Author's note: Hiya, peeps!
Here's another haiku for you, because I do enjoy making haiku.
Ahem...
A cold, stone surface / Steps leading down, through darkness / Where are we going?
Thank you. *bows*
... I can also be incredibly pretentious, so yeah. XD But blame Fire Emblem: Fates for the haiku obsession.
Curse you, Mitama. *shakes fist at her*
Um, anyway... hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Fourteen: Total Turnaround
The following day, Ash went to the pokémon centre to rotate out Pignite for Snivy. Atop his trainer's shoulder, Pikachu's head felt heavy with fatigue.
He hadn't slept much at all last night. Any sleep he had gotten had been plagued by unpleasant dreams.
Urgh. Life really sucked, sometimes.
At breakfast time, Pikachu slowly nibbled on a pellet, too tired to really be hungry. His head still felt like a lead weight on his shoulders, so it was hard for his stomach to care.
He continued nibbling, anyway. After all, the pellets were fairly tasty, and he didn't really want to waste any. So he powered on through.
"That was an awesome breakfast, Cilan!" Ash said as the bowls and plates were cleared away.
"Thank you, Ash!" Cilan replied. "I've been refining the recipe on that one for a while now!" He paused, then smiled sheepishly. "Literally, this time!"
"Maybe you should give Ash some cooking lessons," Iris said with a smirk. "Then maybe the little kid can feed himself next region."
Ash frowned at her. "Hey, it's not like you can cook, either!" he retorted.
"Hey, I can cook way better than you!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I just..." She folded her arms and turned away. "Don't wanna step on Cilan's toes, is all."
"More like your cooking's probably bad."
She growled at him. "Excuse me!"
Cilan laughed awkwardly. "Now, now, you two..." he said. "A good meal needs all its ingredients in balance if it's going to work."
Iris huffed and stuck her tongue out at Ash. He did the same back.
Pikachu watched the entire exchange with a small, amused smile. He was still very tired, but he did enjoy listening to the humans banter.
He closed his eyes a moment, feeling an annoying buzzing in his head. He'd have to make sure to nap later.
As long as nothing annoyed him while he was in this state, he'd be okay. He could be extra cranky when tired.
For now, maybe he'd just rest for a bit.
Yeah. Yeah, that sounded good. He'd sit somewhere quiet and rest. Hopefully, Ash wouldn't ask him to do any training until later.
The beach sounded good. Maybe he'd go down there.
... Then again, that place had bad memories associated with it, so maybe not.
Maybe the nearest wall outside the villa would be better.
Resting against the stone wall, Pikachu sighed in contentment. Behind him, the scent of flowers wafted through his nostrils, calming him. It was a very pleasant summertime smell.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing darkness of his eyelids. Well, it was still rather bright out - so his eyelids weren't all that dark - but it was certainly better than nothing.
Elsewhere, he heard Ash talking about who he was going to train today. Cilan seemed to notice that Pikachu was relaxing, because he suggested using someone else.
Good. Sure, he liked training, but he really wasn't in the best shape to do it right now.
"(Heeeey, babe~!)" a familiar voice sang.
Pikachu's eyes snapped open. He whirled his head around to find Oshawott winking at Emolga.
... What?
She smirked dryly at him. "(Oh, what?)" she asked. "(Back to flirting with me, now?)"
"(You know it, babe~!)"
"(Heh. Shoulda figured.)"
"(So! Any apples you want this big, strong guy to get for you?)"
She giggled. "(Weeeell...)" She pulled a cutesy pose. "(I certainly wouldn't complain~!)"
"(Gotcha!)" He smacked a paw to his chest. "(Be right back, babe~!)"
"(Okay~!)"
... What?
What?
What?!
Pikachu watched in shock and disbelief as Oshawott merrily skipped in the direction of the woods. On the way, the otter passed by Unfezant.
"(Heyyyy, babe~!)" he said to her.
She looked at him in exasperation.
He passed by Snivy and winked. "(Hey, looking good, babe~!)"
She rolled her eyes at him.
He passed by Garchomp and waved. "(Hey, babe~!)
She gave him a cool gaze, then turned away again.
He passed by Gastrodon. "(Hey there, babe~!)"
She raised an eyebrow at him.
He passed by Glaceon. "(Heyyyy, babe~!)"
She looked like she was about to laugh in disbelief.
... Pikachu couldn't believe what he was seeing.
As Oshawott began to walk past him, a million thoughts and memories raced around his brain. It began to ache and throb with anger. He could feel his blood boiling in his veins.
Oshawott turned to him, a jolly smile on his face. "(Hey, Pikachu!)"
"(... What was that?)" Pikachu asked as calmly as he could.
Oshawott blinked. "(Huh? What was what?)"
Pikachu indicated the other girls with his paw, a little too forcefully. "(That.)"
"(Huh?)" Oshawott glanced behind him. Looking back again, he shrugged. "(I dunno what you mean.)"
"(Oh, you don't, do you?)"
