Fanfiction Brendan's Journey

Delta 5​

40 minutes to impact

Rayquaza came out of the Master Ball, already in his Mega Form, and he looked ready to battle. Zinnia then sent out her first Pokémon. "Come on out, Reyna!" she called as she threw the ball.

What came out was a Pokémon that looked like a slug mixed with a dragon, with bright green eyes. Hey, a Goodra, Gwen said as Brendan's HUD lit up.

It looks strong, Brendan said, but Rayquaza seemed unfazed as the massive wind picked up around the tower. "Rayquaza, go for a Dragon Claw!" Rayquaza seemed to smirk as he powered up a Dragon Claw, the flames going higher than they were before he was captured. He flew lightning-fast as Reyna fired a Dragon Pulse while she to use a Protect. Rayquaza glared slightly as he used an Extreme Speed to out-speed the formation of the Protect, hitting his mark as he arced back into the sky, circling the battlefield.

Reyna had a look of shock, and she was standing still for a moment as if trying to comprehend what just hit her, and then collapsed to the ground. "That…was impressive," Zinnia said, reluctantly. "He followed your orders without question, then adapted to overcome what he deemed to be an obstacle…on your first command. Seems you do have a natural bond with Rayquaza."

Brendan smiled. "Thank you," he said. "But, this isn't over, is it?"

"Not at all," Zinnia said as she threw her next Pokéball. "Go, Verna!" This Pokémon was a massive bat-like wyvern, which Brendan recognized as the Kalos Pokémon, Noivern. Rayquaza looked to Brendan with a smirk. "Get into the air and use Boom Burst!" Zinnia said. Verna followed what Zinnia said, getting up high into the air, going over Rayquaza, and unleashing a sonic wave louder than Gwen's Hyper Voice.

"Dragon Ascent!" Brendan said, remembering what Zinnia called the stunning attack earlier. Rayquaza became covered in the emerald and gold energy as he flew at the Noivern. Just as Noivern's attack was about to hit, though, Rayquaza increased his speed, going super sonic in time to dodge the explosion from the powerful Boom Burst. The energy from that explosion alone resulted in a gust of wind stronger than that already present from Rayquaza's power, but it didn't even bother Rayquaza as he slammed into Verna, knocking her out and causing her to fall from the sky fast. Luckily, Gwen used her own power to catch the falling Noivern before it crashed into or, worse, missed the tower.

"Hmm…you really do hold up to your reputation as champion," Zinnia said as she recalled her Noivern. "Now for the third one, then you two should be ready for that meteor…and whatever is moving it. Especially when your last opponent is Lyra!" she threw out the Luxury Ball, letting out the Salamence she had used in Granite Cave. This time, however, there was a metal neck brace with a Mega Stone in a small niche on the front. "Now, Lyra, let's not waste time. Mega Evolve!" Zinnia said, touching a Keystone in the clasp of her cloak, which Brendan had missed earlier.

With a blinding flash of light, Lyra changed her form as her wings turned into a crescent moon shape, and her body became more aerodynamic. Brendan looked to Rayquaza, who simply gathered ice energy, quickly firing an Ice Beam at the Salamence. Lyra saw it coming, and she barrel-rolled out of the way, then flew at Rayquaza, blue energy covering her body as she used a powerful Dragon Rush. Rayquaza powered up his own Dragon Rush and flew at Lyra as well.

The two dragons collided in the air, doing damage to each other, but Brendan could tell that Rayquaza was already pushing Lyra back with the immense power difference. Lyra roar her defiance, but Rayquaza just kept going. He drove her into the tower and simply flew back to Brendan's side as the HUD showed her health drop to zero. Lyra then reverted to her natural state. Zinnia sighed, but she seemed content with her performance. "History has chosen you. The truth remains that Rayquaza chose you and not me. But, even though I don't know how to put it into words exactly, I think I understand why. You are to be the successor to our long history now." Zinnia paused for a breath. "That's it, then. I guess…I have completed my last task as Lorekeeper. You have obtained Rayquaza's power for your own, you have proven to me that you can master that power in battle! That is the final duty of the last Lorekeeper of the Draconid people. Now, you need to exceed it—the entirety of history that we have clung to until today," she said.

"Why? Do you mean the fact that we only have about 30 minutes left?" Brendan asked as the meteor kept getting closer. It was now getting too close for comfort. He got out a Full Restore for Rayquaza, healing his injuries quickly.

"Yeah, exactly…it's time for you and Rayquaza to get into the upper atmosphere, or into space as soon as you can," Zinnia said. Brendan nodded, and was about to get onto Rayquaza's back when May took his hand tightly, turning him toward her.

"Wait, Brendan," she said, looking at him through his helmet. "Whatever happens up there…please come home safely." She was blushing as she spoke, putting her hand over her womb. "For me, and our child."

Brendan looked a bit confused as she said the last part, but his eyes went wide as he realized what she was saying. "May, are you…pregnant?" May smiled with an excited joy and she nodded happily. Brendan immediately hugged her closely and tightly, but with a gentleness to it. May blushed and hugged back. "I'm going to be a father…" Brendan said with what seemed to be a mix of joy and some disbelief.

"Now, go and save your budding family," May said softly, kissing his helmet's visor, leaving a small lipstick mark. "I'll be here with Gwen when you're done so we can really enjoy each other."

"You got it," Brendan said as he got onto Rayquaza's back, holding May's hand slightly. "Just be ready to watch the fireworks."

With that, he let go of May's hand and Rayquaza took off, flying off the tower, and quickly angling almost straight up.

It took them about four minutes to get 50 miles off the surface of the planet, and Brendan was starting to feel the drag of gravity, and he could see the international space station passing in front of the meteor easily. Just as Rayquaza was about to settle and wait for the meteor to get within range, the meteoroid teleported again, this time, it reappeared in front of the space station. That left less than ten minutes until impact. "Alright, Rayquaza, we need to destroy that meteor right now," Brendan said. Rayquaza grunted as he generated a small Protect barrier in front of his head, where Brendan was now riding, before flying up faster. He began to glow with the power of a Dragon Ascent. Rayquaza then launched himself up and shot through the sky, getting out of the atmosphere faster than Brendan thought possible. They quickly approached the massive meteor, getting within a kilometer before Rayquaza fired a powerful Dragon Pulse, forming small cracks in the surface of the rock.

He stopped the beam a second before hitting his mark, the force of his Dragon Ascent hitting the meteor first, widening the cracks. Rayquaza doubled his efforts, adding an Extreme Speed into the attack. In nearly the blink of an eye, Rayquaza had bored through the meteor entirely. The cracks that had been spreading finally finished webbing through the massive ball of iron ore, causing the meteor to shatter, breaking apart.

Back on the surface, May was watching in awe as Rayquaza's energy connected with the meteor, spreading and glowing through the cracks brightly. She and Gwen even began hugging, jumping, and cheering with joy as they saw the meteor beginning to break apart. Zinnia just smiled at Gwen and May celebrating. Once they calmed down, though, the Lore Keeper walked to the two. "So, you're going to be a mother?"

May turned to Zinnia, seeing a kind smile on the older woman's face. "Yeah…I actually found out yesterday…before we met," she said with a laugh. "I've been almost comically interrupted every time I tried to tell Brendan too."

Zinnia chuckled. "Well, you at least know the father. My Aster was from a drunken one-night stand…but I stuck through it and had as many happy years as I could with her…" she sighed. "Promise me something else…" May looked at Zinnia intently. "Promise me that you will always make time for your kids, no matter what."

May smiled and looked up toward the sky. "Of course. If it's not me, then Brendan will be with them."

And if you're both busy, I'll be the most loving aunt in the world! Gwen said.

May smiled. "Of course, Gwen. You're a part of our family too, even if you're a Pokémon." Gwen giggled and smiled when May said that line.

In the Space Center, people were cheering excitedly, hugging each other in elation, or even just sitting back in relief as they watched the meteor's destruction from the cameras on the space station and other nearby satellites. It was actually in their celebrations that they failed to notice an alarm going off about a massive energy spike from the meteor's former center.

