Soulbonded

by Noukon

After Satoshi is mistaken for a wanted criminal and is forced to spend the night away from his friends, Serena and Pikachu find support in each other, and a bond is formed. Maybe in the literal sense, they both realize, when the next morning Serena is somehow able to understand word by word everything Pikachu says.

2. Make My Wish Come True

''Wake up, Serena!''

The honey-blonde hummed; she was too content in her slumber to acknowledge the voice. She hummed even louder and frowned when someone suddenly pulled the bedsheets off her body. The late morning breeze made her shiver slightly when it flowed through her now exposed arms.

''Wakey wakey!'' the voice tried again.

''No… too comfy,'' she murmured. She reached blindly for the bedsheets and pulled them back onto her shoulders. Soon enough, she heard an exasperated sigh.

''You're so stubborn. You remind me of Satoshi sometimes.''

Serena froze at that.

What…

Whose voice was that? Why did it sound so familiar and yet somewhat foreign? I must be dreaming, she thought. And, just like that, her will to continue sleeping dissipated as she was reminded of the obvious.

I can't sleep forever; I need to actually start the day sometime.

She slowly sat on the mattress and yawned. Small tears formed after the yawn and she wiped them softly with her fingers, her eyes still closed because of her lingering sleepiness.

''Till you finally woke up!'' She stopped moving altogether and opened her eyes as she processed the words that came from somewhere to her left. That voice again. ''For a second, I was wondering whether or not I should wake you up with a little shock.''

Serena frowned, very confused. When she turned to the origin of the strange voice, her eyes widened like saucers. A very familiar Pikachu grinned up at her nonchalantly.

''Just kidding!'' he said.

She gasped. ''P-Pikachu?!''

Pikachu startled slightly at her reaction. ''Oh? What is it?''

After some seconds, Serena got slightly closer to the Pokémon and squinted, trying to understand what was going on. This needs to be some sort of prank. The yellow mouse simply tilted his head at her, confused. Serena then nodded and backed off slightly.

''This is a prank, right?'' she asked Pikachu before she began to look around the room. ''Good one, guys! You got me. You can come out now!''

She looked everywhere, trying to find Clemont and Eureka. However, the only sounds she heard were from the Fletchling occasionally chirping outside. If Eureka really were there, she would be giggling by now. And Clemont wouldn't just prank her like that without his sister's influence. Now she was 100% confused.

''Serena?''

There it is again. She set her blue eyes back on Pikachu, not knowing what to think anymore. Pikachu looked concerned.

''What are you talking about? Are you okay?''

She continued to stare at Satoshi's partner and was about to truly freak out before she reached a different conclusion. ''I must still be dreaming,'' she began, nodding again. ''Uh-huh, that's it. I'm dreaming.'' She lay back down on the mattress and looked at the ceiling in contemplation. ''And yes, I'm okay, talking Pikachu,'' she commented with slight amusement.

''Talking—'' There was a sudden pause. ''Pika… pika?''

Serena whipped her head to the side and looked at Pikachu in disbelief. ''Oh, now you're back to Pikachu language?''

Pikachu blinked twice, mouth hanging slightly open. He then hummed, seemingly thinking about something. He looked Serena in the eye when he spoke next.

''What if I say… that Satoshi can be as dense as a rock?''

''I already knew that,'' Serena replied right away, very amused.

Pikachu gasped. ''So you do understand exactly what I say!'' he exclaimed, his dark eyes opened wide.

''That's what surprised me the most, dream Pikachu.''

He shook his head emphatically. ''It's not a dream! I just woke you up, Serena!''

Serena pinched herself to confirm she wasn't dreaming. To her surprise, she was still there afterward, in front of an alerted Pikachu.

''What the…''

They both stared at each other for five solid seconds… and then proceeded to scream.

''I literally understand you!''

''You understand me!''

''Why do I understand you?!''

''Don't ask me!''

Serena backed off and grabbed the edge of her bed sheets to shield herself. After she continued to stare at a shocked Pikachu for some seconds, she realized how absurd that was. Alright, he could somehow talk now, but that didn't mean he wasn't still, well, Pikachu.

''O-okay…'' she began, lowering the covers and reaching out to pet Pikachu. Pikachu seemed to understand her intentions and got closer slowly, letting her touch his head. Both of them smiled at the interaction. ''This is… nuts.''

Pikachu's smile widened. ''Yeah, no joke.''

Serena almost flinched. It was just so weird, being able to understand Pikachu perfectly after all of those simple Pika-pika's. And then, it all clicked.

Serena gasped and withdrew her hand from Pikachu's head. The latter looked up at her in surprise.

''This was my wish!'' she exclaimed, finally connecting the dots.

''Your… wish?''

''Yeah! Don't you remember last night, right before we fell asleep?''

Pikachu seemed to think for a moment before he matched Serena's previous gasp. Did he always gasp like that or could that also be interpreted as 'Pika'? Serena didn't know.

''I remember! You wished you could understand me!''

''Holy Rhyhorn… This is insane!'' She got closer to Pikachu, the meaning of this wish come true finally dawning on her. ''But… How could that be…?''

Pikachu shrugged, or Serena interpreted what he did with his little arms as a shrug. ''If every wish would come true like that, Satoshi would already be a Pokémon Master,'' he said.

Serena looked at Pikachu empathetically. Satoshi's wish to become a Pokémon Master had to be the purest wish in the universe, and Pikachu most probably wanted that just as much as his trainer. Now that she had a wish of her own, she could totally understand… just like she could now understand Pikachu!

She couldn't say for sure that she was the only human that was able to understand a Pokémon. After all, she remembered how their encounter with Valerie had gone. She and her fairy Pokémon shared a very profound bond, and she could speak their language.

But this thing she now had with Pikachu… Was it because of a bond? A bond she had with Pikachu? Or maybe his trainer?! What if she had a truly strong bond with Satoshi and that allowed her to communicate with his closest Pokémon?!

''Earth to Serena?''

She could just imagine the possibilities. What if fate had actually brought them together because of their bond?

''Serena Serena, are you still there?!''

Pikachu's words broke Serena's reverie, and the latter looked back at him. She raised an eyebrow. ''Serena Serena?''

Pikachu looked at her with what seemed to be an apologetic smile.

''Sorry. I don't know your last name, but I still needed to sound firm so you'd look at me.''

Serena laughed lightheartedly at Pikachu and his antics.

''I'm sorry for getting distracted. This is just so crazy… I'm trying to understand why.''

''The why isn't so important.''

Serena stayed quiet, feeling that Pikachu was going to make a point. The whole situation was still so weird.

''I mean, for all we know, you wished you could understand me and somehow your wish was granted, right?''

Serena nodded slowly.

''So this is it!'' Pikachu smiled and began to gesture excitedly. ''You have no idea how long I've wanted to be able to talk with a human properly. I have so many things to say, so many comments that only my Pokémon friends could understand… and now you do too!''

''Oh my Arceus…'' Pikachu's exciting demeanor got to Serena right away. ''You're so right! This is truly amazing!''

Maybe she had a bond with Satoshi, and maybe she didn't. But most importantly, today Serena woke up and was able to understand Satoshi's Pikachu perfectly! This could change everything!

''Ohhh, just wait till Satoshi learns about this… Oh! This is the best thing ever!''

Both of them laughed cheerfully for a while… until they realized a crucial detail.

''Satoshi!'' they shouted in unison.

---

Serena got ready in record time and exited her room with Pikachu on her shoulder.

Clemont and Eureka had stayed in the neighboring room. When Serena checked the clock watch, she realized it was almost midday, and Clemont and Eureka were probably already in the common area of the Pokémon Center downstairs. She confirmed it when she knocked on the door of their room and only got silence as a response, so she decided to go downstairs directly.

''Okay, so we'll test them first, right?'' Pikachu asked from her shoulder, his voice eager with anticipation.

''Yep! We need to confirm if only I can understand you.''

Serena was slightly conflicted. It could be awesome if not only she could understand Pikachu, but it would also mean that maybe her bond with Satoshi wouldn't be so special after all…

She shook her head and smiled. Either way, this promised to be fun!

After they reached the lower floor, Serena looked around to see if she could spot the blond siblings. Soon enough, she saw them talking at one of the couches of the common area.

Serena and Pikachu looked at each other and nodded, trying to remain serious as Serena approached the siblings.

''Good morning Clemont, Eureka!''

The siblings turned to look at Serena and their faces lightened up in sync.

''Good morning Serena, Pikachu,'' Clemont greeted them with a warm smile. ''We were wondering where you guys were.''

''Sorry about that! I…'' Serena glanced at Pikachu's knowing expression and looked back at Clemont, sporting a nonchalant smile. ''Overslept.''

''Serena!'' Before Serena could react, Eureka rushed and hugged her by the waist. ''Good morning!'' the blonde girl said, looking up at her. Serena felt her heart warming from the little girl's actions.

''Good morning, Eureka,'' she replied as she caressed the little girl's hair. ''I'm glad you're feeling better.''

''Mm-hmm!'' hummed Eureka. She released her grip on Serena and took her hand to guide her to the couch. Serena complied and sat down next to her, Pikachu also sitting in the space between them. ''I realized I needed to stay positive, just like you said!''

Serena's smile widened. She saw Eureka as a cute little sister that always wanted the best for her friends and whose actions were filled with sheer innocence and determination. Serena was truly happy that the little girl had brightened up thanks to her positivism.

''I'm so proud of you, Eureka! And Satoshi will be proud when he comes back, too,'' Serena said. Clemont was quick to agree with her.

''Absolutely. You've grown so much, Eureka,'' he said with noticeable pride.

