A/N- So….now on with the scene that apparently has to be in every pokémon fic I write

Checkpoint

It's only as he raises his hand, preparing to knock, that Brock wonders if he even should. He shakes his head to clear it of the thought. Of course he should knock, he's-everyone's-been looking for Ash and Misty for months. And here they are. Together. In one room. Almost unbidden something Professor Oak had said days earlier bubbles to top of Brock's mind. It had been midnight, Delia had left to sleep, and Brock and the Professor had been waiting to hear back from The League when Professor Oak had asked Brock if they even should continue looking. In his experience, the Professor had said, trainers only went missing for two reasons; because they couldn't be found or didn't want to be. Brock had laughed the Professor off at the time, Ash and Misty had to be lost: they could barely find their way out of a paper bag with arrows and a map. But now, looking at their door, Brock isn't so sure. Certainly the ten year olds Brock had first met couldn't find their way around, but thinking on it now, Brock can't remember the last time Misty wasn't in charge of the map. He shakes his head again, clearing it of the thoughts, and knocks on the door.

Loudly.

No turning back now.

Maybe he should never have left in the first place. Mew, it's not like he hadn't known exactly what he was getting into when he agreed to return to Pewter. He had known practically as soon as Forrest's face had resolved on the other side of the phone. It hadn't been the first time in his travels that Brock had spoken to Forrest. No, Brock had been very careful to call home as often as possible, after all he had taken care of these kids for ages and spent four years as their only care taker. But this time, Forrest had looked so...exhausted. Brock had known what was happening even before Forrest had opened his mouth.

Brock had never trusted leaving the kids with Flint, the man had abandoned them so many time over Brock's own life that he hadn't imagined that Flint would stay. But Flint had promised and running a gym and caring for a family of children was exhausting. And doing it while you were still trying to grow up yourself? Nearly impossible. So Brock had been happy to leave.

When Forrest called, begging for help, Brock almost told him no. Forrest was older than Brock himself had been when he'd had to start taking care of everything and Brock was still needed here. But then, Brock knew firsthand the difficulties that was balancing battles with diaper changes and gym maintenance with midnight feeds. If he had been able to ask for help, Brock knew he would have. But he didn't want to leave Ash and Misty. At least, not until Misty had said that she too had to leave to take care of her own gym.

And that had settled it really, it was going to be an end of sorts. Brock and Misty leaving to their own gyms and Ash onto something new. They had been at the fork between their three home towns when Misty had changed her mind. She didn't want to go back to that gym. It wasn't her dream. She wouldn't do it. Together the three of them had gone to Pewter and Misty had called her sisters and told them the new plan. They had cried of course, but in the end they didn't want to run the gym either and so they closed it.

Brock had never been prouder of Misty. Somehow this spitfire of a ten year old who couldn't go two minutes without screaming at her self-proclaimed best friend, had grown up into someone who could make tough decisions without flinching. And, if Misty stayed with Ash, there was definitely a better chance that he'd survive through whatever came next for him. He didn't blame Misty either. The Cerulean Gym had such a bad reputation that any work she did there would be with League reps breathing down her neck. Arceus she could have put everything she had into it and still had the gym close.

It was the right decision.

Still, as Ash and Misty walked towards Pallet, Brock couldn't help but feel envious. They were going to get to do who could even tell while Brock was returning to a life of child care and battles. Though, he did have Forrest for help.

They developed a routine fairly quickly, Forrest and Brock did. Forrest handled the kids during the day. He got them up for school, got them fed and got them out the door, while Brock dealt with the gym. It switched at night, Forrest bringing the kids home and grabbing a quick meal before heading to the gym to handle late challengers and gym battles between homework and studying. It was probably school which had made it so hard for Forrest to keep up in the first place. None of the kids were in diapers and they all spent the whole day in classrooms. It would have been a dream come true for Brock back when he had been the only one caring for the whole family. But Brock had been enrolled in the trainer program since he'd been old enough to qualify. Yes he'd completed an education, technically, but it would be years of prep school if he ever wanted to do anything outside of training.

