"You can't make someone love you, all you can do is stalk them and hope with time they panic and give in."
Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon.
Thank you all so much for all the reviews *sob* I didn't realise you cared. And to Nova S I'm not sure you realised it but you won my "competition" to do with Reasons of the Heart, an early edition of the 'what if?' chapter so if you actually want it leave your email address in the review and I'll send it to you.
Beyond the Shadows – Where For Out Thou . . . Brock?
"Good luck," Brock said as they got to the gym entrance.
Ash and Misty turned to him with confused stares.
"Aren't you coming in?" Ash asked.
"Sorry," Brock shrugged. "I've got something important I've got to do," he lied.
Brock resisted the urge to smile smugly as he saw his plan take shape. He couldn't help but feel proud of himself. Misty had asked him to give her a little quality time with Ash so she could tell him and I'm sure you wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find Ash had asked the same.
"Don't worry Ash," Brock said, "you've still got Misty." He shot both of them the sort of look that made them blush with embarrassment.
Brock held back the smug smile that tugged at his lips as he saw through Ash's suede disappointed act, which he knew, was more for Misty's benefit than his. He knew that it was hard for Ash to even act disappointed with Misty at his side. Especially knowing that he would have her all to himself for the rest of the day.
"See yah guys," Brock said flashing them both a knowing smile. "Good luck, and remember, don't do anything I wouldn't do."
He finally let them see the smug smile he had been holding back pleased at the stunned, embarrassed and slightly angry (just plain old angry in Misty's case) looks that crossed their faces. He quickly ran off before either of them could comment.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Misty asked playing dumb.
"You know exactly what I mean," he muttered quietly waiting to hear Ash's response.
He could already picture the blush crawling up both their cheeks as the stole glances from the corner of their eyes too busy trying to control or hide their own reddening cheeks to notice the others.
"I don't know," he said, "but I'm having trouble trying to figure out what exactly it is that Brock wouldn't do."
Brock chuckled at the response then went on his way knowing that Ash's Pikachu would fill him in on all the juicy details of the day when he got back to the Pokemon centre, but until then he had about six hours to burn if the two played their cards right.
He couldn't wait to find out what his two companions would get up to while he was out of the way, he just hoped that it was rated PG 13. Hopefully they would both face their fears and tell the truth for once, though he highly doubted it.
"What to do? What to do?" he asked as he walked the streets of Hazelton looking for something that would hold his attention for more than five minutes.
He decided to have a walk through Hazelton's park hoping it would waste a few minutes of his time.
He walked aimlessly through the Hazelton Reserve looking up at the sky as he waited for something to just appear, anything so he wouldn't have to continue this aimless walk for much longer.
He was just one of those people who couldn't stand to do absolutely nothing and this was really getting to his nerves. He wasn't sure if he could last for much longer.
"C'mon," he muttered still looking to the sky as if pleading to some great god of leisurely activities, "there has to be something in this town for a guy to do. It's got the rarest and mostly highly sought after badge in the league and nothing to do what so ever." He shook his head disappointedly.
Suddenly he felt himself connect with a solid object.
He looked down to find a girl on the ground below gathering up a bunch of books. He knelt down to help her being the gentlemen he was and the fact that she was a girl.
Their hands touched and Brock felt something he had never felt before. He felt a spark race through his body, like a current of electricity, which he didn't think he would be able to explain in words if asked.
'This is what they're talking about,' Brock thought to himself. It had to be, he wasn't as naïve and girl crazed as they all thought. He knew that he had never been in love, that he had never really felt anything for them except awe for their physical beauty. He had never cared much for what lay beneath the skin but this was different.
She looked up.
He knew she had felt it to. He couldn't forget the feeling that had taken over him and he couldn't deny that there was something there that he had never experience before. He knew she couldn't either.
He was taken a back by her beauty. But then he thought all girls were beautiful. It seemed the only girls that hadn't fallen for was Jesse from Team Rocker and Misty who was understandably off limits whether he felt anything or not.
She had green eyes and dark mahogany hair that cascaded over her shoulders. She had creamy skin and red lips set into her perfect face. She wore a long-sleeved violet off shoulder top over a pair of hip hugger jeans.
Sure she was beautiful, to Brock she was by far the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but there was something else there. Something drew him towards her, pulling him closer to her, making him want her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life before.
He wanted to know everything about her, who she was, where she was from why she had been sent down from heaven. He felt as though he was in the presence of some kind of earth angel/
He felt everything that Ash and Misty had described to him in lengthy conversations late at night while the other was asleep or collecting firewood or something along those lines.
