Hello Dear Readers! This chapter includes: Brocklets, Burnt Food and Camp Fire.
I've always been this way
Never known any other way to feel
Got the right of way
-Tiny Spark, Brendan Benson
Chapter 7
Caught in an unimaginative nightmare, which involved being sucked into a giant vortex, and then being coughed back out into a black hole, Ash woke up thinking that Mr Mime was trying to vacuum his face again.
Instead, Misty was standing there, her face red and angry, and the bed sheets bunched up in her fists. This was some sort of new nightmare, involving Misty's wrath and her morning hair.
"Get up! We're going to be late!" she pulled the covers away, and cold air met Ash's body, and told him this wasn't a nightmare at all.
"Urgh. I think I'm still sick," he attempted to gather the quilt back round him, and quivered against the cruel unseemly hour of 6 am.
"I was going to warn you," Brock said apologetically. He was in the midst of packing an enormous backpack. "But she managed to wrestle past me,"
"I did not." Misty glared. "Now get changed. Everyone's waiting for you. And you won't get any breakfast."
Misty left in a rush, and Ash looked at Brock, bleary eyed. "Nobody should have to be awake at this hour."
"Gary bet my Onix you'd be the last one up," Brock told him, and looked pleased. "I'm glad I didn't agree to it."
Ash collapsed back onto the bed with a groan, savouring a few more precious minutes of Bed. There was the familiar thump of cold in the back of his head.Probably wasn't a good sign.
Resolving to ignore it, he sat up and watched Brock's backpack begin to expand to worrying degrees.
"Are you taking the kitchen sink, too?" he asked.
"You can never be too prepared,"
"I don't think we'll need all those toothbrushes,"
"You can't be sure. A dazzling smile might be the way to a girls heart,"
Ash thought about telling Brock that there probably weren't going to be any girls in Mount Moon; unless he had developed a sudden and unfounded interest in Misty. But he decided against it; Brock looked far too happy.
Another insistent yell hollered up the stairs; Delia, and Ash battled into his clothes in a haphazard, zombie-like state.
At the breakfast table Tracey was sitting next to Gary, who looked amazingly awake and needlessly good in digging attire.
He was also scribbling stuff on a piece of paper which looked far too complicated for 6am in the morning.
"What are you doing?" Ash rubbed his eyes, and peered at the notes. Gary's writing was messy and spidery.
"Being dorks," Misty informed, and handed him a bit of toast as she passed by. "They think they can mark out the perfect spot to find something just like that. They're crazy."
Gary looked at her; "you won't be so mocking when I have an Areodactyl and you don't,"
"I don't want an Areodactyl."
"I wouldn't mind one," Ash thought aloud.
Gary blinked up at him, "oh. Sleeping beauty finally awakes. I didn't think you were coming,"
"It's six am."
Gary nodded eagerly. "I'm glad you remember how to tell the time, Ash."
"I can tell the time."
"Yes, and I'm glad." Gary seemed to smirk at him, then his attention fell back to his scrawly notes with a frown. "Tracey, you've doodled all over it,"
"I'm sorry. I just need to practise, for when we find real Clefaires."
"You're not taking this very seriously," Gary shook his head, and looked a bit despairing.Ash just stared, wondering how anyone could be so serious about fossils at 6 in the morning.
"Are you going to be digging too, dear?"
Ash hadn't noticed his mother enter the kitchen, but now she was there; looking a bit concerned.
"He won't. He probably wouldn't find anything, anyway." Gary snatched some toast out of his hand
"That's not true," Ash stared at his toastless hand. "I'd find something,"
"Well maybe it's best you don't anyway, dear," Delia said. "are you sure you're well enough for the trip? I don't think you're fully recovered quite yet,"
"Don't worry, Mrs Ketchum. We'll take care of him." Misty assured.
"And make sure he eats all his dinner. And doesn't forget to brush his teeth. And changes his underwear twice a day." Gary taunted, swiping another piece of toast.
"Can't you get your own toast?" Ash demanded.
"Definitely not. Your toast is special."
"How is that?"
"Because your dear mom made it, of course."
"You are a sweetheart." Delia said, and Ash cursed under his breath. Misty was right; Gary was horrendously charming when he wanted to be.
"Maybe he should stay here. He does look like a Ghastly,"
"You're so tactful, aren't you?" Tracey jabbed Gary in the side with his pen.
Ash caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, and secretly agreed with Gary. He did look pale and dismal and not too well at all. It wasn't a surprise; he was actually feeling a little worse than yesterday.
"I'm fine," he insisted to the table, and tried not to get embarrassed when Delia gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Ok, dear. If you're sure."
He wasn't, but he was sure that he wasn't going to let his friends go on some week long trip with his arch rival and a threatening amounts of hardbacks.
"You can't take that many books. It's physically impossible." Tracey said.
Gary had stacked three piles on the table and was going through them all with great scrutiny.
"Well I can't leave any behind either," he said. "grampa told me they're all important,"
"Did he also tell you you're insane?" Misty asked.
Gary looked at her deftly, "maybe you could help carry some?"
"You wish. I'm going for a holiday, not to break my back,"
"Aw,"
"I can carry some," Ash offered before he could stop himself. "Um. That is- I mean, I'd like to look at some. They look...interesting. I'd like to look." he realised he was still talking.
He couldn't help it; he was too aware that Gary was eyeing him like he might be some kind of suspicious alien.
"Well, um," he looked weary. "If you want-"
"I think that's a very nice offer," Tracey said, who was positively beaming. Everyone else seemed to be too.
Only Gary looked any different, and he was just watching Ash like he might still be an alien, but this time a very interesting alien. And maybe he would try talking to it.
But Tracey spoke first; "I still think you can leave a few of these books here. Nobody needs that much information. Their brain would probably explode,"
"You mean yours would,"
They went outside with heavy backpacks and varying enthusiasm. In truth, Ash wanted to be back in bed, snuggled under warm covers and getting over his cold. The sun was bright and hurt his eyes, and it wasn't even very warm.
Well it was a crazy hour to be expecting much heat anyway.
