Title: May and Misty – Gift of a Friend

Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: K

Parings (Friendship): May and Misty

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon and the song used is Gift of a Friend by Demi Lovato

Authors Note: Okay so I hope this story is alright and everyone who reads it enjoys it. I wrote this because I really like the idea of May and Misty being best friends and it's not often that the idea of their close friendship is explored, normally it's May and Dawn who most people consider to be best friends but May and Misty have met more times than Dawn and May. I originally didn't mean for this to be a songfic but it sort of just happened, the song fits in really well anyway and it's helped me to show different stages of May and Misty's friendship.

Enjoy!

The tearstains marked the polished floor as they continued to fall. May sat alone, hunched up on a bench, her whole body shaking with tears as she continued to cry. Besides her there was no one left backstage. By now all the contestants had finished congratulating or consoling one another and had gone to meet with their friends and family who had been watching from the audience. The only sound that could be heard was her self-pitying sobs and the occasional sniffle. It reminded her of her first contest; when she had made a fool of herself and thought that there was no way she would get through to the second round, when she had sat on her own in the locker room just like now, on the brink of tears and Drew had surprising cheered her up with a beautiful red rose. Of course the rose had been for Beautifly but it made her happy at the time.

Sometimes You think You'll Be Fine by Yourself

'Cause a Dream is a Wish You Make all Alone

But now there was no Drew to whip out a dazzling flower from seemingly nowhere like he always did. No Ash, Brock or Max to offer her words of encouragement and cheer her up with a joke. She was currently in a completely different region to them and this had been her first contest. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, after competing in the Johto Grand Festival she had decided to continue her journey to another region whilst the rest of her coordinator friends returned home for a brief visit thus leaving her to venture the challenges of the colourful region of Kanto alone. She believed it would help her to improve on her coordinating skills and for once get ahead of Drew in collecting contest ribbons before he arrived. However now that she was there with no one to support her or cheer her on in the stands she was starting to feel rather lonely.

It's Easy to Feel like You Don't Need Help

She missed everyone. Her former travelling companions Ash, Brock and Max, who would always be there to boost her confidence and back her up. Her family and her friends back in Petalburg; Brendan and Wally who always made her forget her troubles. Her coordinator friends who would give her advice on how to improve and she especially missed their quirky behaviour; Drew's arrogance and his ability to continuously frustrate her then make her smile, how Soledad would act like the big sister of the group, and even Harley's weirdness. She missed it all.

But it's Harder to Walk on Your Own

Maybe it was just homesickness or because she had lost the contest, either way she could no longer hold in the sadness that filled her deflated heart and had led to it overflowing to the tears that she now bawled.

So consumed by her sorrows was she that she didn't hear the sound of footsteps entering the room or notice when someone sat down next to her. She only became aware of their presence when a spoon was shoved into her hand and a freezing cold tub of ice cream placed on her lap.

You'll Change Inside

Her tears ceased for a moment as she stared at the items in shock, confused as to why they had suddenly appeared. A familiar voice sounded next to her and she instantly felt a lot calmer.

When You Realize

"Ice Cream always makes me feel better after I've suffered a loss. I thought it might help cheer you up as well."

May turned; her now red tinted blue eyes locked with green. The Cerulean Gym leader smiled softly at her. May, who was slightly confused as to why the fourth Sensational Sister was there, just simply nodded eyes wide in bewilderment.

"Thanks." She murmured, her gaze not leaving the other girl's face. They sat there in silence for a while, neither one of them removing their eyes from the other. Eventually Misty's grin widened and she nodded her heard towards the container in May's lap.

The World Comes To Life

"You know, you might want to eat that before it melts, unless of course you don't mind ice cream leaking all over the place."

May blinked uncertainly, and then her eyes widened in understanding and turned to the ice cream pot. She quickly removed the lid and stared at the frozen treat in front of her. Frosty ripples of pink and crimson sprinkled with ruby specks decorated the dessert.

