Here's a story. Enjoy it if you want.
"We'll be coming up in Littleroot any minute now," the truck driver announced. "Right after we clear this forest, we should arrive at our destination." The moving truck did several little leaps as it rode on the rough terrain, making a large racket. On the roof, the Machamps were beginning to show signs of discomfort from the long and bumpy ride.
"That's wonderful news," said the woman next to him. "I should contact my husband and tell him that we made it."
"Your husband is a gym leader, isn't he? Did he get here earlier than you?"
"Yes, the league flew him over here months ago to prepare for his new gym. He said that he'd bring us over once it was done."
"So that must mean he's done. Is the gym in Littleroot as well?"
"No, the only area he could get was in Petalburg. Littleroot is too small for a gym."
"...Oh! Here we are, ma'am. We have arrived at our destination." Once the last of the trees in the path disappeared, a more open view became visible. It was a small enclosed town surrounded by the forest. True to it's name, the size of the place allowed only a handful of houses for people to live in. One of which, was where the truck finally stopped. The woman knocked on the wall of the truck as she made her way towards the door at the back.
"Brendan," she called. "You ready to see our new home?"
"Uh…" came a muffled voice from within the compartment. "Not sure what other response I can give. Yeah, I'm ready."
An instant after his response, the doors of the truck opened. The boy inside had to shield his eyes from the intense brightness, but that quickly passed. He quickly got out of the way as the two Machamp started taking boxes into the house.
"Well come on! The air here is great. Way better than the back of a truck, wouldn't you say?" Brendan with a running start, jumped out and into his new home. His initial reaction was that it was really small. It wasn't at all like the busy city he had come from back in Johto. The tan skinned youth actually found it refreshing and quiet. Looking up, the boy spotted a curious cloudy trail streaking across the sky. He didn't have much time to dwell on it when his mom approached him. "Well?"
"It's nice," Brendan said. "A big difference, but it's nice."
"I'm glad you think so. I've always wanted to settle down in a small quiet town. Maybe I'll start a small business. A bakery, I'm thinking."
"That sounds nice. Can't wait to see it." He wasn't really paying attention to his mother. Instead, tan skinned boy was immersing himself in the new region. Hoenn was different from Johto in that is was much hotter. He could already feel a bit of sweat forming underneath his hat. What helped though, was the faint sea breeze that came from the surrounding water. The way it stuck out into the water like a peninsula, Brendan was surprised that it wasn't a port city.
"The furniture is in!" Cried the truck driver as he exited the house. "You are good to go." The news brightened his mother's mood even more. Without warning and consideration, he was dragged by the hand into what would be their home.
"Wow," his mother exclaimed as she put her hand upon the sofa. "That moving service really did a good job. Everything is in a perfect position." She turned to her son. "Your room is upstairs. Why don't you have a look? Set up the clock while you're at it."
"Okay." Brendan ascended the stairs and found the door to his room. To his surprise, everything was already decorated. His bed was neatly covered, his computer was set up, even his Wii U and TV had been hooked in with the controller charging in its stand. Heck, his Snorlax bean bag was out in the open. "This is a pretty big room," he muttered to himself. It was definitely bigger than the one in the apartment his family had previously lived in.
That being said, the boy wouldn't be here for long. Quite soon, Brendan was going to go out into this new region as a new Pokemon trainer. Just the thought made him want to run out now without a second thought. But he was patient. If he could wait 16 years to be a trainer, he could wait a little longer to meet with the professor. Conveniently, the famed Professor Birch was housed just next to them. He was a big reason that his father was able to get a job as a gym leader here. Looking out the window, Brendan gave a glance at his neighbor's house. He could vaguely make out the figure of a person through the second floor window.
"Brendan!" Called his mom. "Look, your father is on TV." The child went down the stairs and made his way towards the couch where his mom had already started watching the television. When he got there, the screen was only playing commercials. "Oh, you missed it. Sorry, sweetie."
"It's no big deal. I'll be able to see him real soon." A solemn smile graced his mother's face. Standing up, she placed herself in front of her son.
"That's right," she said sweetly. "I never believed people when they said that their children grew fast until I had one of my own. Look at you, heading out into the world. My big boy." Brendan found himself in a hug so tight, it may have well been Constrict.
"Mom," he whined as he tried to get out of her hold. "It's not like I'm moving out."
