Notes: chapter features- Pyjamas! Lasagne! And other stuff all in one little package!
and yay, thanks for your nice reviews! -is drowned in exclamation marks-
Chapter 3
It was one way or the other.
That was how Ash liked to see things, anyway.
People either really loved Gary, or they really hated him. And now, with much needed friends Misty and Brock finally back in his company, Ash would confidently assess that they both hated Gary. Probably.
"Gary's staying here?" Misty didn't sound too pleased, and that was a good, comforting sign. She looked startled as she shifted in her sleeping bag. "Why?"
"That's the annoying thing. Nobody will tell me," Ash didn't bother to be subtle about his glare in Tracey's direction.
They were all sleeping downstairs for the night. Mrs Ketchum had spent a good portion of the evening trying and failing to set up temperamental camper beds. In the end both Brock and Misty had insisted they didn't mind sleeping on couches and random pillows, and Ash had been insistent in joining them.
Because he thought that if he didn't join them, and spill all his suspicions and torments regarding Gary Oak, he was going to implode in his own frustration.
Tracey plumped up a pillow with some exasperation; "He's really quite a nice boy, you know."
Misty, to Ash's satisfaction, seemed scandalised by the idea. But Brock didn't.
"I can't say I really know him,"
Brock was a nice guy, Ash decided mournfully. But with niceness came crippling naivety. Ash decided to pity him for his lack of wariness when it came to Gary.
"You do know he's a jerk, though," Misty pointed out. "Remember all the times he's insulted Ash? And how big headed he is?"
Tracey looked surprised; "is he?"
"Of course." there was fierce indignance in Misty's voice, and Ash felt like he was being defended by some ginger-haired, night-gown clad saint.
"Well, maybe he's a little confident." Tracey said. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"Overconfident, you mean." Misty corrected. "This must be terrible for you, Ash."
"Yeah," Ash grinned weakly, and thought he would never ever badmouth nightgown clad saint Misty again.
"But he's.." Tracey fidgeted in a short pause, looking uneasily between Ash, Misty and Brock. "Look, he's just a kid. You guys be nice to him, ok?"
"I've never had a problem with him," Misty said slowly, as though considering Tracey's words with great caution. "As long as he never says anything bad to me, I can be alright with him,"
Ash turned to her; "You will stick up for me though, if he calls me?"
"Of course," Misty rolled her eyes, but Ash didn't care. He was just glad she was on his side, more or less.
Tracey seemed to perk up; "Oh, and we're planning a trip to Mount Moon, too."
"Really?" Misty seemed to adore the idea. Ash wished it'd all been his idea.
"Yeah, Gary's really eager to go digging for fossils, and Professor Oak suggested we all take a trip there."
Misty looked interested. And Ash wished Tracey would stop making Gary sound so wonderful.
"When are we going?" Misty asked.
"Whenever, according to Gary." Ash spoke sourly.
"Tomorrow, if the weathers nice." Tracey added.
Ash tossed around in his sleeping bag, facing away from everyone.
It wasn't that he was a little disappointed. Well, actually he was. Disappointed that nobody seemed all that fussed about Gary. It seemed only Misty was offering him any sort of sympathy, after all.
He shut his eyes, listening to Brock; who sounded enthused about the trip to Mount Moon.
Ash sighed with intentional vigour. At this rate, Gary's growing fanclub would be set for world domination.
8
He must have overlay. Because when he woke up there were Misty and Tracey talking animatedly at the breakfast table, and his mother filling in every now and then and almost force feeding her unique brand of burnt bacon into their mouths.
"Honestly, you're all so thin! Do you not eat when you're on your Pokemon travels?"
Ash rolled over from his cramped sleeping position on the floor. By his side he heard Pikachu give a low yawn, and when he blinked up he saw Brock was just waking up from the settee, stretching.
"Something smells good," he said, and Delia rushed him a plate of bacon.
"Do you want some bacon, Ash?" she asked.
"Mm. Yeah." Ash nodded, yawning widely as he sat up. He looked around, sight foggy with sleep, and saw Togepi prancing about. Past him, Ash looked out the window and noticed the rain beating down. His face fell. "Aw. We can't go to Mount Moon!"
"Great deduction, genius!" Misty scowled from the kitchen. "Don't you think we'd be waking you up and dragging you outside by now if that was the case?"
Ash muttered, much too groggy to want to get into arguments with Misty. He accepted a plate of bacon with dull thanks, and was half through it when Gary came down the stairs, looking as menacing and aloof as always. And in pyjamas much too big for him.
"Morning," he muttered to the room, sounding as sluggish as Ash felt. Nether the less, Ash watched guardedly as Gary wandered into the room, rubbing his eyes and looking grumpy.
When he entered the kitchen, noticing both Brock and Misty for the first time, he was vaguely startled, then said;
"You never said they were coming this early."