''Ne-ne!'' added Dedenne from Clemont's lap.

Eureka grinned and then focused her attention on Pikachu, staring at him curiously.

''Hey, Pikachu!'' Said Pokémon raised his gaze and grinned back at her. ''You're so quiet! Why? Are you worried about Satoshi?'' the little blonde asked, empathetically.

Pikachu's ears rose slightly from the sudden question, and he looked at Serena, the latter doing the same almost in sync. Serena winked subtlety at Pikachu and he nodded.

''I'm perfectly fine, Eureka. Thanks for asking!'' Pikachu exclaimed cheerfully.

Serena and Pikachu got closer to each other in anticipation, waiting for a loud reaction of surprise from the siblings.

...

However, instead of being surprised, Eureka just smiled sweetly at the yellow mouse and petted his head. ''I'm glad you're feeling okay, Pikachu!''

Eureka had probably guessed what Pikachu had said from his cheerful tone.

Pikachu welcomed the petting, closing the eye that was closest to her hand. He looked at Serena with his other eye. ''Guess it is just you, Serena,'' he voiced what both of them were thinking.

''Mm-hmm,'' the honey-blonde agreed in a low tone.

''Yes! Pika-pika for you too, Pikachu!'' Eureka said as she giggled and continued petting Pikachu. He and Serena made eye contact again and couldn't help but laugh.

Clemont perked up with curiosity. ''What's so funny?''

''Oh, nothing,'' Serena said, all the while holding a hand up to her mouth to muffle her laughter. ''It's just that—''

She was interrupted by a low growl that was coming from Pikachu. Upon closer inspection, it came from his tummy. Clemont and Eureka quickly noticed it as well.

''Pikachu, you silly. Why didn't you tell us you were hungry?'' Eureka asked him, almost like a worried mom. Pikachu rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

''Right!'' chimed Clemont. ''You guys haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you?''

Serena shrugged, relieved that her tummy hadn't been the one growling. ''We pretty much just exited our room, so…''

''Wait here, then,'' the young inventor said, standing up from the couch. ''I'll get you and your Pokémon some food. I saved it when you didn't come down earlier so it would stay fresh.''

Serena quickly remembered that she wasn't taking care of Pikachu only. ''Hey, Clemont!'' she called.

''Yes?''

''Could you please bring more Pokémon food for the rest of Satoshi's Pokémon? Knowing them, they all must be very hungry too.''

''Of course!''

''Thank you!''

After Clemont left to fetch their food, Serena carefully grabbed both her and Satoshi's Poké Balls from her pockets and released their Pokémon. Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon were the first to come out. Then out came Greninja, Talonflame, Hawlucha and Noivern.

''Good morning, everyone!'' Serena smiled at them. She glanced at the clock and realized it was already past noon. ''Well… good afternoon, that is,'' she added apologetically.

Her Pokémon got closer and greeted her just as she saw Pikachu and Eureka stand from the couch to greet the rest.

''Brai, braix!''

''Pancham!''

''Sylvie!''

Serena kneeled in front of her team. ''Hey everyone! I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Don't worry; Clemont's bringing our food right now. And after that…'' Serena paused and searched for something in her bag. Soon after, she pulled out her special brush. ''I'll take care of your fur!''

''Braixen!'' her starter was quick to celebrate. She loved getting her fur groomed. Serena's hairbrush had been with her from the beginning and had gone through thick and thin, but she still managed to use it properly to leave her Pokémon's fur smooth and shiny.

(Maybe she should buy a new one soon, though. She would think about that later.)

Sylveon then approached Serena and embraced her arm with her feelers to show her gratitude. Conversely, Pancham stayed where he was, crossing his arms and trying to appear indifferent. However, Serena knew he was just as excited as his fellow Pokémon.

Eureka walked closer to Serena, seemingly in the middle of complaining to herself. ''What's my brother doing? Everyone's hungry and he's nowhere to be seen!''

''Maybe he's having trouble carrying the food?'' Serena offered as an explanation. Eureka huffed.

''I'll go check on him, he's probably in trouble.'' She turned around and headed in the same direction her brother had gone to. ''What would he even do without me?'' she wondered aloud as she left, Dedenne following her diligently. Serena smiled in amusement.

''Noi, noivern?''

Serena and her Pokémon looked from Eureka to Satoshi's Noivern, who seemed to be asking Pikachu something.

''The food's on its way, Noivern, don't worry,'' answered Pikachu, reassuring the big bat. ''We all know how you need to be fed in order to fly properly during battle.''

''Pikachu's right, Noivern! I apologize again for making you skip breakfast,'' Serena said from her spot. ''You'll eat and then you'll be able to fly to your highest capacity in no time.''

All of the Pokémon blinked once… and twice… and then five more times. Before Serena could understand what she had done, she was surrounded by all of them. She went from kneeling to sitting down on the ground out of surprise.

''Wha— Guys, what's going on?!'' she asked, bewildered. Everyone was talking at the same time.

''Ninja, ninja?''

''Lucha?''

''Flame, talon!''

Serena could sense they were trying to get her to answer something, but she didn't understand what. Even her own Pokémon were looking at her with sheer curiosity.

Pikachu also seemed perplexed at the other Pokémon's reaction. He jumped to her shoulder and spoke up.

''Everyone, settle down!''

To Serena's relief, they quieted down shortly after. She wasn't too surprised by the fact that Pikachu was their leader, considering he was Satoshi's very best friend and partner.

''Okay,'' Pikachu continued once it got quiet. ''Why are you guys acting like this? And— SAY IT ONE AT A TIME!'' he exclaimed when everyone began to talk all at once again.

Soon after, Greninja raised his hand and Pikachu motioned for him to speak.

''Greninja, ja. Ninja, ninja-ja?''

''Well, that's because…'' Pikachu suddenly paused, seemingly realizing something. ''Oh.''

Serena stared at him, confused. ''What is it?''

Pikachu turned to her. ''We blew our cover already. Well, you did.''

Serena kept staring. ''Huh?''

''You heard me calming Noivern down, and then talked in a way that showed you actually understood word for word what I was saying.''

Serena froze. She very slowly turned around to the rest of the Pokémon, who were looking at her expectantly.

''So yeah. Now they all know,'' Pikachu finished.

Serena smiled awkwardly at them. ''Haha… Pika-pika…?''

''BRAIXEN!''

''PANCHAM CHAM?!''

''SYL, SYLVEON!''

''YOU GUYS!'' Pikachu raised his voice once again. ''She can't understand all of you. She can only understand me.''

They all blinked in silence.

''…Lucha.''

Pikachu chuckled at whatever Hawlucha had said. Serena raised an eyebrow. ''What did he say?''

''«Well, that certainly adds up»,'' Pikachu replied as he quoted the Wrestling Pokémon.

''He said all of that in just one 'Lucha'?''

''Are you surprised? You now know how much I can say in just one Pika.''

''Huh… fair enough,'' she responded, feeling a little silly.

''Braix.''

Both Serena and Pikachu turned around to address Braixen, who was the closest to her out of her whole team.

''Hmm? What is it, Braixen?'' Serena asked her starter.

''Braixen braix?''

Pikachu provided a translation before Serena had to ask. ''Braixen's asking how this happened. You know, you being able to understand me.''

''Oh…'' She looked at her dear Braixen and then at the other Pokémon, all of their gazes holding the very same question. ''To be honest with you guys… We… have no idea…?''

All of them gaped in response.

''Yeah,'' Pikachu deadpanned, still on Serena's shoulder. ''All we know is that Serena made a wish last night and it somehow came true.''

What Pikachu said only managed to raise more questions from the other Pokémon, so Serena continued.

''We were bonding over Satoshi not being there, and so Pikachu decided to tell me the story of Satoshi's first day as a trainer. However, since I couldn't get his words, he mimicked everything to me.''

To Serena's surprise, Greninja chuckled from where he was and mumbled something, making other Pokémon around him laugh along. She noticed Pikachu glaring at the blue Pokémon.

''Very funny, Greninja. I'll have you know I make a very nice flying Pikachu,'' he said with confidence.

Talonflame couldn't resist anymore and began to laugh wholeheartedly. Serena looked at Pikachu inquisitively. The yellow mouse sighed.

''Satoshi and I were chased by Spearows on the way to our very first Pokémon Center, and that was the first moment I felt like I needed to protect him.''

Serena's eyes widened with recognition. ''Oh! So that's what you were trying to say when you began to move your arms like this…'' Serena imitated a bird-like Pokémon flapping its wings. This prompted the other Pokémon to roar with laughter.

Pikachu rolled his eyes at everyone, smiling despite himself. Serena also smiled, enjoying their little moment.

So Pikachu does share stories of Satoshi's prior adventures with his Pokémon friends, she thought. Pokémon aren't so different from humans, after all…

''Anyway…'' Pikachu continued. ''After a while, I ran out of ways to tell Serena the rest of the story, and we were getting drowsy, so we decided to go back to sleep. Right before we fell asleep, Serena whispered that she wished she could actually understand me.''

''And that's pretty much it,'' Serena said, finishing the 'explanation'. ''This morning, Pikachu woke me up, and soon after we realized I could indeed understand what he was saying, word for word.''

The Pokémon listened attentively till the end, some of them humming as they thought about the situation.

''…Lucha.''

Pikachu nodded. ''Yep, we said exactly the same. It is nuts.''

Serena stayed silent for a moment, looking at Hawlucha… and then began to laugh. Pikachu was about to ask her what had gotten into her, but soon enough he was laughing too. It was ridiculous!

