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"Blaziken, overheat!" she roared, louder than she'd ever done, her voice a force of raw power and boldness that surged through the brightly lit arena. It echoed off the walls like a battle cry — fierce and brutal — a stark contrast to the heavy silence that gripped the crowd. Over the sound of the explosion she could hear her own shallow breathing, the adrenaline up in her chest, her heart hammering in her chest louder than thunder. Smoke covered the stage, veiling everything, including her trusted partner, in a hazy cloud.
Her breath hitched in her throat, syncing with the crowd's collective stillness, all suspended in tense anticipation. "...Blaziken!" she cried out, the silence gnawing at her nerves, leaving her to instinctively take a step forward. Driven by sheer desperation, she sharply looked into the dense wall of smoke, straining to catch even the faintest glimpse of the Blaze Pokémon. But it was futile — the smoke was thicker than anything she'd ever faced, swallowing everything she could see.
Then, from deep within the suffocating smoke, a blaze ignited — bright and untamed, illuminating Blaziken as it jumped from the smoke and soared through the air, engulfed in a spiraling vortex of flame. "What.. is that move?!" May breathed, her eyes widening as she watched her pokemon diving back into the smoke at full speed, it's claw oustretched as though reaching for the opponent hiding in the endless haze hovering over the stage. May held her breath, her mind whirling in disbelief. That move—she'd never seen anything like it. Had Blaziken really learned a new move in the midst of her most crucial battle yet?
She didn't have a lot of time to ponder on it, though, as a loud explosion burst through the area, dissolving the smoke at the pure impact of the move. It revealed Blaziken, still engulfed in flames, it's claws raked across the transport pokemon's neck, leaving it stunned in its tracks. The fire shrunk into embers, glowing faintly before finally succumbing to the cold. "Lapras!" The voice of her rival, Solidad, rung loudly, etched with panic. "Blaziken!" May lamented, as her pokemon's head almost hit that of Lapras, "Use overheat! Now!"
Blaziken quickly complied, unleashing a fierce, direct overheat from its beak that struck Lapras square in the face. Lapras cried out in pain as the force sent it crashing back to the ground, a collective gasp echoing through the area, leaving a terrifying silence to haunt the aftermath. Blaziken gracefully landed back on the ground, it's claws temporarily screeching against the podium as it came to a halt. All eyes fell on Lapras as it lied there, on the hard floor, its body left in burn marks and stratches, its eyes swirls, signaling defeat.
The crowd erupted, a tidal wave of screams, cheers, and wild, pure joy crashing through the stadium. People jumped to their feet, arms flung skyward, voices hoarse from the sheer screams in excitement, shocked by the outcome of the heated battle that seemed to last a lifetime. "That was it, ladies and gentlemen!" Vivian's voice thundered through the stadium, powerful and commanding, amplified even further by the microphone, "After one heated battle, we have a winner! The winner, and our new top coordinator of the hoenn circuit—" the woman roared in excitement, her hand stretching outward to the brunette coordinator, "May Maple from petalburg city!"
The crowd grew louder by the second, cheers and whistles echoing through the stadium as every eye fixed on her. Amid the ecstatic screams and deafening roars, she could still hear the thunder of her own heartbeat and the sound of her ragged breathing. Her eyes remained locked on Blaziken, who, in that moment, turned to face her—its gaze blazing with pride, looking back at its trainer with indescribable faith. In that instant, it all came rushing over her. The noise that had once been a distant blur now sharpened into distinct waves of cheering—every voice shouting for her. The realization struck like lightning; she had done it. She had won. Her vision blurred with tears as she staggered toward Blaziken, who still stood unwavering, eyes locked with hers in steadfast loyalty. "Blaziken! We did it—we really did it!" she cried, her voice choking with joy as tears of pure happiness ran down her cheeks.
Blaziken let out a triumphant cry, its eyes drilling into hers with fierce, radiant pride—filled with a joy that mirrored her own. After all the years of relentless training, battles, and unwavering determination to keep improving, she had finally crossed the finish line; her lifelong dream was now real. Still catching her breath, she glanced around at the roaring crowd, each cheer making her heart pound even harder in her chest. Everyone was cheering her name; May Maple. The new top-coordinator from hoenn.
"We did it!" May cried out, reaching in to embrace her pokemon, her smile only deepening, "We won from Solidad, Blaziken, I'm a top coordinator now! And it's all because of you!" she sobbed, grinning through the tears pouring from her eyes that dripped past her cheeks. She felt Blaziken's claw gently rest on her shoulder as it cried out in pride. In that moment, all she felt was an overwhelming sense of pure joy in her chest, coupled with deep, unfaltering trust and gratitude for her beloved partner, who had stood by her side from the very start. "I'm so glad you're my partner, Blaziken. Thank you."
