Okay, so now there's HOW MANY of us going to Japan?! *confronts Adrie, who starts counting on her fingers. Sighs as Adrie takes off shoes* it's 14, maybe 15… from the original 3…I don't really mind, all I'm saying is that by now we're going to need a "girls'", a "boys'", and a "married/engaged" condo…
Where is my life going? Somewhere good, I hope now… Rika's help searching finally paid off, so I'm now dedicating this fic to her and Alan. Because she was so persistent, and because, finally, he can know that it's for him…

A happy little reunited group was laying across the sofa in the Ketchum's rented condo. Togetic was quite content by now to lay asleep, curled up on his "mommy's" stomach, and Misty in turn had her head on Ash's lap, and her feet up on the arm of the sofa as they watched a match on TV. Ash subconsciously ran his fingers through Misty's hair repeatedly, rather pleased with how peaceful things had become since his return to normal. He smiled as Misty looked up at him and set her hand on top his own.

"I'm glad you're back Ash…" she whispered sweetly. Ash had finally told her what had been going on after she'd determined that he'd made her miss Vixie's match.

"Not nearly as much as I am, I'm sure…" he agreed quietly, brushing his thumb across her cheek and flipping the TV off. Misty sat up, setting Togetic quietly on the back of the couch and leaned against Ash's shoulder. "Kinda random… but, you seen Pikachu lately Misty?"

"No… why?"

"I'm just worried about him… I haven't seen him since we all switched back…"

"I bet Brock's still mad that we left him in the pokéball overnight," Musty laughed slightly, then looked back up at Ash with a more serious expression. "But I bet Pikachu's just fine, maybe he thought we just needed some time alone for a while. It's only been since yesterday morning… and you have a match tomorrow, I'm sure he'll be back on time."

"I hope so, but I'm still worried…"

Misty sighed sharply in response. "Paranoid…"

"With right! I know very well that at least and you have a match tomorrow, I'm sure he'll be back on time."

"You say that like it's a bad thing…" Misty smiled back at him, kissing him gently to prove his point.

Human? If Only…

10-Everything Changes

Lyra Kamiya

Pikachu was feeling very confused. He knew that he'd been like he was right now before, but that still didn't explain how he got back like this. Not that he really minded -- yet… It'd been almost… what, 10 years since he'd been in this body, and he'd been barely even six then. He hadn't been to happy with how he'd been for those years for most that time… so unhappy, in fact, that he'd tried on several occasions to electrocute Ash, or whoever else was around at that time, even… his own grandfather.

Only three people, one of them a pokémon, knew of that terrible predicament, the regrettably successful experiment Professor Oak had done 10 years earlier. No one had expected it would actually work… After all, Pokémon and humans were similar in complexity, but not similar enough for one to act as the other, even if there were a way to test that theory.

Pikachu, as he'd been called for the past decade, was one of the two victims of that experiment. The one that Prof. Oak was almost thrown out of practice for, and the reason he'd lost the majority of his respect amongst those who knew of it. Those who's respect he still had, didn't know he'd gone through with the experiment, or else, didn't know it was successful.

Pikachu had been, for the first 6 years of his life, and was again now, a boy called Gary Oak.

Which only left him to wonder where the pokémon that'd played that part for a decade was right then, and how they'd both gotten back into the bodies they'd been born in.

**********

Ash woke up groggily, glaring at the phone on the coffee table. "Ringing… 7 AM… who do they think…" he grumbled, glancing between it and Misty, who was laying on top of him where they'd fallen asleep on the sofa the night before. He reached for the phone best he could, without disturbing the sleeping red-head, and finally managed to snag the phone and flip it on, having to quickly switch hands as he attempted to push himself back onto the couch.

"Hello? This better be good! Oh… hi, Professor… no, I haven't seen Gary around… never came back? Why didn't you ask sooner! Well, yes, he would want 'cheering up', but… No, no, I'll help look. Maybe he'll come to my match today. And Professor, have you seen Pikachu? Well, I… nevermind, I hadn't seen him since that match either, but he's scratching at the glass door now. I'm sure Gary will turn up, just as easily as Pikachu just did… alright…"

Ash sighed and clicked the phone shut, staring nervously down his chest at Misty, who had yet to awaken. "I guess all those years around my snoring must have paid off… Togetic, think you can open the door?" Ash pleaded, finally being able to pull himself back onto the couch completely. He watched as Togetic flew over to the door, then felt Misty shift on him, one of her arms sliding up to next to his head. He sighed and ran his fingers through her hair lightly, "That's my angel…" he smiled and looked back over at the door, where Togetic had almost gotten the door open. I'll owe him breakfast for a week after this one, with all the locks on that door… there was a click as the door slid open, and Ash sighed again, looking back in the direction of the ceiling. His view, however, was blocked off by the smiling face of a redhead.

