Tick….. Tick….. Tick….. The sound of the clock ticking was the only noise filling in the awkward silence as the two young men sat and stared at each other from across the kitchen table.
"Awww, what's the matter, Ashy-boy?" Gary's mouth turned into a grin as Ash's eyes narrowed.
"First off, I keep telling you to stop calling me that!"
"What? You don't like it? I think it has a ring to it."
"No! I fucking hate it, so knock it off!" Ash was starting to regret ever coming home. "Second, all I wanted was to come home yesterday, relax, eat a few good home cooked meals, and just be with my mom, but now I have to deal with you and I can't even be alone." The taller young man's dark eyes flashed. He stood up and walked around the table to Ash.
"I come to see you and all I get is yelled at? You want to be alone, fine; but I'm taking this with me!" Gary reached out and grabbed Ash's hat as he bolted out the door and down the street.
Ash's face grew red with anger as he too ran out the door calling "GARY! YOU ASSHOLE! GIVE ME BACK MY HAT!" "Oh! Pikachu use thunderbolt on that jackass so I can…." Finally noticing that his tiny friend was not following him he stopped in his track to see Pikachu still inside the house resting on the couch. "PIKACHU!" The tiny, yellow mouse's ears flinched slightly but Pikachu didn't move. "You traitor!" Ash called out before he turned and started running after his rival again.
Pikachu watched his trainer run off after the other boy. What was the point? If he wants to relax so much, why not just ignore the other kid and go to sleep? "Too bad…" Pikachu thought to himself as he slowly drifted to sleep.
"GARY! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"You have to catch me first, you move just about as fast as a snorlax! hahaha!"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?"
Gary had lead Ash all the way to professor Oak's lab, Ash hadn't even noticed until he saw Gary duck inside and slam the door behind him.
"What a fucking idiot, does he really think his grandfather is going to protect him?"
Ash, without bothering to knock, pushes his way in. Faintly Ash could hear the back door shutting. "He must think he can lose me out the back. Yeah right, does he really think I'm that stupid?" Ash runs into the living room and sees the back door in the back of the kitchen. "Here I come!"
SMACK
OW!
"Ash? What are you doing here?" Ash had run right into professor Oak.
"Oh um...sorry professor. I was just looking for Gary."
"What took you so long, Ashy boy?"
"Wha? Gary? I thought I heard you-"
"Enough chit chatting boys" Oak interrupted. "I have something very exciting to share with both of you"
"What is it, Gramps?"
"I have just discovered a pokemon mating cave!"
"Huh? What's that professor" Ash asked excitedly.
"You numb skull" Gary pushed Ash's hat back on it's owners head.
"Gary, behave yourself. Ash, A pokemon mating cave is a cave that holds unique energy that make pokemon attracted to each other then… they uhh...mate."
"Oh...well what's so great about that?"
"Well ash, deep inside the cave there is a crystal that holds...unique and…. awesome power to the one that … uh...wields it."
Ash's eyes lit up. "WOAH! Are you serious! That's so amazing professor!"
"But think what would happen if it got into the wrong hands" Gary said.
"That would be terrible" Ash gasped.
"Exactly, That's why I'll find it first Ash, so no need to follow me. Just stay here and do that relaxing you've been so anxious about." Gary smirked.
"PFT! Yeah right Gary! I'll find that first and deemed a hero!"
"Now boys!" Oak cut in. "This is not an easy task. I need you to stick together or else none of you are going. Got it?"
"Yes professor"
"Yeah, whatever you say gramps."
"Good, here's a map leading you to the location of the cave. Get going and make me proud."
Ash and Gary walked out of the house. Setting their eyes on their next destination.
"Phew...That was close." Oak let out a sigh.
Delia Ketchum walked back in through the back entrance. "You can say that again."
Gary held the map in front of him. "Hmm...I think it's this way."
"Ugh, why does it feel like we've been walking in circles? How far are we from the cave? Let me see the map." Ash reached out but was blocked by Gary.
"Why? I know how to read a map better than you anyway."
"You do not! I bet that you don't even know where we are right now! GIVE ME THE FUCKING MAP"
"Temper, temper Ash. You need to learn to control your anger."
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GETS ME SO AGITATED. HOW COULD I NOT BE MAD?!"
"You want to see the map? Fine, take it." Ash took the paper Gary had reached out to him.
"Okay so...wait a minute...THIS IS BLANK" Ash looked up just as gary was running far ahead, waving the real map.
"I'll beat you there, Ashy-boy!"
"Stop calling me that dammit!" Ash ran after Gary as the afternoon sun heated the land.
