A Date With Disaster

"Oh wow, Fallarbor Town is so pretty!" May said as she crested the hill leading to the town. Brendan, on the other hand, was not too thrilled, as he was once again shaking off the volcanic ash which had, almost miraculously, not even touched May. Brendan had a sneaking suspicion that he knew who was behind it, but he wasn't about to start anything. Besides, the night spent inside May's Secret Base was really comfortable to say the least. They had played Monopoly, although Brendan had no idea how May got the game into her bag, and Gwen completely dominated the board, getting hotels on all of her property and owning most of the higher-end locations, including Boardwalk and Park Place.

"Well, it is kind of a quiet town, but the stadium for the contest is pretty big," Brendan said. "It should be interesting to see how this one goes." He then led the way to the Pokémon Center which was very clearly visible with its red roof.

So, how long is it until the contest? Gwen asked.

May pulled out her schedule, and glanced over it. "It's actually tomorrow, so we have some time to relax, practice, and enjoy ourselves," she said with a grin.

Well, I can't wait to see your finished product in the contest! Gwen said as they arrived at the Pokémon Center. They entered and got a room in no time at all. They had only had short battles with random trainers on route 113, and they hadn't taken much damage, if any. So, the two trainers simply went back outside to the training fields, only to see a very familiar group.

"Well, you made it in time after all," Grace said to May.

"Great to see you too Grace," May said with a smile. "And Lisia, thanks for letting me know that the contest was moved."

Lisia, who was standing behind Grace, nodded. "Of course, I couldn't let my little protégé miss an important contest," she said.

"OH REALLY!?" came a new voice. Lisia just rolled her eyes before turning to face the speaker.

"What do you want Chaz?" she said, almost angrily to the young man with blonde hair, accompanied by a Machoke.

"I want you to stop leading this girl on. It's almost like you actually think she's got promise," the guy said, catching Brendan's attention in a very bad way. "You should stop wasting your time with her, and start working with me and Macherie. You know that we're better than her."

"Well, Chaz, I don't know about that," Lisia said. "After all, she's won the only two contests she's been in, and she only started training Pokémon about two months ago. You, on the other hand, have been training for a few years now, and you have yet to compete in a single grand festival."

Chaz went a bit red. "Yeah, well, Macherie and I are still the best out here. This bitch can't even compare," he said.

"Hey, troll doll!" Brendan said. "Will you stop bad mouthing my girlfriend? You literally haven't even spoken to her and you're already being a dick!"

Chaz went even more red than usual. "F-fine, I'll leave, but don't think you'll be winning this contest little girl," he said.

"Chaz, you're fifteen. She's eighteen," Lisia said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Chaz just scoffed and then ran away. Lisia turned to the Machoke, who was still standing there. "Macherie, I am so sorry you were captured by that jerk." Macherie just waved it off before following her trainer.

"Okay…what the hell was that just now?" May asked.

"That was Chaz, the obligatory douchebag on the contest circuit," Lisia said. "He's really not that good, but he thinks he's a genius. He's been annoying me about being my student for a while, but he's always been so rude. And I'm pretty sure he's a perv."

"Wow, he's gone the whole nine-yards in terms of being an asshole," Brendan said.

"You said it," Lisia said with a short laugh. "Anyway, let's get off that topic and keep practicing."

Grace nodded. "Delilah!" she called, and the Pokémon that responded was certainly unexpected for the Hoenn region.

"Woah, Grace, you have a Persian?" Brendan said in genuine shock.

Grace smiled. "Yep, I caught her while I was in Goldenrod City, of all places, during a contest there ten years ago. She was just a Meowth back then, but we won the contest together."

Brendan's eyes widened. "Wait, I went to that contest with my mother! I remember seeing a coordinator with a Meowth win it!" he said.

"You were there?" Grace said. "Wow, small world."

"Well, anyway, I'm going to start practicing with Graham," May said. Brendan nodded.

"Hey, Gwen, I've got something I need to do before tomorrow, but I need you to stay here since you've got a good eye for contests," he said.

