A/N: This chapter did not want to happen…and then I was deadest on finishing a whole day….then again I was also deadest on beating the eight gym leader but then the winding woods were like lol no and then I looked at my calendar and found out I am running an event every weekend until May…so that's a thing

Normal Again

Brock's internal clock has never let him sleep much past dawn. Even here in Strayanthe, Brock is already up before the needle sharp edges of the first light slice into the tent. Of course, Brock hadn't slept much. Between the strange sounds of night in a new place and the lingering….something from his fight the night before, Brock's mind wouldn't quiet. Though, even if he had been able to calm his mind, Brock doubts that he'd have been able to sleep. Brock groans and sits up, rubbing a sleepless night's grit away with balled fists. He yawns and stretches. The night had been so dark-so much darker than any in Kanto that he'd known. And loud.

Brock had never thought a night could be so loud.

If it wasn't the screams of pokémon just outside of camp waking him, then it was Ash.

Poor Ash.

Ash had spent most of the night in and out of what must have been some truly terrifying nightmares. When he'd been awake to hear it-between his own bouts of sleep-Brock had heard Ash whimper and cry. Awake, these were sounds Brock had never heard from the younger boy. But asleep? Asleep they seemed to pour out of him. Though that might have been something Brock could have ignored. Ash's cries, though heart wrenching, were never truly at a volume to compete with the night beyond the tent. And the night, despite its strangeness, stopped shocking him awake after the third hour.

No, what kept waking Brock, truly, was the tossing and turning and kicking and punching that seemed to accompany Ash's dreams. Brock could barely begin to drift when he was hit again and again and again. His body felt like one bruise.

And still the screams.

They were there when he shut his eyes and they were there when he opened them. They bled beneath his pillow when he covered his head and leaked through his fingers when he plugged his ears.

At some point, soon, Brock would have to ask Ash what they were.

Ash.

Right.

Brock is amazed the other boy had been able to sleep at all. But at some point, long after Brock stopped trying to figure the time, he'd quieted down. His dreams must have stopped or at least, he must have given up the fight-whatever it was. He stopped kicking and crying and flailing. Eventually, Brock had been able to sleep.

Or try to.

Brock shifts his shoulders and the crack that bursts from them echoes in the small tent. Brock winces and starts an apology to…an empty sleeping bag.

Brock blinks and rubs his eyes anew.

Still no Ash.

Brock bolts up, breath hitched in his throat and tumbles out of the tent.

He's tripping into a run working his way towards Misty's tent when he spots them.

Both of them.

Asleep in front of a long burned out fire. Well, Brock supposes, breathing calming, they didn't share a tent. He sighs and, walking carefully, restarts the fire. He has a day's ration of oatmeal left and after yesterday...all of yesterday...it can't hurt.

There's something peaceful in cooking breakfast with Ash and Misty still asleep. And it's more than just the quiet as the light grows and the forest settles. It's calming. Breakfast is something Brock knows and can do. It doesn't matter where he is-Johto, Kanto, Strayanthe-breakfast is breakfast.

And not energy bars.

Brock shudders at the thought of the rest of the trip spent eating that….food. Today, at least, there will be oatmeal. Giving the batch a final stir over the restored fire, Brock turns his gaze towards Ash and Misty.

They look so…

so…

...young

Brock knows that they're not the kids he started this journey with. Mew, he knows they're not even the kids he left three months ago. No, the time here had...they're older somehow. But sleeping, as they are, they still look like the kids Brock practically had to hold arms with apart to ensure they lived through the day without coming to blows. Sure, even back then they had fallen asleep on or near each other more often than not, but it was rarely...peaceful. But there they are, asleep with their legs still crossed like they've just fallen over. Ash is on the ground, flat on his back with Misty almost cuddled into his side.

For a moment, a scant moment, Brock considers letting the oatmeal cool and returning to sleep for just a few more hours. They probably could use the rest.

The oatmeal bubbles and pops breaking the moment and Brock forces himself to head over to Misty to shake her up.

