Chapter One: Starting a Journey
An Oshawott yawned tiredly, reaching around his nightstand for his contacts. He felt a container push against his paw before he grabbed it and opened the container. He sat up as he put the contacts in, allowing for his sight to be cleared. He took a look around his neatly organized room before his eyes rested on a backpack in the corner of the room.
He immediately remembered why it was there, he had agreed to go on a journey with his childhood friend. He smiled with exasperation, knowing that his friend would've already been awake by now.
This was Oliver, an anxious yet smart male Oshawott, who was fifteen years old. He often enjoyed his time reading books, solving puzzles, and solving riddles that others found too hard. But as Oliver's stated before in the past; "If something's too hard, you're just not looking deep enough."
The Oshawott sat up on his bed, his gaze switching to a framed photo of him and his parents, a Samorott and a Primarina. He smiled at the photo, picking it up and walking over to his blue colored backpack, which had been packed with books and supplies necessary for survival. He put the framed photo in the bag, making sure it wasn't crushed by the other things he packed.
Meanwhile, a Pikachu rushed around his room, packing anything he thought he would need into his black backpack. He made sure to pack a tent and some berries, but he realized that he didn't have much he wanted to pack for the journey. He let out a sigh as he picked up his surprisingly light bag and put it on his unmade bed.
This was Jacob, an enthusiastic, excitable, and sometimes competitive male Pikachu, who was also fifteen. He spent his time looking for adventure with Oliver in their small village. He always liked running around and greeting everyone he knew. But today wasn't the day for that, he was prepared to go on a journey.
Jacob slung his backpack over his shoulders, running out of his room in a dash.
The Pikachu ran into the kitchen, where his mom was sitting. It was a Sylveon, named Erika, who smiled happily at him. "...You remembered, huh?" she gave a sad smile.
Erika the Sylveon was a popular singer back when she was a teen. She always wanted Jacob to be a singer and performer, but Jacob took the same route as his late father, a battler.
"Of course I did!" Jacob exclaimed, clenching both of his paws in excitement. "I finally get to go on the journey I always wanted!"
"Yeah, and you fulfilled the condition that I set." She walked over to him. "And you know how our family is with keeping promises."
"Right…" The Pikachu smiled nervously.
"If you break a promise, you must go hell and back…" The two stated in unison, "Because that's our code; Our family pact."
The Sylveon began to tear up and her feelers wrapped around the Pikachu. "...You know I love you, right?" She nuzzled him affectionately.
"Yes. I know, Mom." Jacob chuckled, returning the hug.
"Please come back alive, okay?" Erika asked, breaking the hug. "Wherever you go and whatever you do, just know I'll be always rooting for you."
The Pikachu realized that his mother was intentionally rhyming her farewell speech, an exercise she used to try and have Jacob come up with rhymes on the fly. Although he was used to it, it still slightly annoyed him.
"Mom that's enough, please no more rhymes." He groaned in irritation. "You've already done it one too many times."
The Sylveon laughed, wiping the tears in her eyes with her feelers. "...You really are my son."
Kanet Village, Sinnoh
Oliver waited at the meeting point, tapping his foot. The Oshawott looked around the rural landscape of the village he and Jacob lived in. He looked at the dirt and grass that covered the ground as the hot sun beat down on his head. He leaned back against a brick wall that blocked nearby dirt from falling into the area.
Kanet Village wasn't really as much "with the times" as other places in the Sinnoh region. It didn't really have any technology or restaurants. It had vendors, centering around basic needs like food and supplies. Frankly, the village wasn't connected to others at all, being considered one of the "poor areas" in Sinnoh.
He let out a nostalgic sigh as he looked around the area. He remembered when the two fell off of the stone brick wall behind him, and ended up in the village's infirmary. He looked over to a nearby food vendor, at which both Oliver and Jacob had bought berries and rice so many times.
Oliver knew he wouldn't be seeing his home for a while.
