Gaining Wings: a rare Brock fic

[Skye]

Alrighty...this is pretty long. I will post it in chapter incriments. Please enjoy! It was also written by me about four or five years ago....(wow...I feel old!)

(Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, so please don't sue me for using those characters. I copyright Skye, Ember, Augua, Jab, and Bud.)

Gainign Wings

Chapter 1
Brock Meets Skye

It was yet another beautiful day at the Pokémon breeding center on Valencia, one of the many Orange Islands. Brock had just been awakened by a pillow being thrown in his face, the crime of one of his bunkmates, Jab. Jab wasn’t much younger than Brock himself, and had dark bluish-black hair to go along with his dark eyes. Bud was his other bunkmate, a year or two younger than the other boys. He had brown hair and blue eyes. Both Jab and Bud were from Fuchsia City, and they had just arrived to spend the summer working at the breeding center.
Brock threw the pillow off his face, and rolled out of bed. His ever-spiky hair was even more mangled and disorganized than it usually was, and he did his best to brush it out. The boys got ready for the day, and headed out to the barn, where they started their morning chores.
“Mom, I don’t want to go!” Skye exclaimed, feeling her face heat up with anger. “Why can’t I just spend the summer with Dad in Saffron?”
“It’ll be good for you to get out and meet new people,” Skye’s mom replied. “Besides, your Aunt Ivy, and your sisters haven’t seen you for months!” Skye rolled her eyes, and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Her mom dragged Skye’s carry on backpack over to where her distraught daughter was standing. Skye hoisted the backpack onto her shoulder, and got ready to board the plane.
Brock had just finished feeding the Rapidash in the stables and was walking to the lab to hand in his report to Professor Ivy, when he noticed a girl walking towards the lab from the opposite direction. She didn’t look too happy, but he couldn’t tell much from the expression on her face as the evening darkness disguised it. They reached the door at the same time, and Brock opened it for her. She looked at him with a mumbled “thanks” and walked inside. For a moment, Brock was totally frozen in time. He went into his usual “drool-over-every-girl-he-meets” mode, but composed himself in a record time of five seconds, and entered the lab. Professor Ivy was smiling and hugging the girl he had just let in when he entered. The Professor smiled at Brock as he walked over to her with the report. She took it excitedly, and introduced the stranger to him.
“Brock, this is my niece, Skye. She’s going to be staying here for the summer,” Ivy explained. “Skye, meet Brock. He’s one of my assistants here at the center.” “Hi,” Skye mumbled.
Brock’s face turned a light shade of pink when he said hello, but Skye didn’t seem to care.
“I’ve got some work to do here,” Professor Ivy explained. “Why don’t you take Skye to the girls’ bunkhouse so she can get settled down.”
Brock looked like he was going to fall over with joy. He motioned for Skye to follow him, and he led her out of the lab and down a dirt road to where the bunkhouses were.
“So…uh…where are you from?” he asked.
“Celadon,” Skye replied in monotone.
“Oh,” Brock said, struggling to find a topic of conversation. “Have you been here before?”
“Well, my sisters work here, and Ivy is my aunt,” Skye told him, downcast. “I haven’t seen the place since the renovations and expansion though.”Brock didn’t say anything else for the rest of the way. They reached the girls’ bunkhouse, and noticed Ember sitting comfortably on the porch. “Hey, Brock. What’s up?” Ember asked, tossing her long blond ponytail. “Oh, and who’s this? Got a girlfriend?”
“No, actually. Don’t you recognize me? It’s Skye,” Skye replied, before Brock could answer for her. “Mom sent me here to spend the summer with you and Aunt Ivy.” “Cool,” Ember said in a carefree voice. “Come on in, then. Not you, Brock! No boys allowed!”
Ember laughed as she led Skye inside. There she was joined by Augua, who was a
year or two younger than Skye and Ember. All of the girls had blond hair, Ember’s a
little more honey-colored, Augua’s a little fairer, and Skye’s a little more golden. Skye
felt a little better, noticing her sisters were pretty easy-going and fun. She hadn’t seen them in quite a few years. They stayed up late, talking about what it was like to be at the breeding center. Ember was in charge of taking care of the mountain dwelling Pokemon, which included some fire-types. She worked with Jab a lot, as he was her partner in the care taking. Augua did most of her work around the pond, which was near the prairie and forest reserves. Bud worked there, so they saw each other a lot. It turned out the Brock was the all-around guy. He had been there the longest out of all of the assistants, and had no real preference as to where he wanted to be.“Hey, you want to come with us to the guys’ bunkhouse?” Ember asked. “We’re going to get them with some water balloons, because they got us last night.”
Skye nodded, not really wanting to go, but she didn’t have anything else to do. Ember
and Augua grinned, starting to fill up balloons with water. They tiptoed out of the
bunkhouse, and snuck down the dirt path to the boys. Ember crouched below an open window, motioning for Augua and Skye to follow. They readied their water
balloons, and Ember gave a silent command to FIRE! The yelps and screams that followed were nothing short of hilarious. The sound of water balloons breaking wreaked giggles from the girls, and the boys silenced. “We’re gonna get you!” Jab exclaimed, running outside with Bud and Brock at his heels.
The girls were laughing too hard to run away. They were captured and subject to a good soaking from the garden hose. Skye managed to escape since she didn’t laugh and remained in the shadows. Quietly, she started to make her way back to the girls’ bunkhouse. Walking backwards, she bumped into something. Slowly, she turned to see the guy that had walked her to the bunkhouse earlier, the guy she had nailed with a water balloon. Her eyes widened, and she started to scream but Brock put a hand over her mouth to silence her.
“Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “I don’t believe in that immature stuff. C’mon; I’ll walk you back.”
Skye had a few minutes to herself before Ember and Augua returned. She pulled out her laptop computer and plugged it in. Once she was connected to the Internet, she e-mailed her dad in Saffron:
Dad,
I’ve just arrived at Aunt Ivy’s, and already I want to leave. Why won’t Mom let me stay with you? My sisters and their friends here are so diverse-I don’t think they’ve ever left the island! I really don’t fit in here, and I honestly don’t want to. Tell Agile I said hello and that I love her.
Give her a big hug for me! I miss you, Dad. Hope I can see you soon! Lots of Love,
Skye

