Thorned Roses

Chapter 2 - Ac-quaint-ances

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"Move along," said an Officer Jenny, metal detector in hand. "Come on, keep moving. We're trying to get everyone to the Pokémon Center by nighttime."

Darkness was rapidly descending, following quickly the fading steps of the sun. The last of the golden orb had long since slipped beneath the horizon so that only the last traces of its light were left in the sky. May cast a look of concern out toward the sea as she stood on the dock, waiting for the Jenny to finish checking over Drew and Rafe.

The green-haired Coordinator, after stepping onto the wooden platform, joined May. She could instantly tell he had something to say.

"What is it?"

Drew let out a sigh - small, but it was there. "I just asked Officer Jenny for the reason they're looking over the passengers. Apparently they had an attack here, too."

May's blue eyes widened in alarm. "Was it serious?" Her companion shook his head, brow furrowing just slightly. "I couldn't get any details out of her."

"Oh."

All of a sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder and, when she looked up, realized it was his. The brief tremor of excitement that ran through her was cut short by the look on his face. He spoke, voice low. "Do you want to leave?"

It was a second before she understood what he was saying. "Leave... the island?"

An affirmative nod.

"Drew..." A weak half-laugh. "You're afraid that it's too dangerous?"

"If you haven't noticed, May, there are wanted criminals out there, targeting this island. You think that's safe?" His grip on her shoulder tightened. "You think there won't be danger?"

"Your point?" Her hand shoved his away roughly. "I'm can take care of myself. I've dealt with these guys and Team Magma before. And," she raised her voice, "I didn't win those two tickets for nothing."

The beginning of "You can come any other time" died on his lips before he had a chance to utter it. "Fine," was what he really said, voice holding a cold edge. If she didn't want advice, he wouldn't bother her. Why did she always have to be so stupid? "If you get hurt, don't come crying to me for help."

"I never even considered the possibility," she retorted, and turned away.

There was considerable silence on the way to the Pokémon Center. Rafe walked between the two Coordinators, the tension in the air taut as a string.

He decided to test the string. "Something happen?" he inquired nonchalantly.

The string held. "Nothing," said May curtly. It was a clear ending to conversation.

The tension loosened a bit, however, when they reached the Center. A large crowd was gathered inside the expansive lobby, making a considerable amount of noise as the Nurse Joy and her Chansey struggled to assist all of them. From somewhere at the head of the mob, where the counter was supposed to be, came a very distressed female voice. "Yes... Sorry, we're a bit busy right now. Ah, please don't touch that! Yes, thank you."

"How long do you think this will take?" asked May, eyeing the mob.

"Maybe an hour," responded Rafe.

"I think probably two hours." She glanced at the clock on the wall and gave a sigh. "It's already nine. Do you want to get something to eat?" addressing only Rafe.

"Sure," said Rafe, standing, then stopped. "Drew, want to go?"

"No, I'm fine." He was gazing emotionlessly at the mob.

"Okay; if you're sure."

Undeterred by the numbers of tourists that filled the room making up the cafeteria of the Center, May and Rafe made their way through the crowd without too much difficulty. The line leading to the counter, though, promised a wait of at least an hour. The two contented themselves with taking their place at the end of the line, immediately behind a couple with their five-year-old child and a man loaded down with camping gear.

Deciding that it was a fairly good time, Rafe gave the question. "What happened between you two?"

May sighed, unwilling to relive the memories, "Basically, he was worried and asked me if I wanted to leave the island. I said no. He got angry about it, kind of, but I really don't think there's any real danger. After all," she added with some pride, "I was there when Ash, Pikachu and Lance stopped Aqua and Magma."

"Really?" Rafe perked up.

"Yeah." His smile urged her on. "It's interesting how Ash, Brock, Max and I got ourselves into so many 'dangerous' situations sometimes. We've met some other legendary Pokémon aside from Rayquaza and Deoxys. Kyogre and Groudon, for starters."

"Oh? Well, my gang and I have met some legendaries before, too," boasted Rafe, leaning nonchalantly on the handrail that kept the crowd in line. "I have quite a few interesting stories myself."

May grinned. "Oh, really? Well, let me tell you about the time we met a Jirachi..."

---

It was hard work to simply walk along the hallways of the Center, which, despite its size, was packed with what seemed to be the entire population of the island. As a lone figure attempted to push her way through the crowd, one could just barely hear her muffled excuse me's and please move thank you's coming from beneath a head of pinkish-red hair. When at last she managed to reach his side, Drew had already noticed her quite a while before.

"Mister Drew!" she gasped, turning a shade of pink. She was rather short, the top of her head coming only just up to his shoulder. "Oh, Mister Drew, I never thought I would see you here! Is... is it all right for me to talk to you?"

"Sure," said Drew, amused. "You didn't even have to ask."

"Th-thank you," she said earnestly, then stumbled when someone jostled her. "Oh! Sorry..."

"Brianna, right?" inquired Drew as the girl stood before him, unable to meet his gaze. "You and May competed at the Chrysanthemum Island contest."

"Yes," Brianna said breathlessly. "It's such an honor to be remembered by you, sir!"

"Sir"? What a fangirl she is, he thought, chuckling inwardly. How cute. "It's an honor to be remembered by you, too. Here on a tour?" he said quickly, changing the subject.

