A/N: Oh my god, I have two followers now! Thanks a lot, you guys, for all the reviews and favorites. It really makes my day :D

To Q:Thanks for the review, and no, Pikachu probably won't need any advice, except maybe for surviving this situation xD

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Edit (6 January 2013): Fixed some grammar and spelling mistakes.

Leave It To Brocko

Chapter 3

Maybe if I kept standing like this everything would go away. Or maybe this was all a bad dream and would I wake up any minute now, discovering that all of this never happened. I mean, Ash liking girls must be a dream.

I didn't know how long I had been standing here, but suddenly Ash pulled open the door in front of me, yelling, "BRO-HO – Oh wait, here you are. C'mon, you're gunna help me with making dinner, right?"

Half-deaf because of Ash yelling in my face, I quickly murmured a, "Yeah, sure, was just thinking."

Following him into the kitchen, I noticed that he did a pretty good job of cleaning. There wasn't much damage, thank Arceus, only the food and the frying pan were practically burnt. It made me wonder what Ash had been trying to make. Yeah, what could've been so difficult to make that Ash almost set the kitchen on fire?

"Eh, Ash, what were you trying to make anyway?"

His cheeks turned red and he looked down embarrassed, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, "…frying an egg."

"You almost burned down the house because you tried to fry an egg?" I asked disbelieving. Even when it came from Ash, it seemed impossible. But apparently he still managed to do it.

He threw his hands up in frustration, "I know, why do I always make a mess out of the simplest things? Brock, what should I do? She hates me now even more than before."

Pitying the younger boy, I tried to calm him down, "Ash, I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She's just angry because she can't eat and because you–" are leaving to Hoenn to visit your secret crush May. Yeah right, even Ash wouldn't fall for that. Oh Celebi, how was I going to make him to go to Hoenn? If I didn't I would not only ruin our friendship, but also feel the wrath of both of them. C'mon Brock, think, think.

"I don't get, I really don't get it," Ash started again, with slight desperation in voice, "I mean, I complimented her, a lot, but she just looked at me weirdly and I did something special for her – I even asked if she wanted to go swimming. She loves swimming, right?"

"Er…" He didn't listen to me, just continued rambling, his voice getting more and more desperate.

"I know it was stupid to ask her to go swimming when it rains, but I couldn't come up with anything else. And I tried to listen to her, but she just fell silent. She doesn't talk a lot, and when she finally started I tried to tune her out, but she noticed and hit me. And then I tried doing something special again, offering to make her dinner, and she finally seemed to like it but then I go and mess up again. I really don't know what to do anymore."

"Um," he realized something, "but it's not like I like Misty. 'Cause I don't. Well, I like her, but just as a friend, okay? I mean, the girl I really like is a lot like her, but it's not Misty. No, nope, absolutely not Misty."

I gave him a look that clearly stated that I didn't believe him.

"What, it's true!" he exclaimed.

"Sure, Ash, sure," I said sarcastically.

He hmph'ed stubbornly and crossed his arms. Then he thought of Misty again and his arms fell back to his side.

"It doesn't matter whether I like her or not, fact remains she doesn't like me."

I sighed – he really had no clue about her feelings, just like Misty didn't have a clue about his feelings. And I knew of both their feelings, standing in the middle and was supposed to play Cupid. Now, no way I was going to do that. You already did that, an annoying voice in my head whispered – I think some people call it conscience, but for now, it was just annoying voice. You started it, so finish it, annoying voice continued, And if you don't they will find out, and rip your head off.

Frowning, I decided to focus on the current situation; a depressive Ash. Putting a smile on my face, I said cheerfully, "So, tell me, what do you want me to make for dinner?"

The prospect of food seemed to brighten his mood and he immediately exclaimed, "Oh oh, rice balls, rice balls!" and after a moment he added a genuine sounding, "Please."

"Okay, rice balls it is," I said happily, starting to rummage through the kitchen. In my element, I started to hum a tune, preparing the rice balls.

After a few moments, I threw a look at Ash, only to see him slumped down on a kitchen chair, sulking and occasionally muttering words. Pikachu sat on the table, looking sadly at his master.

Listening in – yeah, yeah, bad Brock, I know – I could not help to hear a few of his mutters, some sounding like, "…Misty, why do you…" and others more like, "…Brock, stupid advice, shouldn't…"

I felt slightly offended at this, but paid it no heed since I heard something very interesting, "…wouldn't even be jealous if I tried to seduce…"

No, of course she wouldn't be jealous if you tried to seduce someone, because you are not particularly good at it… not to say bad. But what did it was that one word – jealous.