And Everything's bright

May looked at Misty in surprise, "Strawberry?"

"I wasn't sure what flavour you liked best so I chose my favourite," Misty explained, "Sorry if you don't like it. What is your favourite ice cream flavour anyway?"

From Beginning to End

May smiled, her previous misery forgotten, "You guessed right?"

Now it was Misty's turn to look confused. "Huh?"

May's smile grew, her usual sparks of happiness returning to her eyes. "Strawberry, that's my favourite flavour of ice cream."

When You Have a Friend

Misty blinked, comprehending what May had said, and then she smiled as well. "You know what they say, great minds think alike."

By Your Side

May giggled then dug her spoon into the frozen sweet, she was about to take a bite when a thought struck her and she looked up at Misty. "Want some." She offered.

Misty grinned and nodded, pulling out her own spoon in the process. May smiled brightly and she placed the tub of ice cream in-between them. They both began to eat, finding comfort in the sugary sweetness of the frosty delight and in one another's presence.

That Helps You to Find

After the tub was finally emptied of its delicious goodness a thought occurred to May and she glanced over at the redhead next to her who was in the process of licking the remaining ice cream from her spoon.

"Misty?" The youngest Waterflower sister looked up curiously. May continued inquisitively, "What are you doing here? I mean I know you live in Kanto but your home is in Cerulean City and this is Vermillion City."

Misty paused in her licking of the spoon and replied. "Well after watching the Johto Grand Festival on the TV my sisters Lily and Violet became fascinated by coordinating. They heard that there was going to be a contest in Vermillion City and since it's not too far away from Cerulean City they wanted to go, and forced me to come with them." Misty grinned before continuing. "I'm glad I did now, I got to see my friend preforming live and wow, you're appeal was amazing."

The Beauty You Are

May smiled half-heartedly. "Thank you, but I'm just sorry that I didn't win."

Misty shrugged. "You win some, you lose some. The important thing is that you just keep trying."

"Is that what you tell yourself whenever you lose a gym battle?" May asked.

When You'll Open Your Heart and Believe in

Misty nodded. "It's a bit discouraging when you lose but it gives other people the opportunity to shine. When I lose new trainers receive a badge and when you lose someone else gets a contest ribbon." Misty paused for a moment then winked at May. "Besides, you have to give them a chance to win. My bet is that after this little set back you're going to win all the contests you enter." May smiled brightly, confidence now flowing within her; seeing this Misty grinned just as brightly. "Just remember, I'll be rooting for you May."

The Gift of a Friend

In the end Misty was right. After that day May continued to win every single contest she participated in. It might have been that the loss of her first contest had caused her to become even more determined and to train harder, but mostly it was down to the fact that May knew that she had a friend in Kanto who was watching and rooting for her as she moved closer to achieving her goal.

The Gift of a Friend

-888-

The roar of the crowd could be heard all the way backstage in the dressing rooms. Misty's whole body shook with nerves as she tried to keep her hands steady whilst drinking a glass of what in an attempt to calm herself. She tugged anxiously on her orange hair extensions and once again pondered her sanity for agreeing to take part in another one of her sisters' Underwater Ballets.

Someone Who Knows When You're Lost and Your Scared

She could still remember the last time she had performed in one of these shows, it hadn't gone well. Sure it had all ended fine and the Cerulean Gym was popular once again but that didn't change the fact that she had almost lost all the water Pokémon to Team Rocket. Of course it was very unlikely that there would be any interruptions from Team Rocket this time, but it didn't make her any less nervous.

There Through the Highs and the Lows

At least last time Ash and Brock had been there to support her and to fight off any uninvited bad guys. This time however there would only be her, her sisters and Tracey who had agreed to be the handsome prince after much persuasion and flattery from Daisy.

