A strange warp in the fabric of timespace occurs and an alternate chapter appears to replace chapter two of the main storyline.

    Once again our dynamic trio are on their way back to Pallet and to decide what they are to do next, if anything. They were relieved the shadow of TR was finally lifted; too bad it wasn’t gone quite yet.  Ash and Misty are fighting again, which is a relief since they hadn’t in awhile.  Brock was starting to think that their new feelings for each other would stop the arguments that made sure he wasn’t always the one to be smote. He had found out easily, Ash being a terrible liar.  In fact, that was what they seemed to be fighting about.
“That was the most pitiful excuse I have ever heard!” Misty yelled
“How was I supposed to know he wouldn’t believe me?” Ash countered
“Neither of us have a major tournament coming up, why else would we be both training in the middle of the night?”
“Maybe we just wanted to be ready in case.”
“We left our pokemon at the center!”
“It’s too late now anyway, Brock knows.”
“It’s still your fault, though at least we know your normal intelligence has come back.”
    As they kept at it, a beautiful jogger went by and Brock chased after.  The others didn’t notice at first, and by the time they did he was getting further away.  “Come back here!” Misty commanded, “I don’t need this right now.”  He was still getting more distant.  “You made be do this” she whispered and then cupped her hands to her mouth “I–“ the rest was cut off by Ash’s hand.  “What was that for?” she turned and asked angrily.
“You want revenge against Brocks teases, right?” Ash asked.
“Of coarse I do.”
“Then listen, I have a plan.  We trade places for awhile.”
“And then?”
“And then...um...make him look like a moron?”
“I guess that could be considered a plan, but we may have to fine tune it a bit.  For instance, how can either of us remotely look like the other?”
“We are the same height and we don’t look that different.”
“Even if we were physiologically similar, our hair and eye colors are different!”
“I have an idea to solve that problem.”
“Which is?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mist.  We still have to see if I am right about us being nearly the same dimensions.”
“How do you plan to fix that?” Misty said and then she noticed that Ash had a familiar look on his face, five-alarm mischief.  “Oh no!  You’re not getting me to switch clothes now!  Apart from some more obvious reasons, Brock might come back any time.”
    The look on Ash’s face didn’t change as he pulled a pair of binoculars out of his bag.  “Looks like Brock is far away.  Without you to control him, we probably shan’t see him now till dark.”
Misty realized at that moment arguing would get her nowhere; Ash was in an irrational state of mind.  She decided the only thing to do is try to beat him at his own game.  She smiled and said “Alright, Ash.  But in order to fully grasp the situation, we will have to switch all our clothes.  Including our underthings.”
“Suits me fine.”
“Bad pun, it also includes your hat.”
Ash winced at the thought of his hat being worn by anyone else.  He hadn’t removed it for any reason since primeape last wore it.  Despite this, he said “Okay, Mist.  The hat too.”
“Splendid” she said, not thinking that at all.
    Misty was glad that at least they both had an extra pair of clean underwear, if nothing else.  She didn’t want to think about what might occur if that weren’t the case.  They arranged a place to leave their clothes once they had changed their undies so as not to violate each other.  As they headed off in opposite directions, Misty wondered how she got herself into this.
Ash wasn’t feeling much better as he tried to change, how was he supposed to live this down once Brock found out?  He had once again gone too far in the heat of the moment.  At least Mist was going down with him.  As they both headed back to deposit their clothes, they saw each other, but did not realize it was both ways.  Ash had to admit that Misty was a looker no matter what she wore, but she was suspicious and carrying her clothes so as to limit any peepers.  Figured.  Misty almost blew a gasket when she saw Ash; man was he a humorous sight to behold.
    Once completely changed, they went back to have a look at each other.  Ash thought Misty looked pretty cute in his trainers outfit.  She nearly fell over laughing at him, the nerve.  It figured that she would be the one laughing about this, but he wouldn’t give her the pleasure of knowing that he was regretting this.  Once she had recovered, she asked, “We’re certainly the same size, Ash.  But how are we going to pull this off with our hair and eyes all wrong?”
