DISCLAIMER: - I don't own Pokémon, as you all very well know, I'm actually a poor 18 year old with no real life! It's true, It's true! So please don't sue me ^_^ 

AUTHOR'S NOTES: - This is a story I wrote on paper at 4am in morning while my computer was getting ready for a big operation (*hey we have 2 hard drives now, I can't complain*) anyway I've been having this unusual and probably unhealthy fascination with Tracey the past few weeks (*I can safely say I don't hate him anymore I er....dislike him*) Well this is a Christmas story where the twerps visit Professor Oak for the holidays and Tracey confesses something to them! I thank my friend Eevee as it was her thridwheelshippy art that made me write this *lol*

STARLIGHT
By Togepi

Tracey stood inside the warm, cozy Pallet town laboratory and stared outside through the window at the cold wet snow falling onto the ground creating a wonderful sheet of white over Professor oak's giant garden. The guests would be arriving soon and even though Tracey was thrilled to be seeing his old friends again he couldn't help feeling lost and alone deep inside, he had felt this for a while now.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, letting Tracey know that the guests had arrived, so slowly he pulled himself away from the window with a sigh and gradually walked over to the front door.

When he opened it he was greeted by the warm smiles of Ash, Misty, Brock and Ash's mother, Delia. Tracey gave them a fake smile back as he let them come in, covering up the sorrow he felt.

"So how are you Tracey?" asked Misty, politely, as she took Togepi out of her red bag now they were out of the snow. Tracey just looked at her and decided to lie, anything would be better than telling her or anyone the truth.

"Fine"

"And what about Marill, venonat, Scyther...?"

"They're fine too"

Misty giggled happily at Tracey, showing him that she was full of Christmas cheer, which was what Tracey wished he had.

"Ahhhh, your all here..." said professor oak as he saw his guests. "..please come into the living room"

With that professor oak walked into the living room with Ash and his friends following. When they got in there, everyone sat down and Ash began telling his mother and professor Oak about his adventures in the Johto so far. Tracey just stood at the back of the room by the Christmas tree and sighed, he didn't feel the need to be in the conversation.

Eventually Delia looked up at Tracey, puzzled at why he wasn't joining in.

"Is something wrong Tracey?" she asked him. everyone else turned around to look at him.

"Yeah Trace..." added on Ash. "...why don't you come and join us?"

"I...I...don't want to, if that's okay...with you" the Pokémon watcher replied, shying away from them.

"Come on Tracey, it'll be fun" Brock said, but Tracey still seemed reluctant to join them. Everyone now began to wonder why their friend was acting this way. Was it something they said? Did?

"If there's anything wrong, you can tell us" misty told him. Tracey just shook his head slowly.

"No...I...I'm okay!"

"Well it doesn't seem like it" replied professor oak. "I can tell when something is bothering you Tracey, now why don't you sit down and tell us all about it"

"NO!!!!" he snapped back, he then apologized. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to shout...it's just..." Tracey broke off into silence, wondering whether he should tell them his secret, but he was worried about they're reaction, worried that they'd never act the same around him again or worse...

"It's just what, Tracey?" asked Ash. "Come on, we're your friends, whatever's bugging you, you can tell us"

"Yeah" agreed Misty.

Brock, Delia and professor Oak all just nodded in agreement. Tracey's eyes just wondered away from them. He bit his lip as he thought about what he should tell them and how he should tell it. Eventually the pressure got too much for him and he spoke but it came out as a quiet mumble which no one could make out.

"What was that Tracey?" asked Delia. "We couldn't hear you"

Suddenly Tracey felt angry, not at his friends, but more at himself for not having the confidence to tell his best friends the secret he had kept from them for so long. With that, he just breathed in deep and sharp and shouted out what he wanted them all to hear....

"I'M GAY OKAY? GAY! GAY ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!?! I AM GAY!!!"