Seeing as neither Tracey or Delia responded, Ash supposed Gary was talking to him. Though he wished Gary would pay him the common decency of looking at him when he was talking to him.
Ash opened his mouth to explain, but was beaten to it by Brock.
"Misty's sisters went on holiday earlier than expected so we decided to head out early. We probably should have let everyone know in advance, though."
Gary looked like he was going to say something, but Delia was quick to pull him to her own attention.
"Would you like some bacon, dear?"she asked, and had shoved the plate into his hands before he could reply anyway. "Eat up, and you might put some weight on that scrawny skeleton of yours. You're practically falling out of your pyjamas!"
Ash watched as Gary sat at the table next to Tracey, and poked at his breakfast unenthusiastically. He did look very thin; and then Ash realised he had always been very thin. But the nine times too large pyjamas did little to help.
"Can I help that Tracey is a little on the podgy side?" Gary asked, and was rewarded with a playful poke in the side.
"Hey, you needed pyjama's, I was just doing you a service." Tracey said.
"Why are you wearing Tracey's pyjama's?" Ash asked, wondering if there was some secret-pyjama-swapping-club he had not been invited to.
"All mine are dirty," Gary replied simply, and didn't seem to want to elaborate, as he took a big bite of his bacon.
"Haven't you ever used a washer?" Misty asked, faintly incredulous. Up to this point, she had been occasionally watching Gary with an air of diplomacy. Ash felt vaguely betrayed; she should be beating him up by now. Defending Ash's honour!
Gary quirked an eyebrow at Misty, as though noticing her for the first time. He smirked; "I've heard of a washer, yeah." then he went back to his food, infuriatingly enigmatic. And with stupid bed hair.
Misty didn't seem keen to probe the subject, which infuriated Ash all the more.
He needed to know about the pyjamas!
"So," he stood and wandered into the kitchen in what he hoped was an extremely casual, not-at-all-thinking-about-pyjamas manner. "Why can't you wash your own pyjama's, Gary?"
Gary blinked up at Ash, giving him an odd look. "Because I'm not at home right now, and Tracey said I could borrow his until your mom gets mine clean. And why are you walking around with your nose in the air?"
Ash inwardly cringed. Much too casual.
"Oh, so you've taken to using my mom as a maid, now?" he asked, hoping he'd be backed up by saviours Misty and Brock.
It disconcerted him to see they both looked as blank as Gary himself.
"Ash," Delia turned to him, annoyed. But she was looking at his plate; "don't leave the rinds! It's a waste."
Ash sighed. "Yes mom." he mumbled. He watched on, feeling like he'd lost some odd battle, as both Tracey and Brock began chattering. And Brock offered Gary a piece of his toast, and the insufferable brat took it with a deviously meek- "thanks," which clearly had dark undertones.
"It's a shame we can't go to Mount Moon today," Misty spoke up, peering out the window.
Gary turned an interested gaze to her; "you knew about Mount Moon?"
"Yes. Ash told me." Misty said, looking a little frosty.
"Oh. You like Mount Moon, then."
"It's nice." Misty was still ice-cold. And Ash was incredibly comforted to know she had not engaged in the unnatural Gary-love. Yet. He quickly sat next to her.
"Yeah, it is a shame we can't go today. I hope it clears up soon. I want to go as soon as possible."
"Well it'd better clear up," Delia said. "The Pokemon fete will be a complete disaster, otherwise."
"I was helping gramps the other day." Gary said through a yawn; he stretched and Ash saw bony arms peer through the ridiculously long pyjama sleeves. "He's pretty stressed out, I think."
"He is?" Delia looked concerned. "Oh, and I didn't even notice!"
"Don't worry about it, Mrs Ketchum," Gary said dismissively. He stood and took his plate to the sink. "Gramps is funny. He likes people to think he's in control. But I think he's probably going crazy inside." he turned and grinned at Delia, and she smiled back at him in what could only be described as some hideously fond, maternal way.
She ruffled a hand over his already terribly messy hair. "Well, who knows-it-all?"
Gary shrugged, nonchalant. "I think we're pretty similar like that."
Ash wanted to laugh, or perhaps proclaim; preposterous! Because no way could Gary even consider himself in the same league as the great Professor Oak! The only way he could even excuse his association was because he was related, and even there, Ash was dubious...
"I can see the similarities." Tracey was nodding his agreement, and Ash wanted to stab him a little bit with a spork.
Gary seemed to bow his head at the remark. What? Was he embarrassed or something? Ash puzzled over the sight. He wasn't used to seeing his rival wear such an alien expression.
"No need to be modest, Gary." Tracey smirked.
Gary smirked back, and then turned away, catching Ash's slightly gaping look.
"Hey, nice pj's, Ashy."
Ash flushed. And suddenly he was terribly aware that he had bed hair. And he was wearing Pikachu printed pyjamas. He looked totally stupid.
