Ash groaned as Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander and Pikachu tried to pull the necklace off his neck. " Ow ow ow!* He yelped. " Guys, stop! Please. Okay, you can stop. Guys you're gonna break my neck."

The four Pokemon released at the same time, And ash was sent tumbling back.

Gary smirked. " Still no luck?*

Ash glared at her. " What do you think?*

" Guys? We're camping! We're supposed to have a good time!* Misty exclaimed as she grabbed Ash's shoulder.

Ash out a hand on her hand. " Don't worry, Mist. We remember."

" Okay." Misty relented. " But if you need me I'll be at the lake. Okay byee!*

Ash waved to Misty, and turned to Gary. " Okay, what should we do to take these off?"

Gary shrugged. " A saw?"

" Woryh a try." He went to Brock's bag, fished a saw out, and went to Gary. " Now hold still."

Ash carefully positioned the saw near Gary's necklace, eyeing the jagged edges with determination. "Alright, just stay still, Gary. This'll be over quick."

Gary crossed his arms, looking skeptical but curious. "You sure about this, Ash? I mean, it's not like this thing is made of steel or something, right?"

"Only one way to find out," Ash muttered, gripping the saw handle tighter. Pikachu stood nearby, ready to jump in if something went wrong.

Ash began sawing gently, the blade moving back and forth along the edge of the necklace. But after only a few moments, sparks flew from the contact, and the saw bounced off harmlessly.

Both Ash and Gary jumped back in shock, staring wide-eyed at the necklace, which remained completely unscathed.

Gary groaned. "Great! It's tougher than we thought. Now what?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "Maybe Brock has some heavy-duty tools... or we could ask someone at the next town?"

Pikachu nodded along, eager to help however it could.

Before Ash could answer, Misty returned from the lake, holding a bucket of water and looking amused. "What's with all the noise? Please don't tell me you tried to saw the necklaces off."

Ash looked embarrassed. "Uh... yeah, we did. Didn't work."

Misty sighed, shaking her head. "Of course not. You guys should've known Tracy wouldn't make it that easy."

Gary crossed his arms, frustrated. "Well, I'm open to suggestions, Misty. Unless you've got a better idea?"

Misty smirked and splashed some water on Ash's face with her hand. "You two are just going to have to work it out the old-fashioned way. Whatever this 'bonding' thing Tracy is going on about, you're stuck together until you figure it out."

Ash groaned. "But what does that even mean?! We already teamed up!"

Misty shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it's more than just working together. Maybe you guys need to be friends
" She said the last word with a dramatic flair, clearly enjoying the situation.

Gary and Ash exchanged glances, both clearly uncomfortable with the suggestion.

Gary huffed. "Friends? With Ash? Not in a million years."

Ash shot back, "Like I want to be friends with you either!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "See? That's the problem. Until you two stop acting like stubborn Tauros, you're going to be wearing those necklaces forever."

Ash sighed and plopped down on the grass. "This is ridiculous..."

Gary muttered under his breath. "Tell me about it."

Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander gathered around Ash, all looking equally concerned. They seemed to understand that this wasn't just about the necklaces but something deeper.

Brock finally returned from gathering firewood, noticing the tension. "So, did the saw work?"

Ash and Gary both groaned in unison, and Brock chuckled. "Guess that's a no."

Gary swam to Ash and splashed him with water. " I'm bored."

Ash took his sunglasses off and opened as eye lazily. " Good to know. Just relax or something."

" It's usually not that hard." Gary muttered.

Ash starfished. " Maybe not. But we should relax."

Misty sighed in content as she lazily drifted to them. " What are you two doing?"

Gary smirked and splashed Ash again, watching as droplets of water hit his friend's face. "Trying to relax, but someone over here doesn't seem to get it."

Ash wiped his face and groaned, keeping his sunglasses off. "Gary, you're the one splashing me! How am I supposed to relax like this?"

Misty floated closer, her arms behind her head as she let the water carry her. "Sounds like you two are still having issues with that whole 'bonding' thing. What's the holdup?"

Gary shrugged. "No holdup, just Ash being, well... Ash."

Ash shot Gary a look, but then leaned back into the water. "Look, we're camping, Misty. Just trying to enjoy the moment. At least, I am."

Misty giggled. "Well, you two are always so competitive, it's weird seeing you both try to chill out for once." She closed her eyes, letting the peaceful water drift her further away. "But hey, the more you bicker, the longer you're stuck with those necklaces."

Gary splashed Ash again for good measure. "Yeah, Ash, guess we better stop fighting, huh?"

