It's coming slowly, but it's coming. A note on ages: I figure a captive pikachu lifespan is something like 25 or 30, so by that count 15 would be middle aged. Pikachu herself is somewhere between 10 and 15, so she would still be considered a young adult, and anything under 5 would be an adolescent or a child. Capiche? I tried to fit it into the story proper but I think it still has the potential to be confusing, so there you go. Also, ffn seems to think there's 2,000 more words to this than there ought to be, so let me know if you see any wierd repetition?

And finally, many thanks to my new beta, Chemical-soul. :D

"Pokemon speak"

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A Different Kind of Soulmate

Chapter 9(b): Wish

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"…here?"

"Maybe they're in trouble. We should help."

"Maybe they are trouble."

"They smell like…"

"Chi would want us to help."

"Chi wanted to help last time too."

"Pi-Ka! It wasn't his fault! He –"

"Cchhh! You'll wake them up!"

Ash frowned slightly as the whispers slowly pulled him into awareness. Fortunately he had the presence of mind to keep his eyes closed, assuming he had enough energy to want to open them in the first place. Instead he waited, trying to make as much sense of the words as he could while he woke up by degrees. It sounded like the wild clan, finally. But something didn't seem right.

"Only because he wasn't in charge! You know he would've –"

"Cha-Ka! Stop it! We have a problem here!"

"We do? I really don't see how it's any of our business."

"Fine. What if they decide to stay here? If they're not careful, it could happen again…"

Ash took advantage of the silence that followed to nudge Pikachu as subtly as he could. He received a faint nudge in return, and wondered how long she had been awake. Reassured that they were both aware and ready, Ash dared to open an eye.

It really was disappointing how little that act of bravery accomplished. All he could see was darkness. He decided to open the other eye for good measure, although it really didn't help much. It was simply too dark. What moonlight there was got filtered through the trees, losing most of its strength before reaching the forest floor, and the strangers were too far away to make out in the gloom. Ash supposed he would just have to say something. Eventually.

"Okay. Pip, are you alright to stay here?"

"I – I guess so. Yeah."

"If they move so much as a whisker, give the signal. Cha?"

"Okay."

"We'll be back soon."

"Careful, Pip."

"Sure."

Ash listened as soft crunching noises signaled the departure of at least two pokemon. From what he could tell there had only been three, so there was only one left. He doubted he would get a better opportunity.

"Hello," he tried. "We –"

"Piiiii!"

Before Ash could as much as blink, a burst of light lit up the darkness and Pikachu vanished from his side. When his eyes recovered from the cruel exposure, he found Pikachu standing protectively in front of him, tail raised. He took a few more seconds to put together what had happened: the startled pikachu must have attacked, and Pikachu had intercepted the electricity before it could touch Ash. He felt a brief flare of gratitude, but knew that thanks were completely unnecessary.

"We don't mean any harm," Ash tried again, peeking out behind Pikachu even though his vision was even worse now, if that was possible. "Really. See, we even brought a present." He nudged the parcel of food in the direction Pikachu was facing, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. There was a long stretch of silence, and then a crunch as the pikachu hopped forward once. Another long silence, followed by another crunch. And another. Finally the parcel was snatched away by a yellow paw.

Ash and Pikachu waited as their gift was inspected, staring at the vague form they could now make out amid the blackness. There was crinkling, snuffling, and then finally a crack and chewing sounds, an audible swallow and a happy 'pi!'

"It's good, right?" Ash said, smiling. "See, we're your friends."

"I'm Pip," the other chirped, and a tail appeared out of the gloom. Pikachu was the first to understand the traditional gesture, and offered her own tail to shake.

"Pikachu," his friend introduced. "And this is Red."

Ash smiled gratefully at Pikachu, knowing he definitely would've slipped up. He followed his friend's example and offered his tail as well. "Nice to meet you."

"You have such a funny name!" Pip giggled, moving closer so they could see her properly. She was tiny, and Ash guessed she must be very young.

"Chaaa…We're not from around here," Pikachu said by way of explanation. "Do you know where Viridian Forest is?"

"Kaa-aaa,"Pip said, shaking her head energetically. Suddenly she stopped, staring at Pikachu as her eyes grew wide and slightly awed. "Wait…there was…a pikachu from there who came to visit a long time ago. I'm too little so I don't remember, but Chi does! He'll tell you the story if you ask nicely and don't yawn!"

"Do you know how long ago that was?" Pikachu asked, frowning slightly. The tiny pikachu adopted a look of intense concentration and one ear drooped. Ash had to smile.

"Um…it was…10 summers ago!" Pip burst out, and then went quiet again. "I think… It was a long time ago anyway. Only Chi can remember it. He knows everything!"

"This Chi," Pikachu said, still frowning, "Is he your clan leader?"

"Pi! And he's really good at it too!"

"Do you think you could take us to him?" Ash asked. Pip opened her mouth to answer, but a cry interrupted her.

"Pip! What are you doing?!"

The tiny pikachu in question whirled to face the two shapes that bounded out of the trees, and was shoved backward as both newcomers firmly placed themselves between her and the strangers. The newcomers were larger than Pip, but still a bit smaller than Pikachu: adolescents, perhaps. The larger of the two sported jagged black tips on his ears and devoted himself to glaring at Ash and Pikachu while the other fussed over Pip. Ash wasn't sure how, but somehow he knew that the jagged-eared pikachu was a male, while the other two were female.

"We didn't hurt her," Ash tried, ignoring the glaring pikachu as much as he could. "We're friends. We just gave her some food as a present, that's all."

The smaller pikachu glanced at him, aghast, and turned back to Pip. "And you ate it, didn't you? Picha! How many times have I told you to be careful?! Dad will kill me if you get sick!"

Pip wilted noticeably under the lecture, but glared back determinedly. "It was just an apple; I didn't eat all of it! And it was good! They're just pikachu like us, they wouldn't hurt us!"

"Ch. They smell like humans," the largest pikachu spoke up for the first time.

"They're Pikachu and Red," Pip stated in the uniquely obstinate tone of young children. But even with the childish tone, the way she said Pikachu's name stuck out. The emphasis didn't fit with the rest of the sentence, and it was actually the same way that Pikachu had introduced herself: quick, with emphasis on the middle syllable. Before Ash could ponder that further, Pip continued, "And they're friends." Her guardian gave her an exasperated look and turned to the larger pikachu.

"Look, it doesn't matter anyways, you heard what Chi said." With that mysterious comment, she faced Ash and Pikachu. "I'm Uka, and he's Ki. I guess you've already met my sister. I'm sorry if she was stupid." Pip sparked a bit at that, but Uka ignored her. "Our clan's leader wants to see you. If you would follow me…?"

Ash and Pikachu nodded and the four pikachu trailed after Uka as she picked her way through the dark forest. The clan pokemon moved fast, and Ash was hard pressed to keep up with their pace. Even Pip seemed to know where the rocks were without looking at the ground. Ash was sure he would've lost the group more than once if it wasn't for Pikachu's watchful eye, as focused on the ground as he was.

For her part, when she wasn't looking out for Ash Pikachu was busy pondering the odd tenseness in the wild pikachu. All these years later, Pikachu could still remember her last visit with clan – the memory was imprinted in her mind so strongly that she doubted she'd ever forget it. That time had included some of the most tumultuous days of her life; homesickness, nostalgia, hope, and dim panic still always filled her when she remembered that time. Yet throughout her own turmoil, she remembered the clan as consistently friendly and peaceful. Even the incident with Team Rocket hadn't really ruffled their calm, at least after the dust had settled. The clan wasn't used to humans, true, but when they got over their original wariness they were comfortable enough with Ash and the others. They certainly hadn't shunned her for being a trained pokemon. Now, they seemed almost paranoid that she and Ash would draw humans after them, like harbingers of the plague. What could've happened to change their attitudes so drastically?

