A/N: Here's an update! Sorry it's a bit late, but hey, a month… though this chapter is slightly longer than usual. Okay, I'll shut up. On another note, thanks SO INCREDIBLY MUCH! Er… hope you all had a merry Christmas, and I wish you all a very happy New Year! Last thing: New Pokémon Generation! I'm so excited :D
So, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't be too shocked ;)

To Ahahahahaha (I actually had to count all the haha's xD) Thanks for reviewing! And yeah, don't worry, this certainly is a PokeShipping story. Ash just needs to man up and ask the girl out ;) Thanks again!


Leave It To Brocko

Chapter 12

Dang it, my toothpaste tube was empty. For a moment I stared frustrated at the blue and white thing, before throwing it in the trashcan. Useless thing.

"Ey Ash, can I borrow your toothpaste?"

"Suwe twing Bwock," he answered with his mouth full of white toothpaste and a dark blue toothbrush. He handed me his toothpaste tube, which, I noticed, was a light blue and had Pichu and Pikachu on them. Typically Ash. My little brothers used them too – my sisters preferred the one with Skitty and Cleffa.

Putting the toothpaste on my red toothbrush and handing the tube back to Ash, I realized that I missed my siblings. And when I started to actually brush my teeth, I realized that I really missed them. And not only them, but Dad too. And it had only been a day! I've spent too much time at home.

Spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing my mouth with water, I shook the thoughts of my family off. I had other things on my mind – being stuck with hormonal and lovesick teenagers, for example. Oh, and the upcoming war about who will share a room with who.

Fortunately, the girls figured it out by themselves. I thought they would cause the most problems – especially Leaf and Misty with the whole Ash and Gary thing – but my fears were unfounded. Iris had offered to sleep alone, as she, in her own words, snored loudly. Cilan had disagreed, but the purple-haired girl had kindly pointed out that he never heard her because he himself snored even louder. Upon hearing this, the poor boy immediately flushed red and became even redder when Iris wished us all goodnight, giving him the brightest smile of all.

This, of course, caused Gary to raise his eyebrows, and Misty and Leaf to look knowingly at each other, even a few giggles escaping their lips as they followed Iris to their rooms. I didn't understand girls. Not one bit. One moment they were fighting, and the next they were acting like they were best friends. Confusing.

Ash – who had been trying to get Pikachu to brush its teeth (and failing, I believe, if his electrocuted look is anything to go by) – came out of the bathroom.

"Well guys, I think Cilan and me should share a room, since I'm the person he knows best," the raven-haired boy stated.

We all looked up startled, still with our minds on the girls – though Gary and Cilan in other ways than mine, I believe.

"…Uh, I don't mind," Cilan said quickly, a pink hue still on his cheeks.

Gary shrugged, and I nodded, despite that I felt a twinge of hurt since Ash had chosen Cilan over me. I looked over to Gary, who I now had to share a room with. Not that I minded, but… oh… OH… Ash did mind! He didn't want to stay with Gary, so he thought… oh, I get it now. Boys are so much more simpler than girls.

Gary and I retreated to our room, and within ten minutes sleep claimed me.


"Brock… Brock," I heard, while my arm was being shaken, "Brock, Brock, Brock."

"Hng, Tilly, go back to bed…" I mumbled sleepily.

"It's not Tilly, it's Iris," the person shaking my arm whispered urgently.

"Iris, uh?" A bit more awake, I propped up on one arm to get a look at my rude awakener. It was indeed Iris – her dark face was almost impossible to see, except for the shimmering eyes and her teeth visible in a sheepish grin.

"Can you please come with me?" She looked at me pleadingly.

I sat up in bed, still looking confused at the girl. "Why?"

"Just please," she murmured, and after a quick glance at the still sleeping Gary, she added, "come with me before he wakes up."

With a deep sigh, I stood up, stretching my arms to make the tingling feeling in my fingers stop. The younger girl led the way towards the bathroom, and I followed, wishing that I was in my bed again.

The bright light in the bathroom hurt my eyes and after blinking a few times to get the tears away, my vision sharpened again and I saw Iris leaning against the clean white tiles of the wall. She didn't look like she had slept already – her eyes were bright and her hair was still neat.

Glancing at my watch – Nurse Joy had managed to repair it – I noticed that I had slept for about two hours before Iris woke me up.

