May slowly trudged down Route 119, the rain and lightening frightening and miserable. She needed to get to Fortree City, and getting struck my lightening was one of her main worries.

"MAY! LOOK OUT!" May turned around to see none other than her rival, Brendan, zooming by through the rain on his bike. He didn't run into her, but he did manage to ride through a puddle, splashing water all over May.

"Sorry about that," he said when he came to a stop. May gave him a forgiving smile.

"It's okay, the rain was probably going to get me this wet anyway," Lightening stroke in the distance.

"So this is where you're looking for Pokémon? Let me see how good you got. I'll test you! Now! It's a battle, so battle!"

May won the battle, like always.

"Hmm… You've gotten pretty darn decent," Brendan gave her a grimace. May giggled a little. The two trainers locked eyes for a moment. Was this going to be it? Was he finally going to admit that he felt the same as her, too? That one of the only reasons he ever got stronger was for her? They kept staring until Brendan cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"I'd say you're good enough to search for Pokémon anywhere. Here, I'll give you this. Try it out," Brendan gave May a disc.

"T-thank you, Brendan. Is this an HM?" "Yeah, use Fly, and your Pokémon instantly carries you to any town you've already visited. But you need the Fortree Gym Badge to do that,"

"Well I guess I'll have to make it through this storm to get there…" May grumbled.

"Anyway, I have to move along," Brendan got on his bike and started to ride away, leaving May, alone in the rain.

She looked at her Mighteyena, whose eyes sympathized with her. "Oh, Mighteyena, how am I supposed to get him to even like me a little? Does he defeat me in a battle? But you know me, and I just can't lose on purpose?" May moaned. She slowly trudged through the rain, her heart a little more heavy.

What she didn't know, was that a quite embarrassed Brendan was starting to feel just the same way as her. The only reason he didn't travel with her; it was mostly because he was too scared of the emotions taking over him. He didn't know why, but he turned around on his bike.

"Did you say you were going to Fortree?!" He yelled through the rain, coming back to a seemingly helpless May. (Brendan knew she was definitely NOT helpless).

"Yeah, I did! Why?" May yelled over the thunder.

"Well there's a shortcut! Want me to take you through there? We won't be in this rain for so long," Brendan said, finally coming to a stop.

"Uh, sure, Brendan. Lead the way," May smiled. He folded up his bike and put it in his backpack. (AN: I'm not really sure how you would put your bike away in the game?) He guided her into an area where the rain wasn't so heavy and the clouds weren't black. The whole world was only a dark grey. They could see a beautiful view of Hoenn.

"Wow…" May stared at the wilderness and towns in awe.

"Yeah, I know, right? If there wasn't so much fog everywhere, we'd be able to see the ocean," Brendan said, resting his elbows on the fence separating the cliff's edge from the trainers.

"This is amazing, Brendan. Thank you for taking me here," May blushed and looked up at the other trainer. His cheeks also turned a pink color.

"Fortree's just up ahead, May."

AN: okay this chapter wasn't as good as I expected, but the next one will be better BECAUSE I'M PLOTTING! xD And thank Bulbapedia, because those are actual Brendan quotes from Emerald. Tehe.