In case you were wondering, yes, I use the Japanese name for Satoshi's character (Ash); I also use it for Eureka's character (Bonnie). Lastly, I use the Japanese names for Pallet and Vaniville town: Masara Town and Asame Town, respectively. Aside from that, everyone else conserves their English version names, so don't worry about getting too confused with the names.
This work was cross-posted from my Ao3 account and it's completely finished. Finally, the usual disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (aside from a few OCs) nor the Pokémon Franchise (I wish!).
Well, now that that's out of the way, I'll leave you to it. Hope you like it!
''Pikachu, Thunderbolt!''
''Piiikaaa…chuuu!''
The sharp and bright electric current moved fast from Pikachu's body to its objective: Satoshi's Talonflame gliding on the air around them. But even with its speed, the Thunderbolt didn't hit. Talonflame, just as Satoshi had commanded earlier, began a swift Flame Charge and was able to easily out-speed Pikachu's attack. The yellow mouse landed back on the terrain, standing before his trainer.
''Good job, both of you!'' Satoshi said excitedly, honestly praising his Pokémon. Talonflame peeped in the air, enjoying its recently increased speed. On the contrary, Pikachu looked back at Satoshi with an uneasy expression.
''Talonflame has certainly improved,'' Clemont said as he adjusted his glasses, trying to keep his gaze on the big bird.
''Yeah! It's so, so fast I can barely see it!'' his sister Eureka continued with starry eyes.
''And we're barely starting,'' Satoshi said confidently, holding the brim of his hat between his fingers. When he glanced at Pikachu, his excitement was promptly replaced by concern. He walked toward his loyal partner and kneeled down to get on his level. ''What's with that face, buddy?''
Serena watched intently as Pokémon and trainer stared at each other's eyes.
''Pi pikachu…'' The littlest glanced over the terrain behind him, Satoshi following his gaze. Serena noticed Pikachu was looking specifically at the spots where his Thunderbolt had landed after he had failed to keep up with Talonflame. Pikachu repositioned his troubled look on Satoshi's face. His trainer only took a moment to understand what was going on.
Serena's heart skipped a beat when she saw Satoshi's sincere and fond smile toward Pikachu. The raven-haired then put his gloved hand on top of Pikachu's head and rubbed it calmly.
''Of course you've also improved, Pikachu!'' Pikachu's eyes widened as he gaped at his effusive trainer. ''It's no wonder your Thunderbolt didn't hit Talonflame because it's really fast! That's its field, after all. I'm training it to be the fastest Pokémon ever, and I'm proud of its improvements.'' Serena's fond smile went unnoticed; everyone was also focused on the scene folding in front of their eyes. ''Let me tell you something; I'm proud of you too. Oh, so proud! You have no idea how much I admire you, little buddy,'' Satoshi said as he rubbed Pikachu's head a little more.
Pikachu's eyes were shining at Satoshi's declarations. ''Pikachu?'' he quickly asked his trainer to continue, listening attentively.
''Why do you think Team Rocket is always after us? You're amazingly strong, but also have a heart of gold. I trust you with my life, Pikachu.'' Satoshi grinned at his partner for a moment, and then took on a more serious expression. ''You're also improving in your own field, so never, and I repeat, never think you're not strong enough. If it weren't for you, well… I don't even know where I would be right now!''
''Pika!'' The affected Pokémon jumped at his trainer's arms without waiting for another second, touched by his reassuring words. Satoshi reciprocated the hug and laughed happily at the emotional Pokémon in his arms.
But Pikachu wasn't the only one touched. Serena smiled wholeheartedly at her friends hugging before her, her own eyes gleaming as she put a hand over her chest and reached for her blue ribbon. She didn't need to look around to know that Clemont and Eureka were beaming as well. Even if she'd had any doubts about that, they would be solved very soon by Eureka's excited cheering.
''Yes, Pikachu! You're the strongest of them all! And also so adorable and huggable!'' she crooned, mimicking Satoshi and Pikachu as she hugged her Dedenne.
''Ne ne!''
Clemont nodded next to her, lightly punching his glasses back into place.
''Eureka is right. Pikachu's electric moves never cease to surprise me, and I'm a Gym Leader specialized in Electric types!''
