The Lab On the Hill

Gary walked around the car, completely lost in thought. One hand brushed against the faded red of the sports car and the worn leather inside as the other one gripped tightly to the keys. It'd been a long time since someone had taken his grandfather's convertible out for a spin.

"Wow. You still have that thing?"

Gary looked up to see Misty standing in the doorway as she watched him with great interest. Her red hair was pulled to the side, and she wore a simple black dress and matching black heels.

Gary nodded. "It was originally Gramps, but he let me have it. He was too busy researching and taking care of the lab, but he didn't want to see it just sit there."

"How come it's in here then?" Misty asked before walking over to get a closer look.

Gary shrugged before glancing back toward Misty. "Same reason, I guess. Too busy with work. Plus, it's no good if you can't drive it super fast down some back-country roads. Pallet was the perfect place for that."

"Does it still work?"

Gary cocked his head, examining the dashboard. "I think so."

Misty's eyes lit up with a mischievous look flashed across her face. "You wanna get out of here?" Gary looked back up, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. Did Misty forget why they were here? They couldn't just leave, could they? "I think we should do what your grandpa would have wanted to and take it out for a drive. No reason it should be hidden away in this old shed, especially on a day like today."

"I don't know, Red…"

Before he could protest, Misty climbed into the passenger seat and plopped down before looking expectantly at Gary. He was about to say no and leave, but the determination on her face had him second-guessing his decision. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was exactly what he needed on a day like today. A day where the lab had him overwhelmed with memories and emotions and wanting just to get away from it all to clear his head.

Sighing, he hopped into the driver's seat as Misty beamed in victory beside him. To his surprise, the engine roared to life as he turned the key. He adjusted the rearview mirror, taking a moment to glance at his reflection before frowning. Despite his best efforts to stay strong, he could see his face revealed his true state of mind. Shifting the car into reverse, he proceeded to slowly back out of the shed and onto a small dirt road.

With one eye on the road, his other watched as Misty struggled to tie her hair up and out of her face. A small smirk graced his face when she finally gave up and threw her hair into a lopsided bun that seemed to be already coming loose.

"I should warn you," he cautioned Misty, "this is the car Gramps drove when he picked up my grandma for their first date, and she fell for him instantly. Maybe this car will have the same effect on you."

Misty chuckled as Gary winked flirtatiously at her. "Maybe, but I think you're a little late there, Gary," she explained as she gestured to the bump visible under her dress. "I think someone beat you to it."

Gary sighed, feigning defeat. "Just what the world needs, another Ashy-boy."

"Agreed," Misty replied, nodding eagerly, and it made Gary smile. It was nice to have someone else who understood the pros and cons of Ash Ketchum. "I mean, I miss him a lot when he's away, but if he was home every day, I think I would kill him after one week. I don't know how I'm going to live with two."

They finally reached the bottom of the hill, and Gary turned right toward Viridian City. "Are you guys ready for that?"

"Maybe? I don't know," she huffed, looking a little annoyed. He guessed this hadn't been the first time this had come up. Although they were now in their mid and late 20s, Ash and Misty had only been dating a few months. The two had gone from zero to sixty shortly after dating, which Gary found the least bit surprising. Probably the ten plus years of repressed sexual tension, he thought as he rolled his eyes. "It's a little late to back out now."

The two continued to drive through the hills of Pallet as Misty shared the thoughts that had been running through her head. From the corner of his eye, he watched as the wind whipped around her face, and she fought to tame the strands that obscured her vision or stuck to her dark red lips. Even with her brows knitted in concern, her face was animated as she recounted Ash's latest visit to Cerulean.

At the fork in the road, Gary turned left and toward one of his favorite spots in Pallet. As he reached the top of the hill, he made a detour off the road. The convertible bounced around as it traveled over the grassy meadow, coming to a halt at the hill's peak. He shifted the car into park, set the parking brake, and turned off the car. In an instant, the roar of the wind and the convertible ceased, only to be replaced with the sounds of the nearby forest.

Once the car came to a stop, Misty swung open the passenger side door and hopped out of the car. Slamming it behind her, she pulled off her shoes and padded through the lush grass and toward the edge of the hill. Following her lead, he grabbed the keys from the ignition and walked a little closer before stopping to stand beside her.

