**The Great Compromise**
Author's Note: Crappy title—part of history. Heh, heh, it's true, look in any history book and you'll find it. Oh yeah, and it might not seem like a "Great Compromise" in the beginning, but at the end…you'll see. Here's Chapter Seven for your enjoyment…
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Outside in the sleepy town of Pallet, our two main characters, Ash and Misty, are playing a game of tennis in a nearby court. With our girl-chaser, Brock, keeping score for them.
"THAT WAS SO UNFAIR! I HAD THAT POINT, DIDN'T YOU SEE ASH FLY PAST THE BALL? LITERALLY. The ball is supposed to have that job!" Misty shouted, declaring her accusation.
"I'm sorry, Mist you were right. Ash, let the ball do it's magic, huh?"
"DAMN IT TO HELL! Why do you always have to be so frickin' fickle?" Ash retorted. "Yesterday you were Mary Sunshine, and now you're Master Class Mistress Brat!"
"ALL RIGHT, CUT THE CRAP NOW! And I mean NOW!" Brock was fuming. It was his worst temper with the worst dueling duo. "It's a game of tennis, a mature sport so act mature and not like YOU'RE TWO YEAR-OLDS FIGHTING OVER A BOTTLE-CAP BECAUSE IT LOOKS COOL AND YOU'VE LOST YOUR BEST FRIEND ALREADY DOWN THE TUBES!" Ash and Misty froze in time; this was a real surprise out of Brock.
Misty, the "toughie" that she is, decided to speak up, "Uh, with all due respects…what's up with that bottle-cap speech?"
"Yeah…" Said Ash, with his face that twisted along with his words.
"Sorry, old memories…" Brock uttered as he recalled his thoughts. The two players shook their heads, and didn't think anything of it.
"Pathetic…so truly pathetic."
"Thanks for talking behind my back, Ash, I really appreciate it." Brock snapped back sarcastically. But it wasn't Ash…
"GAH, I just got over my damned black eye! I thought my Ma talked to your *nice* grandpa, unlike you…ARE YOU COMING BACK FOR MORE OR SOMETHING?"
"Yea, for the aftershock. SHUT YOUR FACE!" Gary yelled. Sorry if I ruined it for any of you…
"Okay." Ash replied and turned away. He wasn't ready for another battle, and I'm not talking about Pokemon. "How can you shut your face?" He asked himself quietly.
"Eh, heh, heh…aawww." Misty backed off ever so slowly.
"Misty, my flower, what are you doing with the freak-show? Why don't you come to me, the main attraction?" Misty was almost over the edge of the boat. Gary was really bad at these little, catch phrases and metaphors.
"This ain't a circus, and I, for one, consider myself as a freak, OKAY?!? So I'm better off with the freak-show."
"WHEN DID THIS TURN INTO THE THREE RING CIRCUS? Cut the crap and get to what the people want!" Brock shouted…for all. There were many teens their age and older, watching what was about to come.
"HEY! DID YOU EVER SEE PEOPLE FIGHT? Well let's take a count, WHO HAS SEEN PEOPLE FIGHT—LEAVE," Ash continued, as two more teens remained with disgusted looks on their faces, "OKAY WHO'S SEEN PEOPLE FIGHT AND ARE PASSIFISTS THAT REFUSE THIS VIOLENCE AND WANT TO PROTEST…LEAVE." The two teens left with looks of disappointment. "Well, I've got news for you, Gary, if you're looking for a fight again, ask Mike Tyson and he can bite your ear off for you, all right?"
"Look Ash, can I…can I just talk to for a moment?" Gary inquired coyly. His rival observed Gary skeptically.
"Uh…yeah, sure…" Ash had no idea what this guy was planning. "Take five, guys."
"All right/Okay." Misty and Brock replied in simultaneous manner and sat down on the court. The boys from Pallet walked through the park and stopped at the sparkling lake that would always luster its beauty at sunset.
"Gary, what are you getting at?"
"You immediately assume that I'm going to do something, you've always been the 'One Way Jose.' "
"That's because…you naturally…always do something to me."
"All right, all right…I wanted to talk to you about Misty."
"What about her?" Ash took a swig from his water bottle as he sat down on a rock and Gary sat as well.
"How do you do it Ash?"
"Do what…?"
"DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING? How do you always get the girl? For example, your stupidity. I've always heard them say when we used to go to school before our Pokemon journey, that they thought you were so…" He hated to say this word about Ash but he spat it out, "cute…"
"Who?" He replied with a smirk.
"Vanessa McConnell and Denisse Murphy."
"Eeeeyeck! Those weren't girls, they were alien lifeforms!" Ash and Gary burst into laughter. "Aw, you're lucky you didn't have them chasing you around!"
"Well they were at least…the opposite sex…we think. But the point is I really liked Misty. Though, I think she's leaning more towards you. She thinks I'm a sappy idiot."
"No, she doesn't think that at all. Misty is just a picky person, you gotta really make her impressed in order for her to take notice."
"Okay, I think I got ya now. Thanks." Gary actually cracked a smile at him; as did Ash shoot one back also. They both got up and walked back to the tennis court in the park. "Oh and Ash, one more thing, I won't bother you anymore. I'm just getting in the way of a new relationship. Bye."
"Gary…" Ash lifts out his hand for a friendly shake, "Friends…?"
Gary smiles teary-eyed, "Friends." He shakes on it, and leaves with his words.
"ASH! WHERE WERE YOU?"
"Here we go…he's standing right in front of you perfectly fine." Brock stepped in.
"Yeah, but I worry." Misty embraces Ash in a tight hug. "You know I love you too much."
"I love you too, Mist, who couldn't?"
"I know I couldn't." Brock started to laugh and joined in with the hug and extra laughter of friendship. As for Gary? Well, I wouldn't worry about him, he seems happy enough watching his new friend, former rival, bloom into an even bigger relationship.
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Here ya go peeps, that's it. Or is it?
To Be Continued…