"G'morning," she grinned, kissing him rather enthusiastically, then sat up and slid onto the edge of the sofa.

"A good morning it is," he chuckled, sitting up beside her.

"So what's this about Gary going missing?" Misty smiled, nodding towards the phone.

"Eavesdropping, when I thought you were asleep? I shouldn't tell you, just for that young lady!"

"I'm older than you," she smirked in response.

"Eh, details, details. But anyway, evidently at about the same time that Togetic and I got switched back, etc., Gary went miss-" Ash paused as he realized Pikachu still hadn't come near him, and that his ears had perked up upon mention of Gary's name. "Hey, whatcha doing over there Pikachu? C'mon, I haven't seen you in two days, 'least give me a hug…" Pikachu looked at him out of the corner of his eye, shrugged, and walked over towards Ash. "Much better-" Ash stopped as Pikachu put out one of his hands and motioned for Ash to shake it. A bit stunned, Ash did as he was directed, and sweatdropped as Pikachu then marched off to the kitchen.

"Sometimes… it's hard to tell who's the trainer, and who's the pokémon with you two…"

"Yeah, well, I'll talk to him. I wonder what's up… but you don't have to be so bugging about it, Misty…"

"Um, Ash, that wasn't me. We have company, so I'm gonna go change clothes…" Misty grinned, pointing at Vixie who was leaning against the back of the sofa. Ash slowly sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically as he realized he was shirtless, and promptly pulled his T-shirt back over his head. "How long you been there? And where are the others?"

"Eh, the happy couple are out in the backyard turning the egg over, be in in a second. Tracey's sleeping, Brock's cooking breakfast, and Martha was playing tag with her bubbles last time I checked. HEY, lil miss bubbly! Whatcha up to?!" she called, staring in the direction of the door.

"I found a stray Umbreon, I think… she's so pretty! I'm trying to get her to come out… Come see!"

"Umbreon?" Misty inquired, wandering into the room in a tank top and skirt, versus the old T-shirt of Ash's she'd been wearing before. She and the other two walked slowly over to the door, arriving to see Martha crouched on the ground, talking in her true language to the little black pokémon. She peeked her head out from the bushes who's shadow she was hiding in.

"She's looking for her trainer, says she saw him run past here… So she's not a stray…" Martha said slowly, looking up at the others.

"Guys, maybe we shouldn't try to get her to come out until the sun's at a different angle. You know Umbreons prefer to stay in places where it's shady," Misty suggested. The Umbreon turned her head suddenly in her direction.

"That definitely got a reaction… wonder what you said…" Ash complained. In the background, smoke billowed out the kitchen window as Brock wandered outside with a ruined looking pan.

"-stay in placed where it's shady," Misty repeated slowly, staring at the Umbreon the whole time. With the last word, she turned her head and sniffed the air in Misty's general direction.

"She's confused, wants to know why you know her name, she wasn't called that last time she saw you…" Martha related from the ensuing nervous yips.

"Shady?" Vixie furrowed her brow as she recited the name. "Sounds familiar… Wait, wasn't that the name of Gary's Umbreon?" Shady stared at her with a clear look of horror, her scarlet eyes flashing as she yipped suddenly. The others started talking all at once as one thing after another clicked in their heads.

"She's looking for her owner?! And he went in here?!" Misty demanded.

"Easy girl! It's ok!" Martha cooed, reaching out to try and pet her to calm her.

"Panicking dark type! Not my idea of good! Big, powerful attack immanent!" Brock hollered from next door at the same time, racing back inside.

"Oh, great, Gary's in my hou-" Ash was cut off as he was nearly knocked his feet by a yellow blur, who took off alongside Shady down the street at full speed. All went silent for the next moment or two, as the humans and gijinkas struggled to determine what had just happened. "Is it just me… or did they panic when we mentioned Gary?" the others nodded slowly in response.

**********

"He did? Really… that's very interesting, I'll have to see what I can find about that type of behavior… But still no sign of Gary? I shouldn't expect him to turn up there, anyway… He probably is just getting a head start for next year, nothing to worry about. But I'll see what I can find, then get back to you Ash."

Professor Oak sighed as he hung up the phone. He knew someday that experiment would come back to haunt him, but now that it had, he couldn't believe it. And of all the times for it to go wrong…

^.^ suspense… okay, so it's relatively obvious this time (or at least I think so) but I've received enough complaints about the other style that I'm trying this once. Do you like this or the more mystery better? And sorry that I'm a little behind schedule, but all updates should be posted by the Saturday after the indicated date. I'm grounded again is what's wrong, that and a little distracted ^.~ Review, please! Ja ne to heiwa, ai Lyra-chan!