It was a hot summer day in Littleroot town, the town that couldn't be shaded any hue, or in general. The temperature had reached a particularly nasty high, and May was desperately trying to beat the heat. But it seemed that the heat was winning. May was now laying down in bed, having gathered barely enough energy to put on an old DVD and point all the fans in her general direction. It seemed that she spent all her time at home since summer began, most likely because the temperature was more bearable indoors. However, thanks to a nearby gang of vandals who had just gone to town on their air conditioner, such was no longer the case. But she was too exhausted to leave, and she did not have much in the way of reason for leaving. There was nothing to do here, after all, there were only three buildings in the entire town. And so she lay there, waiting for day to become night so that the sun would cease its brutal onslaught. Then, and only then, would she finally be calm, or at least a lot less sweaty.
This was a scene which repeated over and over again at May's house. Granted, there were many variables which changed from day to day. Sometimes, she went downstairs to get some food from the refrigerator, sometimes it was a CD, not a DVD, sometimes her brother saw the DVD, decided he liked the show, and watched it with her, May being too tired to complain about it, and sometimes, May just plain gave up and passed out on the living room couch. But it wasn't exactly common that, at nine in the evening, May's dad would knock on the door and announce that the family was going on vacation.
"May! Max! Caroline!"
The three gathered in the living room. Max turned off his video game, Caroline turned away from the TV, and May came stumbling down the stairs. They all sat on the sofa while Norman gave them the news.
"Guess what! I got us all tickets to Kanto. We'll be headed to Cerulean tomorrow for vacation. May, Max, pack up your things, we're leaving the house at seven in the morning."
The two children shouted "All right!" in unison and ran back to their bedrooms, packing everything they thought they'd need. Radios, handheld games, music, videos, and, just in case, both their swimsuits. Max had a pair of green swimming trunks, and, May, following a particularly embarrassing incident which involved a paint mixer, a carburetor, and several thousand paper clips, was happy to get a new orange one-piece, even happier when she went to her bedroom and realized the swimsuit fit.
She slept with difficulty that night. It wasn't the sunlight, which, at half-past ten, wouldn't have been much of a problem. It was the morning ahead. She was going to Kanto, for Christ's sake, why wouldn't she be wired? She had seen the region beyond her home, been to Sinnoh once or twice, even lived in Johto before her family made the move, but seeing Kanto from the other end of her PC monitor would be a major achievement. Even better, it was Cerulean City, home of the legendary leader Misty. She could hardly wait to meet the lady, after all, she was a huge fan, and this would rank pretty high up there among the good memories she'd take to the grave. Considering all this, it would be easy to imagine why exactly this was the longest seven and a half hours of her life.
She barely slept at all that night, even though she showed no signs of it at six the next morning. She singled out all the stuff in her bag that she was taking with her and the stuff she was keeping at her house. She filed it down to several CDs, a couple DVDs, a portable player with headphones, two Pokémon, and a towel, with a video game thrown in for good measure. The swimsuit, however, she was already wearing, her usual gear on over it. Her brother had done the same thing to his luggage, albeit not bringing the exact same CDs, nor was he taking the exact same DVDs, the exact same towel, the exact same video game, or the exact same swimsuit.
After a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs, cooked by Caroline, the four were off. It was May who showed them the shortcut to Slateport, taking them all there on her trusty Wartortle. It was a bit of a problem getting all four of them to agree to it, and an even bigger problem trying to load all four of them, luggage and all on her beloved housepet, but, still, somehow, they crossed the river, soaked, covered in dirt and plant matter, and short on time, according to May's PokéNav. They went running at full speed to make up for any lost time, bolting past the Trick Master's place, past the terminal for the bike route, through the gate to Slateport, and past the Battle Tent, the Fan Club, and the museum. When they made it to the docks, they were all panting and wheezing for want of oxygen, and, all in all, getting there about ten minutes early.
After a brief period of time, the four walked into the S. S. Tidal, where they were shown their rooms. May and Max ended up getting a room together, with Norman and Caroline getting a room separate from the two.
The two pairs headed to their respective rooms. May and Max were taking off the clothing they put on over their swimsuits. May was just about to take off her shirt and reveal the swimsuit underneath. However, she began feeling the combined effects of air conditioning and fatigue and promptly thought twice, falling face-first into her bed. "What's up, May?" asked a confused Max, already down to his trunks. But by then, May was fast asleep. "Her loss, I guess." Max said to himself, applying several pounds of sunscreen in order to keep from getting burned and strapping a pair of goggles around his head. He picked up his towel and ran out of the bedroom.
Maybe it was the fact that the air conditioner worked, maybe it was the slow, rocking motion of the boat, maybe it was the fact that Cerulean city was at hand, maybe it was simply exhaustion, maybe it was one of many things, but whatever it was, it resulted in May sleeping a large part of the day away. It wasn't until late into the evening that she woke up, and, then again, not without a little outside help.
It was a fun day at the pool for Max, who had just toweled off and was now returning to his room when he bumped into Norman and Caroline, just back from the dance hall.
"Hey, Mom and Dad."
"Hi, Max." replied Caroline. "Have you seen May?"
"She's probably still asleep. I'll go check our room."
"Well, if she's still in there," Norman responded. "Tell her the boat's about to moor at Vermillion, and to meet us at the exit."
"Will do." replied Max. He continued along the path to his and May's room, knocking loudly on the bedroom door. "Hey, May! Wake up, we're here!" No response. He opened the door and gave his wake-up shout once again. No effect. But he had to do something, so he slammed the door behind him as loud as he could. Only after this did May, slowly but surely, begin to stir before rolling out of bed and hitting the floor hard.
"*groan* What time is it?'
"It's 7:45 in the evening, May."
"...Wow.... I slept in late..."
"Dad wanted me to tell you we're almost there. We're supposed to meet up with him and Mom at the way out."
"Already?" May got up and dusted herself off. "You know where the exit is?"