Her gaze shifted to Pip, who was bounding along happily beside Ash. At least there were some left in clan who embodied that sense of optimism that she remembered. Whatever it was couldn't have been that terrible if innocence like this still remained. Adolescents were always prone to being overly dramatic and pessimistic, and this pair couldn't have been older than four years; perhaps it wasn't as bad as she was imagining.

Then again, Pikachu was reminded as she stepped into the familiar clearing, youngsters were just as prone to being overly optimistic. Hushed whispers immediately started up with the group's entrance, but that wasn't what had startled the Master's elite so. The clan had hardly been large when she visited – thirty or fourty, maybe fifty individuals at best. But now, when she fully expected it to have doubled in size, it had halved; fifteen or twenty was the most optimistic count she could give. Suspicious eyes watched her from all sides as she walked with Ash through the clearing, and Ki's baleful gaze tracked them from behind.

It didn't take her very long to figure out where they were headed; the pikachu on both sides had parted obligingly, leaving them with an open route that ended at a large stump on the opposite side of the clearing. The moonlight was strong without the trees to filter it, and Pikachu could easily see the single pokemon perched on the stump awaiting their arrival. Pip, apparently tired with Uka's plodding pace, dashed ahead and joined the other pikachu on the stump, conversing with it in whispers. Before they had made even halfway across the clearing, the stump pikachu leapt off the makeshift dais and came bounding toward them amid shocked gasps from the rest of the clan and a scandalized 'Father!' from Uka. Unheeding, the stump pikachu dodged around their escort and stopped only when he was directly in front of Pikachu, grinning widely.

"Pikachu? Is that really you?" Pikachu couldn't help smiling in return at the hopeful look on the other's face.

"Chi? I thought it might be you, but it's been so long and you've grown…"

"It is you!" Chi exclaimed, and immediately pressed his cheek against Pikachu's, exchanging a few happy sparks with his old friend. Finally he seemed to recall the existence of the others, and turned cheerfully to Ash. "And who's this?"

Pikachu only smiled wider at the look of absolute bafflement on Ash's face, and she nuzzled him in a sudden burst of affection. "Chi, this is Red. Red, this is Chi, the pikachu from before that I told you about. He was the little one who fell in the river." Recognition appeared on Ash's face, and Chi laughed.

"Chuuu…Of course that would be what you remembered." He then turned around to address the rest of the clan, his smile never faltering. "Everyone, this is Pikachu and her friend Red. Ten summers ago she saved our clan from an evil group of humans called Team Rocki. She is an honorary member of this clan, and I ask that you treat her and her friend with respect. I speak for her when I say that she would never bring harm to this clan. Now please, get some sleep." Scattered yawns broke out with that statement, and the tension in the air seemed to vanish. The crowd dispersed, presumably to go back to sleep as their leader had suggested. Obviously they trusted Chi, despite whatever had happened in the past. Pikachu grinned inwardly at Chi's twisting of Team Rocket into the more pikachu-friendly 'Team Rocki'.

Chi turned back to them, and made a shooing gesture with his tail at Uka, Ki and Pip, who were still hovering nearby. Uka and Ki turned sullen but left under their own power, while Pip required a push from her father before she trailed after them. Chi moved off as well, beckoning at Ash and Pikachu to follow him.

"I apologize if they were rude," he said as they walked. "We normally welcome strangers, but we have to be more cautious these days. It's been hard for all of us, the children most of all."

"It's fine," Ash assured him. "Besides, Pip was great."

"Pi, I'm lucky to have her," Chi said, smiling sadly. "But sometimes I worry about her. She has such faith in everyone." Chi paused just outside the clearing, where a log had fallen or been pushed on top of two rocks to provide a convenient shelter. Pikachu poked her nose inside and found it to be lined with feathers and ferns – the best pillow the forest could provide.

"But that's a good thing!" Ash protested, shocked. "You should always believe in people!" Chi just shook his head, ears drooping.

"You should get some rest," he told them both. "Most of us sleep together outside in the nice weather, but I thought you might like some privacy. I'm sure nothing in the forest would be a threat to either of you." Ash nodded reluctantly, not bothering to correct him on that last statement.

"Chi…" Pikachu began, then paused and reconsidered whether it was worth risking the demons of the past to ask. But no; Chi was her friend, and as an honorary member of the clan, she should know. "What happened here?" She could have expanded on the question, but the look in the leader's eyes told her it was unnecessary. Chi turned to look out towards the clearing before answering, and Pikachu sat down near Ash to lean into his comforting warmth.

"About two summers ago, we had humans in the forest again," Chi said with a faraway look in his eyes. "I mean, we get travelers all the time, but usually they walk right through without really stopping, and we don't notice them. But these ones were different. They seemed to be looking for us, and they found us. We didn't even try to hide. We thought humans were our friends, and we didn't run away.

"They left, and we thought nothing of it until a few moons later when they returned. This time they brought more humans with them, and these humans had pokemon too. We thought they were friends too, and we didn't run. But they used their pokemon to attack us. We were completely unprepared. They caught a lot of us, including my mate, Piich. The rest of us ran, and we never saw our friends and family again. Since then we've been wary of strangers, and a lot more cautious in how we live. Before we never had to worry about threats, other than the occasional Pidgeotto trying for a youngster, but now we have sentinels at night and patrols to watch for intruders. The stress is getting to all of us, but some more than others."

"So that's why – that's horrible!" Ash exclaimed, leaping to his feet and practically vibrating with anger. "Who were they? I bet they were Team Rocket! I'll–"

"It wasn't Team Rocki," Chi interrupted sadly. "I would've recognized them. The humans that came had blue suits with tiny lightning bolts on them. We'd never seen them before."

"Lightning bolts…" Ash mused, finding the description familiar somehow. "Pikachu, isn't that…"

"The power company," Pikachu finished grimly, "based in the Power Plant near Cerulean. They probably took your mate and the others there."

"Cerulean…" Chi looked puzzled. "I'm sorry. I've never been far from this forest – I don't know where you mean. But this Power Plant…you know where it is? You've been there?"

"Not exactly," Pikachu said. "But we know how to get there."

"Chi, we'll get them back for you!" Ash cried, punching the air with his tiny yellow fist. "I promise you'll see your mate again!"

"Thank you…Red," Chi said, looking grateful but skeptical. "If there really is a chance that we could get our families back, then there are many in this clan that would help you. Ka; we'll talk more in the morning. You two need to sleep as well."

Ash sat back down and couldn't stop a yawn from coming out, along with a soft squeak. Pikachu grinned.

"I think you're right," she agreed. "Good night."

"Good night," Chi returned, and vanished into the trees facing the clearing. Yawning herself now, Pikachu stumbled after Ash into their shelter for the night. There was a brief, mostly unconscious scuffle where they both attempted to be the one facing the outside since each felt they needed to protect the other in some way. Eventually they settled in a compromise, curled up together with both of their tails hanging outside. Pikachu had almost completely drifted off to sleep when a voice dragged her back.

"Those other pikachu," Ash said slowly, obviously fighting sleep himself, "they said your name different. Like PiKAchu. You too. Whazzat about?"

