Okay, I wrote this a while ago, over summer break, but never got around to posting it. Just some info you need to know before reading this one-shot.
1) For those of you reading Best Wishes, I promise you, an update will come soon. I've been experiencing some trouble with my phone (where I write most of my chapters) and needed a break from it for a while. I have half of Chapter 38 written, and hopefully will get the next half done soon. Hang tight, my loyal readers!
2) For those reading Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice, I'm not sure when I can update that. I've fallen a little behind, what with other projects and future stories planned out, but I promise I'll update when I can.
3) THIS ONE-SHOT IS NOT PART OF MY SAGA WITH POKEMON. What this means is, this story has nothing to do with my current Pokémon fics. Just think of it as An Electrifying Reunion, but with more depressing situations.
4) I'm planning to release another chapter to go with An Electrifying Reunion, but told in Alice's POV, so stay tuned, if you're interested!
5) This is told in both Cilan's POV and Pikachu's POV. Go easy on me for this, okay?
Well, I hope you enjoy!
Regular text is Cilan's POV.
Bold text is Pikachu's POV.
I noticed something was off when I woke up on the morning of August 18th. Sunlight pooled in from the window and the Flying-type Pokémon were chirping away to their mates. And on top of that, my beautiful fiancée was sleeping next to me in the most peaceful position ever. What could go wrong?
I propped myself on my elbows and turned towards my sleeping black-haired beauty. Running a hand down the dark locks that fell down over her shoulders, I debated on whether or not to wake her up at this time. She did enjoy sleeping in on weekends.
Deciding to leave her be, I reached over and planted a gentle kiss on the side of her head. No reaction. But yet again, she was a heavy sleeper.
I slowly climbed out of the bed we shared and began to get dressed. Once I was in my usual attire, I turned back towards my fiancée. She still hadn't moved.
Usually, she would've turned over or at least murmured incoherently in her sleep by now. But she did have a busy day yesterday. She'd been tagging along with her five friends, Dawn, Misty, May, Serena, and Iris, going shopping for our wedding in fall. The girls had kept her occupied all day, stopping at each dress shop in Kalos—Serena's home region. They hadn't found one that matched Alice's style yet, and they were still on the hunt for the perfect dress.
I kissed my soon-to-be wife's head for the second time that morning and began to head downstairs. On the way to the kitchen, I passed Pikachu, Alice's "special partner."
Since Alice and I had moved in together, Pikachu now slept on the couch downstairs. We hadn't forced him to move, but he had seemed to sense Alice and I needed alone time at night, and so he left us be when it was dark. Of course, once in a while, he would come into our room to snuggle, which was fine by us.
Pikachu gave me a smile, his black eyes shining with happiness of the new day laid out before us. I kneeled down to his level and scratched the area on his head between his ears. He cooed in delight.
"Good morning, Pikachu." He responded with a "Pika" of his own. "Maybe you could wake Alice up this morning. She seems to be quite the heavy sleeper this morning."
Nodding, Pikachu scampered off to our bedroom, wanting to succeed in his mission.
Squeezing myself through the crack between the door and frame, I hopped onto the bed where Alice still lay, sound asleep. Padding over to her, I swiped my lightning bolt-shaped tail under her nose, in an attempt to tickle her.
Nothing. No reaction from my Trainer whatsoever. Usually, she would giggle and then either shoo me away or hug me really tight. Or maybe she would just smile softly, refusing to open her eyes to welcome the morning sun just yet.
I kept swiping my tail under her nose, but nothing happened. Sheesh, she really is a heavy sleeper. One might take her for a Snorlax today.
I decided to use my paws to wake her up, so I turned around and placed my paw on her cheek.
My paw immediately recoiled back involuntarily at the coldness of her skin. She felt like she'd been shot with an Ice Beam attack, and it never faded away.
I nudged her with my paw, prodding her cheek constantly. No reaction.
I began to panic inside. That's when I realized...
She wasn't breathing.
"PIKACHU!"
I'd never heard such a horrible cry from any creature before, so it wasn't a surprise I jumped in shock at Pikachu's scream.
"Pikachu, what's wrong?!"
Ascending the stairs as fast as I could, I burst into the bedroom to see Pikachu frantically shaking Alice. Salty tears were leaking down the Electric-type's face rapidly as he shook his Trainer.
"Pikachu, what is it?!"
The lightning mouse looked terrified. "Pika pi! Pikachu pi!"
His red cheeks crackled with electricity, and he suddenly released a bolt of energy on Alice. That would've surely woken her up, but it didn't.
Now Pikachu wasn't the only one who was terrified. Running over to Alice's side of the bed, I took her still form in my arms. My whole body was shaking like a rustling leaf in a thunderstorm.
"Alice! Alice, please, wake up!"
No response, just as I feared. Pikachu was sobbing hysterically now, and he took a hold of his Trainer's chilled hand with his little yellow paws.
I lifted up Alice's chin, bringing her icy face up to mine. "Please," I kept whispering, tears now streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks.
A few tears seeped onto her skin as I leaned down to press my lips to hers. I kissed her cold, lifeless lips as sweet and tender as I could, hoping she would magically be brought back to life like a princess in one of those fairytales she planned to tell our children one day.
But this cold and harsh slap of reality hit me so hard I felt my entire being crumble up. This wasn't a fantasy, and although Alice was my princess, nothing, not even a tender, passionate yet caring kiss could awake her from the eternal slumber she was trapped in.
I pulled her up in a sitting position, so her form rested against my chest. My chin lay upon her head, her soft strands of midnight-colored hair tickling my nose. I kept stroking her hair gently, murmuring incoherent words of grief.