"Don't worry about it," Gary brushed past Ash, and slapped a hand briefly on his shoulder. Ash cringed and wanted to die. "Some people go for the innocent baby look."
Ash couldn't even bare to glare as Gary sauntered off, apparently able to look perfectly cool with bed hair and stupid, too-big pyjamas.
Ash wished he could be the same.
He was blushing furiously as he left the table, ignoring Misty, Brock and Tracey's questioning exchanges. His mom, oblivious as ever, cast him a beaming smile;
"Oh, it's nice that Gary likes your pyjama's. Maybe you could lend him some of yours, instead of Tracey's?"
"No. Gary's too tall," Misty said at once, as though an expert on the matter of Gary's clothes. "Ash is short, and stocky."
"Stocky?" Ash was offended. "I'm not stocky."
Misty cast him a pitiful look. "You are, Ash. And that's not a bad thing, anyway. You shouldn't complain. When you get older you'll be strong and fit and..." she cut off, apparently aware that everyone, including a mortified Ash, had ears. Her face reddened; "Er, never mind. Forget I said any of that."
Ash decided he would forget it. At once.
"Mom. Am I really stocky?" he asked instead, feeling depressed.
"You're just built that way, dear." Delia pinched his cheek. "Another slice of bacon?" she presented a plate before him.
"Um. No thanks."
Ash wandered listlessly back into the living room, wondering if stocky was simply a polite term for fat. He sat down on the settee, and blankly watched the TV. He was mildly comforted by the fact that Gary had disappeared upstairs, and when Misty came into the room, still munching on toast, Ash looked at her darkly;
"You did I great job of sticking up for me,"
"Huh?" Misty looked at Ash in some surprise. She sat down and then spoke coldly; "I don't know what you're talking about, Ash. You were the one who was trying to start an argument. As far as I could see."
"What?" Ash felt like he might have been slapped round the face, "didn't you hear? He's using my mom as a maid! Getting her to wash his clothes! And he made fun of my pyjamas!"
Misty just stared at him. "You're as immature as Gary himself sometimes. Did you know that?"
Ash flared up; "I'm nothing like him!"
"Please," Misty rolled her eyes. Then looked about the room with vague concern. "Hey, has anyone seen Togepi?" she called into the kitchen. "Togepi? It'd better not have wandered too far."
"Maybe it wandered into the egg whisk," Ash remarked offhandedly, and Misty batted him with little restraint round the head.
"Just because you're in a mood about Gary, there's no need to take it out on me!" she hissed.
"I'm not in a mood about Gary. I'm in a mood about you! And I thought you'd stick up for me. Maybe I thought too much of you!"
Misty's face flashed into upset, but she didn't say anything. Instead she turned to the television set. But Ash could see she wasn't really watching it. She seemed to be brewing in some kind of woman-fury.
The thickening atmosphere was broken a little bit when Tracey and Brock entered the room, both seeming much too bright for Ash's sulky liking.
"Have any of you two seen Togepi?" Misty enquired cooly.
"Nope," Brock shook his head. "You should probably keep a better eye on it,"
Ash nodded in whole-hearted agreement. Plus he was extremely annoyed with Misty right now. "Yeah. Why don't you take better care of your Pokemon?"
Ash was saved a further woman-fury whack on the head when Togepi's voice suddenly sounded from somewhere near the bottom of the stairs;
"Toge-toge-priiii!"
"Oh. A Togepi."
Everyone blinked up to see Gary stood by the Pokemon, badly fitting pyjamas now replaced with normal everyday clothes. He bent down and picked the little egg Pokemon up. Ash noticed Misty seem to start; but she didn't say anything.
"This is a rare Pokemon, isn't it?" Gary held Togepi at arms length, eyeing it critically, "Misty, I underestimate you and your Pokemon catching skills."
"Lots of people do," Misty glanced obviously at Ash.
Gary looked between them with amused interest;
"Ooh. Am I sensing tension over there?"
"No." Ash almost spat, "the only tension I can feel is coming from over there,"
Gary grinned, "yeah, I am a great pulsating aura of tension, aren't I?" he replaced a wriggling Togepi on the ground, and watched for a short moment as it toddled about. "You should keep a better eye on your Pokemon, Misty,"
Misty's eyes widened, perhaps unsure whether to take the comment as advice or criticism. Ash thought she should take it as criticism, and perhaps deliver a blow of her unique woman fury to Gary while she was at it.
Instead she scooped Togepi up in her lap, "I'll bear that in mind,"
"I was just telling her the same thing," Brock said with a faint grin, and Ash realised that was exactly the case.
Still, Gary saying it...he made it seem muchmore...much more...meaner.
Gary wandered fully into the living room, and seemed to hesitate before taking a seat next to Brock.
"So you're the Pewter city gym leader,"
"That's right. Well, actually it's my dad's right now. He's been back for a while."
