Chapter 25: My First Mission!

Pikachu's Pov.

After Combusken, Totodile, and the Ariados came back from the briefing thing, we went to where it was that we would be staying for the next three days.

Along the way I couldn't help but notice the looks I was getting. Some were curious, a lot were of anger. But most of them were looks of fear.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" I thought, confused and worried. My face must've shown how I really felt, because Breloom came up behind me with a sympathetic look.

"Don't let them get to you. They're just… worried that with you here, we won't be able to complete the mission. After all you were useless when we fought them before." I know he was trying to make me feel better but it only served to make me feel worse.

"Maybe you're not the one who should be trying to be making me feel better." I said with a fake laugh.

"Ooh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" I raised a paw to stop him.

"Don't worry about it, you're my pal after all. You're just being there for me." I said now trying to get him to feel better.

"Isn't this supposed to be the other way around?" He asked with a small smile, getting a laugh from me.

"Here we are." I turn forward to Ariados' voice.

"Uhm… here?" I asked looking around.

"But there's nothing here." I said motioning to the empty tree brush.

"Not up here. Down there." She said pointing a claw to the ground below.

"Why have the food down there? Wouldn't it be safer up here?" Combusken asked.

"There are many complications when storing our food in the tree, far too many to explain to you. Just know that it is much simpler to just place the food in a pile on the ground." The Ariados said exiting the tree.

"I think that's just a way for her to say, 'never thought of that.'" Totodile said with a snicker, causing the rest of us to laugh as well.

"Doesn't matter. Lets get down there." Combusken said with a small smile, moving to the wall of the tree leaves and jumping through. I quickly followed with the rest of them only to fall head first and land on my head.

"Ouch!" I cried rolling off my head onto my back.

"You okay?" I heard someone ask but was too busy holding my bruised head to hear who it was.

"Ouch… Ouch… Ouch." I kept muttering to myself rubbing the top of my head with my paws.

"If that's all it took to stop you then I fear the worst for this mission of yours." I quickly looked in the direction I heard the voice and saw that it was a random Ariados that, again, I couldn't recognize.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean!" I yelled at the Pokémon. He didn't say anything, just making a 'tsk' noise with his voice and crawled away.

"Jerk." I muttered. Quickly getting up I dusted my fur off as well as my new red scarf and rejoined with the group who giving me worried looks.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I said with the best smile I could muster.

"If you're sure." Combusken said turning back to Aee. I believe that is what everyone calls her.

"Where to now?" Combusken asked.

"Just beyond those trees." Aee said motioning toward some closely grown trees.

Combusken waited for Aee to move before moving as well, with the rest of us following her.

Aee guided us past the trees and we found a massive pile of berries and fruit. It was neat and organized, with each type of berry in its own pile.

"You will be staying here for the next three days. You may eat the food, but only if you are hungry, not because you're bored." Aee gave a stern look to Totodile.

"Why you looking at me?" He questioned, already grabbing a berry and chowing down on it.

"Please make sure he doesn't eat anymore than he is allowed." Aee turned to Combusken, who nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'll be back later today to check up on you." Aee then quickly crawled away.

I watched after the spider Pokémon for a few seconds before I quickly gave chase.

"Wait Aee!" I called running after her. She turned to me calmly though she seemed a little annoyed.

"Please don't call me that. My friends call me that, you I'm afraid are not my friend." Her voice was calm and even.

"Oh… Uhm sorry." I reluctantly apologized, hurt quite a bit by her words.

"Now please tell me what it is you want, or leave me be so I may get to more important matters than speaking to-." She didn't finish her words, suddenly stopping before her eyes soften. "I'm sorry. Tell me what is it you need." She said.

I was confused by how she was acting. First she's rude and giving me a cold stare and the next she's holding back and trying to be kind.

"I-," I gulped down my nervousness and forced myself to speak. "I was wondering who that Ariados was? The one that was just here." Aee looked at me, seeming to be thinking.

"That was Echo. He is normally in charge of guarding our food, but due to the your mission, we believed it would be best to stay out of you and your friends way and let you handle things your own way." Aee explained.

