A/N: Update time! As per promise, more new developments and a new character will debut in this chapter! Also, pay close attention to the near-end of this chapter... It's very critical to the storyline. Oh, and uh, I have yet another story I'll be working on, (ZOMG SQUEE) it's a Katamari Damacy humor fanfic that I like to call The Prince of Kings. If you want, you can give it a look if you're into that kind of thing. :P Two chapters (parts) are up, with the third on the way. That story is rated T for language and crude humor, just to give you a little heads up for any younger readers. The third chapter for Bond Of Steel, another story of mine, wil be up soon as well. Oh, and to those wonderful people that have been reviewing this story, have a cookie! :D Anyways, go ahead and read onwards through (the shockingly long) Chapter 11! (And dun forgets to review too, eh?)
The next few days were quite noisy, with Pikachu's (nick)name becoming known throughout town and beyond. The extra attention had made it a bit tricky for them to relax and live a normal life, but it did have several bonuses.
For example, when Pikachu and Shinx went to the store to get some groceries, the clerks recognized them right away, and gave them a great discount!
In addition, Pikachu never had to wait in line at the checkout either! The other shoppers were more than happy to give up their places in line for a champ.
Some time later, Pikachu finally sent a letter requesting Shinx's participation in the Pokeathlon along with himself. For two days there was no reply, until at last a letter arrived in the mail. The moment the doorbell rang, which signaled the mail's delivery, Pikachu ran to the door and opened it so fast that he nearly smacked the poor Mail Pidgey in the beak before it could fly off. "Sorry." Pikachu said hastily, then accepted the letter and rushed back inside to show Shinx.
"It's here! It's here!" He shouted, while waving the letter in Shinx's face.
"Don't celebrate just yet Sparky," Shinx said bluntly, "We have to see if they said yes or not."
Pikachu scoffed. "I know that! I'm just excited that we got a reply."
"Well? Come on, come on! Let's hear what it says!" said Shinx urgently.
"Okay..." Pikachu replied, and cleared his throat. "Here goes, ahem, 'To Mr. Pikachu (aka Sparky), We have received your request for a Mr. Shinx to be entered as a new Pokeathlon contender for the Power/Skill Category, and your own choice of the Speed/Jump Category. After much consideration we have decided to accept him into the competition. We thank you for your recommendation, and hope you both will succeed. Please note that one additional member must be assigned to your team, for fairness' sake. If you cannot find one, the Committee will assign one on your behalf. Regards, The Pokeathlon Committee.'"
Shinx suddenly brightened up. "They accepted me? Oh yes! But I am the obvious choice after all." He said, smirking proudly.
"Oh, heh... Of course... But yeah! I'm so glad that you can come with me!" Pikachu said, brimming with happiness.
Shinx smiled. "Well, I'm glad too. At least you won't be so lonely if we have to leave town!"
"There's that, but what about... you know, Piplup, Chikorita and whoever else? Our friends? Won't they miss us?"
Shinx sighed. "Yeah... Well... we're just gonna have to deal with it, I'm sure they won't mind waiting for us. And the whole thing will probably be televised, so it's not like they can't see us."
"But we can't see them!"
"Of course, but..." Shinx tried to think of a good argument, but he could not. He let the issue slide with a low mumble.
"Besides," Pikachu continued, "I know that Pokeville is one of the possible places for the Pokeathlon... But, there's a way bigger chance it'll be far away! Isn't Poketopia supposed to be across the ocean?"
"Well, yes. But what does it matt-"
"It matters entirely! I can't go back to New Haven, that's for damn sure! I wouldn't really mind going to Daybreak Town, and I would love to stay in Pokeville, so-"
"A fifty-fifty chance, then."
"A what now?"
"A fifty-fifty chance. Half you end up somewhere good, and half you'll end up in a no-good place. And even so, Poketopia is supposedly a wondrous and flashy-lifestyle place, so that would be good too. So that's a whole three-quarter chance you'll be in a good place! You should be happy that the odds are on your side!"
"Yeah, but... I don't think I can-"
"So, you're chickening out of the competition? Before it's even officially announced?"