The rest proceeded to laugh as well. Hawlucha still didn't know if they were laughing at him or at the situation, but he decided to settle for the last option for his own sake.

Clemont then appeared with bags of Pokémon food, his little sister trailing behind him with plates to deposit the food in.

''Sorry to keep you all waiting, g—''

Clemont and Eureka were surprised to find Serena laughing wholeheartedly with the rest of the Pokémon as they all surrounded her. Dedenne left Eureka's purse and ran toward the group, intrigued.

The blond siblings shared a glance, before quickly joining the group as well.

''What's so funny, guys?'' Serena, Pikachu and the others quieted down slightly when they heard Eureka. The little girl grinned and pointed at herself. ''Tell me! Eureka wants to laugh too!''

''Hey, Eureka,'' Serena greeted her cheerfully. She wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye and stood up, cleansing her clothes. ''It's just that… Well, it's a long story. The thing is—''

Serena suddenly felt Pikachu squeezing her shoulder. She glanced at him.

''Do you think you can save the explanation for after we eat? I'm starving here.''

She heard some other Pokémon agreeing with Pikachu. She shook her head, smiling.

''Clemont, Eureka, I'll tell you guys everything… after we eat.''

All the Pokémon cheered, making her laugh again.

The siblings were confused at this exchange, but they also understood that they were all hungry, so they settled down for lunchtime.

---

''So you had a little… problem with the bag of Pokémon food,'' Serena said to Clemont as they ate, amused. Clemont sighed, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

''Yeah…''

Eureka, who was sitting next to her older brother, shook her head and threw him a disappointed look. ''You need to be more careful, bro!''

Clemont raised his eyebrows at the offender, pouting soon after. ''How could I know it was already opened from the other side?!''

''You could've checked, you know?'' retorted Eureka, done with her brother's clumsiness. ''You're lucky you had me at your side to help you pick up every little piece of food before anyone came in!''

''And I thank you for that, Eureka, but you also need to understand that people make mistakes sometimes!''

Serena smiled, amused with the siblings' banter. She became even more amused after she heard Pikachu talking as he ate, though.

''Oh, glorious food at last!'' the yellow mouse exclaimed, picking portion after portion and stuffing it into his mouth.

The rest of Satoshi's Pokémon were also exclaiming things as they ate, and Serena wondered if what they were saying was similar to Pikachu's words.

''But at least I am careful! Right, Serena?''

Serena's eyes widened at the sudden mention of her name and she turned to look at Eureka.

''Uh…'' Both siblings were staring at her, waiting for a response. Serena smiled apologetically. ''Sorry, I was distracted with something. What'd you say?''

Eureka pouted at Serena's lack of attention to their discussion. At the same time, Clemont raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

''What's the matter, Serena?''

''Huh?''

''You've been acting weird today. Is there a problem? You know you can talk to us about anything. We're all friends and we're here to help you,'' he said with honesty.

Eureka stopped pouting after she realized her brother's serious demeanor.

''My bro's right! You can tell us anything!'' Eureka seemed to think about something for a moment. Her face brightened up after some seconds, a certain idea forming in her mind. She smirked at the honey-blonde. ''Are you worried about Satoshi, Serena?''

Serena flinched. Something in Eureka's tone indicated that she wasn't simply talking about a friend being worried about another friend. And Serena didn't need Eureka's teasing right now! She was dealing with a very big thing, so they absolutely weren't going to have another Serena-loves-Satoshi conversation.

''Look guys, I'm okay, I promise!'' she said, giving them her most reassuring smile. ''But there is something happening,'' she then admitted.

She called out to Pikachu and beckoned him to get on the table. Pikachu looked from the siblings to Serena, understanding what she wanted. Therefore, the yellow mouse finished the last portion of his food and jumped onto the table, giving the siblings his signature smile.

''Okay… How do we do this…'' Serena wondered aloud. ''Oh, I know!'' She turned to the expectant pair. ''Say, is there something that you've only told Pikachu, and no one else?''

They both blinked at the question. However, Eureka was quick to answer.

''Yes! Dedenne's birthday. I plan to keep it a secret from everyone else until the day comes so it could be a massive surprise party!''

''Interesting…'' Serena said, deciding not to ask how a wild Dedenne could know about its own birth date and then tell someone about it. She turned to a certain yellow Pokémon. ''Pikachu?''

Pikachu nodded at Serena. ''It's on October 17th,'' he said with ease.

Serena nodded back after hearing his answer. ''Sorry Eureka, I know you wanted to keep it a secret, but… What kind of present would Dedenne like for its birthday… on October 17th?''

Eureka's eyes and jaw opened wide. ''W–what?! How do you know that? Only Pikachu knows!''

''He just told me,'' Serena said, motioning at Pikachu with a tilt of her head.

As Eureka was trying to decipher what was going on, Clemont had a different train of thought. He adjusted his glasses, seemingly inspecting Pikachu.

''Serena…''

She smiled innocently. ''Yeah?''

''You created a system that allows you to understand Pikachu! How impressive!''

Serena and Pikachu shared a long look.

''…What?'' she asked the young inventor.

''Why didn't you tell me sooner? I'd love to hear more about your system! Tell me, how did 'pika pikachu pi' tell you it was on October 17th? And how did you decipher it so quickly?''

Serena held her hands up to calm Clemont down, for he was quickly getting all excited about the alleged system she had created.

''No, Clemont, it's not… Let's see…'' Coming up with another idea, she pointed a finger at Pikachu. ''Whisper something very technical and scientific to Pikachu.''

Clemont and Pikachu both blinked. The former thought about something to say for some seconds.

''Okay… If that's what you want…'' he said as he motioned for Pikachu to get closer. The yellow Pokémon walked over to him on the table and perked his ear close to Clemont's face.

Clemont began to whisper.

Pikachu raised an invisible eyebrow.

Then he opened his mouth slightly.

Then he frowned.

Then he looked hopelessly confused.

Then he looked terrified.

And then he just seemed to give up.

After Clemont finished whispering, Pikachu slowly walked over back to Serena's side of the table. Serena looked at him expectantly.

''So?'' she asked.

''Look… It's no use. He lost me in the middle of the third word,'' Pikachu replied.

Serena sighed heavily, shaking her head.

''Let's just tell them directly.''

''Good enough for me.''

---

Silence filled the whole common area as Serena's words were registering in two blond siblings' heads. A pin falling off would be able to break such a quiet environment. The rest of the Pokémon stopped eating upon noticing the sudden lack of sounds.

After some seconds that felt like hours, the older sibling finally spoke.

''Wait, what?''

''It's exactly what you heard,'' Serena replied with an amused smile. Pikachu nodded by her side and rubbed his head sheepishly. Clemont's gaze shifted from Serena to the yellow mouse, seemingly searching for any sign that could indicate they were joking. Eureka was surprisingly still quiet, looking a little pensive, even.

She then got closer to Pikachu on the table. ''You can understand everything Pikachu says,'' she murmured, parroting what Serena had said some moments earlier. Both Serena and Pikachu nodded at that. Her quietness shifted into high-pitched admiration so fast that everyone almost covered their ears as a reflex. ''THAT'S SO COOL! WHAT HAS HE TOLD YOU? DOES HE SPEAK HUMAN WORDS? HOW DOES HE SOUND? HE PROBABLY SOUNDS ADORABLE!''

Pikachu flinched, being the closest to the excited girl. ''Eureka, calm down…''

That only managed to make her more excited. ''What did he just say?!'' She turned to Serena expectantly. Serena sighed fondly and repeated Pikachu's exact words. Eureka gasped. ''Did he actually say my name? He said my name!'' She giggled like a school girl would at her crush saying her name. This time was an even more special situation though, since it wasn't every day you could be so sure about a Pokémon's speech toward you.

Serena could agree; hearing Pikachu say her name was still a weird experience. She liked it all the same. However, the name she liked to hear the most out of Pikachu's mouth was Satoshi's. He always said it with such brightness and firmness, like he was just so proud of whom his trainer was. No; Satoshi was, more than his trainer, his best friend in the whole world. That kind of unwavering pride when it came to Satoshi was one of the things Serena could relate to the most. Maybe that was the bond that allowed her wish to be granted…?

Her train of thought was broken when she noticed Clemont shifting at the other side of the table. He adjusted his glasses—making them glint as they reflected the light for a moment—and observed Pikachu wordlessly. His wavering pupils were betraying his actual emotions, however.

''Clemont,'' Serena said to obtain his attention. She smiled knowingly when his eyes landed on hers. ''You can freak out about this as much as you want, you know that, right?''

He kept staring. ''…Really?'' he asked in a tiny, almost inaudible voice.

Serena nodded. She soon realized she might have made a mistake.

Clemont was almost completely on the table as he got extra close to Pikachu. ''When did this happen? How is Pikachu's speech like? Does he speak like Satoshi? Oh my Arceus, does his mouth move accordingly to the words he says?!'' Pikachu looked back at him with wide eyes and pricked ears. Realizing Clemont had suddenly extracted a magnifying glass out of seemingly nowhere, he backed away and climbed back onto Serena's shoulder.

The next thirty minutes were filled with Serena's best attempt at an explanation (she omitted her theories about what could've caused this to happen; she didn't want to say it was a bond out loud lest she gives Eureka even more fuel to mess with her love for Satoshi). The siblings would occasionally ask a question related to the situation. Serena translated everything Pikachu said, suddenly feeling as if she had learned a whole new language overnight.

''Eureka, be sure to listen attentively, okay?'' Clemont said to his sister. Eureka nodded with anticipation. They were in the middle of an impromptu experiment: Clemont wanted to see if there was a particular Pika-pattern for specific words. In this case, he asked Pikachu to repeat Satoshi's name. ''Okay, go!''

