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Fortunately for Maxie’s back, it was a rest period for him and May. Unfortunately for Maxie, it was a rest period for him and May.
Of course, a couple weeks break from pokédex filling was a given, he wasn’t getting any younger after all, on top of May wanting to spend her birthday with her family, that is. It wasn’t all bad for him of course, he had the time to write more often now, play around with his darling little pokemon, dust off a few books he hasn’t been able to get around to after the team Magma fiasco, those kinds of things.
It was slow. Slow was nice, yes. Very nice. Unlike the racing around and (literal) wild Wingull chases May would send him on. He had his quiet time, which was a good thing, a little break from the energetic and attitude filled May…
It was nice having someone with such a strong personality around, though. Everyone in team Magma (including himself to an extent) were just…
Max shuffled through his cupboard, pulling out the tin of assorted homemade cookies Miss Belle had gifted him, “A thank you gift for making sure my little girl is okay, I know how energetic she can be.” She’d said.
Clearly, she’d not known about the life threatening adventure she and (reluctantly) Brendan had gone on to stop his, with a bit of foresight, very idiotic plan.
When he brought the tin down and set it on the counter, Mightyena was at his side in an instant. “No.” Mightyena whined and pushed his head against his leg, “They’re not good for you Mightyena, do you remember the last time you tried cookies?”
He still whined anyway.
Maxie sighed, pulling out a poképuff for his poor, starving little puppy. Of course, that only made Crobat fly over too, so he also had to give one to her as well, which also made Cammie cry sadly from the lounge room and-
“The things I do for a snack.” Crobat snickered happily to herself, flying back to the living room with her spoils in her claws. It only made Camerupt’s gruff cries a little louder, “Yes, yes, I’ll be there with your sweets in a moment Miss Cammie.” Pulling another puff out of its container, Mighyena had trotted happily behind him as they made their way back.
Camerupt looked up at him cutely when he’d arrived back to the lounge room, cookie tin in one hand and poképuff in the other, “You’re getting lazy, the kitchen isn’t that long of a walk, my dear.” Cammie snorted at him, happily taking her puff from his hand and demolishing it in one bite.
Maxie placed the tin on the coffee table, leaning back in his loveseat, “Hmm, what show are you thinking today?” Crobat grins, flying up and easily stealing the remote from Maxie, Mightyena’s ears perk up, staring at the tv screen with excitement as Crobat intently flicks through the channels. Camerupt sighs, her side leaning further into the couch and resting her head on Maxie’s lap.
He chuckles, “You do not like soap operas?” Camerupt huffs at him and Crobat makes a small offended noise at the insinuation. Mightyena was making himself comfortable on the floor when he stiffens, his ears perking up, his eyes locking with the front door. He trots out of the lounge room leaving his half eaten poképuff behind, “Crobat will steal that if you don’t finish it Mightyena,” Maxie calls out.
No response.
“Suit yourself.” Crobat chuckles and swoops in for the puff, bringing it onto the couch and munching away as she flicks through the channels, making herself comfortable when she finally finds the right one. Maxie flicks open his book as he begins nibbling away at some of his cookies (he was delighted to find there was shortbread, his favourite). Today’s book had been a gift from Archie, Maxie had been surprised that he’d remembered his tastes after all this time, he was glad Archie had remembered though, he’d found it difficult to put it down once the story really got started. Even if receiving the book entailed a lot of teasing from Archie’s end-
Mightyena barks, loud.
Startling, Maxie sits up, he calls out to Mightyena and only gets up when a quick succession of knocks rattle the door. He’s shushing Mightyena when he opens it.
He starts; “Very sorry about my Mightyena, how can I-“ May stands there, red in the face, tears flowing freely down her cheeks and big blobby snot crawling its way out of her nose and onto her lips. “What happened?”
She sniffs, “Don’t wanna talk about it.” She storms past Maxie and further into his apartment, little Numel waddling after her, Blaziken nods his head in apology to Maxie, standing with him when Max shuts the door, Mightyena had already chased after her to the living room, not hesitating in the slightest to jump up onto the couch and rub his head on her arm.
