Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Seriously! I don't own it! Stop bothering me!

Warnings: Haven't I gone through this?

Blade: Well, I fired Ash 'cause he wasn't much of a helper.

Ruby: Sure. Whatever you say, Blade.

Blade: Anyway! Max makes his appearance, amongst other things.

Ruby: So…on with the show.

Episode 3: Meet the Family

That kid has way too much energy. Brendan thought as the duo exited the forest between Oldale Town and Petalburg City. He wasn't tired, but the thought of meeting his parents was a little…daunting, to say the least. A sigh escaped the Trainer's lips when he saw that Ash was impatiently waiting for him at the top of the hill. Brendan really didn't want to see his family, but he saw that there was no choice in the matter. Especially when his companion was so psyched for his first Gym battle.

"What's the rush? It's just Petalburg City; nothing special," the white haired Trainer asked when he finally made it to the top. Ash rolled his eyes before explaining himself.

"The Petalburg Gym here will be my first Gym match, as well as my first badge. I do need eight different badges to compete in the Hoenn League," the dark haired Trainer replied. He then started to make his way down the hill and toward the town. Brendan sighed in defeat and followed his friend, dread filling his heart every step of the way.

It took about five minutes to enter the city and another five minutes to find the Gym. The only reason it took them ten minutes was because of Brendan. He was getting more and more resigned the closer they got to the Gym. Quite frankly, Brendan's mood was starting to make Ash and Pikachu concerned for him. Ash didn't bother to ask what was wrong, since the last time he asked all he got was a mumble.

"Well, we're here!" Ash said cheerfully to his companion. The white haired youth just sighed before they entered the dojo-like building. They walked down the hall in relative silence until the corridor suddenly opened up to a wide, indoor arena. Although made of maple, the room looked sturdy enough to withstand most Pokémon attacks. It was also incredibly smooth, not to mention surprisingly clean.

"Hello? Anybody here? I'm here for a Gym battle!" called the young Trainer. Brendan silently moved toward the stage and turned his head side to side. He was looking for something, but what, Ash couldn't be sure.

Ash gave another shout and after the echo had faded, a little boy appeared. He looked a little annoyed and seemed like he was about to tell the Trainer off. The boy adjusted his glasses and gave the black haired Trainer a hard look. A moment of silence passed before the boy cried in recognition and pointed at Ash.

"I know you! You competed in the Silver Conference!" he said, causing the Trainer to take a prideful stance, "And you lost in the second round!"

That made a painful bruise to the teen's ego, especially when the kid thought his name was "Alf" or something. Ash quickly corrected the boy, but it got shrugged off in an indifferent manner.

"At any rate, I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader, not argue with some kid!" Ash angrily told the boy. He smirked up at the Trainer and fixed his glasses.

"I'm the Petalburg Gym Leader, Max!" the boy retorted egotistically. Ash gave the kid a dumbfounded look, only for both of their expressions to turn into surprise when they heard laughter. The two looked at Brendan, who was clutching his stomach in mirth. When his laughter died down, the teen walked over to the two in a calm manner. Brendan put his elbow on Max's head and cradled his (Brendan) head with his hand.

"This isn't the Leader. He's just my kid brother," Brendan chuckled at the glare Max sent him. Deciding his brother had enough torture the red-eyed teen stopped using the boy's head as an armrest and ruffled his hair. Ash just stood there in surprise, especially when the real Gym Leader and his wife entered the room. The couple smiled at the three before taking them to the living room part of the Gym.

Like the rest of the place, the walls were whitewashed and the floor made of pure maple wood. There were also two benches on adjacent walls, obviously meant for family and guests. It also kept the appearance of a dojo, but the room felt more like home than a place to hold battles.

Ash sat down next to Brendan on a bench while Max and their parents sat on the other one. The Trainer was a little confused, more so when he noticed that Brendan's mood had jumped from indifference to cheerful. After the introductions were over, Ash turned to his friend to ask a question.

"Wait…so…you're the Gym Leader's eldest son?" the black haired Trainer asked his friend. Brendan gave a nervous smile and a nod. "Wow! Why didn't you say something?"

"You never asked!" Brendan retorted, sticking out his tongue in a childish way. Caroline smiled at the duo's antics and Norman was the one who sort of ruined the moment.

"So, Ruby, which Pokémon did you pick as your starter?" the Gym Leader inquired with a smile. Max looked excited and encouraged his older brother to tell via begging. Brendan rolled his eyes at his brother's antics before taking out two Pokéballs. He then threw one and in a flash of light his Mudkip appeared. It gave a cry of greeting and the equivalent of a smile.

