AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yes I know! It has taken me a ridiculously long time to update once more so again I apologise. I want to thank you all for sticking with the story, I promise that my updates will become more frequent. This chapter was a tough one and refused to be written but I hope you enjoy it.

In Love and War

Chapter 12: He Drives Me Crazy

Ash awoke with a broad smile and sprang out of his sleeping bag early the next morning. He all but skipped out of the tent, much to the annoyance of Gary, Drew, Ritchie and Brock who he managed to wake up during the process.

"Get lost Ketchum," Gary grumbled irritably as Ash un-zipped the tent door and allowed the bright sunlight to flood in.

Ignoring his friend's complaints Ash quickly stepped out into the warm summer morning and breathed in the cool fresh air. He slowly lifted his arms above his head and began stretching his body, wincing as pain shot through his limbs from his many bruises and sore muscles. Despite the discomfort he continued the exercises in order to remove any cramp that may have arisen whilst he was sleeping.

After he was certain that he could rely on his body to function properly he began to walk down the rows of tents. His left leg ached slightly from where it had been hit by the pin missile attack but he had had the wound cleaned and bandaged the evening before and nothing could take away the joyous mood he was in.

Even after a night's sleep the conversation he'd had with Misty was still crystal clear. He could remember with precise detail all of the jokes, arguments and stories they had shared and he couldn't help but grin as he replayed them in his mind. In those few hours, all of the doubts and fears he had harboured after the battle had seemingly been washed away and replaced by a feeling of warm confidence.

The pair had talked late into the night and it wasn't until the early hours of the morning when they finally wandered back from the beach. Only a few people had remained outside their tents from the party and the they had meandered through the campsite in comfortable silence.

Ash had walked Misty back to the tent she had decided to share with May and Dawn. Again he had been surprised by the Gym Leader's choice to team up with his other two female companions but with a sense of guilt he realised that they were the only girls she knew.

After bidding the redhead a fond goodnight he practically levitated the remaining distance to his own tent. He had attempted to enter the tent quietly, thinking that his four friends would all be asleep however, as soon as he slipped into the dark interior he had been bombarded by multiple questions from the other occupants who had specifically waited up for him.

Much to their frustration he had not said a word about is evening with Misty but simply undressed and slipped into his sleeping bag with a faint smile on his face. The raven-haired trainer didn't know why he refused to discuss the subject or for that matter why he was so happy to see Misty at all. He just knew that the feelings he felt for Misty were different to any he had ever experienced before and that he probably couldn't explain them even if he wanted to.

Coming to the end of his train of thought Ash focused his attention back on his surroundings. A few trainers and coordinators were awake and milling outside their tents but the vast majority were still fast asleep, recovering from the exertions of the previous day. A couple greeted him as he passed by and he nodded in return but did not stop to chat.

The reason for his surprisingly early start given his late bedtime the night before was to visit the Pokemon Centre before it became crowded with trainers. Although as many pokemon as possible had been transferred to Centres across Kanto the one that the Unit was currently using as a base had had to deal with the more serious cases that were too critical to transfer. As a result the Centre had taken on more Pokemon than regulations strictly allowed it to and would soon be filled with just as many anxious trainers.

Ash paused slightly as the automatic doors took a second to detect his presence and slide open before walking into the Centre's main atrium. As he had expected the room was much quieter compared to the last time he had been in it. He noticed a few trainers who were stretched out fast asleep on the sofas in the waiting area and he concluded grimly that their Pokemon must be in a too critical condition for them to leave the building.

Walking over to the counter he was surprised to see a bright and alert Nurse Joy sitting behind the computer. He had imagined that the woman would be too tired from her constant work over the previous day and night to continue her shift.

The pink haired woman looked up from her computer as he approached and smiled warmly. "What can I do for you Mr Ketchum?" she asked, recognising the League Champion.

Ash smiled back, still puzzled by the nurse's presence. "Nurse Joy, I didn't think you would be awake so early," he admitted as he rested his arms on the desk and examined the woman more closely. Her eyelids were not drooping nor were there dark bags under her eyes that would indicate a late night as he had expected.

The pink haired woman giggled at the boy's close scrutiny. "Well I'm not the nurse who normally works here," she said with an amused expression. "I'm the nurse from Fuchsia City. My third cousin, the Cherrygrove City nurse, and I were flown in last night to help the regular Joy."

Ash smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head with one hand like he always did when he was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't tell the difference between you and the Joy who was here before."

The nurse smiled back completely unoffended by the trainer's remark. "That's quite alright," she replied. "No one except those in our family can tell each other apart."

Ash could think of the exception to that rule but did not say so to the nurse. He quickly made a mental note to keep Brock away from the Pokemon Centre for as long as possible. Heavens knew what the breeder would do when he discovered that there were three Nurse Joys in the building.

Ash pushed the thought to the back of his mind and spoke once more. "There's three of you huh. I guess the situation must be pretty bad?" he asked reluctantly. He didn't really want to know how many pokemon were currently suffering in the treatment rooms but as the Unit's commander he felt obliged to ask.