He was amazed by Gary though, who insisted on being bright and happy and unbearably awake.
"Here. Since you were so bizarre and nice offering to hold books, I think you should have this,"
Ash blinked at the shovel held out to him. He didn't think Gary was very thoughtful with his thank you presents. "A shovel?"
Gary nodded. "Are you going to take it?"
"It looks heavy."
"It's supposed to be." Gary continued to nod, and then added hopefully; "so then you can dig,"
"I didn't say I was going to dig. I probably wouldn't find anything-"
Gary rolled his eyes, and looked amused. "Well, if you want to take the loser attitude as usual, I guess I'll just take it back then-"
"No, I'll take it!" Ash snatched the shovel.
It probably wouldn't be so bad, anyway. What else was there really to do on Mount Moon? It seemed highly unlikely, as much as Tracey had gotten his hopes up, that they'd spot any Clefairy.
Maybe searching for nonexistent fossils with Gary wouldn't be so torturous.
"I don't want you two boys fighting while you're gone, you understand?" Delia adjusted Ash's collar, and seemed to exist in that tiny moment just to embarrass him.
"We'll keep an eye on them, Mrs. Ketchum. Don't you worry," Brock said.
"That's very nice of you," Gary said sarcastically. "I always wanted a babysitter."
"I've had plenty of practise, with all the brothers and sisters," Brock just grinned, and Gary sneered.
"We'll be good as gold. Promise."
Misty looked doubtful. "I won't believe it till I see it,"
"You don't have any faith in me, do you?" Gary shook his head at her.
"None at all," she smiled at him, and it looked warm and inviting with the morning sun just behind her.
Ash thought about it, a strange image in his mind, as Delia kissed him and waved him off. She took the time to roll off all the things he should remember as she did; clean underwear, wrap up warm, no fighting and then another kiss. She really did worry too much.
For once Gary wasn't sniggering about it; he'd stomped ahead, and looked dangerously unbalanced and terribly brittle with an enormous backpack in tow.
"You'll keep an eye on him too, won't you?" Delia had asked.
"But he's deranged."
Delia smiled. "All the more reason to keep an eye on him."
Unsure of why he was even compelled to, Ash nodded.
Gary didn't need looking after; Ash decided he knew that better than anyone, but Delia looked hopeful, and he didn't want to upset her.
And anyway, Gary had two babysitters flanking his sides; Brock and Tracey were laughing and lifting him up by the arms, and he was protesting very vocally.
Misty was grinning behind them.
"I can't believe you're taking Togepi," Ash told her.
"Well. It'll get lonely back at the house."
"It'll get lost and buried up on Mount Moon."
"It won't!"
Ash grinned, and felt Pikachu chime it's own amusement against his shoulder. Ahead the laughter grew louder, and Gary looked helpless and pretty scrawny between Brock and Tracey.
"Let go of me! You think this is funny-let go!"
"We can't. Not until you stop being crazy and let us carry some of your stuff," Tracey said with insistence.
Gary grappled against him; " you can help me. You can help me dig!"
"We're not digging," Tracey released him and swiped the rucksack. Gary was swung backwards and landed ungracefully on the ground.
"Ow," he complained, rubbing his back. He looked at Tracey through slitted eyes. "Why not?"
"I'm sketching. Sketching does not require much digging, as far as I'm aware."
"But...you were helping. With the notes..."
Tracey shuffled through the backpack with a frown; "I thought you weren't gonna take these books?"
Gary looked at Brock; "what about you? You're my new bestest ever friend, remember? You have to help,"
Brock grinned weakly. "I'll lend you my Onix."
"And you'll dig too, right?"
"I'll lend you my Onix." Brock repeated. His grin was nervous.
"You guys are so lame,"
"Quit whining," Tracey pulled him to his feet. "We'll carry some of these, or you'll do yourself a back-injury,"
"It's probably just as well you don't help," Gary decided. "Your arms are probably too weak and feeble, anyway. They say that sketching is for the physically challenged, you know."
"Is that so?"
"Yep,"
"Well you're not much of a Mr Muscles, are you?" Tracey grinned, and then he tugged the bottom of Gary's shirt up, revealing sharp ribs. Ash watched on, unbearably interested.
"Hey!" Gary pulled away, and he turned round so Ash could see his face, scandalised and blushing. "You're mean, Tracey,"
"Aw, I didn't mean it," Tracey pulled an arm round him into a hug. "I love you and your scrawny self really,"
"I'm not scrawny," Gary said. "Ash is scrawny,"
Ash stared, feeling blank and more confused than mortified.
"Misty said I'm stocky." he said, before he could stop himself. Beside him, Misty made a funny noise.
Then Gary burst into laughter, and Ash wished he might just get roasted by a Charizard, or something unpleasant like that.
"What? What's funny?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Misty put a hand on his shoulder, and her face was red. "He's just doing what he does best, being a jerk,"
"Your flattery is wasted," Gary said, still in stitches as he shook his head. But he managed to compose himself long enough to look at Ash properly, and his eyes were shiny and glinting. "Ok, you're stocky. If Misty says so, you are,"
"So?" it was bewildering; Gary had a stupid sense of humour.
"So shouldn't we keep walking?" Brock suggested. "We're nowhere near Pewter City yet,"
"You're right as ever, Brock," Gary nodded eagerly. "Cos you're always right about everything,"
"You're a nasty suck up," Misty said into his ear, smiling.
"I told you, your flattery is wasted," Gary smirked back at her, and the gap between them was small and worrying.
It was cruel and unnecessary punishment; Ash did not need to see tightening gaps forming between a best friend and an arch rival, but here it was for him to look at and worry about anyway.
He tried to distract himself, and started flicking through one of the books he'd volunteered to carry; sucker that he was. It was actually interesting; more than just impressive pictures of long extinct Pokemon. And as Ash started reading, and became more interested, he recalled stuff that Gary had recited in reliable word for word fashion at some point in the past.
The next time he looked properly up, the sky was bright and well into midday, and Pewter Gym was standing in front of them.
