Drew's feet hit the concrete of the pier as another wave of nausea washed over him. He ran to the edge, clinging on to the railing for dear life as the contents of his stomach came up. Feeling slightly less queasy, he stood up straight, face pale and sweaty. He stood for a minute, washing the waves crash into the side of the structure. With a few reassuring pats on the shoulder from old, friendly ladies, he made his way to the end of the pier and onto the soft snow landing in the city.

He was never particularly good with any form of travel, especially boats. This journey had been extremely unpleasant- the rough northern seas surrounding Sinnoh were hell to travel on as per usual, but with a storm blowing in, the waves were bigger and more treacherous. Drew, along with several others, had braved the night on the deck, hoping the icy air would calm their stomachs, but only ended up getting colder and sicker.

At least he'd made it here before her.

He had never been in Sinnoh before, and wandered slowly towards the general direction of the Pokémon Center, it's orange illuminated roof sticking out among the white snow that covered the city. A sign by the dock informed him that this was indeed Snowpoint City, which is where he hoped he was arriving. He regretted his decision to come here now- it was even colder than the north of Johto, which he wasn't a huge fan of. He had deliberated over multiple locations when booking tickets. The south of Sinnoh was warm and more easily accessible, both to other parts of the region and from Hoenn, but he had thought that the northern reaches would be good for more intensive training. He was wrong- he would be going south as soon as he could find a more agreeable mode of transport.

The automatic doors of the Pokémon Centre slid open, and he made his way into a surprisingly empty centre, heading straight for the counter. Nurse Joy wasn't there, but after waiting for a few moments, she arrived, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Apologies for the wait!" She greeted kindly, her breathing ragged. "I was just finishing dealing with an exhausted Venusaur. It pushed itself too hard while training. You know what these coordinators are like with their art!"

"I know all too well," Drew mumbled, leaning against the counter himself to steady himself. He could feel his legs going weak, and was desperate to sleep. "Ah… my Pokémon don't need healing, but I'd like to rent a room for a few days."

"That's fine! As you can see, there's not much traffic up here. Here's your key, enjoy your stay!"

"Oh, and I have another question. Is there a contest hall in the town?" Nurse Joy's eyes widened slightly, realizing her previous mistake.

"Y-yes! Head north, and you'll see it, just around the corner from the gym!"

"Thanks," Drew said coolly, taking the key from the counter and leaving the Centre swiftly.

He would be quick, he promised himself, rushing through the snow towards where he thought the contest hall might be. He grabbed his PokéNav from his jacket pocket, opening his calendar and marking the 28th of August. The contest season began in four days, and he had made it into the region and was about to register before most coordinators even decided enter. As he went further into the city, paths appeared, and he could refrain from walking through the slush that made his shoes wet. The contest hall came into sight as he entered the street with the gym, causing his spirits to lift considerably. It was nice aesthetically- better than many of the halls in Johto, which he didn't really get on an artistic level.

The glass doors had strangely fashioned icicle handles, which he assumed was to tie in with the city itself. They dug into his palm as he pushed the door open, and he was greeted by small squeals from the receptionists and the few coordinators who were in to practice. He recognised Zoey, who had won the last Sinnoh Grand Festival, and the odd other face, though no names came automatically to him. He headed straight for the reception, still in fear that his legs would give out on him.

"Can I register for the season here?" He asked, trying to be as casual as he could.

"Of course! Can I see your contest pass please?" The receptionist asked, taking his card when he presented it. She scanned it through the machine, bringing his contest history up onto the screen above the counter.

"Well, Mr. Hayden, that's you all set!" She said, handing his pass back to him. "This is your ribbon case, and Ball Capsules! As we operate on a super contest basis here in Sinnoh, it's recommended that you use these in each contest, in both the appeal round and the battles. We also require you to wear a costume, but I'm sure you already knew that. Do you want me to explain the rules to you?"

"No need, but thank you," Drew said, lifting the case and capsules and putting them into his bag.

"Good luck this season, then, and of course, congratulations for last year!" The receptionist said quickly, bowing her head slightly. Drew rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Thanks."

