Disclaimer: I only own the story that follows…

-------Brock's POV-------

Sighing, I leaned against a tree and watched the events unfold. It's not like I could do much once they all started arguing, anyway.

Let me explain: I was standing at the site of the Cerulean City Pokémon Contest. Ash, my traveling companion of the past few years, hadn't been too excited about the contest, but was ecstatic to be in Cerulean so he could see our old friend, Misty. Our new friend and traveling buddy, Dawn, had come to Cerulean to compete for the contest ribbon.

Another one of our old friends, May, had also come for the same reason, but she wasn't alone. Her rival Drew decided to tag along and enter the contest, too. And to add to the mix, Paul, one of Ash's new rivals was also in the area looking for new, strong pokémon.

It was quite the reunion, or that was until everyone began arguing.

You see, it began when Ash introduced Dawn to Misty for the first time. Dawn commented that she had heard so much about Misty from Ash that she felt like they were already close friends. Misty looked at Ash hopefully, and asked him what he told Dawn. In an attempt to cover up his feelings, Ash had managed to say something incredibly stupid and Misty had brought out her trusty mallet and began chasing him angrily.

Dawn felt incredibly awkward by the situation, because she thought Misty already knew that Ash was in love with her, especially because lately, Ash couldn't stop talking about the "gorgeous, talented, feisty" gym leader.

Paul, who had been standing close by and overheard their conversation, remarked about how 'Troublesome' couldn't keep her mouth shut. In a fit of rage, Dawn was immediately in his face screaming that that by now he should at least remember her name. Paul didn't even flinch when Dawn ranted about how he was a big jerk and so on, but let her continue as a self-satisfactory smirk settled upon his face.

May and Drew, on the other hand, were getting along just fine. Well, until Drew made a remark about how he was going to win the ribbon due to lack of competition. May became infuriated by his hidden insult and the two began spitting insults back and forth about who the better trainer was. Both of their hands were gripping a pokeball, ready to initiate a mock contest battle whenever necessary.

I rubbed my temples and tried to figure out which pair I should stop first. By this time Misty had already tackled Ash to the ground and was beating him senseless.

Sighing, I thought: Wouldn't it just be easier if they all admitted their feelings for each other?

I knew that Misty and Ash were both in love, because they had each separately confessed to me a long time ago. I decided not meddle, thinking that in time, they would both realize their feelings and express them. When they first met, Ash was not interested in girls, but he finally became aware of his feelings for Misty during our journey. However, Misty had been in love with him since she met him and had been giving subtle hints about her feelings. Ash apparently has no clue what subtle means, and completely overlooks these hints.

May and Drew were practically a couple. Between the roses and the insults, they sure acted like one. Any guy with half a brain understood Drew's motives – heck, even Ash knew about Drew's feelings. But May was oblivious and thought Drew just liked her as a friend. And the roses you may ask? She thought the roses were to make up for all the mean things he said to her and it never crossed her mind that he was trying to be romantic. That didn't stop her from falling in love with him, though. And to be perfectly honest, if Drew didn't tease her so much, May probably would've confessed to him by now.

And Paul was… well, Paul. I think he was surprised that someone could be such a polar opposite from him. He got intense satisfaction from making Dawn angry, just knowing what kind of effect he could have on her. It was clear (to me anyway) he didn't have any real experience with girls and must have thought that if he acted rude, and Dawn still talked to him, that he was doing something right and she must like him. For Dawn, it was a love-hate relationship. The classic story of an innocent girl who fell in love with the bad boy.

I know I promised myself to let these kids find out on their own, but I couldn't take much more of this. It's been a few years, after all. After separating the boys from the girls, I walked over to the girls and turned my back to the boys.

I said in a whisper, "I know you are all in love with one of those boys standing over there." I saw the girls ready to protest, so I continued quickly, "And before you say anything… don't. Because I have a plan. If it works, you all will have the guy you've had a crush on."

Misty looked up reluctantly, "How? I've been waiting on Ash to ask me out for years. I don't think it's finally going to click in a day. He is kinda slow."

"Kinda?" Dawn snorted. Misty shot her a glare that told her to shut up.

May began, trying to ease the tension, "Drew and I aren't like that. We're friends… right?"

"You and Brock are friends," Misty pointed out, "but Brock doesn't give you roses, May." May blushed at this revelation.

Dawn agreed, "You may be right about them, Brock, but Paul can't even remember my name. There is no way he'll want to ask me out."

"Do you want my help or not?" I asked, getting impatient.

"Yes!" They declared at once.

I smiled, "Good. Here's my plan…"

-------The Following Morning-------

"Do I look okay, Brock?" Dawn did a little twirl outside the restaurant. She was dressed up in an outfit similar to her contest attire, but a little less formal.

