Chapter 03: Worthless
 
     It was a rainy night, similar to the night when Brendan Birch had committed 
suicide. A tear streaked down her porcelain cheek. She could still picture that 
night. The gun, shining coal black in Brendan's hand, water streaking off the 
trigger. The rain, pouring down on the two trainers as they screamed, argued and 
cried. And Brendan himself, his hand shaking as he pulled the trigger and his 
white hair blowing in the wind. 
 
     Wally didn't know why she was still crying. Brendan Birch was the most 
arrogant little snot you'd ever meet and he definitely wasn't worth the tears of 
May Maple. So what if he was dead? One less mouth to feed, one less voice to 
give you a headache, one less trainer to beat you, one less person to annoy the 
heck out of you. When Brendan died, a lot of happy bonuses were thrown Wally's 
way and he had been in a happy little bliss, enjoying every one of them.
 
     A powerful trainer had been knocked out of the Pokemon League competition, 
making it easier for Wally to win. He had won, too. May had dropped the League 
out of grief, leaving not many worthy competitors to the green-haired boy. He 
had ended up winning the title of Hoenn League championship.
 
     He had more power. He had more freedom. He had a heck of a lot more 
happiness. But most of all, he had May Maple. May was definitely a wreck, full 
of guilt that she had made Brendan commit suicide. Wally had taken her under his 
wing, caring for her, comforting her, loving her. He had enjoyed every minute of 
it, remembering the fact that he had everything that Brendan didn't.
 
     How he had envied Brendan. The son of the world-famous Pokemon researcher, 
the respected and loved trainer, the companion of May Maple... That jerk had 
everything that a guy could ever ask for. But he wanted more. He had called May 
a slut, she had hit his ego and pride and that forced him over the edge and he 
had killed himself. And now Wally had everything he had. Well, except for the 
fact that he wasn't the son of a researcher. He was the Hoenn champion though! 
And that was better.
 
     That Birch kid didn't appreciate everything he had ever had. Everything 
that had made his life perfect. But Wally appreciated it and Wally now had it. I 
mean, all of his life, he had been followed by his parents, who were worried 
sick about his because of his lung problem. He had never been out of Petalburg 
until he went to Vendanturf, and he had never gotten close to a Pokemon until 
going to Norman's gym. 
 
     Brendan had a researcher father that constantly went on trips and took 
Brendan with him. Brendan had met the most famous trainers in the world. Brendan 
had gone alone to Oldale Town at age 6! Brendan's parents didn't shadow him, 
Brendan's parents had given him everything he had ever wanted. Brendan had the 
perfect life and didn't realize it. Wally would've never killed himself if he 
had Brendan's life. He had wished so bad that he was Brendan. and now, here he 
was, with almost everything Brendan had ever had and he had fulfilled Brendan's 
greatest dream: becoming the Hoenn League champion.
 
     Nobody would've ever thought that at age 14, Wally Wood would be the Hoenn 
League champion while Brendan Birch would be lying in a coffin at Mount Pyre. It 
was probably a major screw-up but who cared? This major screw-up had perfected 
his pathetic life and he was loving every minute of it.
 
     Brendan had always told him that he would always beat him at everything he 
did and that it was worthless to try and beat him at anything. But look where 
Wally had ended up because of Brendan's dumb mistake. 
 
     Who's worthless now, Birch?