Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, please don't sue me.
On with the show
"Shit!" Gary swore under his breath at the sight before him. He had left his camp sight unattended for literally 10 minutes and in that time some wild Pokémon had decided to use his tent and sleeping bag as a claw sharpener.
"I'LL GET YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DOOO!" he shouted to no one in particular, sliding down against a tree as he messaged his temples. No, he decided, getting angry was not going to solve anything. It would probably end up making the situation worse.
The problem was that he was at least three days away from the closes town, so if it decided to rain he was royally screwed. He briefly considered constructing a shelter out of leaves and twigs, but quickly decided that it was way too hot at the moment to even attempt to do something like that. Yes, he thought, he'd wait till dusk when it was nice and cool, and then he would build a shelter.
Truth be told, Gary was having incredibly foul luck as of late. First he'd totalled his car, his grandfather refusing to get him another one. Then he'd gotten a sever ass whopping from some trainer half his age in Lavender town. And now this.
Laying down in the thick grass of the clearing and closing his eyes, he decided that it would be best to leave everything up to the gods. If they thought he was such a terrible person that he had to be stranded in the middle of the forest with no shelter, then so be it. Feeling incredibly sorry for himself he let out a little whimper, a sing tear streaming down the side of his face.
"I think the sound came from this direction Pikachu! Let's follow it!" a voice exclaimed. Gary Oak shot up from his current position so fast he almost got whiplash. 'That voice' he thought, 'it sounds so familiar…...oh shit'. Realising who was making their way to the clearing he stood up straight and attempted to rub whatever moister was still in his eyes away. He couldn't let his rival see him like this, not in a million years!
Ash was getting closer now as the sound of footsteps and breaking twigs seemed to fill the small clearing. Leaning casually against a tree and putting on his best smirk, he braced himself.
"Well well well, if it isn't' Ashy-boy! What brings you to this neck of the woods?" he asked, his usual haughty attitude failing somewhat in his current situation. It was hard to be arrogant when you were essentially homeless and desolate.
The chocolate-brown eyed boy looked up, somewhat startled, before taking in the scene before him. Torn peace's of tent and half a sleeping bag littered the clearing, Gary standing a few meters away from the huge mess.
"Ah, hey Gary! Well I heard something in the distance. It sounded like a crazy person yelling or something, so I thought I'd come check it out. Did you hear it too?" Ash questioned, his head cocked to the side like a confused Arcanine.
Gary paused, briefly considering the fact that he had apparently sounded like a crazy person, let out a huge sigh, and then spoke. "That was me, Ash. OK? I've…just had really bad luck lately. I left this clearing for a few minutes to look for a river or pond to cool down in, and when I came back some wild Pokémon had destroyed my tent and sleeping bag." He finished, looking rather derelict.
'Wow' Ash thought, in all his years he had never seen his rival like this. A small smirk began to form on Ash's lips before he whipped it away. Now was not the time to relish in his rivals misfortune.
"Jeez, so where are you gonna sleep? You know they say there's a massive storm on its way to this region. You'll get drenched!" Ash stated, remembering what he had seen on the news.
"I KNOW that Ash, I wasn't born yesterday. I was thinking of making a shelter out of some leaves and branches, but I'll do that when it cools down a bit. Right now it's too hot to do anything other than laze about." With that, Gary sat down cross legged in the grass, picking at random weeds to keep himself busy.
Ash pondered the situation over a bit before he spoke. "It's no big deal buddy, you can share my tent. It's only really big enough for one person but I'd feel bad if I had to let you sleep out here in the cold."
Somewhat stunned by Ash's words, Gary almost started to blush. "Wow, thanks Ash, that's really kind of you. Guess you're not such a bad guy after all!"
"It's the least I can do to help." Ash stated simply, looking off into the dense forest growth. He really wasn't used to this side of Gary and part of him wished he would just return to his usual arrogant self. Another part of him, however, was somewhat captivated by this mature and appreciative Oak. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he lay down in the long grass and stretched out his legs.
A few minutes passed buy, nothing but the sound of bird and bug Pokémon chirping and squawking in the distance. The heat was beginning to get almost unbearable. This was too much.
Ash propped himself up into a sitting position before observing his rival, who currently looked like he had been washed up on a deserted island.
"Say, did you ever find that river you were looking for? I'd love to take a swim. If I don't cool down I think I'm gonna pass out." Ash said, his face already flushed from the heat.
"Na, I tried, but this place is too damn huge. I didn't really want to wonder off to far in case I got lost. We're just gonna have to stick it out until night fall." Gary stated flatly, sighing as he fanned himself with a large leaf that had fallen from a tree nearby.
Ash grimaced, the idea of waiting another five hours until this heat subsided almost making him throw up. And then he had an idea. Walking over to where he left his backpack, he quickly retrieved his Pokedex and flipped it open. "I've got an idea…" Ash said trailing off. Gary looked up at the younger boy holding his Pokedex in his right hand, prodding at the screen.
Rolling his eyes, Gary turned away. "If you think I'm gonna help you catch Pokémon in this heat you must be crazier than you look". Ash deadpanned, before chuckling. "Not that. How obsessed do you think I am?"
