Chapter Four: Petalburg City!
What's going on my lovely little twat muffins, IcyAngels here with chapter four! Yay! Again, I'm so, so, so, sorry for not posting for more than a month. School ended a couple of weeks ago and I got caught up with finals and things like that. Then when summer finally started, I found out that Phineas and Ferb was ending (breaking my heart and killing a part of my childhood). But today I felt the urge to carpe diem after hanging out with some friends, so I decided I'd finally update this story! Again, sorry. As for last chapter, many of you wanted me to do more with Tiana, so I guess I'm keeping her as a character! Speaking of which, let's get to the reviews.
Pokerox27: Agreed. Princess Tiana is the sassiest. Ain't nobody got time for messin' around. That's not her style XD Thanks for the review!
Crepo the Porcupine: I write to impress! Thanks for the review.
Falconadventurer: Haha I always saw Birch as an avid shipper. He's like an actual birch tree. They have many layers. Like onions. And ogres. Ogres have layers. Thanks for the review :P
UpbeatButNegative: I totally agree with you about the designs, and the Emerald ones are my favorite as well. Brendan's RSE design looks like he'd die of heat stroke if he wore that much clothing in Hoenn. A tropical island is not the place for long sleeves XD And I'm glad you like Harold and the idea of using Tiana. Again, thanks for the long review! I always appreciate it.
OmniDragon10: Thanks! Trip was an interesting way for the anime to go. He was kind of an asshole, too. Saying Ash lived in "the boonies" really struck home with me since I live in, well, the boonies. Thanks for the review!
TheHoennTrainer: Thanks for the input! You have a good point with the Delta Episode, so maybe I'll try to work with that a little bit more. But since so many people liked the idea of using Tiana, it seems like she's here to stay. I'll take your advice though! Thanks for the review, as always.
FlameUser64: I'm sorry you feel that way about May! But remember, in the anime Dawn also couldn't work a Poke Ball at first without Ash's help, but she still came in second when it came to the Grand Festival (and only lost by a sliver). But thanks for the review!
DeviouslyNormal: Apology accepted :) I'd also like to apologize myself if I seemed a little harsh when I replied to your review. I'm going to try avoiding creating a stereotypical character, but I won't fail like others. Personally, my love for Gardevoir comes from its Mega form, since it's so powerful. I mean those special stats are through the roof and if you give it Hyper Voice, you'll be destroying everything thanks to Pixilate. And I like Sableye as well. I haven't used it yet, but its Prankster ability and moves seems like it would make a great staller. Thanks for the review!
Matthew Garner: Thank you! I'm trying hard to improve my battle scenes and make them more interesting. And thanks for the review!
TheArtSmartQueen: OH MA GOD, YOU RESPONDED TO MY RESPONSE TO YOUR REVIEW :P And thank you! Glad to have gotten you into the world of fanfiction. And thanks for the review!
XBakaNinGyoX: Damn straight. Johto's too awesome. Thanks for the review!
Martyn: Interesting idea. Not sure if I'll use it, but I'll keep it in mind :) Thanks for the review!
Damn. That's a lot more reviews than I used to get in the Sonic section. Thanks guys! Now, on with the story.
Brendan grinned, out of breath, placing a hand against the outside wall of the Pokemon Center. "I made it here first!" he panted. "Take that, May!"
May arrived a few seconds later, placing her hands on her knees. "You got a head start," she panted. "I would've beat you if you didn't."
"If is the keyword," he replied. "I still won."
May rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get our Pokemon healed." They both headed inside. After their teams had been restored, the duo sat down at a nearby table.
"I bought us ice cream," Brendan said. He handed one cone to her, then began eating his own. "So we go see your dad next, right?"
She felt her stomach flip a bit, but nodded. "Yeah." Ever since she and Brendan had gotten past the footprint guy outside of Oldale, the thought hadn't crossed her mind once. Now she was extremely nervous. Someone she hadn't seen in five years and she could barely remember. Ugh, what was he like again? She couldn't remember him being mean or rude, but he was never exactly close to her. He was gone all of the time helping out with the Olivine City Gym. It was understandable; Jasmine was about her age at the time and was having trouble balancing duties between the Lighthouse and training an entirely new type of Pokemon at the Gym. What would she have to do to prove herself?
