Chapter 32
The next morning, Dillon and his friends pack up their campsite. When they're about to leave, Amy seems to have noticed they're missing somewhere. "Where's Pichu?" Seeing everyone awkwardly look away makes her narrow her eyes at them. "What happened?" What aren't they telling her?
"Pichu found his family last night." Jane answers sadly. She was really starting to get attached to Pichu, but she's glad he's back home.
"That's good." Amy smiles It's convenient that Pichu found his home. That takes away from them having to spend time looking for Pichu's family.
"Let's go." Dillon swings his bag over his shoulder and starts walking. They've wasted enough time already. He's itching for a gym battle. The girls shrug and follow along with Burn. Pika looks at the forest for a few seconds before running after his group too.
When the group stops for lunch, much to Dillon's annoyance at how early they stopped, Pika still hasn't said a word. Jane worriedly watches the mouse absentmindedly eating. Leaning towards Dillon, she asks, "Is Pika okay?"
Dillon has noticed Pika's unusual silence. Amy does all of the talking when they travel, but the Pokemon and Jane often contribute too. This morning, it was both Dillon and Pika not talking much. Looking over at his starter Pokemon, Dillon sighs. "Don't know." Moreover, he's spent enough time last night and this morning thinking about how Pika would be like with the Pikachus and Pichus. Dillon feels guilty taking Pika away from his species. Lately, Dillon has been thinking on how to be a better friend and person. Someone Aurora is gonna regret losing.
Jane blushes at their close proximity, especially because she almost confessed last night. Amy raises a curious eyebrow at her whispering friends. Since when were they so secretive? Also, they both apparently knew about Pichu last night while Amy had to ask about him this morning. What is going on between Jane and Dillon. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Nothing." Dillon mutters.
"Stop lying."
"I'm not." Before Amy can push further, the ground rumbles, making everyone alert. Pika's ears twitch and then he takes off into the woods. Clicking his tongue, Dillon mutters, "Not again!"
Soon, everyone is running through the woods trying not to trip from the shaking. This is no place for an earthquake unless it's a strong Pokemon battle. It's not a gigamax battle, else they would've seen the large Pokemon by now. Eventually, they arrive in an area with broken trees. This further makes everyone concerned, so they go deeper. They're not strangers to danger anymore.
"Chuuuuuuu!" comes Pika's voice. Dillon instantly looks in the direction to see Pika fighting off a giant robot. Behind the glass window, they see a lot of Pichus and Pikachus.
"It's Pichu!" Jane worriedly exclaims.
"And Team Rocket!" Amy nods at Burn who also notices the large red R on the front of the machine. They'll help out.
Pika is currently dodging the robotic arm trying to snag him too. "Get in here, Pikachu!" growls the man inside. He thought he had all the Pikachus.
"Let them go!" Amy shouts as her friends near the battle.
The grunt looks at them and rolls his eyes. "It is I, Chaz-"
"No one cares!" Jane yells while calling out Bayleef and Aipom. "Help Pika!"
Annoyed, Chaz shoots a net out at the teens. Fortunately, the Pokemon are able to avoid it. "Flamethrower!" Amy orders Burn to attack the machine.
"Razor leaf us out of here!" Jane tells Bayleef who happily obliges.
Dillon furrows his brows at the scene. Watching Pika put his all into saving his species. Pika is even consoling them as he's dodging attacks. Shit. Dillon really made the wrong decision last night. This encounter now is his second chance. Thus, Dillon throws out a pokeball. "Quagsire! Pika! Electric Wave!" They've been practicing this attack in case of a double battle, which they occasionally encounter from roaming trainers. Everyone wants to battle the former Kanto champion.
"Oh ho ho! I learned my lesson!" Chaz cackles and a shield emerges from the robot arms, reflecting the attack back at the Pokemon.
The Pokemon all get knocked back, and Dillon furrows his brows. "His shield isn't big enough to block all around."
Jane, who has been working with Bayleef to free them from the net, asks, "So what should we do?"
Amy understands her brother's thinking, which makes her grin as she pulls out more pokeballs. "Call out all your Pokemon. We're attacking him from all over."
The three throw out all of their Pokemon, making Chaz even more arrogant. "Ready?" Jane yells out as Bayleef has made some progress in the net. Her Pokemon nod.
"Set!" Amy grins with her eager Pokemon.
"Now!" Dillon commands everyone who attacks.
Unamused, Amy blinks at her brother. "It's Go. Not Now." She mutters in annoyance of him ruining their teamwork.
However, no one is paying her any attention because, just like they planned, Chaz's shield doesn't extend far. Thus, he gets hit on half of his machine, causing it to malfunction. By now, Bayleef has ripped open the net, so all the teens are out of it. Dillon runs up behind Pika who took another reflect from the shield. "Let's save your friends, Pika!"