Serena walked over to the raven-haired boy until she stood in front of him. Satoshi got to his feet, Pikachu still in his arms, and smiled widely at her. Serena's heart rate rose at the fondness reflected in his expression. She later guessed he was smiling at her like that in the heat of the moment… but right then she couldn't really think straight as he stared into her eyes with such happiness.
She blushed at this and prayed to Arceus that Satoshi wouldn't pay it any mind. She tried to distract herself as she glanced down at a beaming Pikachu, smiling back at the yellow Pokémon. And that was when Serena realized something.
It was so obvious she didn't understand how she hadn't seen it before. It had always been there; she saw it on the first day she met Satoshi again, when they were starting their journey through Kalos. She saw it every day from then on. The connection Satoshi and Pikachu had was clearly something else. Even if Pikachu wasn't able to become some kind of Satoshi–Pikachu like Greninja could, he was still Satoshi's partner since the beginning.
They understood each other almost perfectly. Even without exchanging words (or Pika-pikas): just by seeing the other's expression was enough. Satoshi understood Pikachu's insecurities of not being strong enough, even after all the training and experiences they've lived together. He was able to comfort his concerned Pokémon with kind and honest words.
Serena reached for her ribbon again. Satoshi had also understood the insecurities she'd had before her showcase debut, when her hair was still long and Braixen was still a little Fennekin. He gave her hope, resolution. He gave her that pretty blue ribbon he won while he was looking for the perfect gift for his Pokémon. He never gave up on her, and she knew he never would.
Is it legal to be so handsome, smart and intuitive? Serena wondered as her gaze returned to her love. If only he wasn't so oblivious in… the other department.
Serena shook her head slightly. It didn't matter right then. That was a work in progress, the uncertain future, while the present, the happy and cheerful present, was a gift. Satoshi's eyebrow rose, the boy looking amused and curious at whatever she might be thinking. However, their happy moment was quickly interrupted by the sounds of many sirens approaching them.
''What in the world…'' was the last thing Serena heard from Satoshi before he was pinned down on the ground by Officer Jenny, her leg pressing against his back. Pikachu had quickly jumped from the boy's arms to Serena's, roughly avoiding having the same destiny as his poor trainer. He climbed to Serena's shoulder and voiced his annoyance and discomfort, Serena mentally agreeing with him.
''H-Hey! What's going o—'' Satoshi's voice was muffled by Officer Jenny's serious tone… and also her leg as she pinned him on the ground even further. Serena gasped anxiously at how her crush was being treated. She felt Pikachu's angry growls on her shoulder and she thought he was going to jump and attack Jenny at any second.
''Don't say another word,'' commanded the police officer sternly. ''As you should know, you're the principal suspect of a criminal investigation.''
Everyone was surprised, but Pikachu never stopped being alert. Clemont was the first one to speak up, although clearly taken aback by Officer Jenny's demeanor.
''C-criminal investigation?''
Officer Jenny lifted her gaze from Satoshi's pinned body for the first time to look at Clemont.
''Suspect?'' Serena surprised herself when she realized those words had left her mouth. Jenny proceeded to look at her now, nodding swiftly. Serena realized there were many other police officers around them when Jenny signaled some of the closer ones to help her.
She then—thank Arceus—stood up from Satoshi's back. But he wasn't left alone a single second of the process; the other police officers grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to his feet. Pikachu seemed to relax just slightly after seeing that his trainer could actually breathe.
Officer Jenny quickly smoothed her skirt and placed her hands on both of her hips, glancing at the teens. ''I apologize for the sudden inconvenience,'' she started as she pulled out her police badge, ''but we'll take the suspect to the police station for further investigation.''
Serena's heart skipped a beat. Wait, they're going to what?! she thought. No way! This needs to be a mistake…
''Excuse me, Officer Jenny?'' Eureka said as politely as she could muster, startling her brother. The older woman nodded at her to confirm she could continue, and so she did. ''Satoshi is our friend, and he's been by our side pretty much since his journey in this region began. There's no way he could be a criminal!''
''Pika!'' Pikachu strongly agreed with Eureka and Serena nodded along. She would be lying if she said she wasn't proud of that brave little girl. Clemont smiled, also proud of his sister. Officer Jenny didn't seem so convinced, though. She looked at all of them, her tone serious and professional.
