"You're doing what?!" Shouts Norman at his daughter sitting on the couch.
"I'm gonna adopt Kai." She repeats with more force than before.
Massaging his temples, he replies, "Absolutely not!"
"You can't tell me what to do, dad!"
"Your father is right." Caroline interjects the two. "Kai is not Brenden's son."
"Brenden left a note saying he is! You have to let me honor Brenden!" Insists the angry brunette.
"That could be a forged note! Professor Birch says Kai isn't Brenden's, so he's not!" Norman continues. "The moment you left here, you've been getting more reckless and doing whatever you want, May! This needs to stop!"
Shaking her head, May stands up to step closer to her fuming father. "I'm an adult! I can do what I want!"
"You're just emotional from Brenden's death, honey. Please think about this!" Caroline cuts in between them to try and alleviate the situation, but May and her father are still intensely glaring at each other.
"I'm adopting Kai, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Shouts May before she storms out of the house with her bag she had packed. Knowing that the conversation with her parents might not go well, she had prepared her bag, which she's now glad she did.
After Brenden's burial yesterday, May had an even stronger resolve to take care of her late friend's son. So what if the note is forged? There has to be a reason all of these things are landing into her lap right now, making it hard for her to believe that Brenden didn't write that note. Besides, she can't just leave this young scared child in the orphanage. That doesn't sit right with May who is an educator and a strong proponent for youth well-being.
Walking out to her car, she spots Max and Vivi leaning on it. May had given Max a heads up about telling their parents, and Max tried to get her to change her mind. However, she is already set on adopting the little boy who cries over Brenden. May avoids their gaze as she tries to get to the driver side, but Max stops her. "Sis, please don't-"
"Stop, Max." snaps the brunette before he can finish his sentence. She already knows what he's going to say, and she hates how her family just won't support her on this. Don't they love Brenden too?
"Don't break our family too." pleads her younger brother since he knows being involved with Kai will just cause strife with their family friend Professor Birch who is already grieving.
Slamming the car door shut after she sits inside, May exclaims, "It's already been breaking, Max."
Ever since she and Max left for their journeys, they've both visited home less. Everyone has been focused on their own lives that, over time, their family has started to drift apart. Brenden's death is the first thing to bring them together in years, and even then, they were all doing their own thing again. May will give her family time to come around because, although they don't spend much time together, she knows they all still love each other. She believes they will grow to eventually accept Kai, so she'll give everyone space for the meantime.
Despite wanting to say more to his sister, Vivi puts a hand on Max's shoulder. "You know she's grieving too, Max."
Frowning while he watches May drive off, Max replies, "I just hate how she's being so selfish! May never thinks before she acts!"
A Few Months Later
"Phew! Thanks, Blaziken!" May smiles at her starter Pokemon who took the heavy box from her.
"Blaze!" he nods and walks into the small living room with it.
Following him, May spots Kai sitting shyly on the couch. Even though the two have been living with each other for two weeks now, he's still very quiet around her. While May was finishing up adoption paperwork, she found a new house to move to where she and her Pokemon spent the past few months setting up. This is the last box that she had left in storage, for good reason, but she hopes it'll help Kai open up to her.
After deciding to adopt Kai, May's parents scolded her for a long time. It got bad enough that May just left abruptly after Brenden was buried. Max was upset that she'd abandon their family and the professor during this unfortunate time, which irks May because she's hurting just as bad! However, May knows Kai is hurting worse than her, so she's focused on him.
Despite not knowing her, Kai willingly left the orphanage to live with May, especially after meeting Munchlax. Just like Brenden, Kai loves Pokemon. With the time May has spent with Kai, she's starting to notice little quirks about him that resemble Brenden, like how Kai will scratch the front left part of his hairline. Brenden hid a scar there, so he would always brush his hair to make sure the scar was hidden. Kai doesn't have a scar, but he will brush that part of his hair too, and May finds it adorably painful to watch this.
Moreover, when Wally had found out about May adopting Kai, he wasn't fond of it. He believes that if Brenden had a child, Brenden would leave the kid with him rather than May. Wally also claims that Brenden doesn't have a child, else he would've heard about Kai before. In the end, Wally believes Kai isn't Brenden's, so he doesn't care that May adopted the boy, which May is grateful for.
