Misty Waterflower, Ash Ketchum and Brock Harrison usually watched TV together on Friday nights. They'd order some pizza, pop some beer bottles and sit on that same old couch they saved money for when they first moved in. Of course, Misty would be just playing with her hair, Ash would be rolling the pizza slices and stuffing them quickly into his mouth so he can have more, and Brock would be focused on the reality show that he'd totally forget about the food and the drinks. Ash would be eating all of it anyway.

"I have something to tell you."

Misty and Ash were alarmed when Brock got off the couch and sat on the coffee table instead. He looked too serious for the Brock they knew, and the table was usually for their feet.

"What's going on?" Misty sat straight.

"No, no, it's all good news." Brock assured, smiling.

Misty and Brock turned toward Ash who was taking a pizza slice from the second box.

"What?" Ash blinked.

"Can you stop eating for a moment – just a moment – and hear what Brock has to say?"

Ash rolled the pizza slice and ate it quickly. He spoke while still munching. "Okay."

Misty groaned. She looked at Brock. "What is it?"

Ash has discreetly taken another slice of pizza. Brock sat straight, cleared his throat and said,

"I'm moving."

Misty's smile faded and Ash dropped the pizza that landed right on his left thigh.

"Great news, huh?" Brock's hands were trembling a little. "I'm moving in with Lucy!"

Misty and Ash were frozen for several seconds, still proceeding the information in their heads.

"Really?" Ash made a disgusted face.

"How – I thought – I mean," Misty didn't want to hurt Brock with her words, but she couldn't help but say, "Didn't you just meet her?"

"Well, not literally-"

"And is it okay with you to go live with someone you just started dating?"

"Is there a rule for this? A minimum of months?" Brock got a little on the defensive.

"There isn't." Ash shook his head as he grabbed the pizza slice that fell on his thigh, rolled it and ate it.

Misty looked between her two male roommates and best friends. "Seriously? Are you okay with this?" She quickly added, "Well, maybe not Ash because he has no idea what that implies but have you really thought about this?"

"Speak for yourself, Misty."

"You can't tell him it's okay! You know nothing about relationships!" Misty snapped at Ash.

"And what do you even know? When did you become an expert?" Ash narrowed his eyes.

"Euh, guys-"

"I know certainly more than someone who just spends all his day sitting on his fat butt in front of the computer eating massive amounts of food and burping!"

"It's remote work, Misty! You're just angry because you can't be a swimming teacher from the comfort of your bed!" He shouted back. "And burping is normal!"

"You're so disgusting!"

"Because you never burp and you sh*t flowers! Right?"

"GUYS! STOP!"

Misty and Ash turned to look at Brock at the same time. He didn't look as happy as before.

"Will you please hear me out?" He sighed heavily.

Ash grabbed a beer and looked away. Misty looked down, playing with her long orange hair.

"I'm moving in with Lucy," Brock said. "Lucy and I agreed on this. I know it's hard but it has to happen."

"It's not about being hard – it's just..." Misty was trying not to cry. "It's so hard to imagine here without..." She sniffed and wiped off a small tear with her finger.

"Oh no. Don't cry. I'm not ill! I'm just moving a few blocks away!"

Misty started crying. She hid her face with her hands. Brock brought her close in a hug.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy? I'm not dying!" Brock chuckled. "Stop it, Misty!"

Ash looked at the scene, not sure what to do. He too felt bad that Brock was leaving. They've been living together for so many years – he lost count. It was always the three of them, and now, someone was leaving. It was hard, but Brock was moving in with the woman he really liked, and they couldn't stop him, could they?

Brock looked toward Ash. The latter looked sad too. "You're not going to cry too, are you?"

"No." Ash huffed and drank a sip of the beer.

"That's good. I still have to deal with this." He pointed to Misty who was hugging him and sobbing. Her arms were wrapped around him as if she was trying to stop him from leaving anywhere.

"She's fine. She must be on her period or something..." Ash mumbled and turned to look away, just not feeling comfortable looking at that scene anymore. He felt like he might want to cry if he keeps looking. It was very painful for him to see Misty cry.

"Misty, please, you need to stop crying. I'm not leaving the city, I'm not going to die, and I'm not running away. I'm moving in with Lucy just a few blocks away from here. She lives nearby, remember?"

Misty finally let go of Brock. She grabbed a paper tissue and wiped off her tears.

"You're not sure that paper tissue is vegan. It came with the pizza." Ash scoffed.

"F*ck off."

Brock sighed. He asked Misty, "Are you feeling better?"

"Not fully." Her voice was wobbly. "This is not good news. We'll miss you."

"I will be a few blocks away, Misty," He told her. "How many times do I need to repeat that?"