''He's a great actor. He managed to fool every single one of you into believing he was just an innocent trainer in a journey.''
''But it's not a lie!''
Serena flinched when everyone looked at her. Did she just talk before even thinking again?
She then turned at Satoshi and realized he was staring at her from where he was, police officers still grabbing him firmly. ''It's… not a lie at all,'' she proceeded. ''He's the most honest person I've ever met, and he would never do anything to harm people on purpose. He…'' She trailed off, suddenly lost in his eyes. Satoshi's eyes, which were gleaming out of pure adoration toward her loyalty. She also felt Pikachu's approving look, urging her to continue.
She nodded firmly and returned her gaze at Officer Jenny. The bluenette's expression remained serious. ''This is obviously some kind of mistake. Satoshi aims to be the Kalos Champion, and he always battles according to the rules, respecting his Pokémon and understanding what they need.'' Serena noticed that Jenny's expression changed midway through her speech, and so she thought it was having the effect she desired. She finished, trying to sound as sure of herself as she felt, ''Satoshi's not 'fooling' anyone, he is innocent.''
''What's your name, miss?'' Officer Jenny asked, her expression still unreadable. Serena thought for one second she was in trouble, but Pikachu's reassuring squeeze on her shoulder helped to calm her down.
''I'm Serena from Asame Town.''
''And what can you tell me about the young man you're defending?'' she continued to ask, clearly referring to the raven-haired trainer surrounded by police officers.
Serena didn't need to think of her response. ''He is Satoshi from Masara Town. We met at Professor Oak's Summer Camp back in Kanto when we were just little kids, and fate has brought us back together here in Kalos.'' Serena mentally slapped herself for how cheesy that last sentence sounded. Trying to cover that, she quickly added, ''He's been traveling through many regions since then, you can ask Professor Oak about it!''
Jenny hummed thoughtfully, putting a hand over her chin and frowning. She walked back toward her team and seemed to talk quietly with them. Serena got on her tiptoes to try and take a look at Satoshi. He was trying to do the same, as best as he could since some policemen were still grabbing him. As they caught each other's eyes, Satoshi smiled sweetly at her. It was so suddenly sweet that Serena was barely able to smile back without melting, but she did it, because she wanted him to feel safe. After she went back to standing normally, Pikachu climbed on her head so he could keep his watch on Satoshi.
Serena heard someone clearing their throat next to her. She soon realized it was Eureka, who was wearing a mischievous smile as she stared up at Serena.
''So… Fate has brought Satoshi and you back together, hmm?'' Eureka crooned, not even trying to feign innocence.
''Huh?!'' Serena's whole body flinched and she felt her face warming. She frowned at her attacker, her voice rising without her permission. ''E-Eureka!''
Eureka just giggled, longtime aware of Serena's infatuation with Satoshi. Serena was about to scold her for messing shamelessly with her when she heard someone else laughing. On top of her head. The audacity!
''Pikachu, you too?!''
''Pika!'' the electric rodent seemingly agreed, even more shamelessly than Eureka.
''Guys? What's going on?'' said Clemont, who was approaching them curiously.
''Absolutely nothing!'' Serena practically squeaked, averting her gaze and crossing her arms as she felt her face heating up even more.
''Absolutely everything,'' Eureka retorted, shooting Serena an unimpressed look. Serena felt her face paling… but it was also red from embarrassment… how was that even possible?!
''Eureka, don't you dare—''
''PI PIKACHU!''
Everyone quickly forgot the topic to look at the yellow Pokémon atop Serena's head. Serena did an attempt to look at him too, not really succeeding, and then tried to remain her balance to keep Pikachu from falling.
''W—what's the matter, Pikachu?'' Serena asked awkwardly.
''Pika pika!''
When Serena glanced at Clemont and Eureka in confusion, she noticed they were looking in Satoshi's general direction—probably following Pikachu's gaze—and she did the same. To her surprise, Officer Jenny was walking away from her team's side and toward her.
''You swear everything you said about that young man is true, Serena?'' the bluenette asked her directly. Serena nodded automatically.
''Yes, ma'am.''
