A/N:
Well, this is a little surprise, isn't it?
Thank you so much to all those who have reviewed/faved/alerted this fanfic so far! It means the world to me! You guys rock!
When I wrote the first part to this little AshxPikachu fanfic (Then only considered a "One-Shot",), I wasn't really expecting much. But damn, did it get a good feedback! I did mention at the end of the chapter that I would consider continuing it…and now almost a decade later, here it is! The continuation you've all been waiting for! :)
OK, I know it's a little late (A "late" being the understatement of the year!,), but it's finally here, ready for you all to read. To be quite honest with you all, one of the main reasons why it took me so long to write the next part was that I couldn't really figure out "how" to continue it, where the story was heading to. For a very long time, I left it be.
However, due to some considerable inspiration from fans, other fanfics, and my newfound flourishing love for the fandom (Yay "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu!" movie!), the couple and the little continuation posted in a review by user "crypto496" (It was awesome dude!), I found it; a general idea of how to continue it! So thanks! :)
OK, enough rambling on, here's the next part!
Sorry about grammar and spelling errors.
Read and Enjoy! :)
Speech Key:
"Speech" – Normal Language
"Speech" – Pokespeech
Speech - Thought
Lightning Has Stricken My Heart
Written by mpkio2
Part II
Warmth was the first thing the electric mouse Pokemon felt as he stirred and struggled into the waking world. The second, a smooth, relaxing beating sound, that continued on in a rythemtic fashion, one that seem to never cease, causing an almost calming effect to wash over the Pokemon, nearly sending him back off to sleep.
And he could lay here, right? He could sleep, fall back off, because back in his dreams, back in that world of slumber, he would be with him….
His partner….
His best friend in the whole world….
A boy he dreamed about all too often….
The one person he wish he could be so much more to….
The one human he loved more than anything in the world….
His pikapi….
Ash Ketchum.
A loud "Squark!" from somewhere above in his and his trainer's vicinity, shook him to his core, waking him instantly, almost practically jumping out of the sleeping bag he found himself, comfortably, nestled, curled up on his trainer's chest. His head darted up in alarm, the sleeping bag cover that had previously been covering him, now down by its side, his head pointed up, his eyes scanning the tree tops, the sky above for anything of an indication of what had disturbed his peaceful slumber.
Damn it, he cured inwardly, a frown falling onto his face. And it was getting very interesting in his dream as well! And because he had just awoken with such a scare, he had now almost completely forgotten what his dream was about! All he knew was that it was good, and he liked it….
And that it contained the very person who was still, despite all the loud noises from the wild Pokemon that were all stirring awake around them, asleep, snoring peacefully with his mouth slightly agape…
Pikachu felt a blush creep up on his face, reddening his cheeks further, if that was at all possible…
Yes, the dream he visioned, the dream he experienced, the dream he wished would come true was good…
But that's all it was, right? A dream….
And dreams don't come true, especially for a Pokemon who was in love with his male human partner!
No, the deities had other more important and well-deserving life forms to grant wishes and dreams to. Not to him…
Not to someone, a Pokemon who was messed up in the head…
Someone undeserving….
But that was OK! Because he could just dream and dream and dream again, no matter how much it hurt when he awoke and found it to be nothing more than a lie, to feel his heart crush as that realization, that un-changing, never leaving truth came crashing down on him.
It was fine, he told himself for what felt like the hundredth time within a month. This is how it should be. You're his Pokemon, his partner, and he sees you as nothing more, OK? And that's fine because you're still by his side, and he needs you, and he trusts you and you and him are a….team. The best that ever was, right? Forever? Nothing would ever change that, and that was fine.
Normal.
The same, like everyone else…
Hide it,
Unseen, unknown by unwatchful eyes….
You can keep doing this, Pikachu!
His just your friend and nothing more!
"G-good morning, buddy," A croaking voice from below, pulled Pikachu out of his anxiety-love-stricken-crushing filled thoughts and emotions. "Did you…sleep well?" his partner, Ash, asked, yawning a little as he did so, stretching up his right hand and placing it behind Pikachu's left ear, rubbing it just in the right place where he knew Pikachu would go mad over.
But no such expecting reaction came his way. Pikachu sat above him, sitting on his hind paws, staring down at Ash in a way the teenager had never seen his Pikachu stare at him before. It was….strange, weird, and the teen just couldn't put his finger on what he was saying, what his partner's face was trying to convey; how his lips were purse together, his cheeks, somewhat, puffier that usual, his eyes sparkling with the sun's morning rays…
"Pi-Pikachu, are you OK?" he asked, ceasing his rubbing, starring back at his friend with what he assumed, worry adorning his facial features. "You don't look so good, buddy,"
"Pi-Pikapi…"
Is this where I say it? Is this where I…confess?
To tell him the truth of how I really feel?
