New chapter! Now as the writer, I'm ashamed to say that I'm not as proud of this chapter as I am with the others, but I'm still glad I got it made and how it turned out. I hope that you yourself will enjoy this chapter and I'm already working on the next.
"Come on!" May shouted as she pulled Brendan and he resisted.
"Nooooo!" he cried out, "They'll explode my mind with their own!"
"Come on! Red and Leaf have been challenging the gyms alone and we haven't had a go at any of them!" May replied, "...and the trainers are psychic, not psychotic!"
Brendan paused, "Can't they be both?"
"Brendan!" May whined as she pulled harder, while Brendan latched on to a light pole, "Guys, some help?"
"I...really don't think I should intervene." Leaf replied.
"I'm having too much fun watching." Red laughed.
"Pichu!" Pichu cried out as he hopped on to May's hands and pulled with her.
"Et tu, Pichu?" Brendan cried out before they fell. May rubbed her head before quickly grabbing Brendan and pulling him by the collar.
"Quit being so dramatic, it's not like you forgot how to fight a Pokémon battle." May commented before Brendan got up and took the lead while pulling her along.
"I know, I was just messing with you." he replied. May hung her head in defeat and Pichu jumped into Leaf's arms as she and Red followed. Once they were in front of the Saffron City Gym, May took the lead and kicked the doors open...though a little too hard as they were made of glass and shattered once they hit the wall. Brendan fell on his back laughing, Leaf immediately began apologizing to the advisor who looked quite cross, Red...well...was in battle Red mode, and May was on a tearing up at a wall with her eyes on her arm.
"Alright, alright." the gym advisor called out, "It was an accident, so just go on and begin the gym challenge."
"But...there's no one else here." May commented.
"See that pad?" the advisor asked as he pointed to a plate on the corner floor of the room, "It will take you to a new room where you must figure out the pattern that will lead you to the leader. We used to have the pattern start off right away, but too many challengers got by without battling the other trainers. Now each time it's used, it will send you to a random room the first time." The four of them neared the plate with confusion and May took the first step, as soon as she planted both feet on the plate, she vanished.
"Whoa! That's so cool!" Brendan shouted before May's cry of surprise was heard.
"Why hello there beautiful." a voice near May's was heard.
"Hey, I came to challenge the gym, not look for a date!" May shouted.
"Aww man."
"Hey, no one gets to hit on May when I'm around!" Brendan threatened as he stepped through the portal. Brendan jumped into the room and looked around for May, but instead he was met by an unknown girl. 'Oh right, random rooms on the first pad.'
"Hey there!" the girl called out, "You know, we could battle like we're supposed to...or we could get to know each other better."
"What? No, I came to-" Brendan was cut off as the girl cornered him and placed her arms around his neck.
"Come on, we're all alo-" this time it was the girl who was cut off as she was pushed away and a pillar of fire appeared before her and Brendan, fading shortly after but also revealing May.
"So, you'll defend me from other guys, but when it comes to you and girls, it's no problem huh!?" she asked as her eye brow twitched.
"No! May! Of course not!" Brendan pleaded as May took to another plate and he chased after her. It wasn't till they both reached the other side that may turned to look at him.
"I know you wouldn't do that." she replied as she hugged him, "I was just messing with you. How could I not with that look you put on when you're scared of losing me?" Brendan simply laughed and hugged her tighter.
Meanwhile, Leaf and Red had stepped through the portal plates and (either by fate's stupidity, or by luck) ended up in the leader's room.
"Huh, two challengers today." the leader commented.
"Actually," Leaf replied as she snatched Pichu who had jumped out of her bag in an attempt to head butt the gym leader, "there's two more, but..."
How the hell are we supposed to get to the leader's room!?" May shouted, "Each panel sends us to the last!"
"Never thought I'd admit it," Brendan commented, "but we're lost."
"Huh...looks like they might not get to." Red commented.
"How about I make things interesting?" the leader asked.
"What do you mean?" Leaf asked.
"I Sabrina, leader of the Saffron City Gym, will allow you both to challenge me in a simultaneous battle!"
