I do not own Pokemon or any of its affiliates. This story was made from my own original ideas based off the characters as used in the series.
A young man walked up the path to the door. It had been a few months, maybe even almost a year since he'd last been here but everything looked the same. It gave him comfort to know he could leave and nothing would really change. When he got to the door he knocked twice and waited for someone to answer. He didn't have to wait more than a few moments for her to appear. A tall blonde girl with a bored expression opened the door and looked him up and down. "Like can I help you sir?" She asked a little suspiciously. She recognized him but couldn't place him.
"Is Misty here?" He asked looking past Daisy into the house. She narrowed her eyes thinking harder.
"Wait aren't you that guy she used to travel around with?" She realized.
"One of them, yes."
"Hold on," She said more politely. "I'll go see if she's upstairs. Sometimes she leaves early and we don't hear her go out." She explained as she disappeared up the stairs. Once she was out of site Daisy rushed up the rest of the stairs and down the hall to her sister's room. She knocked loudly and waited only a moment before barging in anyway. Misty was sitting on her bed with a notebook in her hand studying while listening to music. She hadn't heard her sister and so was particularly stunned to see her come in.
"Daisy what are you doing?" She demanded after taking off her headphones.
"Like one of your friends who you used to run around with is downstairs."
"Who?" Misty asked looking perplexed. She hadn't heard from anyone in months. She definitely was not expecting someone to just show up.
"I don't know! I didn't like ask." Misty glared as she started to stand up and Daisy sighed. "Okay he was tall, and has dark hair and brown eyes. Misty rolled her eyes.
"They both have dark hair and brown eyes."
"Are they both tall?"
"I don't know I haven't seen Ash in ages, maybe?"
"Well either way he's waiting."
"I heard you." Misty said as she exited her room. She picked at her light blue blouse as she descended the stairs. She was wearing one of those see-through shirts that you wore a tang top under and white jeans. She felt particularly self-conscious because her hair was down. It was hard to keep it up when she was listening to music as she had those really big over-the-ear headphones, but she'd been wearing it down more often anyway. When she got down to the point she could see who was waiting her smile grew and she flew down the rest and into his arms. "Brock I'm so happy to see you! What are you doing here?" They pulled away after a moment and he responded.
"I'm glad to see you too, and I haven't heard from you. I needed to stop home and check on all the kids so this was my next stop." He said ruffling her hair. She pushed his hand out of her hair giving him a playful glare before remembering her manners.
"Well come in, would you like something to eat?" She offered politely leading him into the sitting room.
"Did you make it?" He questioned, concerned, while Misty gave him another warning look.
"Hey I'm a pretty good cook now." She defended as he took a seat on the sofa. "And anyway we have fruit and other snacks if you'd prefer."
"Can I just have some water maybe?"
"Sure I'll be right back." She smiled showing that he had not upset her temper this way as she moved quickly into the kitchen. Brock looked around the room with a smile. The outside hadn't changed and the inside hadn't much either, except for the photo update. There were still the picture from when the girls were young but now there were some from her elder sisters' tour and some newer ones of Misty, which he could tell by the cloths but especially her hair and body. Not in a creepy way, he had noticed over the years that she had developed into a woman quite some time ago. After all it had been seven years since they had all been together.
Misty returned with two glasses of water and handed one to Brock as she settled into an armchair. She folded her legs under her and smiled trying to think of exactly what to say. "How is the family?" She settled on finally after a few awkward moments.
"They're good." He countered feeling better that Misty had started the small talk. "They're all growing up on me, I mean heck look at you!" She blushed and looked into her water glass.
"Please I'm still the same old me."
"Not likely C'mon Mist I saw you at what your sixteenth birthday party?"
"And then again a little after Halloween."
"That's right." Brock recalled and the let the memory sink in. "But I mean before that the last time I had seen you, you must have been twelve because I was what?" He thought for a moment scrunching his eyebrows. "Sixteen? Geeze." Misty nodded.
