Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Brock's Love: Maiden of the Dastardly Dr. Rage ❯ Five: Marco! POLO!! lol ( Chapter 5 )

Here's the next installment, people! And here's a shout out to Rosey, who reviewed 4 times somehow… Thanks!!

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own pokemon…

Claimer: Liz, Dr. Rage and Dr. Sanura are all mine!! MINE MINE MINE!!! And I based Percy's character on my own cat, Daymon, so NYAH!! =^o__-^=

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Brock had just finished packing up his tent. His mind, however, was on other things. `What was up with Liz last night? Even after she fell asleep she was shaking…' He glanced her way. She was stretching out in the warm morning sun.

"Ah, it's always so lovely after it rains!" she said to no one in particular. "I should let my pokemon out for some exercise." She reached behind her and pulled out three pokeballs. "Come out, everybody!" Liz released her Pidgeotto, Wooper, and Arcanine. Brock noticed Wooper almost immediately, because he was a bright shade of lavender, instead of blue. Pidgeotto was also very distinguishable with one leg missing and a bright patch of short yellow feathers on his head. `All of her pokemon are so different,' he thought. But they seemed just fine; even Pidgeotto was hopping about with the others happily. Brock decided to let it go and pulled out some granola from his pocket to munch on as Liz got an apple from her bag.

They had been walking along very quietly since lunch. After Liz complimented Brock on his sandwiches, there didn't seem to be anything else to talk about. And the radio wasn't getting a decent signal so all they would get was static and opinion talk channels. Yuck. Brock looked at Liz from the corner of his eye. She was walking along peacefully beside him. `I need to ask her…'

"H-hey, Liz?"

"Yeah, Brock?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what was really wrong last night?" He turned his head to face her.

She looked uneasy. "Whaddya mean?" She wouldn't even look at him.

"Well, when you jumped into my tent," Brock explained, trying to keep focused. "You seemed scared, like you had seen a ghost or something."

Liz swallowed hard. "I'm, uh, just afraid of thunder," She stammered. "Yeah! That's it! I'm afraid of thunder!"

"Oh," Brock said, knowing it was a lie. `Well, if she won't tell me, I can't really force her to,' he thought to himself.

"Hey! Look," Liz said, happy to have found something to change the topic. "It's a lake! Let's go for a swim," she said, "my Wooper could use a good swim."

Brock looked at his watch. `Well, it is getting late… But the Pokemon Center is only about a half hour from here; we're making good time.' "Okay, sounds cool!" ~*~

Liz splashed around as Wooper swam quick circles around her. `She's having fun,' Brock said as he sat on the grass, with only his feet in the water. It was a little too cold for him.

"Hey, Brocko! Come race with us!" Liz yelled.

"Uh, that's okay, Liz, it's a bit to cold for my liking," Brock yelled back. He was fine just watching Liz have fun… in her bathing suit…

"Oh, okay then!" She said. She swam out a bit farther with Wooper and whispered into his ear. She wore a sly smile as Wooper nodded and ducked underwater. Brock was not liking this. `She's up to something…' He thought. But before he could move, Wooper popped up in front of him and doused him with water gun.

"AHH! P-plaplah!" Brock was soaked now in the water that wasn't as cold as he thought. "Hey! No fair!"

Liz was out towards the middle of the lake, laughing hysterically. Tears came to her eyes as she clutched her aching gut. It was just so funny!! So funny, in fact, Liz hadn't noticed that Brock had disappeared. Wooper sat on top of her head (once she stopped laughing like a loon) as she scanned the area. `Did I offend him?' she worried. "Brock? Brock!" she yelled through cupped hands as she turned in every direction. Liz was really starting to freak out, when suddenly, she was swept off the lake bottom.

"KYAAA!!" She was up in the air!

"MY turn!!"

And, just like that, she fell back into the water with a SPLASH!! Vulpix and Persian looked at each other in an `Oh brother' sort of way.

Liz bolted back up to the surface and gasped for air. Her wet hair was completely covering her face. She could have made a great "Cousin It" if she wanted to. She parted her hair and pushed it back. Now she was giving a death glare to the boy in front of her, who was currently the one laughing hysterically. She took one step towards him, halting all laughter.

"This. . . Is. . . WAR!!" Liz shouted as she jumped on Brock, taking him underwater. After knocking him down, she tried to swim away, but Brock would have none of it. He quickly grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her out of the water. Liz countered with a splash to the face. It continued on that way: splash, dunk, splash, chase, dunk, until they were both out of breath. They declared a truce and sat down on the edge of the lake to dry off.

"That was so much fun!" Liz said from under the shirt she was pulling over her head.

"Are you kidding me? It was a blast!" Brock chuckled as he pulled on his pants and tucked in his shirt. `Well, she enjoys my company, at least. . . Maybe I should ask her another question.'

"You know," Brock started, "Being a wanderer must get pretty lonely. I mean, even with a Pokemon, there's no one really to talk to."

Liz lifted her pants. "Y-yeah. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it," she joked. Her smile faded as she continued. "I don't really have a reason to stop, just more reason to keep going."

Brock watched as she put on her jacket. `Here's my chance!' "Well, why don't I become your reason?" Liz stopped and stared at him like he had grown an extra head. Brock panicked. "W-well, you know, it just sounds to me as if you're running away from something."

Liz's expression quickly became defensive. "I-I-I am NOT running away from anything! I am NOT a coward!" she said, maybe a little louder than necessary.

`That's it. She's running away from something, or someone,' thought Brock.

"Besides," Liz continued, "even if I were, sometimes. . . Running away is your only hope." Liz pulled her jacket up around her neck as she looked away from Brock.

"Well, if you *were* running away, it's no way to deal with your troubles." Brock walked over to Liz and put an arm around her shoulders. "If all you do is run, you'll miss out on the good things." He gave her shoulders a squeeze before releasing her. "Well, it'll be dark soon," Brock said, taking a few steps. "If we hurry we can make it to the Pokemon Center before then."

Liz couldn't say anything. Brock was right and she knew it. How had it taken her almost two years to realize these things? She couldn't run forever, and maybe traveling with Brock was a good idea. `Maybe. . .' She thought as she and Persian caught up with Brock and Vulpix.

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Cool, huh? Well, I think so! Okay, we're bringing back some old friends in the next chapter, and it's gonna be a blast!! And don't forget: review, review, review!!! =^n___n^= Reviews make YamiNeko HAPPY!!