'Very' the spikey brunet wanted to answer, but couldn't quite summon the energy to do so. "I'm trying to find a place for us to swim. There's bound to be water around here somewhere…" Ash was prodding at his Pokedex with unbridled enthusiasm. Curious as to exactly how the raven haired boy planned to use his Pokedex to find water, Gary got up and stood beside him, squinting at the device in the younger boy's hand. "What the heck is this?" Gary said, pointing to the small screen. "Pokemaps. It's got satellite pictures of this entire region. If there are any large lakes or rivers nearby we should be able to see them on here…" Ash explained, fingers swiping across the screen as he spoke.
Gary was somewhat taken aback. Was this really Ash, his childhood rival? Ash had always been so dense and out of touch with the times. Yet hear he was using a feature of his Pokedex Gary hadn't even known existed. He watched with wide eyed admiration as Ash focused on the task at hand.
"Bingo!" Ash shouted, putting the small device back into his pocket. "There should be a lake roughly 600 meters from here, just past that really tall redwood" he said, pointing in the direction of an old tree.
"Well I hope your right, I could really use a swim right now. This whole month has been so stressful I desperately need to let off some steam." Gary mused as they stated walking in the direction of the giant tree.
Gary would never admit it, but the walk was quite enjoyable. They walked in silence, occasionally catching a glance of a rare bug Pokémon here, a flying type there. The ambience of the forest was putting them in a slight trance as they admired the natural beauty all around them. Speaking of natural beauty, Gary couldn't help notice how nicely Ash had filled out in the past years. He was still quite scrawny, but he had definitely put on some muscle from all of his training. His face had retained all of its boyish quality's, resulting in him looking a few years younger than he actually was.
Before they knew it, they were standing at the edge of a large lake that glistened in the sun.
"AH AWESOME! What do you think Pikachu?" Ash asked his poke-pal who had been following them silently the whole time. "Pika-Pi-CHU!" Pikachu said before diving head first into the cool water.
Ash glanced over at his human companion who was currently starring in awe at the incredible sight before them. "ASH! This is great! You're a freakin life saver man!" Tossing his clothes to the side and clad only in his white boxers, Gary dived into the crystal clear water only to emerge a few seconds later looking slightly perplexed.
"How's the water?" Ash shouted from where he was currently perched, untying his shoes. "It's incredible! So refreshing! Though I think I lost my underwear when I dived in…" Gary revealed, looking around rather awkwardly. Ash couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Gary's current vulnerability. This day really was getting better and better.
"Get your ass in here Ash, the water is amazing!" the taller boy shouted, ducking under the water and swimming with the kind of fluidity the raven haired boy could only dream of. "Yea yea in a minute, lemme just get undressed." Ash said, standing up and pulling off his left sock while holding onto a nearby branch for stability. Unfortunately for Ash, said branch was not strong enough to support him leaning on it and thus it proceeded to snap, sending Ash tumbling off the rock face and into the crystal waters below, fully clothed. Upon witnessing this, Gary burst out laughing uncontrollably.
When Ash surfaced, he was somewhat stunned. Spluttering from the water that had gone up his nose, he was greeted with the sight of Gary canned over in irrepressible fits of laughter.
"What the heck is so funny?" the smaller boy questioned the other, spitting bits of water lily out of his mouth. "Why YOU are Ashy-boy. Ah god I haven't laughed this hard in ages. You really ought to be more careful!" Gary said as he continued to chuckle, relaxing in the soothing coolness of the lake.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind" Ash retorted as he climbed out of the water, striped himself down to his silky black boxers and proceeded to dive bomb back into the lake.
"Ah this really is amazing" Ash purred as he bobbed up and down in the liquid bliss. What had started out as a somewhat stressful day was turning into a fun filled afternoon. There was silence as both boys took in the surreal beauty of the place they were currently situated.
Gary was the first one to break the silence. "So, where are those friends of yours, Brock and Misty? You don't usually travel alone do you?". Opening his eyes, Ash started "Well they weren't too keen on traveling through the forest. Misty's afraid of bug Pokémon and Brock cannot be without his creature comforts for too long, so they're traveling by train and staying in a hotel until I get back to Pallet Town. I've been trekking through this forest for the past day and a half now, and so far it's been quite an experience. I haven't caught any new Pokémon, but I've really enjoyed being away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. It's quite refreshing actually." He finished.
For the second time today Gary was impressed. Ash not going out of his way to catch Pokémon? Not to mention the fact that he was clearly enjoying the blissful tranquillity of the immense forest. When the heck had his rival become so mature and gained such a dutiful appreciation for nature? Maybe he could appreciate other aspects of nature. Human nature, per se. Gary shook that thought from his mind, feeling somewhat dirty.
He looked back at the smaller boy who was attempting to float on his back. "And you, what have you been up to Mr. Gary?" Ash questioned playfully, a dark eyebrow raised. The taller boy cleared his throat before he spoke. "Well not much really, I was making my way back to Pallet when I decided to rather take the scenic route. I've only got to be there in 4 days so I thought why not go on a bit of an adventure. You know? Kill some time. Get away from it all."
