Eventually, May and Ash walked back together. May finally calmed down a little, but she was still looking down as she held Ash's sleeve, letting him guide her.
By the time Ash and May walked back, they saw that the battle between Harley and Drew was going on the big screen up in the air, even before they got back inside.
They saw things were relatively evenly matched at the moment, with maybe Drew having a slight advantage because Roselia was part Poison against Cacturne, but when the camera went to Harley's face, he didn't look worried.
Drew raised his hand, "Roselia, let's finish this, use—" he was about to say, but then he got cut off.
On the big screens projecting the battle, they suddenly changed, and what started playing was a video from last year in Drew's first Contest. It showed Roselia getting knocked out by Solidad, and as the announcer said that she was the winner, Drew started crying because he lost.
Drew froze, his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared up at the screen, "What?" he whispered.
Roselia looked up too, confused, its petals drooping slightly.
The video kept playing.
It showed Drew wiping his face angrily, turning away from the judges, clearly humiliated, clearly heartbroken. The footage lingered just long enough to make the moment painfully awkward. Now, what happened after this was that Solidad walked up to Drew and gave him a speech and all that, but instead the video looped back on Drew's crying face, only showing that part and nothing else.
The crowd's murmuring grew louder. Some people laughed nervously, others looked uncomfortable.
Outside, May stiffened as she watched the video, her grip on Ash's sleeve tightened slightly, and yikes, she may not like Drew, but no one deserves this kind of humiliation.
On the battlefield, Drew finally snapped out of his shock. His head whipped toward Harley, "You," he said, voice low.
Harley blinked dramatically, placing a hand against his chest as if deeply offended.
"Me?!" he gasped loudly, spinning around to look at the screens like he had just noticed them too, "Oh my goodness! What is this dreadful display?!"
He pressed both hands to his cheeks in exaggerated horror, "Who could possibly do such a cruel, heartless thing?!" he cried theatrically.
Harley staggered back a step, shaking his head dramatically, "This is sabotage! Emotional sabotage!" he declared, pointing accusingly at the screen, "To expose such a vulnerable moment from a young Coordinator's past, how scandalous! How disgraceful!"
He placed a hand over his heart, voice trembling with fake sympathy, "My dear Drew, you poor soul...to be humiliated like this before such a crowd…"
Drew's fists trembled at his sides. His face was turning red from embarrassment and anger, "You did this," Drew said, his voice shaking.
Harley gasped again, even louder this time, "Me?!" he repeated, spinning in a dramatic circle, "Why, I would never! I am but a humble artist, devoted to beauty and kindness!"
He wiped at an imaginary tear, "But alas...since this unfortunate distraction has clearly shaken your composure…" he continued, voice suddenly smoother, more calculated, "…it would be irresponsible of me not to take advantage of the opportunity presented."
"Cacturne," Harley said softly, almost lazily, as if they were simply continuing a normal performance, "let's show everyone what true composure looks like. Needle Arm."
Cacturne lunged forward with surprising speed, arm glowing with sharp green energy. The sudden movement snapped Drew out of his anger just a second too late.
"Roselia—!" he shouted, voice cracking.
The attack slammed into Roselia's side with a heavy thud, sending her skidding backward across the field. Petals scattered into the air like confetti as the Grass-type thunked on the floor.
Then, BZZZZT.
The buzzer rang.
Roselia didn't get back up.
Vivian's voice echoed across the stadium, slightly strained from the chaos.
"Roselia is unable to continue! The winner is, Harley and Cacturne!"
The crowd reacted in a confused wave of applause, mixed with uneasy murmurs.
Harley threw his arms into the air dramatically, spinning in place like a performer taking center stage.
"Ah! Victory!" he declared loudly, striking an over-the-top pose, "A triumph of elegance, resilience, and emotional stability!"
He placed a hand over his heart again, bowing deeply to the audience, "Thank you, thank you, you're too kind!"
And as he bowed, he saw Drew staring at him accusingly, and Harley just gave him a smile that screamed, Prove it.
