Hi everyone,
As usual, thank you all for all of your feedback and support, it does mean a lot to me :)
Here's the latest update.
Chapter 13Reaching Mr Briney's house, May saw Brendan loitering anxiously outside. He sent May a glance she could decipher with ease—something had spooked him. For all his talk about being a tough guy, he still hated being alone. She would have teased him about it if she wasn't so worried. After the events of yesterday, she couldn't help but be concerned about the man and pokémon inside the hut.
'What's happened?' May frowned as she placed the man's bicycle beside her own, against the shack.
'There's a lot of noise coming from in there, do you think we should help?' The man questioned, his expression filled with unease.
'What? Of course we should help, what is wrong with you? Where did all that gung-ho talk go?' May scoffed at the man before stomping up the steps and knocking on the door. She sent her childhood friend an appraising glare which he returned with clear resentment.
When there wasn't a response, May pushed opened the door to see Briney chasing his Wingull around a cluttered coffee table.
The man seemed oblivious to their presence, as he chased her, calling, 'hold on, Lass! Belay that, Peeko!'
With a slight chuckle, May called out, 'good morning, Mr Briney and Peeko!'
'Who's that? Oh, if it ain't May! What brought you all the way to my humble abode?' The man questioned as May brought out some pokémon food for Peeko to munch on.
With a cry, the water and flying type flew onto her head to accept the food.
Smiling at the friendly pokémon that had once been so shy, May said, 'Mr Stone from Devon Corporation has requested that we find his son in Dewford City to deliver a letter. I was wondering if you'd do us the honour of letting us sail with you?'
'What's that, you want to sail with me again? A letter bound for Dewford?' Mr Briney frowned as Peeko flew onto his shoulder, crying out with eager cheer.
'Will there be a problem with that, sir, or can you take us?' Brendan asked with clear apprehension, though May couldn't begin to understand what was worrying her childhood friend.
'Certainly, that'd be no problem at all. You've come to the right man! Shall we hoist sail for Dewford at once?' The man questioned, his eyes intent upon May's.
'Yes, please,' May grinned back as Peeko cawed with clear joy.
'Excellent! Dewford we're a-coming! Anchors aweigh!' Mr Briney cried before ushering the duo out of his hut.
Watching Brendan's confusion as Mr Briney ushered them, and their bicycles, into another part of his house, May couldn't help but giggle at the man.
'What's going on?' He frowned as May walked onto the boat that was shaped like a Wingull.
'We're going to Dewford, what did you think?' May responded as he visibly blanched at the man's boat.
'Come on, it's carried me there before,' May grinned before taking a seat at the back of the boat, which was modelled after Peeko.
Brendan blanched once before taking a seat beside her, his eyes trailing the shape of the boat with clear apprehension.
'Right, let's go,' Mr Briney chuckled before starting the engine.
Enjoying the sea breeze as it swept through her hair, May couldn't help but grin, 'Mr Briney, this is every bit as good as I remember.'
'Ai, the sea's missed you as much as you've missed her, May,' the older man chuckled as Brendan groaned and held onto the side of the ship.
'What's your boyfriend's problem? Sea sickness?' Mr Briney frowned as he glanced at Brendan with clear contempt.
'Oh, we're not together. He's just a good friend, from when we were young children,' May flushed as she petted Peeko.
'Really? I much preferred Ash, he seemed more suited to a woman like you,' Mr Briney mused, causing her to blush.
'Mr Briney! Ash is still a good friend of mine, but I can't say I'd be willing to spend my life with him. I suppose he's like Brendan or Orlando, a brother to me,' May frowned as she glanced back at her friend, who was clinging to the side of the boat for what seemed like dear life.
'Ah, but there is someone?' Mr Briney questioned, turning his gaze on May's.
With a grimace, May considered Drew. Letting out a small sigh, she said, 'there was, but then we went our separate ways. Since then, I feel like everyone is trying to pair me with other people, and it just doesn't feel right.'
'I see. I'm sorry you feel that way, lass, but you'll find someone. There's no need to pressure yourself by forcing something that's not there. What's important is your happiness over anything else, and you don't seem as happy as you used to,' Mr Briney frowned as he sent May a knowing glance.
Considering this, May grimaced, 'I suppose I'm not. Max is in Almia now, he's just graduated from the Ranger School up there, and my mum and dad are both in Mauville City. I've had to take on the Gym, and you know that that isn't really where my interests lie.'
'Ah, you've had to postpone your own interests at the expense of others. Don't worry, lass, it'll all work out, in the end,' the older man smiled as they sailed above a particularly rough wave.
