Chapter 2: Majestic
"(Aaaaand then I managed to jump onto Groudon's head and they started fighting!)" Pikachu said, holding up a half-eaten pellet. "(BOOM! It unleashed a huge Solar Beam that went right through Kyogre's massive tidal wave!)"
He had started wrapping up the very common and relatable tale of being possessed by an ancient legendary Pokémon while zapping everybody in the process. The entire time, Buneary sat in front of him, her paws on her cheeks, eyes full of wonder that only grew wider with each passing minute.
"(Then what happened?)" She asked mystified, practically on the edge of her seat.
"(It turned out that Groudon wanted me to free it from captivity so that's why I absorbed that blue orb. So they kept duking it out. Kyogre tried using a Hydro Pump but I…sorta stopped it with Thunderbolt.)" He chuckled sheepishly, earning a giggle from Buneary. Pikachu smiled back before continuing.
"(They kept at it, back and forth, on and on. That was before our friends decided to distract the Team Aqua leader. Then Groudon managed to hit Kyogre with a Solar Beam and the red orb came out of the leader's chest. Then right after that, the blue orb suddenly came out of my chest and I fell into the ocean!)" Pikachu exclaimed, plunging his paw holding the pellet to exemplify what he was saying.
As he continued his tale, Buneary sat, eating her pellets from her bowl as if she were eating popcorn at the movies. "(Ash dove into the water and saved me. Then I woke up. At least that's what they told me happened, the truth is that I don't really remember anything.)" He finished, popping the rest of the pellet into his mouth.
"(Oh no? Nothing at all?)" Buneary asked, briefly lifting her chin from her paws in intrigue.
Pikachu looked off into the distance. "(Well, I do remember floating in a dark void. It was…weird. Even though there was nothing around me, I remember having the sense of not being alone. Like someone else was there asking for help. It was kind of like I was locked in a cage or the trunk of a car or something and someone else was at the wheel. Pretty eerie.)"
"(I'll say! So what happened next? What about Groudon? Or Kyogre? Or those Team Aqua and Magma guys?)" She asked, waving her paws in the air for dramatic effect.
"(Well with the orbs freed, they merged together and disintegrated! Groudon went back into its volcano and Kyogre returned to the ocean. The world was saved and we never saw Team Aqua or Magma again.)" Pikachu finished, reaching for his last pellet before biting into it.
"(That's so incredible!)" Buneary declared, throwing her arms up in the air. She paused for a moment to look back at Pikachu. "(Teehee, and I'll bet you weren't scared at all~)"
He looked at her for only a moment and then looked away in mild embarrassment. He could feel his face heating up a little. "(Well truth be told I was a little scared. I mean, anyone that wouldn't be when the world is potentially gonna end is either crazy or stupid.)"
"(Dawww that's okay! Either way that's some story! I certainly don't know anybody who went through something like that!)" She said with a warm smile. Her affection and comforting words only made Pikachu's heart beat faster.
Once again trying to ignore the thudding in his chest, he looked away and cleared his throat. "(Erm yeah. Definitely not my best day and probably one of the craziest things I went through.)"
"(Huh? Probably?)" Buneary asked, with a raised eyebrow. Her expression changed to one of surprise. "(Wait…you're saying that there are other times just as wild?!)" She practically screamed; her eyes locked on him.
"(Well…)" Pikachu said half-embarrassed, twiddling his fingers together.
"(Does it involve legendaries, or more bad guys?)" Buneary asked, leaning forward a little.
"(Oh yeah, Ash and I have umm….been around.)" Pikachu said with a sheepish smile. He looked back at her and watched as her expression slowly changed from one of surprise to bubbling excitement. In that moment he got a good look at her smiling face and noticed features he hadn't paid attention to before. Her cream-colored eyebrows, her soft brown fur, her beaming smile that somehow lightened up a room no matter where they were or what was happening. He had to admit to himself that she looked…pretty cute.
Pikachu had to mentally halt himself at the thought he just had, wondering where the heck it came from. It seemed so…unusual for him to think of something like that.
"(Well….)" She started. "(You'll have to tell me more about those times soon.)" She said with a smile so wide that she closed her eyes.
Pikachu felt his heart beating faster again. Damn. Just when he thought he calmed it down. He was so caught-off guard that he barely managed to stutter a response.
"(Y-yeah no problem.)" He said with a bashful smile.
Suddenly Pikachu and Buneary heard a girlish voice call out from a distance, causing Pikachu's ears to prick up and Buneary's to fully uncurl.