Ash knew exactly what he meant. Sometimes you just needed to be alone and have time to think. Ash was starting to think his old friend turned rival had really turned over a new leaf. "Yea, I know. The time alone has really helped me. It's just…" Ash struggled, backpedalling somewhat. "Just what" Gary inquired, wanting to know more. "Well, me and Misty, we started dating a while ago." Ash continued, "At first it was great. We were practically inseparable. But as the months went on we kinda drifted apart. She's a great girl and everything, but, yea, I dunno…" Ash faltered, becoming somewhat emotional.
Sensing this Gary moved in closer in an attempt to comfort his old rival, resting his hand on Ash's small shoulder. "It's OK Ash, love works that way. People often spend their entire lives falling in and out of love until they find someone that they can stick with. But if you don't try, you'll never fly. C'est la vie" Gary finished, letting his hand fall back into the water.
"Say la what?" Ash looked at him quizzically, not understanding. "It's French, Ash. It means 'Such is life' or 'That's the way life is'. Spend less time thinking about the implications of things and more time following your heart. You were always pretty good at that." Gary offered, sinking deeper into the water.
"Yea, I guess. It's just hard when you really gave it your all and it all amounts to nothing. I mean, I don't feel anything for her after what she did to me…" Ash trailed off again, this time becoming even more emotion. "Did what? What exactly did she do to upset you so much?" Gary pressed on, needing to know more. "Do I really have to tell you?" Ash looked up at his friend, this time with eyes that conveyed a deep amount of hurt.
Gary swallowed visibly, taking all this information in. He knew it must have been something pretty bad to upset Ash like this. "Well if you get it off your chest you might feel a bit better. You know, it's a good way to put your mind at ease. You can trust me…" Gary offered weekly.
"Well alright, if you really have to know, she cheated on me. With Brock, of all people." Ash spat, feeling the hurt sink in deeper than ever before. "WHAT?! She cheated on you? No way!" Gary couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"We had all booked into a hotel, had supper, and a few drinks. I told them I was going to sleep since I had a rough day, so they said they would have one more round before coming up to the room. Unfortunately there were only two small beds in the room and one couch, and since I was already tired and didn't mind the couch, I decided to sleep there. I wake up in the middle of the night and see that they still haven't arrived, so I decide to go down stairs and look for them, but they are nowhere to be found. By this time I was pretty worried, I mean, they're my friends and all, why wouldn't I worry? So I ask some random dude in the bar if he's seen a guy and a red-head girl, and he tells me that they left with a friend of his a while ago. He gives me his key card and the room number so I bolt upstairs, wondering what the heck they were up to. I reach the room, unlock the door, and see Misty in bed with Brock and some girl I've never met before." Ash finished off, visibly startled from having to relive the ordeal again.
If Gary's jaw hadn't been on the floor before, it was glued there now.
"But Brock's your friend! How the hell could he do that?" Gary contemplated out loud. Ash continued "Apparently this chick, Alisha, started flirting with Brock in the bar and eventually she lured him and Misty upstairs to the room. Brock and Alisha start making out, and Misty decides to take it easy on the couch and go to sleep. The lights go out and things start getting hotter and heavier. Brock and Alisha start having sex right there and then. Misty is hearing all this and getting more and more turned on. Eventually she snaps and sneaks into bed with them. And that's more or less when I show up and give them a lesson in cuss combos, extremely loud noises and the art of dodging flying porcelain" Ash finished off, looking more angry than sad.
"Wow…that's just…wow" Gary stumbled, not quite knowing what to say. "I've mostly gotten over it, but it still hurts, I mean, how dumb do they think I really am?" Ash struggled to keep composed as emotions of betrayal started to sink in. Turning away from his human companion, he sighed a deep sigh, closing his eyes.
A few seconds passed in silence before it was broken by the sound of laughter. Gary was laughing, almost hysterically. "What the hell is so funny?" Ash spat, glaring daggers in Gary's direction. "YOU ARE MAN! Seriously? A lesson in cuss combos, extremely loud noises and the art of dodging flying porcelain? That's hilarious!" Gary keeled over again, eyes shut. Now that Ash thought about it he had worded those last few lines quite comically. Laying back in the water he started to chuckle, and in no time he was laughing out loud. Both boys soon gained their composure and stared at each other gleefully for a second or two. "I think we should start heading back to camp. It's gonna start getting dark and I'm starving" Ash said, breaking the silence.
"I couldn't agree more Ash, let's go!" And with that they grabbed their clothes and proceeded to make their way back to their camp site, Pikachu hot on their heels. Gary was feeling completely revived and Ash felt more at peace with the world than he had been in recent memory. Today, as it turned out, was a good day.
-END OF CHAPTER ONE-
Don't worry peeps, part two is on its way I promise. Remember, feedback is always appreciated and reviews will help me refine my writing style. The more feedback I get, the faster I'm gonna get a new chapter out.
Peace.