Okey-dokey, I'm putting up my first fic after long last. Now, let's get that annoying disclaimer out of the way: I don't own Pokémon. It belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak, and whoever else is part of that copyright stuff.

Here's my first story: Haircut!

"Finally!" Dawn exclaimed. "Decent A.C!"

The traveling trio of heroes - consisting of Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, Dawn of Twinleaf Town, and Brock of Pewter City - stepped out of the sweltering seaside air and into the air-conditioned heaven-on-earth that was the Sunyshore City Pokémon Center.

"Well, hello there!" Nurse Joy called from behind the reception counter. "Strangely, we're not very busy, so if there's anything you need--"

Brock, helplessly lost in "Brock Mode," cruised over to the nurse and took her hands.

"I'll tell you what I need," the Breeder said suavely. "I need some time alone with you. Maybe a romantic evening on the beach. We can sit by the water while it laps at our feet and watch the sun set over the horizon. We could whisper our innermost romantic thoughts to each other, then--"

"Croagunk!" The poisonous frog burst from its Poké Ball and delivered a swift Poison Jab to Brock's backside.

"On second thought," Brock squeaked, "maybe I'll just... call... you..." He fell over. Croagunk snickered and dragged the poor guy away.

Nurse Joy sweatdropped. "Is your friend OK?"

"Don't worry about it," Dawn assured her. "It happens all the time."

Ash snapped his fingers. "Speaking of calling someone, I think that I owe Misty a long-overdue call."

He moved for the phones, but Dawn grabbed his collar.

"Not so fast, buster," the bluenette growled. "You're not calling anyone until something is done about--" She pointed to Ash's head. "--that."

"What, my hat?" Ash whipped his hat off and hid it behind his back. "You're not touching my hat! Only I touch this hat!"

Dawn groaned. "Not your hat. Your hair! You need a haircut!!"

"A hair-- No! NO WAY!" Ash's eyes widened in terror. "Anything but that!"

A yellow head with pointy ears poked out from Ash's backpack.

"Chu..? Pikapi, chu pi ka pika chupi? (Wha..? Ash, what's all the yelling about?)" Pikachu inquired.

"Dawn wants me to get a haircut, but I'm not going to get one!" Ash declared. "At least, not willingly! She'll have to force me!"

Dawn shrugged. "Suit yourself." She pulled out a Poké Ball and called out Mamoswine. "Mamoswine, hook Ash's shirt onto one of your tusks and bring him into the first barber shop you find."

"Mamo..." Instead of doing as Dawn asked, Mamoswine simply closed its eyes and konked out.

Dawn, however, was ready for it. "If you do, lots of tasty Poffins are yours."

Mamoswine's eyes popped wide open. Naturally, its Trainer's proposal piqued its interest.

"Mamo!" The giant Ice-type, once it had Ash on its tusk, lumbered out into the heat.

Minutes later, Mamoswine tapped its free tusk against a barber shop window.

"Ehh, just be patient. I'm not as fast as I was back in the day..." After what seemed like an eternity, an elderly man opened the door. "Hmm... you're one of the biggest customers I've had in years. Wait a minute..." The old man cleaned his glasses. "Oh! Sorry, lad. My eyes were a lot better back in the old days. Well, let's get you inside, shall we?" He unhooked Ash and led him into the shop. "You know, you're a lucky kid. I'd decided to retire, but not before giving one last haircut. So, you and that Mamoswine have my gratitude for allowing me to have the pleasure of cutting hair for the last time. I never could get the hang of those darn, new-fangled electric clippers..."

Once Ash was in the chair, the old man clapped his hands. "Alakazam!"

"Zam!" The large Psychic-type hovered into the room and awaited its orders.

"I'm sorry, kid, but my haircuts tend to get on the long side, so... have a nice nap, and you'll wake up when I'm done. Alakazam, use Hypnosis on this fine young lad."

"Zaam..." Alakazam waved its spoons hypnotically, and Ash suddenly felt like he needed to take a really long nap.

