The Heat is Num-ing
Brendan woke up the next morning, still naked from the night before and lying on his back. May was still cuddling up to him, her breasts pressing against him, and they felt just as nice as they had last night. Then he noticed the slightly cold metal of her necklace on his chest. He smiled to himself. She loved that necklace already, and it seemed that she would not be taking it off any time soon. Brendan was okay with that. He simply wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. That was when May began to wake up.
"Oh, hey, what time is it?" she said groggily. Brendan looked over at the clock briefly.
"About nine in the morning," Brendan said. May groaned a little. "You okay?"
"Yeah," May said. "I'm just a bit sore from last night."
Brendan hugged her closer. "Yeah me too," he said. "I still can't believe what happened to us in the last twenty four hours. I doubt anybody else has been involved with that level of danger in one day."
"Hey, mind if I turn on the television? I want to check the news."
"Not at all, I kind of want to see what's going on in the world," Brendan said as May flipped on the television. The channel was already on a news station from Kanto. It was in Saffron City, and it was focusing on the Indigo League. "Oh hey, this should be interesting," he said.
"It was an amazing battle yesterday as the two trainers from Pallet Town clashed in the final round of the tournament yesterday. From what we've heard these two have been rivals since childhood, and Blue had been the stronger of the two throughout their journey. However, in this battle, Red emerged victorious with his Charizard using Fire Blast to defeat Blue's Blastoise. This now means that Red will receive the opportunity to battle the Elite Four and the Champion to claim the highly sought-after title of Indigo League Champion."
"Well, I forgot that the Indigo League was even happening, much less that it was already over," Brendan said.
"Yeah, but it's amazing that Red was able to beat a Blastoise with a Charizard. That seems like it would be next to impossible," May said.
"Maybe, but at the same time, type advantages aren't everything," Brendan said. "Hell, Clint has beaten Miranda before."
"Yeah, I mean, it wouldn't happen now," May said with a slight wink. "But let's not get into that right now. Instead, I'm going to get into the shower."
Brendan gave her a kiss on her forehead as she got up and walked to the bathroom, not bothering to cover herself. "You are so beautiful," Brendan said. May smiled back.
"Thanks," May said with a sly wink before she went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Brendan just laid back and put his arms behind his head.
So, are you and May finally done? Gwen said, causing Brendan to bolt upright.
Gwen? Where the hell are you? Brendan said.
I'm in the treatment room, but it seems that I can communicate from much farther away than when I was a Kirlia.
Oh, that's pretty cool. How is it working out for you?
Well, you can hear me, can't you? Or are you just coincidentally talking to yourself in a way that fits with my questions?
Hey, don't get sassy with me!
Nope, I will not stop! Brendan just sighed, giving up.
So, you know what happened last night, Brendan said.
Only the bare minimum, not like I wanted to know in the first place, Gwen said.
So, let's agree to never discuss it with each other, or anybody else, Brendan said.
Right, Gwen said. And please don't tell May that I know.
Sure, I don't think she'd want to hear about it, Brendan said.
"Hey, the shower is all yours!" May said as she came out of the bathroom, wrapped in her towel.
"Oh, thanks!" Brendan said. He got out of the bed and went to the bathroom for his own shower. May then began to get dressed and prepare.
I wonder how last night will affect our relationship, May thought. Will it deepen our bond, or will it break us apart?
Hey, May! Gwen said. May leapt out of her skin when she heard Gwen's voice out of nowhere. Hey, you and Brendan had almost the same reaction to that!
Holy Arceus, don't scare me like that Gwen! May said.
Sorry, but I can't exactly go and see you and Brendan in person right now. I figured this was the best way to talk.
Oh, I think I understand, May said as her heart rate returned to normal. You're still being treated right now and you can't leave.
Actually, the other Pokémon and I are almost fully healed, so as soon as you and Brendan are ready, we should be good to go.
Brendan, who apparently decided to speed through his shower, left the bathroom wearing only his pants. May couldn't help but admire his musculature, especially since the lighting was better than it was last night. "Alright, let's get dressed and get the Pokémon!"
Make it fast! It's boring here, Gwen said.