"I'm pretty sure... Follow me."
With a newfound will to live, she packed her bags and followed Max's lead. She didn't even lumber. It took a while, but they were finally there, and they finally found their parents. The four could see the docks growing at a faster and faster rate, and neither one could wait. When the foghorn finally went off and the gates swung open, they were the first to leave the boat.
Vermillion was no doubt colder than Littleroot, as the wind blew straight from the ocean, bringing the temperature with it, but it was not exactly calm. It was a bustling city, not like May's tiny hometown. The chatter of everyday life was a lot more prevalent here, even pile drivers hard at work while an old man and his Machop just stood and stared, side by side, smiles on both their faces. It was May who, after consulting her PokéNav, advised that the group take the north Underground Path, as Saffron was easy to get lost in, and the other two ways out of Vermillion, Diglett's cave and Route 11, were nowhere near as direct. But the Underground Path went right there, which was desirable for all of them. They went up route 6, went up to a booth, and, after fair warning from a security guard, realized the major drawback to the Underground Path.
"Um, sis?" said Max. "I can't see my hand in front of my face."
"I hate to say this, May," said Norman to a section of the staircase, "but he's right."
"How are we supposed to know where to go," said Caroline, her voice echoing down the hall, "If we can't tell which direction we're-"
"Ow! Watch the ring, honey!" said Norman, rubbing his eye, which had been poked something fierce by an errant hand gesture.
"Oh, sorry, dear." she replied, realizing what she had just hit.
And so on and so forth, until Norman got them to the other doorway by having them form a human chain. Caroline held onto Norman's hand, pinching his nose somewhere in the process, May held onto Caroline's shoulder, having given up all hope of locating her mother's free hand, and Max, trying hard not to do anything mortifying under the circumstances, made a grab for the hem of May's shirt and hung on, distancing himself as far as he could without pulling.
It wasn't long after this that they found the exit, and having cleared this obstacle, they decided to quit hanging on to one another and walked the route. In less than 10 minutes, they were there. The hotel wasn't too far off, so it only took another 10 for them to go and check their reservations. Five minutes later, they were at their hotel room, the children getting a separate bedroom, which was, technically speaking, the living room, and the adults getting a smaller bedroom. They were on the ground floor, but there was still a balcony. And the first thing May did was run out to it. It was on level with the street, so somebody could easily climb over it, but the window to the balcony could be locked or unlocked, so there was nothing for May to worry about. She looked around. She saw the street up close. It was late, so there weren't as many people passing by, but she could still see the nearby gym, now with a community pool beside it. She noticed something odd: There seemed to be a door between the two.
Any clue's better than none, she thought, deciding to explore this potential method to meet her idol tomorrow. For now, she didn't see anybody there, after all, it was about nine o'clock when her family got here. Best to just stay in the hotel for a while.
She went back to the receptionist's desk and took one of the complimentary muffins out of the bowl. It was double chocolate chip, and though it was taxing, she was able to resist until she reached her and Max's bedroom. She set the muffin down on her bed, which was to the right of the door to the hallway, and proceeded to change into her pajamas. Even if she didn't take off her swimsuit, that wouldn't change how embarrassed her brother was over her changing in front of him. He insisted on facing the wall on his side of the bedroom until it was over. Whether he was shielding his eyes or hiding his face, then as red as a turnip, was unknown. She picked up the remote and sat down in her bed. Then, and only then, did Max decide the coast was clear. An old cartoon was playing on the TV, one of their favorite shows. As May scarfed down the chocolate delight, Max gazed upon the screen with rapt attention. After May finished her muffin, tossing out the wrapper, she too began staring at the television. They didn't even know they had fallen asleep until the next morning.
It was about 9:00 when they woke up. They realized that they had left the TV on all night, and worse, the TV was playing some of the least excusable drivel they had seen in a long time. Neither one could believe that this was the same channel. But then they realized- It wasn't. May had left the remote in her bed overnight. When she rolled over it in her sleep, the channel changed, and as she unknowingly kept her weight on the remote control's channel button, the channel kept changing until she rolled off. After a little correction, she got it back to their favorite channel, but, sadly, it was too late. They weren't playing those old cartoons they liked anymore. So she changed the channel again. It wasn't old 1940's cartoons, but it would do for Max, who sat and watched TV while May ran out of the bedroom. He didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, except that May had her swimsuit on when she jumped out of bed.
Granted, it was not unusual to see children in swimsuits this close to a community pool, but usually, they were nowhere near as determined as she. She ran down the halls to get out of the hotel, almost punching out the dumbwaiter along the way, dashing through the gates and making a hard left. It wasn't easy to run in a pair of flip-flops, and the towel she was carrying along sure added to the drag, but May wouldn't give in. It would be quite ridiculous if she did, after all, the pool, and, by extension, Misty, was only a block away.
She went up to the gates and paid a small toll before setting her towel and sandals on a lawn chair. She didn't go swimming first thing after, though. She decided to rest for a while. Fortunately, there was shade nearby, and the vending machine was full. She put in a few coins, got herself a granola bar, and sat down by the machine to eat. She had just finished the granola bar when a creaking noise attracted her attention. She looked straight forward and saw the door to the gym swing open. A young woman about two years May's senior came out of the door. She was wearing a blue bikini and a pair of slippers. She had blue bracelets on both wrists. She had a towel draped around her shoulders. But what May noticed most was the teenager's hair. It was a light brunette, but the sun seemed to make it even lighter. The way she had done it was even more distinctive. It was a short ponytail, but what made it all the more identifiable was that it was done up in the left side of her head.
When May noticed the hairdo she knew just who the lady was. "HEY, MISTY!!!" she stood up and shouted, waving an arm in the air. While swimsuit-clad children waving and shouting Misty's name were nothing new for her, she recognized this one. They had met before. She walked towards the edge of the pool further away from the door and walked up to May.