Gwen just read his mind briefly, seeing what he was up to. Okay, I'll stay and help May. Good luck with whatever it is you're doing. Brendan smiled as he left.

"Well, that was…odd," Lisia said. "Does Brendan usually go off on his own like that?"

"No," May said. "This is the first time he's ever gone anywhere without me or Gwen since I've met him." Lisia and Grace gave each other knowing looks, having already figured out what Brendan was up to.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter, does it?" Lisia said. "We will figure it out soon enough."

Once Brendan was out of sight of the girls, he pulled out his PokeNav and opened the map of Fallarbor Town. He had heard about a really nice jewelry store in town while traversing Route 113, so he had decided to pre-emptively get May a gift for the contest. He even had a date night planned tomorrow to Meteor Falls.

He wasn't searching long before he found the shop. The jeweler looked up and smiled. "Hello young man, how may I be of service today?"

"Hi, I'm looking for something I can give to my girlfriend as a gift, but I've got very limited knowledge with jewelry," Brendan said.

"Not a problem. I've had a lot of customers like that. Anyway, I am Jared, before we go any further," he said extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you Jared, I'm Brendan," he said.

Jared put a hand on his chin as he seemed to examine Brendan before he got a look of surprise. "You were just on In Search of Trainers!" he said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that was my girlfriend and me," Brendan said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, where is Gwen?" Jared said.

"She's helping May practice for the Pokémon contest tomorrow," Brendan said.

"I see, well, onto business," Jared said. "What would you say May would like for her jewelry?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure. But if I had to guess, I'd say she prefers simple styles," Brendan said.

Jared nodded. "I agree, I hate flashy types of jewelry. Jewelry is an accentuation of the natural beauty already there, and it should draw the attention to the wearer, not to the jewelry itself," he said. "Now, you're a bit young to be getting rings, so I think I know what items would best suit May. How does a necklace or earrings sound?"

"That sounds good, let's see what you've got," Brendan said. Jared then went to the display case with the necklaces, and pulled out the entire selection. Brendan immediately saw one that caught his eye. "What about that one?" he said, pointing to a gold chain with a sparkling polished stone charm on the end of it.

"Ah, this one is a bit expensive. The stone at the center is actually a meteorite," he said.

"How expensive are we talking?" Brendan said.

"It's about one hundred thousand PokeDollars," Jared said. Brendan cringed a little bit.

"I think I've made about fifty thousand, but I'm nowhere near able to afford that," he said.

Jared nodded. "I figured that would be the case," he said.

"Are there any other pieces like that in this shop that I could afford?" Brendan asked.

"Honestly, no," Jared said with a bit of regret in his voice. "But I think I can give you a 50% discount on one condition."

"What's that?" Brendan said.

"I want you to come to me for when you're getting the most important piece of jewelry you'll ever get," he said. Brendan thought for a second before realizing what Jared meant.

"You want me to come to you for an engagement ring when the time comes, right?"

"Exactly," Jared said. "I don't know when that will be, but I want to be the one to hand-craft your ring for you."

"Wow, okay, I can do that," Brendan said. He pulled out his trainer card and walked over to the register. "I can't believe that I'm about to spend fifty grand on a necklace."

"You may want to get used to it man, you're getting to that point in your life," Jared said with a slight laugh as he rang up the sale.

"Yeah, I know," Brendan said with a begrudging tone as he swiped his card through the scanner. Jared smiled and put the necklace in a gift box.

"Here you go, Brendan. Be sure you give her that at the right time," Jared said with a smile.

"I already have a plan, don't worry," Brendan said.

Jared nodded. "That's good to hear. Now good luck," he said.

"Thanks," Brendan said as he left, pocketing the necklace box.

"Welcome everybody to the Fallarbor Pokémon Contest. I'm your host, Vivian Meridian!" Vivian said with confidence. Brendan was sitting in the front row with Gwen on his lap. Vivian went on to introduce the three usual judges, so Brendan mostly tuned her out.