"Now, tell me, why did I have to be woken up on this hour?" I asked her, walking over to the sink. After all, I figured, I could just as well drink something.

"I wanted to ask you something," she replied, a nervous undertone in her voice. I glanced at her, filling my glass with water. She didn't look nervous – in fact, she looked very determined. Only her eyes betrayed her.

"Could you fall in love with me?"

Her question came unexpected and I choked on my first gulp.

"Wh- What?" I spluttered, totally overwhelmed by her question. Could you fall in love with me? No, no, no, no, no, absolutely not, I immediately decided. I could not fall in love with her. End of the discussion.

A blush rose to her cheeks, but her voice sounded steady. "I said, could you fall in love with me?"

My jaw had dropped, I realized, and quickly I closed my mouth again. Still wide-eyed, I stared at the girl. I had never, never in my whole life, felt the need to reject an offer for a date. Sadly, it seemed, that moment had now come.

"I'm sorry, Iris," I said gently, looking away from her, "I don't like you that way. You're too young for me."

I looked back at her, and the hard shell of her seemed to have cracked. She looked completely heartbroken as she pushed me out of her way, tears shining in her eyes.

This was ridiculous. This had to be some weird dream – she barely knew me! And just a few hours ago she had flirted with Cilan. Yet it still looked like I had just broken her heart in a thousand pieces. I felt terrible.

Switching off the light and putting the glass back – still filled with water – I hastened after her. Her door closed in front of my face. Not even bothering to knock, I walked right into her room, closing the door softly behind me.

"Leave me alone," she sniffed, sitting on the bed and hugging her knees. Next to her was her green Pokémon – Axew, I had learned – trying to comfort her.

"Iris…" I didn't even know what I wanted to say – I hardly knew her. At first she seemed to be a tough girl, but after seeing this… I had to reconsider.

She noticed that I still hadn't left, and looking up, she barked, "I said, leave me alone!"

Right, still a tough girl, only with a broken heart. I walked over to her and sat on the other bed.

"Listen, you can't wake me up and ask me a question like that, and then expect me to just go back to sleep!"

She looked up to me, her eyes puffy from the crying. Her spirit seemed to be back though, as she challenged, "And why not?"

Ignoring her question, I replied, "Are you in love with me?"

"What? No!" A look of disgust was on her face, and she seemed completely appalled by the idea alone. "We just met! And you're unattractive!"

Ouch, that hurt my already fragile male ego. Unattractive – now that was just mean.

Apparently she realized how her words must have sounded to me, as she quickly added, "Oh, that came out wrong. I meant that I didn't feel attracted to you…"

A small smile was playing on her lips, and I felt that I was still being ridiculed. However, I tried to act as an adult – so I continued to pry in her love life.

"Then why are you crying?"

Immediately, the smile disappeared and tears formed in her eyes again. "Just- Just leave me alone, okay? It's nothing, I just need… need some time alone."

"Iris, I may be unattractive, but I know this isn't nothing."

This caused her to crack a small smile, but she didn't reply. I stayed silent too, as I thought about what just had happened. She asked me if I could fall in love with her. Fall in love. Me. With her. Why would she ask me this if she wasn't interested in a relationship with me? I was too… old…

Oh.

That was it – I was too old! Just like Cilan! And I said no, because I was too old – and now she thought that… That Cilan didn't want her either because she was too young. Oh Arceus.

I glanced at her – she was hugging her knees, but she had stopped crying – thank Mew – and was now staring off in the distance. Or well, staring at the wall, because you can't look really far in a room.

She wasn't the one for comforting words or sweet nothings – no, she wanted the truth, and preferably straight to the point.

"Are you in love with Cilan?" I blurted out.

Her reaction was very satisfying – her face turned red and she immediately started to stutter in denial. I grinned – I still got it.

"You are lying," I stated simply. This infuriated her even more, and furiously she grabbed a bar of chocolate laying on the nightstand.

"I'm nwot in wove with Cilan!" she replied with her mouth full. "And anyway," she continued, after she gulped, "what right do you have to ask me those questions?"

Iris was right, of course – I had no right to meddle in other people's love lives. And no way she was going to tell me she was in love with Cilan. Nope, I just had to do this in another manner.

"Well," I said, standing up, "you're right. I shall be leaving now. Goodnight."

I heard her sigh in relief – hmph, she obviously didn't know what good for her was. I reached the door, then turned around, to say a last thing.

