Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. If I did, most people will still be watching it. (Burn!)
This is a challenge fiction inspired by the "In your shoes" Forum owned by sykilik101. I know this will go for a good cause, and show that pairings of all types should be treated equally rather than chastised just because it doesn't suit someone's taste. Let this fiction be an example that all pairings and Pokémon fans alike should join together and enjoy their love of Pokémon rather than fight each other. I mean, its romance for crying out loud! It screams love, just like we should do for each other! Keep this in mind while reading this, and thank you for your time.
Warning: Yaoi content. Beware thine eyes!
A down trodden Ash walked the streets with slumped shoulders and a sour expression. Through the busy streets of Celadon, he continued to grimace over what happened yesterday. Thanks to Misty, he was only a few blocks away from a nightmare. Stupid Misty and her games. Stupid bet she came up with. And worse of all…
Stupid Ash for actually accepting the bet…and losing…
'Of all the bets…why did Misty have to choose THAT one…? I would be better off doing our morning chores for the rest of my life than THIS! Stupid, stupid me…' Ash chided himself. Earlier, his friends Misty and Brock wanted to pass time by playing a game. Given it was all in good fun at first, Ash was up for it. But as time progress, competition was getting the best of him. It was soon that his fate was sealed…
Inside one of the Pokémon Center's many rooms, two gym leaders and a hot headed trainer was in a battle of epic proportions. As the titans clashed in a free-for-all battle, the intensity of the battle grew to an exciting climax. It was the game of the gods, the fight of the century, and one of the few best creations bestowed upon teenagers…
And playing Super Smash Bros. Melee on the big screen was just plain awesome.
"Haha! Pikachu rocks!" Ash exclaimed, using the signature Pikachu as his battling character.
"Don't inflate your ego yet, Ketchum! You're not getting past my Zelda without a fight!" Misty challenged, filled with battle adrenaline.
"The doctor is in!" Brock yelled excitedly, using Dr. Mario as his character.
POW!
"The doctor is out!" Misty joked, giggling at Dr. Mario's demise.
"Aw man, that was my last life too! I'm out." Brock conceded, dropping the controller.
"It's just me and you Misty!" Ash said, dramatically shifting his body left and right.
"It'll soon be just me mister Pokémon master!" Misty followed Ash's example and started shifting with the ever changing tide of battle.
Soon, it boiled down to just one life for each character, health values exceeding the point where one hit would decide the victor. Ash, competition getting the best of him, grinned excitedly. "Hey Misty, I'll bet you can't be me! You're going down!"
"Is that right?" Misty asked with a hint of mischievousness in her voice. "How about this: If one of us wins, the loser has to do one thing the winner asks of him or her. No ifs, ands or buts."
"Deal!" Ash said without a second thought. It was with good timing too as Misty's character jumped right above his Pikachu. "Let's see how you like this!" Pressing the combination on the joystick, a thundercloud was created right above the two characters, preparing to zap the princess.
Misty's grin grew wide as she simply pressed one button. She only said two words as the thunderbolt was about to strike her character. "Nayru's love..."
And thus, Ash's controller dropped, along with his jaw.
"I swear, Nintendo made Zelda far too powerful…stupid reflecting shield…" Ash spat in disgust. He swallowed hard as he approached a table with someone around his age sitting at the table. The person in question looked up at Ash and waved nonchalantly.
"What took you so long, Ashy boy?" Gary asked teasingly.
The depressing air around Ash intensified greatly. Of all the bets it could've been…
Why did it have to be a date with Gary Oak?
Seriously, that was the last time Ash would let Misty read those strange stories on that fan fiction website.
"Hey Gary…" Ash waved lazily, almost in a zombie-like manner. The phone conversation between them couldn't have been any worse
"Hello? Gary?" Ash asked, speaking into the phone receiver. Misty was giggling madly in the background while Brock had a shocked expression on his face. To say Ash was embarrassed would be a dramatic understatement.
"Ash? I haven't heard from you for a good while. What's with the random call? Need advice on taming your girlfriend or something?"
Ash coiled his fist in fury, but chose to be calm…sort of… "No. Actually, I wanted to ask you something."
"Alright, shoot."
Taking a very deep breath, Ash decided to be frank and not beat around the bush. "Do you want to go out with me tomorrow?"