They kept this routine up for a month, slowly settling into something resembling normality and it seemed like this was going to be the future. At least it did until Lola had shown up. Brock didn't know his mother very well, for his entire childhood the woman had seemed to be around only when pregnant or when one of her children was too young for her to be gone. As soon as the kids were toddling, she was gone. So when she showed up, out of the blue, claiming to have run into Flint and come home to care for the gym and kids, Brock was suspicious. But the children loved her and Forrest mostly had the gym under control. It was only for school hours that Lola had to be in charge.

Forrest could handle that.

Forrest could definitely handle that.

Two months after leaving Ash and Misty, Brock set out for Pallet. He hadn't heard from either of them except for one message two months earlier. Misty hadn't said much in the call, and Brock hadn't been able to stay on the phone long, but she did let him know that she and Ash were on their way to Hoenn on the Ferry and that Ash's mom had an open date ticket waiting for Brock if he could come. That he hadn't heard from them again in the two months that followed hadn't concerned Brock at all. It was hard, sometimes, on the road to call out. Especially if Hoenn was anything like the mostly rural Johto. They'd call when they could and if anyone knew where Ash and Misty were, it would be Delia Ketchum. Brock had been certain, when he left Pewter, that he was only a little while away from finding Ash and Misty and setting out again on their Journey.

Brock shakes his head at the thought and pulls his ear from the door. There's been no movement in the room the entire time he'd been listening and thinking. They could just be asleep, and maybe he should try as well. After all, if he goes back to the lobby Nurse Joy will surely wake him up when Ash and Misty come down for their pokémon. But then, Brock isn't sure he wants to talk to them for the first time in three months with an audience. That thought in mind he lifts his hand to knock again.

It had been a long month trying to find them, and Delia and Professor Oak had been looking longer than that. It had been a shock when Brock had gotten into Pallet. He'd expected warm welcomes and word of Ash and Misty but instead had been met by a tight lipped Delia hoping that Brock had heard from her son. He hadn't, of course, and that's when Delia let him in on everything that had happened. They'd gone, apparently, to Strayanthe.

And that had, at first, been meaningless to Brock. He vaguely remembered Strayanthe from some history book or another. It had been a relatively important region before The War, lying somewhere between Kanto and Hoenn. But hardly anyone went there anymore, and people who did tended to stay. Brock had never really been interested in the region since they didn't have a League. But it was worse than that, Brock found out.

So much worse.

Professor Oak had called it the badlands. In his whole relationship with the pokémon professor, he had never been one to exaggerate. The badlands. It sounded terrifying. Supposedly, it was very difficult to get word in or out of the not-quite region. The Professor, Delia later told Brock, had begged the two of them not to go but both had been so confident that they'd be fine. Brock had to laugh at that, it was so much like them. But now, Brock had read everything he could find about Strayanthe and become more horrified with each crumb of information. There were practically no doctors. No police. No rules. Arceus, representative of any League tended to be at best kicked out and at worst…vanished.

Still, the Kanto League knew Ash well and Misty had practically grown up in it. They weren't willing to send a team of their own in but Lance had promised to fly someone in. Well, to air drop someone in really—landing and flying out of Strayanthe wasn't exactly possible. He wouldn't wait for them either, whoever the Professor sent, it was too dangerous for a known member of the Elite Four to stay long, but he would send a boat to the coast closest to wherever they were. Before Brock had come, Professor Oak had been going to send Gary, but Brock was a much better option. As they had grown, the rivalry between Ash and Gary had only gotten worse. There was no guarantee Ash would listen to Gary even if he was found. Brock though. Ash would listen to Brock, or Misty would make him.

They had a plan, all they had to do was find them. In the month that followed Brocks arrival in Pallet he, and Delia and Professor Oak and Tracey and Gary contacted every number they could find in all of Strayanthe. It wasn't many, but still, they sent out pictures and phone numbers and requests. Everyone they spoke to had seemed happy to help, but all had cautioned that in Strayanthe people sometimes…vanished.

Especially trainers.

