So, this is a fun little project I wanted to try. In exactly one hundred drabbles, I'm going to attempt to tell a story. A sensible story. It's all in chronological order too. I thought it'd be easier for everyone if I grouped them by ten. I don't have to spend a load of extra time uploading chapters, those who alert me don't have their email's flooded, you guys don't have to click through every chapter (if you're enjoying it enough to read it all).

It's a little weird, I know, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while. Check it out, tell me if it's interesting and it makes sense, and I'll continue with editing and posting. I have it all written, I'm just going through it for sense and flow and typos. :)

Hope it works!


"You're awfully calm," May said lightly, leaning against the locker next to Misty's. The third period bell had blared just a moment before, leaving them surrounded by a flock of students from all over the pokémon world. There were gym leaders, coordinators, trainers, referees, breeders, and any other occupation one could imagine – as long as the pocket monsters were involved. That much was expected, from one of the top three pokémon academies to ever exist.

The redhead scowled. "I'm not always angry, and it's not like it's the end of the world, even if you deserved more than a B+ because you worked so damned hard-"

"Not about the science paper," she said, cutting her off, "about the public school transfer kid."

She shrugged, burrowing around through the locker for the purple binder at the bottom. "So he'll screw the curve a bit with his bad grades. It's only going to help me on my side of the bell."

"But he's being brought in because he's the best battler they've seen in ages!"

She rolled her eyes, yanking the binder onto her pile and doing her best to balance the heavy stack. "First he'll be a trainer when he graduates, I'll be a leader. No competition for a spot. Second, I doubt he's anything special, because they've been polling for a tutor." She slammed the door with her free hand, then quickly lifted her books so she could wrap both her arms around them. "And he's from freaking Pallet. Aside from the Oaks and corn, what's ever come out of Pallet Town?"

"You're really not curious?"

"Nope."

She winked. "Because I was thinking of hiding in the bushes when he came."


Ash Ketchum was hardly listening to his guide, taking in the bustling city he'd been dropped into. Not that he was complaining, mind. He was plenty happy to get a chance like this to be a trainer. He just wasn't too fond of the whole place having to be in Goldenrod. Pikachu was negatively curious too, his ears high as he paid close attention to the oncoming traffic to their right. He patted her head in hopes of reassuring him, and nodded at the bushes.

"I know they don't have any trees, but they've got those…shrubbery things," he muttered, eyeing the cement and brick he stood on. "Even if everything else is made of rock."

There was a rustle in the bushes and he spun around, ordering Pikachu to throw out an electric attack, thunderbolt or thundershock he couldn't remember which. The little mouse was shocked too, creating a stronger blast than necessary. Then, to shock them even further, instead of a pokémon wooshing out or strong, middle aged men with five o' clock shadows for beards, two teens leapt from the bushes with horrified shrieks.

"My bike! My bike! You fried it!" Misty gasped, eyes wide with horror as she clutched at the broken thing. "How am I supposed to get to the stores? Or home? I take the train and it drops me off a ways a way and I have to bike the rest of the way and you fried it!"

He gaped for a moment, then finally shouted back: "Why were you in the bushes?"

"We were spying on you, duh! Get me a new bike to replace the one you exploded!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because you were spying on me in the bushes!"

She glared, placing her hand on her hip in a contrary fashion. "I still don't get why I don't get my bike back."


Daisy groaned. "We can't afford to buy you a new bike. We can hardly get you home! Like, honestly, Misty, how the hell could we get you a new bike when the gym has been so slow?"

"Why has the gym been slow? Have you had another losing streak?"

She stuck her tongue out, despite the fact that anyone could see her through the public video phone. "No. None of the kids are training here anymore. They all dropped out. Well, not all, but a lot of them. Training's not as big anymore. There's too much other stuff. If you ask me, all these stupid pokémon sports never should have took off!"

"You'll get plenty in a while. The trainer's from last year should be about to start their journeys. They always start in the fall."

