The morning came sooner than Meowth could think, not having a single dream in his sleep. Despite being odd compared to most Pokémon, it was better than a nightmare which he often had. Meowth awoke to the ambient sounds of wild Pidove and other various flying type Pokémon chirping to each other. It was a very peaceful sound, something that he hadn't heard in a long time. The sound alone was enough to put him at peace with himself, as he gave a great sigh, relaxed with nothing on his mind.
The cat Pokémon then heard soft footsteps enter the tent he was settled in. In another moment, he could feel a paw touch him gently.
"Meowth, are you awake?" spoke a whisper of a certain yellow mouse.
He was indeed awake, but felt like he could sleep more, hearing the peaceful sounds of nature. He then felt another poke of a soft paw, stroking his side.
"Wake up you sleepyhead!" Pikachu playfully taunted.
Meowth loved hearing a new friend's voice, but did not want to move.
"Ugh, five mour minutes." the cat Pokémon managed to spit out.
This made Pikachu giggle slightly, cueing to get a bit cheeky. He swung his tail to find Meowth's belly which happened to be his tickle spot. The talking Meowth responded with a burst of laughter, making his whole body twitch in delight.
"Hey! Dat tickles!" he blurted out under all his laughter.
Pikachu smiled, knowing that Meowth was enjoying it. Eventually he lifted his tail off of Meowth and sat down with him.
"Good morning Meowth, how are you feeling?" the electric type questioned.
"Preety good, I definitely slept well." the cat replied, looking at his surroundings as a reminder of where he was.
"You sure did, it's almost noon!"
"Woah, really? I didn't tink I could sleep dat long."
This made Pikachu giggle, finding it humorous that he was a cat who normally sleeps all day. Meowth however had no idea why he was laughing, but he did find it comforting.
"That's okay, Ash knew that you were exhausted last night, so we let you sleep for as long as you needed." Pikachu explained.
Meowth slightly trembled when he heard this. The thought of yesterday came back in his memory, remembering the internal suffering he endured. Pikachu saw Meowth and sensed fear in his eyes.
"Pikachu, I'm sorry for wat happend de other day, I've done a lot of terrible tings in my life, and I deserve to-"
"No, don't say that." Pikachu interrupted.
"Remember, everything that happened is now all in the past, and from this day forward, you are a better Meowth."
Meowth took this by heart, spilling some tears as he listened to Pikachu's sweet words. The mouse put a paw on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the saddened cat. The tears flowed down his face, trying to get his emotions out.
"Hey, it's alright, I'm here for you now so you have nothing to worry about." the mouse crooned.
This made Meowth feel free, a new friend was actually looking out for him when he thought he could only look out for himself. There was finally hope in his lonely life when things seemed impossible. He then embraced the mouse for a light hug which put his worries aside.
"Now, why don't we go outside and get a bite to eat? You must be really hungry." Pikachu assumed, reading the emotions of Meowth as he put a paw on his stomach.
"I am hungry, but will Ash and da others like me?"
"Of course they will!" Pikachu perked up.
"We all know what you have been through, and we are all here to help."
Meowth smiled at this, feeling relieved that there would be no more incidents with Ash's other Pokémon. With that in mind, the cheerful mouse got up and walked outside with his paw gesturing for the ex-Team Rocket member to follow. He took a deep breath, releasing all of his nerves and reluctantly followed behind Pikachu.
The daylight was blinding, after spending a long time in the darkness. Meowth winced at the bright atmosphere, trying to look down at the soft grass he walked on. He saw two more tents in a row, along with the campfire that was put out. A combination of burnt wood and Pokéchow filled the air that reached his invisible nose. It smelled so natural, a scent of belonging which was an entirely new feeling to Meowth.
There were also tables and little bowls of food around the camp, with a variety of Pokémon sitting at each. Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig, Scraggy, Axew, and Pansage suddenly all noticed the presence of Meowth. They all stared for a moment, whispering to each other. This of course made the cat feel rather uncomfortable to the thought that they were whispering about him.