[Skye]

Chapter 2
High and Dry, then Wet and Low

“I’m sorry, Skye,” Professor Ivy said apologetically. “I’ve got a lot of work to do today, and I can’t show you around.”
“Okay,” Skye said.
With that, she walked out of the lab and towards a small shed near the prairie. If her aunt couldn’t show her around, then she’d just have to show herself. That’s how she got along in Celadon City when her mom was too busy with business to take her somewhere. Pushing thoughts of the city out of her mind, she opened the door to the shed. Inside, was a bunch of nests, occupied by a bunch of bird-type Pokemon. They didn’t look too happy to see her, so she just closed the shed and walked around on the prairie.
The prairie was vast, and Skye loved it. She had been to her Aunt’s breeding center only a few times in her life, and not ever being too intrigued by Pokemon, took little notice of the place. Her sisters on the other hand, were Pokémon fanatics, and had been working at the breeding center for years. Walking through the waist-length grass made her feel small, but not in a bad way. She felt like she could just curl up in a ball and no one would notice her.
A soft breeze whispered by her ear, sending her hair to drift around her face. Skye pulled it back, and looked around her. Suddenly, she spotted a small nest on the ground, and went to pick it up. It had come apart in several places, obviously from a terrible fall from the tree growing beside her. What intrigued her most however, was the first-sized speckled egg inside. Skye took the nest with her as she went to the bunkhouse. On the way, she passed the bird shed, where Brock was letting them out. “Hey, Skye. What’s that?” Brock asked, gesturing towards the nest she had in her hands.
Before she could answer, the birds from the shed flew out, knocking her over. Brock caught her around her waist, preventing a fall that could destroy the egg she held. When the birds finished their chaotic exit from the shed, Brock set her upright, and peered at the nest.
“That’s a Spearow’s egg,” he told her. “I wonder what the nest was doing way out there. We just started raising some Spearow and Fearow here, and not many of them have gone that far into the prairie.”
“I don’t know,” Skye said softly, as if her voice could damage the little life inside the egg. “Can I keep it with me?”
Brock stood close beside her, looking at the egg. Skye looked at him questioningly.
He finally nodded.

“Have you seen the pond yet?” he asked finally.

“No. I’ve just been exploring on my own pretty much,” she replied, running her hand through the strands of hair in her face nervously.

“Well, come with me and I’ll show it to you,” he told her. “I have to bring some food up anyway. Want to give me a hand?”
“Okay,” Skye agreed, taking the bucket Brock handed her.
Brock whistled, and a huge bird emerged from the shed. He got up on its back and stuck out his hand to help Skye on.
“C’mon, Skye. Fearow won’t bite!” he urged.

“There’s no way I’m getting on that thing! I’m scared of heights!” Skye exclaimed.
Brock rolled his eyes, and pulled her onto the bird to sit in front of him. She cried out as the Fearow took off, covering her eyes with her hands. “Hey, you’re missing the best part!” Brock told her, removing her hands from her eyes. Skye’s eyes grew huge as she saw the land grow smaller beneath her. She backed up against Brock in fear, but he held onto her hands, giving her a sense of security.

“Relax, will you?” he asked. “Stop acting like a city girl.”

If Skye wasn’t as petrified as she was, she would have turned around and smacked him. That option was out of the question right now, so Skye did as she was told. Her shoulders lost their tension, and she looked at the world around her.

“Check it out! There’s the pond!” Brock exclaimed. “Time to land, Fearow!”
The Fearow landed on the bank of the pond and Brock helped Skye slide off its back. She gazed at the Pokemon swimming around in the water. She only recognized some of them, the Squirtles and the Goldeen.
“Oh, look! What are those?” Skye asked, pointing to a star shaped creature.

“Staryu,” Brock answered, picking it up out of the pond. “Here, you can hold it.”

Almost nervously, Skye took the Staryu from Brock. It was a baby, barely bigger than her hand. She stroked it gently, and got squirted in the face by its water gun.

“I think it likes you!” Brock exclaimed, laughing.

