Be a Man
Aislin Oriel
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AN: Major-but-explained OOC alert! Repeat – well, yeah, just read it again. Tada! The near-conclusion. It was supposed to be 3-parts, but the last chapter was so long I had to split it into 2. There is 1 part left! And maybe an epilogue after that, because I like odd numbers. Clarification – yes, I know, I know, I screwed around the relations of the characters, left an author's note to explain, and yet almost every review had something to say about it. I get it. But that is NOT what this story is about! I do not claim to stick to the exact official storyline. This is fanfiction damn it! But now, it isn't AU, just what I wanted to do to make a point. Remember guys, this is an AAML. I don't watch the Advance Series. Misty made the show for me. I make Max a wisecracking kid, I play up Ash's density under pressure, and I like it that way. Hope you find a bit of humour in it. Please review if you have something to comment on other than May's/Max's last name. Or re-stating the OOC-ness of Ash in this particular chapter. It's for fun, simply put. Those are the only guidelines. :P Now I have a feeling I won't get any reviews… AO
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"Anyways, just do what you have to," Brock clarified.
"How am I supposed to remember all these rules? What if I do something wrong?" Ash moaned.
"Just be yourself, only the version that like, doesn't run away from the fact that Misty loves you. And if you do something wrong it will be okay, Misty will forgive you, and she will probably love you even more for it." Daisy said.
"How do you know so much?" Ash asked.
"Oh please, she's like, our baby sis, we just know."
Daisy took Ash's backpack from him, which contained sleeping Pikachu – a gesture that meant the subject was final.
"Go on Ash. Remember our advice and you can't go wrong!" Brock motioned for him to leave.
"No Brocko, can't go wrong with your girl advice. Alright, here goes something." Ash collected what wits he had about him and walked out of the room and towards the pool.
However, he took a wrong turn and couldn't understand the sign that distinctly read: POOL -->
Ash thought that it said loop and that it meant that the hallway went in a circle and that he would eventually find the pool. That was true, because he came back to where he started and there it was…
"I don't know how I missed it the first time, the sign distinctly says pool…" he mumbled to himself as he pushed the door, which actually swung out so it took him 5 more minutes to get it open.
Inside, Misty sat at the side of the pool, thoroughly annoyed in order to cover up how upset she was, and it looked like she wasn't blinking.
"He-hey Misty…" Ash nervously called to her.
"I thought you weren't coming to talk to me when I saw you go by the first time…" she said stubbornly.
I knew that I
I fought to keep our love strong
if you leave me now
you'll come running back for more
babe
and I hope for
and I wish for
and I pray
that the words from your mouth
can eventually make you
a man
Ash hadn't bothered to notice the large open POOL-ish area behind the clear glass aquarium walls. He was just too flustered…
for once in your life
be a man
when everything stops
for a minute in your life
I'll hold by
"So, uh, yeah… I hear that… uh, stuff…" he eloquently began.
"Hm," Misty looked down to where her feet kicked lightly in the water, "You know, you don't have to be here if you don't want to. I'm sure now you're re-evaluating any notions of asking me to rejoin you guys. That's alright; I can deal with it,"
"No, I can't just leave after this," Ash said sternly and gulped, crouching down close to her, but not too close.
"Don't worry about my sisters, they're harmless. Their bark is worse then their bite, unlike me."
"That's not true. You always yelled just as hard as you hit," he said half-jokingly.
"Ha. You're probably right, you know – you don't have to beat around the bush with me. I'm not unused to rejection, running this gym. It would take a miracle to get the League to look at us seriously again after leaving it in my sisters' hands for those years…"
"Misty, just shut up for a minute and listen to me!" Ash demanded.
She looked at him in a bit of shock; that was sort of unexpected… She turned and waited for what ever he had to say.
It was then that Ash realized it really would've been a good idea if he had something to say. Well, as he said before, here goes something…
"How long have we known each other Mist?" he tried.
"Since you first started your Pokémon journey," Misty pouted.