"Don't even joke about that. It'll break my heart." After a few more minutes, the woman finally let him go. "Okay. I prepared myself for this day. For starters, you should introduce yourself to the professor. You know where he is, right?"
"Yeah. I'll go there now. Bye mom, I love you." This time, it was Brendan that initiated a quick hug and a small kiss to her cheek.
"Love you too, sweetie."
After closing the door behind him, Brendan crossed the path to get to his neighbor's house. Birch's name was carved on a plaque hanging on a sign near the building.
"This is the house, alright," he muttered. The boy gave the door a few knocks and waited until a woman opened the door.
"Oh my," she said upon examining him. "You wouldn't happen to be Norman's child, would you?"
"That's me. My name is Brendan and I moved here with my mom just now. Is Professor Birch here?"
"Hm...my husband went out a while ago. You can wait here if you want. In fact, why don't I introduce you to my daughter? She's the same age as you and she's eager to make friends." The woman motioned for Brendan to come inside before going up the stairs. Not long after, she came back down but this time with another person.
The new presence was a rather pale girl with short brown hair tied with a large red ribbon. With every step she took, the bow bounced up and down, making it a bit distracting. Upon seeing him, the girl's face broke into a big smile. She hurried to his side and gave a small bow in greeting.
"Hello!" She exclaimed. "You're Brendan, aren't you? My name is May Birch. I'm the Professor's daughter. It's nice to meet you!"
Surprised by her sudden volume and familiarity in speech, Brendan frantically returned her bow. "I-it's nice to meet you as well," he responded.
"Oh, sorry, was that a bit too much? It's just that once my dad started talking about a new person my age coming here to start his journey, I just had this feeling that I really wanted to be friends with you, you know?" She let out a nervous chuckle. "Look at me. We just met and I've gone and startled you."
Brendan shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry for. Meeting new people can be pretty nerve-wracking. The same goes for me." He scratched the back of his head nervously as if to prove his point.
"Hehe. I'm glad you're a nice person. I hope we can get along from now on." Suddenly, May let out a noise. "Ah, I forgot! Dad asked me to help him out in the field today! Sorry, Brendan, I have to go." Brendan stopped the girl from just as she was about to open the door.
"Well if you're going to the professor, let me come along. I was told to meet with him to get my first Pokemon."
"Really? I was going to get mine today as well. Let's go then. I don't want to keep him waiting." She waved to her mom as Brendan caught up to her. "Bye mom!"
"Be safe, you two!" She warned.
Brendan took a look at his AreaNav to get to know the geography of the new region.
According to May, she was supposed to meet her dad just north of Oldale town which was located north of Littleroot.
That being said, the pair didn't walk too far from their home until a shriek was heard just ahead of them.
"Aaaaahhh!" Yelled a large man being chased by two small Poochyena.
"Dad!?" May exclaimed.
"That's Professor Birch? It looks like he's in trouble!"
The person in question found himself cornered against the tall grass. Thankfully, he spotted his daughter and a young boy.
"H-hey, Lil' Swablu! Glad you're here. As you can see, I'm in a bit of a bind. I don't suppose you can help me?"
"Wait right there, sir! We'll get some help!"
"No! No need for that. You see that briefcase over there? Well there are some Pokemon inside. You can use those."
May and Brendan looked at each other before nodding their heads in unison. The two raced to the briefcase. As the man said, three pokeballs rolled around the box. Without thinking, Brendan picked the ball all the way to the left while May took the one next to it.
"Go!" They yelled as they tossed the balls into the air. In a flash of light, two beings came into existence. Brendan's pokemon was a short green bipedal lizard-like creature with a large tail while May's was red and resembled a bird.
"Treecko/Torchic!" The two cried before instantly going into attack mode.
"Alright," Brendan muttered. "How do I do this? Well to start off...Treecko! Use pound on the Poochyena to the right!"
"Torchic," May ordered. "Use scratch on the other one!"
Once they got their orders, the Pokemon dashed to their designated opponent and attacked. Treecko slammed hard into his Poochyena, causing it to fly back a few feet. Meanwhile, Torchic jumped in the air in the last second to scratch with it's talons. The sharp attack caused its opponent to howl in pain. Upon retaliation, Treecko's opponent let out a menacing growl that caused it to shiver and slightly cower back. The other Poochyena did the same to May's pokemon. They dug their claws in the ground before springing forward towards their foes.
