Disclaimers: If you read the first chapter, you will see my detailed DISCLAIMER there.

Chapter Two

Mission Impossible or Possible?

"No way!" Ash said, stealing the basketball from Richie and attempted to shoot from the three-point line.

   "Way," Richie said. "I already told you. That new sophomore named Casey likes you."

   "You mean that baseball fan girl who keeps following you everywhere because she knows that you know me very well? Creepy," Ash said.

   Richie nodded. "You said it. Tracey just told me that you don't have anybody to go to the dance with, so, um, you can ask her," Richie suggested as his three-point shot went in the hoop. Ash got the rebound and passed it back to Richie.

   "Gary Oak will never, ever give me peace if I came with that girl." Ash shuddered. "I know she's pretty, but Gary just got a date with Whitney Goldberg, and I expect that they will come to the Homecoming Dance together."

   "Oak? He's always like that," Richie said. "And the coach of the football team just told the quarterback to get game or else he'll replace him. And guess who the replacement is?"

   Ash closed his eyes and groaned, slamming the ball on the cement. "Gary Oak is the next possible quarterback?"

   "You said it." Richie said. He looked at his G-shock. "Yikes! I need to meet Duplica at McDonald's in twenty minutes. Later, Ash."

   Great. I'm doomed. Gary just might be the next quarterback, and that'll make he and Whitney the couple of the senior year, and he won't quit bugging me about it, Ash thought. I really don't care if I don't get a date. Or a girlfriend, even, but the Oak monster would never let this subject drop.

   Ash started heading home, dribbling the ball with each step. After two blocks he saw Brock chasing a girl that looked like…Officer Jenny?

   But Officer Jenny told him that she's got more important things to do, and she was five years older than he was. Ash scratched his head and ran towards Brock. "Brock! What are you doing?"
   "I'm trying to get a date," Brock said. "Why can't girls just admit that they like me?"

   Ash shook his head. "I don't know. And Brock, Officer Jenny was five years older than you are."

   "She was nice and pretty," Brock said with a sigh.

   "Whatever."

   "Hey, Ash." Casey Carmichaels greeted. "I heard that you don't have a date for the dance."

   It was Monday morning and Ash was practically snoozing inside his locker while he fished out for his books. The night before he stayed up late to watch a horror movie special on TV and forgot that he had school the next day. And he didn't get enough sleep either because all night long there was big commotion at their neighbor's house across the street. There were policemen and a lot of yelling, and most of the neighbors were out, chattering and gathering around the scene.

   "Ash? Ash Ketchum?" Casey said, poking Ash's shoulder with her left index finger.

   "H-huh? What?" Ash said as a stack of books slid out of the shelf and hit him on the head. "Ow!"

   Casey peered inside. "What are you doing?"

   Ash was startled and hit his head on the shelf. "Ouch! Casey?"

   "Yeah, and I was just saying about—"

   The bell rang. Ash shook his head. "Sorry, Casey. Can't afford to be late. Bye!" He dashed off to his classroom, leaving Casey Carmichaels staring after him.

   "The dance is this Friday," Brock reminded Tracey and Ash during lunch.

   "So?" Ash said, picking up his milk carton and popped it open.

   "Well, I'm getting desperate, and I need a date. So you two guys need to help me," Brock said, practically on his knees. (Well, this certainly won't happen in the Animé, but remember, this is my fic!)

   "Brock, you're hopeless, there's nothing we can do," Tracey said. He laughed. "Just kidding, man."
   Brock propped his chin on the table and slammed his fist, making Ash's and Tracey's lunch wobble. "I need a date to show those girls that I, Brock Slate, can uh…"

   "Can—what?" Ash asked.

   "Can, um, can dance!" He said sheepishly. "Besides, if they see me on the dance floor, they'll be voting for me as the best dancer." He gave them a pleading look. "Please, please help me. And Ash, I won't ask Officer Jenny again if you help me."

   Ash laughed. "What can I do?"

   "Duh. There are lots of girls on this school. Pick one, make me look good and make sure she'll be going to the dance with me."

