It was that time of year again.

Summer had completely given way to Autumn, allowing the chill in the air to sweep the brown leaves to collect in piles all throughout Kanto. Many of the town could be seen raking in the fallen blades, or heard shouting at their kids to keep from jumping into the heaps and creating a larger mess. The town itself didn't waste any time before fixing up the shops to display decorations in the windows either. But it had to be the pumpkins that were probably the most common sight to witness. The orange spheres were everywhere, whether in a large bin with some price sign nearby or for decoration on the steps that lead to a store. Many of them displayed the faces of pokemon such as Golbat, Gengar, and Golem. Some even had Voltorb and Electrode for the simplicity of the round shape.

The Ketchum household itself modestly upheld tradition by exhibiting a few pumpkins outside, a cutout skeleton that took up the entire front door and a few window stickers of festively dressed up pokemon as well. It wasn't much, but it was enough to celebrate the holiday. Active pokemon also took part in it. Ghastly and Haunter could sometimes be seen floating up in the sky at night or even during the day, posing as a decoration by a building only to come to life -so to speak- and harmlessly scare the passerby. Ash has seen this on a number of occasions, but was neither scared or bothered by it. He conquered that fear ever since he first encountered Haunter and his ghostly crew back in his early days of traveling. Brock and Misty were the only two that were still ever truly wary of the Ghost type, however.

And it was Brock and Misty who currently occupied the kitchen table in his home that evening. It was four days away from Halloween and the two friends had been in and out of the house visiting all week, when they were finally gotten ahold of by Delia who insisted they stay for dinner at least one night.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Ketchum. You are truly one amazing cook." grinned Misty as she set down her silverware. Brock was quick to express his own gratitude, nodding as he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah, Mrs. Ketchum, you've really outdone yourself. It was terrific."

Misty then proceeded to discreetly nudge Ash's leg with her foot from under the table after a few moments. He jumped before pausing to glare at her and turn to his mother. "Right, mom, thanks."

"You're all very welcome, it was my pleasure. I'm just so glad to have the two of you back here with Ash. It's nice to see both of you again!"

"We're glad to be around. I know I'd much rather be here than my gym, that's for sure. My sisters can be a real nightmare."

Brock nodded along to Misty's comment. "Same here. All of my siblings are grown now, so it's no longer my duty to supervise them."

"Are you saying I need to be supervised?" Ash questioned with a squint.

"No, Ash, of course not," replied the breeder with a quiet laugh. "What I mean is, I don't have anything to do for the holiday since they all prefer to be off on their own now."

"Even though Ash could sometimes use a little supervision..." Misty added with a grin before taking a sip of her water. The subject of discussion picked up from where his glare previously left off. But Delia just laughed at the exchange, knowing full well it was only harmless goading.

"That reminds me of when Ash was just a little boy, and I would take him trick or treating around the neighborhood."

Ash then slumped and ducked his head with a mumble. "Here we go..."

But Delia continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Sometimes, we'd circle the neighborhood twice. He would fill up his bag so much that he almost had to drag it home."

Ash was wincing now, as if it caused him physical pain to hear her talking. Misty on the other hand had her chin propped up onto her palm, thoroughly enjoying his obvious discomfort as she listened to his mother speak.

"You know, I remember one year when Ashy was dressed as a ghost, and the backing of his costume trailed on the sidewalk. It was absolutely filthy by the time we came back!" she recalled with a chuckle while her son's miserable groans of embarrassment floated in the background.

Brock and Misty were grinning at their poor friend's expense when Delia suddenly held up a finger. "Actually... I think I have pictures around here somewhere..."

"No!" Ash suddenly sprang back to life, eyes wide in alarm. His mother was relentless. "Not the pictures! Mom-!"

But it was too late. Mrs. Ketchum was off her seat in the next few seconds and disappeared down the hallway, and he fell back into his slump. Brock's gaze was somewhat sympathetic while Misty was anything but.

"Poor Ashy... you didn't stand a ghost of a chance." she spoke through a voice full of amusement.

Ash just wadded up his napkin and tossed it at Misty, who laughed before discarding the item. "C'mon. We should seriously help clean up. Your mother went to all that trouble, so let's clear the table."

"We?"

"Yes, we, now get up." she prodded him in the shoulder before rising from her chair in the next second, dish in hand. Brock was already polishing the utensils by the time she made it to the sink, while Ash appeared at her side as requested. That's when the previous conversation they were having sunk in for Brock and summoned memories of his past with his siblings around this time of year.

He smiled as he began putting away the silverware.

