Hello, readers! Yes, I know today is Saturday and not Monday or Thursday. The reason I'm updating today is because... well, actually, I don't have a good reason. I just felt like it, I guess.

Today's topic was a suggestion from a guest reviewer, so here it is!

I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I am open to suggestions. If there is something in particular you want me do, then you can tell me, and I'll definitely consider it. I'd love getting ideas from others! I'll always have some of my own chapters written out, for the times I don't get suggestions, or don't manage to finish a one-shot, so I hope I can continue updating as I usually do. Bottom line: Feel free to share your ideas with me!

Now, on with the story! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!

Stop Bugging Me!

(Summer before) Grade Two

Misty (7), Ash (7), Leaf (7), Gary (7)

It was a warm, summer day, and Ash, along with his new friend, Misty, was out for a small walk. Misty had just recently moved into a house that was a short distance away from Ash's, and the two had met when Ash and his mother had gone to greet Misty's family and welcome them to Pallet Street.

Now, the two were outside, enjoying the weather, as Ash gave Misty a small tour of the neighbourhood. It was a pretty safe area, and everyone knew one another, so there was no danger of getting lost.

"Hi, Ash!" Ash turned when someone called his name. A girl with brown hair and green eyes came into his line of sight. She was walking alongside a spiky-haired boy.

"Hi Leaf! Hi, Gary." Ash waved back, though he said Gary's name less enthusiastically. Misty hadn't met Leaf and Gary yet, so she just stood there.

"Who's she, Ashy-boy?" Gary asked rudely, pointing at Misty.

"I'm Misty. And it's not nice to point." the orange-haired girl snapped. Gary was taken aback at her tone.

"Hi, Misty, I'm Leaf!" Leaf introduced herself cheerfully.

"Whoah, look at that!" Ash's attention had drifted from the conversation to something in the tree. The other three looked at the place he was staring at.

"It's a Pokemon!" Leaf observed.

"A Kakuna!" Gary knew its name.

"A Ka-kakuna?!" Misty stuttered, backing off a bit.

"What's wrong, Mist?" Ash asked, noticing her nervousness. The other two turned to her as well.

"I don't like bugs." she admitted.

"But it's so far away, way up high on that branch. It can't do anything to you." Ash pointed out.

"Bugs get me all creeped out, no matter how far away they are!" Misty didn't want to be anywhere near that Kakuna. "Come on, let's go somewhere else!"

"Misty's afraid of a little bug!" Gary teased. "Just like a girl!" Leaf gave him a hard shove for that last thing he said.

"Be quiet!" Misty yelled. "I can beat you up if I want to! I just don't like bugs!"

"But, Misty, it can't hurt you." Ash reasoned. Her fear didn't make any sense to him.

"I don't care; it's still creepy!"

"Look!" Leaf pointed at something else on the tree. "A Weedle!"

"That means there are probably a lot more of them around. And maybe some cool Beedrill!" Gary figured.

"We-weedle? Beedrill? Come on, Ash, 'cause I'm leaving!" Misty grabbed Ash's arm, and began roughly dragging him away from the tree with her.

"But, Misty! I wanna see the Pokemon!" he whined.

"Misty's afraid of itty bitty bugs! Misty is a scaredy-Meowth!" Gary chanted, following them, with Leaf close behind.

Misty suddenly let go of Ash's arm and turned around to face Gary.

"Be quiet!" she yelled, obviously annoyed. This only made Gary's smirk wider.

"Misty is scared like a little girl!" he continued taunting.

Leaf frowned at him, but it was Misty who pushed him this time. He fell back onto the ground, not hurt, but stunned that he had been shoved off his feet.

"Looks like the 'little girl' pushed down Gary!" Leaf giggled mockingly. Misty folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

"Look, Misty! It's a Caterpie!" Misty turned at Ash's voice, only to come face-to-face with a large Caterpie, which Ash was holding close to her face.

"Eeeep!" She jumped back with a yelp. "Ash, you take that away from me right now!"

"But Misty, look at how cool it is!" Ash whined.

"Where did you find that?" Gary asked interestedly. Ash pointed to some bushes underneath a tree, so Gary went to inspect.

"Come on, Misty! A Caterpie can't hurt you!" Ash tried to convince her.

"Ugh, just get that away from me! Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!" Misty yelled.

"One of the three?" Leaf tilted her head.

"Besides bugs, what are the other disgusting things?" Ash asked curiously. Misty glared at him.

"Very funny, Ash! If you really wanna know, they're carrots and peppers!" she shouted.

"But carrots and peppers aren't bad." Ash said. "I like them. And I like bugs too."

"I don't care! Everybody has something they don't like and I don't like bugs!"

"Whoah, cool!" Gary, who had been searching through the bushes where Ash had found the Caterpie, exclaimed. "There are a whole bunch of Pokemon here!"

"Let me see!" Ash peered into the bush as well. "Yeah, you're right! There are so many Caterpie and Metapod!"

"I don't wanna be here with these creepy bugs!" Misty whined. "I'm going home!"

"But Misty, you haven't been around here for long. You don't know the way back." Ash pointed out. Misty blushed a tiny bit because she knew he was right. But she was not about to back out now.

"I'm still going." she said stubbornly, starting to go on her way.

"Umm, that's the wrong way." Misty, slightly more pink than before, turned around to go in the correct direction.

"You know, I don't want to catch bugs with you guys either." Leaf announced. "It's too boring!" Gary and Ash were too absorbed in their search to pay attention to what she was saying. She frowned and turned to Misty.

"Come on, Misty, we can go to my house. We have ice cream!" The two girls walked off together.

Later, Misty and Leaf were both at Leaf's house, sitting on the front-door steps, licking their ice cream cones.

"Look!" Leaf pointed out at something. "I think the boys are back!"

And they were. Ash and Gary both arrived, looking a bit grumpy, and covered in white, sticky web. The web was covering their shirts, dangling from their hair, and all over their faces. Leaf burst into laughter at the sight, while Misty just watched them smugly.

"What happened to you guys?" Leaf managed to say through her laughter.

"Turns out the Caterpie don't like it when we take them out of their house." Gary explained grumpily.

"And they use String Shot pretty good too." Ash added.

"See? I told you!" Misty gloated. "You shouldn't have bothered those bug Pokemon."

"No, you didn't!" Ash argued.

"Yeah, you just screamed and said you hated bugs." Gary chimed in.

"Well, at least we don't have to take an extra-long bath today!" Leaf pointed out.

"Can I have some ice cream?" Ash asked, eying their cones.

"Not until you clean up!" Leaf replied.

Grumbling, both boys walked off to their houses, leaving two snickering girls behind them.

Looks like Ash and Gary have some cleaning up to do! I just realized: this the first chapter that doesn't include May. Oh well, she can't be around all the time.

Please review, and thanks for reading!

Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)