Someone to Count On

She tried to take a sip of water and it ended up spilling everywhere. Cautiously she put the cup down with a sigh. It wasn't like this was the first time she had performed in front of a large audience, although this was the first time she had performed in front of an audience this big. It seemed that the previous Underwater Ballet had been such a huge success that now crowds of people not just from Kanto but other regions as well were filling up every single space there was that surrounded the pool. She suddenly felt very ill. A swarm of Butterfree fluttered angrily inside her stomach.

Someone Who Cares

A sudden knock on her dressing room door startled Misty. She stood up from the chair, legs wobbling slightly, and walked towards the door, blanket wrapped around her body so her costume couldn't be seen.

Besides You Where Ever You Go

"Yes?" She enquired as she opened the door. Tracey stood there, already dressed in his prince costume with a stunning boutique of flowers. Misty blinked, puzzled. "Um, Tracey, I think you got the wrong dress room my sisters' is down the hall."

You'll Change Inside

Tracey shook his head and smiled. "Nope, these are for you Misty. They were just delivered."

Misty was gobsmacked. Someone had sent her flowers? Normally it was only her sisters who received gifts like this from adoring fans. Who could have possibly sent her, the "nearly as pretty as her older sisters but not quite" fourth Sensational Sister, flowers.

When You Realise

A tiny hopeful part of her mind whispered that they might be from Ash but she knew better. Ash was far too busy on his travels to even give her a call let alone send her flowers. She sighed sadly; no, Ash hadn't sent her the flowers, chances were it was probably sent by one of her rare fan boys like Georgio. She sort of liked the idea of having a secret admirer but knowing her luck the sender had probably meant the boutique to go to one of her sisters and accidently put the fourth Sensational Sister by mistake.

The World Comes To Life

She begrudgingly accepted the boutique. Now that they were in closer range she noticed the different variety of flowers that made up the boutique. There were yellow roses, irises and alstroemeria wrapped in ivy. A scent like paradise wafted up her nose and she smiled warmly. Even if these flowers weren't meant for her they were certainly beautiful and smelled just as sweet.

And Everything's Bright

She noticed a note tied to the stems and began to read it.

'Dear Misty, the Fourth and most Sensational Sister

Good luck with the show tonight. I will be in the audience cheering you on just as you've done for me, so look out for me.

Love a Good Friend

P.S. A certain grass-head has been teaching me the language of flowers. In case you're wondering each of these flowers mean friendships.'

Misty's eyes widened, her nerves disappearing to be replaced by warmth. Although she already had a pretty good idea who the flowers were from she thought she better ask anyway just to check.

From Beginning to End

When You Have a Friend

"Who sent these?" She asked, walking over to her dressing room table and placing the boutique in a vase of water.

Tracey looked thoughtful. "I'm not really sure. A Beautifly delivered them."

By Your Side

That Helps You to Find

That was a good enough answer for her. She smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling. All previous fears had completely vanished and she was now filled with confidence. The show would be a success.

The Beauty You Are

Later when the Ballet had come to a close and she along with her sisters and Tracey were taking their bows, she paused momentarily, scanning the cheering crowd for a familiar face.

When You'll Open Your Heart and Believe In

Her eyes caught a glimpse of red and she stared at the girl wearing the bandana. She grinned as the two of them locked eyes. May smiled back and waved.

The Gift of a Friend

-888-

The forest canopies blocked out the sunlight from above, casting shadows that stretched across the ground. May dashed blindly through the forest, tears threatening to spill and blurring her vision. Jagged branches lashed at her face and clawed at her hair. She ran on, ignoring the sting in her legs from her newly received scratches. She didn't care about where she was heading, all she knew was she had to get away, away from there, and away from him.

And When Your Hope Crashes Down

She had just had a terrible fight with Drew. What had started with a simple mocking remark from him had turned into a full-blown battle with bitter words and savage insults. She wasn't sure why she had reacted so badly but as soon as those words had left his mouth something inside her just snapped and she exploded. Scarlet fury had blinded her and fiery anger fuelled her burning hate.