"You know, I remember going door to door with my brothers and sisters, and how everytime they would be afraid of the bushes we were passing along the way. They always thought something was going to jump out at them, so they would ask that I check for anything first."

Misty nodded with a smile of her own while she scrubbed her plate. "I went through the same thing with my sisters. Except for us it was the dark houses. Even though they were a little older, we were all still afraid that monsters or something lived inside of them. We always dared eachother to go up and try the doorbell but none of us ever did."

Now it was Ash's turn to express a grin at his own recollection. "Yeah.. I remember those houses," he moved toward the sink once Misty was finished and started to wash off his plate.

"I always walked up to them, though. Rang the bell three or four times. Even knocked on the doors once or twice whether it was dark or not. I never thought anything scary might be inside, I just kept waiting for someone to answer. But my mom pulled me back when I started throwing rocks at the windows and said for us to "move on"." he finished by using the air quote sign and then set his dish aside, while Misty and Brock hardly showed any sign of surprise.

"Well there's a shock," teased Misty as she leaned against the counter. "Anyone else would have just kept on walking."

"Unless they're Ash," supplied the breeder.

"Right," Misty nodded. "On another one of his quests."

"A quest for candy." Brock pointed out.

The female raised a finger. "You know, the only other thing I've really seen him take interest in besides Pokemon, is food."

"You're right.. that does make sense now that I think about it." Brock stroked his chin.

"Some things never change." Misty added in a tone of fake disappointment.

Ash partially raised his arm. "I'm right here, ya know."

The redhead pretended not to notice. "You hear something, Brock?"

"Not a thing, Misty."

"HEY!"

Misty continued to act as though she hadn't heard him with a teasing grin. That was until a few seconds later when she ran her hand through the water, then faced Ash and flicked a few water droplets at him to acknowledge his presence once again. He flinched at first, but quickly recovered by making a mad dive for the faucet to retaliate. Misty jumped out of the way while they both ignored Brock's plea for them not to make a mess. He raised his arms while holding a plate in each hand, shaking his head at their behavior. But they continued to scurry around the kitchen like mice as he put the last of the dishes away, when suddenly the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Delia's disembodied voice called cheerfully a moment later.

They all ceased their actions at once with a questionable look, and quickly dried off their hands. But it didn't take long to figure out who was at the door when there, in the entrance to Ash's kitchen, stood Professor Oak who was led in by his mother.

"Good evening, Ash! Misty, Brock! It's great to see you all!"

The trio blinked in confusion. "Hi, Professor."

"I'm sorry to disturb you all at such a late hour, but-"

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ashy-boy and company." interrupted a voice of sneering familiarity. And sure enough, Gary appeared at his grandfather's side a moment later. He stood tall and took a moment to fold his arms with a smirk that suggested nothing but superiority.

"I thought I smelled you in town."

"Now, now, Gary. That's no way to greet an old friend." scolded the Professor.

Gary just scoffed. "That's hardly on the list of names I have for him."

Ash narrowed his eyes while he fought to maintain his nerve, Misty and Brock trading a nervous glance as the two boys glared daggers at eachother.

The Professor cleared his throat. "As I was saying. My apologies for unexpectedly dropping in, but Delia has told me that Misty and Brock have been visiting with you, Ash. And my grandson and I have something for you."

"Well, it's my grandpa who would rather be doing this than myself."

"That's enough, Gary."

"What exactly are you doing here? Besides causing an eyesore?" Ash didn't bother hiding the biting tone in his voice while the look on his face took a similar approach to the youngest Oak.

"Ash!" Delia remarked from the side.

But Gary just smirked again as he withdrew three white envelopes from his backpocket and slapped them down on the counter.

"Invitations, to my Halloween party on the thirty first. For the three of you."

Ash suspiciously eyed the pieces of paper as if they concealed some kind of deadly weapon. "You're inviting us to a party you're throwing?"

Misty snagged one of the envelopes during the boys' conversation and started to open it.

"It's not just any party, Ash. I'd be grateful if I were you. Thankfully I'm not, but you'll have the firsthand experience of what an actual party should really be like."

The Professor immediately scolded his grandson again. And Ash was just about to retort with a foul piece of what his mother would call 'colorful language', but was interrupted by Misty.

"If you think there's nothing left to fear, come to Gary's party of the year. Let your sight behold the fright with shouts and screams on Halloween."

He turned over his shoulder to see her reciting the inscription, now bewildered on top of being angry. That had to be the cheesiest thing he'd ever heard.

Gary just leisurely stretched both arms behind his head. "Like I said, Ashy-boy, I'd be grateful. It's not every year I'm around to throw one of these."

"One can only hope." he couldn't help but throw in to fuel the fire they had brewing between them. But the brunette chose ignore this as he retreated closer to the exit.