"It doesn't matter. You can no longer cook for us." Ash put his leg over the couch arm.

"Is that the only thing you can think of? Really, Ash Ketchum?" Misty sounded very upset. "Do you have feelings?"

"He's only trying to hide how upset he is. Just leave him alone."

"I'm not upset! This is life! People come and go." Ash got off the couch. He grabbed two bottles of beer and headed toward his bedroom. He shut the door.

"See? He is upset." Brock nodded. Ash was certainly going to drink himself to sleep tonight.

"I'm..." Misty shook her head. "You're going to leave me with him. I can't believe this."

"Come on. It'll take him time to get used to your vegan food but I think you two will be just fine."

"It's not about the food." Misty sighed.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I just don't think we can do this without you." Misty got up, frowning at her friend. "Everything is falling apart."

"Oh, come on! I'm not dying!" Brock shouted as Misty slammed shut the door of her bedroom.

Ash opened his bedroom door. He headed inside the kitchen. Brock could hear him rummage through the liquor.

When Ash was back to his room with a bottle of whiskey and a glass, he found Brock sitting on his bed.

"You could have told me, you know." Ash popped the bottle open. He put the glass on his desk and poured the whiskey into it. "I'd have quit my job, sold my stuff and went back to Pallet town to look after the sheep and the goats."

"What a drama king you are, Ash."

"I took drama in high school." Ash stood against his desk and sipped his drink.

"Am I the only one who thought this would be great for both of you?" Brock said. "Lucy and I thought this would be great news!"

"How is this great?"

"Didn't you think for one minute that this could be your chance? Really?"

"My chance of what?"

Brock said nothing.

Ash mumbled something under his breath and finished his drink. "Get the hell out of my room."

"I'm not." Brock pulled Ash's gaming chair and sat down. "Does this thing have foam pillows or something?"

"I need to finish some work. Get off that chair."

"What game designing work do you have to finish on a Friday night?"

Ash filled his glass again. He drank it all at once.

Brock looked behind him. "I like the little pillow for the neck." He turned to look at Ash and leaned back on the green and black gaming chair. "No wonder you sit here all day. I can't blame you."

"Can you leave my room?" Ash raised his glass. "I need to be alone tonight."

"I'm not finished yet." Brock put his hands on the armrests of the chair. "I'm leaving you with Misty. Do you know what that means?"

"That I will have to become vegan as well?"

"No," Brock said. "It means you get to be with the woman you like. Can't you see it in this way?"

"And that's even more awkward for me."

"You should see this as an opportunity!" Brock exclaimed. "This is a heart-to-heart situation! There will be plenty of chances for you to seize!"

"Are you even for real right now?"

"I won't be there to ruin any of it!"

"How can your presence or absence affect anything between Misty and me?" Ash filled his glass again. "I don't see the point!"

"That's the third drink."

"I have nothing to lose anymore." Ash whispered and drank the whole content of the glass at once.

"If you think my presence or absence has no effect on you and Misty, why are you gulping down whiskey and shaking your leg like that?"

Ash stopped shaking his leg, just realizing he was doing it. He sighed and was about to fill his glass again when Brock got to the bottle before he does.

"I can't do it." Ash slumped into his chair. "You made things a lot easier for me and you know that."

"You'd never know if you don't try."

Ash bit his lip. "Give the whiskey back and I'll ask her out."

"You're lying."

"If I do it, will you give it back?"

Brock was a bit worried. Was Ash already drunk, or was he actually serious? Was he messing around? He didn't usually joke around about asking Misty out.

"I'll be right back." Ash got off the chair and left his room.

"What-what-what?" Brock was about to leave the room when he heard Ash talk to Misty – and he thought he'd rather not show up, because, Ash was really asking her out.

Misty tilted her head to the side. "Are you sleepwalking?"

"No." Ash shook his head. "I just asked you if you'd like to go out with me."

God no, not like this... Brock slapped his forehead several times.

Misty froze for a few seconds. She said, "This isn't funny. Go back to sleep."

"Alright."

Misty slammed her door shut right at Ash's face. He cursed under his breath and walked back to his room. "I did it. Give that bottle back."

"This wasn't the way to do it – and I can't believe you did that!" Brock yelled at him. "You just ruined any chance you had with her! You don't realize it but that wasn't really in your favor!"

"Give ba-..." Ash stopped talking when Brock put the whiskey bottle on the desk and walked toward the door.

"What do you want me to do? Huh?" Ash turned around.

"Stop acting like an idiot." Brock closed the door after he got out.

Ash slumped back onto his chair. He slid toward the desk and breathed heavily as he poured the whiskey into his cup.

"But it's the only way to survive this torture."