"Oh… so he was saying that we're going to fail?" I asked, earning a nod from Aee.

"Please don't hold any resentment toward him. He is a kind Pokémon, and he cares deeply for the clan. He just doesn't agree with the need for outside help and is angered by this." She said, actually sounding sincere.

"Oh… well he can stay and guard the food with us. I'm sure the team won't mind." I said looking over to the team who went to doing their own things, mostly Totodile goofing off, Breloom lazily gazing at the sky, and Combusken scanning the surrounding area.

"Well… I don't know if he will agree, but I will let him know if that is what you would like me to do." Aee offered. I nodded a yes.

"Yes, please." I said still nodding.

"Alright I will let him know, but it will be up to him." She said turning around and continuing to crawl away.

I smiled to myself and turned and made my way back to the team. They were no longer doing the things they were doing before, instead this time looking at me.

"So what was that about?" Breloom asked.

"I was just curious about the Ariados that called us weak." I stated.

"Actually, I just want to point out that he called you weak. Not us." Totodile said motioning his paw to me and then to everyone else.

"Yeah, well I still wanted to know who he was. Turns out he's usually the one who guards the food." I said.

"Really?" Combusken asked, to which I nodded to.

"He's going to be joining us, or at least I hope he is." I said.

"Why is that?" Combusken asked.

"I just figured that he would prefer it if he was here with us." I said.

"Well aren't you a kind Pikachu." She said with a smile.

"What, don't like having a little extra help?" I asked, but she just kept smiling.

"Whatever." I said after a long sigh. "Lets just figure out what we're going to do for the next three days.

Two Days Later

It had been two days and nothing had happened. The food was still here and all the berries were still on their trees. I was pretty disappointed about this outcome, while also relieved that their food was safe.

Echo had decided to join us though he didn't seem happy, making me wonder why he forced himself to stay when it was clear that he didn't want to. He chose to stay in a tree well away from us while still having a view of the food.

The team was getting restless, specially Totodile, who looked like he would run around the forest a hundred times.

Breloom wasn't as bad as Totodile, but I could easily see that he really wanted something to do.

While Combusken just sat in a random spot surveying the area. Though she didn't complain or try to show it, I could tell that she was itching to do something as well.

I was just about ready to die. Having done nothing the past two days, not to mention spending one night awake with Totodile, who wouldn't stop talking. Not that I didn't mind, it was just that the others were trying to sleep and he was keeping them up.

Echo, well, he didn't seem to mind. He actually seemed to enjoy this lazy day as I would call it.

But the team was ready for something to happen and this was the last day, with only six hours of the day left, it seemed like it was going to be another uneventful day.

"Well, this was a waste of time." Totodile said with an odd smile.

"If you find this a waste of time, then why did you accept the mission?" Echo asked.

"I had nothing to do with accepting the mission, that was all Combusken's doing." Totodile went to pointing at her with a claw and a straight face.

"Stop it Totodile, we've still got plenty of time left in the day. Anything could still happen." She said, taking a minute to look from her surroundings to Totodile.

"There's like six hours left in the day before the sunset." I said looking at the sun a paw shielding my eyes. "I don't think that would be enough time for anything as big as you say to happen."

"You may be right, but stranger and bigger things in a shorter time have happened before." She said.

"I guess that is true." I said with a sigh.

"Look at you all, so pathetic." I glared up at Echo.

"Why don't you come down here and say that to my face!" I yelled at him.

"Hey you two don't start fighting now." Breloom said getting to his feet for the first time in the two days we've been here.

"Please, I could be standing in front of you and I still wouldn't be able to say it to your face, you're so small." I was glaring at him emitting electricity.

"You calling me small!" I yelled up at him. He didn't answer me only turning his back toward me.

"Jerk." I muttered to myself, stopping the sparks from emitting from me.

"Don't let him bother you. He's just doesn't know how much potential you have." Combusken said now standing next to me.

"I don't care." I said looking back up at Echo. " After two days, I just figured he would drop the attitude and try to be my friend after I let him join us."

"Ha! Me friends with you!?" Echo laughed out. "Trust me, you and I will never be friends." That stopped me cold.