"There's going to be a pumpkin carving contest, and a maze Gary's setting up in the backyard of my lab," added the Professor. "Some of the Pokemon have also agreed to be apart of it as well, so it really should be quite thrilling! Safe though, I assure you."

Gary rolled his eyes as his grandfather continued. "I hope to see all of you there. And Delia, you're welcome too, of course."

Delia raised a hand to her chest as if she couldn't believe such an offer was made. "Well thank you, Professor! But I need to stay behind for the kids who are trick or treating."

The older man raised a hand to his chin, stroking it in thought. "Ah yes, of course. I understand. Well, Ash, Misty, Brock, I hope to see you all at the party. Tracey will be there as well if my memory serves. But one can never truly tell at my age, hm?" he gave a good natured laugh before turning to leave.

"It was nice seeing you all. Have a good night!" the group of friends bid him a quiet farewell in return before he and Gary were escorted out by Delia.

"Can you believe that guy?" griped Ash once they were out of earshot. "Shows up at my house, insults me, then invites us to some party he's having and still manages to be a jerk about it."

"Well.. look on the bright side, Ash. At least your mom seems to have forgotten about the photos." offered Brock half heartedly.

But that hardly factored into Ash's level of irritation at the moment. He only glanced over to Misty after a few moments of her silence, and was surprised to see her staring at the envelope with what looked like honest consideration.

"Don't tell me you're actually thinking of going to that, are you?"

Misty shrugged and dropped her gaze. "Well.. I don't know, Ash. I mean it's not like any of us had plans to do anything."

"You saw what he was like when he was in here just now. Who knows what he'll throw in our faces if any of us show up."

"Yeah, but.. he's always like that."

"My point!"

Brock watched his friends trade words, his eyes moving back and forth between them. He only hoped his involvement wouldn't be something they needed. It was sometimes a tendency of theirs to require his opinion on settling a dispute, and that usually resulted in making the argument even worse. That's when Pikachu suddenly bounded into the room and onto Ash's shoulder. But he was too immersed into the conversation he was currently having with Misty to notice. The tiny mouse seemed to have picked up on this, and glanced to Brock who offered a tired smile with a small shrug.

"He invited all three of us... and Professor Oak seemed excited about it. It might be disrespectful if we didn't go." Misty tried to reason.

"So.. what, then? You're going?" he pressed on.

Misty didn't say anything. Instead she glanced down at the envelope and flipped it over, seemingly hesitant on speaking.

"You are going."

"I don't know... I might check it out. Just for a bit, anyway."

Ash tilted his head back and groaned.

"Come with me, Ash. It might not be so bad. You too, Brock. It could be fun for all of us."

He glanced over to their friend before casting an unfazed look over to the pokemon on his shoulder at her plea to accompany her. Ash remained somewhat grumpy without declining, and that was something Misty was able to tell meant that he was close to caving. Ash would usually flat out deny anything on the spot and leave it at that. But Pikachu only twitched his ear before his master rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll go."

Misty broke into a grin. "How about you, Brock? You coming?"

"Sure, yeah. I'll go." he shrugged. Although he wasn't too particular in actually going, it was mostly out of support. But there was still room for amusement at Ash's decision. Crotchety as it was.

"Alright then. I'll go tell your mom, Ash. Let's go, Pikachu."

"Pika!"

The yellow rodent sprang from Ash's shoulder in high spirits for whatever was about to happen, and into Misty's arms. Silence hung in the air for a moment as Ash glanced over to the breeder after she exited the room, feeling slightly panicked and put on the spot. He then proceeded to fidget with his hands before crossing his arms.

"I'm doing this for Professor Oak."

Brock only eyed the younger male with a face hinting that a smirk wasn't far behind, but was met with a look from Ash that clearly stated 'don't'.

"Talk about going overboard." Ash's grouchy mood hadn't subsided in the slightest as he took in the scene around him.

It was still a little early in the day as they all finally made it to the Oak's residence on Halloween. And Halloween definitely wasn't anything Gary took lightly. His entire backyard was covered in hay, pumpkins of every size imaginable littering the lining of the fence. A fog machine was in use as a dense, white smoke hovered in the air near everyone's ankles. There was also a handful of tables scattered with black tablecloth thrown over them with chairs to boot, and a long rectangular table covered in an orange cloth sitting near the back with a giant bowl of punch and various snack items on it. Many of which contained jello eyeballs and other edibles with some type of reference to the holiday; Miscellaneous fake and bloody body parts were spread out over the table as well, not to mention the roof that hung over the backdoor had black paper lanterns dangling over anyone who passed through. On top of that were many other decorations that existed outside of the fenced area. Such as motion sensored ghostly figures that dangled from the trees dressed in cobwebs and shook as the guests walked past them.