   Tracey hums the "Mission Impossible" theme.

   "Not helping." Brock scowled at Tracey.

   "Brock, you know that I don't have interest in girls as much as you do," Ash said, taking a bite from his BLT sandwich.

   "Come on, Ash. And Tracey," Brock said.

   "Why are you asking us?" Tracey asked.

   Brock sighed dramatically, as if they were in an opera. "Ash knows lots of people, and he is somehow popular and Tracey, I just know you can do it. So please?"

   "Okay. Okay," Ash said.

   "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," Brock said.

   "Debbie!" Ash yelled. He spotted Debbie Princeton at the end of the west wing. Debbie was an advice columnist in the school paper, and Ash knew that she was a good person. She also worked with Brock in a Science project back in the freshmen year, and they had the highest score for that project.

   "Ash? What's up?" Debbie asked, hitching her red backpack over her shoulder.

   "Listen, do you have a date for the dance on Friday?" Ash asked nervously, hoping she wouldn't misunderstand the situation and think he was asking her to the dance.

   "I'm not going."

   Ash's mouth dropped open. "What?"

   "Well, you see, my family is having a reunion, so I can't go," Debbie said. "Why?"

   "Uh, Brock needs a date for the dance, and you know he's such a weirdo around girls and it scares them off, so we're helping him find a date," Ash explained.

   Debbie looked at Ash strangely. "And you were hoping that I'm going to the dance with him?" She laughed. "I'm sorry, Ash, but let me tell you this, I do like Brock because he's really nice, but when it comes to girls he needs to change a little bit. He can't be girl-crazy all his life." She smiled and headed for the exit. Ash's shoulders slumped, privately agreeing about what Debbie said.

~Meanwhile, Tracey was also doing the same thing…~

   Tracey looked around. "Michelle!" He saw Michelle Thompson pass by. Michelle is Tracey's cousin.

   Michelle whirled around, surprised to hear Tracey calling her. "Tracey!"

   Tracey tried not to blush. He swallowed. "Michelle, I have a favor to ask you."

   "Sure!" Michelle said delightfully. "What's that?"

   "Brock needs a date for the dance and I was thinking—"

   Michelle shook her head. "Sorry, Tracey. I already have a date." She smiled. "But I know that Carrie Williams is still looking for a date. Why don't you try her out?"

   "Thanks, Mich," Tracey said, flinging the exit doors open to find Carrie Williams.

   "Sorry, Brock, m'man, no luck today." Ash said.

   "No luck any day," Tracey joked.

   They were at Brock's house and working on a group project they were given for History.

   "That's not funny," Brock said. "How many girls did you ask?"
   "I asked three," Ash said.

   "Two." Tracey grinned.

   "And none of them said yes? Who were they?"

   "Cousin Michelle and Carrie Williams," Tracey said.

   "Debbie Princeton, Samantha Kirk and Denise uh…someone," Ash said, forgetting the surname of the last girl.

   "I'm not giving up!" Brock said. "I'm going to find myself a date. And guys, I think you should stay out of this. I'm willing to bet that Carrie refused to go with me because some of the wisecracks Tracey told her."

   Tracey tried not to look guilty, but he burst out laughing. "She did laugh at your bathroom-incident, but she said no because she's still waiting for Rudy to ask her." He got up and looked through Brock's CDs and played the movie soundtrack of the movie "Mission Impossible". "I told you it wouldn't work. You should do it Brock, not us. You're the one who needs the date."

   "I guess you're right." Brock punched the air with his fist. "Nurse Joy, here I come!"

   "No, Brock, I didn't mean Nurse Joy! She's also five years older than you," Tracey said.

   "He's hopeless," Ash said as Brock started dialing the number of the community veterinary clinic.

   The day started closing in as bleak signs of sunset began showing up. The clouds started to glow orange and the sky turned redder instead of bluer. Venus, the twin planet of Earth, also called the Morning/Evening Star, was vivid up in the sky. Ash decided to check out his favorite comic book store for new editions when he spotted Misty Waterflower in the very the same store.

