Hello, ! Been awhile, huh? Look, I'm really sorry you guys. It's been so long and I really have no excuse for being as inconsistent and tardy as I am. Truthfully, I'm a bit of a mess. ^^; But! I do want you guys to know that I haven't forgotten about or given up on this story. Since it's been quite a few months, I think it's only fair to recap the events of the last chapter. In the last chapter, our hero Brendan defeated Steven and finally became the Champion of the Hoenn Region! Sharing a few tender moments with May, they were soon interrupted by a familiar-looking portal in the sky and a familiar face that fell out of it. How will this play a role in future events? How far will this deviate from the typical ORAS storyline we all know and love? Let's find out in this long-overdue chapter of So Glad You're Safe!

The long walk back to Littleroot Town was mostly silent. Though there was much that Brendan and May had to say to each other, they weren't quite sure how they wanted to say it. For starters, there was the matter of what Brendan wanted to do now that he had become Champion and his adventure was over. May had recently taken up coordinating in Pokemon Contests and was well on her way to the top, rivalled only by Wallace's niece, Lisia. Things appeared to be looking up for the young pair, but what about all of the craziness that had transpired in recent months? Neither Team Aqua or Team Magma had been apprehended by the authorities, the the mysterious "Key Stone Caper" Wally had warned them about some months back was still on the loose. That wasn't even getting into the strange portal that had appeared in the sky at the Pokemon League just moments before they were about to…

"Hey, Brendan?"

"What's up?"

The pair had finally reached Petalburg City and had decided to stop by one of the city's ponds for a break, dipping their feet in the cool water to relax.

"It's just," May began, sounding slightly unsure, "Remember that time you guys helped me rescue my dad and the others at Devon Corp?"

"I remember it like it was only a year ago," Brendan mused with a smile. "What about it?"

"It was a year ago, silly," May giggled, lightly smacking the boy's arm. "Or maybe longer? No, that's not the point. It's just… it all seems so far away, y'know? And yet… I can remember it all so vividly. My house was a mess, my mother and I in tears… we didn't even know if we would ever see him again…"

By this point, Brendan's smile had faded away and was replaced with a look of concern as May sniffed and wiped away a few tears with her arm. He hadn't really realized it at the time, but seeing May's family in such a predicament had filled him not only with dread and sorrow, but also… anger. He wanted to protect them with all his heart, yet in that one particular instance, he wasn't able to. Sure, he had tracked down Birch's kidnappers and saved him, but what if he wasn't so lucky next time? How could he even prevent a next time?

"May, I…" Brendan began, desperately struggling to find the words.

"I'm sorry," May sniffed. "I shouldn't have brought it up. Everything's fine now, right? Besides, now we've got more important things to worry about like you being the Champion."

"May…"

It was no secret that May saw herself as the weaker of the two Littleroot trainers; though she never gave up on being a trainer, she turned her efforts towards Pokemon Coordinating, partially as a means of trying to be the very best in her own way. What she hadn't realized was that to Brendan, she had always been number one in his heart.

"May, listen to me," Brendan began, putting a hand on his rival's shoulder. "You shouldn't sell yourself short like that. Your happiness and your family's well-being will always be the most important thing to me. More important than any fancy title or anything!"

"Brendan," May gasped, utterly shocked at the boy's sudden outburst. She could feel her face heating up, and May internally prayed to Arceus that Brendan wouldn't notice.

"So please," the boy pleaded, his face also beginning to flush, "please don't think yourself of anything lesser than me. You… you give me strength. Purpose."

"I… I had no idea," May spoke quietly, blinking. This whole time, throughout his entire journey, she had been his whole reason for pressing on through trying times? Hearing such a flattering sentiment, the brunette thought that she was hallucinating for sure. Her fears were lifted, however, as she felt her own hands move on their own, grasping the boy's hands tenderly. "Do… Do you really mean that, Brendan?"

"I do," Brendan replied, squeezing the girl's hands. "I do, and I always have. May, I-"

Those were the last words to be exchanged before May suddenly lunged at the boy, pressing her lips to his in a clumsy kiss. Brendan's eyes widened in shock, but he soon found himself melting into the kiss, his hands now cupping May's face gently. May's hands, meanwhile, had rested on Brendan's arms, taking in the warmth of his lightly tanned skin. After a few moments of pure bliss, the couple pulled back from the kiss, staring each other in the eyes as they could feel their hearts beating in unison.