Though, was Misty the best choice? If yesterday's...altercation had shown Brock anything it was that she, more so than Ash, had become a fighter. And the girl did always have a violent streak…

Fearing Misty's fists, Brock carefully steps around her to Ash's shoulder and gently shakes the younger boy hoping to wake him and only him. He's barely touched Ash when Misty's eyes slit open. She glances at Brock, hostility flitting uncertainly across a sleepy gaze before turning her eyes on Ash and sighing.

"Ash." She whispers.

He bolts up, eyes shooting open as he sits upright, and knocks Misty to the ground. She hits the hardened forest floor with a dull thud and is still wincing as Ash whips his head about frantically. He opens his mouth to say something when Misty coughs, delicately. Almost comically, Ash looks down and for a moment Brock would swear there is something akin to relief in his eyes. Again, Ash opens his mouth to speak but Misty cuts him off with a raised eyebrow and a head tilted towards her tent. Ash sighs and, vaulting himself to his feet, walks towards the tent.

Misty takes the time in his absence to stretch, her back, shoulders and arms cracking loudly in the silence of the morning. Brock wants to say something, anything to break the tension. Arceus, he'd even settle for calling Ash whipped with the speed he followed Misty's unspoken demand. But Brock feels like Misty wouldn't appreciate it, at least he assumes she won't with the glare she keeps shooting his way. Even Ash's eyes, as he walks back to join them with Pikachu and Togepi in tow, are hostile as they glance at Brock.

Brock sighs.

There's nothing he can say.

He settles for handing them oatmeal.

Their spoons clink in their bowls highlighting in shocking stereo their silence as they eat. Brock isn't really sure how to take it. Alone, both of Ash and Misty have moments when they're quiet-quiet enough that those who don't know them as well as Brock himself might worry that something was wrong. But together? Together they always find some way to talk. There is always something to bicker about or some way that one can tease the other. Occasionally they'll even work together to tease Brock.

This is different.

They chew, swallow, eat more. But never talk. It's silence in a way that makes Brock think that maybe…

well…

He might actually deserve it.

He sticks his spoon in his mouth and swallows. Hard. They don't have time to fix this. He'd hoped, really hoped, that some real food might help but they're both still watching him with eyes drowning in anger. And pain. They hadn't even smiled when he'd handed over the bowls; just accepted them and sat down to watch him.

Sullenly.

Brock sighs. Delia had warned him that there'd be days like this up ahead. But he'd never thought it'd be aimed at him. At each other sure but...this...

Oatmeal won't fix this.

But getting home? Getting home will.

Brock finishes his meal and, sparing one glance back at Ash and Misty eating in silence, stands and walks to his tent. They can do this, they can get to the coast. Just...one step at a time, right? And the next step, here, is to pack up camp. Pack up camp and douse the fire and feed the pokémon...Brock breathes out, list forming in his head.

This is doable.

Completely doable.

Once they've packed up and cleaned and finished they'll...just...head…"Fuck" Behind him, two bowls clatter to the ground.

"You can't still be mad at us." Misty exclaims.

Brock whips around. Just what is she talking about, he's not mad...well...not really…"What?" He asks, eyebrows raising with his voice.

Misty is standing, feet apart and with her hands in fists. Her face is flushed and her eyes are narrowed. This is going to be loud. She opens her mouth to reply, but quiets instantly at Ash's hand on her shoulder.

"About last night, Brock." Ash intones.

His voice is quiet, somehow harsh against the near silent sounds of the forest in the morning. Brock feels like he has to hold his breath to hear him. The sheer act of breathing is almost too loud. Ash is rarely this quiet and when he is...it is never good.

"Look. We. Are not. Kids. So stop." He says through clenched teeth. Misty nods, shifting Togepi to one hand so that she can pick up Pikachu in the other. Together she and Ash and Pikachu stare at Brock waiting.

Brock blinks. "Right. None of us are." he says, nodding. He hadn't, hasn't, been expecting this. Whatever this is.