"Hey, are you gonna finish that?" Brendan asked, finishing off the last of his waffle cone.
"Huh?" she asked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Um, no. You can have the rest. You paid for it anyway."
Brendan took the cone, finishing it off in two bites. "Are you nervous?"
"A little," she replied honestly. "What do you say to a parent you haven't heard from in five years?"
He shrugged. "Wouldn't know. I'm sure he's fine. He is a Gym Leader, after all."
"That doesn't mean anything, Brendan," she said. She took out Ventus' Poke Ball and stared at it, the red and white surfaces glistening under the Center's lights. "A lot of Gym Leaders are people around our age and have no idea what they're doing." Whitney came to mind, but she didn't say it out loud. "And there are some that barely show their faces. Have you ever actually seen the Viridian City Gym Leader's face on TV?"
"…No," Brendan replied. "But your dad is friends with mine, remember? He can't be that bad."
May sighed. "I just don't want to disappoint him."
…
The two walked down the street toward the Gym. The city was a mixture of ocean and forest: evergreen trees along the eastern side of the city, while the scent of salt water and the ocean came from the west. Everything was combined under a big, blue, cloudless sky. "Your dad's Gym should be around here somewhere," Brendan said, looking down at his AreaNav. "It's right…here." The two looked up to see a man in front of a large building, talking to a kid. The memories came rushing back to May: His chiseled jaw, intense black-eyed stare, and raven hair. She looked nothing like him.
"Not bad…it was a good battle," the man said. His voice was deeper than May had remembered.
"Th-thank you, sir!"
"Come back and challenge me any time. I'll be looking forward to seeing you and your Pokemon again when you're a bit stronger."
The boy nodded. "I'll will. I'm going to do some special training! Thanks for the battle Mr. Norman!" He ran past Brendan and May, catching the Gym Leader's attention.
"Hm?" As he walked over to the two, May felt her heart stop in her chest. "Well if it isn't Brendan and May!"
"Hey, Norman!" Brendan replied cheerfully. May on the other hand, was at a loss for words.
He nodded, then turned to his daughter. "So, you've finished moving in?"
"Um…yeah…" May replied nervously. "Just yesterday…"
"I see…" Norman placed a hand to his chin, thinking. "You seem a lot quieter than you were when you were little, May. But I guess we shouldn't stand out in the street talking. We can talk in the Gym."
As the pair followed her father inside, she felt her face flush red in embarrassment and frustration. Why was she so nervous about being around her father? Did she really feel the need to impress him and live up to his name as a Gym Leader and a Trainer? If only she could show her confidence…
The inside of the Gym reminded May of a dojo: Wooden floors and walls, straw mats, and a woven banner between two locked doors against the wall. Her father had never been one for flashy décor. He turned to the two Trainers. "You know, I'm surprised you two made it this far. I've heard there's been problems along the edge of Route 102 and Oldale Town."
"We fixed it," Brendan said with a proud grin. "There was a guy blocking up the way. Said he found some rare footprints or something…oh, and May got a Pokemon yesterday!"
Norman nodded toward his daughter. "Well, let's see it then!"
"All right," she said, fumbling to get a Poke Ball off her belt. "Ventus!" she yelled, throwing the ball in the air. The Treecko appeared with a flash of light, its arms crossed with its usual collected expression on its face.
"So you chose Treecko," he said thoughtfully, kneeling down to pat it on the head. "Interesting…it's a good place to start. Have you caught any other Pokemon, May?"
Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. "Well…I have, but…"
"I-I've caught most of the Pokemon in the area, Norman," Brendan butted in. May let out a sigh of relief as he showed off his PokeDex. He had saved her the embarrassment of showing how unruly Pink was. "I'm still looking for this one though…"
Norman nodded, then looked at the both of them. "So you're both going to become Trainers. It'll be a good experience for you. But—"
"Um…E-excuse me…"
The three of them turned toward the entrance of the Gym. A young boy, maybe a year or two younger than Brendan and May, stood in the door frame. May instantly noticed how tiny he was, maybe a full head shorter than her. His hair was a dull, olive green, strands of it covering the sides of his pale face. His nervous eyes matched the too-big jacket he was wearing, a gray-ish blue color, reaching down to the mid-thigh of his gray pants, which needed to be rolled up in order to fit. Even then they still covered his white shoes in part. "I-I'd like to get a Pokemon…please…"
"I see…" Norman said to himself. "You must be Wally. Your parents live right next door, correct?"