The smile on the woman's face faltered slightly at the question but her expression remained as cheerful as ever. "The worst part is over and with three of us we'll be able to manage everything from now on," she said, not entirely answering his question. However, she did not give him the chance to pursue the matter further and once agian asked, "So what can I do for you Mr Ketchum?"

Ash quickly remembered the reason why he had come to the Centre. Despite the rule that all non-serious cases be sent to other Centres, the Nurse Joy on duty the previous day had insisted that he leave his pokemon in her care. Although he offered to send his five pokemon through to the Viridian City Pokemon Centre, the woman had refused to let him do so and had practically stolen his pokeballs from him.

"I've come to see how my pokemon are doing," he replied somewhat guiltily. He knew that he had been given special treatment because of the fact that he was the Unit's commander and he felt ashamed that his pokemon had been seen before those whose needs were greater.

The nurse seemed not to notice his inner turmoil and her fingers flew over the keyboard in front of her as she tapped in Ash's name and trainer ID. After reading the appropriate information she looked up and smiled at him once more. "You're pokemon are healed and fighting fit," she said happily. "I'll have one of the Chanseys bring them out shortly."

Ash thanked the woman and was about to head over to the waiting area when he noticed the vacant video phone on the opposite side of the room. There had been a queue stretching beyond the building's front doors the previous day as trainers bombarded the device in order to reassure loved ones after the battle. Deciding that he had some time to kill he walked over to the machine while it was still free and slid onto the empty stall in front of it.

Pulling out his Pokegear he found the number he wanted and started dialing the digits on the touch screen in front of him. He could have used the small handheld device to make the call but he preferred using the bigger screens of the video phones.

He sat back and twiddled his thumbs as the machine began to ring. Although it was early in the morning Ash had no doubt that the person he was calling would be awake. Sure enough, after seven more rings the blank screen flickered and was replaced by the stern face of an older man.

"Ash, I wasn't expecting you to call," Lance admitted bluntly as he recognised the person who had contacted him.

Ash ignored the fact that the man had not said hello or greeted him in anyway and grinned sheepishly at the screen. "I'm sorry but now that the battle is over I was wondering if you had any instructions for me?" he enquired politely.

Lance sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Could we talk again another time Ash? I'm afraid now is not the best time for me," he said wearily before lowering his hand and giving Ash an apologetic look.

Ash gazed back at the screen and he suddenly realised that the leader of the Elite Four's usually unruffled features appeared tired and haggard. The man's scarlet hair was disheveled and dark bags were visible underneath bloodshot eyes.

"Why? What's happened?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Lance glanced away from the screen as if avoiding Ash's gaze would make it easier to say his next words. With a deep intake of breath the man said in a voice full of anguish and frustration, "We've lost Cianwood Island."

Ash's shoulders slumped at the news and he closed his eyes as he let the information register itself in his mind. Drake had warned him last night that the Unit under the command of Wallace was struggling however, he had forgotten all about it after his evening with Misty. Also, with the victory in Lavender Town and his own success, part of him had believed that the other Unit had to win.

"How bad is the situation?" he asked in a somber tone.

Lance looked back at Ash with a grim expression and was silent for a moment as he considered how to reply. "Honestly, we're not entirely sure," he finally answered, his lips pursed in a tight line. "Fortunately, Team Aqua and Magma's advance was halted due to nightfall, which gave the Unit more time to escape. However, the darkness wasn't completely our friend. The confusion of the retreat meant that the withdrawal was disorganised and trainers have become scattered about the island. We are currently evacuating those who have made it to Cianwood City but until the Unit regroups back in Olivine City we won't know the full extent of the defeat."

Ash lifted his right arm up onto the table the video phone was sitting on and rested his head in his hand. "How many do you think we can save," he asked glumly.

Lance shook his head. "I honestly don't know Ash. We'll evacuate people for as long as we can but we'll have to stop as soon as Team Aqua and Magma take over the city," he replied equally downheartedly.

Ash was about to ask what the crime syndicates would do to the trainers and coordinators they captured but Lance held up a hand before he could utter a word.

"I'm sorry Ash," he said tiredly, "I appreciate you calling but we really need to have this conversation another time, it's just far to chaotic down here at the moment."

Ash nodded and imagined the frantic scenes that must be going on at the Pokemon League. "I understand," he replied, despite wanting to hear more information.

Lance gave the trainer a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, I'll give you a call when things die down here," he said before quickly adding, "Oh and well done for beating Team Rocket. I knew you were the man for the job."

Ash smiled with gratitude but before he could thank the man for the praise the video screen flickered once more and went blank as the call was terminated.

The raven haired trainer leaned back on the stall, wedging his knees under the desk to prevent him from losing his balance. He moved his right hand so that it now covered his mouth and he thought about the conversation he had just had.

He couldn't imagine what the trainers and coordinators in Wallace's Unit were going through at the moment. He hadn't really thought about what he would have done had Team Rocket beaten them on the beach yesterday but now that he did he realised that there would have been utter chaos. Neither he nor Drake had put in place any sort of plan that they could fall back on had they needed to retreat and they would have been picked off by the grunts. He knew they had been lucky to get away with things but he would make sure they had some contingencies in future.