Suddenly, a Pikachu ran from a corner, two Oran berries in his paws. He seemed to be excited, yet still in a slight state of panic. "Ollie, catch!" He threw one at the Oshawott, who fumbled a bit with it.
"An Oran berry?" Oliver asked, looking down at it. "But aren't these the ones to be from the really expensive vendor near your house?"
"Yeah." The Pikachu replied, looking around as he ran in place. "Can we… Um, go now?"
"How did you afford this?" He inquired.
"Get back here you damn mouse!"
"Simple, I didn't." Jacob answered nevously, beginning to run again. "You'll never get me alive, Mr. Peterson!"
Suddenly, a livid Excadrill rounded a corner, full intent to catch Jacob. He suddenly appeared in front of the Pikachu with a glare. "You should know by now that you're not faster than me."
"Busted…"
Mr. Peterson stared down the two as he put them in his vendor tent.
"Causing a disturbance in the village…" The Excadrill walked between Oliver and Jacob, "...Stealing berries from my shop. What won't you stop at, Jacob?"
"I dunno, Drew. You make it too easy sometimes." The Pikachu replied with a laugh. "And c'mon, we've known you for years. You can't just let two berries slide?"
"I would but, I can't." He shook his head. "I have a reputation to uphold. And it's Mr. Peterson to you." The Excadrill huffed.
"I have an idea." Oliver spoke up.
Suddenly, the Oshawott began to shovel different berries into Jacob's backpack Both the Pikachu and Excadrill's eyes widened as they looked at him.
"Oliver are you crazy?" The Pikachu shouted.
"Do you want me to chase you down and kill you?" Mr. Peterson asked loudly. He then gasped in realization.
"Get the hell outta here!" Mr. Peterson tore the tent down in anger, chasing after the two. Jacob slung his backpack over his shoulders as he gave a wide grin.
The Pikachu and Oshawott exchanged a smile as they hurried out of the village, dropping a few berries in the process. They both looked back at Mr. Peterson, who shot the two a quick smirk before going underground.
The Excadrill suddenly surfaced from the ground, nearly grabbing Jacob's backpack. Other Pokemon who lived in the village watched this unfold, knowing that it used to happen on the daily. Each Pokemon who lived in Kanet Village knew that they were heading out of their journey, so they all watched them run through the village.
A few Pokemon then noticed Mr. Peterson's smile before smiling themselves.
"Get outta here, thieves!" A Delphox smiled, throwing a Pecha berry at Jacob, which the Pikachu caught.
"Damn kids, you're gonna make us all broke!" A Lucario chuckled, throwing his metallic trash can at the duo.
The two jumped over it before the Pikachu turned back to him and stuck out his tongue.
"Don't ever come back!"
"Find somewhere new to live!"
The residents began to boo and jeer at the duo, who just kept a smile on their faces as they ran. Eventually, when they made it to the end of the village, they both could hear a collective shout from the residents.
"Come back soon!"
Oliver and Jacob both gave a grin, waving back at the village as they ran off to a new adventure. The two made some distance before stopping to catch their breath. The two put their paws on their knees as they exhaled heavily.
"Okay… Where to now?" Oliver asked, looking atthe Pikachu. "Is there anywhere you want to go specifically?"
"Not a clue." The Pikachu remarked bluntly, looking at his best friend.
The Oshawott let out an exasperated groan, looking down. He blamed himself, as he thought he should've known that Jacob would be like that. "So what do we do?"
"How about we go through that really large forest?" Jacob pointed over to the forest that sat not too far for them, connected to their village in the distance by a dirt road. "There should be something on the other side."
"That really doesn't make sense…" Oliver remarked, giving a deadpan expression. "...But we don't really have any other choice."
"Forest it is!" The Pikachu pumped a paw in the air as he began to walk towards the forest, followed by a reluctant Oliver.