''Satoshi,'' Pikachu said loud and clear. Clemont nodded and wrote it down on a notepad. No one knew where he got that from either. Clemont then asked him to repeat it every few seconds in differently structured sentences, every time jotting some words down and nodding in sync with his sister. Serena watched the whole exchange, a little amused. She was now on the opposite end, both of the table and the understanding spectrum. She was hearing him say Satoshi's name in a perfectly articulated way while the siblings were probably just hearing a bunch of Pika-pikas.

''Okay,'' the inventor said with a final nod. He scanned his notes one last time before his face broke in a bright smile. ''This information will help me improve my Pokémon Language Translator. If I succeed, it could be the first completely reliable source for Pokémon translation in the whole world!''

Eureka raised her hand with her classic cheerfulness. ''I'll help you with it this time! Only if you let me choose a different name for it before you get the patent.''

''Eh?! What's wrong with the name I chose? It's short and describes perfectly what it is for!''

''But it's boring! If you want your machines to succeed, they need to have flashy, catchy names!''

Serena giggled quietly at the siblings blossoming banter. They were always like this. Pikachu smiled at her, still standing on the table. ''Those two will never change,'' he said. In the blink of an eye, his ears twitched and he looked to the side. ''Satoshi!''

Serena blinked at his sudden outburst. It was loud enough to deter the siblings' banter as well. ''Pikachu, you know you don't need to repeat Satoshi's name anymore, righ—''

Pikachu shook his head and climbed on her shoulder, placing a paw on her chin. ''No. I mean it this time.'' He made her turn her head lightly to the side, causing her to gasp at the sight. ''Satoshi!''

The siblings turned in the same direction and matched her reaction. Standing in the flesh, Satoshi from Masara Town was looking at them with his warm auburn eyes. He glanced to the siblings and then back to Serena and Pikachu, a tinge of confused amusement adorning his face when he noticed their closeness.

''Hey guys,'' he said with a wink.

Pikachu didn't need to run toward him; the girl on whose shoulder he was resting on had already made her way toward Satoshi. Serena embraced the startled boy in an affectionate hug as Pikachu jumped to one of his shoulders.

The sudden greeting from two of the beings he loved the most made him feel extra warm inside. He was about to reach for Pikachu's head to pet him only to realize that both of his arms were already busy surrounding Serena's waist, pulling her closer. Oh. When did that happen?

''Welcome back,'' Serena exclaimed softly. Her words were accompanied by her hot breath, which tickled his ear and made him shiver involuntarily. Now some of the warmth was reaching his cheeks. He still didn't know exactly why he enjoyed this feeling so much, but he wasn't about to complain.

(She smelled like flowers.)

Finally looking up, he saw Clemont and Eureka watching him with greeting smiles. The rest of the Pokémon were surrounding them as well, glad to see him safe. He realized that he was supposed to say something back to the girl in his arms.

Satoshi pulled away slightly and grinned at her, enjoying just how happy she seemed with his presence. ''I take it you guys missed me?''

Suddenly realizing what she had done, Serena's face went bright red as her eyes flickered to her arms that were still surrounding him. ''U-ummm…'' She glanced at Pikachu and found him actually smirking at her. The traitor. Even after everything we've been through! ''Yeah,'' she managed to say, glaring at the sly mouse and backing away from Satoshi.

He didn't notice the internal battle his partner and his traveling companion were having because he was distracted by a second hug. This time, a small blonde girl was looking up at him with a blinding smile. However, he did notice when Pikachu jumped to Serena's shoulder again. His partner seemed to be saying something to Serena. Satoshi got surprised when that actually elicited a flustered reaction from the girl.

That's weird.

Before Satoshi could ask about this sudden closeness between the two, the older sibling got his attention. ''We're glad you're back, Satoshi,'' he said.

''Yes!'' Eureka agreed as she backed away, now hopping in place. She seemed extra excited about something. ''And you have no idea what you have missed!'' She giggled at Satoshi when he raised his eyebrows with curiosity. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Serena had stopped glaring at Pikachu and had turned to Eureka, looking startled.

The honey-blonde then got closer to the group. ''Um, yeah, that's right. However,'' she said, eager to change the subject for some reason, ''Satoshi should tell us what happened with him first, don't you think so, guys?''

If Satoshi had known any better, he would've thought the siblings were having a silent conversation with Serena. (In reality, they were.)

Please, let me tell him myself, Serena pleaded with them in her mind. I want it to be a surprise.

Eureka's mind seemed to click with her idea first. She let out a low 'ohhh' and then nodded with determination. She looked back at Satoshi with an innocent smile. ''Serena's right!'' she said, surprising her still confused brother. ''We were worried sick about you! You gotta tell us everything!''

Clemont seemed to finally get the memo (or at least part of it) as he nodded alongside his sister. ''Now that I think about it, the girls are right. Tell us, what happened at the police station, Satoshi?''

Satoshi was a bit nerovus now that the focus was on him. Even Pikachu seemed to agree with the rest in their sudden decision of giving him the spotlight. Why is everyone acting so weird? He raised an eyebrow and was about to speak… when his tummy beat him to it.

He grasped his belly with his hands when it rumbled, his confusion transforming into an all-too-familiar embarrassment. ''I'll tell you everything, guys. But… can I do it after I grab a bite? I haven't eaten all day,'' he said apologetically.

Serena smiled. That was her Satoshi. He was finally back. She knew Pikachu was thinking the same when he squeezed her shoulder affectionately. His smile was big with emotion, probably mirroring her own expression. ''Hey, Serena,'' he whispered after Eureka guided Satoshi to the table and Clemont went back to the kitchen in search of his food. ''How are we going to tell him the big news?''

Now it was her turn to smirk.

---

''Hmm! Tasty!'' Satoshi said as he ate his lunch. The food was disappearing from the plate at an almost alarming speed. Almost alarming because this was Satoshi, so everyone was already expecting this kind of speed after hearing he was hungry.

They all had decided to postpone Serena and Pikachu's situation in favor of hearing about Satoshi's. They sat just like before on the table, only with the addition of Satoshi sitting next to Serena. All of the Pokémon were still out of their Poké Balls and were waiting as well. After Satoshi finished his meal and cleaned his fingers, he began his explanation.

The first thing he said was that he had spent the night in a cell, which was enough to make Serena whimper involuntarily out of concern. Satoshi noticed this and reassured her that it was okay: Officer Jenny had made sure he had a pillow and a comforter. She nodded at his words, although she was still worried. Pikachu looked at her with a face that said something she knew all too well: I feel you.

Then Satoshi proceeded to tell them how the police had asked him a long set of questions. Most of them were yes-or-no questions, while some were a little more specific about things like his whereabouts and actions. Officer Jenny had later checked that all of his alibis were correct and, after warning him to be careful and informing him of where his friends were waiting, they finally released him.

The grin Satoshi kept during the whole explanation helped Serena feel a little more at ease. However, she couldn't help but feel that wasn't going to be the end of it. She wanted to remain positive, though. For Satoshi, for Pikachu, Clemont, Eureka and the rest… she had to stay strong. Seeing how relieved all of them were right now served as the comfort she needed to smile brightly back at all of them.

Satoshi was back, after all.

---

The first thing Satoshi did after coming back (aside from eating to his heart's content) was going outside with his Pokémon to make up for the training time they had missed. Pikachu eagerly asked him to be the first. Serena watched them from the sidelines, sitting on a bench. Braixen had gone to have a chat with Greninja at the other side of the field, which made Serena smile knowingly. She had noticed Braixen had a soft spot for the ninja since she was a Fennekin. Greninja reciprocated in the conversation, enjoying the Fox Pokémon's company.

Pancham was practicing some moves by himself somewhere else in the field, pretending that he wasn't trying to imitate Pikachu's movements every now and then. Sylveon had remained by Serena's side, watching Pikachu intently as she wrapped her feelers with affection around Serena's wrist.

Serena kept her eyes focused on Pikachu as he did everything Satoshi commanded. Now that she could hear it clearly, she was able to learn what Pikachu actually said before doing his moves. Sometimes he would answer with an 'Alright!' or 'More, more, more!' when the move was a prolonged Thunderbolt or Quick Attack. Sometimes he would repeat the name of the move. However, most of the time, Pikachu simply said Pikachu.

She guessed it had something to do with natural pride. Pikachu was proud of being a Pikachu, and so he screamed his own name as a battle cry to make sure everyone knew he was serious. She couldn't know about the rest of the Pokémon, but something told her it was a similar case.

Well, she could always ask Pikachu about it later.

That thought made her remember something crucial. She looked at Satoshi, who was very focused on guiding Pikachu on the empty battlefield. 'How are we going to tell him the big news?' the sound of Pikachu's voice echoed in her head.

As cheesy as it sounded, Serena wanted it to be special. Well, she at least wanted to catch him extremely off guard when the truth came out. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she still couldn't come up with a good enough way. She knew it would be pretty funny to just run straight to him and say 'Hey, Pikachu just said you're ugly' or something like that. She could just imagine Satoshi's dumbfounded expression. But that would be easy. A little too easy, even.

Serena sensed Sylveon's feelers squeezing her wrist. She looked down at her loyal Pokémon with a smile. Sylveon was always there to lighten up her mood, literally being able to pick up when she was feeling upset or stressed. Serena felt very warm inside every time she looked into her Pokémon's eyes. Those bright blue eyes were habitually filled with emotion, with love for her trainer. Serena reciprocated Sylveon's caresses by petting the top of the Intertwining Pokémon's head and let her mind drift to everything and nothing at the same time.

