*BEEP* *BOOP*

            

“This is your flight attendant speaking, we will be cursing in for a landing shortly, so please refasten your seat belt and prepare for landing. Make sure that all your devices are off and put away, as well as all compartments are closed and securely fastened. Thank you! And thank you for flying Air Pidgeot. Welcome to Hoenn!”

It was about thirty minutes later that everyone could get off of the plain. Jennifer had made a beeline for the luggage to get her things.

I just can’t wait to get to dad’s place and to relax! Arceus! I hate flying…

What Jennifer really hated was the confined space. She didn’t used to hate small spaces, but ever since the incident, she has felt real uncomfortable around confined spaces, or things that restricts her movements.

She actually was fine while they were flying and before take off. But it was because of the long sixteen-hour flight which actually unnerved her.

It made her feel caged.

                                

                              

Trapped.

                           

                      

                             

                      

             

Alone.

                        

                                   

                         

It was worse during her time recovering; as she had panic attacks in confined spaces, even in large rooms. So they had to make special accommodations for her during her stay at the hospital by moving her to a room on the roof with a skylight and large windows.

It made her feel safe.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

                  

I don’t have time to stand around feeling sorry for myself; I need to get going.

              

As Jennifer grabbed the last of her luggage and filed out of the baggage claim area, before heading towards the exit.

As she exits the area, she notices a sign with her name written on it held up by a girl with blue eyes, her light-brown hair parted to either side of her head, while wearing her trademark bandanna covering the top of her head.

             

“May?” Jennifer calls out confused at the sight of her friend.

                  

At the sound of her voice, May puts down the sigh she had been holding over head and started running towards her friend.

May throws herself onto the taller girl in-front of her.

“Oh gosh Jennifer! Welcome back! It has been so long!” She says to Jennifer in an excited manner.

“Huh? What?— what are you doing here?!” Jennifer pulls back from the hug while looking down at May.

May puffs out her cheeks as she hears this.

“Is that anyway to greet your old Pokémon hating friend?!” May questions Jennifer.

“Hahaha! Sorry, sorry! I am just surprised to see you here!” Jennifer explains to appease May. “I was expecting dad to be here to pick me up, and I didn’t even know you were in town, so I was quite surprised to see you.”

“No need to repeat it or to be that surprised!” May told Jennifer in a playful indignant manner after crossing her arms. “I just heard you were going to be in town yourself and decided that since I was here, that I would come and pick you up for Professor Yew.”

“And again, sorry!” Jennifer apologized again. “I didn’t mean to come across as ungrateful, I was just expecting dad to be the one to come pick me up… and let me guess… They are knee deep into it right now huh?” She questioned.

May’s face went from pretending to be upset, to a crooked grin, all before bursting into a laugh.

“Yeah, you caught us.” She confessed as she shrugged her shoulders. “Your Dad and Professor Birch are knee deep in their research on Pokémon strengthening device theory, so he called me up since he knew I was home from traveling and asked if I would come pick you up.”

She threw her arms out wide while standing in-front of Jennifer.

“And I told him I would gladly come to pick you up!” She told her before rushing in to give Jennifer another hug. “Look at how big you have gotten!” May points out as she pulls back to measure the top of her head, in comparison to the top of Jennifer’s. “You are at least ten centimeters taller than me now?! When did you get so big?! W-What happened to that cute little girl that followed me around all the time?!”

“H-Hey! You’re one to talk! Look at you!” Jennifer accused playfully. “Little Miss coordinator champion of Pokémon! Since when did you start liking Pokémon you traitor!” She asks all while keeping the smile on her face to remove the sting of her words.

But to her surprise, May just smiles at her.

“Oh boy! That is a long, LONG story!…” May laments sarcastically.

This caused Jennifer to giggle at May’s exaggerated response.

“Oh, it can’t be that bad. I know some of it at least, I heard you were inspired by a Pokémon contest.”

“Ugh!” May groaned. “Please tell me you heard this from Professor Yew and not—“

But to May dismay, Jennifer shook her head.

“ ‘fraid not, I read the article that report wrote about you after you won your thirtieth contest: the one written in A Pokémon World.”

“UGH!” May groaned louder, which only caused Jennifer to laugh more.

“Sorry May,” Jennifer said in mock comfort. “Your famous now, and everyone hangs on your words.”