"Buneary!" Dawn called, waving over to her with a smile. Buneary turned towards her azure-haired trainer. "C'mon! Ash and I are gonna start training again and I want you to be in it!"
"(Looks like duty calls.)" Pikachu said with a smirk.
"(Heh, guess so. Welp, best get to it then.)" Buneary said with a small sigh as she started to get up from the grass. As she reached down to get her bowl, she noticed Pikachu reach for it first.
"(Oh don't worry, I'll take care of them.)" He said as he took both of their bowls.
"(Oooh what a gentleman~)" Buneary said with a little smile. "(Thanks!)" She said as she started to turn and walk towards Dawn.
Pikachu momentarily stared at her, holding their empty dishes. Suddenly - as if something overcame him - he leaned forward to speak up.
"(And you know…)" He started, waiting to see Buneary turn back towards him with a curious look.
"(Huh?)"
"(Since you were cheering me on in my battle, it's only fair that I cheer you on!)" He said with a wink.
Buneary's ears uncurled again in surprise as she leaned forward with her mouth hanging open a little.
"(Ch-ch-cheer me on?)" She stuttered in shock.
"(Yeah! It's only fair after all!)" He replied and smiled upon seeing her reaction. Then a look of determination dominated his face. "(Just give it your all and no matter what, I'll be there cheering the whole time!)"
Buneary waited a moment to fully take in what he just said. Aside from feeling like her own heart was about to burst from her chest, her head began to feel light and she suddenly got the feeling that she was floating.
"(O-oh I-I-you-I-umm…)" She could only stutter, earning a curious look from Pikachu. She tried to take a deep breath like last time to calm her nerves but somehow she couldn't find her lungs catching any air.
Not sure what to do, Pikachu decided to follow up on his comment. "(You've got this! I believe in you!)" He said confidently while holding his fist in front of him.
Nope, that did it. She definitely hit her limit.
Buneary could feel her cheeks catching on fire. In an effort to hide her growing blush, she quickly turned away and hid her face in her fluff. She couldn't see Pikachu's expression, but she could practically feel his confused stare directed at her.
She wasn't wrong. Pikachu only leaned further in confusion at what he was seeing. Even though she had her face in her fluff, he could make out what she said next.
"(Umm, th-thanks, much appreciated.)" She quickly mumbled before she hopped towards the training field.
As Buneary hopped away, Pikachu only continued to stare at her, somewhat bewildered and still holding their empty bowls. His look of confusion eventually changed into a smile.
"Heh, that silly bunny." He thought as he began to walk towards the campsite to put away their dishes.
After putting away the bowls, Pikachu took a seat on the sidelines of the training field. To Pikachu's left was Brock, once again acting as the referee. On the far left side of the training field was Ash with Turtwig and Starly. On the right was Dawn with Buneary and Piplup. Pikachu raised an eyebrow upon seeing the blue penguin. Interesting, it seemed a little unfair to have Piplup battle again since he just got done battling him. Still, he had to admit that it was going to be interesting to see a double-battle. He couldn't remember the last time he saw one.
Almost as if sensing Pikachu's stare in her general direction, Buneary turned towards the electric mouse. They locked eyes for a moment and Pikachu gave her a wave of assurance. She smiled determinedly and nodded her head.
"(Double-battle huh?)" A familiar feminine voice rang out next to Pikachu.
Pikachu – somewhat startled – turned to see Aipom's smiling face as she took a seat next to him.
"(Yeah, but isn't it a bit unfair? I mean Piplup just got done battling me.)" He asked with a concerned tone.
Aipom crossed her arms. "(Yeah but he insisted on another battle. Something about not freezing up this time. Plus you didn't even hit him during your battle, so he said he's good to go.)"
Pikachu huffed in amusement as he turned his attention back onto the training field. "(Oh I see.)"
Unbeknownst to Pikachu, Aipom had witnessed his little wave of assurance to Buneary but remembering Piplup's advice on teasing, decided to keep it to herself for now.
"(Should be interesting to see then.)" Aipom said with a smirk as she too turned towards the upcoming battle.
"Ready?" Ash said with a confident look.
"Whenever you are!" Dawn said, equally confident.
"Alright, if everybody's ready, then let the battle begin!" Brock declared, raising his arm towards the sky.
"Alright! Turtwig use Razor Leaf on Piplup. Starly take to the air!" Ash commanded, each of his Pokémon doing what he said. Starly immediately began to take flight as Turtwig unleashed a barrage of leaves at his Water-type opponent.