With his good mood somewhat deflated he glanced over his shoulder to see if there was any movement from the emergency room. There was still no sign of his pokemon and the Nurse from Fuchsia City was busy talking to a woman at the front desk. Deducing that he still a bit of time left Ash turned back to the video phone and punched in a number that he had memorised a long time ago.

It took his mother just three rings to answer the call and once again the screen flashed into life.

"It's about time you called young man!"

Ash sighed at his mother's angry tone. He had known that he would be in trouble for not calling her straight after the battle and he braced himself for the lecture that was about to come.

Fifteen minutes later Ash was on his way once more. Fortunately for the raven haired trainer the Nurse Joy from Fuchsia city had interrupted his mother's rant and after a quick goodbye and a promise to call her back he had ended the conversation. Now, with five pokeballs back on his belt, he headed back through the automatic doors.

"Pikapi!"

The sound of Pikachu's cheerful cry caused him to look up and he was surprised to see Professor Elm walking towards him, the small electric type perched on the man's shoulder.

"Ah good morning Ash," Professor Elm greeted happily. "I didn't expect to see you here so early in the morning."

For a moment Ash thought the older man was teasing him but quickly realised the comment was no more than a genuine observation.

"Just picking up my pokemon, Professor," he replied, patting his pokeballs.

"Ah I see," Professor Elm replied. "Well you can have all six now. This little fellow was awake even before I was. I didn't know something so small could have so much energy."

"Pikachu," Pikachu muttered sheepishly.

"Trust me, Pikachu can be very lazy when it wants to be." Ash said as he held out an arm for the yellow mouse to hop onto.

Relieved of the extra weight Professor Elm started to walk towards the Pokemon Centre once more. "Well I have some things to take care of so I'll leave you two to it."

Ash stepped to one side so the Professor could pass. "Ok Professor, and thanks for looking after Pikachu."

"Pika,"

Ash watched the man disappear into the building and then looked up at the creature on his shoulder.

"How are you feeling today buddy?"

"Pi-ka-chu," the electric type chirped happily as it breathed in the morning's air and raised its head towards the sun.

The little mouse's good mood was infectious and Ash laughed aloud along with the creature. After talking to Lance and his mother he needed to release some of the stress that had built up within him.

Turning his head to the side he looked at Pikachu with an excited expression. "Do you think you're feeling up to a little race?" he asked with a grin.

"Pika!" the electric type exclaimed, nodding its head eagerly.

"Alright, last one to make it to the campsite is a rotten Eggsecute," Ash said, pointing to the sea of tents that were pitched a couple of hundred meters away. "Now we start when I say go-"

Before the trainer could finish his sentence Pikachu sprang from his shoulder and began scampering away from the surprised trainer.

"Hey! I didn't mean that 'go'," Ash yelled angrily after his cheating companion.

Realising that Pikachu had no intention to stop and let him catch up he gave up trying to call back the infuriating creature and charged after it.

"You really have a cheating problem," Ash panted between breaths as he finally reached the first row of tents and staggered to a stop. Bending over, he rested his hands on his knees and sucked in deep lungfuls of air in order to recover from the long sprint.

Pikachu, who had been waiting by the tents with a triumphant expression, folded its small arms and gave its trainer an amused look. "Pika pikachu pi pika," it chattered loudly in response to the accusation.

Ash's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean 'I should be used to it now'?" he replied indignantly. "You shouldn't do it in the first place!"

Pikachu merely shrugged its shoulders at the trainer's complaints and quickly scurried up Ash's leg and leapt onto his shoulder.

Ash straightened up and gave the pokemon a disbelieving stare. "Oh, so now you expect me to carry you do you?" he asked incredulously.

"Pi pi chu, Pikachupi?" the electric type said eagerly, ignoring its trainer's objections.

Ash's annoyed expression vanished at the words and he looked at Pikachu curiously. "You want to go and see Misty?" he asked, making sure that he had heard the creature correctly.

"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed enthusiastically.

Ash's irritation vanished instantly and he grinned excitedly in response. He had forgotten that Pikachu had only briefly seen Misty after the battle and had not had the time to meet the Gym Leader properly. He didn't know why but for some reason he was pleased that he had an excuse to see his friend. It was strange but he felt that he needed a reason other than that of pure friendship to pay her a visit.

"Well if that is what you want..." he conceded with an imperceptible smile.

The campsite was beginning to come to life, all be it very slowly. Those trainers and coordinators who weren't emerging stiffly from their tents after the previous days exertions were groaning quietly to themselves in the semi darkness of the canvas constructions as they nursed hangovers from the party. Ash chuckled to himself as he briefly imagined how Gary and Drew would be feeling after their booze filled evening. However, despite the sluggishness of the people around him he still received the usual barrage of greetings as he strolled among his bleary eyed comrades.

A few minutes later the raven haired trainer found himself walking down the row he had traversed merely hours before. Counting the tents as he walked, Ash soon picked out the one that was occupied by the three young women who had all travelled with him.

To his surprise he instantly caught sight of the all too familiar flash of orange hair and he realised that Misty was already up and outside her tent. On closer inspection he saw that the Gym Leader was busy hanging out a pile of damp clothes from the day before on the guy ropes that held the tent up.

