"Ah, that was great visiting Iki Town! That was so fun!" Delia cheered when the three occupants got home. "Especially watching you win in that competition! I knew you were going to be great! You just needed a second chance."

"Heh, thanks Mom."

"It was cool I guess, but it wasn't much of a 'competition' was it? It's a culture thing so I have no place to judge, but I thought it'd be more exciting." Misty shrugged to express her unimpressed view. "Even the people thought it wasn't as great as the Kahuna was saying."

"Yeah, when it wasn't Ash and his Pokemon being perfectly synced, it wasn't all that good." Delia agreed. "But we're experiencing something new, and that's all that matters. Anyway, before you two have your battle of egos, how about some left overs." The mother giggled at her joke while the two teens at the same time cried out,

"This isn't about egos!"

After dinner and making sure Ash didn't eat anything with coconut, Misty smiled at Ash smugly as she tossed her lone pokeball up and down. "So, how about I put that ego of yours down so that you know your place."

"Hmph, perhaps you should have your ego checked given how highfalutin you're acting about yourself."

"That's because I'm good a gauging how good someone is, and you aren't on my level yet."

"Look just because you're better doesn't mean that you can just rub it in people's faces. If this is why you said your friends wouldn't mind you leaving I can see why. You're unbearable to be around." Misty stiffened from the brutal remark, her face looking like it was on the verge of breaking before rage came up to cover things.

"I-I'm not unbearable! Just bring out your Pokemon!"

"Heh, alright then. I'll show you that six against one is a bad idea! Buneary, I choose you!"

"Staryu, my steady!" Misty sent out her one Pokemon, a brown starfish with a red core.

"Buneary, use Frustration!" Glowing red and throwing a temper tantrum, the Rabbit Pokemon went on the attack but Misty regained her smile.

"Bubblebeam." From its top limb, a stream of glowing bubbles came out and blasted the normal type right into a tree. She groaned from being knocked out. "My win."

"Buneary!" Ash ran to his Pokemon. "Are you okay?!" She didn't respond of course, because she was unconscious. "Return."

"Oh, soooorry. I didn't mean to win that hard." Misty giggled mischievously. "Well, let's resume you losing this." Ash growled at her arrogant attitude as he sent out his next Pokemon. But to his growing frustration, literally all of his Pokemon just couldn't do anything but lose to its Bubblebeam without even getting near.

"Popplio, Water Gun!" Sending out his water starter, the Sea Lion Pokemon sprayed a stream of water at the Star Shape Pokemon. For once, the attack landed, but it didn't seem to do more than hydrate the Pokemon.

"Water is ineffective against water Ash. Unlike this one. Staryu, use Swift!" Jumping up to spin around, stars made of energy headed toward the Sea Lion Pokemon, and she couldn't do anything as she cried out from being bombarded by the attack, and cried as she was sent flying into Ash's arms, pushing the trainer down onto his butt on the ground. "We win." Misty celebrated with a cool voice. "You did awesome Staryu. Return." Withdrawing her Pokemon, she walked up to her challenger with a smug face. "See? When I say I could beat your full team with just one, I wasn't kidding. You still have a lot to learn Ash." But he didn't say anything as he held his defeated starter close. "What, did I beat you so hard you're speechless? I guess that makes sense. I am the most-"

"Shut up!" Ash snapped at her, causing the redhead to stop as she saw him stand up, his face angry but his eyes full of tears. "What is your deal?! Is this who you really are?! A friendly face that hides an arrogant jerk underneath?! You're just as bad as Gary! Putting me down, rubbing your superiority in my face just because you can! You're supposed to be teaching me but you're not helping by reminding me how much of a loser I am! If you're so good than get your own stupid bike!" Ash ran off leaving a stunned Misty to stand there alone in the middle of the night.

"Ash." The redhead uttered, remorse within her voice. Ash meanwhile was just running. He didn't care of the direction, but he just wanted to be alone. At some point he tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground. He did try his best to turn around so that he didn't crush his Popplio though. Though once on the ground, he didn't bother to get up. He just tried to contain his crying as a poor defense on not looking weak, despite his pitiful state right now. Popplio, whom had recovered enough to be awake right now, was worried for her master as she nuzzled against him, trying to cheer her up.

"Pew." Something said. Popplio turned and saw it was Nebby, looking concerned before Lillie came around a tree.

"Nebby, I said-Ash? Ash?!" The blond girl went and dropped down to her knees looking distressed at the sight of her friend like this. "What happened?!"

"I... I..." Ash tried to speak, but he couldn't at the moment.

"Co-come on, let me he-help." Lillie tried to pick him up without touching Popplio, but she wasn't strong enough and couldn't find a good hand grip. "Pl-please, help me." She pleaded, unable to get him help all by herself. Popplio and Nebby each went and picked up a part of Ash so that Lillie wasn't doing all the work. They eventually carried him to Professor Kukui's place. "Professor! Professor!" She called out for Kukui, whom stuck his head out the window.

"Huh?! Ash?! What's wrong with him?!"

"I don't know! I was chasing Nebby who ran off again, and we found him on the ground crying! I don't know if he's hurt or not.

"Just bring him in while I call his mom, yeah!" The professor said as he headed in. Lillie and the Pokemon brought Ash into the lab and placed him on the couch.

"Whoo, that was tough." The girl sighed while wiping her forehead. Seeing that Ash by this point had stopped crying and was just laying there glumly, she stooped down to ask, "Ash? What's wrong?" The boy shifted his eyes away while furrowing his brows.

"Misty." He croaked.

"Misty?"