"It's my name," Pikachu yawned, too far gone to realize that wasn't a good enough answer.

"But I thought your name was Pikachu!" Ash was waking up more and getting louder, and this was Not Good.

"It is," Pikachu repeated. "But not all pikachu are just named 'pikachu', Ash." Silence. Pikachu forced her eyes open and encountered a surprisingly intense Ash half-sitting in the small shelter. This was important, apparently. She tried to pay attention. "Clans are different. This one likes short, unique names. Mine cared more about the way the name was said, rather than what it was – so that particular emphasis is my name. Some clans don't even have proper names, but rely on the deeper meaning representing the individual instead."

"So I've been saying your name wrong?!"

"Pikapi,"she soothed, sitting up herself. "It's okay. According to that last group, with the deeper meanings, you're the only one who says mine name right." Ash subsided slightly, but still looked unhappy.

"How come you never told me?" Pikachu shrugged.

"It wasn't important. Besides, it was a long time before you could understand me, and by that point it really wasn't important." She caught his gaze and held it, trying her best to get her point across. "Believe me, if I cared I would've found a way to tell you."

"Fine," Ash muttered, lying down again. Pikachu immediately jumped at the chance and curled back up beside him. "But I'm saying it right from now on."

Pikachu made only a vague noncommittal noise in response, but she was smiling as she finally dropped off into sleep.

(o^. ^o)

Pikachu woke warm and comfortable. Hers was a gradual awakening as the sun inched upwards to an angle that allowed it to poke its first probing rays into the hollow where the two pikachus slept. Its increasing intrusion lit up the mass of yellow fur within, making it glow, but only when the light had crept its way up to her nose did Pikachu wake.

She didn't move at first, not wanting to disturb the peace she found herself in the midst of. Instead she slowly became more aware of the world around her; how Ash's fur ruffled like waves of golden wheat with each breath she exhaled, how their matching thunderbolt tails swayed together in the slight breeze where they hung outside the nook, how the birds around them seemed in perfect harmony as they each greeted the dawn in their own way. And it occurred to her, as she simply took in the world, that this was how she always wanted to wake up.

Pikachu knew this was a dangerous thought, but she couldn't get rid of it now that it had snagged her. Bit by bit she was realizing a new dream, this one all her own and not simply adopted from Ash. Perhaps she had always had this dream, holding it secretly deep within her heart, never allowing herself to realize it was there. But now new circumstances just kept piling up and she was losing her ability to hide from herself. She hadn't hit her epiphany moment yet, but she saw enough to be concerned. Clinging to the remainder of her ignorance, she was at least able to prevent herself from looking any closer at the thought.

Pikachu yawned and decided it was high time to get moving. She poked her companion, but the trainer-turned-pikachu only mumbled something and curled up more, pulling his tail inside and resting it over his nose. After a few minutes Pikachu realized she was staring and forced herself out.

Blinking in the full force of the sun's brilliance, Pikachu stumbled out into the clearing and attempted to locate the clan. She made out what looked like a large clump of pikachu at the far end, and she assumed those were the ones still sleeping. She began to make her way over to them when she noticed a small group of Pikachu near the edge of the forest closer to her. She headed toward them instead, stopping a polite distance away, outside of hearing range. They either became aware of her presence or simply finished their discussion, for the group dispersed shortly, leaving only one familiar pikachu behind. Pikachu hopped toward him happily.

"Morning," she greeted, noting that Chi didn't seem surprised to see her. "What was that about?"

"You, actually. They wanted to know more about where you had come from, what you were doing here." Chi squinted at her. "I didn't really have much to tell them."

"Sorry," Pikachu said, unabashed. "But you were the one who kept nagging us to go to sleep last night."

"Chu. Well, you're not feeling sleepy now, are you?"

"Maybe," Pikachu grinned. "But really, we're harmless. We just came here to get away for awhile. Red was raised by humans so he's never seen how wild pikachu live; he was curious. And he thought that you might be able to help him get stronger. He just can't accept that he'll never be nearly as strong as me." Pikachu shook her head in mock sympathy, missing Chi's thoughtful look.

"Pii…I'm not sure that we can help him with that, but we can satisfy his curiosity at least. Let me know when he wakes up, and I'll show him around."

"He'd love that," Pikachu said, her grin shifting to a true smile. "Thank you."

"Chupi, my pleasure," Chi assured her. "It's so good to see you both again."

Pikachu half-nodded before she realized what was wrong with that statement, but by the time she opened her mouth to protest it was too late. Chi was already gone.

Well, she had probably just misheard.

With that comforting thought, Pikachu left the clan leader to whatever he did during the day and headed back to her log, intending to have another go at waking up Ash. When she got there she found him sitting up and if not wide awake, at least conscious. He gave her a wave in mid-yawn when he spotted her, and made a stumbling half-hop out of the log. Pikachu noticed how he waved his tail to keep his balance as he did so, and had to smile. If he was able to use his tail unconsciously like that – and Pikachu was certain he would've fallen without it – then he must really be comfortable in his new form. The thought cheered her, and her good mood returned full force. Seeing no reason to restrain herself, she bounded over to Ash and gave him a playful cheek to cheek spark. Immediately the sleepy pikachu perked up.

"Wow!" Ash laughed, shaking his head and blinking rapidly. "You're sure happy!" He grinned at her a moment before his thoughts caught up to his other systems. "Wait…how did I know that? I mean, you're obviously…but…" Pikachu laughed, but took pity on his confusion.

"If another pikachu is feeling something really strongly, their electricity will tell you," she explained. "Works for sickness too. It's just instinct, I think."

"Well, whatever it is, I feel great!"

Pikachu grinned at Ash's enthusiasm, but a niggling part of her mind reminded her about the questions she still had for Chi regarding the de-charging…thing. She was fairly certain there were major aspects to that tradition that she was forgetting or had simply never been told – she had been snatched away from her home at a young age after all, and it wasn't considered necessary for the young ones to know everything…especially not where adult affairs were concerned.

"So, what can we do?"

Pikachu looked up at Ash's grinning face, broken out of her musings. "Pii, Chi said he would show you around later," she said. "I told him you were raised by humans, by the way. That should explain any…strangeness." Ash made a face, but didn't object. "Until then, I guess we're free," she finished with a shrug.

Ash looked thoughtful for a moment, and then brightened. "Training?"

Seeing his eagerness, Pikachu grinned yet again – she just couldn't seem to stop today. "Pika pi-ka!"

They started with some basic target practice since Ash was still having some difficulties with aiming. After only a few minutes, several decimated branches were able to testify to his intuitive grasp of power, even if the leaves on said branches remained attached. When Ash nearly crushed himself with one they moved on to control, an exercise that allowed Ash to make use of safer, ground-bound objects. As Ash was concentrating particularly hard on a tall plant, trying to use his sparks to make it crack instead of crumble, Pikachu was reminded of the way Ash used to randomly test her reaction time when she was training, and sent a small thundershock his way. Incredibly, Ash reacted to her warning call just fast enough, and his answering bolt led to an impromptu shield practice. As they stood within their respective blue domes, feeding the electricity and watching it shimmer, they silently agreed that this was far more interesting.

They locked gazes again and Ash repeated his tail twitch for a simultaneous release. Just like the last time, the bolts reformed and the electricity was easily reabsorbed. Pikachu gave herself a small shake, feeling almost more energized than before.