"It's not enough. We need to do shows again," she argued.

"Fine."

"On break, you need to do shows."

"What?" she yelped, leaping up from the chair with the phone still securely fastened to her ear. "Absolutely not! You know how I hate doing those stupid shows and…and…and I can't get home anyway! So I'm not doing them!"

"If you want to graduate you'd better. We need all the extra cash we can get. The inheritance won't last forever, and the League isn't that generous."

"But I need a bike!" she shouted, stomping her foot and drawing attention.

"Well, you'll have to find a way to get one! That's what you get for hiding in the bushes and spying on the new hot kid!"

"What's wrong with hiding in the bushes? I couldn't help it! May way the one who got me to do it, but no one ever thinks of her because she's so innocent and her bike wasn't destroyed! And, thinking about that stupid bike, how the hell am I supposed to find a way to get one?" Several of the kids in the courtyard giggled, and Misty left, cheeks flaming as the rumors started.


"So. You want a bike," Lieutenant Surge chuckled, crossing his camouflaged arms and glaring down at Misty. He wore a cocky smirk and muscles that were big, but still managed to be proportionate to hid body. No tattoos that she could see, however, despite the fact that he seemed like the guy who would have a few.

She gritted her teeth, crossing her arms as well, and stood her ground as she stared up into his boxy features. "Yes, Surge, I want a bike. That's why I'm in a bike shop."

"What's your name, Weedle?" he sneered.

"Surge, you've known me since I was two. You know what my name is."

"If you're not going to give me your name, weedle it is! Well, Weedle, you think you can handle a Rydel cycle?"

"Yeah," she said slowly. "I think I can handle it."

"This isn't an ordinary bike."

"Yes. Yes it is."

"You know, when I was in the war-"

She stomped her foot and snapped at him, "I swear, Surge, if you don't help me got a bike I'm telling your nephew you stalked him here from Vermillion! I don't think he knows you're in the bicycle shop, does he? I don't think he'd like if very much if he found out!"

There was an awkward silence for a moment, before the Lieutenant cleared his throat and muttered, "If you wear a Rydel shirt and ride it for three hours a day you'll be done by the end of the school year. If you do weekends you're be done by spring break."

"Which bike?" she asked.

"It's advertising, so you get our best one, that red rocket," he said, nodding towards the one mounted on the wall.

She couldn't breathe when she looked at it. Her old bikes had always been hand-me-downs, with the paint chipped off and a chain that had to be drowned in oil to make up for the rust. This one was sleek and smooth, the red paint mixed with glitter that would make it glow in the sun. She bet the chain would catch on it and make her spin out of control. She bet that kiddish bell sounded like a choir when you rang it.

"It's gorgeous," she murmured.

"Yeah. Don't hide in any bushes with it."


"Kid!" she shouted, racing down the hallway. "Hey, kid!"

Ahs Ketchum turned slowly, eyeing the redhead rushing for him. She looked familiar, didn't she? Ah wait, that was the stalker. He'd shocked her bike last week. That's right. She was supposed to be pretty smart usually, but was a little off. Apparently, stuff like stalking people in the bushes was a common occurrence in Goldenrod. Still, he couldn't quite recall who she was. Misty something. Williams, he thought.

"I just wanted to tell you that I got a new bike and it's way better than my old bike, so your plan to ruin my life didn't work," she said, panting from her run.

"I wasn't trying to ruin your life," he defended. "It was an accident! I'm sorry, but it was your fault for hiding in the bushes and scaring us like that."

(Don't hide in bushes and this won't happen,) Pikachu agreed hotly.

She stood back up, pointing an accusing finger at them both. "No! It wasn't my fault and you're going to pay me back, dammit! I have to work three hours a day to get this bike, and you owe me because it was your fault and my life is over now!"

"It was not."

"Was too."

"Was not!"

"Was t-oh my Mew I'm five! It's your fault and I want my money and I never want to see your ugly face again! So there!" And she proudly stormed off with her nose stuck in the air, ignoring Ash's astonished looks and the snickers from the other children in the hallway.