"Pi!" Pika sparks his cheeks angrily.
"Iron tail!"
Running full speed, Pika lands an intense irontail attack on the malfunctioning robot's window. This causes it to finally break, and the crack in the window releases all of the Pikachus and Pichus who come jumping out. Amy, Bayleef, and Jane run over to brace the fall for the Pichu's with the net the humans just escaped from.
Dillon, knowing this is his last battle with Pika, takes in a deep shaky breath. This is for the best, and he's glad it's ending on a high note. He's always seen Pika as his strongest Pokemon. Despite finding Pika the most annoying for his lecturing, Dillon can't imagine himself without the mouse. He will have to now. Pika deserves to be happy instead of with a temperamental teenager. "Blast him off, Pika!"
"Pikaaaaachuuuuuuuuu!" Pika sends a powerful thunder attack on the machine, which makes it explode.
"I'll get you next time!" Chaz shouts before blasting off again.
The girls check on the electric rodents, and Dillon watches PIka hurriedly runs over there. The Pichu from yesterday is thanking Jane before seeing Pika, so then he hops on the ground to hug Pika. Dillon is relieved to see the Pikachus and Pichus aren't hostile like they were last night. The rest of the electric rodents now give Pika their thanks. If it wasn't for Pika, the humans wouldn't have arrived with their other Pokemon to help. Plus, Pika did the finishing blows on the machine.
Dillon painfully tears his gaze away from the scene to return his Pokemon. Pika is laughing and excitedly talking with the Pikachus and Pichus. It's a complete turnaround from his quietness this morning. This only further confirms to Dillon that Pika belongs here. This is his species. He probably misses his family every day. With these Pikachus and Pichus, Pika finally looks at peace. He can also stay here to protect them from any future danger because he's strong enough to.
With a small smile on his lips, Dillon walks away from the scene. He and Pika had a good run. They won a championship together already, so Pika can retire happy. Dillon has it from here. The boy clenches his fists as he fights back the tears and the lump in his throat. Memories of his times with Pika flash before his mind like they did last night. The little mouse who helped him fix his family last year. The little mouse who changed him for the better. Dillon has to finally part with him.
"Pikapi?"
That voice is really close by. Like it's coming from right behind him. Turning his head, Dillon sees Pika curiously looking up at him. The rest of their friends and the electric rodents are where they were when Dillon left them. Pika had noticed his trainer's scent disappearing, making him look around where he saw Dillon walking off. Why would Dillon leave his friends?
"Pikapi?" Pika repeats.
Taking in a deep breath, Dillon clears his throat. He looks Pika in the eyes, which makes everything so much harder for the boy. "You should stay."
"Ka?"
Dillon nods. "They need protection, and I don't need you anymore." His party is strong enough on their own now.
Pika winces from Dillon's hurtful words. "Pika pikapi pikachu pi pichu." Pika takes a step towards Dillon who steps back.
With his hat now shielding his eyes, Dillon knows he doesn't have long before his tears fall. "I'm releasing you! I don't want you anymore!"
"Pikapi!" Pika's eyes gloss over. He knows Dillon doesn't mean those words, but he doesn't understand why Dillon wants him gone.
"Go!" Dillon points back at the Pikachus and Pichus. "Your home is with them!"
When Pika looks back at where Dillon is pointing, the boy runs off into the forest. "Shit!" Amy exclaims as she quickly returns her Pokemon before taking off after her brother. Burn follows her.
"Wait up!" Jace calls and returns her Pokemon. The girls run past Pika who is still staring in confusion at where Dillon disappeared to.
Pika's POV
"What's wrong with your human?" Pichu asks while walking up next to me.
I'm still looking at where Dillon last was. "Don't know." My heart hurts. Why is he releasing me? I don't wanna be released. I wanna be with him. Yeah, he's mean sometimes and a total jerk, but he has a kind heart.
"Why don't you go after him too?" Pichu wonders.
"He told me to stay."
"Do you always listen to him?"
"Usually." The only times I don't listen to Dillon is when I know what's good for him, and he doesn't want to do it. For example, not talking to Aurora. He needs to mend that so I can see Pachirisu again. Pachirisu. My heart aches thinking about her. If I'm released, that means I definitely won't see her again.
"That's cool." Pichu grins. "I like you, Pika! You're like a big brother!"
I give him a shy smile. "Thanks. It's nice talking to another electric rodent." Pachirisu and I bonded a lot last year. Although I have Aipom and Burn, it's not the same when I want to talk about electricity.
