The rain was relentless, thrashing against the windows of a small house in Littleroot like a thief trying to break inside. Thunder cackled, lightning flashed, gales whipped around the trees and bushes, but, for someone sheltered, it made no difference.
Pecha Cobbler was May's favourite dish. No matter the weather, hail or sandstorm, rain or bright sunlight, May could always enjoy the satisfying plate of Pecha cobbler. It was sweet – some may say too sweet, like a saccharine Valentine's card, but to May, the sweetness was ripe and placed her delicate mind in a paradise. She couldn't fault it, and nothing better could dissolve her worries than a decent portion of dessert like this.
Seated at her dining table, TV playing quietly in the background, May readied herself for her Pecha cobbler. She caught a glimpse of the screen – showing a Pokémon battle at Sinnoh's Battle Frontier – but instead of watching avidly, May turned back around to face the table. Both of her parents were just baffled that their only daughter didn't like the outside life of travel, the rush of wind through one's hair (er, helmet) when riding a bike, the adrenaline pulse of intense Pokémon battles or contests. Instead, May preferred the quiet life. Sure, she very much understood the dynamics and techniques and skill in battle, but that was as far as the boat was pushed out. Home life tickled her fancy much more: reading a book, drawing and painting, or, indeed, baking a half-decent sweet dish. Despite her Gym Leader heritage, May didn't like the idea of travelling as much as sitting on a Cacnea.
Her neighbour, Brendan Birch, however – well, he was the complete opposite. When May had moved from Johto – Arceus, so many years ago now – she had only just gained a friend in him when he was just about to set off on his own Pokémon journey.
She remembered that day so clearly, even though she had just been ten years old at the time. He grinned, his teeth catching the light of morning, his grip so firm around his first PokéBall… and he asked her if she was going to journey too, if they were going to be rivals and fight each other for the top spot on the ladder.
"Nope, not for me," May had said, her voice, she noted, far higher-pitched than it was now, "I don't like travelling… I don't think I would like battling Pokémon either."
He couldn't belittle her for her way of life, and that was completely fine. He understood, and she watched him leave. Hah, even on that day, her mother had made her Pecha cobbler. Maybe the smell triggered her memories to ignite again.
May didn't really know why she was thinking about it. That had been twelve years ago now. She was twenty-two, worked full-time at Oldale's PokéMart stacking shelves, and wasn't planning on heading any further into Hoenn's suburbian areas (the furthest she had been was Petalburg, just to watch her dad in action at the Gym). She hadn't seen Brendan not a winkle during that time – in fact, the most recent she heard of him was in news reports, winning things. And here she was, still living with her parents… although she had spotted a nice flat she was thinking of renting in Oldale, so her old mother would finally be rid of her and she could make the next big step in her life.
But something didn't sit right with her. She had wondered this very thought for a long time, since about her fourteenth birthday. Had she made the right decision?
May had declined the opportunity to become a fully-fledged Pokémon trainer when she was ten, when Professor Birch had welcomed her to the town and asked politely if she was planning a journey of her own. She gave the same reasoning to him as she did with his son. But in the comfort of her life, May wondered what it would be like to take that step out of her house, to wield a powerful pet of her own. What would it be like to be a Pokémon trainer?
She threw the thoughts away from her head. That was the problem with her favourite dish: it always made her remember silly thoughts like that. Cursing herself silently for her forgetfulness, she stood from the table, the chair screeching at the movement, to grab a fork from the drawers of the kitchenette. The rain was still pounding at her window.
She would have completely missed the knock at her door if she hadn't casually peered outside. She spotted a flash of a person pass by, and for a moment, she thought she was dreaming. But the door sounded in time with a rumble of the sky.
May placed the fork down on the table and peered longingly at her Pecha cobbler. If she didn't eat it soon, it would turn cold. Still, the door was more important – her mother would never forgive her if her deliveries were sent back to the post office or if Mrs Birch had been standing in the rain for ten minutes.
The door was stiff, but May managed to pull it open.
The thunder covered her gasp.
