10 chapters + Prologue, this is the longest thing I've ever written. Before I started with Pokemon, I wrote Harry Potter fanfiction (Which you can find on my account, Ariados. I wouldn't recommend reading it though), and I was really bad at it. I could never think up a plot any longer than seven chapters long, and back then, all of the chapters were about three pages in word. With this story, I'm not even half done, and the chapters have an average of five pages. I've fully established the plot now, so I won't give up. Hopefully, I'll have this finished (I've planned for about 22 chapters) by Christmas.
"You're WHAT!?!" I shouted, finding that Drew had said the exact same thing at the same time. I wasn't exactly sure about psychics, whether they were real or not. There wasn't much proof. Yet, my own brother coming and telling me that he was a psychic was just scary.
"Psychic… yeah," said Max, sighing, "I found out four years ago… when I started my Pokemon journey,"
Max was almost fourteen years old and I was nearly sixteen. There were only two years in between us, but now Max looked older than me. He had grown so much taller in just four years, and his voice wasn't as high anymore either. There was something else different about him too…
"What do you mean you found out?" I asked, half hoping he was just teasing. Then the other thing that had changed about him hit me, "And what happened to your glasses?"
"Contact Lenses," said Max, smirking slightly, "Anyway… When I first started my Pokemon journey, I wanted to know something… why psychic Pokemon like Ralts, Deoxys and Jirachi always seemed to understand me and I could understand them,"
"Mhmm," I murmured, sitting back down and beckoning Drew and Max to do the same "Go on,"
"I went and talked to Professor Birch about it, and he said that few trainers experience it, and it usually has to do with the trainer, not the Pokemon -"
"What's going on?" said Ash, who with Casey had just strode back to the table. They both sat down.
"Apparently, Max is psychic," I said simply, "He got all curious about how psychic Pokemon could communicate with him and apparently he went and told Professor Birch… he's going to tell us what happened next," I smirked at Max.
"Really?" said Ash, "You're Psychic?". Ash wasn't a big fan of Psychic Pokemon, seeing as Mewtwo and others weren't very friendly with him.
"Just go on with the story Max," I said impatiently. I wanted to hear the rest of it.
"Okay," said Max, nodding, "Well, Birch sent me to this place where they specialized in paranormal behavior… I had to get some tests done and-"
"What sort of tests?" asked Drew, apparently interested. I wished that people would stop interrupting Max and his story.
"Um, they asked me all of these questions about the location of people on the other side of the world and then they asked me to close my eyes and tell them how many fingers they were holding up… they also told me to try and tell them what they were thinking… Oh, and they made me try and command Pokemon without actually talking" said Max, shrugging now, "There were a lot of weird things,"
"Did you manage to do it all though?" said Casey, who was also looking rather interested.
"Strangely enough, I did," said Max, "I was pretty astounded really… so after I did three days worth of tests, they finally told me that I was psychic… in the extreme,"
"What do they mean by in the extreme?" I asked, hoping that it wasn't anything too far-fetched.
"It means I can do a lot of things," said Max. This time however, he didn't open his mouth. His voice just seemed to fill my head though.
"What the hell?" spluttered Ash, through his cordial.
"How'd you do that?" exclaimed Casey. She choked on some fish and started coughing.
"That's just scary!" shouted Drew. He just stared at Max as though he was mad.
Obviously, they had all heard Max speak without opening his mouth, meaning that I hadn't just had a hallucination.
"That's what I mean," said Max, opening his mouth to speak again, "That's telepathy,"
"Wow!" said Casey, emerging for her choking fit, "I'd love to be able to perform telepathy… It would be useful when communicating with Pokemon… anyway, is there anything else you can do?"
"Yeah," said Max, I noticed that he was looking a bit gloomy about it though. He picked up Casey's spoon, "Mind if I borrow this?"
"Oh Max," said Ash, "Don't tell me you can bend spoons?"