"Uh-oh. Treecko, tail whip!"
"Torchic! Um...oh! Use ember!"
Brendan's pokemon turned it's back and began swinging it's tail at the charging pokemon. The sweeping motion caused the Poochyena to falter, entranced like a Lillipup to a stick. This allowed Treecko a chance to strike while it was distracted. After a large inhale, Treecko spat out a multitude of high speed seeds that pelted it's target.
At the same time, the other Poochyena in mid-pounce with it's fangs bared and ready to bite was unable to turn itself in time before a ball of fire hit it right in the face. It's head shot upwards from impact, making it spin in midair before landing next to the other Poochyena. Both of whom were now knocked out.
Brendan and May stood still for a seconds before realizing that the battle was over.
"We won…" Brendan remarked before his eyes shot wide. "Holy shit, we won!"
"Yay!" May yelled as she took Brendan's hand and jumped around. Her new friend joined her in laughter at their first battle and first victory.
"Wonderful job, you two," Birch congratulated before producing two pokeballs. The two Poochyena were sucked into them, confusing the two trainers. "And thanks to you two as well. I'll be sure to patch you guys up."
"Wait," Brendan inquired. "Those were your pokemon? I thought you were being attacked." The large man gave a hearty laugh and shook his head.
"No, no, no. I saw that you two were approaching, so I set up this situation to give you your Pokemon. Clever, huh?"
"Dad," May whined. "I was really worried!"
"Haha, sorry Lil' Swablu. I just couldn't resist." His daughter turned to her side and crossed her arms with a puff of her cheeks.
"Don't call me that in front of other people. It's embarrassing."
"Right, sorry." After another laugh, the professor turned to Brendan. "Now then, I do believe that is Norman's son that I am looking at."
"That's me," he replied.
"Wonderful! I will have you come with me to the lab. As for May, can you go ahead to the research site? I'm sure you'll be fine with your new Pokemon. The wild pokemon here aren't too strong and aggressive."
"Yes, dad," she said. "See ya, Brendan!" With a wave, the girl started running towards Oldale with Torchic following clumsily behind. Brendan and Birch turned the other way to head to the lab.
As Birch settled into the familiar machinery, he approached Brendan with a proud smile.
"I have to say," he started. "For someone who's never had a pokemon, you sure knew how to handle yourself back there. As I would expect from Norman's son."
"Thank you sir. My father told me a lot about you."
"I bet he did. Hopefully nothing too embarrassing?"
"Depends. He told me when May was born, you were so flustered with what to call her that you started shouting the names of Pokemon." He laughed at the sight of the professor's face turning red.
"Well enough of that. You've been given your first Pokemon, now all that's left is to push you into the unknown. But before that, could I ask you to get May while I set up some stuff? I have something I need to tell the both of you."
"Sure. Is she north of Oldale?"
"Yes. I was there previously, but I was so excited to see you two that I rushed back without finishing my research. May should be done by the time you get there."
Exiting the lab, Brendan made a swift dash to Oldale with his Treecko sitting atop his head. He seemed to have taken interest in his hat.
"I should think of a nickname for you," Brendan suggested. "Oh! This guy I met online from Kanto once called his Grass Pokemon Kusagiri, meaning something along the lines of 'grass cutter.' Do you mind if I call you that? I'll call you Kusa for short."
"Treecko!" His pokemon said happily. It looked like he was fine with it.
"Well then, Kusa. Let's take this region by storm. You with me?" Brendan held out his hand, which his new friend took and shook. "Awesome!"
Oldale wasn't too far from Littleroot, thankfully. It only took a few minutes until he got to the town. The town was a bit bigger than Littleroot, complete with a Pokemart and Pokecenter. There were three roads leading into the area. One from Littleroot, one to route 103 where May was, and one from Petalburg where his father was.
"Oh," said a man in a Pokemart uniform who approached him. "Are you a new trainer?"
"I am," Brendan answered.
"That's great. Here, take these to start off your journey." From his pouch, the man took out a few potions and handed them to him. "Be sure to support the Pokemarts around the region. And a happy journey to you." With a bow, the employee disappeared back into the market. Brendan stared at his new items before shrugging and putting them away.
"Free items. I ain't complaining." With that out of the way, Brendan continued his trek to the professor's daughter.