Pikachu looked at Meowth's uneased expression and put his paw on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Pikachu then signed in relief when Ash came up to them.
"Hey there Meowth, glad to see you're finally awake." he greeted.
"I made a bowl of Pokéchow for you over there next to Pikachu's."
Meowth looked over to see a white bowl full of small brown pellets. His mouth began to water over the devine smell it produced, beckoning for him to eat it. He sprinted over and took a bite, ignoring anyone else who looked at him strangely. Pikachu giggled at his reaction to the food as he stuffed every morsel of Pokéchow he could fit in his mouth.
"Everyone, Meowth is here to travel with us from now on, so let's welcome him!" Pikachu proposed to his team.
They all complied, taking their turns in greeting Meowth with a full belly. Tepig, Oshawott, and Pansage politely shook the cat's hand with their respective abilities. Scraggy and Axew however were a bit rough, headbutting him at full force as was their habit.
"Hey, wat wus dat for?" the confused cat groaned.
Pikachu helped him on his feet as he saw them laughing.
"It's okay, that's just their way of saying hello, you'll get used to it!" Ash explained as he called his Pokémon back in their Pokéballs.
"It's true, Axew can get wound up sometimes." Iris admitted.
After their meal, Meowth found Ash and Pikachu disassembling the camp. He stared at them, observing their teamwork and bond as they helped each other take down the tents. The smiles on their faces, the compliments they gave each other, even their movement released a positive bond between the two. Whatever it was, Meowth liked it.
It was that similar feeling he had when he and Pikachu were lost together, when he showed him his true heart of kindness. Ever since that day, he never thought of Pikachu as just another Pokémon, there was something more to him.
Meowth then thought it would be a good idea to give them a paw as he watched their labor. Pikachu had already done so much for him in saving his life, he had to make an effort to change. He wanted to be like Pikachu, the kind, selfless, and caring mouse who brings hope to everyone he meets.
Pikachu noticed Meowth packing up the portable tables and chairs, witnessing a very unusual gesture to an ex-Team Rocket member. He was actually helping, rather than stealing.
"Thanks so much Meowth!" Pikachu praised softly, trying not to overwhelm him.
Meowth silently appreciated his praise and continued to pack up until the forest was just as they left it.
"Alright, everything is packed, let's get going!" Cilan announced to his former companions.
Pikachu hopped on his trainer's back, ready to travel on his usual perch only to realize Meowth was now with them. Ash noticed Pikachu looking back down at Meowth, understanding his concern.
"You really want to look out for Meowth, don't you?" the raven haired boy asked his Pokémon partner.
"Pika, pikachu! (Of course I do!)"
"Well alright, why don't you walk with him to keep him company, Nimbasa City isn't that far away." Ash suggested.
The mouse nodded and hopped off of his trainer's shoulder to join Meowth. Pikachu could sense Meowth's comfort everytime he was with him. The feeling was new to Meowth, as he never felt as much affection for a twerp before. Whatever it was, he liked it and made him feel hopeful of his new life.
Once everyone had packed up, the group began to follow the path on the way to Nimbasa City. Meowth walked behind the twerp, with Pikachu joining him. There was silence for the most part, as they gazed at their surroundings. Meowth looked up, he could see many flying type Pokémon playing together, while some were resting on the branches of trees. They all looked so happy, living a simple yet happy life, something he always wanted. Pikachu looked back at him, seeing that he was finally enjoying himself.
"They look like they're having fun." Pikachu spoke up, breaking Meowth's gaze.
"Yeah, dey look like der havin a blast."
Pikachu and Meowth watched the Pokemon play, somehow giving a feeling of content.
"You know, these Pokémon seem to just be happy with each other, so innocent and at peace." the mouse observed.
"It's not fair that they can just be taken away against their will."
Meowth understood where this was going.
"Do you think that they deserve that?" Pikachu asked.