“We go and see an old friend about that.  Raiku, if you’re not busy!”  Raiku appeared and Ash got on, beckoning Misty.  She got on the back of the legend and Ash shouted “Duplica’s mansion!”  The pokemon immediately vanished with them on it.
They appeared instantly in front of the house they hadn’t seen in ages.  It was the same as always and Duplica appeared at the door.  “Hi, I see that you are here to seek my services.”  She said, looking over the two.  They had forgotten that they were still in each other’s clothes.  As they looked at her a bit sheepishly she ushered them inside and down a corridor.  “You certainly do need my help, and I would be glad to offer it after what you have done for me.”  A trapdoor opened under Misty, and then as Ash was about to shout something, he found one under himself as well.  Duplica then went through a hidden passage to go find some equipment.  They weren’t too bad off, but would need some extras that they probably hadn’t thought of.  She laughed to herself, imagining their reactions.  This would be fun.  
    The two others landed on cushioned chairs, Misty realizing that they would be helped and then allowed to see each other.  Ash had to have that explained to him as Duplica saw him first, five minutes after he had landed.  She held out a box, which Ash opened.  It contained an orange wig, a pair of contacts and a couple of implements that Ash did not recognize.  Duplica told him to sit back and close his eyes.  He complied, realizing that he might as well do as she told him and he felt her working on him.  She soon let him open his eyes and showed him to a full mirror where he admired her handiwork; no one would know he wasn’t Misty.  Duplica then proceeded to Misty, locking Ash into the room to wait for her.  Misty needed no telling after seeing what was in the box.  Soon, Duplica finished her also and Misty was equally impressed.  They were allowed to see each other, noting that the other was just as changed as themselves.  “Wow, Mist, you definitely look like me.”  Ash said, in a voice perfectly like Misty’s.  He put his hand over his mouth is surprise and Duplica said “I gave you some extra equipment, I know neither of you are any good at impressions.”  The others laughed and agreed with Duplica on that point.  She offered them each a box, saying that the other would recognize the contents if the need arose for them.  Neither of them wanted to think about it as they resummoned their ride and were off back.
    Brock wasn’t there when they returned, so they were able to explain the situation to their pokemon.  They then switched all their pokemon with each other and sat down to wait for Brock.  In the meantime, they tried to explain some things to each other that they might not have realized on their own.  As they finished, Brock appeared, alone.  He didn’t look too disappointed, he probably had had a lot of time to think about it and as he approached them.  M.Ash(Misty) greeted him.   A.Misty(Ash) then invited him to sit down.  He seemed not to be suspecting anything as he sat and said “Another failed attempt.”
“If you weren’t such a traveler, you would by now.  Though, as long as you are, you need a girl that travels.”  Said A.Misty.
“True, I can’t seem to settle down, can I?”
“None of us can, that’s why we’re here.”  This was M.Ash now.  No more was said, and they continued on.
That conversation had given A,Misty a thought though.  But it was too much to even consider.  He battled himself inside for a while and then decided to ask M.Ash.  “Hey, Ash.” he said.  “I have an idea.”  Brock had gone to look for firewood, but who knows.
“What?” she said.
“I know how to trick Brock like this.  We pretend to break up and I become his girl.”
“No, Ash”
“Why?”
“If you do that, he might think I feel like that when we go back.”
“No he won’t, he probably won’t speak to us for weeks.”
“Alright, but we can’t do this much longer.  It’s hard.”
“I think so, too.  Why are your clothes so tight?”  Ash ineffectually tugged at the waist of Misty’s shorts.
Misty giggled and waved her arms, trying to gain purchase on Ash’s robe’s sleeves.  “Why are yours so loose?”