"Hey there, May. Long time, no see." May couldn't mistake his face, which no longer carried the boyish charm of a ten year-old. Sure, she had seen him on television, but to finally acknowledge his change in person was a shock to her brain.
"Brendan Birch," she said, standing back to let him in – he was currently being drenched by water dripping from her walkway roof, "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Twelve years," said Brendan – his voice had dropped an octave since the last time she had met him, too. He grinned as he stepped inside, "Twelve years it's been since I've been back. Mom cried when I returned." He was still wearing about the same garb that she would expect him to wear – the three-quarter lengths, the skin-tight shirt, the green backpack, that funny hat he adored so much.
"I'm not surprised, Champion of Every-Single-Region-Who-Hasn't-Visited-In-Years," she said to him, shutting the door. The howling wind could no longer force itself into her corridor and ruin the symmetry, "Kalos was your last one, am I right?"
"Yep," he said, removing his jacket and wiping himself off. She definitely noticed that his face has become more chiselled since their last meet, "The Kalos Elite Four and Champion were sons of a beached Wailord to beat, but I managed it in the end. Man, I can't believe I haven't been back to Littleroot Town since I was ten! Everything looks so different… even you look different!"
May rolled her eyes, "That's called puberty, Champion."
"Alright, whatever," he said, the wry grin sticking like make-up, "How's your family doing? How's your dad?"
May showed him to the seating area after her had taken off his shoes, "Oh, yeah, he's fine. Doing what a Gym Leader does, snuffing out the weak trainers and the like. It was great watching your battle at the Pokémon World Tournament!"
Brendan nodded, settling himself into the sofa. Even after twelve years, he still sat like he owned it, "Ah, yeah, World Tourney was great. Shame you weren't there to watch my great win in person."
May crossed her arms, "Still my dad you're talking about."
"Probably not as good watching from a recorded DVD. Not as authentic," he flashed a joking smile, "Chill, May. You know, you haven't changed a bit."
She sat up, "I thought you said 'everything was different'?"
"Yeah, physically," he emphasised, staring around her house, "You're still the same old May from way-back when… except maybe a better cook," he paused, eying the Pecha cobbler waiting to be eaten, "You still eat that stuff? Hah."
"Yeah, it still tastes good. But, how have you been? Where have you been?"
He stretched his arms over the sofa back, "All over. Everywhere. Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, and the latest place, Kalos," he paused to fish into his bag, "Not forgetting Hoenn, of course. I was considering challenging the Gyms here again, just for fun. Wally doesn't think it's a good idea, though."
"Oh, yeah, Wally! How's he doing lately?"
"As you'd expect Wally to be – chilling at Victory Road, last time I heard about him."
She sat back, "Well, unlike you, Wally actually visited once in a while."
"When you're a famous, awesome trainer such as myself," he said, pulling out a shiny case and opening it up. Inside, each Gym Badge May could ever recognise was pinned neatly in rows, more than forty-eight gleaming with sparkle, "Your life just turns pretty busy… I'm not even staying here for long; I'm going to Fiore soon to help with some Pokémon Ranger efforts… But it's great, and I'm loving it," he flicked his eyes over to her direction again, before closing the Badge case and returning it to his bag, "Yeah. How's your mom?"
"Fine, as well," she said, "You must know that. She works with your pa with breeding Starter Pokémon…" she narrowed her eyes, "You did go to see him first, right?"
"Of course. He would throw me to the Poochyena if I didn't go to his Laboratory before exploring the rest of town. He cried too," he said with a smirk, "Yeah, and your mom was there. I asked her if you were in, and she said you basically always were, save the times you're working."
"Hey," she defended, "I take great pride in my work."
"Uh-huh. Oldale is just buzzing with life," he said. They fell into silence.
For a moment, the smell of her Pecha cobbler wafted into her nose.
"Hey," he spoke again, "Doesn't a Pokémon journey sound great to you?"
She blinked, "What?" the question took her by surprise – almost. She recovered, "No. My answer back then is still the same as it is now."
He frowned, "Not even a tiny bit? Don't you want to see the world?"
"I can see the world just fine from my bedroom window, thank you." If he had come to lecture her about her decision from twelve years ago, she was going to have to kick him out of the house. She didn't want to hear whatever he had to say on the subject.