Drew opened his mouth, then closed it, clenching his fists as he quickly returned Roselia to its ball and turned to march out, fuming with anger and embarrassment.
Ash and May watched Drew walk off from the screen, and suddenly May didn't feel as embarrassed by her performance, but again that didn't really make her feel better. She may think Drew is a jerk, but he still deserves some dignity.
Anyway, it's not like they could do anything. Drew walked off, and based on his expression, he was probably just going to leave town entirely since he lost and he was embarrassed.
So they kept walking, and that's when they heard that there was going to be a short break for Solidad and Harley to prepare for the final round, so Ash and May had time to meet up with Brock and Max, then get some seats. May would at least still like to enjoy the contest, or what was left of it.
Ash went ahead and texted Brock that he was coming back with May and she was doing better. Brock texted back saying he was going to grab Max and head over to meet them since they had a few minutes.
As Ash and May approached the contest hall and went to the door, there was someone waiting for them there: Solidad.
Obviously, Solidad did go after Drew first to check on him, but he was mad and embarrassed, and just like Ash thought, he decided to leave. He had already walked off toward Route 118.
Originally, she was planning on coming to check up on May since she ran off before Solidad could talk with her, and also take the opportunity to force Drew to properly apologize to May, but given what just happened...well, there is always next time.
So Solidad decided to just come herself to talk to May and make sure she was doing well. After all, she literally had an anxiety attack in the middle of their battle.
But when she saw Ash and May walking, she smiled slightly. She stepped forward from the doorway.
"May," Solidad called, her voice calm and warm.
May blinked in surprise, stopping mid-step. Her fingers tightened slightly on Ash's sleeve before she slowly let go, straightening up a bit as she faced the older Coordinator.
"S-Solidad…" May said quietly.
Solidad walked the remaining distance toward them, heels clicking softly against the pavement. She looked May over carefully.
"I'm glad to see you're alright," Solidad said gently, "You gave us quite a scare earlier."
May's cheeks flushed immediately, embarrassment flickering across her face again as the memory of her panic attack surfaced. She looked down at the ground, rubbing her arm.
"I...I messed everything up," she muttered, "I guess I just panicked." She forced a laugh, but there was no humor in it.
"No, you did not mess everything up," Solidad said, "You're still young, and you're doing something incredibly stressful. It's only normal for that to happen. In fact, I remember my first panic attack," Solidad said with a little smirk.
"Really? Even you?" May looked up at her.
"Yeah, it's normal, and I'd say you handled it well considering your predicament," she said, her eye flickering over to Ash, then back to May, "And I'm glad you have people you can rely on to help you."
May looked down, "Yeah...even if I'm too stubborn to see it." She scratched the back of her head and looked at Ash.
"Well, just remember—" Solidad was going to say another deeply wise quote, but suddenly the sounds of the contest door opening interrupted her, and a voice made her freeze.
"Ash, May, there you are, we've been looking for—"
It was Brock's voice as he walked out with Max, but he also froze when he saw Solidad, and she turned, seeing him.
Immediately, both of them stopped and looked at each other for a good five seconds.
May glanced at Ash. Ash glanced at Max. Max glanced at May. Then Pikachu and Vee glanced at each other.
"…Uh," May said quietly.
Ash raised a hand and waved it slowly in front of Brock's face. Nothing.
Max stepped forward and waved both hands dramatically in front of Solidad's eyes.
Still nothing.
"…Did they break?" Max whispered.
Ash scratched his cheek, studying them like a confused scientist examining a strange Pokémon, "I think they froze," he said seriously, "Maybe we should reboot them."
May blinked, "Reboot them?!"
Ash shrugged as he picked up Pikachu and rubbed his cheeks, charging up the electricity, "Works most times with Brock."
But then, at the exact same moment, both Brock and Solidad's eyes widened in recognition. They both jumped back a full step, pointing at each other.
"EHHHHHHHHH!!!"
May flinched so hard she nearly jumped out of her shoes.
Max staggered backward, windmilling his arms to keep from falling.