The two remained locked in their embrace, their connection stronger than ever, as the deafening cheers and shouts of the crowd seemed to fade into a distance. In that fleeting moment, everything else disappeared—there was only the warmth of the bond between her and her partner, a bond that had been built through years of effort, sacrifice, and shared dreams. All the sweat, the struggles, the endless hours of training—they had led to this. Finally, after everything, it had paid off. They were here, together, at the pinnacle of their journey. Hoenn's new top coordinator and her blaziken, standing side by side, their triumph now a shared reality. In that moment, the world around them seemed irrelevant; the roaring crowd, the cheers—none of it mattered. It was just her and her pokemon, bound by a connection that no applause could ever truly capture.
As they finally parted from the embrace, May instinctively turned to face the crowd, her eyes sweeping across the sea of faces, alive with cheers and celebration. Her gaze, sharp and searching, moved urgently through the vibrant blur, as if hoping to land on one familiar pair of eyes. But he wasn't there—or if he was, she couldn't find him. Maybe he hadn't made it after all. And even with the pride blooming in her chest and the joy pulsing in every heartbeat, a soft pang settled quietly inside her—something was missing. The happy picture she always imagined seemed to be incomplete.
She exhaled softly, choosing not to linger on the thought any longer—she could reach out to him later and see his reaction then. For now, this was her moment to embrace, to fully soak in the rush of happiness and pride she had fought so hard to earn. Basking in the praise of the screaming crowd, she felt her smile return back to her lips, her eyes still stinging with hot tears. "May!" Solidad's voice rang out from behind her, pulling her from her thoughts. She quickly turned to face her; Solidad's eyes gleamed with pride as she stood beside her Lapras, who, though still covered in bruises from the battle, appeared to be holding up well. "That battle... it was incredible." She murmured, her voice tinged with awe as she reached out her hand to offer a heartfelt congratulation.
May felt a profound sense of pride and deep respect swell within her as she gratefully accepted Solidad's handshake, greatly touched by her praise and the honor it carried; out of all her rivals she'd encountered during her journey, Solidad happened to be the greatest—the farthest out of reach—one she could only dream of beating. Now, there she was, observing as Solidad gazed into her eyes with pure gratitude, something what always seemed the other way around. "Thank you, Solidad! Your lapras... it was so incredible! I've never seen such a beautiful combination attack of whirlpool and alluring voice before, ever!" she smiled broadly, offering Solidad a few words of praise in return, "This was one of my most exciting contest battles, yet!"
Solidad let out a wholehearted laugh, her grip on their handshake tightening in assurance. "Thank you, May! Back at you and your Blaziken! Don't get me started on that combination of stonedge and blazekick! The way you used the stones as stepping stools to get close to use blazekick—that was very smart, and not to mention appealing!" she chirped cheerfully, withdrawing her hand from May's as Blaziken extended its claw towards Solidad. She reached over to give the pokemon a proud fist bump in reply, her smile not faltering. "And it seems that your Blaziken learned a new move in the midst of the battle, too—flare blitz—it's unmistakable. A very powerful move that can change the tides of a battle within a second, though it is very damaging for the user; which means it's all the more impressive that your Blaziken is holding up so well after that heated battle! I think you should be showering it with much, much praise, May!"
May turned, her gaze met that of her loyal companion. Blaziken's fiery gaze mirrored her own a burning pride in their victory, both burning bright with the triumph of overcoming such a formidable rival after so long. "Is that so?" May trilled, now feeling prouder than ever for her pokemon, "Well, no praise can explain what I really feel right now; so how about we get you your favorite meals and celebrate with the others at the afterparty, huh?" the brunette proposed, the Blaze Pokemon's eyes instantly sparking with excitement as it let out a joyful chirp, clearly approving of the idea. "That's a deal, then, Blaziken," she smiled cheekily at her partner who crossed his arms, nodding proudly. She'd almost forgotten Solidads presence until she emitted another airy laugh, her lapras cheeping in sync with its trainer. "That sounds just great," the pink-haired woman nodded in approval, "Well then, miss top coordinator, I think you'd better fetch that cup; you deserve it."