   "What? Miss Straight-A student reads comics? Interesting," Ash murmured as he pushed the door open. Misty jumped, as if she was nervous someone would spot her buying comics.

   "Ash Ketchum!" She said, startled. "What are you doing here?"

   "I buy comics here, Misty Waterflower," He said. "Funny seeing you here. I thought you'd be out there planning for the Homecoming Dance on Friday."

   Misty blushed. "Well, we were almost done anyway, so I came here to buy the newest edition of this."

   She held out the very new edition of Ash's favorite comic, and Ash's jaw dropped.

   "You read that? I thought that a straight-A student like you would consider comics garbage," Ash said.

   Misty grinned. "If you read them right before an exam, this is junk. But for fun and past time, good. Besides, I don't read them every time. That's stupid. Reading comics and no real books is pure bonehead stuff. So when I'm not busy, or I'm not tied up to anything, I read them," Misty explained, stuffing her comic inside her bag.

   "Are you lecturing me in a masked way?" Ash said, trying to read between the lines. He could tell that Misty was referring to his unfinished Science project.

   "Whatever." Misty gave him a knowing look and left the store.

   Ash grumbled and inquired for the price then left the shop as well. He was sick of her attitude. Even though she hardly speaks to him, he could see her ordering her committee people around. She was always a serious girl. Back when they were both sophomores, they were assigned to be lab partners. Misty was a bossy girl who kept grumbling and scolding at Ash every day during Science.

   Ash headed home. He was just a block away when he heard someone yelling his name. It was Gary.

   "Now what do you want?" He said irritably.

   "I got Whitney to be my Homecoming Dance date. And by the time that dance is over, I think I'll ask her to be my girlfriend," Gary bragged.

   Ash did a slight imitation of Gary asking Whitney to be his girlfriend. Gary seethed with anger. "Jealousy."

   Ash coughed a false laugh. "Me? Jealous? Ha! You're crazy," Ash said.

   Gary grinned. "I knew it! When you broke up with Giselle six months ago you're just afraid getting dumped again!" Gary yelled. "Chicken-boy. Chicken-boy."

   "I'm not chicken!" Ash yelled.

   "If you're not, I dare you to ask Misty Waterflower to the dance, and she'd better say yes," Gary said.

   Ash looked horrified. He couldn't deal with Misty. She was bossy. If she ever agreed to go with him, she'd probably order him how to eat, drink or even breathe! "No way. I'm not asking Miss Little Stuck-Up to the dance," Ash said. "I'd rather go alone. And besides, I'm going there for the extra credit, you monkey."

   "Extra credit? Me too, but at least I have a date," Gary said. "So unless you're chicken…"

   Ash felt himself gathering power to punch Gary in the face. "Shut up!!! I'm not a chicken!"

   "So ask Waterflower then."

   "No way. Did you know that girl is one of the bossiest girls in school?"

   "Well, Whitney isn't perfect either, she retouches her makeup every ten minutes," Gary pointed out.

   "I'm not asking her to the dance."

   "Chicken-boy." Gary did an imitation of a chicken.

    If you don't quit it I'll tell Whitney that you still have that stuffed panda and you still hug it when you watch home horror movies," Ash said.

   Gary stopped. "You wouldn't!"

   "Oh. I will," Ash said. "If you don't stop bugging me about it. So enjoy your date with Whitney and stop bugging me. Or else it's panda treatment for you."

   Gary growled and walked off. Ash was pleased with himself.

Wacky Witch:

Bad, bad ending. In fact, this chapter was written during a mild block, so it came out this way. If anybody would like to contribute or ask anything about this fic, you can always e-mail me about it. But I doubt that any of you will ever will.

Thanks to M*Y*S*T-L*A*D*Y's nice review!!! And yes, Gary will be in the picture. There will be a twist. I'm sorry for the bad chapter, I wrote this in a hurry and I want to finish this story soon.

Preview:

Chapter Three: This New Girl

…

"Class, we have a new student. Her name is Suzie Mitchell, and she just moved here two weeks ago."

   Wow, she's pretty. She's prettier than Whitney! Brock thought. I think I'll ask her to the dance.