" Hey Ash where're you going?! You know we have to demonstrate a Pokemon battle where the water type loses!"

Ash raised a brow. " One I know and two to train. What else?"

" But we have to present in two minutes."

Ash turned. " I know. See ya, Misty!"

* Two minutes later*...

" ASH WHERE ARE YOU?!" Misty screamed. " WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE!"

No answer.

Misty sighed. " Where could he-"

" Pika!"

Everyone turned to see Pikachu at Misty's leg, really concerned.

" Pikachu? Where's Ash?"

Pikachu ran to the forest, turned, and beckoned her to follow.

" I think he wants us to follow." Misty said as she took off after the Pokemon, the others following.

Pikachu led them to a clearing, where they found Ash knocked out.

Literilly.

Also they saw a very thick branch nearby.

Misty's eyes widened. " Who did this?"

She ran to Ash's side and turned to Pikachu. " Who?!"

" Chu...... pika....."

" SOME KID IN THE FOREST?!" She screamed. " WHICH WAY?"

Pikachu pointed South, and Misty grabbed Ash's hoodie and dragged him in that direction, stomping

As Misty stomped southward with Ash in tow, the rest of the group jogged to keep up. Pikachu stayed ahead, nervously glancing back as Misty muttered furiously under her breath.

"Can you believe this?" she hissed. "We're supposed to present, and Ash decides to get KNOCKED OUT BY A BRANCH?!"

Brock tried to calm her down. "Misty, maybe it was an accident. Let's not jump to—"

"An ACCIDENT?!" she snapped, still dragging Ash's limp body like a sack of potatoes. "If it was an accident, then why did Pikachu say some kid was involved?!"

Tracey scratched his head nervously. "Uh, maybe we should stop dragging Ash like that. You know, for... dignity reasons?"

Misty shot him a glare that could have melted steel. "Dignity? DIGNITY?! He lost all dignity the moment he decided to train two minutes before our presentation and got clobbered!"

"Chu..." Pikachu squeaked, pointing ahead.

They followed Pikachu's lead until they came across a kid with a Caterpie, who was staring wide-eyed at the group.

Misty stomped forward, still dragging Ash, who groaned weakly. "HEY, YOU! DID YOU HIT THIS IDIOT WITH A BRANCH?!"

The kid jumped back, clutching his Caterpie protectively. "Wha—? No! I didn't mean to! He startled me, and I panicked!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu chimed in, confirming the story.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Of course. Of course. Ash scares a kid, gets whacked, and leaves me to clean up the mess."

Ash groaned again, blinking awake. "Misty... why are you dragging me... by my hoodie?"

"Because you got yourself KNOCKED OUT TWO MINUTES BEFORE OUR PRESENTATION!" she yelled, dropping him with a thud.

Ash sat up, rubbing his head. "Ow... hey, that kid's Caterpie was impressive! I just wanted to—"

"TRAIN?! TRAIN?!" Misty cut him off, her face red with frustration. "You couldn't train before the presentation?!"

"Well, yeah, but I wanted to see if Pikachu—"

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN USING PIKACHU FOR THE DEMONSTRATION!" Misty shouted.

"Guys, maybe we should focus on getting back to the presentation?" Brock interjected nervously.

Misty took a deep breath, her fists clenched. "Fine. Let's go." She turned to the kid. "You're off the hook. This time."

The kid nodded quickly and bolted, clutching his Caterpie like his life depended on it.

As they hurried back to the presentation venue, Misty dragged Ash along once more.

"Can you at least let me walk?!" Ash complained.

"Nope. You don't deserve it," Misty grumbled.

By the time they reached the stage, they were both panting. The audience was already getting restless.

Misty forced a smile, shoving Ash forward. "Good morning, everyone! Today, we'll be demonstrating a battle where the water type loses!"

Ash groaned, pulling at his wrinkled hoodie. "Can't we just—"

"GET YOUR POKÉMON OUT, KETCHUM!" Misty yelled, holding up a Poké Ball.

Ash sighed, glancing at Pikachu, who gave him an encouraging nod. "Fine. Let's do this."

The battle began, but Ash and Misty couldn't stop bickering.

"You're going too easy on me!" Misty yelled.

"Well, maybe if your strategy didn't involve yelling at your Pokémon, you'd have better results!" Ash retorted.

The audience, instead of watching the Pokémon, was thoroughly entertained by the argument.

"Do they always argue like this?" someone whispered.

"Yeah," Brock muttered, facepalming. "Every single time."

As the demonstration wrapped up—with Misty's water type hilariously losing—Ash and Misty stood in the middle of the stage, still glaring at each other.

"Great job, Misty," Ash said sarcastically.

"At least I showed up on time, Mr. Branch Magnet!" Misty snapped back.

Despite their constant arguing, the crowd erupted into applause. Professor Rowan approached them, chuckling.

"That was... not what I expected, but it was certainly entertaining," he said, smiling.