Ash sighed but finally cracked a grin. "Alright, alright, truce for now." He splashed Gary back, catching him off guard. "But if you start it again, it's on!"

Misty watched them with amusement. "Well, at least you two are getting along... sort of."

" Can someone get me some firewood, please?" Brock called from the pit.

Gary and Ash, who had been reading and listening about Pokemon, jumped up.

" I'll get it!" They both said at the same time.

They ran for the zipper at the same time, and got stuck.

" Let me go, you overgrown dodo bird!" Gary shot.

" Why don't you let me go first, King of everything evil?"

As Ash and Gary struggled with the tent zipper, pulling in opposite directions, their bickering only escalated.

"I can't believe we're stuck here again!" Ash groaned, trying to yank the zipper loose. "Why don't you just back up for once?"

Gary glared at him. "Why don't you? You're the one always charging in without thinking!"

"Me?!" Ash shot back. "You're the one who's always acting like you know everything!"

Their bickering was interrupted by Brock's voice from the fire pit. "Uh, guys? The firewood?"

Misty, leaning against a tree nearby, rolled her eyes. "Great, they're at it again. Should we just send Pikachu and Squirtle to get the firewood instead?"

Gary finally sighed in frustration. "Fine! We'll both get the firewood. Just stop pulling already!"

Ash relented, and with some awkward maneuvering, they finally managed to free the zipper and burst out of the tent together, almost tripping over each other as they headed for the woods.

Misty watched them go, shaking her head. "Honestly, those two are more entertaining than anything else."

As Ash and Gary made their way into the woods, it didn't take long for their competitive nature to flare up again. They both spotted the same pile of sticks and, predictably, lunged for it at the same time.

"Hey! That's mine!" Ash snapped, grabbing a branch.

"No way! I saw it first!" Gary argued, tugging on the same stick.

Soon, they were wrestling with the firewood, trying to snatch it out of each other's hands, causing leaves and twigs to scatter everywhere.

Pikachu, who had been watching this ridiculous scene unfold from a nearby tree stump, finally had enough. He jumped between them, his cheeks sparking slightly, and gave both of them a sharp "Pika!" before sending a quick jolt of electricity between them-not enough to hurt, but enough to break up the fight.

Both boys froze, dropping the firewood immediately. Gary rubbed the back of his head, looking at Pikachu with an incredulous expression. "What are you looking at me for?! He started it!"

Pikachu crossed his arms, giving Gary an unimpressed look before turning to Ash with the same stern glare.

Ash raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, we'll stop fighting! Just... chill, Pikachu."

Gary grumbled under his breath. "Can't believe I'm getting scolded by a Pikachu..."

Pikachu crossed his tiny arms and looked up at Ash, his tail twitching slightly. "Pika pi!" he exclaimed, clearly pointing out something important.

Ash blinked and glanced around before realization dawned on him. "Oh. Good point, Pikachu. We should make sure the firewood is dry." He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Hey, where's Charmander? Please don't tell me he's going through Misty's stuff again... specifically her lipstick."

Pikachu's ears drooped slightly, and Ash groaned, knowing exactly what that reaction meant.

"Great," Ash muttered. "Just great. Misty's gonna flip when she finds out."

Ash quickly set off towards the tent, Gary following behind, clearly amused by the whole situation. "You sure have a handful with that Charmander of yours," Gary said with a smirk. "Better hurry before Misty notices!"

They arrived at Misty's tent, only to find the flaps slightly ajar. Ash pushed them aside cautiously, half expecting an explosion of rage from Misty at any moment. But instead, what greeted him was far worse.

Charmander was sitting on the ground, surrounded by Misty's makeup bag, with her lipstick tube firmly clutched in his small, clawed hand. The fiery lizard had somehow managed to twist the lipstick open, revealing the bright red pigment, and was now using it like a crayon-except instead of paper, his canvas of choice was his face. And worse yet, the tent.

Red lipstick streaks were smeared all over Charmander's snout and across the walls of the tent in what could only be described as a chaotic work of art. There were wild swirls and unidentifiable shapes, and it appeared that Charmander had been having the time of his life, giggling to himself as he added another line.

"Charmander!" Ash shouted in a panic, lunging forward to grab the tube from his Pokémon before it could cause any more damage. Charmander looked up innocently, blinking his wide eyes as if to say, What? I'm just being creative.

Ash managed to wrestle the lipstick away, but the damage had been done. The tent was a mess, and Misty's expensive lipstick was ruined beyond repair.

