Disclaimer: I don't own Pokèmon

A/N: Hey, hey! Some sci-fi junk here, heehee. It's also a bit scary and suspensive (spell check???) Okay, so it turns out that's not even a word. It's full of suspense. There ya go! Well anyway, please read and review (I am not a KENTUCKY ASS ALEXA!!!) Okay, on with the story!

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One Tree Says it All

It all started out funny. I couldn't remember it all that well, I can remember that. I had known Ash so long and it was the first time he hadn't said something sarcastic when I insulted him. It took me a while to realize he wasn't going to say anything back and when it finally hit me, I was blown away. I knew, just as Brock said, that he was maturing but it was going faster than I thought. After all, I had spent three years with him since he turned thirteen and he had never acted like this.

"I can't believe you lost the stupid map!" I had yelled. It was the middle of August, hot and humid, and all I wanted was to get into a Pokecenter or something and get a little AC, you know? "You always lose it! You're such an idiot!"

And he just looked at me over the top of the new-found map he had pulled out of his bag, narrowed his eyes and walked away. I stood there with my mouth open. I swear I swallowed a bug or something. And Brock just chuckled, clapped a hand on my shoulder, and gave me a good ole 'I told ya so!' look.

"I…" And if that wasn't bad enough, Ash managed to get us to a Pokecenter right after that. I felt like such an ass. I felt like I didn't know how to talk to him anymore. There were times where we were best friends and girls had cooties and sugar made you high and all that but… there were other times where we were still friends but he was more quiet than hyper and touchy and more…I dunno…different. It was scary to see the difference. Where was I again? Oh yeah. We had just gotten to the Pokecenter…

"Wow. You actually managed to get us here," I said, totally not being sarcastic at all, and Ash looked at me. "You really aren't so daft sometimes."

"I gotta use the loo," he mumbled and walked off. I blinked after him, eyes wide and mind disbelieving. The Ash I used to know would have said something like 'at least I'm not as daft as you!' or something lame like that.

"I told ya so," said Brock.

"You could've just given me a look," I grumbled, putting my head in my palms. "I don't get it. He's nice and normal sometimes and others…"

"It may be normal for you but you're gonna have to change normal. He's growing up, Mist. We all have to sometime." I sat digesting that when Ash came out, looking considerably better.

"You okay?" I asked, trying to make it come out concerned but not desperate-concerned. He smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'm fine. Should we get a room?"

"Yeah." So that was it. The end of a feud that would've lasted a week at least. It always did.

"Do you know any town close to here that has a Gym?" I heard him asking the Nurse Joy as I skimmed through a magazine. I caught snippets of their conversation and frowned. "Looks like we're heading north," he announced as he took a seat next to me on the couch.

"What's there?"

"Specter Town." I shuddered, putting the magazine down.

"I don't like the sound of that."

"It has a Gym but if you don't wanna go…"

"No!" I almost yelled, more confused than ever. "I…I have to…get a drink. I'll be right back." Had he just offered not to go somewhere with a GYM because I didn't like the sound of the friggin' name? My head was spinning. Wasn't this the same kid who would drag us for days just to get to a Gym?

"Are you okay?" I hadn't heard him come up behind me and I jumped.

"I'm fine."

"'Cause if you don't wanna go THAT bad…"

"No," I insisted harshly. "We're going." He was confused and that was good.

'Cos so was I.

The next morning we got up bright and early. I mean early. It was too early 'cause it certainly wasn't bright. At least one thing about him hadn't changed (YET, I reminded myself); he liked to wake up early. And he would do anything to get up early. Such as beat innocent people with pillows. Where is the fun in that when you're the one getting beat, I ask you? I thought of that the whole time we were walking down the friggin' road to friggin' no where at daybreak.

It was joyous. Marvelous.

"Why do we have to wake up so early? The sun's hardly even up!" I whined, trudging my feet in the dust.

"We have to get there early."

"Any reason in particular?" He didn't answer and I guess I had him cornered in that one. "I thought so," I said smugly, crossing my arms.

"Well at least I don't snore," he grumbled, tugging the map out of his red bag.

"Excuse me?" I said, disbelieving. I do NOT snore.

"You heard me."

"You snore too!"

"I do not!"

"You sound like a buffalo! And I should know 'cause I slept next to you two days ago and I woke up 'cause the GROUND was vibrating!" Brock rolled his eyes and gabbed the map from Ash.

"Funny," he said, narrowing his eyes (A/N: Just pretend he can, okay???)

"What?" asked Ash, losing interest in our fight and waltzing over to Brock.

"There's not a Specter Town on the map."

"No way!" cried Ash, grabbing the map and sifting his eyes over it furiously. "There has to be!"

"But there is a Lilian Town," I point out. "Right where Specter Town should be. Right…" I looked up and there was a broad sign. "There." The words 'SPECTER TOWN' were carved into the sign and painted white. "But…?"

"Oh, who cares? We found Specter Town! Now let's find the Gym!" He was so hardheaded sometimes it scared me.

"Wait! Look at that tree!" I said, pointing to a large tree not far from where we were standing. "Can we go look at it? Please?"

"It's a tree," said Ash.

"Captain Obvious is in the building," I yelled, running up to the tree. "Look! I can reach the branches! I'll race you to the top, Ashy-boy!" I struck two nerves there. Calling him 'Ashy-boy' and challenging him.

"You're on!" he yelled, running next to me.

"One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready--?"

"GO!" he yelled and grabbed a branch.

"Foul! Red card! OBJECTION!" I yelled up to him. "You didn't let me finish!"

"Too bad!" I heard him yell back.

"Cheater!" Growling, I swiftly climbed onto the first branch when I heard a snapping sound. In a whir of blue, I saw Ash hit the ground, a large branch falling across his chest. "Omigawd! Are you okay?" I shrieked, leaping to the ground and lugging the branch off of him.

"Fine," he said in a strained voice, coughing slightly before sitting up.

"What happened?"

"Branch snapped," he said sarcastically, pointing shakily to the branch near my knees. "Welcome back, Captain Obvious." I slapped his shoulder and held out my hand. Hesitantly, trying to decide whether or not I was joking, he took it and I hauled him up.

"All that food's getting to ya, Ashy-boy," I said with a wink as Brock came running up.

"I heard a crash and…is everything alright?" He was staring at us suspiciously and I remembered I was still holding Ash's hand.

"Yeah, uh, yeah," we stuttered, dropping each others' hand.

"Oh," he said, brightening up and, to our relief, forgetting the subject. "I see you found the Death Tree."

It's a little short but five reviews pretty please? I won't make (well, post anyway ^^') another chappie until I get five, thanks!!! Well, it's a little different than most of my stuff but as you can probably already tell it's an AAMRN (what's a story w/o a little of that? ::knocks head against door:: whoopsie! It's not!) and horror and suspense and mystery…yaddayadda…My mom makes good chocolate chip cookies…heehee! Later~!

~ Kasagi Onaso