"Am I late, professor!?"

"Ah, Ash! I'm afraid so! I just gave away the last Pokemon!"

"Oh, man..."

"Of course, I still have one left."

"Really!? I'll take it!"

"Hold on a moment! This one has a rather unique personality quality!"

"I don't care! I'm just ready to start my journey to become a Pokemon master!"

Professor Oak sighed.

"If you insist."

The professor led Ash to the Poke ball storage machine. Upon retrieving the ball, Oak opened it. A yellow creature with a pink flower behind its ear emerged from the casing.

"What Pokemon is this?"

"Pikachu - the electric mouse Pokemon."

Pikachu immediately turned her nose up at Ash.

"Umm...What's wrong with it?"

"She's not keen on meeting new people. I tried to tell you."

"Pika," Pikachu responded.

"Aw, come on Pikachu! Don't be like that. We're gonna' have fun!"

Ash picked her up only to be immediately met with a powerful electric shock. Her face was a hot shade of red, though Ash failed to notice this, as he was sprawled out on the floor.

"Owie..."

"It may require a rather lengthy adjustment period before she becomes accustomed to your presence."

"Thanks for the heads up."

When the group exited the Professor's house, they saw his grandson, Gary, waiting for them.

"Well, if it ain't Ash Ketchup! What wimpy Pokemon did you get?"

Gary saw his grandfather's Pikachu and backed away.

"Not that thing! I'm telling you gramps, it isn't normal!"

"How many times must I repeat myself, Gary. There is nothing wrong with this Pikachu."

"You're not the one who saw it floating in the middle of the night!"

"Is that true professor," Ash questioned.

"Of course not! Gary here had a temporary delusion resulting from sleep paralysis."

"I'm telling you, I could move!"

Oak placed his palm on his face,

"I swear, Gary."

Ash's mother came running down the path with a change in clothes for her son.

The start of Ash's journey was fraught with peril. In his attempt to catch a pidgey, he ended up angering an entire flock of spearows in the process. This would ultimately prove to be one of the many times they would edge near the brink of death for each other. They were sources of stability and consistency in each other's lives. While traveling through each region was a fun and exciting task, the journey home was far less pleasant. Pikachu could see the loneliness in her trainer's facial expressions. He always seemed happier when people were around. The end of their adventures in the Alola region was a tipping point for her. When the sun began to set, Ash was preparing to set up camp for the night. He felt a light tug at his pant leg.

"What's up, Pikachu?"

She motioned for her partner to pick her up.

"Is something wrong?"

Suspended in the air by the strength she had come to admire, she outstretched her arms. Ash embraced her in a tight hug. With his eyes off her, she could set her plan in motion. Exposing her sharp fangs, she sank her teeth into him. He didn't feel a thing.

Ash woke up feeling consumed by a noticeable soreness throughout his body.

"Why didn't you tell me you were so sweet, Ash?"

"Huh...?"

Using his heels as a makeshift chair, he noticed Pikachu standing on a medium-sized stone in front of him. Her eyes had changed from their usual black color to a soft, illuminated shade of purple.

"Pikachu? You can talk?"

"You can understand me?"

"Woah. This is crazy."

"How do you feel?"

"A little worn out, I guess, but I'm okay. What happened?"

"My bite has anesthetic properties to numb the pain. The only problem is, sometimes they work too well."

"You bit me?"

Ash felt the trace amounts of dried blood on his neck.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help you."

"Was I sick or something?"

"In a way."

"What do you mean?"

"You're lonely, Ash."

"You knew?"

"I've always known. I was your first Pokemon. How could I not know? I saw you on those nights you stayed up late. Your heart was yearning for something - real companionship."

"What about the biting."

"Gary was telling the truth about me. I'm not a normal Pokemon."

"I figured that out when you started speaking English."

"Promise you won't be scared?"

"I promise."

"I'm a vampire."

Ash tried to stop himself, but couldn't. He broke out in a fit of laughter.

"Don't you believe me?"

"Of course not! How can you be a vampire if you walk around in the sun all day?"

"What if the books and movies were wrong?"

Ash stopped laughing.

"Wait, really?"

"Vampires are mostly the same as regular humans and Pokemon. We're just a little tougher."

"If that's true, what about all the matches we lost?"

"I had to hold back. I didn't want anyone getting hurt, or for you to get disqualified on suspicion of cheating."

"You held back your real strength...For me?"

Pikachu nodded.

"Did you turn me into a vampire too?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that mean...I can't die?"

"You can. You're just immune to natural causes like aging and disease."

"But what about the people we hang out with? What about mom and professor Oak?"

"Do you want me to change them?"

"No. I mean, is there a way to cure it if I want to get old?"

"I don't know, but if you're worried about your friends and family, I can change them until we find one. It works like a virus, and every virus has a cure somewhere."

Hearing those words set Ash's mind at ease. At least no one he cared about would have to go before he could join them.

A cold breeze blew past the pair.

"Can you make a fire? It's getting chilly."

Ash smiled and nodded.

"Sure."

"Hey, Pikachu?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you turn me?"

"I didn't know what the effects would be. I was hoping I could communicate with you better somehow. I guess now I can."

"Communicate with me?"

"I did it because I love you, Ash."

Ash's face began to feel hot.

"You mean like in a...Boy/girl way?"

"In every way. Watching you sacrifice yourself so many times for everyone made me realize what a great guy you are."

"I didn't want to see anyone get hurt either."

"I know. You're just like me. I knew I could trust you with this power."

"To tell you the truth, Pikachu, I always really liked you too, but it felt wrong because we couldn't talk about it."

"You did?"

"I feel like we have a special bond for some reason. We've seen so much of the world together."

"I feel the same way."

Moving closer to each other, they soon solidified their dark romance.

"Heh, I'm a little scared," Ash admitted.

"I am too."

"We should get some rest. It's still a long way back."

"Yeah."

Ash and Pikachu snuggled up together in the tent. Ash's sleeping bag further contained the warmth between them.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you take me dancing sometime?"

"Sure, but I can't dance all that well."

"You'll learn. I know you can do it."

"Thanks."

"Good night."

"Night."