FOUR ON FOUR

~song: even angels fall – jessica riddle~

Drew Hayden walked out his classroom at Pokémon Technical Institute or Pokémon Tech for short. It was a boarding school for Pokémon trainers and coordinators. The students were split into groups of eight and sent to their house to live in. Most students were anxious today since a week ago; the ambulance came on school bounds to Haunter House, where Gary Oak was taken to the Pokémon Center.

Arriving upon his house, he looked up at the sign that read HAUNTER HOUSE and sighed. He walked in and went straight to his room, even though their house mom, Delia (A/N: She's not Ash's mom) offered after school snacks. High school was exhausting and it was even more exhausting since Gary was taken to the hospital after they were sneaking around the house after lights out to play a prank on the girls and Gary fell down the stairs and broke his wrist. Drew collapsed on his bed. His roommate, Paul Shinji walked in.

"Did you hear?"

Drew sat up, "Hear what?"

"Gary is coming back today. Ash went to pick him up from the hospital." Paul dropped his bag on the floor.

Ash Ketchum was Gary's roommate. The four of them were good friends. Even though Ash, Gary and Paul were rivals and Drew was the outsider of their square as a coordinator, they got along. They all had a knack for getting in trouble.

Suddenly their door flew open. Drew half expected to see Gary and Ash but instead it was two of the four girls that lived upstairs: Dawn Berlitz and May Maple.

"Hey!" Drew yelled. "Knock before you open. I could have been naked for you would've known."

"Is it true that Gary is coming back today?" Drew noted that Dawn directed that question to Paul.

Paul just nodded. Dawn and May exchanged a look.

May gave him a small smile. He gave a short nod in response. "Well we are in the living room planning a coming back party for him, if you want to help," May informed them. Then the two of them left quietly.

Haunter House was strangely quiet without Gary.

There was a lot of tension…

"Well come on Hayden," Paul got up, "We gotta help with this party."

Drew agreed on they went into the living room where they saw the other two girls, Misty Waterflower and Gary's girlfriend, Leaf Green setting food on the table. Dawn was reaching up to hang a banner. Upon seeing Dawn, Drew snuck a peek over to Paul who was watching her. A small smile tugged at his lips before he walked over and took the string from her hands to hang the banner.

His rival in contests, May approached him with balloons. "Help me tie these around?"

He took some balloons and followed her. "Looks like you all have already figured out this decorating committee."

"Yeah, we kind of already did everything." After hearing a beep from her back pocket, May checked her phone. "Oh crap!"

"What is it?"

"I have to pick up Munchlax and Beautifly from Mr. Wallace. He was helping me with my appeal for the next contest. He really likes me because Dawn and I were in the finals of the Wallace Cup."

"You could have asked me," Drew murmured. "So who should we watch out for this contest?"

"The usual should make it to the second round: you, me, Dawn, Kenny, Solidad and Zoey; but I heard from Dawn that Ursula and Nando have really good appeals."

As they finished tying the balloons, Drew tossed her a rose. "For Beautifly."

"Of course, as always, right?" May rolled her eyes at him as she left.

Drew went and sat on the stairs outside. For some reason he kept on thinking about he overheard Brendan Birch talking about. Brendan's house, Hariyama House, apparently has all their members getting together.

Paul's brother, Reggie went to Pokémon Tech and he said almost every house has their students getting together. Reggie mentioned that he was still together with his girlfriend that was in Horsea House with him, Maylene.

So was that the fate for Haunter House as well?

Well they had dated other people before?

Misty, being the smart one, had dated Rudy who was at the top of the class. Ash dated the class flirt, Melody. Gary had dated a lot of girls before Leaf came to their house, then they started dating. May was Brendan's ex. He dated Solidad for a short time. Paul never got into a relationship with anyone, since he never really liked anyone enough to and Dawn, being the princess, dated her childhood friend Kenny and Aaron of the Elite Four.

Now that he thought about it, it made sense. Would else could they date but each other?

Well Leaf and Gary had been dating forever so there was little chance of them breaking up. So that gets rid of those two.

He pondered, that just let him, Misty, Ash, Dawn, Paul and May.

Let's start with Ash.

Ash was determined to be one of the best trainers even though he didn't use strategy. Ash always stood up for what is right especially when people abandon their Pokémon for being weak. Ash and Paul always used to have conflict over a Chimchar that Paul deemed too weak. Ash never always thought things through but he believed in everything. Ash is usually calm and helpful but he's a hothead. He was get mad over small insults and challenge people even when he isn't ready. Ash's girl had to be one that understood him and was able to encourage him as well as criticize him. He liked sweet and simple and not too complicated. Ash also has a big appetite.