"Hey, you're Norman's kid, right?"
May, who was trying far too hard to keep her cool, began stuttering. "Er... um... yeah..."
Misty, on the other hand, had never lost it. "Uh... kid? Why are you so nervous?"
May, now more worried than ever about giving a good first impression, was incredibly horrified to realize that she was no longer capable of forming consonants. Misty realized this and put a hand on her shoulder. This caused May to shudder noticeably, gasping loudly, her pupils dilating to the size of half-dollar coins, but she relaxed soon after. After May calmed down, Misty decided it was safe to speak.
"Look, May, you don't have to try to impress me. Just be yourself, okay?" she said before taking her hand off May's shoulder.
"...All right," said May, her head finally cleared. "It's just that... you... I... uh... There's just so much I want to talk to you about, I..." Her voice trailed off from there.
"I'll be on my break in a couple of hours." said Misty. "Maybe we could talk then?"
"All right." replied May, with a newfound energy. The two shook hands and Misty climbed onto the lifeguard's tower. She turned off the radio before putting on a CD from home and powering the device back on again. The music reminded May of the old games she used to play as a child. She took a little time to listen and tried hard not to run as she went to one of the diving boards. When she got there, she took a forceful leap and off one of the boards and hollered "CANNONBALL!"
As Misty sat upon her post, she watched over all of the people, as a lifeguard is supposed to do, but when she looked at May, she was smiling. Break time was going to be fun.
May was having a ball in the water, both literally and figuratively, as the kids were hurling a beach ball that Misty, who worked as the staff, kept for such purposes. There were all sorts of pool toys, and in the cold of the pool, May, quite the water sport herself, joined in all the games. She had such a wonderful time that it wasn't long before she lost track of it. Who could blame her? Fortunately, if she wasn't minding the time, the lifeguard was.
"Hey you!" shouted Misty. May turned her head to face the tower. "Outta the pool!" Misty continued. May was confused about the whole ordeal, that is, until Misty winked at her before climbing down the lifeguard tower. After may realized that Misty was on her break, she clambered out of the pool, got her towel, leaving her sandals behind, and followed. She went after Misty, who had just sat down under an umbrella, having pulled another chair beside her so that the two could talk. When she sat down in the empty chair, she was a lot more relaxed than when the two first met, as she realized that a façade was no longer necessary. She was the first to ask a question.
"Hey, Misty?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I noticed the door on the side of the gym. Do you... own the pool?"
Misty smiled. "Right you are. I run the place with all the prize money. It's just me and the volunteers."
"Volunteers?"
"We get people asking to work here all the time. Maintenance, lifeguards, everything but swimming lessons and the kitchen sink."
"Why not swimming lessons?"
"That's my job. A lot of people come here, and they all want to learn from me. It's actually pretty surprising, considering Wallace and Wake. I mean, who doesn't want to take swimming lessons from a pro wrestler or a pretty-boy contest star?"
"Well, to be fair," replied May, "you were doing it first. And besides, please don't take this the wrong way, but you are pretty good-looking."
Misty snickered a bit. "Thanks. I could say the same for you." she replied. May's face turned red as a cherry. Misty took one look at May's face and continued speaking. "I love doing that." But then it was her turn to ask a question. "Was Ash as big a problem with you?"
"What do you mean?" asked May?
"Well, a couple years back, he was a real problem kid. He was every bit as intelligent as a chewed-up sandal, and had more ego problems then you could shake a psychiatrist at."
"Really. How did you two meet?"
"He broke my bike. I never really got him to pay for the sucker, and besides, he stole one of my fishing lures. Heaven knows what he does with it. And it sure doesn't help that he kept brandishing a Caterpie at me. I mean, eventually, you get used to it, I almost regret leaving him and his horndog pal-"
"Brock?"
"Exactly. It was almost a shame to leave, but they'd rip this place down if I didn't."
"Wow. I can see why you left him, then. Yes, he was a problem. The boy was thick as a vault. He thought I was ten the whole trip, for Christ's sake!"
"How old are you?"
"...Fourteen. We met a year ago."
"Nope." said Misty. "He hasn't changed a bit."
"Hey, do you get any really creepy people in your line of work?"
"I'd be surprised if there was one week I didn't!" said Misty, laughing and rattling off a list of stalkers, perverts, and other such people.
The conversation continued for quite some time, covering such topics as bad neighbors, villainous organizations, and rivals both in battle and contests. The two were close friends by the time Misty's next shift was up. But it did come up, and Misty was as disappointed as May was.
"Hey, sorry, May, but I gotta go. My shift's up next, and I really should go back to being lifeguard.
"...Okay..."
"Look, we can meet up again tomorrow. Hey, maybe then we can battle over at the gym? I'll give you the Cascade Badge if you win."
"I'll be there." promised May, getting up out of her seat, her towel wrapped around her swimsuit. After a little while, she successfully found her sandals and walked back to her hotel room, feeling quite accomplished. She hung her towel, now more than twice its original weight, on the bathroom towel rack and then went straight to bed, a huge smile on her face. Needless to say, Max was a little curious, but he decided not to ask. However, when Norman and Caroline returned to the hotel at about two in the afternoon, no doubt from an adventure of their own, Norman couldn't resist asking her surprisingly cheerful daughter just what was up.
"I met up with Misty again. We're going to battle tomorrow."
"That's my girl!" replied Norman, patting her on the back. "I know it's early, but what do ya say to noodles for dinner? My treat!"
Both children cheered loudly.
A couple of hours later, the four were dining on chicken and udon, enjoying themselves while a movie played on the TV. It was one of the family's favorite movies, but it was only funny because it wasn't true. They all agreed that if it were true, it would be pretty horrifying. After all, it would really stink if they were the smartest people on earth. After they were all done, stuffed full of wheat and poultry, and tired, they went to their beds much happier. Caroline for reasons unknown, Norman because his daughter was about to continue along his path, May because she had just met her idol, and Max because his favorite show was now on. He changed the channel to the right place.