The mouths of everyone in the room dropped open in shock and their eyes grew large. even Pikachu, who had been nibbling a mince pie on the table, dropped the food and stared at Tracey. The room fell deathly silent, the Pokémon watcher froze with fear as he saw his friends staring at him, not moving, not making a sound, just......staring. The only sound which could be heard was Togepi, who leaped up and down on the table, chirping loudly.

Suddenly Tracey bolted out of the room and out the back door into the snow covered garden.

"No Tracey wait!" Misty called out after him, but she didn't peruse him, she just watched his figure disappear into the darkness of the winter night.

"Wow!" gasped Ash. "I never even had a clue, did you professor?" Ash turned towards professor oak and waited for his response.

"No Ash! I didn't...."

As his friends talked amongst themselves, Brock looked towards the open door and sighed slowly as he stood up and headed towards it.

Tracey was sat in the snow by the half frozen pond looking up at the starlit night, the snowy weather had just cleared up leaving this wonderful sight to see. Tracey then just closed his watery eyes making tears run down his face.

Brock slowly approached, then sat down beside him. they stayed silent for a while before Brock spoke,

"So...how long have you known about...er...this?"

Tracey looked at Brock, surprised that he wanted to discuss it.

"Since I was about fifteen..." he replied. "...I remember the day I told my parents. they were very strict and old fashioned, so they didn't understand. At first they denied it and told me I was confused, but eventually they realized I was telling the truth, so they disowned me..."

Brock listened to every word Tracey was telling him, it was obvious he had never opened up about this to anyone before.

"...I was devastated, I loved my parents but they hated me. they even made my little sister hate me too, she was only five at the time. Eventually I left to become a Pokémon watcher and travel around the orange islands. I vowed never to tell anyone close to me about it again cos I was scared I might lose them..."

Tracey stopped to wipe the tears away which were streaming down his cheeks.

"....when I met Ash and Misty, I felt like I had finally found the two best friends I could ever have, they even knew my idol, Professor Oak, So I decided defiantly not to tell them. I even pretended to like women by drawing them sometimes to make Ash and Misty think I was straight..." 

Tracey then paused again, before beginning the most hardest part of his story.

"...and then...I met you. I won't lie to you Brock, I love you. During those few days I spent with you after Ash, Misty and I returned from the orange islands were amazing, even though I never got to know you. I hid my love for you by going all gooey over Professor Oak, I was thrilled to meet him, but not as thrilled I was to meet you..."

Brock was taken back by surprise by what Tracey had told him, but when the shock was over, Brock smiled warmly at Tracey.

"Thankyou, I'm flattered that at least someone finds me attractive the whole female population don't"

Tracey sniggered at Brock's comment then replied. "Don't worry, they do, they just don't want to admit it" Tracey paused for a while, then continued, his voice softer this time. "Your taking this awfully well"

Brock just smiled at his friend.

"Well I have nothing to be upset about, I'm honored to know you like me, but as long as you realize that nothing will happen between us, then it's okay"

"Don't worry..." Tracey relied. "...I've pretty much excepted the fact that your straight and I'm not. I just felt like you needed to know"

"And I'm glad you told me"

The two men just sat there for a while smiling at each other, then suddenly Tracey leaned forward and kissed Brock on the lips. Although surprised, Brock made no attempt to fight him off. Tracey then pulled away and smiled again.

"Thankyou" he said, before standing up and walking off towards Professor oak's laboratory. Now he could face his friends inside and have the confidence to open up to them.

Brock watched Tracey leave, he then looked up to the sky and watched the many stars shine and sparkle.

"Your welcome" he said to himself, before he too, stood up and headed inside to his friends.

THE END

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Hummmmmm...so what did ya think? I just gotta give a word to any tracey fans who may of read this...I want to make sure it's clear that in this fic I wasn't bashing Tracey at all....I honestly think he's gay and I see nothing wrong with it :) Okay now that's hopefully cleared up, please tell me what you thought of this story ^_^