"Yeah it must have been because Ash was thirteen, but he kept saying how he was almost fourteen." She mocked with a chuckle. Ash had almost fallen over when he realized Misty was younger than him. She was taller, was a gym leader, and had Pokemon, not to mention the temper of a Gyarados. But Misty was a good year younger she was born the spring after him and he was born in the summer. He usually tried to turn her Birthday into a reminder it was almost his. "Speaking of his birthday is in what? Two weeks?" She questioned trying hard to pretend that she didn't remember. Brock nodded.
"That's actually one of the reasons I wanted to come home and talk to you." Misty was genuinely surprised, and waited for him to continue. "Mist he's going to be eighteen, and he feels like he hasn't accomplished anything worthwhile. He's planning on announcing at his birthday party that he's coming home and going to school to be something else." When Brock looked up to meet Misty's gaze she looked like stone, if the stone was the most surprised and offended stone ever carved. It took a few moments for her to finally process all of this and respond.
"What could I do that you haven't already tried? I know Ash has accomplished a lot; he's still young he still has plenty of time to go up against the elite. I mean Larry didn't get there until he was in his thirties. Ash still has at least seven years to beat the record and be the youngest."
"That's not the problem."
"Brock then out with it you're confusing me." She said the agitation clear in her voice. It wasn't that she was angry or even that aggressive (anymore) just she didn't know how to control her voice to explain that to people who didn't know her. Brock did know her and could tell so none of this truly intimidated him.
"He thinks by the time he does everything he wants to do he's going to miss out on everything. I mean he hasn't seen you in over a year. I know for a fact he hasn't responded to any of your letters in the past six months, and it's because he feels guilty. He saw how much you had changed when we hadn't seen you in three years and he pointed out that he was going to miss everything to become a Master."
"So what would you like me to do about it?" She asked setting down her glass on the side table next to her as she repositioned herself to sit cross-legged on the chair. "I agree. He had missed out. He missed the ceremony when I was pronounced in the top five Kanto Gym Leaders, he hardly ever writes me back ever but especially lately and when he does he never checks in on me it's always like four pages about him and what's been going on."
"Did you just say like?"
"In the appropriate way yes, it's not an approximate number." They laughed for a moment before Brcok spoke again.
"Misty do you still care about Ash anyway?"
"Of course I do." She exclaimed a little offended.
"Are you still going to write him back over and over when he doesn't respond?" He asked
"Probably." She grumbled.
"He doesn't think that's true. Here" Brock extended his hand with a little card in it for Misty to take. She did and opened it reading it quickly.
"An invitation to his birthday party in ten days?" She questioned "It's kind of a long trek don't you think?"
"I know, look Gary is coming in a week with the Professor and Delia if you would like to go with them and I'm headed back in two days you are welcome to come with me as well. " She looked at the note deep in thought as he continued. "Misty it would mean the world to him if you were there and I would love to spend some extra time with you as well. " She smiled.
"I do miss you guys really, it's not that. If it were just about my missing you I would be there in a heartbeat. I'd go tomorrow. Brock you know how hard it is to see you guys all out living your dreams and me being stuck here."
"I do know that." He said with a smile standing up and walking to her. He stooped to her eye level before continuing. "But you deserve a break too. C'mon Misty take the two weeks for yourself, give the ten year olds around here a prayer for the badge and leave it to your sisters while you're away. They owe you that much."
"And when I have to leave again?"
"Wouldn't you rather be sad to leave than regret not going at all?" He had a good point. One that she really couldn't argue with. She did want to go, and her sister could surly watch the gym for two weeks. She took a deep breath.
"Let me think about it and I'll let you know in enough time either way."
"Okay fair deal."
"I still don't really understand what I could possibly do to help."
"Well I'm hoping knock some sense into him the good old fashioned way." They laughed and Brock stood.
"I would love to stay longer but I promised Suzie I'd make dumplings for dinner tonight."
"Oh yeah I understand go. I'll give you a call and let you know okay?" Brock smiled and when they got to the door gave her a big hug.
"I missed you Misty. I'm glad to see you're taking care of yourself here."