"I won't be a minute, I just said I'd pop round on the way," Brock told everyone.
"Doesn't this bring back memories?" Misty nudged Ash.
"Wasn't this where Ash had his ingenious idea?"
"What?" Ash looked at Gary.
"Your ingenious idea, to pit Pikachu against rock. Wow, I wish I could have seen that battle. Brock must have thought you were so stupid,"
"I still won," Ash reminded fiercely. Pikachu fizzled it's cheeks beside him.
"I don't think Pikachu likes you very much," Misty told Gary with some amusement.
"Well," Gary raised his eyebrows, "like trainer, like Pokemon," he looked at Ash.
As they walked through the gym Ash thought about how much he didn't like Gary, and it was confusing and irritating, because sometimes he felt like maybe he didn't dislike Gary at all, like yesterday when Gary had made an effort to be nice to him. Or maybe it hadn't been an effort at all, and he was just being nice.
That was confusing too.
It had been easy when they were kids; things were always simple then. You fell out, and the next day you forgot about it and were playing stupid games, and falling out of trees, and trying to escape a rainstorm or something.
These days things were complicated. And so were people.
"Oh, I think we have company," Misty's voice was weak, and it brought Ash back to attention, along with a feeling of horror. In front of them were nine little spiky haired kids; observing their guests through guarded and slitted eyes.
"They're like mini-Brocks." Gary said, and looked a bit pale.
One of them stepped forwards, his smile devilish. "Are you here to play with us?"
Ash exchanged reluctant glances with Misty, Tracey and Gary.
"Maybe we could just slip out the back and tell Brock we got lost," Gary suggested.
&
Ash's arm was starting to go numb; it seemed an inevitability when there was a screaming kid permanently attached to the end of it.
"I think we should lock Brock's dad in a box. A really tiny box." Misty grumbled in his ear.
"Can it be full of unpleasant things?"
"Oh yes. The unpleasant things are the main feature of the box,"
"Can it have angry Krabby's inside of it?" Tracey asked.
"Yes. And lot's of stinging Tentacruels."
Brock's dad was irresponsible and wayward, as far as Ash was concerned. His friends had always been in wholehearted agreement; except for Brock of course, who was reckless when it came to forgiving people and was just too kindhearted for his own good.
He had apologised profusely through the racketing chorus of hyperactive children;
"Dad's asked me to look after them for an hour or two, just while he goes out for some shopping. I'm really sorry you guys."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say he planned it," Tracey said. He was holding his sketchbook dearly to his chest. Ash couldn't blame him; kids with crayons could be devastating.
"You've been suckered into babysitting," Gary deduced, and seemed to be the only one not very bothered by all the tiny hands that occasionally tugged at limbs and hair. He was too busy rifling through one of his books.
One of the kids, a springy five year old girl with dark hair in bunches, had took particular interest in his books too. There was a tearing sound, and then Gary blinked at her and then at the ruined book scattered all around her.
"I'd like to add things to the box," he said haughtily.
Ash wasn't going to pretend he was very good with kids; he definitely wasn't. Some people might say he was too impatient and bad-tempered to deal with tantrums and people who happened to be smaller and just a little younger than himself, but today he was resolute that he could pretend he was good with kids of all sorts, and he wasn't going to get annoyed that Gary was acting like the perfect babysitter.
"I don't know what he thinks he's doing," Ash told Misty miserably.
She was nursing her Togepi with guarded hands. At least two of the little Brockling's had already tried to steal it off her, and Ash had heard them whispering, and words like "boiled egg" and "tasty" had come up a few times. He'd thought best not to tell her any of that, though.
"What's he doing?" Misty asked. "He's just standing there,"
Gary was just standing there; on the other side of the gym, but he was also stomping his feet and looked like he might be having an overgrown tantrum.
"He's being weird," Ash decided. "The kids are probably terrified of him,"
"Do you really care?" Misty said, wrinkling her nose at her top. It was interesting shades of orange and red and Ash wasn't sure if he wanted to know exactly what it was. "I just can't wait to leave. Can you believe how irresponsible Brock's dad is? Expecting us to drop everything like this,""I don't understand." Ash nodded, trying to work out what Gary was doing; his stomping little tantrum had evolved into a dizzy circling on the spot. He looked ridiculous and Ash wanted to grin.
"They've took it again," Misty said in a tired voice.
"Huh?" Ash blinked, then felt the top of his head with an exasperated sigh. He'd long since given up getting annoyed about losing his hat. Brock's siblings apparently enjoyed seeing him get angry about it, and Misty had advised him to ignore them.
Pikachu had been more diligent, and was currently chasing the thief around the gym with crackling cheeks.
"Maybe we should help Brock more," Misty said guiltily.
Brock was running about with a frying pan, and he looked sort of manic. One of the kids was latched onto his leg and was biting it occasionally.
"He's used to it," Ash decided to assure.
"It's just for another hour or so," Tracey reminded them. He had brightened considerably, and had found he could use his drawing skills as some kind of distraction for the kids. So far they had requested doodles of mutated Slowpokes and mutated Brock with a frying pan.
Peering over the sketchbook, Ash now saw a developing doodle of himself, looking angry and hatless.
"They said you're very funny when you do that," Tracey said, inexplicably pleased with himself.
Ash thought he'd be glad if he never stepped foot in this gym again.
Glancing morosely ahead of him, Gary was still there; performing his strange and demented dance or tantrum or whatever it was.
"I'm going to get my hat back," Ash told nobody in particular.
"I told you to just ignore them. Then they'll get bored." Misty said.
"I'm getting bored waiting. And I need my hat."
Ash wasn't sure why he needed it. He didn't really. And actually he wasn't that bothered about it in that moment. But he didn't really want to try and console Misty and her unpleasantly scented top, and he didn't want to find out how Tracey's unflattering doodle turned out.
With no reasonable logic at all, he found himself walking over to Gary and eyeing him curiously. He still looked ridiculous and crazy, and Ash still definitely wanted to grin.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"What?" Gary hadn't seen him, and he whirled round with a slight stumble. "Oh," his face flashed a snobbish sort of indifference. "It's you."