But the trio of friends came dressed for the occasion. Brock kept it light with a black shirt, and white pants that were cropped at the bottom to resemble the ones Bruno from the Elite Four sometimes wore. Although he regretted his decision once it was pointed out to him that dirt of any kind would easily stick out like a sore thumb. Misty however chose to dress up similar to a mermaid, her outfit consisting of a long and wavy turquoise skirt with a light pink crop top. She also wore a pair of studs in her ears to match the pink beaded headband in her hair. And Ash kept his costume simple as Brock had, choosing to throw on a cape with nothing or no one specific in mind to dress up as. He was never well off on what to wear and how to wear it, as this was pointed out by Misty who suggested that he at least try.

But Ash was hardly in the mood for trying. Especially for something like this. Yet she still somehow managed to get the flimsy piece of fabric over him, despite his endless whining about it. Her persistence was harder to shake off than a Stun Spore attack. He felt like an understated version of Zubat, but she didn't want to "hear another word about it". And thus, he carried forward in his half-completed costume. Although he had to hand it to Pikachu, who bounced around the backyard in his tiny pirate getup for having what looked like to be the time of his life.

"It does seem a little extravagant..." Brock added in a hesitant tone through a pair of squinted eyes, examining a hand that was left on the table. He never usually pointed out something in a negative manner.

Misty blinked, unable to really disagree with either one of them. "Why, though? Why go to all this trouble just for a party?"

"To show off." Ash stated bluntly before trying out a jello eyeball, to which he made a sour face at. The three of them hung out toward the back, observing the scenery before them. But it was the honest truth. Gary never missed an opportunity to boast about anything flashy in his possession. There wasn't any exception when it came to his ego. He thrived on impressing people with his wealth and what he could do with it.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he left the price tag somewhere on one of these things."

"I hate to say it, Ash.. but I think you're right." Misty flinched and recoiled when a couple guys zoomed past them with hideous masks on their faces. She was never really able to move past the time Ash caught her off guard with one of those in a forest.

She heaved in a sigh. "That's just disappointing."

"I tried to tell you it'd be like this."

"I know, Ash."

"And you didn't listen."

"I know, Ash."

"I didn't even want to be here. But noooo, you just had to-"

Ash was then promptly cut off from his sentence by Misty shoving a handful of candy corns into his mouth. He made an immediate noise of protest, visibly disgruntled at which she only smirked at. Brock snorted at the exchange and kept his thoughts to himself about it.

As Ash continued to incoherently whine through a mouthful of candy, Misty poured herself a cup of red punch from the bowl behind them. While there was plenty around to look at, she was only in attendance so as not to put out Professor Oak. He was always very kind and generous to her and the boys over the years, and felt the need to attend out of respect. Having to literally twist Ash's arm just also happened to be apart of that.

And maybe a bonus.

They certainly weren't the only ones crowding the area, though. Gary's friends were everywhere. Some of the girls came as pokemon and some as witches. But it was mostly Nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's that were on the scene, while the pokemon they brought along took the role of dressing up as Chansey and Growlithe. Brock was surprisingly unfazed at how many of them there were, until it was explained that nothing could compare to the many genuine versions of the two women. And of course, that each were different. Even though one of the Jenny's looked anything but pleased to see that she wasn't the only policewoman to show up.

And then there were the guys. One was partially dressed as Machoke, his upper torso painted blue while he wore a pair of dark jeans with a large belt. Some other guy who was more dedicated to his costume as Mr. Mime walked around with sizable red dots on his cheeks, blue hair and shoes, and complete with white gloves. He also proceeded to mime the Barrier move to almost anyone who turned around without saying a word.

And then... there was Gary.

"So you decided to come after all, eh?"

He approached them looking more smug than Ash had ever seen him. And out-dressing everyone, to no one's surprise. He donned what had to be an expensive black cape with purple interior, the hood framing his face while the rest of his clothing matched in color as well. Including the black gloves he wore on his hands, and the shiny black boots he wore for shoes. Even the incisors in his mouth seemed to be the slightest bit pointier as some kind of attachment. His hair was also gelled to perfection, leaving his brown spikes to stand upward instead of outward. Undoubtedly a vampire.

Ash narrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah, Gary, the three of us are obviously here."

"I knew you couldn't stay away. Not bad, eh? Gramps and I decked out the place." he took a moment indicate his words with his hands by briefly holding them out as if they couldn't already tell.