"I feel... good... about how today went, GIR."
The next morning, May woke up with a high level of energy, putting her usual suit over the swimsuit, even lacing up her running shoes and picking up both her Pokéballs. She picked up her towel and ran for the pool. While she was going a lot faster, she was nowhere near as haphazard. The dumbwaiter was safe this time. May passed the gate to the pool, instead going straight to the gym. Despite her best efforts, she almost shoved the announcer into the water before running straight up to Misty. She was too fast for the other trainers to even notice.
But then, just before challenging Misty, she stopped and took a look at the gym. It was practically flooded, but it had a shallow end and a deep end, just like the pool. She noticed the door to her left. Under it was a three-foot-by-three-foot steel grating. From here, it was pretty evident that the water circulated between the pool and the gym. The place was covered with shiny tiles, with the exception of the walls. Light came in from several windows, the result being that two-foot squares of light shone through and refracted in the water. She looked down at the water. It seemed cool and inviting. Even more impressive was the music. It said a lot more with a lot less. The music seemed to add to the atmosphere, make it even more bewildering. With the resonating choir, the violins, and who knew what else, she might as well have been walking through the chapel to the altar. She could only stare up at the ceiling, which bore an intricate painting of a Milotic side by side with a Gorebyss and surrounded by Luvdiscs, as the music played. Then she blinked. She realized where she was and stared down at the water once again She was tempted to take off a shoe and dip her toe in the water. But she had, as they say in France, other Meowths to flog.
She continued along the path, just a little more to the right, eyes on the water the whole time until her foot hit something. She looked down to see a pedestal with three separate heights, for three separate places in a match. The shortest was labeled three, medium, two and she saw Misty's feet on the tallest, number one. It was then that May realized, in her bewilderment-fueled stupor, that she had gotten way too close. She backed away slowly, blushing like never before, and bowed. "Hello. I would like a battle with you"
"Why so formal?" asked Misty, although they both knew: May was ashamed for making a fool of herself in front of a Gym leader. "Doesn't matter." continued Misty before realizing something. "Geez, for all this talk about trying to impress me, you'd think I'd quit trying to impress you." she said. At this point, the lush ambient came to a sudden halt, an exhilarating chiptune track soon taking place. "There we go! Now! Quagsire!"
"Venusaur! That's your cue!" shouted May.
And they were off. Venusaur's brutal onslaught did not cease, and the same could be said of Misty's aquatic armada. Blows were exchanged, medicine chugged, and injuries no doubt sustained. As full speed breakbeats and old handheld melodies filled the hall, the duo sparred off for what felt like an hour, all coming up to the moment of truth. They were both beat down, as were their prized companions, their supplies of potions exhausted. Venusaur was almost ready to give out, even if Wartortle was able to shoulder the burden for a little while before wearing out itself. But Misty had one last pokémon up her sleeve.
"Go! Starmie!"
The Starmie whizzed around like a circular saw with rabies, in stark contrast to May's exasperated beast. May knew that Venusaur wouldn't last for long. She noticed the light of the outdoors was shining through the window but as she looked around, she noticed that one of the panels of light was directly on top of Venusaur. She gave one last command of her trusted friend, gambling desperately for lack of a better idea.
"Solarbeam!"
The Venusaur made quite a show of itself, about as imposing and suspenseful as a newly forged invention, which could either whir to life to fulfill its purpose or collapse before it even got there. Misty was too scared of the spectacle to respond, but eventually, she, too, cleared her head.
"Starmie! Ice Bea-"
But it was too late. Before Misty could even finish her command, a bright beam came shooting out of Venusaur's mouth and directly into the center of its enemy, aiming straight for its core, like a punch in the stomach. The Starmie never saw it coming. Nobody did, really, not until Starmie had bounced off the wall and fallen into the pool.
"Good going, Starmie." said Misty, placing the unconscious multi-appendaged being back in its pokéball. She then turned to face her challenger. "I'm proud of you, May. No one else I've met has pulled off such an entertaining match. Take this Cascade Badge" she said, handing May a teardrop-shaped pin, which she put on her shirt, "And stand proud." Misty continued, stepping down to second place, leaving the first place for May. May took her place and stood proud as the song faded to silence, realizing at that moment that what felt like over an hour was really less than six minutes. Upon this realization, she bust out laughing.
The next song came in right after. It was a calming piece, the main focus here being the videogame melody, as well as a man, both narrating the way to a utopia that the Misty always wished would come. "I love this music." said Misty. "It reminds me of when I first started taking this job." May and Misty both stood there, savoring the moment. It was a time of calm for them both, albeit one that only lasted four and a half minutes.
Finally, Misty spoke up. "Hey, are you wearing your swimsuit?"
"Yes." said May. "Why?"
"You wanna go for a dip in the gym?" Misty asked. After a long pause, Misty continued. "It's okay. You deserve it."
May, after registering this piece of information, took off her clothing, revealing her swimsuit, leaving her clothes in a heap on the first place pedestal, and jumped into the deep end. She was right. The water was cool and inviting. Misty hurled herself into the blue soon after, still happy from the bout. The two began splashing each other mercilessly, as people do in pools, so it was no surprise when another of the trainers got involved and decided to retaliate. This bout eventually spread to everyone in the gym, even the front door announcer, who dove in while still fully clothed. All of a sudden, a whole 'nother fight was breaking loose, albeit one without strategy, organization, or winners. By the end of this, they were all tired, hanging from the edge, side by side. May looked at the window and was surprised to see the sun and clouds replaced with moon and stars. Day had changed to night and May hadn't even noticed. She was too busy having fun. But when she saw the window, she decided she had to leave.
"Well, gotta go, Misty." said May, swimming up to the pedestal and clambering up the wall nearby. "Thanks for letting me swim here, I haven't had this much fun in a while."