"You can't just…" Ash starts quietly, before blinking confusedly. "Wait...then why?"

"Why, what?"

Ash and Misty share a glance before Ash throws up his hands as though giving up. Misty sighs and, handing over Togepi, steps forward. "Why all these rules? Since the moment you've gotten here, you've just been telling us what to do. We can make our own choices."

Brock blinks, again. What has he told them to...oh "Is this just about the tents?"

"No." Misty says at the same time as Ash chimes in with "Not entirely." They look at one another again and for a few moments say nothing.

"Brock, man. Look, when we say that there's no other choice with Team Rocket, we mean there is NO other choice with Team Rocket. You have to understand or they will hurt you, or us." Ash says, looking down. Misty nods in agreement.

Brock sighs. "I get that. You and Misty have made that abundantly clear. If Meowth is going to do that to you…" he trails off and gestures to Misty, gagging slightly as he remembers the puckered pink line tracing her stomach. "Then...I guess there isn't another choice."

Misty scoffs. "No guessing, Brock. There isn't another choice."

Brock nods. "Ok. There isn't another choice. Besides, after last night with the path...I get it...things are weird here."

"And..." Ash says.

Brock swallows. "And." he says, trying to figure out what else it is that they want...no, need to hear. "And...You have both been here for three months….You know what you're doing and I'll just have to….follow your lead?"

Ash and Misty nod and begin to clean up breakfast. Brock turns around to finish packing up the tent when a thought strikes him and he smiles to himself. "I'm not going to be the one to tell Delia about the tents though." he says, finally finishing packing his half of the camp ground.

He turns to pack up the other tent and finds Misty glaring at him quizzically, with her hands on her hips.

"Do you really think she'd disapprove?" She asks.

Brock laughs. "Arceus no, I just think her reaction would deafen the messenger."

Misty and Ash stop cleaning their meal and look at one another before turning around so fast that Pikachu is dislodged from his residence on Ash's shoulder. He hits the ground and shocks both of them. Brock can't remember a time he's laughed so hard.

Twenty minutes later, Ash and Misty recovered and camp is packed up and they're standing in a clearing with a map unsure where to go next. Getting away from Team Rocket, they had sprinted in a direction and kept moving until they'd found a clearing. It had been late and they had been tired and the map had been an afterthought. But now, in the light of day….They've been staring at the map for five minutes.

"So...oh great leaders...any ideas." Brock asks.

Misty shrugs. "We pick a direction?"

Brock shuts his eyes. This can't end well. They may be acting more...mature...but in all the time he has known Ash and Misty, Brock has never seen them agree on a direction.

"Sounds good." Ash agrees, Brock can hear the easy smile in his voice.

Brock cringes. Any second now the screaming will start. He can practically hear it in his mind. Misty will ask Ash if he's a slowpoke for thinking his choice is the best and Ash will turn around and accuse Misty of having less sense than her psyduck. And then will come the fight with all of the requisite screaming and hitting and somehow it will reduce down to a repetitive is not versus is too and they will end up camping maybe 10 feet away from the previous night's campground.

Moments pass and there is no noise.

Brock sucks in a breath.

Any second now.

Minutes pass.

Tentatively Brock opens an eye and sees…

...nothing….

Where are they?

"Hey, Brock?" Misty calls. Her voice sounds distant. Brock opens his eyes and finds Ash and Misty staring at him from most of the way across the field they'd stopped in.

"You coming man?" Ash asks, waving at him.

Brock looks them over. Neither looks like the other has hit them, neither is flushed in any way. Both are smiling. And they're fairly distant. They agreed...on a direction…when they were lost? Since when could they do that?

Running, Brock catches up with them easily and together they walk deeper into the woods hoping that they find something, anything, that they can match to the map.