“Not funny!” Skye cried furiously, putting the Staryu back into the pond and running after Brock with her face dripping.
She chased him along the bank until an overgrowth of trees blocked any further escape. A fallen log extending over the water was his only hope, so he climbed onto it.
“Heh heh. Your turn, Brock,” Skye said slyly, as the rotten log gave way under his weight.
“Whoa!” Brock cried, his voice muted by the water.
Skye sat on the bank clutching her side in a fit of laughter. Brock looked like a wet Growlithe when he dragged himself out of the pond. A Krabby was clinging to his pant leg, but it scuttled away. Skye took one look at him and burst out laughing again.
“Oh, so this is funny?” he asked, shaking his wet hair at her.
Skye only laughed harder, rolling on the rocky shore. When she finally composed herself, she noticed Bud and Augua coming toward them from the forest. “Brock? What happened to you? You look like you just got squirted by an angry Staryu!” Augua exclaimed, with a giggle.
“Actually, that happened to Skye. I just kind of fell into the pond,” Brock replied, wringing out his green vest.
Brock rolled his eyes. Just then, the Fearow glided over to them, and landed beside the small group. It reminded Brock that he should be getting back to the bunkhouse since Professor Ivy was holding a square dance themed social in the barnyard that night for the assistants and the nearby townspeople.
“Yeah, we’d better get back too,” Bud said after Brock mentioned that they should get going. “Knowing Augua it’ll take her all night just to pick out what she’s going to wear! I’m not waiting for her!”
“Are you going with anyone tonight, Brock?” Augua asked, taking a quick glance at Skye.
“Uhhhhh…I dunno,” Brock replied, heat creeping up into his face. Bud broke the awkward moment, by saying they had to go, and leading Augua down the forest path. Brock let out the breath he had been holding, and looked at Skye. Fearow nudged him impatiently, and Brock climbed up on his back. He reached down his hand to help Skye up, and pulled her aboard. This time, she wasn’t so scared. In fact, she spread out her arms, leaning forward into the wind and letting it flow through her hair.
She’ll probably never know if Brock had done it intentionally, but she could have sworn he had made Fearow suddenly speed up, throwing Skye back into him. He caught her, of course, and she sat up again, not objecting to what had just occurred, but just giving it space.

[Skye]

Chapter 3
It’s Time to Dance!

Back at the bunkhouse, Skye checked her e-mail to see if her Dad had written back. Augua and Ember were both already at the dance, and Skye definitely didn’t plan on going. She enjoyed the privacy as she read the e-mail:
Skye,
I know it’s got to be tough being where you don’t know anyone. As soon as I get back from a few business trips I have for Silph, I’ll come and get you so you can spend the rest of the summer with me. I leave tomorrow and I will be back in about a week. Miss you lots too!
Dad
Skye brushed out her blond hair, and turned on the radio. She sung quietly and she brushed and packed up her laptop. This was a talent she kept very much to herself, and since Ember and Augua were both gone, she thought it was safe enough. Still singing along to the slow, swaying music, she opened the door to let some air into the bunk.
“’All I know is I love you,’” she sang. “’And you mean the world to me.’”
“Skye?” a soft voice came from behind the screen door. The voice made her jump back, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Slowly, she turned around to face whoever was on the other side of the door, and almost collapsed in embarrassment.
“Oh…uh…hi, Brock,” she stammered, grinning sheepishly. “What brings you here?”

“I didn’t know you sang,” he said softly. “Sounds really nice.”

“Um, gee, thanks,” Skye said, still embarrassed.

“Okay, now it’s my turn to get all nervous and red-faced,” Brock told her, trying to ease the tension. “Do you want to go to the square dance…with me?”

“Uh…sure, okay,” Skye replied. “It’s already begun, right?”

Brock nodded, and Skye followed him down the dirt road to the barnyard after turning off the radio. They barely said a word the whole way, so Skye was thinking. She felt a little more comfortable at the breeding center now, well, now that she had met Brock. Her face turned pink at that thought, but he didn’t seem to notice. Ember and Jab met up with them at the entrance to the barnyard. They were dressed in cowboy attire for the occasion, and so was everyone else. Brock and Skye looked down sheepishly at their everyday work clothes, but no one seemed to care that much. Augua came over to the group shortly with her date, Bud. They had been best friends for about a year now, the same amount of time as Jab and Ember had been going out.

“Hey! Brock? Is that you?” came a voice Brock hadn’t heard in quite some time.

“Ash?” Brock asked, turning in the direction of the voice.
“Pika pi!” Ash’s Pikachu exclaimed.
Immediately, Ash and Misty came running up to him with a third person he didn’t know. They swapped hugs of friendship, and Brock introduced them to the other assistants at the breeding center.
“This is Tracey,” Ash told Brock, gesturing to his friend. “He met up with us on one of the Orange Islands.”
“What are you doing around these parts?” Brock asked. “Well, I wanted a vacation!” Misty cut in. “Ash was being such a pain, saying how we had to keep hurrying around to get badges…”
“Hey, we didn’t come here to argue,” Tracey told them. “Now, c’mon. Let’s dance!”
The group started dancing wildly on the floor, and Skye became really great friends with Misty. They were talking almost non-stop that whole evening. It turned out that Professor Ivy had decided to let Ash and his friends stay in the bunkhouses at the center. The girls were overjoyed to have Misty stay with them, but the guys would be really crowded. None of the guys complained about it. They just agreed that Brock would have to sleep out on the porch. Pikachu danced with the group all the while holding his precious catsup in his paws.
Togepi waddled around, careful to stay close to Misty and Pikachu. After a few fast songs went by, a waltz came on. Pairs of two went out onto the dance floor. Tracey was getting to know one of the local girls from the town, and they were dancing. Much to Brock’s surprise, Misty dragged an obviously objecting Ash onto the floor. Of course, Ember and Jab were dancing together, and so were Augua and Bud. Brock looked at Skye, as they were the only tow left on the bench. Skye blushed and looked away.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” Brock said, taking her hand.