The two steadily approached the forest, Jacob leading with a carefree swing of his arms. He admired the look of the outside area leading into the forest. The grass that was spread on both sides of the dirt road became noticeably darker. Wind pushed against the two's fur as they observed the exterior of the forest.
The Oshawott glanced over to Jacob, who looked back at him with an inquisitive smile. Both felt a bit unsure about this decision, but there was nowhere else to go. The Pikachu let out an exhale before walking closer.
"Okay… We're doing this." Oliver thought as he quickly followed behind his best friend.
Wild Woods, Sinnoh
Oliver jumped at the sound of a twig breaking, caused by Jacob. He looked to the Pikachu with a sigh before looking behind him. As expected, no one was behind him. Although the Oshawott knew that it was irrational to be scared of what could happen, he still was wary of everything around him. Except for Jacob, who stood in front of him. At least he had one Pokemon that he wasn't scared of. He knew that the Pikachu would never try to hurt him. Would he? No, he wouldn't.
On the other hand, Jacob looked around at all of the amazing sights of the forest. The way the overhang let sunlight through only in a few select places made him smile brightly. He took a look behind him to see Oliver, who was walking strangely close to him.
"Are you doing okay, Ollie?" The Pikachu asked, giving a confused expression. He studied his best friend's slightly worried expression. "You're looking a bit pale there…"
"I'm fine." The Oshawott cleared his throat, his eyes darting around. "I'm totally not scared or anything…"
"Don't worry." Jacob gave him a comforting smile, patting his back. "I don't know how far we're away from the end of the forest, but we should be out by the end of the day."
"Yeah…" Oliver nervously smiled, letting out a shaky sigh. "...We're almost out of this place…"
A rustle could be heard in the distance, piquing the two's attention. Oliver jumped at the noise, taking a few steps back. Jacob focused on the bush and around it, making sure there wasn't anything that could hurt them.
Two ears popped out from the bush, making the duo flinch. The Pikachu looked back to Oliver for a moment, the two silently agreeing to run if anything happened. The bush continued to shake, as well as the ears sticking out from it.
Suddenly, a little Pichu ran out of the bush, immediately crashing into Oliver. The two tumbled against the ground, letting out a groan a few feet away. Jacob's guard lowered as his shoulders relaxed. He could instantly tell that the Pichu wasn't a threat.
The Pichu jumped off of Oliver, his expression panicked and anxious. "U-Um… Have you seen a Pa-Pachirisu around here somewhere?" He spoke quickly, panting in exhaustion.
"Run that by me again?" Jacob asked, helping Oliver up. "Have I seen a what?"
"A… Pachirisu…" The Pichu sighed, slowing down his speech. "About my height, large white tail with a blue stripe running in the middle? Yellow cheek-sacks like mine and your red ones?" As he spoke, he guestered to the different parts of his body where her features would be.
"We haven't seen her." Oliver shook his head, looking down at him. "Maybe we can help you find him or her. What's his or her name?"
"Um…" He hesitated, looking around nervously. "...Her name is Ritsu."
"Where did you see her last?" The Oshawott inquired, looking down at the Pichu with concern. "I think that maybe if you go where you saw her last, then we could track her from there."
"We were playing hide-and-seek, but it started around three hours ago…" He looked down with a worried expression. "...I don't know where she could be, she's a really good hider."
"Let's go to where you first started the game, then." Oliver put a paw on his chin. "Going to the beginning could lead us somewhere. Also, we could rule out wherever you've already checked, depending on what she's like."
"She's very fair when it comes to this." He answered, beginning to walk. "She doesn't often move during any of our games."
"Then let's keep looking." The Oshawott stood up straight, "Judging by his expression and slightly damp fur, he must've been looking for her frantically for a while, ruling a lot of the area around their beginning point out…"
As Oliver was analyzing the situation, Jacob walked over to the Pichu before crouching to his height. "...So what's your name, and how old are you?"
"My name's Pixen. I'm Nine…" He looked down nervously.
"Wait… Where are your parents, then?" The Pikachu's ears perked up.
