Hey happy new year 2013, this will definitely be the year I finish this...before I forget it somewhere in a dark corner of my mind. Thank you for those sticking with this. It used to bother me a bit the number of new reviews when next to this story traffic stats but really, I think I just want to get this done. Just for closure, at the very least.

Here it is. Thank you.

Chapter 9 – Of Bugs and Men

Gary and Misty were now following the river upstream while, in turn, Arcanine followed them. Their bags and effects were placed once again on its back, bouncing irritably from left to right with each step, albeit them being significantly lighter than what they used to be. Although one would think the canine to be a bit relieved at the loss of weight its packages suffered at the fangs of the Rattatas, the creature looked instead miserable in the face of the new burden it now shouldered; the heavy tension between its trainer and the human girl it had come to befriend was thick enough to be sliced with a knife. As an intuitive and sensitive being, the current mood was anything but welcome. The ears of the ever-faithful and proud companion sunk as low as its own morale. On the other hand, Poliwhirl seemed oblivious to all the drama going on around him. In fact, it was even quite cheerful ; being out for no battle-related reason seems to do wonders for its mood. If fresh air outside a pokeball was something the likes of Pikachu and Togepi were accustomed to, it was something only granted to the biped Pokemon inside the walls of the Cerulean Gym as it was more of a bother than anything else to Misty to let the Pokemon out on her journeys.

The team had previously agreed to stick close to the river since fishes, Pokemon and vegetation would be bound to be crossed near it. The former and the latter being food options, the idea, while suggested by Gary, didn't get any objection from the Cerulean leader. Both humans had been awfully quiet for once; no conversation, arguing, banter or even complaints had escaped their lips. Silence had soon become their newest companion as the two trainers were lost in thoughts as they chase down the never-ending horizon. The only time it deserted their party was on the few occasions they encountered trainers and were forced to engage in successive dialogues that couldn't really be accounted as conversations as they only appeared to be interactive. Both trainers were in their own separate worlds.

They were called back to reality when they spotted the opening of a forest in front of them where the slimming river seemed to lead. The acknowledgement of the sight still didn't stir a need for an exchange of words unfortunately and, defeated, Arcanine resigned itself to press on towards that new unofficial goal. However, progress was halted when it was no longer possible to go on ; the trainers collided... into thin air! It was physically impossible to continue as attested by Misty's furious attempts to knock down whatever invisible entity was blocking her path.

Never one to back down easily, she was hitting, kicking, shoving, screaming against the wall in complete contrast to the still and lost in thoughts Gary. With the determination and violence of a Stantler in rut season, she kept at it until she finally sighed and stopped herself as if the pain signals sent to her brain had finally been registered.

"So what now?"

The words sounded tired and foreign even to the redhead's ears. It was obvious that getting them out was more painful than all her previous self-destructive behavior; initiating conversation had been the last thing she wanted to do.

It didn't take a psychic-type to read the current mood or their minds. Their collaboration was being challenged again and again as if a higher authority was making it a personal goal to let them know how wrong their being together was. They weren't even part of the 40% that had made it to the next level! The only redeeming point to their unhealthy association was the promise of results. So far, the only thing going according to plan was Misty's not killing her partner and the confused girl didn't know if she were to be proud or ashamed of that. Misty sighed. Once again.

"Maybe we should look around."

He had finally decided to blessed her with some words apparently.

About damn time, captain obvious.

On the lookout for a way to enter the forest, they were snooping around, bending over and examining anything that could be a clue as how to enter. Keeping a close eyes on each other in order not to investigate the same things, they still refused to interact more than what they were currently doing. They were driven by an obsessive need to make amends for their respective mistakes, to finally progress and, more importantly, to shove it in the other's face if they'd manage to find the solution.

Their efforts were awarded. Further away from the river, they found something they couldn't mistake for anything but a gate. It was huge, at least one story tall. The gray metallic didn't have any fence. Instead a threatening current of electricity blocked any access to the other side. On the left part of the gate, a keypad was installed right below a screen. Words were visible on the monitor.

"Twelve stars are needed to proceed." Misty read out loud. "How many have we got?"

"Four from yesterday, two from my battle and seven on our way there."

"Of course, it just would have killed you to give me a straight answer," she accused.

"Rude of me to forget that I am brain and you are brawn. Let me," he interrupted whatever nasty retort she was about to launch at him and carefully moved her away from the screen in order to decipher the instructions on it. "Okay according to this, we need twelve star tokens equipped on our belts."

"Each?"