"You look great!" I held the door open for her, as I checked my watch: it read 11:05.

Last night I had called a few restaurants to see where Paul would be eating lunch at. Paul had a lunch reservation at 11:15; I already requested a table near his. I escorted Dawn to our table and held out her chair.

I smiled reassuringly, "Dawn, don't worry. This will work. Paul is the kind of guy who never backs down from a challenge. No matter what it is. He always wants to prove he is better than everyone else. He'll take the bait without hesitation."

"I really hope this works." She responded in a shaky voice.

I checked my watch again and sure enough, I saw Paul walk in and the waiter showed him to his table, but before he sat down, he noticed Dawn. At first he just glanced at her and looked away, but when it finally registered that she was dressed up and sitting alone with me, he turned back to face us.

"Troublesome… what are you wearing?" Paul approached our table.

"My name is DAWN!" She hissed, but regained her composure, "And girls tend to get dressed up when they're on a date."

"You're on a date?" Paul asked, slightly surprised. Well, surprised for Paul at least. I looked up at the boy with slight amusement. He glared at me.

"So? I'm a girl, you know, I can date." Dawn snapped angrily.

His face fell back into his normal frown, "I knew that. I just didn't know you were dating him."

"Well, this is our first date, Paul. So if you don't mind leaving…" Dawn said, shooing him away.

He chuckled darkly, "This is a pretty pathetic first date."

"Like you could do better! I bet Brock is a much better date than you could ever be." Dawn challenged, narrowing her eyes at him in mock disgust.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, recognizing the challenge she presented him with, "I could do much better."

Dawn repressed a snort, "Yeah, I'm sure. You're not romantic Paul, but my date Brock is very romantic." She averted her attention back to me and grabbed my hand, stroking it gently. She winked at me to let me know that our plan was going smoothly.

Paul continued to stare, "I can be more romantic than this pathetic loser."

"Uh-huh. Weren't you leaving?" Dawn yawned, trying her best to look uninterested.

Suddenly he looked at me, "Get up."

"Excuse me?" I asked, sounded offended.

"I said: Get up." Paul took a step closer to me, "You're too old for her anyway."

Dawn pretended to gasp as I stood up, "What are you doing, Brock?"

"He said get up." I said lamely as Paul took my seat.

"Now leave us alone." Paul demanded, averting his attention to Dawn.

I walked out of the restaurant mentally checking one couple off my list. Now, on to Drew and May.

-------Two hours later-------

I was heading to the Pokémon Center to meet up with May and explain my plan.

Drew was a little trickier, but I had already decided on my course of action. You see, Drew was a very jealous person and extremely possessive of May. I remember watching him sulk at the Hoenn Grand Festival when Harley was hanging all over May. Also, he was jealous of Ash and I because we traveled with May first.

The trick here was to not get him too jealous, or he would just give up because he wanted May to be with whoever made her happy, even if that wasn't him.

Finally I found May getting lunch alone at the Pokémon Center. I thought it would be a good idea to explain to her that when a younger boy likes you, he teases you to get your attention. After my explanation May acknowledged and understood this, partially because she had a little brother of her own.

I then asked her what she thought a boy should do when he likes a girl. She went into a long rant about how they should be nice, and compliment the girl, and buy her chocolates and flowers --- Yeah, she understood Drew's flirting attempts after that. She flushed bright red when she thought about how long ago Drew had started to give her roses and how long she was in the dark about this.

May told me that she and Drew were going to practice for the contest in the park. I convinced her that she needed to show Drew that she was interested in him, or he would never feel comfortable expressing his feelings.

So after May finished eating, we went to the park early, where I climbed up into a nearby tree to watch my plan unfold. I was hidden well enough so that I wouldn't be seen, but I could still have a good view of May and Drew.

May leaned up against the tree trunk and stared at the space in front of her, appearing lost in thought.

Eventually Drew spotted her and walked up, "Hey."

May didn't reply and continued to stare out, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

"May?" Drew asked, kneeling in front of her.

He let out a sigh and exclaimed, "May!"

May jumped a little, unprepared for his outburst, "Oh! Hey Drew. I was just thinking about something."

"You think? You never fail to surprise me." He teased. May sighed at his response and looked down. Drew looked at her in confusion, wondering why she wasn't getting upset. "What are you thinking about May?"

I looked down at her to see she was a little nervous, but I hope she answered the way I told her to.

She finally responded, "A guy I like."

Drew stared at her, surprised by her candid answer. I saw him gulp and ask, "You like someone?"

"Yup." She said, not turning to face him.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you had a crush?" He questioned, trying hard to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

"It never came up." She shrugged.

He looked down at the ground as he sat next to her, "What's he like?"