Wally nodded timidly. "But I won't be soon. I'm moving to Verdanturf tomorrow and wanted to bring a Pokemon along so I wouldn't be lonely. I'm not really sure how to catch one though…"
Norman nodded, then turned to the other two Trainers. May felt her blood run cold as his gaze fell upon her. "You two heard that, right?"
"Yes, sir!" Brendan exclaimed with a salute. "And you want us to go out and help him catch one, right? I can—"
Norman raised a hand, causing him to stop mid-sentence. "Actually, I want May to do it."
"Me?!"
"Her?!" Brendan exclaimed. "But…but you saw my PokeDex! May's only caught one Pokemon! I'm more experienced—"
"Which is why I'm picking May," Norman replied. "The best way to learn something is by teaching it. Brendan, you can go along and make sure neither of them get hurt."
"I don't need his help!" she suddenly exclaimed, making Wally nearly jump out of his skin. She quickly covered her mouth, then took a deep breath. "I'm perfectly capable of doing things myself…Dad."
A small hint of a smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. "Still independent, I see." He turned back to Wally, two Poke Balls in his hand. "Here. I'll lend you a Pokemon and a Poke Ball." He placed them both in the boy's small hands. "Go give it your best."
"Th-thank you, Mr. Norman!" He turned to May, his hands disappearing into his sleeves, a blush painting his face red. "May, you'll come with me…right?"
If only May had the power to say no to that face. The whole situation was ridiculous. In five minutes Norman had already helped Wally more than he had helped her in a lifetime. And to make it worse, she was being sent to help him catch a Pokemon. Not spending time with a family member she hadn't seen in years, not exploring a new city. Just helping out this random kid.
But she knew the adorable kid didn't mean any harm. He didn't know how to catch a Pokemon, and neither did she until a few hours ago. Yet that couldn't have been the only reason he couldn't do it alone…she sighed, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Yeah. Let's go."
"Really?" he asked, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Thank you so much! Let's go!" He ran back outside, almost tripping on his way out.
"I'll go with you guys," Brendan said. "There's a certain Pokemon I need to find out there anyway."
"Good," Norman said. "Be back when the three of you are finished, okay?"
May rolled her eyes before walking out the door. "Okay."
…
Wally placed his hand against the side of a tree along the edge of Route 102, catching his breath. He had only run twenty or thirty feet and was already tired. He felt his inhaler in his pocket, wrapping his fingers around it. He decided against taking it out. This was the day he would get his first Pokemon. "You're not going to stop me today, asthma," he whispered. Leaning against the tree, he sighed. It had held him back for his entire life, had made people pity him left and right. Not today. Not in front of these Trainers, May and Brendan. He shoved the inhaler further down in to his pocket, ashamed of his condition. How bad did you have to be to need across Hoenn for the sake of breathing? Ocean air was supposed to be good for you, yet he still had to move to an even cleaner environment.
He shook his head. He was getting a Pokemon. This could be a new start, couldn't it? He just wished he wasn't so shy around people…barely going away from home had taken an effect on his social skills. Maybe—
Wally turned his head as two voices came from down the street, arguing.
"I know it lives on this route, May, I just know it!" Brendan exclaimed, clutching his PokeDex. "I'm just having trouble finding it, that's all. Dad and I have been looking for this one for ages…"
May sighed, her thoughts in another realm. "It's just like when I was little," she said, looking up at the sky. "He's so unreadable. I can't tell what he's thinking. I mean, we haven't seen each other in years and he acts like I've always lived right down the street. I don't understand…" Ventus sat on her shoulder, nonchalantly chewing a berry.
Brendan looked up from his Dex. "We aren't on the same page, are we?"
"Not even close," she said absentmindedly. She noticed a fluff of green hair by a tree. "Hey, there's Wally!"
"…hi," Wally said, partly hiding behind the tree. His mentally slapped himself. Is that all he could really say?
"All right, let's do this," Brendan said, hopping himself up on a nearby fence. "Now first you need to—"
May placed a hand over his mouth. "Hey. This is my job."
