Chapter two of this story! I suddenly realized that Christmas is
approaching, and I need to finish this on one time! ^_^ Well, enjoy!
It was a great victory. He thought he was going to lose, but suddenly Pikachu made a huge comeback and blew they gym leader away. He walked away from the gym with a new badge but an uncannily heavy heart.
"Pika pi? Pika chu.." Remarked Pikachu.
"Yeah, I'm not happy," snapped Ash, and the small yellow Pokemon was taken aback. It didn't say another word the whole walk back to camp.
~*~
They weren't anywhere in sight. The camp seemed to be abandoned when Ash returned. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures sitting on the shoreline.
Misty. And Brock.
A strange, tight feeling crept into Ash's stomach. What were they doing there, sitting there..together?
He didn't know what to do so he stood there, paralyzed.
Suddenly, Misty turned around. Their eyes met across the distance.
In an instant her face changed from content to panic. No, it said. You weren't supposed to see this. No.
"Some friends you two are," he spat and turned on his heels back to camp. The voice that came out of his mouth surprised him. He'd never spoken to either one of them in such a tone.
"Ash!" Yelled Misty despairingly. His strides were twice as fast as they usually were, and when he got back to camp, he paced around angrily.
In a few moments, Brock and Misty reached him.
"Did you have fun at the stores?" He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Misty frowned and said nothing, but Brock piped right up. "Show Ash your new jewelry, Misty," he said, and Misty obliged.
"Very nice," he said stiffly, barely glancing at it.
Finally Misty dared to open her mouth. "How..how did your battle go?" She asked meekly.
"It was fine, I won," he said brusquely, his voice holding a "no thanks to you guys," in it.
She felt a small pang of guilt starting in the corner of her mind.
Maybe..maybe she should have gone to his battle. You know how important those are to him, a voice in her head chided her. You should have gone.
"Good job," she said without meeting his eyes. Brock had the sense then to shut his mouth, and the rest of the day proceeded in an uncomfortable silence.
~*~
It was the third time he'd woken up that night. What should I get her? What would she like?
For underneath all the hurt, all the anger, and all the fear, was this burning desire to get her something awesome. Something she'd love.
Every time he looked at her, she wasn't just Misty anymore. She was his friend (sometimes), and she was beautiful. At least that was what he had assumed because every time he looked at her, he couldn't keep his eyes off her.
What would she say if she knew? He tried not to focus on that and went back to thinking of her present. He thought of Brock, giving her everything she wanted. Yes, he decided, Brock does like her. And *I* don't. She's just my friend. She's just my friend.
His eyes strayed to her, asleep on the ground next to him. So innocent, so childlike, when she was asleep. He smiled a little to himself.
Stop! Screamed that voice again. You don't like her! You do not like her!
Stupid Brock, he thought. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be having this..war. Yes, it was a war. That's exactly what it was.
And then his stubborn determination kicked in. Watch out, Brock, he thought. You're in for a little competition.
~*~
They went shopping again the next day. Misty simply could not be kept away from the glittering lights, the Christmas music, and all the sales.
"Wow! Look at this!" She exclaimed as they passed by a clothes store.
"It's so pretty! Man, I'm sick of wearing the same outfit. For three straight years. The animators are just so lazy that they won't give us any new clothes. Well, I don't care about them anymore! I'm getting this!" She marched into the store, and Brock followed her like a faithful lapdog.
It was then that Ash took the opportunity to slip away, unnoticed, to a store he'd spotted earlier. It would take all his money, but it didn't matter. The present he saw was worth it.
~*~
When he met up with them later, they approached him with an infuriated glare.
"Where the heck were you?" Demanded Misty angrily.
"We've been looking everywhere for you! Do you know we almost called the police?"
"Oops," he said, and Brock shook his head.
"Hey, guys, I hate to say this, but today's the 23rd, and we're not gonna be able to get home by tomorrow."
"What about a plane or something?" Ash asked.
"I'm pretty broke." Said Brock.
"You mean, you are broke?" Asked Ash.
"Yes, I'm very broke. I don't have another spare penny."
Ash slapped his forehead. "Great, great, just great," he said, thinking of Misty's brand new wardrobe of clothing and jewelry.
"I guess I'll call Mom and tell her that we won't be home for Christmas."
So they made their way into the Pokemon center and Ash dialed his number. Finally, after about seven rings, his mother picked up the phone, but she was not alone.
"What are you doing there Professor Oak?" asked Ash rather densely.
"Duh, Ash," whispered Misty.
"Hello, Ash," said the professor.
"What are you WEARING?" He asked. Professor Oak had on slippers and a robe, like he lived in the place. And his mom was wearing silky pajamas.
