Election Week
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, a creation of one Satoshi Tajiri, and is produced domestically (in the United States) by Pokemon USA/The Pokemon Company, and internationally by Shogakukan and OLM. I personally own nothing and make nothing by writing this. Please do not flame.
(Chapter 9- Fool Me Once)
"I'm telling you guys, it's unlike anything I've ever felt for someone else before," Ash admits as he passes the large, colorful beach ball back and forth between his longtime friends Misty and Brock. "And the funny thing is that…I didn't really notice it until very recently. Talking with May on the phone just brought out these feelings within me that were always there, but kind of as an afterthought. I mean, it's not so much that when I see her that I go gaga over her like Brock will for the whole species of girl."
"Hey!" Brock exclaims as he catches an underhanded pass from Misty.
"You know it's true, man. Anyway, when I see her, like I said, I don't go crazy as much as I just get…chills. I mean if you look at her, she's not a little girl anymore. She's a woman now; a strong, independent, caring young woman. She got through the break up with Dawn fantastically, and when you see her later, you'll know what I'm talking about. For the time I've known May, I can only remember her as a young girl, but…all of that's changed and then some."
Because the timeless trio is playing their game of catch in the bright sun, Ash cannot see Misty roll her eyes while waiting for the ball to come her direction. "Ash, this not meant to be rude or anything," she interjects, "but the way you talk about her, one would think that May is already your girlfriend. I mean, Kelly Donovan is no pushover when it comes to love and she's known May about as long as you have. Their love lives are no secret to any of us here, yet you think that you have a chance with her this week."
"Correction; I know I have a chance with her, Mist. After all, she told me she loved me just as much as she loves Kelly."
"But Ash, we know you," Brock says. "We know that you're a…career guy, essentially. You have only been on set up dates or double dates with friends that have been in town for pretty much that reason; they were friends and you wanted to show them a good time. You don't have any experience at all in this field. Kelly and May have lifetimes of experience? Can you honestly compete with that?"
Ash never knew that Brock, of all the people in his life, could have such a rich philosophy on romance. On the surface it appeared that he was clueless, but what he had to say made a lot of sense. Luckily, Ash has an answer for his reluctant friends. As he holds onto the beach ball, he explains to Misty and Brock "You know what? Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I am in over my head to think the way I do, but I can't help it. I've got a chance now at love. I may not have the experience, but I think that experience is somewhat overrated. If we learn every day we live, then we gain from every day. Correct? So, I hope May considers everything before she makes this choice."
"Hope," Misty reiterates while looking down on the beach sand downtrodden. "That's a very powerful emotion. Some call it audacious." Looking up, she asks, "What do you think about it…Ash, where's Brock?"
The longtime trainer doesn't say anything to Misty, because he doesn't have to. All he does is point to a nearby section of the beach where Brock appears to be at his old tricks once again. Today, his eyes appear to have caught a crowd of beautiful ladies walking along the side of the waves in their revealing swimsuits of many colors and one size; extra small.
Running the gamut of pickup lines in his arsenal in the hopes that at least one will hook one of the beachgoers in front of him like the catch of the day, Brock appears to make no progress as usual. Unfortunately, no one told him this so he could be spared any embarrassment. As girl after girl left the scene, it didn't become apparent to Brock that yet another opportunity had gone by the waist side until there were no other girls left to flirt with within his vicinity. His friends both near the water and placed firmly in the beach sand get quite a kick out of this latest failed attempt by Brock to find love.
Seeing this familiar sight one more time makes Misty chuckle for the first time since learning that Ash has feelings for May. She felt good to look at this again, even though it came at the emotional cost of her good friend. 'Some things just never change,' she happily ponders as she passes the beach ball back to Ash. Several minutes pass before the three decide to call their game of catch off and go swimming.
"Just look at him over there with Misty and Brock, Katie," Kelly sulks while underneath a beach umbrella looking at Ash and his friends jumping into the deep portion of the water. "It's like he doesn't even have a care in the world. He doesn't know struggle like I do. He doesn't know what it feels like to have your family turn your back on you because of who you love. Hell, he doesn't know how difficult something like love can be and how you have to watch yourself."
Growing frustrated with Kelly's double talk as it relates to both her and Ash, Katie confronts her friend on the matter directly to her face. "All right, Kelly. Let's get a few things straight if you don't mind. I told you before Ash even stepped foot onto the mansion that you getting together with May is not a guarantee. It never has been a guarantee and it is wrong of you to think it is one. I feel…I'm afraid for you, Kelly."
"Why?"
"Why?" she speaks. "More like 'Why not'. Why shouldn't I be concerned for my best friend, Kelly? With every fiber of your being, you came here thinking that things would go your way for once and you could have May as your own. But you got a whale of a wake up call when she now says that she loves you and Ash equally. The fact is that even though it might seem that Ash has things easy because he has a parent at home who loves and cares for them, that doesn't mean that things aren't difficult for them. Sometimes, Kelly, you just don't know. Look…I know more than anyone else that your life as been crap at times."