Suddenly, she saw that Sylveon gave her a nod and began to walk away to join Pancham on his side of the field. Serena blinked, confused by Sylveon's actions. She almost jumped when she heard a now—weirdly familiar—voice.

''Sup,'' a yellow mouse said, already next to her on the bench. Serena glanced from him to the field, realizing Satoshi was now training with Greninja and Noivern. She looked back at Pikachu.

''Hey, you're back,'' she answered, not really knowing what else to say. What do you say to your crush's Pokémon after you can somehow understand his language? Pikachu, however, seemed to already have plans forming in his mind.

''Let's take a walk through town,'' he said with his usual carefree tone. Eh?

''Now?''

''Why not?''

''Um… well…'' Serena set her eyes back on Satoshi. She knew his training wouldn't end anytime soon, and she did want to see the town. She normally didn't have time to walk around a place for too long since Satoshi was the definition of active and they would usually sleep in a different location every night, often right under the stars. Satoshi wouldn't mind if she were to take a look around, would he? Decided, she nodded to Pikachu and stood up from the bench.

''Satoshi, everyone, I'm going on a quick walk,'' she announced. Satoshi looked at her right as Pikachu climbed on her shoulder.

''I'm going too,'' the electric Pokémon said to their friends.

Satoshi was scanning her face, appearing to be looking for answers. Serena almost shivered in his intense gaze. ''Pikachu wants to go with you, it seems,'' he said, raising an eyebrow.

Serena forgot how nervous she was in favor of recognizing yet another example of Satoshi translating Pikachu's speech perfectly. ''Yeah, it looks like it,'' she nodded and exchanged a knowing smile with Pikachu. She then put her intertwined hands behind her back and looked straight at Satoshi. ''You wouldn't mind if I borrow Pikachu for a couple minutes, would you?'' she said, voice sweet and innocent. Pikachu almost snickered.

Satoshi was clearly at a loss for words; Serena almost felt bad. After some seconds, he resorted to nodding. ''Yeah, of course he can go with you,'' he said with a grin. Serena smiled gratefully and began to walk to the exit of the Pokémon Center when she heard his voice again. ''You know I would trust you with anything, right?'' he was asking, still where she had left him on the field. Serena couldn't help the blush that spread on her face. Now being the one at a loss for words, she nodded profusely, made an awkward thumbs-up and continued walking forward.

''He's being honest, you know?'' Pikachu said. Serena turned her gaze and, instead of a smirk like she thought she would find, he had a genuine smile on his lips. Serena averted her gaze and began to play with a strand of hair.

''Yeah… I do.''

---

Serena and Pikachu sauntered through town. Pikachu would sometimes jump to the ground to walk by himself and then return to her shoulder, jumping back on. Serena didn't mind; she felt weirdly important for having both Satoshi and Pikachu's trust. Andarus was a quiet town with an equally quiet square. Trees with their leaves, colored as if it were autumn, gave the place a soft and relaxing appearance.

Pikachu was now pointing at a bench and asking her to sit down there for a bit. She agreed, more than content to simply watch her environment in tranquility. However, some minutes after they had sat down, she couldn't stop feeling Pikachu's gaze on her. She turned to him. ''Pikachu? Is something wrong?''

The normally energetic Pokémon smiled at her with calm, wise eyes. ''You know, I'm enjoying strolling around with you a lot, but there's a specific reason why I wanted to go for a walk in the first place,'' he said. His gaze shifted to the fountain in the middle of the square.

''What is it?'' she asked quietly, not wanting to break the moment.

''I wanted to thank you, Serena,'' he replied, no inch of sarcasm in his voice.

She was taken aback. Pikachu? Thanking her?

''Why?'' she voiced her thoughts, not even trying to hide her confusion.

He looked back at her. ''Let me tell you a story.'' Serena stared at him, dumbfounded, before nodding. Pikachu looked apologetic. ''I'm sorry if I'm suddenly talking too much; I've never had this opportunity to talk to a human and it's with you in specific and I have so much to say… I'll try to keep it brief,'' he added with a chuckle.

''Go on then, storyteller,'' Serena encouraged him, and Pikachu began.

''I've told you that Satoshi and I have traveled through many different regions since we started our journey,'' he said. There was a nostalgic twinkle in his eyes. ''Well, in all that time, we've been able to seize so many victories I wouldn't be able to recall every single one even if I wanted to. However, we've also experienced defeat. So, so many times as well.''

Serena nodded in full awareness. She hadn't experienced defeat as much as Satoshi, but even so, she could understand how hard it might be for anyone. Even for the strongest people.

''And Satoshi has always been positive about it,'' continued Pikachu. ''We would fall, but we would get back up and try again. We're similar in that. I've had the opportunity to evolve multiple times; I've been promised it would give me more power. But I don't want that. I don't need it. Satoshi and I will always find a way. No fall is going to be the last.''

''I admire you both so much because of that,'' Serena said tenderly. ''I still don't see why you would thank me, though.''

He smirked. ''I'm not finished yet.'' Serena apologized with a smile and let him proceed. ''So yeah, we have fallen a lot. However, we always get stronger after a fall. New Pokémon, new opponents, new strategies, new possibilities. Satoshi is always telling me how proud he is of how far we've come.'' Pikachu paused. ''In Unova it was quite different, though.''

Serena's eyes widened slightly. ''The Unova region?'' she asked with interest. ''I have a cousin who lives there. So you guys went there too?''

Pikachu nodded. ''That was the one before Kalos. You see, we always become stronger, but something weird happened in Unova. We entered the league, but instead of progressing, it was like we were regressing. More than once I've felt like I failed him somehow.''

Her gaze softened. ''Pikachu… You know that's not true. You guys did your best, I'm sure of it.''

The Pokémon went back to his cheery smile. ''Thanks, Serena. It doesn't matter what happened, because that's in the past. That's what I told myself and that's what I told Satoshi. Unova was still an experience and we met many amazing people and Pokémon there.''

''Yeah! And you're doing amazingly here in Kalos!'' she exclaimed and smiled widely.

''That's what I'm getting at, wait till I finish my story!'' Serena apologized again with a chuckle. ''So yeah, we got to Kalos, a brand new region with new adventures waiting for us. It's always so refreshing to start again! And well… I think you saw when Satoshi jumped from Prism Tower to save me.''

''Did I see it,'' Serena said. That memory perturbed her more than she wanted to admit. What if Blaziken Mask and his Mega Blaziken hadn't been there to save Satoshi from that fall? The first time she would've seen her crush in years would've also been the last. But that didn't happen, she quickly reminded herself every time her mind went to those dark thoughts, he's still here. ''Actually, seeing Satoshi on TV during the transmission was the push I needed to get out of my house and start my own journey. He almost gave me a heart attack when I saw him jumping, though,'' she added.

''That's just Satoshi any Sunday afternoon,'' Pikachu said with a shake of his head. ''I can't really say anything because I'm just like him. We would do anything to save the people we care about.'' His voice never wavered as he talked. They had risked their lives for each other multiple times and they would do it again if it was necessary. ''Anyways, soon after we got to Kalos, we met Clemont and Eureka and we were incredibly excited for our first Gym match in this new region.''

''Viola,'' Serena observed. Pikachu nodded.

''I believe you saw our first battle. We did everything we could, but we still lost. And, even if we're not new to losing, it still hurts, you know?''

''I understand.'' Serena remembered her first showcase, which was also her first loss. Then, her fourth showcase, the first time Sylveon, by that time still an Eevee, had performed with them. It had been a rough time for the whole team, even if it hadn't been everyone's first time losing. However, Satoshi, Clemont, Eureka and everyone else had been there for her Pokémon and, most importantly, for Eevee. Thanks to their unswerving support, Serena knew that loss wasn't going to be the end.

Then, of course, the Master Class happened. Serena felt like it had come and gone as quickly as Sylveon's Swift attack. Once again, Serena and her Pokémon knew they had done their best, and that the only way to go was forward.

Even then, a Gym match was a whole different experience. There was exactly one winner and one loser, and the public didn't interfere in any way. Everything depended entirely on you and your Pokémon. She could remember Satoshi's face after he lost to Viola, clear as day. She remembered his eyes as he looked down at his defeated Pokémon. Her heart had almost broken just by seeing him. And then he had run to the Pokémon Center, leaving his backpack behind.

Her attention was back on Pikachu as he continued. ''After that, you joined the group temporarily and we began to train for our rematch. Our first obstacle was Vivillon's Gust.''

''You and Talonflame had balloons attached to your backs,'' Serena said. They smiled at the memory. Talonflame had been a little Fletchling back then.

''Alexa helped us with her Noivern,'' Pikachu said. ''But we still failed to hold our ground. And Satoshi, he…'' Pikachu paused and looked away. He seemed to be gathering enough strength to say the next words. Before he spoke up again, he locked eyes with Serena. ''He seemed about to give up, Serena,'' he said. ''For the first time in so long, I saw nothing but insecurity in his eyes. And I didn't know what to do. I wanted to give him strength, to show him I hadn't given up yet, but what could I say to him that he didn't already know?''

''Pikachu…'' Serena whispered. Pikachu's eyes were shining with emotion. When she was about to reach out to him, however, his expression shifted. It suddenly became soft as he continued to look at her.

''And then,'' he said, a slow but genuine smile spreading across his face, ''you came in, Serena.''

