[URGES]

[9.38am]

Scuff, scuff, scuff went the rubber of Ash's shoes in the dust. Tccccsh, tccccsh, tccccsh came the sound of the bass escaping from his earphones. Misty's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Suddenly, she quickened her pace, as if intending to walk alongside him, but instead swerved her leg to the left at the last minute. Ash tripped and staggered three steps before crashing unceremoniously to the ground. With a bored expression Brock stepped over him and carried on down the route ahead.

"Misty!" Ash coughed in the dust cloud he had created. "What the hell?" Misty pressed her lips together to prevent a laugh breaking through. Adopting the same bored expression as Brock, she shrugged.

"Sorry…" she said, in a voice that didn't sound very sorry at all. "Just got the urge to."

"The urge?" Ash repeated incredulously.

"Yup." She turned to continue. "Couldn't help myself."

Ash glowered at her back as she walked swiftly to catch up with Brock.

[11.05am]

"Hey, Misty…"

Misty turned automatically to respond and found herself nose to the neck of Ash's water bottle.

"Wh-" was all she managed to get out before Ash gleefully squeezed the plastic and half-drowned her.

"What the HELL you JERK?" she spluttered, rubbing her eyes with the sleeves of her jacket. Ash stuck his grinning face in hers.

"Sorrrrrry!" he sniggered. "Just got the urge!" Misty swiped out at him but he ducked and danced playfully up the road.

[1.13pm]

Ash, having squandered all his drinking water, was forced to stop off at a stream to quench his thirst. Cupping the water in his hands he sipped a bit, then sluiced the remainder over his face.

"Excuse me," came a deep voice from behind him. "Are you Ash Ketchum?" Warily Ash turned and stood. The man was every bit as large and imposing as the deep voice had indicated.

"Who's asking..?" Ash replied cautiously.

"My name is Jimbo," the man boomed. "The lil lady over there said that we might have… something to discuss… should swap Gear numbers… you get me?"

Ash brightened immediately. A Trainer!

"Sure!" he beamed, reaching for his Gear and holding it out for Jimbo to read his details off the display screen. "So, do you wanna… do this now?" he asked, eager for a battle. The man guffawed.

"Patience, lil man," he smiled, looking at him slowly from top to toe. "This isn't the time or the place!"

"Oh…" Ash replied, a little confused. "Okay…"

"Anyway, I've gotta clear off… but I'll send you a message so you've got my number… and maybe… we can meet up in the next town? And we can… see this thing through?" Jimbo winked playfully.

"Sure!" Ash agreed, stowing his Gear again. "I look forward to it!"

"Oh, me too lil man!" Jimbo laughed, raising a hand in farewell. "Me too!" With one last lingering look, he turned and upped his pace to return to the knot of people waiting for him further up the road. At the same time, Misty and Brock made their way leisurely down the slope towards the stream bank.

"Looks like you made a friend…" Misty thumped him on the arm teasingly.

"He seemed nice…" Ash agreed mildly. "We're gonna meet up in the next town…" For some reason, Misty found this hysterically funny. Ash eyed her nervously. "What's with you?"

Ash's Gear vibrated, alerting him that he had received a message:

Hey sexy, it's Big Jimbo, sorry about the swift exit. Can't wait to see you again! Let me know your ETA and I'll be waiting. Can't wait to taste some of that sweet –

Ash shrieked and flung his Gear away from him in a panic. Misty collapsed in howls of laughter. Brock looked disapproving.

"Seriously Ash, come on now. The guy was wearing makeup. And pink skinny jeans."

[4.42pm]

Ash placed his tray on the table beside Misty and stepped over the bench to sit down.

"Rice?" she offered.

"No thanks," Ash said meekly, instead picking up a cupcake with yellow frosting from his tray and devouring it in three short bites. Misty smiled and shook her head. "Good cupcake?"

"Yup, delicious," Ash answered, in the same mild voice. "What have you got there, blueberry?"

"Yup." As Misty turned her attention to reach for the sauces in the middle of the table, Ash deftly plucked her muffin from her tray and held it up to his face. After a short forced inhale, he erupted into a spluttering coughing fit. Composing himself again, he placed the muffin carefully down in front of an aghast Misty.

"Smells good," he said placidly, turning back to his tray.

[7.10pm]

"Ha ha! Level TWENTY EIGHT!" Ash crowed victoriously, hunching as close as possible to the screen of his Gameboy. "I am on FIRE tonight!"

"That's great Ash!" Misty encouraged, sitting down next to him on the Pokémon Centre couch.

"Mmhmm," Ash responded, preoccupied entirely with keeping his pixelated character alive.

"You've never managed to get that high before!" Misty continued.

"Mmhmm… comeoncomeoncomeon… YES!"

After a moment's thought, Misty reached across and flipped the Gameboy to off.

[10.21pm]

Ash folded his arms behind his head and regarded the slant of light from the window stretched on the ceiling. In the bunk underneath him Misty sleepily shifted position and exhaled contentedly, the soft noise almost drowned out by the light snores emanating from Brock on the couch under the window.

Ash quietly moved and hung his head over the side, seeing her as an angular shape of grey in the darkness.

"Misty," he called quietly. "You awake?" She shifted onto her back again and made a small noise of assent. "Mind if I come down?" She made the noise again, and Ash deftly threw off his covers and shinned silently down the ladder. Ducking his head, he sat on the edge of her bed.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Nothing much…" Ash whispered back. "Was just thinking… and just wanted to say… how great it is to have you back. I've… really missed you, Misty…" Misty was struck into a stunned silence.

"But Ash!" she finally managed, her whispered voice growing louder in her bewilderment. "I've… I've done nothing but pick fights with you all day!" Ash smiled widely, and placed a finger over his lips to quieten her.

"I know," he murmured, dipping his head lower so she could hear him. "Like I said… I really missed you."

Misty felt the wash of his warm breath against her face as he closed in on her and confidently pressed his lips to hers. Pulling back, he shot her a grin that was mocking and sarcastic, even now.

"Just got the urge to. Sorry…" he whispered, in a voice that didn't sound very sorry at all…

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