evolution

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wild.

She hears him mumbling before she sees his face.

"Pokémon fully restored… Items all packed, and… Y-you… Who are you? May? Oh, you're the new kid who just moved in next door?!"

There's something in the way that he says new kid that makes her hyper-aware of it. She bites the inside of her cheek, more uncomfortable than she was to begin with and wonders— worries, in fact—if she might have replaced somebody important to him. Her eyes flicker away from his.

"Huh… I didn't know that you'd be a girl. Dad—I mean, Professor Birch"—May's eyes dart to his again, thinking she's found a sort of vulnerability to this fast-paced boy, but he's already moved on—"told me you were the kid of a Gym Leader, and I sort of hoped you'd be a guy."

She barely has time to feel annoyed (mixed with that tight feeling of having disappointed someone) with him before he plows on.

"My name's Brendan." Birch, she tacks on in her mind. "Well, I guess we are still neighbors, so… Nice to meet you! Let's be friends, OK?"

She's ready to nod, to thrust out her hand and shake his, to agree on a private, internal truce to give the boy another chance, but he's—again—already moved past that point of conversation. She's beginning to recognize a theme with this boy.

"Huh? Hey, May… Don't you have any Pokémon? If you want, I can go catch you one. Aw, wait, I forgot… I'm supposed to be going out to help my dad catch some wild Pokémon. Some other time, OK?" And then he rushes out.

She finds that she's not impressed with this boy and his strangely-shaped white cap and motormouth. Maybe she'll tolerate him, but friendship seems like a stretch.

…

They run into each other a lot, and she accidentally develops a bit of a habit of zoning out when Brendan's doing his thing.

She finds him hard to trust. One minute he's throwing praise at her—"I get the feeling that you could befriend any Pokémon, May. No doubt,"—and the next he blatantly reveals how little he thinks of her, easily saying things like, "I guess you wouldn't know, since you just moved here," and "Sheesh, May, when did you go and train your Pokémon up that well? It's, like, I don't know… It's pretty surprising."

Pretty surprising? She remembers smiling forcibly at him, jaw clenched and teeth grinding together just a bit. She remembers him smiling back at her, effortlessly.

It just annoys her even more.

caught.

They bump into each other a few more times, but their interactions are brief and there's never enough time for her to get worked up. He's always there and then gone, and as much as she knows she should be used to it, she's caught by surprise every time.

Fallarbor is different though. Brendan speeds his way through his speech in his usual manner, and then shoots off with a "I'm counting on you, May!"

She's left in his dust, blinking. Counting on her? He's… counting on her?

She's not sure how to feel. So she shakes her head to rid herself of the thought and follows after him, battling a few stragglers in the cave before she finds herself in a duel against Shelly and a grunt, Brendan fighting by her side.

When it's over— when her heart has slowed and her blood is no longer pounding in her ears, when they've both caught their breaths, hands on their knees while they're doubled over from the drop in adrenaline— Brendan glances up at her and grins.

She doesn't know why, but she quickly looks back at her shoes. Brendan straightens up and cracks his back, but she stays stooped, her heart still racing for some reason.

"Those crazy jerks… What do you think they wanted with the professor's Meteorite anyway?" She shrugs and looks at him apologetically, standing upright again. He smiles and shrugs back at her before turning away, a thoughtful look on his face. "I've gotta say, they sure didn't look like the good guys…but… I guess we'd both better be careful from here on out. Not that I'm really worried about you, May," Brendan adds, winking at her. "You and your team'd be fine for sure."

That unfamiliar feeling from before—"I'm counting on you, May!"—spikes through her again, and her face almost feels hot.

"Now that that's over with…" Brendan folds his hands behind his head, "What're you planning to do next, May? I'm thinking of going for my next Gym Badge. The one from Mauville City. Wanna make the trip together, May? To Mauville, that is."

May misses the way Brendan says it—the strange little hiccup, the way his eyes sidle to her hopefully—because she's thinking. She doesn't tell him she's already fought Watson because it occurs to her that maybe this is the second chance. Maybe she judged him too quickly. Maybe they can be friends.

It occurs to her then that… she had fun fighting beside him.

