**Memories**

**Memories**

                                      ~*A Pikachu Tail*~

I lay curled at the foot of Ash's bed exhausted. My trainer was already asleep as was everyone else in the room, Misty and Brock were on the other set of bunk beds and I could hear Togepi chirping in its sleep. All the rest of Ash's pokémon were asleep as well they had all had a tough day of battling at the pokémon league.

I turned over onto my back and stared up at the creamy ceiling twitching my tail in slow jerking movements. I closed my eyes concentrating on the rhythmic breathing of my trainer and his friends and sighed softly, happily. The contented feeling was enough to knock me into a world of dreams. Both of the future and of the past.

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The wind whistled blowing the grass in wave like motions. Encircling the plain were tall broadleaf trees that shaded the ground that was covered in dense underbrush. Toward the southern end of the field rushed a river its swift currant adding to the symphony of nature. A couple hundred yards above the river a gorse rustled accompanied with a crackling sound. A moment later a yellow muzzle and head popped out gazing about with curious ebony eyes. That would be me of course.

I waited there staring intently at the meadow both curious and frightened by all the sights and smells that bombarded my system. Across the field came the sounds of clopping hooves and snorts and neighing. Sniffing the wind i inhaled the thick horsy smell of the Rapidash herd across from me. Blinking the I turned and jumping onto the trunk of a nearby tree digging my sharp claws into it and scampering up it with amazing speed.

Pulling myself up with my claws the I came to a stop perching on a high limb of the tree for a better view. Staring down on the field I could see the large herd of fire-horses, not to mention bunches of Rattata, Pidgey, and other pokémon flitting about in the tall grass. I was intently focused on the other pokémon that I didn't even see what happened next.

Seemingly out of nowhere a large Fearow swooped out of the sky at me ramming its wing into my body, knocking me from the tree. I landed on my side, slamming hard into the ground, when I opened my eyes and looked up I saw a boy standing there shouting things I couldn't understand. Before I knew what was happening the Fearow slammed into me again sending me rolling across the ground. Then I looked up to see a red and white ball flying at me, it hit me on the head, snapped open, and a flood of red light surrounded me and then I was inside the ball.

Inside the ball. That was the first time I was ever confined, but most assuredly not the last. Most of my memories are of the small empty space within an abyss of emptiness known as a "pokéball". I don't know how long I sat in it, maybe a few hours, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. You see when you're in a pokéball it turns you into ether, energy, and makes it where you don't need to sleep or eat. Maybe that's a good thing, however you can't tell the time that way.

The ball rattled around me and I suddenly found myself standing in the grass facing the biggest, meanest looking Arcanine I had ever seen! And I had seen a few seeing as a pack of the fire dogs hunted near where I used to live. I had seen mad Arcanine but this one looked just plain mean!

"Pikachu use your thunderbolt!" I turned and stared angrily at the boy behind me, he expected me to battle for him! This was the first time he had ever released me after capturing me against my will! There was no way I was battling for him, besides I didn't even know thunderbolt I was just a baby!

I heard a thumping sound and turned to see the Arcanine dashing toward me, before I could react it slammed into me knocking me high into the air, pain shot through my side and back as I slammed into the ground ten feet away. Then a gushing sound was heard and I felt the flamethrower engulf my body, crying in pain I dug my claws into ground as my muscles spasmed. As the flames and smoke cleared away I looked up slowly and painfully at the boy, my "trainer", he was glaring at me as if I were the most disgusting thing in the world.

"Come on Pikachu! Get up and fight!" He yelled.

"Chuuuuuuuu" I growled at him baring my pin-prick teeth in defiance then collapsed, the burns and other wounds were too great and I couldn't stand them any longer so I simply fainted.

"Pikachu return" my trainer growled icily sucking me back into my pokéball, after that I don't know what happened.

When I was finally released again we were in the middle of the woods and my "master" held a shiny metallic object in his hand. Holding it up he pointed it at me "Better run rat" he growled a moment later a bullet whizzed past my head clipping the tip of my ear.

I ran.

I ran until I thought my heart would burst and sweat poured off my fur. I ran until I didn't know where I was or where I was going. I ran until I could no longer run and my legs folded up under me. Then I cried. Then I blacked out.

When I awoke I was laying on a cold metal bed with a bunch of wires hooked up to me. Beside the bed were machines that made annoying beeping sounds and had little lines and other things on them. Standing across from the bed was an old man wearing a white coat. At the sight of the man I began to bristle and spark, which caused the machines to beep faster and the lines to turn jagged.

"Wait calm down Pikachu no one is going to hurt you" the man came over and bent down to eye level with me "I'm your new trainer Professor Oak"

"Aren't you a little old to train pokemon?" I asked but of course he didn't understand me he just smiled and scratched my ears. I bit my tongue to keep from shocking him

I found out that I was pretty beat up from the battle, I had severe burns and a bunch of bruises and even had a few broken ribs. I was perfectly fine with the Professor, well except for the fact that I had to stay in a pokéball all the time!

I stayed in the ball for what seemed like forever, but defiantly wasn't of course. The next thing I knew, years after my first trainer, was that I felt my pokéball being moved, a big surprise considering that I'd never been let out since coming home except to be fed and groomed. Then, quite suddenly, I was standing on a metal table looking up at the Professor and a young boy with spiky black hair.

"Oh wow! This one is the best one!" The boy cried grabbing me and hugging me tightly.

Bad move kiddo, I thought. I got mad, I hate human contact, I hate humans, I shocked this human. But, much to my surprise I wasn't trapped in my pokéball again instead a rubber rope was tied around my waist and the boy drug me behind him while wearing rubber gloves.

Then he started talking to me. He untied me and allowed me to walk freely even though I refused to battle for him. Then when the Spearows attacked he saved my life by throwing himself between me and the flock, then I saved his by using the most powerful thundershock I had ever, and would ever, use.

I was hurt pretty badly by the encounter and had to spend a while at the pokécenter, when I woke up the first thing I saw was him looking down at me, and looking into his eyes I saw love. Love. Something I had never experienced before in my life. I smiled back with a soft coo of "pika" and he picked me up, hugging me tightly telling me how wonderful I was.

I love my trainer, we've been through so much together. Countless battles and adventures, all of which we came out on top because of our friendship. I'd never give my trainer up for anything, not all people are bad, only some. Mine's the best.

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I woke up to the sounds of muffled voices sitting up I noticed Ash was still asleep. Smiling I stood and stretched bouncing up onto the front of the bed landing on his chest jerking him out of his slumber.

"Pika pi!" I cried hugging him good morning.

"Morning Pikachu!" He said hugging back "Let's go get some breakfast buddy"

Buddy. That's right, we are buddies aren't we Ash? After all buddies are always there for each other like you and me.

"Ka chu!" I hopped onto his shoulder and we left the room to start the day.