What happened last chapter: "I still…" Brendan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "do like you May." He muttered gently. "A lot…but…"

"But what?" she asked.

"I can't forgive you May. There's no proof; I can't believe you." Brendan said, his voice hardening once again. He then ran towards the exit, refusing to speak with May anymore.

"Brendan!" called May, rushing after him, but the pokémon in the cave then attacked. Slowly, but surely, they surrounded her…

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CHAPTER 9: The Final Battle, Version One, Part One

While Brendan rushed out the cave, he could feel a scream from inside; he knew that scream belonged to May. He felt a twinge of worry and protectiveness, but he shrugged it off as he headed toward the Ever Grande Gym.

Once, then twice, Brendan checked and re-checked the contents of his bag. He checked to see if his pokéballs were in perfect condition. They were. He had countless hi-potions and ethers in his backpack, patiently waiting for him to use them.

As Brendan walked toward the twins who watched his every move, he could feel his whole body twitching, his fingers trembling. He stepped up to them and said, "I want to fight the Elite Four."

The twins looked at each other. This boy didn't seem like he could beat them, but…they shrugged. The boy had a certain gleam in his ruby eyes, one of determination and faith.

"Go forth, trainer!" they shouted unanimously to the trainer, stepping to the side of the doorway so Brendan could go through. "This is it," thought Brendan to himself as he walked through a blue hallway, the fight with the first Elite just moments away.

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May bit her lip as she stared at the hundreds, maybe thousands of pokémon staring back at her; they were waiting for her to make her first move. Fingering her trusty pokéballs near her waist, she brought all six of them out. "Go!" she shouted, and with flashes of red light her pokémon stood by May's side, ready to defend her.

It was a ruthless fight, but with one final attack, her pokémon knocked out the last wild creature. May wearily summoned her pokémon back into their pokéballs. "Let's get you to the nearest pokécenter, okay?" murmured May to her pokémon. She walked out from Victory road, leaving it behind and stepping into the light.

The first things that May smelled were flowers. She reached to the nearest one, sniffing it. "It's been a while since I've stopped to smell the flowers." She grinned. She saw two pillars next to her. In front of her was a large building, the Ever Grande Gym.

The sight to her was relieving, for she saw a pokémon center. She rushed to the nurse. "Heal my pokémon, please?" pleaded May. The nurse took one look at her and nodded. "Certainly. It will take a few hours for them to heal, though. In the meanwhile, would you like to take a shower?"

"The pokémon centers have showers?" asked May, her eyes wide.

The nurse laughed. "Of course, we wouldn't want dirty trainers traveling all over the place, would we now?"

May blushed, looking down at herself. "It's been days since I've taken a proper shower." She looked back up at the nurse. "I'd love to."

The nurse took her to a shower, providing her with complementary soap and shampoo. Before stepping in, May handed the nurse some money. The nurse, however, wouldn't take it. She pushed it back into May's hands. "What I live for is taking care of people and their pokémon. I couldn't take it. Use it for your own sake." She smiled at May and returned to her post.

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Brendan was fighting the last of the Elite Four, defeating him with Kyogre's water blast. "How…" panted Drake. "…did you beat me?"

Brendan smirked confidently. "Pure skill."

As Brendan stepped in the final room to compete with the champion, Drake, the Dragon master, shook his head and muttered to himself, "That boy's cocky, way too cocky. But he was good enough to beat me. I've got to train harder."

He summoned Flygon back into his pokéball and waited patiently for the next challenger.

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May stepped out of the shower, smelling like lilac and squeaky-clean. She wrapped a towel around herself and stared in the mirror. She saw her own reflection, tired, in the mirror. May sighed, and naturally let her hair dry. She then combed her hair, feeling much better. It was good to have the basic necessities at hand.

She dressed in a fresh outfit and waited for her pokémon, wondering about Brendan. Where was he? "Probably fighting against the Elite Four," she said out loud to herself. She also wondered if he was Champion yet. "I don't think so," she snorted, and turned on the PokéNews. What she saw amazed her…

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Wallace, the pokémon champion, stared at Brendan's fallen form. "Is that the best you can do?" he said. The cameras were rolling, its audience wondering if this kid would be able to defeat the Elite Four. He seemed to show promise.