The raven haired trainer was about to call out to her when he noticed that she already had company. He hadn't spotted him at first but standing just a few feet away from the orange haired girl was a man with auburn hair.

Ash halted abruptly as he recognised the man. Rudy.

He was caught completely by surprise as a wave of anger rose up within and he felt the muscles in his body tensed at the sight. His mind suddenly raced back to his time on Trovita Island and he remembered how the man had acted towards Misty. He couldn't say why but the thought of Rudy acting the same way towards his friend now enraged him further.

Without warning Misty broke into peals of laughter at something Rudy had said and the melodic sound travelled through the air to the trainer. He didn't know why he was angry or why he didn't like the Orange Island Gym Leader talking to his friend but he definitely knew that he wanted to put a stop to it.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu questioned from his position on Ash's shoulder. The small creature was uncertain as to why they had stopped walking and it poked the trainer in the side of the head in order to gain his attention.

The raven-haired boy however ignored the prodding and continued to stare suspiciously at the pair ahead of him. Pikachu did not appreciate being unnoticed and after a minute of jabbing his trainer it decided to use more effective ways of getting the trainer's attention.

Ash yowled loudly as the electricity coursed through his body from the Thundershock. The attack itself wasn't strong or particularly painful but the surprise was enough to cause him to cry out.

The little zap of electricity did what it was intended to and snapped the trainer out of his brooding thoughts.

"What the hell was that for?" Ash demanded angrily, giving his small companion a furious glance.

Pikachu didn't seem put off by Ash's anger and it gave the trainer an impatient look. "Pika pi pika chu chu pi pikachu pika pi chu," it explained calmly.

Ash's eyebrows furrowed. "Was I really standing there with a weird look on my face?" he asked quietly, looking around him to see if anyone had noticed his peculiar behaviour.

"Pika," Pikachu nodded with a satisfied grin.

"Alright, you don't have to rub it in," Ash grumbled, his mood having not improved. "And you didn't have to shock me either."

"Pika chu pikachu Pikapi."

"Ok, ok! I'm going!" Ash huffed in response to the electric types complaints and finally began to walk towards Rudy and Misty. He wasn't exactly sure what he should do when he reached the pair. Although he didn't like the idea of Rudy talking to Misty, the auburn haired man wasn't doing anything wrong and he had been civil enough to Ash over the past few days. Even so, he felt as if he were about to take part in a battle rather than a conversation.

"So I hear that the Cerulean City Gym has built up quite a reputation over the past few years," Rudy said smoothly as he watched the young woman hang a square piece of red cloth onto one of the guy ropes.

Misty nodded but pretended not to pick up on the compliment she had been paid. "Yes; but its reputation couldn't have gotten much worse than what it was five years ago," she admitted in a matter of fact tone. "All the gym needed was a Leader to look after it on a full time basis, not casually like my sisters used to."

Rudy curiously raised an eyebrow at the redhead's words. He had been following the League's reports on the Cerulean City Gym ever since Misty had taken up the position as its leader. He knew just how much work the young woman had put into the place and had watched the gym climb steadily up the rankings of gyms throughout the Pokemon world. He therefore knew that it was a massive understatement for Misty to suggest that the effort she had put in was anything less than extraordinary.

"Come on now Misty, we both know that what you did to that Gym and the way it is looked upon by trainers was something just shy of a miracle," he said in a voice dripping with praise. "Not many people could do that."

Misty kept her attention focused on the improvised washing line in an effort to avoid Rudy's gaze but could not prevent a blush from forming on her cheeks. She had not forgotten her first encounter with the Trovita Island Gym Leader when he had tried to get her to stay on the island with him and she was well aware that he was flirting with her now.

Although she had no intention of throwing herself into the man's arms and running away with him, she didn't see any harm in letting him try to charm. After all, she did like Rudy. She just liked someone else more.

"You're too kind," she replied honestly as she bent down to pick up a sock from the pile at her feet. "I was very lucky in the fact that I had good friends to help me through the early days and my sisters weren't completely useless despite their flaws. Also, I never would have become a leader if it wasn't for a friendly and sympathetic agent from the PIA," she conceded, giving Rudy a lopsided smile as she straightened up.

Rudy shrugged as if the information was pointless to him. "Even so, you're now one of the toughest Gym Leaders around and one of the best water pokemon trainers in the world," he countered with yet more flattery. "You don't do that just with the support of friends."

Misty didn't argue; not because what the Trovita Island Gym Leader said was true, which it was, but because any denial or objection she made would be ignored by the man. Instead she just titled her head to one side to acknowledge the point.

Rudy smiled to himself at having won the little debate. "Do you want to take a look at my water pokemon?" he suggesting, knowing that the woman couldn't refuse after the compliments he had just given her. "I'd love to see what you think of them."

Misty paused slightly as she searched for the other sock, the words causing her to hesitate for a second. She didn't mind talking to Rudy and she did like the idea of seeing some strong water types but agreeing to spend time with the man was another matter. Although meeting his pokemon wasn't exactly a date, she knew that if she accepted the offer it would only encourage Rudy and lay the foundations for the young man to make further requests. She might like Rudy and the compliments he paid her however, she did not want to lead him on, especially now that she had been reunited with Ash.