"You're welcome." said Misty as May, soaked and dripping as she was, picked up her things. "It did the same for me. See you tomorrow?"
"You know it!" shouted May as she ran out the door, still barefoot.
The town looked a lot different under cloak of night. Flashing lights all over the place, people driving back to their homes after a long day, the beautiful starry sky way up above May's head... under cloak of night, the town took on a newfound beauty in her eyes. May finally quit staring up and hurried to the hotel. She opened the place up, slowly finding her room, key in one hand, clothes and things under the other arm. When she opened the door, she did so slowly, so as not to wake up Max, who had fallen asleep in front of the TV.
"♪Once there was a little girl, a girl who could make fiends,
She kept the whole town terrified, the girl who could make-♫" *click*
She turned off the television. Normally, she would have stayed up and watched, this was a favorite show, but for now, she felt exhausted, and rather accomplished. These two combined caused May to just plain crash, perfectly content and at everlasting peace.
"...May? Where's May?"
May awoke groggily, her mother and father turning the place over. It wasn't until they saw an arm coming out of the covers that they realized- she was there all along.
"There you are." said Caroline. "Where were you?"
"I was at Cerulean Gym."
"For the entire day?" asked Norman.
"I sparred off with Misty. After the battle, she invited me to swim on gym grounds. I figured I wouldn't get to do that everyday. So, I dove in. We and the swimmers, even the announcer at the front door, we all had a good time. I guess I just got carried away. We all did, really. I didn't know it was late 'till I looked out the window."
"So," asked Norman. "How was the match?"
May held up her shirt, taking it out of the pile next to her bed. She put it up in such a way that the Cascade Badge was in plain view. Norman smiled, but then realized: "Um, May, are you-" May pulled the blanket off one of her shoulders to reveal an orange strap. "Oh. Never mind. Hey, don't worry. That's what vacations are all about. Hey, are you going to the pool again?"
"Yeah, why not?" said May, looking out the window to realize that it was morning again.
"That's my girl. I'll see you later. Hey, you know we pack up tomorrow, right?"
"We do now." replied May and Max.
May jumped out of bed, not even getting breakfast. She went straight to the pool and went to the vending machine, chomping on a granola bar after paying a few quarters' worth. Though the 8-bit siren song was hard to resist, driving May to hurry up, finish eating and hurl herself off the deep end. While she was an experienced watersport, nothing would prepare her for the wrath of three jealous boys. They cornered her at the 12-foot drop, giving her no room to climb up.
"Hey, you're Norman's kid, right?" the burlier and angrier of the three spoke.
"Yeah." replied May. "What's it to ya?"
"Now look here." the boy spoke up. "I know you and Misty are tight, and I wanna tell you now, Misty's my woman, and nobody's gonna take my woman away from me. Especially not another woman. If you don't promise to leave on foot, you're gonna leave in a casket. Ya hear me?"
"Sir, I don't know what you're talking about-"
"Don't play dumb with me!"
"I'm not trying to take anyone from anyone-"
"Famous last words!" hollered the boy, who joined his flunkies in trying to drown her.
"HELP! SOMEONE!" shouted Misty, thrashing and flailing to escape the boys. "SOMEONE! ANYONE! MISTY! [b]HELP![/i]" At this point, the boys worked even harder to try and suppress this threat to their manliness. May tried harder and harder to counter it, but her body finally gave out. She slowly sank to the bottom, unable to swim to the top. She saw someone swimming to her aid. A brunette, about two years her senior, with a short ponytail on the left side of her head. It was Misty, coming to her rescue. She remembered all the good times she had with her. A smile crossed her face as she began to pass out. The last thought she had before losing consciousness was on how the lifeguard looked just like a mermaid.
The next thing she knew, she was on her back on the edge of the pool. As everything slowly came into focus, she saw Misty bent over her, about to give her mouth-to-mouth. Her eyes widened. She turned her head over to one side, coughing up and snorting large amounts of water. The feeling of the chlorinated pool water traveling past her sinuses was uncomfortable, to say the least. Misty stood up as May flopped to her stomach, got up on all fours, and proceeded to cough the rest of the water out of her lungs. She slowly got up, wobbling this way and that as she stood.
"...Are the boys gone?"
"Yes." said Misty. "They won't hurt you again. I promise. Let's go over to the gym. You'll be a lot safer there."
May nodded, following Misty through the side door. There was no music playing today, as the sound system had blown out about an hour prior and now sounded horrible. It had tried too hard to perform its job, and in doing so, it failed. When May walked in, she didn't feel like taking the deep end anymore. She went to the shallow end near the front door, where the water was shallow enough that it came up to her neck when she sat down. Misty realized this and sat down next to her. She was just a little curious as to why May was so depressed all of a sudden. But before she could ask, May began to speak.
"...Who was that boy?"
At first, the answer seemed simple to Misty. The two had spent a lot of time together, and they were both very happy being with one another. They regularly went out on dates over by the mad scientist's place. But then she considered the bad. The boy was overly protective, scaring off anyone Misty tried to make friends with. Then he would yell at her for making friends with them. Then she looked back on what just happened. He had almost taken the life of another, another female, even, just to keep her faithful. Then it all became clear. To him, she wasn't a lover. To him, she was a possession, and he was trying hard to keep her in line. She decided that she wasn't going to take it anymore.
"He is... my ex." Misty was proud of herself for clearing the hurdle. She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a sixteen-ton weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Seeing this calmed May down herself, even lifted her spirits to what they once were again.
"Hey, Misty!" she shouted. "Race ya to the other side!"
