He does this every year. The grand festival comes around and even if he wins, he never sticks around for the after party.

Why? May thought. For once can't you just stay?

May exit the building as quickly as possible, rose in hand, scanning the area around the hotel. She spotted his green hair, getting smaller as he walked further away.

"Drew!" she called. He didn't respond. She bolted after him.

"Drew!!" She called, louder.

The boy stopped. He turned slowly as May rushed to catch up to him.

"D...Drew..." May puffed. The boy calmly looked down at her, waiting for her to gain composure and speak.

May put herself back together, "Drew! Why do you always just...just...leave?!" Her words became more angry as she spoke.

"I have to train for next years Grand Festival" Drew explained.

The same excuse every year. You can't spend a few hours away from training?

May clutched the rose tight in her hand. Her eyes began to fill with tears. Of sadness? No. Anger? No. Disappointment? Most likely.

Drew's expression softened "May..." he soothed, "If I lost, then I'm still not good enough. I can only get better"

May understood his way of thinking. She really did, but what she didn't understand was why he couldn't just take an hour or two off. He had another whole year! What's two hours?

He shook his head, "I know you don't understand, May" he said, as if reading her thoughts, "but if I'm not moving forward, I'm not moving anywhere. My Pokémon work hard for me, and I want to be able to do the same for them"

May blinked away her tears, and lowered her head. She didn't want him to see her like this. She held out the flower in her hand. She wanted him to take it back. Drew hesitated, but wrapped his fingers around the steam, avoiding the thorns. In an attempt to avoid the thorns, he touched May's hand and she quickly looked up at him. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, until May ripped her eyes away from his and ran back into the hotel.

May was miserable the rest of the night. She couldn't let anyone see, though. She won. She was supposed to be happy.

After a few hours, she made her way back to her room. As she opened the door to the dark room, she noticed a blob on the nightstand by the bed. As she turned on the lights, she made out the shapes of many roses in a case on the table, a piece of paper laying next to them.

She slowly walked over to them, picking up the piece of paper as she eyed the roses. She opened the folded paper and read the inside-

"May,

I'll see you at the next contest. Save me a battle"

"Drew" she sighed. She grabbed one of the roses and flopped down on the bed. She held the rose up in the air, avoiding the thorns.

Every rose has its thorns she thought, but rarely do those thorns make the rose so much prettier.

(That was pretty short and I don't even know if it made so much sense but here it is take it

K thx bai!)