DEP CTLR FORGETS TO CLB ACR ACFT AND DSNDS AN ARRIVING ACR THROUGH ALT RESULTING IN LTSS.

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WE DEPARTED PIT CLBING TO 5000 FT. DEP CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 290 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE MMJ 274 DEG RADIAL. WE INTERCEPTED MAINTAINING 5000 FT. WE WERE ABOUT TO ASK FOR A HIGHER ALTITUDE WHEN WE SAW A TCASII TARGET AT 9 MI 1 O'CLOCK AT 6000 FT COMING TOWARDS US. WE HEARD ATC ISSUE A DSCNT TO 5000 FT TO SOMEONE AND THE TFC IN QUESTION BEGAN A DSCNT. WE WERE ABOUT TO QUESTION ATC WHEN THEY CALLED AND IN A QUIZZICAL VOICE ASKED US TO START OUR CLB AND EXPEDITE TO 14000 FT. (THE USUAL ALTITUDE DEP GIVES YOU SOON AFTER CONTACTING THEM.) AT THIS POINT THE TFC WAS ABOUT 4 MI 500 FT ABOVE US. WE TOLD THEM WE HADN'T RECEIVED A CLRNC TO 14000 FT BUT WE WOULD BEGIN AN EXPEDITED CLB; WHEN WE GOT A TCASII RA TO 'CLB' AT THE SAME TIME THE CTLR TOLD THE TFC TO 'STOP YOUR DSCNT;' AND FOR US TO 'MAINTAIN 5000 FT.' THE TCASII CHANGED TO 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' WE HAD ONLY CLBED 150 FT; SO WE RETURNED TO 5000 FT. THE OTHER ACFT RPTED US IN SIGHT AND CROSSED TO OUR R AND ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE US. THE CTLR HAD APPARENTLY 'FORGOTTEN' TO GIVE US CLB INSTRUCTIONS TO 'THE USUAL' 14000 FT. WE HAD FLOWN FOR PROBABLY 5 MINS (?) ESTIMATE WITHOUT HIM NOTICING WE WEREN'T CLBING. THE TCASII WAS A DEFINITE HELP AS WE WATCHED THE TFC APCHING; HOWEVER THINGS GOT VERY COMPLICATED FAST WHEN ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS (WHILE IN CLOSE PROX) OPPOSITE TO THE TCASII RESOLUTION.