I totally forgot this theme existed so I pulled this out of my ass in two hours. It's unedited and definitely not meant to make sense. Writing for a deadline is hard when you have two exams in a few days!

"Alright, Gyarados! Use hydro pump!"

The Rocket grunt she faced swiped a finger under his nose. "Hit it with fire fang before it can hit ya, Houndour!"

"Golbat," his partner called, "Use bite!"

"Oh no you don't!" Misty clenched her fists. "Turn so that they only get the scales on your back!"

The dual type complied, whipping the back of his tail towards the houndour right in the nick of time. The fire fang barely affected him anyway, as he reared his head back and finally unleashed a large flood of water all over the gym. The fire-type was out in seconds, as was Golbat. The female grunt frowned.

"That was my last pokémon," she murmured to her partner.

"Yes!" Daisy cheered from her place under the bleachers, where she was cowering with the other two Waterflower sisters. "Like, go Misty!"

"You can do it, little sister!" Violet clapped her hands together. "We, like, totally trust you!"

"It'd be nice if you guys helped a little!" Misty yelled back, although truth be told, she didn't need the help. Why Team Rocket had sent their goonies to take her gym, she didn't know, but she was a little insulted they didn't send someone better. Surely she was powerful enough to warrant being raided by some of their more skilled members?

"Alright, so maybe bringing a fire-type into a water gym wasn't so smart." The man pulled out another pokéball on his belt. "But I bet you didn't see this one coming! Go Ampharos!"

"Hyper beam, Gyarados," Misty said immediately, rolling her eyes. Like she hadn't dealt with the trainers who thought they could beat her with type advantage alone.

The attack hit before the grunt could even call out another command. Ampharos was almost down for the count; Misty frowned. She'd expected it to be a one-hit knockout, but the ampharos was stronger than she'd expected from a Rocket grunt.

"Use Thunder Punch!"

Misty winced as Gyarados took the attack, sparks flying around its body. Gyarados was her most powerful pokémon, but even he struggled with a good electric type attack.

"Just one more, Gyarados," she muttered under her breath, but before she could follow it up with a command, someone else – someone all too familiar – called his own.

"Boomburst, Noivern! And make it big!"

The ensuing attack hit the grunts and their pokémon with such a force that they went flying into the air and crashing right through the main window of the pool area. The main window that Misty had just gotten replaced and decorated with a nice stain glass mural of her favourite water pokémon.

"Oh, Tracey!" Daisy gasped, leaping out from her spot under the bleachers, "You totally just saved us!"

"What? But I didn't do anything, it was all –"

"What would we, like, ever do without you?"

Misty glared at the couple for a few seconds before directing her gaze at the main offender of the evening – a certain pokémon trainer with a pikachu on his shoulder and an ear-splitting grin on his face, who was making his way towards her spot at the edge of the pool.

"What the hell was that?" Misty growled.

Ash dropped the smile immediately. "What do you mean? I just saved your life!"

She scoffed. "My life was hardly in danger to start with. I had it covered."

"I saw Gyarados take that attack."

"But you didn't see that ampharos take the hyper beam first, did you?"

"Bu – look –"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu angrily protested, and Misty's expression softened. She couldn't stay mad when Pikachu got involved.

"Aww, c'mere Pika-pal," she cooed, holding her arms out for the rodent to jump into. She ran her hands through the fur on the top of his head. "Bet you were having a great time sipping on ketchup before this oaf had to get you on your feet, weren't you?"

"Pika!" he agreed.

"Hey, I'm not an oaf!" Ash placed his hands on his hips. "Is that any way to say 'thank you'?"

"Like I said, I didn't need your help." Misty eyed him. "And how are you here, anyway?"

"Daisy texted Tracey to say the gym was in trouble, so I flew us here on Charizard."

"She texted Tracey and you came along?"

"Yeah, he needed a ride, so he asked me for one." Ash's eyes flitted all around the hall as he said that, leaving Misty very suspicious.

"Is that so?" she asked.

"Yep."

She looked down at the pokémon in his arms. "Is he lying, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" he affirmed, and Misty bit her lip, fighting back a laugh as his trainer deflated right in front of her. His face was a little red, probably embarrassed at being caught out in his little lie.