Jealous. Misty was jealous because she believed Ash to be crushing on May. Why not use it the other way around? And it might be the solution to my current predicament. Again a great plan from a genius mind. Wait and see, people, wait and see.

"Ash?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I might have a good idea."

"Don't know 'bout that, Brock, your last 'good idea' didn't work out really good, ya know?"

"Hmpf."

I was silent for a few minutes, to let Ash think. Hmm… Maybe I should wait a few hours. But then the rice balls would burn, so after a few minutes I spoke up again, "You have a better idea then?"

"Er…"

"Thought so. Still don't wanna hear my idea?" I tried my best not to sound too content, but failed.

"Alright, go ahead," he sighed. He really did have little trust in my ideas – I would prove him wrong.

"If your girl is a little like Misty then she'll be green from jealousy if she finds out you have a crush."

"I don't get it, what does confessing have to do with making her jealous?"

I face-palmed. Why did he have to be so dense?

"You don't confess to her, you just tell her you have a crush on some other girl."

His dark brown eyes started to shine as he took in my words. Phase one of my fantastic plan Get-Ash-To-Hoenn-And-Make-Him-Flirt-With-May-To-Make-Misty-Jealous was completed. Only flaw was the name of my fantastic plan – quite long, don't you think? Get-Ash-To-Hoenn-And-Make-Him-Flirt-With-May-To-Make-Misty-Jealous is kinda a mouthful. Maybe the abbreviation – G.A.T.H.A.M.H.F.W.M.T.M.M.J. Then again, maybe not. Now time for phase two.

"But who?" he wondered aloud.

"Well, what do you think of May?" Phase two of my fantastic plan G.A.T.H.A.M.H.F.W.M.T.M.M.J. started.

"May?"

"Yeah, May," I explained with a hint of sarcasm in voice, "you know, May Maple, Coordinator, girl with who we travelled through Hoenn, has a little bro-"

"I know who May is," he cut me off, "Just, why May?"

"Well," I started, choosing my words carefully, "she's a good friend so she probably wouldn't notice you being a lot nicer than usual, and you two have the same interests."

He nodded slowly but then realized the weak point of this plan – no, not the name G.A.T.H.A.M.H.F.W.M.T.M.M.J. because it's awesome… oh, and I haven't told him about the plan. The weak point was of course the fact that we were in Kanto and May in Hoenn. And even if we, that is Ash and me, got to Hoenn, Misty was still here.

"So May would be a good idea," he said slowly, "but… May's in Hoenn and we're here. And even if we travel to Hoenn, Mi- I mean, my crush would still be here."

Give the boy a Nobel prize.

Annnnnd phase two was completed. Phase three of my genius plan G.A.T.H.A.M.H.F.W.M.T.M.M.J. is put into operation.

"Hmm… That might be indeed a problem," I agreed, then waited a moment before continuing, "But didn't she say that she wanted to travel again?"

"She did? Don't remember. I'm sure I would remember something like that…"

"She didn't? I was pretty sure she did… yeah, yeah, she did, don't you remember? She said it when… um," quick, think Brock, think, when could she have said something like that, "when we were visiting her at the Gym two weeks ago, she complained about how boring it was and then you said – You really don't remember, do you?" I asked when he kept looking at me disbelieving – he wasn't as easy to fool as he used to be. Damn his maturity.

"You're absolutely sure, Brock? 'Cause I really can't remember…" he trailed off, frowning.

"I'm positive. When did you become so forgetful that you don't even remember something like that?" C'mon Ash, fall for it, please, fall for it, it's for your own good – Though on the other hand, having Misty as a girlfriend was maybe not very good for one's health.

"I really… Ah well, if you say that you're absolutely absolutely sure?" he said, though it sounded more like a question.

"I'm absolutely absolutely sure, Ash," I said confidently. He was falling for it…

"Absolutely absolutely absolutely sure?"

"Absolutely absolutely absolutely sure," I nodded, getting slightly irritated. If he would start ag-

"Absolu-" he started again, but I didn't let him finish.

"YES Ash, I'm 100 percent sure."

"That's absolute- em… positively fantastic!" he exclaimed, jumping of his chair, "That means she can go with us to Hoenn! It'll be just like old times, only different. I've got to tell her now!"

Annnd he fell for it. Phase three of my brilliant plan G.A.T.H.A.M.H.F.W.M.T.M.M.J. was completed. There was just one little hitch in my perfect plan… M.A.Y. – er… May.