Every so often he would have to remind himself to breathe and his breath would catch taken in a quick burst afraid that any movement or sound would wake him from what seemed to be some incomprehensible dream. His legs felt as though they had turned to jelly and as they both stood holding the books he felt the needed something to hold onto or he would fall. His heart was beating so loud he could hear it pounding in his ears; he was so afraid that she might hear it too.
He felt as though he could just fly, but then he couldn't. He couldn't fly away without her. He felt as though she was the only thing keeping him there and if she was gone he would just die.
It was exactly what they described. He had forgotten how to how to speak as he just stood there staring into her green eyes. He felt scared and excited and all these feelings which he could hardly begin to explain or understand all at once. All he knew was that she was the source of it all.
"Sorry," she said, the first to break the silence between them.
'Say something,' his mind screamed at him, 'and don't screw it up this time Romeo.'
"N-no, i-it's ok," he stuttered nervously gulping back the lump in his throat and feeling as though his tongue was the size of a Snorlax.
'Good one,' his mind sneered. 'Good one Romeo, woo her with your grasp of the English language and how very articulate you are.'
'Shut up,' he retorted. 'Like you could do better.'
He had never felt so nervous in his entire life. Usually when he saw a pretty girl he was immediately taken over by girl crazy, hormonally charged teen mode and consciousness and sense, common or otherwise went straight out the window. This was different, it was as if he was finally looking past the physical exterior for the first time and he wanted to know everything about her.
His mind drew a blank as it searched for some kind of cheesy line that would at least break the ice. He was so scared to speak, he didn't know what to say and he didn't want to chase her away. She meant more to him than anything ever before.
Brock blushed and looked away from her gaze down at the books in his arms.
"So you like fantasy books?" he said looking up for a second.
"I guess so," she said looking down shyly. "Sometimes you just need to get away from reality," she sighed.
"I get that," Brock replied. "I'm Brock Slate," he said moving the books slightly so he could hold them with one hand before offering her his freehand.
She did the same, adjusting her hold on the books before taking his hand in hers. "I'm Garnet Pebble."
"That's a beautiful name," Brock commented surprised to find him self staying calm and sophisticated rather than the hormonal charged embarrassment he usually was. Misty would have been proud of him if she hadn't been too busy almost making out with Ash right now.
Garnet blushed. "Thank you Brock," she smiled looking up to meet his eyes as she said his name.
Brock had never heard a more beautiful sound than his name rolling off her perfect lips.
"It's my favourite stone," she added playing with a silver chain with a pendant hanging around her neck.
Brock smiled to himself as they began to walk together through the reserve. There was silence between them but it didn't seem awkward and he didn't feel the need to fill it. They just seemed so perfect, as though they didn't need words and nothing needed to be said.
"Where are you . . ." they both started at the same time. They both laughed.
"You go first," Brock insisted.
"No you," she replied.
Brock smiled. "I was just going to ask you where you are from," he said slightly shyly.
Garnet smiled too. "I was actually going to ask you the same thing," she told him. "I'm from a place in Kanto called Pewter."
"Really?" Brock asked. "That's where I'm from, I'm actually the gym leader."
"No way?" she asked. "I though you looked familiar. Me and my friend Rochelle used to have the biggest crush on you in Grade school." She giggled at the thought but blushed as she realized what she had said.
"I remember now," Brock smiled. "Your friends were Rochelle Thompson and Elizabeth Arnold, right?" Garnet nodded. "Yes, you always wore your hair in braids with blue ribbons."
"You have a very good memory," Garnet told him. "It all seems like a lifetime ago."
Brock nodded in agreement quite surprised that he could remember that far back into his childhood.
"So what are you doing in Hazelton?" Brock asked.
"I'm performing with this group," she told him.
They spent the rest of the day just talking.
Brock was surprised at how comfortable it felt to be with her. He didn't feel like he had to impress her. He felt that he could just be with Garnet and be himself.
He liked that feeling.
He walked into the Pokemon centre four hours later after he had said goodbye with a smile plastered on his face.
He was almost in a daze, he didn't recognize the world around him and it all seemed so surreal.
Nurse Joy stopped suddenly as she crossed Brocks path causing him to stop to.
"Oh hello Nurse Joy," he said cheerfully. "Nice day don't you think?"
Nurse Joy blinked a few times trying to figure out how this could be the same frightening flirtatious boy that they were all so frightened of. He was normal, well as close to normal as Brock could get.
"Bye," he said casually heading to the lounge so he could watch TV until the others were back.
Nurse Joy blinked again. No cheesy pick up line, no unwanted plea for her to be his forever. It was so strange. She had to go call the others.
~ to be continued ~
As you can see this is a BAGLE (Brock And Garnet LovE). I always wanted to have one of those that spelt a word. Please review and next chapter we'll find out what stalker chick was up to all day.