---

''You gave him something to clean himself, and then you asked him something neither of us was expecting to hear. You asked him if he remembered you. Fletchling and I felt this was something personal between you guys so we walked away.'' Pikachu shook his head as the smile grew bigger. ''And, Serena, at the time I had no idea what you had said to him, but less than five minutes after you started talking, he laughed. Serena, he laughed the hardest I had heard him laugh in I don't know how long.''

Serena was still frozen in place, listening to Pikachu's speech. She remembered everything that had happened that day, of course. It had marked an irreversible change in her life. But now, hearing it from someone that knew Satoshi even better than her, she felt like the memory was finally complete. She was looking at it from a different perspective; the colors were becoming clearer and more real.

''Now I know you reminded him of a phrase he told you when you guys first met,'' Pikachu said. ''Don't give up till the end, hm?''

Serena nodded eagerly. ''I… reminded him?'' she asked.

''Yes. He had forgotten all about it by the time we got to Kalos. It resurfaced after our loss in the gym. But you came like a breath of fresh air and did what I wasn't able to do. For that,'' he said, placing a paw on her arm and smiling brightly at her, ''I thank you, Serena.''

She was grinning like a fool and she was feeling so many things it became hard to think of an answer. Had Pikachu always been this pure? She wanted to hug him. Screw that, she was going to hug him.

Serena embraced the yellow mouse, who promptly returned her hold with a squeeze and a happy 'Pika!'

''I should thank you, Pikachu,'' she said after some seconds. ''You've been taking care of Satoshi for so long.'' They backed away and beamed at each other. ''What would he do without you?''

''I ask myself the same thing every day,'' Pikachu answered with a laugh. ''Oh, hey! Now that I let all of that out, I feel like moving. Let's go to that bridge!''

Pikachu ran to the next destination without waiting for an answer. Serena could just laugh and shake her head—he really was just like Satoshi—before following him.

They arrived at a stone arch bridge that served as a way to go from the square to the other side of town. It stood over a beautiful, crystalline lake, wherein different Water–type Pokémon swam and played with each other. Some leaves would detach from the trees from time to time and slowly fall on the surface of the water, moving along with the gentle current.

Serena watched her reflection on the water as Pikachu sauntered on top of the bridge. He joined her to watch the lake water some seconds later and began to make funny faces to the Pokémon inside the lake, eliciting giggles from Serena every time they would answer with a splash.

This was one of those moments that were hard to explain with words. Everything was relatively quiet, only the sounds of Pikachu's laughter, water splashing and the foliage moving with the wind could be heard. And it was as if those sounds were meant to coexist, as if they gave color and shape to a perfect painting that she would see hanging on a wall in a small family restaurant; a painting that would remind her of home.

She remained silent as she watched Satoshi's best friend jumping around. He seemed free, devoid of any constraint, untroubled and light as a feather. Her face softened. Pikachu had opened up to her and had given his own perspective, thanking her. She knew Pikachu wasn't one to lie or say random things for no apparent reason, because he was just like Satoshi. That conversation had been significant, and Pikachu had said all of those things as if he'd been wanting to shout them to the world for a long time. Did he actually feel so strongly about her and the impact she had on Satoshi?

He sure seemed to know everything about what had happened that day, which meant—

Suddenly, she realized something about their conversation.

''Hey, Pikachu,'' she said. Pikachu hummed in acknowledgment as he dodged another splash of water coming his way. ''You know everything I said to Satoshi that day because he told you about it, right?''

Pikachu stopped in his tracks and smiled at her. ''Of course. Unless I was a Psychic type to be able to read minds, I wouldn't know if he hadn't told me.''

''Oh,'' she said. ''I see.'' She fidgeted with her hands and continued to stare into the water, observing her nervous reflection. She could also see Pikachu's as he continued to look at her, sensing she wanted to say something else.

''You're going to ask something about him, aren't you?'' he inquired.

''Okay, seriously, since when are you so intuitive?''

They laughed together; another sound that added perfectly to the painting of home she had created in her mind. She realized she shouldn't feel uncomfortable next to Pikachu. She knew he wouldn't make fun of her, or at least he wouldn't mock her to hurt her feelings on purpose.

''This might sound silly,'' she began, ''but, um… Does Satoshi… talk about me? With you? I mean, of course, he probably talks about all of his friends, but… You know what, never mind tha—''

''Yes,'' Pikachu said before Serena could retract her words. ''He does talk about you.''

''Oh—''

''A lot.''

Serena froze. Had she heard that correctly? She inspected Pikachu and didn't find anything that indicated he was just joking. He seemed rather amused about it, judging by the way the tips of his lips curled into a grin.

''He… does?''

''Mhmm,'' he hummed positively. ''We usually have a small conversation every night. We tell each other our favorite parts of that day and stuff. Just the two of us, not even Clemont is present. And believe me, he's gotta mention at least one thing about you every night or else he won't be able to sleep properly. Well, at least that's how it looks like.''

The heat was already setting on her cheeks no matter how much she wanted to stop it. ''W-what does he say?''

''It depends. Sometimes he says he likes it when you get excited about something, or says you're getting even better at making macaroons. Sometimes he comments about how close you are to your Pokémon. Most importantly, he's immensely proud of you for never giving up and following your dreams. He hasn't told me that last part, but the look in his eyes makes it so obvious he doesn't need to say it.''

My face probably can't get any redder, Serena thought. ''W-well, I didn't expect all of that—''

''What he did tell me the other day,'' Pikachu continued with a smirk, ''was that you smelled like flowers.''

Contrary to her thoughts, her face did get even redder. ''When was this other day?''

Pikachu's smirk widened. ''It was actually today.''

''Eh?!''

''I guess it was after you hugged him when he came back. He literally murmured it when we were training in the field. He probably didn't even realize he said that. You really didn't see that? He had like the goofiest smile on his face — oh, speaking of Giratina, here he comes. Hey, Satoshi.''

''What—''

''Hey, Serena, Pikachu!''

''Satoshi!'' Serena turned to see her raven-haired crush walking toward them with a wave of his hand. She cleared her throat, willing her voice to go to a lower, more reasonable pitch. There was nothing she could do for her red face, she lamented internally. ''Hey! What's up?''

''Nothing much,'' he answered. ''I finished training a while ago and decided to come to town and find you guys. Speaking of, did you two enjoy your walk?'' He looked between the two of them with a questioning gaze. They knew he wasn't only asking about their walk, though.

Pikachu climbed on her shoulder and Serena bit her lip lightly. She still didn't know how to explain their current situation. And, after remembering what Pikachu had just told her about Satoshi, she knew she wouldn't have the composure to give him a steady answer, anyway.

Thankfully, Pikachu decided to take the lead for her. ''Satoshi! The walk went fine. This town is really pretty,'' he said.

Satoshi smiled and looked around. ''I can see that! It's like we're inside a big pile of leaves. Don't you think so, Serena?''

Serena nodded, still not trusting her voice. ''Mhmm!''

Pikachu chuckled at her, which caught Satoshi's attention. ''Hey, by the way,'' he began. Serena braced herself, knowing he was finally going to ask. ''What's up with you two?''

''What's up as in what?'' Serena asked back with the opposite of eloquence.

''Pikachu hasn't left your side all day,'' Satoshi said. He then crossed his arms with a smile and rose an eyebrow. ''Should I start to feel jealous?''

Everything was going too fast for Serena's liking. Did he mean jealous of her for having Pikachu's attention or the other way around? What difference did it make? Why was life so complicated?

''I'll distract him while you get a hold of yourself,'' Pikachu whispered to her, amused, before he jumped from her shoulder to Satoshi's. ''Yes, you absolutely should,'' he told his trainer. Satoshi's eyebrows rose and Pikachu seemed to brighten up. ''Oh sweet Raichu, this is hilarious. I can literally talk to you and make him think I'm talking to him,'' he said.

''Um, Pikachu, slow down,'' Satoshi said. ''I can't understand if you talk so fast.''

Pikachu's smile widened. ''Oh, this is gold!''

Serena managed to recover from her shock and hid a giggle. Pikachu seemed to be having the time of his life, looking at Satoshi but clearly talking to her.

''Oh, and Clemont was right with his experiment,'' he said casually as Satoshi still looked at him with confusion.

''Hm?'' Serena hummed, pretending she was just as confused as Satoshi.

''I do have speech patterns that say if I'm talking about some things in specific. For example, he knows I'm talking about Clemont right now.''

''Clemont is fine, if that's what you're asking?'' Satoshi said to Pikachu, disoriented in the conversation. It was getting hard for Serena to control her blossoming laughter.

''Oh, but one name he never mistakes is yours,'' Pikachu continued. That made Serena curious. My name? ''To him, it sounds exactly like this: Pika–cha.''

Satoshi seemed to take notice right after Pikachu had said the word. He glanced from Pikachu to Serena, probably trying to understand what Pikachu was saying. ''Could you repeat that?'' he asked.

Serena walked closer to them, feigning innocence. ''What is Pikachu saying, Satoshi?''

''That's what I'm trying to figure out,'' he said. ''I don't know what's up with him. He's talking faster than usual.''

Pikachu shrugged. For the next thing he said, however, he articulated every word perfectly. ''I was just talking to Serena about that time you told me she was beautiful.''

''What?'' said both Serena and Satoshi in unison. He had, no doubts about it, understood what Pikachu had said this time.

Serena stared with surprise as Satoshi's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. He smiled nervously at Serena before glaring at Pikachu. ''Why are you bringing that up?'' he whispered to his partner.

Pikachu smirked. Satoshi now looked horrified with apparent apprehension. ''Don't worry,'' he told Satoshi, ''it's not like she can understand me.''

''I know, but—''

''So I can also tell her about that one night you murmured her name in your sleep. You also murmured you like how she looks with short hair a lot, remember?''