Brendan chuckled, but he did what his Pokémon said, as did May, who now only had to style her hair and tie her bow. Brendan just donned his shirt and his hat. "Hey Brendan, I need to ask you something important." May said as she finished tying her bow.
"What's up?"
"After last night, what are we? Is that just going to be a one-time thing, or are we still going to be going strong together?"
"May, you should know that's a ridiculous question," Brendan said. "We didn't start this relationship just to stop after things got physical. That's the type of thing that only assholes do."
Well, Goldenrod, you sure fit that category! Gwen said, teasing her trainer.
"Would you butt out?!" Brendan said. May just started laughing.
"You may need to spend the night in the burn unit after that!" May said through gasps of laughter.
"Oh, don't you two start ganging up on me," Brendan said. "Sometimes I don't know why I put up with Gwen."
The feeling is mutual! Brendan just sighed and gave up for the second time in less than an hour.
"Anyway, let's get going. I read online that the gym leader here is pretty strong. And that he's famous for using a Typhlosion of all Pokémon," Brendan said.
"Yeah, well I wouldn't get too excited if I were you," May said, knowing that Brendan's information was a bit outdated.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You'll find out," May said with a smirk as she led the way out of the room. Brendan just shook his head. He loved her, but she and Gwen just loved to get under his skin too easily.
Gwen stretched happily as she left the Pokémon Center, her arm completely healed and feeling better than ever. She was completely ready for this gym battle today. After all, if she could beat Maxie's Mega Camerupt when she was still a Kirlia, how hard could a fire-type gym be? I can definitely feel a victory today. There's nothing holding us back! Gwen said with enthusiasm.
"Well, I like how happy you are about the battle," Brendan said with a smile. "But first, we need to find the gym."
I know, but at least I can float there now, Gwen said as she began to levitate to accentuate her point. Brendan just rolled his eyes as he and May began to walk in the direction of the Lavaridge gym.
They were just about halfway to the gym, passing by an alleyway when they heard something strange. It sounded like a Pokémon crying out. But they could tell there were no battles being fought. "Gwen, what's going on over there?" May asked.
Gwen's eyes widened in shock as she looked over in the direction the shouts came from. There's no time to explain. We need to hurry! Just like that, Gwen used her power to levitate both Brendan and May as she pulled them into the alley, racing toward the source of the sounds. What they saw caused a mixture of emotions, namely shock, anger, and disgust.
The source of the sound was a Numel, who was crying out from pain. But that wasn't what elicited their response. It was the fact that there was a trainer there, kicking the Pokémon repeatedly. "You useless, piece of crap! You couldn't do anything in that gym battle! I can't believe I wasted my time training you!" he said, delivering one more kick.
"HEY!" Brendan shouted, getting the other trainer's attention. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" When the trainer turned to face them, though, Brendan realized that they knew him.
"You're Tony, from Dewford," May said in disbelief.
"Oh, I remember you. So doll-face, have you been followin' me? Couldn't wait to get a kiss from me huh?" Tony said, forgetting what he had just been doing.
"What the hell is your problem? Why are you attacking that Numel?" Brendan shouted.
Tony just turned to look at the bruised and battered Pokémon before shrugging. "Why does that matter? It's my Pokémon, and he just lost against the gym leader of this town."
That was when Gwen lost all interest in what this guy had to say. She was so angry that she didn't think, she just took hold of him with her psychic power and lifted him into the air. Brendan looked at his Pokémon in slight surprise, but as she walked past him, he saw just how angry she was, so he decided to let her go. I don't care what your motivation is. I do not want to hear any bullshit excuse, or a shifting of the blame onto your Pokémon for your loss at a gym. If you lost that is YOUR fault.
"What the hell is this?" Tony struggled to say. "Hey, punk, this is your Pokémon, right? Make her stop!"
Brendan, however, looked at Tony with nothing but disdain and disgust. Instead, he walked over to the Numel and knelt down next to the Pokémon. He reached out to try and pet the fire type, but the Pokémon understandably flinched away. "Hey, you're okay," Brendan said in a calming voice. "I promise I won't hurt you." The fire camel looked at Brendan warily, but got a distinct feeling that this human could be trusted. Brendan began to slowly pet him on the neck. "We can take you away from this man if you want that. You don't have to let him hurt you."