I stood there looking at his backside unmoving. My eyes wide with surprise and actual hurt. I tried swallowing my feelings but that only seem to make them stronger.

"F-f-f-f…" I was trying to speak but I couldn't find the courage.

"Pikachu." Combusken's voice came from behind a gentle claw placed on my shoulder.

"Fine!" I finally shouted, my voice quaking. "I don't need you as a friend anyways! I-I-I…." I finally stopped my blabbering and stood there looking at the ground tears rolling of my face like a river.

Then with no hint or warning I ran off not caring to listen to the cries of my friends. I just ran into the forest trying my best not to crash into a tree or the occasional Ariados.

I hadn't been running for too long before I finally came to a stop next to a tree. I leaned back against the tree and slid down to the ground, still crying.

"Why? Why do they all hate me!" I asked myself.

"What did I do to them! I haven't done a thing to hurt them and still none of them want to be my friend!" I thought to myself, only making my sadness stronger.

"Pikachu!" I heard my name being called, the sound coming closer and closer. With it came a set of foot steps against the leafy ground, and it got closer and closer, only stopping a few feet from me.

Of course, it was the team coming to check up on me, I didn't need to look up to check and make sure. After all, they're the only ones who care what happens to me.

I could hear shuffling of a set of feet coming closer and closer till it was right beside me.

"Hi." I heard Combusken's voice softly call to me. I didn't move and I didn't reply I just wanted to be left alone, but I knew even if I told her to leave she wouldn't do so.

"Is this spot taken?" She asked. I made no motion to let her know if it was or not. But that didn't stop her from sitting down next to me anyways.

She didn't do anything at first, but I could feel her eyes on me, staring at me, waiting for me to explain what was wrong. Then I felt her gently wrapping her arms around me pulling me toward her into a hug.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asked, her voice soft and caring. I didn't say anything after first, only enjoying the closeness and the warmth of her feathers.

"Why?" I croaked out softly, so soft I wasn't sure if she would hear it.

"Why what?" She asked back kindly. Again I didn't answer right away I just stayed quiet.

"Why? Why do they all hate me?" I asked looking up at her with stronger, fresher tears.

"Aaw. Pikachu." She said my name softly before hugging me tighter. "They just don't understand you." She said but that only served to make me angrier.

"I don't even understand me! I don't understand! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why!" I chanted at her pushing myself away from her. "What is so dangerous about me! So scary! So… GAAAAA! I don't know! What did I do to make them hate me!" I yelled, still crying, my voice cracking and squeaking.

She didn't say anything, only looked down at me with an understanding gaze. I could understand why she would look at me like that. But then she moved forward again picking me up and hugging me again.

"That's because they don't understand you. They don't know how much your suffering right now. They're only thinking of themselves." She whispered to me.

"They don't know how strong you really are, how BRAVE you really are. How much of an incredible Pokémon you are. You are going through something that no Pokémon should go through. But instead of moping and crying, you're actually doing something. You're actually going out there and doing something, which is more than what most Pokémon, most Humans would do." The words she spoke, they were so sincere, so kind, and I couldn't take it.

"BUT WHY!" I cried out even harder. Bawling like a newborn, I cried and cried. That's all I ever do when it comes to me and my uncertain past and future.

"What is wrong with me...why is everything about me so complicated." I asked myself.

Combusken stopped hugging me to give me air as well as to look at me. I wasn't sure how much longer it was before I finally stopped crying. I noticed that the shadows had gotten longer so half and hour to an hour must have passed.

"You feeling better?" She asked, gently rubbing my back with a claw.

"No…" I stated. Which only got an understanding nod from her.

"You guys can come over now." Combusken said turning toward the rest of the team.

"Hey pal." Breloom said.

"Hi." I said back.

"You have got to stop doing this." Totodile said though I could tell he was just trying to lighten the mood.

"And you have got to stop being an idiot." Breloom said turning to him. Getting a light laugh from me. "See even he agrees."

"Yeah, we've established that before." Combusken said.

"So… want to talk about why him not wanting to be your friend bothers you so much?" Totodile asked.

"Did you notice all the looks I got from the Ariados?" I asked.