"Oh, yeah I remember now." Gary nodded, and leant back on his chair, "There were many bratty little kids. Many."
Ash thought Brock should maybe punch Gary for that.
But Brock grinned; "yeah, my many brothers and sisters. Couldn't live without them, though."
Gary half-smiled back.
"I do remember battling you," Brock continued, apparently unable to resist interaction with the devil's child. "You were very good, weren't you? You took out my Onix pretty quickly."
"I just chose Pokemon that's work well against rock," Gary shrugged, and Ash wanted to strangle him and his egotistical shrugging.
"What did you use?" Tracey asked, unreasonably interested.
"A Squirtle, of course. Everyone knows that water is super effective against rock types." then he looked over at Ash, a deeply indulgent grin on his face. "Well, some of us know, at least."
Ash fumed. "I do know that!"
"Oh?" Gary raised his eyebrows. "What did you use?"
"I used my Pikachu." Ash said proudly, but couldn't ignore the startled amusement which crossed Gary's face;
"You used Pikachu?" he asked, sparing the Pikachu in question a wide eyed stare. "did that actually work?"
Ash opened his mouth; he badly wanted to say yes.
But he could recall the truth only too clearly. His and Brock's battle had been marred by sprinklers, and bad luck in general for the Pewter city gym leader. It wouldn't have been a fair win, Ash had decided. And then he'd chosen the moral ground and chose not to win, anyway.
And now, when he looked at an expectant Gary, he felt his shoulders slump at bit. He didn't feel like he could recite that battle to his rival now. And he had a feeling Gary wasn't the type to take into account such moral points as a fair win and how important it was to be a good loser anyway.
But Ash was saved the awkward task of explaining such things to Gary;
"Ash won fair and square." Brock said in a firm voice.
Ash blinked up at his friend, and smiled thankfully.
"Must've been a fluke." Gary concluded at once.
Ash thought he might kill Gary.
Tracey laughed loudly, and Ash knew it was to dispel almost definite bloodshed that was about to occur. "You know, I'd really like to see everyone's Pokemon." he alternated a glance between Ash and Gary. "Maybe if you want to show them sometime, I can sketch them? I bet you've got plenty of rare ones."
"You know all of mine are at Gramps," Gary said. "You can help yourself,"
Tracey seemed to glow; "Thanks!"
Ash got up, wearily putting a hand up to his still-unruly bed hair. "I'm going to get changed."
Making the excuse, he rushed upstairs and quickly changed from his Pikachu printed pajamas, all the while wondering about these strange new revelations in his life. Like, since when had Tracey become such a fanboy for Gary? And since when did Misty even consider a bit of Gary's advice? And since when did Brock offer toast? And sit next to people? And talk?
Knowing he was being unforgivably irrational, but really not caring at all, Ash stormed back downstairs, and spoke defiantly to the room;
"You can sketch my Pokemon anytime you want, Tracey!"
Tracey blinked up; "Er, thanks Ash."
Ash nodded, and forced a weak smile. But he knew his cheeks were burning. Around him everyone was staring at him as though he might have lost his mind, and Ash thought that maybe he had.
He knew the culprit, of course; Gary was leant on his chair, looking cocksure as ever, a thin arm rested over Brock's chair head, as though he might be his best friend, and he was listening to Brocks and Tracey's conversation with some ominous kind of amusement.
Ash just wanted to push him off that- his chair, and remind him just whose house, whose friends, these were.
He did none of these things. Instead he sat quietly on the floor and scowled when Togepi jumped clumsily into his lap.
"Boys, Misty," Delia entered the room dressed in a raincoat. "I'm going over to Professor Oak's to help with the fete organising, ok? Oh, and make sure Mimey doesn't go into the kitchen for a little while. He's had another incident with the washer."
Gary sighed pitifully; "does that mean I have to wait another week for my pyjamas?"
Delia smiled; "afraid so,"
Ash couldn't be bothered to wave his mother off, and listened to the door click shut with a faint sense of good riddance. He'd had quite enough of his mother's fawning over Gary for one morning.
He sat for a little while, like he might be a part of the scenery in some hideous play. Brock and Tracey were talked loudly now, laughing and sharing in an elaborate joke involving a Slowpoke and a Magikarp. Misty seemed to be watched the television properly , and was oblivious to anyone around her. Including her Togepi.
Togepi was currently sitting in Ash's lap, and Ash thought for a small moment about the little egg Pokemon. Hating himself for it, the Pokemon only served to remind him of Gary, who'd apparently been impressed by it.
Ash frowned at the egg Pokemon. It wasn't really that impressive.
Remembering his rival, Ash glanced up to him. Gary was sitting there, looking smugly contented. He obviously wasn't paying much attention to Brock and Tracey's conversation anymore, though;
"Why don't you take a picture? It won't get up and punch your loser face." Gary's face had twisted into nastiness.