So, Goldenrod, when are you going to give May that gift? Gwen said almost nonchalantly.

"Wait, how do you know about," Brendan started. "You were reading my thoughts, weren't you?"

Yes, I was. But I should tell you, this connection I have with you is getting a lot stronger. It's like I can almost hear what you're thinking even when I'm not trying to listen, she said as she thought on it deeply.

"Don't worry about it too much," Brendan said. "For now, let's just enjoy the contest."

Lisia, who was sitting in the crowd with Brendan and Gwen once again was listening to the two talking, and was already intrigued when she heard the word "gift."

"So, Brendan, what is this gift you got for May?" Lisia asked.

Brendan sighed. "Do you promise not to tell May about this?"

"Of course, otherwise it would ruin a hopefully wonderful surprise."

Brendan reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace box. "I got her some really expensive rocks," he said as he opened it. Lisia looked at it intently with a slight sparkle in her eye.

"Holy Distortion World, that must've cost you a fortune," Lisia said.

"Yeah, it did," Brendan said. "Pretty much everything I've won from battles."

"Ouch," Lisia said. "But I honestly think she will love it."

"Thanks," Brendan said. He looked up as the first contestant came onto the stage. He walked confidently as he sent out a Growlithe, who began with a Flame Wheel that worked its way around the stage, leaving a circle of flames around it. It then came to the center of the circle and unleashed a Fire Spin into the air, getting the fire on the ground to swirl together. It was an impressive performance. Brendan clapped, but he was really looking forward to seeing May perform. Unfortunately, she was in the direct middle of twenty appeals.

The next one to come up was none other than the crowned prince of douchebags, Chaz. He sent out Macherie, and started things off with a Flamethrower, an odd move for a Machoke, but nothing too strange for a contest. They then transitioned into a Focus Blast, which flew into the fire, catching the flames and starting to glow nicely. They then finished up with a Cross Chop, which Macherie pulled off well, cutting the fiery Focus Blast with her bare hands. The screen showed a score of 26. Pretty high for this contest, but not great.

"Wow, as annoying as he is, Chaz did pretty well," Lisia noted. "Still, May's performance will put him to shame.

Before May performed, however, Grace was on. "Delilah, let's dazzle them!" she called out. The Persian leapt from its Pokéball, ready for her performance. "Start things off with Power Gem!" The gemstone charm on Delilah's head began to shine brightly, sending out multiple purple gemstones that stayed floating in the air. "Now, use Thunderbolt!" Delilah's gemstone gathered electricity briefly before firing it at the nearest crystal. The lightning then branched out to the other gems, making a web of stones. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Delilah leapt into the air, her claws glowing as she slashed through the gems, making them burst and sparkle while they cascaded to the ground. Delilah stuck the landing and then took a bow with Grace.

"And a magnificent performance by Grace and her Persian!" Vivian said. "Let's see how the judges rule!" The screen's numbers rolled and stopped at a perfect 30. It was the first one in the contest. "Amazing! Great job, Grace. Now, it's time for our next contestant." Grace left the stadium with Delilah at her side. "Now, please welcome the next coordinator, the fast-rising star, May!"

That was when May came out on stage wearing the same contest costume she wore in the Slateport contest. "Wow, she looks even more beautiful than last time," Brendan said, almost breathlessly

Lisia smiled. "So, have you told her yet?"

"Told her what?" Brendan asked in confusion.

"That you love her," Lisia said with a knowing smirk.

Brendan blushed fiercely. "Wh-what? What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to play innocent.

"Brendan, you don't need to lie about it," Lisia said. "It's really obvious, actually. Isn't it, Gwen?"

Definitely, Gwen said with a smirk of her own.

"Can we just drop it for now? I want to watch May's performance closely," Brendan said.

"Fine, but you should tell her soon," Lisia said with her eyebrow raised slightly. Brendan nodded as he turned to watch May.