Ash instinctively covered Pikachu's ears while Vee puffed up in surprise.
For a full second, nobody moved.
Then, May slowly lowered her hands, blinking between Brock and Solidad, "You two know each other?" she asked carefully.
"It's possible, they are both from Pewter," Ash whispered over to May and Max.
Brock and Solidad were still pointing at each other, arms locked stiff, faces frozen in identical shock.
"You—!" Brock started.
"You—!" Solidad said at the exact same time.
They both stopped again.
Another long, awkward silence followed.
Max leaned toward May and whispered loudly, not bothering to hide it at all, "Okay, now they're definitely broken."
May nodded slowly, eyes wide, "Should we try rebooting them again?"
Ash rubbed his chin thoughtfully like a scientist considering a difficult experiment, "Maybe higher voltage. Pikachu, maybe let's try 50,000 volts."
Pikachu looked up at him, then shrugged, rubbing his cheeks and charging up the electricity.
"Wait, no!" Brock and Solidad shouted simultaneously, snapping out of it at last.
They lowered their hands, both looking flustered, Brock sweating nervously, Solidad trying very hard to maintain her usual composed expression, and failing just a little.
Max narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Hold on," he said slowly, "You two really know each other."
Brock laughed weakly, scratching the back of his head, "W-Well, you see—"
Solidad crossed her arms, recovering faster, though a faint blush crept onto her cheeks, "We were...acquainted."
"Acquainted how?" Ash asked.
Brock coughed into his hand, "It was a long time ago."
May tilted her head, looking between them, "Wait…" Her eyes widened as realization dawned, "…Did you two used to date?"
Brock froze. Solidad froze. Ash froze. And Max's jaw dropped.
Then Ash slowly turned his head toward Brock, his expression shifting into pure disbelief, "You dated someone?" he asked flatly.
Brock stiffened like he'd just been hit with Hyper Beam, "Of course I dated someone. I told you I did, remember in Saffron City when we went to the dojo together?"
"Oh yeah…" Ash muttered, crossing his arms, "I thought you were lying."
"I was not lying!" he protested, face turning red as he pointed an accusatory finger at Ash.
Ash raised both hands defensively, "Hey man, you flirt with literally every girl we meet. Statistically, I figured the odds were low."
"That is not how statistics work!" Brock snapped.
Max shrugged, "No, no, Ash might be onto something. I mean, you strike out a lot."
Brock covered his face with his hand, "I can't believe this."
Solidad didn't look much better, as she could barely look at Brock. She mainly looked at the ground or at the sky, but she looked like she wanted to say something.
But before anyone could call it out, Vivian's voice came through the speakers.
"Will Solidad and Harley come to the stage? It's time for the finals!"
"I-er, I have to go," Solidad said.
"Right, yeah," Brock said, suddenly very interested in the ground, "U-um, good luck."
"Thanks," Solidad said, quickly turning and walking away.
And that just left Ash, May, and Max with a very stunned Brock.
May scratched her cheek, not how she expected things to go. She was thinking on how to apologize to Max and Brock next, but now it seemed a little...off-topic.
"Sooo...should we go in to watch?" Max asked.
"Sure, why not. Give me a sec," Ash said as he walked over, took Pikachu off his shoulder, handed him over to May, and picked up Brock. It wasn't hard since he was stiff as a board, and Ash put him under his arm, "Alright, let's go."
May blinked out of her confusion and nodded, holding up Pikachu, "Alright, let's go."
–
In the arena, about 2 minutes into the battle, things were not looking good for Solidad.
On the field below, Solidad's Slowbro stood near the edge of the arena, breathing steadily. Across from it, Harley's Cacturne loomed with a crooked grin, arms raised like jagged spears.
And on the scoreboard, Solidad's side was lower than Harley's, and Harley couldn't be happier.
He came in here way more nervous than he showed, since he knew full well Solidad was stronger than him, and he couldn't use his usual strategy of playing dirty since he and Solidad had known each other for a while, so she knew his tricks.