Misty looked around, scanning the surrounding area. "Where are we?"

"My favorite place in Pallet," he explained. "I used to come here all the time. You can see the whole town from up here."

The place didn't have a specific name, but from where they stood, one could see the entire town of Pallet with its rolling meadows and scattered houses with their trademark white picket fences. The only thing that stood higher than the hill was his grandfather's lab and its iconic windmill.

"It's beautiful." Misty awed. He looked up to see her watching the fading sun descend behind the lab. She turned her head to shoot him an incredulous look. "Is this where you bring all your dates?"

Gary snorted. "Just the pretty ones, but I made an exception this time."

Misty's smile fell, and she glared back at him. "Asshole," she said before punching him in the arm. He had to wait for her to look the other way before he winced slightly in pain.

His eyes scanned the horizon, and memories flooded his conscience as they played through as if thrown onto a movie projector screen. The countless times he and Ash would roll or skate down the hills, competing to see who was fastest. The time he'd broken his leg during said events, and Delia had banned the two of them from skating down the hills again. That had lasted a summer.

The citizens of Pallet Town truly lived by the motto that it took a village to raise a child-or in this case, two. He and Ash were well known throughout the town, but as they grew older and their lives diverged into two separate paths, the townsfolk had plenty to say about Gary and how he pushed the limits and his grandfather's patience. He could recall a few times when he'd flown down the country roads of Pallet in the convertible like he was a racecar driver.

"Gary?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I be honest with you?" He turned to see Misty watching him with concern flickering across her face.

"When have you ever not been honest with me?"

She scowled, ignoring him. "Shut up! I'm worried about you, okay?"

"You're not going soft on me, Red, are you?" He teased her, knowing it would fire her up even more. "I think that baby may be more like Ash than we thought. Making you all soft and caring."

With one look at her face, he knew he'd overstepped. Of course, Misty was caring. He was treating her as heartless when, really, she was probably one of the most caring people he'd met. She just had a different way of showing it, so when her softer side came out, it was a bit, well, off-putting.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I'm just…"

"Not yourself?" she finished for him, seeming to have already forgiven him and moved on. "Yeah, I noticed. I haven't seen you...you know, grieve or anything. If anyone has a right to be miserable right now, it's you."

"Why? Because my grandpa died?" Misty winced, and Gary instantly regretted coming across so harshly. God, why did he have to continually stick his foot in his mouth? His face grew relaxed as he explained, "Of course I'm miserable. Everywhere I look I…" Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of his grandfather and the legacy he'd left on the town of Pallet. "It's easier to say this now, but I owe my grandfather everything. If it wasn't for him, I don't know what I would have done. From what Gramps told me, my parents were not...Well, let's just say they weren't cut out to be parents, so I went to live with him and my grandma. Then my grandmother passed away, so it was just Gramps and I."

"I'm sorry, Gary. I didn't know about your grandma or your parents. Ash never mentioned it," Misty said.

Gary shrugged. "It's fine." It wasn't something he brought up in day-to-day conversations, so he couldn't fault Misty for not knowing. "It's not all that uncommon here in Pallet, being a small town and all, you know? Everyone knows you, so it's really the town that raises you. Not many people stick around unless they have to, and pokémon training is the easiest way out."

From beside him, Misty let out a choked sob. Her hands were kneaded into her dress, and her lip quivered. He shifted closer, gently placing a hand on her shoulder without trying to push too much. "Woah, what happened? You okay, Red?"

Misty vigorously shook her head. "I can't do this without him. He's going to leave, and I...I'm gonna be all on my own. I can't do this. I need him, and he's not even here now."

Shit. If he could, Gary would sucker-punch himself right now. How could he say something like that? "Hey, it's okay. Just breathe, okay? I'm sorry I even said anything," he said, cursing himself for even putting the idea into Misty's head. Then again, one could never tell what would set Misty off, let alone a pregnant, hormonal Misty. "He's on his way, and he'll be here later tonight, remember?"

