Chapter 35

Now that the holidays were over, they had left not only Professor Oak's cabin behind, but also the mountains, the snow, and – last but not least – the cold. The snowy mountains were still a backdrop even with as far as they had traveled, but it was nice to feel the sun's warm rays upon them again. Currently, they were taking a long break in a quiet forest after having traveled half of the way through high snow. There wasn't a soul around; neither human nor Pokémon, and the only sound that soothed them was the waterfall nearby sending fresh water down the stream beside them. The forest was full of fruit trees with all sorts of edible berries that they ate enough to consider it a lunch, and Brock even took some for dinner later on that night.

But currently, the former Pewter City Gym Leader was now laying with his and Ash's backpack as a headrest. His legs were sprawled out across the dirt, and his hands were tucked behind his head as he enjoyed the comfortable shade being provided by the oak tree he was sitting under. He breathed in a lungful of clean air, and let it out with a dreamy smile on his face. "It sure is nice to kick back and relax a little-" he said to himself, but the quiet in the forest and his thoughts were interrupted by a loud yell from his traveling companion.

"KANGA-KANGASKHAN!" Ash's voice echoed through the woods, and if there hadn't been anything in the woods, there sure wasn't now. Brock frowned and turned his head just in time to see the Pallet Town Pokemon Trainer swinging by on a vine hanging from the higher trees, laughing and having the time of his life. "This is fun!" he laughed loudly. He looked back at Brock as he swung by, and turned forward, but then his face changed to one of horror as he realized there was a thick tree directly in front of him. He let out a yell, but then collided flat against the trunk as Brock flinched involuntarily upon impact. A moan of pain was muffled against the bark and Ash slid down the side of the tree and then flat on his back.

"He'll never learn…" Brock commented quietly, propping himself up on his elbow with a frown as Ash flopped over onto his stomach and let out another moan of pain as his fist pounded against his aching back. But through his ears ringing in pain, he could also hear rustling in a bush behind him. His hat still sitting crooked on his head, he looked at the source of the noise to see a little yellow mouse-like Pokémon with red cheeks sticking out amongst the green foliage. The Pokémon had a curious look on its face, but when Ash and it locked eyes, the Pokémon gave a squeak and darted away into the bushes.

"H-hey! Where're you going?!" Ash exclaimed, pushing away the aches running through his body and ran over to the tree where Brock was to collect his backpack. He was in such a rush to catch up with the little Pokémon that he just tore the backpack out from underneath Brock, and the Pokémon Breeder gave a cry as he fell backwards.

"What's gotten into you?"

"I think I saw a new Pokémon in the woods!" Ash cried, and took off in the direction he saw it run off to.

"Wait for me!" his traveling companion called, slipping his own backpack over his shoulders and hurrying after Ash. They pushed through bushes and low-hanging tree branches, but the small yellow Pokemon had already gotten away from Ash's sight. Now it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and Brock voiced this as well as they ran down and followed the stream, but Ash was determined. In order to be a Pokémon Master, he needed to find and catch any Pokémon he could find.

Quite deep in the forest, the two Trainers gasped when they came across a clearing, and quickly tucked their knees so they wouldn't be spotted. The clearing was littered with the yellow Pokémon that Ash had seen. "What's that?" the black-haired boy asked, but Brock smiled as he watched all of them playing.

"Those must be wild Pikachu!" he stated. There were so many of them, both big and small. They were all happily playing with each other, wrestling or eating some fruit that had been gathered. Others were sunbathing on a cut tree trunk in the middle of the clearing, and some were napping in the shade of a hole in a large oak tree off to the side.

Ash's eyes scanned back and forth as he looked in amazement at all the Pikachu that had yet to notice their arrival. Then, his eyes fell upon a Pikachu that was smaller than all the rest – it seemed to be just a young one. A smile painted his mouth upward as he stood up and walked forward. "Hey!" he cried. As he did, all of the wild Pikachu all whipped their heads in Ash's direction as he came walking out of the bushes with his hands up. "I saw you watching me from the forest!"

"Pika!" one of the larger Pikachu exclaimed with an angry look on its face, and they suddenly all ran away from Ash all in one direction so that they were all huddled against the edge of the clearing.