"I want to see his ugly face again," Misty moaned, dropping her head to the lunch table. A second later, her head was right back up with a mildly bright idea, sticking her index finger in the air. "It wouldn't hurt just to visit him for a while, would it? I could probably hide better this time. He'd never see me, especially if my friends came along with me to make sure I don't do anything stupid to reveal myself!"

"Misty, no," May ordered. "No."

"I'd hide in the bushes with you. I don't care if we become a laughing stalk." Dawn beamed.

She made a happy sound and clapped her hands together. "You're the best freshman ever! I knew you frosh had to be good for something more than shoving into trashcans! May, you've been replaced by a freshman. How does that feel? Why are we even friends?"

She twisted a fry in some ketchup, remembering the day they had met. After a second of being sure to get the story perfectly straight, she explained, "When you were a freshman and I was a seventh grader we met exploring the pokémon breeding center. We both got in trouble for tipping over a huge bucket of pokeballs and releasing hundreds of breeding stock, and you decided I was the sister you never had."

"Welcome to the sisterhood, Dawn," she congratulated.

"Don't come crying to me when you get caught! I won't help you clear your name when you do something stupid."

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Ash's room is right below Drew's. I bet he'll come out while I'm yelling at Ash. He might even be shirtless."


"Ketchum! Ketchum, you coward, come out!" Misty shouted, throwing a heavy rock at the Plexiglas window. It moaned and thundered in response and did so again when she chucked another heavy rock. She was careful to only hit the window, as she imagined chips would go flying if she hit the red brick that made up most of the dorm. "Don't make me serenade you! Get your ass out here!"

He threw open the sliding door and stormed out onto the small deck. "What's wrong with you?"

"You owe me a biiii-iiike!" she called her voice sing-songy as it floated up to him.

"Are you high?"

"Noooo."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want my bike moooneeeey!"

"When I have the money I swear I'll give it to you, alright?"

"Okaaaay."

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

"I never want to see your stupid face agaa-aain!"

"I'll see you in school."

"I won't look at yoooou!"

"Can't we just make up and be friends? Or just not be enemies."

"Nooo! I hate yoooou!"

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Would you shut up?" Drew shouted, running out shirtless. "Who the hell yells at people at four in the morning?"

"May's hiding in the bushes with Daaa-aawn!"

May, from the bush, picked up a pebble and chucked it at her head, proud when it managed to connect. The girl looked back, and she beckoned her over, snatching her into the bushes when she was close enough and proceeding to shake her senseless. "Misty, why do you never shut the hell up?"


"Misty Williams, please report to the office."

"Why?" she muttered oat the PA system, picking up her bag as she went. "I'm thirsty anyway."

"And don't dawdle this time. Just come to the office, without stopping by the vending machine. And, speaking of vending machines, Gary, will you please stop spending your study halls cleaning them out? Just because you have the money to doesn't mean you have to buy them all out."

She got a little chuckle from that announce, but went on her way. First down the hall, then up the stairs, down the hall again, and into the office, she walked. Her reward for it all was a common sight, the Principle of the Kanto Sector, Lorelei, and a not so common sight of a lolling Ash Kechum in a chair with Pikachu on his shoulder. She froze the second she saw him, swearing she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise with hate.

"Don't go," Lorelei said with a grin. "You're not in trouble."

"Why's he here then?" she argued. "The only reason he'd be here would be so he could get me in trouble. He wants to ruin my life! I mean, you know he already ruined my bike. It's all over the school."

She folded her hands and leaned forward over her desk. "Ash needs a tutor, you need a break. If you agree to tutor him and if you tutor him well your only homework this year will be studying for tests. I'm guessing that will be enough to set aside your spite and work with him?"

"Why me?" she gasped. "What would you want me for? We don't get along! Gary's smart and he got mentioned on the announcements already. What about him?"