Ash scratched at his cheek. "I just wanted to protect you from getting hurt."

"I can take care of myself, Ash Ketchum." She grinned. "I have so far."

He crossed his arms and turned away. "Fine then. Don't expect me to help you out if you get in trouble next time."

Misty was ready with a retort, but she made the mistake of looking behind Ash before she could say anything – where Tracey and Daisy were now attached at the mouth, one of Daisy's hands firmly grasping Tracey's butt cheek.

"Oh my goodness …" Misty murmured, mouth wide open, causing Ash to swivel around on his feet. He flushed a bright red immediately, which Misty had to admit she enjoyed the sight of. It wasn't often she saw Ash flustered, and it was a nice change even if she'd rather he get flustered about her, maybe when she wore a nice dress or a particularly revealing swimsuit, or –

She immediately cleared her mind. That train of thought was going to lead her down one route and one route only, and Misty hadn't had a crush on Ash Ketchum in years, and even when she did it was only a little crush that didn't count for the long run and definitely hadn't affected her ability to date other people in later years. Not at all.

"At least he's getting a thank you," Ash muttered, not really looking at the couple but not looking at Misty either. The comment spurred a whirlwind of emotions – mostly horror and confusion – in her brain that she tried her best to ignore.

"You want to do that?"

"No way!" Ash jumped, holding his hands up defense. "Not at all! Not with you. No way."

Pikachu started chuckling in her arms and she scowled down at him. "I'm throwing you into the pool."

He stopped laughing immediately.

"Hey!" Ash called, drawing Misty's attention to him. He had his hands cupped around his mouth and he was yelling at the duo. "Get a room!"

They broke up immediately, Tracey flushed and running a hand through his hair and Daisy not looking the least bit ashamed.

"Scram!" Misty added, fixing Tracey with a particular hard glare that made him flinch. Daisy grabbed his hand and started stomping away.

"Like, fine! I didn't realise my little sister was such a prude!"

"We don't need to see that, Daisy!" she screeched back.

They left both Misty and Ash standing awkwardly at the pool's edge, Ash staring pointedly at his feet and kicking against the floor. Misty sighed.

"Hey," she said, getting his attention. "Thanks, hero." She gave him what she intended as a light punch on the shoulder, but Ash recoiled dramatically – which then led to him slipping on a puddle of water and falling straight toward the pool. Misty grabbed him by the arm before he could hit the water's surface and struggled to bring him back to his feet – an action definitely not helped by how Ash was heavier than she remembered him, and how he was grasping at her arms like his life depended on it. She finally pulled him forward and they fell down to the safety of dry ground.

Ash whistled, struggling onto his palms and knees while Misty pushed herself up on her elbows. "Whew! That was close."

"Close?!" Misty spat. "You're lucky I was around, Ash Ketchum! The only person who needs protecting here is you!"

"Hey!"

"Oh, Misty! Before I forget – Arceus!" Misty craned her neck to see Daisy halt at the entryway, a hand covering her mouth. "Like, Misty, that's totally unfair! You can't ask me and Tracey to get a room just 'cause the two of you need some alone time!"

Misty's eyes widened as she looked at Ash, clearly a good few inches next to her and not close enough for the situation to be misread in any way. "What?!"

"I'm not going to judge but don't do anything I wouldn't do, little sister!"

"Daisy, we're not even –"

"I don't want to hear it and like, I don't want to see it either!"

Misty groaned, hitting her head back against the ground and covering her burning face with her hands. This didn't even make sense! They didn't even look like they were doing anything! No doubt Daisy just wanted to embarrass her, or this was some funny way of her trying to get the two of them together since her sisters were always harping after her about not getting a boyfriend.

At any rate, they were terrible matchmakers. The only thing Daisy had managed to do was embarrass her to no end.

She felt a poke on her shoulder, and she spread her fingers to see Ash looking down at her curiously.

"Uh," he started, scratching at his temple, "Thanks for saving me, hero?"

"Are you trying to make this less awkward?"

"Yeah."

"I don't want to hear another word come out of your mouth, Ketchum."

"Yes, ma'am."