Wow I got another chapter done relatively quickly! Yet still behind schedule if I want to finish this by when I want to... --;;

A big thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! (Well, most of them) Please review this chapter too :)

And Chibi, good to hear from you too! Oh, and Misty might appear to be about 6 steps ahead of Ash, but, to paraphrase a particularly famous person, they're both about 6 giant leaps behind the rest of mankind XD (runs very fast from Chibi :P)

Here ya go peeps, Chapter 6:

Chapter 6 - Decisions

Ash froze. His mind became empty, a far cry from the blur it was just moments ago. He stared ahead at nothing in particular.

"I'm so sorry Ash…" Misty couldn't bear to see Ash in such torment. She couldn't take it any longer and ran out of the room.

Pikachu was stunned. It had been watching the series of events from its bed on the other side of the room. Even a Pokemon like itself had worked out that Misty loved Ash but…she didn't. It hopped out of its bed it had been resting in and went to comfort Ash, who by now had rolled onto his side on the seat and was shivering with his arms wrapped around himself. In between sobs and shakes he uttered a whisper:

"She doesn't want me Pikachu…She doesn't love me…"

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"Erm…excuse me… Nurse Joy?"

"Do you need something Brock?" smiled Joy.

Brock blushed. "Yeah well sort of, if it's not too much trouble…It's just the drinks machine took my money…again."

"Oh did I forget to fix it after last time? I'm sorry Brock. Here, take this to the cafeteria and tell them I sent you. They'll give you some drinks."

"Thank you Nurse Joy," chanted Brock in a lovesick daze. He took the voucher off Nurse Joy and headed for the cafeteria. He was getting pretty sick of this by now – this was the third time since yesterday that the machine had broken. Not that he would dream of complaining to Nurse Joy about it…

As Brock rounded the corner of the corridor he felt an enormous thump in his stomach which knocked him off his feet. He winced in pain as he rubbed his sore ribs. The impact winded him slightly, but not too badly. As he opened his eyes (A/N: For the purposes of this, we'll assume that we CAN tell when Brock's eyes have opened! We'll call it artistic licence :P) he became aware of the sound of sobbing. He looked across at Misty sprawled on the floor just like he was.

"Misty? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," muttered Misty in between gasps of air. She clambered to her feet and began to hurry off down the corridor once more.

"Hey Misty wait up!" called Brock. He pulled himself up, leaving the note Nurse Joy had given him on the floor. He began to catch up with Misty. "What's wrong Misty?"

Misty ignored him completely, her eyes fixed firmly on the end of the corridor.

"If you're not hurt then why are you crying?"

Misty continued walking in silence.

"Is Pikachu alright?"

Misty gave the smallest of nods, but continued trying her best to ignore Brock.

"Is Ash ok?"

Misty let her guard down. She tried to get rid of the lump developing in her throat, but it was too late. Brock had already noticed the tiny flicker of emotion she gave upon mention of Ash's name. Suddenly she felt her body being pulled back by her arm. She didn't resist.

"What's happened Misty? You may as well tell me sooner rather than later" demanded Brock. He hated seeing Ash and Misty argue all the time, even if it did make him chuckle occasionally. He knew how much they surely cared for one another, but neither would be the first to admit it. This time, however, he was going to sort this one out quickly. Misty's tears and her anxiousness to get wherever she was going told him that this was pretty serious. "What's gone on Misty?"

Misty's tears began to cease, and she slumped down on the bench behind her. She stared blankly at the wall behind Brock. As if talking to herself she muttered, "Never…"

Brock looked at Misty with a very concerned expression on his face. She had suddenly gone from sobbing, to a complete lack of emotion. "Misty, just tell me what happened!"

"It's changed…everything...it won't be the same" answered Misty, again with the same tone which suggested she was more debating with herself than she was answering Brock's questions.

"Misty will you snap out of it and tell me what happened!" ordered Brock, getting impatient. He gently shook Misty's arm which seemed to snap her out of the trance she was in. She slowly turned her head to face Brock, allowing time for her brain to rejoin reality once more. She stared at Brock as if he was stupid.

"Everything's changed, Brock. It won't be the same again, it just won't be…Ash told me that……he said he cared about me," stumbled Misty, felling her throat tighten

Brock gave Misty a re-assuring smile. "He did? Wow I never thought he'd actually tell you…"

Misty looked at Brock accusingly. "You knew?"

"Well he never told me if that's what you mean, but I figured he felt that way. I mean it's pretty obvious you two have a…thing…for one another." Brock gave Misty a know-it-all smile.

