Just a few things before we get started here:

1) This is going to be a two-shot (just because I don't like writing too much all at once.) In the future, I may shorten this to just a one-shot.

2) There is no romance in the first chapter, so I don't know if that's gonna bother you or not...

3) If you're confused about the setting and all that in the beginning, I apologize in advance. Please tell me in a review or a PM, because I'd really like to know about that myself.

Disclaimer: Pokemon ain't mine. I just write this shit for the hell of it.

She Doesn't Scare Me

Just as soon as Ash had entered the Kanto region, he had received an unexpected call from Misty. She was worried sick about him traveling all alone in the Kanto region, because both Cilan and Iris had left him all to himself in the Unova region.

Or... Wait. It was something like that. Cilan and Iris hadn't mentioned where they were going - they had just sort of up and left.

At least, that's what Ash had thought.

And then, somewhere along the way, both May and Drew had decided to tag along with him, claiming that they were headed to a contest battle, which was being held up in Saffon City, to which was also coincidentally the very same city Ash had been planning to go to, since he had heard that there was suppose to be a new gym leader there, and that since... Since...

And... And somehow, both Brock and Max had managed to squeeze their way into the picture, too - and then... And then...

And then it had all just sort of went downhill from there. It had all just become one huge, gigantic, colossal mess to Ash - and he couldn't tell who arrived first, who arrived last, who did what before this, and who did what before that. The sequencing of events had been making his head spin all day (but it's not like it really mattered, anyway - so he tried hard not to think about it.)

So now here he was, sitting there, Indian-style, glancing about anxiously from Brock, to Drew, to Max. Brock was preparing a meal, Drew was sitting down on the ground with his back framed to a tree, and Max was checking his watch (like he had been doing compulsively for the last twenty-five minutes now.)

Earlier that week, Ash and Misty had got into a heated discussion about who ate the last twinkie. Of course, they had accused each other, to which one would try to prove the other wrong - and now... Now they've been on bad terms with each other ever since. And just earlier today, Misty had suggested that they stop at a local spa, complaining that her body was too sore and that a nice, hot, relaxing spa would be the perfect treatment to cure all her aches and pains. Yeah, as if. Ash knew she did this on purpose - and not just because she was ailed, either. No. She did this sort of thing just to spite him. And the worse part was, was that she and May were still in the spa, biding their time.

After checking his watch for the umpteenth time that day, Max adjusted his glasses. "If they don't get done soon, we're going to miss the bus to Saffron City."

"Tell me about it," Ash groaned. "They've been in there for at least a good hour and a half."

"Oh, I don't think it's been that long, Ash... I think you're just exaggerating," Brock said.

"Yeah, but not by much," Ash quipped, grumbling quietly to himself. He dug his fingers into his thighs, bundling his pants into his clenched fists. "Arrgh! If they don't hurry up, I'm going to miss my gym battle!" he cried, releasing a fit of frustration.

To this, Max eyed him distastefully. "Chill out, Ash. You can just have your gym battle tomorrow..."

"No way! I just gotta have my gym battle today!"

"Well," Drew chimed in, "it's not like we can make them go any faster..."

Brock nodded in agreement. "Drew's right, Ash. You may as well just-"

"I'll make them go faster!" Ash gathered to his feet. "I'll have my swellow drag 'em out!" He had had it. If Brock, Drew and Max wanted to waste their lives away waiting on the girls, then that was their own problem. Ash, on the other hand, would not stand for it. He had a gym battle coming up, and he wasn't going to miss out on it, no matter what. He began marching off madly, only to make it a few steps from where he had been sitting (and he would've made it much farther, too, if Brock hadn't managed to catch up to him to hold him back.)

"B-But, Ash!" Brock exclaimed, struggling to keep a hold on Ash's wrist. "I-I really don't think that's such a good idea."

"Oh yeah? And why not?" Ash asked, tugging his wrist away.