"I thought you didn't want to—"
"If Dad really wants me to do it…I don't really have a choice. Okay, Wally. Let's do this." She pointed to a nearby patch of grass. "See that? Pokemon—"
"Hide in tall grass like that," Wally finished. "…Right?" Seeing her nod, he took a few steps in to the grass. "Nothing seems to be showing—whoa!"
Even though the Pokemon hadn't attacked him, its sudden appearance had given him a mini heart-attack. It was a tiny white Pokemon standing on two legs, its little arms at its sides. Its eyes were covered by its green bowl-like hair, a red rift going right through it. "Raaa…"
Brendan looked up from his PokeDex, for a second, almost falling off of the fence. "Are you serious?!" he exclaimed. "That's it! That's the Pokemon I've been looking for! Dad and I look for a Ralts for ages, and you find it on the first try?!"
"Brendan, shut up!" May scolded. The Ralts, however, had already fled back in to the woods. "Goddammit, Brendan."
"Wait!" Wally exclaimed. He followed it in to the woods, running as fast as his legs could carry him. He could hear the distant calls of the two Trainers, but he ignored them, frantically chasing the little white Pokemon. After a few minutes, he stopped to catch his breath. It had disappeared from sight, along with Brendan and May…
…and the entrance to the forest.
He sat down at the base of a tree. He couldn't have gotten that far, could he? Maybe further than he initially guessed…he was having a harder time breathing than usual, even for him. Reaching in to his pocket for his inhaler, his eyes grew wide. Where is it? I must've dropped it running all the way out here…I'm such an idiot…Groaning, he pressed the empty Poke Ball to his forehead. His parents didn't even know he came out here to catch a Pokemon. They would've said no if they knew. But once he had one, he had one, regardless of what they wanted. "Huh?"
The sound of rustling from a nearby bush met his ears. A group of five angry Poochyena appeared, their fur bristling with fury. Then another five. And another. And another. Soon Wally was surrounded by about forty Poochyena, each slowly approaching him little by little. He felt the color drain from his face as a shaky hand reached down for the other Poke Ball he had been given. "I must've invaded their territory," he said nervously. With a tremendous amount of effort, he stood up and threw the Poke Ball. "We can do it, Zigzagoon!" The raccoon-like Pokemon popped out of the ball, ready to battle. "Um…" He froze up, frantically trying to recall moves that it could learn. "Use…Headbutt!"
The Pokemon launched itself at one of the Poochyena, knocking it back into a tree. It only seemed to make the others angrier. Wally attempted to take in a deep breath, black spots flashing before his eyes. He desperately needed his inhaler…
"Wally!"
The young boy turned his head, seeing Brendan and May running toward him. He let out a small sigh of relief. At least they knew where he was.
"Jeez, what did you get yourself into?!" Brendan exclaimed, looking around. He backed up a little as a group of Poochyena approached him, teeth bared. "Uh, I'm not my Dad! Don't think you can chase me around so easily!"
May looked over to Wally, who was still doing his best to command Zigzagoon. She nodded to the Treecko on her shoulder. "We need to help him." She pointed to a group of Poochyena. "Pride's on the line, Ventus!" The Pokemon jumped off her shoulder, standing alongside Norman's Zigzagoon.
"Good idea," Brendan said, pulling out a Poke Ball. "Sora, I believe in you!"
The orange and red chick Pokemon appeared along the others, its beak aflame.
May looked up at a nearby tree. Its branches seemed brittle, as if they could fall apart at any second. "Ventus, use Quick Attack to stomp down all of those loose branches!" she exclaimed.
"Sora, use Ember on all of them as soon as they start falling!" Brendan shouted. Both Pokemon complied with graceful movements, causing flaming wood to fall from the air on to the Poochyena, knocking many of them out. "Uh, May," he interjected, watching a fire begin eating away at a patch of grass. "We could set Petalburg on fire if we keep this up…"
Wally nodded weakly, pressing a hand to his chest. "Zigzagoon, use Tail Whip to put out the flames…"
"That's it, Wally!" May shouted over the sound of growling Poochyena. "We can help out too. Pride's on the line, Pink!" She chucked her Poke Ball, the Wurmple popping out, curled up in a ball and fast asleep. "Pink, I need you to wake up and use String Shot to help put out the fires!"