"N-No! Not that! I just-"
"Just what? Wanna disappoint everyone else? When we told the gang that you were in the games they were so happy for you! Do you wanna just tell them you're giving up because you might have to leave for like, two days?"
"...Of course not. I'm sorry Shinx... I don't know what I was thinking... I'm just, all tense and nervous is all..."
Shinx sighed. "Well, I guess that's fine. But you gotta learn to keep a straight mind Sparky. You'll have a hard time in that Pokeathlon if you don't."
Pikachu nodded solemnly.
"Good then," Shinx said, "Anyway, we shouldn't be worrying about this now, the Pokeathlon's still weeks away, in summertime. We should just be relaxing and getting on with our normal lives, ya hear?"
"Alright then.." Pikachu said slowly, "But what should we do?"
"Well, we can tell everybody that I'm going to be in the Pokeathlon too, that would be a start. Then we'll... do something."
"Sure, the others should know about that..." Pikachu said, then edged closer to Shinx and gave him a nudge. "...And your girlfriend has a right to be told toooo~"
"Oh, for Mew's sake Sparky, I said that we haven't even... Gah!" Shinx said, annoyed. He grumbled it off without much argument and the two left their house to meet up with Piplup first.
On their way over they saw Piplup along with Chikorita, Plusle and Minun all in a group busily chatting with each other in the middle of the cul-de-sac.
"Well, how about that. They're already outside. Must be something up." Shinx said, then hollered out to them. "Yo, Pip! Chiko!"
Upon hearing being called, Piplup, Chikorita, Plusle and Minun all turned to face Pikachu and Shinx, who were coming towards them.
"Oh, Shinx, Pikachu! Nice to see you!" Piplup replied, "And Shinx, haven't I already told you not to call me that?"
Shinx smirked. "It's either that, or Pippy."
"Don't start with me." Piplup snapped, glaring at Shinx.
"Yeah, yeah whatever you say, Pip. Heheh. So anyway, what are you three talking about over here anyway?" Shinx asked.
Plusle and Minun started bouncing in excitement. "Oooh-ooh! We're going to the beach!" Plusle said.
"Yeah yeah!" Minun chanted, "We're gonna go collect lots of stuffs! I'm gonna find a buncha seashells!"
"And I'm gonna find lots of pretty rocks!" Plusle chimed, squealing at the thought of finding more rare rocks for his collection.
Shinx sighed. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"Yeah... Torchic didn't feel like coming along today, so, do you wanna come along instead?" Piplup asked both Shinx and Pikachu.
"Why didn't Torchy wanna come?" Shinx said, partially ignoring Piplup's question.
Piplup sighed. "Oh, he hates water. And since the beach is right next to a huge tub of it, aka 'The Ocean', then he was quick to turn it down. He went to the Park again instead. So, will you come with us?" Piplup asked again.
"Sure, I don't see why not." Pikachu replied, smiling a bit.
Shinx's response was quicker and more fierce. "NO."
"Aww... Come on cousin!" Plusle and Minun pleaded.
"I said 'no'already, can't you take a hint?" Shinx said sharply. No amount of pleading from either of them would convince him to go. Of course, Chikorita would change that.
She slowly walked up to Shinx and began pleading as well. "C'mon Shinx... Won't you come with us?" She asked in a cutesy yet sad tone.
"Err... I really don't want..." Shinx tried to say in objection, but was hampered by the sad look Chikorita was giving him.
"Come on... Please? ...For me?" She begged.
"I... you... argh... Fine, I'll go..." Shinx said quietly, defeated.
Chikorita smiled brightly. "I knew you'd come around Shinx, come on, let's go!" She said.
"Oh, wait!" Pikachu suddenly blurted out, having remembered something, "We were actually coming to tell you something important, but we sort of got carried away with the beach thing and forgot. Well... Do you remember how we asked the Pokeathlon Committee if Shinx could participate in the games with me, too?"
"Yes?" Piplup and Chikorita said, suddenly interested.
"Guess what?" Pikachu continued, starting to get excited, "He's been accepted! He can come with me!"
"Wow!Shinx, that's great!" Piplup said happily, giving Shinx a small pat on the back.
"Woah, that's just wonderful Shinx!" Chikorita praised, "I knew you would make it... But still, I'm amazed that they just let you in without anything at all! That's really something!"
