“Ash,” Brock said, placing his hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eye, “You’re in love with Misty.”
There was a short silence, which was quickly broken by “WHAT?” Brock had expected this kind of reaction though, and he was completely prepared for it. After all, he had had six years of travelling with Ash to concoct a perfect answer to this.
“I figured you’d see it that way. But before you get all angry, could you tell me why you’re blushing?”
“I err…um -”
“Exactly.”
“But how can you be so sure? No offense, but you aren’t really the best authority on relationships.”
Brock stood up suddenly, his face hot from embarrassment.
“I’ll have you know, Ash, that I am only rejected on a daily basis because evidently I am just too good for any one woman to have!” He grinned mischievously. “But I do have ways of telling if other people are in love.”
He sat down again, and Pikachu jumped up and down in excitement.
“Close your eyes, Ash,” he said, and reluctantly, Ash did so. “Empty your mind of all thoughts. Although that won’t take long, he mused inwardly.
“But Brock, I -”
“Look, I’m trying to help you here. This method is absolutely foolproof. Admittedly I’ve only tried it once, and the girl I tried it on nearly slapped my face off, but hey, Gary says it works.”
Ash groaned. The last person he wanted to think about at the moment was Gary and his entourage of cheerleaders that would cry whenever he lost a battle.
“Picture yourself in Maiden’s Peak,” Brock began, “the festival is over, but you’re still there by yourself. Suddenly you see Misty walking towards you. She’s wearing a pink silk kimono with flower patterns like the one she wore last time we were there, and her hair is down. When she reaches you, what do you say?”
“Err, ‘Hi Misty’?”
“No, after that!” Brock’s patience was wearing thin. Nevertheless, he managed to remain calm.
“I suppose I’d tell her how beautiful she looked,” Ash said sheepishly, a fresh blush crawling up his cheeks.
“You walk in a comfortable silence towards a balcony, where you stand gazing at the stars. Misty rests her head on your shoulder and puts her hand on top of yours. Do you shake her off?”
The 16 year old Pokémon trainer looked at the ground, then at Pikachu, and then back to Brock. He placed his hand behind his head in embarrassment – an annoying habit he had picked up over the last 6 years.
“No, I wouldn’t shake her off!” He exclaimed, “What kind of friend do you think I am?”
“Except Misty doesn’t see it as just a friendly action,” Brock said, leaving Ash confused. He rolled his eyes and continued. “She tightens her grip on your hand, causing you to turn and look at her. You stare into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, and then Misty starts to move her head closer to yours, her eyes slowly fluttering shut the closer to you she gets. Do you back away?”
“No,” Ash admitted, now fully immersed in the fantasy Brock had created.
“O-Okay,” Brock said, surprised at Ash’s honesty, “You shut your eyes and feel her lips press against yours, as you both experience your first kiss.” Ash suddenly felt a warm sensation dancing along his spine, which made him shiver slightly, causing Brock to chuckle to himself quietly. Pikachu, at this point, had to gag himself with his tail to stop himself erupting into fits of laughter.
“Eventually, you break apart, but just before you open your eyes, you hear Misty whispering the words ‘I love you Ash’ into your ear. How do you react?”
Ash froze. He had heard enough. He opened his eyes suddenly detaching himself from the images of Maiden’s Peak, and of Misty. He turned to Brock, who was awaiting his answer curiously, and then realisation hit him. “Oh my God,” Ash said, a look of shock on his face, “I love Misty Waterflower.”
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