"And as you can see, I decided to go all out this year. Which appears to be more than I can say for you, Ash. But don't feel too bad. I actually considered going as you this year. Thought I might scare some kids."

Misty was beginning to feel sheepish for the first time that night as Gary was causing her to second guess her decision the more he spoke. And the penetrating glare Ash bestowed upon her from the corner of his eye wasn't helping much, either.

"Why don't you try a mirror for hints on how to scare people?" came his frustrated reply.

But their conversation was cut short, because wherever Gary Oak went, his famed cheerleaders were never far behind. Several of them soon flocked to his side wearing Hitmonchan costumes, clad in purple dresses and brown shoes. And it wasn't long before they lined up in a row and started cheering behind the male.

"Gary, Gary, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can!"

Misty took a sip of punch and rolled her eyes behind the paper cup.

"Give me a break..."

But Brock was oblivious to the obnoxious chant as he nearly skipped over to them, professing his undying love to each of the pom-pom waving females. They all scattered from him like Rattata's from a Persian, cowering pathetically behind Gary himself as if the breeder was some stark-raving lunatic. The youngest Oak only accepted the attention with a smirk and insisted they were all completely fine. Ash just shook his head at the encounter while Misty tugged the overzealous male back by the ear once again with a grumbled, 'knock it off!'.

Gary hardly seemed distracted upon the interruption.

"As I was saying. It's pretty great here, but it's nothing compared to the maze I have outside his lab. Just wait. It'll be the highlight of the evening."

But Professor Oak appeared behind his grandson and rested a hand on his shoulder before the matter could be explored any further. "Gary, that's enough. You can head back and start preparing for the carving contest. Go on, now."

"Glad to, grandpa. Good luck for that, by the way. You'll need it." and with that, Gary turned on his heel and strode away. The Professor gave a small sigh before returning his attention to the other three.

"I apologize for my grandson. But I'm glad to see you all made it. Happy Halloween!" he was dressed in dark blue robes with silver stripes on the cuffs, tiny stars sprinkled over the entire wardrobe, while also wearing a pointed hat that drooped at the top.

Ash, Misty and Brock all revealed a half smile while the tension slowly ebbed away. "Happy Halloween, Professor."

Ash nodded toward his obvious wizard getup. "Cool costume."

"Why thank you, Ash. And what striking costumes you all have as well! Misty, you are... hm.." he tapped his chin and squinted his eyes while he tried to concoct an answer.

"A mermaid," she confessed with a faint smile, understanding that her outfit didn't exactly give away all the necessary detail. But the Professor just raised a finger as if he'd guessed correctly anyway.

"Ah! Yes, yes you must be. And Brock.. hmm, with those pants I'm going to say... Bruno, yes?"

"You got it, Professor." the breeder gave a thumbs up. But the older man shifted his gaze to Ash and faltered slightly upon coming up with an answer for what he came as. Misty had to stifle a laugh at how much his costume lacked as well.

"Erm, Ash.. you... you are..."

The trainer held up his hands and spared him. "Nothing in specific, Professor. It's okay. I'm not much for.. er, dressing up."

"Of course, of course. Well that's quite alright, Ash. To each his own. But I must say that the contest is about to start, and I should head back to finish setting up and announce it. Good luck to you all." and he departed with a cheery wave. They waved in return, then finally decided to wrangle up a pumpkin near the fence before all of them were taken. Even though Misty noticed that Ash only seemed half invested into the search while briefly pausing to glare at his rival.

"I wonder how he puts up with Gary." Ash mumbled about the Professor while inspecting the orange spheres.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Brock answered, lifting up his choice while Ash just scrunched up his face over his shoulder. His rival could be seen up ahead with his pumpkin, tossing it from one hand to other before taking a seat and leaning back in it, then propping up his feet on the table.

"Look at him, strutting around like he owns the place."

"Ash.. it's his house, he does own the place." Misty took to pointing out before thrusting one of the orange plants into his arms.

"You know what I mean!" he accepted it without question, obviously still lost in his vexation.

The female only disregarded it with a headshake. But the three of them were just about to head back to find a seat, when they were suddenly approached by someone else from the party heading their way.

"Ash! Misty! Brock! There you guys are!" Tracey jogged over to them wearing a very familiar lab coat. All three onlookers went bug eyed at the scene.

But Brock was the one to address it. "Tracey? Are you.. are you dressed up as-"

"Yeah! Professor Oak! Isn't it great?" the male held out the white coat and spun around once. Ash almost dropped his pumpkin.

"Wow, Trace.. you even dyed your hair and everything..."