"Don't waste your breath. That Pokémon is too stupid to understand a word you sa–" Tony tried to say before Gwen cut him off by increasing the pressure.
I don't remember giving you permission to talk. Now, here's what's going to happen. You are going to release that Numel from your ownership. When you do, you will leave this town, and if we ever see you doing anything like this again, I will not hesitate to erase you from existence. Do you understand? Gwen said with pure anger in her voice.
Brendan looked at Tony, wanting to see what he said. "Fine, I was done with that useless Pokémon," he said as he had his Numel return to its Pokéball only to send him out again, this time the Pokéball produced a blue light, indicating a permanent release. "Now ge–" Gwen cut him off once again.
That's all you're allowed to say, Gwen said. Brendan then pulled out one of his Pokéballs.
"Hey, you know, I think you are an amazing Pokémon," Brendan said. "Why don't you come with me, and we can prove to this jerk just how powerful you really are?"
The Numel thought for a moment, remembering how badly Tony had treated him, including how he had been captured before. This human was nothing like his now former trainer. Just by looking at Gwen, he could see how much Brendan loved his Pokémon. He smiled, tapped the Pokéball's activation button, and was captured without a second thought.
"Kid, you're wasting your time, that Pokémon is use–" Tony was once again cut off.
Seriously how dense are you? Gwen asked. She thought for a moment. On second thought, don't answer that, we can already tell. Meanwhile Brendan was using his Pokédex to scan his newest Pokémon. What he saw in the attacks list made his eyes widen in surprise.
"This Numel knows Magnitude, Mud Bomb, Iron Head, Stealth Rock, and Heat Wave, and you still couldn't win at the gym? Man you must suck at being a trainer!" Brendan said. "Gwen, help me out."
What are you thinking? Gwen asked.
"I need to get this Numel treated at the Pokémon Center. Can you teleport me back there while you and May take this asshole to the police?"
"I'm okay with that," May said. "Besides, something about this guy just tells me he's wanted for other things."
Alright, and when we're done with that, it's definitely time to face the gym. Oh, and by the way, you should know that the Numel's name is Jack, Gwen said.
Brendan nodded, not questioning how she knew. "Alright, thanks for letting me know." With that, Gwen sent him back to the Pokémon Center, and brought herself and May to the police station. This could turn out to be fun.
Later, after getting Numel treated and Tony arrested for Pokémon abuse and a whole list of other crimes, including date rape, Brendan, May, and Gwen finally reunited at the same alley where they had found Jack. Brendan already had Jack's Pokéball on his belt, right next to Turk's.
"Now, it's time for us to head to the gym and win our next badge," Brendan said, raising his fist in the air.
Alright! Gwen cheered. The gym, now in sight, was a red and white building that looked like an open-roofed dojo.
"Wow, that's pretty hard to miss. How didn't we see that earlier?" May asked.
"I guess we're just really bad at paying attention to our surroundings," Brendan said in a slightly joking manner as they got to the gym's door. Brendan opened it and held the door for both May and Gwen.
"Oh, you're such a gentleman when you want to be," May said.
"Thanks, I try," Brendan said.
Well, that's sad, Gwen teased.
"Again, you excel at killing any sort of a moment, don't you?" Brendan said.
I like to think of it as a hobby, she replied with a smile. May laughed shortly, but she stopped when they got closer to the battlefield.
Brendan, though he had just been burned by his own Pokémon for the umpteenth time, focused himself. Gwen, knowing it was time to get serious, decided to get focused on the battle to come. When they got to the battlefield, however, Brendan got a surprise. He had read that the gym's leader was an older man. The person at the far end of the battlefield was a girl not much older than twenty. She had red hair in a long ponytail that split into multiple parts. She wore a red sports bra under a black cloth that was tied to serve as a shirt with a pair of jeans that had three red stitches on each leg. Her belt was woven and white with a fire design on the end.
"Hello, I'm here for a battle!" Brendan called out.
