Hi everyone, it's been a while since i've updated and I would like to apologize for that. My summer classes and job have been taking up all my time lately and I've hardy had the time to sit down and write something down. Anyways, welcome to chapter twenty three of this story and hope you enjoy!

Chapter 23- Goodbye and Goodluck

"Let's see. Everything seems to be in place," Brendan muttered as he was shuffling through his backpack for maybe the millionth time in that past hour.

"Yep everything seems to be in order, mom was even able to pack all the cooking stuff inside so we won't starve while on the road guys," he joked.

The three pokemon who were sitting on the bed gave him their nods and smiles as they were also ecstatic about finally getting to accompany the boy in his journey. Out of the three however, was one pokemon that had waited well over seven years for this day. He was more than ready to face anything the world threw at him and even vowed to protect his trainer with his life.

Brendan walked over to his desk where a couple of his books laid. He made sure that he would be well prepared for anything Hoenn could throw at him by further reading about the land's climate and environment. After all, one can never be too prepared.

He placed the books back on his shelf then walked over to his mirror to see how he looked wearing his traveling outfit. At the moment the outfit fit him maybe a bit too big, but he was sure he would grow into it. He looked at his dark brown messy hair noticing that maybe he should have gotten a haircut before leaving but brushed it off a second later.

He grabbed the white hat May had given him from his desk and went back to the mirror to see himself. The first thing he noticed is that his hat made it look like he had white hair.

"I wonder if people will think I have white hair and mistake me for a grandpa," he joked. He noticed that the hat fit his head rather well but also saw that in the nape of his neck, his messy hair was sticking out. His sideburns were also slightly sticking out as well.

"Maybe I should have gotten that haircut after all," he muttered with slight concern in his voice, but like before, decided to not let it bother him.

"Come on guys," he called out to the pokemon as he opened the door to his room and went downstairs to eat breakfast. As he was walking down he could hear his mother's frantic footsteps running across the kitchen and in the dining room. As he reached the bottom, his eyes nearly bulged as he saw the amount of food present on the table. It looked as if his mother was trying to fatten everyone in town up for the upcoming winter.

"Oh, good morning honey," he heard. His mother had quickly come into the dining room setting down more plates. She ran back to the kitchen once she had set down the plates.

"Mom is the entire town coming over?" he asked. He quickly took his seat and waited until his mom came back in to answer him.

"No honey, it's just that you gotta have your energy when you go traveling, now you four eat up," she said.

Brendan and his pokemon were more than happy to comply as he grabbed his knife and fork and had a devilish look on his face.

He looked like as if Giratina had possessed him. Before anyone knew it, the food had been cleanly wiped out of all the plates. His pokemon had done the same.

"Well young boys gotta eat," his mother commented. "You sure you should be leaving today? Why not wait a little longer, you know I can still teach you a bit more if you want?"

"Mom I already told you, it's alright. There's no need to worry, besides you said that you've taught me almost everything you know so it should be alright."

"I know, but I just can't help it you know," she responded taking a seat across from him.

"By the way has dad eaten yet?" he asked.

"Nah your father is still asleep. He said he has a surprise to give you."

"Then maybe I should go wake him up then," he giggled.

The two laughed for a couple seconds before hearing the opening of a door. Out came a groggy professor Birch wearing his blue pajamas with his messy brown hair looking like a bird's nest.

"You two sure are quite energetic this morning huh?"

"Of course, Dad, after all I'm leaving on my journey so I had to make sure that everything was taken care of."

Birch managed a nod as he went to the bathroom to freshen up. He came out a couple minutes later, all his grogginess gone and wearing his usual lab attire. He seemed to be holding something behind his back. He then made his way towards his son where he said, "Brendan my boy, I think it's about time I give you this."

He pulled out a small red device that had the appearance of a portable gaming console with a large white pokeball design button to the left. The device's screen was also covered by a red flip up lid. There were also two small rectangular shaped buttons below the screen a large circular green button to the bottom left of the screen.

"It's a pokedex son, make sure you take good care of it."

"Oh wow thanks Dad," he soon responded as he took the device from his father's hands and began looking through its features.