May pushed off the wall, Misty soon after. But Misty made up for this in terms of speed. By the halfway mark, they were both neck and neck, the race perfectly capable of going either way. By the three-quarter mark, Misty was ahead, but May was gaining fast. And at the last, it looked as if Misty was going to win, but, right out of nowhere, May began racing at full speed. She grabbed the edge of the pool-just at the same time as Misty. They both realized this, looking at each other and smiling. As they hung off the railing, May looked below her. The tiles of the pool were far below her. She saw this, and her smile got even bigger. She was more confident, proud of herself for making a major leap herself. If Misty wasn't going to let a boy get her down, why should May? The two continued swimming laps, each enjoying the other's presence, happy to be there with the other. This eventually extended to races with the leader's three trainers. The two accepted it. Eventually, the announcer out front began timing and calling off these matches. They all accepted that. The announcer stripped down to an undershirt and boxers and dove in, requesting that Misty, May, and the trainers time him. They all obliged, considering it humorous. He did well, considering.
But as with every great show, it had to come to an end. May watched the sunset through the window and climbed out of the pool. "Hey, Misty?" she asked, dangling her legs over the edge and staring at the tiles on the bottom.
"What's up, May?" asked Misty, swimming up to the edge and hanging from it by her arms.
"Misty, I gotta tell you, you've been a real help and all, but I've got to go. I pack my bags for Hoenn tomorrow. I figured I should thank you while I still have the chance. So, thank you. Thanks for everything."
Misty smiled, but her eyes showed a downcast look. "Well... You're welcome. You've helped me out a lot, too."
The two shook hands and May went, for what Misty was sure would be the last time, out that side door to the pool. She walked away, happy to have seen her hero, but depressed as well. She wanted to stay longer. A lot longer. She went to her hotel room, entered the bathroom, and toweled off. She finally took off her swimsuit, trading it in for a pair of pajamas she had brought in with her. As she came out of the bathroom and stuffed her bathing suit in her bag, Max noticed the look of depression on her face.
"Was it a bad day?" he asked.
"Yes it was," replied May, "But it was a good day, too." She sat in bed, watching television with Max. It was an old show they had on tape. May always played it as a kid, and Norman considered it passing the torch when she played it for Max.
♪Oh, beyond the last mountain, the very last mountain,
The very last zinica zanica dream,
Beyond the last whoomph bush, the very last whoomph bush,
There is a vaculess vacant prarie.
Oh, the prarie of Prax,
And the tale of the Zax.♫
The two shared a truly sincere moment together as siblings, something they hadn't done in a while. May remembered the look of happiness on Max's face, back when he was four and she was nine, and how it made her feel. Max remembered the look on May's face as she showed him the old film, and how it made him feel happy, too. The two just stared at the TV set as memories of their happy childhoods together came flooding back. And when the old cartoon was over, Max changed the channel.
"[/i]-♪another girl who wanted to be friends,
Vendetta cannot stand her, so she plots her end.♫[/i]"
After sharing a moment to look at the past, the two decided to look at the present. They checked out the program. It turned out this was a new episode. They both watched together, laughing in unison, smiling in unison, and shouting all the strangest things in response. And they did it together as one. And when it was over, they both exchanged high-fives and went to bed. It was getting kind of late anyway.
When May woke up the next morning, she noticed everyone was gone. She saw some notes on the door, all taped in place.
Out getting a sandwich
-Norman
Went out for breakfast
-Caroline
Went to the shop for some candy
-Max
May snickered at the last one, but then she realized- she had full run until they came back. She put a CD in her portable player, leaving the built-in speaker to do the work. She cranked the volume on the machine and programmed it to shuffle.
Sit back now, relax, and be transported for a few seconds-
She promptly turned off the player. She didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea. She switched to the CD she wanted, going through the same routine.
♪Something's wiggling, something's wriggling, something's feeling queeeeeer,
It's a prick-♫
And the song stopped there. May smiled, for that meant that this was the right CD. She changed into plain clothes, having enough sense to pack underwear with her. She put all her stuff away to some of the strangest tunes, exalting everything from trains and noodles to porkchops and assertiveness, but then she looked back on what she was missing out on. She would miss the hotel room, and that great community pool. She would miss the town, with its beauty and charm. And more importantly, she would miss the lifeguard who had been of such great aid. She would miss it all, but she remembered: Nothing lasts forever. Nothing can stay. It was fun leaving her tiny backwoods place, but she had to return.
When she packed, storing everything but the CD and the player, she stood at the balcony. Another short piece of nonsense played, composed entirely of phone calls, followed by what started out as an 80's tune. May saw Misty running towards her at full pace as this piece played. She was just out of the pool gates when the supporting beam fell out from under the 20-year-old love song. Misty was at the other end of the block when the song started falling apart, with nothing under it to hold it up. She was halfway there when the entire track fell over, causing an avalanche. She was all the way to the balcony when the song had almost fallen all over itself. And right at the end, when the dust had settled and the song was but an enormous heap, she did the strangest thing: She wrapped her arms around May's shoulders and then, eyes closed, began kissing her, right on the lips.
As a choir announced the next track, May reviewed the situation.
♪♫
This is Tranquility Base. The eagle has landed.
♪♫
Her model, her hero, the one who inspired her, was now giving her a kiss.
Jesus H. Christ, Houston... we're on the @$#&ing Moon, over.
♪♫
It was a passionate kiss, one often associated with true, undying love.
Roger, Tranquility, we copy that, we cannot believe you are on the @%*#ing Moon, repeat, cannot *$&^ing believe it, over.
♪♫
It seemed as though she was asking 'Are you the one? The one I've been looking for?'
You are clear to hook up lunar equipment conveyor to walk- @*$%ing walk- on the Moon, over.
♪♫
And May was asking the same in her mind. She considered their time together.
Holy... living... %&^$. Are you @#$*ing believing this, over?
We read you, over.
♪♫
She remembered how much fun it was being with her. She had the best time ever around her. No two days were the same in her company.
I abso-%&^#ing-lutely am standing on the surface of the *^@#ing Moon.
Misty was kind, caring, and genuinely made her feel safe. More importantly, she taught May things that she'd never learn at school.
I am talking to you from the surface of the *#^@ing Moon.
