Professor Oak was looking at the charts, analyzing them carefully. Everyone else in the room was staring at him, anxious to hear the results. After a couple of moments, he looked at the group and smiled.
"Pichu has made a full recovery! All his injuries have been healed!" Oak exclaimed.
The group gave their own cheers, delighted to hear the good news. Ash and Pichu hugged one another, while Pikachu and Delia looked on with happy smiles.
It was two days after Pikachu had come to stay at the ranch that Pichu completely recovered, and those couple of days was a completely different experience for the Pokémon. Neither had to worry about predators or food. All the Pokémon at the ranch were trained, and Oak had plenty of food to feed all of them. Pichu became good friends with most of the younger Pokémon at the ranch, while Pikachu was able to keep a watchful eye over him and make sure he didn't overexert himself.
Ash made sure to visit as soon as possible each day with Delia, already full of energy and excitement before he even left the house. As soon as Ash and Pichu were together, they were inseparable. They would play together and talk with one another for hours before falling asleep from the lack of energy. Even though Ash had trouble understanding what any Pokémon was saying, he could talk to Pichu easily. He could interpret Pichu's movements and gestures a lot better than he could with any other Pokémon, allowing Ash to talk about anything he wanted. Ash would also show Pichu around the ranch and the lab, which proved to be constant sources of wonder for the infant Pokémon.
While Pikachu, at first, couldn't help but still feel a little wary when Ash was around, she was glad that those two had become such good friends. After some thought, she realized that Ash was the only close friend that Pichu ever had. She was a bit overprotective of him as he is still very young, and the constant watch she had over him didn't allow much time for him to get close to any other Pokémon they encountered.
Nonetheless, to see Pichu so happy and carefree filled her with joy. Even though his closest friend was human, she knew enough to know that Ash would never hurt him. The boy seemed so kind and carefree. She had never seen a human so close to Pokémon, and she wasn't sure she ever would again.
Although, she figured that most of that kindness in Ash most likely came from the other human she had befriended, Delia. Pikachu spent more time with her, preferring to watch the two boys play from a distance. Arceus knows she wouldn't be able to keep up with them otherwise. Pikachu felt comfortable around her, as Delia held an aura of calmness and affection around her, even though she knew firsthand that that aura could change in an instant.
Delia was the one who had given Pikachu a tour of the ranch, showing Pikachu that it would be safe for her and Pichu to stay, and that Delia was better suited at watching over the two boys. Both of them had a weakness for food, and Delia's excellent cooking made sure those two would stop whatever they were doing to have some. Pikachu herself could hardly get enough. Another plus for Pikachu was that Delia also seemed to have magic fingers. Pikachu sometimes found herself unable to resist at times. She could get used to this petting.
"Now that Pichu has recovered, he is free to leave at anytime." Oak said, getting the others out of their own thoughts.
It was only after Oak said it that he realized that it was something he probably should've kept to himself. The sad looks on Ash's and Pichu's faces were more than enough to make him feel a little guilty.
They were having so much fun that the thought of Pichu leaving had slipped their minds. Just about all the Pokémon at the ranch were trained and would not harm Ash, that's why he was allowed to play with them. Pichu wasn't owned by anyone, but that didn't stop Ash from thinking that Pichu would stay once he recovered. He didn't want to say goodbye to such a close friend.
Pichu was having similar thoughts in his head; completely forgetting that the only reason he stayed was so he could get better. Ash was his first close friend; he didn't want to separate from him so soon! He hugged Ash tighter, hoping that he wouldn't have to leave.
Ash ran up to Oak, looking at him with big, pleading eyes.
"Please Professor Oak, can't Pichu stay here?" Ash pleaded.
Oak sighed to himself, expecting this reaction from him. He knew the problem wouldn't be if Ash understood his explanation, but if he would accept it.
"Ash, I'm sorry but that decision isn't up to me."
"Huh?"
"If Pichu was on his own, then I would probably recommend he stay here, but that isn't the case. His mother is here, and I don't plan on separating mother and son. You don't want that either, do you?"
