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Sorry 'bout the dely, got really busy and I was being my procrastinator self. Enjoy.
Chapter Two: Press Start, Player Two
Brendan was soon face to face with his mother, who was smiling so intensely it scared him. "Hi honey-bunny," his mother greeted, using the nickname he despised. "Why don't you go next door and meet our neighbors? They have a girl about your age, I think her name is May."
"Uh, sure, whatever," Brendan replied, shrugging. It would always be nice to meet someone else who lived here before he headed out on his journey. Stepping back outside the door, he turned right and saw the house his mother was talking about. "Right, May, got it."
Walking the few feet it required to get to the house, Brendan took the few seconds it required to think about his journey. His mother had said something about May being his age, maybe they could go on the journey together, just to have a navigator of sorts…
"Psh, like a girl who's lived here in Littleroot all her life would be able to navigate the Hoenn region…"
Knocking on the door to May's house, Brendan was greeted by a woman who had to be May's own mother. "Hello, who are you?"
"I'm Brendan, your new neighbor," Brendan said, pointing to his new house.
"Oh yes, I remember my husband saying you were arriving today. My daughter, May, is upstairs in her room, why don't you go find her, I'm sure you two will get along," she smiled, then stepped out of the way so that Brendan could get past her to May's room.
May's mother turned back to her dishes that she was washing, and smiled genuinely as she heard Brendan's footsteps echo on the stairs. "I hope that boy and May become friends, she really needs some…"
Brendan's eyebrow rose slightly as he paused, half-way up the stairs, catching a little of what May's mother had said. Shrugging, he continued up. Just before he reached the top, on the last few steps, he called out, making sure he wouldn't scare the girl. "Uh, hi! I'm Brendan, your neighbor and your mom sent me up to meet you!"
As he climbed the last step, he was met by a girl his age in a red outfit. She was skinny, but not too thin, and was smiling. "Hi there, I'm May. You must be Norman's son, my dad is Professor Birch, one of your father's friends."
Brendan nodded. "Yep, Norman's my dad. Where's your dad though? He wasn't downstairs."
"He's probably out at his lab, he spends pretty much every waking moment there. It's an incredible place, but I wish he would stay home more often," May glanced down a bit, staring at the floor.
"But, the lab is like a minute away from here, not even, actually," Brendan said, confused as to why May was upset.
"Yeah, but he's so busy I can't get near him."
"Oh," Brendan nodded, not knowing what to say next. He examined May as she eventually spun around and went to check something on her own computer/storage center. Brendan noted that May's Pokéball Belt was empty, but then that she had a Pokéball on her desk. "Hey May, so you have some Pokémon or not?"
"Actually, I have a Treecko that my dad gave me and a Spinda my cousin got from Fallarbor Town, but I usually keep him in my storage, he's sorta scary," she seemed to get interested again, looking back at Brendan and picking up the two Pokéballs from her desk. "Do you have any?"
"I used to have some back in Kanto from Vermilion, but I gave those to new trainers to help them when we had to move."
"Why couldn't you keep them?" May asked.
"My dad wouldn't let me. He said it was good for the new trainers to get some experienced Pokémon and that I would get new ones here in Hoenn. I know I will, but I don't think they'll ever replace the ones I had before."
"Understandably," May paused for a moment and checked her computer quickly. Her head spun back around to Brendan and he could practically see her eyes expanding.
"Is anything wrong?"
"I forgot I was supposed to help my dad research today!" With only these words, May, almost literally, kicked Brendan back outside. "Gotta go, bye Brendan!" May took off towards the grass that lead out to Oldale Town.
"Uh, yeah. Bye to you too?" Brendan watched her speed away with the slightest hint of amusement. Turning back around, he marched back to the house.
Brendan was about to open the door and tell his mother he'd met May, but then his interest was piqued. "Gotta help her dad, huh?" He span around. "Well…let's go spy! I mean see what they're doing! Wait, same thing!"
He was about to push past the small little child that he had randomly punted when chasing after his bag, but the child, confusing as may be, spun at him with fire glaring in his eyes, rage burning in his soul…and all that other drama.