"Clothes," said Professor Oak, his cheeks turning a little red.
"DUH, ASH!" said Misty.
"Sweetie! What did you call for?"
"I just called to say that I won't he home for Christmas. Brock here," with this he shot Brock a very dirty look, "went out and spent all our money. So now we're stuck here, in Crimson City."
"Isn't that about a three day drive from Pallet?" Asked the professor.
"Yep."
Suddenly Mrs. Ketchum spoke, "Oh, Ash, I'm sorry that you're not coming, but..OH, PIKACHU! I can't belive I won't be able to see you! I'm gonna cry!"
"There, there, Delia," said Professor Oak, giving her a pat on the shoulder,
"They'll have a good Christmas there. Let's just send some money over and they can rent a hotel."
Misty paled a little bit. "You don't have to do that," she said too late. The money was already coming out their end.
"Thanks, Mom, thanks Professor Oak," he said. "Bye."
Then he turned around and saw Misty and Brock looking at him like he was the dumbest person alive.
"How could you be so dense?" Asked Misty, "It was pretty obvious why Professor Oak was there."
"Why?" Ash asked, really not getting it.
"I'll tell you later," she said, blushing. "Let's go rent the hotel now. They sent enough for us to get it for a few days."
"Come on, Misty," said Brock, "Let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the Pokemon center, and behind them, Ash silently fumed. He hurried up to the pair and grabbed her other hand.
"Let's go out to eat. My treat!" he said, waving the cash around.
Misty was taken aback by his behavior. She tried to ignore the little spark of electricity that shot through her arm when their hands touched. What's with him? She wondered, seeing him shoot Brock another dirty look.
"No, let's go get the hotel," said Brock, tugging on her other hand.
"Let's go eat! I'm hungry!" Said Ash, pulling her in the opposite direction.
"You're always hungry! Let's go get the hotel!"
"Food!"
"Hotel!"
"Food!"
"Hotel!"
During this little argument, Misty was getting progressively pissed.
"You stupid men!" she yelled finally, jerking herself loose from both of them.
"Let ME decide! And *I* say, we're going to eat, because I'm starving!"
Brock glared at Ash's back as the two of them hurried off to the restaurants.
Ha ha ha, thought Ash. Score Ash 1, Brock 0.
Thanks for reading! Please review! The next chapter (which should be the last) is coming soon, so keep an eye out for it!
x~Aurora chan
It was a great victory. He thought he was going to lose, but suddenly Pikachu made a huge comeback and blew they gym leader away. He walked away from the gym with a new badge but an uncannily heavy heart.
"Pika pi? Pika chu.." Remarked Pikachu.
"Yeah, I'm not happy," snapped Ash, and the small yellow Pokemon was taken aback. It didn't say another word the whole walk back to camp.
~*~
They weren't anywhere in sight. The camp seemed to be abandoned when Ash returned. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures sitting on the shoreline.
Misty. And Brock.
A strange, tight feeling crept into Ash's stomach. What were they doing there, sitting there..together?
He didn't know what to do so he stood there, paralyzed.
Suddenly, Misty turned around. Their eyes met across the distance.
In an instant her face changed from content to panic. No, it said. You weren't supposed to see this. No.
"Some friends you two are," he spat and turned on his heels back to camp. The voice that came out of his mouth surprised him. He'd never spoken to either one of them in such a tone.
"Ash!" Yelled Misty despairingly. His strides were twice as fast as they usually were, and when he got back to camp, he paced around angrily.
In a few moments, Brock and Misty reached him.
"Did you have fun at the stores?" He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Misty frowned and said nothing, but Brock piped right up. "Show Ash your new jewelry, Misty," he said, and Misty obliged.
"Very nice," he said stiffly, barely glancing at it.
Finally Misty dared to open her mouth. "How..how did your battle go?" She asked meekly.
"It was fine, I won," he said brusquely, his voice holding a "no thanks to you guys," in it.
She felt a small pang of guilt starting in the corner of her mind.
Maybe..maybe she should have gone to his battle. You know how important those are to him, a voice in her head chided her. You should have gone.
"Good job," she said without meeting his eyes. Brock had the sense then to shut his mouth, and the rest of the day proceeded in an uncomfortable silence.
~*~
It was the third time he'd woken up that night. What should I get her? What would she like?
For underneath all the hurt, all the anger, and all the fear, was this burning desire to get her something awesome. Something she'd love.
Every time he looked at her, she wasn't just Misty anymore. She was his friend (sometimes), and she was beautiful. At least that was what he had assumed because every time he looked at her, he couldn't keep his eyes off her.