"No, dey dont." the cat Pokémon admitted, thinking back to his past with Team Rocket.
"Gee, I neva thought about it like dat before." Meowth thought out loud.
Pikachu nodded, trying to get his message out clearly.
"Exactly, Giovanni didn't care about the lives of you or anyone, he was just greedy for power and used it as an excuse to capture innocent Pokemon." he explained.
"I'm sorry about all of dat, I promise I'll leave dat place for good." Meowth replied in assurance.
Pikachu smiled at this promise, and patted the cat on the shoulder, making him slightly blush. The group continued down the path to their destination, when all of a sudden, Ash came to a halt.
"Pika Pikapi? (What's up Ash?)" questioned the mouse.
Ash looked around, inspecting everyone's presence.
"I kinda feel like something's missing here." He finally replied.
The raven haired boy looked at each face he saw, including Iris who had a puzzled expression on her face.
"Ash, stop being a little kid and let's get moving on!" She blurted out in annoyance.
Ash then noticed something different about her, notably her hair. Usually there was a lump present in her thick black hair that sheltered her Pokémon partner, Axew.
"Uh, Iris, where's Axew?" He asked in concern.
Iris rolled her eyes in offense.
"You think I don't know where my own Pokémon is! How dare you!" She yelled, but began to look around for her dragon type partner.
"He was just here, I know it!"
All of a sudden, a cry of fear was heard in the thick wood that resembled a call of a certain little Pokémon.
"Axew we're coming! Hang in there!" Iris called back and ran full speed into the woods. Everyone saw the girl in distress and instinctively ran after her. Meowth was confused by all the action, but didn't want to be left behind.
"Wait fo me!" the cat Pokémon yelled and ran as fast as his two legs could carry him.
Pikachu quickly noticed him falling behind and ran back for him. He held out his paw, gesturing for Meowth to follow. Meowth silently complied and together, they managed to catch up with the group.
The cries of the dragon type now sounded a lot clearer and closer.
"Ax, Axew!" the group heard.
To Meowth's surprise, he could pick up and translate some of what Axew called out. He listened again, more carefully and knew exactly where he was.
"Hey guys! I can undastand what Axes is sayin!" Meowth shouted to Ash and the group.
"I tink Axew got swiped by a skinny Pokémon that resembles Scraggy."
Ash nodded, silently impressed by Meowth's talent.
"Guys, over here! I found something!" Shouted Cilan.
Everyone ran over to where he was located, which happened to be the peak of the woods. The clearing showed a tiny hut made of dirt and wood. Outside, stood a Scrafty holding Axew, trying to stop his shouting. Iris suddenly fired up inside, enraged at the Pokénapper who took her beloved Dragon-Type.
"You give back my Axew right now!" She yelled, charging straight towards him.
Scrafty responded with a Fowl Play attack, hitting Iris and forcing her to stand back.
"Scrafty!" He spoke.
Once again, Meowth was beginning to pick up on what the Fighting-Type Pokémon was trying to say.
"He says, dat he needs help in battling a giant Mandibuzz, or else will neva see Axew again!" he translated.
This made Iris even more furious.
"What? You can't just take away my Pokémon and expect me to do you a favor!" The Unova native barked.
Scrafty did not look one bit intimidated, and shouted the same threat. Iris was about to respond with another charge, but was stopped by the taller green haired man.
"Iris, I think it's best we come up with another plan to resolve this issue, this Scrafty seems very stubborn, so will have to be extra careful in what we do." The Pokémon connoisseur explained.
Iris huffed, but silently agreed. The group then retreated back into the woods, spying on the Scrafty. Ash looked at him for a while, and then back towards Meowth. Suddenly, the raven haired trainer formed a plan to free Axew.
"Hey Meowth, can you come over here for a second?" Ash asked the ex-Team Rocket member.
Meowth hesitantly walked over, with Pikachu following close behind.