"I've even decided on a name for him. He's going to be called Pisces," Brendan explained proudly. Max, on the other hand, looked scandalized. He got down to Pisces' level with a frown.

"A Mudkip? You should've gotten Treeko! A Treeko is way cooler than a Mudkip!" that was the wrong thing to say to the water-type. Pisces had an angry look on his face and attacked Max, using his tail to slap him repeatedly. Brendan just watched it all with a bored look until he figured that enough was enough.

"Pisces. I think he's had enough," a satisfied cry from the Mudkip was the only answer the white haired Trainer received. He jumped up on Brendan's lap and made himself comfortable. Pisces appeared to have forgotten that Max ever said anything to him.

"I think Pisces is a fine Pokémon," Norman complimented, earning an appreciated call from the water-type. Brendan smiled and tossed the other ball, releasing his Ralts. The psychic-type looked curiously at his Trainer's relatives, a little unsure of whom they were.

"That's Libra," the ruby-eyed teen introduced. Libra gave a shy smile, his nervousness heightened a little by Max moving closer to him.

"Well…I suppose that Ralts redeems you. Still, it would have been better if you had gotten Treeko," Max commented, effectively pissing off Pisces again. The next thing anyone knew, the Mudkip was attacking the boy while Libra was holding onto Brendan's neck as though it were a lifeline.

"Would you like to stay for lunch, Ash?" Caroline asked her son's friend, a lovely smile on her face. The Trainer nervously accepted the offer while Brendan put his Pokémon back into their balls. They made their way down to the dining room where lunch had already been served. Ash was surprised to find that there were enough plates for everyone and gave Brendan a curious look. Brendan just winked and said nothing about it.

Lunch was consumed while making small talk, but Brendan was relatively silent during the exchange. Ash and Norman noticed the white haired Trainer's silence, yet they made no comment. They just figured that he was tired from yesterday's excitement.

Eventually the conversation turned to what Ash had been doing before going to the Hoenn region. He explained briefly that he was traveling through all of the regions and participating in the different Leagues. Ash also admitted to leaving all of his Pokémon, except Pikachu, at Pallet Town so he could start all over in the new region.

"Since you only have one Pokémon with you, how about we have an unofficial, one-on-one battle?" Norman offered the Trainer. Ash immediately agreed, earning a worried look from Brendan. Technically, Petalburg Gym was the fifth Gym that Trainers challenged. That was how strong his father was and that fact made Brendan a little worried for his friend.

Once the dishes were put away, the five made their way to the arena. Norman and Ash took their places while the others sat at the sidelines. Max was confident that the black haired Trainer would lose in no time. Their mother thought that he might have a chance while Brendan was silent, his eyes trained on the two Trainers.

"Let's go, Vigoroth!" Norman shouted as he threw a ball. In a flash of light, the sloth-like Pokémon appeared with a challenging call. Ash gulped and sent his Pikachu into the arena.

"Five minutes," Brendan said under his breath. He was too quiet for his mother and brother to hear, which was probably for the best. His prediction came true when after five minutes of exchanging blows, Vigoroth used a powerful Slash attack to make Pikachu fly into a wall outside of the arena. That made for an automatic disqualification, which was a relief for the injured electric-type.

Ash rushed over to his partner to make sure it was all right. He was happy to find that its injuries weren't serious and complimented the rodent on a nice try. Brendan couldn't help but smile at the two, completely ignoring his brother's boast of knowing Norman would win the battle.

"I haven't seen you smile like that in years, Ruby," Caroline commented quietly to her son. Brendan blinked in confusion, but couldn't make a reply when one of the walls blew up. Annoying laughter sounded and when the smoke cleared, they saw Jessie, James, and Meowth standing on a rock outside. Brendan stood up and glared at the three menacingly.

"You three! What are you clowns doing here?!" the teen demanded as he grabbed one of his Pokéballs. Team Rocket just laughed, grating on Brendan's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

"Isn't it obvious? We're after that Pikachu!" Jessie replied evilly. Brendan gave her an 'are-you-freaking-stupid' look and threw the Pokéball that contained his Mudkip. Pisces shook himself before giving them his serious look. James chuckled at their futile attempt and threw his own Pokéball, releasing a Weezing.

"Weezing use Smokescreen!" a greenish-black smoke was released from the poison-type's body. The attack caused everyone inside to start coughing because of the thickness. Norman and Ash tried to get their Pokémon to attack, but the smoke severely limited their sight and caused them to miss their targets. When the air cleared, they saw Team Rocket getting away in their hot air balloon with a squirming sack over Jessie's shoulder.