"Pikachu…" Pikachu lifted her head at the sadness in Ash's voice, and saw him walking towards her slowly, eyes downcast. He had, however, gotten her name right. "I'm sorry." He paused, in both words and motion, staring out across the clearing for a beat. Pikachu waited patiently, confident an explanation was on its way. "I…I didn't handle this so well. Any of it."

"Chu?"

Ash finally looked at her, and the regret she saw there was startling. "I was just so angry at the Mistress, and the first transformation was so painful that I couldn't see clearly," Ash said. "I was so angry and determined to prove her wrong that I couldn't see the benefits. I couldn't see how much I was hurting you." Ash shook his head, and his eyes dropped again. "I was stupid. But I think I'm past that now, and I really like being a pikachu now! It's fun, and everything's so different. And I just…I'm sorry for before."

"Pikapi…"

Ash blinked as he felt a furry head nudge underneath his chin and a cold nose burrow into his fur. "You don't have to explain," Pikachu whispered. "I know. And you know that."

Ash took a deep breath of Pikachu's comforting smell. "I do, but this felt like one of the big things, you know? I had to say something." There was a pause, and Ash could almost feel Pikachu internalizing his words. He had been right; this one couldn't be allowed to remain silent.

"Thank you," she whispered finally. Ash felt a puff of air ruffle his fur a moment later as she chuckled. "But you're Ash, my Pikapi. Of course you're slow sometimes."

"Hey," Ash protested, drawing back. "What's that supposed to mean?" Pikachu drew back as well, gave him a slightly tearful but joyous grin as her only answer, and took off. The race was on.

Three bruises, one scorched rock, and many angry pokemon later, Chi found them collapsed deep in the forest. Although nearly breathless from exhaustion, Pikachu managed to gasp out her surprise at his ability to find them. In response, Chi only looked up, where a sizable flock of spearow had gathered and were still scolding the miscreants quite heartily. The pair had the grace to look ashamed.

After a short while Chi deemed them to be recovered and offered to give Ash the tour he had promised. Ash leapt to his feet eagerly at the prospect, all signs of exhaustion gone. Unfortunately this offer did not have the same effect on Pikachu, who merely trailed after her excitable friend. She did, however, find the energy to fire up a stream of sparks into the treetops as she left. The flock kindly dispersed.

As the three made their way back to the clearing, Ash took the opportunity to observe their guide properly, having missed out in the chaos and darkness of the previous night. He was lean, but without being stringy – Pikachu was obviously the more fit of the two. After a moment more Ash realized that this was because he was tall, a fact that was hard to notice when travelling on all fours. Perhaps long was a better description. Pikachu was also older, but not to a noticeable degree; they were both on the young side of adulthood in Ash's estimation of such things. Chi was actually the larger of the two now - quite a difference from the last time they'd met. The years had done well by him. He was missing any notable scars or markings, and Ash wondered if this indicated that he didn't fight much. Now that he was really looking at the other pikachu, this conclusion seemed likely.

Because the closer Ash looked, the more he realized that Chi couldn't be defined by anything physical or obvious. The key to his leadership was not in how many battles he'd won, or how imposing his presence was, or even in an inherent sense of confidence which, Ash could safely say, Chi did not possess. But even though he was lacking in all these expected, typical traits, Ash could see why they followed him. He gave off a presence – not of power, or courage, or even hope – but of love; of kindness, and acceptance. Ash could tell, simply by his unconscious, habitual reactions to the other pikachu they passed and theirs in turn, that they were completely comfortable in his presence. He could even feel it working in himself – something about Chi just put him at ease. And it made sense, really, for a leader in a place such as this to embody love rather than power.

Ash felt a new wave of sympathy for this pikachu and the clan he watched over. With such a leader, they were in no way prepared to deal with the tragedy that had struck them. They didn't know what it was to fight back. Yet even with the dissidence that such an event would be expected to cause, the majority of the clan still seemed loyal to Chi. Which, Ash thought as he watched two quarrelling pikachu interrupt their argument to wave cheerfully at Chi, isn't really all that surprising after all.

Chi lived up to his promise, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy showing Ash around. The two strange pikachu received tours of the sleeping area (currently just a corner of the field), the winter burrows, and directions to the best foraging areas and the stream as well as general introductions to whichever clan members happened to be around. Sadly, Ash suspected the warm greeting they received from the others was mostly thanks to Chi's presence; a number of times Chi had to visibly break the ice with a tense pikachu, and there seemed to be a general reluctance to talk to Ash or Pikachu directly. This feeling lessened when Pip found them, since the two-year-old's chatter served to buoy up even the most lagging conversation, keeping the listeners if not engaged, at least consistently exasperated.

Finally, with visible reluctance, Chi directed them to the last sight. Pip left them, and they moved farther into the forest, using a well-trodden trail that terminated in a smaller clearing. The distinctive sound of electricity and battle cries reached their ears long before the trees' edge came into view. With ears laid back, Chi informed them that this was the 'ball'.

The meaning of this name was not readily apparent, but as Ash and Pikachu watched they began to understand. The small, round clearing was filled with pikachu, mostly young, who appeared to be training. Some were sparring with both electricity and physical attacks, others were working through an obstacle course, and still others were practicing hitting inanimate objects. Most of them seemed to be having great fun, but some of the older ones wore more serious, determined expressions.

"After the attack, a lot of the clan felt we needed to be stronger," Chi explained, mostly unnecessarily. "We'd always had a place for the young ones to learn, but now older clan members come as well. A number of them are here every day, training. And they have gotten stronger."

"But…" Pikachu prompted, after it seemed the leader had finished.

"Chuu…" Chi sighed. "They have gotten stronger, but some have also grown more aggressive, more impulsive. They resent the rest of us for wanting to continue to live peacefully. They're starting to act like bullies. We used to be so peaceful, united. But the older ones here are feeding their thirst for revenge, and it's an ugly thing. Violence can solve nothing."

"No," Ash agreed thoughtfully, "but sometimes it can help. Chi, I see why you dislike this idea, but if we're really going to rescue your mate and the others who were taken, we'll need all the help we can get. Would you mind if I joined them?"

Chi looked pained, but nodded. "Cha. If you think it might help."

Ash flashed him a grin. "Even if it doesn't help them, it'll definitely help me! Thank you for the tour, I'll see you later!" And Ash bounded off to join the crackling crowd of pikachu, leaving Chi and Pikachu to look on.

"You're not going?" Chi asked finally, after a minute had passed and neither had moved.

Pikachu shrugged. "Maybe later. …Red needs it more than I do."

If Chi noticed the involuntary pause before the name, he didn't comment. Instead he smiled, reminded. "So what's Ash up to these days?"

Pikachu visibly started and simply stared at the leader for a moment. "That's right, I guess you wouldn't know," she said slowly, a smile spreading across her face. She puffed up her chest proudly. "He's the Pokemon Master now." The blank stare she received was most definitely not the reaction she was looking for.

"The what?" Chi asked finally when it was clear that no more information was forthcoming. Pikachu had to glare.

"Pika, you can't not know!" As Chi's blank gaze continued unfaltering, Pikachu added hesitantly, "Can you?"

"Like I said before, we don't leave the forest much," Chi apologized, unfazed. Pikachu sighed, defeated.

"Well, I can't really explain it properly," she grumbled, "but it's every trainer's dream. Basically, it means Ash is recognized as the best trainer in the world right now." Chi did look impressed at that, although still not as much as Pikachu had been going for.

