Chapter 8- "Drop-Outs"

{Hai. :3 Some drama in this chapter…. I loved writing it and I expect much more drama spiraling out of this chapter…. It will change the whole story. And there's a reason I didn't elaborate on the other couples… I feel so evil for leaving you guys with this vague Author Note. Hehe- guess you'll just have to read! Sorry it took me a little longer to post this one… :( }

Ash woke up and found a note on his face. He propped himself up against the couch's armrest to read it.

Hey. Doubt you'll be up in time to read this, but if you are, I'm out on a walk. I'll be back soon.

~Gail

Ash wiped his eyes and looked around. Sure enough, he was the only one there. The little mouse at his feet woke up with a yawn and a sleepy "Chaaa!" It squirmed up over the blankets and started licking Ash's face.

"Pikachu!" He said and laughed, trying to pull the affectionate Pokémon from his face.

Eric and Gail had agreed through text message to meet up on the beach that morning. "So, are you sure we should do it?" Gail asked him, a hint of doubt in her voice.

"We have to. I've had it really bad and it's been on my mind since we went on that double date." Eric said and looked down at Gail. He was taller than her by a few inches.

"It's just as bad for me." She told him, grabbing his hand for security that they were doing the right thing. "But, I'm just worried… Like how will they react to it? They practically hate each other already. And I just feel bad for them… Wouldn't this just make their lives worse?" She thought about Ash's recent moods.

"That's why we're doing it. Trust me, it's the right thing. It will help them, and we can be happy too." Eric reasoned with her. Gail nodded.

"Alright." She said, convinced. "When are we gonna do it?" Eric just shrugged. "Maybe after the physical challenge today? You're right, I can't handle this much longer."

Eric smiled, knowing she felt the same way. "Deal." He agreed and they parted. Gail walked to cabin two and Eric went to cabin three. He tip-toed in quietly, as not to wake Misty. All was silent as a mouse until BLAM. The door hefted shut. "oops…" He muttered to himself, and he saw Misty twitching and waking up. She yawned. And started to roll over, curious as to what was interrupting her sleep.

Gail stepped inside to find Ash being smothered by Pikachu. Gail pretended to gasp. "Wait… Hold up… What happened?" She asked in mock surprise. "You're up… And it's BEFORE 11:50!?"

Ash glared at her but then burst out laughing. "Do I sense some sarcasm in that?" He asked, swinging his feet off the edge of the couch so she could sit.

"None at all. Duh." She said matter-of-factly and took the open spot next to him. "We have a challenge in about an hour or so. But since you're up, I can take this time to mess with you." She said and immediately checked him in the shoulder, sending him flying down. Pikachu, who had been on The boy's shoulder, suddenly had nothing underneath him. "Pikaa!" He squealed and Gail caught him in the air. "Pikapi." He said, content as he curled onto Gail's lap and closed his eyes.

The next hour was one full of backstabbing, trickery, elaborate planning, and most of all- extreme pranking. The two seemed to be the highest level a pranker could be; it turned into an all out trick war. Who would out-do the other? It was close between whoopee cushions, water buckets and guns, even some paint! Ash was soaked, and had made more flatulent noises in the past hour than he had in his past three months of his life. Gail had a few more colors in her hair, which she got most of out. She chipped a piece of royal purple paint off her jean shorts. They were both laughing and giggling, like two little kids. They could care less about how dirty they were.

Finally, Ash checked his watch. He had toweled himself almost dry. "Hey, we should probably get going." He told her, throwing the damp towel in their makeshift laundry bag.

Gail stepped towards the door, confident and ready when she stopped and turned back to Ash sharply. "No water bucket waiting to tip on me once I open the door, right?" the girl asked with a skeptical look at her partner.

"No, no, I promise." The tall teenage boy vowed, holding his hands up to prove his innocence.

"Alright." She finally said and stepped outside with a smirk. She looked up and smiled wider. She stepped out and turned around as she watched her Butterfree dump a bucket of water as Ash walked out, dousing him once again.

"You little…" He said and glared at her. "I didn't realize I should've asked the that question too." He said, stepping towards her. "Well played."

Gail had a laughing fit. "Always question the enemy, Ash." She giggled as he ran a hand through his hair, spraying her with mini droplets. She squealed and started running to avoid a wet Ash from trying to give her a wet hug.

Misty opened her eyes to find Eric looking at her. "Hey. Did you just get here?" She asked wearily, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah. I was on a walk. Were you just sleeping?" He asked, sitting on the bed next to her.

