Once upon a time, there was a lonely little Pikachu...
He wasn't lonely because he was alone, per se. He just always heard his parents saying how happy they were to have each other, and he wanted that too.
One day, his father told him: "Right when we first kissed, that's how I knew she was the one for me. Sparks flew everywhere!"
So the lonely little Pikachu got an idea...
He would set out to find that special someone the way his father did-with a kiss!
With a knapsack full of berries for snacking on slung over his shoulder, the lonely little Pikachu started his journey.
First, he went to Chargestone Cave. There weren't any Pikachu there, but he saw something yellow. Thinking it might work, he kissed it.
"Hey, watch it!" The small, yellow Pokémon turned around, bristling angrily. It was a Joltik! Pikachu apologized, but the Joltik jumped up and down, yelling at him. Maybe he'd have more luck somewhere else?
Next, he tried Twist Mountain. He almost got lost in the long, winding paths, but he saw something moving in one of the caves. Without hesitation, he summoned up his courage and pressed his lips to it.
Suddenly, it started moving again! Only it was much, much bigger than he expected. "Did someone tap me?" said the Onix in a deep, gravely voice. Knowing he had no chance against Onix if she got mad, the lonely little Pikachu ran away, thinking about where to go next.
He ran into the Castelia Sewers, thinking that staying out of caves would be a good choice. It was dark and smelly and even sticky, but the little Pikachu braved on, determined to find that special someone.
The Pikachu made it very far before he slipped on a slimy patch, crying out when he fell. A passing Zubat flew over to him and helped him up. She was very friendly, and he thanked her dearly-but one look at her fangs told him he'd better not try to kiss her. After giving her an Oran Berry as thanks, the lonely little Pikachu returned to the surface.
It was nearly sunset, and he still hadn't found the love of his life! Worrying that he would never find her, he ran back to his parents, crying.
"What's wrong, son?" asked his mother.
"I've been searching and searching all day-but I still haven't found that spark!"
His mother gave him a worried look. "Oh, darling... Have you been going around, kissing Pokémon willy-nilly? You can't just do that! You have to find someone that's your type!"
"My... type?" Pikachu was confused.
"Of course! Find someone you get along with-someone you can really connect with! Then you can kiss."
Pikachu still didn't understand. He hugged his mother, and with a head full of thoughts, decided to get some fresh air to clear his mind. He sat by a river near his house, staring into the water, thinking and thinking.
All of a sudden, the water he was staring into began to ripple. It bubbled and splashed, and before his eyes, a Marill popped out from under the surface!
"Hey-what'cha doin'?" she asked.
"Oh... Nothing much. Just... thinking."
She grinned at him. "I do that a whole lot too! Like... why's the sky blue? Why's water blue? Why'm I blue?"
Pikachu smiled back. "I think that kind of stuff too! Maybe it's because you blend in with the water?"
The marill looked at the water surrounding her and giggled. "Yeah, maybe! Why're you yellow then?"
"I don't know! To blend in with yellow things...?" He found himself laughing too, and he invited Marill to sit next to him.
They talked and talked, and before they knew it, the moon was already high in the sky. Pikachu heard his mother call out, "Pikachu! It's time for dinner!"
Marill looked a bit down. "Guess you gotta go, huh?"
Pikachu nodded sadly. He didn't want to leave yet... He was having such a good time! He was about to say goodbye when he remembered his mother's words...
"Find someone you get along with-someone you can really connect with! Then you can kiss."
Could it be...? Was Marill...?
Pikachu's cheeks got even redder at the thought of kissing her. Marill asked him what was wrong, but he said it was nothing, and got up to leave. He was too embarrassed to let her see him like this!
As he was about to turn around and head home, Marill called out-"No, wait!"
Next thing he knew, Marill stood up on her tiptoes... And kissed him!
At first, Pikachu didn't know what to think... But then... he felt it.
Sparks flew from his cheek pouches, and in that moment, he knew he had found the one.
From that day on, the lonely little Pikachu...
...Wasn't lonely any more.