Brendan stared at him angrily. "It's not over yet." He summoned Groudon, one of the legendary pokémon. Everyone gasped. No wonder this kid was able to defeat the Elite Four!

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Groudon? He had GROUDON?

May's slumped form was staring at the television screen, barely on the edge of her seat. She continued to watch Brendan's battle, and watched as Wallace's last pokémon was defeated by Groudon.

The reporters began to sing. A story was in their grasp! They rushed towards Brendan, the new Pokémon champion. "How does it feel to be the new Pokémon champion?" a perfect-looking reporter waved his microphone in front of Brendan's face. "It feels great," Brendan grinned widely. "I knew I'd be the champion all along."

"How's your girlfriend, May Maple? Will she be angry that you became the new champion and that she didn't?" asked a female reporter, eagerly waiting for his answer.

Brendan's eyes on the screen narrowed. "No comment." He said smoothly before escaping to the next room to register his pokémon. Countless reporters ran after him in a frenzy, for they all wanted to film the new pokémon champion.

May turned off the television and leaned back against the soft cushions of the couch she was sitting on, and slept.

"May? May Maple." Someone continuously began to poke her.

"Whaaat?" moaned May as she opened her eyes. The nurse was in full view.

"Your pokémon are completely healed!" she grinned.

May smiled. "Thank you." She said, gently taking her pokéballs back. The familiar feel of her pokéballs relieved her of her stress. She felt much better.

Now ready, she walked towards the twins who were waiting for her. "Ready, May Maple?" the twins asked her. May nodded. "Then go forth, trainer!" they said again, stepping out of the way. May smirked as she entered the battlefield. "Brendan," May thought. "when I beat the Elite Four, I'm going to kick your ass!"

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Brendan sat comfortably in his new chair, gazing at the door.

"A new challenger has arrived," announced the twin trainers as they led a familiar looking someone into the battle room.

"Already?" mused Brendan. "I didn't think you would last so long against the Elite Four…"

May stared at him, anger shown plainly in her eyes. Brendan simply stared back, each refusing to succumb to the other.

"But I have been expecting you, May Maple, and I don't expect you to back out. Are you ready for the biggest pokémon battle in your life?" Brendan smirked.

"You're such a jerk," said May, taking her place on the battlefield.

"You'll never learn, will you? You can never beat me!" boasted Brendan, confident that he would win.

"We'll have to see about that," smirked May.

The platforms they were on raised up, so that both champion and trainer could look at each other. "Scared, May?" he asked.

"You wish." replied May.

May and Brendan suddenly noticed the reporters again. "Go away!" they both shouted at the same time.

"No," said a Pokénews reporter. "This is the battle of a lifetime! None of our viewers would want to miss this."

"Afraid they'll laugh at you when you lose, Birch?"

"On last-name terms now, Maple?" he said cockily. He pulled out a pokéball. She did the same.

"Go, Raichu!" he shouted.

"Go, Munchlax!" yelled May.

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

"Munchlax, Tackle!"

Both pokémon attacked each other at the same time, hurting each other. They both hurled at each other, despite their friendship with each other, to obey their masters' commands.

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The battle went roughly over two hours when Brendan interrupted, "Better bring out the big guns now," and summoned back his pokémon on the field and brought out Kyogre.

"Oh, really?" said May with a raised eyebrow. May was not doing very well. She had underestimated Brendan, but Brendan also underestimated her. She had lasted longer than he thought. "Come back, Beautifly!"

She readied herself, bringing out the Master Ball. "Go, Rayquaza!" she yelled.

The reporters (and Brendan) gasped. "RAYQUAZA?" they all screamed.

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Preview of the Next Chapter, "The Final Battle, Version One, Part Two":

"I said…I was sorry, May." said Brendan.

May turned to him, wide-eyed. "Why would you say that?"

"Because… I truly am."

May continued to stare at him, as if it weren't all real. "Will you…forgive me?" he asked, staring into May's eyes.

May looked uncertain...

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A/N: Sorry if I made Brendan and May OOC (I think I already did Oo). And sorry for not updating sooner, I got caught up in schoolwork. Hopefully, the next update will be sooner. There will be two endings and an epilogue. Constructive criticism needed xD