"Yes." The all reluctantly admitted.

"Echo doesn't look at me like that. He doesn't give me angry glares or fear full stares. He just sees me as another Pokémon. Not some-thing!" I exclaimed. "Sure he's rude. But Aee said that he cares deeply for his clan. So I wanted to be friends with him. I wanted him to be the first friend that I made an effort to make." Everyone didn't say word to me as I explained what I was thinking and feeling.

"But he doesn't want to be my friend. Just like the rest of his clan." I said with great sadness. "Then I got to thinking that, if they're so scared of me, what's keeping any other Pokémon from fearing me. What if I won't be able to make any more friends…" I stopped not really wanting to say the next words. "And what if I lose the ones I already have." I said, not looking at anyone on the team, only at the ground.

"Geez, pal. You don't need to worry about that." I looked up at the team.

"Breloom's right. You're our friend. Forever, as in for a long time." Totodile said.

"See Pikachu. You have nothing to worry about. Because we'll be with you all the way making new friends with you. So you don't have to do this alone because we're here with you." Combusken said with a large grin.

I couldn't help but smile which got Breloom and Totodile to smile as well.

"So why don't we get back to the mission. There's still," Combusken looked up to the sky. "About five hours till sunset." She said.

"Wait five hours?!" I gasped surprised. "Really?" I asked, looking to the sky. "Dang. I must've been crying for a long time." I said mostly to myself.

"Well, actually most of the time you were snuggling up to Combusken." Totodile said with a sideways grin.

"W-w-what! N-no! I wasn't snuggling up to her!" I cried my face heating up quite a bit.

"Hahahaha. Look he's blushing." Totodile cried this time making me mad.

"Leave him alone, Totodile." Breloom said with straight face.

"What, can't I mess with the him a little?" Totodile asked.

"Guys, can we just get back to the mission?" Combusken asked, with a sly smile on her beak.

"Sure." I said quickly trying to recover from both my crying and embarrassment.

"Yeah, okay." Both Breloom and Combusken said at once.

We slowly made our way back not feeling the need to rush. I took the time to think about what they had said to me. We're friends, 'Forever' is what Totodile had said. That brought a bright smile to my face.

"Glad to see you back to normal." Combusken said looking back at me over her shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I said with a laugh.

"Next time come to one of us to talk to, instead of running off and causing us to worry." Totodile said.

"Haha, okay I will." I lightly laughed then agreed to his terms.

"Wait… Guys…" We all stopped to look at Breloom who was at the front of us all.

"What is it?" I asked, looking ahead of him but seeing nothing unusual.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing." He asked spinning in circles and looking around the area.

"No what?" Totodile and I asked at once. It was only when Combusken gasped in pure shock that it finally hit me that whatever the problem was with this picture was big.

"No way…" Combusken whisper moving forward and them looking up to the trees only to gasp again.

"You guys…. Where in Arceus' great name is all the food!" Breloom finally shouted.

"Wait what!" I cried followed by Totodile who finally understood what was being said.

"What are you talking about?!" I asked rushing up the area he was standing.

"I'm standing where the pile of food was!" Breloom exclaimed.

"Wait… what…" I said slowly taking in the surrounding area.

"No way…" I repeated what Combusken had said.

"What happened to it all…" Combusken asked looking around. "And where's Echo?" She asked looking at the trees again for the spider Pokémon.

"He's not here?" Totodile asked, now looking around for him as well.

"I can't seem to find him." She said looking back toward the team.

"Spread out and find him now!" She ordered, causing me and the rest of the team to disperse and search for Echo.

Five minutes went by and I was beginning to fear the worst for Echo.

"Find him!?" Combusken's voice called out.

"He's not over here!" Totodile called.

"Not here either!" Breloom called.

"I don't see him!" I replied back.

"Well keep searching! If what Pikachu said about him is true. Then he loves the clan to much too leave his post." Combusken said.

"What if he chased after the thieves?" Breloom asked.

"With all that food there would have to be a good number of Pokémon to carry it all. I doubt he would go after them by himself even if it was only to see where they would go. It be too much of a risk of getting spotted." Totodile explained.