'Oh, Arceus, make it stop!' Brendan's voice could be heard as his face turned green, though neither of his companions moved to comfort him.
'I suppose,' May responded, her expression thoughtful. She didn't know how her situation could possibly improve, with Max being so far away from them all, and her father being as ill as he was. Then there were her friends, all of whom were busy leading their own lives. She didn't want to disturb them now.
'Lass, you can do better than that waste bucket over there. He can't even tolerate the wild waters. A lass like you needs to be free on the high seas,' Mr Briney chortled as Peeko cried with him.
Hearing this, May couldn't help but smile. If Brendan had heard those remarks when he wasn't feeling the pangs of seasickness, he would definitely have given them both a piece of his mind. She supposed she should thank Lugia and Kyogre, not just for their safe passage, but also for the man's current ailment.
'You might let him know that we'll be in Dewford within the hour, just keep that letter safe,' Mr Briney chuckled as Peeko took to the skies behind them.
'I will do,' May grinned at the man before turning to face her childhood friend.
'Come on, diaper buddy, we'll be there soon,' May chuckled as she rubbed his back soothingly.
'It's not soon enough! Can't I get a Kirlia or Ralts and teleport myself? I've been there before, I can do it!' Brendan wailed as he hung his head over the side to feel the spray of the ocean on his face.
Trying to soothe her best friend's worries, May continued to rub his back, singing a soft song as she watched Peeko float around the boat, calling her name softly.
'Heads up, maties, we're here,' Mr Briney called, pulling her out of her thoughts.
'Thank Groudon, I'll never mock you again!' Brendan cried as he jumped towards the pier, not at all sparing a glance for the man in question.
'Thank you, Mr Briney, you've really helped us out,' May grinned at the older man, who waved it off.
'I suppose you'll be heading ashore to deliver that letter to what's-his-name or whomever. If you're ever feeling lost and adrift though, try calling in on this island's Gym. The Leader, Brawly, sure knows everyone and everything that goes on in this town!' Mr Briney grinned at May as Brendan proceeded to walk onto the land and almost kiss it in delight.
'Thanks so much, Mr Briney! I'd better get Brendan off the ground,' May chuckled before rushing to her friend and pulling him to his feet, sending an anxious glance at a group of men who were chuckling at their antics.
'No worries, May! Let me know when you want to return, lass!' The man chuckled as his pokémon flew above their heads.
'Will do, thank you, Mr Briney!' May beamed before rushing to her friend.
'Brendan!' May hissed at her friend, though he brightened, 'I think Orlando's still in the Gym! Let's go watch him win!'
'What?' May gasped as her friend seemingly recovered and pulled her on towards the Gym.
Catching sight of a large group of women, May grinned, 'why don't you go on ahead? I've got an old friend to meet, one that isn't going to be in the Gym today.'
'What? Who could you possibly know from here?' Brendan chuckled, though he petted May's head slightly before rushing off to the Gym, not at all aware of the cause of the crowd on the beach.
'I'll show you, I do know people!' May muttered under her breath, clenching her fists slightly in irritation at being treated like a young child.
'Wow, he's so cool!' One woman gasped as a surfer completed a complete turn on a wave, taking the time to practice some tricks.
'Look at his Hariyama! Ahh, it's to die for!' Another cried as May sighed. Clearly not a lot had changed in her years of absence, and she doubted that was a good thing.
'I suppose Brawly's friends are still as keen as ever,' May muttered to herself as she walked towards the beach, seeing the familiar fighting type ride a wave with a deftness she was jealous of.
'Hey, Hariyama! Look over here!' One of the women called as she placed her surfboard on the ground beside May.
The woman from Olivine City blinked once at her before turning to see the fighting type rush towards them.
'Oh no, he's not going to make it!' Another woman cried as they all began to run away from May, who stood rooted to the spot.
'Hari-Hariyama!' The fighting type cried, flailing his arms slightly before landing on top of May, crushing her painfully to the soft sand beneath her.
'Oh no! Hariyama, dude, get up! When I said hang ten, I didn't mean tackle anyone,' the familiar voice of Brawly cried, though May didn't register it, as she was being crushed by the man's pokémon.
'Ouch. Nice body slam,' May muttered as the fighting type clambered off her.
'Dude, it's May!' Brawly gasped as Hariyama cried his name and bowed repeatedly in apology.
Shaking her head, May smiled, 'don't worry, Hariyama, you were great out on the waves all by yourself.'
'How've you been, dudette?' Brawly asked, his blue eyes intent upon May's sapphire ones, filled with a relaxed mirth she'd missed.