"H-hey, wait up!" he protested, but it was no use. They were all looking at him nervously, while some of the larger Pikachu with nicked tails and crooked ears bared their teeth and stood on all four feet as if they were ready to pounce. The boy's arms fell to his side, and he looked sadly at the Pokémon.

The smallest Pikachu of the group, the one who had been watching Ash, suddenly stepped forward and took a few steps forward. It had a curious look on its face, the same look it had when it was watching Ash earlier. Some of the other Pikachu gave cries of warning to it, but it ignored them and hesitantly and slowly walked toward Ash. So as to not scare it, the Pokemon Trainer knelt down and stuck out his hand with his palm facing up to the sky. "I'm not gonna hurt you, buddy," he told it in a calming voice. The sound of his speaking made the tiny Pikachu freeze in place, but when Ash stopped and didn't so much as breathe, the Pikachu continued forward while the others gave further cries of fright and hesitance.

After what seemed like forever, the Pikachu finally reached Ash, and it blinked at him a few times before it extended its nose to sniff his fingertip. Ash stood completely still while the Mouse Pokémon inspected him, and finally, its black eyes looked up at him, and the corners of its mouth perked upward. "Pika!" it squeaked, and turned its backside to Ash and extended its lightning bolt-shaped appendage to him. Ash wasn't sure what it wanted him to do, but when it urged its tail forward to his hand, he smiled and shook the end of it.

Despite the greeting, the other Pikachu didn't enjoy this very much. They all let out cries, and one of the larger Pikachu ran forward with an angry look on its face. "Pika-chu!" it shouted. The cry made the small Pikachu jump back from Ash as if he had hit it, and the larger Pikachu hurried beside the small one.

"Hey, I wasn't gonna hurt it! We were-" Ash told it, but his words were cut off when sparks flickered at the Pikachu's cheek pouches, and it shot a blast of yellow electricity from its body at the Pokémon Trainer. Ash cried out as the electricity coursed through his body, and when the ThunderShock stopped, he collapsed onto the ground with his clothes slightly smoking. Once he shook his head of the daze, he looked up to see the pair of Electric-types joining the others, and they all scattered into the wilderness. "Hey, don't run away…" Ash frowned when all signs of them were gone, and he turned to Brock who had just come out of their hiding spot. "But, why?"

"Don't you understand? Those Pikachu are scared of you, Ash," he told him. Ash gasped in surprise, and Brock looked around the area. "C'mon, this clearing is their home, and we're invading it. We should get out of here."

"Yeah, okay…" Ash muttered quietly, looking completely disheartened, and they exited the way they came.

o 0 o

Further along in the woods, they finally stopped for another break, but this time, only because Brock noted how quiet Ash had been. While the boy was usually taking the lead when they traveled, he was trailing behind with his hands in his jacket and eyes lowered to the ground, which was completely out of character for him. They found a small little indent free of trees off to the side of the stream that they had been following, and sat down beside it. Ash sat upon a stump that had smoothed over time, and Brock sat across from him on a log that had long since been covered over in moss.

Ash let out a sigh as he slid his backpack off his back and placed it down so it was leaning against the stump beside him. He wasn't disheartened because he was rejected by the Pikachu; he was saddened at the fact that the Pikachu were so afraid of him. "I'm sorry, Brock," the boy apologized, knowing that they only stopped on his account. "But, why would those Pikachu be afraid of me? I wouldn't do anything to hurt them."

"I don't think too many people come this far into the forest, Ash," Brock replied, looking around the woods. "But this place must be perfect for those Pikachu."

"You mean like a Pikachu paradise?" Ash asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I'd sure hate to do anything that would disturb all those Pikachu here," his friend replied with a nod.

"Yeah…" Ash replied, and he could feel all his negative feelings of the situation leave his body. Brock always had a way of making him feel better.

A shocked cry raised over the sound of the rushing river behind them, and they looked over to see a Pikachu falling from a tree branch up high and crying out as it plummeted. Ash and Brock gasped when they saw that it was a small Pikachu from earlier, but they only had enough time to see that before the Pikachu fell into the river with a splash. It emerged moments later, but it stood no chance against the rushing current, and struggled to stay afloat with pleading cries. "It's one of those Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, and jumped to his feet to chase it down the river.