It was disheartening. A month into the search, Brock was certain that they wouldn't find Ash and Misty. That maybe they had vanished like so many others. The little information there was about the area was mostly reports of trainers gone missing and pokémon dying. Team Rocket, even, was rumored to have a presence in the area. But then. Nurse Joy had called, claiming an Ash Ketchum traveling with Misty Waterflower had just checked into her center. Brock had the one to take her call and had called Lance before even telling The Professor and Delia what he had known.

The flight over on Lance's Dragonite was something Brock hoped never to repeat. But the whole month of searching and waiting and hoping had led him here. To this door.

To this one door.

To say that Brock had been surprised when Nurse Joy had given him one room number would have been to say that Gyarados was even tempered.

Brock takes a deep breath and pulls his ear from the door once more. There's no movement inside. It's just barely light out and he's been knocking for what feels like half the night. Maybe they've already left. No, they can't have left. Nurse Joy still has their pokémon downstairs and would definitely have told Brock if they weren't here.

They have to still be here.

Not wanting to give up, he knocks once more and has to stop himself from cheering aloud when he hears movement within the room. A pair of feet hit the ground and walk slowly to the door. Brock steps back and waits.

The door swings open and Brock opens his mouth to speak before promptly shutting it.

Misty answers the door, limping slightly as she swings it open. She looks exhausted, her skin is paler then Brock remembers it ever being and she has dark circles under her eyes. Her hair is down, as it often is when she sleep, and up at all angles. But Brock only barely notices her pallor, hair, the circles and the fact that it looks like she's gone a few rounds with a machamp. No the details that Brock takes in paint an entirely different picture of Misty then he is used to seeing.

She's flushed, a faint redness covering her face like the times her sisters have gotten hold of her with whatever new product they felt they needed to test on someone else first. Or, well, it's more substantial then that; much closer in color to the makeup they used for underwater shows: spectacular under the water but garish above. She's sweaty too, like she's just a finished a morning run. Though Misty rarely took those without Pikachu by her side. Still, her whole face glistens in the weak light of the growing morning. Which is…odd. It's cold. From the moment he had leapt from Dragonite, Brock had been shivering.

As cold as it is, Brock supposes they might have a heater on in the room. Well, probably not a heater. This doesn't look like the place to have them. But maybe, a fire pokémon out? As soon as he thinks it, Brock discards the idea. Misty, Brock is well aware, only has water pokémon and Professor Oak had mentioned that Ash had only brought along his Pikachu—something about starting a new Journey fresh in a new Region. Still it has been a few months, he doesn't know what Ash has caught. And the flush and sweat, easily could be explained by an overly warm room or a late night swim…somewhere.

But she looks so…exhausted. Much more so then anyone sleeping in a warm room should. And…is…is that Ash's jacket? It hits her knees and Brock can't see anything else Misty might be wearing.

She might just be wearing Ash's jacket.

Misty opens her mouth in shock at seeing him, but clasps a hand over it almost as suddenly. Eyes wide she looks at Brock and then behind herself, into the room. Over her shoulder, Brock can see Ash curled up on one of the beds. He's completely rolled up in the blankets and has pulled the pillows over his head in a move Brock is more than familiar with after six years of travel. It's getting light and so Ash is trying to hold onto the last vestiges of sleep. But it's not Ash, or specifically not just Ash which catches Brock's eye. What really draws his attention in the room is the fact that the other bed is untouched save for a sleeping Togepi and Pikachu.

Brock's eyebrows shoot to his hair.

Misty is flushed. And sweaty. And undressed.

Only one bed is slept in.

Misty looks like she hasn't slept.

He shouldn't have come; they don't want to be found.

Misty limps through the door and softly closes it behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. She and Brock can still hear everything inside, but if they are quiet, those still sleeping won't hear them. She smiles softly at him, leaning on the door.

"We had a late night." She says, hoarsely. It's more sensitivity towards Ash then Brock has ever seen her show. Usually she'd talk as loud as she wanted and wake him up if he heard.