"I don't know…" He sighed, looking back up at his evolved form. "...I hatched, and I was alone. But then Ritsu and her parents found me. I don't care about my parents. I love Ritsu's family."
"Well, that's good." Jacob smiled.
Pixen's eyes began to water, remembering his friend. "R-Ritsu… I miss her so much…" He put his paws over his eyes, beginning to weep quietly. "I don't know what I would do if I never saw her again…"
"Hey." The Pikachu put a paw on his head, petting it softly. "We'll find her. You'll see her again. I'm Jacob, and over there is Oliver." He pointed over to the Oshawott, who was still deep in thought.
"H-How do you know?" He looked up to Jacob, his face wet and snotty with tears.
"You see Oliver over there?" He gestured to the Oshawott. "He's going into his 'superthink' mode. He's really smart and stuff when it comes to working out problems."
"Let's go." Oliver told the two chus. "We need to go back to where the game started. I'll explain when we get there."
The Oshawott's presence was noticeably more noticeable, his confidence towards his own knowledge finally taking over. He signalled for Pixen to lead the way with a concerned frown. Meanwhile, Jacob smiled and patted Oliver on his back.
"Let's go find us a Pachi."
Walking through the forest, Jacob and Oliver both had to occasionally reassure and comfort Pixen, who was constantly whimpering about his worry for Ritsu. He was nearly inconsolable at times, crying and having brief moments of extreme panic. Currently, the little Pichu was sleeping, having to be carried by Jacob.
"All of that crying must've really knocked him out, huh?" The Pikachu remarked, looking over to Oliver.
"Yeah, he really needed that nap after that." The Oshawott nodded softly. "And Arceus knows that we needed it, too…" He glanced back to the Pichu, who was sleeping peacefully.
"So do you have a plan?" Jacob asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I was thinking that if Ritsu stays in one place during hide and seek, then we just look where he hasn't." He answered, "It's pretty simple, actually."
"Yeah, that sounds like the only thing we can do right now." The Pikachu nodded. "And we better find her fast… Pixen's tears are all over my back."
Suddenly, Pixen jolted from his sleep, falling off of Jacob's back. He landed with a thud against the grassy floor. "Ow…" He whimpered.
"Are you okay, dude?" Jacob looked back to him. "Are you still… Sad over Ritsu?"
"No!" He shook his head. "I'm just really worried, okay?"
Oliver looked at the Pichu's face. His cheeks were a slight shade of red.
"Pixen… Are you… Blushing?" The Oshawott's eyes widened as he crouched down to him. "Do you like Ritsu?"
"Like?" Pixen tilted his head slightly in an innocent manner. "Of course I like her, she's my friend."
Why wouldn't he like her? She's his only friend. His best friend even. The Pichu's face scrunched up for a moment, wondering if Oliver's statement had a different meaning. But what would that be? It was a simple question. Does he like her or not? He does. She's a good friend, nice, friendly, pretty… Wait. Pretty?
"What I mean is…" Oliver sighed, "Do you want to kiss her and things like that? Kind of like your parents?"
"Ritsu's parents…?" The Pichu put a paw to his chin, looking down at the ground. He remembered seeing Ritsu's parents kissing in their kitchen.
"So… Like kissing Ritsu?" Pixen asked, beginning to understand. "I don't really know about that…" His cheeks went a deeper shade of red as he imagined it.
"So you do, huh?"
The Pichu gulped nervously, looking back up at Oliver. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Meanwhile, Jacob was struggling to grab a berry from a tree, trying to stock up on more berries. He and Oliver had eaten most of the berries gifted to them from the village. He had climbed to a branch nearest to the berry.
As Jacob continued to struggle, the Oshawott let out a sigh. "...Tell her how you feel, okay?" He smiled down at him. "You wouldn't want to hold in your feelings forever."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Pixen nodded.
"So let's go find her." Oliver stood up straight before looking over to Jacob. "Let's keep moving."