"Welcome, trainer! I am–" the gym leader started, but she promptly cut herself off. "No, that's not right." She closed her eyes before starting again. "Puny trainer! Are you ready to face… No that's wrong too." Brendan smiled uncomfortably.
"I-is everything alright?" he asked.
The girl shook her head like she was clearing herself out of a daze. "Yeah, I'm sorry about this. See, my grandfather was the previous gym leader, but he recently retired since he felt I was ready to take control."
Brendan nodded. "I see, so how long have you been a gym leader?"
"It's almost a year at this point. And even though I am a bit clumsy with the greetings and gym conduct, I can still battle at the necessary level," she said. Brendan didn't doubt what she said. "Anyway, my name is Flannery. Who are you three?"
"I'm May from Littleroot, and I'm here as a spectator," May said with a wave as she took a seat in the stands. Flannery smiled.
"Alright, I will make sure you enjoy this battle," Flannery said. She then turned back to Brendan and Gwen.
"My name is Brendan, I'm from Littleroot as well, and I'm here to challenge you," he said confidently.
And I'm Gwen, I'm with Brendan, she said with a confident smile.
Flannery, like so many others, looked shocked when she heard Gwen speaking. "Huh, not too often that I meet a talking Pokémon," she said in an intrigued voice. "But, you're not here to discuss your Pokémon. So, if JAMES would get out here, we could start." She shouted the name, and Brendan heard running footsteps as a young man with hair that almost looked blue entered the ring.
"Sorry ma'am, I didn't realize we had a challenger." He looked very professional, but Brendan didn't need to worry about the referee. "This is a three-on-three battle, during the battle, only the challenger may make substitutions. If the challenger wins, he will be awarded the Heat Badge. Are both trainers ready?" Both Brendan and Flannery nodded. "Then begin the match!"
"Alright, I will start us off with Scarlet!" Flannery called.
Brendan, however, got an idea. "Hey Flannery, you remember a trainer by the name of Tony coming to this gym recently?"
Flannery looked at him. "Twenty years old, complete douche, and horrible at battling? Yeah he was here just today, but he didn't get past my first Pokémon. Why do you ask?"
"Thing is, we found him abusing one of his Pokémon after his battle. We saved the Pokémon, and now he's on my team. Say hello to Jack!" Brendan said as he sent out the fire camel.
Flannery's left eyebrow raised in intrigue when she saw the Pokémon. "Oh, yeah, this one is familiar. He didn't do too well, but I figured it was the trainer's fault."
"You're right. In fact, you're about to see just how badly he screwed up," Brendan said. "Jack, start us off with Stealth Rock!" From his back, Jack launched multiple smaller stones that landed on Flannery's side of the battlefield, facing upright before they vanished.
"Oh, starting off with entry hazards. Impressive strategy," Flannery said. "But not the only one you could've used. Scarlet, use Sunny Day!" The Slugma fired an orb of light into the sky. It got to a point high above the battle and began to shine focused light on the battlefield.
Brendan smiled. "Use Mud Bomb!" he said. From the hole in his back, Jack fired an orb of mud from his back that was bigger than a Mud Shot attack, and it seemed to be moving faster. It seemed that Scarlet would be able to dodge.
"Scarlet, use Overheat to counter!" Flannery said. The Slugma's entire body began to glow red before she fired a jet of white flames at Jack, intercepting the mud attack and baking it into dust.
"Dodge and use Magnitude!" Brendan called. Jack jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the intense flames. He then reared up and struck the ground hard with his foot, sending out a seismic wave, creating cracks in the floor that burst upward until they hit Scarlet. The attack was powerful, probably either a Magnitude level 7 or 8. Though the attack was very effective, Scarlet was not about to lose that easily. Brendan figured that would be the case. Things were never that easy anymore in gym battles.
"Well, nice dodging," Flannery said. "But we are nowhere near finished. Scarlet, use Rock Throw!" Multiple rocks burst from the ground and were thrown at Jack.
"Jack, use Mud Bomb to defend, then Iron Head to attack!" Brendan called. Jack did as he was told, launching another ball of mud at the incoming rocks. It hit the one furthest forward, splashing out to intercept the others. Jack then charged forward, his head glowing brightly as he slammed into Scarlet. This time, the lava slug was defeated.