"Ah... no, actually," Brianna replied, seeming distracted. "I'm here on some business, actually."

"Oh."

"Are you... are you here on vacation?"

"Yes. May dragged me here. I hope she'll change her mind about staying."

"So May's here, too." For a moment the female coordinator looked both hopeful and a bit dejected at the same time. Drew had no time to analyze it, however, because she immediately plunged into the topic of Pokéblocks and what Berries and sizes and flavors and textures he liked to use and what kind of spas did he take his Pokémon to and did he ever use that shampoo on his Absol before? It really wasn't possible to think after that.

---

By the time Rafe and May had each had something to fill them up, the crowd in the front lobby was looking less dense. Only half of the original mob was still standing there, so it was simple for the two of them to find Drew standing near the front of the line. The girl accompanying him, however, was unexpected.

"Brianna?" May's excitement at seeing her old rival was more than obvious.

"May!" squealed Brianna, and the two shared a tight hug. "I just saw Mister Drew here and thought I should say hi, and turns out that you're here with him! Isn't it great?"

"It is!"

As the girls shared a brief moment of squeeness, Rafe took his place beside Drew. "Mind introducing us?"

"Ah, sure. Brianna, this is Rafe. He's pretty well-known as a trainer. Rafe, this is Brianna. She came close to defeating May in a contest before."

The girl seemed to notice Rafe for the first time and hurriedly stuck out a timid hand. "Nice to meet you," she said softly.

"The pleasure's all mine," responded Rafe, treating her to his warmest smile.

"Uh, y-yes," Brianna stuttered, blushing a red as dark as her hair. Drawing back slightly, she looked around at all three. "So. Um. Are all of you here together?"

"I'm here by myself," Rafe said quickly. "These two are here together."

May realized something. "Brianna, did you hear about--"

"--the contest in Lilycove? Yes! Congratulations! You're here because you have the tickets, right?"

"Yeah, I kind of dragged Drew here along with me," May admitted.

"Oh." For a second it seemed that she paused a bit longer than necessary, but her face soon brightened again.

"How may I help you?" asked the Nurse Joy at the front desk, still trying to look cheerful after a long afternoon.

"A room for the three of us, please," Drew said flatly, indicating Rafe, himself and May.

"Um, what about the young lady behind you?"

"Brianna here already has a room."

"Alright," sighed Nurse Joy, and began tapping at the keyboard of her computer.

"Wait!"

All heads turned to May.

"It... Well, we're not kids anymore, so it would be kind of awkward sharing a room with you and Rafe," May said timidly.

Nurse Joy's brow creased. "I'm sorry, but there are barely enough rooms for all of the guests we're having as it is."

"I can share my room with May," volunteered Brianna, noting the relieved expression on her friend's face. "It's totally fine."

"Really? Thanks, Brianna."

"I'll change the record for you, then."

While the two girls carried May's luggage to their room, May gave a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you can share your room with me."

"Oh, it's no problem," Brianna said cheerfully, unlocking the door. "You seem kind of down, though. Is it..." she leaned in conspiratorially, eyes flicking left and right, "...about Mr. Drew?"

"Not like that!" May retorted, cheeks turning pink. Sighing, she sat on the bed as Brianna closed the door behind her. "I had an argument with Drew today, so..."

"Oh. Is it okay for me to ask what it was about?"

A nod from May. "He was worried that the Aquas would attack again. He wanted us to leave the island, but I refused. That's all."

The red-haired girl was silent for a moment. Then suddenly she said, "Aren't you flattered that Mister Drew is worried about you, May?"

"About me? He..." May hesitated.

"Exactly. Why else would he tell you to leave?"

"What if he's just worried about himself and wants to use my leaving as an excuse to go?" May said helplessly.

"Does he really seem like that kind of person?" Brianna said more loudly than usual, crossing her arms. "Mister Drew isn't the kind of person to run away to save his own neck."

"What do you know?" To her own dismay, she found herself feeling annoyed at her roommate. "You're just a fangirl!"

"I told you before! Anybody can see that Mister Drew respects you more than any other Coordinator! Or... I mean..." she subsided a little, "he... likes you. More, I mean. Than he likes others."

May nodded numbly. For some reason her brain had decided to take a vacation right when she needed it.

Brianna fidgeted. "Um... I think I'll just go take a shower." With a hurried motion she stood and, gathering her pajamas and toiletries, rushed into the bathroom.

And May was now alone with her thoughts, which suddenly began crowding her mind as the other girl's words finally began to register.

Worrying about me... Would that count as worrying? She recalled the look in his eyes, the urgent way he had spoken to her. He doesn't really like me, does he? Not like that. We're just friends at best. Only...

We've known each other for years. We've been rivals since I was ten and he was eleven. We even traveled together for a while in Johto. And all those roses he gave me! Crap, what if he really does like me like that? I always said we were just friends, too. What if I hurt him every time I said that?

But he would've said something, wouldn't he?

May had never really thought of him, her greatest rival, in a romantic sense before. It was a shock to realize that, once she actually looked at him, she had to admit he had gorgeous green eyes and hair and a... a pretty good physique. And a pretty, somewhat feminine face. Though not too feminine, of course.

This is too confusing, said the saner half of her mind, while the rest of her ran around in circles in her head. I should sleep on it. Besides, Brianna could be wrong. She probably is.

I hope she is.