"Well then, where is he!" I cried out, now really worried about Echo. Even though he didn't want to be my friend, that didn't mean I would hate him for that. Sure I was mad at him, but I could tell that he's a good Pokémon deep inside.

I started running around trying to cover more area quicker. Then as I turned around curve of a tree I tripped over a root falling to the ground with a grunt.

From my position on the ground I looked past my body toward the root. "Stupid root." I muttered to myself.

I pushed myself up dusting the dirt off my fur the best I could, then I looked up to continue looking around.

But as soon as my gaze rose above the ground I found the sprawled out figure of Echo on the ground badly beaten and bleeding badly.

"GUYS! I FOUND HIM!" I Shouted as loud as I could. But didn't get any response.

"Hang on Echo! I'll be back with the team!" I quickly shouted to him though I wasn't sure if he was conscious or not to hear it.

I quickly went racing back toward the team calling out to them over and over again.

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" I shouted over and over again.

"I found hi-" I ended up crashing into what I had hope would be one of my teammates. Lucky for me it was.

"Breloom!" I shouted at him.

"Whoa! What's the matter pal?" He asked quickly getting back to his feet and them bending down to help me up to.

"I found him!" I gasped at him. To which he nodded firmly and went racing to what I assume was the others.

It wasn't even a minute before everyone was together again and I was racing to where I had found Echo. At first I was worried that I had gotten ourselves lost, but just when I was about to turn to the team to tell them that I got us lost I finally managed to spot him.

"There!" I yelled, pointing and running in the direction I saw him. He was the same as I left him meaning three things. One, he was too weak to move. Two, unconscious. Or three, dead. I prayed it was one of the first two and not the third one.

"Echo! Echo!" I cried pushing him lightly.

"Stop!" Combusken order me. "You're going to hurt him more!" I quickly stopped and waited for Combusken to move.

"Echo… Echo! Wake up!" She order. Echo didn't move at first but after some seconds his face started scrunching up from the pain he was in.

"Good he's conscious." Combusken sighed with relief. "Echo! Talk to us Echo!" She continued.

"What happened here!? What happened to you!?" She asked.

"I-" Echo groaned out, but seem to be fully awake yet. "I-"

"Take your time Echo." Combusken said.

"I- I was-" Echo took a quick breath. "I was jumped." He said.

"But why are you all the way out here?" Combusken asked.

"It's- its his f-f-fault!" He turned, glaring at me. I froze, completely scared by what he was going to say next. "It-it's all his fault! If he hadn't left his post! If- if- if! He! Hadn't left! Then you could've stopped them!" He yelled through pain his face scrunched up.

"My fault." I said looking down at him starting to feel a new feeling crawl it was through me.

"You-ur f-fault!" He yelled again, anger in his eyes.

For the first time since waking up at the base, guilt consumed every fiber of my being, and I felt a single tear roll down the right side of my face.

"My fault…. all my fault."

So sorry it took me so long! I'm really sorry. First my beta was too busy to look at the chapter for a while and then when I finally did get it I decided to put off the up load for a while. So BAD! On my part. But this is longer than most of my other chapters. With out this insanely long AN the chapter is a total of 4,441 words... nice number lol. So I hope that makes up for the long wait. Any ways, I hope you all enjoyed it. I really did put all my effort into this chapter. It may not be the best. But I definitely feel that this is good for me.

Also sorry if anyone who enjoyed this wants to see the next part. But that will also take some time. For one I'm not putting the amount of effort into the next part as I was with this one. So ya I need to find the inspiration to write like that again. Shouldn't be too hard. Hahaha... Q_Q. Also I have this new story idea in my head that I would like to start. Its original and I actually really like it... So if I actually start it I'll be posting it to wattpad. So I might do that, over this story, for a month. MAYBE!

Any ways thanks to all of those who read this chapter. I really do hope you all enjoyed it. Please if you're reading this and you really did enjoy it then fav. or follow this story. That really shows your support and if you're already fav'd or followed to the story thank you so very much. That really does encourage me to write more. As always, thank for reading and I hope to see you next chapter. Bye. : )