The Pokemon's limbs flailed about as it attempted to stay above the water, and Brock joined Ash in running alongside the riverbank with both of their eyes locked on Pikachu. "Ash! We have to try and save it!" he panicked, pointing ahead. Ash followed the point of his finger and gasped. Up ahead, the stream curled, giving way to a high waterfall. The boy reacted quickly despite the shivering cold in his chest, and drew a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" he called, and as the ball left his fingertips, it opened, and a burst of bright light came out of the center. Within moments, the Seed Pokémon was running along beside them. "Bulbasaur, grab Pikachu with your Vine Whip!"

"Bulba!" With a cry, Bulbasaur charged ahead and ran up on a tree that leaned down over the river. Lowering its head, it extended a pair of vines out from underneath its bulb and reached down for Pikachu. Bulbasaur was already great with its precise aim, and this time was no different. The vines wrapped around the young Pikachu's chest and it pulled it out of the water. Ash met Bulbasaur at the base of the tree, and with his arms open, Bulbasaur plopped the Electric-type into his arms. The soaked Pokémon had its eyes closed, and it wasn't moving.

"What do we do? We're probably miles away from a Pokémon Center!"

"I'll do what I can, Ash," Brock assured him. Leaning in close to the wild Pokémon, he brought his ear up to its mouth and nose. "It's still breathing. That's a good sign." Ash and Bulbasaur were dead quiet as Brock inspected it further. "I think it's just unconscious, but we should keep an eye on it until it wakes up." Ash agreed, and, after thanking and recalling Bulbasaur back into its Poké Ball, they headed back to where they had set down.

o 0 o

They laid out a bed of leaves for it, but neither of them said a word while they waited for the little Pikachu to wake up. It was a relief that it didn't have any water in its lungs, but Ash still couldn't help but feel helpless that he couldn't do anything. Brock suggested that since Pikachu was an Electric-type, a jolt of electricity would give it an energy boost, but since neither of them had an Electric Pokémon or any Pokémon that knew any Electric attacks, they just had to wait until it opened its eyes.

That moment came a couple hours later. The Pikachu began to stir, and Ash and Brock instantly whipped their heads around at it. Ash stood to swoop in on the yellow Pokémon, but Brock held him back with a single hand on his shoulder; they didn't want to overwhelm it as soon as it gained consciousness. Slowly, the Pikachu opened its eyes. "Pika…" it squeaked, and pulled itself up onto its backside.

"You're all right, Pikachu," Ash said in a calm voice, and the young Pokémon's head whipped around just as fast as theirs had when they heard it. It looked up at him with panic that was instilled into its DNA, but when it realized who was speaking, it eased a little bit. "I'm glad. I was so worried."

"Pi-pi?" it asked with a cocked head, and then smiled up at Ash. The boy's eyes lingered on Pikachu's tired face, but he pulled his gaze away and grabbed something that was sitting off to the side – an apple that they had gone and collected from a nearby tree. "Here! I thought you might be hungry after everything you've been through, and I saw your friends eating apples as well, so I figured…" He trailed off, and the small Pikachu took the apple from Ash's hands in its little paws and grinned.

"Pika-pi!" it thanked, and bit into the fruit. When it did, its mouth puckered from the sweetness of it. "Chaaa!"

"Looks like it's okay to me," Brock deduced with a smile.

"Seems so," Ash agreed with relief. "Hey, Pikachu, were you… watching us before you fell into the river?" One of Pikachu's ears lowered and it glanced up at him curiously, but then continued eating the apple.

"It seems like Pikachu has the right idea. Now that all the excitement's calmed down, why don't we sit down for an early dinner?" Brock suggested, and a big smile spread across Ash's face.

"Absolutely!"

o 0 o

Gathering fruits and vegetables in the forest was an easy task, and so Brock put them into a stew that he cooked over a small campfire. They had been spoiled as of late with Professor Oak's cabin and its fancy dinnerware, but there was something about going back to eating out of tin cans at campfires that really brought a smile to Ash's face.