"Hmm...a double battle huh?" Red repeated to himself, voice low and also managing to shake Sabrina a bit, but she was not one to be shaken so easily.
"Finally!" a voice cried out. Everyone turned to see May and Brendan at the panel in the corner, "We found you!"
"Hey, finally made it huh?" Leaf called out, "We're about to take on Sabrina together."
"Are you ready?" Sabrina asked as she readied two poke balls. Red and Leaf nodded, sending out Haunter and Butterfree, however Butterfree once more slammed into Leaf and Red to hug them before returning to its initial position. Haunter suddenly disappeared and Red looked all around for him until Sabrina's gasp of surprise hinted at where he might be.
"H-how did you get behind me without me noticing!?" Sabrina asked with a tinge of fear.
"He does that." Red commented, cracking the face of confidence on Sabrina's face to its limit. Haunter returned to its initial position and Sabrina quickly sent out Alakazam and Venomoth.
"Alright, Alakazam use Psychic on Haunter!" she commanded, "Venomoth, use gust!" While Butterfree took evasive action on Leaf's command, Haunter didn't move and took both attacks, "Well, so much for one of the type advantages." Sabrina commented, but Red didn't reply or look up. 'What's with this kid? His Haunter goes down and he's not even- WHAT!?' The dust from the gust attack began to settle and revealed Haunter waiting for the next command, unscathed due to Protect.
"Shadow Ball." Red commanded softly and Haunter complied, only instead of simply unleashing a large ball of shadow energy, he released an unusually massive ball of energy the size of a Snorlax! The massive ball struck Alakazam square in the chest and sent it into, and through, the wall.
"...WHOA...remind me never to piss HIM off." Brendan commented as Alakazam made its way back through the wall.
"Are you ok?" Sabrina asked and Alakazam nodded, "We're not done yet you two!"
"Butterfree, use Confusion!" Leaf commanded while Venomoth was distracted. The attack landed, but it didn't do much even with move type advantage, "Quick, use Sleep Powder!"
"Venomoth, use gust again!" Sabrina commanded, "Alakazam, use-"
"Shadow Claw." Red commented. Just as Venomoth was about to finish Butterfree as he began his attack, Haunter intervened and used Shadow Claw on Venomoth, allowing Butterfree to land its attack on both Venomoth and Alakazam.
"Thank Red." Leaf called out, "Now use confusion once more Butterfree!"
"End it." Red commanded and Haunter struck Alakazam once more with Shadow Claw while Butterfree attacked Venomoth. Both opposing Pokémon went down for the count and Sabrina could only watch with a stunned look on her face.
"I...I admit defeat." she commented. Leaf cheered and quickly hugged Red and he swung her around. Sabrina approached to give Red and Leaf the gym badge but... "What? I had the badges right here! Alright who took them!?"
"Umm...I've got an idea." May replied as she looked at the back of the room towards the broken wall, climbed through, and came back shortly with Pichu who was playing with two gym badges, "I was right."
"I-I'm so sorry!" Leaf apologized, "Pichu! You give those back right now!" Pichu simply looked at her and his eyes began to water. "No, please don't cry!" Leaf begged, "It's just that they're not yours, or ours...yet."
"Well, not the traditional hand off, but they are yours now." Sabrina commented before pointing at both Red and Brendan, "Now, YOU TWO ARE GOING TO FIX MY DOOR AND WALL!"
"WHAT!?" Brendan exclaimed, "But Red and Leaf blew your wall!"
"Quit complaining and be a man!" Sabrina snapped.
"Yes ma'am!" Brenda replied fearfully before following Red to repair the wall. It wasn't till the sun had set and the street lights lit, that they finally finished repairing the damage done and left the gym.
"Thank you, come back soon!" Sabrina called out.
"NOT ON YOUR LIFE!" Brendan snapped.
"Aww, is Brendan tired and cranky?" May teased before Brendan took a zombified like form.
"Bed...need...bed." He moaned, "Soooo...tired."
"Well, we can either push on or spend another night here." Red commented.