"Misty's a jerk. She promised me to help me become a Pokemon trainer, but she treats me with nothing but condescension. Misty even beat my whole team with only one Pokemon. She thinks she's so great. How did I think this was a good idea? She only came along just to get a bike from me."

"Oh. That's... oh dear." Lillie lowered her gaze, unaware that their relationship was toxic underneath the friendly appearance until now. "I'm-I'm sorry."

"Thank you. Thanks for not leaving me there. You're a good friend." Lillie gasped from what he said.

"We-we're friends?"

"Yeah. What did you think we were?" The girl frowned even more, unsure how to answer that.

"Hey cousin, what appears to be the problem?" Professor Kukui came around to check on Ash. Mustering the strength, he sat up on the couch and wiped his nose.

"I just realized how much Misty wasn't a friend of mine."

"Misty?" He questioned as he sat with Ash.

"Yeah. She's just a self-obsessed jerk."

"Hmm, that's weird. I could sense of self-inflating from her, but Misty didn't seem self-obsessed or a jerk when we talked."

"That's because she only picks on losers. Like me."

"Hey now, you are not a loser. You won the competition at the festival! That's something, yeah?"

"Then she went and beat all six of my Pokemon easily with just one, rubbing her superiority in my face."

"Woo. That's rough cousin. But, maybe Misty has a reason. Maybe not a justifiable one but a reason all the same. You two have only known each other for a short time, yeah?"

"Yeah?"

"Then how do you know if she's a jerk because she's a jerk, or for a reason you're unaware of?" Ash was silent to that, and they just sat there for a few seconds until Kukui got up. "So, while we wait for your mom, would you like anything? Maybe a cucumber sandwich?"

"I'm good, thanks." He declined, not feeling hungry. Lillie sat next to Ash, looking conflicted on what to say.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm generally not very good with people. Or Pokemon either aside from Nebby."

"It's okay." The two sat there in silence until she asked,

"When did you start seeing me as a friend?"

"Probably after we came down that trail after Tapu Koko saved me."

"You sure are trusting with people."

"I haven't been around that many bad people. Aside from Gary even though we're childhood friends. Did you have a rough childhood?" Lillie again went silent for a bit until replying,

"You-you could say that."

"Well, just know that you can trust me." The girl blushed as she registered what he said, and nodded.

"O-OK." And then they just sat their letting their thoughts wander until Delia cam into the house.

"Oh thank goodness! I was so worried Ash!" His mom exclaimed as she went to hug Ash. Ash gasped from how tightly she hugged him, but was able to return it.

"I-I'm fine Mom. Lillie saved me, so to speak." Delia let her son go and turned to Lillie.

"Thank you for keeping my son safe. You don't know how much it means to me." The blonde girl closed her eyes and waved her hands.

"Th-thank you, but it was nothing really."

"Nonsense! Any mother would appreciate knowing that someone is looking out for their child." Lillie frowned upon hearing that and looked away, her hat shielding her face from view.

"I-I guess."

"Ash?" Everyone turned to see an emotionally torn Misty, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" Ash asked in a biting tone, making the redhead flinch.

"Ash, Misty has something to explain to you in private. I think you should listen to her." Delia told her son.

"You guys can use the back porch. The doors are good at keeping noises out, yeah." Professor Kukui suggested. The two teens nodded as they went out back where Kukui shut the door.

"So, what do you want?" Though to his surprise, Misty's eyes were becoming misty with tears.

"Ash. I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Misty wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep herself together. "You... you're not a loser. You're a nice boy who doesn't deserve to be bullied. It's just... I've always been the runt of my sisters. They're dumb as bricks but everyone loves them for how beautiful they are. Nobody ever paid attention to me and my sisters said I could never amount to them. So I tried to prove them wrong. But then you showed me that I'm no better than my sisters. Just as condescending and vain but with the added rage from my resentment. I'm like that so that I don't appear as how I feel inside; a lonely girl who just wants someone to treat her like she has worth. But that doesn't excuse my actions. You were right. I have no friends because I'm unbearable." Misty slid down the railing onto her butt as she cried into her legs. Ash was wide eyed. He certainly wasn't expecting to hear a sob-story like that. He may not have had the best childhood but people still liked him in Pallet. But Misty was completely alone due to her inferiority complex. Now he regretted saying how he believed she had no friends, even if he still felt justified for calling her behavior out. Going over to Misty, he stooped down and hugged her, causing the girl to mostly stop crying.

"I'm sorry. If I had known this I wouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I was fed up with your attitude, but I didn't consider that you might've been that way for some reason. I just assumed you were naturally a jerk." Sniffing a few times, she replied,

"I might as well be. You're not the first person to have gave up on me. I just blew people off when they said I wasn't behaving appropriately. Thought they were just telling me to act like my sisters. But I needed to hear those words you said. You gave it to me straight." Misty gave a struggled sigh as she looked at him now. "I guess we're both messed up teens, aren't we?

"Well, at least we understand each other now. How about we treat each other like friends? For real this time." Smiling, the softly crying girl hugged Ash.

"Yeah... for real." Everyone inside saw them make up, with Professor Kukui nodding.

"Cool. They made amends."

"I'm so glad. Misty really is a nice girl after all." Delia said. While Lillie didn't say anything, she did slightly smile at seeing Ash was better. When all was said and done, Delia took her son and Misty back home and they had a good sleep.

A/N: Wow. I was not expecting to write something this emotional so early. Maybe I should expect to write stuff I'm not expecting. I don't know if this was character accurate, but at least with them being 16, they can listen to reason easier than 10 year olds. Not all the time but mostly I think. How was it?