Misty just nodded her head. "After all the emotions of yesterday, I must've slept in." She said and Eric reached over and stroked her face.

"You know how I feel about that." Eric said with a smile, but to Misty it just felt like his touch was salt on a wound. Or vinegar. Or both. His words had hurt her, even if she would never show it. And the way he was acting so loving towards it; it made Misty feel a little sick.

"Let's just go to the challenge." She said, feeling her body heat up for all the wrong reasons. She quickly got dressed and threw her hair into her side ponytail. Using the map that had been supplied to them, they made their way to the challenge area.

Ash and Gail arrived at the challenge to find that they were the last couple to arrive. Gail chipped another piece of lavender off her pants and looked up. She smiled at Eric, who was watching her. "Hello, My now seven lovely couples!" The host exclaimed. "Today you will test your bonds with one another, as you balance where your love falls in your life!" She was standing in front of a large and looming pit, about ten feet deep. The bottom was heavily padded, and there were balance beams stretching across it to the other side which was lined with chocolates, stuffed Poké Dolls, and flowers of all kinds.

"You all need to cross your beam, grab a Token Of Love," She swooned at that. " And bring it back to your side. You need to get enough things to fill up your buckets…" She gestured to giant buckets behind all the contestants, each with a picture of the couple on the front, indicating whose bucket was who's. "First couple with their bucket filled wins!" She shouted cheerily and escorted all the couples to their beams.

After getting set-up, Gail and Ash agreed that Gail would go across the beam first, grab something, and come back when Ash would go. Once he was back, Gail would cross again, and they would consistently swap like this, thinking it was the most efficient way. Misty and Eric, however, didn't really have much of a strategy. They just wanted to get some items and fill their bucket. "Let's do this thing." Misty said, waiting at the start of the beam for the challenge to begin.

Ready… Go!" The host announced and Gail stepped out onto the beam.

"Alright, Abigail." Gail said to herself, "Let the years of gymnastics when you were little come back to you." Sure enough, after a few wobbly steps, she gained her footing. Her step became a little faster. Halfway across the beam, Gail was doing handsprings and cartwheels which landed her on the other side much faster than the others. Gail grinned and grabbed a huge stuffed Snorlax, easily one of the biggest things there. She took more time on her return, making sure she didn't lose her prize. The brunette walked up to a stunned Ash with a grin and bumped his shoulder playfully as she tossed it up into her and Ash's bucket. "Your turn." She said and smiled, proud of herself.

"Alright, but it won't be pretty." He said and started clumsily inching his way across.

Misty watched Ash's date fly across the beam in a show of flexibility and accuracy. Show Off. She thought in disgust as she watched the girl smirk to herself and grab a big stuffed doll. Misty hastily grabbed the first thing she saw, which ended up being a Charmander doll. She made her way back across and threw the doll into the bucket, infuriated. Eric started off after Gail, who was flipping down the beam once again.

Near the end of the challenge, there were two teams far ahead the others, two buckets filled to nearly the same line. Gail was getting tired, and her tricks had slowed to nearly a stop. Misty and Eric saw this as an opportunity to catch up, and they did. Misty stepped out onto the balance beam yet again and easily caught up to Ash, who was making his way across slowly. She looked back and saw Gail and Eric talking…Was that flirting? Her mind wondered a moment to long. When she put her foot down, there was no substance beneath it.

As she began to fall, she quickly looked around her, scoping out the scene for any signs of help. She was about to yell 'Eric!' When her vocal cords betrayed her. They did exactly what they would've if she was falling when she was ten. "ASH!" She screamed in terror.

Ash looked over and saw her falling. "Misty!" He yelled and dove off his beam to catch her. It was just instinct he had had since they were kids. He managed to loop his arm around her and broke her fall with his own body. When they hit the bottom Ash groaned as he was landed on. "You okay?" He asked her quietly as she leaned off him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's not me I'm worried about. Are you okay?" She asked, now kneeling over him. She gently touched his stomach where she had landed on him to make sure nothing was broken.

"I'm fine." He said and sat up next to her. And for the first time in eight years, they didn't absolutely hate each other. And they didn't fight right after. Not yet.

Gail stopped mid-sentence as she watched the whole scene unfold "Did that just…. Happen?" She asked Eric.

They were interrupted by a voice behind them, warning the two of something. "She wants Him. Believe me, I learned that the hard way 7 years ago." The other contestant told them. Had either Ash or Misty been up there at the time, they would've instantly recognized Rudy from the Orange Archipelago.

"Misty? Is that you? And is that… ASH?! Aww, I always knew you two would be together!" A female voice squealed from a beam a few feet down. There stood a girl with a bob haircut and a green kimono-like dress.