Knowing the professor wouldn't approve of the adoption, especially from his best friend's daughter, May left Hoenn. Rustboro City is too close to Petalburg and Little Root, and as she was searching for further places in the region, she felt they were still too close. Hoenn and Kalos bring painful memories to her and Kai. Thus, May asked Kai where he'd want to go, and he told her his father promised to bring him to the beaches of Johto because Brenden saw a Suicune there.
With the recent hurricane in the area, the housing is rather cheap in Johto, especially in Cianwood. Therefore, May decided to move there as a fresh start for both her and Kai. Of course, a social services worker will visit them regularly, but May is fine with that. She wants to honor Brenden's wish, even if it means she isn't at all prepared for raising a small child.
Opening the box, May takes a deep breath before digging into its contents. "Okay, Kai." She smiles and turns to face the boy sitting with Munchlax. "Close your eyes." He complies like always. May wraps the item around his head, and soon, she tells him, "Done!"
He opens his eyes to curiously look at her, but when May leads him to a mirror, he asks, "What is it?"
"It's a bandana!" May grins at him. "Your dad gave it to me when I was little. Now, I'm giving it to you!"
He reaches up a small hand to touch the red fabric. When May sees the small smile form on his face in the mirror, she can't help but feel happy. Kai hasn't smiled at all since she's met him. Over time, though, he's been speaking a little bit more to her. Despite not being prepared for Kai, May is trying her best. It's what she always does, especially if Brenden is relying on her with this responsibility. Although she's still not too sure what the future holds for her and Kai, she knows she needs to help this little boy right now. He has no one, but now, he at least has her. She loves him because Brenden loved him.
"I wore it when I first went on my Pokemon journey." May tells the boy.
"I wanna be a Pokemon trainer like daddy." he replies and faces May.
Looking over at Munchlax who nods at her, May asks Kai, "Wanna have a Pokemon battle, Kai?"
His blue orbs open wide with excitement. "Yes! Yes, May!"
Giggling at his cuteness, May extends a hand to him, which he takes. She then leads him to the backyard which is rather small, though it should suffice. "Which Pokemon do you want?" Kai has gotten to meet all of her Pokemon, and she has an idea of which ones he will choose.
"Munchlax, Venusaur, and Glaceon!" the giddy boy responds as he can barely keep his excitement.
Handing him Venusaur's and Glaceon's pokeballs, May is happy to see him so excited. Kai really is like Brenden. Whenever she and Kai talk about Pokemon, it's when he's the most expressive. "I'll use Blaziken, Wartortle, and Beautifly!" Skitty is currently taking a nap in the sun, so May will leave her alone.
Even though May wants to go easy on Kai since he's only 5 years old, he's proving to be a very worthy opponent. "You're a great battler, Kai!" May grins across the field as Blaziken delivers a flamethrower at Munchlax.
"Daddy taught me." Kai smiles sadly, which distracts him from the battle, and Munchlax gets hit by the attack.
Seeing the sad look on his face, May quickly says, "Munchlax needs your help!"
Fortunately, this seems to get the boy's attention, so he looks up to refocus on the battle. May can tell he will be a fierce trainer someday. "Tackle!"
After Blaziken defeats Munchlax, Glaceon finishes the weakened Blaziken after Blaziken had dealt a lot of damage to her. Glaceon faints from Wartortle who soon gets knocked out by Venusaur. For a 5 year old, Kai has a lot of knowledge on Pokemon and battling. It's only confirming the fact that Kai must be Brenden's son.
"Let's go, Beautifly!" shouts the woman. This battle has taken up a lot of the evening, but both battlers aren't aware of anything except for the battle.
"Sludgebomb!" Kai commands.
May has realized that Kai knows about type advantages, but she and Beautifly have their own tricks up their sleeves. "Dodge and use Silverwind!"
As the battle gets more intense, May finds herself grinning. She hasn't felt this free spirited since she was competing in contests. The real reason May lost her title after two short years was because she lost her passion for it. The contest scene didn't seem as interesting anymore, so she was grateful for the teaching position. However, even then, May still felt like her passion was missing. Now, though, she's enjoying this. It's like she's battling Brenden again.
Flashback
"Dad's letting me play with Ziggy today!" a 5 year old May tells 8 year old Brenden.
"Cool! Let's battle!" the boy grins excitedly. He always wants to battle, so May will sometimes use the Professor's Pokemon. Today, though, she has her father's Zigzagoon.
Because May plans to follow in her father's footsteps, she happily agrees. "You're going down, Brenden!"