Back in space, Brendan had become transfixed on what looked like a flat, triangular piece of obsidian. The stone began to glow with a violet energy, as if it were coming to life. "What…is that?" Brendan asked, turning on the camera function of his helmet, getting the feeling that he should record what was about to happen. He also got out his Pokédex, not even sure why he was bothering. He'd never even heard of something like what he was seeing right now, and he knew it was highly unlikely that it was even a Pokémon. He was more concerned when he heard Rayquaza growling almost like a territorial Houndoom. That was when the object moved, starting by making a 6-pointed star, followed by an almost inverted triangular motion before returning to its original position. Once those movements were finished, however, the obsidian appearance changed to a more liquid state.

From each of the upper sides, two tentacles sprouted as the shape of the object morphed. It took on a red color, forming a humanoid body. The creature now standing in front of Brendan and Rayquaza had a blue face, distinct eyes, one blue tentacle on each side of its body, and its legs looked almost like inverted traffic pylons with a blue strip over its knee. The creature's hips were very distinct as well, as if its legs were barely attached by anything other than glue. On the sides of its head, there were protrusions that looked like trapezoidal ears. In the center of its chest, however, there was a glowing, bright red gemstone. Brendan, on instinct, held up his Pokédex, hoping to get something on the creature in front of him. He only got one sentence in response: Pokémon DNA detected, no data or identification available.

As he was gathering data, though, the Pokémon in front of them had slumped forward, as if recovering from forming its body. It locked eyes with Brendan for a moment. In that moment, Brendan sensed an overwhelmingly strong presence as a single name came to his mind: Deoxys.

Rayquaza, however, wasted no time in firing a Dragon Pulse at the new target. Brendan watched in awe as the Pokémon, which Brendan assumed to be this Deoxys, barely glanced at them, the tentacles on both sides flattened as its body seemed to morph briefly, its shoulders merged with the "ears," and its body became much bulkier as it crossed its arms in front of itself, and an energy shield formed around Deoxys. Additionally, some of the debris flew in front of the shield, stopping the attack entirely. While there was still dust obscuring Brendan's sight, the creature, in another, extremely streamlined form flew out of the smoke. Its body was now mostly grey, with two tentacles, one red and one blue, for arms, and a single horn-like extension on the back of his head. Deoxys then accelerated to unbelievable speeds forming multiple copies of itself around Brendan and Rayquaza. "Double Team…" Brendan said. That was when a green aura surrounded Deoxys. "No…"

Brendan knew the strategy all too well, having used it with Gwen repeatedly. Rayquaza, however, would not let this Pokémon get away from him. He launched himself forward, striking with an Aerial Ace. Rayquaza was met with the thickened form of Deoxys, which Brendan realized was a defensive form. The more streamlined form must've been a speed and evasion form. If he had to guess, that meant there was another form meant for attacking, while the original form was meant to be more balanced between the other forms.

As if to prove him right, Deoxys fled to a safe distance, then began to morph again, its head growing three horns, the tentacles became sharper, the legs even became sharper, with pointed knees, and the main body took on an armor-grey look.

So, that's the attack form…kind of bad ass, Brendan thought. "Rayquaza, I need you to defend!"

Rayquaza listened to Brendan, throwing up a Protect barrier quickly as a massive orb of immense Psychic power. Deoxys had fired a Psychic-type attack more powerful than anything Brendan had ever seen before. However, it seemed to tire out Deoxys a great deal from the sheer power of the attack it just fired. The orb hit Rayquaza's shield, and even began to break through to the dragon. Luckily, it didn't get through far enough to affect Brendan. The Pokédex then seemed to vibrate. Brendan looked down at it and saw that it was showing the moves used by this Pokémon, and the last one on the list was Psycho Boost. "Interesting…an attack I haven't seen," Brendan said, but then his attention was brought up as Deoxys shifted back to its natural form, and the right tentacles swirled together, forming a human-like hand, and it teleported closer to Brendan, glaring at him darkly as it reached toward his helmet's air tank, clearly trying to disconnect it from his suit.

Brendan, while knowing he was no match for the Pokémon, fought back, grabbing the Pokémon by the wrist as he pulled out an Ultra Ball. "You're not…" he said as he pulled the alien Pokémon closer, while angling its hand away from his helmet. "Gonna take me…" he reared back. "From MY FAMILY!" Brendan then lunged forward, headfirst straight toward the jewel in Deoxys's chest. The Pokémon got a worried look on its face and teleported away from Brendan, transforming into its speed form and flying toward the space station. "Rayquaza, go after it, use Dragon Ascent!"

In the Space Center, Steven was watching the battle closely as the unknown Pokémon flew quickly toward the space station. Rayquaza was clearly visible as he powered up an attack that coated his entire body with green and gold energy. As if trying to shake off its pursuer, the alien spiraled around the space station, only for Rayquaza to follow it effortlessly, unintentionally putting Brendan in a brief close-up while his visor's tinting was almost completely transparent. The camera followed the Pokémon as Rayquaza passed. The chase continued until they passed the end of the space station, where Rayquaza slammed into the alien Pokémon from behind, actually tearing off a piece of its side. The alien looked shocked for a moment, but it simply seemed to concentrate briefly as it regenerated the limb completely. That was when Steven noticed that Brendan was no longer on Rayquaza's back. He was, instead, standing on a solar panel of the space station, only a few feet away from the Pokémon. He then threw an Ultra Ball at the Pokémon, drawing it inside. The ball's seal glowed in pulses for a few seconds until sparks flew out, indicating a successful capture.

Back in space, Brendan gave a sigh of relief as he took hold of the Ultra Ball in the sky. That was when his Pokédex buzzed twice. He looked at it, seeing the start of the data input for Deoxys in the Pokédex. There was also a notification of a new Pokémon detected, but Brendan initially ignored it. Rayquaza came back to Brendan, letting the Champion get back on for the return trip. Just as Brendan got on, however, he felt a small weight on his back as a golden cloth-like object covered his visor.

"Wait, what the…" Brendan looked around as he heard an almost childish giggling, as well as a familiar air pressure as Rayquaza came back into the atmosphere. Brendan then reached back and gently grabbed the creature on his back, lifting and turning it to face him. The Pokémon was one out of mythology. One that most Pokémon researchers believed to be nothing more than a myth, and one that had only been mentioned briefly in the notes of ancient societies. The Pokémon looked like a tiny child with golden hair that looked like a star. The golden cape that hung off its arms made it look like a shooting star. It had green markings under its eyes, and what looked like an eyelid on its stomach. It also had three green tag-like charms on the points of its hair. "A Jirachi?" Brendan said in amazement. "The wish-granter."

After all the excitement of the day, Brendan realized that he'd forgotten that he was getting married to May tomorrow, and he still needed a gift for her. He looked at Jirachi thoughtfully. "Hey, Jirachi, can you help me with something?" he asked, seeing Sky Pillar in the distance below as they got into the breathable atmosphere. "I'm looking for a wedding gift for the woman who is going to be the mother of my child. I just…don't know what to get her. Would you be willing to help me out?" As he said that, Jirachi tilted her head cutely, then smiled, taking a Luxury Ball from Brendan's pouch, tapping the ball, and going inside. The ball barely shook once before the Pokémon was captured. Brendan chuckled. "I guess that answers my question." He then put the ball back into his belt pouch, knowing that the Pokémon would make May extremely happy tomorrow night.

Rayquaza landed on the tower, and Brendan got off of the massive dragon, taking off his helmet as May ran to him, kissing him passionately. He kissed back, softly putting his hand over her womb, making May blush more at the touch before they broke the kiss. "What the hell happened up there? You broke the meteor, but then we saw the explosions and beams. What were you fighting?"

"It was an alien Pokémon," Brendan said noticing that Zinnia was nowhere to be seen on the tower, likely having left after the fight ended. "I have a video on the helmet that I can get to my phone…maybe even post it to our Festival Plaza account."

"Hmm…sounds like a good idea. My bigger concern is when we're announcing our baby," May said with a giggle.

"Let's decide that after the wedding," Brendan said.

I just wish I could've been there, Gwen said, sounding slightly disappointed. But it looks like you had a good experience with Rayquaza while you were in space.

