celebrate his victory though.

"NOOO! We'll avenge your death!"

"Take down the trainers!"

"Get them!"

"JUSTICE FOR POKEMON!"

Ash pulled out another pokéball and braced himself, but then something happened that he could not have anticipated. Two more pokémon ran out from around the corner of Birtwick, screaming their own cries of justice. They were even wearing some kind of war paint. Ash threw a pokéball at the nearest one, a girl in pink (he thought her name was Mary?). She put her arms out in front of her to block the ball, and it glanced off her arm and just touched the edge of her vest. She collapsed to the ground with a defeated groan as her vest lit up with red and blue flashing lights.

Ash looked over in time to see Gary take down one of his own opponents, the other boy with war paint, but the screams had attracted unwanted attention. More pokémon raced to join the fight and were closing the distance at an alarming rate.

"Let's go!" Ash shouted, gesturing wildly to Gary. "There's too many of 'em!" He saw the intensity of Gary's eyes and thought for just a brief second that the brunette would choose to stand his ground or go down fighting, but then Gary was at his side and together they ran into the rock training field.

May and Drew stared each other down, each still winded after their run through the building. "I gotta admit, May, you're more of a challenge than I thought you'd be."

May said nothing, just backed as far away from him as she could, eyeing the pokéball in his hand warily. There was an open window in the corner, if she could just… But Drew had already caught on to her plan and was moving to block her. "No, you don't," he grinned. "You think I'd let you get away that easily?"

May's mind raced as she frantically tried to think of a way out of this mess. Drew was down to two pokéballs, if she'd calculated that correctly. If she could get him to use them, he'd have to waste time retrieving them, and she could make a run for it. She looked around, but there was nothing she could use as a shield, and Drew was closing the distance, raising his hand to throw a pokéball. At this range, there was no way he would miss. She suddenly remembered the pokémon on her belt and was hit with an inspiration. It was time for a last-ditch effort.

"Pokéball, go!" she shouted, tossing it at Drew's feet. A bright light lit the room and a Squirtle appeared, looking pumped up.

"Squirtle!"

Drew's mouth dropped in indignation. "Hey! You can't do that! It's against the rules to use pokémon!"

"Is it?" May asked, grinning cheekily. "All it says is that we can't use our pokémon. It doesn't say we can't use the school's pokémon. Besides, if I'm going to lose, I'm not going down without a fight."

Drew looked outraged for a moment, but then his expression changed to realization, and he grinned. "Well, well. Of all people, I wouldn't expect you to look for a loophole."

"Desperate times and all that. Now, if you don't want Squirtle to use Water Gun on you, drop the pokéballs and go stand by the door. I know you have two left."

Drew dropped the two remaining pokéballs and held up his hands in a placating gesture. Then he shoved them in his pockets and went to lean against the wall. "Fine. You got me, May. Now what?"

"Squirtle," she ordered, "make sure he doesn't go anywhere." Squirtle looked at her in confusion but did as it was told, and May went to the window and peered out, checking to see if the coast was clear. She swung her legs over the window ledge and hopped down onto the grass. "Good job, Squirtle," she said. "Return." The little turtle dissolved into a stream of red light and disappeared inside its pokéball.

May looked over at Drew, who was still leaning against the wall, watching her intently, his smirk back in place. She flashed him a mocking victory sign and ran off.

Ash felt the burn in his thighs as he flopped down next to Gary, hidden behind a string of giant boulders. The crowd of pokémon had hung back once the two boys entered the training field, knowing they were at a disadvantage without the element of surprise. This is what the boys had anticipated, of course, and they took a grateful moment to sit and catch their breath.

"I didn't think they'd gang up on us like that," Ash said, trying to slow his pounding heart. "Isn't that against the rules or something?"

"Nope. Guess they're just getting more strategic. Good on them." Gary brushed his bangs out of his face with his arm, and Ash was surprised to see his forehead sheening with sweat. "God, it's hot." In one swift motion, he pulled his shirt up over his head and used it to wipe off his face.

Ash quickly looked away and fiddled with one of the pokéballs on his belt, trying to hide his discomfort. He always felt awkward around guys when they had no shirts on, though he couldn't really put into words why.

Gary looked over and rolled his eyes, clearly taking Ash's awkward posture for what it was. He made a show of gesturing to his chest and said, "Does this really still bother you? I thought you got over that when we had gym together last year?"

