A week later, Palette had more people in it than ever before. The town was filled with contestants, spectators and fans. Professor Oak proclaimed that the qualifying matches to begin today and with any luck the main tournament could begin tomorrow. Ash, of course, was vibrating with the idea of a new tournament in order to show he was still better than Gary. Obviously Brock had joined for the opportunity to raise this creature and Misty had joined. When Ash asked her about it, she just said “It has water pokemon in its form, doesn’t it?” Ash begrudged her that one.
    A call went out through the temporary town intercom. “The rounds now start, all trainers report to the arena.” Oak had arranged for an express magnet train to Indigo. “Finally” said Gary from behind them. Ash spun around and there was his rival, smirking, with his umbreon standing next to him. Ash smiled too and said “After all this time I still don’t know how you can sneak up on me.”
    Gary looked smug “The same way you can’t catch a pokemon standing in front of you, Ashy-boy. You have no awareness of your surroundings. Just look at how long it took you to realize that Misty liked you.”
It was Misty’s turn to smile now “And a good thing, too. If Ash had that kind of intelligence, I wouldn’t be able to have any fun with him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ash asked accusingly.
“You can prank yourself without knowing it. Remember the time you ate moisturizer because you thought it was frosting?”
“I had just eaten a cinnamon roll”
“Twice?  Or the time Brock made cupcakes and you ate it without knowing there was paper around it?”
“That paper was thin and hard to see.”
“Or–“ she didn’t have time to go further, since the train was arriving. Gary had trouble getting to the train, as he was doubled over in laughter. When they were safely on he said “And all those things in school you used to walk into. Fire extinguishers, support beams” ticking off his fingers “people, doors and all sorts of other things.”
    Now it was Misty’s turn to laugh “Yeah, Ash. You have to say that constitutes a lack of awareness...wait, he’s gone.”
Gary looked around and then Ash appeared behind him and whacked him on the back of the head. “So much for yours, aye?”
“You win, we all have trouble with noticing things” Misty said.
“Agreed” said Gary, rubbing his head.

<Authors note: The examples of Ash’s lack of awareness are unfortunately all from personal experience>.
Authors other note: I still want comments and others things, I also would like Art if you feel so inclined since I have little to no artistic ability.  My e-mail is Chiscringle@aol.com  and the site that the pics and other things are stored on currently is the photo area of  Ressurrections