"I did!" the sketch artist ran his hands back and forth through his newly colored auburn hair with the biggest grin on his face. "I think Professor Oak must have been really impressed by it too, cause he said he needed a moment to collect himself when he saw me. I think I really blew him away!"

The trio remained quiet with nothing wordy to offer, except a few nervous laughs. It was then that the Professor himself stood up front and opened his arms. "Everyone, if I may have your attention, I'd like for you all to take a pumpkin and hollow it out because the carving contest is about to begin. But remember this contest is only for fun, and be sure to enjoy yourselves!"

Tracey clapped his hands together in delight. "Well, we better get going. Good luck, guys."

All three of them traded a glance as he sprinted off, then took a seat at one of the tables. Brock sat on Ash's left and Misty on his right, while Gary was now across from Tracey a few tables ahead of them. Pikachu was seated somewhere more towards the front as well, sharing a haystack with some of the other pokemon to watch the session in progress. The tiny rodent had a handful of candy corns in his paws and tossed one up into the air, intending to catch it with his mouth, but only to have it bounce off his face. Ash couldn't help but smile a bit at the sight.

But he soon returned his attention back to the task at hand. An assortment of tools needed for the job was placed on every table that was now laden with a gauzy, plastic covering. Ash didn't have the slightest clue how to even begin, and felt very strongly that this would just be something else for his rival to best him at. The confidant grin Gary wore was enough proof of that. But it still stirred a familiar sense of competition that Ash wasn't about to ignore. He started to cut a hole around the top his pumpkin with such a force that it caused Brock and Misty to eye him slightly like he was a madman. But they too, had followed Ash's lead by emptying the pumpkin's contents onto the table until it was hollow.

And that's when the Professor swept his gaze around the area to make sure everyone was ready, and ushered the okay to begin carving.

Ash dug the sharp tip of the tool into the orange mass. It was completely done by freehand, with no picture or anything to guide them. But he did have one idea in mind for a shape, and started to cut the design of long ears into his pumpkin. Brock was effortlessly guiding his instrument into the plant, likely doing so well from practice with his siblings over the years. But Misty seemed to be having slight more difficulty with hers by the way her face was being pulled together.

"This is harder than it looks," Ash grunted out of frustration. Misty nodded without a word, her eyes never leaving her work.

"Try to have fun with it, like the Professor said." Brock offered quietly.

"I can't believe I agreed to this..."

"Just carve your pumpkin, Ash." Misty grumbled to him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." was his cranky reply before quieting down altogether.

Everyone remained silent for the rest of the process. And the end result turned out to be.. well, disastrous. At least for Ash. He failed miserably at his attempt for carving Pikachu into his pumpkin and knew right away he was bound to lose. But he tried, as he always did. Misty and Brock finished as well, their projects turning out to be far more impressive than his was. And it seemed the rest of the party goers also completed their works in the moments that followed. Once Professor Oak confirmed as much, he began to survey the area, eyes roaming from one pumpkin to the next by means of judgement. He then declared that no matter what, everyone was a winner.

The man finally approached the trio while mumbling phrases such as 'very nice' and 'not bad'. Even though Ash was hardly listening. He only noticed the shape of Geodude on Brock's pumpkin and the one of Staryu on Misty's. But it ultimately turned out to be a tie in the end between Tracey and of course, Gary. And he didn't waste anytime in gloating of the fact, either. Even if he had to share the title. He proudly hoisted up his work of art for everyone to see while Tracey was slightly more modest in winning. And Ash discovered that the shape his rival favored was that of Blastoise's shell, while Tracey settled on Marill. Both of which looked like it took a strenuous amount of effort and detail to complete. It was easy to assume that Tracey's sketching skills came into the picture and Gary was just... Gary.

And soon enough, it was Gary himself who had his arms held wide open in front of the backdoor.

"Now.. if everyone will follow me, there's an outdoor maze I have set up in my grandpa's backyard that my pokemon have graciously decided to help out with. So, if you're all ready for a real scare, you'll wash up and come with me. This way!" he waved an arm and vanished into the house while everyone else disappeared after him.

Almost everyone.

Ash just exhaled a sigh and leaned back in his seat. Although it was fully expected, it still wasn't any less disappointing. And this maze or whatever Gary had planned was the last thing he concerned himself with. Brock and Misty seemed to have picked up on his thoughts as well, because they hadn't budged an inch either. And Pikachu wasn't going anywhere if his master wasn't. But the strange thing was that Tracey also wasn't following the crowd.

The male sat in his seat up ahead, pulling stray strings of whatever was left inside the pumpkin he worked on. Brock was the one to eventually address this with a nod of his head toward him, and that's when the three of them decided to make their way over and get a chance to see it up close. Pikachu trotted over as well to inspect the mold for himself.