Officer Jenny stayed silent for a while and then nodded. ''All right. We'll investigate this situation to get to the bottom of this.''
Eureka got closer to Serena's side, looking up at the police officer before her. ''So that means you guys will let Satoshi go, right?!'' she asked, excited and expectant.
''Oh, of course not.''
Serena, Eureka, Clemont and even Pikachu sweat-dropped anime-style at her response.
''You… won't?'' Serena asked, carefully.
''Not until we're completely sure he's not the suspect we're looking for. In the meantime, we'll take him to the closest police station and hold him in custody for further research.''
Pikachu hopped from atop Serena's head to her shoulder, and she quickly noticed his disappointment. Clemont then walked closer to them, addressing Officer Jenny.
''If I may ask, why exactly is Satoshi a suspect?''
Jenny reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out a photo. The group stared at the photo with wide eyes. In the picture, there was a young boy with raven hair and tanned skin that looked exactly like Satoshi. However, Serena was immediately able to feel that his aura was very different from Satoshi's, if that made any sense… Also, the guy from the photo had blue eyes.
''Satoshi's eyes aren't blue,'' Eureka complained. ''How did you guys miss that?''
''Eureka!'' Clemont said hurriedly. ''That's not the way you should talk to a police officer!''
''Don't worry about it,'' Officer Jenny said as she shook her head. ''If all of this is just a coincidence, I can understand why you guys feel frustrated. However, the similarities are very clear, and who says the suspect didn't just change the color of his eyes with contact lenses to disguise himself somehow?''
Eureka huffed and looked away, slightly hiding behind Serena. ''Satoshi's still not guilty, though,'' she grumbled.
Serena looked down at Eureka empathetically and then looked back at the officer before her. She hadn't missed how Pikachu seemed to tense more and more with every passing second.
''You'll take him to the police station right away, right?''
Officer Jenny nodded, and Serena continued.
''Can we at least… talk to him before you take him?''
Pikachu's tense grip on Serena's shoulder dissipated as his pointy ears rose in anticipation. Eureka also seemed to perk up. ''Please, Officer Jenny, please!''
The police officer looked at them with a serious demeanor for a moment before she nodded. ''You may, but make it brief. He's still a suspect and—''
''Thank you!'' Eureka exclaimed as she and the rest of the gang moved past Officer Jenny and ran toward Satoshi. Although startled at first, the bluenette turned around and motioned to her fellows it was okay for them to let the kids talk with the suspect. When Satoshi noticed they were approaching, his face lightened up.
''Guys!''
''Pika–pi!'' Pikachu was the first one to greet him, followed by Serena.
''Satoshi!'' she began, adorning her face with a reassuring smile. ''Don't worry about a thing. They'll take you to the nearest police station, but they'll release you after they make sure you're not the suspect they're looking for.''
Satoshi visibly relaxed at Serena's words, but he was still slightly uneasy. ''I hope this ends soon so we can get back on our journey.''
''Pika-chu,'' the yellow Pokémon on Serena's shoulder expressed, getting Satoshi's attention. ''Pikachu pi, pika!''
''You're right, Pikachu!'' Satoshi said with newfound confidence, surprising his friends. ''This is just a small inconvenience, and it'll be over soon.'' He looked at Serena. ''Here, have my Pokémon and take care of them while I'm away.''
When Satoshi reached for the Poké Balls in his belt, the police officers that were around him saw it and immediately went to stop him. Officer Jenny had to motion for them to let him do it. Everyone in the gang sighed.
Satoshi handed over his Poké Balls to Serena right away, who took them carefully. Serena couldn't help the warm feeling in her heart. He could've given them to Clemont, who was right next to her, but he confided his most precious belongings to Serena.
''I promise I'll take good care of them, Satoshi,'' she said as she smiled confidently. Satoshi returned the smile and nodded.
''I know you will,'' Satoshi concluded when Serena stored the Poké Balls in the pockets of her vest. ''And I promise I'll be back soon,'' he added softly.
''Serena, could you come over here for a moment?''
Serena was startled when she heard Officer Jenny's voice calling out to her. She excused herself from the rest and walked over to her. She was surprised when she noticed Pikachu hadn't let her shoulder, not even to stay with Satoshi. She thanked him mentally; she needed his support.
