"You can't expect amateur Pokemon Trainers to have control over their Pokemon."

" WHAAAAAAT?!"

" Keep your cool Ash." Misty whispered.

Just then, they heard whistling.

Familiar whistling.

Gary and Ash groaned

" Here comes the Monster." Gary mumbled.

" You mean nightmare." Ash corrected.

Wisty strolled up to them, hands in pocket. " Ah, how is my favorite couple doing?"

" WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!!" Gary and Ash yelled.

Wisty smirked and crossed her arms. " Suuuure."

Jackson and Harrison exchanged a bewildered look. What was going on?!

Ash clenched his fists, his face already turning red. "Wisty, why do you always have to do this?!"

Gary, standing beside him with his arms crossed, nodded. "Yeah, can't you find someone else to torment?"

Wisty shrugged nonchalantly, her smirk never fading. "Nah, you two are way too much fun. Besides, it's not every day you find two rivals who act like a married couple."

"WE DO NOT ACT LIKE A MARRIED COUPLE!" they shouted in unison, again, causing Misty and Brock to snicker behind them.

Jackson, still confused, leaned toward Harrison. "Do they... actually hate her or...?"

Harrison scratched his head. "I... think it's more complicated than that."

Wisty walked around the two, inspecting them like she was judging a contest. "You know, for two people who claim to hate each other, you sure do spend a lot of time together."

Gary rolled his eyes. "We're rivals, not friends."

"Exactly!" Ash added, pointing at Wisty as if he had just won an argument. "We're rivals, nothing more!"

Wisty tapped her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Hmm, but let's review the facts, shall we? You two always end up at the same places, fight over the same things, and—" She leaned in close to Gary. "—you really care what Ash thinks of you, don't you?"

Gary jerked back, flustered. "What?! No! I don't care what he thinks!"

Wisty turned to Ash. "And you, Ash, you get all riled up whenever Gary shows up. Face it, you two are like magnets. Opposites attract."

Ash spluttered, his face now almost as red as his cap. "That's not... that's not how this works!"

Misty, trying and failing to hide her grin, gave Ash a pat on the back. "You two do bicker like an old couple. Wisty might have a point."

"Whose side are you on?!" Ash exclaimed.

Brock, now fully entertained, chimed in. "I think they're just in denial."

Jackson, feeling brave, spoke up. "So, uh... are you saying Ash and Gary are secretly...?"

Wisty raised a finger. "Not secretly. It's as plain as day!"

Harrison scratched his head, looking between Ash and Gary. "I mean, they do seem kinda... close."

"Close?!" Gary sputtered. "I'm only close to him when he's getting in my way!"

"Right back at you!" Ash shot back.

Wisty took a step back, shaking her head like a disappointed teacher. "You know, denial is the first stage."

"First stage of what?!" Ash and Gary yelled in unison.

Wisty winked. "Acceptance of your true feelings, of course."

Misty and Brock burst into laughter at that, and even Jackson and Harrison couldn't help but chuckle.

Ash groaned, pulling his cap down over his eyes. "This is a nightmare."

Gary, looking equally flustered, turned on his heel. "I'm out of here."

As Gary walked away, Wisty called after him, "You can run, but you can't hide from the truth!"

Ash stared after Gary for a second before shaking his head. "I'm not dealing with this anymore." He turned to Misty and Brock. "Why do you guys always side with her?"

Brock shrugged. "She makes a good point sometimes."

Misty smirked. "And it's fun watching you get all worked up."

Wisty, still grinning from ear to ear, waved Ash off. "See you later, lovebirds!"

As Ash stormed off, Wisty leaned against a tree, arms crossed, still enjoying the chaos she had caused. "Ah, I love this job."