" HEY ASH WAKE UP!"

Ash groaned. " Hey Misty..... this isn't the best time t-"

" ASH KETCHUM I SAID WAKE UP!"

Ash groaned and sat up. " Okay okay."

He yawned and opened his eyes to see a very cranky Misty in his doorway.

" Come on!" She urged. " Professor Rowan's gonna be calling on us soon for our presentation."

" What presentation?" Ash muttered sleepily.

" THE PRESENTATION WITH TOGETIC, YOU IDIOT!"

Ash jumped from bed. " What?! That's today?!"

Misty handed him a tux. " Wear this."

Ash blinked. " Uh... what i-"

" JUST WEAR IT!"

Misty waved at everyone cheerfully, wearing her old lady's dress. " Good morning everyone! I hope you're having an amazing day! We sure are!"

" Speak for yourself, you don't have to wear the beard." Ash muttered, scratching his scratchy fake beard Misty made him wear.

Misty shot him a look but clapped her hands. " Okay, time for Togetic! Oh Toooooooooooogetiiiiiiiiiiiic!"

Togetic didn't come.

" Misty, let the professional one handle this." Ash said, clearing his throat.

" TOOOOOOOOOOOOOGETIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC?! COME HERE TOGETIC!"

Everyone winced at how high Ash's voice is.

" That did nothing!" Misty said, crossing her arms.

" Well it was worth a try. And besides, you know she's started to come to me more after you started to show her your new lures!" Ash argued back.

Gary groaned. " Oh boy...."

" She's not afraid of the lures!" Misty growled.

" I wonder."

" What was that?"

" Nothing you need to know!"

" Why you-"

" What? What me?"

" Why you...... YOU! YOU TOOM MY TOGETIC FROM ME!"

" ME?! WHAT DID I DO?!"

" YOU STOLE TOGETIC AND TOLD HER SOMETHING ABOUT ME!"

" WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!"

" I DON'T KNOW!

The crowd was already murmuring with amusement as Ash and Misty continued their very public argument in front of the esteemed Professor Rowan, several researchers, and curious onlookers. Togetic, however, was still nowhere to be seen.

"WHY DON'T YOU ADMIT IT?!" Misty shouted, jabbing her finger in Ash's chest.

"ADMIT WHAT?!" Ash yelled back, arms flailing dramatically. "THAT YOU'RE LOSING YOUR TOUCH?!"

The gasp Misty let out could have shattered glass. "HOW DARE YOU! TOGETIC LOVES ME! SHE'S JUST... SHY!"

"SHY?! She's hiding because YOU dragged me into this ridiculous presentation wearing a fake beard and an itchy tuxedo!" Ash shot back, tugging at his collar. "I look like a lost magician!"

"Better than looking like a sleep-deprived idiot who doesn't even know when a presentation is happening!" Misty snapped.

"Oh, come on!" Ash threw his arms up. "You woke me up five minutes before this whole thing started!"

Professor Rowan cleared his throat, looking at Delia and Gary for some sort of intervention.

Gary smirked, leaning back in his chair. "This is better than cable."

Delia smiled nervously. "They're... passionate. That's how they show teamwork!"

"Teamwork?!" Rowan whispered incredulously. "They're about to start a wrestling match!"

Meanwhile, Misty was waving her arms furiously. "IF YOU JUST LISTENED TO ME—"

"LISTEN TO WHAT?! YOUR LOUD YELLING?!" Ash cut her off.

Before Misty could retort, a familiar, cheerful sound echoed from above.

"TOGE! TOGE-TIC!"

Togetic fluttered down gracefully, looking mildly confused but mostly entertained by the chaos below.

Ash sighed in relief. "Finally! Togetic, where have you been?!"

Misty ran to Togetic, arms wide. "Oh, my sweet Togetic, I knew you'd come to me—"

Togetic, however, zipped right past her and landed on Ash's shoulder.

Ash smirked, crossing his arms smugly. "See? I told you Togetic comes to me now."

Misty froze, her mouth hanging open. "TOGETIC, TRAITOR!"