"This is going to be a running gag, I can tell," Brendan sighed.
"You, young man!" The child roared, which made Brendan deadpan, as the child was obviously two feet shorter and three years (at least) younger than him. "You may have gotten by my awesome ultra defense force earlier, but not again! Go ahead and try!"
Brendan took a step past the kid.
The child spun to him, raced in front, shoved him back, and randomly said: "Oh no, you have no Pokemon, you can't go out there!"
Brendan made a 'wtf O.o' face.
"Haha," the child yelled triumphantly. "You have failed, little one! Go to Professor Birch's lab, maybe someone there will take pity on you and give you a Pokemon, but I think not."
Brendan made another face, got up off the ground where he had been shoved, stuck his tongue out immaturely at the child, turned around and walked off to Professor Birch's lab, hoping one of his assistants would be there, as he knew the Professor himself was up further ahead from Oldale Town, with May.
The man, Birch's assistant, stared at Brendan long and hard before he even invited him into the Pokemon Laboratory, as if it was a sacred sanctuary and Brendan a misfit with a can of red spray paint, aimed at a memorial. "You're…a bit old to just be starting your adventure, don't you think?"
Brendan rolled his eyes and stated to the man what he'd earlier relayed to May; his previous Pokemon adventure in the lands of Kanto.
"I see."
The man did nothing but stare at Brendan, who had not moved passed the door yet, the man still unwarily blocking his way.
"And, you want this Pokemon why? To go off on an unsuccessful adventure just like every other poor child in every town that stretches across all of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn?"
"No, I want to see May."
The man looked at Brendan. "May has a romantic interest already, and not with you, if that is why."
"What!? No! And, she does?" For some reason, Brendan felt his heart break a little inside.
"Yes," the man said after a slight pause, after which he spun around. "May is up on Route--"
"I know," interjected Brendan, "but the pipsqueak at the entrance to the road to Oldale won't let me pass without a Pokemon."
"Little Charles?"
"I don't know! I just moved here!"
"Little Charles," the man repeated, nodding. "Why am I not surprised?"
"So…can I have a Pokemon or, uh, what?"
"No," the man said blandly.
"And, why not?"
"Because, I don't like you."
"Nice to know," Brendan said, his annoyance level rising in extremely high quantities.
"Listen, buster," the man replied, looking at Brendan, "if I just give you a Pokemon, and it turns out you're some crazed hooligan with intentions of going after the Professor, I could get it big trouble."
"Riiiiight, but I'm not a crazed hooligan, so give me a Pokemon?" Brendan put on a fake smile, attempting to win the man over.
"Isn't this the part where I say: they all say that?" the man grinned at Brendan, turned again, and walked to the table. The man paused, looked at Brendan, then at the Pokeballs on the table. "Ok, against my better judgment: here," the man threw his a Pokeball, which bounced off his stomach, crashed onto the ground and shot open.
Revealing a Smeargle!
"Um…" Brendan stared at the Smeargle and then at the assistant, "Isn't this a Smeargle?"
"Yes."
"And, uh, isn't this not a starter Pokemon?"
"Yes."
"So…why do I have it staring at me?"
"It likes you, of course," the assistant raised an eyebrow at Brendan, as if calculating what he would do next.
Brendan and the assistant were eye-to-eye in a stare-down. After pursing his lips, he grimaced. The assistant smiled a little.
Brendan sighed, "Ahh, ok, alright then. Anything to get passed that pipsqueak."
The assistant laughed and the grinned at Brendan. He recalled the Smeargle and then handed Brendan another Pokeball from the table. "Here,I won't make you take the Smeargle, but just take the Pokeball. If little Charles gets questionable just tell him I say that he'll never get his own Pokemon with that attitude."
Brendan smirked at the assistant. He shot out the door, turned towards the path and nearly punted "Charles" across the region as the child's mouth hung open when a Pokeball was shoved in his face.
"I'll get you Brendan! And your Pokemon too! But for now, I'm blasting off again!"
"Hmm…" Brendan looked to the right. "Bushes, bushes," He panned his view slowly to the left, scouting for a way around the bushes.
"HEY YOU!"