Misty nodded, but she looked anything but reassured. Gary swore under his breath. She was the one trying to comfort him, and now he'd gone and thrown her into a tailspin of worry and doubt. "I've known Ash almost my whole life, and I can tell you that will not happen. I promise, okay? He's not like that."

He waited for her to look at him, but she continued staring down at the ground as she sobbed quietly. He racked his brain for something he could say to assure her that Ash would never abandon her. That he wasn't like his father, Gary's parents, or any other parent who'd abandoned their family for pokémon training.

"Red, look at me, please?" He must have sounded pretty pathetic because she finally looked up. Her face was tear-stained, and her eyes had a red tint to them. They'd never been particularly close friends, and he was probably the last person she would have wanted around, but he was all she had at that moment. "I don't know what you see in him, but Ashy boy would be a fucking idiot if he ever gave that up. You're the strongest person I know, and you don't take shit from anyone, especially me, and I admire that. I admire the heck out of you, Red, and I'm not just saying that. You're going to be an amazing mom, with or without him. But if you ever need it, I can name five people off the top of my head that would kick his ass if he ever pulled a stunt like that."

Misty stared back at him quizzically. "You admire me?"

Gary snorted in laughter, but it was more out of surprise than annoyance. "Of course. You're one of the strongest gym leaders in Kanto and one of the strongest water trainers in the world. You've been an undefeated Whirl Cup champion for three years, and you're one of the top candidates for Lorelei's spot in the Elite Four. Aside from that, you've traveled the world, and you have friends from all over. Ash fucking loves you, and he never shuts up about it. But me? What do I have?" Gary sighed deeply as he let his head fall to the ground. "My parents didn't even want me. I'm a failure as a researcher, all my friends are out making their dreams come true, and now I've lost the one person who ever gave a shit about me."

If there was any time to break down and face his grief, it was now, but Gary simply closed his eyes and focused on the sensations around him. It was when he felt the warm pressure on his hand that he opened his eyes and saw Misty staring back at him with concern.

"You wanna know the truth?" Gary asked. Misty nodded her head, urging him to continue. Before he did, Gary took a deep breath in before exhaling out his nose. "I'm scared." Although she tried to hide it, he saw the surprise flash across her face. "Gramps was adored by the people that lived here. Before he built his lab, Pallet was just one of those small farming towns. We didn't even have a Pokémon Center, let alone a lab. He put Pallet Town on the map, and then when Ash started winning tournaments around the world, people started paying a little bit more attention. I know everyone in the town expects me to take over for Gramps, but I don't think I will ever be half the researcher he was."

It'd been the key reason he hadn't been himself recently, the reason he'd tried to avoid any interactions with the townsfolk or the colleagues that had come to pay their respects for his grandfather. They never said it out loud, but he could see the questioning look on their faces. Would Professor Oak really leave his world-renowned laboratory to his carefree, playboy grandson? Would Gary finally grow up and face his responsibility like a man?

"Other people may expect that, but I don't. It's not fair to you, and it's toxic to think that way," Misty told him, having seemed to have calmed down a little. "It's your choice, not theirs."

"You wanna tell them that?"

Misty laughed, her face lighting up once more. "I can't fight all your battles for you, Oak. But I'll definitely defend any decision you make."

"Thanks, Red. That really...that really means a lot." He'd never felt like he really knew Misty that well, having only talked with her when Ash was around. He'd teased Ash about being head over heels in love with someone as feisty and fiery-tempered as Misty, but at this moment, he could truly understand why Ash loved Misty so much. She was a true friend in every sense of the word.

"I hope it's okay, but I was talking with Ash last night, and we decided that we're going to name our baby Samuel."

As Misty had pointed out earlier, ever since his grandfather had passed away, not once had Gary really shown how he felt. Instead, he hid his feelings behind sarcasm and being an all-around asshole. But for some reason, this was what finally seemed to break the damn on his pent-up emotions.

Tears trailed down his face in a seemingly never-ending flow. He clenched his fists as anger followed closely behind—anger at the world, his grandfather, and his anger at himself. Misty silently sat beside him, pain and empathy etched in her face. She didn't touch him or try to comfort him, but he knew that she wouldn't hesitate if he needed it.