''What is it, Officer Jenny?'' she asked politely after she got closer, quickly noticing that the conversation was going to be private.
''You told me that Satoshi was from Kanto, right?''
''Yes. And he knows the Pokémon Professor from there, Professor Oak.'' Serena then glanced at the yellow Pokémon on her shoulder. ''He actually gave him this Pikachu as his starter Pokémon. He's been with him his whole journey.''
Pikachu, happy to be recognized, nodded firmly. ''Pikachu!''
Officer Jenny looked over to Satoshi and the blond siblings as they talked. ''Hm. So maybe this is what I've been suspecting,'' she said, seemingly deep in thought. Serena fidgeted for some seconds before speaking up.
''If I may know, what is it that you're suspecting, miss? Can I be of any help?''
Officer Jenny looked Serena in the eye. ''You seem to be a trustworthy young girl, so I'm going to tell you.'' When both Serena and Pikachu nodded earnestly, she proceeded. ''We've been chasing down a very dangerous criminal for the past six months. He steals expensive goods and items all over Kalos. We call him The Kecleon, any idea why?''
Serena thought of it for a moment. ''He… disguises?''
''Exactly. He changes appearance when he realizes we're on his track. He's done it multiple times already.'' Officer Jenny then raised her eyebrows, seemingly coming up with something. ''Has Satoshi appeared on TV, by any chance?''
Serena remembered that the very first time she saw him in Kalos was from that news broadcast that showed him jumping from the Prism Tower in Lumiose City to save Pikachu. She nodded in response. ''Yes. He was broadcasted trying to calm down a rampaging Garchomp on the Prism Tower. It was all over the news.''
This seemed to ultimately convince Officer Jenny. ''That must be it, then.''
Serena and Pikachu looked at each other in alert before looking back at the officer. ''You're suggesting that… Satoshi's a victim of identity theft?!''
''Pika?!''
''We can't be totally sure yet, but that's the most possible option.'' The bluenette held out her arms reassuringly when she saw Serena and Pikachu's concerned expressions. ''Don't worry. If this is the case, we'll do our best to stop The Kecleon before he can do any more harm. Even if that weren't the case, he's on the top ten most wanted criminals; we won't let him do as he pleases. In the meantime… do you have a map?''
Serena nodded, pulled out her guidebook and turned it on. She handed it to the waiting officer.
''The nearest town, Andarus, is fifteen minutes from here,'' she said as she set out the route on Serena's guidebook. ''There's a Pokémon Center there where you can spend the night. The town's quite calm and not many people pass by, so there's bound to be room for all of you.''
''Thank you for the information!'' exclaimed Serena after Officer Jenny returned her guidebook to her, looking at the route they were going to follow. ''I'll tell the rest and we'll be on our way.''
Officer Jenny nodded and smiled for the first time. ''Good. If it goes well, Satoshi should be entering that very Pokémon Center by tomorrow, so wait for him there. If anything else happens, I'll make sure to inform Nurse Joy so she can deliver the message to you. For now, we need to leave. Stay safe.''
''I will,'' quickly answered Serena. Before she could think about it twice, she walked over to Satoshi and the others again, followed by Officer Jenny.
Both Serena and Pikachu said their temporary goodbyes to a rightly confused Satoshi, and Serena reassured him that everything was going to be okay. Just as confused, Clemont, Eureka and Dedenne also bid Satoshi farewell and saw how the police officers left with him in their motorcycles. Serena recalled Talonflame, who had been flying above all of them with concern since the police had arrived, into its Poké Ball.
Even when she knew it was going to be okay, Serena was quick to feel the void in her heart after Satoshi was no longer there with them. She held the blue ribbon closer to her chest and looked at Clemont and Eureka, taking it upon herself to lighten the mood.
''Don't worry, you guys. Like Satoshi said, this will be over soon and we'll all continue as if nothing had happened. Hey, I bet they'll release him by tomorrow!''
''You really think so, Serena?'' Eureka asked, her eyes shining slightly with hope.
''I'm sure! He'll be back sooner than you expect. In the meantime, we should head to the nearest town and see if we can stay at the Pokémon Center while we wait for him to come back. What do you think, Clemont?''