May smiled, "Charming. He always tries to help me out and encourages me to be a better coordinator. He's always been there for me and never let's me down. He's sweet too," She blushed, "I've liked him for awhile now."

Drew winced at this revelation, "Its Ash isn't it?"

"What?" May yelped, finally turning to look at him.

He didn't meet her gaze, "Ash. He's always been there for you, in the stands at your contests. You used to train with him all the time and you've known him for a long time."

"Ash is like my brother, Drew, that's gross." May fumed, "Besides, the guy I like is a coordinator."

Drew quirked an eyebrow, "Do I know him?"

May nodded, "Very well in fact."

A look of disgust came over his face, "May… please tell me it isn't Harley."

"It's not Harley! That's worse than Ash!" May scolded. Drew remained quiet after this, probably thinking of all the male coordinators that he and May knew. May took the opportunity to continue, "Do you like someone Drew?"

"No." He answered quickly, too quickly, trying to hide his blush.

May sighed, "Too bad."

Drew looked up at her, "Why is that bad?"

"Oh, because I like you." She said as she got up and walked away, trying to hide the smile coming to her face. His head snapped up as he heard her confession. He continued to stare at her incredulously before realizing that this was his chance. And it was slowly fading away.

Jumping up he ran after her, "May, wait!" She turned around and looked at him expectantly, "May, I'm the guy you have a crush on?" She nodded as he took a step closer, "And you've liked me for awhile?" She nodded again, and he took another step toward her. He was right in front of her now, and May's cheeks turned a slight pink from his closeness.

Finally after letting the truth sink in, he announced, "I lied, May. I like you too." He closed the distance between them by pulling her closer and kissing her. May looked surprised, as this was definitely not part of my plan, but closed her eyes and kissed him back.

I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and slip out of my hiding spot unnoticed. Another couple down.

-------Half an hour later-------

As I was walking down the hallway back to my room, I spotted two people standing in front of the door to Dawn and May's room. I knew it couldn't be May, as I just left her and Drew in the park. Upon careful inspection, I saw it was Dawn and Paul. I ducked around a corner before Paul could see me, and I listened to their conversation, sneaking an occasional glance when I could.

"I had a nice time Paul." Dawn announced, opening the door to her room.

Paul grunted in response.

"Did you?" She asked.

Paul responded annoyed, "Did I what?"

I heard Dawn let out a loud sigh, trying not to blow up at him, "Did you have a nice time?"

"I guess."

Dawn hesitated, not quite knowing what to say, but not wanting to end their conversation.

Paul noticed her pause and asked, "What Troublesome?"

"So, was this a date?" She whispered, not daring to look him in the eyes.

He grunted again, and Dawn was just about to give up and walk into her room, but he exasperatedly said, "I guess, Dawn."

Stunned, Dawn turned back to him and smiled, "Good." Paul was about to walk in my direction when Dawn grabbed his wrist and he turned around curiously. Dawn said, "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

With that she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek and quickly disappeared into her room. Paul stood in the same spot slightly dazed, and the corners of his frown curled upward into a slight smile as he walked past my hiding spot, not even noticing me.

-------Fifteen minutes later-------

Misty and I were sitting in the Pokémon Center lobby on a couch waiting for Ash to come downstairs. I told Misty about the success I had with the other girls and as if on cue, May and Drew walked into the Center holding hands. They walked past us and May turned her head toward us and winked at Misty.

Even after this, Misty still had doubts.

"What if he doesn't like me? What if he likes May or Dawn? What if he already has a girlfriend? I'd kill him!" She reached in her pocket for her mallet.

"Yeah, I can tell you he doesn't have a girlfriend." I thought a second, "You might want to give me your mallet." She looked at me in horror, "I promise to take good care of it. You can't beat him into a confession, Misty." Reluctantly, she handed over her prized possession.

"So what's the plan?" She finally asked, reaching for the soda she got from a nearby vending machine.

My previous plans were custom made to deal with the specific boy. Paul understood strategy. That's why I used a strategic plan on him. Drew was already being obvious about his feelings, but he needed to hear May's feelings in order to confess. But Ash was clueless. Completely and utterly clueless. Misty had been sending him hints for years, so we needed a plan that just came out and said her feelings. Hints were lost on Ash.

"I'm not sure yet." I sighed.

She stared at me and screamed, "YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A PLAN YET? WHAT KIND OF IDIOT ARE YOU? YOU PROMISED ME THAT I WOULD GET ASH TO ASK ME OUT!"

"I actually think you should throw him up against the wall and tell him exactly what you feel. This way he can't run away until you let him go. You get a guarantee that he will say something." I declared.

"It's Ash," She declared anxiously, "He isn't going to admit anything to me even if I threw him against a wall and declared that I loved him. He would say 'I love you too, Mist' and when I get excited, he would add, 'You're my best friend' or 'You're like the sister I never had.' And completely ruin the moment."

