Author's note: Howdy, folks!
Dang, this one took me a while. Stress, demotivation and quite a few rewrites. But I think it's of decent quality now! Nothing less would be good enough, after all! XP Hope you enjoy it!
... Also, on a more sombre note, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my mum. A woman who was just as stubborn as this fic's main character, though her heart was often in the right place. She helped me out in some hard times, so it's impossible to hate her.
Hope she's hanging out with all my grandparents now, and they're having a blast. Love you all!
Chapter Twenty-seven: Steadfast Sceptic
Disregarding his pellet that was now lying on the grass, Pikachu stared ahead of him in shock. The words he'd said to Buneary rang in his ears.
She'd been deeply upset by them at the time, and he'd regretted saying them afterwards. He'd even made it up to her by saving her from Team Rocket, and they'd actually become friends. Her crush on him had always been a pain, but he'd figured she'd get over it in time.
He'd have told her to cut out the flirting, but he really hadn't wanted to make her cry again. So he'd just waited, patiently, for the day that it would stop.
Strangely, it hadn't stopped. Not throughout all of Sinnoh, and not even after she'd spent time away in Hoenn. So he'd put an end to things once and for all, here in Unova, so she'd finally get over him.
Now, during the Johto Wallace Cup, she'd been so badly affected by her opponent's words that she'd lost her moves. Again.
It made sense for her to lose her moves after the rejection, but against a guy she didn't even know? A guy who'd, strangely, spoken the same words he had, all those months ago...
It was almost as if... she... hadn't gotten over him, after all...
No, no! That couldn't be right! All the evidence he'd seen over the years proved that it was easy to get over a crush! He hadn't seen anyone else mope for more than a few days!
... So then why had that pikachu's wording bothered her so much?
Well, he supposed it was only natural! After all, the guy had been an absolute jerk and said some horrible things!
... The same horrible things that he'd said.
Well, that had just been a coincidence! He'd never met the guy before, and neither had Buneary, so it had been purely by chance that he'd said the same things!
... But those things had made Buneary lose her moves.
Well, that was unfortunate, but it had nothing to do with him!
... But he'd made her lose her moves four weeks ago, when he'd rejected her.
Well, that didn't mean that he'd been involved this time, too!
... It had been the same words he'd rejected her with the first time.
But there was no way she'd remembered that! It had been months ago!
... But he'd remembered it, so why couldn't she?
But he'd only just remembered it now!
... But it had made her cry. Didn't he know better than anyone that the worst memories were the easiest to remember?
He clasped his face with his paws, desperately willing the thoughts away. There was no way that she hadn't gotten over him! There just wasn't! That went against everything he'd ever learned over these years with Ash! All of them!
"(... Hey... you okay, dude?)" Oshawott asked from nearby.
"(... Fine...)" he grumbled back.
It didn't make any sense! People and pokémon were shallow by nature! He'd known so many over the years that it could hardly be called a coincidence! He'd even seen every single one of them in that dream last week, where they'd all been standing together, as ghostly figures in a barren wasteland.
Such as Ash's old butterfree, with the pink butterfree that he'd randomly fallen for. Maybe even because she'd been pink... Jessie's old dustox, and the brown dustox she'd fallen for... The donphan they'd met, and the brown donphan he'd been fighting other donphan over. Probably because she'd been brown. One of those shinies, as the humans called them, much like the dustox.
Pikachu pulled a face.
Then there was the cottonee, who'd fallen for some other random cottonee. All four of these had barely known each other, yet had become 'mates for life', or whatever the humans called it.
Urgh.
Aside from them, there had been Bulbasaur and that gloom, who'd fallen for each other and done absolutely nothing about it, parting ways like it hadn't even happened... and Tony and Maria, the two nidoran who had bumped noses and evolved.
... Admittedly, Pikachu had thought it was cute at the time, but no. It was probably just as shallow as everything else.
Like the ones who'd picked one pokémon over another. What did it matter who they picked, really, when everyone was shallow anyway?
Like that azumarill who'd picked a golduck over Totodile... or that flaaffy who'd picked an ampharos over Marshtomp... or that marill who'd picked an elekid over Piplup... or that meganium who'd picked a tropius over Sceptile.
Urgh, like he needed reminding of that last one again...