Shinx smiled weakly. "Eh-heh, yeah, it is pretty great... But I'm nothing that special." He said as modestly as he could.
"Don't be so modest Shinx, the Pokeathlon is a very exclusive and popular event! You were probably let in because you're Pikachu's friend, and he's like, a legend! So it's not surprising they decided to let you in. You two will be representing Pokeville either way!" Piplup informed them.
"I think that's already been established with us." Pikachu said, "I'm pretty sure we're ready."
"What he said." Shinx said quickly, smirking.
Piplup shrugged. "Alright then, if you say so." She said, "Should we be going to the beach now? Are you ready Plu-" She turned to look at where the two brothers had been standing moments ago, but they had vanished into thin air.
"What the- Where'd Plusle and Minun run off to now?"
Shinx sighed and shook his head. "Well, that figures. They must've run ahead to the beach 'cause they got tired of waiting."
"I wouldn't put it past them, they can be so impatient sometimes." Piplup said in agreement.
"'Sometimes'? You should've said 'every waking moment'." Shinx said with a laugh.
"Yes... Well... I suppose you're right about that..." Piplup said, "...Fine then, let's just go to the beach and hope they're there." And with that, the group began their trek to the beach.
Rather than taking the main road to downtown, as Pikachu always had, they all followed Piplup down a nearby alleyway which led into a brush path that meandered left and right.
"Why are we going this way, through the bush?" Pikachu asked, almost scratching himself on an outstretched tree branch that hung over the trail.
"It's a shortcut. We'll be there in no time!" Piplup replied with a quick wink.
Pikachu just sighed. He followed Piplup and the others through the bush, which seemed to grow thicker with every step.
Before long, the distinct smell of salty sea air and sound of waves crashing filled the air around them.
"We're almost there~!" Piplup chimed.
Sure enough, they soon broke free of the enclosure of the forest and ended up at the sandy beaches of Pokeville. It was huge. Pikachu was sure that, from where he was standing, the beach was several hundred feet deep inland, and miles wide. Out beyond the beach was, obviously, the ocean. It stretched all the way to the sky's horizon and kept on going, an endless blue void that sparkled in the early morning sunshine like a jewel freshly polished by a caring gemcutter. It was truly a sight to behold.
Pikachu felt like he was going to lose himself again, like what happened at the park days before, but he managed to keep himself together. "Whoa..." was all said.
"Impressed, Sparky?" Shinx said smugly, "I'd enjoy this too if it weren't for the fact Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum show up here on a daily basis. Ugh, speak of the devil, there they are." He pointed at Plusle in the distance, apparently looking for rocks. Conversely, Minun was looking for shells, but he was also chatting with a Pokemon that Pikachu had never seen before.
"It seems you're right on the money Shinx," Piplup said, then noticed who Minun was talking to. "Oh, look! It's Oshawott! I thought he was on vacation..."
Since Plusle was obviously otherwise occupied, the group walked across the sand-laden beach towards Minun and the other Pokemon, apparently named Oshawott. Both of them turned to greet the group as they approached.
Oshawott seemed to resemble an otter in general, with a light-blue body, off-white head and arms, and dark-blue tail and feet. The most distinct feature about Oshawott however had to be a dull-yellow clam shell affixed to his stomach area.
The otter Pokemon took a small bow, then spoke, "Konichiwa guys, hows it going?"
"Great, thanks for asking." Piplup replied, "How about you Oshy?"
"Doing fine, as per usual. I was just talking to Minun here about our seashell collections!" Oshawott said, smiling.
Minun hopped up and down excitedly, like he usually did. "Yes yes! Me and Oshy both collect shells! Sometimes we trade with each other when we find super-rare ones! It's soooooo much fun!" He said, still unable to keep still.
"Eheheh... That's wonderful Minun..." Piplup said, chuckling nervously, "So anyway, what brings you to the beach Oshawott? And weren't you like on vacation or something?"
"To answer your second question, I got bored of it. It was a nice place and all, but that urge to return home soon comes and gets ya, know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I can relate to that."
"For your first question, I'm at the beach for, oh, one of two reasons: To look around for any shells and/or go for a bit of swimming."