“Ugh! Don’t remind me! I am still regretting both the day I did that particular interview and that sponsor I picked up after that!” May said with a grouse as she turned around to start walking away.

Jennifer chortled at her friends sullen behavior as May lead the way to where they were going.

“So? like I said, I only got to read about and hear from Professor Birch, my dad and your mom about what happened to you, but I would like to hear it from yourself: what made you give in to having your very own Pokémon?”

May took a deep breath before looking back at her friend.

“Well… It start off with a Pokémon contest, much like I said in the article. But what I didn’t say in the article, was that I had met a boy at the time who was traveling around to the different regions to challenge all the all the Pokémon leagues to become champion of them all: he, along with our mutual friend that was traveling with us, and my brother, help me change my views on what being a Pokémon trainer really is. That, and along with the contest, changed the very way I view Pokémon and who and what these wonderful creatures are; how beautiful and amazing they can be.”

                           

Jennifer was stunned to hear such passionate words flow out of May’s voice, rather than the usual harsh teasing older sister tone.

Jennifer chortled at this before speaking again.

“You really have matured and grown a lot May… I’m jealous.”

May snorted at what Jennifer had said.

“Look whose talking!” May contradicts. “You’re so much taller than me now, and look way more mature than I do even at sixteen! How any of this even fair!” May complained good naturedly.

This prompted another laugh out of Jennifer at her old friend’s antics.

“We Ejapullians just grow larger and are made of hardier stuff.”

“Ha! Hardier stuff… Look at you!” May said accusingly. She reach over to poke at Jennifer’s arms and side. “Like a twig or a stick.”

“H-H-Hey! Knock it off!” Jennifer complained as May poked at her lack of muscles and her overly thin body. She swatted at May’s hands, which prompted giggles out of the older teenager.

Which made Jennifer roll her eyes and push her friend in the back playfully. Which only earned her a playful shove back by May herself. This unexpected retaliation had Jennifer falling flat onto the floor, landing on her butt.

“OOF!” Jennifer looked up at May, who was staring at her with worried eyes at first.

But then Jennifer grinned at May before jumping to her feet to chase after her.

May shrieked before laughing to run away from Jennifer.

            

“Grr! Get back here May!”

“Hahahaha! Just try and catch me Jen!”

                  

They playfully ran towards the parking after leaving the terminal area.

May started slowing down as she approached the vehicle she rented for the day.

As Jennifer saw what May was heading towards, she slowed as well.

Her eyes going wide in both fascination, wonderment, and a bit of shock.

A three wheel two seater open topped road vehicle.

Or a trike as some people know it…

May realizing something was amiss turned towards the now panting Jennifer after she had run chasing her.

“Are you okay?”

“………….……….”

         

Jennifer realized, she wasn’t sure she was okay.

            

She looked into May’s big blue eyes and saw concern reflecting back towards her.

         

“…………….You know already?…………….” Jennifer asked her in a small voice.

May just gave her a reassuring smile before she spoke.

“Not much… I only know like what you might have from the article… I heard about how you don’t like confined spaces from your dad… so…” May shrugged. “I rented out this trike, hoping it would allow you to be more comfortable.”

Jennifer closed her eyes as waves of emotions washed over her. After a couple of tears leaked out of her shut eyes, she just whispered quietly to May a single phrase.

“……Thank you……”

May smiled at her friend, that she thought of as a younger sister.

A much BIGGER younger sister, but a young sister none the less. May thought to herself.

May walked up to Jennifer, putting her arms around her midsection; wrapping her in a warm loving hug.

“I got you little sis… let big sis-M hold you.” She told Jennifer in a gentle voice.

“Oh M!” Jennifer cried in a strained voice.

She buried her head onto May’s shoulder as she cried and let out her emotions.

May stood there with her head tilted back as her giant friend towered over her crying on top of her shoulder.

If it weren’t for how tragic this is, it might look pretty comedical from the sidelines. May thought to herself morbidly.

“I don’t know much of the details…” May whispered to Jennifer. “But I am, and will always be here for you when you need or want to talk Jenny.” May reassured. “Do you want to talk about any of it?” She asked her cautiously.

Jennifer shook her head.

“No.”

She mumbled into May’s shoulder.