May took a deep breath as she got to the center of the stage, and she had Graham's Pokéball in her hand. "Alright, Graham, take the stage!" she called as she sent out the Wingull, who gave a slight screech. "Now, you know what to do! Start with Water Gun!" Graham fired a stream of water into the air. "Now use Supersonic!" Graham let loose a shriek that hit the water in the air, the sound pushing the water into a single sphere before breaking it up into multiple smaller spheres, pretty much forming bubbles in the air. "Now use Wing Attack!" Graham's wings began to glow as he flew through the bubbles. When he was halfway through the bubbles, however, the glowing of his wings spread through his entire body. May was stunned. "Graham, you're evolving," she said quietly as Graham began to change forms. His beak grew a pouch on the bottom and his body grew much larger than before. When the glowing ended, Graham was a Pelipper. He flew through the air, slicing the remainder of the bubbles before he glided onto May's out-stretched arm as she took a bow with the water misting and sparkling in the sunlight. The crowd burst into applause, watching the screen tally up May's final score. May turned to see it for herself, seeing that she had another perfect score.

"Well, with an evolution in the appeals round, almost like it was planned, I can see why May has a perfect score!" Vivian said. "Great job May, and good luck in the finals!" May smiled widely as she exited the stage, waving with her free arm to the crowd.

"Well, I should've guessed Graham was close to evolving," Brendan said with a chuckle. "After all, it seems that most of our Pokémon are now getting to that point."

Yeah, it seems like it, Gwen said quietly, not really speaking to anybody.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the second round participants to be selected from this wonderful field of coordinators," Vivian said. "The judges have made their decisions, it seems. So please direct your attention to the screen for the four finalists!" Brendan looked as directed, only to see what he was expecting based on the scores. Up first were Grace and Chaz, while May would be facing off against the Growlithe coordinator who started the appeals round, who was identified as Frank. This would be interesting.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the first two coordinators to come onto the stage. Please welcome both Grace and Chaz!" Vivian said enthusiastically as both coordinators re-entered the stadium. "There are five minutes on the clock, and each coordinator is going to be starting with 100 points. The one with the most points when the clock hits zero, or whoever makes the other coordinator's points hit zero is the winner. If either Pokémon is ruled unable to battle, then that is the end of the match. But you both know the rules, so without further ado, begin the match!"

"Delilah, dazzle them!" Grace called out.

"Macherie, show your strength!" Chaz said. Both Pokémon appeared on the stage, ready to go.

"I'll start us, Delilah, use Aerial Ace!" Grace said. Delilah raced across the field, her claws glowing as she closed the distance. She got within striking distance, only to be interrupted by Chaz's next command.

"Counter!" he said calmly. Macherie's body was surrounded by an orange aura as she grabbed Delilah and whipped the cat around and slamming her into the ground. Grace's points dropped to 75 rapidly, while Chaz's points only dropped to 87.

Grace seemed to smirk. "Use Slash!" she called. Delilah lunged up from directly under Macherie, swiping her claws across the Machoke's chest, sending the fighting-type flying across the battlefield. Chaz's points dropped to 60. "Now, use Aerial Ace before she can recover!" she commanded. She quickly leapt at Macherie, her claws once again glowing as she took another swipe. The attack struck perfectly, and Chaz's points dropped to 50.

"Macherie, get up and use Karate Chop!" Chaz called. Macherie got up and leapt at Delilah, her arm glowing as she closed the distance.

"Delilah, dodge and use Aerial Ace once more!" Grace commanded. Lilah dipped under the attack as it swiped overhead. She then leapt in and slashed Macherie once again. That dropped Chaz's points to 25. Barely a minute and a half had gone by and the match was already almost over, and a clear victor was already visible.

"How'd I know that Grace was going to win this round too?" Brendan asked rhetorically.

"I know what you mean. She's always been really good at contests, even before I met her, when she was on the Sinnoh circuits," Lisia said as Delilah delivered another devastating Aerial Ace, dropping Chaz's points to zero and ending the match.

