Author's Note:
Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha – Thank you! I think it would be a fun game too! And yes, it would be a good excuse to take your aggression out on someone lol.
This is probably my favorite chapter so far. Another character is introduced, and we're working slowly toward the main plot. Anyway, without further ado… here's the next installment.
Chapter Four: The Transfer Student
It was the Wednesday after the Pokémon Versus Trainer Competition, and preparations were already being made for the Haunted Harvest Festival that would take place at the school on the last weekend of October.
May was doing her best to avoid Drew at all costs, though it wasn't easy. He'd been horrible to deal with in class, but not because he'd mocked her or called her names. In fact, he hadn't done any of that, but any time she'd glance over at him, he'd catch her eye and give her a knowing smirk. They both knew what it was about. He still hadn't approached her about the bet, and the suspense of not knowing when he'd strike was driving her crazy. It was a cruel strategy.
As May hurried down the hallway to her first class, she froze when she turned a corner and caught sight of Drew. Speak of the Devil. He noticed her and made a beeline for her across the hallway. She glanced around, searching for an escape route, but there was no way she could get out of this confrontation without making a literal run for it.
"Hey, Madame Klutz," Drew said, sidling up next to her. "What's the hurry?"
May frowned at him and side stepped away without missing a beat. "I told you to stop calling me that, Drew."
"Why should I? It suits you."
"Because I don't like it, that's why. It's embarrassing."
Drew gave her one of his elegant, one shouldered shrugs. "Well, maybe you should try acting less klutzy."
May let out an irritated breath through her nose and decided to let his insult go. Instead, she asked warily, "What do you want, anyway?"
When she realized Drew had stopped walking, she turned around and furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion. "Drew?"
He hesitated for a fraction of a second before smirking at her and reaching into his vest pocket. "Here," he said, holding out a rose.
She stared at it in bewilderment. "Is this for me?"
"Not you," he said with a dramatic eye roll. "It's for your Beautifly. A congratulatory gift for beating the pants off Birch in Battle Room yesterday."
"Oh." She stared at him before a small smile crept on to her face. "You're really giving my pokémon a rose?"
Drew looked slightly self-conscious, but it didn't last for long. He waved her comment away with an airy flick of his wrist. "Sure am."
"For beating your friend?"
"That's what I said." He began walking, again, and May had to hurry to catch up.
"Well, thanks. I'm sure Beautifly will appreciate it."
"Good. Well, I'll see you later." With that, he veered off down a hallway that led to the science department.
"Oh, okay bye," May said weakly, surprised at his sudden departure. He seemed to enjoy talking with her, but he never stuck around long. Sighing, she wound her way through the rest of the student body until she got to her classroom and sat down in an empty seat next to Dawn. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself." Dawn glanced at the rose in her hands. "Who's that from?" she asked.
May sighed and slumped back in her chair. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Was it from Drew?" she sing-sang, a huge grin plastered on her face.
May sat up and turned to face her friend. "How'd you guess?"
"Please," Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. "It's obvious he likes you."
"He does not," she sputtered. "We're just friends, or more like friendly acquaintances. That's all!"
Dawn gave her a disbelieving look, but May was saved from further embarrassment by their professor's entrance. He asked them to take their seats and began explaining about a pokémon egg project they'd be assigned. Half an hour later, May held a large white egg with light blue spots in her lap. The eggs needed to be around other active pokémon, which meant the students needed to keep the eggs with them at all times. "This project will last for two weeks," the Professor told them. "The eggs are due to hatch in two to twelve days, depending on how well they're cared for. You may keep the pokémon after they hatch or donate them to the school, whichever you prefer."
"I'm definitely keeping mine," Dawn whispered. "I hope it's a water type."
"You'll be required to keep a journal log on the egg's condition for the next two weeks. At least five-hundred words per entry. If and when the egg hatches, you'll report about your baby pokémon. Don't lose your egg. Don't break it. Don't let it get cold or damaged. Any questions?"
