Return of the Prodigal Daughter

It was about seven in the morning. His father was a sleep, his mother too, everyone in town was asleep. But not him. He wasn't asleep yet. He couldn't sleep, not when his mind was filled with the thoughts of his new and best friend. The boy with the uncombed black hair and the heavy framed glasses, he stared up to the ceiling as he found it impossible to sleep. Fidgeting constantly in his bed, he wondered when was the right time to move. The sun was starting to rise; surely Sunfloras and Solrocks too. And now, so too was he.

Max Ruby just couldn't contain his excitement. Today was a rare day where he didn't have any classes! Normally, such a thing would be absolutely terrible! He hated not going to school! But now, he had his own little friend to learn and study with, a little friend he was poised to visit. Right now! Why not; it was the best time to do so!

So young little Max pulled himself from his bed, falling to the floor. After groaning for a bit, he stood up and quickly procured his glasses from their nightstand. He dressed himself up without even bothering to wash himself. After all, that would make noise and surely awaken his parents. He couldn't do that. They would surely punish him.

He instead grabbed his bookbag, filled with various goodies a Pokémon would absolutely adore. Yes, for Pokémon! After all, he was going to a school just to learn about them. It would be wise to get as much information on them as he could. She he quickly scurried out of his home, smelling like the bed he just rose from.

His home, Littleroot town, in the morning aura looked absolutely stunning right now. With the morning sun gazing upon it from just over the trees. The morning dew on all the grass petals and such, which only reflected the sunlight in a beautiful manner. Some Pokémon could be heard in the distance, usually a Zigzagoon or some Bug-type. Yup, this was the life he lived. And he loved it!

But enough of that. He traveled over to the building in the center of his home town. The one with the large walls that was easily bigger than the other homes in the area. That wasn't saying much though; the homes weren't all that grand to begin with.

He first tried the front door pointlessly. It was locked, duh. So he moved over to a mirror. Picking and prying at it before he found the latch was unlocked. Because this place get's really hot at night for some reason. Yeah, yeah. He pushed up on the window, where it opened wider and wider. For an adult, it would be near impossible to slip through this small window. But for him, a child, it was easy as that!

Max slipped into the window, falling on the floor face-first. Groaning from the pain, he quickly recoiled and stood up. He fell into a laboratory, a grand one nonetheless. Only it was extremely messy and quite dark. He didn't mind though. He stepped over and past many of the items on the ground coming to the machine in the far back. A machine that once held three similar Poké Balls. Now, there was just one, and it was all alone.

Max stared up to the machine with eyes gleaming, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. Staring at the singular and lonely Poké Ball, he quickly removed the bookbag from his back. Placing it on the floor, he unzipped the pack and revealed all the wonderful goodies inside. Wonderful goodies for Pokémon, that is.

After the bag was opened, and all the Pokémon items on the floor, he walked to the machine with the one Poké Ball. He grabbed it, opened it up, and snapped it open.

"Treeekooo!" shouted the Wood Gecko Pokémon within.

…

After so many days resting off of the beaten path, it felt really, really, really good to sleep in a nice bed. Not outside in the cold night where she would often snuggle up with Blaze to keep warm. But here, she had a nice blanket, the warmth of a heater, and of course the safety only indoor walls could give. Not to mention the fact that it was so incredibly upscale.

May pulled herself up, a sunny smile on her lips. After yesterday's debacle on the news, all she wanted to do was sleep and forget about it. Which was real easy when Shelly whisked her away to the largest apartment building in all of Rustboro. To a room which can only be described as 'penthouse'. This was Shelly's home, and it was obvious.

May stared too and fro, all around her. She was in a bed, a nice one with blue sheets. There was this Pokémon on them, a Legendary one at that. The twelve-year-old stared intently at the blankets, wondering about the Pokémon on them. The large blue one, with the red lines and the whale-like features. Just what was it?

"Good morning, Sapphire!" shouted the home's owner as she pushed the door open with a sunny smile.

May stared up to the woman, the one who looked so beautiful with the red hair. If anything, that was the kind of woman she wanted to be when she grew up. Tall, beautiful, smart, and of course powerful when it came to Pokémon.