"Yeah," Brendan said as he took off his gloves and pet the dragon. "We had a great time working together…but…I don't think I should keep him like a normal Pokémon."

Rayquaza looked curiously at Brendan as he reverted to his natural form. Brendan smiled softly at him. "You're too crucial of a Pokémon to the world's wellbeing for any one trainer to control you. It would be arrogant of me to think that I should have that type of power over any Pokémon of your caliber, even if I'm your Chosen One."

Rayquaza seemed to look at Brendan with respect in his eyes. Brendan opened the Master Ball he'd used for Rayquaza earlier taking out the capture matrix. "Thank you for choosing me. I wish I could keep you without consequence, but you deserve to be free." Rayquaza growled slightly with a nod. The Pokémon had actually hoped this would be the case. Brendan was quite wise for his age, and he saw what so many other chosen trainers had failed to in the past: the importance of balance in the world. It was a trait also befitting those trainers Zygarde would choose, but balance was the basic part of every region's legendary Pokémon grouping. Brendan then took the matrix in his palm, crushing and breaking it in his hand easily as he dropped the remains of the machine off the top of the building. Gwen and May then came forward and gave Rayquaza a few pets on the cheek before the dragon flew off into the sky happily as they waved to the dragon.
"Well, we have less than a day before our wedding day," Brendan said. "Want to go get some ice cream tonight?"

"Let's go to the place in Rustboro," May said with excitement. Brendan had to admit that it sounded like a great idea.

Gwen didn't hesitate in teleporting them all home first, as Brendan took off the space suit as quickly as possible, and Gwen sat with May, talking about potential names for the baby for the twenty minutes it took Brendan to get changed and grab his car keys. "We're bringing all our Pokémon with us tonight," Brendan said. "And they're all getting ice cream too."

"Sounds like we're celebrating," May said as Brendan held her hand, and opened the passenger door of the extremely expensive Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, which he'd purchased with his first champion's paycheck. May always claimed it was an unnecessary purchase, just to flaunt the money, but she had taken a liking to the lifestyle she and Brendan had achieved together. And it was done simply through training their Pokémon. Gwen had teleported into the back seat of the car, and was smiling as Brendan started the quiet, yet powerful engine, leaving the house as he drove the twenty minutes to Rustboro.

While the drive was mostly silent, the trio knew that there was no need to speak. They had survived, and the meteor had been stopped. Not only that, but Brendan finally knew that he was going to be a father. They were finally in the proverbial clear for life. Their worries all just seemed to fade as they drove into the night.

The next day

The day had arrived, the day of the wedding. Brendan was pacing in his dressing room, his tuxedo having been picked up that morning, with a bachelor's button flower on his lapel. He was quite clearly nervous about the wedding, almost exactly how he'd figured it would be, but he had the new dimension of May being pregnant now. It meant that, after today, they would truly be a family in every sense of the word.

"So, the Champion of Hoenn looks more worried now than I think I've seen him since we moved from Johto," Norman said as he stood in the doorway, chuckling slightly at his son's nerves.

Brendan let out a breath to calm himself a little. "Hey, Dad," he said. "I imagine you felt the same way when you were about to marry Mom."

Norman's laugh got louder as he walked up to his son, helping to straighten out his bowtie, collar, and coat. "You still seem to struggle with these things, even after all these years," he said. Norman's smile showed his pride in the man Brendan had become. Like any parent, Norman could still perfectly remember the day his son was born and holding his child for the first time. Now, he was looking at that same child, about to start his own family. "It's hard to believe I'm already going to be a grandfather soon."

Brendan smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, seems like just yesterday that we were battling in your gym. Back then, I didn't have much of a care in the world other than family and friends," he said. "Now, I've got a whole region to manage, and my own kid on the way."

Norman smiled and hugged Brendan. "You'll do fine. You're going to be a great husband to May, and a great father to your kid. After all, you've got me for a role model."

"Well, now I know I'm screwed," Brendan joked, getting a laugh and a pat on the shoulder as Norman let him go.

"You know, Mom wanted to be in here too, but she decided that I should be the one to talk to you before your big day," Norman said. "She and Sylveon are waiting outside for you." He gave a smile of pride. "But, based on the way the women were talking, May must have an astonishingly beautiful dress."

"I'm sure Lisia and Gwen wouldn't have let her pick a bad one," Brendan said with a chuckle.

"Either way, your wedding starts pretty soon. You should get to your position," Norman said leading the way for Brendan onto the stage overlooking the northern Hoenn Ocean with Shoal Cave in the distance. It was a beautiful sight with the setting sun.

In her own dressing room, May was looking over her appearance in the mirror. She looked nearly perfect, and she was so excited that she couldn't contain her giggling. She knew she was acting like a child in a candy store, but she was too giddy to care. "I'm finally getting married," she said happily.

"Yeah, you are," came the voice of her mother. May turned to see Lily Birch in the doorway, some slight tears in her eyes. "And you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."

"Aww, Mom, thank you," May said as she embraced her mother.

"Your father is by the entrance to the aisle with your bridesmaids. He looks more nervous than I thought you'd be," Lily said.

"Why would I be nervous? I'm marrying the father of my child, after all," she said, having told her parents and Brendan's about her pregnancy that morning. Lily smiled and hugged her daughter tighter.

"And you know that we're so proud of you. You've grown into such a strong young woman, and you picked the best person to be your husband," Lily said, taking May's hand. "Now, come on. Your special moment is almost here."

Brendan was now standing behind the gathering, Wally and Steven beside him as they awaited the beginning of the ceremony. He was a bit nervous as the minister looked at his watch, and had the gathering rise. Just as he was getting started, Lisia and Gwen arrived with their bouquets, with Lisia in a blue sheath. Professor Birch signaled from the back that May was there and ready.

Caroline Maple then took her son's arm, Sylveon having her ribbon around Brendan's hand too, wanting to keep a hold of the boy she'd watched grow up until the last moment. Gwen had her hair shimmering from her brushing, and her dress looking very well-cleaned. Brendan smiled, which Gwen returned. You look like a man ready to become a husband, she said only to him as the music began, signaling their start down the walkway. Once Wally and Lisia made it halfway down the aisle, Brendan, Caroline, and Sylveon all walked too. There were a few "Aww's" from the crowd over Sylveon still being protective of Brendan. They arrived at the stage, and the music stopped as Sylveon let go of Brendan and Caroline hugged her son tightly, kissing him on the cheek before they went to join Norman in the front row. Brendan then took his spot on the stage, looking down the aisle in anticipation. He didn't wait long, as the traditional bridal music began, and May came into view with Professor Birch beside her.

The crowd gasped in awe, and Brendan was almost dumbstruck as he saw the love of his life coming down the aisle with her hair styled with light waves, and a braid on each side that tied together as they got to the back of her head. Her dress had a transformer fan-back skirt, a portrait back, and a corset bodice. Her make up was very light, highlighting her features in the best ways. Brendan stepped down from the stage as May got to the bottom step, hugging her father tightly, her bouquet of tulips, daffodils, forget-me-nots, and eucharis lilies looking very beautiful as Birch gave May to Brendan. The two lovers embraced briefly before they both walked up the stage, Lisia taking May's bouquet and putting it in a large vase nearby.

For both Brendan and May, the minister's standard wedding speech was background noise for most part as they looked into each other's eyes. Brendan was silently counting which features of May's he hoped to see in their child. He definitely wished that her eyes and hair would go to their child, along with her smile, and her adorable nose. For May, though, she was thinking that Brendan's features would be better. She also thought his ears might be better on their child. Regardless, they knew they would have a beautiful child together.

"And now, it's time for the bride and groom to give their vows, which they have written themselves," the minister said as Wally and Lisia took out the rings from their pockets. "We will start with the groom."

Brendan took a breath, looking deep into May's eyes as he took her left hand, and Wally gave him the wedding ring. "I take you, May Birch, to be my best friend, my faithful partner, and my one true love. I promise to encourage you, to inspire you, and to love you truly, through both the good times and the bad. I will forever be there to laugh with you, to lift you up when you are down, and to love you unconditionally through all of our adventures in life together," he said as he slid the ring onto May's finger, the fit being perfect.

