Anime One-Shots

Brock

       Brock of Pewter City, former gym leader, former breeder, and self-declared ladies' man was the last person you thought you'd fall for.

       His eyes were always closed.

       His hair was always a mess.

       Worst of all, he chased after every skirt that belonged to a girl fourteen years or older.  It was completely repulsive.  If it hadn't been for your first encounter, you would have hated him.

       Your very first Pokémon was a Machop, and certainly not by choice.  Your mother, a pro-wrestling fanatic, caught herself one in the heat of the moment and passed it on to you the moment you said you wanted to be a trainer.  Since it was your first, it was special to you, but if you could have gone back in time and found and Eevee instead, you would have.  That was what you thought until you met your second Pokémon, which was an Eevee.

       You and Manny, the Machop you named after your mother's favorite wrestler, were walking along Route 2, on your way to Pewter City when a piercing screech rang through your ears.  Your Machop dashed to a humongous log.  There sat the cutest, fluffiest little thing you had ever seen.  Its let was caught underneath.  Immediately, both you and Manny started pushing and shoving, making great progress, but at the same time, very little.  That wouldn't do.  At that rate, you would just further damage its leg.  You advised Manny to try to lift the log up instead of pushing while you ran to get help.

       The Pokémon Center was too far away, and the sun was already setting.  Someone was approaching along the path, so you called out to him.  As he came closer, you immediately recognized him to be Brock of Pewter City.  By the time you had finished explaining, he was already helping lift the log off of the Eevee.

       When you reached the log alone, you found your Machop, who was feasting on what appeared to be high-grade Pokémon food.  You hadn't seen Manny like that since the first time you let him eat your famous grilled cheese sandwich.  Cooking wasn't exactly your strong suit.  He, Brock, a Geodude, and an Eevee were all sitting on a picnic blanket, resting and eating as if nothing had even happened.  A well-constructed splint held the Eevee's right leg.

       "Is he yours?" Brock asked, gesturing toward the Machop.

       You nodded your head.

       "He's very well-raised.  If he had rolled the log further, he would've damaged the paw, but he lifted it up instead.  I'm impressed."  He tossed another kibble toward your Pokémon, who chomped it down.  "What's your name, beautiful?"  He took your hand and knelt down, which would have been charming if not for the lewd face he was making.

       Ugh.

       That was your first meeting.  From then on, you'd decided to work with Brock at the Pewter Gym.  Even though you couldn't stand him, his cooking was great, and he was actually good company, when he wasn't being a tool.

~*~

       You finished drying off Brock's Geodude, who took a hard Hydro Pump from a passing trainer's Croconaw.  The poor, injured rock Pokémon nuzzled up to you after you gave it an Oran Berry.

       Brock lost that battle, but he still took it upon himself to give the trainer some advice.

       "You're a talented trainer, but don't forget to treat your Pokémon with respect.  If you don't take proper care of them, they'll fail you when you need them the most."  He looked pretty cool, standing there with his back straight and his arms crossed.  He almost looked like a real man.  It took you by surprise.  He could be mature when he wanted to.

       "I don't need to take advice from a loser," the redheaded trainer snorted.  He waved haughtily as he strutted out of the building, badge in hand.

       You could sense Brock's cool temperament faltering as the trainer left the building.  When he was sure that the trainer was gone, he turned toward you and heaved out a sigh.  Out of all of the gym leaders in Kanto, he probably received the least respect.  He was the easiest of the eight to beat, considering that Water-types were very common, but especially because he went easy on rookies so that he wouldn't injure their Pokémon.

       "You're too nice, Brock," you remarked, patting him on the back.

       "Thanks," he croaked.  He knelt down next to you and began to pet the top of his Geodude's head.  "Thank you, too, Geodude.  You always do a great job."

       Brock always looked so gentle whenever he took care of Pokémon.

       Two hours after dinner, you caught him still washing the dishes.  He was clearly in deep thought.  You didn't want to disturb him, but at the same time, you thought it might be fun to startle him, so you crept from behind and grabbed his shoulders, earning a cry of surprise.  He must have been in a pretty deep trance.

       You noticed the pattern on the dish was faded.

       "How long have you been scrubbing that one dish?"

       "I only have a few left."

       He wasn't lying, but that didn't fool you.  For such an outgoing guy, he never revealed his true feelings.  You ripped the plate away from his hands and slammed it into the drying rack.  In a matter of seconds, the rest of the dishes were soaped, scrubbed, and put away.

       "Sorry about that."  He looked sincerely sorry, like you were actually mad about the dishes.  Couldn't he just tell you what he was thinking, for once?

       You pulled him into a tight hug, burying your face in his chest.  You refused to let go until he wrapped his arms around you, too.

       "Don't push yourself too hard, Brock.  I'm here for you, you know."

       You waited until your blush faded to scurry off to your room.