After class that day May and Dawn were walking across campus to meet Ash and Misty for dinner when someone slammed into May from behind. "Hey, watch it!" she snapped, nearly dropping her egg. She hugged it close to her and turned around, glaring at the offending student.
"I'm sorry, I-Oh! Hey, May," Brendan Birch said, rubbing his head wearily. "Dawn."
"Brendan?" May asked, her scowl turning into a frown. "What the heck's your problem? You almost made me drop this." She shoved the egg under his nose.
"Sorry," Brendan said sheepishly. Then he suddenly seemed to remember why he'd been in such a hurry. "Oh! May, there's a new transfer student. I heard he got into a fight with Ash Ketchum. They're having a pokémon battle right now. Come on!"
"Huh? What happened? What are they fighting about?" she asked as she and Dawn tucked the eggs away in their backpacks.
"I don't know," Brendan said, "but it just started. Hurry up or we'll miss it!"
The three ran across the campus to Birtwick Building and pushed through the crowd that had gathered outside of the Battle Room, just in time to see Ash sending Pikachu into battle while his opponent sent out an Elekid. Both pokémon sparked and Pikachu stood on its hind legs, growling low in its throat.
"Pika!"
May and Dawn jogged over to Misty who was watching from the sidelines. "What's going on?" May asked. "Who is that?" The trainer had straight purple hair that hung in his eyes and a scowl that seemed permanently carved on his face. May immediately disliked him and was glad she wasn't the one battling him.
"That's Paul Shinji, the new transfer student," Misty told them. "He's in one of Ash's classes, and I guess they got into it on how to properly treat pokémon. I don't really know the details, but Ash was so mad, he challenged him to a pokémon battle."
"Oh. I've never heard of him. When did he get here?" Dawn asked.
"This morning. He hasn't even been here a full day, and he's already making enemies."
May nodded and looked on in concern as Ash ordered Pikachu to use Thunderbolt. The Elekid absorbed the lightning without sustaining damage, and Paul ordered it to use Thunder. Pikachu stood firm and took the attack as well.
"This is getting nowhere fast," Misty said, frowning at Ash. "I don't understand what they're trying to prove."
"They're guys," Dawn said as if that explained everything. "They have to establish who has the bigger ego." May giggled as Dawn jumped up and shouted, "Come on, Ash! You can beat him!"
Ash nodded at them in acknowledgement before turning back to the battle. May noticed Paul glance over at Dawn briefly before ordering his Elekid to use Protect, blocking Pikachu's Volt Tackle. The two electric pokémon exchanged several more blows before Elekid managed to hit Pikachu with a Thunder Punch. The little mouse pokémon flew backwards and landed on its back, rolling over several times. It struggled to get up but collapsed back on the floor with a defeated, "Pi."
Shortly after, the Elekid dropped to its knees, breathing heavily and clearly unable to continue battling. Paul returned it to its pokéball while Ash ran out onto the stage and picked up Pikachu, cradling it in his arms.
"It's okay, buddy. You did a great job," May heard him say. Paul stood by, watching the exchange dispassionately.
"Hey, Paul," Dawn said, "That's your name, right?" He looked back at her with a frown. "Where'd you learn to battle like that? I mean, you have to be pretty good to beat Ash."
Paul grunted and began walking toward the stairs at the edge of the stage. "If that's what you consider a victory," he said without a backwards glance.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Ash demanded.
Paul didn't answer as he took the stairs down and walked straight through the parting crowd, ignoring their comments and congratulatory remarks. Ash watched him until he disappeared through the door on the other side of the room. Then he jumped off the stage with Pikachu still cradled securely in his arms and walked over to join his friends.
"Who does he think he is, anyway?" Dawn demanded angrily. "What a jerk."
"Are you okay, Ash?" Misty asked in concern, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get Pikachu to the Pokémon Center."
