-part 2-
Disclaimer: Do you honestly think I have anything to do with the Pokemon franchise? Yeah that's what I thought. Anyway, on with the story...
"The truth is..." Misty began slowly, still staring straight ahead, "I've had a wish for a long time...almost our whole journey...and now I'm afraid it might never come true."
"What are you wishing for?" I asked gently.
"I wish that...ugh, this is hard...I wish that Ash would see me as more than a friend."
"How do you think he sees you now?"
"Well...I used to be really optimistic. When we were still in Kanto the three of us did fun stuff together like the Princess Festival and Kids' Day, but over the last few months all Ash has wanted to do is train and go after his next badge." She then turned to look at me. Even though it was dark, I could see a tear forming in her eye. "What if this continues, Brock? What if all he wants to do from now on is train and battle? I'll...I'll lose him." I handed Misty a tissue, as I sensed that she was about to start crying again.
I thought for a moment, trying to choose my words carefully. "You two are my best friends, and I wouldn't want to see him drift away like that either. The three of us have been through too much together over the last couple of years." I paused for a moment. I really meant what I said, and I hoped Misty understood that. "Maybe we should get some sleep, we'll both be able to think better in the morning."
"Yeah I guess you're right," she admitted, so we both returned to our sleeping bags and went back to sleep.
The next morning, as we were eating breakfast, I decided to try to talk to Ash alone. He isn't the best person in the world at putting two and two together, so I thought my best chance was to tell him outright what Misty had confessed last night. Now to figure out a way to separate ourselves...got it.
"Would you do the dishes, Misty? Ash and I are going on a short walk to look for berries. I'm going to make something different for supper tonight." She hesitated. She knew that it was a strange request, because I usually took care of all that myself, but then understanding dawned in her eyes and she agreed.
Ash hadn't noticed any of this. Pikachu had playfully swiped one of his rice balls and was holding it just out of Ash's reach, with Ash pleading to have it back. Amused, I watched the scene for a moment, then broke it up. "C'mon Ash, let's see if we can find some berries. I bought a new recipe book at the last PokeMart."
"A new recipe book? Say no more!" responded my food-loving friend. Leaving Pikachu to finish eating and play with Togepi, he jumped up to join me. I smiled inwardly. It really meant a lot to me to have my best friends love my cooking so much. I made a mental note to let them know that sometime soon, but now wasn't the time, I had to talk to Ash.
"So, what kind of berries are we looking for?" Ash asked as we started walking through the forest, brushing aside the occasional tree branch or bush as we went.
"Well, for this new recipe, I need as many Mint Berries as I can find. I'm going to make a new kind of jam I've never tried before."
"Mint Berries...those are the pink ones right? They grow in bunches?"
I nodded. "Yeah that's them."
(A/N: I don't know if Mint Berries really are pink, not sure if it's ever been said in the games or anything, but just pretend they are for now.)
Ash pushed ahead, no doubt anticipating tasting that new jam on some rolls or sandwiches. I glanced back. We were out of earshot of Misty and the camp, now was as good a time as any. "Ash, hold up. I need to talk to you for a minute."
Ash froze in place, then turned around with a serious expression on his face. "What is it?" he asked. I guess something in my tone of voice made him realize that there was more to this than berries.
I paused. I thought I'd be all right with this, but I should have planned my words a little better. Oh well, here goes nothing... "What do you think of Misty?"
Ash's face instantly reddened. "What do you mean?"
I smiled slightly. "Think about it. The three of us have been travelling together for what, a little over three years now? Which means you've spent a lot of time around Misty, like it or not. And when a guy spends a lot of time around a girl, you know what can sometimes happen..." I let the thought dangle, hoping Ash would get the hint. He did.
"Whaaaaaaaaaa?" A large sweatdrop formed at the side of his head. "You think I..." he couldn't say those last two words. I couldn't help but grin at his embarrasment, but feel sorry for him at the same time, since I was the one who made him embarrassed.
"Thanks, Ash, you just confirmed my suspicions. Hey, I think I see some berries over there." I said, pointing.
"Wait a second, you're not getting away that easily! What makes you think I..." again, he couldn't say the next two words. He was debating something with himself, and I knew exactly what it was.
"...Like her?" I finished. "Well for one thing, that incident with the sleeping bags last night."
"Huh?" unsurprisingly, Ash was totally confused.
"Look, you and Misty argue a lot right?"
"Yeah..." Ash said guardedly.
"...But in some ways you're really comfortable with each other. It's funny how two people who argue as much as you two do don't seem to mind having their sleeping bags practically next to each other. And that time in that big clearing a while ago...you two were tending to your Pokemon, sitting under a tree, but you were sitting almost next to each other. Strange, coming from a guy and girl who fight so much." My words had had the desired effect. Ash was speechless, probably trying to think of some way to refute what I was saying. "And not only THAT..." I filled him in on what Misty had told me last night.
Ash was completely subdued. "She...actually said that stuff?" he whispered.
"Mm-hmm. It sure seems like you mean a lot to her."
Ash reached up and put his right hand behind his head, a nervous habit of his. "Wow...I never thought that...I mean, that she might...that it would work both ways..." he looked at me and searched my eyes, hoping I understood.
"Believe me, I heard her last night. It definitely does work both ways," I said seriously.
Ash's face suddenly hardened. He had that determined look in his eyes again. Maybe that's one of the things Misty likes so much about him, his unfailing determination. "C'mon Brock, let's pick those berries you saw. I've got an idea."