Team Aqua Administer Shelly stood before May at the door of the bedroom, glasses on her face. It was that 'civilian' persona that May had come to know her as. There was a difference between the Shelly of Team Aqua, and the Shelly of everyday life. Like Crobatman. The Shelly of everyday life wore conservative clothing that didn't show her chest, wore glasses, had her hair neatly tamed into pigtails and such. It made her seem very down to earth and somewhat nerdy, honestly.

Anyway, all May could do was smile and wave at the woman, before she rose an eyebrow. What did that term 'Sapphire' mean? That was queer; where did it come from? Shelly seemed to catch a hold of May's confusion, but refused to say a word. She instead wagged her finger in a 'nuh-uh-uh' manner, before turning and walking off.

May pulled herself from the bed in her red pajamas, falling on the ground from the lack of footing. She stood up and shook her head after, while she heard a chuckling echo from far off. Surely, Shelly heard the loud THUMP! that echoed out when the child hit the floor. May grimaced before roaming out of the room.

Matching Shelly's whole personality, her home was very Water-type themed. Pictures of Shelly with her Walrein were on the walls, not to mention the various other Water-types the woman had caught and tamed. Such as Starmies and Staryus. Horseas, Seadras, Kingdras too. A Lapras, Milotic, Gyradoses. How many Pokémon did Shelly own?

May eventually came out into the hall, where she suddenly slipped on slippery water. Falling down again, she stared to the ceiling and groaned. The next moment, she felt the large and blubbery body of a Pokémon atop her. It was icy cold in battle, but strangely wonderfully warm as he hugged her close. May struggled to free herself from the Pokémon above her, but stopped her futile attempts when Shelly walked back up again.

"I recommend you stop," Shelly said as she placed her hand atop her Pokémon's head, "Walrein can be really affectionate. Struggling like that is only going to tire you out and won't do a darn thing to him, ya'know?" she then smiled and rubbed the snout of her, "Isn't that right my mighty Walrein?"

"Wal! Wal!" the Ice Break Pokémon said chipperly.

"Now get off of Sapphire," she commanded next, "She's just woken up; she doesn't need any of that this morning."

"Wall..."

The mighty Walrein finally pulled himself off of May's body, leaving her to rub some of the ice and water that stained her because of it. Were Walrein's naturally this wet, or was it just Shelly's home that got him this way? Who knows; the child's convinced the Aqua Administer has a pool somewhere around here. One she's just hiding.

But what was it with that 'Sapphire' she kept calling her? Her name was 'May' not 'Sapphire'! May stood up quickly looking at Shelly as the woman walked to the kitchen area of her home, Walrein following all the while. Ready to get to the bottom of things, the child trailed the woman into the kitchen. To her surprise, Shelly was sitting at a nice table with food on it, fork in hand as she cut through some eggs on said table. She looked so natural and alone, as if May wasn't even there. That changed when she rose an eyebrow at the child, and further called her in with a waving finger.

May sat down at the table, on the other end of Shelly. There was a plate made out just for her on this end, where a fork and knife was already there. She stared down to the meal; some eggs and meat, not to mention waffles, all of which made the child's stomach growl. On the road during her Pokémon Journey, she was lucky if she got a morning breakfast. They rarely, if ever, occur, ya'know. So to have some natural home-made food really meant a lot to her.

May quickly took the fork and knife, where she delved into the food without a moment's hesitation. Shelly was taken aback by the May's voraciousness; Walrein himself shocked by the twelve-year-old. She tore through the eggs, the sausages, the waffles, all of it without a moment's hesitation. And boy did it taste so good. The smell of it all, the feel of it in her mouth, the warmth. It all felt so warming and comfortable and filled with love.

And she was crying. Crying so much. May didn't even notice it at first as she ate the food, but she was crying. Tears running down her face as she continued to eat, showing just how little meals she got on her quest. Shelly didn't understand why her young friend was crying, and that concerned her. She reached across the table and grabbed May's shoulder, calming the child down. May stopped eating, as instead her heart beat rapidly. She looked up to Shelly, staring through those glasses toward the woman who just wanted to know 'why?'.