"Even if he thinks you mean it in a non romantic way, you can correct him and wait for his response." I smiled.

"Just admit my feelings?" Misty whispered, surprised and a little scared.

"You've been hinting for years, Misty. You know a simple hint isn't going to work…" I could tell that a blatant confession would make her feel too vulnerable. Ideas started churning in my head, "We could trick him into telling us who he has a crush on."

"What do you mean trick him?" She inquired.

I shrugged, "Just get him on the subject of pokémon battles or something and then just ask him before he has time to think about it. He might be so caught up in the conversation that he'll just let it slip."

Misty stared at me, "What if he catches us? Or figures it out."

"I think you're giving him too much credit. But if he does, then we try another plan. I don't think he would understand what we're trying to do and get suspicious."

She nodded, "Okay. What do I do?"

"Lay down and put your head on the couch's armrest and prop your feet on my lap. This way Ash can't see you and I can just ask him upfront. If he takes the bait, then he'll confess right in front of you and you can ask him about it. You won't have to tell him your feelings until he tells you his."

Misty smiled, laying down as I told her, obviously happy with our plan.

A few minutes later, Ash came walking through the automatic doors. He made a brief stop at the front desk and began talking to --- the lovely Nurse Joy! She is so beautiful! Her eyes are so stunning and the way she talks is simply music to my ears! She is so kind hearted the way she selflessly takes care of everyone's pokémon –

My thoughts were interrupted when Misty jabbed her foot into my side, "Stick to the plan, Romeo."

"Hey Ash!" I called out to him. He turned around and started walking toward me and the well hidden Misty.

"Brock! What's going on? Have you seen Misty around? I haven't seen her all day."

"Yeah, I have." I left out that I knew where she currently was, "Ash I was just wondering…"

"What is it, Brock?" He asked, still walking toward me.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled, "Do you still have a crush on Misty?"

He stopped walking, and exclaimed in a hushed tone, "Shhh! I thought you promised that you weren't going to say anything about that!"

"So you do then?" I asked, pressing my luck, while stealing a glance at a now delusional-yet-happy Misty.

"Yeah, you know that I love her, but I don't want her knowing. She'd just smack me with her mallet and call me a dumb little kid or something." He sighed and tried changing the subject, "So where did you see her?"

I averted my gaze, hoping my plan wouldn't backfire, "Oh, she's sitting here on the couch."

"WHAT!?" He exclaimed in panic.

"Oh, hey Ash." Misty gave a carless wave, letting him know that she was indeed sitting on the couch.

Ash suddenly appeared in front of us. He was trying to figure out what to say, but nothing came out, so he kind of looked like a Magikarp gasping for air. Misty smiled up at him and took a small sip of her soda.

"Mist?" He finally managed to cough out.

"Yes, Ash?" She looked up at him innocently.

"I…uh…I…" he stuttered helplessly, letting his head drop down, avoiding eye contact.

"Go on." She urged him. Misty turned and gave me an evil smirk. After years of sending him hint after hint, she finally had the upper hand on the boy she loved for years, and she was certainly enjoying it.

"Please don't hurt me." He finally mumbled in a small voice, peering up at her though tuffs of black hair.

Misty couldn't control herself anymore, so she stood up and put her hand on his shoulder, "Why would I hurt you?" He didn't respond, so Misty continued, "I love you Ash."

He looked up at her in amazement, "You what?"

She wrapped him in a hug and whispered in his ear, "I said I love you."

Returning the hug, Ash wrapped his arms around her enthusiastically, "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that Mist."

"Not as long as I have." Misty mumbled, pulling away from him to look into his eyes.

Ash stared at her awkwardly. I could tell he wanted to kiss her, but he was afraid of Misty's reaction. He looked past her and met my gaze. I gave him a solemn nod to let him know it was okay. Focusing his attention back on Misty, I saw his hand reach for the back of her neck to pull her closer.

I figured that I should give them some privacy; after all, I wouldn't want anyone watching me kiss someone. So I walked over to the stairs when I heard someone call my name. I turned to see the beautiful Nurse Joy waving me over. As fast as I could I ran over to the lovely goddess.

"Were you the one that set up all these couples?" She asked, leaning over the counter.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered, pink hearts beating in my eyes, and trying my best not to drool on the floor.

"That was a very nice thing you did." She stated.

"Thank you, my love." I responded, trying my hardest to control myself.

She giggled. "Too bad you didn't get a girl for yourself." She said softly, leaning over the counter to kiss my cheek.

Suddenly Croagunk popped out of its pokeball and poison jabbed me in my side right before Nurse Joy's luscious lips graced my cheek.

"So…close…" I muttered as I passed out cold on the floor.