Then there were all the completely one-sided crushes that, like the rest, had started up out of nowhere and had dissolved pretty quickly afterwards.
Like Totodile with the azumarill and the quagsire... Jessie's wobbuffet with the kirlia... Piplup with Meloetta... Oshawott with most girls he met... the stalker magnemite with him, but only for his electricity output... and hell, May's skitty had even told him once about the poetic language Meowth had used around her. For all of a day. Not that she'd had much clue what he'd been talking about, though.
Urgh, speaking of Meowth... that reminded him of the crushes that had ended immediately upon one pokémon evolving. With Meowth, it had been that glameow he'd tried to run away with. Sure, she'd been a brat, a spoiled princess, but that hadn't been why he'd gone off her. If she'd stayed a glameow, he'd have probably waited on her, hand and foot.
The other one had been that mawile who'd fallen for Brock's lombre. He'd been scared of her at first, but, once he'd become a ludicolo, he'd actually changed his mind and fallen for her. She'd quickly lost interest, however, and had latched herself onto a passing psyduck.
In her trainer's own words, she'd had 'as many crushes are there are pokémon'.
Urgh. So many years of this crap, over and over and over again, had drained away any desire of Pikachu's to find a girlfriend. Why bother when love didn't exist? The world was as shallow as a puddle.
In the early days, he'd thought maybe Brock was the only one like this. As the years had dragged on, however, and more and more pokémon had turned out to be exactly like Brock, he'd lost all hope of love ever existing. Even Alder, champion of Unova, was just like Brock!
Pikachu had even been rooting for Ash and Misty to end up together, once upon a time, since it had been clear to anyone who'd known them that they'd secretly liked each other. With time, however, that too had faded.
... And, of course, there had been Buneary, falling for him over a stupid, stupid, stupid potato. Why a potato?! Why couldn't people and pokemon fall in love with personalities?! Was it so hard?! Why did she have to fall for him over catching something?! Couldn't she have done it after spending time with him, talking to him and getting to know him?!
He huffed, still clenching his paws to his face. He dragged his fingernails down his cheeks, utterly frustrated. He paused when he saw Oshawott, Snivy and Emolga staring at him uncertainly.
"(... You... sure you're okay?)" Snivy asked.
Pikachu heaved a sigh, lowering his paws. "(Yeah, I'm fine.)"
"(The pellets bad?)" Emolga asked. She grinned. "(Well, if you don't want 'em, can I have 'em?)"
He huffed again, a light smirk tugging at his lips. "(No.)" He watched in satisfaction as she pouted. "(I'll get to 'em, don't worry.)"
She folded her arms behind her head, a bit disgruntled. "(Maaaaan... fine.)" She paused, looking at him. "(... So why were you scratching at your face?)"
A twinge of embarrassment hit him. "(... I'm... just a bit stressed.)"
"(Man,)" Oshawott said, "(when are you not these days?)" After a moment, he slapped a paw to his mouth. "(Oops.)"
Pikachu heaved a sigh. "(... Yeah, you're right. I've... been a bit snippy lately. I'm sorry.)"
Oshawott beamed. "(Oh, that's okay, bud! Water under the bridge, and all that!)"
He gave the otter a tired smile. "(Thanks.)"
Snivy huffed out a breath of air. "(I just wish we knew how to help...)" she said.
Pikachu looked away awkwardly. "(It's... complicated.)"
"(Oh? Well, we'll listen, if you need us to.)"
"(Yeah!)" Emolga agreed, attracting his attention. "(And maaaaybe we'll be able to help. Maybe.)"
"(We'll certainly try!)" Oshawott added, smacking a paw to his scalchop.
Pikachu gave a small smile. "(Heh,)" he replied, kind of touched. "(Thanks, guys.)"
"(... But, until then, I know a sure-fire quick fix!)"
He paused, unsure. "(... What's that?)"
"(A good tickling!)"
Pikachu stared at him in disbelief. "(... Tickling.)"
"(Yep!)" Without warning, Oshawott lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. "(Snivy, hold him down!)"
Pikachu's eyes widened. "(What?! Oh no, you...)" He felt something snake around each of his wrists, forcing them to the floor. "(... don't?!)" He snapped his head over to Snivy, who was smirking sideways at him, still seated by her bowl. Vines were protruding from the back of her neck.