"May!" Shelly shouted, making the child look up to her, "Are you alright?"

No. She wasn't. The child showed this by shaking her head. She stared down to the food before her, before taking a deep breath. Honestly, she was homesick. It was a feeling she did her best to push back into her mind, but was just now making itself known. May Ruby missed her home so much.

"I wanna go home..." May whispered to Shelly, making the woman nod.

"Oh... that's it, huh?" she said as she ruffled May's hair a bit, "Little May Ruby is homesick, huh? Then why don't you go home, hm? I mean, your father is Norman Ruby, the Gym Leader of Petalburg city, right? You'll have to face him sooner or later if you intend on continuing your Pokémon Journey. Why don't you take a nice visit home, then?"

"I can't..." May whispered, "I just can't..."

"Sure you can," Shelly stated with a smile, "Why couldn't you? I'm pretty sure your mother misses you and your father probably can't wait for his daughter to come in challenge him. It's like the return of the prodigal daughter! You come back and show them all how strong you've become on your Pokémon journey!"

"It's not that easy, Shelly," May said unhappily, "I... didn't leave on my Journey the right way..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I... ran away from home," May said as she breathed in deeply, before looking up to the woman, "My parents didn't want me to be a Trainer. So I ran away. I haven't been back yet..."

"May... you'll have to go home sooner or later," said Shelly as she appealed to the child, "I bet your mother's been worried sick about you. Going all over Hoenn by yourself and not even telling everyone. You haven't had contact with them sense you ran away, have you?"

"No..."

"May... I know how you feel," Shelly claimed, "When you ran away, I bet it felt like you were finally taking your life by the reins, huh? You could do anything and everything. Well, May, you still have a home. You have a mother and father who's probably worried sick for you. The best thing you can do is go home."

"You... you really think so?"

"Of course I do. Besides, you've proven them wrong already; you're a Pokémon Trainer! And a damn fine one at that!"

"You... really think so?" May asked, eyes gleaming like lights.

"Of course!" Shelly said, "Have you seen yourself? You and your Pokémon have defeated Gym Leader after Gym Leader, taken on Team Magma, and so on and so forth! If that's not what a Pokémon Trainer does, then you don't know the meaning of a Pokémon Trainer!" May suddenly felt Shelly pat her on the shoulder as she stood up from the table, "C'mon, let me take you home today, Sapphire. You live in Littleroot town, right?"

May smiled first, happy Shelly was a friend through all of this. Not counting her own Pokémon, all May had to rely on was Brendan and Wally. And, honestly, running into them wasn't happening too often, ya'know? Besides, Shelly was the only other woman she could call friend. And, ya'know, not a twelve-year-old boy like Brendan or Wally.

Or Drew for that matter.

"Shelly..." May called out, making the woman stop in her tracks, "Thanks... a lot... but..."

"But what, May?"

"I think I'll go home alone."

Shelly opened her mouth to say something, as she faced the child, but didn't. If anything, that was the most mature thing she had ever heard the child say. After all, she's only twelve. So to hear her choose to go home alone and face her family made May feel much older than she really was.

"Good job, Sapphire," Shelly said as she turned again, "I have to Mauville City anyway for a special mission. Deals with some New Mauville City think Wattson came up with... oh well..."

"Wait," May said as she stood up from the chair, "Why... why are you calling me 'Sapphire'?"

"It's just a nickname I came up for you," Shelly said, "You like it? If anything, maybe I should call you 'Fire Red'. Since you love the color red so much. Anyway, let's go. Wait... did you wash yet?"

…

The Acro Bike. One can't even begin to explain how awesome they are. Sure, they aren't as fast as the blue Mach Bike, but that's not to say the yellow bike is any worse. It's still faster than being on foot, that's for damn sure, and its made for such amazing moves. Wheelies, hopes, wheelie-hops, the list goes on. It would be even cooler if the twelve-year-old could perform more than three of them before landing flat on her butt.

May stared to the sky, groaning while she rubbed her butt. For the tenth time that afternoon she had fallen off her bike and landed flat on her ass. The Ruby child pulled up and rubbed her knees, feeling the scratches that sat upon it. Then she rubbed her butt again to sooth the still burning pain. After the twelve-year-old pulled her coveted gloves further down on her hands, and returned on her bike's seat.