"Impressive, I guess," Chi said. "And you're his strongest?"

"Of course," Pikachu agreed, puffing again. Chi's next comment deflated her once more.

"So where's Ash right now?"

Pikachu blinked. "Pi…ka…he's back in Pallet," she managed. "He thought it best that he stay behind."

"Ah," said Chi. He looked tempted to probe further, but apparently was able to resist. They watched Ash interacting with the other pikachu for a few more minutes before Pikachu decided it would be wise to change the subject.

"Why the 'ball'?" she asked. While the answer obviously involved the clearing's circular shape, she felt there was more to it. The pained expression returned to Chi's face, confirming her suspicions.

"It used to be The Circle," Chi admitted. "Not just for its shape, but because of the testing process for a pikachu who felt their training was complete. The elder clan members would form a circle around the young one to test them." Chi paused again, and his nose twitched as if he smelled something distasteful. "After the attack, the older ones renamed it the Ball, after the pokeballs they were training to fight against. I think they have some deeper meaning to it now, but I don't really understand it."

The unsaid "and I don't want to" was left hanging in the air, and Pikachu turned sad eyes on the other pokemon. Chi obviously wanted nothing to do with conflict and violence yet here it was, threatening to tear his family apart. Although they couldn't be more different in that respect – Pikachu had always been quick to anger and prone to violence – she understood his wishful pacifism, and realized she wanted to do what she could to protect this little family. And maybe she was actually in a position to do that.

"You know, Red was serious when he mentioned going to the power plant."

Chi didn't seem at all phased by this abrupt subject change, although he kept his eyes fixed on the Ball. His reply when it came was measured and soft. "I don't want to get everyone's hopes up for nothing."

"It's not nothing," Pikachu pressed. "Red can do it, I promise you."

"Promises are fragile things," was Chi's enigmatic reply. "They can break for so many reasons, even if no one is at fault."

"I promise you." Pikachu repeated. Chi finally turned to face her, giving her a long, searching look. For the first time since they arrived, his eyes were almost hard. Eventually he seemed to find what he was seeking, for his eyes softened.

"You believe in him."

Pikachu blinked. "Of course I do."

"With your whole heart and soul," Chi continued, as if Pikachu hadn't spoken. "More, much more than you dare to believe in yourself. And you still insist he's not Ash?" Pikachu gaped.

"Uh…I…well, I mean…" Pikachu made herself stop, took a breath, and tried again. "That's just crazy. Ash is a human, and Red is a pikachu."

"Pi, a pikachu that was raised by humans but still has trouble controlling his electricity, and yet one that you somehow think will be able to free our captured family." Chi flashed her a grin that would have looked mocking coming from anyone else, but instead just made Pikachu feel foolish and a little guilty for lying in the first place. "Stranger things have happened."

Pikachu looked away, shifting uncomfortably, and a small blush appeared on her cheeks, accentuating the red circles even more. To her disappointment, when she looked back up Chi was still favouring her with that chastising grin.

"Fine," she huffed. "Just don't spread it around. Ash might not be the most popular person soon."

Chi's face visibly fell. "What are you planning?" he asked. Pikachu reared a bit at the assumption that it was their fault, but slumped again as she realized she couldn't exactly deny it. And she couldn't completely explain either.

"I can't say much yet," she hedged, "but we're going to try to change some things. Some people won't like it." Chi laughed, a harsh, grating sound that caused Pikachu's fur to bristle.

"That's an understatement, I'm sure," he said, turning towards the Ball. "Maybe you should enlist some of my enthusiastic yearlings to your cause."

"Chi!" Pikachu protested, overwhelmed with a sense of wrongness. The venom in his voice jarred horribly with what she knew of him, like he was being tainted in some way. Fortunately her call seemed to reach him, and he shook his head.

"Pi, pi. I'm sorry. I forgot myself for a moment." A beat passed, and then Chi turned away from the Ball and back to Pikachu. "Violence can solve nothing," he shook her head slowly.

"We want to avoid violence as much as we possibly can, but if we must fight, then we mean to win," she stated. "Maybe violence cannot solve a problem, but it'll break your solution if you can't deal with it."

Chi closed his eyes briefly, but when he opened them he appeared unshaken. "Maybe you're right, when it comes to bigger, important things in the world," he conceded, "but within this clan we have always solved our problems peacefully."

"Then let us solve this one for you," she prompted. "Ash can get your family back."

"Full circle," Chi sighed. "Fine, I'll talk to your Ash." He got up and began walking away from the clearing, back the way they had come. With a last glance at the happily occupied Ash, Pikachu trailed along.

"I saw you training earlier," Chi remarked after a minute or so of listening to pawsteps. Pikachu decided on the safe answer.

"Oh?"

"You were doing something very interesting – it looked like a blue shield?" Pikachu brightened.

"Oh yeah, that's something that Ash and I just figured out. If you don't know how to do it, we'd love to teach you!" Chi gave her an odd sideways glance.

"How do you do it?"

"It's really simple. All you do is fire a thundershock at each other at the same time, and somehow the electricity mixes and forms this shield around you both. If you put enough power into it, it seems unbreakable."

"So you are bonded then," Chi concluded, almost to himself. A sick feeling bloomed in Pikachu's stomach.

"…What does that mean?"

"It happens when two very close pikachu share their electricity," Chi explained, not noticing Pikachu's sudden uneasiness. "From then on their electricity will recognize each other, and they essentially share the same pool. They can share it with each other, and perform strange attacks, like your shield. It's pretty uncommon, though – most pairs aren't committed or close enough to try it."

"W-why?"

"Well, it's irreversible, that's why. Ka, not quite – technically it is mostly reversible, but it's a very dangerous procedure. All of the pair's electricity would have to be drained and allowed to recharge naturally, free from contamination. Usually keeping the bond is preferable…even if the procedure is successful, the bond never truly disappears since some electricity must remain, and it can make future relationships…difficult. Also, bonding in the first place can backfire if the pair isn't close enough – their electricity would be incompatible, and their bodies would reject it. Also very dangerous. "

"How…does a bond like this form?" Pikachu forced herself to ask, even though she was certain she already knew the answer. The bottom seemed ready to fall out of her stomach. Chi threw her a concerned, curious look, finally sensing something was amiss, but continued explaining without comment.

"It's an old tradition called chika – a focused sharing of electricity between two pikachu. Parents often use it to help their kits while they're learning control, since it can be used to calm an overcharged pikachu. But when two unrelated adults perform it successfully a bond is formed, and their electricity becomes attuned to each other."

Pikachu nodded slowly, trying to think clearly over the clamour of her emotions. "I was…separated from my clan before I learned about this," she offered. "I thought it was harmless. Are there any…side effects?"

"Besides the lifetime bond?" Chi laughed. "Not really. Oh, you might be overly sensitive to each other's presence for a time since your electricity will want to join again, and it takes some time for your body to get used to ignoring that pull. But it should wear off in a couple of days, at most."

"…Okay," she said finally. "Chi, I…I need to think about this. It was an accident, but…Ash…" She sighed. "If you see Ash, could you tell him I've gone exploring?"

"Pi," Chi agreed to her already retreating form. "Oh, and Pikachu?"

Pikachu paused but didn't turn, waiting.

"The full moon is ten nights from now. We would be honoured if both of you would join us."

After a moment Pikachu nodded in acknowledgement, and silently withdrew into the forest.