"I won last time, May." he reminds her, making her pout. Laughing, Brenden says, "But you're very tough!" When he sees her smile return, Brenden can't help but give one of his own. May and her father are visiting this weekend, and he always enjoys seeing his friends.
"Go, Ziggy!"
"Let's do this, Treecko!"
The two children are having fun battling, like they always do when they battle. However, they don't notice the Mightyena creeping out of the bushes nearby. WIth Little Root Town being small, it's surrounded by forest. Thus, many wild Pokemon can be seen often; however, these Pokemon usually fear humans and flee once spotted. This Mightyena, though, looks dazed and like it's hunting.
Once Ziggy faints, May pouts as she returns him. "I'm gonna beat you some day!" she shouts to her older friend.
Grinning, he recalls the exhausted Treecko. Even though he won, May put up a tough fight, like she usually does. "I'm sure you'll beat me when you have your own Pokemon." he reassures her.
After pocketing the pokeball, Brenden makes his way over to May who is still pouting on the ground. Nevertheless, something in the corner of his eye gets his attention. When he realizes it's a wild Pokemon, the Mightyena starts sprinting towards May. The boy panics and yells, "May!" But it is too late for her to register the situation, so he runs over to her.
Tackling the Mightyena away from May, Brenden calls out the tired Treecko. "Pound!"
"Brenden!" May worriedly shouts at her friend who is focused on protecting her.
With his gaze still on the Mightyena, Brenden yells, "Run!"
"I can't leave you!"
"Get our dads!" insists the boy, causing him to lose focus on the Mightyena as Treecko gets hit by a slash attack. Turning back to the battle, Brenden commands, "Pound again!" To his dismay, Treecko faints from a quick attack, but now Mightyena is headed his way.
May, who was too scared to run away, now sees her friend about to get attacked by a scary Pokemon. Despite her fears, she quickly rushes towards him. "Brenden!"
Hearing May's voice shakes Brenden from his stupor, so he grabs her as soon as she's near him. Being older and bigger, his body blocks her from Mightyena's attack. "I told you to run!" shouts Brenden, but all May sees is red.
His head is gushing blood that's as red as his eyes. Unlike his eyes, though, May doesn't find the blood comforting. She starts tearing up, especially when she notices the Mightyena charging at them again. Hugging him tightly, May closes her eyes in fear. She always feels protected in Brenden's arms, like right now.
"Vigoroth, Brick Break!"
After hearing a yelp, May hears Brenden say, "You're safe now, May." Still refusing to look up, May clings onto him tighter as more tears fall from her eyes. However, when she feels Brenden go limp and fall over, May is forced to worriedly open her eyes where she spots her unconscious friend.
Before May can do anything, she hears a familiar shout, "May!" Soon, she is scooped up into her father's arms and Professor Birch is holding Brenden. Norman returns Vigoroth while holding May tightly for fear of losing her again.
Fortunately, Brenden's injury isn't too serious. He only had a concussion and bleeding from the head wound, which eventually leads to a noticeable scar. Although he would joke with May about it being a badge of honor for protecting her, May still felt guilty about him getting hurt. The wild Pokemon attack led to her fear of Pokemon that she eventually overcame while traveling with Ash. However, May will never forget the day her best friend almost died protecting her.
Flashback Over
After taking a lot of damage, Beautifly manages to snag the victory for May. Even though May planned to go easy on Kai, she became too immense in the intense battle. Her natural winning instincts kicked in, allowing her to win, although she is surprised to see Kai isn't too upset at his loss.
Once he returns Venusaur and May thanks Beautifly, the woman walks over to Kai where she bends over to meet him at eye level. "You're gonna be a great trainer some day, Kai!" She praises him, which turns his frown into a shy smile. Seeing the proud glint in his eyes makes her happy that she's starting to reach him.
"Daddy always taught me that losing means to try harder." Kai determinedly tells her.
Ruffling his hair, she replies, "Yes! Losing is just a lesson to get better!"
With his deep blue eyes looking at hers, Kai enthusiastically asks, "Can we battle again tomorrow?"
Before May can respond, she notices Beautifly fly away from them. "Beautifly?" May calls after her Pokemon. Why would Beautifly leave? Where is she going? When a Masquerain flies around the corner of the house, though, May instantly freezes. She knows that Pokemon, especially as he happily greets Beautifly.