There was a very long pause. Gary's voice was very disbelieving. "Ash…? You do realize you're asking me, a guy, your old rival, out on a date, right?"
"Yes…"
Another pause followed. "…Ash, I've known you for years, but I've never thought of you as a druggy. Somber up and get off the stuff!"
"I'm not high!" Ash yelled into the receiver.
"…Are you drunk then? If your mom found out…"
"No, I'm not drunk either!"
"…Is this some kind of sick prank, because I'll still hold it against you."
"This isn't a prank. Look, will you go out on a date with me or not?" Mentally, Ash was chanting the same answer over and over. 'Please say no. Please say no. Please, for the love of Ho-oh, say no.'
There was a grunt of thought from the other line. Ash was surprised Gary was even considering it. Gary was obviously thinking up of a clever insult or something, especially since there was no way—"Sure. Meet me at the coffee shop tomorrow at noon. Don't be late." And then Gary hung up.
Reasonably, it took Misty and Brock over an hour to help Ash get over his shock.
"Fix yourself up. You look pathetic." Gary suggested calmly, drinking his tea.
"Gee, thanks." Ash grumbled, sitting in his seat.
"So Ash, what's with the uncharacteristic call? It's not everyday one rival asks another out on a date." Gary raised his eyebrow at Ash, truly interested in what provoked the young teen.
Ash was about to tell him that it was all because of a bet, but that would be really shallow. Besides, it would give Gary too much firepower for insults. "I…no real reason. I just wanted to—"
"It was a bet, wasn't it?" Gary pointed out.
…Curse Gary and his clever perception skills. Ash sighed. "…Yeah. Sorry for dragging you out just because of a stupid bet…"
"Don't worry about it. It's not like I had anything real important to do. Besides, I know you. I know the fact you would not have come here unless it was a bet you foolishly accepted. You always had a bad streak of competition in you."
"Too true…" Ash mumbled lowly to himself. "But anyway, how goes your research?"
Gary picked up a menu in front of him and glanced at the contents. "It's going pretty good actually. Nothing too ground breaking yet, but there's been some interesting new info I've been gathering here and there. My grandpa has also been helping out." He answered, not looking away from the menu.
"That's good. I've been doing really well too."
"Huh. Is that so?" Gary answered, looking just above the menu. "Have you won any competitions?"
Ash faltered. "Uh...no?"
"Hmph, then you haven't been doing well."
"And what's THAT supposed to mean?" Ash retorted fiercely.
"It means you suck. Plain and simple."
'Grr….that Gary…!' Ash thought heatedly. Some nerve! "And what competitions have YOU won, huh?"
There was a delay before Gary's response as he finished up his drink. "There was a small tournament in Orre that I participated. I got first place."
"I'll bet it there were some easy opponents if you managed to beat them." Ash sneered, trying to 1 up his old rival.
"Actually, there was some guy name Wes. He got second place. I only just managed to beat him. Also, being that he single handedly crushed a major crime organization, that gives him much credibility. How about your opponents? Were they anything special?"
"Of course they were! I didn't face any pushovers either."
"I suppose, but you still lost. Don't worry, you'll do better next time. Maybe you might even reach top four before losing."
"Why you…!"
"Hello, may I take your order?" A waitress asked, interrupting the one sided quarrel.
Ash perked up. Anything involving food was definitely a big plus. "Sure, I would like—"
"We'll have the chocolate sundae special." Gary cut in smoothly. Ash opened his mouth to say something, "Also, put sprinkles on one of them." …Only to close his mouth and grumble.
"Sure, coming right up." The lady quickly left to prepare the order.
Gary stole a glance at Ash, who was visibly fuming at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want to order something?" He asked, faking innocence.
"No need. What you ordered was fine." Ash growled. His frustration was soon replaced with curiosity. "Wait a sec, you still remembered my favorite treat?"
"Of course. There are some things you don't forget."
Ash sat back and crossed his arms, giving Gary a fixed gaze. "Is that so? So tell me, what are some of these things that you don't forget about me?"
"Just stuff. For example, all of those times I've defeated you in Pokémon battles and the times I've made a fool out of you."
'Oh sure, remember only the times where you shamed me…' Ash narrowed his eyes.