"Scarlet is unable to continue, Jack wins the round!" James called from the sidelines.
"Alright, great job Jack!" Brendan said. Though Numels aren't known for being very expressive, Brendan could see the look of joy that came over Jack's face just from the praise.
Flannery recalled Scarlet, a slightly annoyed look on her face. "Well, that just proved how bad that Tony guy really was. I'm so glad I didn't lose to him. But let's continue this battle, because I am REALLY enjoying this already." Flannery smiled as she took her next Pokéball out. "Let's go Jill!" The Pokémon that came out was actually a surprise to Brendan. He was now looking at another Numel. Just as she touched the ground, multiple stones shot out of the ground, striking her and doing damage.
"Okay, wow. This should be interesting," Brendan said, silently pleased that Stealth Rock had worked.
"I know. Now, Jill, use Lava Plume!" Flannery said. The female Numel, who was slightly smaller in stature than Jack, cried out as lava was launched from her back and flew toward Jack.
"Jack, you use Mud Bomb!" Brendan said. Jack fired another ball of mud from his back, sending it directly at the lava coming at him.
I hope he can stop that Lava Plume. Arceus knows how badly that attack can hurt, Gwen said. Luckily, Jack's Mud Bomb perfectly countered the incoming lava, although it did crumble to dust after the impact.
"Now, use Magnitude!" both Brendan and Flannery commanded simultaneously. Both of the Numel reared up before stomping the ground hard, sending seismic waves at each other. As chance would have it, though, Jack's attack was weaker than Jill's. While Jack sent a Magnitude level 6, Jill's must have been at level 9 or 10. Jack groaned before collapsing to the ground.
"Jack is no longer able to battle, Jill wins the round!" James said. When Jack started to get up, Brendan ran out to him, noticing that the Pokémon was looking upset. He gave Jack a pet on the neck, comforting him.
"Jack, you did a great job. Now, return and get some rest," Brendan said. The Numel came back to his Pokéball with an expression of relief. Brendan placed the Pokéball back on his belt as he returned to the challenger's box. He then grabbed his next Pokéball. "Sorry about that, now it's time for Turk's second gym battle. COME ON OUT!" he threw the capsule, letting out the Corphish.
"Now a water type; this should be fun," Flannery noted.
Yeah, for us maybe, Gwen said to Brendan in a snarky tone. Brendan had to keep himself from laughing at her quip.
"Turk, use Aqua Jet!" Brendan said. A sphere of water formed around the Pokémon as he flew at Jill.
"Use Curse!" Flannery called. Jill was surrounded by a strange aura as she was slowed down, but her defense and attack was given a boost. She took the incoming Aqua Jet, but the damage was lessened significantly.
"Fine, we, can still win this with a Bubblebeam!" Brendan said confidently. Turk fired a stream of fast moving bubbles at Jill. Since her speed had been reduced, she had no chance of dodging this attack. She took the full force of the attack, getting thrown backwards until she fell onto her right side.
"Jill is no longer able to battle, Turk wins the round!" James said.
Flannery recalled her Numel with a sigh. "Well, that was quick, but you still have two more of my Pokémon to beat. Now, go Sheldon!" The Pokémon she sent out was a strange tortoise with orange skin and a shell that looked like coal with four holes in it that had a fiery red glow in them. It was a new one to Brendan, so he pulled out his Pokédex. It registered as a Torkoal. They were known for eating coal and producing a lot of smoke when they were in a dangerous situation. They were also known for having a strong defense, but Brendan could already see that just based on the shell. As he landed, however, multiple stones erupted from the ground and struck him repeatedly
"Turk, let's do this! Use Aqua Jet!" Brendan called. Once again, Turk was surrounded by a sphere of water before launching himself into the air as he flew at the Torkoal.
"Iron Defense!" Flannery called. Sheldon withdrew into his shell, which took on a metallic gleam. Turk struck the shell hard, barely doing any damage, relative to what it should have done.