He threw up his arms in defeat, "Okay, touchy. Just wondered… I mean, I'm just trying to tell you how awesome and amazing and thrilling Pokémon journeys are. It's like a party that never stops moving and you're with your best friends."
"That kind of Krabby may have worked on a ten year-old brain, but if you haven't noticed, I'm not ten anymore. Pokémon journeys are for kids."
"No, they're not," Brendan said immediately, "Just look at me. I'm the same age as you, and I've been travelling all this time with my Pokémon. Twelve years. I haven't regretted a single moment of it."
She was silent. Regret… she had been feeling its weight so heavily in recent times.
"It's too late," she said, crossing her arms, "I've already built my life. I'm looking at this flat in Oldale, and I have a full-time job. Nobody at twenty-two starts a Pokémon journey."
"What are you on, May? It's not too late. It's never too late. You can be eighteen or eighty when you begin," he said, "I'm not saying the life you have isn't good enough, I'm just saying… you were always the biggest Pokémon nerd back in the day, but you never used your knowledge in practice. And you always watched me battle and yelled at me when I got a Type matchup wrong."
"-watched. From the side lines. Not to participate in. I don't think I'd be a great battler," she reiterated, standing up, "Look, if you're just here to tell me what I'm doing wrong with my life, then you can leave. I don't really want to hear what you have to say."
The rain was relentless, "The point is to learn, May; that's what a journey is about. The world has changed," Brendan said, standing up and staring placidly back into her crossed eyes, "Gym Leaders have retired. New species and Formes of Pokémon have been discovered. Mega Evolution. Tournaments. Worldwide trades… You can't see it all from your bedroom window. You can never experience something if you don't leave your comfort zone."
May did not reply. Her heart only tightened, and a strange pain she had never felt swelled like a balloon in her stomach. She could already feel the tears surging to her eyes, like the rain lashing outside, as she turned her head to the ground.
"Whatever."
"Alright, I can see when I've crossed the line," he nodded, although she could not see his face, before he grabbed his coat, replaced his shoes, and headed for the door. When he opened it, the wind raged.
For a moment, Brendan held his pose, the door in his grip like the very first PokéBall he held. Like it was about to fly off the handle.
"If you want to find me, I'll be at the lab," he said, still vacant of any striking expression, "Encouraging the new trainers, like I promised Dad I would. I won't be here long, though – only for a couple of days before I head off again."
The door shut. She could no longer hear the splashes against her front porch, or the thunder like it was right next to her. Only the background noise of the outside and the gentle whispers of the television. The Pokémon battle at the Battle Tower still raged on, but May could not hear the commands of the trainers.
She inhaled deeply. Apart from her Pecha cobbler, the air tasted dry. May looked around her house to try to retain the tears from falling. It looked the same as it did every day, every piece of furniture in its precise place. Even after every shift at the PokéMart, when she left in the morning and returned in the afternoon, nothing was different. But she could not see change, being in the same place for so long.
Brendan had said everything had changed physically. He had seen it first hand: Gym Leaders, species, Formes, Evolution, tournaments, trades. She could not.
Part of her did not want to leave home… part of her liked the comfort of familiarity.
But the other part… the other part wanted to see the world.
The conflict that had existed in her mind since she was fourteen when finally came to the front of her conscience, and she finally confronted her growing thoughts of wonder and curiosity and desire. It was overwhelming and overpowering, boosted by Brendan's careful words. In seconds, May came to realise what her heart truly wanted.
Even though she knew he was outside in the pouring rain, May did not stop. She did not even grab a coat, and threw on a pair of limp slippers as she ran after him. This was one chance she did not want to ruin again.
Her Pecha cobbler grew cold that day.
Fin.
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In celebration for the announcement of Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire! I'm soooooo excited!
Anyway, I hope you liked this! Guess you could say this is out of my comfort zone as I don't often write stories like this. Hope I did a decent job!
Reviews/ Favourites/ Author follows are always much appreciated! Many thanks,
~ GD
Edited 8th August 2014 to accomodate character design changes.