“It’s not that at all…” Skye told him, getting to her feet and following him to the floor.
“It’s just, I’ve never danced with anyone before.”

Brock just smiled and shook his head. He lifted Skye’s arms to go around his neck, and put his arms around her waist. They rocked slowly to the music, and Brock realized that this was the closest any girl had ever come to liking him back. He got really nervous just then, and accidentally stepped on her foot.

“Ow,” she groaned.
“Sorry,” he muttered, averting her eyes with a flushed face.
Skye smiled at his shyness, and not knowingly, pulled him a little closer. His dark eyes met hers, and they stayed like that for a moment. The lyrics from the song Skye had been singin earlier flooded the room.
“I think I’m starting to really like it here,” Skye said.

“Good,” Brock replied.

Skye smiled at him, and lay her head on his chest. Brock gulped, face turning pink for the millionth time that night.

“Thank you, Brock,” she said softly. “You’ve become such a great friend.”
All too soon, the music ended, and the couples separated. Skye was nervous to see his expression when they parted, so she held on until the very last moment. Brock started dancing with her as a faster song came on, and she was swept up in laughter and her friends.
The night ended well, and the group of breeding assistants led their friends out of the barnyard and to the bunkhouses. The girls’ bunkhouse came first, so all of the guys said their goodnights.
Since all the other goodnights were brief, Skye and Brock were left standing in the faint light of the porch. The guys had all went ahead to the bunkhouse a little further down the road to bring a hammock out for Brock, and the girls were busy getting ready for bed.
“I had a great time,” Skye told him shyly, folding her hands in front of her.
“Me too,” he agreed, thinking quickly for a short topic of conversation. “Sooo…do you want to come with me to the forest tomorrow morning? I’ve got to check up on a family of Pikachu.”
“Sure,” Skye replied enthusiastically. “I saw Ash’s Pikachu tonight, my Dad caught me one when I was little, but I would love to see some in the wild!”
“Okay, well…goodnight, Skye,” Brock said, turning to leave.
“Goodnight, Brock,” Skye whispered, touching his arm to stop him from leaving momentarily.
In the next instant, Skye stood on tiptoe, and aimed a soft kiss at his cheek. Brock was still turning around to face her again, and the kiss actually landed a little closer to the other cheek than Skye had hoped for.
They pulled away, embarrassed, and Skye walked up the steps to the bunkhouse.
Brock was already on his way down the path, so she just went right inside.

[Skye]