Then it was May's turn as she took the ring from Lisia, some tears of joy welling up in her eyes. "From this moment, I take you to be my best friend, and my loving partner for life. I pledge to honor, encourage, and support you in our walk together. No matter what obstacles we may face, I promise to stand by you and uplift you so that, through our union, we may accomplish more than we could alone. I promise to always work at our love, and to make you a priority in my life. With every beat of my heart, I will love you," she said, putting the ring onto Brendan's finger.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife," the minister said, then directing his words to the audience as the last light of the sun faded. "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Brendan and May Maple."

Brendan and May kissed each other passionately, locking lips as the first of the Litleonids streaked across the sky. The audience gave a standing ovation as the newly weds separated their kiss, smiling at each other as if nothing else mattered.

The Reception

The wedding party had migrated to the dining area of the rented villa they got for the reception. The building was decorated with multiple bouquets of lilies of all forms and colors, with white tablecloths and crystal glasses for wine and water. May and Brendan were seated with the rest of the bridal party at the front of the area overlooking a beautiful beach and marina nearby.

May, while not too pleased about having to drink non-alcoholic wine, was still happier than she'd ever felt as she played with her new wedding ring. At the moment, the dinner, consisting of filet mignon with ratatouille, garlic mashed potatoes, and bacon-wrapped scallops, was just about finished, meaning that it was now time to get to the toasts and speeches. First up came Wally, being Brendan's best man. Wally was certainly much healthier now than he was when he first left Petalburg. He stepped in front of the table, microphone in-hand.

"If I have everybody's attention, I'd like to get started with making fun of my two good friends for a few minutes," Wally said, getting some chuckles from the crowd. "I met Brendan three years ago, when he and Gwen helped me catch Sam…then Gwen promptly got into a fight with Sam…pretty much the story of almost every meeting we had during our travels." The audience laughed heartily as he said that. "Then came the Pokémon League…where I lost literally to a kiss." Wally looked over at Gwen with an expression that told the crowd he was calling her out. "But, I guess that's the tactic you can expect from a guy who teaches his Pokémon how to ride a bike." The audience, Brendan, May, Gwen all laughed as they remembered the video that went viral shortly after Brendan became champion, where he was teaching Gwen how to ride a bike for the first time. "Not to mention that beanie he wore the entire time he traveled, it honestly made him look like his hair had turned white prematurely." May giggled at that comment. "It honestly makes you wonder how he ever got a date with such a wonderful girl, let alone how he's now married to that same woman. He might really be the luckiest man in history, especially considering all those ass-pulls that he's managed to win battles with impossible odds in the past."

Wally paused to take a drink of his Jack and Coke, chuckling with the crowd. "But, in all seriousness, I should be thanking Brendan and May for everything they've done for me. They introduced me to Lisia when Brendan was going for his title, they saved the entire Hoenn region in Sootopolis, and, without realizing it, Brendan was a target for me to shoot for with my training. He was always ahead of me, steadily stronger as we progressed. He's the reason I managed to get so far," he said. "And, May, you're a phenomenal coordinator, the kindest of souls, and you keep Brendan from acting on most of his stupid impulses. You two are truly meant for each other, and I know your love for each other will only grow stronger. Congratulations you two."

The wedding party drank, with joyful applause, Brendan and May holding hands with each other. It was now Lisia's turn to speak. She was blushing slightly as she took the microphone from Wally, kissing him on the cheek before she spoke.

"When I first met these two, I was just a spectator looking for a protégé…and I happened to meet a guy in a weird beanie, holding the cutest little Ralts in his lap. I sat with them, fully expecting to be hounded for an autograph, only for him to not even know me." She chuckled, getting some giggles from the crowd. "When I told him that I was looking to teach a new coordinator, he told me about his friend, May. It was after that contest that I first met the new Mrs. Maple, I saw the bright-eyed greenhorn of the contest circuit we all came to know that year. I soon found myself admiring her, because she showed more compassion for her Pokémon and her friends than I'd ever seen before. Then she started to gain momentum in the contest circuit, and she eventually defeated me for the title…it seems I was too good of a teacher there," Lisia said, feigning bitterness before she giggled with the crowd. "When I first heard that Brendan was dating May, I could just tell that they were so cute together, I even wound up getting jealous of what they had."

She took a slight breath as she seemed to be getting teary-eyed. "I should also thank you two, like Wally did...because I never would've met him without you two. And, if my relationship with Wally is even half as strong as the two of you are together, I know we will be together for the rest of our lives." Lisia seems to be crying joyfully as she turned to Brendan directly. "Brendan, don't screw this up, because you've struck gold with May. A relationship like yours only comes along once in a lifetime."

The audience drank happily, smiling at Lisia's words. She then put the microphone into the holder before Gwen stood up. She walked elegantly to the front, seeming nervous.

Well, this is my first time giving a speech like this, Gwen said, pursing her lips nervously. I just want to say that I've seen Brendan and May facing down impossible odds together. I was there when Brendan was about to lose his mind when he couldn't get to May until just before Kyogre and Groudon went on their rampage. I've seen their highs, and their lows up-close. But, no matter what was thrown their way, Brendan and May embodied what it means to be united as a couple. They stay strong together when times are tough, and they keep each other smiling no matter what happens. Brendan, May, you're both the greatest trainers and friends a Pokémon could ask for, and there has never been a day where I regret sneaking into Brendan's bedroom the night that he arrived in Hoenn. I look forward to the day when I get to meet your children as well. And, when the day comes, I know I will be able to entrust my children to yours for when they begin their journeys. She took a pause as she bit her lip as tears of joy fell, her emotions radiating out into the crowd, showing her sheer happiness. I love you both so much. She teleported between Brendan and May, hugging them both tightly.

Norman and Professor Birch also gave speeches, both of which were about how proud they were as fathers, seeing their respective child grow up and find such a happy relationship, but they both knew that they had no chance of topping Gwen's emotional speech. Norman even mentioned how Gwen sharing her emotions with her power was a bit unfair, getting a hearty laugh from the gathering. Once they were finished, it was time for the dances.

The man in charge of the music was the same DJ that had performed in Dewford at the beach party Brendan and May had attended nearly four years ago. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would all turn your attention to the dance floor now, it is time for the newlyweds to come to the dancefloor for their first dance as husband and wife."

Brendan stood up as the DJ started talking, offering May his hand. "Can I have this dance?" he asked.

May just smiled, laughing softly as she took his hand. "You're such a dork," she said playfully as they went to the dancefloor. The DJ smirked as he played the same song he'd played back on the beach during the couple's first beach party together: Faithfully by Journey. Brendan took the lead, looking into May's eyes deeply. The only thing that mattered in that moment was her. Halfway through the song, May smiled and rested her head on Brendan's shoulder, whispering "I love you, so much" into his ear. He just gave her a kiss on the top of her head. Then, all too soon, the song came to an end.

"As beautiful as that dance was, Brendan, I'm afraid that you need to step back, and let May dance with the first man in her life," Brendan kissed May on her hand one time before stepping out of the way as Professor Birch took his place. Brendan then walked to the area close to his parents, knowing his dance with her was coming next.

May took her father's hand and shoulder as he took her hand and waist. The music started, and Brendan smiled slightly at the choice: I Loved Her First by Heartland. Brendan smiled as the reception party was starting to cry slightly at the touching song lyrics, May included as she smiled at her father. As the song came to an end, May got on her toes and hugged her father around the neck, kissing his cheek. "I love you Dad," she said as she smiled at him.

"Another beautiful dance, but we have one more dance," the DJ said.

"Mom, would you care to dance with me?" Brendan asked.

Caroline smiled widely. "You know I would love to," she said as she took his hand.

They stepped onto the dancefloor together, taking the same position May and Professor Birch had taken. As soon as they were ready, Then They Do by Trace Adkins began to play, and they started to dance slowly.

"You're going to be a great father," Caroline said quietly as she danced with her son. "I honestly can't wait to be a grandmother."

"Thank you, Mom," Brendan said with a smile. "And I know you'll be the best grandmother. You raised me, after all."

Caroline kissed her son on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you. I know that your life's goal was to be a champion…but now you have to be the champion of your family. Keep them happy, keep them safe, and love them with all of your heart," she said. "And be sure to make chocolate chip pancakes made to look like smiley faces every so often."

