(This short little oneshot is dedicated to any other Hoennshipper. I know no other one. People. Are there really any? (besides Galbinus.) Everyone seems committed to bashing Brendan, damnit. Argh. So, Kiddo is now bashing Drew. Take THAT, Grass Ass. Stupid hair-flicker. And as to the ending, well... I had to put Harley in it. What? And a few RENT lyrics here and there at the end. Don't own RENT or Pokemon.)
Brendan Ruby Birch did not like to lose.
Sure, no one did. But he really, really, REALLY hated losing. He had to be the best at everything. Perhaps it came from his feelings of inadequacy; he had the skin problem, the one where he was allergic to the sun, that kept him from playing outside too much—what was it called? Xeropigmentosa... or something.
His father, while doting enough, always made him feel like an idiot when he got things wrong. He WAS a Professor, after all. His Gallade, Ruru, always beat him when they sparred. Well, he was a pokemon, but still.
But the one thing he hated losing most was May. No, not the month. May Sapphire Maple. The girl who had lived next to his house since they were kids, before running off with a boy named Ash Ketchum. The journey had been long enough that he began to wish he had gone with them, just to be with her.
She had been gone for a long time, now. Almost... what was it, a year? A year and a half? No, more like two or three years... Whatever. While she had been going on her journey, Brendan had placed himself under the tutelage of Wallace, Gym Leader, and later Champion. He had become quite a good trainer, if he said so himself.
She had never written to him, he remembered. He'd spoken to her once, when the two were in Sootopolis; Ash was there for a Gym Badge from Wallace. She'd filled him in on her adventure so far, but it was only so long they had.
May was a great Coordinator, now, he'd heard. Two Grand Festival finishes. She was, also, apparently coming back to Littleroot today, just before leaving for Johto. Brendan had made up his mind. He was going to see her if it killed him.
As he threw on a hooded sweatshirt, he yanked his cloth hat off, shaking his black hair quickly before rushing out the door. Mimi, his Milotic, called after him, 'Just WHERE are you going, young man?!' He cupped his hands over his mouth, and yelled back, "MAY'S HOUSE!"
Zuzu, Ruru, and Coco's pokeballs bouncing on his belt, he raced off to May's house, watching the familiar scenery of trees, trees, and more trees fly past as he sped towards his destination.
He was almost there when he saw a flash of red and brown. 'Must be her.' He thought, skidding to a stop in front of her house. She was busily digging through her pack, when she spied the boy, leaning against the tree, heavily panting. She raised an eyebrow.
"Um, hi Brendan. What brings you here?" He stopped. "I... uh, I don't know." Aware he sounded like a complete idiot, he stammered out something, as she stared in silence at the crazy albino.
"Um... nice to see you too. Wanna come in?" He sighed in relief, and nodded. She took his hand, and dragged him in. "Where's Max?" He asked her. She smiled.
"The little brat has his own pokemon now. So I'm free." She scanned the room. "It appears that my parents are out, as well. Well, it doesn't matter. You thirsty?" Brendan shrugged nonchalantly. May took that as a yes, and grabbed two diet sodas. "Come on, we can go outside!"
The two were outside in seconds, observing the skylines and silhouettes of the buildings in Littleroot. "So." Brendan broke the silence. "You're going to Johto." She nodded.
"Yep. Drew and Harley are going, too. So I figured I'd go after them; see if we can stir up something there." His eye twitched, vaguely remembering Drew.
Grass ass boy, who'd flirted with May the entire time she had been traveling. I mean, roses? ROSES?!
Brendan sighed. May had spoken so highly of him when they met. Brendan personally thought he sounded like an idiot stalker, but he didn't voice this opinion to May. "...Hey, Brendan?" May asked, making him jump.
"Are you okay?" She asked him. He blinked. "I think... how do you feel about Drew?" He blurted out. Whoa. Didn't mean to say THAT out loud. She seemed a bit surprised by that comment, too.
"We're just... friends. Why?" He was about to answer, until Skitty saved him from having to give an answer. She had Beautifly in her mouth, triumphantly carrying her over to the kitten's master. Beautifly seemed rather pissed about this situation. He sighed, and called out Coco. The Delcatty snatched the butterfly vampire from the clutches of Skitty, scolding the pokemon.
May burst out laughing. Brendan turned around. "What's so funny?!" He demanded. Clutching the patio chair for support, she wheezed, "A Delcatty?!" Brendan huffed.
"I'll have you know Coco is a manical killing machine, under my command only." Coco mewed, and began to wash her paw, unaware of the declaration. May rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. Totally see a maniacal killing machine. Ooh, scared."
After that, the two of them descended into a comfortable silence. When night fell, Brendan left, with the promise that he'd see her off tomorrow. He entered his room, and glanced at the beat up guitar in the closet.
He'd taken it up in Sootopolis, and had managed to become quite good, surprising both himself and his pokemon. He played a few bars of 'Your Eyes' from RENT, and realized that, once again, he was thinking about May. He sighed, and put the guitar down, flopping on his bed fully clothed.
The next morning, he grabbed his bag, and beckoned for the others to follow him. As he headed out to the Petalburg Harbor, he saw May. He sighed.
"I should tell you... I should tell you..." He took a deep breath, and marched up to May. "HEY!" He called. She turned to him. "Brendan?" He looked her straight in the eyes, and sang softly. "Who do you think you are... leaving me alone with me and my guitar..." May blinked. "You play?"
He slapped his forehead. "Yes." He hissed. "But that isn't the point." He gazed into her sapphire eyes, and told her, "I should tell you... I should tell you... I have always loved you... you can see it in my eyes..." She stared at him for an instant.
Then she leaned in, and gave him a light kiss on the lips. He jumped in surprise. "May?" He asked. She grinned girlishly. "You said you could see it in your eyes... so I got closer to see better." He smiled at her. They stood in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying each other's company.
"Brendan, come to Johto with me." May said abruptly, breaking the silence. Brendan blinked. "What? I have to help Dad..." She growled. "Brendan! Are you serious!? You're gonna leave ME alone, after what just happened?"
Brendan sighed. It killed him to ditch his dad, but a girl you may be in love with ordering you to come with her, just the two of you, away from parents, ALONE, made him do what any other boy would have done; paid for a ticket straight to Johto.
As they watched the ship depart, May and Brendan both smiled, and as the sun set on Hoenn, leaned in for a kiss. 'Take THAT, Grass ass.' Brendan thought triumphantly. Unbeknownst to the two lovers, May's phone was ringing.
-Somewhere in Johto...-
"MAY! FOR THE LAST TIME, PICK UP!" Harley Davidson shrieked into his phone. "I mean it!" He sighed, running a hand through his amethyst hair. "Jesus! You'd think she was with a boy, or something!"