Chapter 4
The News

Skye hopped up onto Fearow’s back and Brock got on behind her. They took off towards the forest, the morning sun warming every ounce of their bodies. Skye laughed in spite of herself. Even though she still missed her father, Skye was beginning to enjoy staying at the breeding center. Brock wasn’t all that girl-crazy, despite what Misty had told her last night. He had become more mature since the first time they had met.
The forest was alive with the sound of the Pidgey’s chirping. Skye gently stroked the egg she carried with her in a pouch. It was the Spearow’s egg she had found, and it had wiggled slightly. Surprised, she stuck out her arm to stop Brock from going any further. He looked at her with a confused expression, but Skye pulled the egg gently out of the pouch and the wads of tissue she had used to protect it. A small crack appeared on the egg.
“It’s hatching!” she hissed.
Ever so slowly, the top of the egg popped off, and a tiny beak appeared. Skye smiled at the small miracle in her hands and Brock stood behind her with a similar expression.
Finally, a head came out and stared directly at Skye. It began peeping hungrily and Skye looked at Brock for help. Reaching into his backpack, he withdrew a small bottle with a milky liquid inside.
“You’d better take him back to Professor Ivy,” he told her. “She has some real formula to feed him, but take this in the meantime.”
Skye took the bottle and climbed onto Fearow. Brock smiled at her as Fearow spread his wings.
“I’ll be back!” she called.
Skye’s Aunt Ivy gave her a few bottles of Spearow formula, and Skye took it and the bird with her back to the forest where Brock was waiting for her. On the ride back, she held the little Spearow close to her, putting small drops of the formula into its mouth and thinking. Her father would be here for her in about a week. How on earth was she going to tell Brock?
Fearow landed to find Brock feeding a small Pikachu. He looked up at them with a grin on his face, and Skye got off Fearow. She walked over to him almost nervously, biting her lower lip.
“Something wrong?” he asked, moving over to give her a spot to sit on the log. “How are you liking your Spearow?”
“He’s perfect,” she told him, looking away from him at one of the Pikachus. “Brock, I have to tell you something. My dad is coming to take me with him to Saffron in a week.”
“Oh,” he said in monotone.
“I don’t really want to leave; it’s just,” she broke off as she felt tears coming. “It’s just that I haven’t seen him since my mom divorced him, and I really miss him-a lot.”
Brock was silent for a minute, just sitting there feeding the Pikachu. Skye looked over at him and touched his arm. He pulled away grumpily and got up with the Pikachu in his arms. Skye felt her heart tear in two as her Spearow cuddled against her chest and chirped.
“Don’t,” she told him, holding back sobs.
“Do you know how hard this is for me?” he demanded, turning to look at her. “I really like you, Skye.”
“But you’ve only known me for about a week!” she protested.
“You’re something special, Skye,” he told her. “I’ve liked a lot of girls; I’m a love at first sight kind of guy, but…” he trailed off for a moment. “But you’re different from most girls. Whenever I tried to pursue any kind of relationship, they rejected me.”
“Maybe that’s because when we met, we became friends,” she said. “I’m not that much to look at, and I won’t deny it. Love at first sight was kind of out of the question.”
“No way!” he exclaimed, sitting back down beside her. “Well, maybe at first, but you’re a really pretty girl.” He blushed. “I mean, you’re pretty, and so is your personality.” Spearow chirped, and Skye sat closer to him with a smile. She was forcing back tears.
“I’m really flattered, Brock,” she said quietly. “No one has ever really admired me like that before. Just please try to understand. I’ve never told anyone how I felt about my parents and how they got separated, but I know I can trust you.”
“I know how much you miss him,” he agreed. “My dad left me with ten brothers and sisters to take care of, but he eventually came back home. I was always really bitter about him while he was gone, but deep down I needed someone like him to look up to. There was just a huge emptiness inside me.”
“Brock…I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I feel like such a wimp now, missing my Dad even though he’s right in the next city,” she apologized.
“Don’t be,” he told her. “The point is that I know how you feel, and I understand why you want to leave.”
Skye felt tears falling slowly down her cheeks. She stroked Spearow’s feathers gently. Brock let the now full Pikachu rejoin his family, and wrapped his arms around Skye.
“Oh how precious!” came a voice Brock hadn’t heard in a while.
“To protect the world from devastation!”
Brock groaned as the all-too-familiar Team Rocket members jumped out of a nearby bush.
“To unite all people within out nation!”
“To denounce the evils of truth and love!”
“To extend our reach to the stars above!”
“Jessie!”
“James!”
“Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!”
“Surrender now or prepare to fight!”
“Meowth, that’s right!”
Brock rolled his eyes and let go of Skye. He noticed that the Pikachu family had run away to the safety of a bush.
“Can’t you guys ever quit?” he asked.
“Why on earth would we do that?” Jessie asked. “There are more Pokemon here that the Boss would know what to do with, and we’re gonna capture them al!”
Skye’s eyes widened, and she clutched Spearow worriedly. Brock didn’t look too concerned, and he just sent Fearow after them with a drill peck attack. “Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!” the cried, making a small star in the sky as they flew into oblivion.
Brock sighed heavily and sat back down next to Skye. She cuddled up in his strong arms, holding the baby Spearow close. He looked down at her with a smile, and she returned it warmly. The moment was perfect. They could have stayed like that forever… “Brock and Skye, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” came Bud’s voice from down the path.
He and Augua came giggling up to them, followed by Ash and Misty. Tracey was rock-climbing with Jab and Ember.
“Hey, you have something you want to tell us, Brock?” Ash asked teasingly.

“Cut it out!” Brock cried, blushing a deep burgundy.

Misty rolled her eyes at them, and walked over to Skye. She noticed the baby Spearow, and thought it was incredibly cute. They talked separately from the guys along with Augua.

Pretty soon, everyone’s stomach started to growl, and the group started back to their bunkhouses to eat lunch.
“Hey, how about we have a picnic?” Misty asked. “We can have it by the pond!”
Everyone agreed to it, and they met at the pond with a large picnic basket and a blanket. Jab, Ember, and Tracey joined them as well. The picnic was great. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. That was until Team Rocket reared their ugly heads again.
“Can you guys not do the motto this time?” Misty whined.
“We come with extremely important news for the little Skye girl over there,” Jessie explained. “You might find this useful, so it’ll cost you!”
“No way!” Ash exclaimed, pegging a Pokeball towards them. “Go Bulbasaur! Tie them up with your vine whip attack!”
In no time at all, Team Rocket was all tied up. Skye walked over to them, carrying her Spearow, who chirped nervously.
“Now talk,” Skye told them. “And I won’t tell my Aunt Ivy you were here.”
“It’s about your father,” Jessie said, looking as if she would enjoy watching Skye crumble as she revealed a secret her father had kept from her. “Your Daddy-dearest is our Boss’ first-hand officer.”
“What?!” the group exclaimed all at once.
Meowth decided that this would be a good time to make a run for it, so he scratched Bulbasuar’s vines, and Team Rocket escaped. Totally in shock, Skye stood with wide eyes, watching the Rockets run away. She didn’t move, and the only sound coming from near her was the steady chirp-chirp of the Spearow.
Brock got up from his sitting position in the blanket, and walked over to Skye. He slowly put his arms around her in an effort to comfort her.
“Now I know why Mom wouldn’t let me see him,” she whispered, slowly relaxing into Brock’s arms. “I can’t let him take me back to Saffron.”
“We won’t let him; I promise,” Brock told her soothingly.