"Because he is not going to be a trainer, or a gym leader, or, hopefully, a member of the Elite Four," she retorted coolly.

She felt a blush rise up her cheeks as Ash repeated, "The Elite Four?"

"You're one of the most promising Kanto students, and the fact that you specialize in water only helps your case. You're already close to my element, it'd be incredibly easy to teach you so many strategies, Misty. You know I'd like to see how you'd be for the League. And, as much as I'd like to wish it isn't true, part of League duties is having to mingle with people you don't like. You have to learn how to do that.

"Ash is also from Kanto, so I'm responsible for him, and he has incredible potential, more than you or me or anyone I've ever seen." Now it was his turn to blush, even deeper when the redhead looked at him with a sort of awe, having heard her idol praise him so. "I'm not losing him because he can't add two and two."

"So, you're pretty desperate." Misty giggled. "I could ask for a scholar-"

"Don't push it. You bike broke because you were stalking the boy and now you have to pay for it. You can't use your tuition for it."

"Ash is buying me a new bike, aren't you, Ash?"

"I can't wait for you to tutor me." He grinned. "We can be friends, like I said."

"No!" she shouted, shaking her head at him. "Not friendship, not acquaintances, not anything! This is business. You're going to get an A and then I'll never have to see your ugly face again! And I never want to!"


Every day, weekends included, Misty signed in at the bicycle shop then went off on her route, MP3 player blaring as she went. No homework, hardly a test worth studying for, just a lazy afternoon of peddling the well oiled bike. Granted, the shirt was baggy and practically blinding with it being a reflective neon green, and the short sleeves left her arms a little cold. Her legs weren't cold, they never got cold, but her arms sure did. She didn't have any long sleeved shirts on her either, only her pink windbreakers, and was ticked about it.

Still, as her legs got used to the long rides and they soon stopped aching and the cold didn't bother her as much, especially when she managed to borrow something long sleeved from a friend. The bike's motion was smooth, seeming to avoid every bump and groove in the pavement, and it hardly required the lightest touch of her foot to plow on. She'd taken a baseball card and clipped it to the spoke, supposedly to get people's attention, though she couldn't deny she loved pretending she was on a motorcycle.

Riding her bike in the fall was perfect, pristine, untouchable, and she would never tell Ash she was thankful to his little mouse for ruining her horrible old one.


"So, when's your first lesson with him?" May asked, crunching into a carrot stick.

"The note says tomorrow, after I finish cycling around town," she returned, glaring at the fancy office stationary. "Have to go to the boys' dorm to do it, though. Ugh. Better make sure I don't have to pee. Their bathrooms are nasty."

"They can't be that bad," Dawn argued.

"Strike one, Dawn. Yes they are. Don't touch anything in the boys' dorm, never ever."

"Why would I go to the boys' dorm?"

"Strike two! I can't even respond to that it's so ridiculous!" Misty cried. "I can't believe this. I have to go inside. It's bad enough I have to hear the stories about it. Do you really think I can live through this?"

"Sure you will. It's just a really big really scary adventure. You can do this," May reassured. "I'm with you in spirit. I'll never go there, though. I'll walk across a volcano with you but there's no way I'm going to a huge dorm full of boys."

"I wouldn't mind a study date with Ash. He's really cute, and sweet too. A guy dropped all his books yesterday and Ash bent down and helped him pick it all up. It was so sweet, especially since the kid's totally a dork. Nobody likes him in my grade. Oh, and he's in my grade. Most guys just shove the frosh into trashcans because that's all we're good for."

"Strike three, frosh. Your best friend privileges have been revoked. It's back to man bait for you!"

"Come on, Misty, that doesn't deserve a strike. Even you said the first time we met him that you thought he was cute."

"That never leaves the table," she hissed, slamming her open hand down.

"Hey, Misty, you're not one of those girls that refuse to admit they like a guy, no matter how obvious it is?"

"You're not pairing us up!"

"Hey, you're going on a study date with the guy," May shrugged. "Just saying."