"Erika?" Misty asked, with her hand still on Ash's stomach without realizing.

"Thought you were the only Gym Leader here?" the grass-master asked with a small giggle.

"Well, Yeah, I kind-of did!" Misty said, blushing lightly. She processed Erika's comment from earlier and her blush became a furious scarlet. "And I'm not with HIM!" She said and pushed Ash out again. He landed on laying on his elbows again. Misty turned back to Ash, her whole face changing into an apologetic look, filled with sympathy. 'Sorry' she mouthed, touching his stomach again and turning back to Erika. The red-head stood up and ran over to the ladder, wanting to get out of the spotlight. Ash slowly stood and made his way to the other ladder, to reunite with Gail, who happened to be with Eric. On his way over, someone in another couple grabbed his arm.

"I could tell you two would like each other since the Indigo League." The boy said, who Ash turned around to find a tall, brown-haired boy with a crooked smile upon his face. In some ways the teen reminded him of himself, with the smirk and the jacket and the messy hair stuffed under a hat. After a few seconds of confusedly staring at the stranger, Ash realized it wasn't a stranger at all. It was his 'clone,' Ritchie. The smiling boy just laughed and sent Ash stumbling back to Gail, who just barely caught Ash as he fell.

"What… Just…. Happened?!" Gail asked, still flabbergasted. All of the teams by this point had stopped to watch what would happen next. Ash stuttered on his response.

"I.. But… It… I don't know." He finally ended with. Looking around, he realized Ritchie wasn't the only one he knew. There was also Erika, and a girl with purple hair who was younger than them. She wore a casual yellow dress with black stripes with jeans and sneakers. The little girl they once knew Casey to be had blossomed into a young woman. She smiled at Ash and looked over to Misty, who was huddled behind Eric trying to hide.

"Well this has gotten interesting!" The host exclaimed. "Is there a history between some of our players?"

Misty scampered across her beam, being watched by everybody in the vicinity. She grabbed an orange Torchic doll. She clambered back across and put it in her bin as everyone had their eyes trained on her. After she tossed it in some couples started doing the challenge again, and Ash left a confused Gail standing next to Eric as he walked across, grabbed another doll, and put it in his bucket. "Come, on Gail, I need ya." He said, shaking her arm.

She shook her head, sending her hair flopping around in waves. "Yeah, right. Sorry." She said, graciously prancing across the beam. Misty, Ash, Eric, and Gail were silent for the rest of the challenge.

Misty and Eric eventually won the challenge, choosing to stay in Cabin #1. Gail and Ash were close behind them, finishing second. "Back to Cabin two!" Gail exclaimed, grabbing Ash's hand. But for some odd reason, this time it felt foreign to him.

Misty was back to her gloating-self the instant they won the challenge. "Yes! I told you so! I knew we'd win!" She celebrated.

"Yay!" Eric said, but his heart obviously wasn't in it.

"What's wrong?" Misty asked, noticing his fake enthusiasm. "Did something happen?"

"Misty, we need to talk." He said seriously and briskly as he walked over and sat on the bed. That can't be good. Misty thought as she swallowed and sat down.

Ash sat down on the bed once they entered the familiar cabin two. Nothing had changed; The Queen bed was still made and there was a still faint paint spot on the floor near the couch against the wall. The afternoon sun shone softly through the windows. "We were really close." Ash said, talking about their tight competition with Misty and Eric towards the end of the challenge. Gail smiled at him.

"Hey Ash? Can we talk?" She asked timidly, not sure how to approach the topic she wanted to. It didn't help when Ash grinned at her and nodded goofily.

"Anything. Shoot." He said, looking at her in anticipation.

I guess I'll just say it. I mean, this is too painful to stall any longer. She thought and twirled the red tips of her hair nervously. "Ash… I'm uh…" She started to stutter, looking down and biting her lip

In cabin 1, Eric was having a similar problem. "So, Uh… Misty- I thought about everything… The date, the challenge, even before this whole game. And I decided that.. well.. I'm…"

The words both Eric and Gail said not only rattled their partners, but changed the game forever.

"…I'm dropping out of the game."

{Muahaha Drama! But seriously, who saw that coming? I mean would I really pair them with other people and LEAVE it that way? This is a Pokeshipping fiction, afterall! :D

Review please! Love you all! Next chapter's gonna be a little short to recover from all the drama from the past two! But that also means I'll update soon, so possibly tonight or tomorrow. Weekend at latest. I promise. Bye! }