"And how long have you, uh, liked me?" he blushed slightly, finding the words not only awkward, but somewhat unreal.
Misty bit on her bottom lip in concentration, "Well, the same… but not really liked you for a little while after we started travelling together," she put her head down in embarrassment.
"And how long have you known me? I mean really known me, enough to like me that much?" he forced out.
"Well, I think I know you pretty well – you're an open book. You're compassionate and courageous, unbearably stubborn and foolish, but a really true blue friend. But, I think everyone sees that about you," she complimented, well kind of…
"Okay, but what about knowing me really, like I know how you hate bugs, and your favourite colour is blue – but those are obvious things to anyone who's even known you for a little while. But then you told me about all the things you went through as a kid, and how you were always the misfit in your family. You told me how you wanted to be a famous underwater ballerina when you were little, and that then maybe someone would think you had more talent and were prettier than your sisters," Ash smiled at the memory of when she'd confided in him on one of the many sleepless nights in a Pokécentre.
"Yeah, and I'd appreciate if you'd keep that to yourself. My sisters would just have a field-day with the notion that I was once trying to be better than them…" she frowned in annoyance. "Plus, do you want me to tell everyone that you still sleep with a stuffed Snorlax doll when you're at home? Or that your mom not only sews your name into your underwear, but also a heart-felt reminder of her love for you 'her sweet Ashy-poo'? Oh, and I have some other things too that you wouldn't like getting out-"
"Alright, that's enough of a point for me. And you said you knew me just like everyone else. Well here's a little secret Misty. Brock doesn't know any of those things. Not him, not Tracey, not Max, not May. Just you. I could always tell you stuff that I didn't want to tell anyone else. You were always easy to talk to, well when we weren't fighting that is. I've just really missed that with you not around." Ash looked down at his hands like they would tell him the next things to say.
"And you wouldn't believe how lonely it's been here," Misty added.
"Oh, I can imagine. Your sisters may be physically here, but well, it's quite obvious that the hairspray has affected whatever brain cells they may have once had,"
Misty snorted and nodded in agreement. "They mean well, but they're not much for talking to about anything that really bothers me – actually anything for that matter," she grinned with the humour she found in that truth.
"Well, I have to admit that I'm not too good at those kinds of things either. I mean c'mon, I obviously wouldn't be having this conversation with you if I were a little more in tune with the stuff that goes on around me. Brock – Brock the most oblivious guy I know, he knew how you felt about me when I didn't have the slightest clue. And now that I look at it, it's not like you didn't give any clues… All that time, and I didn't quite know what we were always blushing about…" he mused.
"Oh come on Ash, of course Brock knew. Everybody knew. For crying out loud, Team Rocket knew!" she started to laugh at his sheer ignorance.
"Yeah, now that I think about it, my mom was always hinting something. But I didn't understand, because she's just – well you know how my mom is," he shook his head.
"We don't give her enough credit. She probably knows a lot more than she lets on," Misty guessed.
"It's probably a lot easier for an outside observer," Ash tried.
"Or, you're just simply and irrevocably dense," Misty substituted.
"Well whatever! I'm not the one who likes me!"
"Yeah, about that… I think I'm beginning to reconsider," Misty said cheekily.
"Hey! Well, fine with me! I don't know what you saw in me in the first place!" Ash rationalized.
"Okay, okay. Enough joking. Let's just get down to it Ash, do what you came to do," she turned to face him.
Ash flinched as she looked at him expectantly.
"I don't have to kiss you now do I?" Ash asked, his tone wavering between embarrassed and scared as hell.