"(Nope.)" Oshawott blinked again. "(Say, you okay? You look like you got up on the wrong side of the bed.)" He laughed to himself. "(What's wrong?)" Grinning, he put his paws to his hips.
Everything about that pose made Pikachu want to smack him across the face.
"(... What's wrong?)" He paused, briefly trying to control his anger. He couldn't, though. It was threatening to explode out of him, like lava from a volcano. "(What's wrong?!)"
Oshawott took a step backwards in shock. "(Huh?)"
He climbed to his feet. "(Oh, I dunno... how about the fact that you lied through your frigging teeth?!)"
"(Huh?! What are you talking about?!)"
Nope. There was no controlling his anger anymore.
"(You know damn well what I'm talking about!)"
Oshawott jumped in fright. "(Dude, what the heck?!)"
"(Meloetta! Ring any bells?! Or have you forgotten her, already?!)"
"(What?! Well, of course I haven't!)" Oshawott frowned back at him. "(Jeez, what crawled up your butt and died?!)
Pikachu ignored the question. "(Well, clearly you have if you're moving on so quick! 'The one'... Pah!)"
"(Well, she was! Or, at least, she woulda been, but she said no, remember?!)"
"(Oh, so you're just gonna move on, just like that?! Find yourself a new 'one'?!)"
"(Well... see...!)" Oshawott shook his head, glaring harder. "(Why do you care, anyway?! You're the one who told me to do it!)"
Pikachu growled. "(Not the very next freaking day!)"
"(What is your problem?!)"
"(You're my problem!)"
"(What the heck, man?! I'm only trying to get myself a girlfriend!)"
"(Yeah, by being a lying, cheating-!)"
"(Hey, hey, hey...)" Snivy suddenly said from beside him. She gave Pikachu a brief glare. "(Calm down.)"
Pikachu huffed several times in rage. Taking a deep, calming breath, he tried to force himself to relax.
He released the air in a long breath.
After a moment, he turned his back on Oshawott. "(... Whatever. You wanna be like that, then... who cares?)" He wandered off, not looking behind him.
Now in the woods behind Cynthia's villa, Pikachu kicked a pebble in anger. It bounced away, along the dirt path.
He huffed to himself. He should have figured. All the stress he'd felt last night - all the sleep he'd lost out on - had been for nothing.
He'd thought that Oshawott would be devastated over Meloetta. He'd thought that the guy would take ages to get over his misery.
But ohhh no. Of course not.
Nothing was different at all. The otter had just gone straight back to his old ways, without a single care in the world. He couldn't have Meloetta, so he'd just take someone else, instead.
It was disgusting.
To think, he'd actually started to believe the otter. Believe that he'd meant what he'd said. That there was only one girl in the whole world for him and he'd accept no other.
Of course it wasn't true. Of course. He should've known...
Huffing again, he glanced down at the river beside him. In the shallow waters, he saw his own reflection glaring back at him.
After a while of staring at it, he imagined Oshawott's stupid face grinning up at him, instead. His frown deepened.
Then he imagined another face. A much more aggravating face. It was silvery brown, and smiling up at him condescendingly.
Grinding his teeth, he smacked a paw across the water, willing the image away.
After a while of fuming to himself, Pikachu had finally cooled down enough to head back to Cynthia's villa.
Breaking through the woodland and entering the clearing, his arrival attracted a fair bit of attention.
"Pikachu!" Ash called out, beaming. "There you are!"
"(Yeah, here I am...)" Pikachu grumbled.
Stopping what he was doing, Ash came running over. He stopped beside him. "You alright there, buddy?"
"(... Fine...)"
Kneeling down, Ash gave him a stroke on the head. "That's good. I got worried when you just stormed off into the woods! I woulda followed ya, but Cilan said some junk about leaving the kettle to cool, or... something."
Pikachu glanced over at Cilan, who gave him a sheepish grin. Iris, who was standing next to the connoisseur, groaned in annoyance.
"Of course you wouldn't get it..." she said.
Ash turned to frown at her. "Hey, I got it just fine!"
She smirked. "Suuuure you did..."
"Hmph!" He looked back at Pikachu with a small smile. "Anyway, buddy... I dunno what you and Oshawott were fighting about, but I hope it's okay now."
"(... Yeah, I guess,)" Pikachu replied.
Ash smiled brighter. "Awesome!" Standing up, he clenched his fists in determination. "Then I'm gonna get back to training!"
Pikachu tiredly attempted to smile back. "(Kay...)"
Nodding, Ash set off back towards the battlefield.
Pikachu considered sitting against the wall again. Maybe taking a nap. He'd only come back so as not to worry Ash, after all.
That train of thought derailed the second he saw Snivy and Oshawott approaching. The otter was pouting and the snake looked rather stern.
Snivy put her hands on her hips. "(Alright then,)" she said, "(what was all that about, earlier?)"
Huffing, Pikachu looked away. "(What was what about?)"
"(Well, gee, I wonder...)"
"(Yeah!)" Oshawott interjected. "(You just started yelling at me outta nowhere! What'd I do, man?)"