"Oh no you don't! Piplup use Bubble Beam on the Razor Leaf!" Dawn yelled. Piplup unleashed a stream of sparkling bubbles against Turtwig's attack, causing a small explosion of water and soaked leaves to litter the battlefield. Following up, Dawn looked up towards the sky. "Buneary, Ice Beam on Starly!"
Buneary aimed her body towards the sky and unleashed the icy, jagged beam at the bird Pokémon.
"Starly dodge it!" Ash cried out. Starly – nimble as he ever was – maneuvered around the Ice Beam. Seeing Buneary distracted, Ash pointed at her. "Turtwig, use Bite on Buneary!"
Pikachu – for reasons he couldn't understand – felt his stomach drop as watched the tortoise sprint towards Buneary, jaws open. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Pikachu couldn't help but lean forward in anxious anticipation.
"Piplup use Peck on Turtwig!" Dawn quickly yelled. Piplup's beak began to glow an iridescent white as he ran toward the tortoise.
"Turtwig, get back!" Ash shouted in frustration. Turtwig's eyes widened as he saw Piplup approaching him. Quickly, the tortoise jumped away but proved to be too slow and was promptly struck, letting out a cry of pain.
Pikachu let out a sigh of relief although his anxiety came back full force when he heard a familiar snickering next to him. Oh noooo.
He turned his head only to see Aipom staring directly at him, her paws failing to cover her smile. Great, he could tell where this was going.
"(What?)" Pikachu asked unamused.
"(Feeling good that Buneary didn't get hit are ya?)" She said, trying to stifle her laugh.
Blushing, Pikachu tried to maintain his composure. "(N-not at all. Just an intense battle is all.)" He quickly managed to stutter before looking away, tightly closing his eyes.
"(Uh-huh. Sure bud.)" She said smugly. He wasn't entirely wrong though, things were quickly getting intense, what with it being a double-battle and all. And unlike Pikachu and Piplup's battle, it was a lot less clear who would win this one. The type advantages were mostly balanced with Ash's team being weak to Buneary's Ice Beam and Piplup being weak to Grass-type attacks. Yeah, who knows how this battle will…
Aipom felt her eye slightly twitch as a new thought came to mind. She smiled in excitement.
"(You know…)" She started, causing Pikachu to look back at her. "(This battle is getting so intense…)" She closed her eyes as Pikachu raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "(Maybe it warrants a bet!)" She declared, suddenly opening her eyes to look at him in the face and causing him to jolt his head back.
"(A bet?)" Pikachu asked, blinking in response. Huh, it's been a while since they've had one of those. In fact, this might be their first one in Sinnoh. Pikachu couldn't exactly recall when it started, but sometime during their travels in Hoenn he and Aipom would engage in bets and the loser would have to do whatever the winner asks, whether it be a bold dare or an embarrassing truth. Sometimes it would be pretty mild like getting the winner an extra serving of their favorite meal. Other times it would be pretty intense, like the time Pikachu dared Aipom to fetch him some ketchup, knowing that it wouldn't be easy given that they were in the middle of nowhere. After half a day of searching, Aipom suddenly came running back….and somehow causing an entire village to chase after her.
Still, Pikachu never said no to a bet before…and he certainly didn't feel like starting now!
"(Hmmm…)" Pikachu contemplated aloud, placing a paw under his chin. His eyes wandered back onto the battle. "(Still…Piplup…)" He muttered in concern.
"(Oh c'mon! Do you really think that little of him? A little training with you isn't gonna hurt him too badly! He's a little new but he's got spirit!)"
Heh…she was definitely right about that. Oh the heck with it, he couldn't pass up a challenge!
Pikachu smirked. "(Alright, I'll take you up on it!)"
"(Yessss!)" Aipom said, excitedly jumping up and down. When she was done, she looked back at Pikachu. "(Okay, so who are you rooting for then?)"
"(Huh?)" Pikachu asked, blinking in confusion. "(What do you mean?)"
"(We're both on Ash's team, so one of us has to root for Dawn!)"
"(Oh…uh…right.)" Pikachu said looking back at the battle. He suddenly felt something nudge his side. He looked back and saw Aipom's tail pushing into him.
"(C'mon now, I know you really want to root for Buneary's side~)" She whispered in his ear. Oh legends no, this again?! Pikachu groaned in embarrassment and covered his face with his paws.