[Skye]

Chapter 5
The Plot

Skye sent her Dad an e-mail, hoping he would get it in time. She basically said that she was now enjoying herself very much at the Breeding Center, and wished to stay for the rest of the summer. He wrote back, saying that he was coming to the Breeding Center as part of his business trip anyway, and that he would be taking her home. It had been a few days since the encounter with Team Rocket, and that was the fifth e-mail message Skye had sent to her father. Drastic measures needed to be taken now.
“I think my Dad is going to try to do something to the Breeding Center,” she told her friends as they met in the barnyard. “He said something about ‘making it so that he would never have to work again’ and taking me ‘so that Mom wouldn’t bother me anymore.’”
“Whoa, this sounds serious,” Ash said, petting his Pikachu worriedly. “What do you think we should do?”
No one had any idea, and the fact that they needed to get to work feeding the domestic Pokemon didn’t help either. They promised to meet again to discuss plans before dinner that night.
Skye went with Brock as usual, and Misty and Ash tagged along. Brock called out another Fearow to take Misty and Ash with them to the prairie.
“There’s a really sick Rattata living here,” Brock explained on the way. “I’ve got the medicine, but someone’s gotta help me hold it down in case it tries to bite me.”
“Count me in, Brock!” Ash exclaimed excitedly.
Togepi, sitting comfortably in Misty’s lap, let out an unsure “prii?” Brock didn’t seem too convinced, but he agreed to let Ash help. They landed, and he and Ash went in search of the sick Rattata.
Misty and Skye stayed near the Fearow, talking quietly.
“You know, that Spearow looks awfully special, Skye,” Misty told her, striking its feathers admirably. He answered her with a chirp.
“You should give him a nickname.” “
Hmmmm…” Skye thought, looking down at the Spearow. “My Pikachu back home is named Agile after one of her attacks. Maybe I should name him after one of his?” Misty nodded, and the two girls thought extensively for a while before coming up with the perfect name.
“How about ‘Fury’?” Skye asked.
“Awesome!” Misty exclaimed in delight.

Brock and Ash came walking up to them with rather different expressions. Ash looked completely embarrassed while Brock looked really angry.

“I told you to hold him down!” Brock said with a scowl.

“Hey at least you didn’t get your pants torn…” Ash stopped as he approached the girls, and his face got even redder.

“Pants torn…where?” Misty asked teasingly.
Ash looked away and down at the seat of his pants. Misty and Skye broke into a fit of laughter. Togepi waddled over to Pikachu, who was standing near Ash and laughing in his own cute little way. Brock soon joined in, forgetting the bite mark left on his arm momentarily. Skye noticed it though.
“What on earth happened?” she demanded, grabbing his arm and looking at him scornfully.
“Nothing. I’ll take care of it when we get back,” he told her, but Skye didn’t look very satisfied with his answer.
“Let’s get back now, Brock. The Rattata could have transmitted the infection it had over to you,” Skye told him, pulling him onto Fearow. Suddenly realizing the danger at hand, he went with her willingly. Ash and Misty followed closely behind, exchanging worried looks. Fury chirped nervously in Skye’s lap, flapping its little wings. Skye kept looking back at Brock, clearly worried that he could have hurt himself seriously.
“Cut it out, okay?” he told her, trying to be gentle about it. “I’m going to be fine.”
Skye narrowed her eyes at him, and he suddenly noticed they were full of tears. Her gaze held steadily with his, but her lower lip trembled.
“What?” he asked. “It’s okay, Skye. I’m going to be okay.”
“How can you be sure?” she asked, glancing at the now swollen bite mark.
Brock shook his head, and pulled her close to him, favoring his injured arm, and being careful of her Spearow. She wrapped her arms around him, seeming so small and helpless. All the stress of her father and now Brock’s injury had just made her explode in a wave of emotion. Brock sat there and took it, feeling either heartache or the effects of the Rattata bite on his arm. Skye might never see him again if her father took her away. They had to do something.
By now, they had reached Professor Ivy’s lab, and Brock got some treatment for his arm. Professor Ivy wasn’t very pleased that he had been bitten, and told him that if he had come any later, he could have been in serious trouble. Skye, who had come with him, looked at him with scorn and relief on her face. With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He returned it, stroking her hair gently. Professor Ivy felt that this would be a good time to leave them alone, so she went to the other room.
“I told you I’d be fine,” he said quietly.
Skye didn’t say anything, but looked up at him with a small smile. He bent his head down to her face, and kissed her forehead softly. She blushed, averting her eyes, but held onto Brock for a few moments longer.
They left the lab together, and started down the path towards the barnyard. Skye had decided to hold a meeting there for a plan to discuss her father. Fury sat perched on her shoulder, and chirped. She gave him some of the Spearow formula now and then, but her concerns were of her dad.
Suddenly, a Pikachu came bounding up to them. Little ribbons were tied on her ears, and Skye immediately recognized the Pokémon as Agile. Agile ran into her open arms, exhausted from a long journey. Skye hugged her little friend tightly, and Fury chirped at the Pikachu nervously.
“How did you get here?” Skye asked Agile, who was close to fainting in her arms.
“Pi pi, pikachu!” she exclaimed. “Chu, pika pika chu!”
“Dad is coming tomorrow?” Skye demanded in shock. “He’s on the island and he brought you with him?”
“Chu,” Agile answered affirmatively, relaxing at last.
“We’ve got to get thinking now, Brock,” she told him. “Time is running out!”
The meeting commenced, and at last they came up with a plan. A Pokémon battle would decide the outcome. Skye knew her father had tons of rare Pokémon, and that they were very powerful. However, with Ash, Misty, Brock, Ember, Jab, Bud, and Augua on her side, she was confident that a victory for them would be certain. Everyone agreed to it, and spent the rest of the day training their Pokémon heavily for the battle. All of their chores were finished, so they had plenty of time to work.
Suddenly, Skye felt a blast of heat from behind her. She turned to see a massive Charizard towering over her. Agile, perched on Skye’s shoulder, sent him an extremely powerful thunderbolt that knocked him right out. Everyone exclaimed in surprise, and Skye suddenly realized that that Charizard belonged to Ash!
“Charizard, return!” Ash called, and the monster disappeared into its Pokeball.