'Good, good,' May chuckled as she saw the group of women glare at them, clearly wondering why he was in discussion with her of all people. After all, she wasn't even in beach worthy clothing and certainly hadn't clamoured for his attention in the way they had.
'What're you doing on this side of Dewford?' The man chuckled as he held out a hand to her, his eyes alight with mirth.
Taking his hand in her own, May let him pull her up, almost tripping over Hariyama's feet in the process.
'Hariyama, watch out, dude! You don't want to trip this pretty petal over,' Brawly chuckled as May flushed at the comment.
'So, you didn't say what you were doing here?' Brawly prompted as he saw May poke her hands together sheepishly.
'Well, you see, I'm here to deliver a letter,' May began with a nervous laugh of her own, knowing just how unusual the statement alone was.
'Really? Let's go get a lemonade, and you can tell me more about it. I can probably lead you in the right direction,' the man chuckled before placing an arm around both Hariyama and May's shoulders, leading them to a nearby café.
Noticing the heated glares of the other women, May did her best not to shrink into the older man. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed their glares when she was last here with Ash, Brock and Max, but they were more heated than ever. Maybe she'd been too young to receive them, or perhaps they assumed she was with Ash or Brock.
Taking a seat in the café, May waited until the waitress had left them with their bottles of lemonade before letting out a sigh of relief. She was doing her best to appear indifferent as the waitress sent her a disgruntled glare, though she was honestly struggling.
Trying to bite back an anxious smile, May suppressed her thoughts at the waitress' clear attempts at flirting with the Gym Leader opposite her. She'd never have had the courage to flirt with anyone quite so blatantly, nor did she believe she ever would.
'So, are you going to tell me about it, little dudette?' The man chuckled as he ran a hand through his light blue hair, his blue eyes intent upon her. He seemed completely oblivious to the attention of the women around them, though May wasn't surprised by that in the slightest.
With a sigh, May began to tell him about the Researcher she'd helped, as well as Mr Stone's request for her to deliver a letter to Steven. She tried to be as concise as possible, hoping to respect the man's time schedule.
'Right, dudette, so you need to deliver a letter to the Champion. Are you going to tell me why you're the Gym Leader and not Ash?' The man questioned, his eyes never leaving May's expressive face.
'W-what?' May gasped, as she heard her ringtone sound.
Lifting her Xtransceiver, she was about to answer when Brawly placed a hand on her own, stopping the action. She grimaced when she saw the grim frown on the man's lips, his eyes having lost their previous mirth.
'Dudette, I'd appreciate it if you would tell me the whole story. I may look and act like just your average surfie dude, but I'm a lot more perceptive than I let on. Besides, I'm friends with Steven, and he's told me about the Petalburg Gym,' Brawly said as he watched May hesitate.
Hearing that, May grimaced before telling him about her father, and the Gym Leader's role. Surprisingly, she also found herself telling him about the finer details of the problems, including missing her friends, not just Ash, Brock and Max, but Harley, Solidad and Drew, as well as dissecting her battle with Roxanne.
'Sounds like you've had a pretty intense year! Good on you for winning that battle against Roxanne!' The man chuckled as May saw him play with her Xtransceiver.
'Yeah, I guess you could say that,' May grimaced in her drink, not sure what else she could say to the man.
'And here was me thinking that me breaking it off with Shauna was bad,' the man chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.
'What? You were together?' May gasped, meeting his eyes over his drink.
'Yeah, her short fuse came up again, and we said some things that we can't take back. She seems to think that we're on a break, but I'm not interested in getting back with her,' the man chuckled anxiously as he watched May frown.
'Yeah, that's Shauna. Although, I can't really imagine you losing your cool,' May frowned as she saw three shadows at the door of the café.
'Well, it has been known to happen,' the man laughed with a hint of embarrassment, much to May's amusement.
'MAY! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE MY CALL!' Brendan's voice snarled as he stomped towards the duo, dismissing Brawly with a glance and cutting their conversation to an abrupt halt.
'M-May?' Orlando questioned, staring down at May and Brawly, his eyes widened in disbelief.
'Hi Orlando, are you here to battle Brawly again?' May asked, sending the man a bright smile, completely ignoring Brendan's impeding wrath. After all, they were practically siblings and she knew better than to let him have the upper hand.
'N-no,' Orlando grimaced as he glanced shyly at Wally.
'We were going to ask him for a rematch, but he was apparently surfing. Now we find him here with you instead,' Wally said in a shy voice, his eyes flickering from May to Brawly.