Finally locating the missing sock she straightened up, still unsure of what to say to the expectant Gym Leader. She didn't want to say yes but she couldn't say no either.

"I guess I could do that," she conceded as her brain failed to come up with a suitable excuse.

Rudy grinned at the answer but before he could reply the familiar cry of a Pikachu cut him off.

"Pikachupi!"

Misty barely had time to react as a small yellow object threw itself towards her and collided with her chest. Dropping the sock that she had been holding the Gym Leader laughed happily and wrapped her arms around the creature, hugging it tightly.

"Pikachu!" she exclaimed with delight and laughed even more when the electric type stretched upwards and licked her chin.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu repeated happily and began rubbing its soft cheek against the side of her neck.

"It's great to see you too," she giggled in response and ruffled the fur on the creatures head. She lifted her head up and looked about her; if Pikachu was here that only meant one thing.

"Misty! Hey Misty!"

With a little smile to herself Misty looked to her right and was not at all surprised to see Ash hurrying towards her with a big goofy grin spread across his face. Despite spending most of the previous evening with the trainer she was overjoyed to see him once more and mimicked the gesture perfectly.

"Hey Ash," she greeted warmly as he quickly covered the remaining meters and came to a halt right in front of her. Misty was surprised by his closeness but made no complaints about it.

"I'm sorry about Pikachu, it was just so eager to see you," he said apologetically.

Misty shook her head and chuckled. "There's nothing to be sorry about," she said, "Pikachu's my Pika-Pal; right Pikachu?"

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu cooed happily and licked Misty's face once more.

"Good morning Ash," Rudy said loudly as the raven haired trainer failed to greet him.

Ash turned and glanced at the other man. "Oh, hey Rudy, I didn't see you there. I hope I haven't interrupted anything," he lied, faking a surprised expression.

Rudy shook his head and smiled slightly. "Not at all," he replied, "I was just about to leave anyway."

"You were?" Ash asked with genuine surprise this time. He had expected it to be a challenge to get Rudy to leave and was therefore taken of guard by the man's voluntary withdrawal.

Rudy ignored Ash's question and looked at Misty. "I'll see you here in a couple of hours then Misty?" he stated rather than asked and winked at the young woman.

"Um, ok," Misty replied uncertainly. She was still wary of Rudy's intentions but she couldn't back out now.

Ash's gaze flicked between the two Gym Leaders suspiciously. The relief he had felt at Rudy leaving and been replaced by apprehension. The idea of Misty spending time with the auburn haired man both irritated and worried him at the same time.

As he was turning to leave, Rudy caught sight of Ash's concerned expression. What he saw intrigued him and as he began to walk back to his tent he contemplated its implications.

The last time they had met, Ash had been irritated because of the lack of attention Rudy had paid him. This time however, it seemed as if the young man was agitated by the fact that he was paying attention to Misty. The thought raised many questions in his head but one in particular blared out at him. Did Ash have romantic feelings for Misty? Even if he did, that didn't change things.

He had long ago accepted the fact that Misty had chosen Ash instead of him but he had always considered her as the one that got away. Now that is was six years after their first encounter and still nothing had happened between her and the young champion he decided it was time to make another attempt at winning the girl. Even if Ash did like Misty he had had more than enough time to make his move.

Rudy quickly decided that if Misty did eventually pick Ash once again then that was fair enough but if she did, it wasn't going to be through his lack of trying to win her over himself.

Ash and Misty watched the retreating figure for as long as possible and then awkwardly looked at each other.

"So, you're meeting up with him later?" Ash asked casually, trying to sound as if he was just making conversation.

Misty inwardly grimaced. This was a conversation she did not want to have. She knew what her exchange with Rudy must have looked like and while Ash was not the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to such things she could only guess at what was going through his mind at the moment.

"Oh, I'm only going to look at his new water types," she answered quickly, hoping to put any concerns Ash might have to rest.

The knot in Ash's stomach lessened slightly as she said the words but a disconnected sense of doubt lingered within him. Again, images of the romantic way in which Rudy had treated Misty on Trovita Island resurface in his mind and he unconsciously frowned at the memories.

"I guess that's ok," he muttered almost to himself.

Misty tilted her head to one side and looked at the scowling trainer who appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. Her apprehension over Ash misinterpreting her intentions towards Rudy vanished and was replaced with curiosity. She wasn't sure if she was being hopeful but was her friend...jealous?

"You should see my pokemon instead."

The words pulled Misty out of her thoughts and she gazed questioningly at Ash.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Ash avoided the red head's stare and looked nervously down at the ground. "You haven't met the new pokemon I caught in Sinnoh yet," he murmured quietly. "You should see them rather than Rudy's pokemon."

Misty's breath caught in her throat. It may be in his own, weird, pokemon orientated way, but she was pretty sure that Ash was asking her to choose Rudy over him. As much as she wanted to say yes and spend the day with the young man that she now adored even further, she had made a promise to Rudy and she prided herself on keeping her word.

"I'm sorry Ash but I promised Rudy I would. We can do something later."

The scowl returned to Ash's features and he stuck out his bottom lip like a displeased child. "You shouldn't spend time with him," he said slightly more forcefully.