Brendan rapidly spun his head directly to the left. "Bushes, bushes, Poochyena…professor, bushes, bushes,"
"HE--!"
"You don't have to yell!" Brendan suddenly blurted, eyes in an annoyed fixture at the Professor.
"You little punk!"
"Been there, called that."
The Professor glared at Brendan. Brendan glared back. The Professor suddenly grinned and burst to his feet, despite the two growling Poochyena with their jaws around his ankles.
"Hello!"
"…are you bi-polar?"
"Quite possibly. SO! Sonny, I was walking with my daughter when these Poochyena attacked…"
"And…May just kept walking…?"
"Well of course!"
"Why…"
The Professor gave a slightly embarrassed grin, "She loses herself a lot."
"I see."
"See what?"
"Nevermind," Brendan sighed, "need help?"
The Professor nodded feverously, "In my bag are three Pokeballs. Pick one and chase off these Poochyena!"
Brendan eyed the bag that was to the right of the Professor. Slowly he walked over to it, closed his eyes and hurled a Pokeball. A red stream of light, coming from the Pokeball, crashed into the ground. It absorbed shape and feeling and soon a Mudkip, and a young one at that, had appeared.
"Mudkip!" Brendan grinned, 'my first time with a Pokemon since we left from Vermillion over a month ago!' He pointed at the Poochyena, who had lost interest in the Professor and were glaring at Mudkip intensely.
"Tackle?" Brendan guessed what moves a Mudkip at the experience level of the one he had released would have. The Mudkip obviously knew this command, for it launched at the closest Poochyena, hitting it full on.
The Poochyena scampered off after it recovered, but the second one was furious as ever and ready to launch his own Tackle at Mudkip. As it tried to do so, Mudkip bulleted forward, faster than before, and caught the Poochyena in the chest with his second Tackle.
The injured Pokemon refused to give up, but the Professor knew that it could never battle in the condition it was in. "Pokeball, go!" A Pokeball shot from the Professor's hand, absorbing the Poochyena inside of it.
Brendan returned Mudkip to the Pokeball and stored it back into the Professor's bag.
"Thank you, young man. Now, what is your name?"
"Brendan, I'm your new neighbor who arrived today. Y'know, the son of Norman?"
"AH! I knew it, you have not only his face…but his skill."
Brendan gave a genuine grin at the Professor, but suddenly his eyes exploded wide. "Oh, crap, I was supposed to find May again, she told me to join you and her on Route 103…"
"Ah, yes! We should get going to find her," the Professor started walking in the direction of Oldale town and Route 103. "Also, Brendan."
"Yeah?"
"That Mudkip you battled with earlier. I believe you've already forged a bond with it," he fished around in his bag for the Pokeball with the Mudkip. When he found it, he tossed it to Brendan. "Here, take it!"
"Are you serious?"
"Why sure!" Brendan shot his fist into the air in excitement.
"Now, Brendan, let's go find May!"
"Hmm…no new Pokemon here. All I see are Zigzagoon and Wurmple," May sighed as she crawled around in the grass of Route 103, beyond the outskirts of Oldale Town. "Ugh, where the hell is my dad! Brendan too…"
"Honey!" the Professor's voice echoed through the trees, scaring off numerous bird and bug Pokemon.
"Over here dad," May got up from her knees and brushed herself off before the Professor and Brendan came into view. "Brendan! You met my dad?"
"Ehh, I guess I did."
"Met!? Haha, this boy saved my life from wild Poochyena!"
"Yeah well they don't exactly like me either," Brendan sighed, remembering his earlier encounter with Poochyena when he was chasing after the van and his bag.
"Now May," the Professor forgot all about Brendan, who was brooding silently about his bag, and moved to stand directly in front of May, "did you have any success?"
"Well I didn't find any new Pokemon," at this, the Professor's face fell, "but I did get to accurately monitor the hibernation patterns of Silcoon and Cascoon!"
While May and the Professor got into "techno-babble" about hibernation patterns of various Pokemon, Brendan snapped out of his brood and scouted around. He noticed a Taillow stalking out worms in the grass under the shade of a tree.