May was a female counterpart of Ash. So they were more compatible as friends more than anything else.

Dawn and Ash wouldn't be a good match either, since Dawn is a princess. She likes bad boys and her boyfriend would have to be one that has a sense of authority. Plus Dawn is too glamorous for Ash, and she has a type. That's why Kenny and she didn't last long when Aaron came into the picture.

That only left Misty for Ash. They were best friends. They fought all the time. They've known each other for a long time. Misty can control Ash. And she always helped him with his homework. She was an athlete and a trainer too. Misty could make up for the intelligence that Ash couldn't show. And once he overheard Dawn and Leaf talking how it was only a matter of time before they got together. And he had to admit that Misty did the best job in handling Ash.

That leaves him, May, Dawn and Paul.

Well he always suspected that Paul had a thing for Dawn.

Paul was always…protective of her. Drew could just tell that Dawn drew Paul's attention more than he liked her too. Dawn was the antidote to Paul's indifference. She made him smile. She made him care. She made him human.

And Paul seemed to find Dawn's criteria. Bad boy, sense of authority, intelligent, caring, not a flirt, good-looking…

Wait, did he just think that Paul was good-looking?

Awkward.

But he was thinking from Dawn's perspective, so it's okay.

So there. Dawn and Paul.

That only left him and…May.

Oh.

Even more awkward.

Actually would it be even more awkward to say that he had thoughts of him and May dating?

Yeah, that would be more awkward.

May was a great girl for him. She had an appetite; she was zesty, opinionated, strong, caring, happy and gorgeous.

Yeah, he admitted it. May was hot.

He had always been drawn to her. Kinda like a magnet.

She was everything that he ever wanted, everything he was ever intrigued by. Even though she lost her first few contests she still kept a fighting spirit. He admired that. It kept his interest. It kept his competition. Admiring that in her, he was shocked when he saw her crying after her second loss in a corridor. She attacked his insults. She was happy by the simplest things. He lost Harley as an ally so she would get hurt. He cheered her on even if she didn't know. She didn't know that when she and Dawn were in the Wallace Cup, he was watching. And silently rooting. For her. After her loss, he desperately wished that he was with her, so he could know what she was feeling.

He always kept an eye on her. When she dated Brendan, he dated Solidad in response. To spite May. And Solidad knew that, which is why she went along. That's why he hated Brendan. Because Brendan dated May. Because Brendan kissed May. Because Brendan was at May's side where he should have been, if he wasn't such a coward. Because Brendan got such loving looks from May which he should had received instead.

Every time May came close, he felt fear. Fear. Drew Hayden shouldn't feel fear.

They were rivals which gave them a special bond, even more so than he or she (he suspected) had with anyone else.

And who was he kidding? Those roses weren't for Beautifly.

They were for her.

Drew sighed. Well I guess that's it. I like May and I have for a long time.

Ash was right to tease him. All this time, he had bothered Ash because of his feelings for Misty that were left untouched, but he had the same situation with May.

Does that make him a hypocrite?

Nahhh, Drew Hayden isn't a hypocrite.

Okay, maybe a little.

Drew's thought was interrupted as May approached him, back with her Pokémon.

Speak of the devil, as they say.

"So," she started, smiling at him, "I just saw Ash and Gary arriving. We should probably go hide now."

He smiled back, "Good idea, May."

Getting up, he and May walked back in the house where May promptly proclaimed: "HEY, GARY'S BACK! EVERYONE HIDE!"

Delia shut off the lights and everyone hid. Leaf, under the table; Misty, behind the grandfather clock; Ash in the kitchen (no surprise there); and Dawn and Paul hid behind the wall in the hallway.

May, who was behind him had disappeared. In the dark he followed her figure to behind the sofa.

He followed her.

As he sat down, he accidentally bumped May, which alerted her of his presence.

"What are you doing here Drew? Find your own hiding place!"

He scoffed, trying to be nonchalant. "There are no more hiding places."

"Or maybe you aren't creative enough to think of one on your own," she shot back.

Adrenaline rushed through him. It's now or never.

Even through the darkness, he could see her perfectly. He leaned in ever so slowly and kissed her lips.

As their kiss broke apart, the lights came on. Everyone jumped out from their hiding places and yelled "SURPRISE!" except for him and May.

He presented a rose that filled the small face in between them.

"May, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

He thought he heard a small squeak, but he shrugged it off and waited for her answer which was a timid, "okay" as she accepted the rose.

He smirked. If everyone was going to get together, he wouldn't be the last one.

Cause that would be lame.

From out in the living room, someone must have realized that they weren't in the present company because then he heard a call from them, he though from Leaf.

"DREW! MAY! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING BEHIND THE SOFA?"