"But…there are also the times where we would be best of friends and actually enjoyed ourselves. If you remember, though we were rivals, we actually had some fun whenever we would play our old games and compete on who would be better. Looking back, I wouldn't give up the times we had for anything. It made us who we are now, and I think we turned out pretty good. Don't you?"
Ash looked upward in reminisce. A smile was brought to his face. "…Yeah, I guess so."
"Here you go, two chocolate sundaes and one with sprinkles." The waitress said, placing the chocolate treat on the table.
"Ah, thank you." Gary replied. He was about to eat when he saw Ash devouring his sundae like no tomorrow.
"You better not eat too quickly, Ash. You might get a—"
"Agh…!" Ash gripped his head as he winced in agony.
"…brain freeze…" Gary sighed. He should've expected this. After all, Ash was still Ash.
The two continued to eat until they were finished with their treats. Afterwards, Gary stood up from his seat. "Hey, let's go somewhere."
"Hm?" Ash looked up with chocolate-coated stains on his face.
"Geez…" Gary groaned, picking up a napkin and holding Ash's chin. In one smooth stroke, he cleaned off the stain.
"What the heck!?" Ash jumped from his seat, stepping back in surprise.
"See for yourself." Gary showed the brown stain on the napkin to Ash. "For crying out loud, learn to start taking care of yourself more." He started walking ahead towards the next destination, Ash following.
"What do you mean by that? I can take care of myself just fine!" Ash argued.
"Is that so? Tell me, when was the last time you traveled by yourself?"
"Uh…" Ash had to think about that one for a moment, given it was sometime ago. "It was during the Hoenn League."
"For how long?"
"Err…a few days…or one day…same difference." Ash laughed nervously.
"Do you cook your own food?"
"No. Not since the incident."
Gary sweat-dropped. Perhaps it was best not to ask. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you have other people raise your Pokémon for you."
"Hey! I take care of my own Pokémon! Take that back!" Ash bellowed.
Gary ruffled Ash's head, chuckling playfully. "Shimmer down Ash, I was only joking. Even now, you still act like a kid." Quickly, he took the hat off Ash's head and placed it on his own.
"HEY! MY CAP!" Ash gasped, pointing at Gary.
"It's my cap now, Ashy boy!" Gary ran ahead of Ash.
"That does it! GET BACK HERE!" The young trainer started chasing Gary down the street at a blinding pace. It really showed how much he wanted his hat back.
'Heh, Ash must be way behind me by now.' Gary thought. As soon as he glanced behind, he saw a heated Ash charging towards him, only a few feet behind. 'When did he get THAT fast!? AH!' The russet haired professor paled as the young trainer pounced on him like a rabid Pokémon.
CRASH!
The two teens toppled over each other and fell on the floor. Ash tried to snatch his hat back, but Gary started toying with him by moving the hat just out of reach. "Give...me…that…hat…!" Ash growled, trying to reach the last inch.
"Reach for the sky, Ashy boy!" Gary joked, keeping Ash from getting it.
"Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask you to stand up stop frolicking with each other. You're scaring away our customers." A restaurant owner demanded, glaring at the two.
"Wha? Frolicking!?" The two gasped in unison. They immediately stood up and away from each other, Ash making sure to get his hat in the process.
Gary dusted off his clothes and huffed. "We were just leaving." He started walking ahead again.
"Hey, wait up!" Ash cried, catching up. He finally caught up with Gary, who was avoiding eye contact. He was uncharacteristically quiet. "What's wrong?"
Gary sighed. "Back then, we used to always fight like that. It made me feel a little nostalgic."
Ash blinked. "You're feeling sick?"
A twitch appeared on Gary's forehead, showing irritation. "Nostalgia is not a sickness. I meant I started missing the old times."
"Oh." Ash said simply, slightly surprised. He didn't think Gary was the type of person to go nostalgic. "You really do miss the old days, huh?"
"Yeah. Especially since you're my only real friend…" Gary mumbled to himself.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Let's head to the park."
"Sure."
A little after ten minutes, Ash and Gary arrived at the park. The Celadon Park had a calm atmosphere, the trees and foliage swaying in the breeze. Ash loved traveling in these types of conditions, always putting him at ease. He stretched his arms and exhaled in relief. "Ah, this is great! Nothing like a walk in the park!"
"I agree." Gary shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the road ahead. "Hey, remember when we used to race back home to see who was faster?"