Gary peeked in and immediately burst into laughter, doubling over as he struggled to breathe. "Oh man, Ash, you are in so much trouble!" he said between gasps, pointing at the red-smeared Charmander. "Misty is gonna blow a fuse when she sees this!"

Ash groaned and looked down at his mischievous Pokémon. "Charmander, buddy, what were you thinking?"

Charmander chirped happily, clearly proud of his artistic endeavors, and puffed a small burst of flame, almost as if to accentuate his joy.

Before Ash could even begin cleaning up the mess, they heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the lake. Misty was on her way back.

"Oh no," Ash whispered in horror. "She's coming!"

Pikachu winced and scurried out of the tent to intercept Misty, hoping to stall her. As soon as she saw Pikachu, Misty smiled brightly, wiping water droplets from her arms. "Oh hey, Pikachu! What are you up to?"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu tried to distract her, hopping from foot to foot and gesturing toward the woods, but Misty tilted her head, confused. "Is something wrong?"

She walked toward the tent, still oblivious to the disaster waiting inside. Pikachu gave up and sighed in defeat, letting Misty pass by as she approached her tent.

Gary, still laughing softly under his breath, nudged Ash. "You ready for your funeral?"

Ash scrambled to hide Charmander behind him as Misty stepped into the tent. The look on her face was one of pure confusion at first, followed quickly by growing horror. Her eyes swept over the scene-the ruined lipstick, the bright red streaks all over the tent walls, and finally, the guilty-looking Charmander peeking out from behind Ash's legs.

For a moment, Misty was too stunned to speak. Ash, knowing what was coming, held up his hands in surrender. "Misty, I can explain-"

"ASH KETCHUM!" Misty's voice exploded in the small space, causing even Gary to flinch. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LIPSTICK?!"

Charmander gave an innocent little wave, still grinning.

Misty's eyes narrowed, and she pointed a shaking finger at the smeared walls. "Do you have ANY idea how expensive that lipstick was?! I had to order it from Cerulean City!"

Ash took a step back, his heart racing. "I-I'm sorry, Misty! Charmander just... he got into your stuff and-"

"You didn't keep an eye on him?!" Misty's voice hit an even higher pitch. "My tent is ruined! My makeup is ruined! And you just let him-" She stopped mid-rant as she noticed the bright red lines across Charmander's face. Her eye twitched.

"Is that... my lipstick... on his face?!"

Ash gulped. "Y-Yeah... but I'll clean it up, I swear!"

Misty was fuming, but before she could continue, Gary stepped in, trying and failing to suppress a snicker. "You gotta admit, Misty, it's kinda funny."

Misty shot him a glare that could've burned through steel. "Funny? This isn't funny, Gary! This is a disaster!"

Ash, trying to diffuse the situation, offered a nervous smile. "Look, Misty, we can fix this. I'll buy you a new lipstick, and we'll get the tent cleaned up, okay?"

Misty huffed and crossed her arms. "You'd better."

Charmander, still unaware of the chaos he'd caused, waddled over to Misty and held up the lipstick tube he'd been playing with. Misty stared down at the little Pokémon, her anger slowly deflating as she sighed in defeat. "You're lucky you're cute, Charmander."

Charmander grinned, seemingly satisfied with the compliment, and Ash let out a breath of relief. "Crisis averted... for now."

Gary, still smirking, leaned against the tent entrance. "You owe me for not letting her find out sooner."

Ash rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

As Misty bent down to start cleaning up, Ash whispered to Charmander, "No more makeup, okay, buddy?"

Charmander nodded eagerly, though Ash wasn't sure if he fully understood. Either way, Ash figured it'd be a long time before Misty let any of her stuff out of her sight again.

With a sigh, he grabbed a rag and started scrubbing the lipstick off the tent walls, glancing over at Misty. "Next time, we're keeping a closer eye on him."

Misty nodded. "Yeah. Definitely."

" Char, Charmander." Charmander said as he and Bulbasaur watched Gary and Ash fight over a piece of firewood.

" Bulba. Saur, Bulbasaur."

" Hey! I found it first!" Gary yelled.

" But I'm the one who put my hands on it!" Ash argued.

Charmander sighed. " Char char char." H muttered.

Then he walked in front of Ash and waved his arms. " Char Charmander!"

Ash looked down. " What happened, Charmander?"

" Char char Charmander!"

Ash raised a brow. " Uh....."

Charmander slapped his head. " Char char!"

Bulbasaur stepped in, using vine Whip to break them apart.

" Hey, Bulbasaur!" Ash argued. " That's my firewood piece!"

" Char Charmander." Charmander picked the firewood up and walked back to camp with Bulbasaur.

Ash and Gary stood there, staring in disbelief.