"You had a lot to do with that, Kate."
"I'll get to that if you let me freakin' talk!" Katie screams into her friend's ear. "I'm trying to get through to your stubborn ass and if you listen, you'll understand what I'm doing."
Pausing to compose herself and remain calm for what she's about to say, Katie says, "Now we don't even need to bring the situation with your family back to the surface. It's common knowledge. It's done. I reached out to you during this time, Kelly. I loved you very much, that's why we became girlfriends. Yes, I did make a mistake cheating on you when we were together, but I was young, I was dumb, and I really didn't know what love was. But Kelly, newsflash; that was almost ten years ago! I've changed! I know what love is now. We're both adults and we've changed since our early teens, but one thing hasn't changed for me…"
As Katie pauses for a moment, Kelly thinks about what one thing didn't change from their early teens until now. Then, it hits her. "No. Wait, Katie. You don't mean…"
"Yes. I still love you, Kelly. I never stopped having feelings for you."
"Katie, we've been through this!" counters the coordinator. "All right, who are you to bring this back after all this time when you know I'm trying to convince May that I'm her best choice! You knew this and you couldn't keep your mouth shut! Why?"
"So you've thought about it, too?"
"Katie, I didn't say that!" she responds with her voice progressively breaking. "I'm not gonna be fooled again by you. If you went behind my back then, what's to say that you won't do it again?"
"We were fifteen years old, Kelly! Times have changed, and I just want you to know that if things don't work out with May, I'm here. I'm not gonna go anywhere."
"I don't care," she says with tears coming down her face. She is fortunate that she and Katie are under the umbrella because she is free to let whatever emotions within come out. "I'm not gonna be made into a damn fool again by you. We can be friends and we still are good friends after all this, but that's all, Kate. I can't see us as being anything else. And furthermore, don't stick up for Ash Ketchum. He keeps harping on about change and nobody knows what he's saying. May doesn't need empty promises of change and things getting better, she needs commitment. She needs someone who will stand right by her, and that person is me, Katie!"
After this display by her best friend, it is clear that Kelly needs some time alone. Katie understands this and without speaking a single word to the young lamenting lady, she gets up from her spot and takes the colorful kite near her to the shoreline so she can fly it. In her mind, anything to take her mind off of this sorry episode on the part of her friend is a good thing. Even if the issue remains an open one, the Lilycove City trainer feels that it's important to just take a step back and put every issue during the week into perspective.
"So tell me, how do I look?" Reggie asks Zoey. Inside of a sunglasses shop on the boardwalk, he models several different pairs of glasses to see if a style grabs his and his girlfriend's attention. This particular pair is quite large and gaudy in nature. The frames are the color white and the lenses are almost three times the size of Reggie's eyes.
Shaking her head in disapproval of this latest style which Reggie has on, Zoey gives her boyfriend the honest but blunt answer of "Like an extra-terrestrial. Sorry, but it's not your style at all, Reg."
"Extra-terrestrial?" Reggie reiterates in an attempt to get the mental picture inside of his head. Finally seeing it, he adamantly determines that the sunglasses are not for him. "Thanks for looking out for me there. Come on, let's ditch this dump."
With these words, the duo leaves the sunglasses shop and makes their way down the remainder of the boardwalk. Naturally, a conversation begins about a subject on Zoey's mind since Sunday afternoon. "So did Paul get in touch with Cynthia this morning?"
"Yeah. Paul asked for her to go to see a doctor to get checked out and what not. She didn't and she got a nice talking to by my little brother. That's why he's not here with us. He essentially had to bribe her to go to the doctors tomorrow, because where she is none of them are open right now. He's getting Cynthia her favorite ice-cream and candy just so she'll go to the doctor first thing tomorrow. I'll tell you; if that isn't love, then I don't know what is. Paul's really stepping up…"
"Reg, hold that thought," Zoey interrupts. Discretely pointing just ahead of her, she tells her boyfriend to look just ahead. "Does that look like…" as she squints her eyes a bit to adjust to the sunlight; she asks again, "Is that…Dawn and Kenny?"
"No freaking way," he reacts before actually looking for himself. Adjusting his eyes just like Zoey before him, Reggie finds that his girlfriend's assumption is confirmed. Pulling Zoey by her near arm, he takes her off the boardwalk so that the couple cannot be seen as eavesdroppers. Once out of the way, he exclaims "Holy cow! You're right! Man, I wouldn't want to be May if she knew that Dawn is here with her new boyfriend."
"Hmm…I wonder," Zoey thoughtfully ponders. "There has to be more to this whole 'I'm not a lesbian anymore' storyline that Dawn apparently told May than what's being let on." Then, in a move that would put the Grinch and a Cheshire cat to shame, Zoey begins to form a very slick and arguably evil smile on her face. For a quick second, Reggie cringes. He of all people knows what this look on his sweetheart's face means. "I don't know, but…I say we investigate. Find out what's really going on. Are you with me?"