"What are you doing?" Ash asked again.
"Nothing." Gary said at once. Then; "Stomping. Just stomping."
"Stomping?"
"Yes," Gary put his hands on his hips, "What of it?"
"Um. Nothing. I-"
"I'm ready! Come find me!" there was an excited little voice which seemed to come out of nowhere.
A small and awkward silence followed, and Gary looked sheepish. "Hide and seek,"
"Oh." Ash shuffled his feet, still confused. "What's with the stomping, then?"
Gary looked indignant. "I'm getting into character. I'm a scary Areodactyl and I'm going to eat whoever I happen to find,"
"Oh." Ash said blankly. "Well you don't look very scary. More deranged."
"What would you know?" Gary folded his arms stiffly. "I don't think you have any evidence to say that my Areodactyl impression is less than perfect,"
"Well, uh, I guess not." Ash wasn't really keen on arguing about how Areodactyl-like Gary might be. It was a little silly. "Uh, well. Have you seen my-"
Suddenly a little girl sprang into sight, and Ash remembered her as the girl who'd ripped a page or two out of one of Gary's precious books. She attached herself tightly round Gary's leg.
"You took too long! I got bored!"
Gary looked at her. "You're lousy at this game. And get off my leg." he shook her off, but he was smirking.
She laughed, falling on her backside.
"Her names Suzie and she's very clingy," Gary informed. "I prefer to call her Demon Child. And she's actually very perceptive,"
"Oh," Ash watched Suzie wrap herself round Gary's lithe waist again.
"Is your friend going to play?" she asked, looking at Ash eagerly.
Gary shook his head, "Demon Child, this is Ash. He likes to be stupid most of the time."
Suzie gave Ash a critical look, then giggled. "You're the one who tried to fight my brothers Onix with a Pikachu. That was dumb,"
Gary beamed broadly; "told you she was perceptive."
Ash scowled. "You told her to say that,"
"I wouldn't,"
"You would."
"Ash, I can't help that little kids can recognise a moron when they see one," Gary said apologetically. "And Demon Child is very, very perceptive."
Suzie laughed annoyingly, and then pointed at Ash; "moron!"
"Oh, I think I might have to adopt this kid," Gary said. He looked at Ash properly then, "what happened to your hat?"
Ash bit his lip and watched as Suzie, the new most annoying thing in the world, tugged Gary by the wrist.
"Someone stole it. I'm still trying to find it."
"If I see it I'll laugh. And maybe consider giving it back to you."
"That's amazingly kind of you." Ash said, feeling foolish.
"It's all my pleasure, Ash."
There was nothing disarming in Gary's nature when he said that, but Ash was bizarrely warmed by it. He hated Gary's superior sneer, but often found he could smile at it. That was one of those weird, confusing things.
"Gary? Will you tell me a story about Ash?"
Gary raised his eyebrows; "Demon Child likes you, Ash."
"Tell me about how he was a moron at our gym,"
Gary laughed, and Ash wanted to shout things.
"Please? Tell a story!"
"Well," Gary's expression was not unreluctant, but he was also smiling in a resigned sort of way. "I suppose I could tell you about Ash's amazing fluke victory over your Mighty Brother Brock."
"You won't tell it right!" Ash sat down near to Gary who sighed and looked bored;
"Grampa's told me all about that little episode in your life, Ashy. You shouldn't worry about that,"
"I do worry. You'll be biassed and horrible,"
"Me, biassed?" Gary's eyes were wide with feigned innocence. "I wouldn't dream of it,"
"We'll see," Ash folded his arms and decided to stay. Well, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. And he didn't want Demon Child...Suzie, whatever her name was, going around thinking him a moron.
Gary cleared his throat, amused. "Right. Well kiddies, if you're all sitting comfortably." he raised a smirk at Ash.
"Get on with it."
"Yes," Suzie said impatiently, tugging on his top. "Tell the story!"
"Ok."
Gary was alarmingly good with children, and Ash suspected mind-control might be involved. But then Suzie was biassed, and Ash was pretty sure Gary had already brainwashed her into believing Ash really was an incredible moron.
To be fair to his rival, Gary was reciting Ash's victory over Brock pretty accurately though, except for one or two small things.
"I never went into the gym in my Pikachu Pyjamas," Ash corrected in a venomous way.
"No. But wouldn't it have been funny," Gary said, looking wistful and regretful all at once. Ash thought he was deluded.
"Then Ash the Moron thought he would be clever and cunning. This is when he commanded Pikachu, his ever so faithful and stupidly powerful Electric Pokemon, to battle Brock's fearsome Onix," Gary continued in an unnecessarily dramatic voice.
Suzie was enjoying it all far too much and she laughed riotously; "But electricity is stupid against rock!"
"Yep, that is true," Gary nodded, and gave her a happy pat on the head. "and most of us know this. But remember, Ash is a moron in this story,"
"Shut up," Ash wished his glare might translate into some sort of physical pain.
"You shut up. I'm telling a story."
"Yes. You shut up." Suzie parroted.
Kids were clearly a terrible form of encouragement with Gary, and he beamed and laughed and carried on enthusiastically.
"So Pikachu was defeated by the Onix. Brock was the clear winner, and Ash was the obvious loser."
Loser rolled off his tongue like nothing else, and it served great reminder as to why Gary was a jerk and an asshole and deserved to be eaten by a neglected and bad tempered Snorlax.
Ash just glared more furiously.
"Wait, there's more," Gary interrupted Suzie's disorderly laughter. His glance at Ash was small but noticeable, and maybe a tiny bit sorry. Ash couldn't be sure, he was still too busy glaring furiously.
"What happens next?" Suzie urged.
"Well, since Ash was being so moronic and loser-ish, he needed to think up a new plan pretty quickly. And his Pikachu, being the stupidly powerful mouse that it is, was ready to fight again,"
Ash stopped glaring furiously, and concentrated a bit more on what Gary was saying.