"Swim? Isn't it still a tad early in the season for that? The water's still cold isn't it?"
"So? I can handle it fine, I was a well-known ocean swimmer in my home country I'll have you know!"
"Oh, I see... Anyway Oshy, there's someone you should meet. Come here, Pikachu!"
Pikachu stepped forward and extended his paw in greeting. "Hi... my name's Pikachu. Nice to meet you... uh... Oshawott, was it?"
Oshawott took Pikachu's paw and shook it. "That's my name, don't you dare soil it!" He said, then leaned closer and frowned, "'Cause if you do, I swear I'll hunt you down and kill you."
Pikachu stared at him in shock for several moments.
"I'm kidding!I'm just kidding! Haha, don't worry nothing about it!" Oshawott said, smiling and laughing again.
Pikachu sighed with relief and shook his head. "You had me going for a second there."
"I know I did. I'm a natural at this Pikachu... or should I say 'Sparky'?"
"Wait...! You know about the race?"
"It's hard not to! It was all over the news, about you being a racing legend and stuff. They also called you 'Sparky'. Hey, news is news!"
"Eh... Well, to set the record straight my real name is Pikachu. You see, 'Sparky' is just a nickname that Shinx came up with for me... Without really asking if that was okay, of course."
Shinx nodded in agreement. "It's true, that was the first thing I called him when he showed up on my doorstep. And I've always called him that ever since! Heheheh..." He said, snickering.
Pikachu shot a quick glare at Shinx, then turned back to Oshawott. "Yeah... So anyways, it was nice meeting you Oshawott."
"Oh please," Oshawott said, smiling, "Just call me 'Oshy', everyone else does."
"Oh, uhh... alright then 'Oshy', heh."
"Great! Now if you will all excuse me, I'm going for a swim."
Oshawott turned and ran towards the edge of the ocean, and then leaped into it with a soft Pa-loosh! He moments later poked his head out of the water roughly a dozen feet from the shoreline, then looked in the direction of the group.
"Hey!" He called out, "Why don'tcha come in too? The water is great today!"
Piplup giggled. "Okay, I guess that would be nice!" She said, then ran and jumped into the ocean as well.
"Ooh, this feels nice! You were right Oshy, it's great!" Piplup said, swimming around a bit and laughing.
"What'd I tell you? And you said it was too early for swimming!" Oshawott replied, laughing, and he splashed some water on Piplup.
"Eee!Haha, cut that out!" Piplup said playfully, splashing water right back at Oshawott.
All the while, Pikachu looked on with a pang of envy. "That looks like fun, I wanna go swim too!" He said, starting to run for the water.
"Uh, Sparky? I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea!" Shinx called after him, but Pikachu didn't listen.
Pikachu jumped into the water, like the others, but immediately regretted it. "Eeeeeeeeeyah! Coldcoldcoldcoldcold!" He shrieked, surprised by the near-freezing water.
He leaped right out of the water and seemed to skip across it as he returned at a lightning pace. When he arrived on safe, sandy ground Pikachu panted and began shivering uncontrollably, his fur soaked with water.
"T-T-That w-w-water is f-f-f-freezing! Brr..." Pikachu said, stuttering.
"I tried to warn you." Shinx said, rolling his eyes.
Oshawott and Piplup laughed. "Don't worry 'Sparky'," Oshawott called to him, "The water will be warm enough for you in summer!"
"Summer?" Pikachu said, suddenly realizing something, "But... That's when I have to leave!"
Everyone (except Shinx) fell silent and gazed at Pikachu curiously. "Leave? For what reason?" Chikorita asked.
Pikachu sighed. "Leave for the Pokeathlon. I should only be gone for a few days, maybe a week or two if it's gonna be all the way out in Poketopia." He replied.
There was a brief silence.
"Yeah... He goes, and so do I." Shinx said, already knowing of the turn of events.
Piplup and Oshawott slowly swam back to shore so they could converse better. "You both are going?" Oshawott asked, "Just you two?"
"Well, yes and no." Shinx responded."We're both going, yes, but we have to get a third contender too. Regulations, apparently."
Oshawott thought for a moment. "Eh...Well I would help you out, but the only thing I'm any good at is swimming..." He said, then silently added, "...And cooking."
