Okay, so… This chapter's probably leaning more towards AlmostStraightShipping, but I thought is was a funny idea.

So, don't know what AlmostStraightShipping is? Well…

Story of Gary (PalletShipping)

"Why am I doing this now?" Ash asked as Tracey fixed the bow.

The bow he was wearing on his…dress.

"Because the Professor is meeting up with a good friend of his and he has a daughter who is very uncomfortable around boys," Tracey explained. "You've crossdressed before. This should be like second nature."

"I've only crossdressed four times!" Ash tried to argue, but it definitely didn't work. Tracey stared at him.

"Really? I thought you only did once…"

"Err! I-I mean…!"

"…Four times?"

"…" Ash blushed.

"Listen, just play as 'Ashley' for a few hours and we'll be fine. You'll make a little girl happy."

"Yeah, the highlight of my day…"

Tracey chuckled as he put a long blonde wig on Ash's head. "Perfect! She won't even know the difference."

"Why couldn't my mom just come over?" Ash asked.

"Your mom is busy with cleaning the house. You know that."

"…Anyway…" Ash frowned. "Let's go to the kitchen. I'm hungry."

Ash and Tracey made their way through the lab and into the kitchen, where they ran into Gary.

"Oh," Gary was rummaging through the refrigerator. He pulled out the orange juice. "Hey, Tracey." He then made a questionable face. "Who's that?"

Ash jumped. Gary was referring to him.

"U-um…" Ash blushed, not wanting to reveal that it was really him under the wig. Gary would make fun of him forever; Ash would never hear the end of it.

But…did Gary really not notice that it was him under the wig?

Tracey caught on and grinned. "Gary, this is Ashley!"

"Gack—!" Ash exclaimed.

"Ashley?" Gary blinked. "O-oh. Hello, Ashley." He put down the orange juice and held out his hand. "I'm Gary Oak."

"U-um, h-hello…" Ash spoke in his most girlish tone, still shocked that Gary didn't realize it was him. He took his rival's hand and shook it. Gary grinned.

"So, are you a friend of Tracey's?"

"Y-yes!" Ash nodded. "I-I'm just here to, um, see Tracey! I was in the neighborhood, y'know?"

"Really?" Gary looked confused. "Where are you from?"

Ash and Tracey turned pale. Ash already made it apparent that 'she' was a friend of Tracey's, but also made it sound like 'Ashley' wasn't from around here. Crap.

"T-those details aren't important!" Tracey waved his arms. "Why don't you two go get to know each other outside?"

"H-huh?" Ash gasped in his normal tone. "I-I mean—!" Back to 'Ashley's' voice. "W-what are you talking about, Tracey?" Ash had no idea what Tracey was thinking.

So he had no way of knowing that Tracey was being a cunning bastard.

"Go on, Ashley! The Professor's friend won't be here for another hour or so!" Tracey pushed Ash toward Gary, causing both of them to blush.

"F-fine!" Ash didn't know what was going on, but decided to roll with it. "Let's go, Gary!"

"O-okay…" Gary walked out of the kitchen with who he had no idea was really Ash.

Tracey giggled as he watched them leave. He put the orange juice back in the fridge. "Gary totally was crushing on 'Ashley,' haha!"

He certainly was getting a kick out of this.

What the hell was Tracey thinking? Ash thought as he walked alongside Gary behind the lab. They made their way across the field toward a giant oak tree, where they sat down.

Not so much next to each other. Ash tried to scoot as far away from Gary as possible without him noticing.

He couldn't understand why Tracey would think it would be a good idea to hang out with Gary while he was 'Ashley.' What if Gary found out? Ash was thinking of every possible way to escape.

"Ashley, is everything okay?"

"Eep!" Ash almost forgot he was with Gary…which didn't make much sense, considering that was what Ash was fretting about. "U-um, I'm fine…"

"So, Ashley…" Gary twiddled his thumbs. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Gack—!" Ash nearly choked…on nothing. How was that even possible? "U-um, no… I don't like boys yet," Ash hated having to say yet. He didn't like boys. He didn't even like girls!

"Oh…" Gary sounded upset.

What is up with him? I've never seen him act like this before… Ash thought. It was rather strange for Gary to be acting this way. But the only thing Ash ever really saw Gary as was being a jerk.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Gary could be nice, when he wanted to be. Which isn't very often with Ash.

Was there a reason for that? Ash shook his head.

Of course not.

"Huh…" Gary spoke up again. "That's too bad. But I probably shouldn't even be asking that, anyway. I already…like someone else."

"Gack—!" Ash just connected the pieces. Gary was crushing on Ashley. "S-seriously?" He tried to keep it cool. Besides, Gary said he liked someone else anyway. Time for some prying. "Y-you like somebody?"

"Yeah. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but…I guess you kinda remind me of him."

"HIM?" Ash said much too loudly in his regular voice. He then slapped his hands over his mouth when Gary stared at him. He adjusted his voice again."I-I mean, him? He's a boy?"

"Yeah…" Gary scratched the back of his head nervously. "I don't like to admit it since I have a lot of fangirls, but…I like a boy."

"…T-that's fine! I'm not judgmental…" Lie. Ash definitely had something to use against Gary now! Perfect.

"Thanks. You just…look a lot like him. It's odd…"

"Huh?" Ash paused. "I do?"

"Yeah…"

"Who is he? Maybe I know him."

"Well, if you're a friend of Tracey's, you might…"

"Who is it?"

"…Ash Ketchum."

Ash blushed. Gary liked…him? Really? No, that couldn't be…

Gary liked him.

…

Gary liked him.

"Ashley, promise you won't tell anyone."

"…I-I promise…" Ash had no idea what to say. It just seemed surreal.

But what came next was even more Farfetch'd than that.

"Hey, Ashley."

"W-what is it?" Ash turned his head…

…Where his lips collided with Gary's.

Ash's face was hotter than Stark Mountain. Gary was not kissing Ashley, but…Ash.

And Gary didn't know it!

Gary released 'Ashley's' lips and turned his head in...embarrassment?

"Sorry about that," he said calmly. "Most girls would go crazy for a kiss from me. But, that's beside the point."

"W-w-w-what d-did you j-just do th-that for?" Ash stuttered uncontrollably.

"For some reason, kissing you made me feel like I was kissing Ash. I don't know… Maybe someday I will get to kiss his lips," Gary chuckled and got up from the ground. "I-I should probably get going. I have to make a delivery to Viridian soon… G-goodbye, Ashley!" Gary waved before rushing back toward the lab.

Which left 'Ashley' to release steam from 'her' ears like a Torkoal.

"W-w-what the hell just happened?" Ash couldn't piece this puzzle together at all. Gary liked Ash, then decided to kiss 'Ashley' just because 'she' looked like him? What?

And now how would Ash see Gary, knowing that he liked him?

But that kiss…did Ash enjoy that? He'd never kissed anyone before. Nor did he ever think it would be with his childhood friend, who was a guy.

But he was 'Ashley' right now. Did that justify anything?

…No, it just made it that much more confusing.

What do I think of Gary? Ash thought. I mean, he is just a friend, right? That's all Gary is…

Right?

When Tracey spotted 'Ashley' returning back to the lab, he chuckled. "So, Ashley, how did it go?" he joked.

Ash giggled. "'Ashley' just told Ash a secret that he liked."

"Huh?" Tracey pondered that while Ash continued chuckling while walking through the lab.

If I see Gary later, Ash thought, I'll just tell him that Ashley told me a secret…but only because she knows I like him, too.