"No, total. Each belt has to have... this many stars on them," he said holding up both his hands, one with all fingers pointing upwards and the other with just the index up. In a deceptively calm demeanor, Misty pushed them away from her face. He went on with his explanation, but his usual smirk now taunting her. "As soon as we're set, we take them off and w-"

"Why on earth should we need to take off our belts?! You're not gonna pull that again on me Oak!"

"Our belts seem to each have a buckle-shaped storage medium probably embedded with a magnetic strip or a computer chip - I'd got with the former - and this keypad is obviously a data input device that can read them. However, there is still a matter of distance to be taken into account for them to be readable. So if you don't like my simple solution to just detach the belt and pass it over the scan, feel free to try and dry hump the thing. I certainly wouldn't stop you."

"Do you always have to act like such a smart ass when you're embarrassed?" An ironic question to ask as her own face was scarlet from Gary's insinuations and patronizing.

"I don't act like a smart ass, I am a smart ass. So let's just get this underway or do you need a private moment with the monitor Waterflower?"

She knew the battle was lost. He had completely unnerved her and she needed her confidence to regroup. With all of her dignity left, she proceeded to inspect her belt. She was so relieved to realize that she already had 6 star tokens on her belt and would not need to request some from the smug know-it-all. She took off her belt swiftly and, surprised Gary didn't comment, passed it over the screen. Nothing happened except for a two circles to appear on the keypad, one empty and one filled with blue along with a distinct sound.

Gary came over and passed his own. Only then did something the threatening electricity barrage disappear after the second empty circle on screen also turned completely into a permissive blue.

"CONGRATULATIONS TRAINERS." A mechanical voice erupted. "YOU HAVE ENOUGH SKILLS TO PROCEED."

"Ladies first."

"How chivalrous of you, Waterflower."

They had lost sight of the water stream. It hadn't been visible at first but a big rock wall separated them from where they knew the water source was at. None of them seemed to worry about it as they knew they would probably be able to reach it later on when the natural wall would come to an end.

On the bright side, the forest was thick with vegetation and berries, fruits and mushrooms were a common sight. Only the danger of food poisoning could have been alarming if Gary hadn't figured out that the safaridex could also identify plants, not just Pokemon, and which one were edible or not. He made it a point to remind his partner how much he was bringing to the table but unfortunately, her mind was miles away to even care or acknowledge it...

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I can tell because I used to study bugs and birds in forests with Gramps back in Pallet. It definitely sounded like a bird."

"You're just saying that to shut me up."

Misty was scared out of her mind.

The pregnant silence that used to stalk them not so long ago was replaced by incessant paranoia talk. She was so troubled that she even started to treat him as an unpleasant acquaintances instead of the pathetic excuse of a human being she had come to label him to be. The previously resumed enmity was again on pause as they were now civil again to each other.

He had had no idea that she had such a big bug phobia. Sure, bugs aren't exactly a girl's best friend but this was just extreme when you knew how fierce and fearless she usually was. How many sides were there to one Misty Waterflower?

"What if I am?" He had to find it in him not to laugh out loud when horror stroke her face. She slightly recovered when she spotted his amused smirk.

"Do not kid around with this," she warned. "I swear I will take out all of my stars and wait for the 'dead' status if you do."

"Okay, okay. No need to get so worked up. I won't mess with your irrational fear of bugs anymore. Do you want me to call out Arcanine?" To his credit, he did try. However, the smirk was there to stay. The giant auburn dog's trainer had deemed it important for it to get some rest as the trainers they were now to encounter would be much more skillful and require the Pokemon at its best condition.

"Geez, all these emotions are making me hungry." Misty sighed. She was mistaking his proposition as another attempt to mock her. He did not care to correct.

She went to the nearest fruit tree and tried to reach out for one. She wasn't tall enough. After her pathetic jumps in an attempt to make up for it, Gary went over to her and reached for the fruit over her, not thinking too much of the proximity between them hoping she'll excuse it in favor of his good deed. He picked up an apple and handed it to the young girl She acknowledged the gesture by accepting the fruit and sat down underneath the tree. She looked at him, probably half-expecting him to comment her ungrateful attitude or to join her. However, he was not looking at her.

"Waterflower..."

"Was it it? I'm not allowed a small break?"

"Of course, you can." Maybe agreeing with her so wholeheartedly wasn't such a good idea as now she was looking at him suspiciously.

"Then what is it?"

She bit into her apple. A jet of juice sprayed on her bottom lip and she avidly licked it away. She was visibly enjoying the sweet treat and for an unfathomable reason, the look on her face along with the enthusiasm with which she was eating was distracting him.