This time it was Misty's turn to frown. She didn't mind Ash trying to convince her not to go but he certainly couldn't tell her what to do. "It's my choice Ash," she responded, her tone becoming a little harder.

"But my pokemon are way better than his," he demanded immaturely.

Misty was taken aback by trainer's sudden bitterness. Metaphor or no metaphor the trainer's comment was out of line. "Ash, don't be so rude," she chastised.

Ash's scowl deepened further. "I'm not being rude," he protested.

"You just insulted Rudy's pokemon," Misty pointed out.

Ash shook his head. "I didn't insult them. I just pointed out that mine are better."

Misty gasped at the words. "Ash! That is a terrible thing to say," she admonished,

Ash's irritation grew at the words. He didn't like the way Misty seemed to be defending Rudy. "But it is true," he demanded. "I'm the Indigo Champion and he's just a…"

"A what? A Gym Leader? Is that what you were going to say?" Misty cut in, her temper flaring as she finished the trainer's sentence for him.

Ash paused for a second as he realised that he had made a mistake. "Yes but..."

Misty didn't give him the chance to speak. "I think I should remind you that I'm a Gym Leader," she snapped furiously, placing her hands on her hips.

"Misty, that's not what I meant," Ash blurted in a desperate bid to reconcile the situation.

The Gym Leader however was not appeased and took a menacing step towards the trainer. "Well maybe you should learn to use your brain before you speak for once," she practically shouted.

The suggestion that he was stupid struck a nerve within Ash and any thoughts of diffusing the argument were forgotten. "I do to use my brain," he roared back.

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

Inside their tent both May and Dawn winced as Misty's shouts reached an even louder volume.

"I thought you said they liked each other?" Dawn hissed quietly, looking at May with a concerned expression.

"They're supposed to," May whispered back, a look of doubt spread across her features.

"Then why are they trying to kill each other?" Dawn demanded.

May shook her head disbelievingly. "Brock warned me about their arguments," she replied anxiously. "He told me they were bad but I never imagined anything like this!"

Dawn jumped slightly as Ash retorted particularly loudly and glanced to the flap of the tent, half expecting the raging pair to burst in. "Do you think we should go out an stop them?" she asked tentatively. Despite there being no chance of being overheard the coordinator kept her voice low.

May shook her head once more, though this time a lot more vigorously. "Are you crazy?" she remarked incredulously. "I am not getting in the middle of that! Brock told me you have to wait until they tire themselves out."

Dawn sighed hopelessly and pursed her lips in frustration. She hated people arguing, especially when the people were two of her friends. She could not imagine what would cause Ash and Misty to argue to fiercely. The raven-haired trainer could be easily wound up if you knew what buttons to push but she had never seen him so worked up before. As for Misty, she hardly knew the girl, but had thought her a calm and collected individual from the short period she had known her.

"What are they even arguing about?" she asked, voicing her thoughts.

Although they were completely awake now, the pair had been half asleep when Ash had turned up outside the tent. They had heard the sound of conversation but the first they knew that something was wrong was when Misty's voice had exploded through the thin canvas.

May frowned at her friend's question and cocked her head to one side. "I have no idea," she answered helplessly. "All I can make out is 'Do not's' and 'Do to's'."

Dawn shot May an unamused look. "I bet there are people back on the Kanto mainland who can tell me that," she said irritably.

May shrugged, "Well I don't know-" she paused as Misty screamed once more, "-maybe Ash did something we didn't see?"

Dawn was silent for a moment and then quickly stood up.

"What are you doing?" May asked.

"I'm going to see what all the fuss is about," she replied whilst pulling on her usual pink boots. "Their shouting is driving me insane!"

May looked at her friend sceptically. "Good luck getting them to stop," she said sarcastically.

Dawn paused halfway through tightening one of her boot straps. "You're not coming?" she asked, clearly disappointed.

"Nope," May replied bluntly. "Like I said, I am not getting in the middle of that," she said, gesturing in the direction of the shouting.

Dawn pursed her lips and glowered at the coordinators lack of cooperation. It irked her just how lazy her friend could be at times.

"Well if someone doesn't shut them up, we're going to have the entire Unit and probably half of Cinnabar Island standing outside our tent in order to see what all the noise is. Do you want that?"

May did not respond immediately and Dawn knew she had won the argument.

"Fine!" May replied grudgingly. "Just give me a minute to get dressed first," she said, indicating her pajamas.

Satisfied with her friend's answer Dawn pulled on her trademark white hat and stepping over Misty's sleeping bag and rucksack, purposefully exited the tent.

She was momentarily paralyzed as the bright sunlight blinded her and she blinked furiously as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"You think that you can just march over here and tell me what to do!"

Regaining her vision Dawn looked over to where Ash and Misty stood. The pair were barely a meter apart from each other, the only thing separating them being the guy rope that Misty had been hanging clothes on.

Glancing around her she saw that a small crowd had formed to watch the spectacle just as she had predicted. With Ash being the Unit's commander and Misty's status as a Gym Leader she realised that the scene her friends were making would be juicy gossip to the majority of the trainers and coordinators.