"I miss you too." She said quietly. She didn't want to cry and sometimes when Brock left she feared she would. Brock was legitimately the older brother she'd always wished she'd had. And even though he had more than enough little brothers and sisters he had somehow found room to call her one of them too. When he left Violet walked in and gave her a hard look.
"Okay sis, what did he want?"
"He wants me to come visit for a few weeks for Ash's birthday." She answered glad for the distraction. Just then Daisy peeked down from the stairs.
"Are you going to go?" She questioned.
"Is it even an option?" Misty asked looking back and forth at them. "You do realize that would mean you three would have to run the gym and everything on your own right?"
"Hey Baby Sister we do know how to like take care of the gym okay?" Daisy chastised as she came down the stairs. Almost on cue Lilly walked in next carrying groceries that she had left to get a few hours earlier.
"The market was so busy. I'm glad you're all here can someone like please help me put these away?" Misty grabbed two bags from her sister and Violet grabbed one too while the other two followed them into the kitchen and they started to help put everything away. "Did I miss something."
"Yes." Daisy said before getting distracted with a magazine Lilly had also picked up. Violet cut in for her.
"A friend of Misty showed up and he asked her to come to some party for two weeks." Lilly raised her eyebrows at Misty for much needed clarification and she answered next.
"Brock came by because he is home visiting his family. He invited me to Ash's birthday party which is in two weeks, and then asked if I would come earlier to spend some time with everyone since it's been so long and apparently Ash is going a little mad." Lilly nodded now understanding. When Misty had come back Lilly and he had gotten a little closer. Whereas before Misty had been closer to Daisy now she was probably closest to Lilly who was the most level headed of her elder sisters.
"Do you want to go?" Lilly questioned.
"I mean, sort of but not really."
"Which is it Sis?" Violet asked loosing interest quickly. "That offer to watch the gym while you're away is a limited time thing." Misty rolled her eyes and Daisy and Lilly both glared at her. She tried to be funny but she never picked the right times to be.
"I don't know it's complicated." Misty decided slamming the jar of olives into the fridge. Lilly took the oatmeal out of her hands and pulled her aside.
"You, go upstairs and think, write a list, like whatever you have to do to figure this out for you and let us know tonight. When would you have to leave?"
"Two days."
"Then really go you have to let Brock know don't you?"
"She said she would tell him." Daisy interjected.
"Then scoot. Go deep into that Misty Mind of yours and figure out what you want to do." She pushed Misty to the stairs and they all waited until she had disappeared to worry about it.
Misty sat in her room for about two hours laying out excuses not to go at all. The truth was she would be no help to Brock. She wanted Ash to follow his dreams but she felt very left behind. He rarely made the time for her she wished he would and more often than not she felt like she was solely responsible for the fact that they were still friends at all these days.
By the time dinner was ready she felt more lost than ever and ate in her room to avoid the questioning, she needed peace. Lilly eventually came back up and knocked on the door. She didn't wait for an answer which was a normal family trend when there were no men in the house and walked in joining Misty on the bed. "I hadn't realized there was so much to consider." She stated looked Misty up and down.
"With Ash involved there always is." Misty mussed more annoyed with herself than ever.
"So out with it. Why is this so hard for you? I thought you would jump at the chance to get out for a while, especially to see Ash… and Brock" She added when Misty stayed silent.
"He wants me to tell Ash that he should still follow his dreams and I don't know if I can."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean apparently Ash wants to give up and Brock wants me to encourage him that it's okay to miss the things here because we'll still be here waiting when he comes back eventually as the Pokemon Master. I don't think I can. I hate that Ash ignores me and is gone all the time. I miss him."
"Well of course you do." Lilly said wrapping an arm around her. "He's your best friend. It's hard to be so far away. But Sis if you don't go and he gives up you're going to blame yourself and that won't be fair. You need to go and see him and figure out what is going on. Because he's your best friend and that means sometimes doing what's best for him and not you." Lilly stood up giving a knowing smile. "You'll do the right thing, you'll see." And just like that she left Misty to make the final decision on her own.
Thanks for reading, I hoped you liked the beginning please feel free to comment and review if you'd like.
Happy Reading :~D