"Great job Sheldon, now use Overheat!" Flannery commanded. Torkoal popped out of his shell, the holes glowing bright red just before he launched a white pillar of flames at Turk from point blank range. The attack was extremely strong, and even though Turk had a resistance to fire-type attacks he was unable to withstand the intense heat. He was thrown back toward Brendan, landing in a heap.
"Turk is unable to continue, Sheldon is the winner!" James said. "Both the Gym Leader and the challenger have one Pokémon left, this round will determine the winner!"
Brendan, don't say anything, I'll take this, Gwen said as she floated onto the battlefield. Besides, I want to try something out.
What do you mean? Brendan asked.
Let's battle using only mental communication, Gwen said. That way, they won't know what we're planning.
You're devious, Brendan said. I love it!
"Sheldon, use Take Down!" Flannery said. The Torkoal began to sprint as fast as he could, ready to hit Gwen with all his might.
Psychic, Brendan said. Gwen's eyes began to glow with a light blue aura, much like it used to when she was a Kirlia. Now Brendan could physically feel how much power was behind it, and it honestly frightened him a little. Gwen's power took hold of Sheldon when he was only a few inches from her. He was stopped in his tracks, while Gwen took her time, slowly lifting him to her eye-level.
You lose, she said as flicked her wrist slightly, sending the Torkoal flying through the air and crashing into the gym's far wall. The turtle slumped down, making the results clear.
"Sheldon is unable to battle. Gwen wins the round, which means that Brendan wins the match!" James called.
Brendan was silent momentarily before giving a cheer and running out to hug Gwen. "That was amazing!" he said, trying to ignore Gwen's new chest spike digging into his sternum.
Flannery sighed briefly as she had Sheldon return to his Pokéball. She then turned to Brendan and began to walk across the field. "Wow, I guess I still have a lot to learn, don't I?" she said.
"What are you talking about? You were great out there," Brendan said.
"No, I could've done much better, but I was trying to be too much like my grandfather. You helped me to see that I need to be myself during a battle. Otherwise, I won't be able to give a proper test to challengers," Flannery said. "So thank you for showing me that." She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a badge designed like a flame, with an orange and yellow metal piece attached to what looked like a ruby. "You've earn the Heat Badge."
"Thank you Flannery," Brendan said as he took the badge. "Maybe we can have a rematch one day when you feel up to it."
Flannery nodded. "I'd like that. After all, I still have to show you that I'm not a pushover," she said confidently.
That was when May came up behind Brendan and leapt onto his back, wrapping her arms around him in the opposite direction of his backpack strap. "Great battling out there, and nice job getting Jack out there," she said as she kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks. Hopefully I can do it again at my next gym…" Brendan said trailing off.
Hey, Goldenrod, you going to finish that sentence? Gwen said, waving her hand in front of his face.
"I just remembered, this is my fourth badge," he said.
May looked a little confused. "And, what's wrong about that?"
"When we left for our journey, and after I helped Wally catch Sam, Dad told me he'd only battle me once I got at least four gym badges," Brendan said slightly. May started realizing what Brendan meant. "My next gym battle is against my dad."
That night, in Littleroot Town, Caroline was preparing a cheese, cracker, fruit, and wine platter for when the Birches came over for their weekly get-together. Norman was in the dining room, preparing the poker set for the night. "Hey, Care!" Norman said.
"Yes dear?" she replied, noticing Sylveon coming up and rubbing against her leg.
"When was the last time you heard from Brendan?"
Caroline thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think he's called even once since he left," she said.
"Other than the time I called him while he was going to Dewford on Mr. Briney's boat, I don't think I've spoken to him since he came by the gym," Norman said. "But he and May were on that new PokeVision show, and May was just in the Fallarbor contest, so they should be fine." Then, almost as if it was waiting for the cue, their video phone rang.
"Norman, could you get that?" Caroline said as she cut up an apricot.
"I'm on it!" Norman went to the screen, showing that it was a call from the Lavaridge Pokémon Center. "Who's calling from Lavaridge?" He said in a confused tone before answering. "Hello, Maple residence."
"Seriously Dad, I know when I'm calling my own family," Brendan said with a slight laugh, getting Norman's full attention.