She shot Solidad a determined look, her smile only widening. "Yeah!"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
The afterparty followed, with laughter, food, and, of course, partying ensured. May had special had a special buffet for pokemon specifically brought to the table thanks to the grand-festival's committee, and she eargly presented it to her pokemon, who all went to dig in without a second of hesitation. She'd gotten greeted happily by rivals and friends she hadn't talked to in a while—From the videophone Ash and his traveling companions that season, happily congratulated her, Ash especially bursting with excitement—Brianna was ecstatic about her win, gushing about how clever and fast her blaziken was—Doctor Abby had personally come by to congratulate her at the end of the evening, as she happened to be nearby for a special client—even her own family was there to congratulate her, right at the party, something she wasn't accustomed to.
Max had insisted he'd watch her compete, even if he had training to do. He had happily shaken her around, tears leaking from his eyes as he couldn't stop repeating just how happy he was for her. Max managed to persuade her mother, Caroline, to come along, and she agreed with joy, knowing she'd get to see her daughter perform in real time after a long time. The most surprising appearance of all, though, was when her father stood by one of the food tables with a teary-eyed smile on his face, a handkerchief crumbled in his hands. He expressed how proud he was of her, even shedding a few tears by her side, and mentioned that he had hurried to Slateport City the moment he saw May's incredible victory on TV.
Her parents were now happily engrossed in conversation with Solidad, who, despite her loss, appeared in good spirits. "Oh, you're flattering me!" Solidad exclaimed with a cheerful laugh as Caroline praised her battling and performance skills. Norman stood beside his wife, nodding along and adding his own praise here and there. May's gaze rolled over to her pokemon who were happily munching at the wide variety of foods on the bufet's display; especially munchlax, who was attempting to snatch away some pokebeans from glaceon, who looked rather irritated. "Cut it out, munchlax," she chuckled heartily, taking a step towards munchlax, "Leave the others alone! They deserve food, too," she warned the blue pokemon, who froze mid-act, realizing he got caught, "C'mere, take this instead," May bent down to her knees to sprinkle some of her infamous pink surprise pokeblock over the food on his own plate. Munchlax happily duck into the plate, devouring the food with ease.
May felt overwhelmingly happy—happier than she could ever truly express. Surrounded by warm wishes and kind words from friends, family, and former rivals, she should've felt on top of the world. But even with all the compliments and congratulations, a hollow ache lingered in her stomach—she missed the heartfelt praise of the one person whose approval meant everything to her; the one she looked up to more than anyone else.
Drew.
When the Grand Festival began, Drew stood among her other rivals, poised to compete with everything he had for the prestigious Ribbon Cup. He had his usual cocky confidence, but something about him felt odd—there was a tension in his posture, a flicker of unease in his expression. He looked on edge, as if under pressure, constantly glancing over his shoulder, his eyes sharper and more alert than she'd ever seen them.
Just a few performances into the festival, May passed Drew in the hallway, his eyes clouded with despair and sorrow. His fingers were tightly buried into his hair as though to keep himself from crying, it seemed, and Roselia was by his side, looking up at her trainer with worried eyes, concerned about him. She couldn't help but stop him to ask what was wrong, but his only response that moment was a deep, sharp sigh, laden with eerily overwhelming stress and somberness. "I need to leave, May," he choked, Roselia worriedly tugging at his arms, "My parents. They're mad." She had knelt beside him, gently pulling at his arms to lower his hands, allowing her to meet Drew's gaze face-to-face. His teeth were gritted, his lips trembling, as an attempt to try to keep his jaws clenched—it quickly failed though as a hollow breath, that almost sounded like a sob, passed his lips. That moment, he confided that his parents had never believed in his dream of becoming a top coordinator, and now, they were relentlessly pressuring him to come home.
She'd never seen such an emotional side of Drew before. He never opened up to express himself vulnerable, but now, in the midst of the moment, he didn't seem to care. His hands trembled as they rested between hers; she could feel his grip tightening, as though he was terrified to let go. Without hesitation, May pulled him into a tight, heartfelt embrace—and for the first time, she heard Drew cry. His quiet sniffles broke the silence, as Roselia leapt into his lap, curling close against him. Her heart ached for him—she'd never succeeded to see past Drew's cocky exterior, or even think about him having a rough life back at home—so she felt guilty only finding out about his pains now, so far into the journey.
Neither of them made a move to pull away, but as performance after performance played on the TV mounted above them in the locker room, the tension in the air grew heavier. May could feel the pressure getting thicker—time was slipping away, and no matter how much Drew didn't want to go, he had to leave. "I could stay in your arms forever, never letting go," Drew had whispered, his embrace tightening as if to hold time still, "but if I did... I might never get to see you again entirely—" In that moment, Roselia's soothing fragrance had drifted through the air, calming Drew and gently bringing him back to his senses, "—And I wouldn't want that. Ever."
