Friends.
Disclaimer: I do have a bunch of the games, but I don't own Pokémon.
Speech. Thoughts.
Ash watched as Gary walked across the town, laughing alongside Tony and Philip, and sighed.
Delia set down her trowel, looked up at her son, who was sitting on the fence and glanced over at his former friends. "Ash, why don't…"
"No. they hate me… so why should I even bother…" he jumped down to collect a rock and flung it towards a tree across the road. It fell short by some distance, but the rattle as it knocked a loose can caused a flock of Pidgey to rise up from the tree, swooping low before disappearing to the north, towards Viridian City and they forest beyond.
Ash watched them go, and Delia could see his fists clench. "When I'm a trainer, I'll have lots of friends. Pokémon ones. People too. Better than Gary ever was…" he muttered, and Delia's heart almost burst at the bitterness already in the eight-year-olds' voice.
"Well, until then, young man, you better behave yourself, and stop getting into fights with him. Now, go pick up that can and put it in the bin, and I'll make you something to eat."
Ash turned, and his face lit up. "Pizza-pot-pie?"
Delia nodded, and smiled as Ash leapt away whooping loudly.
"Yeah!"
'Silly boy…'
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"My dress ripped again!"
Brock sighed, and glanced down at the young girl tugging on his apron. "Okay Suzie… get changed, and I'll fix it later."
"I'm hungry!" a small boy yelled from the other room.
"Yes Tommy, I'm making dinner now. Hang on a second…" the phone rang loudly, and Brock called out. "Forrest, can you get that?"
Brock scrubbed some plates, and Forrest returned. "It was the League. There's an inspection?"
Brock groaned. "Right… I was half-expecting that…" he pointed at the wet dishes. "Okay, Forrest, give me a hand here. You too, Salvadore and Yolanda. Dry these, then set the table."
"Kay, Brock!" the children chorused.
As the large family sat to eat, Brock served before finally taking a seat himself. Everyone glanced at the two empty spots, and Brock noticed their expressions. "You know, dad's probably just too busy training to call. Or he might now be anywhere near a phone. They don't grow on trees you know… And mum, well…" here he trailed off. 'Okay, even I don't know what to say here… her and her stupid hobbies…'
"Anyway. Let's eat. Then you guys have homework."
Later that evening, after putting the last of the young children to bed, Brock settled down to finish his own homework. His mind wandered, and he questioned how he was going to manage his siblings and his own school-work. "Not to mention the Gym…" he groaned and leaned back. "Ugh… the inspection…" he stared at the ceiling before his eyes were drawn to the window and the night sky. 'The stars are bright tonight… Wish I could be out there… I didn't even get to start my journey… Stupid, irresponsible parents…' he sighed deeply. 'Maybe I'll be able to travel one day… and meet lots of cute girls…'
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The small redhaired girl slammed the door and stomped along the hallway.
"Hey! Noisy runt…" an older blonde girl muttered as he younger sister stormed past her, up the stairs and out of sight. Another slam confirmed that she was in her room, and Daisy sighed. "What. A. Brat." She turned back to the phone. "So, what was that about Saturday?"
Misty flung her schoolbag into a corner and flopped onto the bed. "School sucks. Home Sucks. Everything sucks." She turned over and thought about that day, groaning. 'Stupid idiots, always picking on me… I can't help having red hair… And those teachers are useless… Always acting like I'm the one picking fights with everyone… I can't help it if they won't shut up unless I hit them. Stupid jerks.' She sighed and sat up, grabbing a marker. "Another day of hell down…" she reached over and made a cross on a chart above her bed, marking off another day. "... and only a couple more months left before I can finally get out of here."
Misty pulled out a small red-and-white ball and placed her lips to it. "You hear that, Staryu? Only two more months, and we can go on our journey. No-one's gonna stop me either." She whispered. "We're gonna show 'em all, aren't we? With you by my side, I'm gonna be the greatest… Everything. And no-one's ever gonna bully me again. Or I'll wipe them out with my awesome team of water-Pokémon." she glanced over at a faded photo, picked it up and sighed. "And maybe mum and dad will be proud of me too…"
Misty gently kissed the man and woman in the photo and placed it back onto her bedside table. "Maybe I'll actually make some friends too. I just don't wanna be alone all the time…"
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Two Years Later…
"Man, that was great Brock…" Ash exclaimed as he put his bowl aside.
"Yeah… I'm stuffed!" Misty lay back, letting out a small burp. The three kids giggled, and Misty blushed. "Yep… stuffed…"
Brock settled back and removed his favourite book from his oversized bag. "I'm glad you both liked it. Don't forget to wash out your bowls."
Misty nodded at the book. "Sure. You gonna update your perv-dex?"
Brock groaned. "It's not a perv-dex…"
Misty rolled her eyes. "Whatever… perv…"
Ash shoved the now clean bowl back into his bag and leaned back. 'This has been the best few months ever… I have so many new friends now…' he glanced around as Brock muttered something and scribbled into his book. 'Even if they are kinda weird…' Misty sat back down, and he glanced over at her as she carelessly shoved her bowl into her slingbag, and took out her own book. '…and sometimes crazy… and mean…'
Ash half-jumped as his Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder, the small electric rodent nuzzling into Ash's neck. "That tickles!" he laughed as Misty and Brock looked over, smiling at the pair. Ash settled down as Pikachu curled up on his lap. 'Yeah. Best time ever.'
Brock started a new entry for the cute blonde they met earlier that day. 'Now, she was probably… five foot… four… no, better make that five…' He paused and flipped back a few pages. 'Yeah, can't forget that Officer Jenny… half-sister to the Saffron Jenny, third cousin to the Cerulean Jenny…' He sighed. 'Sweet, glorious Jenny… and Joy… and all the other girls I've met…except maybe Misty…'
He glanced over at the feisty red-head, lost in her own book, a dog-eared romance novel. 'Yeah… not her. She'd hit me if I even thought about putting her in here…' Brock flipped through the pages of his perv-dex, as Misty loved to call it ever since she learned about it, and sighed at all of the filled pages.'I love travelling…'
Misty glanced over as Brock sighed, and rolled her eyes. 'What a perv…' she glanced back at the page. 'Although, considering what I'm reading, I might be out perving even him…' she blushed as she scanned down the page. 'Why'd that store even let me buy this?! I can't be anywhere near old enough to read this...'
A sneeze jolted her, and she slammed the book shut in embarrassment, glaring at Ash as he wiped a finger across his nose. "Hygiene, ewww…" she moaned. "Dummy…" Ash poked his tongue out at her, and she returned it, blowing a raspberry before she settled back with the book. 'Well, at least I'm not alone anymore…' she smiled.
One thought filled the air, unvoiced, yet so loud.
This is… Good.
Started & Finished: 10 August 2014.