Pokemon The time traveler

Ch 42 Friends

"You were a famous coordinator!" May exclaimed, looking admiringly across towards the older woman Dawn was praising. She and Brock were sitting on the couch across from Dawn and Joanna as they exchanged past experiences waiting for Ash to return.

"Well I wouldn't say famous, but I was pretty good at your age," Joanna stated bashfully. She crossed her arms as she continued. "Dawn and I saw your performance in the Kanto Grand Festival, and I have to say you're an amazing coordinator yourself."

May put her hands together and shyly fidgeted her fingers. "Dawn mentioned that to me earlier, and it kinda surprised me to hear other people praise me like that...thank you, Joanna. It means a lot coming from someone who's done it before."

"It's always good to hear your doing great from a professional," Brock interjected to May. "You should be proud and inspired to try harder now."

May blushed from the attention she was receiving.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you, May!" Dawn confidently stood and pumped her fists. "It might be my first time doing contests, but I've had a great teacher to show me the ropes. I'm going to win the Grand Festival year!"

"Well, I didn't come to Sinnoh to lose," May said smiling, also standing up to match Dawn. "We'll just have to wait and see when the time comes."

"Deal. We will settle this in the finals of the Grand Festival!"

Brock and Joanna could feel the tension between the two teens as they stared at one another. Joanna decided they'd be able to express themselves more if they were alone.

"Um, Brock," she spoke up unsteadily. "You were saying you like to cook?"

"Y-Yes. Yes, I do." He was feeling the uneasiness in the room as well.

"Great!" Joanna clasped her hands in excitement. "I was about to prepare dinner if you want to help...?"

"I'd love to!" Brock said as he began walking with her out of the living room. When they away from May and Dawn, he asked her if it was a good idea to leave them alone.

"Yeah," Joanna replied knowingly while briefly glancing back at the two girls. "I think it'd give them time to actually talk without any adults around. There aren't many girls here around Dawn's age, so I thought it'd be nice for her to talk with May. Besides, she knows that if she breaks something in this house there will be consequences."

Brock chuckled when he heard her threaten Dawn. He remembered how strict he was his brothers and sisters.

"Now that I think about it," he responded after reminiscing. "I don't think May spends time with girls her own age either."

"Then I think I did the right thing, don't you think?"

There was a strong silence between the two teens when they were left alone.

May was sitting and looking around the room, trying not to make eye-contact with Dawn. She couldn't think of anything to talk about besides coordinating, and she felt that they had talked about it too much already. The blunette, on the other hand, was thinking something completely different.

Dawn was resting her head on her hand on the couch-arm. She was looking attentively at the brunette and trying to figure her out—trying to read her. When her mom and Brock left them, she noticed something oddly familiar about May as if they had met before. However, Dawn could not think of any place where they could have met. She then realized she's felt this sensation once before. "I remember feeling like this in the forest when I was walking with Ash," she thought, still staring at a nervous May. "I felt something with Ash that was so comforting and safe, and with May it's more...more like a trusting feeling. Maybe she feels the same about me...well, maybe not right now." Dawn noted May's attempt to avoid making eye-contact. "I should break this awkwardness with something light and subtle...okay, I think I got it!"