He exited quickly before anyone else could try to talk to him. He still felt bad about Johto. He probably shouldn't have won and become Top Coordinator, but he did, in some weird twist of fate. The whole season he had been doing pretty well, winning against most opponents, apart from the one he wanted to beat the most. She stood in his way the whole way to the top, but the Grand Festival didn't go too well for her. She fell at every hurdle placed in front of her, and despite her being the better coordinator over all, he won the whole thing, and she was left with nothing.

Even thinking about it made Drew's stomach pang with guilt. He hated what had happened, and if he could go back in time, he would warn her about all the things that would go wrong. But he couldn't, and he couldn't even see her now to reassure her that things would be okay. She had promised through teary eyes that she would try again in Sinnoh, but they hadn't been in contact since that day. He didn't to push her too hard to get back into coordinating, but the thought that she might quit because of what happened made him want to curl up and cry.

He wandered back to the Pokémon Centre, ready to collapse on his bed. The lobby seemed even emptier than before, with only one person remaining in the room, on a sofa beside the emergency room. He automatically assumed that it was the Venusaur's trainer, and since the person didn't look up, he assumed again that the person was upset. He was about to walk past them when he remembered.

"You know what these coordinators are like with their art!"

No, it couldn't be. He tried to subtly walk past, while simultaneously looking directly at them. The person was definitely female and definitely was a brunette, but aside from that, he couldn't gather if it was her or not. Without wanting to ask, or say anything at all, he continued walking, hoping that if it was her, she wouldn't have noticed him.

"Andrew Hayden, if you dare walk past me again and pretend you don't see me, I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Oops.

He backtracked quickly, eyes glancing away from her. He hadn't emotionally prepared himself for this conversation at all, especially not now. He just wanted to sleep- his illness on the boat had exhausted him, and walking about in the snow had put a damper on his mood. Drew sat down opposite May, eyes finally meeting hers. She hadn't changed at all from the last time they had seen each other- scowl and all. He didn't know where to start, what to say, so he avoided coordinating all together.

"I guess that's your Venusaur then?" He asked, gesturing to the emergency wing.

"Right," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I thought it'd be good to get some extra training in now, since we have a long way to go before the Grand Festival. We've trained here before, me and Venusaur- in fact, this is where she evolved. But… well, we pushed it too hard." Her eyes fell to her knees and her fists clenched, and Drew felt suddenly sorry for her.

"That's a shame," he said lamely. "I was hoping to do some training here too, but I think I'll just head south."

"You won't go anywhere quickly from here," May snorted. "There's a bus once a day to Hearthome City, and apart from that you'll have to walk. The first contest is in four days Drew, there's no way you'll make it in time!"

"Where are you going for your first contest?" He asked, catching her off guard.

"I was thinking Floaroma Town. I heard it's really pretty there. It's a week's walk from Hearthome, I heard."

"I might start there too, then," he said, offering her what he thought was a warm smile, but ended up being weak and shaky. "Of course, we all know who will win if we enter together," he added with a flick of his hair.

"Of course it'll be you, Top Coordinator Drew, who is oh so humble and down to earth!" She announced, rolling her eyes. "By the way, you look really ill. You should go to bed."

"That's where I was going before you yelled at me."

"Oh." Drew peeled himself from the sofa, heading for the small corridor to the right of the room where the bedrooms were located.

"When are you heading to Floaroma Town?" He asked suddenly, turning back to face May.

"Probably tomorrow. Why, are you coming with me?" She teased.

"If I can put up with you the whole bus journey, it'll be good mental training."

"Oh, shut up!"

The queasy feeling that had resided in his stomach the whole of the previous day was gone when he woke up, and he stretched happily. It was approaching noon, and he knew he would have to leave soon. His schedule was completely thrown off already. He had planned to spend a week here in Snowpoint, and head south in time for the Eterna contest, but there was no hope of that happening. Even if May hadn't been here, he still would've fled south, and recalibrated his schedule to fit. The Snowpoint contest was due to take place in January, after the midseason break, and he hoped he would be well enough on track to skip it entirely.