Stepping as close as she dared to the rowing pair she hissed in a concerned tone, "Guy's, I think you should stop arguing or at least go somewhere else."

Neither Misty nor Ash seemed to notice Dawn, let alone hear her words, and they carried on screaming at each other. Seeing that she wasn't going to make any progress there, the blue-haired coordinator tried a different tactic.

Turning to face the group of people, she fixed what she hoped was an unconcerned expression across her features. "OK, nothing to see here people. Just a couple of friends having a mild disagreement."

Dawn wasn't sure whether the crowd could hear her over the sound of Ash and Misty's argument but if they did no one paid her any attention. Unhappy at being ignored she glowered at the group of people as if she could scare them off.

It was then that she noticed a familiar figure among the crowd. She wouldn't have spotted him had it not been for his unique purple hair but standing further away than most of the trainers and coordinators was none other than Paul.

Although he wasn't directly watching Ash and Misty it was obvious that he was observing the bickering pair and his eyes kept darting in their direction.

Dawn cocked her head to one side and stared at the trainer with a perplexed frown. Paul never took any interest in anyone's life apart from his own and maybe that of his brother Reggie. It therefore baffled the coordinator to see the usually detached teenager taking an interest in other people, especially as one of them was Ash.

As if sensing her eyes upon him Paul's penetrating gaze moved from Ash and Misty and locked itself onto the coordinator. Even if she had not wanted to Dawn couldn't help but look back and for a brief moment the two Sinnoh natives stared intently at each other. Within those few instances Dawn searched the jet black pupils for some clue as to the trainer's motives however, all she was rewarded with was the same cold stare she always received.

A second later, Paul broke the silent exchange and without warning, disappeared among the tents.

Dawn blinked and for a moment was half convinced that he had not been there at all. She craned her neck to see where the trainer had gone however she spotted no flash of purple locks among the tents.

"See, I told you it was them!"

Brock's triumphant voice cut through her thoughts and Dawn turned to see the breeder pushing his way through the small crowd. One by one Gary, Ritchie and Drew emerged from the crowd behind the older man and came to a halt right beside her.

"I believe that is ten bucks you owe me Drew," Brock said with a grin, turning to face the auburn haired trainer and holding out his hand.

Drew grunted unhappily and dug into the front pocket of his jeans. "How can a girl be so loud," he muttered angrily to himself as he pulled out a crumpled ten pokedollar note and slapped it into the breeder's outstretched hand.

Brock's grin grew even further. "I'd never thought I'd say this but I'm glad that Misty and Ash argue," he said pleasantly as he slipped the note into his top pocket.

Drew didn't seem to share the breeder's enthusiasm however and his disgruntled expression caused Ritchie to laugh. "Don't worry Drew. We've all made the same mistake. You never believe the stories about Ash and Misty until you witness one of their arguments yourself.

"And once you do witness one you then wish you never had," Gary added cheekily.

Dawn stared at the group of boys with an incredulous expression. "Is there anything you guys don't joke about?" she asked disapprovingly.

Gary grinned at the coordinator. "When it comes to Ashy-boy, everything is joke," he replied simply.

"Well joke or no joke, don't you think we should stop them?" Dawn responded in an exasperated tone.

Gary looked over at the arguing pair once more, pondering the question. "Probably," he eventually said, "from what I can see, that guy rope's life expectancy is dropping by the second."

"What are they arguing about anyway?" Drew cut in, the annoyed expression still yet to vanish from his features.

"Wait, let me guess this one!" Brock exclaimed eagerly before Dawn could reply. "Did you here either the words runt or scrawny mentioned?"

Dawn shook her head. "What has that got to do with anything?" she asked, utterly confused.

Brock however ignored her comment and tapped his chin with his index finger as he searched for another answer.

"Have they tried to capture the same pokemon again?" Ritchie inquired suddenly, his eyes scanning the ground for pokeball that he might have missed.

Dawn however, had had enough of her male friends' guessing games and didn't supply Ritchie with an answer. "Will you four quit joking around and just stop them fighting," she demanded, almost shouting herself.

Her frustration caught all four men's attention and they at her looked sheepishly.

"That's easier said than done," Brock replied hesitantly. "I've seen them like this before and it is never a good idea to get involved."

"Well, if it is any consolation I don't think we can piss them off any further," Ritchie said in a matter of fact tone.

"Challenge accepted!" Gary replied with a gleam in his eye.

Without waiting for a reply he strolled purposefully over to Ash and Misty, who were so caught up in their argument they failed to notice.

Dawn's shoulder's slumped and she looked after Gary with a forlorn expression. "He's not going to make things better is he?"

"I highly doubt it," Drew muttered.

"You know what Ash? After last night I thought you had actually matured but it turns out that you are still the same immature kid you always were!" Misty screeched, her voice rising yet another octave.

"Wow, Red," Gary cut in before Ash could shout back. "I didn't realise that your role within the unit was to be the campsite's alarm clock."

Ash and Misty jumped at the sound of the new voice as if they had forgotten that other people existed in the world. So shocked were they that someone had interrupted one of their arguments that for a moment they gaped at Gary as if he had sprouted a second head.

