Time to give some love for this little ship! Though in here, it's more on the light and implied side. I hope you enjoy!
Brendan often felt like something was lacking. Sure, he had loving parents, and from watching his Dad, a Gym Leader, at work when he was really young, he had seen how Pokemon battles work and how to raise your Pokemon with love, even when he couldn't have one of his own yet. He never needed to learn much from books, because just watching was enough for him to take it to heart and learning by instinct while doing it. It wasn't even that much of a problem that he didn't get to reach out to kids his age. And now they had moved to Hoenn, where Dad was leading the Petalburg Gym. Brendan met their neighbor, Professor Birch, and his daughter May, making a first friend, got his first Pokemon, Treecko, began to go on a journey with many fateful encounters to come, and yet... he never could place that feeling. Until that fateful encounter when he first went to see Dad in Petalburg Gym.
Wally.
His pure being, full of determination... he had started from completely the opposite way as Brendan, and yet he really wanted to be with a Pokemon and travel, whereas Brendan, in a way, always took being with Pokemon for granted, even despite not having a Pokemon of his own until moving to Littleroot Town. Sure, he wanted to travel and spend time with Pokemon and battle and be strong (make everyone proud, show he's really worth the praise, live up to his Dad), but... Wally was different. The way he studied anything he could because just studying was all he could do, the way he had all these apps for playing with Pokemon on his PokéNav despite being tied to his room, the way he just walked up to the Gym Leader telling about his situation of wishing to have a Pokemon before leaving to visit his family for health reasons, being shy yet clear in conveying what he wanted, the way how, despite immediately asking Brendan for help, he didn't actually need it once they were out in the tall grass... and, what would make Brendan think a lot once he caught one of his own, how it was a Ralts, of all things, that was the first Pokemon to jump out, wanting to be with Wally upon first sight. The feeling Pokemon. "It sensed all his determination, his genuine care and wanting to be friends with Pokemon…"
(At first sight, Brendan had thought Wally was really cute, the cutest person he ever met even, but that was another story.)
It didn't matter that Brendan became sort of a hero, facing against Team Magma all while challenging Gyms and catching and raising all sorts of Pokémon. It didn't matter that contest idol Lisia scouted him because he had "something special", didn't matter that Steven Stone - or anyone else he met for that matter - kept saying similar things. Brendan just didn't feel it at all, he was just some kid who constantly tried to seem cooler than he actually is. And Wally... he just, he was so genuine and pure. Not afraid to show his shyness. Brendan admitted to himself he was a bit jealous, but... Not in a bad way? He didn't resent him for it, no, far from it; he thought the younger boy was the true hero, and wished he could be more like him. And loving all these things about the other boy.
When he had glanced at the statues in every Gym starting at Lavaridge Gym, seeing Wally's name already there, Brendan had just stared with wide eyes. Then he saw the news on the buzz nav. "A ten year old boy challenging and defeating all Gym Leaders all over the region". It was a surprise, but it made him happy, seeing that even after being defeated that day in Mauvile City, he didn't give up. And now he became so strong in such a short time, had a clear goal, while Brendan was always getting dragged into different things and could never focus onto one thing or another, having everyone expect thingsfrom him.
(It made him incredibly happy how, whenever he met someone from Wally's family, or when Wally happened to join up with him and Dad, there was this sense of belonging. Feeling right at home. He felt this a lot stronger than with the Birch family.)
Then, finally, they met at Victory Road. And boy, was his heart beating the whole time. All he wanted was to reach out, but… he still couldn't do it, not on his own. He won, again, and when the disappointment flashed over Wally's face, it did things to his heart. But Wally wasn't bitter about losing again, no. He was determined to get even stronger and already looking forward to their next battle. And Brendan knew he would become even stronger. Knew that he already was so, so much stronger than himself would ever be.
(Strong, yet elegant. Like his Gallade. Seeing them do Mega Evolution as well, seeing Wally ooze all this beautiful determination and strength paired with Mega Gallade's aura of pure strength and elegance, it swept him off his feet. Not that it would've shown, or he would be able to admit it out loud. Somehow, he wished he would be able to achieve something like this with his own (Mega) Gardevoir, to be a match, but… of course, that was a ridiculous impossible idea. Even with any of his other Pokémon, he wasn't able to achieve this.)
(There were many things he wanted to say, but didn't. They parted again, and Brendan hoped, wished, they'd meet again soon. Hoped he'd be able to tell his feelings, some day.)
He may be a hero, savior of the region, the new League Champion - but he knew that he needed to be more determined, more himself, more outgoing without being prompted by others.
He would get there, eventually; looking up to his hero.