"Your Pokémon have some serious issues," Gary remarked, shaking his head in amusement.

"Like?!" Ash sputtered, still not fully processing the situation. "They're just... being responsible!"

Gary smirked. "Responsible, huh? Well, it looks like they're the ones doing all the work while we're here arguing like kids over a stick."

Ash crossed his arms, frowning. "I'm not a kid!"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Sure, says the guy fighting over a piece of firewood."

Ash huffed. "You started it."

"Did not."

"Did too!"

Charmander, hearing their bickering from a distance, sighed deeply as he reached the campfire pit. "Char, char," he muttered, setting the firewood down in front of Brock, who was busy preparing the evening meal. Bulbasaur gave an approving nod before lying down by the pit, clearly done with Ash and Gary's nonsense.

Brock glanced over at the Pokémon and then at the two boys still glaring at each other from across the field. "You guys ever going to grow up?" he asked with a smirk, stirring the pot of soup.

"Maybe when Gary stops being a know-it-all," Ash shot back, stomping toward the fire.

"And maybe when Ash stops acting like a hothead," Gary retorted, walking back as well.

Misty, having returned from the lake, shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly, you two are more like rivals than friends sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Brock chimed in with a sarcastic tone, crossing his arms as he watched Ash plop down by the fire.

Gary sat across from him, arms crossed, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "I'll admit, though, Ash. Your Charmander has more common sense than you sometimes."

Ash gave a sheepish laugh. "Yeah, well, he's got that going for him."

Bulbasaur, lying lazily next to the fire, gave an amused snort at that, clearly pleased with himself for breaking up their argument.

Charmander, meanwhile, gave Ash a stern look and waved a tiny claw in front of him. "Char, Charmander," he warned, as if saying No more fighting, got it?

Ash scratched his head, smiling nervously. "Yeah, yeah, no more fighting. I got it."

Gary chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't know, Ash. You might need to take lessons from your own Pokémon on how to chill out."

"Or maybe you could stop being such a jerk," Ash retorted, but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

Brock laughed from his spot by the fire. "Well, at least dinner's almost ready. Maybe food will get you two to stop acting like a couple of toddlers."

Ash and Gary looked at each other, then back at Brock. "We're not toddlers!" they both yelled in unison.

Misty, still drying her hair with a towel, just sighed. "I give up."

As the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the campsite, the group settled down around the fire. Charmander and Bulbasaur sat proudly by their side, content that they had saved the day-and maybe, just maybe, taught their trainer a thing or two about teamwork.

"Char," Charmander muttered to Bulbasaur with a satisfied grin.

"Bulba, bulbasaur," Bulbasaur replied, clearly pleased with their efforts.

At dinner, Ash sat down with his four Pokémon, handing out bowls of food. Pikachu eagerly dug in, while Bulbasaur and Squirtle quietly ate their meals. But Charmander, sitting beside Ash, crossed his arms and pouted, his tail flame flickering slightly in annoyance.

"Char, Charmander!" he muttered, refusing to touch his food.

Ash sighed, clearly frustrated. "Come on, Charmander, you have to eat. I know you're hungry."

"Char!" Charmander responded, turning his head stubbornly away from the food.

Ash groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why are you being so difficult? You never act like this."

Charmander narrowed his eyes and huffed. "Char, Char-char!"

Gary, sitting across from them, raised an eyebrow. "What's his problem? He acting like a stubborn three-year-old."

Ash threw his arms up in defeat. "I don't know! He was fine earlier."

Charmander crossed his arms even tighter and looked up at Ash with a determined expression. "Char! Char-char Charmander!"

Misty leaned in with a smile, trying to help. "Maybe he's being picky? Does he want a different flavor or something?"

Ash frowned, looking at the bowl. "This is his favorite food! He always eats it without a problem."

Gary smirked. "Looks like you've got your hands full, Ash. Maybe he's protesting because you've been slacking on training."

"Hey!" Ash protested. "We trained all morning!"

Brock, who had been stirring the stew pot over the campfire, chimed in, trying to be helpful. "Maybe he's just tired or wants some attention. Pokémon act out sometimes, just like kids."

Ash turned to Charmander. "Is that it, buddy? You just want some extra attention?"

Charmander gave Ash a sidelong glance but still refused to eat. "Char, char."

Ash sighed again and scratched his head. "What am I supposed to do? I can't force him to eat."

Pikachu looked up from his meal and tilted his head in concern. "Pika pi?" he asked, nudging Charmander with his paw.

Charmander shrugged Pikachu off, still stubbornly refusing to touch his food.