Brendan laughed slightly. "If that's all it'll take, then I'm in the clear," he said. "Plus isn't that last part a job for the grandparents too?"

Caroline smiled. "It is, but the point is to make it as fun as you can, no matter what. It will go by fast…it feels like it was only just yesterday that I held you for the first time." Brendan saw the tears of joy on his mother's cheeks, hugging her closely until the song came to an end. The crowd began to clap happily.

"Now, the rest of you, don't just stand there, come on and join the fun. It's time to party until we can't anymore. Dance, drink, and have the best time you can. The bar is open, and free, and the night is still young!"

May then grabbed Brendan's arm. "Sorry, Caroline, but I'll be needing Brendan for the night," she said. Caroline smiled and quickly hugged her.

"He's all yours. After all, tonight is your night," Caroline said with a smile. Norman came to her side as they watched Brendan start dancing with their new daughter-in-law. "He's all grown-up now," she said to Norman, who squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"Come on, let's dance too," Norman said to his wife.

As Brendan and May danced, they noticed that Sam was out of his Pokéball and dancing with Gwen, who was resting her head on his shoulder almost like May had done during their first dance. Brendan just smiled and continued to enjoy the night. Later on, May threw her bouquet, which was caught by Lisia, and Brendan threw May's garter straight to Wally, hoping he would get the hint that Lisia wanted him to propose in the near future.

It was when the clock was about to strike midnight that the music stopped, as Brendan had planned. He then picked up a microphone as the crowd looked toward him and May. "First, I wanted to thank you all for coming to celebrate this wonderful night with us," he said. "Second, I wanted to give May my gift to her." May was already smiling as she approached Brendan, only to be shocked when he pulled out the newly-filled Luxury Ball. "I finally got this for you yesterday, during the…well, when I was out of sight," he said, seeing Steven's expression warning him not to say too much yet. Brendan just smirked to Devon's prince as he handed the ball to May.

May opened the ball, getting the astonished gasps of everybody in attendance. "Brendan…how…?" May began to ask as she marveled at the Jirachi in front of her, she shook her head as she realized it was a pointless question. It became even more pointless as Jirachi flew over and booped May on the nose, giggling as she floated away slowly. "Never mind, you can tell me later tonight. She's so cute!" May went forward, and hugged the wish Pokémon.

Out on route 114, by Meteor Falls, Zinnia was sitting with Aster and Theresa to watch the wedding's livestream on their shared laptop, smiling softly. "So that's why he took a bit longer to get back to Earth. He caught a mythical Pokémon." Zinnia giggled. "I just wish that I'd been married to a guy like him when Aster was born." Theresa stroked Zinnia's arm soothingly as the gift ceremony continued.

"Thank you so much, Brendan! But…now I feel like my gift is a bit lackluster…"

"Don't be silly, I'm sure that your gift is wonderful," Brendan said.

"Well…alright," May said as she turned to the DJ. He smiled as the screen descended from the ceiling, and the projector turned on. As it turned on, an image of May from four years ago, when they were starting their journey, appeared before the video began.

The May in the video started by looking like she was adjusting the camera before she spoke. "Well, it's the second day of my journey, and I'm traveling with the new guy. I'm not sure what made me want to travel with him in the first place, but he's turning out to be really sweet. I get the feeling that he's different from any guy I've met, and I want to remember my time with him. So, I told Brendan I was just going to the mall, but I wanted to also take time to start a secret video scrapbook of our journey. No matter what happens in these travels with him, I want to record it, and keep the memories alive, no matter how much time passes. Brendan, if you're watching this, then I'm showing you my favorite moments with you." The song You and Me by Lifehouse then began to play, the visual going to their campout in Petalburg Woods, the view coming from May's belt pouch. It then shifted from that to their battle in the Rustboro Schoolyard, then their ice cream date, and even their time on Mr. Briney's boat. That was when it cut to May's face while she was below deck. Brendan realized that whenever she'd been alone, May must have taken the video clips they were seeing now.

"So, last night, we got through a massive storm. Mr. Briney really is an amazing sailor to be able to navigate that…but that wasn't the highlight of the night. I got to spend the night so close to Brendan…and…I've never slept better. We only just started dating, but I'm already falling in love with him. I just don't want to be the one to say it first. I'm worried that he'll get scared like so many guys do when they hear those words. Maybe I'll be able to figure that out soon." The video went through the beach party, all the way to Gwen saving them on Mt. Chimney, and the gift of the meteorite necklace that she still wore every day.

"Well, Brendan finally told me he loves me," the video May said with a laugh. The background was showing that she was in the now buried Lavaridge Pokémon Center, in their room for the hot springs. "And all it took was me getting taken by Team Magma, then nearly taking a swan dive into a volcano. But…the way he said it…he seemed to deeply regret not being able to say it sooner." Past May's eyes began to fill with tears of joy. "I swear, he acts tough a lot, but he's the biggest softy I've ever met in my life. Plus, the way Gwen evolved to save us again…Brendan has really been helping her…it's really inspiring for any trainer…but it tells me how far he's willing to go to help his loved ones. It makes me love him more with each day. I can't wait till tomorrow." The visuals then went through events all the way to when Brendan lost to Steven on Route 120.

"So, Brendan just lost pretty badly…and he seems to be taking it really hard. It…it actually hurts to see him like this. He's lost his spark…and I don't know how to help him get it back…" May sighed. "He's still planning on taking on the Fortree gym tomorrow. I'm worried that he's just ignoring what he needs to learn from the loss…I just hope he can pull himself out of this spiral before he's too deep. Brendan…I love you, but please don't get like this again…I can't bear to see you like this."

The next scene was May in Lilycove's Pokémon Center, with May preparing for the date that ended so badly thanks to Team Aqua. "Well, I won that contest pretty easily, and Brendan told me to dress up nicely out of nowhere. I can tell he wants to celebrate, but I swear he's probably going to spend more money than he can afford to. I just hope that habit changes soon…because I'm getting to the point where I think I want to be with him for the rest of my life. He's so sweet, AND he can cook really well. I'll be back when the date is over to recap."

Brendan winced as the next sight that came up was in the Team Aqua submarine. "Well…seems the date didn't go as planned…Hoenn is going to hell in a handbasket now that Groudon is apparently awake and in his Primal form. I just hope Brendan is okay…I caught a glimpse of him as he was running to the submarine to try and get me…but the look on his face showed that he was going insane…I knew he was protective of me, but this is…something else entirely. I feel…strangely comforted by that side of him. I just hope he stays sane long enough for me to see him again and bring him back to his senses." The sound of Shelly's voice came in the background, and the camera went black before opening again in the Sootopolis Champion's suite.

"I swear, Arceus is keeping an eye on us. Nobody is as lucky as we just got. We just stopped and caught two super-ancient Pokémon…and Brendan actually proposed to me," she said with giddiness in her voice. "I'm not sure how I should be reacting, but I don't care. I'm so happy, and he even agreed to make it a public announcement as soon as he gets the ring. I feel like a little kid with all this excitement! I love it!" The scenes shifted until they got to the night before Brendan's Elite 4 battles, with May in the hotel room, while Brendan had been with his Pokémon that night.

"So, I won the Grand Festival, and now it's Brendan's turn. He had a full month of hard training like I've never seen from him, and it's finally paying off. He's about to get the chance of a lifetime. Brendan, I know you can do it, and you won't need help. But, I know that this will also be an incredible struggle for you. I'll just keep this one short."

The next scene, though, was very recent, looking like it was in their house, with a view through a window of Brendan and his Pokémon training in their yard. "It's been so long since I filmed like this. I decided that, since we're so close to the wedding, I'd make this montage of our time together since we met. Brendan, I love you, and I always will. Let's keep working to become better with every day." May then kissed the lens. "Well, I have to get to my appointment, so I'll see you when I get back. I love you!"

The music faded as the video ended, and the lights came back on. Brendan turned to May, smiling lovingly at her. "I love you too, May. That was a beautiful gift," he said as he hugged and kissed her. He knew at that moment that everything would be alright between them.