The again though, usually they'd be in two different rooms or a trainer hall. Not cozied up in one. Though, Brock supposes, if he were truly honest with himself, he's not surprised. Even in the trainer halls and in sleeping bags camping, the two had usually slept beside one another. Arceus, Jigglypuff had even begun drawing pictures across their faces for a large canvass as they always fell asleep on one another whenever she sang.

Lost in his thoughts as he is, Brock is knocked off balance when Misty throws herself in his arms, sobbing. He can't make out her words at first and so does the only thing he can and hugs Misty back, soothing a hand down her hair. Slowly, Misty stops shaking and finally pushes herself away, taking deep breaths as she does.

"I can't believe you found us. Brock. Oh, Mew. It was…" and she trails off, eyes and voice wavering.

Brock cringes wondering if she's going to start crying again. He's never been good at dealing with Misty when she was upset. Ash was always the one who sought her out and helped her work through whatever it was that had upset her. Actually, thinking of it now, Brock's never been good at handling an upset Ash either. No, it was always Misty in those cases who snapped Ash back to his cheerful self. The two of them almost always knew how to fix the other and took turns talking to him.

Misty sniffles and scrubs a hand across her eyes. "Terrible. Brock it was terrible."

Brock looks at the door once more, with Ash sleeping inside, and turns back to Misty, her face still flushed and shiny. He opens his mouth and then shuts it, aware that he's doing an excellent magikarp impression but completely unsure what to say. He doesn't want to…even think about what she's clearly implying.

How does one?

Isn't that what she has sisters for?

For a moment Brock wishes that he'd let Gary or even Tracey come and find the two. Not that he thinks either boy would be better at handling the particular situation, but if they were here, he wouldn't be. It's a moment that passes quickly. He can handle this. He's been pretty sure this was coming since he first started traveling with them. Everyone they've met has been pretty sure this was coming. He should probably call…all of Kanto?

Well, if he could call out anyway.

"Brock?" Misty asks, confused.

Brock shakes his head. Right. She's still here and he should probably say…something.

"It gets better." Brock starts, inwardly cringing at the words. The girl has three older sisters, surely one of them has talked to her.

Misty cocks her head as though she has no idea what he's talking about. "What?" she asks.

Brock's face falls. He does not want to spell this out. "It's only really supposed to hurt the first time."

Misty's eyes are blank. She reaches to her cheek, touching just under her hair, and cringes. She pulls her hand away. "Brock, what are you talking about? Every time we've had to do this, it hurts."

Brock blinks. "Had to do this?"

Misty nods, unconcerned. "Yeah, it's kinda necessary sometimes. Brock how did you find us?"

"Nurse Joy called Professor Oak. Misty, do you not…enjoy it?"

Misty's eyes widen and her face, almost back to its normal color, flushes a new. "Brock, answer me very carefully here." She says, voice low in a way that makes Brock's hair stand on end. "What in the name of Palkia are you talking about?"

Brock coughs and looks towards the room again, before turning back to Misty. He shifts his feet. "Well…" he trails off, really not wanting to say aloud what he is fairly certain has happened. Misty can't honestly think she can hide this, does she? There's denial and then there's the evidence staring you in the face. "Didn't you two…" he trails off again not wanting to say the words and instead bangs his fists together and waggles his eyebrows.

Misty blinks at him before an awful look of realization crosses her eyes. She's silent for a few moments, mouth open and face growing red before she takes a deep breath and screams. In the room, Brock can hear Ash hit the floor and come running, Pikachu at his heels.

He tumbles through the door, nearly knocking Misty aside, and pulling on his shirt starts talking. His words are fast and panicked. Brock is only half certain he is catching them, "What's happening? Misty, are you ok? Hi Brock. Where's Team Rocket?" He stops then, "Wait, Brock?"

Brock nods, stifling a gasp at Ash's face. He looks like he's lost a fight. He's about to say something when Ash turns away from him, to look back at Misty.

"You're ok though, right? Mist?" She nods and Ash breathes out a sigh of relief. "So, Brock." Ash begins, Pikachu jumping on his shoulder. "What brings you to the badlands?"