Pichu nods. "And Jane is really nice too. I like her. Does that mean she'll be leaving again too?"
"Yeah." I sigh. So now I lose everyone. What did I do wrong? I did exactly as Dillon asked of me. I took down Team Rocket. Is it because I like to run away from him without telling him? I'll stop doing that if he'll take me back.
"Why do you look so sad, young one?" the large elder Pikachu inquires as the rest of the horde walk over to us.
I don't want to trouble these Pokemon with my problems with my humans. Wild Pokemon don't like humans, but this horde was appreciative towards my friends for saving them. Pichu, fortunately, speaks for me while I try to keep my tears in. "His human told him to stay."
A smaller Pikachu shakes his head in disappointment. "See. I told you. Humans are selfish. They always use us and then get rid of us when they don't want us anymore. We're just tools to them!"
The large Pikachu shushes her. The Pikachus and Pichus have already apologized for their actions last night, but I don't blame them for being defensive. They didn't know we were just making sure Pichu was safe. And having human scent around always terrifies wild Pokemon. The leader looks into my glossy brown eyes. "I can tell you've had a hard life." He notes my notched tail.
Yeah. Those notches are a constant reminder of my brother I couldn't save from the Scythers. I was once scared of Scythers, however Dillon has been helping me overcome that. He's patient in his own ways, and he always celebrates when we overcome my fear together. Thinking about Dillon and my brother just aches my heart even more, so I nod.
"No wild Pikachu can learn irontail." the leader says.
Pichu enthusiastically nods. "Yeah! You'll be able to help us break big rocks now!" Despite wild Pokemon being wary of released Pokemon, some packs take them in because of their unique learnset. If a released Pokemon knows a Pokemon move that can't be learned in the wild and it can help the group, then the wild Pokemon will take them in. I frown because I don't want that to be the reason this group wants me.
Seeing the frown, Pikachu places a paw on my shoulder. "I understand no Pokemon wants to be abandoned by their trainer-"
"Dillon isn't like that. He cares about me." I don't like the way these Pikachus and Pichus are talking about my friends, especially Dillon. We just saved them! Not all humans are bad!
"I know." The Pikachu tells me. My angry gaze turns into one of confusion. "You know?"
Pikachu nods and points back into the brush where my friends left. "He cares about you a lot. He thinks you'll be happier with us."
"But I wanna be with him."
"Then let him know that."
Wow. This older Pikachu is really wise. It's starting to make sense now, though I don't know why Dillon would assume I'd be happier here. I have been a little sad seeing these Pikachus because they remind me of my brother. It's why I've been looking out for Pichu too. He's like my younger brother I couldn't protect.
I smile gratefully at the PIkachu. "Thank you. Please stay safe!" I then take off for the forest. About halfway through, I am not sure where Dillon could've gone, so I sniff the air. Instantly taking in his scent as well as the scent of my friends, I hurry to them before they can get too far. Dillon needs to know that I want to be with him. He's my best friend. We've gone through too much to end it here, and I don't want to be anywhere but with him. He's my brother too.
No POV
"Dillon!" Amy yells at the fast boy ahead. Years of being in a gang and running from the police has made him really fast. "Stop!" Jane is straggling behind. So far that Aipom felt bad for riding on her, so he's hopping in the trees now. He could've caught up to Amy by now, but he doesn't want to leave Jane alone. Eventually, Dillon collapses to the ground in exhaustion. He's ran as far as he could. This allows Amy to finally reach him where she exclaims, "What are you doing?"
Dillon's hat is low over his face, so Amy can't see his tears. He's gasping for breath, causing her to frown from his sobs. Sitting down beside him, Amy pats his arm. She knows Dillon isn't one to talk about his feelings. He hates it. Whenever Dillon would be upset as a child, he would lock himself in his room or he'd run around with his gang. Amy isn't sure how to console him, but she won't leave him alone. Dillon doesn't deserve to be alone anymore.
Eventually, Jane catches up, though she is out of breath. She collapses next to Dillon. "Why are we running?" exasperates the raven haired girl. She doesn't get a response, but she's too tired to care. Able to breathe again, Jane looks at her friends where she sees Dillon holding his cap tightly over his face, and Amy worried watching him. "Amy?"
The younger girl gives Jane a sad expression, causing Jane to worry. "Dillon…" Amy gently rubs her brother's arm. He's slowed down his sobs, however he's still not showing any signs of getting up.
Jane reaches out a hand to rub Dillon's other arm. She doesn't understand what's hurting him this much. The Pokemon also join in on trying to console the boy. "We're here, Dillon."
After a few more minutes, Dillon takes in a deep breath. Despite its shakiness, he feels better. Wiping at the last of his tears, He sits up, causing the girls to watch him with worry. "Let's go." comes his raspy voice.