"I need you to remain calm."

"What have you done, now?" The question took a while to hit home. Despite the harsh accusation, she had dropped her former skepticism. There now was an innocent display of curiosity on her face suggesting that nothing in the world he could have done would have shocked her. He was at a temporary loss of words, she took her second bite. His silence probably made him guilty in her mind, yet again, she did not seem impressed by this realization.

And just like that, the unwelcome guest lowered down to land on the top of Misty's head. The events he had intended to stop from happening were slowly unfolding in front of his eyes.

Surprised, the once peaceful girl reached up to whatever was invading her messy hair. Although she hadn't kept it under control in the past few days and despite her tomboy behavior, apparently, she didn't seem to appreciate unidentified objects in it. Uncharacteristically detached from it all, he dutifully noted that it was one thing they had in common, no matter how benign. As the unmistakable feel seemed to register in her head, he wryly confirmed her doubts with mock sympathy.

New records were reached with the volume of the sound that came out of her lungs. It was comparable to the strident cry of a Noctowl and was as loud as the one of a roaring Onyx. She probably disturbed every living creature who had the bad luck of being gifted with ears. Gary went momentary deaf as a result of his proximity since she now had a firm grip around his neck. Never mind how she got there so fast, she was literally suffocating him!

"Air..." He barely managed to utter but it was of no use.

Her uninterrupted yelling buried his plea. Her panic turned out to be contagious; his heart started to race. He somehow managed to get the insect to fall off of her head in what an outsider could mistake for a weird semi-romantic awkward dance but the hope of calming down Misty quickly vanished. The poor and inoffensive Caterpie was now on the ground, confused and about to drop dead out of shock at any second. The heir to the Oak's fortune might have felt something close to pity for the thing if black spots hadn't started to invade his vision.

He was dangerously close to losing consciousness and Misty was still hysterically oblivious to the fact the Pokemon was no longer on her, or any threat for that matter. At this point, she was long gone. Nothing could reason her any longer. Not as long as the Pokemon was in sight. She was holding onto Gary as if it was her only chance to survival - which in turn endanger his own chances - and the only exit to her nightmare. He could picture her eyes shut closed and the Caterpie ten times bigger and monstrous in her mind.

Gary had to do some quick thinking.

He grabbed one of his safariball and threw it with as much precision as he could summon at the moment with his blurring vision. As soon as he exert the last of his strength into that action, everything went black, as black as the fur of his treasured Umbreon.

"May wake up I'm done." As the named person opened her eyes, the sheepish expression of her friend greeted her. "Sorry, you got bored."

She was still drowsy and wondered how long she had been sleeping. May looked around then up at the sky to get an indication on the time. It was still clear to her relief. Ash had insisted that they elaborate new battle strategies including Ditto now that it was a member of the team. May had indulged until a pair of trainers had found and challenge them to a fight.

They had won of course, but their newly developed strategy hadn't really been as effective as Ash had hoped. So it was back to elaboration. Ash wasn't much of an intellectual usually but when it came down to Pokemon, he was suddenly a lot of things.

"So you guys are done?" She was referring to Swellow, Ditto and Combusken too.

She glanced around at her surroundings again. The same plain environment than before she closed her eyes met her. The grass was still tall but now had this yellowish and unhealthy appearance. The ground, when it wasn't engulfed in vegetation, was so dry it made you thirsty just looking at it. The sun was shining brightly as if it absolutely had to let people know that this whole scenery was its making. Looking back at her teammates who were all in front of her, she noticed a considerable amount of sweat on them. Ash had probably pushed himself again in the last fifteen minutes.

"It's so hot. Do you want some water?"

"Yes but you certainly could use some before."

"Am I sweating a lot? I just hope I don't smell."

Ash was slightly embarrassed. This was a side of him he didn't show often but that was still nice to see according to May. She had been so used to see him get down and dirty with his Pokemon on his many adventures that she had first been surprised to realize he even cared about hygiene. He rushed to get out a bottle of water out of his bag that was a few feet away. He threw the bottle at May.

"Here. In exchange for you not complaining if I do smell." He smiled. May caught it, giggling. "You took it, it's settled." It was obvious that Ash knew she wasn't the kind to mind such things. He was just being nice. She drank from the bottle.

"Thanks." She returned the water to him.

"Anything for a friend."

The guy was so thirsty, in barely seconds it was empty. May hadn't even drank a quarter of it! She felt this uneasiness. The same one that would always come whenever Ash would comment about how good of a friend she was. She didn't exactly know how long she had been feeling this way about this friendship but she did know she was being childish. Getting upset when someone appreciates you wasn't the most mature thing in the world.