Explain to him that I've been head over heels in love with him?
And then he would tell me the same and I would jump in his arms and we would both be so happy and everything would be right in world and I would be deserving of love and everyone wouldn't think I was a freak-
No, of course not, silly.
This isn't a fairy tale.
Because I don't get that happy ending…
I already confessed to him, didn't I? I said it to him already! He knows, doesn't he? That was my happy ending, and it was all love was gonna give to me, so I might as well be happy with it, stop being so spoiled and take it gratefully.
But then, why did his chest feel so heavy? Why did he feel his heart ache for more? Why did it hurt to look down at Ash? Why did he want-?
"Pikachu…?" The small mouse Pokemon shook its head from side to side, as if it was trying to determine itself with something, shaking away something from its head, something that was annoying him and it wouldn't go away. But in the end, he looked back down at his partner with a bright, beaming smile…
"Pika!" he exclaimed in a happy-care-free voice, happy to see his trainer awake and ready for a new day of adventure. He bent his head down and nuzzled his cheek against the black haired teen's, causing static electricity to spark between them. Finally, after another "Pika!", Pikachu jumped off his friend and scurried over to the campfire he and Ash had set up last night, where a bag and rucksack lay, filled with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
"Oh!" Ash chimed, slowly sitting up and staring at to where Pikachu was pointing at in an excited, energetic fashion. "You're hungry, huh?" Ash asked, stretching his arms in the air, slowly to wake. "Yeah, me too," the teen said, feeling his stomach growl in protest.
Once Ash was fully awake and out of his sleeping bag, the teen had trudged over to his bag and rucksack, where he had amounted an array of cooking utensils and food. He lit a camp fire (After many failed attempts which resulted in Ash simmering with annoyance,), set up the portable stove, the one in which Brock had used many-a-time when he Misty and Ash had ventured together (Brock had, gratefully, lended it to Ash, but only after he had was reassured that it would be returned in one piece,), placed it over the camp fire and cracked open an egg or two into the saucepan.
Pikachu's morning meal, meanwhile, was already located in front of him in a shining red bowl, filled to the brim with Pokefood, covered in his favourite condiment; keptchup! Ash had served his food before his own, like he always does, and Pikachu felt nothing but gratitude and affection for him, his heart fluttering just a little lighter. It was with these small things, these everyday occurrences, these small and insignificant, trivial activities that, to Ash, meant nothing, but for Pikachu, something entirely different. And it was because they were so small, so often, that Pikachu couldn't express, couldn't show, really show how he felt for his Pikapi.
Pikachu just sat there, his thought and emotions tumbling away within his very body, unable to process and sort it all out, staring blankly at the food he had no interest in devouring, yet Ash spent so much time in preparing….
There you go again, he berated himself, inwardly. He does something for you, and you just throw back in his face!
But he had to come up with some sort of excuse? He had to explain to Ash, to cover up why he looked so….
What was really on his mind….
How all he could think about was….
Ash….Ash….Ash….
"Pikachu?" A familiar voice broke him out of his troubling thoughts and Pikachu shook his head, looking up at the very person said thoughts were nothing but consumed by. "Are you OK, buudy?"
No, he wanted to say. Not at all! In fact, I can't stand this! I can't stand that I'm not OK! Perhaps you might know why? Maybe you heard me say something to you last night?
But of course, he didn't.
Only in dreams….
Instead, he placed a smile on his lips (One even he felt weak and unconvincing, his emotions betraying how he truly felt,), eyes glowing, trying with all his might to convey the emotion of "happiness" through them, and exclaimed:
"I-I'm fine, Ash!" he said, thinking "happy", only happy thoughts, use a happy voice. "J-just thinking of the rest of our adventure today!"
"Oh," Ash replied, crouched down on one knee, a worried expression still frowning his features. "If you say so, buddy," The teen slowly sat down next to his partner cross-legged, a plateful of fried eggs placed in his lap, a fork in his right hand as he tentatively at his breakfast.
A few Spareow squawked over head as the sunlight emitted rays through the canopy and onto the open space below it. A rustle somewhere in the bushes, a howl in the wind, the sound of a running river somewhere located further beyond the trees…
Silence between Pokemon and human…
Pikachu, he controlled the urge to return to his thoughts of darkness, turned and stole a glance at his trainer. Ash sat beside him, eating his friend eggs with the smallest of bites, which, Pikachu noted, was so unlike the boy's normal morning self; hungrier than a Snorlax! He was always the first to whine to Brock in the morning, that there was no food, that he was hungry, that he was starving to death.
Nothing like the boy he regarded beside him, who sat eating small nibbles, eyes lidded, staring down at the food with an expression of….worry?...concern?
Was there something bothering, Ash? Something he couldn't tell anyone?
Not even…him?