Ash just looked down with a defeated look, holding Pichu tighter, as the fear he would never see Pichu again was growing steadily. Pichu did not mind the tighter hug, as he was also having a similar feeling of dread.
"…no." Ash muttered.
"As I said, the decision whether or not Pichu stays here isn't up to me. That belongs to Pikachu only." Oak said gently.
The group turned to look at her, seeing what she would say. Pikachu was in her own thoughts, trying to figure out what was best. While her short time here had been a relaxing getaway, she was a wild Pokémon and felt more comfortable in the wild. Her thoughts on humans may have begun to change, but she still didn't want to rely on them. Her worst fear being that she and Pichu would eventually become captured and just used merely for their gain. While Ash and Delia showed they were not the kind of people to do that, she felt she couldn't take any chances with any other possible human.
Pichu jumped from Ash's arms and onto the table Pikachu was. He began to talk to her at a fast pace, hoping he could somehow convince her to stay. The look on her face, however, told him that it would be a nearly impossible task. She cut him off, sternly looking down at him and telling him she had already made up her mind. Pichu tried to argue with her further, but realized that there was no point. He looked down with a tearful expression, unable to look at his mom or his friend.
"Mommy, what are they saying? Pichu is staying, isn't he?" Ash asked, even though a small part of him already knew the answer.
Delia sighed. She wished she could tell him that it would be all right, but he needed to know. She just hoped Ash wouldn't take it too hard.
"Ash, I'm sorry, but it looks like Pikachu wants to leave now. It might be a good idea to say goodbye to Pichu."
"NO! He's my friend! I don't want him to go!" Ash cried out, tears forming in his eyes.
"Please Pikachu, can't you stay? It's so much better here!" Ash said to Pikachu, desperately trying to convince Pikachu to not leave.
Pikachu became extremely annoyed with the young boy who thought he knew what was best for them. While grateful to Ash for saving Pichu, it didn't mean he could start making decisions for them. She shouted at Ash, silencing him. She began to shout at him, not caring that he couldn't truly know what she was saying, although Ash didn't need to in this case. The overall point of the scolding was crystal clear.
Ash looked away from Pikachu, deeply ashamed and ready to burst into tears. Delia did her best to comfort him, but she still felt useless in this situation.
Delia's time as an assistant to Oak helped her understand Pokémon better than most, and during her time with Pikachu, she had learned about Pikachu's disdain for Pokémon trainers and how they treat their Pokémon. It was this prejudice that caused her to attack Ash with such anger, and Delia assumed that it was the same prejudice that was fueling Pikachu's desire to leave. While she was beginning to grow fond of both of them, Delia knew it was best to respect Pikachu's decision.
"Sweetie, I know it's hard, but don't make things worse, okay? You wouldn't want someone to tell me to leave you, would you?"
Ash only shook his head, unable to use words. Delia took Ash into a big hug, looking at Pikachu. She looked at Delia with a small smile and gave her a nod, happy that the older human understood.
"Can we at least see you and Pichu off?" Delia asked.
Pikachu's smile grew a tad bigger, giving Delia a nod. Pikachu looked towards Pichu, telling him to follow her outside. Delia, Oak, and a depressed Ash all started to head out towards the ranch when Ash heard a small and meek voice.
("Coming mama.")
Ash's eyes widened as he looked around, trying to find the source of the voice that he had never heard before. It sounded like the voice of a young boy, even younger than him. It seemed to him that no one else had heard the voice, and with Pichu leaving, Ash decided to ignore it.
The group was near the outskirts of the ranch, coincidentally nearby the spot where Ash had first heard Pichu. Oak stood nearby watching the interaction, as he wasn't close to either Pokémon and just wanted to say his own small goodbye when they would begin to leave. Delia kneeled down to Pikachu's level, reaching out to pet her with a sad smile.
"I enjoyed the time you spent here with us. I know it must've been hard to trust us, but I'm glad we were able to earn it. I just hope you two stay safe."