And he didn't have any good dirt on her like he did with Drew, so he would have to do a 100% fair battle. But luckily for him, Solidad stepped out looking distracted.
Every now and then, Solidad's eyes flickered over to the stands, and when they did, she would look away quickly, keeping her distracted for a second every time, and if you know anything about battles, that is crippling.
"Slowbro, [Psychic]," Solidad called, a fraction slower than usual.
Slowbro's eyes glowed bright blue as an invisible force surged forward, lifting chunks of rock from the battlefield and hurling them toward Cacturne.
"Cacturne, [Needle Arm], intercept!" Harley responded instantly.
Cacturne slashed through the incoming debris, rapidly shattering the projectiles midair as it did a flourish.
"Now, [Pin Missile]!" he snapped.
Cacturne unleashed a rapid volley of glowing spikes.
"Slowbro, dodge—"
It was too late as the needles came in and shot into Slowbro one after the other, over and over again.
A chunk of Solidad's score disappeared from the board.
The crowd reacted immediately, gasps rippled through the stands as murmurs spread.
Harley's grin stretched wider.
"Marvelous!" he called, clapping slowly as if applauding a stage performance, "Such enthusiasm, Cacturne! Such precision! Truly inspiring!"
Across the field, Solidad steadied her breathing. Her eyes remained focused on Slowbro for a moment, thinking as she tried to distract herself from looking to the stands, but her eyes accidentally flickered, and there she saw a certain Rock Gym Leader she grew up with, and she looked down again.
Harley, of course, would never let this chance pass, "Cacturne, press the advantage! [Needle Arm]!"
Cacturne lunged forward again, arm glowing with jagged green energy as it dashed across the field with surprising speed.
"Slowbro, [Protect]!" Solidad snapped.
A shimmering barrier formed just in time, the glowing arm slammed into the shield with a loud BOOM, sending sparks scattering across the arena floor.
The shield held. But the impact pushed Slowbro backward another step, making it fall on its butt, which lowered Solidad's points more.
"Oh dear," Harley said, voice dripping with theatrical sympathy, "Such misfortune. Such tragic timing."
Solidad shook her head and finally managed to calm herself, convincing herself to focus on the battle and deal with…that later. She was about to call a command to turn this around when suddenly a loud buzzer rang.
When she looked up, she saw the scoreboard, the time was up, and her bar was lower than Harley's, meaning
Harley nearly jumped in the air and did a victory lap as he raised his hands and waved to the crowd, "Hahaha! I won, I won!"
The crowd erupted into applause, loud, surprised, and more than a little confused.
Vivian stepped forward, clearly still recovering from the earlier chaos but maintaining her professional smile.
"Time is up!" she announced brightly, "The winner of the Verdanturf Town Pokémon Contest is, Harley and Cacturne!"
Confetti cannons fired with a loud POP, showering the stage in colorful paper as triumphant music filled the arena.
Harley struck an exaggerated pose, one hand over his heart and the other raised dramatically toward the ceiling.
"Ah, destiny!" he proclaimed loudly, "It seems elegance and perseverance have once again prevailed!"
Cacturne stood beside him, arms crossed smugly, swaying slightly like it was basking in applause.
Across the field, Solidad remained still for a moment. Slowbro blinked slowly, then looked back at her with its usual calm expression.
She closed her eyes briefly and exhaled.
She wasn't mad, she was more disappointed with herself, because there was a reason why she kept looking at Brock over and over, and it's not what you might think...or maybe it is. If you paid attention, you would know why.
And she thought to herself, since it seemed like May was friends with Brock and she was planning on meeting with May to give her some words, maybe she should address the issue, the one she was running away from.
So she clapped for Harley, since even if it seemed like he was a jerk, they were still friends, and she walked off, thinking about how she was going to start.
—
The ribbon was handed over, and the trophy was given to Harley, and he was ecstatic to get a win against Solidad. He would totally text her in the middle of the night to remind her that he beat her for at least a month, every day.
But anyway, people started to leave. It was already dark outside, and May wanted to bring the team somewhere so she could properly apologize.