He soon found the short haired girl crouched on the ground beside a small pond with a little notepad in her hand while her Torchic stood guard. Once it saw him, the fire pokemon ran to it's master and pecked at her leg.
"Hahaha!" she exclaimed. "Stop, that tickles! What is it?"
"Tor!" Torchic pointed its beak at the boy who waited patiently for the girl to notice him.
"Brendan! I was sure you'd be in Petalburg by now. Did you need something?"
"The Professor asked for me to come and get you. Apparently, he wants both of us for something."
"Both of us? I wonder why?" Standing up, May patted the dirt out of her legs and straightened her clothing. "Say, Brendan. Before we go, do you want to have a battle?"
"A battle, huh?" Kusa jumped from his head and landed on all fours in front of him. "Hehe. I guess we're doing it."
"Great! Torchic, let's go!" She waited until her Pokemon's short feet reached the battlefield. "Let's start with a Peck!"
"Chic!" With a cute warcry, Torchic's beak started to glow. It made a mad dash towards its foe.
"Jump up and smack her with your tail!" Treecko jumped into the air just as the attack was about to make impact and did a front flip in midair. His tail came down on the confused Torchic, making it's head crash into the ground.
"Okay," May said. "How about an Ember?" After freeing it's beak, Torchic spat out a ball of fire towards the still landing Kusa. The attack hit directly, causing the Pokemon to stagger and fall on one knee,
"Tree…" Kusa growled.
"Super effective, huh? We're at a disadvantage. Let's go with a pound, then!"
"Treecko!" With a strong push, Kusa was able to stand up and run towards Torchic.
"Dodge it!" Her Pokemon used Kusa's momentum to her advantage and hopped to the left when it was too late to turn. Unexpectedly, Brandon gave the order to use Bullet Seed to which Kusa responded by using the same momentum to put himself upside down and releasing the attack. His attack made contact not only with Torchic, but also the ground. This created a cloud of dirt that obscured Torchic's view.
"Now, while your opponent can't see! Use your tail and pin her down!" Kusa dived into the cloud and swung its tail hard. Once he felt Torchic's body, he directed his tail downwards and pushed her body into the ground. The impact blew away the dirt, showing that Kusa was able to do as Brendan said. "Use Leer!"
"Tree…" The grass Pokemon hardened its face, making a face that made Torchic quake and leave itself defenseless.
"Now, Absorb!" Kusa's tail glowed green and sapped away at his foe's energy. Torchic tried to squirm, but his grip was too strong. Her lack of arms added to her helplessness.
"Don't let him get away with that, Torchic! Use Ember point blank!"
"Torchic!"
"Bullet Seed, Kusa!"
"Treecko!"
Both Pokemon opened their mouths at the same time and let out their respective attacks. The impact of the two moves created a small blast that resulted in another dirt cloud. Both trainers cried out to their Pokemon in worry and rushed to their sides. The cloud subsided to show both Pokemon engaged in a pushing contest with their heads.
"Tree…"
"Tor…"
The two reared both their heads back and brought them together for one last headbutt. But instead of one overpowering the other, both Pokemon collapsed at the same time.
"Huh…" May said as she scooped up her Pokemon. "Both of them went down."
"I guess this is a tie," Brendan reasoned. "Come on, we should visit the Pokecenter before going to the Professor." May and Brendan put their Pokemon in their balls and hurried to the Center.
"Please wait for a while," Nurse Joy said as she took the Pokeballs. "As new trainers, please remember that it hurts the confidence of your Pokemon if they are constantly fainting. Please make sure to take care of them as much as possible."
"Yes ma'am," the two trainers chimed before heading towards a table.
"Man," May said as she scratched her head. "That was an intense battle. I was sure that my type advantage was going to win me the match, but you were able to get passed it so easily.
"I thought I was going to lose, too," Brendan confessed. "A Pokemon that uses Fire and Flying-type moves is huge trouble for Kusa, so I'm surprised it ended in a draw."
"You were so intense, too. Especially towards the end with that Absorb trick. That face you were making made my heart race."
"Was I really that serious?"
"You were! It was amazing!"
"Huh…" He pursed his lips and nodded his head. "I guess my dad's energy rubbed off on me."
"Your dad is the Petalburg gym leader, isn't he? Are you going to challenge him?"