Togetic tilted her head innocently, then giggled and stuck out her tongue playfully at Misty.

The audience burst into laughter, and even Professor Rowan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well," Rowan said, trying to salvage the moment, "it seems Togetic enjoys the spirited energy of her trainers."

Misty glared at Ash. "This isn't over, Ketchum."

Ash grinned, scratching Togetic under the chin. "Whatever you say, Waterflower."

Gary leaned over to Tracey, who was furiously sketching. "I give it three days before they officially lose their minds."

Tracey didn't look up. "Two days. Tops."

Delia clapped her hands, smiling brightly. "Aren't they adorable?"

Rowan adjusted his glasses. "Adorable might not be the word I'd use... but it's something, alright."

As the murmurs of laughter in the audience settled down, Professor Rowan motioned for Ash and Misty to finally start the presentation.

"Alright, alright, let's get this show on the road!" Ash said confidently, adjusting his scratchy fake beard again.

Misty cleared her throat, stepping forward with a forced smile. "Good morning, everyone. Today, we're here to present the amazing journey of Togetic, the lovely Pokémon who—"

"She used to belong to Misty," Ash cut in smugly, holding up a finger. "But let's be real, Togetic clearly prefers me now."

Misty turned to him sharply. "Excuse me, what?!"

"You heard me." Ash crossed his arms, smirking. "Togetic spends more time with me these days. It's just facts."

Misty jabbed a finger toward his chest. "Listen here, Ketchum, Togetic and I go way back—WAY before you even knew how to evolve a Pokémon properly!"

Ash scoffed. "Oh, please. You act like I haven't saved the world multiple times! If anything, Togetic hangs out with me because I'm more fun!"

"More fun?!" Misty's voice went up an octave, her fists clenched. "She doesn't spend time with you because you're fun, she spends time with you because you're like an overgrown toddler!"

"Oh, I'M the toddler?! Says the person who throws a fit every time her bike gets brought up!"

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING UP THE BIKE!"

By now, the audience was in stitches, with even Professor Rowan struggling to keep a straight face. Delia had her face buried in her hands, laughing softly.

Misty glared at Ash, waving her arms like a flustered grandmother. "You're just like those old men who think they're so smart because they've seen everything!"

"And you're like those grumpy old ladies who yell at kids to get off their lawn!" Ash shot back, mimicking her tone.

Gary leaned over to Tracey again. "This is comedy gold. I almost don't want Togetic to show off her moves—this is better than any battle."

Tracey was furiously sketching again, muttering, "This one's going in the hall of fame."

Meanwhile, Togetic had floated between Ash and Misty, watching the argument like a child stuck between bickering grandparents.

"TOOOOO-GE-TIIIIIIIIIC!" she cried, spreading her tiny arms wide to stop them.

Ash and Misty froze, staring at their Pokémon, who was clearly fed up.

"Uh... maybe we should move on?" Ash muttered sheepishly.

"Fine," Misty huffed, crossing her arms.

Ash turned back to the audience. "So, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted—"

Misty shot him a glare, but Togetic chirped loudly, and she reluctantly stayed quiet.

The presentation finally continued, though Ash and Misty couldn't resist throwing petty remarks under their breath.

"Nice beard," Misty muttered. "Really brings out your inner grandpa."

Ash smirked. "At least I don't look like I'm about to bake cookies for the whole town."

Despite their constant sniping, the audience was utterly entertained, clapping enthusiastically as Togetic showed off her graceful moves. By the end of the presentation, Ash and Misty were still arguing, but now they were bickering about who deserved the most credit for Togetic's performance.

"THIS WAS MY IDEA!" Misty yelled.

"YOU WOKE ME UP LAST MINUTE! I DESERVE AN AWARD JUST FOR SHOWING UP!" Ash shouted back.

Professor Rowan shook his head with a chuckle. "They may argue like old folks, but you can't deny their passion."

Delia clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "They're going to make such a cute married couple someday."

Gary groaned. "Please stop. I just ate."