"Okay ol' gal, reel it back a bit." Aipom thought to herself upon seeing her friend's reaction.
"(Alright look, I'll tell you what…)" She started, waiting for Pikachu to take his face out of his paws to look back at her. "(How about you support our team for once and I'll root for Dawn's team. Whichever side wins the match, wins the bet. Deal?)"
Pikachu contemplated it for a moment, looking back at the battle. He saw Buneary trying to land a Dizzy Punch on Turtwig while Piplup was shooting a Bubble Beam at Starly in the sky. Pikachu smiled and turned back to Aipom. He smiled as he extended his arm towards her.
"(Deal!)" He exclaimed as he shook her paw.
"(Excellent!)" She happily yelled back as they both turned to continue watching the battle.
As Pikachu witnessed the battle unfold his main focus was on Buneary and how well she was doing. He smiled as she finally managed to land a single Dizzy Punch on Turtwig, knocking him backwards. Funny, he was betting against her team and yet he was feeling pretty happy seeing her do so well. As he continued to watch, something was itching in the back of his mind. His ears suddenly twitched as he got an idea. Pikachu couldn't explain why, but a slightly mischievous smile began to form on his face.
"(Say since we're betting and all…how about we make it really interesting?)" He said with a calm, yet excited tone.
"(Huh?)" Aipom asked as she turned to him, genuinely not expecting that response.
"(Double or nothing!)" Pikachu said, quickly turning to her with an excited look in his eyes. "(If someone on your side gets knocked out that's one bet, if both of them get knocked out that's two bets and vice-versa!)"
Aipom could only blink in surprise at the suggestion. "Woah didn't expect that. Who the heck's this guy in front of me?" She thought to herself. Aipom smiled, actually impressed with his sudden boldness. "(Heh, gotta say that's pretty unexpected of you. Something come over you in the last ten seconds?)"
"(Well, I figured it's not often we get to see a double-battle so why not mix it up a little?)" He said somewhat proudly.
"(Double or nothing eh?)" She said, putting a paw up to her chin, weighing it out. She finally lowered her paw and extended it in front of her. "(Sounds good to me!)" She said confidently.
"(Then it's a double bet!)" Pikachu exclaimed excitedly as he shook her paw again.
As they both turned back to watch the battle, Pikachu could only feel the rush of adrenaline of what he just proposed. He saw Buneary briefly turn her attention towards him again which was met with another wave of support. She smiled and turned her focus back on the battle.
Heh, it was funny, it's not like he was a gambler or anything. Heck, he wasn't even really the betting sort…yet something came over him at that moment. What in the world was it? The thrill of being a little on edge or maybe engaging in something that he probably wasn't supposed to be doing? And it was so strange too, he didn't want to admit it but part of him…actually did wanted Buneary's team to win. Deep down, he really wanted to bet for her instead of against if not for the teasing Aipom was dishing out. Just what exactly was he getting himself into with this bet anyway?
"Alright, Turtwig let's show them what we're made of! Use Razor Leaf on the both of them!" Ash commanded.
"Huh? Both of them?" Pikachu wondered as he saw Turtwig rapidly unleash a barrage of leaves that was so quick and with such a wide range that it covered where Piplup and Buneary were standing.
"Quick, both of you jump out of the way!" Dawn yelled as her two Pokémon jumped fairly high into the air to dodge the Grass-type attack.
"Now Starly, use Aerial Ace on both of them!" Ash quickly shouted as the bird was engulfed in energy and flew towards his targets at a blinding speed. Piplup and Buneary could only look to their side as Starly struck them both with the Flying-type attack, causing them to go soaring in different directions.
Seeing this, Pikachu couldn't help but wince at seeing Buneary hit with the attack. Yes, he was betting against her team but still…
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aipom showing a concerned look. He was about to turn to her to say something when to his horror he realized that Buneary was actually knocked in his direction. He looked up and saw the brown rabbit about to fly over him; her soaring form appearing akin to an airplane.
Pikachu's eyes widened and - if by instinct - he immediately got to his feet and jumped as quickly as he could. He caught her just in time and managed to land safely with her in his arms.
Pikachu looked down at her and noticed that her eyes were closed. Frowning in concern, he checked to see if she was alright. Buneary slowly opened her eyes and for a moment her mind couldn't register that she was staring up at Pikachu. She blinked, then again and one more time for good measure to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Upon blinking for a third time, her face began to turn crimson and practically began glowing when she locked gazes with him.