"Of course. When I came to Hoenn, I decided I was going to challenge the Pokemon League. That means beating my dad in the process."
"Well I hope you succeed. I'll be friends with a Champion that way."
"Thanks. I'm glad to know someone other than my mom is cheering for me."
"Heehee~" May reached into her bag and brought out a lunch box. "Since we're waiting, we should eat something. I packed some sandwiches before I met with you. Have some." Opening the box revealed several sandwiches cut in half. May waited for Brendan to take one before shortly following.
"...You're pretty friendly," Brendan remarked bluntly. "Like, really friendly. I've never seen someone act so familiar with someone they just met." May seemed to look surprised before displaying an awkward smile.
"Is that how it looks like? I'm sorry if I'm coming on a bit too strong. It's just...Littleroot is pretty isolated from the rest of the region, you know? And being so small, there aren't many people to begin with, much less people my age. Before that, dad's job made us move from region to region until he finally settled in Littleroot so my parents and the lab people were the only people I really interacted with. When I heard that someone my age was going to move in, I guess it made me really excited. I've never had a friend my age before." She finished with a small chuckle. "How about you? dad said that your family came from Johto."
"We used to live in Goldenrod City. If I were to compare it to one of the places here, it would be…" He checked the AreaNav. "...Mauville or Lilycove. Still, even though it was a big city, I didn't have any friends. It was mostly because of Team Rocket's presence. My parents did all they could to keep me indoors and safe from any harm. Even after the current champion of Johto weeded them out, they were adamant that I should consider starting a journey when I was older. And as a final precaution, my dad worked hard to become a gym leader here so that he could whisk us off to a safer place."
"So you were sheltered as well?"
"I suppose so. The closest I was to having friends were these guys I met on the internet from all over the regions. Kalos, Kanto, Sinnoh, Unova, even one in Johto and Alola. They've been quiet recently, so I haven't had anyone to talk to in a while."
"Well then I guess we're both each other's first friend, huh? In real life, at least. Unless...you don't want to be friends?" There was a bit of concern in her eyes as she wondered whether or not the new arrival even wanted to befriend her. Thankfully, her fears were shattered when the boy held up what was left of his sandwich.
"To first friends," he announced in mock toast. The ridiculousness was enough to make her giggle.
"To first friends," she repeated. The two touched their sandwiches together to seal their new friendship.
"Tor Tor! Torchic!"
"Ko! Tree...cko!"
Below the two trainers, their respective Pokemon seemed to be having an argument in their own language. How two completely different Pokemon could understand each other was beyond either of them, but it was happening right before their eyes.
"You think they're arguing over who won?" May inquired.
"I don't doubt it," Brendan said. He crouched down to address the pair who refused to look at each other. If Torchic had any arms, she would've been folding them just like Treecko. "Look, you two. I know winning is a real boost to your pride, but both of you collapsed at the same time. It was a tie."
…
"You okay?" The girl beside him was doing her best not to laugh as Brendan picked charred seeds out of his hair and hat.
"Uh...Y-yeah. A bit of a surprise, but I'm fine."
The trainers finally reached the laboratory to find the professor ready to doze off. It was understandable, given that Brendan took longer than he would've expected.
"Dad!" May yelled, effectively waking the man up. "We're back."
"What?" said the groggy professor. Birch slapped himself awake until the two finally came into focus. "Oh! Lil' Swablu, you're back."
"I said not to call me that!"
"What took you guys so long? I sent Brendan out like…an hour ago." Brendan filled the man in on how his simple fetch mission was sidetracked. "I see...I must say, I'm quite surprised by the results of your little fight. May has been with Pokemon all her life because of my work, so I thought she'd have the upper hand. Again, I'm impressed with you, Brendan." His daughter shot him a dirty look. "N-not that you weren't impressive as well. Your daddy is happy you could go toe-to-toe with a gym leader's child. Uhh...anyway, I'm glad that both of you are here. I ordered these to give to the both of you." From behind his back, the professor brought out two red devices and handed them to the pair. "This device is called a Pokedex. It's a high tech digital encyclopedia programmed to gather data on Hoenn's many native Pokemon. It uses a scanner located on the back to determine things like species, gender, height, weight, and many other details. Why don't you try it out?"
Brendan and May placed Treecko and Torchic together(after a bit of wrestling), and scanned their bodies with their new device. Their pictures appeared on the screen along with other pieces of data.