Ash stretched his arms over his head with a groan, "Man, that was a long day," he said, rolling his shoulders, as Pikachu drooped over his head and Vee was snuggled in Ash's bag for a nap.
May walked beside them quietly at first, hands clasped behind her back. Her steps were slow, thoughtful, but not as heavy as before. Every now and then, she glanced at Brock, like she was working up the courage to say something.
Max, of course, noticed immediately.
He leaned toward Ash and whispered, "She's winding up."
Ash nodded seriously, whispering back, "Yeah. This looks like a speech wind-up."
May stopped walking.
Everyone took one more step before realizing she wasn't moving anymore, then they all turned back toward her.
She rubbed the back of her neck, staring down at the ground, "Okay...um…" she started, her voice a little awkward, "I guess...I owe you guys an apology."
Brock blinked, "For what?" After all, as someone with like nine siblings, he was used to outbursts like the ones May had.
May looked up at him, then at Max, then at Ash, "For earlier," she said, "Running off like that. Snapping at you. Acting like I had to do everything myself." She exhaled slowly, "That wasn't fair."
Max crossed his arms, pretending to think very hard, "Hmmm," he said dramatically, "Well...you did abandon us emotionally, physically, and strategically—"
Brock gently placed a hand on Max's head and pushed it downward.
"Don't listen to him," Brock said warmly. Then he smiled at May, "You were scared. That happens. You don't have to apologize for being overwhelmed."
May's shoulders loosened a little.
Ash stepped forward and grinned, "Yeah. Besides, if running off during stressful situations was a crime, I'd be in jail by now."
Pikachu and Vee nodded their heads, completely not defending Ash on that one.
That got a small laugh out of May, the first real one since the battle.
She wiped at the corner of her eye quickly, embarrassed but smiling, "…Thanks," she said, "But I still feel bad, so...how about we all go out for dinner? My treat this time."
Ash waved his hand, "You don't have to do that, May. But...I won't say no."
May rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips now, "I want to," she said, "Besides, after today, I think we all deserve something good to eat."
Pikachu raised a paw enthusiastically, "Pika!"
Vee popped his head out of Ash's bag, ears twitching, pretending to not be interested, but was completely onboard.
As they walked and talked about really nothing, just having those truly unsupervised conversations that led nowhere, Max, as a good protégé of Ash, would not let a chance to tease Brock pass.
"So," he said, looking up at Brock with narrowed eyes, "are we just going to pretend the whole you-dated-Solidad thing didn't happen?"
Brock nearly tripped over his own foot, "I—That—It was a long time ago!" he protested quickly, his face turning pink again.
May's head snapped up, stepping a little closer, curiosity lighting up her expression, "How long ago?"
Brock scratched the back of his head nervously, "Uh...when we were kids."
Max's eyes widened dramatically, "Kids kids like me? Or kids like May and Ash?"
"No comment." Brock scratched his cheek, "We were neighbors! Our families knew each other! It wasn't some dramatic romance!"
Ash tilted his head thoughtfully, "So...puppy love."
Brock groaned, "Please don't call it that."
May covered her mouth, trying, and failing, not to laugh. The sound slipped out anyway, light and genuine. It surprised her enough that she blinked afterward, like she hadn't expected herself to feel that normal again so soon.
Ash noticed. He didn't point it out, he just smirked slightly and kept the conversation moving.
"What happened?" he asked casually, "You two seemed pretty shocked to see each other." Although he had a pretty good idea, considering the conversation they had a long time ago. Since now he knew Brock was apparently telling the truth, that meant the way it ended was also true.
Brock hesitated, then sighed, "We just...lost touch," he admitted, but that wasn't the full truth.
"Lost touch...I guess that's one way to put it," a familiar voice came in, snapping everyone to attention.
There, standing under a lamppost, was none other than the woman of the hour, Solidad, waiting for them as she gave an awkward wave.
Brock looked at her, "…Solidad?" he said, a little uncertainly.
She gave a small nod, her usual confident smile replaced with something softer. Nervous, even.