After pedaling off from her most recent crash site, the twelve-year-old figured she'd stop attempting tricks. It didn't matter anyway. She was on Route 104 now, riding through the woods of Petalburg toward Petalburg itself. While she did so – passing all the Pokémon and what not – the child felt her heart racing. The closer she came home, the more it seemed to beat as well. May was downright terrified as she finally broke free of Petalburg woods and actually appeared back out on Route 104.

She made a turn, now heading toward the city itself, while her heart rate spiked once more. Now May forced herself to stop, as she gazed around to the city around her. Not one person seemed to notice who she was, as they just went about doing their own thing. May meanwhile faced the Gym in which her father stood. It was right there, perpendicular to her. She could either head toward the Gym, or continue down Route 102. She swallowed her spit, before making a quick turn toward the building itself.

May walked up to Petalburg Gym, feeling extremely docile in her steps. The closer she got to the building, the more her heart seemed to beat. Was he here? Her father? She didn't know and that's what terrified her. She rose a hand and placed them on the doors, where she attempted to open them.

They didn't budge. The twelve-year-old rose an eyebrow in confusion, before trying again. Then she got angry, and started to yank the doors and slam into them. And yet all her attempts were in vain; the door wasn't moving anymore than she was trying. And that peeved May, because she was trying as hard as she could.

Alas, the doors to Petalburg Gym weren't opening anytime soon. Which meant only one thing; she would have to go home. No, she was forced to go home. No open doors meant her father, the Gym Leader known as Norman, was not here. Which mean she had no choice to go home.

May pulled back, utterly disgusted by these events. She was praying something would happen to make her reunion with her family not happen. As selfish and childish as it is to say, she was hoping Team Magma would attack. Anything to get her out of his moment. But it was going to happen; she had no choice about it.

May once more claimed her bike, sitting on its seat as she closed her eyes tightly. In the darkness of her mind, all she could see was the faint outline of her mother. That outline was steadily filled in by her mother's usual traits. What was going to happen? Would she be happy with seeing her daughter again? Or would she yell at May? Berate and punish her or running away?

It were these points that terrified the child so. Because, at the end of the day, she was just that. A child. She may have started traveling on her own and had accomplished great things in doing so, but she's still only twelve.

Twelve. Years. Old.

May started pedaling once more, leaving the main entrance of the Gym behind. She moved faster and faster, eventually coming to Route 102. The smallish route felt so familiar. She stared over to a patch of grass, reminiscing of the scene that played out there before. She and Wally, with her father's Zigzagoon. He caught his Ralts there, with her following right behind.

It felt like so long ago, but it wasn't. It was still recent; she did that before running away, ya'know. Was it a month ago? Two months ago, maybe? May didn't even know anymore. She had long since cleaved her life in half. One part before she ran away, the other part after. So did this create a new third? One where she returns home? What then? The twelve-year-old didn't know.

Look, she was in Odale town now. Her heart spiked again; when did she get here? All of that thinking mixed her up. She wasn't paying any attention to where she was going anymore. But now she was close. Route 101 was just right there. May thought about riding her bike further down the route, but she decided against it.

Instead, she folded it up and placed it away. How? It's one of those fold-able bikes, the kind that was created in Johto. Everyone has one! Get hip!

May took a deep breath, as she started her first few steps down the grassy path toward home. Route 101; where everything started. It didn't take her long to get to the first hill. Staring down upon it, she saw straight into Littleroot. She even saw the area where Professor Birch was attacked by a Poochyena. That melted her heart; it was where she first met Blaze.

It took all of May's power to not unleash Blaze and have fun right then and there with him. She wanted to so badly, so they could...

"Blaze?" said the confused Pokémon, as he was suddenly standing in the route alone.

Well, he wasn't alone for long. For, only a few seconds later, he was tackled in the back to the ground. Blaze ate dirt quickly, while his master continued to nuzzle her face into his back. The Blaze Pokémon pulled up from the grass, but didn't make any quick and sudden movements. He just sorta relented to his trainer, and remained laying there while she hugged him. After all, what Pokémon would deny a loving hug from their master? Not any Pokémon he knew, that's for sure. So May's hug felt wonderful.