"Come on, Ash," Brock reasoned. "Just wait a little longer, okay? I-I don't think I'm prepared to handle anymore of Misty's wrath today..." He gulped.

"She doesn't scare me. What's she gonna do? Sick her psyduck on me?"

"Uh, Ash? It seems that you're forgetting that Misty has a very powerful gyarados in her possession nowadays... And if her dragon rage is already bad, then I'd hate to see just how worse her gyarados' dragon rage truly is," Brock explained. An episode of a Godzilla-sized Misty had flashed by in his mind, terrorizing a certain city with flamethrowers as she gobbled up the citizens who were trying to escape from her evil clutches in the streets, her massive jaws filled with horrific, razor-sharp teeth. Unlike Ash, just the mere thought of it had caused Brock to quiver in fear.

"So what? She can yell at me all day for all I care," Ash said. "I'm not afraid of anything. Not even Misty." He took out a particular pokeball and sent it flying into the air. "Go, Swellow!"

A dark-bluish bird was revealed, stretching out its wide wingspan. "Swellow!"

"Swellow, tell the girls that if they don't get done soon, we're all gonna leave without them!" Ash commanded.

"Swellow!" The dark-bluish bird took flight.

Brock stood from behind, astonished. Max and Drew only sat there, witnessing the event from afar.

A few seconds ticked by and Max slapped a hand to his face. "We're doomed."

Misty couldn't possibly feel more at ease. She had her back slumped against the edge of the spa as the upper portion of her body stood out from above the water, her elbows supporting most of her weight while the rest of it was left for the water to handle. She watched the steam rise from all around her before she dipped her head back, closing her eyes. All of the tension she had once built up had now officially abandoned her for good.

"Ah, now this is how a girl should feel," she sighed. "No Ash, no worries, no problems."

"Umm... Hey, Misty?" May was somewhere in the middle of the spa with her. "Don't you think we should be getting out?" she asked, sorry to have interrupted Misty's perfect ease. "I'm pretty sure the bus to Saffron is going to depart soon. Not to mention, my hands and feet are starting to get all pruney."

"If you want to leave, then that's fine," Misty snapped. "I'm staying in here."

"Well - okay," May said uncertainly. She got out of the spa and started to dry herself off with a purple towel. "But does this mean you're not coming to Saffron with us?"

"I don't see why I should if Ash is going to be there."

May blinked. "Just because he ate the last twinkie doesn't mean you should completely avoid him."

Misty shook her head lazily. "No, it's not just that. It's just," she thought, furrowing her eyebrows as she paused, which had caused a small crease to form from in between them, "it's just been a lot of things lately..."

"Really? Like what?"

"Like... I don't know," Misty explained effortlessly. "Half of them aren't even his fault, and that's what bugs me even more."

Again, May blinked, confused.

Misty carried on with, "Like," which she had seriously wanted to slap herself for because she knew she was beginning to sound just like her sisters, "haven't you ever had any problems with Drew?" She made it sound like she and Ash were dating; they weren't, May knew, only May and Drew were - but still... Misty was still holding onto the tiny glint of hope that maybe one day she'd finally be able to muster up enough courage to confess to Ash.

"Oh, yeah, of course. Drew and I have had plenty of disagreements - but not a single one of them got resolved without us first talking about it." May smiled. "You should just go and talk to him. That's what I'd do."

"Thanks, but no thanks. With Ash, it'd be completely different. If I tried talking to him about anything, he just wouldn't understand," Misty huffed. "He's as dense as a walnut, I swear."

'Walnuts are dense?' May wondered.

"Swellow!" A bird cawed, surprising both May and Misty as they twisted their heads around to find Ash's swellow, soaring towards them. It swooped down and hovered beside Misty now.

"Huh?" Misty looked baffled. "Swellow? What are you doing here for? Oh, wait, lemme guess: Ash wants me to come out of this spa, doesn't he? Ha!" She whipped her head to the side, crossing her arms with a pushed smile. "Well, he can forget it. Until he apologizes to me first, I'm not coming out of this spa - and that's final!"