"Wow," Brendan spoke after a few seconds of silence, feeling his lips with two fingers.

"I… I've always wanted to do that, Brendan," May uttered, still trying to catch her breath. "I've always felt this way about you…"

"How have I been so oblivious this whole time?"

"Hee hee… Maybe you have the mind of a Whiscash."

The newly-formed couple shared a laugh at this joke before leaning against a nearby tree and cuddling, both of them resting their eyes. Now that they finally had each other, nothing could ruin this day.

"Waaaaaaah!"

… Almost nothing.

"Gah! What now?" May sat up, huffing. She had waited so long for this moment with Brendan! What could possibly be going on this time?

"It came from that direction," Brendan spoke, standing with a Poké Ball clutched in his hand and a serious look on his face. "Wait here, May. I don't want to risk you getting hurt."

"What? No way! I'm coming too," May protested, rising to her feet, "and we don't have time to argue. Let's go!"

Without another word, May took off in the direction of the scream, her white-hatted companion following closely behind.

"H-Hey, May! Wait up!"

"I ain't gonna ask you again, little dude," the burly man in blue pants snarled, looming over a stuttering and shaking Wally. "Your Key Stone. My bro, Archie, needs it! C'mon, little buddy. Be a pal."

"Incorrect," a lilac-haired scientist in red stated monotonously. "My leader, the esteemed Maxie, requires it far more... You there, boy... You will relinquish it to me immediately."

"N-n-no!" Wally suddenly shouted, catching both admins off guard. "This Key Stone is proof of the bond between my Gallade and me! My very first Pokémon! I can't just give it away to some lowly thugs like you!"

"Lowly... thugs?!"

"What an... erroneous statement," Courtney replied, her eyes narrowing. "I have attempted being reasonable... but now you have forced my hand..."

Reaching for a couple of Poké Balls, she continued, "if you will not cooperate in life... you shall do so in death."

"A-aaah!"

"Geez, lady," Matt complained. "You make Shelley look tame by comparison."

"Mightyena," she droned, releasing the canine Pokémon. "Kill."

As the Mightyena bared its teeth and snarled, Wally braced himself, closing his eyes and wishing that he hadn't left his Pokémon inside.

I'm sorry, everyone...

"Swampert, go!"

Finally, the Mightyena charged towards the small boy only to be stopped by the sturdy forearm of a Swampert. Glaring, the Water-type grabbed the Mightyena and flung it high into the air where it was slashed around by multiple Leaf Blade attacks. As the Dark-type hit the ground unconscious, the attacker landed on the ground next to the Swampert gracefully while two teens rushed onto the scene.

"Nicely done, May," Brendan complimented before turning to the villainous admins with a glare, Wally hiding behind him. "What do you two want with our friend?"

"Ack! Not these two again," Matt groaned, slapping his forehead. "This was supposed to be an easy job!"

"How vexing... This was not... how I envisioned this situation going," Courtney added, her eye twitching slightly.

"Waaaaait a minute," May interjected, confused. "Team Aqua... and Team Magma? Why are either of you even here, let alone both of you?"

"Archie sent me here after the person we hired to swipe Key Stones disappeared without a trace," Matt explained. "With all our hard stolen cash, too..."

"That cannot be right," Courtney stated flatly. "We at Team Magma also have outside assistance regarding the Key Stones, yet they too have vanished."

"That... doesn't seem right," Brendan spoke, his head tilted in confusion. "You're telling me that Team Aqua and Team Magma both hired somebody to steal the Key Stones? But... why? And who could that possibly be?"

"Strange business, to be sure... Brendan, this is just like when Team Aqua kidnapped my father," May claimed. "Remember? Both Aqua and Magma grunts alike were involved..."

"N-None of this makes any sense!" Wally blurted out. "We don't even really k-know who the Key Stone Caper really is!"

"Here's a hint."

The sudden voice caused everybody's heads to turn in the direction of Wally's house. Standing on top of it was a figure dressed in a black cloak. Before anyone could respond, the figure immediately discarded the cloak, revealing a strange girl with an odd anklet underneath.

"It was me, Zinnia!"

Le gasp! The plot thickens! As you guys can see, I'm trying to make the story have a sense of continuity despite it deviating a little bit from the canon ORAS storyline. That being said, what events will unfold now that Zinnia's made her grand entrance? How will Brendan, May, and the others respond to her and her schemes? What will become of the strange man from the last chapter? And where is Steven in all of this turmoil? Find out in the next chapter of So Glad You're Safe!