Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Unknown ❯ Veiling Discomfiture ( Chapter 2 )

Unknown

By: Chibi-Suiko

A/N: Saturday morning everybody! A day that smells like roses through all the stinky brussel sprouts in my opinion. YuGiOh, Beyblade, Teen Titans, and PKMN to look forward to! And plenty of time to bitch about-May--*Shudders involuntarily* while I dream about more AAMRN existance and continue my works in progress.

Summary: A small piece taking place after the end of the PKMN 2000 movie. It'll start off with a conversation between Melody and Misty and maybe get into a little more AAMRN later on. I'm not sure whether it'll be a one-shot or a chapterized fic but it doesn't matter now any way!

Dedication: ... ... ... ... I got nuthin'... ... ... ...

Disclaimer: Though it pains me to admit it, I went bankrupt and was forced to sell my work of PKMN, all of its characters, the plot line, the funny names, the completely tedious puns, and the AAMRN and JAJRN anecdote to Satoshi Tajiri and his Co-Directors. They completely bought me out and I'm sorry. If it had been up to me, I would have smuggled them out of the country (I do actually speak a little Japanese even though I don't sound like it, enough to get me a trip out of Japan any way) but they got to me before I could board the plane. Quite a fictional adventure wouldn't you say? Yeah, yeah, I know. Everything is indeed, though regrettably, owned by Satoshi Tajiri and his pals at that foreign film making place in Japan...

***

Chapter Two: Veiling Discomfiture

What in her right mind made her think that what she did would make him happy..? She had to be some kind of miscreant not to guess that he wasn't into girls, above all his best friend. God, this was not the way he'd planned on spending his ride away from Shamuti. Having to dodge both Misty and Melody had been driving him crazy and keeping him occupied all afternoon long. It was weird. He could hardly stand to talk to either of them now... It was like they glowed with a new light. Of course it may have just been the sun shining in his eyes right? It didn't mean anything, that he couldn't look at them any longer without going red and sputtering every other word.

God, and Misty had been treating him real weird too. What little bit of time he could stand to be around her, anyway. It was like she was trying to do something to him, but it was something he didn't understand. He thought he'd seen this kind of thing in a movie once but movies were fictional from what his mom said. Oh yeah, and a waste of brain cells, Misty had told him that once, saying that he should take heed of her warning before he was reduced to an even larger pile of 'Dense, brainless dimwit'.

For God's friggen sake (I sincerely hope his mother never reads this), what was wrong with the world?! Whoever thought up cross-gender sociality was really drunk when they introduced it to the public. Why couldn't they keep their discoveries to themselves?! Now he had to sneak behind those strange statue thingies when he wanted to board the boat off of this place. And, oh shoot, there was Misty, waiting for him to come along. And he couldn't just not get on the boat, it was his only way outta here! And he didn't want to stay with Melody. He'd had enough embarrassment when she'd kissed him on the cheek upon his arrival... God, Misty had looked real ruffled about that. He remembered that shocked face she'd worn, like somebody had just trekked on her private territory. It was priceless--

Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. There was no reason to bring Misty's jealousy into this conversation. Jealousy..? So she was jealous? Strange, the things you think up when you're not listening to yourself.

God, the horn just blew. That means that in ten minutes, the stupid thing is outta here. He checked his watch. Okay, still nine minutes and thirty seconds to go. He could still make it. Now, if Misty would only head onto the stupid watercraft so he could sneak on long enough to lock himself in their cabin... Wait. Where was Misty..?

Darn it, he'd spent so much time wondering about the past few hours and his best chance to get on and she'd just disappeared from the front... She's gone! She's not in front of the boat anymore! Freedom, here I come--! He thought and rushed forward when--

"Mwaaaa--!" He stopped abruptly as Misty stepped in front of him smiling. God, he didn't like that smile. Well, he did, it was just the way it presented itself--No, no; let's just go with he didn't like it. As his inner thought's continued to ramble of their own accord, he thought up something to say to her, "Uh... Hey, Myst..! How's it goin'?" Her smile turned into a slight frown, almost a soft scowl. It was like she knew he was--

"Ash, I know you've been avoiding me..." God, she was good. It had taken him three room dodges to discover that for himself, "And now I want you to tell me why. I've been trying to find you all day. Something's up, you've been disappearing whenever I come around ever since this morning. I think I deserve an explanation." She ended it with such superb finality that he waited a moment to be sure she was done.

Sure... Excuses, excuses. Let's see; I could always tell her the truth. "Myst, Melody tricked you into admitting that you like me as more than friends and so before you say anything more to me, you should commit a quick murder before we have to go..." No, she wouldn't buy that... Plus, then Melody's ghost would have reason to haunt him.

"Misty--! Just realized the strangest thing! It's not that I'm admitting the same thing or anything but I was smart enough to realize you aren't here just because of the bike! Never thought it possible of me, did'ya?" Yeah, only if he wanted to kill of his best friend by heart stroke. So he went with the normality for the both of them.

"Misty, I have no idea what you're talking about. I've just been forgetting things lately so I've had to run around a lot to be here on time." Their conversation was interrupted by another timely toll of the water crafts' bell, "And now, if you'll excuse me, that'll be my ticket back to a normal life. Remember, the sooner we get back to civilization, the better." He finished and rushed around her, ignoring her snide scowl that slowly continued to grow behind his back.

He grinned, feeling he had executed that quite well. Now he only had to be sure he could keep a straight face around her so that she wouldn't suspect any sorta gap in there otherwise fine friendship.

The only problem was, ignoring it only made that unknown gap grow.