Ash quickly looked away, embarrassed that he'd been caught staring.
"Don't be rude, Gary." Tracey spoke in a startlingly parental tone. Ash was even more surprised when Gary seemed to listen to him.
"Sorry, Tracey." he mumbled.
"You shouldn't apologise to me. Apologise to Ash."
Ash looked at Gary, for one tiny moment maybe he'd thought he was in a strange alternate universe, because he almost expected an apology.
"I'm not apologising to him," Gary scowled, arms folded.
"Fine. I wouldn't accept your apology anyway." Ash snapped back. And folded his arms as well.
"Fine," Gary echoed.
Tracey cleared his throat; "why don't we do some research? You know, for when we go to Mount Moon? We could find out where to look for Clefairy's, and fossils."
Gary seemed to straighten up in his chair, and he looked bright; "great idea! I know where there's supposed to have been actual Kabuto sightings. Even though some people say it's a rumour, I think maybe-"
"Ok," Tracey grinned, "so you can sort out where we camp out, right?"
"Of course." Gary looked very pleased. "And gramps has given me a load of advice on where to look,"
"I could use my Onix," Brock suggested helpfully, for no reason Ash could fathom.
Gary stared at Brock. "That would be- is that alright?" he looked like he might burst with excitement.
Ash wanted to grin, but managed to set his face sternly.
Brock didn't hold back, he was grinning at the sight of Ash's had-too-much-sugar-in-his-tea rival. "Of course. If it makes it any easier."
Gary opened his mouth, like he might want to say something; maybe a rare thanks? Ash thought, spitefully. But instead he just leant back in his chair and shut his eyes.
"It's going to be great," he said, putting his hands behind his head; and Ash was given an unnecessary glimpse of pale torso beneath his top.
He really was thin.
"Let's look at the book," Brock reached over Gary and pulled up the old book that seemed to fascinate everybody in the world these days, except Ash, of course.
He watched with despondence as Brock seemed to ape Tracey's reaction, back at the lab, with lots of oohing and aahing at various pictures.
But Gary seemed more hesitant to chip in with various comments, unlike he had at the lab. Then Ash remembered that this was Brock, not Tracey, the ultimate Gary-fanboy. And Brock had more sense than to fall for Gary's unspeakable charms.
"Wow. This one looks pretty impressive. Imagine being able to find that fossil." Brock pointed out, as Ash dreaded to guess, the infamous Areodactyl picture.
"Oh, that's the one I want to find," Gary said up at once. He leant over Brock's shoulder; "If I find that," he pointed out something which Ash couldn't see from his vantage point on the floor, "I can clone the Areodactyl!"
"That would be awesome," Brock seemed to be in genuine awe. "I didn't even know you could find fossils on Mount Moon! Or even clone them!"
"Well you can," Gary nodded proudly. "Gramps says it's possible."
"But not very easy," Tracey interjected kindly.
Gary cast him a determined look; "don't you think I can do it, Tracey?"
"I'm not saying that," Tracey was diplomatic, "but you know professor Oak says it'll be hard. I don't want you to get your hopes up too high, expecting to find something straight away."
"Aw, its nice you have such confidence in me," Gary said with sweet sarcasm. He leant back on his chair once again, but was disturbed by Togepi, who jumped from nowhere onto his lap.
Ash stared blankly at his own lap, where Togepi was supposed to have been.
Gary jumped, "gah-!" then composed himself with annoyance. "Misty! Keep your sinfully cute Pokemon under control!"
Misty glanced round from watching the television. She smirked; "sinfully cute? I'm not the one with an Eevee,"
Gary looked solemn. "I'll have you know my Eevee has the sweet exterior of a button, but the cold blooded heart of a killer,"
Eevee squeaked from behind the couch, peering at it's trainer through wide eyes.
"Right," Misty said, "cold blooded killer, huh?"
"It is." Gary insisted. "I'd like to see your little egg beat it in a Pokemon battle."
Ash felt mildly enraged; because Gary was supposed to be challenging him to a Pokemon battle, not Misty.
"Togepi's a baby!" Misty cried, and she crawled forwards and pulled Togepi protectively from Gary's lap. "It's just not strong enough to fight yet,"
Gary eyed the Togepi, unconvinced, "I don't know. It has a mad glint in it's eye. I think maybe it's evil. Or very damaged in some way."
"Stop it." Misty batted him about the head. Not very hard, and Gary laughed as he warded her off with his arms.
"Ok, I'm sorry." he smirked.
Misty seemed to accept the apology, as she settled back onto the floor, tending to her Togepi.
"Why don't you enter it at the fete?"
Misty blinked up at Gary, then seemed inspired by the idea. "I might do, actually. It'd stand a much better chance than Psyduck."
"I like Psyduck." Ash put in, wanting to be a necessary part of this conversation.