He couldn't believe she'd betray him like this...
"(Tickle attack!)" Oshawott gently dug his paws into Pikachu's sides, tickling with all his might.
The sensation was unbearable. Like thousands of tiny pokémon walking across his skin.
He struggled against his bindings, and the weight against his body, but he felt weak from desperately trying to hold in his laughter.
"(No...! Stop...! Cut it out...!)"
Oshawott laughed at him. "(It's super effective!)"
"(Ooh, I want in on that!)" Emolga said. "(Double Team!)"
A moment later, Pikachu felt another set of paws on him, tickling him mercilessly.
"(Noooo, stop, stop it...!)" he cried. He clenched his eyes and mouth shut, trying to block it out, but he could feel his lips shaking. Eventually, he couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
"(Critical hit!)" Oshawott and Emolga said in perfect synch. They both gasped. "(Jinx!)"
"(Stop it, guyyyys...! Cut it ouuuut...!)"
"(Not until you stop being a grumpy-pants!)" Oshawott replied.
"(Yeah, what he said!)" Emolga added.
"(Oh, come onnnn...!)" Pikachu whined, still laughing. "(Snivy, save me!)"
"(Gotta say, I'm with them on this one,)" Snivy replied smugly.
"(Noooo, you traitor...!)"
"(Saaaay 'uncle'!)" Oshawott said teasingly.
Pikachu's pride spiked. "(N-No, I... refuse!)"
"(Tickle, tickle, tickle~!)" Emolga said.
He just couldn't stop laughing. It was actually starting to hurt his stomach. "(Ow... Knock it off or I'll zap you both!)"
"(Don't you dare, you dirty cheater!)" Oshawott retorted, tickling him harder. Pikachu shrieked, laughing harder.
"(Yeah, that's not how you play nice~)" Emolga added.
... They had a point. As tempting as it was to zap them, he'd only look like a grouch again. Maybe he really needed to start cheering up, and actually be nice to people. If not, he might lose all his friends, at this rate...
Gosh, he used to be so friendly to people, didn't he? And yet, here he was, in Unova, snapping at everybody. Why had he started doing that?
Regardless, it was probably best for him to stop, lest he end up alone.
He made a whining noise of agony. "(Okay, okay, I give...! Uncle! Uncle...!)"
Immediately, the tickling stopped. "(... Huh,)" Oshawott said, "(wasn't expecting you to actually do it. Thanks for not zapping me, bro!)"
"(Yeah, thank you~)" Emolga added.
Pikachu panted, exhausted from all the flailing. "(No problem...)" he replied with what little breath he had left.
As he felt the vines leave him, he looked up at Oshawott, who stood back and put his paws on his hips proudly.
"(Feeling better, dude?)" the otter asked.
Pikachu paused, thinking about that question. Actually, his head did feel a lot lighter than before, and he hadn't once dwelled on his problems while he'd been laughing.
It was... nice.
He smiled up at the three of them. "(Yeah, actually. Thanks.)"
Emolga beamed. "(No problem~!)" she replied. She grinned cheekily. "(I'll take some apples as payment.)" One of Snivy's vines returned, only to smack Emolga on the head. The squirrel recoiled. "(Owwww!)" She rubbed at the sore patch, glaring at Snivy.
"(Knock it off, you apple hussy,)" the snake said. She withdrew her vine, turning fully where she was sitting to smile at Pikachu. "(Ignore her. Glad you're better.)"
Pikachu huffed in amusement, sitting up. "(Thanks,)" he replied. He paused in thought. "(... Though maybe I will give her apples. Just this once.)"
Emolga threw her arms up in joy. "(Heck yeah!)" she cheered.
Snivy rolled her eyes. "(Oh, don't encourage her...)" she chided.
"(What about me?!)" Oshawott asked excitedly. "(Can I get extra food, too?!)"
Pikachu gave him an exasperated look, but smiled nonetheless. "(Yeah, sure,)" he replied.
Oshawott also threw his arms in the air in joy. "(Huzzah!)"
Pikachu turned to Snivy. "(You want anything, Snivy?)"
Snivy huffed in slight amusement. "(No thanks, I'm good,) she replied.