"(Oh…um…hi…)" Buneary managed to say, practically shaking in Pikachu's arms with each passing word.
"(Oh thank goodness you're okay, you went flying for a sec there!)" Pikachu said with a relieved smile.
"(Did…did you catch me?)" She asked confused, trying to steady herself.
Pikachu looked away in proud embarrassment. "(Well….I couldn't let you go crashing a mile away could I?)"
Buneary's heart was practically doing backflips hearing that. "(Y-you-ummm thanks.)" She stuttered, her paws up to her face. She could feel that her face practically on fire again.
"(N-no problem.)" He said with a bashful smile, a small blush coming over his own face.
"(W-well I better get back to it.)" She said as she started to get up out of his arms and began walking towards the battle. Pikachu raised an eyebrow when he noticed that she was holding on to her arm.
"(You sure? You took a pretty bad hit there.)" He asked, genuinely concerned.
"(Definitely! I can't leave Piplup on his own!)" She said confidently. But as she turned back to see the battle, Pikachu noticed that same confidence drain out of her and was replaced with a look of nervousness.
Huh. If he didn't know any better, this could be his shot at winning the bet. All he would have to do is convince her right here and now not to risk it. If he really wanted to win, that's all he needed to do.
…
No. Absolutely not. He wanted to win, but not like that. It simply wasn't right. And besides …instead of thinking about winning the bet with Aipom…seeing Buneary's nervous look sparked something else inside of Pikachu that he couldn't fully explain. He looked over at Aipom, who was staring curiously at them.
Pikachu let out a small exhale as he walked up behind Buneary and gently grabbed her shoulder, earning a squeak of surprise from the bunny.
"(Okay, listen…)" He started as he gently turned her around to face him. As she looked into his face, his paw was still on her shoulder. "(If you're gonna go back into the fray, some things to remember.)" He said calmly as her full attention was on him.
He took his paw off her shoulder before taking a stance and pointing a finger. "(First, don't give them a chance to counterattack like that, stay on your toes and keep your focus. Second, if Dawn can't respond in time, think on your feet, you just might catch them off guard. And finally…)" He said before giving a determined smile. "(Give it your all! Remember, no matter what, I'll be right here, cheering you on the whole way!)"
Buneary couldn't help but put her paws up to her mouth. Gosh, he really knew what to say to get someone amped up didn't he? It was honestly pretty sweet for him to try and lift her back up like this. Especially since she wasn't even on his team.
"(Just give it your best shot because after all…)" He said with a warm smile, steeling his nerves. "(You wouldn't want to disappoint your biggest fan now do you?)" He declared, pointing at himself.
Both of Buneary's ears uncurled hearing that. "(Biggest…fan?)" She thought aloud in disbelief. If her heart could beat any faster, it would actually burst right out of her chest right then and there and fly around the open field.
Despite feeling like her heart was going a mile a minute and the enormous blush overtaking her face, Buneary gave a determined smile to Pikachu.
"(Well, we certainly wouldn't want that!)" She said confidently, giving a fist pump. "(Alright, I'll give it my best shot!)" She said before turning around to jump back into the battle. Before she did however, she gave one quick look back at Pikachu. "(Thank you Pikachu…really.)" She quietly said before jumping back to rejoin Piplup.
"(No problem Bun.)" Pikachu said to himself, smiling as he made his way back to sit next to Aipom.
As he sat down to watch the rest of the battle, he could feel Aipom continually staring at him, unblinking with the biggest smile on her face. He tried his best to ignore it but the constant staring made seconds feel like hours. After a few more agonizing moments he couldn't take it anymore.
"(What?)" He said in an unamused tone.
"(That was….really nice of you, you know that?)" She said in a calm voice that somewhat surprised Pikachu. "(Lifting her spirits like that. She's a really lucky gal.)"
A light blush started to appear on Pikachu's face as he looked away. "(W-well she needed some encouragement.)" He replied sheepishly.
"(Heh, good man.)" Aipom said as she pat Pikachu on the head with her tail. They both turned their attention to the battle which resumed after Buneary jumped back into the fray.
"Turtwig, Razor Leaf on Buneary! Starly, swoop in and snatch Piplup!" Ash commanded.
Turtwig quickly unleashed another barrage of leaves at Buneary while Starly dove down towards Piplup. Despite the onslaught, Dawn smirked.
"Both of you switch places! Buneary, Dizzy Punch, Piplup Bubble Beam!" She yelled with a look of confidence.