Finally however, the insulting words processed themselves within Misty's brain and the red head's face turn from tomato red to deep purple.

"Stay out of this Oak unless you want to get punched again!" Misty snapped, sending Gary a murderous look.

"Yeah Gary, get lost!" Ash added just as dangerously.

Gary grinned. "And a good morning to you as well," he replied, seemingly unphased by the threats, though he did check that he was at least arms distance away from Misty.

Misty took a menacing step forward, "I'm warning you Gary, i'll..."

"Set Pikachu on you," Ash interrupted before Misty could finish.

Gary merely looked at the pair with an entertained expression. "Look at that, you're finishing each other's threats, how romantic," he said mischievously.

Ash and Misty instantly stiffened at the age old suggestion of romance between them and their flushed expressions switched from ones of anger to embarrassment.

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Misty shrieked.

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIED!" Ash roared at the same time.

"I never said you were," Gary replied, barely suppressing a chuckle.

By now Dawn, Brock, Drew and Ritchie had summonded up the courage to join Gary and approach the blushing pair and they fanned out just behind the researcher.

"Have you two calmed down now?" Dawn asked nervously through fear of sparking another argument.

Ash and Misty glanced at each other awkwardly then quickly looked away. Though they had found a common enemy in Gary, the insinuation that they were romantically involved had raised their defences to a level where even the idea of being neutral towards each seemed like to much unity.

"No way, he/she drives me crazy!" They shouted in unison.

The pair however did not resort back to shouting at each other but instead with turned away from each other with audible huffs.

Gary snickered at the odd behaviour and turned to face Dawn. "See, I have my uses," he said in a self assured tone.

"I'm not sure I would call what you did useful," Dawn replied with an unamused expression. "Though I am glad they've shut up."

Drew stepped over to the blue haired coordinator. "Don't worry Dawn," he said in a reassuring tone. "I understand that you're annoyed. I would be too if I'd had to share a tent with May and put up with her snoring all night."

"I heard that Hayden!" May's voice roared from within the tent.

Dawn looked at Drew like he was the most idiotic person she had ever met.

"Are you freaking kidding me!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

...and finished! Well I hope you enjoyed the mess that this chapter is. I must admit I found it difficult to write this one but hopefully it makes sense. I know that not a lot happened but I wanted to start introducing the emotions that will be running through the story. Please read and review like always. I have already started the next chapter so I assure you that it WILL be posted in a couple of weeks!

Responses to reviews

reminiscent-afterthought- Thanks for the review. I am trying to keep all of the main characters in each chapter but it is difficult as there are quite a few of them. Also I wanted to focus mainly on Ash and Misty so that is why some people have been left out and the same goes for this chapter. I apologise for the typo, every now and again one gets through the edit.

RedHoodLover - Firstly, can I say a massive thank you for all the reviews. Not everyone takes the time to review every chapter so it is deeply appreciated (plus it makes my stats go up). I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I hope this chapter pleases you just as much. I will focus more on contestshipping later in the story.

schoolmouse33 - Thanks for the review. It is great to get positive feedback so keep reviewing.

jg13145 - I'm afraid it'll probably take Ash and Misty a while to get to that point. Also, I'm sorry the update didn't come soon however, I hope you liked this chapter.

jemzyboz - Thanks for the review, though if you think nothing can go wrong, just keep reading.

ili777 - Again I apologise for the delay however, I promise to you that I will not abandon this story and just like Misty, I don't break my promises. I'm glad you picked up on the hypocrisy of the stubbornness quote as I quite agree; Ash and Misty are the most stubborn couple in the universe. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much. Your reviews are always great to read so I always feel the need to impress.

Distant Storm - Thank you for such a great review, your feedback is really useful. I'm glad you are enjoying my portrayal of Misty, I quite agree that she would still be a very accomplished battler. I would like to read your thoughts on this chapter. I know you enjoyed the previous one with the pokeshipping scene and I would be intrigued but what you have to say now.

Kim - As you liked Misty punching Gary so much, I think I might just get her to do it again at some point. Thank you for the review and I'm sorry about the long wait for this chapter.

Guest- I currently have no intention of adding leaf into the story as she wasn't part of the anime. However, if I get more requests to do so I will certainly try.

AHappyReader - I'm afraid I've never seen code geass so I can't comment but even so I'm not going to give anything away. I like how you're trying to guess the plot though.

Skylar Windsong - Firstly, thanks for the awesome reviews. It is so encouraging to hear compliments about my writing. Also, there will be more May and Drew moments to add to your tally so keep counting?

Mozilla Fennekin - Your review was not crappy at all. Any review with constructive feedback is a good review in my eyes and I'm just happy that you're sticking with the story.

Marcus S. Lazarus- Thank your for such an encouraging review and I'm really glad you like things so far. With regards to Paul, I wouldn't say he wants to harm the Unit, just get one up on Ash. However, he is willing to do almost anything to do this, which may have significant consequences.

Freedom s Fun- Thanks for the review, I must say you have set the bar high for me but I will try to do as you say and make this story extremely memorable. If you don't mind me asking, would you like to see oldrivalshipping in this story?

tennisdesi91 - Thanks for the continued support, my updates will become more frequent I promise.