"Swell-swellow?" Swellow cocked its head to the side, as if to ask, "How am I suppose to tell him that?"

Thankfully, May seemed to have read Swellow's thoughts. "Uh, I don't think Swellow can be the bearer of such news; Pokemon can't talk, remember, Misty?" She then glanced upwards, applying a finger to her lip, looking lost in thought. "Although... There is Team Rocket's meowth - and it can talk..."

"Arrgh! Fine! Then I'll just write it down, for crying out loud!" Misty shouted. She struggled to reach for her backpack, which was some distance away from the spa from her, trying her hardest to keep her body in the water. After she had finally reeled it in, she began fishing through it, already losing most of her patience. "Now where did I put that stupid pen and paper?" she growled.

May took something out from her own backpack. "Um, here," she told Misty, handing out a pen and piece of paper to her, "you can use-"

Ripping the pen and paper from her hands, Misty began to write savagely.

"Mine?" May finished, shocked and worried.

"Dear Mr. Wanna-Be-Pokemon-Master," Misty wrote, forcefully saying each word out loud, "I want a damn apology, and I want it now! And don't you dare tell me you have no idea what I'm talking about, because you do! If you-"

"Uh, actually, Misty, I think I have a better idea!" May panicked. She immediately took the pen and paper from Misty, starting to write, 'Dear Ash,' using the tree as a hard surface to write on. When she had finished, she gave the note to Swellow and beamed, "Here you go, Swellow!"

"What did you just write?" Misty asked.

"I wrote that you were sorry, like it should be," May said.

"Huh!? Why!? He's the one who should be sorry!" Misty turned, hoping to find Swellow still there. By the time she had realized that it was no longer there, she had already found it in the sky. It had flown far from the two with the note still in its beak. "Swellow, wait!"

From behind her, Misty could hear an array of giggles coming form May, and upon turning back around to face her, she asked, "May, what exactly did you write?"

"Sorry," May chocked. "I think some of Dawn's pranks must have rubbed off on me."

It had been forty-five minutes. Forty-five godforsaken minutes - and the girls were still not out of that damned spa. By now, Ash should've been ripping his hair out, but he wasn't. However, something inside of him did click when he had shot up to proclaim, "That's it! I've had it! I'm not waiting any longer! Let's just go!"

Drew stood up, taking oath. "Ash, I'm not going anywhere without May."

Max copied. "Me neither."

"Fine, then it'll just be me and Brock! I don't care!" Fuming, Ash began storming off. "Come on, Brock!"

"Ash," Brock soothed, "I think you better go take a walk and try and calm down. We're not leaving the girls alone to fend for themselves."

"Fine, I don't need you, either, Brock."

Ash began walking off on his own, with soon after having felt guilty. He knew he probably shouldn't have lashed out the way he did, but...

He tucked his hands into his pockets, gazing down at the grassless, dirt-filled road ahead of him. A sad look came to his eyes.

But it was May and Misty's fault. Well, mostly, it was Misty's fault, not May's.

He saw a pidgey hop from one branch to another, chirping. He then let his gaze wander over to a log, deciding that it would be a good place to take a rest, and so he did. He released a sigh as he thought, 'I wonder when Swellow's going to get back...'

"Spinar - ak," a voice had cried.

"Woah!" Startled, Ash almost fell to the ground. He glanced over, finding a spinarak to be dangling from one long, silky string next to him. "Oh, it's just a spinarak," he laughed, feeling foolish. "You scared me there."

"Spinar... Ak."

He froze, staring into the spinarak's eyes, as if be transfixed. "Wait a minute," he mumbled, mostly to himself. "I think I have an idea." He then began to bust out laughing, holding a finger up to his nose. "This is going to be so good!" He cried, quieted, and then stood up. "Oh, Misty..." He smiled devilishly. "I have a surprise for you..."

I think we all know what Ash has in store for Misty... :D Hoho...

Review if you want to live. Heehee, just kidding. :3