No response.
"Pink!"
"May!" Brendan exclaimed. "We've still got Poochyena to deal with! Wally's got the fires covered! Just focus on using Ventus right now!"
With a groan, she raised her Poke Ball. "Pink, return." She turned back to her Treecko, sitting in a tree high above the commotion. "Okay Ventus, come down and hit as many Pokemon with Absorb as possible!"
"And keep it up with Ember, Sora!"
Wally staggered a bit, leaning against the tree. His vision was blurring as more and more Poochyena approached him, the scent of burning fur and smoke harder to get oxygen into his lungs. Brendan and May were battling to his left, yet to his right…
There was a small, white figure in the center of a horde of Poochyena, getting closer and closer to it. "Ralts…" he said, his voice an inaudible whisper. One of the Poochyena seemed like it was ready to lunge at it. Without a second thought, he flung himself in to the middle of the circle, putting himself between the Poochyena and the Pokemon. He held it close to his chest as he felt a pair of fangs sink in to his shoulder, causing him to utter a scream of pain.
"Wally!" May exclaimed. She looked back at her father's Zigzagoon, still trying to quell fires and fight at the same time. Wally was a few feet away in the middle of a group of Poochyena, something clutched in his hands. "Ventus!" The Pokemon turned toward her, swatting another Pokemon away with its tail. "Go over there and help Wally out!"
"Sora, you do the same!" Brendan commanded. The Pokemon and their Trainers rushed to his side, fighting. By the time they had defeated five more Poochyena, Wally had already collapsed on the ground, a white object still in his hands. "I think our Pokemon are starting to run out of steam," Brendan continued. "If we don't get them back in their Poke Balls, Wally won't be the only unconscious one…"
"You're right," May replied. She grabbed the Poke Ball off of Wally's belt, then Ventus' on her own. "Zigzagoon, Ventus, come back."
"You too, Sora."
She shook her head, facing the Poochyena. "There's still so many of them." She picked up two flaming branches on the ground, tossing one to her rival. "I guess this is the part where we battle too, huh?"
He caught it, almost burning his hand. "You're insane."
"If that's what it takes to get us out of here, then yes, I'm insane," she replied, swinging the branch at a Poochyena. Her plan was quickly foiled when another ripped the branch from her hand, tossing it away. The same happened to Brendan a few seconds later.
"Well," he said, backing away from one of the vicious Pokemon. "Got any other brilliant ideas?"
"Raaa…"
"Ralts!" May exclaimed. "It's—" a flash of white light appeared around them, then disappeared within the blink of an eye. They were back on Route 102 again, right on the edge of the patch of grass. "What happened?" she asked, looking up at the sky. Not even a hint of evidence that there was ever a fight in the woods.
Brendan looked down at the white bundle, still in Wally's unconscious arms. It appeared to be asleep as well, the red horn on its head still glowing. "Ralts is a Psychic-type Pokemon," he said. "It must've Teleported us out of there. But it's strange…they usually don't know that move until later on…"
Wally groaned, slowly gaining consciousness. The bright blue sky was above him, without a trace of smoke. It had never felt so good to breathe. He was unable to speak as Brendan and May stared down at him, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he looked down at the white Pokemon in his arms. It was asleep, but breathing. That was relief enough for him. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
"You almost died," Brendan said bluntly, receiving a slap on the arm from May. "What? It's true. We all could've."
He reached down in to his pocket. The inhaler was still gone. "Hey…let's not let anyone find out about this, okay?"
"Deal," May said immediately. Her father had sent her out to help a kid catch a Pokemon and they almost all died. Only she could've screwed up that badly.
"Raaa…"
The three looked down as the Pokemon in Wally's arms woke up, its sleepy eyes still hidden under the green on its head.
"I want to catch it," Brendan said, pulling out a Poke Ball. May slapped his arm again. "Ow, what? I need its data for the PokeDex…"
"Wally's the one that saved it from those Poochyena," she said. "He should be the one that gets a shot at catching it."
"Really?" Wally asked. He looked down at the Ralts, then nodded, standing up and putting it down in the grass about ten feet away from him. He turned to the other two. "May, you're still going to help me, right?"
She nodded. "Of course. Now first thing's first. You've gotta send out Zigzagoon."