May was waiting for him in the lobby, tapping her foot impatiently. In her hand, she held a Pokéball, presumably Venusaur's, and she had a backpack on her back instead of the other stupid bag she carried around. She had also opted for different clothes this time around- a yellow top with ruffles, black leggings and a huge red cardigan. It wasn't really weather appropriate, but since they were both from the most tropical of regions, he couldn't really say anything.

"How long does it take you to get ready?" She questioned, folding her arms impatiently.

"It takes time to look beautiful, but obviously you wouldn't know."

"You are probably the most pretentious and arrogant person I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."

"You flatter me," Drew said, not even trying to hide his smirk. May managed to glare even harder than before, if that was even possible.

"Anyway, we have to go. The bus leaves at one, and now we won't have time to get food!"

"You have your priorities straight as ever, I see."

"Let's go, Drew," she said, sighing exasperatedly to effectively end the conversation.

The traversed their way through the snow towards the edge of the city. It seemed deeper than yesterday, and the odd snowflake continued to fall from the sky. The outskirts of the city were plagued by a constant blizzard, and at least a foot of snow lay untouched by the side of the road. The bus stop stuck up through the snow, with only one other person standing at it. May and Drew took this to be a good sign, as this couldn't only mean the bus hadn't arrived yet. They waited in a neat line, fishing through their bags for money.

The bus pulled up less than five minutes later, and they climbed aboard in trepidation. They paid their fares and sat down, near the back but not quite. Another three people arrived to get on the bus before it pulled away, heading straight into the blizzard. Drew attempted to stare out the window, but everything was white. As soon as the snow hit the glass, it melted, running down the window leaving trails behind. Occasionally he spotted a dark shape, probably a Pokémon, moving around outside, but he couldn't be sure. May had been silent the whole journey so far, so he turned slowly to look at her.

"I missed you, you know," he admitted. Her hazel eyes flashed up to meet his own. She narrowed them slightly, before deciding he was being sincere, and smiling softly.

"I missed you too. But I'm not sure I missed you being an asshole all the time."

"I am not an asshole!"

"Well, you're not the worst person I've met, anyway. That award definitely goes to Harley."

"I'm going to have to agree with you there." She laughed at this, before her mouth set in a straight line once more.

"What's the betting he's competing in Sinnoh too?"

"Pretty high," Drew said. The mood dropped quickly, with both May and Drew knowing the implications of Harley being in Sinnoh.

"Well!" May said, clenching one of her fists. "I'm just going to have to do better than him then."

"That's the spirit."

"It'll be fine. Maybe this is my year!"

"Listen May, about Johto…"

"I don't want to talk about Johto," she snapped, cutting him off.

"But-"

"I'm over it, okay? There's nothing I could've done about it."

"I just thought you might've wanted to talk about it."

"I don't."

"Okay."

Drew leant his head against the window, with May taking her PokéNav out and immersing herself in whatever was on BuzzNav. The cold glass against his cheek prevented Drew from falling asleep, so he watched the snow fall until it disappeared all together, replaced by the crisp mountainous terrain of Mount Coronet.

"Do you know where this is?" Drew asked May.

"Mount Coronet," she answered swiftly. "It's right in the middle of Sinnoh. We're not too far from Hearthome now." She switched off her PokéNav, looking out the window beside Drew. "Did you register up in Snowpoint?"

"Yeah," Drew confirmed with a nod.

"So you found out that everyone has to dress up, right?"

"Right."

"Have you got any ideas? Most coordinators wear the same costume for every contest, apart from ones like the Wallace Cup or the Grand Festival."

"No clue. I've only seen female coordinators costumes, so I'm kinda at a loss for what to do."

"Find a suit and jazz it up, or something. You'll be fine."

"I'm sure I'll look fine," Drew said, a smirk appearing on his mouth.

"Can you do anything but praise yourself?"

"I could praise you, but I have a feeling you wouldn't appreciate that."

"You'd be right."

The bus pulled into Hearthome City as the evening drew in, with both May and Drew, and many of the other people travelling on the bus, almost asleep. The bright streetlights, however, woke Drew out of his stupor, and he excitedly shook May back onto the same plane of existence.

