I totally would've posted this earlier if one of my brothers hadn't broken my laptop! It probably would've been later if my older brother hadn't fixed it so he didn't have to give me a turn on the computer he was using, so thank Imbecile for getting this chapter!

Deep in the Ilex Forest, far from any official roads, lay a clearing. It had a diameter of about twenty paces, and in the center was a fire pit filled with charred wood and ashes. Two teenagers were in the clearing. One was a sixteen year old girl with navy blue hair and cobalt blue eyes, sitting cross-legged on a rock while tuning an old oak harp. The other was a boy of nineteen years with hair white as a cloud and golden yellow eyes. He was pacing nervously around the clearing.

"Stop pacing Jake! It's getting annoying," the blunette said, putting down her harp and fixing the older teen with a glare.

"I'm sorry Dawn! I can't help it! They're taking longer than usual," he replied, throwing his hands in the air. Both Dawn and Jake turned to look towards the bushes as they started rustling. A Pikachu, a Piplup, an Eevee, and a Charmander entered the clearing as they watched. Piplup went over to sit in Dawn's lap while Charmander and Eevee convinced Jake to take a seat on one of the various logs spread around the fire pit. As they settled down, Pikachu lay down on a log after looking around the clearing for somebody.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before two people entered the clearing from a Deerling trail. Jake quickly stood, Eevee falling from his lap onto the ground with a startled cry. Pikachu jumped onto the newcomer's shoulder with a cry of, "Pikapi!"

"Ash! Where's Skie?" Jake demanded of the black haired boy Pikachu was nuzzling. Then he noticed the brunette he was leading. "And who's that?"

"Dunno. Skie said she needed a few more minutes and sent me back to camp with her," Ash responded, gesturing at May with his head. He looked eagerly around the clearing. "Is Misty back yet?"

"Nope. But no need to worry, I bet she'll be back soon," Dawn told him. His face fell slightly, but he was still grinning goofily. He seated May on the log Pikachu had recently vacated and was about to sit down himself when he heard rustling in the bushes behind him. He quickly turned, pulling out the pine quarter staff on his back. A second later, two girls came out, one a redhead with sea green eyes, the other a brown-eyed girl with long brown hair. They were followed by a Togetic and an Espeon. Dawn grinned. "Told you so."

"Told him what?" the brunette asked, confused. The redhead had pulled out her sword, attacking Ash, who defended himself with his quarter staff. Pikachu had run over to where Dawn was sitting, jumping onto the rock beside her while Togetic was hovering over the fight, cheering for her partner. The others barely spared them a glance, as this was a common occurrence. The two of them would constantly fight for various, and often unknown, reasons.

"That Misty'd be back soon," Jake informed her, sitting back down with Eevee quickly jumping back into his lap and Charmander settling beside him on the log. The brunette shook her head, sitting beside the tied up May, Espeon laying down at her feet.

"I don't see how those two could be any more oblivious," she sighed, watching Misty and Ash go at it. As she watched, Misty disarmed Ash, who immediately started running around the clearing. The vicious redhead followed, almost catching him.

"Well Leaf, I think Misty just wants Ash to make the first move and Ash is too dense to realize that," Dawn commented wryly, watching as Misty tackled Ash before sitting up on his back. The girl grinned, an evil sparkle in her sea-green eyes, before proceeding to hit the boy on the head with the flat of her blade repeatedly. Ash covered his head with his arms, apologizing for anything and everything that could've started the fight. And some things that couldn't have. Togetic was encouraging Misty, despite the fact that its species was commonly associated with kindheartedness.

"Should we stop them?" Leaf inquired, watching their friend's violent behavior continuing. Jake glanced at her, his eyes wider than before.

"Sure, if you want Misty's wrath turning to you. I tried to break up a fight like this in the beginning, and I ended up in Ash's position," Jake reminisced with a shudder. The three contented themselves with just sitting and watching Ash's misfortune at Misty's hands. May sat, still and silent, listening to everything going on around her. As Misty raised her sword over her head one more time, more rustling was heard in the bushes, and Skie came out, her bow over her shoulder. Everyone greeted her, including the cowering Ash. Then Misty brought her sword down on Ash again, causing him to cry for mercy. Skie sat down next to Jake, making sure to have him between her and Charmander. Eevee eagerly moved to her lap, and the blunette absentmindedly stroked it while Jake put his arm around her shoulders.

"Took you long enough," Misty called over her shoulder, still hitting Ash over the head with her sword, causing the boy to groan.

"Well, I had to deal with something before I left," Skie replied, glancing over at the redhead, Ash, and Togetic, her eyes twinkling with laughter. "Can you get off my lieutenant please?"

"You didn't," Leaf said, narrowing her eyes. Misty got off Ash, giving him a kick for good measure before going to sit on her own log. Togetic landed in her lap, slightly upset that she had been robbed of her favorite form entertainment: Misty hurting Ash. Skie rubbed the back of her head while grinning sheepishly, causing Leaf to groan and facepalm.

"Well, it's my calling card. How else will they know it was us?" the golden-eyed girl protested indignantly. Ash slowly stood and trudged over to the firepit and sitting on the same log as Misty. Pikachu carefully came over and climbed onto the boy's shoulder. Leaf opened her mouth with a ready retort, but Jake cut her off.

"We've already had enough fights today between those two," the white haired boy states, nodding at Ash and Misty, who happened to be pointedly ignoring each other. Nodding at May, he added, "Who's she?"

"Oh right!" Skie exclaims. It was obvious she had forgotten about the bound brunette. "Her name's Maybelle Maple, and somebody should probably untie her."

All five of the teenage thieves stared at Skie in shock, along with the six pokemon. All of them were speechless, even Dawn, who always had something to say in every situation.

"What?" Skie asked, utterly confused by her friends' total silence.

Three more reviews for chapter 4! I have it written so you just have to review! And any from awolflover2 or Espeon and Umbreon don't count because those can both be me.

Leaf: So your newest ploy for reviews is give them a cliffhanger and not give them another chapter until they review?

Espeon: Yes. Don't judge me. I've still got to write a Thanksgiving special and I'm hooked on writing something else right now...

Ash: What are you writing? And does that mean the late Halloween one is gonna be posted soon?

Espeon: I don't think you'd want to know and I think so. Umbreon is working real hard on it, plus we need to get an ikarishipping date in there.

Dawn: Yes! I get a date with Paul!

Espeon: Well, you did ask for that for your birthday, just like May asked for strawberry cake. Speaking of which, do you have any left May? I wanna be prepared just in case Er-

Erza: There was strawberry cake and I missed it?!

Espeon: *Cowering in fear* I... Uh... Maybe? Well, I'd better run before Erza kills me now. So review for another chapter and pray for me to survive Erza! Espeon out! Peace! *Runs away as fast as she can*

Erza: Get back here! I want cake!

Misty: Wow, she's pretty fast. But I could catch her.