"Right," he said, pulling out the Poke Ball with a shaky hand, his nerves almost getting the best of him. This was the moment. "We can do it, Zigzagoon!" He chucked the ball as hard as he could, almost falling over due to the force. The Pokemon jumped out of the ball once more, ready to attack. This was what he had always dreamed of…battling alongside a Pokemon, shouting commands. After years and years of sitting in a stuffy room at home, he felt…alive. "Start out with Tackle!" The Pokemon complied, ramming its head in to the Ralts. In turn, the Psychic-type let out an earth-shattering Growl, causing Zigzagoon to run back in fear.
"Good," May cheered from the sidelines. "If you use Tackle again, it should be enough!"
Wally frowned. He was enjoying the thrill of battle, but doing this to the Ralts that had saved him from the Poochyena didn't seem right. "Zigzagoon, return."
"What are you doing?!" she asked. "Aren't you going to…"
Without saying a word, he walked over to the Ralts, crouching down at patting it on the head. "I don't think it's right for us to be fighting like this," he whispered, then smiled. "You did save us, after all." The Ralts nodded, then made the subtlest of movements with its hands. A small, orange tube appeared next to it. His inhaler.
Wally quickly grabbed it, stuffing it in his pocket before May or Brendan could see. He nodded. "Thank you." Taking out his empty Poke Ball, he held it up in front of Ralts, then spoke up so the other two could hear him. His heart began pounding again, the ball shaking in his hands. "Ralts…I-I'm moving away soon, but I'll be all by myself…C…Can you come with me?"
The Ralts stared at him for a few seconds, then walked up to the Poke Ball. It touched the button with its head, being evaporated into a red light before going inside. It fell out of Wally's hand before shaking on the ground once. Twice. Three times. Click.
The small boy picked the ball up off of the ground, overwhelmed with emotion. Should he cry? Scream? Jump for joy? In the end, he did a mixture of all three. "I did it!" he exclaimed, eyes watering with joy. "It's…it's my…my very own Pokemon!"
"Yeah!" May cheered.
"I really could've used that for my PokeDex…" Brendan mumbled. "But congrats, I guess…"
May grinned, walking over to Wally. "So, what are you going to name it?"
"Good question," he replied, looking down at the Poke Ball. "I'll call it…Roxas." He looked up at the other two and smiled. "Let's go tell your dad, May!" He ran down the path toward Petalburg City, almost tripping on a few rocks along the way.
Sighing, she nodded. "Let's go."
…
As Norman adjusted the green banner on his wall, he heard the Gym doors swing open behind him. He turned to see Wally standing there, a grin on his face with his daughter and Brendan behind him. "So you've all come back in one piece!" he said. "How did it go?"
"Great!" the green haired boy replied. "Here's your Zigzagoon back, sir."
Taking it, the Gym Leader formed a smile in the corner of his mouth. "Wonderful. What Pokemon did you catch?"
"A Ralts," Brendan muttered under his breath. May elbowed him in the stomach.
"A Ralts," Wally said, not hearing Brendan. He tossed the Poke Ball on the ground, the white Pokemon popping out. He picked it up in his arms. "And it was all thanks to May and Brendan!"
The other boy sighed, then grinned. "I guess we helped out a little bit…right, May?" May, in the presence of her father, said nothing. "Yup…" Brendan continued. "Not like we got attacked by a horde of Poochyena…heheh…"
"What do you—"
Wally cut the Gym Leader off, turning to the other two Trainers. "I really want to thank the both of you for helping me get Ralts—"
"You don't have to do anything," May said, finally finding her voice. "We should probably just—"
"Just let me repay you," the smaller boy said. "Can I see your PokeNavs for a second?" Taking the two devices, he inserted a special chip in to the both of them.
"A PlayNav?" Brendan asked.
He nodded, his cheeks turning a rosy pink. "It's supposed to help you grow closer to your Pokemon, and I've had it forever…kind of embarrassing, right?" He laughed nervously. "Anyways, I need to go home and finish up packing for tomorrow. Do you guys…need a place to stay for the night?"
"Not really—" May began, but her father interrupted her.
"That would be great for the three of you," he said. "May and Brendan are in town anyway, and it'll give Wally some extra company before he moves goes to Verdanturf. It'd be a good way for the two of you to end the first day of your journeys!"
