Chapter Two: False Sweep
To trust someone is to pour your soul into them, giving them your thoughts and secrets, entrusting that they'd keep them safe.
To believe in someone is to do only half. Half the emotion and half the love. Who can say that one person could truly trust another, for human beings
are quite the neurotic and unattainable. Was it even possible to believe in someone? Truly? It was a mystery only the determined tried to solve, but
they always failed.
Ash was one of those people. In his mind he swore he didn't see the picture, or Misty looking for it. He was being his stubborn self,
and no matter how hard he thought on it and wished it to be a dream, reality sank in. And it sank in hard.
Dropping his hat in front of his brow, Ash heaved a sigh before finally giving up. It wasn't worth it. ::It's her decision and her's alone.::
He felt the key chain in his palm and squeezed it tight. With a curse he walked out of the bathroom, leaving his pajamas on the floor. Ash kept his head lowered
as he walked to Misty, not wanting to look at her, just in spite of himself. He stopped in front of her and held out his palm, revealing the key chain. He could hear
her gasp of surprise, and it showed for he shivered. Feeling Misty's fingers on his palm he lowered his head even more. She was taking it, she was remembering.
Closing his hand, Ash looked up, seeing her looking at him.
"Ash..." She whispered. He didn't move. "Why?" Misty's eyes started to water, why did he take it? Why did he know? Why did he care so much?
Ash kept the same emotionless expression and continued to look at Misty before finally lowering his head again.
"Oh gee Misty, I'm sorry." He muttered. There was no reply and Ash felt a sudden sweep of emotion engulf his senses. He wasn't sure if it
was guilt, love, hatred, or just plain disappointment, but he betted on the latter. "I just thought-"
"Thought what Ash!?!" Misty yelled, throwing the key chain to the floor, it's glass shattering across the tile. Ash winced, remembering
this all too well from the years before. He looked to Misty, not startled or angry, but sad. Misty glared at him with her brow furrowed before gasping and
covering her mouth. She hadn't yelled in years.
Ash gulped, averting his eyes downwards to the shattered key chain. "I... I'm sorry." He turned to leave but Misty enveloped him in a hug.
They both froze, Misty's eyes shut tightly and Ash's wide open. There they stood in the same position, Misty starting to sob into Ash's shoulder. For a moment
he felt like hugging her back, but he didn't. There was something in his head that told him not to, so he stood there rigid, trying his best not to show any emotion.
Misty sniffed and looked to Ash's profile, seeing his wide black eyes and clenched jaw. At first glance she thought he was crying, but as
she looked at him, she could tell that was the last thing on his mind. Slowly she allowed her arms to drop off him, Ash still showing no movement.
"A-Ash?" Misty choked. He turned his head to her, seeing her in tears. Allowing his jaw to drop a little, Ash's eyes returned to their normal
state. He made to say something, but words failed him as he saw Misty cross her arms and lowered her head in stifled sobs.
Brock leaned on the doorway of the men's room, watching the two with a look of annoyance. Why couldn't those two ever just be themselves and
now get mixed up with others? With a sigh he walked forward a bit, not taking notice to Pikachu who was playing with the water fountain. Other things were on his mind,
mostly involving Ash and Misty. He had known the two for quite some time, off and on within the past six years, and never had they connected. And that had kept him content.
He had his own plans but this sudden surprise had off set them. Brock continued to watch them, noticing the tension, hoping it would only subside.
::God dammit Ash, look what you've done!:: Ash allowed his eyes to close in disgust with himself. If he wouldn't have been so jealous. Suddenly his eyes
snapped open as he took a quick glance to the broken key chain. He was jealous? That was it, he was jealous of Tracey and Misty's relationship. One he had never experienced.
Ash smiled and put a hand on one of Misty's shoulders. She looked up and saw Ash's smiling face. Instantly she smiled back, her cerulean eyes shining from the tears.
"I'm sorry." They both said. Ash blinked before laughing, joined in by Misty short after. In the midst of it Misty leaned in and wrapped her arms around
Ash's neck, hugging him tightly while leaning her head on Ash's shoulder. Ash flushed, his arms by his side, before he too hugged Misty, gently laying his hands on her back.
With a smile he closed his eyes and allowed himself to just relax, for the first time in quite awhile. Misty too was smiling, but her eyes were open, that was until Ash hugged her,
sending a chill down her spine. After awhile she reopened her eyes but her glamourous smile diminished. Standing not too far away was Brock, staring at her and Ash with a menacing
glare. For around a minute Misty and Brock exchanged glances before Misty finally buried her head in Ash's shoulder. It was the first time she had seen Brock so angry, in fact, she
had never seen him angry, he just couldn't hold a grudge.
Ash finally ended the hug, pulling away slightly, giving Misty the gist. They looked at each other, both in smiled before they turned each meeting with the glare of Brock.
Before Ash could really register the look on Brock's face, his expression changed to it's usual happy self.
"Ready to go you guys?" Brock asked with a big smile. Ash nodded and they started talking about what they were going to do in Goldenrod City that day.
For it was one of the largest Pokémon cities and the trio were quite the adventurers. Misty meanwhile walked behind them as the trio exited the Pokémart, taking the liberty of
carrying Pikachu. Occasionally Brock would look back at her with the same glare or with a dazzling smile, while Misty just stared at him, her brow furrowed. ::What's the big idea?::
(O.K.... hopefully it's starting to follow a plot line now, that would be helpful. The next chapter won't come for awhile, basically because it's going to be much longer... and I'm really
busy with work and such. Some deal, R & R, C & C if you please. - J.R.C.)