My mind was a blur, just like my teary eyes. My precious fiancé was now dead... She didn't even reach her twenty-first birthday, which would've been in a few weeks.
But what about our wedding?! She couldn't leave me now! Not when we were this close to being bonded for the rest of our lives...
I felt something snuggle up between me and Alice's lifeless body. Pikachu had squeezed himself as close as he could next to his Trainer, to keep her safe as she left us forever...
Oh, Arceus... How would her friends in Unova take the news? Or her friends back in Kanto? Or her mother...?
But at that moment, I was too lost in the sound of my sobs and the coldness of my sweetheart's still form to care anymore.
I wanted to wake up from this horrible dream. I wanted to be back in my spot on the couch downstairs, the day fresh and beautiful. I wanted to run up the stairs and into the bedroom, only to be greeted by the smiling faces of Alice and Cilan.
The two of them would invite me up onto the bed, where I would jump up and snuggle in between them. Their bodies would keep me warm, and I would just lay there, listening to their conversation and affectionate comments to one another.
More tears streamed down my face. Alice couldn't be dead... She just couldn't! She once promised me the two of us would still be traveling and going on new adventures well into our lives. She told me we would both grow old together, and never leave each other's side.
But why did she have to leave us...?! Didn't she know the pain she was causing both me and Cilan?!
"Pika pi!" I screamed out in both frustration and grief. I felt Cilan flinch at the sharp tone of my voice next to me, but he placed a comforting hand on my head, stroking my ears, just like Alice used to do.
The funeral for Alice Alexandria Ketchum took place on the 22nd of August. It was held in Lavender Town in the Kanto region, of course, and almost everyone Alice had known on her journeys had come to it.
Delia was a complete mess. Her usually clean and groomed hair was frizzy in a few places, and she always seemed to have a tissue in her hand or pressed against her face. Serena and Misty had stuck with her for nearly the entire funeral.
The casket rested among different bouquets of flowers and candles. Partially opened, Alice lay in it, her eyes closed and her hands folded over her stomach. Clothed in a long-sleeved black dress, she looked almost too peaceful. Like nothing would ever cause her conflict again.
Pikachu never left Alice's side as she lay in the casket. Even as others came up to pay their respects, he stayed where he was, staring solemnly at her seemingly-sleeping face.
Cress and Chili had made the trip to Kanto, mostly because they knew I would be a wreck at the funeral. After stopping at the casket to pay their respects to Alice, they stayed by my side, comforting me as best as they could.
"Alice was the first person I ever met outside the Unova region," Iris spoke, tears cascading down her face. "She...she was just so immature and...and..." She froze, swallowing hard. "...She was my best friend. Sure, we teased each other a lot, but I could tell she...she cared about me just as much as I cared about her!"
She buried her face into her hands, sobbing loudly. Just listening to her crying brought a new and fresh river of tears to my cheeks.
"She was like a little sister to me," Clemont sniffled, wiping his eyes. He placed a small rose on top of her casket, shutting his blue eyes as he did so. "She taught me to never give up, to never stop believing in yourself. And, I know that sounds really cliché and all, but when it came from her, it sounded so foreign and original." Leaking from his eyes were messy, salty tears. "I'll miss her so much..."
When it was my turn to speak up, I felt numb. Like I'd just been dipped into a river during winter. I couldn't even feel the tears escape my eyes anymore—my face had grown so used to them in the past few days.
"Alice Ketchum was..."
I gulped and began again.
"She was one of the most influential people I had ever met. We met on the day she challenged the Striaton City Gym in Unova, and I...instantly fell for her." I forced myself to continue, feeling the eulogy paper grow soggy and crumpled in my hands with sweat. "She had that special...ingredient that made her what she was. She had some sort of trait no one else I had come across possessed, and yet, even till this day, I cannot figure out what it is." A large lump threatened to choke me, to rob me of my air supply. "I can't accept she's left us. Not now...maybe not ever."
I stepped down, screaming at myself for ending my speech like that. But I couldn't say any more. I didn't want to.
When the casket was settled into the ground, I had to hold Pikachu tightly in my arms, to keep him from diving in after his Trainer. He cried and cried as he watched the dirt fall over his partner's casket. Burying his face in my chest, he refused to leave my side for the rest of the day.
As everyone started to leave to go home, I found myself wandering away from the cemetery, Pikachu at my side. He walked slowly, like he was afraid to take another step without his raven-haired Trainer at his side. His yellow lightning bolt-shaped tail was dragging on the ground as he walked on his two back paws, his ears drooping. His black eyes were dull and almost lifeless, reminding me of Alice.
No! Stop it, Cilan!
Wiping my eyes, I found myself standing in front of a small lake. Kneeling down, I pet Pikachu's soft head, who let out a defeated sigh.
"I know, buddy." My voice felt raspy and sandpapery, like I hadn't used it in years.
That sentence alone caused Pikachu to bawl, crystallized tears falling from the eyes he tried so desperately to cover up. His yellow body shook with every sob he forced out.
Alice called me her little buddy... Hearing it from Cilan just twisted the knife in my heart, plunging it deeper and deeper. I couldn't last another second without the comfort of my Trainer. I refused to believe she was gone. I refused!
I felt Cilan pick me up and hold me close, petting me and rubbing my ears. I felt his chest rumble with sobs as well. The pain wasn't mine alone, I realized.
"We'll get through this together, Pikachu," I whispered into his yellow fur. "I promise." He answered me with another sob. "I know, I know." I stared up into the late afternoon sky, watching the dying sun. "I miss her, too."
Oh, aren't I cruel? I give you guys a taste of Sunsetshipping and hit you in the head with it. But as heartless as it may sound, I had fun writing this, for some reason. I hope you enjoyed this, and remember: it's not canon.
Bye! I love you all!