Brendan nodded in agreement. "That's true. May, do you really want to spend the night outside after what...uh…happened today?"
May agreed before Norman could question anything. "I guess you're right. We should get going then…bye…Dad."
"I'll see you later, May. We'll battle when you get much stronger," he said as she and Wally walked out of the Gym. Brendan was only a few feet away from the exit when Norman stopped him. "Brendan, wait."
Pausing mid-step, the young boy turned to face the Gym Leader. "What is it?"
Norman walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're traveling with May, correct?" Brendan nodded silently. "Then…just know that it isn't going to be easy. I can see that she's just as headstrong and independent as ever. But this journey will be good for the both of you. You'll learn things from each other."
Brendan nodded, then grinned. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice." He headed toward the door, but was stopped one more time.
"Brendan?"
"Yeah?"
"Take good care of my little girl."
The young Trainer grinned again. "You got it, Norman."
…
"So, Wally," May said as the two walked down the streets of Petalburg. "Why are you moving to Verdanturf?"
He felt his face flush a deep red as he stuff his inhaler further down in to his pocket. "No reason," he said quickly. Realizing that sounded suspicious, he added, "I have relatives there, though."
"Huh," she said. "That's the same reason why I moved here. To be closer to my Dad."
"Really?" Wally asked. He was just happy that the conversation wasn't focused on him anymore.
"Yeah," she responded. "But it's kind of hard to do when I hadn't seen him in five years until today." She turned back to Wally. "So are you ever going to go on a journey?"
Dang it. "Um…I'm not sure…" he replied. "I never really saw myself as a Trainer." That was far from the truth; he had always dreamt of leaving home and travelling across Hoenn. May seemed to sense the lie, but didn't push it further.
"I'm still not sure what I want to do with my journey," she said. "It's kind of funny. I spent all of these years thinking about it, but I never thought that far ahead. Maybe—"
"Hey, wait for me!" Brendan yelled from behind them. He ran up to the two, catching his breath. "You know, it doesn't always have to be a race, May."
She scoffed, then grinned. "According to you. So where's your house, Wally?"
"Right here," he said, pointing to a house a few yards away. It was small compared to other buildings: two floors, a green roof and a small garden next to a pond behind the house. The trio walked in to be greeted by a man in a blue collared shirt, handing a box to a woman dressed in an apron. "Hey Mom and Dad," Wally said, closing the door when the other two walked in.
"Sweetie, I've been worrying about you!" his mother exclaimed, hugging her son. "Where did you run off to? And you brought friends with you, how lovely—"
"Linda, you're embarrassing our son," the man said, pointing out Wally's red face.
She sighed. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm just so excited! So, who are your friends?"
"Um…I'm Brendan Birch," Brendan said.
"Birch?" the woman repeated. "As in the Professor? I remember him! He was always getting in trouble with that exchange student from Johto when he wasn't fooling around with his girlfriend…I heard they got married and had a son. That must be you!"
"That's what my birth certificate says," he replied awkwardly.
"But that exchange student…" Linda said to herself. "I think his name was Norman, maybe?"
May's face turned as red as Wally's. "That would be, uh, my dad. And the Gym Leader of this town…"
"Ah, I see!" she exclaimed. "Now that I think about it, your father wasn't the only exchange student that year…there was another girl from Johto that came in a bit later. She and Norman were inseparable. I heard they got together when they went back to Johto…and they had a daughter! Which must be—"
"Me," May said in embarrassment. "My name is May…"
"How sweet!" Linda said. "It's a small world, isn't it? One of the great things about living in Hoenn. But I'm surprised that you don't live here in Petalburg, May, your father being a Gym Leader and all—"
"Wally caught a Pokemon today," May interrupted, trying to change the subject. And it worked.
His parents looked up in surprise. "Really?"
"Um…yeah…" he replied, his face getting red again. He took the ball out, tossing it in the air. "Roxas, come out!" The small, white Pokemon came out, looking at its Trainer. "It's a Ralts," he explained. "Norman, Brendan, and May helped me catch it."
"That's wonderful, son," his father said, bending down to pet the Pokemon. "But you know you won't be able to—"
"I know," Wally said with a sigh. You know you won't be able to go on a journey because of your condition. "But I just wanted to have company for when we moved to Verdanturf so I wouldn't be lonely."