 

Delta 6​

9 months later – The Grand Festival

Brendan was in the box seat of Slateport's contest stadium with Gwen. It had been an interesting nine-months. May's pregnancy had become a hot topic in the news and on social media as soon as the Maples had posted the announcement on their Festival Plaza account. That hype grew much especially when she announced that she would still be in the Grand Festival this year, despite her being nine-months pregnant now. That, however, wasn't the only pregnancy that had caught the media's attention.

Mommy, is this the last battle for Aunt May this year? a small voice said, coming from the young Ralts in Gwen's lap.

Yes, Alicia, Gwen said lovingly. Are you excited to see her win? The night of the wedding had been a very fun night for Gwen and Sam, which resulted in more than just one night's consequences. About a month later, Gwen had laid an egg, and Gwen's daughter had hatched four months ago, quickly taking after her mother in her speech and intelligence.

Yeah, she's going to be the best! Alicia said excitedly. The guy won't stand a chance!

Gwen smiled and stroked Alicia's hair lovingly as she noticed Brendan was on the edge of his seat. You know that May has this in the bag, right. She's already a three-time champion. Plus, her opponent is a newbie. With Astra by her side, I'm sure she can win this one easily.

Brendan smiled, hearing the name of the Jirachi he'd given May for their wedding. She had decided on using the star Pokémon for her Grand Festival performance. Her appeal had been incredible, using Doom Desire, Swift, and even Thunderbolt together to make the appearance of real shooting stars, which Astra then went ahead of, joining the display. The cute, little Pokémon had then somersaulted down into May's arms. It was another perfect score for May with that performance. She had gone on to show her sheer dominance as a coordinator in the battle rounds, combining Wish, Doom Desire, and Protect to great effect, along with her own improvisations, like Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, and even Thunder Punch.

Now, it was time for the final round: May against the new challenger, named William, who was using a Weavile for the cold and dark appeals. It was a well-trained Pokémon, and likely would win against another opponent.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for the challenger, William Clasact!" said Vivian excitedly. The crowd applauded for the young, dark-haired man, who was striding out confidently in a suit and tie. He waved to the middle row, presumably to his family. Then, the lights went to the other end of the stage, showing the chair that was being provided for May in her battle box. "Now, give it up for the top coordinator, looking to retain her title, May Maple!" The crowd went wild as May walked out on the stage in her nicest maternity dress, and her most comfortable dress shoes, cradling her belly with a smile across her face as she slowly sat in the chair.

On the stage, May kept a hand on top of her belly as she pulled out Astra's Luxury Ball. "Alright, Selena, think you can help your mom out here?" she said, feeling the baby, who turned out to be a girl according to the doctors, shift slightly as if to respond. May just giggled and opened the Luxury Ball, sending out Astra. "Thanks, sweetheart."

William smiled. "Come out, Pluto!" he called as the Weavile appeared on the battlefield. "May, I've been a huge admirer of yours since you became top coordinator," he said. "But don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're pregnant."

"That's fine with me. I wasn't going to take it easy on you either," she said slyly as she winked. The buzzer sounded to get them started. Astra immediately fired a Swift, aiming for Pluto as he leapt and rolled to dodge. May smirked as Astra used a Doom Desire, the energy gathering in the sky steadily. "Fire Punch!" Astra flew as fire built up on her hand, getting closer just as Pluto had dodged the last star of Swift.

"Night Slash!" William called out. The Weavile swung his glowing black claws at his target, only for Astra to duck under the claws and uppercut the Ice-Type. William's points dropped to half, while May's had barely hit the 75% mark.

May just sat comfortably, feeling Selena getting much more active than usual, squirming a bit faster. "Alright, I know you're hungry, sweetheart. I'll get us both something to eat," she said quietly, putting a hand over where she felt Selena pushing with her little hand, making a slight imprint. May smiled as her hand met Selena's, anxious for the day where she could directly hold her daughter's hand

Astra's Doom Desire launched down as May's hand met Selena's. Pluto, not knowing any protective moves strong enough to stop the attack, took the full force of the attack, trying to dodge desperately. He even fired Ice Shards to try and cancel out the attack, but it proved unsuccessful. The steel-type attack hit hard, knocking out Pluto, with William's points following closely.

"And it's over!" Vivian said. "May Maple has retained her title in a decisive victory."

May slowly got up, her back arched as a hand supported her back as Astra came over and hugged her trainer happily. "Hey, Astra, that was a great performance. Thank you for working so hard," she said. "Would you like to stay out for the award ceremony?" Astra's excited nodding was all she needed to see.

William approached her with Pluto walking shakily beside him. "That was really impressive," he said as he politely shook May's hand. "Even though it was a loss, I'm still going to try for your title."

May smiled politely. "Well, I look forward to seeing how you perform in these coming years. To be honest, you remind me a lot of myself with your motivation. Just don't lose that drive, and I'm sure you'll go far…but I won't be losing my title any time soon if I can help it."

"Well, I guess I should try in other regions as well. Maybe I'll head to Sinnoh next," William said as the stage crew brought out the award ceremony podium. "Anyway, thank you for being here this year, even with your baby so close to being born. I hope you and Champion Brendan have a beautiful, healthy baby."

"Thank you so much," May said. "You're such a gentleman."

As she said that, Vivian began to speak once again. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time for our award ceremony." May, William, and the third-place coordinator, named Jessica, who had used a Roserade, took their positions, May getting a hand from Vivian to help her get onto the podium. She let out a slightly relieved breath, her hand still on her back for support as she smiled to the audience. She saw Brendan, Gwen, and Alicia in their box seats, and she waved to them happily. Alicia was the first one to wave back, smiling cutely at May. May giggled at the cute little Ralts, and Gwen joining her daughter. Brendan just winked knowingly at his wife as the awards were presented to the other two.

"And now, to award our first-place winner, I'd like to call to our specially chosen guest. Please welcome Hoenn's Champion of nearly four years, Brendan Maple!" Gwen took her cue, teleporting herself, Brendan, and Alicia all onto the stage. May beamed happily as Brendan approached her with the trophy, realizing that Brendan was waiting to surprise her, only to almost hear an audible pop from her belly, followed by wetness building slowly on a pad she'd had at the ready since the week of her due date began. It was then followed by a contraction as strong as her strongest Braxton Hix contractions had ever gotten.

Brendan, holding May's trophy, saw his wife's sudden change of expressions from happy to shocked and slightly pained, along with her hand going to her belly. "Hey, May, are you alright?" Brendan asked as he got onto the podium with her.

May gasped slightly as the contraction subsided, nodding slightly. "I'm fine…but I think Selena's coming."

Brendan's eyes went wide as she spoke, while Gwen teleported a microphone into his hand. Brendan then turned to the audience. "I apologize to all of you, but the award ceremony will need to be cut short for medical reasons." Gwen then put her hand onto Brendan, who took May's hand, while Astra went into her Luxury Ball. May gripped his hand tightly as Gwen teleported them all to Littleroot General Hospital's entrance. Brendan quickly helped May get inside the building, going to the reception desk, the nurse recognizing them both from May's repeated visits for her ultrasounds. She quickly dialed the phone at her desk.

"Mrs. Maple is here, and she is going into labor," she said. "I'm sending her to the maternity ward, suite A." She got a quick acknowledgement as a wheelchair was pushed in for May. Brendan helped her into the chair, her hands going to her belly as she tried to take deep breaths.

Once they got to the birthing suite, Brendan and their accompanying nurse helped May get to an elevated seat, the nurse handing a hospital gown to May. "Alright, May, you and Brendan just relax and get comfortable. We'll be sending in doctors every so often to check on your dilation," the nurse said kindly and reassuringly.

"Thank you," May said as she let out a breath. The nurse smiled and left Brendan, May, Gwen, and Alicia as May took off her dress and putting on the gown. Once she was mostly covered, she took her panties off, letting them fall to the floor, since she knew she couldn't bend over that far. Brendan helped May get into her seat, then picked up her panties for her as she got into the chair.

Aunt May, are you gonna be okay? Alicia asked, looking worried.

May smiled as she rubbed a hand over her belly. "Yes, I'll be fine. Selena is just about to be born."