Disclaimer: Do you honestly think I have anything to do with the Pokemon franchise? Yeah that's what I thought. Anyway, on with the story...
"The truth is..." Misty began slowly, still staring straight ahead, "I've had a wish for a long time...almost our whole journey...and now I'm afraid it might never come true."
"What are you wishing for?" I asked gently.
"I wish that...ugh, this is hard...I wish that Ash would see me as more than a friend."
"How do you think he sees you now?"
"Well...I used to be really optimistic. When we were still in Kanto the three of us did fun stuff together like the Princess Festival and Kids' Day, but over the last few months all Ash has wanted to do is train and go after his next badge." She then turned to look at me. Even though it was dark, I could see a tear forming in her eye. "What if this continues, Brock? What if all he wants to do from now on is train and battle? I'll...I'll lose him." I handed Misty a tissue, as I sensed that she was about to start crying again.
I thought for a moment, trying to choose my words carefully. "You two are my best friends, and I wouldn't want to see him drift away like that either. The three of us have been through too much together over the last couple of years." I paused for a moment. I really meant what I said, and I hoped Misty understood that. "Maybe we should get some sleep, we'll both be able to think better in the morning."
"Yeah I guess you're right," she admitted, so we both returned to our sleeping bags and went back to sleep.
The next morning, as we were eating breakfast, I decided to try to talk to Ash alone. He isn't the best person in the world at putting two and two together, so I thought my best chance was to tell him outright what Misty had confessed last night. Now to figure out a way to separate ourselves...got it.
"Would you do the dishes, Misty? Ash and I are going on a short walk to look for berries. I'm going to make something different for supper tonight." She hesitated. She knew that it was a strange request, because I usually took care of all that myself, but then understanding dawned in her eyes and she agreed.
Ash hadn't noticed any of this. Pikachu had playfully swiped one of his rice balls and was holding it just out of Ash's reach, with Ash pleading to have it back. Amused, I watched the scene for a moment, then broke it up. "C'mon Ash, let's see if we can find some berries. I bought a new recipe book at the last PokeMart."
"A new recipe book? Say no more!" responded my food-loving friend. Leaving Pikachu to finish eating and play with Togepi, he jumped up to join me. I smiled inwardly. It really meant a lot to me to have my best friends love my cooking so much. I made a mental note to let them know that sometime soon, but now wasn't the time, I had to talk to Ash.
"So, what kind of berries are we looking for?" Ash asked as we started walking through the forest, brushing aside the occasional tree branch or bush as we went.
"Well, for this new recipe, I need as many Mint Berries as I can find. I'm going to make a new kind of jam I've never tried before."
"Mint Berries...those are the pink ones right? They grow in bunches?"
I nodded. "Yeah that's them."
(A/N: I don't know if Mint Berries really are pink, not sure if it's ever been said in the games or anything, but just pretend they are for now.)
Ash pushed ahead, no doubt anticipating tasting that new jam on some rolls or sandwiches. I glanced back. We were out of earshot of Misty and the camp, now was as good a time as any. "Ash, hold up. I need to talk to you for a minute."
Ash froze in place, then turned around with a serious expression on his face. "What is it?" he asked. I guess something in my tone of voice made him realize that there was more to this than berries.
I paused. I thought I'd be all right with this, but I should have planned my words a little better. Oh well, here goes nothing... "What do you think of Misty?"
Ash's face instantly reddened. "What do you mean?"
I smiled slightly. "Think about it. The three of us have been travelling together for what, a little over three years now? Which means you've spent a lot of time around Misty, like it or not. And when a guy spends a lot of time around a girl, you know what can sometimes happen..." I let the thought dangle, hoping Ash would get the hint. He did.
"Whaaaaaaaaaa?" A large sweatdrop formed at the side of his head. "You think I..." he couldn't say those last two words. I couldn't help but grin at his embarrasment, but feel sorry for him at the same time, since I was the one who made him embarrassed.
"Thanks, Ash, you just confirmed my suspicions. Hey, I think I see some berries over there." I said, pointing.
"Wait a second, you're not getting away that easily! What makes you think I..." again, he couldn't say the next two words. He was debating something with himself, and I knew exactly what it was.
"...Like her?" I finished. "Well for one thing, that incident with the sleeping bags last night."
"Huh?" unsurprisingly, Ash was totally confused.
"Look, you and Misty argue a lot right?"
"Yeah..." Ash said guardedly.
"...But in some ways you're really comfortable with each other. It's funny how two people who argue as much as you two do don't seem to mind having their sleeping bags practically next to each other. And that time in that big clearing a while ago...you two were tending to your Pokemon, sitting under a tree, but you were sitting almost next to each other. Strange, coming from a guy and girl who fight so much." My words had had the desired effect. Ash was speechless, probably trying to think of some way to refute what I was saying. "And not only THAT..." I filled him in on what Misty had told me last night.
Ash was completely subdued. "She...actually said that stuff?" he whispered.
"Mm-hmm. It sure seems like you mean a lot to her."
Ash reached up and put his right hand behind his head, a nervous habit of his. "Wow...I never thought that...I mean, that she might...that it would work both ways..." he looked at me and searched my eyes, hoping I understood.
"Believe me, I heard her last night. It definitely does work both ways," I said seriously.
Ash's face suddenly hardened. He had that determined look in his eyes again. Maybe that's one of the things Misty likes so much about him, his unfailing determination. "C'mon Brock, let's pick those berries you saw. I've got an idea."