"I think it was about time I gave you one after all your hard work at the lab. The pokedex will also serve to provide you with information on pokemon all across the region and it will also help my research as the data will be sent to the lab for me to analyze," the professor said.

"Thanks dad, I don't even know what to say," he responded with a large grin. Both his parents couldn't help but smile along with him.

"So honey you made sure you have everything right?" Lisa asked as she eyed Brendan's bag hanging from his chair.

"Yeah mom, I checked by bag multiple times to see if everything was in there."

"Well here's a surprise from me," she gleamed, standing up and heading into the kitchen again. She came back about a minute later carrying in her arms an enormous cardboard box that was loaded with as many snacks as the boy could imagine. "All of this can fit inside right?" she asked.

"Yep and there will still be plenty of room to spare. Isn't technology just great mom?"

"I'll say," Professor Birch commented. "Trainers today could carry their entire house in their bags if they wanted to," taking a sip from his coffee.

"With all the food Mom is packing I'm surprised she hasn't stuffed the fridge in my bag," Brendan joked.

"This should at least be enough to get you through a day," Lisa joked back, handing the large box to the boy. "Make sure you don't eat it all in one go."

"Don't worry mom I won't."

From there the boy took the box where his bag was able to shrink its size to the size of a small cellphone. From there he arranged the box into the many small compartments within the bag.

The three spent the next couple of minutes talking about what they would do from now on. Lisa had commented that she would feel lonely once Brendan left and their neighbors moved out. She had also said she wanted Brendan to call home any chance he got just to make sure he was doing alright. Brendan of course tried to reassure her, but there was still that worry present on the mothers face.

Professor Birch had joked, that with his son now gone, he would need to find some other person to deal with him. He was sure that everyone in the lab was sick of dealing with the professor's antics of getting attacked by pokemon every time he stepped into the woods and all his messy paperwork that had to be arranged. Nobody understood how the man was able to make a complete mess of paper in just a few seconds. The professor then ate his meal and told his son that would probably be time to leave soon.

A young boy with messy dark brown hair and brilliant sapphire eyes was running down the long stretch of a white sandy beach. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon coloring the sky in a bright red and orange hue while some of the stars could already be seen due to the diminishing light.

Walking behind the young boy walked a young man and woman holding hands. The young man was tall with messy dark brown hair and gray eyes. He was wearing dark blue swimming trunks along with white t-shirt. He was also wearing a straw hat.

The young woman next to him was wearing a simple white sundress paired with a large straw hat with a blue ribbon tied around it that matched the color of her eyes. Her eyes were of a sapphire color while she had light brown hair styled in an upside down "V".

"Mom, Dad come on or we won't see the finneon," the young boy waved at his parents.

"Hold on hold on, we'll be there," the young woman said as they made their way to where the boy was standing. "Seriously Brendan our son looks like he inherited your energy," she sighed.

"It's not such a bad thing is it?" he asked with a wide grin as they made their way closer to the water's edge.

"Mom, Dad why don't you let your water pokemon out? Maybe they can attract the pokemon."

"Or scare them away," Brendan joked. He reached for his waist where he pulled out two pokeballs. May did the same as she reached for her own waist pulling out a single pokeball.

"Blastoise take the stage!" May commanded. She released the pokemon inside revealing the sight of a large blue bipedal turtle with two enormous cannons on its shoulders. He let out a loud greeting as he was released then jumped into the water.

"Skipper, Mimi come on out," Brendan commanded. From the first pokeball appeared a large blue bipedal pokemon with large orange gills protruding from the right and left sides of his cheeks. The pokemon also had two large black fins extending from its head with a large black fin making up its tail. The pokemon looked over to the young women and hydro pumped her in the face earning furious screams from her.

The second pokemon had a long cream-colored serpentine body with long pink antenna from its head and long pink hair like fins extending from its head. Its lower body had a blue and red scale pattern along with a large tail that contained four large blue fins with pink oval centers. The pokemon let out a loud hum and made her way into the water along with the other two.

The three pokemon played in the water for a minute before the sun had completely set. From the distance the pokemon, along from the family could see the ocean beginning to shine in a bright white color. Soon the spots on the ocean approached the shore and shone brilliantly.

The scene slowly disappeared and a soft motherly voice along with a couple of shakes to the shoulders woke a young brown-haired girl drawing her out of her dream.