May felt the weight of his words—a painful truth holding onto them. If they stayed in each other's arms, refusing to let go, the consequences might've been even more devastating than they already were. And just like him, as much as she longed to remain in his embrace, she knew she couldn't. Because the thought of never seeing him again was a pain she couldn't bear. "So you'll have to leave now, won't you?" May said in a hushed voice, barely more than a breath. Her words trembled as they left her lips, the grip on him hardening ever so slightly. "..Yeah," Drew replied softly, his voice low and hesitant, as his hands gently traced soothing circles along May's back, reassuring that everything would be alright. May's arms wrapped around him a little tighter before she reluctantly pulled away, her eyes clouded with an unmistakable sense of dread and fear. "But... you'll come back, right?" she whispered, her gaze locking with his, both of them sharing the same fear. As she looked into his piercing green eyes, her own vision blurred with tears; the thought of a world without him in the contest scene was unreal. A world she didn't want to imagine.
May felt the warmth of Drew's thumb as it gently brushed away the tear from her lower eyelid, making her melt in his grasp. "Of course I will," he whispered, his voice laced with a softness she'd never heard from him before, "You know I won't go down without a fight," His hand lingered on her cheek, cradling her face like he never wanted to let go, holding her in a moment that felt like eternity. "Besides," he continued, his hand gently lifting to tuck the brunette's bangs behind her ear before his lips softly pressed to her forehead, "I'm willing to fight—for my dream, for this, for you, for us... no matter what it takes."
Those were the last few words they'd exchanged.
Her heart ached, and unease twisted in her stomach. Aside from having his Pokénav number, she'd heard nothing from him. She feared he hadn't made it back after all. During the Grand Festival, she gave it everything she had—fighting with Drew in mind. She wanted to prove how much she'd grown, to see the softness in his eyes again and hear his rare praise—more elusive than finding diamonds; but now, the possibility of that seemed as small as a Flabebe floating through the open sky—far, and out of reach.
"Mom, Dad, I don't feel so good—I think I ate too much. I'm gonna go and sit down by the beach," May started, turning around to face her parents, her eyelids heavy and cumbersome, "Is that alright?" she asked, her voice tentative. Her mother exchanged a glance with her father, her eyes glittering the slightest ounce of worry, until she turned back and gave her a nod. "Of course, May. Just don't stay out there too long; you've fought hard today, and you need plenty of rest." Caroline orderd, Norman just humming along in agreement. "I won't, mom, thanks." She muttered quietly, fatigue drooping in her voice. She turned to walk toward the secluded beach, Caroline observing her departure with one last trace of concern in her eyes. "She looks out of it," she commented, knowing Norman was a little concerned as well, "Is it because Drew isn't here?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
The cold glittery sand crunched beneath her feet as May stepped onto sand. The beach at night was beautiful, and calm—contrary during noon, when it was usually bustling with tourists and Slateport city citizens out for a warm day on the beach. The moon, now brighter than ever, hung low and full, casting a silver glow across the waves, each ripple shimmering under the sparkling of the stars. The red-clad coordinator sighed to herself as she looked up into the starry sky, before kicking off her shoes and pulled off her socks, her toes wriggled into the soft, grainy sand.
Then, a soft breeze brushed past the seashore, and May observed as the light waves, that were once gentle and tugging softly at the shore, began to gather more strength, ending up in a rhythmic crash against the sand and rocks. Her breathing grew quieter, mirroring the diminishing crash of the waves as the cold breeze faded. She stumbled toward the edge of the shore, where the chill of the waves crept up to meet her toes. "It's weird, not having Drew here right now," she hummed to herself, not even bothered by her own shivering while another cold breeze brushed by her shoulders, "He'd definitely have some cocky comment ready—even if I just won the title of Top Coordinator," she laughed, though a trace of bitterness edged her voice, "'If I'd faced you in the finals, things would've gone very differently!'" she mocked, rolling her eyes at the mere thought of Drew coolly flicking his hair out of his face, too high in his pride to be too mushy.
The smile that had briefly touched her lips while thinking of him vanished just as quickly as it had come, fading beneath the weight of a truth she couldn't deny—she maybe wouldn't see him again. The mere thought alone made her stomach churn; they had spent countless hours together, journeying from one region to the next, overcoming challenge after challenge..and just when she finally understood how she felt about him—he was gone. "If only you weren't so hard to figure out, Hayden..then I might've known how I felt sooner.." she grumbled to herself, her eyes narrowing at the starlit sky. Amid the gentle roar of the breeze stirring the waves to crash louder upon the shore, she didn't hear the soft rustling of sand just a few feet away.