But….they were partners! Always have been and always will be! And it doesn't matter, right? Whatever that's bothering Ash, it doesn't matter! Pikachu was there, was here right beside him and they would face their problems, face any fears together! Like it should be!
Like it should be…?
Nothing would change…?
No, but that was OK!
They could face it….
Togeth-
"Pi-Pikachu," Ash's voice, yet again, called for his attention, and Pikachu found himself starring up at his human partner, his unruly raven hair falling around his face, a few strands covering his eyes which were glossy and unreadable. "I just wanted to say…"
Pikachu felt his eyes tearing up, his heart skip a beat, his breathing become shallower. What….there was no way! He wasn't going to say what he thought he was going to say, was he?!
But it was all hopes…
Only dreams….
"Y-you can tell me anything!" Ash said in a confident, reassuring and comforting tone, his right hand patted down on Pikachu's head, rustling his fur as he did so, starring down with nothing but affection, of warmth, of love, of Ash…Ash… "Anything that's on your mind, I'm here for you!"
No, Ash, Pikachu thought, feeling his heart literally breaking into pieces before him. Because the truth, was nothing but further from it…!
"Whether you're feeling anxious, or scared, or a problem you can't face…."
You can't stop this! You can't help me, Ash!
"….I'll always be here to help you,"
No! No! Stop, Ash! You don't know! And if you do, you-will….
"I'm always here, no matter what,"
A sideways tight embrace, his hand pressing against me and I can feel his warmth and I can feel the conviction in his rough, low voice, smell that musky scent from his clothes, feel his heart beat that does nothing but to try to calm, to convince me, to convey the feelings he feels….
Y-you'll…..leave…..me…..
"No!" I scream. I bolt to stand up and leave his embrace and as quickly as I'm away from him, I want nothing but to be closer to him. I scurry away a little, creating a distance between us, and I turn to face him. Ash is down on his butt, his elbows propping him up, staring at me with my own shock. "Stop! Just stop, Ash!"
I force my head down as I feel my energy bubbling within me, feel as if I've released a Thunderbolt attack. I clench my paws into fists, as if doing so will hold in the emotion that had already reached the surface, already passed the point of no return.
There's no going back now…
It was all down from here…
"You don't understand what you're saying!" I berate to him, not giving him a chance to speak, not caring if he couldn't understand a word I threw at him. "You don't know how much your….hurting me…"
I can't see him now; my vision's gotten blurry.
"I already told you, alright!" I continue. "I confessed, last night, when no-one could hear me! And it felt….right, and it was a good thing I did, because I had told you in my own way. I was….relieved. It was done…."
No response and as far as Pikachu could tell through the tears that fell from his eyes, Ash hadn't moved an inch either, like he was rooted to the spot or something.
"But…Now," I felt as if my energy was zapping away, like I had drained myself, given up on the fight. I could feel my knees buckling and I spread out my arms to brace me for the fall, back ached over the grass, heaving all the while, choking on my sobs as a thousand emotions, a thousand charged up feelings, a thousand whirlwind of thoughts came charging out all to suddenly and my body hand no idea how to handle it all, breaking down and succumbing under it all. "It's no-not e-enough, A-Ash. I ca-can't do i-it! No-not any-anymore! It's tor-torture!"
Still nothing. No response.
Pikachu tried to open his eyes but all he was greeted with was a haze of green, silence on his words. "Yo-you're…..gon….gonna….ha-hate m-me,"
Normal.
But I'm not normal!
The same, like everyone else…
I'm like everyone else! I'm a freak! A perverted, disgusting little monster!
Hide it,
I-I ca-can't…!
"I have to say it," Pikachu sobs out. "I-I have to tell you, even if it-it means lo-losing you…."
Unseen, unknown by unwatchful eyes….
And everyone will know soon and I'll be an outcast and everyone will abandon me, to leave me, unloved….
You can keep doing this, Pikachu!
Because it's all too much now and I can't keep on hiding it!
His just your friend and nothing more!
No.
He means so, so much more than that.
Because his my partner….
Ash Ketchum.
My Pikapi…
"Ash," I sob out, my voice the only sound resonating within the forest. I hold onto my heart, squeeze my eyes tightly shut and let it out like a Thunderbolt.
"I LOVE YOU!"
-TO BE CONTINUED-
A/N:
You read right! There's still more to come!
Well, this chapter came out different to what I had in mind (Seeing how I thought I would finish with this chapter,) but I'm really enjoying where it's going.
Don't know if you could tell but this chapter had so much emotion in it! I really wanted to get into Pikachu's thoughts and feelings, especially with a Pokemon loving their human, male friend a little too much than what is considered "normal". God, I went to some dark places.
Anyway, the confession is out and Pikachu's emotion have all come pouring out! How will Ash react, if anything, at all?
Please leave some reviews to let me know your still reading which will encourage me to write more! Thank you! :)
Until next time!
~mpkio2~