Treecko: The Wood Gecko Pokemon
Treecko has small hooks on the bottom of its feet that enable it to scale vertical walls. This Pokémon attacks by slamming foes with its thick tail. Treecko is cool, calm, and collected—it never panics under any situation. If a bigger foe were to glare at this Pokémon, it would glare right back without conceding an inch of ground.
Torchic: The Chick Pokemon
Torchic sticks with its Trainer, following behind with unsteady steps. This Pokémon breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black. Torchic has a place inside its body where it keeps its flame. Give it a hug—it will be glowing with warmth. This Pokémon is covered all over by a fluffy coat of down.
"Wow!" said May. "This is pretty cool. You should've given me one of these a long time ago instead of making me sketch out Pokemon in a notebook. Now the field research is going to go easier."
"About that...There's something I have to say."
"Huh? What is it?"
"For the time being, you are relieved of your duties in the lab."
"...What?"
"What I'm trying to say is that you're no longer needed directly at my side." The large man stood in front of his daughter and crouched until they were eye level. Her wide-eyed and confused expression tugged at his heart. "May, tell me. Do you really want to help me here?"
"Of course I do. I've been doing it all my life."
"That's exactly it. That's what you've been doing all your life. It's what I've been making you do, never once asking if there was anything more you wanted. I think it's time for me to allow you the freedom I have been keeping within arm's reach."
"Dad, what are you-"
"You have been a wonderful help. Far more wonderful than I ever deserve. But just because I have pursued the path of a professor, it doesn't necessarily mean that you should follow in my footsteps. A child such as yourself deserves to explore what this world has to offer and not be tied down by my selfish desires." His hand enveloped the side of May's face and wiped away a single tear with his rough thumb. "Now I have dragged you throughout the world because of my job, but I always kept you near me. In doing so, I starved you of companionship. I robbed you of friendship. And most of all, I kept the world from seeing just how wonderful you are." Birch pulled his daughter in for an large embrace. "Look at you. Not even one day has passed and you've already made a promising friend. I do believe it's time for this old fuddy-duddy to stop preventing his Lil' Swablu from evolving into a beautiful Altaria."
Her father's sentiment mixed with his cheesy wording caused May to laugh in between her light sobbing.
"Oh dad," the two engaged in embrace for a few more minutes until finally breaking apart
"Now if you come back from your journey and decide that you still want to pursue research, then I'll welcome you with open arm. But first, I want you to go out and find out what it is you want to do. Your final project as my assistant is to complete the Pokedex."
"I will. I promise."
"Brendan." The boy who had subtracted himself from the scene to allow the family members to have their moment suddenly sprang up from where he was playing with Kusa.
"Y-yes sir!" He replied.
"You are planning to take on the League, are you not?"
"I am."
"I know this is sudden, but can I ask you to bring my daughter with you? Traveling alone can be very lonesome, trust me. And I believe you will keep her safe. Take her to see what I've been keeping from her."
"I understand, Professor. I have no problems with her tagging along. In fact, I'd rather enjoy the company."
"Brendan…" May said. The boy offered her a grin.
"That's great to hear. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Both of you. Now run along. You should get some rest. Tomorrow will be a big day." The two children bid the man farewell and made their way out the lab. They began walking home together.
"I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot more," Brendan reasoned. "Are you okay?" Beside him, the short haired girl seemed to be in a daze with her Torchic resting in her arms. He touched her shoulder lightly to get her attention.
"Huh?" May said. "Sorry, I was just...thinking."
"Well I was asking if you were okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that the whole thing took me by surprise, you know? I never knew dad felt that way."
"It was very moving, but the fact I was there made it a bit awkward."
"Hehe. Sorry about that. But I was wondering. He let me go off, but I don't even know what I should do."
"We haven't even left yet. You should be thinking about that somewhere around the middle or the end of our journey."
"And you're really okay with me coming with you?"
"Sure. Could you imagine being alone for days on end traveling from place to place? It would be better to have someone to talk to. Besides. We just became friends. Being apart kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?"
"I suppose so…" Once they reached their homes, the two stopped briefly. "I guess this is it for today. Good night, Brendan."
"Same to you. We have a long day tomorrow."
Go ahead and criticize. Just don't be an asshole about it.