"To be perfectly honest," Shinx continued, "I have no idea exactly what kind of events they're gonna have, so... If it involves swimming, then you'll help us right?"
"Depends..."
"On what?"
"...How I feel, if I'm up for it, and if I can actually do it of course."
"Hmm... Alright, we'll just have to wait and see then."
After a few more minutes of random chatter, the gang broke into groups to explore the beach. Pikachu, Oshawott, and Minun went looking for shells, Piplup and Plusle searched for rocks, and Shinx and Chikorita went off on a walk.
Pikachu decided to go with Oshawott since he wanted to get to know him better, and Oshawott wanted to go with Minun so they could look for shells. Shinx would NOT go with either Plusle or Minun, so he ended up going with Chikorita.
And of course, this left Piplup to accompany Plusle while he looked around for rocks. More or less, Piplup had to run after Plusle just to keep up with him, since he wasted no time in finding more rocks for his ever-expanding collection.
As Pikachu walked away with Oshawott and Minun, he began speaking with them both.
"So... uh..." Pikachu said, trying to think up an interesting topic to discuss, "Well... How 'bout that weather, eh? Heheh..."
Oshawott chuckled. "Not a real expert on small talk aren't you?"
Pikachu shook his head, slightly embarrassed.
"Heh, that's okay, I never really can sustain a cheap conversation even if my life counted on it." Oshawott said.
Pikachu nodded. "Yeah, me neither. I've got a ton on my mind, but I can't really speak most of it if you get what I mean."
"I can relate. I've got so much on my mind as well, like, wondering if Piplup-" Oshawott stopped suddenly and stammered a bit. "Uhh, I probably shouldn't tell you that..."
"Tell me what? Is it a secret? If it is, then I'm keeping a few myself, by either me or my friends."
"So... You're pretty trustworthy then...?"
"'Bout as trustworthy as they come. I make a promise and I keep it. I keep a secret and it stays secret."
"...Well, I'm still not sure."
"Come on, you can tell me, what is it?"
"Sigh... Promise you won't tell another living soul about this?"
"'On my heart, I make a seal; To swear myself, to never reveal'... I got that phrase from a novel I used to read, it's called the Secret Oath... But still, you get my drift."
"Okay then... I... Um... Actually... let me show you something first."
Oshawott bent down and picked up a bright pink shell off the sand, in the shape of heart. He brushed off the sand and held it in front of Pikachu.
"Does this remind you of anything?" Oshawott asked.
Pikachu eyed the shell carefully. It was quite sparkly, and the bright pink hue was very eye-pleasing. The heart shape also was a distinct symbol of love. So, what's this about? Pikachu thought.
"Well, it looks like a heart." Pikachu replied at last.
"That's pretty obvious," Oshawott replied, "But, what does it mean?"
"It's the symbol of love, right?"
"Exactly. But, to some, like me, it has a different meaning."
"And that is...?"
"Happiness. Friendship. And an everlasting bond. 'Love' is such a throwaway word nowadays. Some 'love' is false, and some supposed 'relationships' are corrupted. Do you see my point?"
"To be honest, not really."
"Ugh, well, I suppose you wouldn't. But, I must ask... Have you... found that... special someone yet?"
"What do you mean?"
"Someone you have feeling for, someone you wanna be with forever, someone who makes you happy... Get it now?"
Pikachu thought hard. He had once, as a matter of fact, been in love. When he was a little Pichu, long before the fire, he had a crush on another female Pichu, by the name of Tammy. She shared those same feelings with him, and they spent a lot of time together. They went to movies, they visited the central park often, they went out for ice creams, and so much more that Pikachu couldn't even remember. It was the model of young romance.
Sadly, not all things were meant to last. A few months later, Tammy's parents moved away, despite her protests, and he never saw her again. He was heartbroken. Pikachu could remember the nights he spent crying in his bed, particularly that one where his mother came to see him and cheered him up.
"There, there, you'll see each other again someday! Their parents called us, and gave us their address over in the town that they live in! Don't cry my little Pichu, we'll go visit them sometime!" Mother had said, and smiled brightly.