"Well, well, miss top-coordinator..looks like you pulled it off, after all."
The sudden, unmistakably familiar voice behind her jolted her from her train of thought, nearly causing her to stumble backward into the sand. Shakily she pivoted on her bare foot, the grainy sand brushing against her feet, desperately trying to keep her grounded. "...Drew?" May exclaimed, bewildered, as her eyes fell on the green-haired coordinator that was grinning from head to toe, a rose skillfully balanced between his index— and middle finger. "You're here!?"
Drew emitted a low chuckle, his eyelids drooping ever so slightly, his gaze softer and more gentle than ever. "Well, I promised that I'd come back, didn't I?" he murmured suavely, extending his hand with practiced ease, the rose still perfectly balanced between his fingers, "Besides, I absolutely had to congratulate hoenn's new top-coordinator; I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I didn't." May let out a shy squeak, suddenly finding the rose dangling from his fingers far more captivating than before. "Uhm, yeah!" she spluttered, her gaze fixed downcast, unable to bring herself to meet the depth of his striking emerald eyes, "I.. I won, yeah!"
She tensed slightly as Drew laughed aloud again, his husky, raspy voice a stark contrast to the quiet calm of the evening. "No need to act so shy, May, you are a top coordinator now, after all," he suggested, his voice edged with a slight tone of amusement, "..that's a pretty big feat, you know," with each word his murmurs grew fainter, while May tentatively extended her hand to accept the rose he had offered, her heart thundering in her chest.Their hands brushed briefly, and May hesitated as she became aware of the cool touch of Drew's fingertips against her own, as a gentle, warm silence settled between the two coordinators beneath the expansive starry sky. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see your win out in the stadium," Drew hummed, his whispers almost inaudible over the soft crashing of the waves, "I tried to come on time—but I was too late."
The rawness and intensity of Drew's voice took her by surprise—he was someone who seldom revealed such genuine emotions that come from the depths of his heart—it was always buttered up with a teasing remark, a haughty grin, and topped off with a clever flick of his hair; but not now. He was being real. She glanced up at him timidly, noticing that his previous broad smirk had vanished. His eyes were clouded with a hint of guilt and disappointment, his gaze torn apart from hers. "No.. no TV screen could ever capture how beautiful your performance truly was," May quickly peered down at his fist down by his sides that seemed to clench ever so slightly before looking back up at him, the letdown in his eyes unwavering, "I wanted to be there..to see it; to see you there, on stage, with my own eyes. But life has it's own ways, and sometimes, those ways are cruel.."
May found herself speechless; she had always known that Drew preferred to witness performances firsthand rather than through a grainy old television screen—he wanted to experience the genuine connection between coordinator and pokemon. Yet, she could never have imagined that he would journey so far and wide just to see her perform, even if that performance ultimately ended in defeat. "It's okay," the brunette whispered back, her free hand gently reaching for Drew's clenched fist at his side, her warm palm resting over his fingers, "It can't be helped..I mean, your parents..they were ultimately the reason you couldn't be here for all the battles and performances."
Drew's gaze met hers once more, and she saw the tension in his expression ease—his eyes softened, and the furrow in his brow faded. There was a tenderness in his look, adorned with a flicker of surprise and admiration, as if her response had caught him completely off guard. "Yeah," he hummed along, his gaze flickering over to the wide sky above them, "but I've been here, since the beginning of your journey, since your first ever contest.." he started, his eyelids tightening, "..back then, I saw a klutzy, uncoordinated trainer, with no class and sense for style at all; but now.."
A still silence enveloped them, making the rhythmic crash of the waves and the distant chirping of a nearby flock of Swablu seem louder than ever. May watched Drew closely as his gaze continued to examine the midnight sky, only to almost flinch when his eyes—glistening in the gentle glow of the moonlight—met hers. "Now, In front of me, I see a beautiful, talented coordinator who is truly one with their pokemon.." he whispered, a rosey tint blooming across his cheeks as his gaze slid away from hers, his eyes glittering with a sparkle of embarrassment, "I would've wanted to see your performance—to see your true beauty and improvement.. to see it for real, and not on some stupid TV screen.." he commented a little bitterly, not noticing May's jaw had parted in awe from the mere depth of his words. "I wanted.. to see you achieve that feat..that what you worked so hard for. To be there.. with you, on the peak of your journey.." May noticed how Drew's posture was stiff ever so slightly, his eyes still torn away from hers, the letdown in his gaze still present.
