Brendan opened the door and stared out along the horizon. Beyond his vision was a large ocean. Only a few peaks of the many mountains scattered around Hoenn remained. In the distance he saw what he imagined was Mt.Chimney, where Team Aqua's first plot was foiled. He wished that their other plots had followed suite. He placed his hand on his forehead and wiped his eyes. Guilt surrounded him, almost crushing him. He had failed. He had failed to stop all of this. He failed to do what was asked of him.
"It's kinda beautiful, isn't it?" May mumbled, looking out into the distance. "The ocean."
Brendan didn't disagree with her. It was beautiful. The way that nothing disturbed the perfect reflection of the sun on the water. The way that the waves moved uninterrupted. In a way it was quiet exquisite. Brendan had always loved the ocean. It held so many secrets in its dark depths. One day he wanted to explore them all. Just, not like this.
He turned to May. The brunette was sitting with her legs folded underneath her, like she always did. Her vision was fixed on the ocean, her eyes mirroring the sapphire blue of the sea. She chewed the edge of her fingernail while her other hand picked at a scar on the bottom of her arm. Brendan moved over to her and gently pulled her finger away. "You'll make it worse." He kindly said. "No chewing." The slightly older teen added. Brendan sat next to her and felt a sharp pain in his back forcing him to jerk forward. May noticed and, looking concerned, placed a hand on the space between his neck and spine, and very gently, moved her finger slowly in a circular patten. Brendan was first nervous at the contact but immediately after he felt relaxed. The pain seemed to drift away in the distance.
"My mother used to do this too my, Dad." May explained, continuing the gesture. "Is it, alright?" Brendan nodded.
"Do you know-"
"No." She interrupted. "I haven't seen anyone." She explained. "I was just helping with the evacuation, and then, I saw your suit in the sea. Just floating there. I thought- I thought you where dead. I had Tropius pick you up. We searched for somewhere to land for hours. The water just kept rising and rising." Brendan put a hand around her shoulders. May took a sharp breath. "Eventually we found this place." She continued. "It was empty. Not sure who it belonged too."
"Thank you, May." He said. She looked up at him and rested her head onto his chest. He tightly held her close. His cheek leant against her hair. "You did everything you could."
"It wasn't enough." She mumbled. "I should have done more."
"If there's one thing I know about you," Brendan said confidently. "It's that you will always do the right thing." He smiled at her and she looked up at him again, but this time there was something else in her eyes. She couldn't look at him for long. Instead she let her emotions go free into the vast ocean which surrounded them. Letting the waves carry away her guilt.
---
The sun had began to drop into the sea. Day was beginning to fade into night. May was sleeping, Brendan's arm still wrapped around her. Brendan found himself staring at her beautiful face. She was adorable, he knew that from the first time he saw her. She was funny, kind, confident, caring and everything else he didn't know he wanted, all in one slightly smaller, skinny, adorable package, with a cute little red and white bow on top. He had always wanted this. The two of them, together, his arm around her shoulders. Her head resting against his chest. In a way, he could forget about it all. The ocean, Kyogre. Aqua. Despite the guilt, the feeling of loss. Worthlessness. And yet, he was almost content. Simply because she was still here.
He worried about his parents, his friends, Wally, Steven. His Pokémon team which May couldn't find out in the ocean. But he knew deep down inside that somehow everyone was okay. Maybe he was lying to himself, but if that's what it took for him to live then that's what he would do. For now. Forever. Whatever was the case. He had something else to worry about now. Someone else needed him. Someone he could realistically help. And that's what he was going to do.
Carefully he lifted the fragile girl into his arms. Carrying her into the house and into the large bedroom where she had originally put him. But there was no way he was letting her sleep on the sofa again. As carefully as he could he placed her into the bed, silently pulled the covers over her and brushed a strand of her short hair from her face. She turned to this side and he just watched her for a moment. He smiled to himself and took a breath, building himself up to say...
"I love you."