How happy Pikachu was when he heard that! But then... the fire struck. It was a double-whammy on poor Pikachu's heart. His chance at love on both fronts was lost forever. What did it matter now?
"I... I had once..." Pikachu replied solemnly.
Oshawott frowned. "It... didn't work out?"
"...Something like that... it's... complicated..."
"I see... Well... in my case, I have actually found that someone."
"Really? Who?"
"Well, I know she's my friend... but... I'm just not sure if she feels the way I do..."
"Who is it? A friend?"
"Uhhh... Okay... Um... Let's see... It's... this is kinda embarrassing...
"Go on..."
"Uh... Piplup... that's right, I have feelings for Piplup..."
"Piplup? You're in love with-"
"Yes, that's right. I know it sounds silly from me considering you and I just met and all, but... She's just so... I'm not sure what it is about her..."
"Wow... just wow... Um... Have you ever thought of... I dunno... telling her?"
"What? And possibly be rejected and ruin our friendship? No thanks."
"Hold on a second, if she really is your friend, then she wouldn't just stop being your friend if you told her you like her. I'm sure of that."
"But... won't she think less of me?"
"Hardly, if anything she'll think more of you! I mean come on! It does take a lot of guts to admit you like somebody! My friend had to go through that too, admitting she liked my other friend, and they ended up great!"
"Which friends now?"
"That's a secret. I stand by my word."
"Well, I know you're trustworthy now all right. I'll just forget that last thing you said."
"Great... uh... So now what? Are you gonna do it?"
"Well... Urgh... Sometime, but I'm not sure when..."
"That's fine. Tell her whenever you're ready."
"...Thanks Pikachu. I'm glad I have someone to confide in, besides Minun."
"Your welcome, I- wait... Minun heard...?" Pikachu turned to see that Minun was staring at them blankly, listening the whole time, then facepawed. "Aw, crap.We probably shouldn'tve-"
"It's okay, it's okay, Minun here knows about my... feelings, I swore him to secrecy you see."
"You did? How did you do that?"
"Easy, it just took a little..." Oshawott began saying, then, in one swift moment, he took the shell off his stomach (which was surprisingly detachable), then charged at a nearby piece of driftwood and jumped towards it. Oshawott then swung the shell down like an axe blade, and cut the wood cleanly in half before landing gracefully on the ground. "...Persuasion. A little tour de force. Get me?" He finished.
Pikachu stood frozen in both amazement and fear, trying very hard not to think what would happen if he was the target instead of the driftwood. "Woah... I... Yikes..." Pikachu said in a low voice. He noticed Minun trembling a bit, obviously disturbed.
Oshawott reattached the shell to his stomach area and came back to the two, smiling as if nothing unusual had happened. "You see, I told him that if he were to tell anyone, I would do THAT to him." He said, pointing at the severed pieces of wood.
"H-He was serious t-too..." Minun said sheepishly, having lost his usual hyperness, to be replaced with abject terror.
Oshawott couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I was." He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but neither Pikachu or Minun seemed to recognize it.
"So... Were you guys looking for shells? Or is there gonna be a Minun clambake now? Heheheh... Clam... bake... Minun..." Pikachu said, amused at his little joke.
Oshawott couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Pfft... Clambake... with Minun... pfft..."
Minun wasn't very pleased. "Hey!" He whined, "That's not funny!"
Pikachu and Oshawott kept on snickering and chuckling. "Hehee, clambake... 'Cause you got a clam shell on your belly... pfft..." "Heheh... I know, right? Heehee...pffht..."
"Stop laughing at me..." Minun pleaded hopelessly.
Finally, Pikachu and Oshawott both burst out laughing and hollering. "WAHAHA! That's rich! Pure gold! Hahahaha!" "Oh dear me, hahaha... That's... AHAHAHA! I'm SO writing that down!" And on and on they went, laughing like maniacs.
Minun sweated a bit. "...I just don't getyou guys anymore." He said quietly, then left to find more shells while Pikachu and Oshawott continued to bust a gut laughing.
Shinx and Chikorita sat in the shade under a tree, at the very head of the beach, right on the edge of the forest. They were alone for quite awhile, and an awkward silence reigned for the longest time.
