Returning to the river where they first met - Ash decides that river must be Misty's designated 'I'm super pissed at Ash' spot.

oOo

"Brock said I might find you here."

Misty sighed, placing down her fishing pole and staring at her uninvited guest, clearly unimpressed. "What do you want, Ash?"

Ash bit his lip and sat down next to his friend. Misty noticed he kept good distance away from her as she reached over to continue her fishing. Smart boy. "I want to apologize," he said simply.

"For what?"

He hesitated, and Misty just knew he was running through everything he had done in the last three hours. "Whatever I did that made you so mad," he finally decided.

Misty gripped her pole tighter. "You don't even know what you did, do you?"

Clearly frustrated, his brown eyes narrowed. "Well, I would, if you would just talk to me!"

"I shouldn't have to spell it out for you, Ash!" she snapped, practically slamming her pole into the ground and shooting to her feet. "You are so… just so… Aaarg!"

Ash gulped, watching as the rock she had kicked sailed completely over the river and crashed into the bushes on the other bank. Whatever he had done, it must have been a dozy.

Staring at her back, he thought back to what Brock had said before he was sent off to find Misty, and took a deep breath. "This is where we met," he mumbled quietly.

Misty's ears burned red. "So?" she bit back, not even turning to look at him.

"So, why did you come here?"

She went quiet, and Ash wished she would just turn around so he could see her face and get a better read on what was going on in that crazy head of hers. He opened his mouth to ask again, thinking maybe she didn't hear him, when her voice cut him off.

"Why do you care?"

He winced. "Because you're my friend?" he offered. She still didn't turn around, so he sighed. "Is this like, your 'I'm super pissed at Ash' spot or something?"

Well, that stupid remark got her attention. "What?" she asked, and Ash was at least pleased to see she was more flabbergasted than mad.

"I mean," he started with a shrug, gesturing to the area around them, "last time we were here, you slapped me."

"Heh, I did, didn't I?"

He tried not to pout at the fact that that was the memory that seemed to cheer her up, and went on. "And now you came here when I made you mad again. It just seems, like, too specific to be a coincidence."

Finally, she turned to face him. She still looked pretty ticked, but at least this time, it didn't reach her eyes. "I could push you in the water, for old times sake."

"That's okay."

A small smile crept onto her lips. "Or I could slap you again!"

He snorted. "Let's not get too nostalgic, I may have to fry another bike of yours."

She rolled her eyes. "I need need to have a bike for you to destroy it, Mr. Pokemon Master. You still owe me, by the way." She bent over and started gathering up her things.

"What are you doing?" he asked cautiously.

"Heading back to your house."

He blinked. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Yep."

"But you're going back with me?"

"Yep."

"Wha-?"

She pat him gently on the cheek, her fishing supplies packed up, and the area clean. "Don't think so hard, you'll hurt yourself," she quipped, and started heading down the road.

Ash scratched his head.

Girls were weird.

oOo

Up Next: Trying to impress each other