Her reaction was so muddled and strong that she spent a good half hour or so trying to calm down and determinedly not thinking about anything. In time the steady commotion of the forest soothed her, and she abandoned travel in favour of a tree. Nestled in the crook between branch and trunk, she laid her head on her paws and attempted to sort out her thoughts.

More than anything, she felt guilty. The guilt overwhelmed and tainted everything else about the situation, and the closer she examined it the sicker she felt. This was her fault. Ash had trusted her, and his reward was to be locked into a near-permanent bond without his consent. In her arrogant knowledge of all things electric she had misled him, and now he would pay for it. Ash had been amazingly comfortable with his pokemon form recently, but this was something he did not need. She may have just broken the thing that she wanted more than anything else in this world, more than she could even admit to herself.

Her feelings boiled up, threatening to overwhelm her again, and she was only dimly aware of the bolt of electricity she loosed in retaliation. Nevertheless, it helped; as did the sharp blow to her skull that came immediately after. Pain chased away the guilt, and Pikachu winced her way back to reality. She squinted up into the trees in time to see a fleeing winged shape, and decided she couldn't blame the bird pokemon, whatever it was. The grass at her feet had been reduced to little more than ashes, and all the trees facing her were scarred from her outburst.

She sighed and clamped down on herself, hard. What had Chi said? Violence never solves anything. She might not agree with the general principle, but it was definitely true in this case. She would have to tell Ash. There was nothing more to be done at this point; it was already too late to fix it, so it was time to fess up. Even if the bond was technically breakable, it wasn't feasible now. Neither of them could afford to be indisposed for however long it would take to recharge from empty. Pikachu gave a bitter laugh. She supposed she was now "spoiled" according to both species, and had managed to drag Ash's pikachu side down with her. There was no way the Pokemon Master would want to remain a pokemon now.

Pikachu rubbed at her eyes until stars flashed on the backs of her eyelids in a futile last attempt to ignore this moment of honesty with herself. Because that had been her goal, hadn't it? Or her dream, at least. The Mistress had implied that at the end of all of this, Ash would have a choice to make; and although Pikachu hadn't consciously acknowledged it at the time, her subconscious seemed to have latched onto the idea with an iron grip. In fact, now that she thought about it, the scenario spilled out into her mind fully formed, all the pieces falling into place like a well loved daydream. She would have her perfect partner, and they would live in the world they'd created, a world where pokemon lived free and peacefully alongside humans. There might be a…family, even. Anything was possible.

With her perfect future shining before her eyes, more possible than ever before, Pikachu felt something inside her harden. She still felt terribly guilty for ensnaring Ash like this without his consent, but what was done was done. There was no going back, at least not any time soon. This was her chance to take what she wanted and fight to keep it – and she wasn't going to let that chance slip away. She would fight for what she believed in, as she always had, but just this once she would also fight for herself. For what she wanted. She would see this future come to pass, and if that meant facing the most powerful trainers in the world and turning everything both she and Ash knew upside down, then so be it. She would face them, and she would win.

Because come gym battle, apocalypse or personal challenge, Pikachu always won when it truly mattered.

(o^. ^o)-/

The next ten days passed in a blur of training, laughter, plotting, and vague hints that flew completely over Ash's head. The black-cheeked pikachu continued his training with Pikachu and the others in the Ball, and improved in leaps and bounds. He grew proficient, or at least capable, with not only electricity but also physical attacks, dodging, and defensive moves. He even managed a basic light screen, something which Pikachu had never bothered to learn. Ash, on the other hand, maintained that he wanted to have a way to defend himself besides dodging, which he was less than confident with. Giving orders, he said, was very different from giving orders and trying to carry them out, especially when he didn't have a bird's eye view of everything. Pikachu could only nod agreeably to this, not really knowing what Ash was missing.

However, the light screen proved unexpectedly versatile. With some experimentation – in private or with just Chi, as Pikachu insisted to a bemused Ash – they discovered that if Pikachu added her own electricity to the screen it became a version of the blue shield they had created before, and stopped both elemental and physical attacks. Not only that, but the shield was now under Ash's control; he could move it, resize it, and shape it in virtually any way he wanted, with practice. Of course, the more area it covered the weaker and harder to maintain it became, but both pikachu agreed that it could be extremely useful.

Meanwhile Pikachu procrastinated on breaking her news to Ash, reasoning that the more time he had to grow used to his new form, the better. Chi only asked her about it once, and then was polite enough to leave her be. The same could not be said for the other pikachu. As the clan warmed up to the newcomers they began to make assumptions and somewhere down the line they picked up the notion that Ash and Pikachu were mates. Chi pleaded innocence, and Pikachu couldn't really accuse him. Thankfully no one said it outright, mainly just alluded to it in vague or culturally specific contexts, which meant that Ash remained cheerfully oblivious. But Pikachu knew her deadline was approaching. She even tried dropping a few hints herself in an attempt to gauge Ash's probable reaction, but she failed as spectacularly as everyone else.

The days passed, Ash got better, the clan grew friendlier, and the moon got fuller. Too soon for Pikachu's liking the clan's monthly celebration was upon them, and Pikachu knew that her time was up. If she had needed any more proof, Pidgeot's arrival the day before the celebration was it.

Pikachu and Ash had been sparring when she arrived, as they often were these days. Ash gave their practice battles his all, as he did with everything, and Pikachu held back until they were more or less evenly matched. Of course Ash could tell when and by exactly how much Pikachu was holding back, but he was not yet at the point where he could reasonably complain about it, so the sessions continued smoothly. Ash even managed to surprise Pikachu into a win quite a few times, and was quickly proving the usefulness of the light screen, even powered solo.

They were both powering up for an iron tail, streaking towards each other in symmetrical arcs when they heard the greeting call. In unison they veered away, tails dulling, and used their speed to circle back around before sliding to a stop. Side by side they watched as the huge brown bird flapped down to them.

"Pidgeot!" Ash cried happily, and Pikachu chimed in with her own happy greeting. The bird cooed softly in response. But Ash remained by Pikachu's side instead of running up for a hug, and Pidgeot did not move to give Ash a greeting nuzzle. Sadness pricked at Pikachu again as she witnessed more evidence of the rift between the once close friends.

"We are ready to meet," she informed them in gentle but almost formal tones. "I was chosen to carry you back to the others, as we did not want to wait for you to walk back on your own."

"Thanks," Ash grinned. "I didn't want to wait for us either." When his small joke got no reaction, Ash sighed and glanced at Pikachu. Whatever he saw there caused him to close his eyes and drop his head, ears flattening defensively. When he looked up again, his eyes were shining with the same sadness that Pikachu felt, and an earnestness that took her breath away.

"I know I've never said it, and I guess I'm only slowly realizing what a mistake that was. Some things you need to hear, no matter how much it's implied." Ash swallowed, and Pikachu flashed back to their own recent conversation concerning Ash's transformation. Her skin prickled, and she shivered. "So Pidgeot, here it is: I'm sorry. I always have been. I was and am sorry that I let you go, that I left you behind, and that I didn't come back when I said I would. I'm sorry that I listened to everyone's opinion but yours when deciding what was best for you. And I'm sorry that I've never truly apologized before now."

As Pikachu watched, something in Pidgeot's gaze thawed that Pikachu hadn't even realized was frozen. The bird's eyes filled with gentle warmth, like melted chocolate. She let out a soft, joyous trill. But Ash wasn't finished.