…

Ever since that trip back to Mauville, May feels oddly lonely traveling on her own. Sure, Brendan talks so fast he's hard to keep up with sometimes, but he's full of fun stories and earnestness. He's funny and he's happy and he's… he's a good friend.

It's several weeks when she finally gets used to being on her own again—funny how she only spent a few days with him and somehow it throws her off for so long—when she bumps right back into him outside of Flannery's gym while she's still trying to pin the badge to her belt-pack.

"May, hey! So you were all right, huh?" Clutching the pin in her hand, she cocks her head, not sure what he means. Sheepish, he scratches his neck. "Oh, well, you know… The last time I saw you, you were mixed up with those 'Team Whatsit' people… So I just wondered if you'd gotten back on the road after that. It was, like, I don't know…" He looks at the floor, shrugs. May realizes that Brendan's at a loss for words, and it leaves her a bit speechless. "I guess I was a bit… worried?"

Biting back a smile, May updates him on the whole Team Aqua situation. The expression on his face begins horrified but grows impressed as she finishes.

"What? You battled them AGAIN after that? And you even managed to beat them? You really are something else, May…" He says, trailing off in awe. But he must see something, because he perks back up. "You and your Pokémon. Your team. And that…that sparkle there… Is that the Meteorite you got back from them?"

When she nods, it sets off another chain-reaction in his train of thought—she can tell by the shift in his eyes. "Oh, right! I forgot to give you these before. Keep those with you if you're planning on going into that desert near Route 111. There should be some Pokémon that only make their habitat in the desert, you know. You might check 'em out—if you're up to it. And… Huh? You got the Lavaridge Badge!"

She's forgotten about the pin in her hand. When she uncurls her fist, her palms have little red indentations from the fastener. The badge hangs precariously from the pouch, waiting for her to screw the fastener in so that it can sit in its rightful place.

"So you even beat Flannery, huh?" A rueful smile flits across his face so quickly it might not have even happened. "Looks like you've been taking proper care of your Pokémon. Guess that means…that you'll be headed to Petalburg City next, huh? To challenge your dad at his Gym?"

Somewhere, Tepigs fly, because Brendan doesn't speak for an entire 10 seconds. May can practically see the gears in his head whirring furiously. Finally, his eyes light on hers, and this time she doesn't miss his stutter or the hopeful glint in his eyes. "W-well, if you are… I just happened to be thinking of going to Petalburg myself, so… How about it? Wanna go back to Petalburg together?

Biting her tongue to control the odd feeling in her chest, she smiles at him and nods enthusiastically. I missed traveling with you! She adds eagerly. He flushes, and she wonders if she's said something strange without being aware.

"Y-yeah? Then let's hit it!"

He can't turn away fast enough. May is a little puzzled by the way he races off, but hastens to keep up anyways.

lvl 15.

It is pouring. She is drenched. Her socks are wet and her shoes are filled with water. Her hair clings to her face like a Tangela's vines during the wrap attack. She can see the sea-level rising, and it is terrifying.

She also can barely hear anything Wallace or Steven are saying, but both of them look up at the same time, so she turns around.

"May!" He's breathless and wide-eyed as he comes to a stop in front of her. "When I saw the news about Sootopolis on my BuzzNav, and there you were, May…" His brows are furrowed, and there's something in the way he's looking at her. Before she can ask him if he's okay, he clenches his jaw and shakes his head. "Well, anyway, all I could think of was coming to help! You don't know how glad I am to see that you're still in one piece."

As she opens her mouth to fill him in, he jumps. "Bwuh?! Is that Team Aqua? And Team Magma?! OK, I don't really know what to say right now—" May fights the urge to roll her eyes, because Brendan always has something to say at any given moment— "I'm kind of dumbfounded. Look, I get that this is probably something way bigger than I've ever imagined. So, I won't bother with any questions now. I'm gonna find out what I should do to help, and then I'm going to do whatever I can. You'd better go do the same, May. I'll always be right there behind you. You're my best friend, after all!"

May blinks, and not because of the rain in her eyes. Brendan seems to realize what he's said, because his entire face turns red and he darts off to Steven to ask how he can help. When May approaches him, he doesn't give her time to speak (but what's new, May thinks to herself dryly).