Piplup let loose his own stream of bubbles that – for the second time this battle - connected with Turtwig's Razor Leaf, causing another mini explosion on the battlefield. Simultaneously, Buneary hopped into the air and used Dizzy Punch to land a direct blow into Starly's torso, causing him to go flying in the opposite direction.
"(Yeah, that's it! Show them who's boss!)" Pikachu yelled with a sudden impulsivity, getting to his feet to pump his fist in the air. Realizing what he just did, he quickly turned towards Aipom who had an expression of amusement and surprise. Oh lord, he could practically feel himself glowing crimson at being caught.
"(What? Things are heating up.)" He muttered as he sat back down. It took everything Aipom had to not burst into laughter at the sight.
Buneary couldn't help feeling touched by his support. She smiled and quickly turned to wink at him which only made Pikachu's chest tighten.
"Now Piplup, use Bubble Beam on Starly, Buneary, use Bounce on Turtwig!" Dawn commanded, seeing an opportunity to turn the tide of the battle.
Buneary jumped high into the air, aiming to land on the tortoise. Piplup reared his body towards the sky and unleashed his Bubble Beam but just as he did, Ash took notice.
"Starly, Turtwig dodge it!" He yelled as the bird regained his composure and maneuvered around the liquid spheres of doom while Turtwig quickly sidestepped Buneary and began running in the opposite direction to get some distance between them.
Gritting her teeth, Dawn didn't want to abandon her strategy just yet. "Piplup, keep at it!" She shouted with conviction. Piplup continued to aim Bubble Beam into the sky, hoping to hit Starly. At first Piplup simply angled his body in different directions but soon he was running in circles, constantly releasing a steady stream of bubbles. Before anybody knew, a large vortex of bubbles was created in the middle of the battlefield that ascended high into the sky. Buneary stared in awe at what was in front of her.
Eventually Piplup couldn't keep his Bubble Beam going any longer and ceased to catch his breath. Ash took a moment to marvel at the bubble vortex before hearing Dawn's voice.
"Okay, new plan. Piplup Bubble Bomb!" She cried out. Piplup nodded and began to quickly create a massive bubble which soon formed in front of him.
Ash smirked. "Okay no problem, Starly, maneuver through the vortex and use Aerial Ace!" He confidently shouted as Starly began to quickly fly towards the vortex while Turtwig got into his attack position, waiting for the next order.
Buneary continued to gaze at the bubble vortex. Despite everything going on around her, the only thing going through her mind at that moment were Pikachu's words of encouragement. '(Think on your feet, you just might catch them off guard.)' He had said.
Suddenly, as if a firecracker had gone off in her head, Buneary was hit with the spark of an idea. '(Stay on your toes and keep your focus.)' He also said. Not wanting to lose her chance, Buneary hopped forward.
Seeing Starly beginning to use Aerial Ace toward the vortex, Ash followed up on his strategy. "Okay, now Turtwig, Razor Leaf on the Bubble Bom-huh?" He suddenly stopped as something caught his attention, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise.
"What the?" Dawn mumbled, her expression changing to one of equal shock, followed by everyone else watching the battle including Brock.
Buneary jumped into the middle of the swirling bubble vortex and then – without any input from her trainer – used Bounce to ascend high into the air. Along her ascension, Buneary began to twirl in midair and unleashed a gentle Ice Beam on the vortex. Pikachu looked on in awe as he saw every individual bubble turn from a liquid form to perfectly-shaped spheres of sparkling ice that began to slowly descend back down to the earth.
Starly – seeing the ice attack – turned direction in midflight, his Aerial Ace missing the vortex entirely.
For Pikachu, it was as if time had slowed down as he looked on to witness Buneary descending to the ground inside the vortex. All along the way she was majestically twirling among a spiraling array of ice bubbles with a smile on her face. In that moment, it looked as if she was surrounded by a swirling vortex of diamonds. She truly looked like she was something out of this world.
Pikachu suddenly felt some kind of spark coming out of his chest and strange warmness coursing throughout his body. Dear Articuno….she looked absolutely incredible! He'd never seen something so amazing in battle! It was…well…words couldn't even begin to describe it. Upon seeing the unbelievable display, he couldn't help putting on the biggest smile at the sight of her.
Buneary – deciding that she didn't want to land on the ground just yet – landed on the nearest ice bubble and pushed off from it, causing her to ascend up through the vortex once again. Then, she pushed off another ice bubble and – getting into the groove of things – began to essentially wall jump upwards until she reached the top of the vortex itself. As she reached the very top ice bubble, she arched her back in a graceful pose before jumping down and making a perfect landing next to Piplup.
