The, uh, people who own Pokemon and all names featured are Nintendo (intense research went into this – digging amongst my little brother's Pokemon cards anyway – so I hope that it will be enough.).

Authors Notes + Thanks: Honestly, I have no idea what drove me to write a fanfic about Pokemon, I mean, of all things. This was just a 'spur of the moment' thing. This is so totally out of my league. I mean, Dawson's Creek, Stars Wars, FF8 and Pokemon. I have definitely jumped off the edge of sanity. So, that written, thanks to any reviewers and any forms of inspiration that have approached me, or even argued with me, or whacked me around the head a coupla times, or…Okay, run for your sanity now (if you possessed an ounce of it before), I'm nuts. Save yourself! But before you flee, REVIEW! Come on, you know you want to – just approach the thing called a 'keyboard', type a coupla sentences, press the button underneath, and voila! You've reviewed. (Note: praise does give me a funny feeling inside and criticism gives me a lot to think on how to improve my writing. A big no-no is just typing 'crap' or 'eww!' or 'hmm' or 'yuh, I really understood that, you moron') This is my 5^th fanfic, whoohoo! (Please don't spam me) Oh, better stop typing, I'm fearing that the 'Authors Notes + Thanks' will be longer than the actual story – oops!

"Hey! Come back!" Ash yelled at his rapidly fading kite in the clear blue sky. He tripped and fell flat on his face, tasting a delicacy new to him – Sand Exotica. Misty shook her tousled flame-red hair, in bunches, as per usual style. She turned to him, handling her kite perfectly. Her face frowned in a typical patronizing Misty-look.

"Ash, look, why don't you ask me to help you lift it off the ground. It's much easier with two people, you know." Ash stood up, defiant, his whole face covered in sand. Misty struggled not to erupt in a fit of laughter.

"I don't need your help, me and Pigeotto (hope that's how you spell it) can do it." He turned around, and huffed off, as Pigeotto returned his kite for him. Misty sighed. Why did he have to be so proud? Ever since they had reached Cerulean (is there a place called that?) City, on their summer break, they had spent all their time at the beach flying kites. Well, Misty and Ash had, anyway. Brock was busy wakeboarding, trying to impress the girls on the beach in their two-piece bikinis. Brock posed quite nonchalantly, unexpecting the wave behind him. The girls shook their heads and walked away as the wave swept him off his board. He broke the surface, trying to smile at the girls, in a hopeless attempt to win back the girls' interest. In truth, they weren't even interested in him, but the wakeboard – they'd always wanted to learn how to wakeboard. Misty was watching this scene with amusement, when she almost let go of her kite in shock of her revelation. Brock had no proper eyes! They were slits! Noooooo! How come she never noticed before? It was so obvious, once you spotted it. Thudding onto the sand in shock, she thought an absurd thought. That's why girls weren't interested in him. It was a perfectly irrelevant thought, when you found out that your friend didn't have proper eyes. She giggled madly, derisively. Ash thudded down next to Misty.

"What's so funny, Misty?"

"Brock has got slits for eyes." She laughed even harder at her own words. Ash looked at her shocked.

"Didn't you know?" Misty's laughter subsided, all seriousness flooding back.

"What? You knew!" She was outraged.

"Of course! Only a fool would miss the fact that Brock had slits for his eyes – I mean come on – it's so obvious."

"So now I'm a fool am I?" Misty's face was turning purple.

"Look, Misty, Brock told me how he got eyes like that ages ago. I thought he told you too. He's very sensitive about it." He seemed oblivious to Misty, who was fuming.

"He never told me! So what exactly is the deal with his eyes?" Ash looked down.

"Well, it's not for me to tell – not really-"

"Hey, buster! It's my decision whether you should tell or not! I've been kept out of this secret for long enough! So, tell me! NOW!" Her eyes practically popped out and steam was coming out from her ears. Ash realized that she was in a delicate situation.

"Well, if Brock finds out…Okay, well, before he joined us, he always had a thing about all blond girls. One day, a dark-haired girl fell in love with Brock, but he didn't like her, because she wasn't blond. He didn't know that she was a sorceress. When he refused her, repeatedly, she gave up and put a curse on him. She made it so that he has slits instead of eyes now. So now, Brock can only see a girl's appearance on the outside and can't look at what she is on the inside. That's why he seems to like every girl he sees. But I don't get why you didn't realize when we first met him. He said that…nah, forget it. So, that's it." Misty thought silently.

"Oh, well, thanks." She said absently.

Later on, when they were sleeping in the Pokemon Center, Ash whispered to Brock, when Misty was sleeping,

"Misty only realized about your eyes today, Brock."

"You didn't tell her, did you?" He asked sharply.

"Er, no, of course not. But you know what you said? About if a girl ever saw you without the slits, then she would be your soulmate, right? Well, do you think…" He trailed off.

"Of course not. Anyway, she figured out today, right? And anyway, Misty? I don't think so." He forced himself to chuckle, which relieved Ash. But inside, Brock couldn't fight the thoughts of doubt surging through his head. He remembered the words Marisa had uttered as she murmured the incantation.