"May, May, May come on wake up or you won't be able to say your goodbyes," her mother said.

"Goodbye to who mom?" she asked in a groggy voice. She pulled her blanket over herself hoping to return to the wonderful dream she was having.

"May have you already forgotten, Brendan is leaving today and it looks like he's already ready to leave."

At the sound of his name May immediately jumped to her feet and ran downstairs as fast as she could. She placed her shoes on in a hurried manner before opening the front door and running to the town's exit. There she saw Brendan along with parents and the boy looked like he was about to leave as he had his back turned and had begun to walk.

Mustering up everything she had she called out, "BRENDAN WAIT!"

All three family members soon stood up from the table. Brendan returned his pokemon to their pokeballs and they headed out the door to the town's exit. There they stood for a couple more minutes with the professor giving Brendan more tips on what he should do on his journey while his mother looked like she was about to cry her eyes out.

The poor woman couldn't hold it in anymore as she grabbed her son and pulled him into a tight hug. She noticed that he was now taller than she was and said, "even if you're not by little boy anymore I can't help but worry, stay safe out there ok?"

"Mom come on this is embarrassing," he protested as his mother hugged him more tightly. Professor Birch who had been watching from the side joined in the hug as he held both of his loved ones close.

After a minute they all pulled back and Brendan turned to leave before a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around to see his mother's teary face. Those weren't tears of sadness but tears of joy and that of a proud parent.

"Don't push yourself too hard out there and remember that if anything happens you'll always be welcomed back home. Now go get em honey! she exclaimed as she desperately wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"Thanks mom," he responded as he turned back around to the town's exit. This time it wasn't his mother or her hand on his shoulder that interrupted him but a loud yell.

"BRENDAN WAIT!" he heard a loud familiar voice. He turned around again to see his next-door neighbor, who was still wearing her pajamas, running at full speed towards him. He didn't have time to react as she quickly embraced him in a tight hug. His face was now beginning to grow a shade of red before he heard May say, "good luck out there, I hope that your dreams come true."

"Than-thanks May," he responded through his burning face.

As May was hugging him she noticed that the boy had grown even more. Her head now only reached up to his chin and if she was being honest he was growing to be quite handsome. She gently let go and faced him noticing that he was wearing the white hat. Her eyes lit up knowing that the hat finally fit him and she felt a warm feeling in her gut.

"Good luck out there bro," Max said. Brendan had barely noticed that he had joined the fray as his attention was being occupied by May.

"Thanks Max," he responded as their pair high fived. "You know, you guys are free to go into my room and play the games or read some of the books if you want. Just make sure not to make a mess," he joked which earned large grins from May and Max.

"I wish you the best of luck out the Brendan," Caroline said. Brendan had also failed to notice her as his attention had been in other places. She pulled him into a hug and patted him on the head. "You sure have grown since we've first met. I bet Norman would be glad to see you now."

"Thanks Mrs. Maple."

Brendan didn't expect everyone in town to say goodbye as multiple other people had made their way out of their homes and to the town's exit. The Owens and Phillips were the first to arrive quickly followed by the Clarke's. Mrs. Adams and Mr. Hayes followed soon after. Since Littleroot was so small, everyone in town knew each other and cared for each other.

"All of Littleroot will be cheering for you when you make it to the Ever Grande Conference," they said, holding their fists up in the air.

"Thanks guys, I can't even begin to say my thanks. I'll make sure to do my best," he beamed.

After yet another hug fest his parents soon placed their hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him towards the town's exit. He looked back to see everyone's smiling faces then looked forwards to the vast region that was now his to explore. The gentle breeze swept many cherry blossoms into the air creating a beautiful natural scenery.

From there everyone back in town saw as the boy's figure disappeared into the woods. Everyone went back to their regular business but May along Brendan's parents were still out there staring at the exit. Professor Birch was holding his crying wife while May could only stare at the exit. She looked at the exit with longing eyes.

"Brendan, I love you," she muttered through the gentle spring wind carrying the pink petals.

AN: So May finally admits that she has feelings for a certain someone and she even had a dream about their future. It's safe to say that they do end up together at one point, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to save that for another story.

I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible so look forward to that and thanks for reading!