Misty sighed, rubbing her temples. "I need a vacation."

Ash grinned. "Maybe somewhere with fewer branches?"

"Don't start, Ash."

Ash rolled his eyes but returned to waving

Suddenly, a wild Cubone appeared from the side of the stage.

Before anyone could react, the Cubone raised its bone club high and BONKED Ash right on the head.

"OW!" Ash yelped, stumbling and clutching his head. "What was that for?!"

Misty turned sharply, her face turning as red as a Magmar's flames. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO HIM?"

The Cubone looked completely unbothered, twirling its bone club like a baton and letting out a smug "Cuuu-booone."

Misty stormed over, her fists clenched. "Oh, you think you're tough, huh? HITTING ASH IN THE HEAD?! THAT'S MY JOB!"

The Cubone tilted its head, clearly not intimidated.

"Don't do it, Misty," Brock muttered nervously. "It's just a wild Pokémon."

"I don't care if it's a legendary!" Misty snapped, pointing a finger at the Cubone. "I'm about to teach this little troublemaker a lesson!"

Cubone, unfazed, gave Misty a playful bonk on the shin with its bone club.

That was the last straw.

"OH, IT'S ON!" Misty roared, pulling out a Poké Ball. "Go, Starmie! Show this pint-sized punk who's boss!"

Ash groaned from the ground, still rubbing his head. "Misty... maybe don't escalate this..."

"QUIET, ASH!" Misty shouted. "This is for YOU!"

The Cubone, now clearly enjoying itself, stood ready for battle. It pointed its bone club at Starmie and let out a challenging cry.

"Starmie, use Water Gun!" Misty commanded.

Starmie blasted a stream of water at the Cubone, but the little Pokémon dodged with surprising agility. It countered by chucking its bone club, which hit Starmie square in the jewel, sending it spinning.

Misty's eye twitched. "Oh, now you've done it! Starmie, use Rapid Spin!"

As Starmie spun like a buzzsaw, the Cubone cheekily did a little dance before smacking the jewel again, knocking Starmie to the ground.

The crowd, which had stuck around after the presentation, was now completely invested.

"Go, Cubone!" someone shouted.

"Teach her a lesson, Starmie!" another yelled.

"Why is this still happening?" Brock groaned, covering his face.

Meanwhile, Pikachu tried to intervene, waving its little arms frantically. "Pika pika!"

But Misty was beyond reason. "This isn't over! Starmie, use Ice Beam!"

The Cubone, clearly a battle genius, ducked behind Ash.

"Wait, WAIT!" Ash yelled, waving his arms. "DON'T SHOOT ICE AT ME!"

Too late. The Ice Beam hit both Ash and the ground, freezing his legs in place.

"Are you kidding me?!" Ash shouted, trying to break free.

The Cubone cackled gleefully, its bony mask bobbing as it hopped around. It bonked Ash on the head one last time before scurrying off into the woods, leaving chaos in its wake.

Misty stood there, trembling with frustration. "COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE MENACE!"

"Misty," Brock said calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "let it go."

"LET IT GO?!" Misty turned on him, her hair practically sparking with rage. "That Cubone embarrassed me in front of an entire crowd and BONKED ASH ON THE HEAD! MULTIPLE TIMES!"

"Honestly," Ash muttered, still stuck in the ice, "I think it hit me harder than the branch."

Misty spun toward him. "NOT. HELPING."

Pikachu, shaking its head, sighed and zapped the ice around Ash's legs, freeing him.

Ash grinned weakly. "Thanks, buddy."

The audience, meanwhile, gave a standing ovation, cheering wildly.

"Best show we've seen all year!" someone shouted.

Misty facepalmed. "I need a new career."

Ash grinned at her. "Hey, you've got to admit... it was pretty funny."

Misty shot him a death glare. "You're lucky I'm too tired to argue with you right now."

As the group finally left the stage, Brock chuckled to himself. "You know, for once, the chaos wasn't entirely Ash's fault."

"Hey!" Ash protested.

Misty sighed dramatically. "Someone find me that Cubone... and a very long nap."

As the chaos finally started to settle, Psyduck waddled out from behind Misty, looking as clueless as ever.

"Psy-yai?" it quacked, tilting its head as it surveyed the mess.

Misty froze. "Psyduck...? What are you doing here?"

Psyduck blinked at her, then suddenly turned tail and bolted into the woods.

"PSYDUCK!" Misty screeched.

Dawn's jaw dropped. "Uh-oh..."

Brock facepalmed. "Here we go again."

Misty stomped her foot so hard the ground seemed to shake. "THAT'S IT! I'M DONE WITH THIS DAY! FIRST THE CUBONE, AND NOW PSYDUCK RUNS OFF?!"

Before anyone could stop her, Misty charged after Psyduck.

"Misty, wait!" Ash called, running after her.

