Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine.

Author's Note: I'M BACK! It's been a while since I've posted something on ff.n, but believe me I've been thinking about it. Unfortunately, college plus fanfiction aren't a really good match.

I've decided to take on two projects at once! I hope you all enjoy this; and I should also be posting the first chapter of the sequel for Time to Shine (still doesn't have a title yet) real soon!

I hope everyone enjoys!

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All That Glitters Ain't Gold

Chapter 1

A Sensible Solution

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It had been a while since I'd been home. Not exactly by choice. I mean, being home is always nice. Mansion. Cooked meals. You get the picture. So when I finally had some time off, naturally I set a course for Pallet Town.

And, for a week, it was great. Gramps was happy to see me, and Mrs. Ketchum came over to cook dinner for us evernight. You know, I seriously think that she has something going with my grandpa...yeah, don't want the mental images. Hahaha. I guess it just runs in the Oak blood. Oh well, at least he's happy; I could care less about the age difference really.

Anyways, where was I?

Oh right. So, I was finally letting loose and actually getting some sleep for once--hey man, being a pokemon professor is a whole lot more than just books and laptops--when the damned would be kamikaze hit. Ash came home, bringing his traveling buddies of course. I had no idea then, but his coming home started off a sequence of events that would change my whole life.

--

"Professor Oak! I'm back!" A loud voice cried.

Gary groaned as he was forced awake by the rapping on the front door. Yeah right, he thought, covering his head with the pillow. A few minutes later he deemed the effort useless, and it became apparent that Ash didn't quite understand that some people enjoyed sleeping in. Neither did his grandfather, for that matter. The Pokemon Professor had left earlier that morning to pick something up in Viridian City.

Muttering a select few choice words under his breath, Gary made his way to the front door. The synchronicity of Ash's traveling group never ceased to amaze him. It didn't really matter which girl he had with him, the trio had some sort of psychic link or something. He wasn't let down either. Once he opened the door he was met by three shocked faces and three voices all feeling the urge to remind him of his name.

"GARY!?"

"Can I help you Ash?" He drawled out.

True, they were friends now but irritating Ash was never going to be out of style. And there was that whole fact that he was still a little grumpy about being forced out of bed.

"Gary, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"Well, I kind of live here. Speaking of homes, why don't you go to yours? I'd really like to go back to sleep and I'm sure your mom would like to see you."

"She's not home. I figured she'd be over here." Ash shrugged.

Damned Gramps. Gary was willing to bet money that he wasn't alone in Viridian City. But there was nothing he could do about it now. Sighing, he stepped aside and invited the group in, waving off their apologies for waking him. Well, for the most part at least. While Ash and Brock let themselves in, a certain blue haired girl stayed at the doorway. It was then that Gary remembered he was only wearing pants.

It looked like he had a problem.

--

I wasn't wrong either.

I had met Dawn once before. I was working with Professor Rowan on a project to protect pokemons' natural habitats. We ran into some trouble along the way and naturally that's when Ash made his appearance. The first thing I noticed was that he had swapped girls again. Haha. Well what do you expect? Of course I'm curious as to who Ash is getting around with. Strange tastes if you ask me; it seems he has a liking to younger women. But who am I to judge?

But back to Dawn. She had heard some of--more like tons of--my grandpa's poetry and somehow got it in her head that all Oaks are romantic. Psh. Not this one. I've been around the block, that whole puppy love thing was a looong time ago. But she just wouldn't get the clue.

Everywhere I turned, there she was. Honestly, I couldn't dislike the girl because she was so damned nice. But man was it a nuisance! She wanted to cook for me, go on walks with me, hover over my shoulder while I was on my laptop and so on. Girls like that just don't float my boat. They're too easy, and I NEED a challenge; part of my charm, you know? But there was still a month before I left, and it looked like Ash's group weren't in a hurry to leave either. Something had to be done.