Clemont nodded assertively and adjusted his backpack. ''She's right. Satoshi's counting on us to stay positive. Let's continue down that path.''
''All right!'' Eureka chimed, finally back to her cheerful self. She began to run in the same direction Satoshi and the police officers had gone and looked back at the two teenagers. ''C'mon, let's go! There's no time to lose!''
Serena chuckled at Eureka's excitement and ran after her. ''I'm coming!''
''Wait! Guys!'' an already lagging Clemont exclaimed from behind. ''Why do you always keep running everywhere…? Maybe we could just walk for once…''
''Come on, Clemont, you slowpoke!''
Serena smiled at the siblings' exchange, feeling lighter now that they had a clear objective in mind.
I'll wait for you, Satoshi. I've been waiting for you since the day we met, and that's not going to change anytime soon.
As she ran, she couldn't help but feel responsible for Pikachu as well. Not only for his overall well-being, but also on a deeper level. She knew how important Satoshi and Pikachu's bond was for both of them, and how they didn't like to be apart. And so, she was going to stay positive, not only for Clemont and Eureka, but also for Pikachu and the rest of Satoshi's Pokémon. She was going to show them how much she cared about him and to reassure them if they needed it. After all, it was her role as a Pokémon Performer to bring smiles to the faces of people and Pokémon!
Don't worry, Pikachu, she thought as she shot a smile to the Pokémon on her shoulder, I'll be here for you as we both wait for Satoshi.
I promise.
To everyone's delight, they were able to stay in the Pokémon Center for the night. Officer Jenny was right; the town was calm and they didn't encounter many people as they walked around. The Pokémon Center itself was quite small compared to others they had been to before, and so were the rooms they were staying in. Therefore, they had to book two rooms instead of one.
After they were all settled and had dinner, Serena began to explain to Clemont, Eureka and all of their Pokémon—including Satoshi's, of course—the conversation she'd had with Officer Jenny.
She didn't fail to notice how Eureka scooted closer to her brother after she told them about The Kecleon and the possibility of Satoshi being an oblivious victim of the criminal. That's why, when the little blonde later told her that she was going to stay the night with her brother in the other room, Serena agreed without asking any more questions. Just like Satoshi's Pokémon with their trainer, Eureka needed to be sure her brother would be okay.
And so, the distribution of their two rooms followed as such: Clemont, Eureka, Dedenne, Squishy and the rest of Clemont's Pokémon stayed in one room, while Serena, Pikachu, her Pokémon and Satoshi's Pokémon stayed in the other. When she asked the rest of Satoshi's Pokémon if they wanted to sleep outside of their Poké Balls, they all seemed to prefer sleeping inside of them, so Serena respected their wishes. Serena's Pokémon took a similar decision.
After she said goodnight to Clemont and Eureka, Serena finally settled down for bed. Pikachu went to sleep on a cushion Serena had placed for him on the windowsill.
They wished each other sweet dreams and Serena turned off the light.
But, unbeknownst to Serena, Pikachu was lying to her. Serena herself was lying to Pikachu, too.
Neither of them was going to sleep that night.
Serena was startled when she felt something slowly getting into her bedsheets. She grabbed the edge and raised it curiously, revealing a mostly yellow shape. The shape flinched slightly and moved back to look at her, realizing it had gotten caught.
Pikachu?
She then voiced her thoughts, keeping her tone low since it was nighttime. Pikachu almost looked apologetic, but Serena noticed there was something more behind his expression. She sat down on the bed and smiled knowingly at the yellow mouse.
''You're worried about Satoshi, aren't you?'' she said as she shifted on the mattress to sit Lotus-style. Pikachu quickly scooted closer when Serena beckoned to him. He nodded, letting out an almost inaudible Pika. ''Don't worry, he'll be back tomorrow. He promised, and you know how he is when he makes a promise… unstoppable. He's really stubborn too.''
Pikachu smiled slightly at this, looking nostalgic. Serena then grinned and grabbed her pillow, adjusting it on the wall and resting her back against it.
''Pi…kachu?'' Pikachu asked curiously.