Everyone could only continue to stare in shock at Buneary and the ice creation in front of them. Piplup in particular was astonished at his teammate, turning his head towards her with his beak hanging open.
"(Wh-wh-what was that?!)" He cried out in disbelief.
Buneary turned to him with a somewhat embarrassed, yet proud smile. "(A little thinking on my feet I guess.)" She giggled.
Piplup turned his attention to the vortex, its ice bubbles now all at once beginning to descend towards the ground. It wouldn't be long before they all crashed into the grass in front of them. And yet…something else caught the blue penguin's attention. He leaned over and noticed both Turtwig and Starly on the other side of the vortex. Starly couldn't get past this new ice bubble vortex… was this Buneary's strategy? To get them both on the same side of the battlefield? What could they do with this? What should they-
Piplup's eyes wandered over to his Bubble Bomb, then to the vortex. His eyes widened in surprise. That's it!
"Gotta be quick about this!" Piplup thought before turning back towards Dawn, getting her attention.
"(Hey!)" He shouted, practically flailing.
"Huh? What is it Piplup?" She asked, completely confused.
"(There's no time to waste!)" Piplup shouted, pointing a flipper at the Bubble Bomb and then pointing at the ice bubble vortex.
Dawn blinked and stared at her starter Pokémon for a moment before quickly putting the pieces together.
"Oh I get it, of course!" She confidently shouted, a fire in her eyes. "Piplup, kick the Bubble Bomb at the vortex!"
"Huh? What?!" Ash cried out in shock, Turtwig and Starly also yelling in equal surprise.
"(You read my mind!)" Piplup yelled as he kicked the Bubble Bomb towards the ice bubble vortex. It closed the distance and hit the bottom of the vortex, exploding upon impact. The explosion caused all of the graceful ice bubbles that made up the vortex to become deadly projectiles that were propelled…in Turtwig and Starly's direction!
Ash could only yell in absolute shock at the unbelievable sight. "Ahh! Everyone dodge it!" He shouted in desperation. Turtwig and Starly began to jump and fly in different random directions, attempting in all of their might to dodge the dozens of ice bubbles coming their way. Unlike Pikachu's previous experience with Piplup's Bubble, these ice bubbles were flying in random directions, making dodging nearly impossible. The two attempted their absolute best but were soon overwhelmed, the ice bubbles exploding upon impact.
Not wanting an opportunity to waste and remembering Ash's advice about thinking on her feet, Dawn threw her arm out in front of her. "Now's our chance! Piplup Bubble Beam, Buneary Ice Beam!" She shouted.
"(Right!)" The two said in unison as they unleashed their signature attacks at their opponents. The two beams connected to Turtwig and Starly at the same time, creating a massive explosion of water and ice and causing everyone in the vicinity to flinch.
As the dust settled, Turtwig and Starly laid on the ground soaked and unconscious. Pikachu couldn't register what he was seeing at first. At least not until he heard Brock.
"That's it! Turtwig and Starly are unable to battle! The winners are Buneary and Piplup!" He declared, pointing his arm in Team Dawn's direction.
"Yeah we did it!" Dawn cried out in sheer jubilation, jumping up and down. Buneary and Piplup immediately followed her enthusiasm with their own excited cheering, also jumping in place.
Pikachu couldn't help but jump in place himself and cheer on their victory. "(Yeah I knew you had it in you! You really showed them!)". He finally stopped jumping and smiled as he looked on at Buneary. She really came through on this one didn't she? That was quite the show! They all managed to work together to win and….wait…
His thoughts screeched to a grinding halt as he saw Ash running up to his fallen Pokémon. Wait….THE BET! Pikachu's gaze quickly wandered over to Turtwig and Starly, making sure that he wasn't just imagining things. First he saw Turtwig, completely unconscious.
"Frick!"
Then he saw Starly, equally knocked out cold.
"Frack!"
He…lost the bet…th-that means….oh legends above noooo!
Horrified and shaking, Pikachu slowly turned his head towards Aipom who was beaming, her smile as wide as it could possibly go.
"(I win! That's two bets! Two! Deuce!)" She said, shoving her tail in front of his face, holding up two fingers.