Oh, gym class with Gary. That was one experience Ash wished he could forget. Not because he didn't enjoy gym or enjoy hanging out with Gary but because seeing his friend shirtless and sweaty made him feel weird in a different way, and he didn't like thinking about it too deeply. He didn't even realize until now that Gary had noticed his discomfort at the time, and that made it even worse. Ash could feel the color creeping up his face and turned away. "It doesn't bother me. Why would it bother me?"

"Oh, please, Ashy-boy. You're easier to read than a children's book."

"I am not!"

Gary snorted and reached his arms above his head in a long stretch. "Right. Me being shirtless doesn't bother you at all. That's why you won't even look at me right now. Quit being such a girl."

"I'm not acting like a girl," Ash said indignantly, turning to glare at his so-called friend. "I just think it's weird being around another guy who isn't wearing a shirt. That's not so unusual!"

"Whatever you say," Gary replied, pulling his shirt back over his head. "There I'm fully clothed. It's safe to open your eyes."

Ash ignored his goading and hurriedly changed subjects. "What are we going to do about them anyway?" he asked, gesturing vaguely toward the group of pokémon. Some of them had gotten bored and wandered off but several were still hanging around the front of the training field. "We could go out the back, but that'll take us out of our way."

Gary slowly got to his feet and peered up over the top of the boulder. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm done with hiding. I say we stand and fight!"

"There's still like eight of them out there though," Ash said, standing up to join him. "How many pokéballs do you have left?"

"Three. You?"

"Two. I didn't have time to collect them before."

"Well, then… looks like this is our last stand." The sheer intensity of Gary's expression was shattered when he grinned over at Ash and said, "Showdown at Poke Corral?"

"Alright," Ash turned his hat around backward and slowly shifted his weight from one leg to the other, muscles tense in anticipation. "Let's do it!"

They jumped out from around the boulder and charged forward, gripping a pokéball in each hand. Gary launched one of his at the nearest student, catching him by surprise and lighting up his vest. He threw the other one at a girl running toward a tree but missed by just a few inches. He reached for his last ball at the same time as a large boy on his left lunged at him, clearly trying to catch him off guard.

"Duck!"

Gary dropped to the ground, and Ash's pokéball hit the guy's side, sending his vest into a flashing frenzy. Ash let out a whoop but was tackled from behind and hit the ground hard.

"Ash!" Gary threw his last ball at Ash's assailant. It hit its mark, but the boy had already pulled the flag off Ash's belt and raised it high in triumph.

"No," Ash groaned, sitting up and rubbing the spot on his hip where it hit the ground the hardest. "I'm sorry, Gary!"

Ash's assailant stood up and offered him a hand. "Sorry I tackled you so hard. I'm Jackson."

"My name's Ash," he said taking the offered hand and pulling himself up.

"Yeah, I know who you are," Jackson grinned. "You and Gary are like the best trainers at this school. I'm glad we got to play against each other. Maybe we could have a pokémon battle for real sometime?"

Ash nodded enthusiastically, always happy to make a new friend, and said, "Yeah, that would be great!" Then he turned his attention back to the battle.

"You okay?" Gary asked without looking over as though he could sense Ash's eyes on him. He was surrounded by four students and was out of pokéballs. There was one lying on the ground nearby, just out of his reach.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash replied. It looked like Gary should be worrying more about himself, but he didn't say that out loud.

Gary raised his hands up and slowly sank to the ground in a crouch as though signaling defeat. There was a moment of hesitation as the pokémon exchanged glances, and one of the boys took a step forward. "You giving up? Jess, go get his flag."

"What if he's faking it, Jay?"

"He's on the ground with no balls. What can he do?"

Gary's eyes narrowed at the implied insult, but he didn't say anything. Jess, a tall girl with blonde hair, walked over and stopped next to him, looking hesitantly back at Jay. Just as she was bending down to grab his flag, Gary muttered, "Sorry about this," and shot his foot out to kick her legs out from under her. She fell to the ground with a squeal, and he threw himself sideways over her and rolled into a summersault. Then he leapt to his feet and raced toward the pokéball lying on the ground.

Jess was still getting to her feet, and Jay was hanging back, but the other two boys had jumped forward and were running after him. Gary made a quick mental calculation before chucking the ball in Jay's direction and smirked in satisfaction when it hit him square in the chest. Then he was tackled to the ground.