Misty spared him a cool glance, "would you like to have it?"
"No," Ash replied a little too quickly, and Misty glared at him. Clearing his throat, and avoiding her wrath, Ash looked at Tracey, "is this Pokemon fete a big thing, then? I've never heard anything about it before."
Gary scoffed, but Ash ignored it.
"Yeah, it's pretty popular," Tracey nodded, "But not usually held around these regions. Which is probably why you've never heard of it. Professor Oak was nominated to hold it this year. It's such a big thing, so you can imagine he's under a lot of pressure to get it right."
Ash wanted to ask what the Pokemon fete actually was, but didn't want to be scoffed at once again by Gary. He was saved the trouble, anyway;
"So what actually happens at a Pokemon fete?" Brock asked, perfectly curious.
This time Gary did not scoff.
"Oh, it's brilliant," Tracey enthused. "It's like a convention. People from all different regions, internationally, come to show off their Pokemon. It's not just about the competition, though. It's about meeting all these people from different places."
"Sounds good," Ash said, then realised he'd probably given away that he'd known nothing about Pokemon fetes in the first place.
He didn't want to know Gary's smarmy reaction.
"Your Togepi might do well," Gary said, completely bypassing his usual taunt-ashy-boy-until-he-falls-into-fitful-rage motif. Clearly he was planning something altogether much darker.
"Do you think?" Misty looked at her Pokemon hopefully. "I've never really thought Togepi was exceptional. Although I know I've never seen one anywhere else."
"Yeah," Gary nodded. "It's really rare."
"I'm going to enter Pikachu." Ash declared, remembering his brief pondering on the matter back at the Poke centre, with Nurse Joy.
Pikachu, who had been nibbling on toast, peered up at Ash with bright curiosity. "Pika?"
"I still think that's a stupid idea,"
Ash glared up at Gary. "Why?"
"Your Pikachu seems to be used mainly for battling," Gary said, very matter-of fact. "If you start entering at fetes it'll just become a pet. And then it won't want to battle anymore."
"Well I don't use my Pokemon just for battling," Ash countered at once, "they're my friends too."
Gary snorted.
"Unlike yours," Ash continued, not at all deterred. "Which you probably treat like slaves or something." Ash wasn't sure he really believed that, and on a begrudging level, he absolutely knew it wasn't true, anyway.
Gary happened to be a pretty good trainer, after all.
Still, the comment served well to rile Gary up; his sneer fell from his face, resolving into anger; "You don't know a thing about how I look after my Pokemon!" he tensed, like he might spring from the chair onto Ash at any moment.
Ash held his ground. "No I don't! And you don't know anything about how I look after mine! So don't assume you do!"
"I'm making an educated guess!" then Gary glared at Pikachu. "Besides, you treat that thing like a little pet anyway. Who am I to advise you? Go ahead, enter it in the stupid fete!"
Ash stood up, feeling uncommonly tall before Gary; who still sat in his chair. Gary looked up at him, unfazed.
"What? Do you want to battle me with your electric rat?"
"No," Ash said through gritted teeth, "I want to thump you!"
"Ash!" Misty was horrified. She dragged him backwards by his jacket, and Ash stumbled, but kept a steady glare on Gary. Gary was sneering at him.
"Get off, Misty!" Ash tugged her hand away from him. "He's calling my Pokemon! He called Pikachu!"
"He's just being an idiot," Misty snapped.
Gary's face creased into annoyance, but he was silenced by Tracey, who placed a hand firmly across his chest.
"We are going to get along." he said very crossly. "And we are going to have a good time. Tomorrow we are going to Mount Moon and it'll be great, and everyone will get along there as well. Even if it means I have to kill all of you. Ok?"
Everyone stared at Tracey.
"Ok." Ash said meekly, suddenly feeling his anger dissipate. He sat back down on the floor.
"Good. Because I don't like sounding like that,"
"I don't like you sounding like that, either." Gary blinked at Tracey, notably startled.
There was an uneasy silence, in which Ash found himself unwillingly agreeing with Gary.
Then, when it seemed the silence wouldn't end, Brock spoke up in a light voice; "Who would like to try my speciality dish?"
"Speciality dish?" Misty asked warily.
"Lasagne!" Brock said, as though it was the most obvious answer ever. "My lasagne is the best there is. I defy any of you to challenge me."
"You cook?" Gary looked interested.
Brock nodded; "so, is this a challenger to my second-to-none lasagne making skills?"
Gary grinned. "Perhaps."
Ash watched dissolutely as Gary and Brock went into the kitchen. The time was 1.07pm. The time recorded when Brock had officially been won over by the mad, inexplicable wave of Gary-love.
Ash turned to Misty, his last lifeline to remaining sanity. She was looking past him and grinning at both Brock and Gary.
No...not Misty too...
