Brendan softly closed the door behind him, chucking his keys onto the kitchen counter. The flat was quiet, the afternoon sun warming the room pleasantly. The door opened onto a large square room, with a couple of modern sofas in one corner facing an equally modern TV. A spotless kitchen occupied the opposite corner; the keys Brendan had just tossed the only item out of place. Houndoom raised its head lazily from its usual resting spot on the couch, disturbed by the slight sound of Brendan's entrance. Brendan moved towards the fridge, lunch on his mind.
He had stayed for a short while longer in Petalburg Woods, making sure all of the fires from his battle with the Team Magma grunt were fully extinguished before leaving. The confrontation had shook Brendan more than he cared to admit. He was more than capable of handling himself in a Pokémon battle, but the man's blatant disregard for the rules of battling was alarming. Hunger wasn't the only reason he had returned home, as he could have picked up lunch in the Pokémon Center while he'd been there. Up until yesterday evening he had been travelling solely with Vigoroth. Now, with the addition of Mudkip to his party, he had two Pokémon with him. However, with the threat of Team Magma lurking nearby, having an extra Pokémon or two with him would put his mind at ease.
Brendan made short work of the sandwich he had put together, barely pausing to breath. After quickly washing the few utensils he had used for the meal, he approached the dozing houndoom. It was sprawled comfortably on the couch, directly in a patch of sunlight streaming in from the large windows. From that position it had a wonderful view of Petalburg City, however the gym was hidden from sight since it was positioned directly adjacent to the block of flats. Brendan gave Houndoom a quick hello stroke before heading further into the apartment. His room was as neat as the rest of the flat, except for his bed, which hadn't been made that morning. A wooden desk sat directly opposite from the door, under the only window. The bed was on the left hand side of the desk; a small bedside table with a lamp on it was next to it. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a large wardrobe situated on the opposite wall from the bed. Various posters covered the walls. There were faint traces of posters that had been removed, as Brendan had grown older.
Brendan crossed to his desk. He let out a grunt of annoyance as it became clear that the pokeball was not on the desk, nor in either one of its drawers. His father must have taken it with him on his trip by accident. Norman, Brendan's father, had left on a journey to the Sinnoh region to train his Pokémon team. Gym Leaders were encouraged to keep their battling skills sharp year round, their salaries allowing trips to other regions simply to train, and no one was sharper than Norman. He had left over a week ago, confident that Brendan was sufficiently capable to sustain himself. Brendan appreciated the newfound freedom, but he did miss his father at times.
Brendan ran a hand through his hair, before walking to the wardrobe. He looked at himself in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door. His dark hair had grown out over summer, making him look younger. He had spent most of his waking hours outside, and as a result he was pleasantly bronzed. He flashed a sly grin at his reflection, his teeth glaringly white compared to his skin. There was nothing he could do about the missing pokeball, so he would simply have to do without. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. He wanted to talk to Professor Birch about his plan that afternoon, so he needed to leave soon. The walk to Littleroot wasn't long, however, so he wasn't worried about time. He also hoped he would run into May, he knew she would worry about his battle with Team Magma, and the thought of May worrying about him brought another smile to his lips.
After hastily collecting everything he would need, he headed back into the front room. Picking his keys up from the kitchen counter, he turned towards where he knew Houndoom was resting.
"Houndoom," He said to the seemingly empty room. "Let's go."
The canine Pokémon padded over to Brendan, its claws clacking familiarly on the wooden floor. It stretched its long black body before yawning. The yawn was an intimidating sight, revealing sharp, white teeth. It snapped its orange snout closed suddenly, hiding the teeth from view. Long, curved horns sprouted from its head, matching the rib-like ridges on its back. To top off the image, its tail ended in a triangular point, like a snake's. The tail was wagging slowly as Houndoom waited for its trainer.
"I can't find your pokeball," Brendan said to the Pokémon. "So you're going to have to walk."
Houndoom took the news without complaint, and they both left the flat together.
"Brendan!" A voice called out behind him, startling him slightly. Brendan turned around, and his heart gave a quick flutter as it always did when he saw May. Her brown hair swayed as she jogged to catch up with him. Her face was surprisingly pale, since Brendan knew she spent the same amount of time outdoors as he did, and her green eyes sparkled brilliantly, even at a distance.
"I was hoping to run into you in Petalburg," She said when she was at a normal talking distance. "You must have somehow slipped past me."
"I was just on my way to see your dad," Brendan said in reply. Houndoom gave May's hand a lick in greeting, and she gave it a pat on the head and a smile in return. "How is he by the way? I heard he had a nasty run in with a zigzagoon."
"Oh he's fine," May said dismissively, as they continued walking towards Oldale Town. "What's really worrying is why these attacks are happening in the first place."