"It hurt more than you know to leave you behind that day," Ash confessed, his face creasing in remembered pain but his gaze unwavering. "But you were needed there, and I knew I didn't need you as much as they did. I did what I thought best for everyone at the time, and when I promised to come back I did mean it. But once I left I began to think about what a good life you could lead there, and I became convinced you would like it better there. I heard stories about your flock and how well it was doing, and I figured you were happy with them, happier than you could ever be with me. So I didn't look for you." Ash paused and swallowed, finally turning his gaze to the sky. "When you found me instead, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I actually felt guilty, like I'd still somehow taken you from your happier life. I guess it didn't help that you never seemed completely happy to be back, but it never occurred to me that I could be the reason for that." Ash looked back at Pidgeot, his earnest gaze returning. "So for once and for all, I'm glad to have you back. Gladder than glad. You were one of my first pokemon friends, one of my most trusted fighters, and I still count you as one of my best friends. So…" Ash turned and stuck out his tail in the traditional pikachu handshake, "we okay?"

After a moment of befuddlement, Pidgeot reached out a huge clawed foot to gently grasp the lightning bolt tail for a single shake. "We will be," she murmured, eyes shining with relief but voice still soft. "Ever since you caught me and I realized how lucky I was to have you as a trainer, all I've wanted is to make you proud. When you left me and didn't come back…I thought I'd let you down somehow, or that my evolving had made you not want me anymore. I wasn't sure how that could be, but you're not like other trainers, and we change so much when we evolve. It's never easy. The flock helped, but they could only do so much." Pidgeot's voice wavered a bit and she closed her eyes, calming down. Pikachu moved forward and placed a small paw on her wing. There were many, many reasons she didn't want to evolve into a Raichu, and this was definitely one of them.

"It wasn't like that," Ash almost whispered. "You've never let me down, not once. You're the most loyal pokemon I've ever had." Pikachu bristled a bit at that but, after a moment of reflection on her early days, had to admit that he was right. Pidgeot lowered her head and gave Ash a small nuzzle that, despite her restraint, still sent the pikachu tottering.

"I'm honoured," she cooed. "Thank you, Ash. Hearing your side has helped a great deal. But Ash, please know that I would have chosen to stay with you. I always will. And I'm sure all of your other pokemon would agree." Ash nodded, his black eyes sparkling suspiciously.

"You're not the only one, you know," Pikachu put in casually before things got dangerously intense. "He tried to get rid of me first. Didn't work of course, but only because I was wise to him by then. And he still came pretty close. Never once apologized for it, either." Pikachu shot Ash a half teasing, half serious glance and was rewarded with his startled expression.

"Uhh. I'm sorry?" Ash tried, and Pikachu's look turned exasperated. She shot a small spark his way, and in his shock he failed to throw up the light screen that had not quite become reflexive. He let out an involuntary squeak of non-pain, and Pikachu couldn't hold in her laugh. Pidgeot joined her, opening her beak in a joyous, amused trill that echoed throughout the entire forest.

The rest of the day passed happily in Pidgeot's company as the bird took them flying and helped gather food for the night's celebration. It was the clan's custom to have a feast of the month's best harvest on the night of the full moon, and all adults were expected to contribute if they wanted to join in. After a bit of nagging they even convinced the bird to come back with them and take part in the celebration; after all, she was bringing food.

With the wind in her fur and the easy companionship of her friends, Pikachu was almost able to forget her approaching doom. But the daylight hours could only stretch so long, and soon enough the sun was setting and Pidgeot was winging her way back to the clan, the two pikachu perched on her back. Pikachu found herself wishing that the bird wasn't quite so well trained; did they really need to go so fast?

Pidgeot landed in the middle of the clearing amidst all the bustling pikachu, somehow managing to avoid stepping on any. The commotion she caused was incredible, and when Ash and Pikachu leapt from her back they were bombarded. Even the suspicious Ki (admittedly made less suspicious since he had started training with 'Red') added his own questions to the general clamour. Eventually Chi shoved his way forward, pushed a hopping Pip firmly back to the ground, and asked with barely concealed amusement if they had a new guest.

Despite their initial reluctance – pidgeots were known to eat kits occasionally, after all – the clan decided in short order that the amount of food the bird had provided more than made up for her presence. The fact that there were no kits currently in the clan probably helped.

And then the sun sank completely below the horizon, and as the last pastel lights faded from the sky the celebration began.

It began quietly, and at first most closely resembled a large buffet dinner. Ash gorged himself on the impressive array of fruits, nuts and berries that the clan had assembled, and exclaimed more than once that pikachu food was amazing. Pikachu enjoyed herself at a more sedate pace, and for her the meal was a nostalgic one; Brock's pokefood was delicious, yes, but it couldn't compare to a traditional meal like this. Even Pidgeot seemed to be enjoying herself, feasting on the nuts in particular, but noticeably taking less than the pikachu around her, despite her size. Pikachu shared a soft look with Ash, who had also noticed, and they both slowed down a bit.

It didn't take long, however, for the yearlings to begin their games. The young pikachu had access to far more sugar than normal on this night, and they had taken full advantage of it. Various games sprung up across the clearing, and the air was soon filled with happy chatter and stray sparks of electricity. Ash, probably on a sugar high himself, was quickly drawn into a game of electric tag, and Pikachu was roped into joining a sparring contest between some of the older pikachu. She kept getting distracted by the game around her however, and this was probably Ash's fault; the black-cheeked pikachu kept darting by and "tagging" her even though she was obviously not playing. When the other youngsters caught on to the new aspect of the game and began to follow Ash's lead, she gave up and joined them. The game soon devolved into a single-minded chase between her and Ash, and ended predictably with them slumped together in a panting heap while the young ones gathered around and shocked the life out of them both. Eventually Ash threw up a light screen in self defense, and the mob of young pikachu bored of their victory and settled for tagging one of their own.

Their chase had led them slightly into the forest and far enough that the sounds of the celebration had faded to background noise, and now that the tiny mob had dispersed the sound of their breathing seemed unnaturally loud. Pikachu could still see the electric light through the trees but it was a dim, inconsistent glow.

She wasn't going to get a better opportunity.

"Pikapi," she began, and then stalled. How to say it? "I…may have made a mistake."

"What are you talking about, Pikachu?" Ash asked, turning to face her. He was still grinning from the chase, his cheeks flushed slightly and his eyes sparkling. Pikachu was dazzled, and took a moment to recover her train of thought.

"Uh, I mean, well," she stumbled, "remember back at that boy's house, when you got captured? And I helped you…decharge?"

"Yeah?" Ash agreed. Total open innocence. Pikachu winced internally.

"It's…well, it's been a while since I've done that, and I forgot some of the rules andsowerebondednow."

Ash blinked at her. "What?"

Pikachu sighed and dragged her courage out kicking and screaming from whatever mental crevice it had been hiding in. "Apparently it's only used between family members or sometimes mates because of how electricity is related, and if you do it and you're not, you become…that." Pikachu wanted to shock herself. She should have just asked Chi to explain it. How did she expect Ash to understand that mess?

But incredibly, Ash looked thoughtful, as if gears were actually starting to turn in his head. "So because we shared electricity, now our electricity is somehow connected?" It was Pikachu's turn to blink in astonishment, but Ash wasn't done. "Is that why we can do that shield?"