Pikachu leaned into her hand, enjoying the sensation while it lasted. If she was being honest with herself, she was going to miss them both. Pikachu doubted she would forget the only kind humans she had ever met anytime soon.
Both mothers turned towards the young boys, finding that both of them were looking down at the ground, unwilling to look at one another. Pichu looked down with a sad expression and watery eyes, while Ash was clenching his fists and looked like he was ready to burst into tears at any moment.
The scene broke Delia's heart, while it made Pikachu a tad guilty with how harsh she was with the boys earlier. Delia made her towards Ash, placing her hands on his shoulders, feeling just how much he was shaking. Pikachu hugged her own son, who let loose a few tears.
"Ash, I know it must be hard, but it's time to say goodbye." Delia said.
…
…
"…I can't." Ash replied.
"What?"
"I CAN'T!" Ash shouted, no longer able to hold back the tears that were now freely flowing down his face. He continued to look down at the ground, still unable to look at anyone.
"If I say goodbye, I won't see him again! I want to see him again!" Ash cried out. His eyes were shut tight, but it didn't help to stop the flow of tears. Everyone else was silent, not sure of what to do or what to say. Pichu pulled out of his mother's embrace, taking a few steps towards Ash.
Ash heard Pichu approaching and opened his eyes, slightly tilting his head up to look at Pichu. They looked at each other for a few moments while no one said anything. Suddenly, the two ran towards each other, as Pichu jumped into Ash's arms and Ash embraced him.
Pichu clung to his shirt, wetting it with his tears, while Ash continued to cry as well, with his own tears falling onto Pichu's head.
"I'm going to miss you Pichu." Ash said through choked sobs.
("I'm going to miss you too…")
"Huh?"
The voice was there again, except it sounded muffled and sadder. Ash looked down at Pichu with slightly widened eyes and confusion.
"Pichu, did you say that?"
Pichu looked up at Ash, just as confused. He wondered what he meant, and then a sudden thought caused him to widen his eyes as well.
("Can…can you understand me?")
"I-I think so…"
Pichu stared at Ash with surprise and a bit of amazement etched on his face. Then, he grew a big smile on his face, as his previous sad expression was replaced with a happy one.
("You can understand me…you can really understand me!") Pichu exclaimed.
He snuggled further into Ash's arms, rubbing his head against his chest. His best friend could now know what he was saying! Ash was momentarily stunned that he could understand Pichu perfectly, but it was replaced with joy. The sudden revelation had caused the boys to momentarily forget why they were sad only a few moments ago.
"Wait a second Ash, were you able to understand what Pichu was saying just now?" Oak asked.
Ash nodded his head, and then turned to look at Pichu. He began to test out his new ability by conversing with him while the adults looked on with stunned expressions.
Oak had heard of cases of people being capable of understanding their Pokémon. Some seemed to be capable of telepathy, while others used aura to communicate with them. However, both methods required training for months, if not years, to master and to utilize with minimal effort. There were indeed other cases of people belonging to neither category and still being able to understand their Pokémon, but that required both the trainer and the Pokémon having an extremely close bond, and each case that was reported said that it took several years before the language barrier was no longer a problem.
Oak doubted that Ash was a telepath or using aura, but that made it more confusing for him. He never demonstrated his ability before with any of the other Pokémon he had met, and he had known them much longer. The only explanation for Oak was that Ash and Pichu had developed a deep connection to one another, leaving the professor in a state of amazement. He had never heard of someone so young developing such a strong bond with a Pokémon in such a short amount of time that understanding each other wasn't an issue anymore.
"Professor Oak, how is Ash able to understand Pichu?" Delia asked, taking him out of his stupor.
"It seems that Ash has already closely bonded with Pichu, but I'm amazed it has happened so quickly."
Oak then proceeded to share his previous thoughts with her, further stunning Delia. Unbeknownst to them, Pikachu was listening in as well, and the information she just heard caused her to stare at Ash in wonder. Just how many surprises did this boy hold? From moment she encountered him, he proved to be different from anybody else she had ever met. From his kindness to his newfound ability to speak to Pichu, Ash was just one surprise after another.