When he stands to walk off, Amy states, "Wait for Pika." She had noticed the mouse isn't here while looking for him because she figured Pika must know what's wrong. Plus, Pika would know how to console Dillon.
Dillon shakes his head. "He's not coming."
Jane quickly stands. "Why?"
"He's happier there. And the Pikachus and Pichus need protection." Pika has already helped the horde twice already. He's a valuable asset to them than he is to Dillon. Aipom and Burn turn to rustling in the nearby bush, but the humans don't notice it.
"Did you ask him if he's happier there?" Amy inquires. She hates seeing her brother upset. This is worse than when he and Aurora stopped being friends. Nonetheless, that could be because Dillon was in Kanto immediately after separating from Aurora. He could've been like this there too, though he at least had Pika there to console him. Amy frowns thinking about the mouse her brother released and is causing him so much pain.
"Don't need to." Dillon mutters. "I can see it on his face."
Jane and Amy exchange worried glances, unsure of what to say next. Who are they to tell Dillon something about Pika when Dillon knows Pika the best? Fortunately for the girls, the silence is broken by a loud, "Pikapi!" Everyone freezes from the familiar voice. Jane and Amy see a yellow blur run past them to stop directly in front of Dillon. "Pika!"
Dillon avoids eye contact. "Go back."
"Chu!" Pika shakes his head.
"They need protection! You need to help them!"
"Pika pikchu pi pichu!" Pika shocks Dillon with a weak thundershock attack, causing Dillon to glare at him. The moment Dillon looks at Pika, the two make eye contact, and Dillon sees Pika's pained brown eyes. "Pi pikapi?"
With his gaze softening, Dillon apologetically says, "I haven't been a good trainer to you, and I won't ever be." He's not exactly the type of trainer friendly Pokemon like Pika would want. "You need to stay here with them." Although Dillon usually doesn't understand Pika, he feels like he does now. Every word from Pika pains Dillon immensely. Those large glossy brown eyes.
Annoyed with his stubborn trainer, Pika leaps onto Dillon's head, making Dillon stumble. "Pi!"
"Hey!" Dillon claws at his head where he eventually grabs Pika. Holding the angry mouse in front of him, Dillon narrows his eyes at Pika. "Stay here. I'm releasing you!"
"Pika pikapi pi pichu kachu pika pi chupi pikachu."
The boy's glare falters as Pika hopefully watches him. The girls and Pokemon are unsure of what to do. However, when Dillon sets Pika on his shoulder, the boy scratches him behind the ears. Pika nuzzles his face against Dillon's who has accepted him back. They're brothers, and Dillon knows well enough that family can never be separated. It just took Pika letting Dillon know that they're brothers in order for the boy to stop trying to release him.
A small smile appears on Dillon's lips. He's glad that Pika wants to stay with him. The mouse wants to be with him this badly. Few people can reach Dillon's heart like this, and Pika is one of them. Now that Dillon and Pika understand how much they mean to one another, nothing can ever drive them apart again. With a lighter heart, Dillon proudly walks the path towards Blackthorn City.
Amy grins widely at Jane while giving Jane two thumbs up. Both girls are relieved to see everything back to normal. In the corner of Jane's eye, something yellow catches her attention. She gazes at the bushes where a little Pichu is peeking at them. Smiling warmly at the mouse, Jane extends a hand to him. "Wanna join us?"
Pichu eagerly nods and hops into her arms. With Aipom on her head and Pichu in her arms, Jane feels really happy. Pichu had told his group he wants to be with the friendly trainer, like Pika. He also wants to be with Pika. They wished him well, so he has their blessing to be with Jane. Pichu snuggles deeper into Jane's chest.
Jane clutches the cute mouse tighter. She is now starting to understand the bond between a trainer and a Pokemon. All trainers and Pokemon are different, but true bonds are the same. She's witnessed it with Pika and Dillon, and now she can feel it with her and Pichu. Jane is excited to watch Dillon's next gym battle. His bond with Pika is stronger than ever now. She knows Clair is the strongest gym leader, so Dillon will put on a great show.
"To Blackthorn City!" Amy exclaims and runs past her brother with Burn.
Dillon had stopped to sweatdrop at his sister, allowing Jane to reach him. The two exchange sheepish head shakes before following the hyper girl. Along the way, they battle many trainers and catch a few Pokemon. Dillon adds a Ponyta and Amy a Tangela. After a very long journey, the group finally reaches their destination.
It's been a while since I did a POV, especially a Pokemon's POV. I only do it in the My Word series if I feel like I need it. I prefer sticking to third person.