"Hi, Brock," she said gently.
Ash, May, and Max immediately exchanged looks, the kind of silent, wide-eyed communication that said, oh, this is serious.
May slowly leaned toward Ash and whispered, not quietly at all, "This feels like a private conversation."
"Yep, this is such a not-us conversation." Ash immediately grabbed Max by the back of his vest and started dragging him backward.
"Hey-" Max protested, craning his neck, "I want to observe for research purposes!"
May quickly followed, gently herding them away, "Come on," she whispered, "Give them space."
They went behind a building, but almost immediately Ash, May, Max, Pikachu, and Vee peeked over, in that order, to listen in.
Brock rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes drifting anywhere except directly at Solidad.
"So...uh," he started awkwardly, "Congratulations on the battle today. You were—"
"Brock," Solidad said softly.
He stopped immediately.
Her voice wasn't commanding like it usually was during contests. It was quiet. Careful.
She took a slow breath, then stepped a little closer into the light, "I didn't come to talk about the contest," she said.
Brock swallowed, "…Yeah," he replied.
Another pause settled between them, heavier this time.
Solidad clasped her hands in front of her, her fingers tightening slightly like she was bracing herself.
"I owe you an apology," she said, "For how things ended...between us."
From behind the building
Max's eyes went wide.
May's hand slowly covered her mouth.
Ash leaned forward just a little more.
Pikachu tilted his head.
Vee's ears perked straight up.
Back at the lamppost, Brock's posture stiffened slightly, "…That was a long time ago," he said carefully.
"I know," Solidad replied, "But that doesn't mean it stopped mattering."
Her voice wavered just a little on that last word.
She looked down at the pavement for a moment, gathering her thoughts.
"You remember the day I left," she said quietly.
Brock let out a small breath through his nose.
"Yeah," he answered, "I remember."
How could he not? His first relationship ended like that, one day they were talking, and he introduced her to his siblings, then the next day she ended things and ran away. Literally, she left Pewter.
"I handled that badly," she said.
Brock didn't respond right away.
She continued, her voice steady but softer than usual.
"When I saw how much responsibility you had...your siblings...your parents gone most of the time...you cooking, cleaning, running the gym, taking care of everything…" She paused, "I panicked."
Brock blinked. That wasn't the reason he was expecting, he always thought it was because, and he could quote it perfectly: 'No one girl could even think about taking care of that many kids!'
"I didn't want to be another burden," Solidad admitted, "I thought...if we stayed together, eventually you'd have to choose," she said, "Between your family...and me."
Brock opened his mouth, but Solidad looked up at him before he could speak.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me," she added quickly, "And I'm not trying to reopen anything or get back together or whatever. That relationship ended, and it's my fault. I just needed you to know the truth."
Brock scratched the back of his head, "…You know," he said slowly, "for a long time, I thought I did something wrong. I thought for the longest time you hated me."
Solidad's eyes widened slightly, "Hated you?" she repeated, almost startled, "Brock, no. Never."
Brock shook his head and looked down with a faint smile, then glanced behind him where he knew full well his friends were listening in.
"…You know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck again, "if this were the old me...I probably would've said something really dramatic right now." He chuckled, "Something like, 'Let's forget the past and start over right now!'" He lifted one hand dramatically like he was pretending to propose, "Maybe throw in a big speech about destiny or love or something."
Solidad let out a quiet breath that almost turned into a laugh, because that did sound like the Brock she remembered.
Behind the building
Max nodded seriously, "Yeah, that sounds exactly like him."
May elbowed him lightly, "Shh!"
And Ash untensed. He was expecting to go over there and kick some sense into Brock if he did that, but it looked like all their talks had finally started working on him, not enough to make him stop being the way he is, but this was a significant improvement.
"I've had a lot of time to think about things," Brock said, looking up at her.
"I don't think either of us needs to pretend nothing happened," he said, "And I don't think we should just jump back into anything like before." He paused, then added gently, "That wouldn't be fair to either of us."
Solidad's shoulders relaxed a fraction, relief flickering across her face.