"Hey.. that's not bad, Tracey." Brock spoke upon reaching the artist, tracing the orange shell.

The pokemon lifted up his eyepatch for a better view. "Pika!

"Yeah, nice one. Looks good." spoke Misty next while Ash nodded in agreement.

But the male waved a dismissive hand.

"Thanks, guys, but.. Gary's is better."

Ash stiffened and grit his teeth together. That was the last thing he needed to hear. As if he didn't already know, Ash glanced over to his pumpkin that was indeed rather impressive as Tracey said. But definitely not something he would admit out loud. Ash let out another sigh.

So much for that.

He then proceeded to slump his way over to the fence across the way, and possibly the only thing in the backyard that wasn't covered in some decoration. Brock however chose to approach the reason of why Tracey lingered behind with the rest of them.

"Say, how come you're not with Gary and everyone over at the maze?"

At this, he appeared somewhat nervous and shifty, coughing slightly and averting his gaze. Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Well.. you see.. the thing is, er..."

Brock relaxed his features into a taunt-less smile as he caught on. "It might be a bit scary, huh?"

Tracey held his breath and nodded, then began to speak very fast. "I'm afraid I'd scream. No, really, I would. I have before, and I don't want to look like a fool in front of the Professor- I mean I can't even sit through a scary movie without-"

The breeder then held up his hands. "Tracey, Tracey, it's okay. That's alright. You don't have to. It's fine. Just.. breathe."

He finished with a smile that he tried not to laugh into, and Tracey visibly relaxed with a nod.

Meanwhile, Misty spotted a sullen looking Ash propped up against the fence with his attention casted outward under the darkening sky. She assumed he wouldn't be joining the crowd that left and knew better than to even bring it up. After a moment of fidgeting with her fingers, she decided to approach him while the hay crunched beneath her feet.

"Ash?"

Nothing.

Misty paused, then picked up one of the fake hands that was lying on a table nearby and used it to prod him with one of the oddly distorted fingers.

Ash just rolled his shoulder without looking at her. "Cut it out, Mist."

Misty dropped the item back down with a small sigh and addressed him properly.

"Cheer up, Ash. It's not like Gary actually won, you know. Not the whole thing."

He shook his head. "He did. It's a win to him. Especially when I didn't."

"Well.. so what? They're just pumpkins. And if that's something he cares enough to boast about, then let him. It's going to spoil after a while anyway."

"That's not the point, Misty."

She felt a slight twinge of irritation and pursed her lips. "Then what is the point? Because all you've done since we got here is sulk over Gary. All I'm seeing are things that are pointless."

He faced her this time. "If you remember, I didn't even want to come here in the first place!"

"Then why did you?!" Misty focused her eyes into a hard squint against him and folded her arms.

Ash opened his mouth to furiously retort with something that he held back at the last minute from saying. His face reddened slightly, and he turned away to keep her from seeing it.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just crazy."

That did it for the female. Her hands balled into fists and she started to stomp away.

"You know what, Ash?!"

The young man whipped around and was just about to respond in an angry manner, his nerves reaching their peak that night at what he thought was about to be an argument with Misty that he really didn't need, when all of a sudden he felt something soft hit him square in the chest.

His first instinct was to look down. The all too familiar goopy substance dripped down shirt, part of his cape, his jeans and eventually to the ground, leaving an orange trail in its wake. And the culprit behind the attack only stood a few feet away from him, her hand covered in the slimy pumpkin residue. He didn't even notice that she stepped away from him. But it didn't take him long to put two and two together.

Misty was standing near one of the tables when she did it. Her expression was hard to read now, but seemed to hover somewhere between frustration and apprehension. The silence thickened in the air as she waited for Ash to respond with angry words or not. Then their eyes eventually locked, and Misty was almost certain she was about to be on the receiving end of a verbal lashing for her actions.

Until she caught the corner of his mouth crack ever so slightly.

And that's when Ash sprinted forward just as Misty started dashing away, both erupting into laughter as he started launching handfuls of the orange slime from the tables at her. Both of them were relentless. Ash nearly tripped over himself whilst trying to reach his target, and Misty wasn't making it easy as she darted inbetween the tables. Every so often she would look over her shoulder and fling another handful at him. Some of them missed, but she was mostly successful with direct hits.

All of which was noticed by the stunned stares of both Brock and Tracey. Each of them were speechless while they watched the two chase eachother around the backyard, indulging in what could only be described as a pumpkin flinging fight. And quite possibly the only fight the breeder was relieved to see unfold before him instead of something else. The two boys then shared a glance before shrugging once, and joining in with their own fight with Tracey fully ignoring Brock's shouts of 'not the pants!' as well. Pikachu wasn't about to be left behind either, and scampered into the scene with tiny fistfuls of what he could grab. A wide grin was on the pokemon's face while he successfully chucked the stuff at his victim's ankles. And soon enough, everyone was covered with everything that started the match to begin with.