"Soooo..." Shinx said, breaking the tense air, "I was wondering, why, of all Pokemon in the world, would you like me? What's it about me that... you know?"
Chikorita looked at him nervously. "Oh... Uhh... I... Well... not until you tell me why you like me!"
"Heheh, okay then... Well... I'm not quite sure myself. You're just so... calm... and polite... and kind... and... something. You just kinda remind me of what I wanna be like... but unfortunately am not."
"You know... there is such a thing as change, Shinx."
"I know there is, but some things don't change. Like, the sun. It always rises and sets during the day. It's on a cycle, it never fails. It's always been that way."
"Are you... sure about that?"
"Pretty sure. Why?"
"Well... Think about this... the world didn't always exist... right? It was created by the Original One, Arceus, right?"
"Err... according to the legends, yes. But it's all speculation."
"Maybe not... but... either way it had to be made at some point. The sun never existed before then, right? It was made along with our world... so... change affects everything."
"Sigh... I see your point Chiko, but I don't see how it relates to me."
"It means that... Oh never mind."
"...Uh, forgetting something?"
"Huh? Oh... right. I, uh... just think you're... kinda cute I guess."
Shinx scoffed at this. "Well, thanks, I guess. Now give me a real reason."
"Oh... Umm... You... seem really... how do I say this... charming... in a way."
"Me? Charming? Those two words weren't meant to be put together."
"And... you're really, umm... smart... and brave... and always like to joke... stuff like that..."
"Is that all? Hmm, well I guess criteria for liking somebody has been lower in recent years."
"Heheh... See? You always like to... inject humor into things, to make it seem... better. Pikachu was able to put up with you, so why can't I?
"Yeah... I guess so."
"...So Shinx..."
"Yes...?"
"I... just wanted to be sure... do you... really like me?"
"Of course I do. Do you like me?"
"Yes... That's... obvious isn't it?"
"It is... so uh..."
"What are you thinking, Shinx?"
"Well... I..." Shinx leaned closer.
Chikorita did too. "I'm listening..."
Shinx leaned even closer. "Do you wanna..."
"Wanna what?"
"Wanna... Aw, screw it." Shinx said, then threw off whatever hesitation he had, and kissed her. And she kissed him back. For a whole minute they were there, kissing each other like a pair of common lovers, until they finally stopped.
Chikorita giggled. "Wow... Our first real kiss..."
"Eh-heh... I guess it was." Shinx said, chuckling somewhat nervously.
Things were silent for a while.
"...Shinx..."
"...Yes?"
"...I REALLY like you."
Shinx smiled. "I know."
"Ooh, look over there! No, wait! Over there! Look at all these rocks! So SPARKLY! And so SHINY! And so AWESOME!" Plusle squealed, brimming with joy as he ran from one side of the beach to the other in his never-ending quest for rocks.
Piplup groaned. "Why was I stuck with the nut?" She asked herself, and sighed.
Plusle paid little mind to Piplup, and continued looking around for valuable rocks (for his collection at least). "Let's see, Gneiss? Nah, got a bunch of it already. Sandstone? Too much sandstone. Slate? Ooh, it's sparkly! In it goes!" He said, and tossed the rock into a bucket he brought along with him, already half-full from ten minutes of searching. He continued looking despite this, admiring all the rocks he picked up.
"Oh, some limestone? Neat! I'll have to try that vinegar fizzy-thing later." In it went. "Cool! Basalt! That's new!" He threw it in as well. "Granite? Awesomesauce! More for me!" As expected, this was tossed in too. "Wow! So many amazing rocks! Happiness~!" Plusle chimed, and he bounced and pranced all around, getting well ahead of Piplup.
"Plusle... w-wait up..." Piplup called after him, running out of breath. She finally could run and collapsed, trying to catch her breath. "For Arceus' sake... Huff... That boy has a problem... Harff... Oh, my lungs are aching..."
Plusle was, as usual, not aware of Piplup's suffering. He continued to bound away until he was well out of sight, then finally stopped. "Whee! That was so much fun!" Plusle said excitedly, "How 'bout you, Pip? Huh huh? How 'bout you?" He looked around him to try and find her, but Piplup was nowhere in sight.