"Pi," she confirmed after a moment of mixed amazement and pride. "That's exactly it. Every electric pokemon has a slightly different type of electricity, even close family members, which is why two electric types can fight each other instead of just conducting this giant electric stream. But now we do conduct. Our bodies recognize each other's electricity as our own. We can never hurt each other with electricity because we'll just absorb it. We can't be beaten until we're both exhausted, because one can just recharge the other. Do you understand?" But of course he understood. How could she have forgotten? No matter how confusing and awkward she was being, she was still his Pikachu and he was her Pikapi. Soothing calm settled over her, and her resolve hardened even more. Of course he understood.

"There are so many ways we could use this," Ash muttered, obviously entranced by the possibilities. "The shield was just the beginning. With more practice, we could be unbeatable." He raised his eyes to hers again, wide and excited. "This is so great! Pikachu, we're unstoppable!"

"Wait, Ash. There's a bit more to it." Pikachu swallowed. This was the really hard part. "When this kind of connection happens between two unrelated pikachu, they're…bonded. Apparently only a very close pair can bond, and it can be pretty dangerous if it fails. Typically, it's only done between older, very dedicated…mates. There are ways of breaking the bond, but that can be just as dangerous, especially for a wild pikachu."

Ash took very little time to digest this. "Oh. Okay. So you're saying this is basically permanent?"

"Not exactly, but…we won't be able to break it until all of this is over, at least."

"It won't affect me if I'm not a pikachu though, right?"

The question puzzled Pikachu, and she took a moment to consider it. "Chu…People don't have electricity, so I don't see how it could."

Ash nodded decisively. "Well, it won't be a problem then, since I won't be a pikachu anymore when this whole mess is over anyways."

Pikachu was completely floored. "…Pi…ka?"

Ash winced visibly and pushed himself fully upright to focus completely on his friend. "Celebi said it was only temporary," he said gently, carefully. "When I don't need it anymore, she's going to take away my ability to transform. I'll just be me again." Finally, Pikachu understood. Ash didn't even realize he had a choice to make.

"Ash…Pikapi…" She paused, marshalling her courage for one last hurrah. The distant sounds of celebration that seeped through the trees only served to emphasize the sudden silence between the two friends. When Pikachu spoke again her words barely broke the silence, so soft she almost thought she was imagining them, but they were there. "Celebi never said which form you'd have to settle in."

And with that her courage deserted her and she fled, back to the lights and the sound and the cheer. She would give him time to think around that bombshell now. Later, the clan would finish the night with the traditional moon-song and Ash, because he was Ash and she was Pikachu, would know what to do.

(o^. ^o)

Ash didn't move for a long time after Pikachu left, which was unusual for him. Normally when he was in the grip of a strong emotion he had to move, and would run or fight or swim or something until he was reasonable again. But this…this wasn't an emotion per se. He was just simply stunned, and his mind was trying to make sense of the new possibilities that had just opened to him. He could stay a pikachu.

He was surprised the idea hadn't occurred to him before. Yes, the Mistress had said he couldn't keep the ability to transform, but she'd also said something about discussing it later. He had just assumed that he'd settle into his human form at the end, and since that was so obvious, it wasn't even worth wondering whether he had a choice.

But what if? What if I didn't go back?

It was something to consider, for sure. After all, what did he have left to accomplish? He was the Pokemon Master, unchallenged, universally acknowledged to be the best pokemon trainer in the world. What goals were left to him? And if it was simple unpredictable adventure he was after, he could do that in any form. In fact, wandering the world as a pokemon might just be the change he was looking for.

Plus he would have Pikachu with him, and all his other pokemon. Of course he'd have them no matter what he chose, but not in the same way, not as close – especially Pikachu. And Ash wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, since Pikachu was the only one he had been able to understand pre-Mistress, but he still knew it was true. Something had been different about Pikachu since he had been changed, especially since he had gotten captured. He wasn't sure what it was, but it didn't seem to be a bad thing so he was just letting it run its course, whatever that was. He was glad she hadn't exploded when he mentioned changing back, but this was almost worse in a way. For some reason his choice seemed to matter a great deal to Pikachu, too much. If he discarded his pikachu form after all of this, he wasn't sure what it would do to her. That scared him more than a little.

But it would be permanent. Was he ready to give up the life he'd known for twenty years for…what? A new perspective on life? A new way to experience the world? And his friends, his mom…they wouldn't understand him as a pikachu, if they even knew it was him. Could he really give them up too?

Ash shook his head. He didn't have to decide now. He had plenty of time to…what was it Gary was always saying? …Plenty of time to collect additional data. Maybe he could even get Pikachu to tell him why it mattered so very much.

Distantly he noticed that a strange silence had fallen over the forest, and realized that the happy sounds from the clearing had ceased. He pricked his ears curiously but the silence continued. Curiosity building, Ash padded to the edge of the trees and poked his head out into the clearing. Immediately he realized what was happening.

All the pikachu had gathered into the center of the clearing, forming a loose ring with Chi at the center. The full moon was at its peak, and the clearing was as well lit as if it had been daylight, with each blade of grass casting a blue-tinted shadow. The pikachu's fur shone and sparkled, dancing with slight electricity, and the ring began to glow softly. Chi's solemn voice drifted across the field to Ash.

"Ka-cha. Another cycle has passed. We now take a moment to appreciate everything this cycle has brought us, but also to mourn what it has taken away. For this one moment we will stop time's endless flow. Listen to the silence; the trees no longer whisper, and the wind waits for us." There was a moment of utter, total silence, and even Ash found himself holding his breath. "Cha-ka. Wish, and let the wind hear your dreams."

All the pikachu closed their eyes at this, all except two. Pikachu turned silently to face Ash from her spot in the closest side of the loop, and their eyes locked. Hers seemed to plead with him, and Ash got the impression she was wishing with her eyes open. As silently as he could, Ash made his way across the clearing towards her and slipped into the spot at her side. Pikachu seemed to glow brighter as he approached, and her eyes shone with this complex but good look she had picked up lately. When he settled in beside her she gave him a nuzzle that morphed into a sort of burrowing motion where Pikachu ended with her head tucked neatly under Ash's chin and stayed there. After brief consideration Ash decided he didn't really mind and closed his eyes.

Wish…I wish…

The wind ruffled his fur and Pikachu's as if impatient for an answer, and brought him the earthy smells of nature, the gentle spice of night, and the unique honey-like scent of Pikachu. He felt the cool grass under his feet, the night at his back, and Pikachu at his side. He felt home.

I wish it could always be this simple.

It wasn't a proper wish, Ash realized, and he knew he really ought to have wished something about world peace and people and pokemon living together happily, but at this moment it all seemed surreal. Right now, in this forest, none of that life-shattering, world-changing conflict seemed real or relevant. Right now he just knew that he was content and wanted to remain so.

Ash wasn't sure when the singing started or who started it, but he automatically added his own voice as the sound started to swell. Pikachu straightened beside him and started singing as well, but he barely had time to mourn the loss of contact before a tail hooked into his own. Still slightly unused to having a tail – it was easy to forget it most of the time, and it wasn't like he could see it – Ash found the sensation a bit strange, but reassuring in an odd way.

Everyone was singing now, and the circle began to sway in time to the song. Pip broke out of the circle and jumped on Chi's head, singing at the top of her little lungs. Uka and Ki stood together on the opposite side of the loop, alternately staring at each other and the moon, their tails swaying together behind them. A winged shadow passed over the moon, and a joyous trill rippled through the air. The clan didn't even blink at the great bird's cry, and Pidgeot's call became part of the song. Pikachu sang and her eyes shone, looking as if her wish had already come true.

"Pi pi, ka pikachuuuu…"

Things were simple and for now, Ash was content.

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