"(... Gee, I wonder...)" Pikachu grumbled.
Snivy huffed. "(... This isn't like you at all,)" she said. "(What happened?)"
"(Nothing...)"
"(... Didn't look like 'nothing' to me,)" Emolga suddenly said from beside him. When he looked in her direction, the squirrel shrugged. "(Just saying.)"
"(Yeah and what'd you call me a cheater for?!)" Oshawott asked. "(I didn't cheat on anybody!)"
"(Pfft...)" Pikachu replied, not really in the mood to argue again.
"(He really didn't,)" Snivy added.
"(Yeah,)" Emolga agreed. "(Sure, he got over Meloetta super quick, but they weren't dating, right? So that doesn't really count as cheating.)"
Pikachu huffed. So they were all going to gang up on him now, were they?
"(... Alright, fine,)" he replied. "(He's not a cheater.)" He glared down at the ground. "(For him to get over her so quick, though...)"
"(Well, hey,)" Oshawott said, "(she didn't want me, right? So, might as well find another girl!)
Pikachu lifted his head to glare at him.
"(As much of a tail-chaser as he is,)" Emolga said, shrugging again, "(he's got a point.)"
"(Mmm,)" Snivy agreed. "(Maybe not loyal, but certainly no cheat.)" She paused, glancing sideways at Oshawott. "(At least, I assume so.)"
"(Hey!)" Oshawott argued, frowning at her.
Normally, Pikachu would be amused by that comment. All he felt, instead, was frustration. He just wanted to get away and nap.
He heaved a sigh. "(Whatever,)" he replied. "(I don't even care anymore.)" Turning away, he started walking towards a good napping spot.
"(... So what did crawl up your butt and die?)" Snivy asked.
Emolga sounded like she was holding back a laugh.
Pikachu huffed again. "(None of your business... Any of you.)"
"(Whoooa, Mr. Krabby Pants!)" Emolga replied cheekily. "(I think someone needs twenty chill pills!)"
"(Pfft, try thirty...)" Snivy replied.
Both Emolga and Oshawott laughed at the joke.
His frown deepening, Pikachu ignored them and kept on walking.
Relaxing against the wall with his eyes closed, Pikachu tried to nap. It was difficult, though. His head was still buzzing with stress over the whole ordeal.
If it was so easy for Oshawott to move on, then it must have been that way for Buneary, too. It must have. Because it was exactly as he'd thought.
No one stayed sad for long.
They were only sad when they couldn't get what they wanted. Then, once they got over it, they'd just go after someone else, instead.
He scowled to himself. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if Buneary had found someone else to fawn over already, in Johto.
He briefly tried to guess what species the guy would be. Something her size, probably. A sandshrew? A rattata? Maybe even another freaking pikachu?
Then again, Oshawott had flirted with a giant, two-headed ice cream cone before, so who knew. Maybe he was a freaking rhydon.
Growling in annoyance, he tried to make himself more comfortable, so that he could nap. He really needed to, after all.
Then he pictured the stupid rabbit's face again, beaming at him with stars in her eyes. That image just loved to haunt him, didn't it?
He shook his head to dispel it, then settled down to get back to his nap.
Eventually, Pikachu felt himself wash back into reality. Huh. How long had he been out? He didn't even remember falling asleep...
He moved his head around slightly, realising that it felt much lighter than before. He sighed in relief.
... Hmm? What was tickling his face?
He opened his eyes, only to see Axew and Scraggy scribbling over his face with marker pens.
They jumped in surprise, yelping.
"(Oh no, he caught us!)" Axew cried.
"(Bail! Bail!)" Scraggy cried.
The two of them ran off, still holding their marker pens.
Pikachu groaned, slumping against the wall. Great. Just great. This reminded him of Jigglypuff, before she'd disappeared sometime in Hoenn. He could only imagine what horrors were on his face right now...
... Also, where the heck had those two gotten marker pens from?
"(Ah, Sleeping Beauty's awake, it seems,)" Snivy's voice said from beside him.
He turned to look at her. She was smirking rather heavily. Probably at whatever abomination was on his face.
He heaved a sigh. "(Hi...)" he replied.
"(Hi.)" She folded her arms. "(So, have you cooled off now?)"
He glanced away awkwardly. "(Yeah...)"
"(Good. Now... what the heck was wrong with you? You're not normally so...)"
"(Yeah, yeah, I know... I just...)" He recalled all the memories. All the emotions. All the hurtful things he'd said. How they all bundled together into one big mess. He sighed again. "(I really don't wanna talk about it...)"
"(... Hmm. Is that so? Well, when you do, feel free.)"
"(... Yeah. Sure...)"
"(... For you to get so peeved at Oshawott over it, though...)"
"(Yeah, yeah...)"
He huffed. Perhaps he had been a bit harsh in his delivery. Not that he would suddenly change his stance on the matter, though. Not by a long shot.
... Still, he supposed an apology to the otter wouldn't hurt. They were meant to be friends, after all.