"Brendan! How have you been? Why haven't you called?" Norman said. "Caroline, get in here, Brendan's calling!" Brendan heard the sound of rushed footsteps as his mother came into view.
"Hi Brendan!" Caroline said with a bright smile. "How have you been?"
"Sorry, we've been so busy recently that we haven't had much time to call," Brendan said.
Hi Mr. and Mrs. Maple! Gwen said, waving at the screen as she pushed Brendan to the side.
"Oh my, is that Gwen?" Caroline asked. "Last we saw you, you were still a Kirlia when you were on In Search of Trainers!
Well I evolved! Gwen said. By the way, Brendan has something he wants to tell you!
"Oh, and what's that?" Norman asked.
"Well Dad, you remember when you said you'd only battle me if I got four gym badges?" Brendan said.
Norman raised his eyebrow. "Yes, I remember," he said, seeing where this was going.
"Well," Brendan said as he got out his badge case, opened it, and showed his four badges to his parents. "Here they are!"
Norman looked at them. "So you beat Roxanne, Brawly, Wattson, and that new girl, Flannery. Very nicely done," he said in an impressed tone. "I guess that fulfills your end of the bargain."
"So, when should we be expecting you in Petalburg?" Caroline said.
"Well, May has a contest in Verdanturf in about a week's time, and it will take us about two days to get from there to Petalburg, so we will be there in just over a week," Brendan said. That's when a knock was heard at the Maple's house.
"Oh, that will be Ed and Lily," Caroline said. "Brendan, is May nearby?"
"Yeah, she's right behind me!" Brendan said.
"Good, then get her on so she can talk to her parents too," Caroline said before going to open the door.
Brendan, however, didn't need to get May. She was already pushing him the opposite way that Gwen had just pushed him. Now the two girls were dominating the screen while Brendan was being pushed backwards and away from the screen. That was when both Professor and Lily Birch came into the house, and their faces lit up when they saw May on the screen.
"May! How are you?" Lily asked.
"I'm doing great Mom, and we will be in Petalburg in about a week!" she said with a smile. Both Lily and the Professor lit up.
"That's great news! We can all get out there and see you when you guys get there!" the Professor said.
"Yeah, there should be more of an audience for our battle, don't you agree Brendan?" Norman said, a competitive edge in his voice.
Brendan smiled. "You know, I think that would be a great idea," he said.
"Oh, and another thing," May said. "I'm going to be in the Verdanturf contest, in case you guys want to watch it!"
"Oh don't worry, we've been watching the contests," Lily said. "Your father is actually going a bit crazy for them. And to think that you're learning from Lisia herself is amazing to say the least."
"So you saw the Fallarbor contest," May said, some slight disappointment in her voice.
"Yeah, we did. It was a tough loss, but don't worry about it. We know you'll bounce back and continue winning!" Mrs. Birch said with a confident smile.
"Thanks Mom," May said. "Any way, it's getting late and we have an early start tomorrow if we want to get to Verdanturt in time for the next contest."
"Alright, we can't wait to see you three in person! Good night!" Norman said with a smile. Both sides hung up at that point, and Norman took a deep breath.
Lily looked at him with some mild concern. "Hey, are you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just hitting me that in a week I'm going to be battling our son," he said. "I knew the day would come, but here I am, caught completely by surprise when it finally comes."
Lily just smiled as she went to get the platter. "He's growing up a lot faster than you realized, isn't he," she said. Norman just nodded in agreement. After all else could he say?
Hey everybody, thank you for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it. A few things I'd like address before you review:
Yes I know Pokémon are only supposed to know four moves in the games, but if you haven't noticed already, I have disregarded that, since it really doesn't make much sense.
I know a lot people have been going for the last chapter, so I feel like I should tell you that there will, at most, be only one other lemon in this story, but that's still up in the air.
Yes, I know Blue was supposed to be the League Champion when Red beats him, but I changed it so the tournament format was consistent in the other leagues. Sue me (refer to the opening A/N in the second chapter of this story to see why that's a bad idea).
Now, as usual, please let me know what you thought in the reviews, please be honest, but keep it constructive. Hope you all are enjoying school!
Until next time – jmoul18.