It was six hours into the competition, and May was lounging in one of the "safe" rooms in the Administration Building, sipping a diet coke and chatting with Misty. She'd tried to return the Squirtle to Professor Hawkins, but the turtle pokémon had popped out of the pokéball and refused to go back in, determined to stay with May and protect her. Professor Hawkins had been so impressed that he decided to give Squirtle to May as a gift. After that unexpected turn of events, she'd gotten the signatures of three professors from the science, foreign language, and math departments. Now, she had to journey to the Battle Room to pick up a questionnaire, fill it out, and return it to her homeroom professor. She glanced at her watch and realized with dismay that she only had five minutes left before she'd get kicked out of the "safe" room.

"What's your next task?" she asked Misty, hoping for an excuse to stay with her.

"Oh, I don't know. Something about signatures, I think," Misty replied. "I have to go to the Academy Building."

May nodded. "I already did that one. I have to go to the Battle Room. Want to go together?"

"Sure. It'll be safer that way."

May groaned and put her head into her hands. "I'm afraid to leave. What if Drew's out there waiting for us?"

"He's still after you?" Misty asked sympathetically.

"Yeah. He's been dogging me all day," May said, clunking her forehead against the desk dramatically. "It's like he knows where I'm going to be. I'm so tired," she groaned into her arms. "Should've had Squirtle take his flag."

"Why don't you let him catch you?"

"No!" May jerked her head up and looked at Misty in horror. "I can't do that! We made a bet. If I lose, he's going to make me do unspeakable things."

Misty's expression changed from alarm to confusion to understanding. "Oh. So that's why he's being so persistent." She tilted her head and smiled knowingly at May. "I think it's kind of cute, actually." May glared at Misty, not bothering to dignify that with a response. "Okay, okay, but seriously, I think I have an idea," Misty said, her face brightening up mischievously. "Let me call Ash. He became a pokémon awhile back. He'll be able to help us."

May sat out on the steps of the Academy Building, in plain sight of anyone who happened to wander by. She saw quite a few pokémon sneaking around, but the trainers didn't pay much attention to her. She didn't know if it was because they were losing interest in the game or if they thought she was no longer playing because she was doing nothing to hide her status as a pokémon.

She didn't have to wait long before she heard the voice she'd been dreading. "Whatcha doin', May? Giving up already?"

She stood up and faced him, setting her jaw determinedly. "No, Drew. I've been waiting for you. I think it's time we end this once and for all."

A brief flicker of surprise passed over his features before he grinned smugly at her. "Yeah? What do you propose we do?"

May hopped off the steps and stuck her tongue out at him. "Catch me first, and I'll tell you!" she shouted and began sprinting toward the back of the building. There were several large trash bins, where Ash and Misty would be hiding. All May had to do was lead Drew over there, and they'd ambush him. He couldn't possibly capture all three of them at once. One of them would grab his flag and turn him into a pokémon. It was perfect.

May rounded the corner and jogged back to where the trashcans were located, but there were no signs of Ash and Misty. She turned and faced Drew, feeling all her courage drain away. Where were her friends? They were supposed to be here when she came around the corner. They'd abandoned her in her time of need. She breathed deeply through her nose and made one final decision. She started forward with the intention of grabbing his flag, but stopped short when Ash came charging around the corner, bellowing out a battle cry at the top of his lungs. Misty was right on his heels. Drew spun around in surprise, seemed to figure out what was going on, and turned back to May, eyes alight with intensity. He threw a pokéball at her, and the target on her vest began blinking seconds before Ash snatched Drew's flag and held it above his head, dancing around in victory.

May stared down at her vest in shock and glanced over at Misty who was frowning at her. "When did he…?"

"Right before Ash took my flag," Drew answered her. He turned and lifted an eyebrow at May. "I believe that means I've officially won the bet."

Author's Note: Not gonna lie.. Drew is fun to write, but Gary is my absolute favorite. I feel that he'd be one of those annoyingly athletic guys who can just pick up on sports without really trying or even caring that he's good at them.

Also, May is the main character, but I'm going to start writing from other characters' viewpoints as well since some of them have more knowledge of certain characters or certain events than others.

Thank you for reading, and please leave a review!