Brendan looked around only to see that Vigoroth and Pikachu were still there. His search then became more frantic and when he didn't see Pisces, the white haired Trainer knew what had happened. He ran outside and stood at the hole's "entrance," watching in disbelief as the balloon floated further away.

"Is something the matter, Ruby?" Norman asked his son in concern. An angry aura was starting to surround said Trainer, resulting in a nervous Ash and Max.

"Those creeps took Pisces!" Brendan replied while cracking his knuckles. There was a good reason people avoided getting the teen angry, which was that he knew how to fight without using Pokémon.

"We won't let them get away with that," Caroline said in confidence, a pleasant smile on her face. With that said, the five ran in the general direction the Meowth-shaped balloon had gone. After a while of running, they had to stop when they came to a crossroad. Norman and Caroline weren't deterred, instead volunteering to go look for Team Rocket while the kids rested.

Brendan sighed before collapsing to the ground on his back. His ruby eyes were half-lidded and emotionless. Max and Ash gave him a concerned look, but the Trainer waved it away. Brendan glanced over at the two and grinned.

"No worries! Mom and Dad can find them in no time!" as if to prove his point, Norman and Caroline were rushing back with smiles on their faces. Brendan gave another sigh and stood up, expecting some good news. The news was good because they had found Pisces. Relieved, the three kids followed the couple to where they had spotted Brendan's partner.

In a clearing about five minutes away from the crossroad was the balloon. Sitting near the basket was Pisces in a cage, his expression conveying sadness. The sight of his Pokémon in a cage renewed Brendan's anger toward the trio. He would've rushed to his Mudkip's side, if it weren't for Max breaking through the bushes they were hiding in and rushing toward Pisces.

"Wait! There could be--" Ash's warning was unneeded when Max fell into a concealed pit. Brendan took on a 'wtf' expression, too dumbfounded to even consider going to his brother's aid. His parents weren't and sprinted out of the bushes to help their youngest son. Ash tried to warn them of a second trap, but he was too late when they also fell into a pit. The two Trainers sighed and left their hiding place.

"Whose bright idea was it to make not one hole, but two holes?" Brendan asked in exasperation. Ash was helping Max out of the hole while Norman and Caroline got out by themselves. The annoying laughter sounded again and Brendan couldn't help but groan. Team Rocket was starting to get on his nerves.

"The point is that you fell for it!" Meowth replied while Jessie sent out her Arbok. James' Weezing was already out for battle, as was Ash's Pikachu. Norman sent out his Vigoroth and the four Trainers started their battle. During the confusion, Max was able to grab the cage Pisces was in. He willingly gave it to Brendan and had a proud look on his face.

"Thanks Max! You're easily the best little brother!" Brendan complimented as he released Pisces from his metal prison. The Mudkip gave a grateful cry and jumped into his Trainer's arms, nuzzling the teen's chest. After the moment had passed, Brendan and Pisces went into battle stances.

"Alright, Pisces! Use Water Gun!" Pisces followed the order, but instead of hitting Arbok, he hit Max. Brendan scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "That wasn't quite what I had in mind…"

Luckily, Ash and Norman were just fine on their own. They easily defeated Team Rocket and while Pikachu was charging its Thunderbolt attack, Brendan decided to give the electric-type a little boost.

"Use Water Gun on those clowns, Pisces!" that time the water-based attack hit the intended target just as Pikachu released its Thunderbolt. Since water conducted electricity, the shock got a boost in its power and made the balloon explode as a result. Team Rocket became a star in the distance, their exiting motto fading in the distance. Brendan turned to his family and friend with a wink.

"And that's that!" Brendan commented, giving them the thumbs up.

~*

When they finally returned to the Petalburg Gym, it was about time for the two Trainers to get on with their journey. Caroline handed her son a red, single-strap backpack that was filled with everything he might need during their travel. Norman also gave the two Trainers a badge case for each of them.

"I know all there is to know about Pokémon, so I should come along, too!" Max claimed, earning himself a glare from Ash and Brendan. Norman just laughed, agreeing that he should also join them. The Gym Leader also gave Max a PokéNav and earned himself a torrent of 'thank-yous' from the boy.

"We'll come back after we've earned four badges! Count on it!" Brendan told his father with a smirk and a wink. Norman nodded and seemed to be looking forward to the experience. After all was said and done, the three boys left the Gym and only looked back to give the parents one last wave of farewell.