"This dinner is delicious!" Ash complimented with a mouthful of food, and Brock chuckled at the boy's antics. At this point, he would expect nothing less.

"Heh, what can I say? I'm a great cook!" he boasted proudly.

"It's also because of all the great vegetables that were growing around here," Ash deduced. Feeling a tug on his leg, the Pallet Town Trainer looked down to see the young Pikachu climbing up his pant-leg to inspect his food. "Smells good, huh? Do you want some, buddy?"

"Pi?" Pikachu squeaked curiously, and climbed up on Ash's shoulder before sniffing the fork that was held out for it. "Chaaa!" Pikachu smiled at the aroma and took a bite from the fork offered to it before sitting down on Ash's lap for more.

"That Pikachu has really taken a shine to you, Ash," Brock commented as he finished up his meal.

"You think so?" Ash hummed in thought and scratched his chin. "Come to think of it, this Pikachu has been watching us since we got into the forest." The Pallet Town native was quiet for a moment before a big smile stretched the corners of his mouth. "Hey, Pikachu! Do you want to come along with us on our journey?"

"Pi Pika!" Pikachu said enthusiastically, peering up at him with a big smile.

"You know Ash, I think you make friends faster with Pokémon than you catch them," Brock joked. Even though the orange glow of the fire, the blush that crept up Ash's neck was apparent.

"What's that supposed to mean! I have plenty of great Pokémon!"

"That's true, but you do have less Pokémon than Gary. How many did he have the last time we talked to Professor Oak?" Brock feigned thinking, but once Ash started to get worked up, the Pokémon Breeder laughed. "Don't worry; it isn't a bad thing. Believe me, as a Pokémon Breeder, there's nothing I like seeing more than a good, healthy relationship between a Trainer and his Pokémon." The topic was dropped as Ash and Brock cleaned up, and Pikachu only stared at Ash and Brock with a wide smile on its face as it licked the remnants of Ash's can.

o 0 o

Night had already fallen when they set up their sleeping bags and were all laying around the fire. Much like how Wartortle did on some nights, Pikachu was snuggled up against Ash underneath the blanket. The Pokémon Trainer had finally drifted off to sleep when he felt a push on his arm. Opening his eyes, he saw Pikachu looking at him with an eager smile on its face. "Pikachu? What's going on?"

"Pika-chu!" it said to him, and hopped away from the small clearing before turning around and waving its tail toward Ash.

"What's going on?" Brock muttered, a light sleeper as always. He still rubbed his eyes as he sat up, however.

"I'm not sure; Pikachu wants me to follow it," Ash whispered, putting on his hat and crawling out of his sleeping bag. Brock did the same and quickly threw his vest on before the two followed after Pikachu.

The trail they were taking looked awfully familiar to them, and Ash soon realized that they were going the opposite direction they had taken to come here – they were going back to the clearing where Pikachu lived with its friends. The theory was confirmed when they got to the line of bushes at the edge of the clearing, and as the small Pikachu ran off to join its friends, Ash stepped forward, but Brock stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Instead, Ash kneeled down and observed.

The other Pikachu greeted the baby Pikachu excitedly, and all of them gathered around it and shook tails with it. The night sky lit up momentarily each time they did, as sparks of electricity danced between the appendages. But the Pikachu didn't take very much time to talk, as they all gathered in the center of the clearing. The baby Pikachu climbed on top of a larger Pikachu's head and soon, the Mouse Pokémon all began to chant at the full moon in the sky, singing a beautiful song as they swayed their heads back and forth.

"Chaaa! Pi, Pika-Pikachu, Pi-Pikachu, Pi-pika, Pi Pikachu. Pika-pichaaaaa." The melody rang through the forest like a lullaby. The Pikachu had no fear here of being attacked. They were truly home.

"I think it's the best thing in the world seeing all of these wild Pikachu all living together with its own kind," Brock whispered. The comment was just made as a general thought that was spoken aloud, but as he said it, a pang of guilt struck Ash's stomach. While Brock was smiling from ear to ear at the scene that was only seen once in a lifetime, Ash's own smile faded slowly as realization struck. His eyes focused on his buddy, and the Pikachu whose head his friend had been sitting upon grinned up at the youngling. It looked so happy in its own group.

