Two Worlds Collide Chapter 2:

Pikachu

Ichigo glared at Emiko. "How are we going to get home? I'm already late for my date with Aoyama-kun!"

Emiko shuddered, and said, "Honestly, what do you see in him? He's too perfect to be real, not to mention he's a stupid treehugger."

"What do you mean, too perfect to be real?" Ichigo asked.

"Teenage boys are jerks," Emiko said. "According to what I've seen of you two, and what Kisshu's told me, he doesn't act like that."

"Well, he has been lately," Ichigo said. "Maybe we're growing apart." She looked sad.

"Why don't you just break up with him, then?" Emiko asked.

"I don't have anyone else," Ichigo said.

"Well, you've got Kisshu," Emiko said.

"He thinks I'm a toy," Ichigo said. "He doesn't actually love me."

"Actually, you're wrong," Emiko said. "Kisshu loves you more than anything. He's always sad when you reject him, and he keeps hoping that you'll return his feelings. Personally, I think you'd be better off with Kisshu; he actually loves you. It's not just an ordinary crush he has on you. He would never cheat on you or treat you badly."

Ichigo looked shocked, but before she could say anything, Emiko looked up at the sky. Ichigo followed her gaze, and said, "What IS that?" A yellow object was falling toward them. Emiko flew up and caught it, then landed again. Then she looked at what she had caught, and her eyes widened. "Pikachu?" she asked.

The little yellow Pokemon uncurled itself and looked up. Its eyes widened too, and it said, "Emiko?"

"Yup," Emiko said. "What happened?"

"Team Rocket again," Pikachu said in disgust. "They caught me, but then they blew up their balloon, and I went flying again. I have no clue where Ash is."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to find him, then," Emiko said with a smile.

Pikachu smiled back, then said, "Who's she?"

Emiko followed Pikachu's gaze, and said, "That's Ichigo. Actually, she's the reason I'm here; she messed up my concentration while I was teleporting."

"Oh," said Pikachu. "Can we go find Ash now?"

"Sure, let me just explain what's going on to Ichigo, since she's going to have to come too," Emiko said. "She can't teleport."

"Um… what is going on?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm going to help Pikachu find its best friend," Emiko said. "I suggest you come as well, otherwise you won't get home."

"And the reason Pikachu can't find its best friend alone is…." Ichigo said.

"Because there's a group out to get it, so they can sell it. Now let's go," Emiko said.

Ichigo sighed, but followed Emiko into the nearby forest. Suddenly Emiko stopped and said, "Ichigo, you'd better detransform. That outfit will attract attention that we don't need."

"Are you going to attack when I've got my guard down?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"No. Now detransform, and let's go find Ash," Emiko said. Ichigo touched her pendant, and detransformed. Then she followed Emiko into the forest.