Brendan and May looked at each other worriedly. "Won't be able to what?" Brendan asked.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Linda replied. "So, you two are staying the night, right? I can show you to your rooms."
…
Three in the morning. And he couldn't sleep.
Wally stared at the digital clock in his room, deep in thought. He knew his parents wouldn't let him go on a journey. In fact, he had braced himself for the disappointment, but it still hurt when they said he couldn't. And it was all because of his stupid asthma.
He looked down at the foot of his bed, where Roxas slept peacefully. Carefully getting out of bed to avoid disturbing it, he went down the stairs, opening the backdoor to step outside. This had become a routine thing for him; going outside for fresh air often cleared his head. He leaned against the white fence, looking at the forest beyond his yard. He squinted his eyes when something seemed to move near the edge of the woods.
It was May, training Ventus by having it scale trees and attack bushes. She seemed especially determined, as if rebounding from a recent loss. Wally never had many friends when he was little, and none of them had been girls. It had crossed his mind a few times that day; May was pretty. And although she was very reserved, she seemed good at heart. And the way she fought those Poochyena indicated that she was a good Trainer. Something sparked inside of Wally; he wanted to be as good as her. Wanted to come out of his shell and have that much confidence. Wanted to be that headstrong and independent.
"Hey," a voice said from behind them. Wally turned around to see Brendan, his messy brown hair unkempt without his hat. He stood next to the younger boy, leaning forward against the fence. "I saw you go down the stairs and figured I'd see what you were up too. I wasn't wrong in thinking that May would be out here training, either."
"Yeah," Wally replied. "I came out here to get some fresh air."
Brendan nodded. "So, when your parents said you couldn't do something earlier…did they mean go on a journey? Why?"
He sighed. "I…I don't really want to talk about it." He watched as May cheered when Ventus broke a tree branch with a single pound. "I'd love to be a Trainer though. Go out and see the world like what you and May are doing."
Brendan nodded again. "To be honest, I still can't believe I'm doing this. Dad just sent me out today to help May, and now I'm here. I'm just travelling to help him out with work. May on the other hand…I don't know what she's going to do, but I feel as if it's going to be something great."
Wally looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not really sure," he replied thoughtfully. "She just has this…aura around her. Even though she hasn't won any official battles yet, she doesn't give up. She's smart and determined. And she cares about her Pokemon. Once she gets battling just right, she'll be sweeping other Trainers like it's nobody's business. It's what makes her a great rival." He laughed. "That's what I think, anyway."
"Brendan?"
"Yeah?"
"Is there something going on between you and May?"
Brendan grinned sheepishly. "Other than her hardheadedness and me pushing her buttons? Not really. Although both my dad and hers said something about the two of us…nah, it's probably nothing."
Wally blinked. "Huh."
"What?"
"Nothing, just thinking."
Brendan shrugged, then stretched. "Well, I'm going back to bed. See you in the morning."
Wally nodded as the other boy went back inside. Then, after a few minutes, went back in as well.
Chapter four's done! Yay! Again, so sorry for the delay. But now that it's summer, I should be able to actually post on time. So here's the chapter where we meet Wally, one of my favorite characters from the series. And yes, I had to throw in a little ship tease at the end, just to make the shippers wonder :) don't worry though. I won't let romance take over the story. In fact, its focus will be very minor. That's not what Pokemon is about, after all!
So this week, I have two QOTWs. One Pokemon related, the other not so much. First question: Since we're on the topic of shipping, who's your favorite ship in the Pokemon universe and why? Or are you not a fan of shipping, and why? And second QOTW: What do you think of the show Phineas and Ferb? Have you seen it? WERE YOU UTTERLY HEARTBROKEN AND IN PIECES WHEN THE LAST EPISODE AIRED?! I was. That last moment when Phineas turns to the audience and waves out the door before closing it really got me. Seven years and ten months of summer, and it's finally over. But I get why they ended it. They didn't want it to overstay its welcome like some other kid shows (looking at you, SpongeBob). But still, I feel as if there was so much more they could've done. After OWCA Files airs, I don't know what I'll do. But I'm glad the show had a good run. But enough rambling. Make sure to review! See you next week!