What's more, she made her feel accepted, and she knew she would keep her in good care.
Jesus H. Christ in a chicken basket.
♪♫
And what was most important was this: Misty loved her. And so she decided that yes, she was the one. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Misty, holding her gently by the midsection.
Uh... Holy ^$&%, Tranquility. Holy mother of *#^@.
♪♫
The %*#$ing Moon, over.
They were together at last, both deeply in love. Nothing could come between the two, even as their kiss drew to a close and a piano began to play.
♪Jack Frost roasting on an open fire,♫
The two held hands and looked into each other's eyes, staring into one another's souls on either end of the balcony wall.
♪Chestnuts nipping at your nose,♫
They stood up and hugged each other once more, their hearts close to one another, beating together as one.
♪Yuletide carols being sung like Eskimos,
Everybody knows, tiny faces all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight. ♫
And then the door creaked open. It was Max, with a half-pound bag of jellybeans in one hand and the keys in another.
"Hey, May, How's it been-huh?" he said, startling the two lovers back into reality.
♪And every mother's child is gonna slay
Every reindeer on his way.♫
May, not ashamed in the least, turned to face Max, one arm slung over Misty's back. "Misty, this is my brother Max."
♪And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to two:♫
"Hi, Max." said Misty, waving.
♪Although it's been said many times, many ways,♫
"Max, this is my girlfriend Misty."
♪We'll find it hard to sleep tonight.♫
"Hi, Mist-GIRLFRIEND!?" Max was evidently thrown off by the whole thing. The player whirred to a halt.
"I know it's weird, Max, but it happens sometimes."
"...Okay." Max nodded and shook Misty's hand. It wasn't what he expected, but may was his sister, after all, what reason would he have not to respect it? In fact, he was proud of May. Not only was his sister a lesbian, she just plain went up and admitted it. She was completely and totally unafraid to be who she was. And in Max's mind, that took a lot of guts.
May and Misty kissed again, right in front of Max, but then Misty had a question. "Hey, May, may I see your PokéNav?"
"Sure." said May, taking the device out of her pocket and handing it to Misty. She smiled as Misty proceeded to enter her contacts into the device.
"Here you go." said Misty, returning the machine to its rightful owner "Call me when you get home."
"Okay. See ya later!" said May.
"Bye, darlin'!" said Misty before giving her one last hug and returning to the gym.
Max saw Misty walk down the street, a smile on her face. He turned to May and spoke up. "That was a brave thing you did. I'm proud of you." He said. "You could have just as easily tried to cover that up, but you didn't. Good job." He shook May's hand with a feeling of genuine respect.
"All right," said May, "But don't tell Mom and Dad before I do."
"Don't worry, I won't."
"All right, but just to be sure..." said May, thinking up a suitable punishment. "...It's gonna be mighty hard convincing our parents you don't buy those CDs for the cover art."
"Look, if you, at age thirteen, were able convince a boy that you're eleven years old-"
"Come on, we both know that Ash has the wisdom and maturity of discount carpeting."
"Oh." said Max, realizing that he had lost the argument. "There is that. Anyway, it's agreed. I'll leave you to do the admission." He nodded his head and the two shook on this promise.
Within a little while, the parents came in. Max tied off the bag and stuffed it in his luggage, May picked up her bags, and the four walked down the hall. They all felt satisfied as they checked out of the hotel room, the parents for witnessing a major chapter in the daughter's life, the son for witnessing yet another chapter, one even more major, and the daughter for these chapters which had taught her so much.
When they got in the boat to Hoenn, May didn't do much. She just stared at the TV that was in the bedroom, watching a marathon of an old program. And when she was done, well into the evening, she handed the remote to Max. What a trip that was... She never figured that a family vacation could be so much fun.
Much later, the boat moored at Slateport, and just as they went from Littleroot to there, they took the same way back. However, as they weren't in a hurry, the travel was a lot less stressed. They just took May's Wartortle back and forth, from one end to the other of the river, bags and all. And when they were done, they took the Wartortle with, slowly going down Oldale, past the tall grass, and all the way home. When they got back, they all enjoyed a good meal of beans and rice and went to their bed chambers. May was glad to have her own bedroom again. Then she remembered that she had something to do. She picked up her PokéNav and called Misty.
"Hey, honey."
Norman, who had been passing her door, heard this and put his ear to it.
"...I'm fine, how are you?
...All right then. I just wanted you to know, I got here okay.
...See ya later.
...I love you, too.
...Bye."
Norman opened the door, a look of pride on his face. It seemed as if May got a lot more than just a badge.
"So, you found somebody, huh?"
"Yep." Said May, smiling contently.
"So, what's his name?" he asked.
May thought this one over. "You... might wanna sit down."
"What do you mean?" asked Norman.
"Okay, do you promise not to freak out if I tell you?"
"Trust me, you'd have to try pretty hard to freak me out."
"Seriously. You won't fly off the handle?"
"Look, I promise I won't go crazy or anything like that. Please, just tell me his name."
May considered this. Over the course of their life, the two had never exactly been close, and she didn't want to widen the gap further. But still, she had his word and could hold him to it if necessary. She decided to admit. "Misty."
Norman bust out laughing. "Misty of Cerulean gym? You're kidding, right?"
And May spoke, calmly and reasonably, the four words that would change everything: "No, I am not."
The power of these words knocked Norman out the door and into the hall. He was shocked. He was amazed. But, most of all, he was mad. "I trained you all this time to be the best %*#$ trainer you could... and this is how you repay me!?" He shouted, leaving May in horror as she saw the two halves of his brain switch jobs. "You decide to go off and start burying the-... no... Hiding the-... no... TESTING THE MATTRESS... with a Gym leader!"
May responded in calm and measured tone. "I suspect that were my answer Morty, Wallace, or even Falkner, your response would be different."
"What are you insinuating..." said Norman in a threatening tone of voice.