“Sorry, Ash,” Skye said softly.

“That’s okay,” he replied. “He had it coming. You have a really powerful Pikachu!”

“Don’t be fooled by her cuteness!” Skye told him, hugging Agile tightly. “She’s the toughest Pikachu I know!”

Ash’s Pikachu clambered over to Skye’s feet and gazed up at Agile. Agile leapt off of Skye’s shoulder, and stood beside the other Pikachu.
“Chu, chu, pika!” Ash’s Pikachu exclaimed.
“Pi! Pika-chuuuuu!” Agile cried as a thundershock exploded from her little red cheeks.
Pikachu had said something offensive.

[Skye]

Chapter 6
The Arrival

It was really late that night, when Skye heard some rustling around outside. She slipped out of her blankets, waking Agile, and getting dressed. Fury woke as well, and fluttered onto her shoulder.
“Who’s there?” Skye called softly.
As soon as she walked outside, a hand came over her mouth. Skye tried to cry out, but Brock turned her to face him. He, Jab, and Bud were crouching along one side of the bunkhouse.
“He’s here, Skye,” Brock told her. “We saw him creep by the Rapidash stables earlier while we were walking here. He’s still there right now, so go wake up the others and grab their Pokémon.”
Skye hurried back inside, and woke the others. They came outside, and walked with the guys back to the stables. Sure enough, a mysterious figure was there, with a huge sack of pokéballs. Skye almost shouted out to him, but Brock silenced her. Suddenly, the lights came on in the stables, and the kids realized with horror that Skye’s father was not alone! There were eight other Rocket members, two of them Jessie and James.
“Let’s go, Skye,” her father said. “We’ll be gone and you won’t ever have to deal with your mom telling you what to do.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, and I won’t let you take away the Pokémon either!” Skye retorted hotly. “We challenge you to a Pokémon battle. Whoever loses leaves the island, never to return.”
“Well, then pack your bags and prepare for trouble!” Jessie exclaimed from the hayloft.
“Yes, see you later, and make it double!” James added.
“Will you idiots knock it off?!” Skye’s dad exclaimed in annoyance. “Now, Skye, you realize that you have made a pretty hefty deal with the Rockets. If you go and get your things, we’ll leave quietly, and you’ll never have to deal with this again!”
“Nope. Sorry, dad,” Skye told him. “Ash and Misty, take on Jessie and James. Jab and all the rest of you, pair off with a Rocket. Best out of nine wins.”
Brock walked up to Skye’s father, looking him square in the eye. Skye came up behind Brock, and took his hand. He turned to face her.
“This one’s mine,” she told him, glancing at her dad.
“Okay,” Brock agreed, giving her hand a squeeze. “Good luck.”
Before he left, he pressed a Pokéball into her hand. Agile looked angrily at Skye’s dad from her perch on Skye’s shoulder.
The battles were quick. It ended in a tie: four to four. Skye looked at her dad with no expression, even though she felt the pressure of the match building. She had to win this match.
“Taurus, go!” Skye’s dad commanded, tossing a pokeball.
“Agile!” Skye cried. “Thunder!”
Taurus roared in pain as the powerful bolt of electricity hit it square in the chest. It countered with a tail whip, but Agile was, well, agile, and moved out of the way. She thundershocked it again, and the enemy fainted.
“Vileplume!” he called. “Stun spore!”
Agile couldn’t move out of the way in time. She lay paralyzed on the barn floor. Skye ran to her companion and scooped her up in her arms. Agile looked at her apologetically, but Skye shook her head to dismiss it. Carrying her slowly back to the other side of the barn, she set Agile in the soft hay, and got ready to call out her next Pokemon.
“Skye, catch!” Ashe cried tossing her a pokeball. “Charizard, I choose you!” Everyone gasped as the massive creature exploded from its ball. It let out a mighty roar, getting ready to blast anyone who stood in its way. “Not Charizard, Ash! He won’t listen!” Misty cried.
“Charizard!” Skye exclaimed harshly to the beast. “Flamethrower, now!”
The creature turned to face Skye with fury in its eyes. She stared it down unafraid of the possible reaction to her behavior. Charizard turned back to face the Vileplume, and shot a huge burst of flame at it. It was defeated easily.
“Argh! Go Blastoise!” Skye’s father commanded.
Skye felt her eyes grow wide. Charizard could not beat a water-type Pokemon. She fingered the mysterious pokeball that Brock had given her, and suddenly realized what was inside.
“Go, Fearow!” she called, pegging the pokéball with all her might. “Drill peck!”
It didn’t take much to take down that last Pokémon, and Skye won the match. She looked at her father again, telling him to leave with her eyes. Suddenly in the distance, a siren sounded. An Officer Jenny pulled up with her squad of police and arrested the Rockets. Skye called back Fearow and Charizard, and gave Agile some paralyze heal. A dirty look from her father was the last thing she remembered of him before the police drove him away.
The barnyard silenced immediately as Skye stood watching her father go. She felt like she needed to be feeling sadness at the loss, but instead she only felt great relief. Brock came up to her and hugged her tightly. A cheer rose up from the crowd, and they all returned to their bunkhouses to sleep out the rest of the night.