Misty hated that smile. People always give that smile when they think they know something personal about the other, and they think the patronizing smile is a signal to the other that it's ok to feel that way……how wrong Brock was…

Misty gave an ironic chuckle and looked out the window. "You think so huh?"

Brock looked a little confused but shrugged it off. "So what happened next?"

"I told him…" Misty felt herself begin to choke up again. She took a deep breath and continued, "I told him…that I didn't feel that way about him…."

Brock frowned in surprise and shock at Misty's words. "What?"

"You heard," snapped Misty, discovering a strange pleasure in making Brock so shocked

"But…but I…"

"But what Brock? You thought you had it all figured out? You thought I definitely like Ash and he likes me too? Newsflash for Brock: You figured wrong." Something suddenly occurred to Misty. She looked at Brock suspiciously. "Did you…tell…Ash that I liked him?"

"No!" cried Brock. Misty looked dubiously at him. He continued, "I swear Misty I never said anything like that to him! I guess he figured that you liked him back. We all did…"

"ALL! Who is all?" demanded Misty in horror at the 'common knowledge' unfolding before her.

"Well obviously Ash I guess, me, Ash's mom, Professor Oak, Gary, practically everyone we meet on the road for more than a few days, Pikachu…"

"PIKACHU?"

"Yeah…" nodded Brock sheepishly. Misty stood up with a short whimper at just how nightmarish this whole situation was becoming. She ran her hands up her face and through her hair before clasping her them around the back of her neck.

"This is just…surreal. Brock, what is everyone thinking? No wonder Ash had the confidence to tell me."

"I'm sorry Misty it's just…you two were always so close, and when it came down to it you were always there for one another when you most needed it. You went through thick and thin together and it just always seemed like you two were bound to get together eventually…none of us could picture either of you ending up with anyone else."

Misty felt the tears she had been suppressing for the last 10 minutes begin to overflow. Brock's words echoed what her sub-conscious was telling her all along. She allowed her tears to fall as she stood with her back to Brock.

"But...like this morning - when you were laughing at all his jokes, and staring at him all misty-eyed, if you'll pardon the expression," recalled Brock, as his mind tried to make sense of the situation. "What was that all about?"

"I was just pleased he wasn't feeling depressed that's all…" Brock's silence told her that that excuse just wouldn't work this time, probably given away by her beet-red blushing face. Misty sighed, "Alright I guess I have had a little tiny bit of a crush on him…but that's all it is. I don't have anything like what he was saying and what you were saying…" Misty suddenly felt a sick feeling in her stomach as the gravity of the situation came right back to her. "Everything's changed now Brock. It can't possibly be the same between us again, not after this…"

Brock looked up at Misty and sighed sadly. He knew she was right. Once someone falls into unrequited love with another, things can never be 'normal' between them again. He should know…

Misty's voice brought Brock back out of his thoughts about policewoman and medical staff. "I think the only thing I can do is head back to the gym."

"What? No Misty, come on. It won't be that bad. You can work things out…"

"No it won't Brock…besides the league's just finished for another year and I haven't seen my sisters in ages, so I should be getting back anyway. Ash doesn't need me while he's training." Brock went to open his mouth but Misty cut him off. "No don't say anything Brock. I don't think me and Ash spending a lot of time together right now will help. If there's any chance we can be normal, it's by getting a bit of distance I guess. We need to try to forget this happened I think. C'mon Brock, help me get my things together," said Misty, forcing an 'it'll be alright smile' for Brock.

Brock looked sceptical but agreed anyway; Misty rarely changed her mind. He followed her through the corridor door towards the accommodation block at the Pokemon center.

The door clicked shut behind them.

Ash slowly appeared from around the corner Misty had originally collided with Brock, a distressed look on his face and a quivering bottom lip - He had heard every word.

He stared at the door which had been closed just a few metres away from him. Just a few seconds ago he was on the same side as his friends, the open door inviting all of them…yet now it was the barrier which separated him from Misty, from all his hopes and dreams, cocooning him in a blanket of loneliness…It laughed down at him, mocking his pipe dream of happiness. Of course he could escape from the actual room by simply turning the door handle…but escaping from the inevitable feeling of perpetual loneliness in his mind would not be so easy. He managed to utter a slight whimper...

"No…I'm sorry…Misty…"

To be continued...

Sorry for the massive amounts of dialogue in the last 2 chapters! Anyway review please. That means everyone. Including you reading this right now. Yes you. I'm talking to you. Review. Now...Please:)