''I said that?!''

''He said that?!'' Serena couldn't help but exclaim.

Satoshi stopped cold. He turned from a still smirking Pikachu to Serena. ''Wait a second.''

Serena's eyes widened and her eyes flickered to Pikachu, silently asking for his support. Pikachu simply shrugged as in 'I can't help you with this one.'

When Serena turned back at Satoshi, she immediately noticed how close his face had gotten. She did her best not to shiver as his deep gaze examined every feature of her face. He frowned, and like he had done some times before, glanced from her to Pikachu and back. However, this time he seemed to get what was going on.

''Serena,'' he said.

Serena showed him her best I'm-absolutely-not-guilty smile. ''Yes?''

''Did you just understand exactly what Pikachu said?''

His inquisitive eye contact had her frozen in place. He was practically towering over her by then, having grown some inches since they started their journey in Kalos.

''Well, you see—''

''I remember one time Satoshi told me he felt weird when he saw you in your Fennekin outfit. If you want my opinion, he felt weird in a 'gotta catch Serena' kind of way,'' Pikachu casually said from Satoshi's shoulder.

''PIKACHU!'' Satoshi shouted with alarm.

''W-WHAT?'' Serena all but squeaked at the same time.

That only managed to give Satoshi even more confirmation, and Serena would've glared at Pikachu if Satoshi hadn't turned back at her with the speed of a Ninjask.

''You are getting what he's saying!''

She gave him a wavering smile. ''Y-you got me,'' she stuttered before looking away, feeling alarmingly hot in the face.

''How…?'' Satoshi asked in a low tone, leaning forward with curiosity. ''No one had been able to do that before…'' Serena made some incoherent noises, still looking everywhere but him. ''Serena?''

''Hey, buddy,'' Pikachu said. ''Don't you think you're getting a little too close to Serena?''

Satoshi's face almost rivaled Serena's shade of red after he realized their noses were basically touching. ''Sorry, Serena!'' he exclaimed as he backed away a few steps, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Serena was finally able to let out the breath she'd been holding. She smiled at him, feeling light, and shook her head. ''I-it's okay. You were surprised and wanted answers, that's all.''

That reminded Satoshi of his recent discovery. Deciding to give Serena some space, he shot Pikachu a questioning look. ''All right, buddy, what's going on?''

''Don't you want your Pika-cha to explain it to you instead?'' Pikachu answered, emphasizing Serena's name on purpose. He was enjoying this more than anyone else, by the look of things.

Satoshi frowned at him, but to Serena, it looked more like a cute pout. ''Pikachu, I'm serious.'' Satoshi was looking at Pikachu like a child would look at his mom during a reunion with friends. 'Stop embarrassing me in front of my friends, mom.'

Serena giggled at the thought.

''I'll tell you everything, Satoshi,'' she said, deciding to spare him Pikachu's constant mockery. She also felt like she owed him something after learning all of those things he had supposedly said about her.

Satoshi looked at her with such gratefulness she had to giggle again. ''Thank you, Serena.''

---

They were back at the bench in front of the fountain Serena and Pikachu had sat on earlier, Satoshi as the new addition to the group. Satoshi and Serena were sitting on the bench and Pikachu was lying on the armrest, letting Serena explain all the details to his trainer.

''So, um, yeah, that's pretty much it,'' she finished. ''This is like the third time I explain this, even if there isn't much to say to begin with—''

''This is amazing!'' Satoshi exclaimed. ''You're even more fluent in Pikachunese than me!'' Satoshi's childish enthusiasm made Serena laugh. ''I've always wondered how my name would sound in Pikachu's voice.''

''Um, it would sound like Satoshi?'' Pikachu said with a lazy smile.

''You know what I mean,'' Satoshi deadpanned. He obviously already knew the speech pattern that indicated Pikachu was saying his name. Pikachu just shrugged halfheartedly at his trainer.

Serena was beginning to genuinely think she might be in heaven. She had never felt so close to Satoshi as she did now. She could effortlessly participate in their conversations, and anything they talked about could become an inside joke!

''You said it was because of a wish, right, Serena?'' Satoshi asked, pulling her mind back to Earth.

''Oh, yeah,'' she replied. ''That's the word I've been using, at least. I think it fits.''

Satoshi hummed pensively with a hand on his chin. He seemed to be thinking hard about it, which was indeed a rare sight of Satoshi since he only looked like that while thinking about battles. ''It might be Jirachi's doing, then!''

''Jirachi?'' Serena asked.

''I've been thinking about that too,'' Pikachu said. ''Jirachi is a Pokémon that can grant wishes, but it only wakes up for a few days every thousand years.''

Satoshi nodded. ''I'm pretty sure it has not been a thousand years since we last saw it, though.''

''There's probably more than one Jirachi,'' Pikachu argued. ''I've seen at least three Jirachi in my life by now.''

''You're right. I bet Professor Oak would love to know about this!''

Serena smiled at the two best friends. She shouldn't be surprised by how knowledgeable they were; they had been traveling through many regions for a long time now. ''You guys should become Pokémon Professors one of these days,'' she joked.

Satoshi laughed at that. ''I don't think I'm suitable to be a professor. I like to know about Pokémon, but scientific investigation is confusing.''

''Yeah,'' Pikachu said, snickering. ''Unless you want a professor who keeps challenging every single new trainer to a battle, I don't think Satoshi's your best bet.''

Satoshi rolled his eyes and Serena giggled. ''I didn't know Pikachu was so sassy,'' she said.

''He keeps bullying me, I swear,'' Satoshi said with amusement. After some seconds, however, the amusement left his face and was replaced with an expression Serena hadn't seen before. He looked nervous and seemed to be remembering something. She noticed he was looking at Pikachu. When she turned at the yellow Pokémon, she saw him smiling at Satoshi with a knowing look.

They seemed to be having a mental conversation. Well, she thought, so much for being able to communicate with them flawlessly. I can't match psychic bonds like these. What are they even talking about?

She turned back at Satoshi when she heard him clear his throat rather dismissively. She wasn't sure if it was just the reflection of the tree leaves above them, but she could swear there was a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

''So, Serena,'' he said. ''Do Clemont and Eureka know about this?''

''They do,'' she replied. ''You should've seen Clemont's reaction, though! He practically climbed on the table trying to examine Pikachu.''

Satoshi snorted as an image of Clemont holding an ice cream stick in front of Pikachu's mouth and asking him to say 'ahhh' appeared in his mind. ''What about Eureka?''

''She was acting almost like that one time she ate two cotton candies in a row,'' Serena said. The three of them shivered at the thought.

''That was scary,'' Pikachu said, recalling the memory.

''It was,'' Satoshi agreed. ''So, how has your experience been until now, Serena?''

Pikachu began to walk closer until he casually sat between the two humans.

''Bizarre may be the best word for it,'' Serena said. ''But mostly, it's been amazing!''

''I bet it is! You'll be able to—''

''Hey, Satoshi, that shop with the green sign over there sells ketchup. Can you get me some?'' Pikachu suddenly asked, eyes sparkling just by the prospect of eating his favorite condiment.

Satoshi gave him a look. ''I'll do it after I finish talking to Serena. Be patient,'' he said. Pikachu pouted. ''As I was saying, you'll be able to communicate perfectly with Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon soon.''

''You think so?'' Serena asked, hopefully.

''Of course! You already have a strong bond with them. Being able to understand a Pokémon's feelings goes far beyond words—''

''Hey Serena,'' Pikachu chimed in, interrupting Satoshi again, ''you know, Satoshi said something interesting about you the day you wore his clothes—''

''One bottle of ketchup, was it?'' Satoshi interrupted this time, pointedly glaring at Pikachu. The yellow mouse nodded at him effusively, looking as innocent as ever. ''Wait here, Serena, I'll be back soon.''

Serena could only stare as Satoshi angrily power-walked over to the store with the green sign, only entering after sending Pikachu a final scowl. She blinked at the scene.

''What was that?'' she asked, turning to look at Pikachu. As for the Pokémon, he looked incredibly proud of himself, wearing a smug grin. He looked up at her.

''I'm just now starting to realize the new power I possess,'' he simply said, not really answering anything about Serena's question.

When you think you know what's going on for once, Serena thought as she shook her head.

---

After Satoshi bought Pikachu his bottle of beloved ketchup, he suggested they should head back to the Pokémon Center (presumably before Pikachu could have another opportunity to blackmail him). The sun was already setting, painting the sky with ravishing oranges and pinks. The walk back was full of laughter as the three of them joked around. Satoshi and Pikachu recounted the funniest things they had experienced during their travels while Serena told them the weirdest excuses she had ever used to avoid Rhyhorn Racing practice back when she lived with her mom.

At one point, for a reason Serena couldn't remember (not like a reason was necessary at all), Satoshi surrounded her neck with one arm to give her a side hug during the retelling of one of his anecdotes. Their proximity made her feel lighter, and she felt like laughing even more. Pikachu complained every time they would move too much because ''You guys are making me spill my ketchup!'' None of them paid him any mind, too immersed in their own world.

When they arrived at the Pokémon Center, everyone greeted them warmly. The bubbly, happy aura of the newcomers quickly invaded their friends and Pokémon.

After Eureka commented that they were the only ones staying at the Pokémon Center that night, Satoshi, Serena and Pikachu shared glances among themselves before smirking.

When Clemont said he was going to cook their dinner, Satoshi and Serena both grabbed him by the shoulders and guided him to the center of the common area.

''Today we'll dine stories,'' Serena told him with a grin.

''That doesn't make any sense,'' Clemont answered with a raised eyebrow, although he clearly wasn't against it.