So. Why was she so unhappy?

"Oh... Blaze..." she said with sniffles, "I... I don't want to go home..." she then nuzzled a bit harder, "But I know we have too... oh.."

She stood up a few seconds later, and Blaze did too. Gazing at Littleroot town as a Blaziken felt so out there. He felt like a completely different person. Being all tall and stuff. Yeah. When May started walking however, he shifted his attention to her. As if he were still a young Torchic, he followed his Trainer around accordingly.

May felt so attached to Littleroot. And yet, it was only a week that she stayed here. It wasn't like she lived here forever. Much like her homes in Olivine and Goldenrod. But this place was so very familiar. She remembered that home, that home, Brendan's home, the laboratory, and her home.

May stood outside her front door. She gazed up to her house, realizing just how big it was. She walked up to it, while Blaze held back. May's hand formed a fist as it neared the door. She knocked on the door.

Silence.

Knocked on the door again.

Silence.

She started to shift uncomfortably toe from toe as she knocked again.

Silence.

"May?" she heard from behind.

The twelve-year-old and Blaze turned around to the voice that called out to her. The speaker was right there; at the end of the little path that led to her home. A young boy in a green shirt and tan pants, bookbag on his shoulder. He had a Treecko on his shoulder, while the afternoon sun rose high. And he was absolutely stunned to see her.

And she, stunned to see him as well. The little boy who stood just a foot over her own waist. The one she used to torment. But of course she would torment him. He is her brother.

"Max?" she whispered first, her hands covering her mouth.

"May?" he said back.

"Max!?"

"May!?

"MAX!"

"MAY!"

They immediately rushed each other, entering a hard and heavy embrace. Being the taller and older one, May twirled around with Max in her arms, feeling so happy as she did so. Max too hugged his sister closely. Where, to his surprise, he found her chest to be way softer than before.

Eh. Maybe it's just him.

"Treecko! Treecko!" shouted the Wood Gecko Pokémon on his shoulder, "Tree! Tree!"

He suddenly felt a few talons on his side as he was lifted into the air. His eyes fell on the being that picked him up, which turned out to be May's very own Blaziken. He shook the Treecko around a bit, making the Pokémon calm down. All the while, May and Max shared a moment of sibling love.

"What's going on out here!?" shouted a woman's voice as the door to their home suddenly opened.

"Please, Carolina," said a man's voice from behind, "Calm-"

"May?"

When she said that, it was as if the entire world came to a stop. May and Max ceased their hugging and twirling, as they both looked to the front door. Standing there was this tall woman who looked a little like the both of them. Had May's brown hair, not to mention these little hair twirls and what not. And behind her was a man, whom Max took more after. With that jet black hair of his.

Children and parents gazed at one another for such a long time, and they all knew why.

"May," Carolina whispered a bit, her eyes growing large as they started to glisten.

"Mom..." May replied, while Carolina took a few steps forward.

"May," Carolina repeated, as she got closer to her daughter, arms out, "May! MAY!"

And she hugged her. Carolina hugged May, and tightly. At the same time, May hugged back. Easily, in her entire life, this was the single greatest hug she ever had. May only prayed this goodwill would continue on later.

It wouldn't, by the way. Not. It wouldn't.

Maverick Talks!

Well this is interesting. You know. Writing Ruby again.

For a while, I never thought I'd write it again. I was actually debating whether I should just keep doing other things and leave this story alone for ever. Ya'know, just say this stories dead.

But some fans of mine wanted me to keep going. I can't say I see why, but hey, I love to write. So, for the next x-amount of chapters, we're going to keep chronically May's quest to become a Pokemon Master. Which, I assume, all of you love so very much.

Besides, I guess it's been a while. Two three months now? I don't know.

I really wish I could say more, but I can't. I don't have much, honestly. Just... yeah...

Anyway, next chapter, May finally challenges her beloved father. The fight all of you have been waiting foor.

Yup. This battle's about to explode!

Maverick Kay Prime