"But you're here now, aren't you?"
The words came out a bit sharper than she'd meant, and Drew's head snapped up, his eyes locking with hers; she could tell he was taken aback, clearly not expecting that response. His eyes were wide, his eyebrows lifted upwards in wonder. "I mean.. you're here now, and that's what really matters. This is the peak of my journey; meeting up here, with you, after receiving the title of top-coordinator," May added, softly, taking her hands and subtly, self-conciously fidgeting with her fingers behind her back, "we might've not had the chance to fight each-other, but.. I still get to see you. And that's.. really all I could've wished for. To.. hear you say I did a good job," she took in a hard swallow as she felt the heat rush up to her cheeks. "We could always.. you know.. have a battle now, right? To.. really properly close off this contest circuit, don't you think?"
That moment she could barely hear the rushing of the wind over the loud thumping of her heart; that second she felt her head feeling only warmer and warmer, despite the fresh breeze that hung in the evening air. Drew looked as though he'd seen a ghost, a flush rising to his cheeks as well, before his jaw parted in surprise, a soft gasp brushing past his lips. "You're only proving my point, Maple," he murmured under a whisper, too soft for May to take ear of, "you're growing up.. you're..really.." May hadn't realized that Drew's gaze had drifted upward from her feet to her head, lingering briefly on her lips. "You've really changed, haven't you?" he wondered aloud, his voice now raised just enough to carry clearly to May, his tone edged with a hint of sheepishness that was all the more rare from him, "All right, then. Let's have a battle. You and me." Drew agreed, reaching for the pokeballs on his belt.
In the intimacy of the moment May could exactly read what Drew was thinking through his unwavering gaze; a knowing smile tugged at her lips as she gave a confident nod, her hand moving instinctively toward a specific pokeball tucked inside her fannypack. "You and me," May chirped back, outstretching her hand holding the pokeball, "I'm not holding back."
Drew flexed the true cocky smirk she hadn't seen a while, his own eyes burning with anticipation also, "I'm not expecting you to. You might be top-coordinator now, but don't forget we haven't battled; who knows, maybe I'm even stronger than you thought I'd be," he remarked with a touch of sass, extending his hand—firmly gripping his partner's pokeball—to lightly tap it against May's own pokeball.
"Now don't get so cocky, Hayden," May shot back a smirk, her tone edged with confidence and a thin tinge of irritation, "You are talking to a top-coordinator right now," she challenged, her fiery eyes mirroring that of Drew's, who only seemed to burn brighter at her comment. "Right now," Drew added, his eyelids sinking at the look in her eyes in mere amusement, "until I beat you and take that role from you, that is." He retrieved his hand back, offering her a toothy grimace as May's face twisted in distaste. With a huff, she spun around and sprinted ahead to clear room for their battle. "We'll just see about that," she replies, her grip on her pokeball tightening, "because I'm certainly not gonna make it easy for you."
A silence fell over the two. Despite the darkness of the evening she could see the fire in Drew's eyes, and every single thought that flashed by his gaze. "Well, then.." Drew grins, his soft voice soothing over the faraway crashing of the sea, "Let's test what you're saying is true." He smirked back. "Roserade, let's go!" Drew roared, flinging his arm upward with a sharp motion, sending the Poké Ball soaring into the sky. Through a flash of red Roserade appeared, gracefully landing down on the sand, sending May a knowing glare. May couldn't help but stifle a giggle despite the intensity of the moment; he knew just what she was thinking. "It's on, Drew," May agreed, "Beautifly—take the stage!" She exclaimed, twirling with flair as the Poké Ball arched into the air, momentarily sparkling in the moon's glow. Beautifly spun into the air, the sand on the field momentally blowing upward at the mere impact of the beating of the pokemon's wings.
"Let's see just how far you've come," he taunted, his gaze boring into May's. The battle hadn't even begun, yet the contrast to their very first was unmistakable. May stood tall, her posture poised and brimming with confidence. Beautifly's wings now glimmered beautifully in the gleaming of the moon, only showing how well-kept and graceful it was compared to long ago. "Likewise," May smirked back, her eyes examining his. She wasn't the only one who'd changed—Drew was still poised, rational and full of confidence and trust in his pokemon as he was before, but there was a look of kindness in his eyes now—a soft, encouraging look, a sharp contrast to when he could only taunt and insult her, with no room for praise.