"Oh, what a slowpoke. Silly Pip! I'll just hafta wait for her then. Such a silly-" But before Plusle could finish talking to himself he heard what sounded like rustling in the nearby forest. And voices. Plusle's curiosity got the better of him though, and he slowly approached to where the noises were coming from, in the thicket.
As he approached the voices became clearer. "...So that's the plan?" One rather shady voice asked. "Exactly how it is. We've got orders you dolts... So don't screw up or I'll have your heads." Another, very authoritative voice said. "Y-Yes... of course... We won't fail." The first voice replied. Three other voices murmured in agreement. Plusle could not see who these voices belonged to, but it was obviously just within the forest, dark as night, even though it was near mid-day by now.
Plusle couldn't hold in his urge anymore, and he spoke. "Hey hey! Is anyone in there?"
Silence.
"Helloooo? I know you're there!"
More silence.
"HEY! WHAT GIVES? ANSWER ME!"
This time, there was a sound of rustling leaves and scattered voices that slowly grew distant. Then all was silent.
"You still there?"
No response.
"Okay you! I'm coming in!"
Again, no response, so Plusle slowly began walking into the bush, hesitating only slightly, trying to be as brave as possible. The light of the beach behind him, Plusle slowly moved through the dim underbrush, until he found a small round... thing. It was colored black, with a glossy finish and slightly resembled a rock, so Plusle immediately assumed this is what it was.
"Ooooh!" Plusle squealed, and picked up the rock, examining it closely. "A... I have no idea what the heck this one is but it's SHINY!" Not surprisingly, he tossed this into his bucket too.
"Wow, so many nice things today." He said, completely forgetting about the strange voices earlier. "I wonder if-" He was suddenly cut by someone grabbing him from behind!
"Got'cha you little scamp!" A voice said, scaring the heck out of Plusle.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" He shrieked, and instinctively discharged a large pulse of electricity.
BZZAAAAP!
The assailant released it's hold on Plusle and fell to the ground, paralyzed. He spun around and backed away from the motionless being, and caught sight of his... or should I say, her face.
"PIPLUP? ! ?" Plusle shouted in complete shock, as he looked at the unconscious form of Piplup before him.
"Urrrgh..." Piplup groaned, barely moving.
Plusle stood there in shock, his eyes wide open and unblinking. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! What will I do? What will I do? What will I do?" He said rapidly, teeth chattering. "Uh... Uhh... Uhhhh... I NEED HELP!"
Plusle bolted out of the forest, tearing across the sandy beach and towards the others, while screaming, "SHINX! PIKACHU! CHIKO! OSHY! MINUN! I NEED HEEEELP!"
Eventually, after the others made sense of his rather rushed story they rushed Piplup to a Pokemon Center, where she was treated for first-degree paralysis, very minor, so a Paralyze Heal did the job right away and Piplup was released from the place without any incident. She never really did forgive Plusle for doing that though.
As the group left for home (with Piplup covered in many bandages, often scowling in Plusle's direction), Plusle looked at the odd, black rock he found. It's really shiny... He thought, It feels weird though... It's almost too smooth.
He pushed the thought from his mind and rejoined his brother Plusle before heading home for the night, as did everyone else.
A/N: Mmkay, didn't expect the chapter to run this long... Ah well, the bigger the better! :) Anyway, to reflect on the chapter: Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokemon with a weird sense of humor and yet really philosophical way of looking at things, was introduced (yes, in case you were not aware, Oshawott is the water-starter for Pokemon Black & White, and it is in fact it's English name, revealed only recently! (Just in time for this chapter actually!)), and it would seem little Oshy has a crush on Piplup! And on top of that, Pikachu knew love once before! Long ago... will Tammy appear in the future after all? Who knows! Shinx and Chikorita's relationship takes one step further, and Plusle finds an odd rock... right where he heard strange voices... What could that mean? Oh, and Shinx is 100% for-sure in the Pokeathlon. You'll have to wait a little bit for either of those developments to seem relevant though. But I assure you, this story is going somewhere now. ;) (PLOT ALERT!) And to cap it all off, thank you SO MUCH for reading (if you care about the story) and please review! (If you do, receive a free rock from Plusle's collection!)
Fare thee well!
-gl1m0