Including Misty. While she was successful in dodging most of Ash's attempts to pelt her, she eventually became the victim of retaliation. Misty was now partially covered in it. The ends of her hair were stuck together from the sticky sludge, orange blotches covered most of her skirt, and her top went from being pink to orange altogether. Ash was a sight to behold as well with how many hits she was obviously able to accomplish.

It was also because of so that lead all of them to run out of ammo. But that didn't stop Ash. He was determined to have the last say, and charged at Misty upon gathering that piece of information. He didn't have a clue to what he was hoping to achieve by doing so, but she fled from him with a shriek of laughter anyway. Meanwhile the others had no choice but to watch Ash chase the female, their heads moving in the directions they ran in. Ash nearly slipped in his pursuit to catch her, and Misty wasn't making it any easier while she was able to stay ahead of him. But alas, Ash turned out to be quicker than she anticipated once he finally caught her around the waist.

"Gotcha!"

Both were completely soaked in pumpkin guts. Misty was lost for anything but laughter as she was finally captured, while Ash expressed a wide smile for the first time that night upon releasing her.

"Lucky catch," Misty uttered breathlessly.

"You wish." Ash was still grinning while she made a face that clearly denied any such accusation.

"You wish that I wish!"

"Just admit it, Misty. I got you good."

She scoffed. "I got you better. And you have the sight to show for it."

"You're way more drenched than I am in.. in whatever that is!"

"I think you have some of whatever that is in your eye." Misty replied sarcastically.

Now it was Ash's turn to make a face at her. He knew better than that. She couldn't look any more like a pumpkin herself if she tried, and way more than he had. The orange texture was hard to tell apart from her hair, but Ash was able to spot a seed tangled in a few of the strands near her face and grinned upon the discovery.

"Well you have a seed in your hair." he pointed out matter-of-factly.

"I do? Where?" she questioned through a smile as she swiveled her eyes up to try and see it.

"By your ear, but.. you're not going to get it that way," Ash chastised her as she started pawing at herself like a Persian.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting a seed out of my hair, thank you very much." Misty replied stiffly, making the mess of her tangled locks that much worse.

But Ash was growing impatient and aimed for it. "If you would just stop moving, I could-"

"Ash, I almost have it."

The two of them began to scuffle with eachother.

"You're only making it difficult to get out!"

"Well you're slowing me down from getting it!"

"Knock it off and hold still!"

"You hold still!"

"Misty!"

"ASH!"

Ash's hand then somehow ended up brushing against her cheek, and they immediately fell silent. Her skin was cold while his breath caught in his throat. The air was still and it was quiet, but nowhere near settled while both of their bug eyed gazes locked on eachother. Ash swallowed once and quickly moved to extract the piece of pumpkin from her hair without complaint. It was then that he realized how close in proximity they still were. His face flushed with redness, and he froze completely to the spot. It was as if his mind wasn't listening to what his instincts were telling him to do. They were never this close together before.

But if he was paying any attention, he would have seen the way something changed in Misty's eyes from anger to something different altogether. And he would have been prepared for when she moved forward and ultimately closed the space between them. That's when the scent of pumpkin overwhelmed his senses entirely, and he was borderline paralyzed from her actions. Although it eventually kicked in for what came next, and he returned the gesture that he was shockingly presented with. All became lost on him in that moment: Gary's countless taunts to him that day, losing the contest, and the spots of moisture that began to fall over them.

And Brock's jaw that fell open upon witnessing the turn of events. An oblivious Tracey however, was too busy holding out his hands and glancing up at the sky as if he'd never experienced rain before with Pikachu following his actions.

"Get a load of that, Brock! Can you believe it? I doubt Gary will be too happy about this..."

But his words were lost on anyone who was around to hear them, and something that was definitely ruled out by Ash. Gary and his ruined maze, or anything else for that matter had no place in his mind at the moment. All he could focus on was the way Misty's smile lit up her features as they pulled apart, and how it pleasantly erased the discomfort from earlier that day. She was gazing at him with a mixture of innocence, partial surprise, and contentment. And it was a look that made everything he went through worth it all.

Ash may not have beaten his rival today, but that didn't stop him from suddenly feeling like a winner.

A/N: This was just a fun little holiday fic I wanted to post. I hope you guys liked it, and that you all have a Happy Halloween! :D