"Friendship. It's great."

Ash was now putting back the empty recipient in his bag. Soon, the bag was on his back. It was time to move, they had used up enough time to rest. He had been done with Ditto's training for about twenty minutes. It's just that when he realized how tired May had been, he hadn't had the heart to wake her up. He was complaining about the lack of food but this much exercise daily wasn't really anything new to him; he was a healthy boy, used to traveling. Although May had been traveling with him for awhile now, Brock was always there to set a pace. He had been annoyed at himself when he had realized how inconsiderate he had been. His friend was way too nice to complain about anything.

A moving figure caught his eye. His heart stopped. A Weedle was by May's feet, she just hadn't noticed yet. Surely, she would see it while getting up and picking up her bag that was also at her feet. He had to do something.

"Hey May, you still look kind of tired."

"I just rested, Ash. I'm going to be alright."

"I just don't want you to push yourself." May flashed him a grateful smile but by the look on her face she was still determined to get going. "Let me offer you a massage, at the very least," he pleaded. "This would put me more at ease."

"If you insist..." May was puzzled to say the least. Ash approached her.

"Close your eyes."

The command, even for a massage was unusual but May didn't complain. Ash was probably new to this anyway. Her heart started to race, this was beyond her control. She knew it was just for a massage but there was something a bit exhilarating about letting a boy asking for her to close her eyes. Not only that, he was about to touch her body on top of that. It was an intimate gesture and when one asks another to close their eyes, they usually meant to kiss them. Okay, now she was blushing. She almost gasped when she felt Ash's hands' warmth upon her. Although the weather had been killing her not so long ago, this new source of heat was far from unwanted.

In the meantime, Ash was trying to think of a strategy to get the insect away without alerting May. He was close enough and her eyes were closed, that was a good start. The only problem was that the bug was in front of her and he wasn't. He tried to intimidate the Weedle but the pest wasn't even paying attention to him. It just enjoyed the show as Ash's glare wasn't the most persuasive thing in the world. He couldn't do this alone. He tried to move his body and make weird, threatening expressions in order to catch Combusken's or Swellow's attention; Ditto wouldn't be too helpful.

"This feels good." May surprised him. He had forgotten he was supposed to massage her.

"It does? Great! Combusken, would you want one too?" This was to get its attention. May felt the same disappointment from before. She was stupid to think for a second that there was more than friendship to Ash's unusual actions. "Get over here, I'll be done soon."

Combusken curiously glanced at Ash. It didn't quite catch what he was doing to its trainer but it could understand that Ash wanted him to come. Also, he had a funny expressions on his face. The Pokemon hurried to its master's side. As it got there, it noticed the bug too. Ash's meaningful looks helped him understand that it was a problem.

"Get it away. Quick." Ash mouthed. It was a mute order but Combusken understood again with the help of Ash's body language. Combusken obeyed. Only, its methods weren't as subtle as Ash would have liked.

"What's going on?" May jerked away from her position. Combusken had fired a fireball at the Weedle. The pokemon had fled but May had almost been burned.

"There was a bug besides you. Combusken and I made it go away." Ash offered an explanation. "I just didn't want it to startle you."

"Is that why you offered me a massage?" Ash nodded. May burst out in laughter. This was so typical of Ash. "Dummy, you could have just told me! I would have just gotten away, you know."

"Don't you hate bugs?"

"I don't like them very much but I'm not scared of them to death anymore." Question marks were all over his face. "Beautifly helped me get over my fear, don't you remember?" She was amused. He had gone through all that just for her sake. Ash could be the sweetest boy ever sometimes.

"Oh." That was an awkward situation. "It's just that Misty is so scared of them. She would have destroyed my eardrums at the sight of that Weedle," he tried to justify his actions. He had an apologetic smile on; he knew how silly he sounded.

"Misty...Of course. Let's go. We're already behind schedule." May grabbed her bag.

End of chapter

Sorry for the long wait… and the mediocrity of this chapter I don't know I wasn't motivated to finish it and then I was too much busy and with a huge author block. I don't care I'm just at least updating chapter 10… Don't worry ill try to make next chapter better … thanks for your patience. Oh yeah… new story coming out soon its short about 4 chapters … so im gonna pause this to finish it don't worry it wont be too long :P lol

Kk c ya!

michelicious

PRESENT ME: So this is where I first stopped before hitting a huge writer's block and pausing this story for like 4-5 years. . . Yeah. The road gets bumpy from here on. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.