"What! No! I mean, tell me what you wanted to, just get it over with…" she glared at him, impassiveness covering her anxiety.
for once in your life be a man
just tell me the words
'cause I know that you can
don't leave me with scars
that no one can heal
for once in your life
be a man
"But, I didn't even have anything I wanted to tell you exactly…" Ash paused, as he saw her losing patience, thinking he was just toying with her feelings. "Other than I don't want you to be angry at me,"
"Here, Ash…" she grabbed his hands and forcibly turned him to look straight at her, it took all the nerve she could possibly muster, "I'll make it really clear. I want you to tell me to forget I was ever so idiotic to tell you how I felt. I want you to tell me if you still want to be my friend now. I know it will be hard, but if you can forgive me, then I'll try my best to make it up to you. But whatever you have to say, I'll get over it. So just say it!" her eyes were begging him now, 'just put me out of my misery'.
"What's wrong with you Misty? I don't hate you – why would I not want to be friends with you! Geeze, you're the dumb one!"
That was the wrong thing to say. Misty seemed to retreat farther into herself.
"I don't get why you think it's so impossible for me to return your feelings. I mean it's like you're in your own little self-pitying bubble. So really, I could say anything now, and you wouldn't hear it – you'd still think I had some reason to never talk to you again. I'm GLAD I know now! Okay? I've said it! I'm angry I never knew earlier, it would've made a whole lot more sense to me before you went delusional! And news flash Misty! I may be an 'immature twit' but I can still feel things,"
"I never called you an immature twit," Misty mumbled.
"Yes you did- hey, look you're doing it again! Just listen to the parts you want…" Ash sighed in exasperation, "I think I'm the one who needs to wear a big flashing neon sign,"
"What are you… saying?" Misty sniffed.
"No one ever gives me any credit. You didn't even give me the chance to tell you how I feel, you just figured I'd reject you, it's obvious you're ashamed of your feelings for me," he turned the guilt around on her.
"I- I'm not ashamed. I just was afraid that they'd never be reciprocated, and I could never get rid of them…" Misty trailed off, uncertainty edging her voice.
"Well, I guess I could use my free time here," Ash said enigmatically.
"What?" Misty asked dryly, "What free time? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, well the others were gonna take off tomorrow to take care of their own business, and that's why I was gonna get you, so it could be the two of us travelling. But I suppose it could really help me train if I become temporary gym leader here. Think of the insight I could gain to improve my battling. I'd get to see everything from the other point of view. Plus, I think I can get The League to look at the gym a whole lot better, before the licence is revoked and you have to go through all the trouble to get it re-instated,"
"-Hey, I never said it was that bad! I've made a lot of improvements while I've been here-"
"And then think of how renowned this place will be when I become Master! People will flock here like a tourist attraction! Imagine all the attention you'd get!"
"I don't think I want that sort of attention…" Misty mumbled, not amused.
"And you can just take care of the official aspects of running this place, and leave all the battling to me! Heck, you'll probably have to cut down on the number of badges you give out by half! If not more-"
"What just do you expect to happen when you're done here? Hand the reins back over to my sisters?" Misty asked, more than sceptically. A cryptic look on her face, that Ash should have been aware of, if only he hadn't been so wrapped up in his brilliant declaration. At least he thought it was brilliant.
"Well-"
"Ash, don't be a bonehead. I appreciate the offer of help, no matter how self-serving you mean it you egotistical, single-minded little turd. But no thanks. I'll not just be a means for your 'training' – you sound like you're doing such a favour for me, but you're just degrading my skills!" Misty stood up, writhed in barely-restrained fury. "You should seriously try listening to what you say sometimes! Honestly!" she turned her back and stomped out the pool arena doors.
"Wha- I thought I was doing a nice thing!" Ash called after her. He slumped in defeat. "Darn…"
"Will Ash Ketchum please report to the front desk!" a valley-girl voice called over the loudspeakers, "Yes, that means you!"
"Oh crap." Ash didn't like where this was going. Was he just about to receive an imminent beating from three teenage girls? Or maybe even five? Would the guys join in on it now that he'd blown it? Was there ANY hope for him?
"There's no hope for you twerp," two human and one Pokémon face bobbed in the middle of the pool, each with a snorkel and goggles.
"Wha-" Ash cringed at his never-ending bad luck.
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AN: Please review! Next part is imminent, and in my opinion, much better than this chapter. AO