Brock took another slow breath, "But…" he continued, "I don't want us to stay strangers either."
He extended one hand, "Maybe we could start over as friends," he said, "Catch up. See where life takes us from there."
Another pause.
Solidad stared at his hand for a second, clearly surprised, but a small smile began to form on her face, "…I'd like that," she said.
She reached out, took his hand, and shook it.
—
Behind the building
Max clutched his chest dramatically, "Whoa," he whispered, "Character development."
"Okay," Brock said loudly, without even turning around, "You can come out now."
Behind the building, five figures immediately jerked backward in panic.
"We've been discovered!" Max whispered dramatically.
"We were never hidden," Ash muttered, looking at how Pikachu's ears and Vee's tail were still sticking out from the corner.
May cleared her throat and tried to walk out normally, as if she hadn't been spying at all, "We were, uh...making sure nobody interrupted you."
"You were the interruption," Brock said flatly.
Ash strolled out with his hands in his pockets like nothing happened, "Honestly, I think we showed a lot of restraint."
Max marched out next, a notebook somehow already in hand, "For the record, I learned a lot."
Solidad blinked, "…Were you taking notes?"
"Maybe," Max said proudly.
Brock dragged a hand down his face, "I'm surrounded by lunatics."
May laughed softly under her breath, then quickly covered her mouth.
Solidad noticed that first. Her expression softened, and she stepped toward May.
"May," she said calmly.
May straightened a little, "Y-yeah?"
Solidad gave her a small, knowing smile, "Take care of yourself."
May blinked, "…Huh?"
"I mean it," Solidad continued, "You have talent. A lot of it. But talent means very little if you drive yourself into the ground trying to prove something every time you step on stage."
May looked down, rubbing her arm.
Solidad's tone gentled even more, "What happened today doesn't define you. It was one bad moment in a long journey. Learn from it, recover, and keep going."
May slowly nodded, "…I'll try."
"And next time," Solidad said, one brow lifting slightly, "let's have a real battle."
May looked up.
"One where you don't have a panic attack halfway through."
Ash snorted.
May's face turned bright red, "S-Solidad!"
"I'm serious," Solidad said, though there was a teasing glint in her eye now, "I'd like to see what you can really do when you're at your best."
May stared for a second...then smiled. A real one.
"Yeah," she said, more firmly this time, "Next time, I'll win."
Solidad chuckled, "That's the spirit."
Then she glanced between the group, "So, where are you all headed next?"
"Fortree City," Max answered immediately, "Ash has a Gym battle."
Solidad's brows rose, "Fortree?"
Max nodded proudly, "Yep."
A grin slowly spread across her face.
"Well," she said, folding her arms, "that works out nicely."
Everyone looked at her.
"I'm challenging the Gyms too."
Silence.
May's jaw dropped, "You do Gym battles too?!"
Solidad looked mildly amused, "Did you think Coordinators are only allowed one hobby?"
Max's eyes were shining, "Wait, so you're doing Contests and Gyms?"
"Among other things," she said smoothly.
Ash grinned, interest instantly sparking in his eyes, "So that means…"
"It means," Solidad said, looking directly at him, "I'll be looking forward to battling you in the Ever Grande Conference."
Then she turned to May, "And you."
May pointed at herself, "Me too?!"
"You said you'd win next time," Solidad replied, "I expect you to mean it."
May straightened immediately, "I do!"
Solidad stepped back and smiled at them, "Then we'll meet again. I look forward to it. Take care," she said as she finally turned to leave.
After a few good seconds, Max was the first to speak.
"So…" he said slowly, looking up at Brock, "Friends, huh?"
Brock sighed, "Don't start."
"Oh, I'm absolutely starting," Max said.
Ash clapped Brock on the shoulder, "Come on, Romeo. Let's get dinner."
"I hate all of you," Brock muttered.
"No, you don't," May said, smiling as she started walking ahead of them.
---
I'm back!!!
And now that i am on break you all remember the deal
500 stones=1 extra chapter
But right now ima go rest, my back hurts