"Let's waste no time; Roserade, magical leaf!" Drew commanded with a swing of his arm. Roserade complied, lifting itself up into the air, and unleashing a flurry of vibrant, multicolored leaves from its bouquet-like hands, aiming them at Beautifly who was still hovering in the air. May couldn't help but grin as her eyelids tightened in amusement, "I'm not that klutzy coordinator anymore, Drew!" May roared, her voice full of pure bliss, "Reflect that with protect, Beautifly, let's go!" Beautifly chirped loudly as a sturdy blue barrier enveloped it, shielding it from the razor-sharp, enchanted leaves. Drew stifled a laugh as Roserade landed back on the sand, not missing a single elegant step. "Looks like you have learned, after all," he grinned under his breath, "Let's get to the real stuff.. Roserade! Get in close!"
May's fists tightened and Beautifly's stance seemed to strengthen ever so slightly; what was he up to? "I'm not gonna let you get away that easy!" May exclaimed, outstretching her hand towards Beautifly, "Don't let Roserade get closer, Beautifly! Use silver wind, full power, now!" Beautifly cried out again as it beat it's wings, as a glittering, strong silver wind followed, headed for Roserade, who was still charging at it. Drew smirked, his eyes narrowing, "You thought! Stop and aim an energy ball at the sand, now, Roserade!" He ordered, his heart pounding despite his composed exterior. With a sharp cry, Roserade launched an Energy Ball from its hands, the force of the release propelling it into the air, narrowly dodging the slicing gust of wind. "Not bad," May panted, caught off guard by his move. "We're not done just, yet, May! Petal dance, full power!" Drew called out, as Roserade started to spin mid air, creating a wave of pink, delicate petals, heading right at beautifly.
A grin tugged at May's lips as an idea struck her, interrupting her moment of surprise. "All right, Beautifly, head straight for that petal dance, come on!" she pumped her fist proudly, the confidence in her eyes not faltering. Beautifly did as ordered; without an ounce of doubt of hesitation toward the idea of it's trainer it fluttered towards the sea of petals, leaving Drew uneasy, his eyes widening. "What is that girl doing!?" he gasped underneath is breath, instinctively drawing a step forward, "she can't just take the hit like that—she's up to something.. but what..?!"
"Air cutter, come on!" May cried out in sheer determination, the mere power of her voice sending shivers down Drew's neck for a moment. With another beat of its wings, Beautifly unleashed a powerful, slicing gust that tore through the petals effortlessly, clearing a wider path through the air. Drew felt his breath stagger in his throat. "Roserade, watch out!" he panicked, his heartbeat hammering like thunder as Beautifly flew straight towards Roserade through the opening in the petals. "We're ending this—Air cutter!" May shouted, her voice ringing out as Beautifly launched another razor-sharp blade of wind at Roserade. "Not a chance!" Drew yelled in response. "Dazzling gleam!"
The dazzling gleam and air cutter met mid air, and an ear-piercing explosion followed; the sand from below blowing upward into the air, mixing with the hazy shroud of smoke that filled the battlefield, making the pokemon disappear. "Roserade!—Beautifly!" the two called out to their respective partners, their voices cutting through the stillness of the evening. Smoke and sand hung in the air above the field, and a heavy silence settled between them; both trembling with tension and anticipation for what the outcome of the battle was. After what it seemed like an eternity passed, the clouds of smoke dissolved and revealed both Roserade and Beautifly in the sand, knocked out, cold. May shouted, rushing to her partner whose wings were trapped beneath a thin blanket of sand. "Beautifly.. you were amazing," she whispered as she dusted off Beautifly's wings before cradling it in her arms, "I couldn't be prouder."
Drew had kneeled down by his Roserade who was slowly getting up, its bouquets ruffled. "You were amazing, too, Roserade," he muttered, giving his partner a friendly stroke on its head, "you put on an amazing show—like always." The bouquet pokemon glanced up at its trainer with uncertain eyes, then offered Drew a soft, trusting smile, clearly brightened by his praise. Drew's gaze rolled over to May, who was still cradling Beautifly in her arms, her gaze soft, and forgiving.
"We're not the only ones that have improved, huh?" He mustered under his breath, so caught up in watching her praise her pokemon that he almost flinched when Roserade chirped in agreement. With a huff Drew rose to his feet, not hesitating a moment as he walked over to May, Roserade trailing behind him. "That was an excellent battle, May," He praised, stretching his hand outward, offering to help her up. "Back at you, Drew!" The brunette chirped, with Beautifly perched on her head again, as she happily took Drew's hand, "I thought I had that win in the bag! I really didn't see that dazzling gleam coming!" She admitted, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck, Beautifly humming along in unison.