"We're here!"

The city swept out in front of them, and to Drew, the centre of the city had to be its contest hall. It stood out- bright pink and shining in the artificial light. The rest of the city was mundane in comparison to it, with its lights and obvious grandeur. Drew was genuinely surprised he'd never seen it before, with all the coverage on the TV of the Sinnoh contests. He'd watched all the important ones from the previous seasons during the break, picking up everything important he could. This building had never cropped up, even in interviews outside.

"That's one of the biggest Contest Halls in Sinnoh," May said matter-of-factly. "The only one bigger is the Lake Valor one, I think."

"That's where you competed for the Wallace Cup, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, smiling fondly at the memory.

"I watched that contest. With Solidad. You were really good then."

"…thanks. It wasn't my best performance, but I can admit it was pretty good."

They got off the bus, stepping into the city. The air down here was distinctly different than that up in Snowpoint, and Drew was elated that his nose didn't feel as though it was going to fall off. May pulled her cardigan around her tighter, protecting herself from the evening air. They slowly made their way through the bus station and into the main body of the city.

It was clear to any passerby that they were tourists; they spent the whole time staring at the buildings that covered the city from top to bottom. The gym was clear- a huge Drifblim made up the front. There was a poffin stand, and May made Drew stop for a moment while she bought some. He was surprised she didn't eat herself, as she tucked them away inside her pocket. They walked past the contest hall, and this time it was Drew that made May stop, asking her to take his photo outside the building. He stood outside the door, while she stayed on the path, and he posed for the photo. He grabbed his PokéNav from May, checking the photo was okay.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"I've never seen you get so excited about something before," May commented.

"I'm just looking forward to this season. Everything is gonna be great. Especially if we get to compete in venues like this one!"

"I'm guessing you have the Hearthome contest booked in then?"

"You'd be right," Drew said, sharing a smile with the brunette.

"I'll see you here then. We better meet in the finals, top coordinator Drew!"

"Don't you worry… we need to get you a title, stat."

"I don't need a title until I'm top coordinator too."

"Well, I'll have to think of one," Drew said, staring into space for a moment while he thought. "They call you the Princess of Hoenn, right? So I'll just call you Princess."

"That's really embarrassing, Drew," she said covering her face with her hands.

"Well, princess, I'll have to leave you now to die of shame, because I have places to be." He produced a rose from his jacket pocket, holding it out to her. "I… uh, wish your Beautifly all the best this season."

"Hah!" May snorted. "Nice try, Drew, but I don't have Beautifly with me! I'll see you around. Don't forget about Floaroma, okay?"

"I won't. Bye, May."

He brushed past her, leaving her standing to admire the Contest Hall for a while longer. He would have rather stayed there himself, but truth be told, the bus journey had messed up his insides, and he wasn't too keen on standing outside in the evening cold with the threat of his stomach emptying itself again. He practically powerwalked to the Pokémon Centre, leaning against the counter casually until a Nurse Joy came out. This Centre was a lot busier than the Snowpoint one, with people dotted about on the sofas, relaxing by themselves or talking with their friends.

"Please tell me you have a room free," Drew begged, as soon as she put in an appearance.

"Would you like one?"

"Please." The key was set in front of him, and the Nurse Joy smiled.

"Enjoy your stay!"

Drew casually ran up the stairs, trying his hardest to act cool. This wasn't particularly one of his talents, as much as he tried to look good outside (it was in case of cameras, okay?). He managed to keep his façade up until he unlocked his room, where he promptly threw open the en suite door, leaning over the toilet. Nothing happened, and Drew sunk onto the floor anticlimactically. He pulled his PokéNav out, opening up his Instagram, and posting the picture May took earlier. He tagged her in the corner of the picture, and added a caption.

"Look out Sinnoh, Drew Hayden is gonna win again!"

COORDINATORS WEEKLY

TOP HOENN COORDINATORS SPOTTED IN HEARTHOME!

A/N: I love Drew a lot. The next chapter will be from May's POV, and the one after that will be Drew's again, etc etc. Also, coordinators totally use Instagram, fight me on this. Please review if you enjoyed!