"So Ash, tell me about the Clefairy's." and Tracey had sat himself before him, allowing no room for lame protests of- I can't. I need to keep an eye on Gary and make sure he's not poisoning the lasagne...
So Ash talked for quite a while, with more fake enthusiasm than was needed; about such things as the Clefairy dance, the entire moon stone saga, and other pretty, shiny, mysterious stuff. It wasn't that the experience hadn't been great. It really had, and he'd meant it earlier when he'd described it as something...indescribable.
But now, when he was busy looking past Tracey's shoulder through into the kitchen, trying to catch a glimpse of either Gary or Brock, to check Brock was still alive, he really couldn't summon up memories of Clefairies and magical beings with all that much heart at all.
He needed to see what Gary was up to.
"You'll see all this tomorrow, when we go up there," Ash finished up, and Tracey didn't seem to care. He was like some kid on a sugar rush. He spilled his excited thoughts on Misty, who just nodded along and looked a bit amused.
Ash went into the kitchen to be confronted with the ridiculous and just plain wrong sight of Gary with flour-hair and Brock with egg, quite literally, on his face.
"Um. You've got some on you." Ash said unhelpfully.
Gary, who was busy with poisoning the lasagne, probably, gave Ash a bored glance. "What are you doing in here? We're nearly finished."
Ash frowned at his rival, but found it hard to act all tense and serious when Gary looked like some bizarre piece of candy dipped in powder.
"You should have worn an apron." Ash said. And then wondered why he was cursed with such an incompetent brain.
Gary stared at him, and his mouth seemed to tremble. Then he laughed.
"You're so weird, Ash."
Ash grumbled, but didn't really feel vindicated at all. He could only watch on as Gary bent to open the oven. A brilliant waft of cooking floated about Ash's nose. And his stomach grumbled.
Ash damned it. Even his poor insides had fallen for Gary.
"Here," Gary turned back to Ash and handed him the lasagne. It was golden brown and looked heavenly. Ash was starving. "Careful, it's hot." Gary warned, not exactly concerned, more as though he was talking to a stupid child.
Ash took it carefully. "Is it ready?"
"Yeah," Brock nodded. "It looks great, doesn't it? We both made it." he slapped Gary briefly on the back. "A secret chef in the making."
Gary half-smiled. "You're not bad, either." he said, before turning back to Ash, face set into a frown. "Take it in to the others. And make sure you save some for your mom."
Ash did as he was told, quite resignedly. What was the use, anymore? He couldn't fight it; clearly Gary had been created to be adored. It sort of explained the entourage of cheerleaders he always took around with him. Speaking of, where were they these days, anyway?...
"Oh, that smells wonderful!" Misty said, sighting the Amazing Lasagne at once.
Ash placed it on the table, and watched on as Misty and Tracey tucked in.
Gary and Brock joined them shortly. Brock still looked a bit eggy, and Misty was quick to point it out. Tracey laughed very loudly at Gary's floury attire. Gary looked sour at the jeering, but tucked into the lasagne with a smug face;
"So, am I King Of Lasagne, or what?"
"It's very nice," Tracey conceded. "But, ah, didn't you get a little help?"
Gary smirked at Brock. "Just a bit. He opened the oven door for me."
"Hey," and Brock whacked Gary about the head, affectionately.
Ash curled his lip and looked down at his own plate of lasagne. It seemed his appetite had run away.
"Chu!" Pikachu was eating lasagne too. And was enjoying it.
Ash grinded his teeth.
"You are my new best friend." Gary declared, apparently talking about Brock. "You're mad on fossils, you have an Onix that'll dig for fossils, and you can cook! Can I keep you in a pokeball, please?" he looked at Brock through shiny eyes.
Brock laughed, quite bashful.
"I am heartbroken! I thought I was your best friend!" Tracey said, but he was laughing.
Ash couldn't believe his two good friends were having a vague tug-of-war, no matter how jokingly, over one Gary Oak.
"Are you ok, Ash? You do know that forks aren't breakable?"
"Huh?" Ash blinked down at his fork, and saw his knuckles had whitened considerably around it. "Uh. Oh yeah." he spared Misty a sheepish look, then glanced back between Brock and Tracey, where Gary was clearly the orbit of their world. They were laughing at something he'd just said.
To top the insanity off, Pikachu had gone for another slice of the Amazing Lasagne.
Ash couldn't take it anymore.
"Argh!" he got up, simultaneously almost crashing against the table.
Everyone blinked up at him. Misty looked concerned. "What's wrong, Ash?" she asked cautiously.
"What's wrong? I...I don't...why are you all being nice to him?" he pointed at Gary, who in turn looked angry.
"Why do you have such a problem with it?" And then he was standing too, level with Ash.
"I don't have a problem with it. I have a problem with you!"
"What? I'm just making lasagne! And you're being a little freak as usual!"