"(Heh. Kay.)" Pikachu paused a long moment, feeling himself relax. Then a line of thought came to him, so he decided to pursue it. "(... Hey... can I ask you guys a question?)"
"(Fire away, bud!)" Oshawott replied.
"(Yeah, what is it?)" Snivy asked.
"(We're all ears!)" Emolga added, grinning.
"(Well...)" Pikachu continued, suddenly feeling a bit unsure, "(do any of you believe in... love?)"
They all stared at him, surprise on their faces.
"(... Love?)" Snivy asked.
Emolga laughed awkwardly. "(Jeez, what's with this question, all of a sudden?)" she asked.
"(Yeah, talk about out of the blue!)" Oshawott agreed. He blinked. "(Wait... is this about that thing you were talking about before? The shallow thing?)"
Pikachu heaved a sigh. "(Yeah,)" he replied. "(It's just... I don't think I've ever seen it. Love, that is. I've been looking, but... and I mean for years... but I just don't think it exists.)"
"(Has no one you know ever hooked up before?)" Snivy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"(Well, yeah... but they're always shallow. Usually because of looks, or...)" His mouth twitched. "(Cool stunts, or something...)" He paused, looking at the trio cautiously, yet with intrigue. "(... What do you guys think?)"
Oshawott proudly smacked his scalchop. "(Well, I'm always on the lookout for love!)" he replied.
"(... Yeah, but do you believe in it?)"
"(Well, I wouldn't be looking for it if I didn't!)"
"(I guess... So you've never felt it?)"
"(Nope!)" Oshawott hesitated. "(I mean...)" He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "(I used to say I was in love a lot, back at the breeding centre... until one of the samurott told me I was full of it. That I had no idea what love was. That I was only having crushes... aaaand I've never really felt any different, so I guess I still don't know what love is.)" He smacked another paw to his scalchop, beaming. "(Still looking, though!)"
Pikachu's ears drooped. "(I see...)" He looked at Snivy and Emolga. "(What about you two?)"
Emolga glanced away awkwardly. "(Well...)" she replied, "(I wouldn't say I've felt it either. Believe in it, though? Well... guess I got no reason not to.)"
Snivy nodded. "(Same,)" she said. "(Crushes are one thing, but love's a whole other thing.)" She folded her arms. "(Not sure if I believe in it, but the happy ever after's in all the fairytales, right?)"
"(Yeah...)" Pikachu replied.
She shrugged. "(I guess I'd like to think it exists.)" She stared at him for a moment. "(... Is this about Buneary?)"
He flinched. "(... Yeah. How did you know?)"
"(Just a hunch.)" She paused. "(You said her crush on you was shallow, just like the rest, right?)"
"(Yeah.)"
"(That's what this is about?)" Emolga asked. She folded her arms behind her head. "(Jeez, so it's love you want, huh?)" She grinned. "(Aiming a bit high for a first date, aren't ya?)"
Pikachu gave her a light frown. "(No, that's not-)"
"(Oh, I feel ya, man!)" Oshawott interrupted passionately. "(I want a girl to love me, too!)" He beamed. "(That's why I keep looking! To one day find my true 'one'!)"
Pikachu winced yet again. "(I... didn't say I was looking, though...)"
Oshawott blinked. "(Oh, you're not? Why are you so hung up on it, then?)"
Pikachu glanced away. "(I just... wanna know if it's real. I used to think my parents were in love, but... I don't think so anymore.)"
"(Why not?)" Snivy asked.
"(Because... no one else is.)" He closed his eyes, emotionally pained. "(I probably saw it wrong when I was a kid. I was... a lot more optimistic then.)"
"(You were?)" Emolga asked in surprise.
"(Yeah.)" He opened his eyes, glancing at the ground. "(Not anymore, though.)"
"(Nope!)" Oshawott agreed cheerfully. "(Now you're a straight-up pessimist!)"
... That didn't make him feel any better.
"(No worries, though, man!)" the otter continued, catching his attention. "(One day, you'll see it in the flesh, and have no choice but to believe!)" He nodded confidently. "(You'll see!)"
Snivy shrugged. "(Who knows?)" she said. "(Maybe he's right.)"
"(You never know!)" Emolga added cheerfully.
Pikachu let out a light sigh. Sure... Nice thought, but sure...