"I think we should rest here." Leaf replied, "We never expected to have to repair the gym, so it's best if we're refreshed for the road." Red nodded in agreement and the both looked over at May and Brendan.
"I guess we're staying here." May replied.
"Lead mode activate." Brendan sighed before letting himself collapse on the ground.
"NOT HERE! IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET!"
"I'm too tired to move anymore."
"Oh come on!" May shouted before a hand landed on her shoulder.
"I got this, you two go on ahead." Red said seriously. May could only look at him with confusion before looking back at Brendan who had a serious face as well.
"Umm...ok, come on Leaf." May replied. It wasn't till the girls turned the corner that Brendan sat up against a nearby wall.
"What's wrong?" Red asked as he sat next to him.
"Red...I need you to do me a favor, from one man to another." Brendan replied, "Punch me."
"What?"
"Back at the gym...I...I nearly cheated on May."
"..."
"I don't know what happened. At the gym, a girl came all out onto me." Brendan's eyes began to water, "I love May, yet for some reason...I nearly let her kiss me."
"...why?" Red asked.
"I don't know!" Brendan replied as he buried his head in his hands, "It all happened so fast, I began to shake, it got warm in that room, I just...I don't know what to do! May deserves better." Red began to chuckle, and frankly, it both infuriated Brendan and scared him stiff. "What the hell are you laughing at!?" Red placed his hand on Brendan's shoulder.
"I may not know much about dating, still new, but sounds to me like you just had a natural reaction." he replied, "You might have come close to letting her kiss you, but you know that you would have stopped her. You said it yourself, you love May."
"But I-"
"No buts, I can tell you really do care for her so I really doubt that you would let something like that come and ruin what you have with May. That close call was just hormones, ignore them and listen to what you really feel."
"...you're right." Brendan replied as he wiped his eyes, "Thanks Red. You're a good friend."
"That's what Leaf and I are here for." Red replied.
"Speaking of you and Leaf, how's about May and I help you guys...progress with a little push from us?" Brendan asked.
"As tempting as that sounds, I want this to go at its own pace." Red replied, "I don't want to rush her into things."
"I guess." Brendan commented, "You know, you've changed a lot from the day we met you. You and Leaf have really gotten closer too."
"...you're right." Red replied, "It's all thanks to Leaf. If I hadn't run into her in Viridian Forest, I would've just ended up traveling alone. She's changed my whole life, I can talk to others, smile with her, even laugh."
"Whoa, what happened that you couldn't do any of that?" Brendan asked.
"I don't know...I just shut down one day." Red replied.
"...I get it, you don't really want to touch that subject." Brendan commented, "Hey, I've been meaning to ask...how do you and Leaf do it?" Red looked at him with confusion, "You two look like a couple from a fairy tale. No disagreements, you always smile when you're together, it's like you were meant to find each other."
"Heh, I guess because...we're more alike that we initially thought, growing up." Red replied, "You know, you and May always smile when you're together too. Keep that in mind if you start to doubt yourself again."
"...thanks man." Brendan replied and Red nodded, "Hey, you mind not telling anyone that I broke down in tears?"
"Sure." Red laughed.
"Hey, you guys coming or what?" May called out as she and Leaf approached and the guys got up, "We've been waiting for ten minutes, what are guys-" May was cut off as Brendan quickly took her into his arms and gave her the deepest and most heartfelt kiss he could come up with in his life. May instantly melted into his arms while Red and Leaf looked away out of respect and slight embarrassment. Brendan and May finally broke away after a good long few seconds and May slowly opened her eyes.
"Brendan, where did that come from?" she asked.
"Just thought I'd show you how much I love you." Brendan replied.
"Come on Leaf, let's give them some space." Red whispered and Leaf nodded in agreement.
'I wonder if that will ever be us?' Leaf thought to herself and her answer was given by the fact that Red took her hand in his as they walked and brought her closer to him.
If you happen to be wondering what that was about with Brendan's dilema, well I wanted to add in a bump on the road. It's not a lingering one though, I hate those, but its to add a little twist for fun and for the feels...I think, anyway I'll have the next chap soon. Crap, can't undo last page break...