Blaziken’s fur stood on end, staring angrily at the wall in front of him as though it personally hurt him, Max ran a hand through the fur in his arm to get his attention, he looked shocked for a brief moment, “Do you need anything to help calm you down?” He mumbles to the Pokémon, he shakes his head and joins the rest in the lounge room.
Camerupt has her head leaned into young May’s lap, Crowbat abandoning her stolen poképuff in order to lean close to her. It did little to dissuade her crossed arms from un-crossing, nor make her angry expression disappear… Or stop the tears from silently rolling down her face, dropping off into her crossed arms when they reach the underside of her chin.
Maxie stands at the entrance to the lounge room semi awkwardly as May’s Blaziken makes his way to her, he felt like the smallest nudge would make the girl explode, but he’d hadn’t been in a scenario like this with another person in decades, so all he could really say was…
“… Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?-“
“My dad’s a fucking asshole!” Her outburst was like a bomb setting off, inevitable, “We move entire bloody regions so we can be closer to him- so we can actually spend some time together- and all he’s done is just make mum worry! It’s always just work with him! I had to leave all my friends just to be here, for him” She sniffs, wiping a fist across her tear stricken face, “I haven’t had a proper conversation with him in actual years, is one birthday too much to ask for?!”
Crowbat moves over as Maxie takes a seat next to May, flying off into the kitchen, “I became the literal champion of Hoenn, and that still wasn’t enough to even get a glance.” She hid her face in her hands. Crobat comes back with the tissue box in her claws, dropping it onto May’s lap and perching on the coffee table, she peeks between her fingers at the delivery and thanks her, blowing her nose, “… Please don’t tell mum I swore.”
Maxie chuckles, rubbing her back, “Your secret is safe with me.” His voice came out quieter than he’d meant it to.
“Thanks.” She blows her nose again, Maxie pinches a clean tissue and wipes her face clean of tears. She quietly leans into him, sighing through her nose. Numel makes himself comfortable on May’s feet, Blaziken staring worried at his trainer.
“You think you can get some water?” Max asks Blaziken quietly, he nods and heads off into the kitchen, Crobat close behind.
May pouts, arms crossing again, “This break sucks.”
Maxie could only muster a small smile, “My legs sure aren’t complaining though.” He tries lightheartedly, Maxie leans over, grabbing the abandoned cookie tin and offering it to her.
May chuckles, “I’m sure, old man.” She digs around for a few chocolate and choc chips ones, stuffing her face with them.
He places the tin back, sighing a bit too performantly, “How unfortunate, it seems that while you’re here, I have no choice but to give you your present before your party.” She eyes him curiously, terrible at hiding her excitement as all children are when it comes to presents.
Maxie dug around the drawer under the tv stand, pulling out a thin case (that was of course, wrapped in wrapping paper), when he turned back to the couch May was sipping at a glass of water, Blaziken petting her on the head.
She stares at the present when he holds it out to her, sipping at her water, “Well go on, it’s not going to bite you.” Maxie chuckles, May mumbles into her glass before setting it on the coffee table.
She begins tearing at the paper, stopping for a moment, “… Better not be a book you old fart.”
Maxie laughs, “Just open it!”
She huffs and tears the paper, her eyes almost bulging out of her head when she sees it, “What?! How’d you remember? You barely know what I’m on about when I’m talking about games to you!”
He waves his hand, “You’ve talked about that blue hedgehog so much that it’s impossible not to remember.”
She raises an eyebrow, “But you remembered which specific game I wanted?”
“Do you want the game or not.”
She threw her hands up in surrender, “Fine! Fine! Sheesh…” May grins, shyly, “Thanks old man.”
Maxie waves his hand dismissively, “Crobat and Mightyena’s soap opera begins soon, will you be joining us?”
May snags another cookie from the tin, “You watch that stuff?”
“Crowbat and Mightyena do,” He corrects, the two Pokémon snickering at each other, Crowbat flies over and takes control of the remote again, “Would you like some tea?”
May scoffs, “Do I look fifty years old? Hot chocolate, thanks.”
Maxie messages May’s mother to let her know where she is when he’s put the kettle on, he hopes, at least, that their time together is enough to cheer her up before she has to head home.