"So Ash had this stupid optimistic determination, which he always seems to have about everything, and he believed his Pikachu could still beat Brock's Mighty Onix. Crazy, I know, but it's all true. So he decided he would challenge Brock to a rematch,"
"Oh, my brother told me about this bit!" Suzie cut in excitedly, "he said the sprinklers came on and Onix got really wet!"
"Exactly," Gary nodded. "Onix was weakened by all the water, and Pikachu was in a perfect position to defeat it,"
Ash winced, and wondered how much more pathetic Gary would make him sound.
"But Ash saw that it wasn't fair, it wouldn't be a very fair victory, so he decided to call it quits and ended the battle before he could defeat the Onix."
Ash was amazed when Gary offered him something like a friendly face before he turned back to Suzie;
"Of course Brock felt very sorry for Ash's kindness and obvious stupidity, so he decided to give him the Boulder badge and thanked him for his kindness, and also told him to promise not to be such a loser in the future. Ash couldn't keep that promise, which is why Brock follows him around to this day, to make sure he doesn't get too moronic for his own good." Gary looked proudly round his little audience. "The End."
"That's...that could have been worse." Ash reflected, still a bit amazed.
"It was hard," Gary nodded sagely. "But I think I managed to keep my bias to a minimum."
Ash half smiled. "I'm very proud of you,"
Gary smiled back at him.
Suzie was frowning and had folded her arms. "What about you?" she demanded, prodding a finger in Gary's chest. "What were you doing when this was happening?"
"Me?" for a little second Gary was taken aback. "Oh. Um. Well I was at the sidelines pointing and laughing and doing what I do best."
Ash wanted to ask what that might be, but Suzie asked for him;
"Were you being cool and awesome?" her tone was hopeful and expectant, and her arms were wrapped about him in a cosy one-way hug. Gary actually looked a little awkward about it all.
"Well, um. I was...kinda being a bit of a jerk."
Ash blinked at him, and Suzie just looked curious.
"Yeah, I'm pretty good at that," Gary's grin was proud, and so was his voice; but Ash saw the wavering emotion in his eyes, usually spiteful and guarded, and now flashing a small hint of regret. It was almost better than any apology, and Ash found himself grinning back at him.
"I think we agree on something," Ash said.
"Shut up, hatless wonder,"
Ash remembered his missing hat in a vague sort of way. It almost didn't matter, and seemed trivial, when he was sitting here and trying to decipher confusing expressions on his rivals face.
He looked friendly and happy when he talked to Suzie, the Demon Child.
It was intriguing and startling to see that Gary might be good with kids. Ash didn't really think of him as anything like that. Thinking about it, he'd always pictured Gary as nothing more than a kid himself, put on a million pedestals at the expense of others and particularly himself.
When Gary laughed with Suzie, and scolded her, and told her not to mess about with his books, he wasn't being a brat, and he was actually a person who resembled maturity.
It was shocking and Ash realised he didn't know very much at all.
"I could have told you that,"
Ash blinked back to attention, and Suzie was pointing at random pictures in a book on Gary's lap. Ash recognised it as the one he'd been reading earlier.
"You're a little know-all, aren't you," Gary said with amusement. He looked at Suzie fondly.
"My brother says I'm important," she said proudly. Then pulled the book out of Gary's hand, along with a few pages. "Oops. I'm sorry,"
Gary stared at the book. "Oh. That's ok." quite contrarily, he looked a little horrified.
Ash couldn't help his laughter, even forcing it behind the palm of his hand. Gary's glare was severe, but quickly resolved into a slyness that made Ash's stomach toss.
"Would you like to hear more stories about Ash the Moron?" he asked Suzie brightly. "I've got thousands to spare. Like just a few days ago, when he decided he'd go outside in the rain and catch a cold."
"Why did he want a cold?" Suzie asked, before Ash could begin a protest.
"Who knows?" Gary shrugged. "Who really knows the way a morons mind works, anyway? It's all part of the enduring mystery of Ash the Moron." he grinned.
"I'll hit you," Ash told him, but didn't think he would.
"He's charming too, isn't he?" Gary nudged Suzie.
She giggled, and was far too young to understand that Gary really was an annoying bastard who needed another black eye very soon. But it didn't stop Ash from getting incredibly frustrated by her as she looped her hand in Gary's. Little kids were annoying and didn't know anything. And they had bad taste in babysitters.
"Tell me about how Ash got his cold," she said.
"Ok. But I have to warn you. It's full of scary things, like giant Tentacools and large amounts of snot. You might have nightmares,"
"I won't! Promise!"
Gary pretended to consider, but a devious grin was fighting it's way onto his face. Ash shuddered and knew that any story involving his own snot and hallucinary visions was never going to put him in a good light.
"Wait-how about another story," he improvised desperately.
Gary looked at him with interest; "what story?"
"Um, you know. What about that time when it was raining and thundering? And we had to try and get home?"
He wasn't sure, maybe he'd been reminded of the memory because he'd run out into the rain only a few days ago, but it had always been vivid and alive in his mind anyway, since the day it had happened.
And he wasn't even sure if Gary remembered.
"You remember that?" Gary was staring at him, and for once his expression was all shock, no room for obnoxious gleams.
"Well, yeah." Ash was embarrassed. He looked at his hands, and suddenly wished Gary was talking about flu, and embarrassing him with stupid hallucinations.
"I want to hear that story," Suzie said at once.
"Well," Gary's voice was hesitant. Ash didn't want to catch his expression, it might be too embarrassing. "Sure, I can tell you that,"
Looking up at him, Ash saw Gary's attention was all for Suzie, and all Ash could do now was listen, and find out how Gary remembered it.
They had both been seven at the time. Ash remembered that because it had been little over a week since his birthday and he'd been given a bright red new bike. It was still a little smaller than Gary's; which was silver and cooler, just like everything else Gary seemed to have, and everything he was.
"He couldn't ride very well," Gary noted unnecessarily. "He needed stabilisers for ages,"
That was true, Ash reluctantly admitted.
