A/N: A little drabble (or longer, might be longer) for Pokeshipping Christmas in July. It's not great but I wanted to join in on the fun and my life is steadily trying to eat me right now. I apologize for huge errors in grammar and story, this did not have time to be proofread before I had to head off to day "I'm not even sure" of a "I get to work every day of the summer" work week. I will try to add a few more drabbles as the day goes but...who knows...

Enemies

Brock is fairly certain that if he has to put up with them for one more day, he will bury them in a rock slide. It's not so much that they are doing anything-no. To the casual observer they might even look like they're getting along. But in his years traveling with them, Brock has come to learn the signs of a fight brewing and this one….it could be bad. Legendary showing up out of nowhere bad.

Or maybe it will be nothing…

It has a weird feeling this almost fight but…

Even now they're supposed to be at a party, or at least cleaning up from one-thank you Team Rocket-and they can't even seem to that without…

Brock's not even sure what to call it. It'd be flirting between any other thirteen year olds but between Ash and Misty? Who in Kanto could tell.

Brock sighs, aloud, and crawls under a table to pick up yet another plate of far too spicy food that had been knocked over by a suspiciously helpful Charizard.

"They're still at it then?"

The voice surprises Brock and he starts suddenly, bumping his head against the table top. Sheepishly, he crawls out-spicy food now ground into the grass below the table-and grins. Gary Oak leans against a fence post, a garbage bag in his hand.

"Hu-wah?" Brock manages. Gary and motions with his chin over towards Ash and Misty who have stopped cleaning and are now glaring at one another with Pikachu attempting to separate them at Ash's feet. Brock groans. "What?"

"He threw something at her." Gary supplies.

Brock winces. "Well, he'll regret that." As though summoned by his words, a slap rings out in the rapidly approaching night.

Gary nods as Ash starts yelling, Misty's voice raising in pitch only moments later. "So..." Gary starts, eyes darting between the shouting pair. "Are they…"

Brock shakes his head, bending down to grab a collection of papers that are drifting in an approaching breeze. "Nope."

Gary grins, eyes beginning to stray to one side of the fight. "So then...with Red there's…" He trails off.

Brock grimaces. He gets it, he really does, Misty is….well, Brock doesn't think of her that way. She's his younger sister by choice but...she cleans up well and Ms. Ketchum seems to adore having a girl to dress up-enough that sometimes Brock is unsurprised at how easily Ash takes to wearing girls clothes. But still Misty is….attractive, he supposes, and Gary is very definitely… Brock groans. Checking her out. Yup, Gary Oak is very definitely checking Misty out and making no secret of it. Gross. "Nope." Brock says again, making no effort to hide a swallow of revulsion.

Gary snarls, taken aback at what has to be the tone Brock hadn't smoothed from his voice. "What bro, she's hot. You have to admit that."

"I don't have to admit anything but that…" he gestures between Ash and Misty who are now standing back to back as though ignoring the other will make them go away. Like they're five and not seeing someone means that they are no longer there. "That is an inevitability."

"Or a pending murder investigation." Gary scoffs.

Brock nods in what he hopes is a sagely manner. "Yeah. But still, she won't even notice you with him there."

"Dude, maybe you haven't noticed? I'm Gary Oak."

"Mhm." Brock agrees.

"Well maybe a demonstration is in order then." Gary mumbles, dusting himself off.

Brock scoffs. "It's won't work. She'll talk to you but the second Ash responds, she'll forget you were even there."

"Loser finishes cleaning says she ignores him."

"You're on." Brock grins.

Gary nods and, handing Brock the trash bag he'd been holding for the entire conversation, straightens his back, squaring off like he's headed into an arena. It's a gesture that's eerily similar to Ash getting ready for a gym battle. Though, Brock supposes grinning to himself, eerie may be the wrong word. Ash and Gary did grow up together, sometimes those little gestures end up shared between friends.

Or enemies.

Or whatever Ash and Gary are.

Brock shakes his head and bends down to pick up another piece of trash. He can't quite hear the conversation but it's familiar enough. Gary says something-maybe offers a drink-and Misty responds accepting the offer in the same breath as she chastising some other unnamed people for some slight or another. And then Ash yells and Misty responds and Gary tries to get her attention but it's already gone. By the time Brock has stood up, having cleared whatever he could from under the table, Gary has returned.

Wordlessly, Brock hands him the trash bag and heads inside-he may kill them someday. But not today.