May followed along behind them and couldn't help but wonder how Drew would fare with this new, arrogant trainer. Since they had similar personalities, she figured they'd either get along well or instantly hate each other. Then she realized she was thinking about him, again, and shook her head in irritation.
While Pikachu recovered in the Pokémon Center, Ash decided to get a snack in the center's cafeteria. He grabbed a candy bar out of the vending machine and slumped down at one of the nearby tables, still angry over his conversation with Paul and the fact that he'd managed to beat him. Ash generally made friends very easily, but he'd taken an instant dislike to the purple haired boy. In his opinion, no one who treated their pokémon the way Paul did deserved to call himself a trainer.
He was so busy brooding over his candy bar that he almost didn't notice his other rival-turned-friend until he was standing right in front of him. "Eating your feelings? I'm surprised you haven't developed diabetes with the amount of crap you put into your body."
"Hi, Gary," Ash said, "How'd you find me?"
"Ran into Misty in the lobby. She said you might be in here."
Ash visibly deflated, not in the mood to deal with his friend's teasing. Why couldn't he go bother someone else?
As if reading his mind, Gary raised an eyebrow. "I didn't come here to give you a hard time. I saw your battle against the new kid."
Oh, so in reality, Gary had just followed them to the Pokémon Center. Ash gave a noncommittal grunt and took another bite out of his candy bar. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Well, tough shit." Gary pulled out a chair next to him and sat down. "You know, you fought pretty well, but you let him rile you up. You fought with your emotions, not your head. That's why you lost." He allowed his unspoken question to linger between them.
"He treats his pokémon like crap, Gary," Ash said, turning to give his friend his full attention. "He told me in class today that he only values strong pokémon and ones that don't meet his standards are useless. He just throws them away! I couldn't just sit there and listen to that."
"Ah," Gary said as a few pieces began to click into place. If there was one thing Ash couldn't stand, it was mistreatment of pokémon.
"All pokémon start out weak, but it's up to their trainer to bring out their true potential. How can anyone expect pokémon to fight for them without building trust? How can you call them your partner without showing them mutual respect?"
"Sounds like Paul sees them as tools, not as his partners," Gary said.
"And that's exactly the problem," Ash growled. "Someone like that doesn't deserve to have pokémon or to call himself a trainer. I can't believe I lost to that guy."
Gary considered Ash's words for a moment. "Well, maybe Paul just needs someone to show him a better way."
"What?" Startled, he looked at his friend's face, scanning for any signs of deceit, but he found none. Gary stared back at him seriously.
"You tend to bring out the best in pokémon… and in people, without even realizing it. You just need to find a way to get through to him and do what you do best."
Word spread quickly about the new transfer student who beat Ash Ketchum, and people were soon lining up to challenge him. May didn't see much of Paul around campus, but she heard all sorts of rumors about him.
Some said he'd traveled around to the Kanto and Johto Regions before applying to the academy. Some said he was cold and aloof because he'd lost respect for his brother, Reggie. Some thought that he was a Team Rocket spy, who'd infiltrated the school in search of powerful pokémon.
One rumor—which turned out to be true—was that he skipped a grade because he was so smart. He was a junior even though he was only fifteen. There were nasty rumors circulating as well like the one that he maimed and killed pokémon that lost battles for him. She might have actually believed that one except for Ash's explanation about their fight being about Paul's disrespect toward pokémon by releasing those he considered weak.
Someone in one of her classes even claimed Paul was a vampire. May just rolled her eyes and went back to her assigned reading.
The rest of the week flew by, and between schoolwork and caring for her pokémon egg, May hardly had time for training. When she finally convinced Dawn to take a break from homework and join her in the Battle Room on Sunday evening, she was dismayed to find the platforms all in use. "Great," she grumbled to Dawn. "Guess we'll have to use the outdoor fields." She didn't usually mind training outdoors except for the fact that it was raining.
Dawn nodded in agreement, and they turned around, preparing to head back to the main entrance. They both froze when they noticed Paul standing there watching them with a scornful expression. "Oh, hi," May said, attempting a friendly smile.
