" I'm tiiiiired." Five year old Ash groaned as he collapsed on a rock. " I don't want to walk anymore."
Misty nodded wearily. " I'm done."
Ivy-
" AHHHHHHHHHHHHH THAT NAME!"
..... Sorry
The baby ( better?) was giggling in Emma's arms.
Mia sighed. " Too bad Annie's not here. She woulda loved it."
" She's with Unagami on vacation remember?"
Ivy-
" AHHHHHHHHH!"
Sorry sorry. Sheesh you need therapy.
The baby in Emma's arms clapped her tiny hands together, her giggles echoing through the quiet forest trail. "Sheesh, Ash," Emma muttered, adjusting the baby's weight. "We've only been walking for an hour. You're acting like we just climbed Mount Doom."
Ash huffed dramatically, crossing his arms. "We did climb Mount Doom. At least, it felt like it!"
Misty flopped onto the ground beside him. "Yeah, I vote we stay here forever. Let the forest spirits adopt us."
Mia rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "You're all so soft. Annie would've been halfway to the campsite by now. She'd have carried all of us if she had to."
Emma smirked. "That's because Annie doesn't get tired. She's basically a cyborg."
Mia giggled. " At least Ivy-"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Everyone froze, glancing around.
"Ugh, again?" Mia groaned. "What's with that guy?"
Emma waved her free hand dismissively. "He's probably just working through some unresolved trauma. Poor guy's stuck two dimensions away, screaming his lungs out every time someone mentions-"
"Don't you dare," Misty cut her off with a sharp glare. "Don't say it. You'll summon him again."
The baby giggled harder, clapping as if the chaos were the best entertainment in the world. Ash sat up suddenly, eyes wide with an epiphany. "Hey, maybe if we scream back, he'll stop!"
Mia snorted. "Ash, that's the dumbest idea-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ash yelled at the top of his lungs.
And, from that same distant corner of existence, the man screamed back: "STOP DOING THAT!"
Misty groaned and sat up, brushing dirt off her hands. "Come on, Ash. We can't just sit here all day."
Ash tilted his head back, his hair falling dramatically over his eyes. "Why not? This rock's pretty comfy. We could just... live here."
"You said that about the last three rocks," Misty pointed out, standing and stretching. "And they were all terrible."
"Okay, that's fair," Ash admitted, finally standing. He kicked a pebble lazily and sighed. "But I still don't wanna walk."
Misty grinned. "Then don't. Just float along like a balloon. I'll tie you to Emma's backpack."
Emma groaned, shifting the baby in her arms. "Oh, no. You're not tying anything to me. I've already got this little troublemaker to carry."
The baby let out a squeal of delight, waving her chubby arms.
Mia leaned against a tree, looking unimpressed. "Seriously, you two are hopeless. Do you even remember why we're out here?"