"There was another?"
"Yes," May replied. "A whismur attacked a boy on the Rustboro side of Rusturf tunnel. Next time it could be something much bigger."
Brendan frowned. So the attacks were happening everywhere, not just Littleroot. The idea of wild Pokémon attacking people was a daunting one. Usually, a Pokémon would only target a human if they had been attacked first: for training or for capture. This made it so that when a Pokémon actually did hurt someone, the fault typically lay at the person's feet. Unprovoked attacks weren't unheard of however, but even then they could normally be explained, such as a protective parent or a territorial individual.
"Is anything being done to prevent future attacks?"
"No," May said with a scowl. "People dismiss what happened to dad saying it's part of his job, even though he's never been attacked before. What happened to the boy is a little harder to excuse, but all they've done is to discourage travelling through Rusturf Tunnel without a Pokémon to protect you."
"Could these attacks have something to do with Team Magma?" Brendan asked slowly.
"Possibly," May said, frowning slightly. "Why do you ask?"
Brendan quickly told May about his encounter with the man that morning, even mentioning how the man hadn't waited for Brendan to call out a Pokémon before attacking. May's frown only deepened as he spoke.
"I'll have to ask dad about it," May replied, obviously deep in thought. "But you were brave to stand up to him, very stupid, but very brave too."
Their conversation trailed off as they walked into Oldale Town, a familiar silence enveloping them. The town was small and lively, nestled in a glade surrounded by trees. The Pokémon Center and Pokemart were the largest buildings, lit up red and blue respectively. They sat on opposite sides of the path leading north to Route 103, as it was the busiest road since it connected Oldale and Littleroot to the rest of Hoenn. They had entered through the western gate and they angled south towards Littleroot.
"How come you're visiting dad?" May asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them."
"I'm sick of planning and waiting around," Brendan replied without looking at May. "It's time I finally put my plan in action, whether the Professor helps me or not."
"Oh I see how it is," May said in a mocking tone. A sly grin had appeared on her face, and Brendan wondered what she was thinking. "You defeat one Team Magma member and you think can take on the world."
They had stopped walking now, and they turned to face each other.
"If you're so tough," May continued, her voice still teasing. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind proving it" May had moved closer with every word until they were so close their noses almost touched. Time seemed to stop for Brendan. He noticed the splattering of freckles on May's nose and cheeks. He noticed how he had grown over summer and that he was now an inch taller than her. He noticed the increased beating of his heart.
Suddenly, May spun away. A pokeball had appeared in her hand, and in one easy movement she threw it at the space between them.
"Go, Delcatty!" May said, her voice no longer mocking.
Brendan smiled despite himself. He should have known she was up to something. The Pokémon May sent out resembled a large, tan cat. Purple fur covered its ears, around its neck, and even on the tip of its tail. Brendan hesitated briefly, before shaking his head to clear his mind. He'd think about what had just occurred later, right now he had bigger problems.
"Let's go, Houndoom!"
Houndoom padded lazily in front of Brendan. When it was standing between the two trainers, it yawned and stretched. Brendan didn't feel nearly as relaxed as his Pokémon. May was a superb battler, and in all their battles Brendan had only won once, and he'd had to resort to trickery.
"Delcatty! Shadow Ball!"
"Houndoom! Protect!"
Brendan watched as all the shadows in close proximity, including his own, collected around a small point in front of Delcatty. Within moments, there was a large blob of wriggling shadows aimed at Houndoom. Delcatty's eyes flashed purple and with a growl the ball shot towards Brendan's Pokémon. The shadows dispersed harmlessly against the blue protective ball that surrounded Houndoom, but the attack had fulfilled May's purpose: to use up Houndoom's Protect.
"Houndoom! Flamethrower!" Brendan said quickly, not wanting to give May another chance to attack.
"Delcatty! Dig!"
Delcatty jumped upwards before diving straight down towards the ground, its powerful paws making quick work of the soft earth. Brendan grimaced as the blast of fire from Houndoom's mouth passed harmlessly over the hole Delcatty had hidden in.
"Houndoom! Use Smog while it's trapped in the hole!"
Houndoom rushed towards the hole. Once at the edge, it leaned over, opened its mouth, and released a jet of thick smoke into the confined space.
"Delcatty! Tail Whip!"
Suddenly, Delcatty burst upward back into view. It easily cleared the cloud of smoke surrounding its previous hiding place, and as it fell towards the ground, it spun in the air, whipping its slender tail across Houndoom's snout. Houndoom howled in pain as it dashed back to its trainer. Delcatty also ran back to May, its eyes red and watery from the smoke.
"Delcatty! Sing!"
Delcatty opened its mouth, and a soothing song filled the air. The tune was soft, but it carried to where Brendan was standing, and he felt his eyes droop in exhaustion. He hastily shoved his fingers in his ears. The attack wasn't aimed at him, but he could still be affected by it. Houndoom had curled up on the grass fast asleep. Brendan saw May gesture at the sleeping Pokémon, and he removed his fingers just in time to hear: "Delcatty! Wake-Up Slap!
It was a good move. Wake-Up Slap did extra damage to targets that were asleep. Brendan could do nothing but watch as Delcatty strolled over to Houndoom. In one careless motion, like it were swatting a fly, Delcatty smacked the sleeping Pokémon. Houndoom didn't move, and Brendan knew it couldn't fight anymore.
He took off his bag and rummaged in it for two super potions. With the two items in his hands, he walked over to his Pokémon. Delcatty walked back towards May while Brendan promptly sprayed the potions over Houndoom. The effect was almost instantaneous. Houndoom stood up, before shaking itself. A soft round of applause accompanied the action, and Brendan was surprised to see that a small crowd had gathered next to the battle. He had been so focused that he had entirely missed them. The thought of people watching him battle made him nervous, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"Come back, Houndoom," Brendan said. The Pokémon returned to his side, lying down comfortably in the grass. Its head remained upright, however, and its attention was fixed on the battlefield. Brendan reached for the first ball on his belt. "Go, Vigoroth!"
May tilted her head to examine the newly sent out Pokémon. "I see you evolved Slakoth, well done." She said with a sincere smile. Brendan acknowledged the compliment with a smile of his own, but his mind was rapidly putting together a plan. He needed to pressure her into using the same tactic again.
"Vigoroth! Fury Swipes!"
"Delcatty! Protect!"
Vigoroth darted towards its opponent, its long claws bouncing harmlessly off the protective bubble that encased Delcatty.
"Delcatty! Sing, again!
"Vigoroth! Brick Break!" Brendan said hastily before shoving his fingers back in his ears. Out of the corner of his eye he saw most of the crowd imitate him. Brendan knew there was no chance Vigoroth would have time to attack Delcatty before it used Sing, but he was counting on the fact that May had never battled a vigoroth before.
Brendan watched, deaf to the world, as Delcatty opened its mouth to release its attack. Nothing visible happened for a moment, then a fiery red light surrounded Vigoroth. Delcatty stepped back in surprise as Vigoroth darted forward once more, its curled fist colliding with Delcatty's side. Delcatty swayed and dropped to the ground. Just before it hit, there was a flash of red light and the delcatty returned to its pokeball. Only then did Brendan remove his fingers from his ears. Another round of applause followed.
"How did you do that?" May asked, frowning. "Vigoroth completely ignored Delcatty's attack."
"Vigoroth has the ability Vital Spirit," Brendan explained. "It can't be put to sleep against its will.
"I fell right into your trap, didn't I? May said, a touch of admiration in her voice.
Brendan shrugged. "No more than I did before with Houndoom." May flashed him an appreciative grin, before reaching for another pokeball on her belt.
"Go, Wingull!"
The Seagull Pokémon landed gently on the soft grass. It stretched its wings happily, cawing loudly.
"Vigoroth! Rock Tomb!"
"Wingull! Fly into the air, quickly!"
Vigoroth's eyes flashed red, as it hit the ground with one fist. Immediately, thin pillars of rock shot up from the ground around the wingull's feet. It wasn't quick enough. The rocks hit nothing but air as Wingull circled above the battlefield, cawing in defiance.
"Wingull! Keep your distance, use Water Gun!"
"Vigoroth! Dodge it!
Wingull fired blast after blast of water at Vigoroth, never staying in one spot for too long, and never moving in reach. The attacks were weak, but difficult to avoid. Brendan had no idea what to do. There was nothing he could to hit the flying Pokémon. He thought back to the strategy May had used before, and an idea hit him.
"Vigoroth! Yawn!"
Vigoroth stopped dodging the attacks, and yawned loudly. He saw May yawn too, and to his relief Wingull mimicked it. The Pokémon continued flying for so long that Brendan thought his plan had failed, but eventually it drifted down slowly to perch on the grass
"Vigoroth! Use Rock Tomb!"
This time, the thin pillars on rock collided with the wingull's feet and wings, heavily damaging them. There was another flash of light, and the wingull disappeared from sight. There was a much louder round of applause, and to Brendan's surprise the crowd had almost doubled in size. May was silent as she reached for her final pokeball.
"Go, Combusken!"
The chicken-like Pokémon stood on two legs. The upper part of its body was yellow, but its lower body was covered in orange feathers. Its legs were scaly and clawed. A sharp beak sat below large, orange eyes, and on its head were three decorative feathers. Its arms were tipped with claws.