What would she say if she knew? He tried not to focus on that and went back to thinking of her present. He thought of Brock, giving her everything she wanted. Yes, he decided, Brock does like her. And *I* don't. She's just my friend. She's just my friend.
His eyes strayed to her, asleep on the ground next to him. So innocent, so childlike, when she was asleep. He smiled a little to himself.
Stop! Screamed that voice again. You don't like her! You do not like her!
Stupid Brock, he thought. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be having this..war. Yes, it was a war. That's exactly what it was.
And then his stubborn determination kicked in. Watch out, Brock, he thought. You're in for a little competition.
~*~
They went shopping again the next day. Misty simply could not be kept away from the glittering lights, the Christmas music, and all the sales.
"Wow! Look at this!" She exclaimed as they passed by a clothes store.
"It's so pretty! Man, I'm sick of wearing the same outfit. For three straight years. The animators are just so lazy that they won't give us any new clothes. Well, I don't care about them anymore! I'm getting this!" She marched into the store, and Brock followed her like a faithful lapdog.
It was then that Ash took the opportunity to slip away, unnoticed, to a store he'd spotted earlier. It would take all his money, but it didn't matter. The present he saw was worth it.
~*~
When he met up with them later, they approached him with an infuriated glare.
"Where the heck were you?" Demanded Misty angrily.
"We've been looking everywhere for you! Do you know we almost called the police?"
"Oops," he said, and Brock shook his head.
"Hey, guys, I hate to say this, but today's the 23rd, and we're not gonna be able to get home by tomorrow."
"What about a plane or something?" Ash asked.
"I'm pretty broke." Said Brock.
"You mean, you are broke?" Asked Ash.
"Yes, I'm very broke. I don't have another spare penny."
Ash slapped his forehead. "Great, great, just great," he said, thinking of Misty's brand new wardrobe of clothing and jewelry.
"I guess I'll call Mom and tell her that we won't be home for Christmas."
So they made their way into the Pokemon center and Ash dialed his number. Finally, after about seven rings, his mother picked up the phone, but she was not alone.
"What are you doing there Professor Oak?" asked Ash rather densely.
"Duh, Ash," whispered Misty.
"Hello, Ash," said the professor.
"What are you WEARING?" He asked. Professor Oak had on slippers and a robe, like he lived in the place. And his mom was wearing silky pajamas.
"Clothes," said Professor Oak, his cheeks turning a little red.
"DUH, ASH!" said Misty.
"Sweetie! What did you call for?"
"I just called to say that I won't he home for Christmas. Brock here," with this he shot Brock a very dirty look, "went out and spent all our money. So now we're stuck here, in Crimson City."
"Isn't that about a three day drive from Pallet?" Asked the professor.
"Yep."
Suddenly Mrs. Ketchum spoke, "Oh, Ash, I'm sorry that you're not coming, but..OH, PIKACHU! I can't belive I won't be able to see you! I'm gonna cry!"
"There, there, Delia," said Professor Oak, giving her a pat on the shoulder,
"They'll have a good Christmas there. Let's just send some money over and they can rent a hotel."
Misty paled a little bit. "You don't have to do that," she said too late. The money was already coming out their end.
"Thanks, Mom, thanks Professor Oak," he said. "Bye."
Then he turned around and saw Misty and Brock looking at him like he was the dumbest person alive.
"How could you be so dense?" Asked Misty, "It was pretty obvious why Professor Oak was there."
"Why?" Ash asked, really not getting it.
"I'll tell you later," she said, blushing. "Let's go rent the hotel now. They sent enough for us to get it for a few days."
"Come on, Misty," said Brock, "Let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the Pokemon center, and behind them, Ash silently fumed. He hurried up to the pair and grabbed her other hand.
"Let's go out to eat. My treat!" he said, waving the cash around.
Misty was taken aback by his behavior. She tried to ignore the little spark of electricity that shot through her arm when their hands touched. What's with him? She wondered, seeing him shoot Brock another dirty look.
"No, let's go get the hotel," said Brock, tugging on her other hand.
"Let's go eat! I'm hungry!" Said Ash, pulling her in the opposite direction.
"You're always hungry! Let's go get the hotel!"
"Food!"
"Hotel!"
"Food!"
"Hotel!"
During this little argument, Misty was getting progressively pissed.
"You stupid men!" she yelled finally, jerking herself loose from both of them.
"Let ME decide! And *I* say, we're going to eat, because I'm starving!"
Brock glared at Ash's back as the two of them hurried off to the restaurants.
Ha ha ha, thought Ash. Score Ash 1, Brock 0.
Thanks for reading! Please review! The next chapter (which should be the last) is coming soon, so keep an eye out for it!
x~Aurora chan