Ash knelt down next to him, his frustration giving way to concern. "Charmander, if you don't eat, you won't have enough energy for training tomorrow."

"Char-char," Charmander muttered, his arms still crossed.

Brock looked over and smiled. "Why don't you try giving him his food from your hand, Ash? Sometimes that works when they're being stubborn."

Ash blinked. "From my hand? I guess it's worth a try."

He scooped a little bit of food into his hand and offered it to Charmander. "Come on, buddy. Just a little?"

Charmander glanced at the food and then at Ash. After a moment of hesitation, he uncrossed his arms and took a small bite from Ash's hand.

"Char..." he muttered, chewing slowly.

Ash smiled, relieved. "See? Not so bad, huh?"

Charmander sighed, finally giving in. He took the bowl from Ash and began to eat, albeit still with a slightly sulky expression.

Gary chuckled. "Looks like he just wanted to be babied."

Ash shot Gary a glare. "He's not being babied, he's just... complicated."

Misty smirked. "Sounds like someone else I know."

Ash looked confused. "Who?"

Gary and Misty exchanged a glance and said in unison, "You."

Ash groaned. "Great, now I have two people ganging up on me."

As the evening went on, Charmander finished his meal and seemed to relax a bit more. Ash gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "Glad you're feeling better, buddy."

Charmander gave a small, content "Char" in response, his stubbornness finally fading away as the campfire crackled in the background.

After dinner, as the group sat around the campfire enjoying the peaceful evening, a commotion suddenly erupted from Gary's side of the camp. His Pokémon-Eevee, Growlithe, and Nidoran-had decided to get a little too curious about Gary's bag.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Misty asked, her eyes widening as she saw Gary's Pokémon pawing through his stuff.

Gary, who had been lounging back against a tree, glanced over nonchalantly at first. "Eh, they're probably just bored."

But then, with a loud rip, Eevee yanked out a box from the bottom of Gary's bag. Nidoran and Growlithe quickly joined in, nosing through the rest of the contents.

Gary shot up in a panic. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Get out of my stuff!"

Eevee had already torn into a packet of snacks Gary had been saving for later. Growlithe, meanwhile, had found a shiny object at the bottom of the bag-a bottle of cologne Gary always carried with him to "stay fresh." It wasn't long before the scent of overly potent cologne filled the air as Growlithe's nose accidentally pressed down on the nozzle, spraying it everywhere.

"Eevee! Growlithe! Stop that right now!" Gary yelled, rushing over to his bag, but the damage was already done.

"Char char!" Charmander watched in amusement as Gary's Pokémon caused chaos, while Bulbasaur and Squirtle exchanged a knowing look, as if to say, At least it's not us this time.

Gary wrestled the cologne bottle out of Growlithe's mouth, but not before Eevee had knocked over a canister of Gary's favorite Pokéball polish, spilling it all over the bag. The contents were now shiny... but completely ruined.

"Oh no!" Gary groaned, pulling his soaked clothes and scattered Pokéballs out of the bag. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Ash couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like your Pokémon decided to have a little fun without you, huh, Gary?"

Gary glared at him. "This isn't funny, Ash!"

"Hey, at least you can say your bag smells nice now," Misty teased, trying not to laugh as the scent of cologne wafted through the campsite.

"Yeah, if you're into smelling like an entire bottle of cologne exploded!" Ash chuckled.

Gary's Eevee pranced happily around him, completely unfazed by the chaos it had caused. "Eevee!" it chirped, clearly proud of its antics.

Gary groaned, holding his head in frustration. "Great, just great. Now I have to clean all this up!"

Pikachu hopped over to Gary's Pokémon and gave them a disapproving look. "Pika pi!" it scolded, wagging its paw.

Eevee, Growlithe, and Nidoran, realizing they might be in trouble, quickly backed away from the wreckage they'd created, their ears drooping.

"Well," Brock said with a chuckle as he stirred the campfire, "I guess you'll have some work to do tonight, Gary."

Gary sighed, sitting down next to his ruined bag. "Why do I even bother?"

Ash patted Gary on the back, still grinning. "Hey, don't feel too bad. It happens to the best of us."

Gary shot him a look. "You're enjoying this way too much."

Ash shrugged. "Maybe a little."

As Gary began to clean up the mess his Pokémon had made, the rest of the group settled back around the campfire, the scent of cologne still lingering in the air. Despite the chaos, the evening was filled with laughter and good-natured teasing as they helped Gary put his belongings back in order.

"Next time," Gary muttered under his breath, "I'm keeping my bag zipped tight.

"