It had also been raining, and they'd biked up to the top of a muddy slope, where on the other side, at the bottom, was a lounging Slowbro. It had been an amazing sight for Ash, because he'd never seen one before.
They both decided they would sit and wait for it to approach, and Ash remembered mud and rainwater filling up his boots and starting to sneeze.
"Soon we were trapped on this big slope," Gary said in a casual manner. "The water surrounded us, and it was like we were on a little island. The Slowbro had swam off."
"It was scary. I thought we'd drown," Ash added.
"And my bike was getting really wet," Gary said importantly.
Suzie looked between them with wide eyes; "What did you do?"
"Nothing." Gary said bluntly.
Ash blinked at him, and wanted to disagree.
Because Nothing had seemed like so much more to Ash. He remembered, when they were doing Nothing, they had talked. He remembered they had talked about stupid things, which didn't really mean anything, even placed in the moment they had existed. Just pointless small talk. But Ash had been terrified, and cold and wet, and sure he was going to die. And Gary had just talked to him, and made things a little bit better.
"We just sat there. For a little while, anyway," Gary continued. "And waited, hoping the water would go down. Then it started to thunder and the rain got harder,"
Unconsciously Ash clenched his fists. He remembered sensations and everything; thick wet mud sucking up his feet, and then stumbling and staggering and being scared out of his mind. And he remembered Gary had been there, and he had held onto his wrist. It had been an iron grip that had kept him close and had stopped him from drowning, he knew.
"We managed to get out of it," Gary said dismissively. "We had to swim across this flooded ditch and leave our bikes behind, though,"
Ash remembered finding it hard to keep his head above cold water, and choking and coughing a lot. And leaning onto a secure body a lot.
"I miss that bike," Gary lamented mournfully. "It was silver and cool."
Ash stared; "we nearly drowned,"
"The bikes drowned."
Ash opened his mouth to argue, but found Gary wasn't even looking at him anymore. It was bewildering and strange. Maybe Gary didn't remember the same thing he had...but that wasn't right. This wasn't the sort of thing that had happened all the time. Ash hadn't found himself clinging to life against tides of water very often as a little kid, that was for certain.
"Weren't you scared?" he asked finally, as though that might make Gary remember a bit more.
"I had a cold for a few weeks afterwards," Gary said instead, with no sort of emotion at all. He was looking back down at his book, and Suzie was too.
"Well, isn't this a nice sight," Tracey said, two Brockling's in tow and both with eyes only for the sketchpad still held rather tight in his hand. "I didn't think you two would get one of these kids to sit and be quiet," he gestured to Suzie.
"It's a hard job, but someone has to keep him under control," Gary patted Ash's head. "how are you getting along? Is your sketchbook still in one piece?"
"Just about," Tracey said, but still looked round suspiciously at his miniature stalkers.
"I can't say I'm surprised," Gary said. "You're in your element with little kids, interacting with people on your own intellectual level,"
"Well I've had plenty of practise with you,"
"Not funny," Gary pouted, and then lifted his book; "look what the Demon Child did. She broke it. Can you believe it?"
"Good. One less of the things to lug about to Mount Moon,"
Gary looked insulted; "you should leave now. You're interrupting a very interesting story about rain and floods and things. And it's private. So go away. Please."
Tracey shook his head, grinning wryly. "Well I wasn't planning on stopping to listen, though I'm sure it's all very interesting." he seemed to look between Ash and Gary especially, with some kind of amusement. "I just came to tell you Flint is back."
&
Flint was deeply apologetic and also a terrible cook, as he juggled charred plates of food onto a long wooden table.
"I'm real sorry, you guys. If I'd known it'd take so long I would have gotten a sitter."
Along the table were all nine of Brocks brothers and sisters, and they were all digging into burnt food with watery eyes. Occasionally Ash cast them shady glances, wondering which one still had a hold of his hat.
On either side of him were Misty and Gary, although in that moment Ash would have liked none of them to be there. Misty's top definitely smelled of sick, and Gary's latest fangirl Suzie the Demon Child had attached herself to his side and refused to shut up.
"Suzie, don't eat with your mouth full," Flint told her, and she settled for sulking a bit after that. Gary's assuring smile brightened her up though, and Ash saw no reason why it wouldn't. It was a nice smile.
Flint continued to apologise, until Tracey; who was always good at defusing an awkward situation, interrupted and insisted on telling him about Clefairies. After that the table fell into quiet chatter, because certainly nobody really wanted to eat the food they'd been given.
"Is this potato or cabbage?" Misty whispered, her fork wedged and quite stuck into an unidentifiable round object.
"It's a lump." Gary said unhelpfully. "A lump of black." he concluded, and proceeded in popping his own lump of black in his mouth.
"What does it taste like?" Misty asked cautiously.
"Like...like...burning."
Tracey patted him on the back before he choked.
Brock muttered a sincere apology in their direction, and said something about wanting to domesticate dad and let him learn how to cook.
Ash would never understand how patient Brock was with his dad, and he guessed he just couldn't relate. He couldn't know what it felt like to see his dad after so many years; he didn't even know his own dad.
Gary was still faintly choking at his side. Still caught in thoughts about fathers who were never there, Ash didn't think twice about giving him a gentle pat on the back.
"Thanks," Gary murmured, and grabbed a glass of water with grateful hands.
Ash swallowed down something that tasted like gelled lava and found his thoughts wandering onto his rival, as they so often did.
Gary didn't have a dad either. Or a mom. It almost tethered them together into some kind of familiarity, and if Ash thought hard enough he could remember faded memories. Something that happened so long ago it might have all been a dream if he didn't know it was true already.
He thought he could remember Gary's parents if he tried hard enough, but then he couldn't be sure if he was just animating them from the photos he'd seen in Professor Oak's lab.
And Gary had never talked about his mom or dad, and it was unlikely he even remembered them properly. He had been very young when they died, and he never talked about it anyway.
"I think I might be sick," Gary whimpered.
"Don't be rude," Misty hissed.
"But black lumps don't agree with my stomach."