Somehow it ended with her making a thoughtless comment. She saw the pain flitter across his face before he fired back with an equally wounding statement, the hatred evident on his tongue. And then she had run. Run far away from everyone and everything. She could not stand to be there any longer. To see his handsome face contorted with rage and his beautiful eyes distorted with hurt and revulsion.

Shattering to the Ground

Never had she let wrath consume her so much and she could not bear to see the anguish her foolishness had caused. There was no way Drew would ever forgive her and he couldn't possibly return her feelings now. She felt her heart deflate and she let out a chocked sob.

A root latched around her foot causing her to trip and fall flat on the ground. She winced as the stones and twigs that coated the dirt bruised her skin. For a while she just laid there, letting the tears fall freely, her cries echoing through the dimly lit forests.

You, You Feel All Alone

Once the self-pity subsided she tried to sit up, groaning as she pushed herself up from the ground. She looked around for the way she had come but all she saw was rows and rows of wood. The towering tree loomed over her petite frame menacingly. The realisation of her situation sent a chill up her spine and she curled into a small ball. She was lost and alone.

When You Don't Know Which Way to Go

The wind mocked her. It whispered hauntingly through the leaves, playing tricks on her mind. It made the bushes rustle so that she thought that there was something in them. It jeered at her and howled causing her to believe there were wild Pokémon hiding in the shadows.

May whimpered, obviously frightened.

And There's No Signs Leading You Home

The sound of twigs snapping and approaching footsteps startled her. Her heartbeat sped up, pumping loudly in her ears. For a split-second she hoped it was all just her imagination but then there was a loud rustle in the bush opposite and something stepped through.

You're Not Alone

"May?"

Seeing their friendly face and hearing their comforting voice May instantly felt her fears fade and relief flooded through her.

"Misty!" May gasped, extremely happy to see her best friend, and clambered to her feet.

The World Comes to Life

Misty walked closer to May and examined her in concern. When seeing that the only physical damaged done to her friend was just a few scratches she relaxed.

"Thank Arceus I found you." Misty sighed sounding relieved. "I've been looking everywhere for you. We were all so worried when you ran off like that."

And Everything's Bright

"Everyone?" May enquired daring to hope that a certain emerald-eyed rival was included in that.

Misty smiled knowingly. "Even Drew, not that he'll admit." She added.

From Beginning to End

May smiled which turned into a frown once she remembered the reason for her running into the woods in the first place.

"I shouldn't have said the things." Her voice was filled with melancholy.

When You Have a Friend

Misty rolled her eyes. "Enough with the pity fest, you were angry and so was he, it's not like you two won't forgive each other."

May didn't look so sure. "I really hurt him Misty; I saw it in his eyes. He'll never forgive me."

By Your Side

Misty gave her a bland look. "Okay one: of course he'll forgive you, how could he not, we all know you're in love with each other," May's jaw dropped in shock and was about to protest however Misty didn't give her a chance to before she continued, "and two: sitting around in a woods and crying your eyes out will not solve anything."

That Helps You to Find

As much as May hated to admit it she knew Misty was right.

May sighed in defeat, "Fine."

The Beauty You Are

Misty smiled triumphantly. "Good, now let's go back."

May looked around uncertainly. "Are you sure you know the way back?"

Misty nodded. "Of course now come on." She reached out her hand for May to take.

When You Open Your Heart

Slowly May stretched out her own hand and took it. Misty smiled brightly and May smiled back. She allowed herself to be dragged out of the woods by the determined redhead. The bracelets tied around their wrists bumped together as they walked.

And Believe In

The charms that decorated both bracelets consisted of pendants shaped like a flame and a water droplet as well as a Beautifly and a Togepi. The only difference between the bracelets was that Misty's had a charm in the shape of the top half of a PokéBall with the words 'Best' engraved on it whilst May's had a charm shaped like the bottom half of a PokéBall with the words 'Friends' inscribed on it.

When You Believe In

And that was what they were.

When You Believe In

Best Friends, Forever…

The Gift of a Friend