Really? Is her egg coming out now? Alicia asked cutely, not yet understanding that humans didn't have eggs like Pokémon did.

No, sweetie, Selena is already out of her egg now, Gwen said, keeping it simple for her daughter.

May was holding Brendan's hand tightly. "I'm really nervous," she said with a deep breath as Gwen teleported Alicia's favorite toy ball from home to distract her while May was giving birth.

"Hey, everything will be alright. Just relax. We're going to have a healthy, beautiful baby in a few hours now," Brendan said as the door opened as the nurse entered.

"Just coming in to check on you," she said, Brendan seeing Carla on her nametag. The Latina nurse seemed to be in her forties now, and she had an air of experience about her as she lifted May's gown, inserting a speculum for a moment. "And you're progressing pretty quickly. I'd guess that you'll be giving birth before midnight tonight. Feel free to turn on the television, if you'd like." Carla then took the tool out of May and left the room with a smile.

Brendan turned on the television as Carla left, the channel coincidentally showing the commentary for the Grand Festival. The two commenting were Wallace, who had taken up broadcasting and analysis for contests since losing his title to Brendan, and Green Leif. Green was both a powerful trainer and coordinator from Kanto, and she was married to Red Harrison, who would take his own trips alone repeatedly after giving up the title of Champion.

"With what can only be described as a show of her being in a new league of trainer, May Maple and her Jirachi, Astra, won decisively against their opponents. Unfortunately, Grace Sinatra, one of May's long-standing rivals, has been traveling in Unova for the past year with her family," Wallace said.

"Yes, and but it was just such a shame that May and Brendan both left the stage just as the award ceremony was getting to her," Green said. "Wallace, what are your thoughts on the matter, since you've known May longer than I have?"

"Them leaving before the trophy was awarded was a slight shame, but I suspect it won't be for very long," Wallace said with a knowing smile. "Given the fact that May is in her ninth month of pregnancy, how her expression shifted just before leaving, and that Brendan said they were leaving for a medical reason, I am almost positive that she is going into labor. If that's the case, then we will likely see something on social media soon with a picture of their baby."

Green smiled and giggled slightly. "Well, if the Maples are watching this now, know that the entire world is waiting excitedly to welcome your baby into the world with you."

That was when the door opened again, with the now engaged Lisia and Wally, entering with Sam right behind them. "Hey, is it okay for us to come in?"

Alicia's eyes lit up as she saw Sam entering. DADDY! she called out as she ran forward, jumping into the Gallade's arms, giving her father a hug. I missed you! Gwen stood up with a smile.

Come on, you two are our best friends. You can be in here until the doctors say otherwise, Gwen said as she walked up to Sam, kissing him like a housewife would her husband. Thank you for coming so quickly after I contacted you.

Sam just smiled, presumably saying 'it was the least I could do' to Gwen before going to play with Alicia for a while. Wally and Lisia then came inside, the latter of whom took May's hand that wasn't gripping Brendan's hand.

"Hey, you did really well out there on that stage," Lisia said. "Seems that baby Selena wants to come out and join us for the celebration."

May started laughing musically when Lisia said that. "She should know by now that she's always part of the celebrations," she said as she took her hand from Brendan and rubbed over a bulge as Selena pushed out with what May guessed to be her elbow. Brendan's hand followed May's as well, making her smile despite the building pressure in her lower abdomen. "But damn, the entire world knows that I'm giving birth tonight," she giggled.

"That's a price of fame," Lisia said almost tauntingly. "Especially when you're a region's iconic couple the way you two are."

There then came another knock at the door as Norman, Caroline, Lily, and Professor Birch all entered. Lily was immediately to her daughter's side hugging her tightly. "Hey, sweetheart, how're you feeling?"

"I'm feeling nervous, but excited too," May said. "Selena seems to be just excited." Lily giggled at the thought.

"You were the same way when I was about to have you," she said with the bright smile of a mother reminiscing about her family. "Seems like a small, innocent dose of irony." May giggled. "I guess I'll be giving that same advice to Selena when she grows up."

Lily gave her daughter a reassuring kiss on the forehead. "Don't go thinking that far ahead. You'll miss the moments in the present." May smiled as she hugged her parents tightly.

As Nurse Carla had predicted, when the clock struck ten at night, May winced as she felt her active labor going into the faster, more powerful contractions of the transition phase. Nurse Carla entered with the doctor, a woman named Samantha, came in quickly as Norman called out into the hall. She took a moment to check May, then stood up. "Alright, I'm going to need everybody except Brendan to wait in the hallway until the baby is born. The others left the room, with Gwen carrying a sleeping Alicia in her arms into the waiting room.

May gripped Brendan's hand tightly as Nurse Carla took her vitals for a moment. "Alright, May, do you want the epidural?" Dr. Samantha asked.

May sighed. "No. I don't want to be numb to this," she said. She was nervous about the pain of giving birth, but she was going to face all of it bravely, and directly, and Brendan was going to take all the verbal abuse he knew was coming his way.

"Alright, but this will be very unpleasant for you," Carla said as May put her feet into the stirrups.

"I know. But nothing good came without some amount of pain," May said.

"That is quite noble," Dr. Samantha said, turning to Brendan. "I'll be sure to send an orthopedist to look at your hands once this is all done."

May giggled a little before the next contraction hit, getting overlapped by the next one. Her grip got tighter on Brendan's hand, already getting close to breaking a bone or two. She winced and cried out, the pain making May feel nauseous as the contractions continued for almost four minutes. She groaned as the contraction stopped, sweat covering her face. Brendan let go of her hand briefly as he went to the sink, grabbing a cloth and getting it wet with cool water before coming back to her side, wiping her forehead lightly.

May smiled at him. "Thank you," she said as she caught her breath.

"And with that, it seems you're fully dilated. Are you ready?" Samantha asked.

"No, but will I ever be?" May asked with nervousness in her voice.

"Don't worry, the next part will be over quickly," Carla said reassuringly.

May then felt Selena's head pushing against and through her cervix, pain erupting from her hips. "AHHHH!" She screamed painfully, glaring daggers at Brendan. "All this pain is your fault! You couldn't keep your damn hands to yourself!"

"You're doing great," Brendan said calmly, letting her crush his hand as she squeezed. Nurse Carla just seemed to smiled with amusement

"May, just go ahead and push when you feel the need, just go slowly. I'll let you know if you'll need to stop," Dr. Samantha said. May nodded slightly, pushing in-time with her contractions, but she quickly got to a point where she felt like her vagina was about to rip in half, making her want to quit.

"I can't do this," she said with tears in her eyes. "It hurts."

Dr. Samantha gently reached up and took May's hand, slowly guiding it to her sex. May was confused until she felt soft, wet hair at the entrance, and May's eyes brightened. "You're so close. Don't give up now," Dr. Samantha said.

May nodded. "Okay, I can do this," she said, sounding out of breath. "Brendan, I need that wet cloth."

Brendan immediately began to wipe May's face with the cloth as she began to push again. The strain and stretch continued for another minute before a wave of relief came over her entire body as she felt Selena's head come out completely. May gave one last push and Selena's body followed out of her, a rush of joy and happiness flowing through her and Brendan as they heard the hiccupping wail of their daughter.

Dr. Samantha cut the umbilical cord, and Nurse Carla took Selena to a table nearby, weighing her to be seven pounds exactly, and measuring her to be about sixteen-inches long. She then swaddled Selena, taking her back over to May, who immediately took her daughter into her arms, starting to soothe the infant. "Brendan, look at her," she said, tears of joy in her eyes as Brendan hugged May closer. "She's beautiful." May's hand went to the now wide and bright-eyed Selena, softly stroking the baby's hair. May then kissed Selena softly on the forehead. "Hi, Selena. I'm your mommy," she said as she continued to cry from joy. Brendan had some tears starting to form in his eyes, seeing that their daughter had May's beautiful, blue eyes.

"You did great, May," Brendan said, kissing the side of May's head.

"Well, I'm exhausted," she said, smiling as she handed Selena to Brendan. "You can hold her. I know she's been dying to meet you. Every time she heard your voice for the past three months, she got more active."