To trust someone is to pour your soul into them, giving them your thoughts and secrets, entrusting that they'd keep them safe.
To believe in someone is to do only half. Half the emotion and half the love. Who can say that one person could truly trust another, for human beings
are quite the neurotic and unattainable. Was it even possible to believe in someone? Truly? It was a mystery only the determined tried to solve, but
they always failed.
Ash was one of those people. In his mind he swore he didn't see the picture, or Misty looking for it. He was being his stubborn self,
and no matter how hard he thought on it and wished it to be a dream, reality sank in. And it sank in hard.
Dropping his hat in front of his brow, Ash heaved a sigh before finally giving up. It wasn't worth it. ::It's her decision and her's alone.::
He felt the key chain in his palm and squeezed it tight. With a curse he walked out of the bathroom, leaving his pajamas on the floor. Ash kept his head lowered
as he walked to Misty, not wanting to look at her, just in spite of himself. He stopped in front of her and held out his palm, revealing the key chain. He could hear
her gasp of surprise, and it showed for he shivered. Feeling Misty's fingers on his palm he lowered his head even more. She was taking it, she was remembering.
Closing his hand, Ash looked up, seeing her looking at him.
"Ash..." She whispered. He didn't move. "Why?" Misty's eyes started to water, why did he take it? Why did he know? Why did he care so much?
Ash kept the same emotionless expression and continued to look at Misty before finally lowering his head again.
"Oh gee Misty, I'm sorry." He muttered. There was no reply and Ash felt a sudden sweep of emotion engulf his senses. He wasn't sure if it
was guilt, love, hatred, or just plain disappointment, but he betted on the latter. "I just thought-"
"Thought what Ash!?!" Misty yelled, throwing the key chain to the floor, it's glass shattering across the tile. Ash winced, remembering
this all too well from the years before. He looked to Misty, not startled or angry, but sad. Misty glared at him with her brow furrowed before gasping and
covering her mouth. She hadn't yelled in years.
Ash gulped, averting his eyes downwards to the shattered key chain. "I... I'm sorry." He turned to leave but Misty enveloped him in a hug.
They both froze, Misty's eyes shut tightly and Ash's wide open. There they stood in the same position, Misty starting to sob into Ash's shoulder. For a moment
he felt like hugging her back, but he didn't. There was something in his head that told him not to, so he stood there rigid, trying his best not to show any emotion.
Misty sniffed and looked to Ash's profile, seeing his wide black eyes and clenched jaw. At first glance she thought he was crying, but as
she looked at him, she could tell that was the last thing on his mind. Slowly she allowed her arms to drop off him, Ash still showing no movement.
"A-Ash?" Misty choked. He turned his head to her, seeing her in tears. Allowing his jaw to drop a little, Ash's eyes returned to their normal
state. He made to say something, but words failed him as he saw Misty cross her arms and lowered her head in stifled sobs.
Brock leaned on the doorway of the men's room, watching the two with a look of annoyance. Why couldn't those two ever just be themselves and
now get mixed up with others? With a sigh he walked forward a bit, not taking notice to Pikachu who was playing with the water fountain. Other things were on his mind,
mostly involving Ash and Misty. He had known the two for quite some time, off and on within the past six years, and never had they connected. And that had kept him content.
He had his own plans but this sudden surprise had off set them. Brock continued to watch them, noticing the tension, hoping it would only subside.
::God dammit Ash, look what you've done!:: Ash allowed his eyes to close in disgust with himself. If he wouldn't have been so jealous. Suddenly his eyes
snapped open as he took a quick glance to the broken key chain. He was jealous? That was it, he was jealous of Tracey and Misty's relationship. One he had never experienced.
Ash smiled and put a hand on one of Misty's shoulders. She looked up and saw Ash's smiling face. Instantly she smiled back, her cerulean eyes shining from the tears.
"I'm sorry." They both said. Ash blinked before laughing, joined in by Misty short after. In the midst of it Misty leaned in and wrapped her arms around
Ash's neck, hugging him tightly while leaning her head on Ash's shoulder. Ash flushed, his arms by his side, before he too hugged Misty, gently laying his hands on her back.
With a smile he closed his eyes and allowed himself to just relax, for the first time in quite awhile. Misty too was smiling, but her eyes were open, that was until Ash hugged her,
sending a chill down her spine. After awhile she reopened her eyes but her glamourous smile diminished. Standing not too far away was Brock, staring at her and Ash with a menacing
glare. For around a minute Misty and Brock exchanged glances before Misty finally buried her head in Ash's shoulder. It was the first time she had seen Brock so angry, in fact, she
had never seen him angry, he just couldn't hold a grudge.
Ash finally ended the hug, pulling away slightly, giving Misty the gist. They looked at each other, both in smiled before they turned each meeting with the glare of Brock.
Before Ash could really register the look on Brock's face, his expression changed to it's usual happy self.
"Ready to go you guys?" Brock asked with a big smile. Ash nodded and they started talking about what they were going to do in Goldenrod City that day.
For it was one of the largest Pokémon cities and the trio were quite the adventurers. Misty meanwhile walked behind them as the trio exited the Pokémart, taking the liberty of
carrying Pikachu. Occasionally Brock would look back at her with the same glare or with a dazzling smile, while Misty just stared at him, her brow furrowed. ::What's the big idea?::
(O.K.... hopefully it's starting to follow a plot line now, that would be helpful. The next chapter won't come for awhile, basically because it's going to be much longer... and I'm really
busy with work and such. Some deal, R & R, C & C if you please. - J.R.C.)