"Congratulations to Grace for advancing to the final round! Now, it's time for the next round to begin!" she said as Grace and Chaz made their way off the stage. "I am now happy to introduce the next round's contestants, May, and Frank!" Brendan smiled as he watched May come onto the stage again, and she looked confident. Frank was also looking confident, but Brendan was certain May would triumph in this round. "Now, you know the rules already. Five minutes on the clock, now BEGIN!"

"Graham, take the stage!" May called as she sent out her newly evolved Pelipper.

"Karliah, come on out!" Frank said, letting out the fire dog.

"I'll start this with Supersonic!" May said. Graham shrieked, sending a wave that hit Karliah, confusing her.

"Karliah, use Bite!" Frank said. Karliah, however, was too disoriented and wound up stumbling and tripping over herself. Frank's points dropped to 90.

"Now, Graham, use Water Gun!" May called. Graham fired a powerful stream of water that drenched the Growlithe and pushed her back, dropping Frank's points to 65.

"Karliah, snap out of it and use Flamethrower!" Frank said. Karliah seemed to get out of her confused daze. She let out a stream of flames toward Graham.

"Dodge and use Mist!" May called out. Just as the fire flew by, Graham flew up and around the flames, opening his beak as a dense fog spilled out of it and filled the stage. "Now, Wing Attack!" Graham's wings began to glow as he flew at Karliah, striking multiple times and creating many flashes of light that brightened the entire cloud of fog before returning to the ground. Frank's score dropped to 30 with that attack.

"Bite!" Frank called. Karliah ran and leapt at Graham, biting his wing. May's points began to steadily drop.

"Graham, use Supersonic once more!" May called out. Graham shrieked loudly, once again disorienting Karliah, who let go of his wing. "Now finish it with Water Gun!" Graham fired another torrent of water at Karliah, pushing her out of the battlefield. The sound of three separate buzzers sounded, indicating that judges had ruled a knock out.

"And that's it for the semifinals! May advances to the final round against Grace!" Vivian said. "There will be a five minute interim for May and Graham to recuperate, but then we will begin the final battle!"

In the tunnel to the stage, Grace was standing and waiting for May. "Well, that was certainly impressive," she said. "But I have to tell you that you won't be winning this contest."

"We will definitely have to see about that, won't we Grace?" May said with confidence.

"Well, I don't think I've told you this yet, but since before this year's Petalburg contest when you joined, I've been working on ribbon number five. I have one more ribbon to go before I qualify for the grand festival," Grace said with a confident smile. "But since you joined, I've been unable to grab that last ribbon, but that's all going to change today."

"Maybe, but I won't let you win it without giving it my all!" May said.

"Perfect, I don't want it to be easy," Grace said. May smiled.

"I'm glad to have you as a rival, Grace," she said before the one minute countdown started.

"Well, time to see who wins this one," Grace said confidently as she walked past May toward the tunnel. May followed her, ready to battle.

"Alright, this is it ladies and gentlemen! This is it. These two have faced off in the finals regularly, so this is bound to be a heated battle. It's May and Grace!" Vivian said. The two coordinators came onto the stage side-by-side before separating to take their positions. "Five minutes are on the clock once again. BEGIN!"

"Delilah, let's dazzle them once more!" Grace called out, sending out her Persian.

"Graham, take the stage!" May called, the Pelipper flying out of his Pokéball gracefully. "I'll start us off. Use Water Pulse!" Graham fired off three rings of water that struck hard, sending Delilah sliding back, but only briefly.

Grace just smiled. "Use Power Gem!" she called out. Delilah's crystal began to glow as multiple crystals flew out of it going directly at Graham.

"Fly up to dodge, and then use Wing Attack!" May called out. Graham leapt into the air, flapping twice to start flying. He then flew at Delilah, his wings glowing white as he prepared his attack.

"Aerial Ace!" Grace shouted. Delilah's claws began to glow as she leapt into the air as she prepared to slash Graham. Unfortunately for May, Delilah proved to be the faster of the two. May took a look at the screen. She was at 60 points, while Grace was at 70. She brushed it off, she could still win this.