However, this moment of amazement wasn't enough to cause Pikachu to forget that they were leaving. Returning to the situation at hand, she walked up to the young boys, getting their attention. She began to speak sternly to Pichu, who regained his previous sad expression.
"What did she say Pichu?" Ash asked.
("Mama says we have to go now.") Pichu replied.
"But why do you have to go? Why can't you stay?"
("Mama doesn't want me to be captured. She always says that it's better in the wild than being a pet.")
"But you're not a pet! You're my friend!" Ash shouted as he tried to fight back his tears again. He then looked at Pikachu with pleading eyes.
"Please Pikachu, can't you stay with us? You won't be a pet, I promise!" Ash said, desperately trying to convince Pikachu to stay yet again.
While she was surprised by Ash's declaration, she was getting rather impatient with him. She tried her best not to glare at him, but was having a tougher time hiding her irritation.
"Pikachu…"
Pikachu turned around to the source of the voice that stopped her from scolding Ash again. She looked at Delia, who was looking back with a soft expression.
"If you truly do want to leave here, I will not stop you. I would do nothing that would make you stay here against your will. However, if you do decide to stay, I can promise you that you would not be treated as a pet. You will be treated as one of us, as a part of our family. And if at any point, you feel that I have broken that promise, you can leave. Whatever you decide, I will support it."
She spoke in a firm tone, looking directly at Pikachu's eyes the entire time to show that she meant every word. They continued to look at each other before Pikachu broke eye contact to look back at the boys, who were looking at her with pleading eyes. She let out a heavy sigh, as the decision was left up to her again.
Pikachu thought back to the few days she spent here, and while she initially didn't want to admit it, the time she spent at the ranch was one of the most relaxing and happy points of her life. Not having to worry about danger, plenty of food, and warm places to sleep at night. But what kept running through her mind was how happy Pichu was here. He looked so carefree and happy spending time with Ash, but so sad and depressed at the thought of being separated from him.
It still amazed her how all these events were centered on this young boy. It was Ash who rescued her son, who had begun to change her opinion of humans, and who was the cause of her current indecisiveness. What should have been an easy decision was quickly proving to be quite the opposite.
Ash was so unique. He had surprised her time and time again. It was getting to the point where she felt she wouldn't even be surprised anymore. During her time in Pallet Town, she had often wondered what other surprises Ash had in store. Now, she felt a strong desire to see for herself.
Pikachu let out another sigh, shaking her head with a small smile on her face. She had made her decision, one that she thought that she would never, ever make.
Pikachu called her son to him, telling him to listen closely. Everyone else was watching with bated breath, wanting desperately to know what Pikachu was saying. They soon noticed Pichu's eyes widen greatly, which was followed by a big grin and him giving an exuberant hug to his mother.
After separating from her, Pichu excitedly jumped into Ash's arms.
("Mama said yes!")
"Huh?"
("Mama said that if you keep the promise, we can stay.")
"You mean…you are really staying with us?" Ash was stunned, almost not believing it. After a few moments, it finally clicked and he couldn't hold back his happiness.
"HOORAY! You will be staying with us! Thank you Pikachu!" Ash shouted with a big smile. After seeing how happy they were, Pikachu felt she had made the right decision. She felt a hand on her head, and looked up to see Delia smiling at her.
"Thank you Pikachu. I promise we will treat you well."
Delia rubbed Pikachu's head, while Pikachu leaned into her hand and let out a content cry. She then looked up at Delia gratefully.
"Pika, Pikachu."
They were suddenly interrupted by a bright yellow light and yelps of pain. They quickly looked towards where the noise came from and saw Ash and Pichu on the ground with swirls for eyes; both had been electrocuted.
They quickly ran over to them worriedly and began to inspect them for any serious injuries, while Oak watched some distance away. While his outward visage was one of concern, inside he was trying his best not to let out a chuckle.
I was wondering when that was going to happen. I'm honestly surprised it took this long.