"Well they'll just have to get along today,"
Gary shut up after that, and Ash almost marvelled at the effect Misty seemed to have on him. Almost. There was nothing wonderful about noticing Gary might like Misty, and Misty might like him, after all.
Flint continued to be an apologetic host until Brock announced they should probably be going. Outside, the sky was already beginning to dim into late afternoon, and nobody but Gary was enthusiastic that they'd get to Mount Moon before nightfall. But that didn't matter because Gary was crazy.
"Will you give me an Areodactyl, when you get back?" Suzie asked him, and gave him a little kiss on the cheek.
"Of course I will, Demon Child. I'll give you an Areodactyl and an Omanyte and a Kabuto and whatever else I find. And there will be lots of it,"
"Setting your hopes a little high, aren't you?" Ash observed.
"Only a loser would say that,"
Ash pulled a face, and pulled an even bigger one when Tracey handed him the sketch of himself running after his hat. Gary snorted over his shoulder and looked perfectly malicious.
"It's such a good likeness, too."
"Shut up,"
"Never mind. And look; I got your stupid hat back," Gary pressed it into Ash's hand. "Aren't I wonderful?"
"Where was it?" Ash asked, unable to contain his surprise.
"Suzie had it all along. I told her to hide it when she saw you coming." he looked incredibly pleased with himself. "So, aren't I perfectly wonderful?"
"No. You're perfectly horrible." Ash said, and walked off.
&
Misty was much less horrible than Gary, and plus she'd finally got round to changing her top. Ash later found out it had been carrot juice and not sick at all, anyway, but she wasn't proving the greatest of company. Anyone who dared decide that Gary looked "cute" with all his books and dorky ideas was pretty bad company in Ash's book, as it happened.
"He's still a cocky jerk, and he's stupid if he thinks he'll actually find something," she had added, restoring some of Ash's faith in her at least.
"He hid my hat," he told her.
Misty stared at him and then laughed. Ash couldn't see what might even be slightly funny about that.
"He thought it was funny too."
"Oh, but he gave it back," Misty pointed out, trying to hide giggles. Then she studied Ash, and it made him feel a little irritated. "You looked nice without the hat, you know."
"Oh?" Ash murmured, not really won over by the comment. Misty was kind and always good at making him feel better about little things. "do you think that's what Gary thought too? That's why he stole the hat?"
"Maybe," Misty turned her attention to Togepi. "It was nice of him if that was his intention, wasn't it?"
"Mm." Ash grunted, non-committal. He didn't want to consider how Gary had the nobility to steal his hat and then give it back to him, although he did feel like telling Misty to just marry Gary and get the fawning fangirl routine over with.
They kept walking, and all the while Ash was aware of his cold, which had definitely not gone away. It made him feel irritated and sleepy, and think about things which shouldn't really matter to him.
He listened to Gary, who mostly raved about the Demon Child to Brock, since he had perfected the art of being a suck-up now. And Ash considered what Cute meant, and decided that Gary wasn't it, and he was just an annoying person whose backpack was much too big for his stupid scrawny body.
Tracey eventually told them they should stop and camp out for the night, and Ash was only happy to; he was exhausted. Gary sulked and moaned and told them that Mount Moon was only a few feet over the next sloping hill.
"Well I'm not going over another damn hill tonight," Tracey informed him, and set about lightning a fire before he could protest anymore.
Ash sat opposite Gary, whose hair seemed to glow a burnt copper against firelight, and cast erratic shadows all over his pale face. Misty sat nearby, her head hidden by a book.
"What are you reading?" Gary asked her.
"Nothing that you'll be interested in, I'm sure." But she flashed the cover to him anyway.
"Eurgh. A romance novel?"
"It's Ash's moms." Misty said, blushing faintly.
Gary didn't seem to catch her embarrassment, "I think it's very cute."
Misty's blush deepened. If she hadn't spoken so indignantly earlier, about how much she still considered him a jerk, Ash would have suspected otherwise, and might have thought about setting fire to Gary round about now.
As it was, he could only stare harshly at his rival, who had taken to grinning at Misty through hooded and idle eyes. He was a stupid flirt and Ash couldn't stand it.
"Has anyone got any good stories?" Tracey asked. "Scary ones, I mean?"
"Gary's good at stories," Ash said, recalling the messed up version of how they'd gotten stuck in the rain and the lightning. "stories that don't make sense about bikes that drown,"
Gary ignored him. "how about that one time Ash won a Gym badge? That was pretty scary. Scary and unexpected."
Ash strove to ignore him as well. Everyone was looking at him, and they probably wanted to know what drowning bikes were all about. He cleared his throat; "well...how about the time I went to the Ghost Tower, and met the ghost Pokemon?"
"Ghost Pokemon aren't scary," Gary looked at Ash, "I've got a couple, myself. And they're perfectly friendly."
"I know that," Ash gritted his teeth. He folded his arms and turned away from the fire, sick of everything to do with Gary Oak, who wasn't scared of anything, and never got scared of drowning, or ghosts or...or anything.
"Some ghost Pokemon aren't so friendly." Brock pointed out, if only to keep peace. It was like a timeshare between he and Tracey these days.
Ash turned back to face the group.
"Do you mean that time with the stone maiden?"
"Yeah." Brock looked grim. "I can't believe I fell for a rock girl."
Gary grinned, "didn't it work out?"
"Not really." Brock seemed to shudder, then he looked glum. "I don't have any luck with girls."
Nobody talked much about Brock's love life, because it was horrendous and usually nonexistent, and also because of that one time with Professor Ivy, which nobody knew very much about and anybody with any sense of tact never brought it up in front of Brock.
Of course Gary had no sense of tact at all, and was also incredibly rude.
"I think Professor Ivy's crazy. You'd be a perfect boyfriend."
Everyone expected Brock to go and shrivel up in a corner, but Brock just eyed Gary curiously; "Am I?"
"Yes," Gary nodded certainly. "You have plenty of younger brothers and sisters. Girls like that in a guy. It shows that you're...um...sensitive. Or something,"
"Is that right?" Misty peered over her book, and looked amused.