"What the heck do you think you're doing, creeping up behind us like an Ekans?" Dawn demanded, throwing her arms up and clutching her chest dramatically. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Pay more attention to your surroundings then," Paul said dismissively.
"What did you say? Maybe you should try being a little friendlier and a little less like an arrogant asshole," Dawn snapped, apparently still annoyed with him for his cold attitude during his battle with Ash.
Paul glanced down at her and frowned. "Do I even know you?"
Dawn's mouth dropped open and her face turned bright red, though May couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. Probably both. "I was there when you battled Ash, you jerk, and you don't even remember me?" she exploded. "What? Did I not make enough of an impression?" Paul stared at her blankly, and she folded her arms over her chest. "Well, my name's Dawn. Don't forget it," she said crossly.
"I only remember people who are worth remembering," he said with a hint of a smirk. "Now, step aside. I need to use the Battle Room."
"It's full," May said before Dawn could go on another tirade. "You'll have to use the outdoor fields."
"But not the one that we're going to use," Dawn said. "Come on, May. Let's go." She grabbed May's arm and dragged her out the door with Paul staring after them in confusion.
An hour and a half of training later, Dawn was still upset with Paul. "That stupid, no-good jerk!" she said, stomping the ground violently with each word. "He didn't even remember me! Can you believe him? I'm so freaking angry I want to break something!"
"Calm down, Dawn. You shouldn't let him get to you like this," May said, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. "He's a jerk, but you can't let him ruin your whole evening."
Dawn sighed and sat down heavily on a stump. "You're probably right, May. Who cares about him, anyway?" She gave a derisive giggle and reached out to pat her Piplup on the head. "I don't even know why I care so much."
"Well, it's never a good feeling to be forgotten," May said reasonably.
"That's true." Dawn nodded and seemed satisfied with the answer.
After another half-hour, Dawn decided to head back to the dorms. May bid her goodnight and packed her things up as well. The rain had cleared up and the stars were bright and twinkling against the black sky. She passed through some training fields on the way back and caught sight of Drew walking into the forest, hands in his pockets.
"Drew!" she called and jogged over to him.
He started and turned around, waiting for her to catch up. "Oh. Hey, May," he said as she leaned over to catch her breath. "What's up?"
"What? No 'Madame Klutz'?" she teased lightly.
Drew shrugged and glanced away. "Well, you've made it pretty clear you don't like it, so..."
"Oh." May stared at him, surprised by his admittance. She hadn't expected him to actually take her feelings into consideration. "Well, I guess you can call me that if you want to. I mean, it's more like a term of endearment than an actual insult, right?"
"Term of endearment?" Drew asked, looking amused. "What are you, my grandma?"
"What I mean is," she said, pointedly ignoring him, "you don't hate me like you used to, so I don't mind if you tease me so much. It doesn't have the same affect."
"You thought I hated you?" Drew looked at her, his green eyes narrowed intensely. Then the corner of his lips turned up and he flicked his bangs with two fingers. "How typical of you, May. Always jumping to the wrong conclusions. It's good to know some things never change."
May huffed and turned away in annoyance but began to feel uneasy when a heavy silence fell over them. Normally it was easy to talk, or in her case argue, with Drew, but she wasn't sure how to act around him now. "So," she said, pressing her pointer fingers together. "What are you doing out here so late? Training pokémon?"
"Nah, I just come out here sometimes to look at the stars," he said.
May was about to retaliate, thinking he was being sarcastic, but after looking at his face she realized he was serious. "You do? Really?"
"Yeah. It's peaceful out here at night, you know? Sometimes, when I'm stressed about something, I lie out in the middle of the field and listen to the crickets and frogs and just let my mind wander." He looked at her with a small smile. "The stars make everything else seem insignificant."
"Drew…" May took a step closer and caught herself, grateful for the cover of darkness that hid her blush. "Maybe I should try that sometime," she said with a nervous giggle.