“I just!…” Jennifer hesitated as she took in a deep, shaky breath. “I honestly just want to stop thinking about it… just for people to stop asking me about it… to just forget it happened… I want to just.. move on… and not think about it all the time: I know people mean well and are concerned… but when they bring it up and ask……… it just!—…….— *SHAKY BREATH* —It just brings it all back into focus on what happened… when I would rather just forget it…”

         

May rubbed the palm of her hands up and down Jennifer’s back in a comforting motion to help sooth her.

“Hey now, there there… It’s alright, big sis-M is here now. And you don’t have to say a single thing to me if you don’t want; and I won’t ask about it if that is what you want.” May assured Jennifer.

“………….Really?…………..” Jennifer squeaked out as she heard May’s promise.

She felt May nod into her chest.

“That is right,” She assured her again. “I am just going to say this once: that if you ever do want to talk about it; or that you are having a hard time dealing with that or anything, I am here for you Jenny…” She told her, but then corrected herself. “We all are: me, Professor Birch, your dad, your mom… we are all just concerned, and I am sure you know that, so I won’t rehash that: but I just wanted to point out that every single one of us loves and cares for you Jennifer… just don’t forget to let us in and help you when you’re ready.”

Jennifer tightened her grip and hold onto May at her words.

“Thanks big sis-M… you don’t know how much that means to hear you say that!” She told may in a strained voice.

May let out a chortle before patting Jennifer’s back and pulling away.

“I might understand more than you believe I do.” She informed Jennifer.

May jerked her head back towards the car.

“Come on!” She said in a chipper tone, hoping to sound more up beat than she felt after watching her friend break down. “Let’s get the show on the road and get you ho—“

                    

“Glaceon?” Came a melodic voice from behind May.

She snapped her head around to see her Glaceon sitting there on the passenger seat.

She disentangled herself from Jennifer to throw her hands onto her hips, looking at her Pokémon in surprise.

“Glaceon!” May spoke in a firm tone. “What are you doing outside of your ball again?! Did you follow me from home and hide in the back?”

“Gla! Gla! Glaceon!”

“Ugh! What am I ever going to do with you!” May said in mock frustration.

She looks back at Jennifer with a sheepish grin on her face.

“I don’t suppose you have a spare Pokémon ball I could barrow to put my naughty Glaceon in?”

Jennifer only laughed at May’s silly question that she absolutely knew that May knew the answer to.

“Sorry may,” Jennifer apologized “fresh out.” She told her.

“Darn, guess you’re the one out of luck here though.” May informs Jennifer with a smirk. “I hate to ask this, but do you mind holding her? Your luggage isn’t going to fit back there along with Glaceon; I also don’t want to force her to have to sit back there, now that I know she is here with us.”

Jennifer shrugs her shoulders.

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

“I see, well that is to bad. Guess we will………… wait what?!” May exclaims in surprise.

Jennifer ignores her friends bewildered look and walks past her to squat down beside the trike.

“Glace?… On?” Glaceon questions who this person is that just walked up next to her master’s vehicle.

“Why hello there Glaceon, you must be my friend’s Pokémon partner.” Jennifer reaches at a hand slowly towards her. “It is nice to meet you.”

“H-Hey! Careful you should—“

But May’s voice trails off as she watches with wide eyes as her Glaceon accepts the hand by Jennifer, allowing her to stroke her cheek and pet her head.

“Glace, ace eon!”

“Fu fu fu, yeah.” Jennifer agrees. “She is like a big sister to me as well, she and I grew up together, we used to play with each other for years: did she ever tell you about me? My name is Jennifer Barakat.” Jennifer said as way to introduce herself to Glaceon and get her more comfortable with her.

“Glace on, on ace ON!” Glaceon said enthusiastically.

“Well that is good! I am glad she did then! Is that why you are here? Did you sneak in here so that you could come with big sis-M to see who she was meeting?”

“Aceon!”

May stared fixated at the sight of her friend, seemingly communicating with her Pokémon, as if she was actually understanding them.

“Jenny?” May calls out to her friend with a questioning and skeptical tone.

Jennifer lets out a chortle before she stands up and turns to face May.

“Got you didn’t I?”

“Huh?!”

“You should see the look on your face right now.” Jennifer tells her with a big cheesy grin on her face. “Hold on! Let me get my camera!”