Brock's words echoed in Ash's head, and even the words he spoke earlier that day now emerged from the depth of Ash's mind. "But this place must be perfect for those Pikachu."

"You mean like a Pikachu paradise?"

"I'd sure hate to do anything that would disturb all those Pikachu here."

"Living together with its own kind…" Ash murmured aloud, but Brock didn't hear him. Instead the boy simply smiled and stood up.

"Ash?" Brock asked, but the boy continued walking away, back the way they had come from. Brock's eyebrows were raised, but he gave one last look at the group of Pikachu before running to catch up with his friend.

o 0 o

Ash was quiet, and wouldn't open up to Brock about what was on his mind, but the Pokémon Breeder managed to pry it out of him by the time they got back to camp and Ash was stamping the small fire out. "What? You're leaving Pikachu?"

"That's right," he answered, and picked up his backpack with his sleeping bag tucked inside it. "My mind's made up." As the boy started to head toward the main path, a rustling in the bushes ahead of them grabbed their attention, and the small Pikachu that had befriended Ash jumped out with an innocent smile on its face.

"Pika-pi! Pikachu?" Ash sighed, and his breath hitched in his throat, but he knelt down. He was attempting not to have this conversation, but now that it was happening, it needed to be done.

"Pikachu, you stay here. I'm leaving."

"Pi?"

"I know you'll be much happier here in the forest with the other Pikachu…"

"Pika-pi..?" Pikachu looked at him with one of its ears lowered, but it cooed and leaned into his touch when the Pokémon Trainer patted it on the head. "Chaaa!"

"Goodbye… Pikachu…" Standing up, Ash pulled his hat over his eyes as he walked past Pikachu, and, clutching the straps of his backpack with all of his might, he walked away.

"Pika-pi!" The little Electric-type chased after him, and called for him, but Ash stopped and didn't turn back as he spoke.

"Please, don't."

"Pika?"

"All of these Pikachu here in the forest need you," he went on. "So just… goodbye!" The familiar stinging of tears struck both of his eyes, but before they could escape, Ash took off into a run, while Brock gasped in surprise. Pikachu cried out and tried to follow, but Ash shouted again, this time sniffling. "Good-bye!"

He ran as fast and as far as he could, but he wasn't even looking at the path ahead, nor to see if Brock or Pikachu were following him. He only focused on running, on the path at his feet that was blurring, and trying to get away. This is for the best, I guess…

"Ash!" Brock called, his voice echoing up the path as he called for his friend. Ash finally stopped, and stood in place, breathing heavily to try and catch his breath. Brock hadn't even caught up before Ash started to speak.

"I'm sure Pikachu will be better off staying here than traveling around with me. Pikachu will be happier this way." The sun began to rise behind them, and a shadow extending from up on the hill he had just run down made the boy look up. At the top of the hill stood the young Pikachu. Even from the distance they were at, Ash could tell there were tears in its black eyes, but a smile was curling its mouth. Just then, all of its friends also appeared, poking their heads out from over the hill one by one.

"Pi Pikachu!" it cried loudly, and waved both of its hands high up in the air. Behind it, the other Pikachu also began to call out, but this time, they all raised a single fist in the air as they chanted.

"Pika-chu! Pika-chu! Pika-chu!"

-end-

Ash:

Party:

Wartortle (Poké Ball)

Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Water Gun, BubbleBeam

Pidgeotto (Poké Ball)

Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack

Bulbasaur (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed

Charmander (Poké Ball)

Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Ember

Tauros (Safari Ball)

Moves:

Mankey (Poké Ball)

Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss

At Professor Oak's Lab:

Muk (Poké Ball)

Moves:

Tauros (Safari Ball)

Moves:

Krabby (Poké Ball)

Moves: ViceGrip

Badges:

Boulder Badge

Cascade Badge

Thunder Badge

Marsh Badge

Rainbow Badge

Soul Badge

Brock:

Party:

Onix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig

Geodude (Poké Ball)

Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle

Zubat (Poké Ball)

Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic

Psyduck (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tail Whip, Scratch, Disable, Confusion

Vulpix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower