Hi all, thank you all again for reading, favouriting, following and taking the time to review this story, it honestly means so much to me. I'm so sorry this is very late, but here you go :)
Chapter 12Waking to the sound of her Xtransceiver, May groggily clambered out of bed. Recognising the sound of Brendan's ring tone, May let out a light cuss, glancing at the screen—four in the morning. Swiping to answer, she growled, 'this better be important, or I kill you.'
'I love you too, sweety. Have you forgotten we're meeting the love of your life today? Get training, I'll bring breakfast,' Brendan's eager voice chuckled in her ear, triggering a very hazy memory.
'And what about the bet I lost?' May questioned as she clambered out of bed, reaching under her shirt to scratch her back.
'I'd rather pull that when I know you're with the guy you like. You know, just to let him know that I'm the boss and he'll never amount to anything when he's compared to me. I mean, come on, I am pretty amazing,' Brendan grinned before ending the call.
'Brendan! It's too early for your arrogant attitude!' May hissed before her groggy brain registered the dial tone in her ear.
With an angry sigh, she dressed in her fitness clothing before ushering all of her extremely protestant pokémon out of the door, apologising profusely for waking them quite so early and promising them a treat if they performed well.
Having run around Petalburg and created a makeshift course for her pokémon, May felt relieved when she reached her home. Brendan had given her some serious pointers on training, not just with planned equipment and meals, but also on the go.
'Come on, lazy bum, get in the shower and then we're off. Kyogre, you're so slow!' Brendan's cheerful voice grinned from her kitchen.
'Are you cooking? You'd better not be burning down my house!' May scowled at the man as her pokémon rushed to the kitchen.
'Don't worry, I stopped by a café, the girl there was cute,' Brendan chuckled as he walked out of the kitchen to eye May's flushed and flustered state.
'I must admit, you do look good when you're a sweaty mess,' the man chuckled as May struggled to take off her joggers.
With an angry hiss, the woman threw it at his head.
'You know, if you didn't react I wouldn't bother with any of these taunts,' the man chuckled as he ducked and avoided both the shoes with obvious ease.
'If you didn't say that stuff I wouldn't have a reason to react, would I?' The woman snapped back before storming up the stairs.
'I love you too, diaper buddy!' He chuckled before muttering, 'let's get you all some food.'
Hearing the shower turn on Brendan chuckled as he heard his Xtransceiver ring. He glanced once at the caller ID before answering, 'hello, this is the better Birch, how can I help you, Birch?'
'Really? Of all the options out there for you, that's what you say? That wasn't even funny, you git! I could have been dead, and that's how you answer your Xtransceiver?' Orlando scowled into the device.
'Awww, Orlando, you're as cute as I remember, makes me miss you all the more. Tell me again how you'd be dead if you're contacting me from your device...? I thought so. Anyway, how's Mudkip going?' Brendan mused as he poured some pokéblock into Wartortle's plate.
'What are you doing?' Orlando scowled as Brendan moved on to Venusaur's.
'I'm feeding your wannabe girlfriend's pokémon. She's in the shower now, if you most know. Are you jealous?' Brendan chuckled as he pictured his brother's flushed and infuriated face.
'What? She's in the shower and you're in her house? Does mum know? What were you doing?' He questioned, a protective tone entering his voice.
'You know, that crush of yours is going to get you in trouble when she finally does get a boyfriend. She's not interested in you, please save yourself the embarrassment and just move on. Oh, and she was a hot, sweaty mess before she got in the shower, by the way,' Brendan chuckled, already imagining the flustered state his words would put his brother in.
'S-she was what?' Orlando squeaked in his ear, positively fuming with indignation.
'Yeah, you should have seen her face when I pulled that same line on her this morning. Whereabouts are you? We might be heading to Dewford today, you know, a date,' Brendan mused as he allocated food to the other pokémon.
'You're actually going on a date? Together?' Orlando snarled, causing his brother to laugh.
'Relax, I'll be going out with one of Brawly's girls. It'll mean that he'll have to entertain her, though. What a shame, hey? He's known for being quite sweet with the women,' Brendan chuckled as he heard May's steps come closer.
'So, tell me again, whereabouts are you?' Brendan asked as he shuffled the other pots around.
'I'm also in Dewford, just lost against Brawly, too,' Orlando scowled in disappointment.
'What a shame, that's not the only thing you'll lose to the man,' Brendan chuckled as May called, 'who're you talking to?'
'Just that little twerp we sent on his way,' Brendan chuckled as he saw the woman's face light up.
'Orlando? Orlandy poo, let me talk to him!' May grinned as she all but took the device from Brendan, who'd already predicted her movements.
With a chuckle, Brendan began to separate his food from May and Kenny's, separating it into equal portions.
When the other man arrived in the house, May grinned at him, 'hey Kenny! Orlando is telling me about the pokémon he's caught.'
'Pfft, he's got nothing on me,' Brendan scoffed before crossing his arms irritably.
'Yeah, yeah, no one has anything on you,' May scoffed, rolling her eyes as Kenny let out a light chuckle.
'Say hi to the younger Birch from me,' Kenny grinned back as his eyes fell on the third plate.
'Eat up, it's yours. Just be quick before the Snorlax sees it,' Brendan winked at the man before he began to tuck in.
'Hey!' May snapped back before saying, 'Orlando, I'm going to have to go. Your brother's brought food and I'm not going to let him eat my portion this time too.'
Watching May rush her food as much as her pokémon, Brendan sent Kenny a wry smile as they began to eat at a more leisurely pace.
Once they plates wet emptied, the woman hurriedly ushered the other men into their seats as she began to wash the dishes, muttering about Kenny and Brendan being her guests.
'Right, done,' May grinned as she placed the last plate onto the drying rack.
'Dewford?' Brendan frowned at the woman, who grinned in response.
'Right, who wants to come with me this time?' May called to her friends, who all called their name in response.
'I think I'll leave Munchlax, Venusaur and Skitty this time around. Make sure you help Kenny!' May grinned at her pokémon, who nodded their head in agreement.
'Right, I'll contact you if you have any challengers,' Kenny grinned at May, who recalled her pokémon.
'Thanks, Kenny, that would be great.' May smiled back as Brendan took her bag and handed it to her.
'Do you have the letter?' Brendan frowned at the woman, who hurriedly checked her fanny pack and nodded.
'Let's go,' Brendan grinned before running out of the door and stealing May's Mach bicycle.
'Brendan!' May scowled as she took the man's Acro bicycle.
Following him down the path, May felt her heart leap into her throat as she saw a small, blue plant bulb walking in her path.
With a strangled cry, May tried to bounce over the small pokémon, only to have the pokémon jump up with her.
Landing on the ground in a painful heap, May groaned as the pokémon turned to face her, crying profusely, its grassy leaves caught under her foot.
'Hey, hey, it's ok now. Please don't cry,' the brunette whispered as she brought the pokémon in her arms, shooshing it as best she could.
'I'm sorry, please don't cry,' she repeated in a hushed tone before singing a soft tune, brushing its leaves gently.
Almost immediately, the pokémon stopped crying and stared at her, still hiccupping slightly.
'There we go, there we go,' May grinned at the pokémon, not seeing Brendan return for her.
Putting it on the ground, she whispered, 'why don't you go back to wherever you were coming from?'
The pokémon considered her words slightly before telling her a barrage of things that she, unfortunately, could not understand.
'I'm not sure I follow you, I'm sorry,' May muttered to the pokémon as she crouched down to her level, petting her leaves affectionately.
'Shroomish, Shroom!' The pokémon implored, her small eyes looking up at May.
'May, what did you do? Shroomish are shy pokémon! I can't leave you for a second, can I?' Brendan scowled at the woman, though she paid it no heed.
'Look, we should be going,' May whispered to her friend, though the Shroomish blocked her path, jumping in front of her when possible.
'I think she wants to go with you, May,' Brendan frowned, arching an eyebrow at the peculiar behaviour from the wild pokémon.
'Really?' May frowned at the pokémon, who nodded her head slightly.
'All right, let's go, pokéball!' May cried as she took out a heal ball which had been given to her by the Researcher.
Watching the pokéball move once, twice and thrice, Brendan shook his head in disbelief, his lips pursed in an obvious pout.
'We're late, let's go,' the man scowled as May picked up her newest pokémon.
'Don't you think that was a bit unusual?' May questioned the man, though he waved her off.
'For me it would be, but for you it honestly isn't,' Brendan scoffed, sulking slightly, something which would have made May grin in childish delight if she wasn't so caught onto his words.
Noticing his companion's dejection, Brendan almost rolled his eyes.
'Trust you not to notice when a pokémon is at your windowsill every night, watching the way you spoil your other pokémon! May, that pokémon has been watching your movements for weeks now, how haven't you noticed before?' Brendan scoffed as he began to ride her bicycle away.
'Really? And you didn't think of saying anything to me?' May hissed back at her friend as she picked up the man's bicycle and chased him.
'What was there to say? It was amusing watching you be your oblivious self. Honestly, at the rate you notice things, I'm amazed you're any good as a Gym Leader,' Brendan chuckled as the younger woman scowled after him en route to Petalburg Woods.