He became so mesmerized by the Taillow that he didn't notice May sneaking up on him with a malicious grin. "So Brendan!" She screamed, "dad says he gave you a Pokemon. Which means you totally have to battle me now!"
"Uhh…I'd love to May, but I need to get going. Gotta head out to Petalburg to let my dad know I'm starting my Pokemon journey. Then I need to find a guide somewhere to help me around the region."
"I can guide you."
"You can!?"
"Sure, if you beat me in a battle that is. You win, I guide you and go on a Pokemon journey with you."
"Sounds fair, but what if I lose?"
"Hold on! Jeez. Anyway, if you lose then you have to not only admit that I'm the best, but also introduce me to your dad!"
"You wanna meet my dad? Like…for real?"
"Of course, who wouldn't want to meet Norman North!"
Brendan opened his mouth to create a retort, but closed it when May, obviously ready to rumble, threw her Pokeball out onto the field. "Alright Treecko, let's show Brendan just what we're made of!"
Brendan frowned at the obvious type difference between May's Treecko and the Mudkip he still had stored in his belt. He would certainly have to find some way to overcome that later, should he and May fight again. He wasn't too worried for the moment, knowing Treecko was too low level to know any Grass moves. "Mudkip, get in there!"
Mudkip shot out of the Pokeball with a friendly cry and faced Treecko. May took it into her own hands to begin, "Treecko, use Leer to lower Mudkip's defense!" The green gecko obeyed, it's now red eyes glaring at Mudkip, forcing the blue Pokemon to cower.
Brendan growled, "Mudkip! Let's not be scared, use Tackle!"
May, however was ready, "Jump and use Pound, Treecko!" As Mudkip charged, head-first, at Treecko, it grinned and leaped up, somersaulted, and was ready to bring its tail down on Mudkip. Brendan frowned, worried for the blue Pokemon, and then got an idea.
"Mudkip, face upwards and use Growl!" The Mud Fish Pokemon hastily did so, and Treecko, intimidated, flew off course in its fall and landed on the ground beside Mudkip. "Now, while it's dazed, use Tackle!"
"Treecko, Leer!" May cried, but her Pokemon couldn't react fast enough and was soon biting a face full of dirt. She bit her lip, but cheered when Treecko stood up again. "Pound!"
"Tackle!"
Brendan winced when Mudkip's face collided with Treecko's tail. The green Pokemon, however, still felt the force and was flung back onto the ground as Mudkip was sent sprawling. Ten seconds passed and neither Pokemon moved, so the Professor stepped forward. "It seems we have a tie, very good!"
"Wait," Brendan said, looking at May. "If neither of us won then…"
May, already knowing what he was going to say, piped up. "You have to take me to meet your dad, of course!" she grinned, and Brendan gave her an annoyed look, so she sighed. "And then I'll guide you around Hoenn, okay?"
Brendan, with a grin, nodded, then turned around, staring at the path back to Oldale. "He'll be in his Gym in Petalburg. We should get going if you wanna be there by dark," he said, and the two others suddenly noticed the fading light.
May piped up, "Petalburg is almost a mile from Oldale Town, I think, so I'd say the trip should take us about thirty minutes. Dad, are you coming?"
He laughed, but shook his head, "No thank you sweetie! You two go have fun on your adventure now, I'll tell your mother that you've set off, Brendan. I'm sure she'll want to contact you, so let me add this to your Pokedex," he held up a cartridge, found a slot in Brendan's Pokedex and inserted it. "There we go, your Pokedex is now equipped with a phone! Handy, no? I'll give the cartridge number to your mom so she can call you whenever she wants! Bwa ha ha!"
Brendan raised an eyebrow, slightly worried, but shrugged, thanked the Professor and watched him scurry off. He turned to May, who was rolling her eyes at her father's strange antics. "You have the weirdest dad. Ever."
End Chapter Two: Press Start, Player Two
Well, there's the second chapter. I like this one a lot more than the first one, plus; it's longer. The first Rival battle has happened between Brendan and May, and now May is guiding Brendan around Hoenn; next stop: Petalburg.
Next Chapter: "Wally's a Weirdo: All They Know is Growl?"