"That's what I hear," Gary nodded at her, then said morosely; "but what do I know? I'm not very good at that sort of thing either," he gave Brock a sympathetic glance, and Ash just stared, completely shocked.
Gary was cocky and self-assured and believed he was the greatest creature to ever walk the earth. Ash couldn't see why Gary would have any problems when it came to girls.
And he was good looking.
The flippant thought, which had come to life so suddenly in the back of his mind, made Ash feel like he might be blushing. He was glad that there was a warm fire in front of him.
"I don't believe that," Brock said, "what about all your cheerleaders?"
Gary looked scandalised; "what about them?!"
"Didn't you like any of them?"
"No. I don't think so,"
Ash blew out a sceptical sigh. He couldn't believe that Gary could be so obnoxious, especially in front of Brock, who was always starved of female affection as it was.
"Well what are they there for, then?" he asked. "To feed your ego?"
Gary's eyes glinted, and he looked stung; "No. They were my sisters friends, actually. She made them come with me," he was hurt, Ash realised.
"Oh. Well. I didn't know."
"Well now you do. Isn't that great?" Gary's voice was frosty, and he cleared his throat and turned back to Brock;"anyway, they're all gone now. But I'm still in touch with them, with my sister and everything. Maybe I could get a number for you?"
Brock's slitted eyes momentarily became wide orbs; "that would be amazing,"
"Why did you get rid of them?" Ash wasn't sure why he had to ask; maybe he just couldn't stand Gary turned away from him, deliberately ignoring him like that.
Gary looked at him warily. "You should know."
Ash shook his head.
Gary didn't appear to want to tell Ash anything, and his expression was cynical and suspicious as he spoke;
"After everything that happened at Viridian City, if you remember,"
Ash remembered clearly. It had been a few years ago now, but he knew he'd never forget being frightened in Viridian Gym, and thinking Gary might be really hurt.
"I got rid of the cheerleaders not long after that, cos I couldn't risk them getting hurt again," Gary said slowly.
Ash nodded. It made sense now, but he guessed he hadn't really thought much of the cheerleaders at the time.
Gary was still faintly glaring at him, and his lip curled; "I didn't hire them. Do you think I'm such an idiot? They're just people...my sister didn't want...she never wanted me to go alone,"
Ash kept nodding, feeling guilty and stupid all at once.
"That must have been scary," Misty said. Her book was completely discarded and she was watching Gary in a way Ash wanted to, but thought he might look stupid if he did.
"Yeah. It really was," he blinked up and his face faltered in attempts at aloofness, and it reminded Ash that Gary maybe wasn't completely arrogant, and had shreds of real emotion somewhere inside of him.
"That's when you saw that Pokemon, isn't it?" Tracey said tentatively. He placed a gentle hand on Gary's shoulder, and then Ash realised that they must have had so many different conversations that Ash knew nothing about.
Gary frowned at the fire, and nodded. "I keep trying to remember...trying to think what it might be. Whatever it was, it was powerful."
"I bet it would have been fun to sketch," Tracey sighed, like he was considering a little Pichu.
Gary raised his head, and when he looked at Tracey he was grinning. He lightly slapped away Tracey's hand; "I'd pay to see you trying to draw that thing, Tracey,"
Tracey laughed. "You'd be surprised. I'm very adaptable to whatever Pokemon I'm drawing."
"Can you draw something whilst running for your demented life?" Gary enquired, quite amused.
"I've had practise, with crazy Ponyta, remember. And I can always sell it off as a surrealist piece," Tracey seemed to be seriously pondering the idea. "A bit like that time I attempted to sketch a Gyrados. It all ended up a bit messy."
"How did it turn out?" Misty asked.
"I tried to sell it off as water-water colour. Nobody was interested and most people laughed,"
"I remember that," Gary stretched and yawned; "I helped with the laughing bit,"
Tracey grinned, and near to Ash Brock sighed very heavily. The fire was dying and everyone was becoming dark outlines against nighttime.
"Don't worry, Brock. Girls are crazy, anyway," Tracey told him.
Brock sighed again; lighter and with a soft laugh.
"And they read silly romance novels that make no sense," Gary said.
"Romance books are soppy." Ash was compelled to add.
"You're the most hopeless romantics in the world," Misty's voice was wistful and despairing in the darkness.
"Is that why you want to go to Mount Moon?" Gary asked. "Because it's so romantic?""Yes. And what's wrong with that?"
Ash saw Gary's head shake briefly; his spiky hair looked sharp mixed with the dark sky. "Nothing,"
Then he moved backwards and Ash looked around, and realised everyone was lying down, and he was just sitting there, shivering a bit in front of the remains of fire.
Near to him, Misty yawned, her head moving into the pillow of her sleeping bag; "just you wait, one day you'll be romancing every girl you set eyes on."
Brock laughed; "Yeah. Just ask me. I know all the tricks."
Gary smirked and lay down. He glanced at Ash, and then turned away, so all Ash could see was a huddled sleeping bag. "Don't ask Brock. Your love life will suffer a premature death."
Misty sighed. "Don't ask any boys. Boys are stupid and know nothing."
"Thanks Misty." Ash mumbled. And he waited for a little while, half expecting, half hoping that Gary might say something too. But after a little while, when nobody said anything at all, Ash decided he must have gone to sleep.
He stared at the black sky, soft breathing all around him. Pikachu was near, and it was warm and comforting and reminded him that he was a Pokemon Trainer. He began to wonder when he and Gary might battle, and then he went to sleep.
&&&
I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story so far! It's wonderful getting feedback, and mostly more wonderful than writing :D
And very sorry, the Brockling thing just happened. I get sidetracked by his cute little siblings and all the drama that comes with it. Brock is adorable and I love him! Also I was inspired by a recent babysitting duty with my neighbours two terrible and endearing children. But look- we're nearing the horizon which is Mount Moon! Things happen soon! ;)
I hope you'll keep reading and reviewing! And Happy Holidays!
-Lil Bandit xxx
credit- "Like...like...burning." -disembodied quote from The Simpsons' Ralph- "It tastes like burning!"