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Chapter 33

Watching Brendan mutter about receiving an incomprehensible text from an unknown number, May grimaced as she walked towards him. Brendan wasn't often fazed by such obscure messages, so she was curious as to what could bother her childhood friend.

'Let me see that,' May sighed before taking the device from the man, ignoring his childish protests as she took a seat beside him on the couch to analyse it.

Seeing the identification code was one which hadn't been saved by Brendan, May frowned, 'you don't know this person. How and why would they contact you?'

Picking up the device, May pressed a few buttons and held it to her ear. It rang a few times before she heard a shaky breath on the other side of the line.

'Hello?' She scowled, feeling a protective edge course through her.

'Help,' a shaky voice answered the device, shooting a spiral of fear down her back.

'Wally?' May whispered, glancing at Brendan worriedly, wondering if anything had happened to Orlando.

'May, it's t-rible! Orlando's dev-ce is out - power, - said - you'd -elp. -e've hit –ouble. We were – Verdanturf b—thi- - a little c-. S—d h—p. M-? -ay! - you -ear -?' Wally's voice said, before a static filled her ear.

Glancing up at Brendan, May grimaced, 'Orlando's Xtransceiver is out of power. We have to go to Verdanturf Town, the boys are in trouble.'

'What were they doing over there? There isn't a gym out that way! They should have already fought against the Rustboro City gym so why would they take such a big detour? Bloody Orlando!' Brendan snarled before grabbing his pokéballs from a nearby table.

'Brendan, relax. There's no way we can make it that far in time, not with Rusturf Tunnel being the way it is. Let me make a call,' May grimaced, pulling out her own device as her friend tried to contact his brother.

Ignoring Brendan's enraged expression, May dialled a number, not trusting the man to drive with his current anger. She'd witnessed first hand how hectic the man could be, and she did not want to die en route to checking up on Orlando and Wally.

'Good morning, you've reached Devon Corporation, how may I assist you?' A warm voice beamed down the voice, oozing with an automated professionalism that made May blink. It wasn't at all like anything May had heard before, leaving her feeling slightly unsure of how to react.

'Hi, can I speak to Mr Stone, please? It's May from Petalburg regarding an urgent problem,' May asked, hoping that she sounded as professional as her father would. Somehow she felt like she'd fallen flat, and it wasn't just due to her youth.

'Err, one moment,' the woman said, her professionalism disappearing as her voice took on an intrigued tone.

After a short interval, May was connected through to Mr Stone's office, where an intrigued businessman answered his device.

'May, whatever is the matter? The receptionist said it was something urgent?' Mr Stone's voice questioned her, causing her to grimace with guilt.

'I'm so sorry to bother you, Mr Stone, and under normal circumstances I wouldn't go to you with something like this. However, my friend has just received a distressing call from his brother's friend, and we don't know if anything happened to him at all. From what we can tell, he was in Verdanturf Town, but where they are now is beyond either of us. Neither of them are usually this dramatic so we're really worried,' May explained, her voice hinting at the desperation she felt.

'I see, what do you need from me?' Mr Stone questioned, his tone clipped and professional.

'Could we borrow a car to try to locate them? Their Xtransceivers aren't working, so Brendan wants to see them in person. The last we heard of them was when they contacted us to ask for help,' May grimaced as she saw Brendan's expression blanch.

'Of course. I'll send a driver out to your gym straight away. If anything has happened and you require assistance, please contact myself or Officer Jenny straight away,' Mr Stone said before terminating the call.

With a small frown, May turned to Brendan.

'Tell me he's sending us help,' Brendan muttered, rubbing his face in his hands.

'He's sending a car. I'm sure Orlando and Wally are fine, Brendan. After all, they're probably in Rusturf Tunnel, and we both know that the Whismur in that tunnel are completely harmless unless startled,' May reassured the man, giving him a soft hug.

'They'd better be ok, otherwise mum will kill me for not letting her know immediately,' Brendan mumbled to himself, not seeing May's guilty grimace beside him.

They both knew just how much Mrs Birch loved her children, and had both witnessed her protective wrath more than once.