Max gave a little sigh and stared intently at the spoon. We just watched him stare at it for five seconds or so, but then the most extraordinary thing happened – Max didn't just bend the spoon, he had it tie itself in a knot. He made it seem like it made of rubber.
"Woah… now THAT is scary," said Ash, taking the spoon from Max and trying to bend it with his own hands, "What the hell? You made it look all soft!"
"It's cool though," said Casey, nodding, "Does that still go under telepathy?"
"No, its telekinesis," said Max, "It's a different field of psychic behavior. Most psychics are only able to do one or the other… but I can do both,"
Drew whistled, "But I thought telekinesis was-"
"This?" said Max, turning and staring at Ash's hat. Sure enough, the hat seemed to lift off his head. It floated towards Drew's head in mid-air, and then landed quite nicely.
"That is seriously wild," said Casey in awe, "I'd love to be able to do that,"
"It isn't all that great," said Max, "Everyone tends to think that I'm weird…that's why I never told you before this…"
"It is weird, but that's what's so impressive about it!" said Drew, smiling, "Anyway… you're here to watch May and I in the contest right?"
"No," said Max, "I'm going to enter it,"
"Really?" I said, a little loudly, "Is this your first contest?"
"No way," said Max. He picked up his bag and rummaged around, pulling out a case. He opened it, to reveal five sparkling ribbons, "These are my Hoenn ribbons… I've earned pretty much all of them in the last three months,"
"Why'd you come here then?" I asked, a little astounded, "Have you entered the Hoenn grand festival yet?"
"No," said Max, "It's not for another eight months… so I thought I'd come and get some ribbons here,"
"Max, it isn't that easy… you might have gotten lucky and earned all of those ribbons in three months flat, but I think you should have stayed in Hoenn and just entered more contests, that way you wouldn't risk missing the grand festival,"
"Sheesh May, I'll go back a month before the festival… If you haven't noticed, I've grown up now. I don't need you telling me what I should and shouldn't do!"
"There's still a chance something could go wrong! What if the Grand Festival was brought to an earlier date? Although, I wouldn't put it past you to know how to teleport,"
"What are you talking about? I can't teleport! There isn't a single human who can!" shouted Max hotly, he stood up. In the past, it would be funny, but now he was as tall as me, but now I felt short compared to him, "See… you're making fun of me because you think I'm weird!"
"No! I'm just saying it takes skill to win a Pokemon contest! Not just luck," I shouted back, standing up. In the past, Max would always back down when I shouted at him. Now he had changed, he was still standing tall.
"You were depending on luck all those years ago when you expected to win on assist and metronome! You hypocrite,"
"At least I did that IN the contest itself. You're practically thinking up strategies before the contest date has even been set! Although, I suppose you can predict the future too…"
"I'm not predicting the future! I'm just saying that I have perfect right to do what I want, I'm not a little kid who mum wants you to look after anymore,"
"Max! I never said that you had to listen to me! I'm saying it's for the best,"
"May," said Max, now slowing down a little bit, "One thing that I can do is read your mind, and I know you're saying that because you think you're better me, and you don't want me to make you seem weak,"
What? Max must have been making that up. I couldn't deny that he could read my mind, but I wasn't thinking that? Or was I? Was this like the fiasco that had happened with Harley the other day? Ash, Casey and Drew were looking from me to Max and back again, as though it was a tennis match.
"Max," I said, catching my breath, "I'm just saying that you haven't had as much experience as-"
"So you're calling me a beginner?" shouted Max, his fiery temper coming back. Now even random people on the beach were staring at us, "Fine! I'll challenge you to a Pokemon battle! 1 on 1! Winner takes all,"
"I accept your challenge!" I shouted back. I had to set some things straight with my little brother. Ash stood up in an abrupt manner.
"I'll referee," he said, smirking, "Make it more official… I'd love to see what you can do Max,"
"It's a challenge," said Max and I, simultaneously. It was official. The two of us were battling for the first time, ever.
