I do not own Pokémon. So, today I started thinking "what would the aftermath of the Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon epilogue be like with a bit of romance?" Then this happened. To soup up my inspiration, I watched a bunch of PMD AMVs on YouTube. The hero character will be a Pikachu with a Fennekin partner. This will be the norm for all of my following PSMD stories. Please enjoy this one-shot.

Pikachu's POV…

We had just finished dinner here at the Expedition Society. Oof, I was so full! I don't know how Swirlix could eat so much and still ask for fifths (not that she didn't reserve the right as our chef). I felt the need to step outside for a moment. The sky was lit up by the dazzling stars. It was enough to get a Pokémon lost in thought. My thoughts explored while my feet remained planted on the cobblestone leading to the streets of Lively Town. Downtown was still…well, lively. My thoughts regaled on the recent events of my life.

After my partner, Fennekin, and I defeated the Dark Matter and saved the Tree of Life, I lost Fennekin. She disappeared before I got to tell her how I felt. She was bold, adventurous, perky and smart. She believed in nothing if not her dreams. Her sense of justice was firm and sharp. She had a good heart, the kind that captivated a guy like me. Every time I looked into her scarlet eyes, I saw determination flare up. And then she was gone. She was gone before I could tell her that she was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me.

She told me that she was Mew or that Mew was her just before she left. I looked for her in Mystery Jungle, only to find Mew himself. He was similar in personality to Fennekin, but he was no Fennekin. Not the Fennekin I knew. No one could replace that fiery beauty in my heart. I hung around with Mew for a while, still hopeful to find my dear partner. It was thanks to Ampharos and Nuzleaf and the Beheeyem that I finally got her back.

Fennekin… I love you.

"Hey, partner, what's up?" Fennekin greeted as she came out of the Expedition Society building and nudged me playfully. Her tail wagged in delight. I had to make a sweat-breaking effort not to stare at it sway.

"N-nothing much," I replied. I gripped my Harmony Scarf, the symbol of our bond, as the next words came out of my mouth. "I was just…thinking about how great it is to have you back, Fennekin." I glanced at her. If my cheeks could get any redder, they did.

"Aww! Well, aren't you sweet?" Fennekin said. She seemed to be teasing me, but she was genuinely grateful. My grip on my Harmony Scarf loosened and my lips settled into a relaxed smile. Fennekin leaned on me and gazed up at the night sky. "The stars look so pretty. Hey, do you want to see how they look from Jirachi's observatory?"

"As cool as that would be, I think they look more serene if you look at them not so intently like you would through a telescope. That might be just me, though," I replied and sat down on the cobblestones.

"Suit yourself," Fennekin said as she feigned leaving my side. I thought I had screwed up, but she bounced right back to my side and sat down next to me. Fennekin's tail wagged some more. "I guess you're right. It's easier to share the moment with someone else."

She had a point. Was she making a pass at me? How should I have replied? Did my fur look okay? Well, I gave the response my best shot. I replied, "Yeah. Besides, if we tried sharing the moment through a telescope, I might accidently zap you with my cheeks."

"I hear that's a term of endearment among your kind, Pikachu," Fennekin informed me. "Besides, I love your cheeks."

"D-do you really?" I stammered.

"Yeah. Your cheeks are cute," Fennekin assured me. "Hey, Pikachu?"

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Thank you for never giving up on me. There were plenty of moments where you could have just walked away, but you never did. I was disruptive in class, I pulled you around on all kinds of nutty adventures, and sometimes I think I was a burden on you all along…"

"Y-you? A burden? Never. Not in a million years. Fennekin, we were fated to meet each other. You're my best friend. You're my…" I told her. My voice trailed off.

"Do you ever think we might be…?" Fennekin started, but it was her voice that trailed off this time.

I knew what she was going to say, so I nodded. I finished for her, "More than friends?"

"Yeah," Fennekin said in approval of my choice of words. Her words. Our words.

"All the time," I admitted. It was true. I do think we were fated to be together for more than just saving the world. Tears welled up in my eyes. "Especially when I thought you were gone…and I never got to tell you what had transformed inside me during our time together. I thought I never would."

"Pikachu…?" Fennekin gasped, shocked at my overflowing emotions.

"I do think of you as more than a friend. I think of you as my motivator, my muse, my hope and my dream. Fennekin, I've never cared about anyone more than I've cared about you," I confessed as the tears started to trickle down my face. "I don't ever want to lose you again."

Fennekin seemed startled by my confession. Thinking that I had screwed up badly, I started to wonder if the sky was going to fall on my head. Then, she muttered something. I heard her mumble, "Thank goodness."

"You're…not mad? Or freaked out?" I asked, wiping my tears away with my arms.

"No, you big dummy!" Fennekin cried out in joy as she tackled me. We rolled down the cobblestone pathway a couple of times before I ended up on top of her. She told me, "I was afraid to tell you how I felt. Now I know you feel the same way."

Fennekin? Afraid to speak her mind? I asked her, "Are you sure you're the Fennekin I know?"

"You love me, don't you?" she asked slyly. I gave a small nod. She touched her nose to mine. "You'd better believe it, partner."

"Fennekin…" I mumbled. Our noses and lips were so close to each other.

"I know. Pikachu…" she mumbled back. I craned my neck just enough for our lips to make contact. Sparks flew. It was a moment of pure bliss. I kissed a fox and I liked it. When we broke the kiss, she said, "That was…"

"Hot?" I finished as I got off of her, hoping I was right for a second time.

"I was going to say electrifying," Fennekin corrected me. I couldn't help but laugh as her fur had puffed up from my electricity. "What?"

"It's nothing. Let's go back inside," I suggested and wrapped an arm around her, stifling my laughter. We walked into the Expedition Society building together, our bond stronger than ever. Now I know that Fennekin was more than my friend. She was my soulmate.