~*~*~

"Smell the fresh air; isn't it great?" Misty asked, stepping oddly close to him at his spot near the railing, "Now if only you didn't get us into such common suicidal messes so frequently... I'm beginning to feel you're some sorta Jinx. Tell me, Ash, did you ever cause danger to your friends in Pallet?" He would have replied but he felt that the less he said to her at the moment, the better. It was like every chance he gave his mouth to open, something would slip and he'd end up saying that he knew all about her conflicting love-hate emotions towards him. He really didn't wanna cause trouble but it was just straining their relationship worse and worse whenever he told himself that the best thing to do would be to keep it quiet.

"Myst, I-I gotta go..." He mumbled and turned away from her, finding it easier to run than to pursue. Obviously Misty didn't feel the same way because she held him back a moment.

"Ash, I know something's wrong with you. I don't know what but I keep on trying to fix it... Why do you keep shutting me out? Ever since the thing with Lugia and Shamuti and the Chosen One, you've been acting like you are seeing the world in a different perspective. Are you feeling all right? Did I do something? I'm only trying to make this work."

You did nothing... Accept fall in 'like-as-more-than-a-friend' with me. What I wouldn't give for maturity, or at least Brock. He'd be able to help... He let himself slip out of her grasp and turned back. "Myst, I'm sorry but I gotta do some things right now. Everything's kind of... Different because of what happened. And I gotta sort all this stuff out." He let her be, pulling away with a gentle and apologetic grin, leaving her by the rear of the boat alone.

She sighed as he disappeared into their small cabin. The most he'd probably have to solve would be his hunger pains. She didn't know what was going on with herself. She knew that he was acting different but he wasn't the only one. The normal Misty would never have tried to spend so much 'Friend time' with him. Frankly, before letting herself realize how much she cared, she wouldn't have given him a second thought unless he wanted to throw himself over another cliff. He'd probably do it just to spite her, too.

She scoffed. Everything was a little different... Okay, everything was really different. How could she let this happen to them? It was like their friendship, probably almost as strong as his and Pikachu's, had begun to stretch and wither and distort. A rift had appeared in the material that couldn't be patched up. It could be taken down and rebuilt but who knew how long that would take? She just wanted yesterday back, when things were simple and straight forward. Now it was like she was living in a parallel universe where she had to work for simplicity. And by working for it, it was no longer simple.

And now she was left alone to ponder her half-blunted thoughts. God, things were more than just a little harder to make right now. They hadn't fought and yet they weren't talking to each other. And Ash denied anything wrong with himself. Was it just her? She did admit that she could over-react about reality when given the incentive. But she didn't think that this was such a distorted version of their lives. He was running from her and he was trying to avoid mentioning why.

Perhaps Ash wasn't the only one who needed some time to think about everything.

~*~*~

Did they let themselves fall that deep..? Tracey thought to himself, finding himself taking common glances at Misty, who stood near the bow of the boat now. She had been walking around and around while her thoughts drifted from reality to feebly fabricated mindly stresses. He could tell that they were the exact types that she shouldn't have to handle. When first joining Ash and Misty, he'd easily guessed that their relationship was unique, not unlike that of a Trainer and his first Pokemon. It was a bond of the soul that not many average friends found themselves commonly in. However, it was obvious that they were currently trying to lift that gifted bond in order to achieve the average. It was like they were throwing each other away...

He sighed; how was he to help them out? He knew them well but not so nearly as much as to play Matchmaker. It was a hand that he was not willing to deal. But he did have to admit that they were pulling at themselves far too much for something so easily solved. But, then again, he supposed it was only easy if it was mutual. And Ash had yet to realize how much Misty gave up to stay with him. Tracey knew that that alone would be enough to convince him that she was worth embarrassment and admittance. Not many gave up things like Gym Leader routine and affectionate gentlemen for a small kid from Pallet with no sense of direction and a lack-of-a-Bike-Voucher.

~*~*~

Did she deserve to be blown off like that..? He had valid reason to run, didn't he? Insanity was a decent escape, right? He couldn't believe he was letting himself even think about this. Myst was a friend, sure, if he denied that, then there was no hope for anyone. But she was just a friend. He couldn't believe he was even thinking about this. There was no doubt in his mind that he only thought of her in that way and nothing more... So why was he still sitting there in the dark quiet of their cabin, trying to explain to himself what he should expect of her until she got over her crush on him. After all, it was only a one-sided infatuation and nothing more.

For that, he was sure. And he had nothing else to sort out.

~*~*~

She couldn't believe what she'd become. She'd tyraded as some sort of ignorant puffy, little teacake, going after Ash like... Well, for lack of a better example, like Jessibelle chose to chase after James. And she'd sorta felt sorry for him until now. Because now she knew how strong that urge was, the urge she couldn't shake to pursue him until he gave in. She knew she was only dreaming, he cared but he didn't care. Like that. For her.

It was her fault because she was the one who'd changed. He was like an innocent victim who'd gotten ensnared in her bear trap. One that she was unwilling to let loose.

~*~*~

A/N: I don't know when I'm going to continue this again but I enjoyed writing this chapter and now that I know I can update at school whenever my teacher isn't looking, I'm going to try and keep updating my fics whenever I get the chance until I've gotten my own internet access at home. I hope that you choose to read no matter the wait because I think it would be at least partly worth it. In any case, I thank those who reviewed last time, all six of you, and I hope that you found this chapter just as enjoyable.

It feels good to write a story with no certain plot because I can take it anywhere. I can make the group become shipwrecked on an unknown island or I can make it a quick finish with a small intervention and confession. I'm still unsure of what I'm going to do but... You know. Anyway, thanks again and I hope to get more reviews from this chapter as well.

Ja ne for now!