"This probably won't end well," he thought before he blacked out.

"Man, what's taking so long?" Brock asked. It had been over four hours since Mamoswine carried Ash out the door, and they still hadn't returned.

"Even my mom's hair appointments don't take this long," Dawn complained. "A haircut should only take--"

Suddenly, the floor began shaking. The tremors grew worse by the second until Mamoswine charged through the sliding double-doors and slid to a stop, flinging Ash to the floor.

"What took so long?" Dawn asked.

"The barber was an old guy," Ash replied. "He at least had the kindness to have his Alakazam hypnotize me."

"Well, your hair looks great," Brock said. "I'm sure Misty will love it." He leaned in closer, a smug grin plastered on his face. "I believe that you would want that, right?"

Ash's face reddened a little. "Who asked you?"

Dawn giggled. "Oh, go on, you charmer. Go off and woo your beloved!"

The butt of her joke reddened further. "Shut up." He bolted to the phones before his companions could crack any more jokes against his ego.

Mamoswine poked Dawn with its tusk. "Mamo? (Poffins?)"

"Later, Mamoswine."

Meanwhile, in Cerulean City, a certain Gym Leader was closing up shop after a rather long day. Misty sat down at her desk and began rifling through the day's mail.

"Let's see here... bills... bills... bills... oh, look! More bills." She sighed, exasperated. "Just once, I'd like to see something other than bills and other Pokemon League crap in the mail. Maybe a letter from Ash..." The redhead glanced longingly at a picture sitting atop the piles of unfinished paperwork. A picture with Ash, Brock, and herself sitting against a tree, bonding. She missed the other two dearly, but she missed Ash more than anyone. She had taken her time with him for granted, and now she looked forward to the days a letter from him arrived, or when he called...

The phone rang.

"Oh, joy. Probably just another one of those incessant telemarketers." Telemarketers bugged Misty more than anything - third to Bug-types and carrots in her food, of course.

She let it ring until the caller I.D. showed up, which read, "Sunyshore City Pokémon Center."

"Sunyshore, eh? Sounds promising." She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello?"

Ash jumped a little. "Hey Misty."

"Whoa! Ash, is that you? Your hair is shorter!"

"Yeah. Dawn forced me to get a haircut before I called. So, how's everything going over there?"

Misty moaned. "I wish I could say that I can't complain. Most of the challengers come in thinking that I'm a pushover. They leave with their heads hanging after I totally destroy them. And over half of them don't even make it to Gyarados."

Ash nodded. "I hear ya. Over here, most of the rookies challenge me as if they're totally invincible. They almost never have a strategy, their Pokémon are poorly trained... it's not pretty." He decided to change the subject. "So, other than the boring battles, how's life as a Gym Leader?"

"Bad. As Leader, I have to pay the bills, I have to feed the Pokémon, I have to clean the tanks... and my sisters don't even lift a finger to help me!" Misty grunted and pulled at her hair. "And when invitations to events come through the mail, THEY just take it and move on as if their lives depended on going! It's kinda like a Cinderella-type deal."

Ash sighed. "Too bad you're not here. I really miss having you around."

Misty blushed and giggled. "How flattering!" She checked her watch. "Oh, my! I gotta get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"All right. See ya."

"Bye. Oh, Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Love the haircut." The screen went blank.

"So, how'd it go?" Brock asked. He wiggled his eyebrows smarmily.

Ash flashed him a cocky smirk. "I think I'll have to get haircuts more often."

THE END!

All right, that's the end! I have to say, I don't think it went so well.

Before I finish up here, I want to leave a few comments. First, I had no idea where to fit a description of Ash's haircut, so I hope you just used your imagination. Second, I was originally planning to make the haircut turn out like crap, but I didn't have the heart. Third, there was some AAML in there; I like to incorporate it into every story. Sorry if you didn't like that. Last, I hope no telemarketers were offended.

All right, you should know the drill: review! Being my first story, I want zero flames. None! Click the little rectangular button at the bottom and tell me what you think!