--

"Oh Dawn, you're making us breakfast again! You really don't have to." Professor Oak laughed.

Gary just drank his coffee in silence. Sure enough, Dawn had made her way over to the Oak residence bright and early. There just seemed to be no escaping her. And amazingly enough, it had only been three days. Three long days of preteen babble. Gary knew that his patience was running thin. He knew that he had to get rid of her if he wanted any sort of peace this month, but she wasn't picking up on his subtle hints...or she just chose to ignore them.

He started going over options in his head as Dawn started a conversation with the Professor.

There was the easy way out. He could always break it to her loud and clear. There were problems with that route though. Dawn was still really innocent and he really didn't want to be the first guy to break her heart. Besides, she was a good person and he didn't want to shut her out for good. It was just a matter of making her realize that being friends with him would work out better than her little plot to make him want to woo her.

He could have someone else break the news to her. That way, he' be the good guy and she could aim her hate towards someone else. But somehow he thought that she wouldn't really hear it. Dawn seemed to be a smart enough girl, but she seemed so set on her ideas of who he was. It was worth a try, though. Maybe hearing it from someone who wasn't close to her would make the message actually register in her head. So then where the hell was Tracey?!

"DAWN! There you are, you know you spend more time with Gary here than you do with me and Brock."

Ash came into the kitchen, flashing Gary a sympathetic smile. Gary just nodded in greeting. He knew that Ash understood what was going on; but he also knew that Ash wouldn't really do anything to help him out. He couldn't really blame the guy either, travelling with women since the age of 10 probably had some kind of effect on his brain.

"Hey Ash. Where's the pervert?" Gary asked.

"Who Brock? He's helping Mr. Mime clean up around the house."

Gary nodded and went back to his coffee as Ash took a seat at the table, his thoughts going back to the Dawn situation, as he so kindly dubbed it. It definitely seemed like the second option would be the way to go. But he was missing one essential key to that puzzle. For some reason, Tracey seemed to be missing or something. At least, he hadn't seen him at all in the past of days.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Professor Oak getting up.

"You going somewhere, Gramps?"

"Actually yes, I have to go pick up Tracey in Cerulean City."

That got Gary's attention. Cerulean City was pretty far away from Pallet Town, which was why Professor Oak was already planning to leave first thing in the morning. Even if one left in the morning, making a round trip was something that would take up most of the day. Gary grinned. A whole day away from Pallet Town...sounded almost too good to be true.

"Don't worry about it Gramps, I'll go get him for you." Gary offered.

"Really? Thanks Gary, that's awful nice of you." Professor Oak said slightly skeptically.

"Can I come with you Gary? I've never been to Cerulean before!" Dawn asked.

"NO! Uhh...I mean, I have business to do up there."

"Oh yeah, what kind of business Gary? It must be mighty important if Dawn can't just wait in the car for you." Ash smirked.

Gary smirked right back. His signature stalling technique that had become perfected with time. It gave him at least a few seconds to come up with a plan. But unfortunately, all Gary could think of was choking Ash. He knew that Ketchum had made his comment intentionally, knowing that there was a big chance that Dawn would end up going with him if there was no pressing business. And there was NO WAY that Gary was going to let Ash ruin his only chance to have a break.

And then it hit him. The solution to the Dawn problem...and maybe a shred of payback to Ash. But just a shred.

"Well I didn't want to make a spectacle of it Ash. You know, I hadn't called her since I got to Pallet so I thought it would be nice to suprise her in person..."

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"And why can't I come with you." Dawn pressed.

Gary chuckled, knowing that he had just won this round. Perhaps this plan was a little wicked, Gary figured, but Ash shouldn't have threatened his happy day. Some people never learn. Ignoring Dawn, he turned back to Ash.

"You mean she didn't tell you?"

"Dammit Gary, what are you talking about?" Ash demanded, more frustrated this time.

"My relationship with Misty. We've been dating for months now!"