''We won't be sleeping anytime soon, will we? So… why don't we spend this time bonding?'' Pikachu's smile widened, seemingly interested in her idea. ''Tell me some anecdote of your adventures with Satoshi!'' Quickly enough, Pikachu tilted his head and stared at her, both in amusement and confusion. ''Okay, okay. I know I can't understand Pikachu language, but that doesn't mean we can't try! After all, I bet you're aching to tell someone who's not a Pokémon about your experiences, aren't you?''
''Pikachu!'' He laughed slightly as in 'All right, you have a point there.'
''So you'll do it? Yay!'' Serena cheered, quickly putting a hand over her mouth when she realized she had raised her voice. Both of them stayed silent for some seconds and, fortunately, nothing happened. Everyone else was still asleep. The pair looked at each other with a guilty smile.
''All right, let's start with something simple. Hmm…'' Serena raised her index finger to her chin and tapped it a few times. ''Oh, I got it! How was the first day of your journey? The day Satoshi and you became partners!''
Pikachu blinked twice and then imitated Serena's gesture as he seemed to be thinking (although he raised his whole paw to grab his chin). He smiled and snapped his fingers. ''Pika!''
Pikachu pointed to the clock on the wall some meters away. Serena stared at it, not getting it at first. Then Pikachu exclaimed his name, attracting back her attention. He walked over to the spot Serena's pillow had been and pretended to be sleeping soundly.
''Um… Is that supposed to be Satoshi sleeping?''
Pikachu perked up and nodded quickly, seemingly satisfied by her guessing.
''All right.'' Serena hummed in thought. ''So you pointed at the clock and then mimicked Satoshi sleeping… The clock, sleeping… You mean Satoshi's alarm clock?'' Pikachu nodded tentatively, as in 'More or less.'
''Pikachu pi,'' Pikachu said and went back to pretending to be asleep. Serena nodded and stared, concentrating to get it right. Satoshi's partner then imitated what Serena recognized to be the alarm clock's sounds, although he kept it low for only Serena to hear. Pi, pi, pi. He stopped making the sounds and jumped, seemingly startled by something. He looked around until his gaze landed on the clock. Serena finally understood when Pikachu's eyes widened after he saw the time.
Serena giggled as she witnessed a representation of a younger Satoshi being late to Professor Oak's lab. Pikachu put his paws on both of his cheeks, exclaiming a mortified 'Pika!'
The Pokémon finished his acting by rushing to the door, the fact that Satoshi had gone out of the room being clear enough. Pikachu walked back to Serena's bed and climbed on it, looking at the amused girl expectantly.
''Let's see… You're telling me that Satoshi was late to the only event he wasn't supposed to be late to?''
Pikachu smirked and tilted his head. Serena translated his next 'Pika pi' to 'I know, right?'
''I never thought Satoshi could be late to such an important ceremony…'' She smiled fondly as thoughts of a disheveled Satoshi in his pajamas arriving at Oak's lab entered her mind. Well, it wasn't too surprising. He was just starting back then, and she'd witnessed how much of a dork he could be. She shifted her position again, grabbing the pillow and placing it on its original spot. She rested her head on the pillow and smiled at Pikachu. ''What happened next?''
Pikachu thought about it for a moment, looking around the room. Then, he spotted the familiar design of a Poké Ball that decorated the floor at the center of the room and pointed at it. After making sure Serena was looking, Pikachu ran and stepped on it. He then jumped forward and looked Serena in the eye with an adorable smile.
''Pikachu,'' he crooned. His tone was so cute that Serena could feel her heart warming up.
When she noticed Pikachu was looking at her expectantly, she guessed. ''That's you coming out of your Poké Ball when Satoshi arrived, isn't it?''
Pikachu's smile widened and he nodded, probably proud of his mimicking skills.
''Then… what did you do?'' asked Serena, her blue eyes focused on Satoshi's partner.
The electric mouse smirked and pointed at his red cheeks. He released short charges of electricity from them. When Serena looked confused, Pikachu looked around the room again. Seemingly not finding anything to help him this time, he did his best impression of Satoshi: he adjusted the brim of an invisible cap on his head and pretended to throw a Poké Ball in the air just like his trainer usually did. Serena caught on quickly, giggling softly.
''You're Satoshi!''
''Pi!'' he nodded.