"I'm not!" Ash cried indignantly. "I know what you're really like! You can quit this nice guy act!"
"I'm not acting like anything!" Gary looked furious.
"Yeah you are! You're nice to everyone except me!" Ash had blurted before he could stop himself.
Gary seemed to blink out of his rage for a bleak second; his mouth gaped into some confused sort shock as Ash continued;
"You pretend to be all nice to my friends," he gestured loosely around the table. "Making them lasagne...but you're just using them...or something. If you were acting normal you'd be just as mean and nasty to them as you always are to me!"
Everyone, Ash barely noticed, had stopped eating, and all eyes were alternating between he and Gary. Ash was too angry to care;
"Why don't you just tell me what the hell you're doing here, anyway?"
Gary lunged up, but Tracey hissed a warning which seemed to stop him.
"Ash-" Brock said.
"Stop it! I've had enough of it!" Ash lurched away from the table and ran to the door. He lingered long enough to hear Tracey scolding Gary, before he twisted the handle and bolted out the door.
The rain hit him like a grateful shower; washing away all the boiling rage he's been building up in the house. He ran across the soggy grass for a good few lengths, and didn't stop until he reached the slight shelter of a tree.
He leant against it and thought about how much he hated Gary right now. How he could hardly bear to look at him, and how the rain was horribly wet, and sliding down his back, making him shiver...
He sneezed.
"You idiot, Ash!"
Ash looked up, and Misty was standing there under an enormous, pink umbrella. She looked livid.
"Mi...Misty," Ash stammered his surprise, but Misty cut him off, briefly whacking the umbrella around his head.
"Get under here. You'll catch pneumonia!"
Reluctantly defeated, Ash joined her under the umbrella, then felt her hand dig severely into his arm.
"What do you think you're playing at?" she demanded. "Just storming out like that? And over what? Some stupid, insignificant lasagne..."
"It wasn't about lasagne!"
"And then all that stuff about Gary using us?"
"You know what he's like! Can't you remember how mean he was to me?"
"Tracey is talking to Gary. He can keep him in line," Misty snapped, and she tugged him back toward the house. "Come on. You're going to be ill."
Ash sniffed, and hated that Misty was probably right. "I can't help that it's raining. Blame Gary. He said it would."
Misty snorted. "Sure. Let's blame Gary for everything. And have a let's-be-immature-little-boys-day, while we're at it."
"It's not just me-"
"Don't you think I know that?" Misty interrupted sharply. "You two are as bad as each other! Honestly, I don't know whose worse. So I'm trying, with really nonexistent success, not to get involved."
"But you're my friend, not his!"
At this, Misty's face softened into sympathy, "I know that. But for the sake of keeping the peace, I don't want to take sides. You can understand that can't you? Please, at least try to understand?"
Misty's eyes were beseeching, and Ash found he couldn't say anything against her. He shook his head, and felt very stupid. And very wet.
"Yeah. I can try," he said quietly. "Doesn't mean I have to like it though, does it?"
Misty perked up. "that's the spirit."
They jogged the rest of the way back to the house, and by the time Ash had entered, he deeply regretted all his storming-out-into-the-rain dramatics.
Brock and Tracey were looking at him with uneasy smiles, and Gary wasn't looking at him at all. He was staring at the floor, looking very sullen indeed.
"C'mon, you're going to get changed and have a bath." Misty shoved Ash out of the room and directed him upstairs.
Ash felt too soggy to disagree. He was only comforted by Pikachu, who jumped onto his shoulder and nuzzled him comfortably. Faithful even to the incurably wet. Ash adored his Pikachu.
Following an attack of sneezes, and Misty's fierce voice sounding from downstairs, demanding he hurry up and take a hot bath, Ash did as he was told. And as he began to relax in a pool of bubbles, he could hear faint voices down stairs; mostly Tracey and Misty, who sounded excitable and jumpy. Brock's voice occasionally interjected. But Ash heard nothing from Gary.
Sniffling, and feeling rather sorry for himself, Ash wished he hadn't lost his temper like that.
He also wished he hadn't gotten so wound up about Gary.
And he also wished, for what seemed the millionth time, that Gary wasn't staying at his house in the first place.
Childish, probably. But soaking into a prune in the bath, Ash began counting the various ways Gary might suffer death by rubber duck.
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more notes: Review, please? They equal joy and love. Apologies to Ash fans. (It's my new tag line, don't cha know...) He will calm down a bit. I definitely promise. Definitely. ;)
side note; in terms of family situations- anime/manga/game; I tend to prefer Toshihiro Ono's manga-verse. Cos I find it funny that Ash might have a crush on Gary's sister May XD oh, and she'll be making an appearance some time in the fic too ;) also, I heard that Gary's parents were supposed to have died in a car crash?
And again, many more thanks for reviews! You are all very nice with your comments! And yes; dorkiness= sexiness/ first season is full of WIN!