"You weren't the only one with surprises," Drew admitted, slowly, his gaze quickly flickering over to Beautifly, who seemed to look down at Roserade curiously before looking back up at him, "..That air cutter to cut through the petals to make way to deal the final blow to Roserade..that was very clever, May, you caught me off guard." He felt his heart flutter as May's eyes lit up with excitement, the widest smile he'd ever seen from her appear on her lips. "Thank you, Drew!" she exclaimed joyfully, her enthusiasm so infectious he had to suppress a smile of his own. "It's not a problem, May. You've Improved." Drew wasn't ever the person to praise May so openly; but that moment it felt like it wouldn't hurt to do it more, if once in a while.
He hadn't even noticed May's hand was still in his.
"Uhm..." May squeaked quietly, snapping Drew out of his thoughts. His hand was still enveloped around hers, and that moment he felt as though he'd melt to the ground in sheer embarrassment at the spot. "Ah... sorry.." He laughed, awkwardly, releasing the grip on her hand, silently cursing himself as he did so. May's dreamy behavior sometimes really was starting to rub off on him...
"It's.. It's fine," The brunette giggled back, a little bit too louder than she intended, it seemed, "you looked deep in thought for a moment.. you okay?" she asked with curious eyes. Drew retrieved his hand to shove it into his pockets, his gaze breaking away from hers, "I'm alright, no need to worry." he assured her—as rationally as he could muster that moment—as he felt the heat rising to his cheeks. "I was just thinking how far we've both come," he excused, partly to mask his own embarrassment, "That battle gave me a lot of insight."
A sly grin snuck upon May's lips, her eyebrows tightening at him accusingly. "So you are admitting that you're not better than me?" she taunted, leaning in just enough to catch his eyes. Drew nearly froze at the jab. "I'm not," he insisted, doing his best to stop the heat from rising any higher in his already flushed face, "I'm just giving credit where credit is due, you should know that by now." He lifted a hand to brush his hair out of his face, resulting in a low growl from May, who seemed slightly annoyed by his refusal. "I'm top coordinator, now, Drew, you can be a little nicer," she hissed, the moment of bliss from before long gone. "What? But that's not my style; then it wouldn't be genuine." He countered along with another flick of his hair.
By now May was seething again, stomping from on one foot to another. "Come on! You have got at least something positive to say!" she grumbled, Beautifly chirping along worriedly. "But I praised you a minute ago for the battle, May, no need to be so ungrateful." He peered down at her in pure amusement, his smirk present as ever. May let out an exaggerated gasp, her previously firm posture faltering, "I really can't get anything out of you, can I?"
Drew emitted a breathy, genuine laugh, Roserade by his feet gigglng along, "That'd be much too easy, May," he purred, before closing the distance between them to press his lips to hers, his hands cradling her face tenderly for a brief second before he let go and took a step back. "There. You did well today, May. Does that calm you down?" He smiled, genuinely, struggling to hold back laughter as May’s face flushed a deep, volcanic red and her hands trembled. She looked completely flustered, her words reduced to her incoherent babbling, "I.. well.. w-what..." May panicked, her hands automatically reaching up to her lips where he'd kissed her. "Guess it had quite the opposite effect," he sighed, not sure wether to take her silence as a rejection or not.
After a moment, May appeared to regain her composure, her hands steadying and her mouth finally closing, silencing her squeals. "...Drew?" she murmured, finally. "Hm?" Drew hummed, mentally preparing himself for whatever she'd say, his heart pounding into his throat. To his astonishment, though, May took a deliberate step closer, her hands moving to cradle his face, a subtle warmth softening her gaze before her eyes slowly closed and she leaned in, pressing her lips over his. Drew felt himself lean into her embrace, his hands instinctively reaching up to her head to feather his fingers through her hair, returning the kiss. It continued, soft and deliberate before May slowly broke away, panting slightly, "Thank you."
Drew laughed lightly, his fingers still tangled through her hair, May's thumbs still gently pressed to his cheeks, "It's no problem, miss top-coordinator," he purred, gently pressing his forehead against hers, savoring the bliss of the moment, the sound of crashing waves echoing softly in the background. After a brief silence, accompanied only by May’s soft breathing, he pulled back, his hands retreating from her head. He held her gaze for a moment, taking in the sparkle of joy in her eyes and the delightfully goofy smile that made her look even more radiant. "Well, then," he murmured softly, gradually turning away, barely believing he'd just kissed with his damn rival who he seemed to harbor too much feelings for that he hadn't realized before, "until next the grand festival,"
"Miss top-coordinator."