"Don't tell me to wait, Ash!" Misty yelled over her shoulder. "I'm going to strangle that Psyduck if it's the last thing I do!"

Brock and Dawn exchanged worried glances before sprinting to catch up.

"Calm down, Misty!" Brock shouted. "You're overreacting!"

"OVERREACTING?! MY PSYDUCK JUST ABANDONED ME!"

"Misty, he probably just got scared!" Dawn reasoned, grabbing her arm.

"LET ME GO!" Misty shouted, flailing as Dawn tried to hold her back.

"Misty, you need to breathe!" Brock added, grabbing her other arm.

Meanwhile, Ash was trying to sneak in front of her. "Okay, okay, Misty, listen! Psyduck's just... Psyduck! You know how he is. Let's not overthink this—OW!"

Misty, still flailing, had accidentally kicked Ash square in the shin.

"YOU KICKED ME?!" Ash shouted, hopping on one foot.

"I WARNED YOU TO MOVE!" Misty snapped, her temper boiling over.

"Misty, stop it already!" Ash finally bellowed, his voice echoing through the woods.

Everyone froze. Misty's mouth hung open, stunned by Ash's sudden outburst.

Ash, still breathing heavily, pointed at her. "I get it, okay? You're mad! You're upset! But running around yelling and trying to kill Psyduck isn't going to fix anything!"

"...I wasn't going to kill him," Misty muttered defensively, looking away.

"Well, it sure sounded like it!" Ash shot back. "He's your Pokémon, Misty! Psyduck needs you to be patient with him, not scare him half to death!"

" Well I don't care! You know how Psyduck is! And I didn't want to catch it either! Y-"

" YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL YOU GOT ANOTHER WATER POKEMON AND NOT TAKE OUT HIS FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWS!" Ash screamed.

Everyone froze.

Ash's voice echoed through the woods, silencing even the faint rustle of leaves. Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed, as the weight of his words lingered in the tense air. Misty, for once, was completely speechless, her mouth slightly open as she tried to process what Ash had just said.

After what felt like an eternity, Misty finally crossed her arms and huffed. "You don't get it, Ash."

"No, you don't get it, Misty!" Ash snapped, his fists clenched. "Psyduck may not be the strongest or the smartest, but he's still your Pokémon! He looks up to you! He trusts you! And all you ever do is yell at him and point out what he does wrong!"

Misty's eyes narrowed. "Oh, so now you're an expert on how I treat my Pokémon, huh?"

"I don't have to be an expert to know that Psyduck deserves better!" Ash shot back, his tone unwavering. "You always talk about being a Water Pokémon Master, but how can you be one if you can't even appreciate the Pokémon you already have?!"

Brock and Dawn exchanged nervous glances, both unsure whether to intervene or let the argument play out. Pikachu tugged on Ash's pant leg, trying to calm him down, but he was too fired up to notice.

Misty opened her mouth to retort but faltered, Ash's words hitting a nerve. "That's not fair," she muttered, her voice quieter now.

"It's not about being fair," Ash said, his tone softening slightly. "It's about being there for Psyduck, flaws and all. That's what being a Trainer is about, Misty. You're supposed to help him grow, not give up on him just because he's not perfect."

Misty looked down at the ground, her grip on her arms tightening. "I... I didn't mean to make him feel like that," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ash sighed, his expression softening completely. "I know you didn't. But Psyduck doesn't understand that. He just knows you're angry at him all the time."

There was a long pause before Misty finally spoke again, her voice trembling. "...Do you really think Psyduck looks up to me?"

Ash nodded firmly. "Of course, he does. You're his Trainer, Misty. You're his world."

Misty wiped at her eyes, though no tears had fallen yet. "I guess I've been too hard on him, huh?"

Brock stepped forward, smiling gently. "You care about Psyduck more than you let on, Misty. You just need to show him that."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "And maybe... don't yell at him so much?"

Misty let out a small, reluctant laugh. "Yeah, I guess I could work on that."

Suddenly, a familiar "Psy-yai!" broke the silence, and everyone turned to see Psyduck waddling out of the bushes, holding a small bunch of wildflowers in its stubby hands.

"Psyduck!" Misty exclaimed, rushing over to him. She knelt down and took the flowers, her heart swelling with guilt and affection. "You... you brought these for me?"

Psyduck nodded, tilting his head with a clueless yet endearing expression.

Misty smiled, tears prickling her eyes. "Oh, Psyduck... I'm so sorry. I'll do better, I promise."

Psyduck quacked happily and waddled forward, hugging Misty's leg.

Ash grinned, folding his arms. "See? Told you he cares about you."

Misty shot him a playful glare. "Don't think this means you're off the hook for yelling at me, Ash."

Ash smirked. "Fair enough. But admit it—you needed to hear it."

Misty rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yeah, yeah... thanks, Ash."

As the group turned to head back, Brock whispered to Dawn, "Think she'll actually go easier on Psyduck?"

Dawn giggled. "Not a chance."