''Shh,'' Satoshi shushed him, ''just do as the lady says and sit down.''

Everyone, humans and Pokémon, sat down in a circle. The last one to sit was Greninja, who was asked by Satoshi to turn off the room lights, and subsequently jumped to his place in the circle. Serena searched for a video of a bonfire in her guidebook and placed it in the center. They were indoor camping, as one would say. The Nurse Joy in charge of the Pokémon Center gave them a last amused look before exiting the room to go to sleep, which left the gang officially alone for the night.

Satoshi was sitting next to Serena, which immediately made everything ten times better for her (and for him, which is something Pikachu would absolutely use as blackmail in the future). The rest of the night was full of laughter just like Serena's walk with Satoshi and Pikachu earlier. However, this time, it had advanced into howling. She had to grab at her stomach when it started to hurt from laughter, courtesy of Eureka's story about the time Clemont accidentally set his room on fire when he was trying to fix one of his inventions.

''The fire was everywhere, I was like 'Clemont, let's get out of here' and he was like 'Wait! I'm almost done!' I just couldn't believe him so I shouted 'You're almost done what?! Attracting the whole fire department here?! Because you do that every other week!'''

''Eu-Eureka,'' Serena panted, ''I— Clemont please tell me she's just exaggerating!''

Clemont was as red as the fake bonfire. ''She… she did say that.''

''Please tell me you at least installed sprinklers after that,'' Satoshi said. Serena was vibrating with laughter as she pushed his shoulder playfully.

''Satoshi!'' she exclaimed. Satoshi was grinning just as wildly as her. ''My belly hurts so much, I'm not going to make it past tonight!''

''Then stop laughing!''

''How? Every time I look at you I start laughing again!''

Pikachu looked at both of them with pride. Serena had never laughed so loudly in Satoshi's presence, and she seemed so comfortable she could literally fall on him and they would act like it was the most normal thing in the world. Needless to say, he wholeheartedly approved of Serena as Satoshi's partner, and he wasn't only thinking about a traveling kind of partner.

A couple of hours went by, and Eureka was the first one to get caught by exhaustion (not counting Dedenne since it was born to take naps every second hour). Clemont said goodbye to everyone else as he held his little sister by the hand and guided her to their room, his Pokémon trailing behind him.

Serena yawned on Satoshi's shoulder. ''I think that's my cue to go to sleep too,'' she drawled, not really wanting to move. She was far too comfy. Satoshi chuckled and she felt the way his body shook as he did it.

''I need you to actually wake up before noon tomorrow, Serena,'' he reminded her with a smile.

''Ugh, all right,'' she said as she mustered up all the willpower she could to stand up. She yawned again, halfheartedly moving a stray strand of hair off her face. ''Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, let's go.'' Her Pokémon followed her, walking slowly with sleepiness. ''Goodnight, Satoshi,'' she said when she was about to exit the common area to go to her room upstairs.

''Goodnight, Serena,'' he replied, standing up too with Pikachu on his shoulder.

Serena sent him a last smile and began to go up the stairs.

Satoshi's eyes lingered in the place she had just been in for some seconds before he felt a soft squeeze on his shoulder. That was Pikachu reminding him he was also supposed to go to sleep. After saying goodnight to his other Pokémon and returning them to their Poké Balls, Satoshi stretched and looked outside the Pokémon Center window. He gazed at the full moon with an easy smile on his face.

''The moon never stops being beautiful, no matter how much you look at it,'' Pikachu said. Automatically translating most of Pikachu's language into his own had become second nature to Satoshi a long time ago. The trainer silently nodded at Pikachu's statement. ''You're probably thinking it's not as beautiful as her, aren't you?''

Satoshi's smile vanished and he was a lot more awake than before, judging by the conscious way he was glaring at Pikachu now. ''You traitor,'' he said. ''How much did you tell her?''

Pikachu shrugged with a smile. ''Don't worry. I didn't tell Pika-cha as many things as you think.''

''You literally threatened me with doing so earlier,'' Satoshi deadpanned.

''It was just too good of an opportunity to waste it, I'm sorry!'' Pikachu said, not looking even a little bit sorry. His expression then grew earnest. ''I'm not telling her lies, anyway. I haven't heard you speak so highly and so much about a person until she joined the group.''

''I know,'' Satoshi said. He gave a small laugh. ''I guess I am a big fan of hers, huh?''

''And that's all you'd like to be? Just her fan?'' Pikachu asked. He wasn't teasing Satoshi this time. His tone was encouraging, supportive. He knew how important the honey-blonde was to Satoshi and how different everything felt with her.

Satoshi sighed. ''I don't know, Pikachu. I'm, like, the last person you should ask when it comes to… this,'' he said, doing random gestures with his hands in the air to prove his point. He knew what love was. He just didn't know what to do about it. And also… ''What I do know is that I want to repeat nights like these,'' he said.

Pikachu nodded, thinking about the unrestrained bliss and the blessing of just laughing your heart out with friends, not thinking about tomorrow, just living the moment. ''This is what I love the most about our travels, I think.''

''That and the battles?''

''That and the battles.''

''I thought so.'' Both of them laughed quietly at their shared passion for battling. After some seconds, Satoshi shook his head with a smile and turned away from the window. ''We should go to sleep too, buddy. A long day awaits us tomorrow.''

''You said it,'' his best friend answered.

Satoshi made his way upstairs as silently as he could, Pikachu remaining on his shoulder as always.

''Which one's my room?'' he asked Pikachu quietly. The Pokémon pointed at one of the doors.

''That's where I slept last night,'' he said. Satoshi nodded and opened the door. It was only then that Pikachu realized something. Are Clemont and Eureka still sharing a room? Then that means—

Satoshi froze when he was greeted by Serena's sleeping form inside the bedsheets, breathing softly under the moonlight.

''Pikachu,'' he whispered, ''if this is my room, why is Serena sleeping here?''

''Clemont must've forgotten to guide Eureka to this room and… I guess I didn't take into account the fact that you're a human and you can't sleep on the windowsill… Pika-Surprise…?''

Satoshi gulped and looked away. ''All right, time to sleep on the floor—''

''Satoshi?''

The raven-haired stopped cold at the mention of his name by a feminine voice he knew too well. Pikachu decided to make a tactical withdrawal and jumped off Satoshi's shoulder to go to the windowsill himself, sitting on the pillow that was still there from the night before. Satoshi, in the meantime, was still staring at a sleepy Serena as she slowly opened her eyes to look at him.

''Satoshi, is that you?''

''Uh, yeah,'' he answered, suddenly realizing he had just forgotten the entirety of the Japanese lexicon.

Serena softly scratched her eye as she sat up on the mattress. ''What are you doing here? Your room is the next one in the hall.''

''That's funny, actually,'' he said, a hand behind his neck. ''Because it turns out that's Eureka's room now. And, judging by how these rooms have only one small bed, I wouldn't have been able to sleep in the same room as Clemont's anyway so I'll just go and sleep on a couch downstairs,'' he finished his rambling with a nod and a toothy smile.

Satoshi was already starting for the door when Serena finished analyzing what he had just told her. Her sleepiness wore off a little after she realized what was happening and she held out a hand. ''Satoshi, wait,'' she said, stopping him.

He looked back at her. ''…Yeah?''

''You can sleep here, it's okay with me,'' she said.

Satoshi hoped the moonlight wasn't bright enough to show how pink his cheeks were getting. ''Serena, you don't need to do that. That bed is small, you'd be uncomfortable—''

''Hey,'' she interrupted with a smile, ''I'm not letting you sleep on a couch if there's a bed here.''

''Uh…''

Pikachu watched as Serena smiled openly at Satoshi and the boy just stayed frozen in place. After five whole seconds had passed, the yellow mouse rolled his eyes. ''Satoshi,'' he quietly called out to him, ''just go with it and sleep, buddy.''

Satoshi just spared him a glance before his eyes went back to Serena. ''Are you sure?'' he asked. ''I can be pretty difficult when I sleep.''

''He takes the whole bed for himself, that's what he means,'' Pikachu said as an explanation to Serena.

She giggled. ''It's okay. I'll have the side facing the wall anyway, so if he decides to start a sleeping war he'll be the one falling to the floor in the end, won't he?''

''Serena, where have you been my whole life?'' Pikachu said, smiling. Satoshi thought exactly the same as he slowly got closer to the bed and took off his jacket, putting it aside.

''Well, if you're sure it's okay with you,'' he said. ''This bed is still a little small…''

''Just get in here.''

Serena didn't know if she was acting like this thanks to the sleepiness she was still feeling or because she finally decided to get what she wanted; she just knew that smiling at a nervous Satoshi as he got into the bedsheets was going to be one of the favorite memories of her life.

She closed her eyes and placed her head back on the pillow. ''Goodnight, Satoshi,'' she repeated what she had said earlier, still not able to stop smiling.

Satoshi gazed at her from the other half of the cushion, admiring the way her silky hair cascaded over the pillow and glowed with the moonlight.

''Goodnight, Serena,'' he said softly. Yeah, he was completely sure. He knew what love was. And he was going to figure out what to do about it, preferably sooner than later.

''Goodnight to you guys too,'' Pikachu suddenly said with amusement from the windowsill, breaking the moment. Satoshi answered with a halfhearted 'yeah good night whatever' while Serena giggled. The yellow mouse watched the teens with an accomplished smile. He turned around in circles over his pillow, finding the most comfortable spot, and settled down to sleep.

My boy is growing up, he thought to himself. And it only took a honey-blonde with blue eyes he had already met some years ago to make it happen.