"Graham, use Supersonic!" May called out. Graham let loose another shriek, disorienting Delilah. "Now, use Water Pulse once more!" Graham fired another set of three rings of water at Delilah. The attack hit the Persian head-on, and Grace's points dropped to 60, even with May's.

"Delilah, use Power Gem again!" Grace called. Once again, May was the bearer of bad luck. Delilah seemed to have already reoriented herself, and she had no trouble firing off more gem stones into the air. At first, Graham seemed to be dodging the attacks well, but then a smaller stone hid behind a larger one, and Graham flew right into it. Graham fell to the ground, unable to right himself in time. May watched as her points dropped to 30. Graham struggled to his feet, but it was too late. "Sorry for this May, but it's over. Delilah, use Thunderbolt!"

May's eyes widened. She had forgotten Delilah knew that attack. "Graham, try to dodge it!" she cried, desperation clear in her voice. That, however, seemed like it would do no good as Delilah fired multiple bolts of electricity that crossed the distance in a matter of seconds. Graham had only just managed to get steady when the attack hit. He was thrown back and he landed at May's feet. He was knocked out, and May watched her points drop to zero.

"No, I lost?" May muttered in shock. She knelt down by Graham. "Hey, you fought really well. Get a good rest, because you've earned it." Grace gave Delilah a pet before recalling her and walking over to May.

"Hey, you fought really well," Grace said sincerely. May, who had some tears forming in her eyes, dried her eyes and stood up. "Don't let yourself get down about a loss. Everybody loses at some point, just keep your chin up."

"Thanks, but don't worry, I'll be fine," May said, although she really didn't feel what she said.

Brendan, however, could tell from a distance that she was getting down. Maybe now wouldn't be the best time to give her the necklace, he thought.

Hey Brendan, I have an idea to help May cheer up, Gwen said.

I'm listening, Brendan replied.

Take her to Meteor Falls. I hear it's a beautiful location. You can see the stars very clearly at night.

Brendan mulled it over for a little bit. Okay, that's a good idea. I'll take her there and give her the necklace when the time is right.

After the contest, and their goodbyes with Lisia and Grace, May was laying on her bed in the Pokémon Center, her face buried in a pillow. "Why," she said. "Why did I lose? I was so confident, but I failed." That was when she felt a weight on the bed next to her.

"Hey," Brendan said as he sat down and began to stroke her hair. "You didn't fail. You gave it your all, and you performed brilliantly. So you lost this time, it's no big deal. You're still new to contests compared to Grace."

May just started to curl up, her back to Brendan. "But I was able to beat her before. Why did I lose to her now?"

Brendan sighed. "You need to clear your head. Come with me, I think I know where you can do that." He picked up May and got her to her feet.

Gwen then levitated onto Brendan's shoulders. I'm coming too, Arceus knows you two couldn't protect yourselves against wild Pokémon. Brendan chuckled as he led the way out of the Pokémon Center, heading to the west. They walked for about ten minutes when they could hear a waterfall nearby. They saw a small cliff with a beautiful waterfall, but what really caught their attention was the small mountain that looked to be dotted with craters. That was when May seemed to perk up.

"You're taking me to Meteor Falls," she said more than she asked.

Brendan smiled as he continued to lead the way. "Yeah, I figured you could use some time to get away from everything and just relax." May suddenly felt more tears in her eyes, but this time they were out of joy. What had she done to deserve such a great boyfriend? They walked for another ten minutes, avoiding the patches of tall grass so they wouldn't run into any wild Pokémon They climbed up to one of the highest points they could reach without going into the caves.

"Alright, what is this all about? You obviously have something planned," May asked, her excitement starting to bubble.

"Well, I was hoping to give you this as a celebratory gift, but cheering you up works too," Brendan said as he reached into his pocket. "May, I–"

"HELP, SOMEBODY HELP ME!" came a voice as it echoed from the cave.