“Huh?! No wait! Don’t do that!— But what was that just now? Were you just—“

“Talking with your Pokémon?”

“Yeah! Could you really?—“

But before she could finish her sentence, Jennifer was already shaking her head.

“It is not like I can understand their words or anything.” Jennifer clarifies to May. “It is more like I try and lead the conversations, while I listen and watch for the cues of the Pokémon’s responses.”

May harrumphed while puffing out her cheeks.

“Since when are you the Pokémon expert? I thought you hated them?”

“Hush your mouth, don’t cause a misunderstanding between me and your adorable Glaceon!” Jennifer complained as she put her hands on either side of Glaceon’s head, making sure she pet and scratch the sides of her face.

“On on!” Glaceon agreed with her.

May just rolled her eyes at her two friends, who had seemingly already bounded.

“You know I wasn’t trying to do that, but seriously? What gives? Since when have you been cool with Pokémon?” May got excited at a possibility that entered her head. “Did you finally buckle down and get a Pokémon yourself?!”

But, once again, Jennifer was already shaking her head.

“Nope, sorry to disappoint you. But I am still not a trainer, and I don’t plan on being one in the foreseeable future.” Jennifer informed her friend.

“So you don’t actually hate Pokémon, but you still don’t want to be a trainer? You’re going to have to explain that one to me.”

Jennifer let out a chortle at her friends words.

“Sure, I’ll confess officer May, no need to sick your vicious attack Pokémon on me!” Jennifer says dramatically before laughing.

“Glace on on on on!” Glaceon laughs with her, even while she is receiving affection from her master’s friend.

“Great! Now you got my Pokémon laughing at me?!” May cries in quipping outrage.

This just gets both Jennifer and Glaceon to roll their eyes at May over dramatics.

Jennifer looks to Glaceon.

“What do you think judge Glaceon? Do you think this coordinator May? deserves more than three points for her performance just now?”

“On on…” Glaceon says with a shake of her head.

“Grr! Why you!”

The Jennifer and Glaceon start laughing again at May’s response, which in turn, breaks May of her false anger and she joins them in their laughter.

               

After they settle down, May claps her hands together.

“Okay, that is enough antics for now. We need to get this show on the road.” She looked towards her friend. “You can tell me all about this on the way back to Petalberg City, in the mean time.” She points towards Glaceon. “Glaceon dear, please get out so we can get Jennifer’s stuff loaded inside.”

“On!”

After Glaceon hops out, they load up Jennifer’s things, into the back of the car. Afterwards they both get into the trike, and then Glaceon hops back up onto Jennifer’a lap.

May shakes her head with a snort at the sight of her Pokémon, who was contentedly curled up onto Jennifer’s lap.

“What?” Jennifer questions her friend laugh, though she already knows what May found amusing.

“Just look at the two of you!” She accuses. “With how close and comfortable you two have gotten so quickly, people might mistake the two of you as master and trainer.” May groused.

Jennifer just chortles at her friends confusion.

“What can I say? You friend here in my lap has a good taste in people, as expected of the Pokémon of my big sis from Hoenn.”

“Ace-E on!” Glaceon agrees.

May preens underneath the praise.

“Hmm! Keep going, maybe I will believe that by the time we make it back home.”

Jennifer expression falls a bit at May’s word choice.

“Yeah… Home…”

               

May winces at her faux pas, wishing she hadn’t said that. So she reaches over and grabs Jennifer’s hand.

“Hey,” She calls out gently to her down cast looking friend. She waits until Jennifer is looking up at her to continue. “I sorry that you had to leave Ejapul so quickly without any real time to prepare yourself. But Despite the circumstances of why you’re here or what it is you are going through, I am selfishly glad you’re here, I’ve missed my little sister.” May tells Jennifer with a sincere smile.

Jennifer smiles back at her and grips the hand in hers tighter for reassurance.

“Thanks M… that means a lot… And thank you for being there for me, and for not prying so much: for just being there.”

May nods her head.

“Always Jen, always.” She tells her in a quiet voice. “I am glad you are home in Hoenn again.”

Jennifer laughs quietly.

“Haa haa haa, yeah… what was the saying again?”

                   

               

“”Home sweet Hoenn!”” They both say at the same time.

“Gla-Ce-On!”

Then the three of them start laughing again as May puts the car into reverse, to pull it out of the parking space.