It was if the world was crashing around Pikachu. This can't be! No, no, no it's a dream! No, wait…it was a nightmare! It was…oh lord why…WHY did he suggest double or nothing?! It would have been bad enough with just one dare but two?! Why did he even follow up on her bet?! What compelled him to do it? How could this have happ-
Pikachu suddenly felt something wrap around his waist. He looked to his side to see the culprit and saw Buneary's beaming smile. She was pressed up against his fur and was so giddy that she was practically about to burst.
"(Heehee! Did ya see that?! Did ya?! I didn't know I could do something like that!)" She giggled with such excitement that she was jumping up and down, taking Pikachu with her.
"(Whoa!)" Pikachu yelped in surprise as he was unwillingly bouncing alongside her. As he looked at her…
…He couldn't help but feel his nerves beginning to calm and a strange - yet warm - happiness envelope him. Man, he hadn't seen her this excited and full of life since the day they met when she practically Pokénapped him and twirled around with him in the forest. And now - seeing her laughing with such mirth - he couldn't help but smile back a little.
Buneary soon stopped jumping in excitement and stopped to look deep into Pikachu's eyes. He looked back into hers and he felt himself becoming lost in them. As Pikachu continued to fall into this strange hypnotic spell, he couldn't help but notice how lovely her eyes were. It was strange, he hadn't really noticed them before. They were dark brown yet every time he saw them they sparkled like stars against the night sky. It immediately reminded him of how she looked in that ice vortex. He was so lost in them that he struggled to hear what she said next.
"(And it's all thanks to you! Wonderful, amazing you.)" She said with warm sincerity, her expression turning calmer.
Pikachu could barely register what she said. All he could feel was his heart beating so fast and hard that his head was pounding.
"(M-me?)" He managed to mutter, trying to break out of this strange spell.
"(Yeah! I thought on my feet like you said! If you didn't tell me to do that, I probably wouldn't have made that ice vortex!)" She said giddily.
Pikachu blinked as her words reverberated through him. He helped her win? Before he could respond, he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching them.
"(Yeah me too!)" Piplup shouted before he suddenly tripped and fell on his face. He quickly got back up and tried to act like nothing happened. "(Ahem, you also told me to think quicker, so I thought of kicking the Bubble Bomb at the vortex!)" He said proudly, closing his eyes with his head pointing upwards and his flippers on his sides.
Pikachu could only stare at them and then back to Aipom who continued to watch in silent amusement. He…helped both of them?
"(Soooo…I helped you win?)" He asked with a bewildered look.
"(Definitely! Dawn said the same thing to Ash too!)" Buneary giggled before she….nuzzled him. The new sudden – and more intense - show of affection caused Pikachu to tense up, feeling like his cheeks were on fire. When he heard Piplup and Aipom's stifled giggles, he felt like he was about to melt into a puddle.
He did this. He's the reason why they won. He sealed his own fate. Now it was a matter of time before Aipom would come up with some diabolical truth or dare for him to endure. As his mind swirled with such dreadful thoughts, he looked back at Buneary's beaming face.
And then…something strange happened.
In that moment as he saw her face full of pure bliss, he realized…that he didn't care. He didn't care about the bet. Not even a little.
Pikachu continued to look at her and saw that she continued to cuddle into his side. He suddenly felt that same spark go off in his chest, nearly making him shudder.
What was that? Pride? Excitement? He'd certainly felt those emotions when seeing a friend or teammate get stronger or win a battle before but nothing like this! It was…rather nice.
Strangely, he no longer felt that same dread he felt mere moments ago. Instead he felt nothing but jubilation. And somewhere deep down…he didn't want this moment to end.
He smiled again as he hugged her back. "(Anytime…glad to help.)" He said softly, earning a giggle of contentment from Buneary, causing her to cuddle him even harder.
He may have lost the bet. But it was worth it.
Author's Notes:
Interesting development no?
I'd like to give another major shoutout to ravengal and VGS2 the sexy sausage for this chapter. Don't worry, I'll be giving credit to other authors but in particular I want to give a big thanks to them and give credit to ravengal's Gracious Gift and VGS2's Game-Changer and Spiritual Successor for directly inspiring this chapter. Honestly, if you read Spiritual Successor and Game-Changer, you'll see a lot of similarities to these first two chapters. I swear that I'm not trying to copy anyone's works or style but I figured this was the best way I could get the story rolling. From here on out the story gets more original (Chapter Three in particular hint hint).
Anyway, thanks for reading, get ready for a potentially extra-long chapter coming soon! Until next time!
Edit November 11, 2022: Congrats Ash and Pikachu, you've truly come a long way.