[Skye]

Chapter 7 (Final)
“All I know is I love you.”

Another barnyard party was held the night after the Rockets’ arrest. Skye and Brock went together as an item.
Misty, Ash, and Tracey were leaving that night for the next Pokémon gym in the Orange League. Ash approached Skye with a pokeball in his hand. He placed it into her hand, and smiled.
“It’s Charizard,” he told her. “I was never able to control him, but after last night, I think he belongs with you.”
“Are you sure?” Skye asked.

Ash nodded.

“No, Ash,” Skye told him. “Charizard is just confused right now, and I think you are too. Both of you need to come to terms with each other and yourselves. I’m really flattered, but Charizard belongs with you.”

Slowly, the two looked over at their Pikachu, talking quietly to each other. Agile looked at Pikachu with really sad eyes, and kissed him on the cheek. Pikachu blushed and looked away.
“Agile will be heartbroken when you leave,” she said softly. “Come with us!” Ash exclaimed. “Brock was talking about coming back on the road with us, so I don’t see why you can’t!”
Skye took a moment to consider it, and then nodded. Ash went to tell his friends, and Skye headed up to the D.J.
“Excuse me, everyone,” she said into the mike. “I would like to dedicate this song to my friends, and especially to Brock Stone.”
With that, the song began, with Skye singing the lyrics. “All I know is I love you,” she sang, locking her gaze with Brock’s. “And you mean the world to me.”

[dqle]

Wow, a great story! I'm amazed no one has actually posted a reply! Brock deserves every ounce of credit as everyone else!

I never knew Brock could be like that!

[Skye]

Thank you so much dqle! I'm happy to know at least someone enjoyed my fic!

(BTW, I love you icon! Did you draw it yourself??)

[dqle]

... Sorry! I didn't check up on this earlier! Way too busy with your RP (which is also great!), Skye!

Heh, if I could draw that good, I'd be posting my pics EVERYWHERE!!! Nah, it's just one of the pics you can select from the choices. I LOVE THE PICHU BROTHERS!!!!!!

[Skye]

It's cool...I'm glad you like my stories and my rp! Check out Ego and Attitude if you ahve time...it's a bit more humerous than this one (and probably lost on the second page of this forum somewhere!).

Thanks!

[dqle]

Gotcha! I'll do so if I got the time. Besides, if it takes more than a month to think of the story then writing it out, it's gotta be good! I believe that people who do this should be heard out!

[Skye]

Right on! Good call! See you in the RP!

[ScArLetSkye]

WOW!DAT WAS GOOD!Please write a sequel, or two.......no joke, that was good.^.^

[Skye]

Thank you very much! I will see what I can do!

[ScArLetSkye]

What can I say...horray!^-^

[dqle]

Hmm... a sequel doesn't sound so bad at all! It's up to you, Skye!

Must... Keep... Post... Alive...

[Skye]

Hehe....you are so sweet! We'll see what happens....hopefully I will have time, but school is killing me!

[ScArLetSkye]

Originally Posted by Skye

Hehe....you are so sweet! We'll see what happens....hopefully I will have time, but school is killing me!

Eh, me too.

[Kayleigh]

Wow, that was a great story. It's nice to see a story about Brock for a change! You're a great writer! I'd like to see a sequel to this, also.

[Skye]

Yay! You have convinced me! I will get one up eventually

[dqle]

Heh, who doesn't get dead tired after school?

[Kayleigh]

Great! I can't wait to see it. I'm sure it will be just as good. I love your writing style; you've got a good sense of humor and really bring the characters to life. (Especially Blair)

[Skye]

Ladies and Gentlemen....boys and girls! The (hopefully exciting sequel has begun! Please see "Learning to Fly!"

*grin*

[ScArLetSkye]

Horray!!!!COOLNESS! ^____^