"That your problem with Misty is not that she is of high rank, but that she is not a boy."
"Why couldn't it have been a boy!? Why couldn't it have been Ash!?"
May started getting aggressive. "Because he has the ego of caviar and the brains of spoiled bologna."
"Well, why not Brock?!"
"He'd sleep with whatever stood still if you let him!" said May, getting even angrier.
"Well, then, why not Drew!? Harley!? James, even!?"
Under the pressure, May just plain snapped like an old wooden bridge. "LOOK HERE, DAD! I LOVE MISTY!" Realizing what she just did, she reverted to her calmer self. "...And Misty loves me. Why can't it be that simple, Dad? Why can't it be?"
"Grr... OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE! PACK UP YOUR THINGS AND LEAVE!"
May glared at her father. She could not believe him. She could not believe what he just did. He had just broken a promise to her. But he did a lot more than that.
"...Go on... Get! Pick up the backpack, take what you need, and go!"
As she picked up her things, she did not look at her father. But her father monitored her, making sure that she was truly doing as ordered. May had packed almost everything necessary for the move. She needed one last item before she was good to go, but before she could pick it up, her father warned against it.
"Don't even think about picking up those keys."
She put on her backpack and turned to face Norman. "You told me this wasn't going to happen. You promised me that this wasn't going to happen. You should be ashamed."
That was the last straw. Norman chased her down the hall, down the stairs, across the living room, out the door, all the time hollering for her to leave. As soon as she did, he locked the door with her set of keys. She pounded on the door, begging to be let in, a sobbing, blubbering wreck. After she banged on the door enough times, a voice shouted through the door. It was her father. "I have no daughter!" he shouted. Max and Caroline both could see the evil grin on his face as he said it.
May gave up and left, sobbing and hyperventilating as she did so. She trudged away from her tiny town, not even looking back. She saw no reason to.
She was already at Oldale when her mother slapped her father across the face and called him a monster. She had already passed Petalburg by the time her brother, in an act of rebellion, took his entire CD collection and showed his father all the covers. She was halfway down the Rusturf tunnel when her father decided to go to the neighbors' for a night of hard drinking. She was halfway past Verdanturf when her brother called the neighbor kid and said "IBMR, TDNE, max volume." And she was just between Mauville and Slateport, too far to hear, when her father left the neighbor's house and, in classic Stanley Kowalski fashion, staggered out to the center of that tiny village, dropped on his knees and shouted his daughter's name, again and again, hoping she's come back. And she was already at the docks when Norman finally gave up, provoked by the neighbor kid's shout of "You have no daughter, remember?" May didn't see or hear any of this. She was far too far away.
She sat down on a bench and looked at her PokéNav She got good reception here, thank goodness. She dialed up Misty's number and waited. The phone rang for a few seconds, before Misty picked it up
"Hello?"
"Hi, Misty."
"Hey, sweetie. ...What's up?" she asked. "You sound really depressed."
"Hey... You don't mind if I... move in with you... do you?"
"Uh... no. Do you mind if I ask why?"
"...Norman."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line.
"...I see... No problem. Call me from the gym. I can tell you how to get home from there."
"...All right." She hung up the phone and spoke to the sailor. "One for Vermillion, please."
"All right, then, that'll be- hey, wait up, aren't you the Petalburg gym leader's kid?"
"...I was..."
"Oh... Well, either way, the ticket's free. Step in. We should be in by the morning."
"That'll do nicely." She said, stepping in as the gate closed behind her. The boat began moving before she had even come to her room. She didn't even look at the thing. She just went to the roof and stared at the stars as the machine moved beneath her. The boat went even faster than the cruise ships, for the people who took these boats had somewhere to go. Old man Briney was the one who made sure they got there. He drove the boat at full speed, because he, too, had someplace to go, and he, too, had a time to get there.
She got to Vermillion at about nine in the evening. She took the tunnel to Cerulean and, trying to find the gym, searched for her old hotel and went a block away. She stopped next to the door and called.
"Hey, honey. I'm in front of the gym."
"All right. Turn right at the corner by the pool. Go straight for three blocks. Now turn left again, and go three more blocks."
May did as followed, taking every step as commanded. She saw a wood bridge over a strait. The strait extended from the nearby cape.
"I'm on the left of the wooden bridge." she said. "I'm the one with the lights on."
May identified this immediately. "Thanks." She hung up the phone and entered the door. The place was small, with little more
than was necessary to accommodate a person. There was a living room with a shelf full of CDs, several of them bearing the acronym GDTK on the case. She saw
Misty on a couch in the living room. She was listening to a radio, which, as opposed to the low-tech tour de force she always played, was playing guitar music.
It was set to an edited and sequenced drum session, beatboxing and wordless vocals, and various other things. It was a soothing piece, as opposed to the
rattling, chaotic breakbeats she knew and loved. May listened to this and sat down next to Misty. The track faded, and another piece both not unlike it and
quite unlike it took its place. It was an ambient piece, with the guitar a lot more heavily treated than the other tunes on the album. All of a sudden, her
childhood came rushing back, all the good times she'd had, with her friends, with her brother, with Caroline. These memories and this music did something
to heal her shattered soul.
"So... what happened?" asked Misty about half a minute. After a long pause, it was clear that May didn't want to say. "Rather not talk about it, huh?"
May nodded her head, and tears began to form. She was very depressed about what had just happened. She began sobbing and hyperventilating again, and Misty noticed that. She knew just what to do. She gave May a big hug and a shoulder to cry on. May, grateful for this offering, put her arms around Misty, bawling uncontrollably, tears both of joy and sorrow covering her face like a mask. The two just held each other tight, embracing the moment, embracing each other. They looked into one another's eyes and kissed again, with a passion that had yet to be rivaled. And when they were done and the song ended, they lay on the sofa together, just happy that they were apart no more. It was the first time since May came to Cerulean that she truly felt at home.