"I'm gonna find out what I should do to help, and then I'm going to do whatever I can. You'd better go do the same, May." The lilt of his words suggest he has more to say, but he cuts himself short. May stands, waits as Brendan sorts through his uncertainty. "And I'll always be right there behind you." Another pause. "A-after all…we're friends, right?"

May's entire chest tightens and she finds that for a moment, she can't breathe. Yes, she tells Brendan. Definitely. We're a team. We'll get this done— together.

Archie hands her the Aqua suit, and she takes a deep breath as she faces the entrance of the cave, the doors gaping open like a death trap.

She clenches her hands and holds onto the thought that when all of this is over, the clouds will break and the sun will come through again. When all of this is over, everything will look just like his face did after she told him they were a team.

…

Night has fallen when May finally stumbles out of the cave. But when she sees the dark sky glimmering, she's afraid for a brief moment that something has happened while she was escaping, that maybe she's died and this is actually an ethereal dream-world—

"May!" Brendan runs up to her and her heart swells and she knows she's fine. Her body wants to fall into him, but he stops just short of her personal bubble. They're quiet. "So it's all over…" There's a beat of silence that doesn't belong, a pause that suggests both of them want something but neither has the courage. Instead, they rock back onto their heels and let Steven interrupt them.

Everything is okay. She barely hears Archie's words to her. Steven hands her a flute and she knows she's going to have to figure out what it's for because she misses his entire explanation. All she can think about is how everything is okay. She made it. And Brendan is standing right behind her.

She watches Steven grow smaller, watches the last of the light fade.

"Phew!" Brendan finally speaks up, rather forced and exaggerated. "It feels like we can finally relax, huh?" May smiles slightly as Brendan steps in front of her. "I guess that now's the time to say thanks for all you've done, May."

Oh please, May laughs, shaking her head and waving her hand. He returns the chuckle, but there's something a little sad about it. He's looking at her wistfully, and suddenly, May feels self-conscious.

"You know, we set out from Littleroot at the same time, but… It seems like you're just dashing ahead by yourself and leaving me behind… I feel like we're not even on the same level anymore, you know? … It's kinda lonely thinking like that…"

Her brows furrow in concern and she opens her mouth quickly to say No, Brendan, we're a team—

His face splits into a grin and he throws his hands behind his head. "Or it would be if I really thought that! But…well, you did do something pretty amazing. So take it easy for a while, OK, friend?" He walks away from her as he faces her, shoots her a peace sign. "Later!"

She wonders if he's always been so tall.

lvl 16.

She gives him an apologetic little wave as she's ushered into the Champion's room. She knows this is supposed to be one of the greatest moments of her life, but as she walks up to the recorder, she knows she's eager to get back to Littleroot.

Still, she's so proud of her Pokémon. They find their places around her and celebrate with her, embracing her or giving her congratulatory licks that leave her smelling a bit like she did after making her way through Fallarbor. After the photo for memorabilia is taken, her friends each return eagerly into their respective Pokéballs, ready for the next adventure. And "next adventure" there will be, one in particular that she's very anxious for.

But she's young and there's still so much she wants to do—needs to do. So as she steps through the doors once more, she puts that adventure on the back burner for another day.

She sees Brendan, and she's surprised. She hadn't expected him to wait for her. He doesn't seem to hear her return, so she steps forward with his name on the tip of her tongue when he finally turns around. "Welcome back, May," he says, tone soft and low and contemplative.

Her eyes ask the question, and Brendan gestures vaguely. "I just, uh, you know…" May realizes she's holding her breath.

"We set out on this journey together, right? So maybe we should finish it together, too. D-don't go trying to read anything into it, though!"

His brief moment of vulnerability isn't lost on her. Her heart is turning somersaults in the sky and she's filled with something sweet, a feeling of hope that murmurs to her that the wait won't be as bad as she had thought.

"Now, come on! We're going home! Back to Littleroot Town!"

She hastens down the steps, stopping right in front of him because he doesn't turn and leave immediately. Instead, he looks at her—really seems to be looking at her. His eyes trace her face, lingering on her mouth just a fraction longer than any of her other features before making their way to her own curious gaze.