''Okay, so electricity and Satoshi…'' she wondered out loud.
''Pika,'' he said to grab her attention. He pointed at himself.
''Okay. You.''
Pikachu nodded. Then, he released electricity from his cheeks again.
''You, electricity…''
Pikachu did his imitation of Satoshi again.
''You, electricity, Satoshi…'' Serena suddenly sat up. ''You electrocuted Satoshi?!''
''Cha!'' Pikachu laughed wholeheartedly at Serena's bewildered expression. He jumped back on the bed and nodded.
''Was it on accident?''
Pikachu shook his head, still smiling.
''I… I thought you guys were good friends since the beginning,'' Serena exclaimed, very surprised by this new information. Pikachu shook his head again, confirming that he and Satoshi had indeed gotten off to a rough start.
Serena was intrigued. She had thought that the Satoshi she knew from Professor Oak's Summer Camp would've had an awesome journey from the beginning.
However, instead of thinking less of Satoshi, this discovery about him enamored Serena even more. He was the most amazing person she knew, and now she had learned that he'd had to work very hard in order to become who he was nowadays. It made her feel better about the start of her own journey, too. After all, she hadn't known what to do from the very start, but later on, she was able to find her true passion and has been developing her skills since then.
Satoshi wasn't next to her right now, but somehow, she felt closer to him than ever.
She looked at Pikachu, Satoshi's loyal partner, and settled back on her pillow. ''So… what exactly happened that made you guys bond for the first time?''
Pikachu stared at her for some seconds. He then looked down and smiled fondly.
''Pika, pi…''
Serena could easily recognize the longing in Pikachu's eyes. The moment that changed everything between a new trainer and his very first Pokémon. She smiled at how wholesome that memory seemed to be.
Her fondness changed to confusion when she saw Pikachu was trying to fly from where he was.
''Uhhh… Pikachu?''
''Pika!'' The electric mouse continued to flap his hypothetical wings as he went around the room. Serena knew he was trying to tell her about his 'bonding moment' with Satoshi, although she also knew that, at that point, just mimicking it wouldn't help. (It was quite funny, though.)
The third thing she knew is that she was sleepy, a feeling that was betrayed when she yawned.
''Hey, Pikachu,'' said Serena softly to her temporal partner. Pikachu stopped to look at her. ''Come here.'' Serena patted the mattress with a smile.
Pikachu, who also seemed to be worn off from his mimic session, quickly complied. Serena caressed his head just like Satoshi had done earlier, knowing the gesture was something Pikachu liked.
''I know you're excited to tell me more about it, but it's probably the middle of the night and…'' Serena yawned again. ''I think we're finally ready to sleep. We really should get some sleep so we're at our best capacities tomorrow, don't you think?''
The yellow mouse nodded slowly before Serena's yawn infected him too. ''Chaaa…''
Serena grinned at the cute Pokémon and spread her arms invitingly. Pikachu walked on all fours and lay next to Serena, getting comfortable between her arms.
''Goodnight, Pikachu.''
''Pika-chu.''
Serena stared at Pikachu's sleepy face for a moment before closing her eyes.
''I wish I could understand… exactly what you want to tell me,'' she whispered, her words almost inaudible. That was the last thing she remembered that night.
Unbeknownst to everyone around, a shooting star was passing by. It stopped when it sensed that a pure soul nearby was making a wish. Spreading the yellow flaps underneath its tiny white arms, it got closer to the wisher's presence. It loomed over a honey-blonde girl that was holding a Pikachu with tenderness in her arms. The girl was already sleeping, her diaphragm raising and lowering peacefully.
Jirachi recognized the wish involving the girl and what seemed to be her Pikachu. At the same time, it acknowledged the bond that was flourishing between Pokémon and trainer, their pure desire for communication and to be able to expand their horizons. It smiled with curiosity at the implications.
After thinking about it for a while, Jirachi grinned and giggled. The eye on its belly opened and gleamed in the moonlight before closing again.
The shooting star continued its course soon after, content with its actions.
Hi!
This is the first chapter of the story and the shortest overall, simply a little introduction to what's about to come. Feel free to leave a review in any of the 5 chapters so you can tell me what you think/your favorite moments!