"Damn it!" Brendan said. "Hey, mind if we put this on hold for now?" May, who was not happy about having the romantic moment ruined, begrudgingly agreed. The two ran toward the caves, Gwen teleporting onto Brendan's shoulder. When they entered the cavern, they would have been astounded by the beauty of the cave; that is if there wasn't a band of Team Magma thugs who seemed to be mugging a man in a lab coat. Standing a short ways away from the grunts was a man in the Team Magma attire, but he had a cape and his uniform was made of much higher quality material. That other member was clearly in charge.

"Alright buddy, just hand over that meteorite and this beating will stop!" the leader said. Brendan and May both ran forward.

"HEY!" Brendan called. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The grunts stopped attacking the man, one of them holding up a rock similar in color to the one in May's necklace. That was when the leader turned to acknowledge the newer development.

"Oh, so the two brats we were told to keep an eye on have decided to try and interfere with our plans?" the leader said. "Well, you should know that it will not end well for you three, counting your cute little Kirlia."

"Commander Tabitha, sir, we have what we came for, do we have your orders to move out?" one of the grunts asked.

Tabitha took on a sinister look. "Don't you remember the orders?" He pulled out a Pokéball. "I'll take care of these two."

"May," Brendan said, his voice having a worried edge to it. "Get back, Gwen and I will handle this."

"O-ok," May said as she backed up toward the exit of the cave. That was when Tabitha smiled even more evilly.

"Boy, have you forgotten? We're a criminal organization. We don't play by the rules!" Tabitha said. Just as the last words left the commander's mouth, Brendan felt a solid impact from a fist on the back of his head, and everything went dark as he collapsed.

"BRENDAN!" May called out. Tabitha then sent out a Golbat, which spat out a ball of sludge, hitting Gwen and knocking her out in one hit. Now May was terrified as multiple grunts surrounded her.

"Alright, take care of her and bring her with us," Tabitha said. "Leave the boy and his Pokémon." One of the grunts, who had gotten behind May, hit her head, knocking her out. "Now, let's go to Mt. Chimney, our leader is waiting for us.

"Scamp!" came a slightly familiar voice. Brendan was only aware of three things at this point: he was laying on stone, some guy was calling him, and his head was throbbing. "Hey, Scamp! Get up!" Brendan's eyes shot open and he bolted upright, immediately regretting it as his head began to throb even more. He looked around, seeing Gwen kneeling near him, and he felt a lot of relief knowing that she was okay. Then he looked for the source of the voice, only to come face-to-face with the leader of Team Aqua, Archie, with a lot of grunts behind him.

"What the hell?" Brendan said.

"Relax kid, we aren't here to harm you. We were after Team Magma, hoping to prevent them from getting a meteorite. Seems we were too late," Archie said.

Brendan clutched his head again. "May, is May alright?" The question seemed to confuse Archie.

"Kid, you and your Kirlia are the only ones here other than us," he said.

Brendan's eyes went wide. "That means they took her," he said, getting frantic. "Team Magma took her!" Archie looked at the grunts.

"Kid, I think I know where she might be. I'll help you get there," he said.

Brendan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "And why should I trust you?"

Archie didn't seem angered by the question. In fact, he seemed to be expecting it. "Because we have a common enemy at the moment," he said. "I can get you to this May girl, and I get the feeling that you'll be able to help us with Team Magma."

Brendan thought for a moment, looking to Gwen, who nodded her approval. "Alright, we're allies for now. Only until I get May back," he said. "After that, I could care less about your team."

Archie nodded. "Fine by me." He helped Brendan to his feet and then led the way out of the caves. He didn't notice, however, the newly awoken fire in Brendan's eyes.

May, I swear I will save you!

Hey everybody, hope you enjoyed that chapter. Please let me know what you think in the reviews. Be honest, but don't be a jerk about it (there are a few examples of this in the reviews already).

One quick explanation though: I absolutely hated the new design for Tabitha in ORAS. He looked much more bad-ass with his Emerald design, so I used that one.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Until next time – jmoul18.