A slow, defenseless, proud smile greets her. She returns the gesture, hoping that her honesty can hold even a candle's flame to his. And it takes everything in her not to wrap her arms around him, press her face into the crook of his neck, and breathe in a kind of comfort she only seems to find in him.

…

May stands in front of the model of the rocket, tired. In the past year she's battled hundreds of skilled trainers, been beaten by one (who deserved it the most), searched high and low for various legendaries, and now saved the world from destruction, only to learn that she's missed a few legendaries on her earlier searches.

She's 16 and ready to go home, but fortunately for her, home comes to her first with two chocolate bars in his hands. He hands one to her then tilts his head towards the concessions, quirks a smile, and sprints towards the souvenir aisle. When he steps up to the cashier, he grabs some snacks at the checkout.

Brendan hands her more food, and May can't help but laugh. He grins and leads her to the astronaut cutout, posing and encouraging more laughter. She feels the weight lifting from her shoulders as he continues to drag her around, joking and lighthearted the entire time.

And when they're sitting and watching the stars streak across the night sky, May wonders what color his eyes are in the starlight.

…

"That was kinda awesome. Wow." He's looking at her in this way that makes her stomach twist, so she stoops over to re-tie her shoelaces. When she sits back up, he's staring out the window again.

"So those are the Litleonids. I'm really gonna have to thank your old man for this one. It's like…I don't know… I feel like I've been knocked flat on my back…"

The way he says it implies he doesn't entirely mean the meteor shower, and suddenly, she's bursting to the brim with all the things she wants to say to him. But she bites her cheek and smiles at him instead. It's his turn for the adventures and she still needs to wait.

He smiles back with that soft, nostalgic look in his eyes again."…Thanks, May. I'm really glad I got to see this with you."

He says it like it's an ending. A period to a very long run-on sentence. It makes her want to race to the end of the paragraph, because waiting is so hard.

Brendan says something more, but May doesn't catch it over the sound of her heart. She's concentrating too hard on swallowing back the stinging sensation in her eyes and committing this night to memory.

mega.

She's waiting for him in the stone room, and when he steps through the gate haloed with light, her breath catches. She swallows. He sees her, and for a split second, she catches the exhaustion in his features. But it's gone as soon as she blinks, replaced by a mile-wide grin.

"Ready?" He asks with his usual vigor, pausing at the height of the steps. She turns to face him, examines the shade of his eyes when the sun is streaming down against him and commits it to memory.

May opens her mouth, hands laced nervously. She doesn't know why she's nervous. She leans into the single step forward she takes, only to stop again.

"It's no wonder you got beat by Wally. He's gotten tough," he says cheerily, cheekily. "But not tougher than me!"

Once upon a time she would've laughed, but all she can do is swallow again, look at his shoelaces and say quietly, "Brendan, I— I have to tell you something."

May looks up at him. His exuberant face has softened into something open, neutral, unjudgmental but still somehow unreadable. The words catch in her throat. He knows. Of course he does. She feels lit entirely on fire, and as he takes the steps down to her— slowly, at a tempo she'd never have thought he had in him— her blood burns its way through her veins with every inch he nears.

They stand at arms length. Brendan reaches his hand out to her.

"You ready?" He asks again, uncharacteristically gentle. Her eyes lift from his offered hand to his face and when their eyes meet, his relaxed mouth slides into a sideways smile that's both uncertain and hopeful.

She places her palm in his and the warmth of his hold somehow feels familiar despite being new. His smile grows, slow and assured, and he squeezes her hand. "Let's do this." Squeezes again. "Together."

They walk into the light.

He doesn't let go.

max.

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a/n: aaaah, I know I'm late to the game… how many years has it been since ORAS came out? Well, I finally played it. The character development was so endearing and amazing. I loved the interactions between the player and the rivals. My heart still feels so full from the whole thing! ;~;

Also—dat soundtrack tho. My god. All the feels. I've been listening to it on repeat.

Well, thanks for reading! :") I'm gonna go blast "Soaring Dreams" and "Let's Go Home" while I cry in bed now. HEHEHE