I knew for a fact that Max specialized in Psychic type Pokemon. It was easy for him, after all. That made my decision for a Pokemon a whole lot easier…
"Umbreon! I choose you!" I shouted, taking out one of my Pokeballs and throwing it. I hadn't intended on evolving my Eevee into Umbreon, but one night I gave some cake to eat and then it just evolved. Ash had just said that friendship at night made Eevee evolve in to Umbreon, and after that, I had just grown in to Umbreon, and I couldn't imagine myself with another evolution.
"Okay," said Max, "Then I'll use Erureido!" his Pokemon was already out, it moved into the battle arena… or more the beach, "You're the lady… you go first,"
"If you say so," I smirked, "Umbreon! Use Crunch!"
Umbreon lunged and bit Erureido someone near the leg. As hard as it tried however, the other Pokemon didn't seem to be feeling much pain at all. Max laughed harshly,
"You're forgetting May," he said smartly, "Erureido is a fighting type! Fighting beats dark!"
"What!" I shouted, now wishing that I had checked my Pokedex before starting the battle, and not assumed Erureido to simply be a male Gardevoir, "Well still! Your attacks won't affect me!"
"Correction," said Max, smirking, "My PSYCHIC attacks won't work on you… but who said that I'd use psychic attacks anyway?"
I knew it. Max had always been smarter than me… he was always the one that came up with my strategies. To win against him, you had to have well… luck. He was basically the best when it came to strategy. I analyzed Umbreon's moves… Crunch, Pursuit, Faint Attack and Thief. All Dark types. Should I go for Erureido's psychic attacks? Or not?
"Erureido! Use Miracle Eye!" said Max.
This wasn't good. I'd heard of Miracle Eye. It made dark types venerable to psychic attacks. There was no doubt that Max had trained well. I would have been better off with a ghost type.
"Umbreon!" I shouted, now a little desperate, "Use Pursuit!"
Umbreon did a sort of tackle on Erureido. It still looked as healthy as ever. I was struggling right now… I should have listened to Max years ago, and not taught my Pokemon moves of the same type.
"Erureido! Use Psychic!" said Max triumphantly. Thanks to Miracle Eye, it would work and sure enough, Umbreon was lifted into the air by a blue glow, just like the Wingull. A few seconds later, it had been pounded to the floor. For some reason though, it seemed to take a fair bit of damage for a dark type. Max really was good.
I wish had taught Umbreon moonlight, or brought along something to heal it. Now I was getting beaten to pieces by Max… something that I had inwardly never thought would happen.
"Oh, Umbreon," I said, panicking. I just couldn't lose… "Use thief," Hopefully Erureido had some sort of health item. Umbreon tackled, no luck however. Erureido dropped nothing.
"May," said Max, now looking close to triumphant laughter, "I wouldn't give Erureido a heal item! It knows recover, that's all I need,"
Oh no. This wasn't good… now it was Max's turn…
"Finish it off with Dynamic Punch!" he said, a sort of triumph in his voice. Umbreon was a dark type… Dynamic Punch was a fighting move. This wasn't good.
Erureido took one of it's blade like hands, and punched Umbreon… straight in the lower belly. My Pokemon was thrown in the air, and landed next to me. It had fainted. I had been beaten, badly.
"Umbreon is unable to battle – Max and Erureido win," said Ash. It was over.
"Umbreon, return," I sighed. I had lost to Max, big deal. Stepping forward I went and stood right in front of Max, who was complimenting his Pokemon.
"I'm sorry for doubting you…. You're a great trainer Max," I said, admitting it. Max really was good.
"What?" said Max, turning to me, "Oh… thanks I suppose," he smiled, "You've gotten better too…"
"It's great to see you again," I said, shaking his hand, "I've really missed you,"
"Yeah," said Max, nodding in agreement, "It's good to be together again,"
I know Umbreon can't learn Crunch. I just had to have a bunch of dark type attacks for purposes of the story.