"Remember, Iris, love knows no age. Also, Cilan was beet red after you left. Interpret that how you want."

To say that Iris was beet red too would be an understatement.


Floating. I was floating. With Officer Jenny. She was in her short, sexy blue dress. We were floating. And I was feeling great.

I smelled pancakes. Officer Jenny disappeared. I didn't care. I smelled pancakes. I floated towards the pancakes.

There was a pretty girl. I knew her, I was sure of that. She was holding the pancakes. She handed me one, blushing and saying "Thank you."

Why was she saying thank you? I should thank her. She was so familiar.

There was a crowd. She disappeared into the crowd. The crowd disappeared too.

I was alone. With the pancake. Floating. I wanted to remember the girl.

I smelled pancakes.

I smelled pancakes. For a moment I was sure I was still dreaming, because I remembered that there were pancakes in my dream. I felt awake though.

That girl, in my dream… blushing and thanking me… She was the girl from the airport! I had bumped into her while we were searching for the right Gate, and had helped her up, and she had blushed and thanked me. I hadn't even had time to say you're welcome.

Unbelievable that was just yesterday. Maybe I would see her again. Maybe.

Hm, that still didn't explain why I smelled pancakes. I sniffed again, to make sure. Yep, that sure were pancakes. That could mean only one thing – someone was baking pancakes.

Quickly, I changed in my clothes and went to the bathroom to fresh up a bit. Ten minutes later I walked freshly shaven down the stairs – yes, I have to shave, thank you very much.

I was about to walk into the main room of the Pokémon Center, when my arm – and the rest of my body attached to it – was pulled aside. Looking to my right, I saw that it was Misty.

"Shhh… now, look very silently what's going on outside," she whispered with a mischievous smile. I took a few steps aside and furtively I looked around the door post.

On the other side of the big window Cilan was baking the pancakes, and Iris was standing there, apparently making conversation. Sadly, I couldn't make out any words. Now Cilan was talking, putting a pancake on a plate, while Iris was twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Then Cilan handed her the plate, and… he winked at her. He. Winked. At. Her.

I couldn't believe it – finally, success!

A goofy smile appeared on my face as I turned back to Misty, who was also smiling.

"They are so cute," another voice said, coming from behind me. I swirled around, noticing Leaf and Gary also peeking in the room.

Right at that moment, Ash and Pikachu were coming down the stairs.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for?" he asked when we stopped them from going to the couple and breaking their romantic alone time.

"Um…" Gary started but didn't continue.

"Ash, what do you see when you look outside? Who?" Leaf inquired curiously.

Confused by the question, he looked in the room and through the big window. "Er, I see grass and the forest, and Axew, and… oh, Cilan is baking pancakes! And Iris is there too. They're talking… oh look, now they're hugging!"

"What?" we all exclaimed simultaneously, pushing Ash out of the way to see what was going on.

Iris and Cilan were… still talking.

Ash had tricked us.

Grinning, he tapped the peak of his cap lightly, and said very pleased, "I'm not stupid, you know."

Then, he casually walked towards the doors with Pikachu following him, leaving us with our jaws at the floor.

Leaf was the first to recover from the shock – maybe because she hadn't known Ash for so long.

"I like him." She grinned, and followed him outside, where already cries from Cilan could be heard, sounding a lot like "Wait for the rest, you two!"

Gary's face darkened and he quickly stalked past Misty and me, also going for breakfast. I glanced at the redhead, who looked pretty angry.

Without bothering to say anything to me she stomped off, angrily muttering. "Oh, he is such a…"

I didn't know about which 'he' she was talking – Gary or Ash – but found that at the moment I didn't care a lot either. Pinching the bridge of my nose I felt a headache coming up. And the day had only just started! I just wanted to crawl back in my warm bed.

Brocko, I hate my job.


A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed! I know it was a bit weird – especially the dream part, but c'mon, this is Brock. Tell me what you thought about it, really, every word is appreciated!
Another thing, I know this was WishfulShipping again, but I promise the next one will be Oldrival and Poke. Especially Oldrival :)
Also, I've published a new story, filled with Poke, Contest, Ikari and Wishful. Of course there will be other side pairings too, but those four will be the main ones. It's called Days and I would truly appreciate it if you guys would check it out ;)
Thanks again, and don't forget to leave a REVIEW!