Chapter 4

His hands trembling, Brendan released his swellow, an unusually large flying type for the breed of pokémon.

Before his pokémon could do his usual battle cries, Brendan called out, 'Swellow, May's in danger! Find her, quickly!'

Immediately, his pokémon turned to face him, the flying type's eyes wide with concern.

Clamping his mouth shut, Brendan pointed down the cliff as he tried to keep it together. It was the only logical place May could have gone.

He couldn't let his pokémon see how scared he was for her, climbing up, off his knees.

In response, the flying type nodded once, heading down the direction May could be in, his wings bent back so he could glide the winds and use less stamina.

'May, I fucking told you to be careful,' Brendan hissed, yanking his hat off his head as he paced up and down the route if, by some sheer miracle, she'd bounced off her bike and up ahead.

Gripping his hat tightly, Brendan's eyes kept turning to the cliff, his nails digging into his skin. He didn't even glance at the diglett as it sank back into the ground, forcing May's bike on the ground with a metallic thud.

Placing his bike on hers, Brendan frantically looked around. He had to keep busy, stay distracted. If he let his mind wander now, it would be good.

Besides, him going off on his own would only cause more work for Swellow.

Running a hand through his hair, Brendan bit back an impatient curse.

What was taking so long? At the rate this was going, Orlando would catch up to them.

Glancing over the seemingly empty cliff, Brendan hesitated.

There was nothing but the reddish dirt that was familiar to the mountain, seemingly disappearing into nothingness.

They were too high up for May to have made that drop unscathed. She'd have to be blessed by the legendary pokémon themselves.

Clenching his hat tightly in his hands, Brendan tried not to focus on the overwhelming hopelessness he was feeling.

He was so close to climbing down the cliff and finding her himself. But, with where they were, only Kyogre would know be able to find her blindly from the ground.

Hearing Swellow's familiar cry, Brendan jerked his head up. Yanking his hat back on his head, Brendan tightened his hands nervously, searching the sky for his pokémon.

After what seemed like an eon, the flying type glided down to him with a gracefulness that May would have been proud of.

His hand trembled at the thought of May.

He couldn't even not think about her.

'Is she down there?' Brendan asked, barely able to get the words out.

He'd bloody told her so many times! Just thinking about it, all of the minor scraps and bruises she'd had, all of the impossible situations he'd found himself in with her… Arceus, he'd told her.

There was no way she could fall off that cliff and be alive, not with how high up they were.

In response, the flying type nodded, and Brendan wished he could talk to the pokémon properly. Guessing what the pokémon was trying to tell him wasn't something he was in the right frame of mind to do.

Pressing his lips together, he hesitated before choking out, 'is she… dead?'

Could he live a life without May? Sure, he'd had other girlfriends, but they'd always been jealous of May, and he hadn't really been all that invested in them.

He'd never really hidden how much she meant to him, especially with how long they'd known each other. The only thing that had ever stopped him from letting her know was the thought of not having her there.

She'd always been there, in some way, shape or form, in her catastrophically beautiful way.

Waiting for Swellow's response, Brendan's heart hurt.

In response, his pokémon shook her head, crying his name eagerly.

'Lead me to her,' he gritted, ensuring their bikes were out of sight before sliding down the cliff.

He'd be having words with her the moment he saw her.

A/N:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this :)

Sorry for really dragging this out, I promise it'll get better soon (though maybe not for May, Brendan is piiiiiiiiiissed)