"Hold it one minute, Ash," I quickly called him back – in two seconds he was already halfway across the living room, "You forgot the rice balls and the fact that Misty's still pretty angry."

His face fell, "Oh yeah… how could I forget about the rice balls?"

Ugh, he would never learn.

"C'mon, you have to try out the rice balls."

He practically skipped back to the kitchen. My plan was working, it was actually working! I grinned, and walked happily back to the kitchen, bouncing up and down – No, not skipping, Brock the Rock does not skip, just… walking and bouncing up and down at the same time.

"Here," I said, grabbing a plate with two rice balls and handed it to him.

"Only two?" He sounded disappointed.

"Misty and I have to eat too, and you can have more later, this is so you can have a taste."

He nodded quickly, then resumed to stuffing the rice balls in his mouth. I shook my head – without Misty around he had even less manners than usual.

"Soo… Ash, you really can't mess this one up, you got that?"

"Of couwse, Bwock," he said with his mouth full of food – I refused to refer to it as rice balls, because once he chewed on it, it looked more than slightly disgusting and my rice balls were absolutely not disgusting – and gulped – thank Arceus – before continuing, "The only thing I have to do is to say that I'm going to travel to Hoenn to see May and if she doesn't say that she wants to go with me, I ask. Right?"

When did Ash become so quick? How did I manage to miss that?

"Yes, that's right," I said, nodding, not able to sound unsurprised.

"Well, not to be rude, but I'm going to bring the rest of the rice balls to Misty, cheer her up and then tell her 'bout May," he said, walking away with the plate full of rice balls.

I stared at him walking away, jaw at the floor and if my eyes hadn't been so squinty, I was sure my eyeballs would've popped out. There must've been something in the rice balls – How else could Ash become calm and smart and… mature? Ash… maturing? Nah, must've been the rice balls.

"Ey, Ash!" I yelled, and he turned on his heels, "Don't blow it… and," I smiled, "good luck."

He saluted and turned back around, almost tripping over his own feet. Yep, still same old Ash.

My stomach growled loudly and I looked for the rice balls, only to realize that Ash had taken them with him. Well, no rice balls for me then. I looked through the kitchen for something else then spotted some sandwiches – Ash had probably made them before 'frying' his egg. They didn't look too bad, and how bad could it be?

I took a bite and immediately spitted it out – Yuck, peanut butter, jam and cheese. Cheese – only Ash would add cheese to the delicious combination of peanut butter and jam. Bet he wanted to add the fried egg too. That boy really never learned.

Pikachu was staring sadly at the empty plate, pika'ing to get my attention.

"Of course, you're hungry too," I said, offering him the sandwich, "Here ya go."

He looked offended at the bread, before turning back to me, demanding other food.

"Okay, okay," I said fishing some Pokéblocks out from a kitchen cupboard, "And don't you dare to complain."

He chu'ed happily, starting to eat.

Yeah, he had something to eat, and I was here starving. Life is unfair.

Suddenly I remembered that I still had to call my father to say that I stayed at Misty's tonight, and I made my way to the videophone in the other part of the Gym. As I walked past the staircase I noticed the sounds coming from upstairs, sounding vaguely as "do not" and "do too".

Oh, oh. That's not good…

Deciding that the phone call could wait, I tiptoed up the stairs, though they probably couldn't hear me over their yelling. It was pretty clear in which room they were – the white door was the only one shaking by the loud screams coming from the inside. Putting my ear to that door would probably deafen me.

"DO NOT!" That was Misty.

"DO TOO!" And that Ash.

"DO NOT!"

"DO TOO!"

"DO NOT!"

"YES YOU DO!"

"NO I DON'T!"

"YES YOU DO!"

I heard Misty growl with frustration. "FINE! I'LL GO WITH YOU TO HOENN!"

"YOU DO?"Ash yelled, before remembering that he didn't need to yell anymore, "I mean – you do?"

"Yes I do, now happy?" Misty snapped.

"Great! Wanna rice ball?" I could imagine them in the room, Ash flashing her a big grin, holding out the plate with rice balls, and Misty, grumbling, accepting one.

I felt a grin creep up my face. I had solved it. Brocko, you are a genius.

A/N: Thanks for reading, I hoped you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing it ;)
And just wondering, don't you think that Brock is too mean to Ash? I mean, he's all nice and so in the anime, but I think that he's secretly sometimes very annoyed by Ash. If you're not annoyed by Ash you have or a lot of patience or you're just as dense as Ash.
Next chapter, one of my favorite characters makes an appearance; the greatest. Take a guess who it is.
Thanks again and please let me know what you think, reviews make my day!