The Ship in Friendship

8. Misty's fanclub

Ash was leaning back on his chair, staring blankly at the screens in front of him. For the first time in his life, the three screens were giving him a headache. Ash was a gamer; he loved big screens surrounding him, headphones, cables, game consoles – he's loved being surrounded by electronics since the age of twelve. But now, everything he looked at seemed to hurt his eyes. His head hurt. Well, his chest too, for some reason.

"The heart can't take too much, can it?"

Ash looked to his left, where Gary was also leaning back on his chair, his stare blank on his screens too.

"What?"

"Did I mention Leaf is pregnant?"

"Dude, get over it." Ash sighed. He thought his problems were more complicated than a pregnancy. "Or keep your pants on."

"No."

"You secretly like making her pregnant..." Ash chuckled lightly. "Just admit it."

Gary spread his legs under his desk. "I'm an only child. It's my full responsibility to fill this planet with more Oaks."

"As long as you can afford the babies, go ahead and make more Oaks."

Gary chuckled and looked at his friend. "Do I look like someone who can afford babies?"

"It's fine. You can always ask me for money. I'm that one single friend who has no one to spend his money on."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem."

Ash and Gary sat for a moment, both staring at their black screens.

"Wait, what?" Gary suddenly sat straight. The word 'single' shouldn't be in Ash's dictionary by now. "I thought there was something between you and Angie...?"

"No, no, no, just no." Ash closed his eyes. "No."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm giving up." Ash hid his face with both his hands. "I don't want anything anymore. I'm so over this sh*t. Women are confusing creatures. I can't deal with them anymore."

"What a big baby."

"Hey guys."

Ash jumped up on his chair. He pulled it toward his desk and sat straight.

"Hey Ange." Gary replied and turned his chair so he faced her. "How was your weekend?"

"Awesome as always." Angie shifted her gaze to Ash. "How's Misty feeling?"

"Better." Ash nodded quickly and looked away.

"That's good to hear." Angie looked at Gary again. "And congrats on the new baby."

"Leaf and I have been thinking if we should tell Milo right now or just wait until Leaf starts showing. He doesn't look like he gives a damn about the world but what do you think?" Ash was amazed at how Gary was so great at making conversations - and changing them.

"If you tell him right now, you might end up having a talk about sex and we all know we can't trust you with that, Oak."

"What's the difference between telling him now and telling him six or seven months later?" Ash blinked. "He'd eventually need to know."

"After a few months, Leaf is going to show. He can tell him he's getting a new sibling but the baby needs to grow in mommy's tummy because it's warm and comfy. That'd be easy for him to see and understand." Angie suggested.

"That'd give him nightmares!" Gary laughed. "He'd think Leaf ate the baby!"

"How about you tell him nothing?" Ash suggested. "Then, when Leaf is very pregnant and he starts asking questions, you can tell him she got fat."

"I don't like that but it's effective in a way." Angie nodded.

"And when the baby pops?"

Ash tilted his head. Angie rubbed her chin. "Eeeeh, fell from... the sky?"

"I'm going with the warm and comfy tummy strategy."

"Good luck, then." Angie slapped Gary's back. She looked at Ash again. "Lunch as usual?"

"O-okay."

Angie tapped Ash's cheek and walked away from the two men.

"As usual?" Gary whispered.

"I really can't tell her no." Ash had only had lunch with the girl once, though. She made of it an usual lunch and that scared him a little bit.

"You can't tell her no?" Gary pulled his chair closer to Ash's desk.

"She'll get bored." Ash didn't want to think too much about this.

"You're wrong. This is Angie you're talking about. She likes you and if you're not honest with her and can't turn her down, you might find yourself dating her or even having a baby grow inside her tummy because it's warm and comfy!"

Ash started shaking his leg. "Don't be silly."

"At this rate, she will ask you to take her to Pallet town to meet your parents." Gary turned on the screens. "I see it coming, buddy. I see it."

"I don't have to worry about my parents when it comes to that. I don't think she can make it to their living room." Ash's parents were very special people.

"Why?"

Ash smiled to himself. "They're big fans of Misty and only Misty."

-

let's try shoutouts again?

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Yes, all those silent readers, I c u