May wasted no time in attacking. "Combusken! Double Kick!"
"Vigoroth! Protect!"
Combusken dashed towards Vigoroth, incredibly fast. It jumped as it savagely kicked the blue sphere surrounding Vigoroth. While it was still in the air, it spun and released another kick at the protective bubble. Brendan was amazed at the speed and ferocity of the attack. He had never faced May's Combusken before.
"Vigoroth! Fury Swipes!"
"Combusken! Double Kick, again!"
Vigoroth slashed at its opponent. Combusken ducked under the swipe, and with impressive dexterity, spun on one foot and kicked Vigoroth straight in the chest. Vigoroth staggered backwards with a roar. It lowered itself onto all fours before charging. Combusken dodged the first swing, but the second hit it in the arm. Using the momentum of the hit, Combusken spun once more on one foot, and kicked Vigoroth in the center of its chest again. Vigoroth let out a low moan before dropping to the ground. With a flash and a click, it returned to its ball.
The crowd cheered at the impressive display of battling. May smiled at Brendan.
"I guess that means I win," She said happily, as she went to return Combusken.
"Actually," Brendan said, stopping her. "I have another Pokémon."
The crowd erupted in delight that the battle would continue, as May's face dropped slightly. Immediately, her smiled returned.
"Let's see it then." She said.
Brendan reached for the pokeball. All he had was type advantage, but against the speed and strength of the combusken he needed more than that. He needed a plan. "Go, Mudkip!"
May frowned as she saw Mudkip, obviously not impressed by the type match-up.
"Combusken!" She said. "Double Kick!"
"Mudkip! Protect!"
Combusken closed down the distance between the two Pokémon, jumping up once more to release its dual kick combo on Mudkip's protective bubble. Brendan had hoped for that.
"Mudkip! Water Gun!"
There was nothing Combusken could do. It was still falling from its attack. The blast of water caught it squarely on the chest, sending it sprawling backwards.
"Mudkip! Water Gun, again!"
"Combusken! Protect!" May said, her voice higher than usual. "Use Focus Energy too!"
Brendan's heart sank. She had out-played him. Combusken sat down cross-legged to meditate, as the blast of water from Mudkip's mouth sprayed the protective sphere harmlessly.
"Combusken! Double Kick!"
"Mudkip! Water Gun!"
Mudkip shot another blast of water at where Combusken had been sitting, but it only hit grass. Combusken was now running full-tilt around Mudkip's left side, away from the crowd. Mudkip panicked at how close its opponent now was to it, releasing another blast of water. Combusken didn't even have to dodge the attack, as it sailed harmlessly over its head. When it was close enough, it jumped once more into the air, and delivered two consecutive kicks connecting directly with Mudkip. There was a final flash, and click, and the battle was over.
Brendan sagged slightly in disappointment as the crowd broke out in cheers. He felt Houndoom give his dangling hand a lick of encouragement, which brought a faint smile to his lips. He had really thought that he was going to win, and the defeat stung all the more because of it.
"That was amazing, Brendan!" May said over the noise from the crowd. She had moved within talking distance since the end of the battle, Combusken was nowhere in sight. "You almost had me."
"Almost." Brendan said with a sad smile. The crowd was beginning to thin, and before May could respond, an old couple approached them both.
"That was one hell of a battle," The old man said excitedly. His voice was slightly hoarse from all the cheering. "We haven't seen a battle like that in years."
"It's so nice to see two young trainers fight with such passion." Added the woman.
Brendan felt his face flush red and he turned away from May slightly so she wouldn't see. The old woman saw, and she offered Brendan a large smile before continuing:
"Here," She said, giving Brendan a crisp note while her husband mimicked the action with May. "Take it as thanks for the entertainment."
Without waiting for their replies, the couple linked arms and strolled off into town. May was the first to realise what had happened, and she quickly called out her thanks to the retreating pair. Brendan looked down at his hand. In it was a new $50 note. He looked up at May and grinned. Perhaps it wasn't so bad after all. Several other people approached to congratulate them, and a few even gave some money too, but no one gave nearly as much as the elderly couple.
Some time after, when they had visited the Pokémon Center and were making their way down to Littleroot, May turned to Brendan and said:
"I think you're right, you know."
"About what?" Brendan replied. The battle had eaten away at the rest of the day, and the sun was nearing the horizon. The trees rustled peacefully in a slight breeze, and the path was filled with the smell of grass. The trail curved calmly through the greenery, and in the distance, the lights of Littleroot could be seen through the trees.
"That you're ready for your plan," May said as she looked at Brendan, her emerald eyes meeting his brown. Her hair caught the setting sun's rays, giving her a golden halo. "I think you're ready to catch a Legendary Pokémon."