    They decided not to pursue the subject, as Brock had returned.  They staged a fight about how they got their pokemon and then refused to speak to each other.  Brock was annoyed, but he had seen them like this before.  It would pass.  He saw Misty approaching; she must have managed to cope with it somehow.  She didn’t look too sad; in fact she was smiling in what might have been called by others a deranged manner (if you’ve ever seen Space Pirate: Mito, you know that look).  She sat down next to him and got close to the fire...and him.  She then leaned on his shoulder and said “you know, I always thought that we might be together if Ash turned out badly.  I thought he might.”
“Um...Misty” he said, “I don’t know if I feel that way myself.”  He was surprised at how open and to the point she was.
“You were always like a big brother, that’s why I like you.”  She got closer and closer.
“I think this might be a bit quick.  You might get back together with Ash.”
She leaned over and said, “I doubt it.”  Then she kissed him full on the lips, a very long one.
    When their lips parted, Brock was rather confused.  He knew that the prospect of a traveling girlfriend was a good one.  But also that he would be betraying his best friend in doing so.  It was at that moment that Ash stepped out of the shadows.  It was obvious he had seen the whole thing, but strangely he didn’t look mad.  He looked more relieved.  Ash then said, “I’m glad that Misty has someone like you, Brock.  You couldn’t have a better girl.”
“You aren’t upset.”
“I realized that it was too good to be true, so now I am just happy for both of you.”
Misty looked even happier then before and embraced Brock tightly.  She then kissed him some more.  Ash called it a night, telling them that they ought to have some time alone.  Brock was relieved Ash had gone and was actually enjoying his newfound love of Misty.  She seemed quite taken, and passionate towards him.  They sat awhile, Misty in his lap, looking at the stars.
They then went over, made sure that Ash was asleep and then decided to take his Golduck costume, Misty already had hers out and was getting into it.  “Could you check if this is on right?” Misty asked of Brock.  Brock went over to look over Misty as she giggled and twisted around to hug him to her.  Brock got into Ash’s costume and they went for a swim together.  Misty stayed very close and they decided the masks would be useless, leaving them on the shore as they swam around, playfully.  They went back onto the shore, where Misty sat as close as possible to Brock.  Leaning over often for long kisses.  Brock never knew she could be like this, or that anyone had such soft lips.  Ash was glad Duplica had done that for him when he found out.
    The next day, they were nearing Viridian city and the timespace continuum was getting rather distressed.  Soon they would be so far that the change would be irreversible.  It had to get the three back in their own forms before they reached Viridian.  It sent a pulse into the two that had changed minds’, making them have to go back to the way they were.  Back in the camp, Brock was asleep, but A.Misty and M.Ash were awake.  They went over to each other and said simultaneously “I think we should tell Brock, this trick has gone on long enough.”
A.Misty went over to Brock and gently awakened him.  He opened his eyes; saw who he thought was Misty and smiled.  “Good morning” he said.
“I have something to tell you.”  She said.
“What?”
The two took off their wigs and contacts.  Brock looked stunned.  “We had to do this to get back at you for the teasing.  Now who looks like a fool?”  Ash said.
Brock just stood there and then ran off.  Later on, when they reached Cerulean, they found out that Brock had decided to go with the sisters on their trip.  The rift in time closed and Ash and Misty awoke far in the future.  In their gym.  They looked at each other, saw the boxes that Duplica gave them sitting by the beds and wondered how two memories of the same time exist.  Mewtwo appeared at that point.
‘A rift in time caused you two to have a second past for two or three days’
The two engaged their telepathic amplifiers and shared their thoughts.  Realizing this was true; they were overwhelmed, but then thought of the advantages to what was in the boxes.  This might be fun.  Mewtwo had disappeared by then and they disengaged their amplifiers.  They hadn’t changed much and had to try this.  They noticed what it was Duplica had given extra and wondered how such a thing was possible.  Must be cybernetics, they agreed.  They also decided that the devices were for another day, perhaps sometime soon...or maybe not.
 
The end.
This story was an interesting one.  I seldom expect what my stories will be about and this one definitely surprised me.  I had once meant to put TR into this, but the possibilities were too great if I left them out.  Just remember that since the past is changed, the future may change as well.