'Well, I was, until this blast from the past appeared,' Brawly laughed shyly as May glowered, 'hey! I'm not Team Rocket.'
'Team what?' Orlando frowned as Brendan groaned, 'not those three losers you told me about.'
'No, you're definitely not. So, dudette, shall we go find Steven?' Brawly offered as he turned his gaze on May.
'You know where he is?' May gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief.
'Sure do, there's only one place on this island that he'd be interested in,' Brawly chuckled before taking his lemonade bottle and, waving to the waitress, sauntered out of the building.
With a heavy sigh, May took her own bottle and followed, sending the woman a shy smile.
'So where would he be, then?' Brendan scowled at the man, his eyes narrowed in anger as they followed him.
'Granite Cave, it's north west of here. It's full of fascinating stuff, like rare stones and wall paintings that are thousands years old. Dudette, I'm sure you'd love it in there,' Bawly chuckled as he sent May a rather obvious wink.
Flushing at the attention, May saw Orlando frown, 'so who is Steven?'
'Steven Stone, you know, just May's new boyfriend, unless she decides to ditch him for Brawly!' Brendan scoffed at the man, crossing his arms in clear resentment.
'What was that? Oh, Brendan, I didn't realise you were still here! Why haven't you gone off on your merry little date yet? Are you secretly wanting to meet one of my supposed boyfriends, or are you afraid of being rejected by her?' May retorted back, her anger diminishing at the man's angry glower, causing her to fall into a burst of giggles.
'Chill, dude, there's plenty of stuff to see in Dewford other than Steven,' Brawly mused as he glanced back at Brendan in clear mirth.
'Yeah, like yourself?' Brendan retorted, causing his brother to sneer, 'why are you acting like a jealous boyfriend?'
'I just don't want anyone taking advantage of May!' Brendan hissed back, though his younger brother snorted.
'Brendan, dear, I can look after myself,' May responded to the man, her eyes narrowed with the faintest hint of mortified anger.
'Really? Need I remind you that I was the one who had to protect you from any wild pokémon for years, even just yesterday? What about me being the one who had to be there while you cry your eyes out because your dad's not well? I don't want heartbreak on top of that, May, and I don't see Orlando being here for any of it!' Brendan glowered back, almost snarling as Brawly glanced back at them.
'You sure have some good friends, May. I'd count myself lucky if mine were as caring as yours are,' Brawly mused, causing Brendan to blink in surprise.
'I know, Brendan and Orlando are practically brothers to me,' May grinned back at the man as they left the city precincts and walked on the beautiful, white beach.
'Dude, look at those waves!' Brawly groaned as he saw a perfect wave crash onto the beach.
'If you want to go training with Hariyama, you can,' May offered the man, though he waved it off.
'Training?' Orlando frowned, though his elder companions waved him off.
'Nah, dudette, if I don't take you to Steven myself, he might just bite my head off worse than your friend here,' Brawly chuckled before leading them to a cave.
'And why would he do that?' Brendan scowled as Wally glanced from one man to the next with clear apprehension.
'Chill, dude, I'm just trying to make a joke. I can't just let a babe like May wander the cave alone, that's not cool, and Steven won't let me hear the end of it. She'd get lost, and besides, we're friends,' Brawly chuckled as May blinked, 'we are?'
'Yeah, we are. You don't survive a hurricane without becoming friends, May,' Brawly chuckled before ushering her into the cave.
'Hurricane?' Orlando yelped as even Brendan looked bewildered.
'You didn't tell them?' Brawly asked May, his tone bemused.
'Well, I kind of had so many things happen to me when I was on my journey that I may have forgotten to leave out some details,' May muttered, poking her fingers together sheepishly.
With a loud laugh, Brawly hit May's back, 'modesty, I like it!'
'Oh really? So, are you going to give May your number too? You know, in case she needs help with her Gym Leader duties,' Brendan scowled at the man, not appreciating the comfortable way he was treating the woman he considered a sister.
'You know what, dude? That's not a bad idea. It's a shame I already put it in her Xtransceiver before you arrived,' the man in question grinned before sending May a knowing wink. He grinned at her surprised confusion as Brendan seethed visibly.
'Oh, thank you. I didn't see you do that,' May frowned uncertainly as they passed a hiker, who nodded curtly at Brawly.
'So, where's Steven?' Wally asked, his expression filled with an eager delight.
'Up ahead, of course,' Brawly chuckled as he led the group to another cave entrance.
With an amused smirk, he asked the group, 'are you ready to meet Mr Stone Junior?'