Hours of walking later and Brock is beginning to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have pointed in the opposite direction. It had started out fine—they'd been joking and laughing and it had felt for all the world like they were kids again. Then Misty's ankle had started hurting and she'd leaned first on Ash, with Brock leading the way, and now on Brock with Ash in the lead. They hadn't even stopped for lunch, choosing instead to walk on while eating energy bars. Brock is tired. Misty is tensing with every step and even Pikachu is beginning to flag. Brock's about to suggest they look for a clearing for the night-maybe convince Ash to do some training-when Ash runs back to them, smiling and waving wildly.

"I found something!" he calls, happily.

"Is it on the map?" Misty asks from Brock's side, voice strained.

Ash shakes his head, reaching the two of them and taking Misty from Brock. "No. I don't think so. It's really cool though." He starts inching forward, hauling Misty with him. She digs her heel into the ground.

"Woah, Ketchum. Cool by whose standards?"

"Anyone's?" He replies. Brock can practically hear Misty raise her eyebrow. "Look just come on, we can stick to the trees while you look around...ok?" Misty crosses her arms. "Oh, come on. Mist?" Ash turns to Brock, turning Misty with him. "Brock. Make her see reason." He whines.

Brock chuckles. "That's your specialty I think."

Misty glares at him and pushes herself from Ash. "Hey. I'm right here, guys." She says before teetering on her ankle. Ash catches her and sighs, looking to Brock for help.

"Look, Misty. He's really excited. Let's just check it out." Brock suggests, walking up towards Ash and Misty. Looking to Ash, who nods, Brock takes Misty's other arm and throws it over his own shoulder and together they lift Misty off the ground and walk towards whatever it is Ash has discovered.

Ash's 'cool thing', whatever it is…or was, it's old. A building of stone cracked in half and over grown with moss and ivy. The room in the broken place is tall, cavernous even. Like a feast would be at home in its halls. A fountain lays in pieces on what might once have been a lawn. Or at least, Brock thinks that the smaller trees and shorter grass may have been a lawn. Or a beach, there's sand and...Buried steps? The weirdest thing, and what really catches Brock's eye, are the gouges and strange tubes of glass and metal that litter the maybe lawn. Or beach. Something scurries between and around the tubes, though it is nothing Brock recognizes. It's small, whatever is scurrying, maybe around Pikachu's size-but white and covered in what looks like a metallic squirtle shell and skull. As close as they are, Brock can hear the crunching. They're eating the metal in the tubes, he can see that now. There's even some broken glass beside some of the deeper cuts in the earth.

"What are they?" Misty breathes, beside him. Ash shrugs, lifting Misty's shoulder with his own so that Brock can feel it. He pulls out his pokedex and scans the creature but an error is returned. It's not in the 'dex.

"We have to go in there." Ash says.

Brock's eyes widen. "We don't know what those are, Ash. We can't go in there. It might not be safe."

"No," Misty says, sighing. "Ash is right. We have to go in there."

"Or." Brock replies calmly, "And just hear me out. We do the sane thing and walk around it."

"No." Misty replies, shaking her way loose from Ash and Brock. "We should check it out. Who knows...maybe there's someone there who can help us?" She steps away from them and starts away from the trees towards the building.

"Misty, it might not be stable." Brock tries, stepping after her.

Misty stops and looks back. "Brock, it's made of stone. You and I both know that nothing is sturdier than that." She's smiling, but it's not a friendly smile.

Brock sighs and turns to Ash. "Your girlfriend is crazy."

"She's not my girlfriend." Ash replies, stepping out from the trees as well. He dislodges a rock as he moves which slides down, past Misty and towards the creatures. Together the strange pokémon look up and scream metal against metal before diving into the slices in the ground.

Misty turns back to the boys. "See, now it's perfectly safe. Let's explore."

Brock scoffs watching Ash and Misty make their way across the strange Lawn to the building. Safe, he thinks. Right. It's always safe, until everything goes wrong and suddenly they're fighting legendary pokémon. Perfectly safe. That's exactly why Ash and Misty start shivering the closer they get to the building. Because it's safe.

He breathes in and slowly breathes out before plastering a smile to his face. "Hey guys, wait up." He calls, rushing to catch the two of them at the mouth of the wreck.