"Yeah. Good times." Ash smiled.
Gary nodded at the thought. "Don't forget how I always beat you."
Ash's smile dropped. "Hey, wait a minute. You never beat me in a race! I remember clearly!"
"Could've fooled me." Gary retorted.
"Grr…! That's it! I'll race you to the end of the…HEY!" Ash cried, seeing how Gary sprinted ahead of him. "That's no fair!" He dashed to catch up with the young professor-in-training.
During the entire race, the two were neck-in-neck as they neared the goal. The competition was fierce and it was anyone's game. Once they reached the exit of the park, they both took a leap towards gate, landing with a skid. There was a pause as they the two took a moment to recover their stamina. They glanced at each other at the corner of their eye, a smirk on both of their faces.
"It's…a tie…" Gary panted. A few moments of silence passed between them before they started chuckling, soon bursting into fits of laughter.
"This is so stupid…but it's so much fun too!" Ash laughed.
"Definitely! Let's do this again sometime!" Gary said, trying to contain his laughter. He stood up and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Phew. I think it's time I head back."
"Okay, I'll see you later then!" Ash waved goodbye as he started heading back.
"Hey, wait a minute! What do you think you're doing?" Gary snapped in annoyance. Ash blinked at Gary, confused. "This is a date, remember? You're supposed to walk me home."
"Really? Oh…" Ash didn't really know what to say. He had forgotten it was a date in the first place. "Okay, sure. I'll drop you at your place first."
"Sure. Let's go." Gary motioned Ash to follow him home.
The two walked in silence, thinking over their day. Though it was a date with a guy, Ash didn't feel uncomfortable or strange. To him, it was as though he was hanging out with his best friend, which in Ash's case, Gary was his best friend. Gary had talked about their old times often during the date, which reminded the cap wearing trainer of a question he had been pondering.
"Gary?"
"Yes?"
"What made you think of the past so much? I mean, I've never thought of you as the type to start talking about the good times."
Gary's gaze lowered on the road ahead, his eyes having a gentle gaze. "Sometimes, when you grow older, you start to realize how precious your childhood and life is. Things that you did before, you discover how much they really meant to you and how significant they were. But also, it's as that old saying went: Distance makes the heart grow fonder." He looked at Ash, a small smile on his face. "I never knew how true that was until now."
"Huh. That's an interesting thought." Ash said. They said nothing more until they reached in front of the hotel Gary was staying at. After crossing the lobby and a few floors, the two arrived in front of Gary's room.
"I'll take it from here. I had a good time, so thanks."
"Yeah, I had a good time too. Alright, see ya." Ash turned around to leave when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Hold it."
Ash groaned. "What is it this tim—mmph!" He was stunned beyond belief when a pair of lips was pressed on his. The shock paralyzed Ash for only a few moments, but he didn't budge until their lips parted. "You…you…you just…k..k..ki…!" The boy couldn't even get the words out to express his surprise.
"It's what you're supposed to do at the end of a date. I'm only fulfilling the role that YOU were supposed to play. That's all. Anyway, have a good night." Gary waved haphazardly as he went inside his room, leaving Ash completely stupefied. Ash left for his apartment, his face still contorted in shock.
As Ash left the hotel, Gary lay on large mattress in his room. His gaze was set on the ceiling above, smiling at the bold act he had just committed. "Maybe it was a little overkill, but in the end…at least I've made another memory to hold onto…"
Back at the Pokémon Center, Misty and Brock were chatting amongst each other when they heard the door open. "Hey Ash, did you enjoy your date?" Misty emphasized jokingly. She was surprised when they saw Ash go to the phone and make a call. They didn't know what he talked about, but he had a frustrated look on his face after hanging up. "Who did you call just now?"
"That was Gary." Ash answered. Suddenly, his eyes were emblazoned with flames of competitive spirit as he clenched his fist. "It's not over yet! Though he's beaten me today, I'm not going to stop until I'M the one who shows him up! I'll be the one to finish the date with a kiss, not him! I will win next time!"
Safe to say, Brock and Misty were surprised. The fact they fainted was proof of that.
And that's the end of my little one-shot. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (except the end. That was even WORSE than what I had imagined.) Hopefully, it didn't seem too cheesy or anything. It was my first attempt at a yaoi fic, and hopefully my last. Please review and leave me your thoughts!