"Yeah," Drew suddenly appeared self-conscious and brought a hand up to rub his neck.
Something occurred to May then, and she hesitated for a moment, debating whether she should ask the question that was nagging at the back of her mind. Drew seemed more open than usual, so she decided to throw caution to the wind. "So… You said you come out here when you're stressed? Are you okay?"
Drew looked over at her in surprise, but she wasn't sure if he was just realizing what he'd said to her and was surprised that she'd picked up on that detail, or if he was surprised that she would care enough to ask about his problems. Either way, it was obvious he didn't open up to people very often and May felt a pang of sadness for him.
"You don't have to tell me," May said, waving her hands emphatically. "But if you do want someone to talk to, I'm here."
"It's stupid and probably nothing," Drew muttered, staring sullenly down at his feet.
"Yeah, but it's obviously bothering you," May said. "Sometimes, when I talk to someone, it makes me feel better. It's like once your brain works through the problem out loud, it doesn't seem so bad."
Drew glanced at her quickly out of the corner of his eye, and then went back to staring at his feet. Finally, he sighed and said, "It's just… Nate has been kinda distant and closed off lately."
"Nate Berkely?"
"Yeah. You met him that one night, remember? He's my best friend. We used to hang all the time, but lately I hardly see him anymore. I'm worried about him."
May cocked her head in surprise. Of all the things she thought would keep him up at night, worrying about another person hadn't even crossed her mind. Shame on her. "Have you asked him if something is wrong?"
"Yeah, and he just smiles this stupid fake smile and tells me everything's fine and not to worry about it."
May hummed in thought and tapped her chin with a finger, something she did when trying to work out a puzzle. "And this is out of character for him? He's not usually withdrawn?"
"No, he's always been really outgoing and social. It used to get on my nerves."
May decided not to comment on his use of past tense. "Maybe he just has a lot going on? Midterms are coming up soon. Maybe he's busy studying?" Drew made a noncommittal grunt but otherwise didn't reply, and May could tell he didn't believe that at all. "Well, maybe he's got something he's trying to work through on his own? Some people don't like involving their friends in their problems. Maybe he doesn't want to burden you with whatever he's going through."
Drew's eyes widened briefly, and he looked over at her with an odd expression as though seeing her in a different light. "Yeah, maybe… Thanks, May. I should, uh, probably get going."
"Yeah, me too." She slung her backpack onto her shoulder and jumped when something moved inside it. Startled, she dropped it and knelt down, unzipping it cautiously. An Eevee poked its head out and peered up at her curiously. "Oh, Drew!" May exclaimed, "My pokémon egg hatched! Finally! Oh, it's so cute!" She picked it up and cuddled it close to her chest. "I've always wanted an Eevee!" The Eevee squirmed, attempting to jump out of her arms, but she held it firm. "Look at its little face!"
Drew reached out to pat it on the head, and the Eevee stopped struggling. He smiled at it thoughtfully and scratched it under its chin. "It is a pretty cute little guy. What are you going to do with it?"
"I'm keeping it, of course," May said indignantly. "He's going to join my team." She turned and started walking back in the direction of the dorms, the Eevee in her arms, when Drew's voice stopped her.
"Hey, May?"
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Yeah?"
"As an Elite, I should probably report you for being out past curfew, but since I'm such a nice guy and all, we'll just pretend we never ran into each other. Oh, and also," he sent her a sly smirk. "Don't think avoiding me is going to get you out of our little bet."
"Oh… Right," May said, feeling her stomach clench in dread. "So what's the favor?"
"Hmmm, you know, I think I'm going to hold on to it for a while. Save it for something special." He gave her a lazy wave and began walking away. "See you later."
"Great." She'd half hoped that if she avoided him long enough he'd eventually forget. No such luck.
Author's Note: Okay, I'll admit I love Paul, even though he's a jerk to his pokémon. There's just something about anti-social characters that makes you want to put them in awkward situations and see what happens.
If you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a review on your way out. They make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.