Brendan's smile grew as he took Selena in his arms for the first time. At that moment, he felt an overwhelming joy rush over him. He knew, in that instant, that Selena had completely taken his heart. "May, I love you…but I have a new girl in my life," Brendan said.

May giggled as she rested. "I feel the same way. You know our lives have just changed completely, right?"

"I know, but…I don't care," Brendan said, his gaze fixed on Selena as she seemed to begin falling asleep in his arms. "If it's the three of us, then I'm not afraid of what's coming."

May kissed his cheek as she leaned over the railing, only to have the door open slowly. Hey, can we come meet the newest Maple? Gwen asked, family and friends alike behind her, starting with Norman, Caroline, Lily, and Professor Birch.

Brendan smiled and quietly gestured for them to come in as May smiled at them. They could all tell that she was exhausted, but she was too happy in the moment to fall asleep. Deep down, though, Brendan had the feeling that Selena was going to be the one who took the title of Champion from him…and maybe the top coordinator spot from May. He kept smiling as he handed Selena to his mother. Well, no matter what, only time will tell.

5 Years Later

Alicia, come on, we're going to miss your boat, Gwen called up the stairs to her daughter.

Coming, Mom, just needed to brush my hair to make it look perfect, Alicia said as she teleported down to Gwen's side.

"Alicia, wait for me!" came the voice of a sweet little girl. The five-year-old brunette Selena came running excitedly, looking like a miniature version of her mother, with Brendan's nose and ears.

"Selena, go slowly down the stairs," May said as she walked behind her daughter, rolling a rather large suitcase, Brendan, the last to appear, was fast in picking up May's suitcase along with his and Selena's, about to take them down for her. Gwen sighed and teleported up to them.

Honestly, you three would be lost without me here to help you, Gwen said as she teleported them and the bags to the ground floor as they awaited Selena. The little girl was walking slowly down the stairs, listening to her mother obediently. Gwen wanted to help speed things up, but she knew that, like her father, Selena was extraordinarily stubborn when it came to doing certain tasks on her own.

Brendan was waiting for Selena at the bottom of the steps when she got to the second-to-last step, getting ready to jump as she usually did from that step. "Ready, Selena?" Brendan asked.

"I'm ready, Daddy," she said sweetly.

"Then, big jump!" he said playfully as Selena jumped into his arms. She already had on her cute black shoes, courtesy of May's efforts, with her blue bow in her hair. The color was meant to be in contrast to May's old, red bow, which now sat in a chest with her photo albums of their family life. "Are you excited to go to Alola?"

Selena giggled, hugging Brendan around his neck. "Yeah, Daddy, I can't wait!"

Alicia smiled softly. I'll be sure to send you all a postcard from Orre once I've met my trainer there, the Ralts said.

Gwen took a deep, steadying breath as she heard Alicia say that. While Alicia's desire to travel to Orre to help bring happiness to a trainer there had been a shock to the entire Maple family, especially Gwen, they had mostly come to accept it.

Well, just promise me that you'll be in contact more than just a few times. I don't want to have my daughter be a stranger, Gwen said, her motherly tone having a practiced ease to it.

Alicia groaned jokingly. But MOOOOOOM, I want to be mean to you and cut you off from my life…when my sibling is about to hatch soon.

Gwen smiled, kissing Alicia's forehead. Good girl, she said as she hugged Alicia. She then looked to her own bag, which held the egg she'd laid three months prior, coming from another passionate night with Sammy.

They all began to walk toward Brendan and May's SUV. Brendan looked at his covered sportscar longingly for a second before kissing Selena on the cheek and putting her into her booster seat. Gwen followed suit with Alicia in the back. While the Ralts was not young like Alicia was, she was still only a foot tall. Gwen then got in the back between the two children, her egg's bag in her lap, as Brendan and May put the luggage in the tailgate of the van, getting into the front seats. "Alright, to Slateport first, then to the Mauville Airport," Brendan said, taking the driver's seat.

The drive was fun, with Selena's music playing the whole way, with May and Gwen helping her sing along with the words. Selena, however, still had trouble keeping pitch with her singing, so it sounded odd, but it had cuteness overload for the occupants of the car. It took them thirty minutes before they got to the port, May getting Selena out of her car seat, carrying her a short distance before setting her on the ground, holding her hand as Gwen got Alicia out of the car, and Brendan locked the van when they were all ready to go to the harbor.

It didn't take long for them to find the check-in station for the Pokémon going to Orre. In the past, the different regions had donated multiple Pokémon through Devon's program to aid the desolate region and provide Pokémon for the people there. Alicia quickly led the Maple family to the check-in station, where Steven Stone was standing with the ship's captain.

"Mr. Stone!" Selena said happily, recognizing the man as she ran forward, hugging the legs of Devon's CEO excitedly.

"Oh, hello Selena!" he chuckled as he hugged her back, looking up to see Brendan and May approaching. May was facepalming a little as she laughed at Selena's behavior. "How are you all doing today?"

"We're doing quite well," May said. "But, Alicia is ready for her travels to Orre, so this is where we're saying goodbye."

And hope that she goes to a great trainer. One like that guy Brendan battled in Victory Road for the League Tournament nine years ago, Gwen said. What was his name? Wes?

"Don't worry about that. We always vet the trainers before they get the Pokémon, and they typically turn out to be good people. Whether she's picked by a trainer with the disposition of Brendan is another issue though," Steven said.

So, where should I go to check-in, Alicia asked.

"Just head up the gangplank, and the crew will get you ready," Steven explained.

Gwen then crouched down beside Alicia hugging her daughter tightly. Alicia, you be careful while you're traveling, and please come to visit us often.

I promise I will, Alicia said happily, kissing her mother's cheek. Gwen stood, looking proud of her daughter, but in a bittersweet sense. Alicia then found herself in a surprisingly tight hug from Selena. I'll miss you, Selena, Alicia said as she hugged the little girl back.

"I don't want you to go," Selena said, sounding like she was crying. "I want us to stay together forever."

Brendan smiled softly as he went to pick up his daughter, who let go of Alicia reluctantly. "It's okay, she's still going to be with us even if she's not here," he said, even though he knew Selena wouldn't understand something so abstract. The captain then approached the Maple family.

"I'm sorry to break this farewell early, but the boat is about to depart," he said kindly. Alicia nodded and smiled at the captain.

Got it, she said as she teleported up the ship's gangplank, getting a smile from May, Brendan, and Gwen as she waved back to them. The captain was up to her side in less than a minute before the departure horn sounded from the cargo ship. The Maples just stood and watched with smiles as the boat got moving. Alicia then stood up on the starboard beam waving to her family. I love you all! Next time I see you, I'll have a great trainer…I might even be a Gardevoir!

May, Gwen, and Brendan all smiled and waved back to the little Ralts, while Selena turned to face the ship again, giving a little wave to her friend as they watched the boat shrink into the distance.

And, suddenly, I have a bad feeling about her going on this trip. Something feels wrong, Gwen said.

"I wouldn't worry too much. After all, the captain has a great record on this ship…plus, what could go wrong with a ship named S.S. Libra?"

Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just being a worrying mother, Gwen said.

May then pet Selena's hair over Brendan's shoulder, smiling sympathetically. "I know how you feel…but maybe a couple weeks at Alola's Hano Grand Resort will help with that issue."

"And, with luck, maybe Selena can meet Alola's Champion, Elio," he said, getting his daughter to perk up at the name of one of her idols.

"I want to meet Mr. Northstar!" she said. Brendan just chuckled and kissed his daughter on the cheek.

"I'll see what I can do, sweetheart," he said as they began to walk to their car.

As they began to drive to Mauville, Gwen couldn't help but smile with pride. She'd originally set out with the goal of becoming the world's strongest Gardevoir. Now, her goal had been met in ways that she never expected to happen. Selena just giggled at Gwen's happiness radiating out. The little girl didn't understand it, but she knew that Gwen's happiness meant good things were going to happen.

With giddiness and joy through the car, May drove on toward their destination: paradise.

 

Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed Brendan's Journey. I will soon be posting the next section to this story: Into the Storm. However, I'm only at 11 chapters there, and I am planning on there being about 60 chapters in that story.

Hope you all enjoy that one when I start posting it here.