1-3 "Love and War"


Misty had never imagined she could be so fed up and angry with Ash than she was at that moment. She stormed into the main lab office and slammed the door behind her. How could he be so insensitive? So uncaring? And rude? She slumped down into the big office chair and decided to try and get some paperwork done, but no matter how much she tried her mind would always trail back to the fight she had previously been in with Ash. What had begun as a simple disagreement turned into a heated argument. She vaguely could remember what it was over this time exactly. Something about her mixing the wrong pokemon food formula. It was an honest mistake and she had apologized for it, but when Crystal came in and starting acting like she was better than her by pointing out all of her mistakes and Ash took Crystal's side, that's when she blew up at him and stormed off. Misty sighed an exasperated growl. That righteous, prissy, little slut. Misty still couldn't believe he had sided with her! He had known Misty a lot longer than he had known her. What was it about her that he liked so much that he would turn his back on one of his closest friends?
Just then she heard a soft knock at the door and knew immediately who it was.
"Go away, Ash, I don't want to talk to you right now!" she yelled to the person outside the door. She heard the door open and someone step inside the room. Her back was to the door and she didn't feel like turning around to see who it was. Just then she felt someone reach around her and tickle her in the sides. Surprised, she almost fell backwards off the chair but instead was caught in the stranger's arms. She looked up to see Ash grinning down at her, satisfactorily. She regained her balance, stood up, and angrily pushed him away. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Ash! You don't just sneak up on someone and surprise them like that. What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?!" she yelled at him, her voice a little shaky.

"Oh, so now you are talking to me, huh?" he teased.
"Look, Ash, I'm very busy right now, so if you're here just to make me even more angry at you..."
"Actually, I came up here to talk to you and apologize...if that's all right." he looked at her skeptically.
A little surprised by his sincerity, Misty sat down and looked up at him with a bored expression. "I'm listening."
"Well," he began, "I know it was wrong for Crystal to have put you down like she did and I should have stuck up for you. I know you may think I sided with her but I didn't. I just didn't say anything when you two were fighting cause I didn't want to get in the middle of it. She was being to hard on you, though, and I'm sorry I didn't break it up, ok?"
"What about Crystal? Is she even sorry for what she said?" Misty questioned.
"Crystal told me half of what she said she did because she felt it was part of her responsibility, and the other half she was just joking around and teasing you. She said she didn't mean to upset you, though."
"Oh right! Isn't that the understatement of the year!"
"Look, I've been under a lot of stress lately trying to run this place these past two weeks since Prof. Oak left, and the two of you constantly fighting over who is better than the other doesn't help me out either."
"Well, that works both ways. She has to start acting her age and stop being such a know-it-all, too. I'm not gonna take any more of her pokemon expert bull..."
"She has been working here longer than we have and she knows what she's doing. She's just trying to help us run this lab as a team."
"No, she tries to take credit for the hard work I do and make me look like a total ass for every mistake I make. She's just a big mooch, Ash!"
"I'm not going to argue with you anymore! I'm tired of fighting with you. The last time we fought like this was over a year ago. I know you have your differences with Crystal. I'm not asking you to like her, just please try to be civil and get along for the sake of all the pokemon here!"
Misty thought about what he said and realized he was right. She was acting like she was 12 again picking fights all the time. She was more mature now and she need to start acting like it. She stood up and looked Ash in the face. "You're right, Ash. I've been acting like a child lately and I'm sorry. I promise to try and get along with Crystal."
Ash smiled and gave a sigh of relief. "Great! Than you accept my apology?"
"Yeah, your forgiven."
"We're cool now?"
"Yeah."
"Who was the one that was right?"
Misty gave him a halfhearted smile. "Don't push it!"
Ash just smiled and gave her a playful little hug, "Thanks Mist."
Oh, isn't that sweet," Crystal mocked from the doorway. "I knew you two would kiss and make up."
At the sudden mention of any connection between the two, Ash and Misty pushed each other away with looks of disgust on their faces.
"Yeah right!"
"No way!"
"Well, whatever, I'm just here to remind Ash that it's time for that Ponyta ride you promised me," she said with a flirting smile.
"Oh, right, the Ponyta ride," Ash blushed a little, "We'll be back in a little while, Misty." Misty stared after the two as they walked into the hallway closing the door behind them. Misty growled, picked up a stack of papers, and flung them at the door, scattering them everywhere.
Later that night, all three teenagers decided to head over to the Ketchum house for dinner. After conversing over the days events with Ash's mom followed by another small argument between Ash and Misty, they decide to call it a night. Crystal heads back to the lab to sleep where her room has been for the last few months, and Ash and Misty head upstairs to their separate rooms. Mrs. Ketchum smiles as she watches her son and Misty bickering as usual over who will get the bathroom first in the morning, realizing how much they really do truly care for each other. 'They really do make a cute couple.' she thinks to herself as she finishes up in the kitchen.


______________________________________________________________________

Well, that's the end of the first chapter. Now on to chapter 2. Again, any comments/critisisms/ ideas/ whatever, send them to singlf@aol.com

2-1 "Crystal's Past"
Misty meets and becomes involved with someone new, much to Ash's disapproval. They later find out that this new person has some link to Crystal's past. A past love! Who is this person? You'll just have to read the next section to find out!