"Am I in trouble?" The cat Pokémon instinctively asked, making the boy chuckle.
"Of course not, I need your help in trying to convince that Scrafty to help us." he explained, then proceeded to instruct him on exactly what to say.
"Oh alright, I hope dis goes well." The cat muttered nervously.
"You'll be fine Meowth." Pikachu soothed, hoping to encourage him.
"Just try and distract him, and we'll do the rest."
Meowth hesitantly nodded, finding some relief in the mouse's kind words.
"Scraggy will go with you, Meowth, and the rest of us will hide in the trees until we find an opening to rescue Axew." Ash added.
Once everyone was informed of the plan, Pikachu and the others separated from Meowth and Scraggy. Pikachu looked back one final time and winked at the nervous cat before disappearing into the bushes. Meowth sighed and looked at Scraggy who looked furious as always.
"Alright, let's play it cool and do what we were told." He told the fighting type, and headed out into the clearing.
Scrafty stood out in the open, tying Axew up with rope. He then saw two Pokémon appear out of the forest, calling him to talk. The large Fighting-Type approached them menacingly, trying to put fear into the interlopers.
"Uh, hey dere, we jus wanted to talk." Meowth greeted the tall Pokémon.
"Scrafty!" he growled, not convinced in their trust.
"Woah woah, ezy dere pal, we wanted to help you."
"Scraggy, scrag!" added Scraggy.
"I heard dat you needed help in battlin a giant Mandibuzz, we can totally help youz out, but first, we need our friend back."
Scrafty stared into the intimidated eyes of Meowth and did not look one bit convinced. The fighting-type huffed in response to the offer. Meanwhile, Meowth could see Pikachu and the others from the corner of his eye. They began to approach the makeshift den, finding Axew tied up. Meowth then continued to stall the now annoyed Scrafty while Pikachu and Snivy silently leaped into the den.
"So anyways, der's nothin to worry about…" Meowth finally concluded his stalling chatter, leaving a suspicious Scrafty, who finally picked up a noise from behind him. He cocked his head to see Axew in the grasp of Snivy's vines, with Pikachu and Ash escorting them away. The large Fighting-Type roared in anger, pointing his finger at Ash. Pikachu jumped in front of Ash and went into his battle stance.
"Hey uh twerp, he's challenging youz to a battle." Meowth informed.
Ash nodded, ready to defend his friends, which seemed to not be a hard task when fighting the enraged Scrafty. It only took a few Quick Attack moves from Pikachu to knock the ferocious Pokémon to its knees.
"Pikachu give him a Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded the final attack for good measure.
"Pika, chuuuuuuuuuu!" The mouse screamed, releasing a powerful blast of lightning that penetrated the fighting-type's skin.
"Scrafty!!" he hollered in pain, falling to the ground covered in burnt ashes.
Pikachu then looked back to his trainer and nodded, with the rest of the group back in the woods to safety. He then ran back to where Meowth stood, staring at the burnt Scrafty.
"You did a great job Meowth, thank you for helping us pull that off!" Pikachu squeaked in appreciation.
Meowth slightly blushes, scratching his head in embarrassment. He then glanced at the electrocuted Scrafty again and looked worried. He then heard the sounds of whimpering from the fighting-type, his head down on his knees in defeat.
"Gee, do youz tink dat Thunderbolt was a bit too much for him?"
Pikachu all of sudden walked up to him in a calm fashion, holding out a little Pecha berry in his paws.
"Here." The mouse quietly offered.
Without hesitation, Scrafty quickly took the fruit and went back to his slump-like position. He continued to cry and mumble words, not even Pikachu could understand. Meowth walked up to him and tried to make out his thoughts.
"I tink he's upset about something with his home." The cat guessed.
Pikachu sat down beside him, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"What about your home, did something happen to it?" The mouse questioned.
Scrafty then tried to explain how he ended up desperate to fight the larger Pokémon.
"So that Mandibuzz just swope in and took your den?"
Scrafty nodded in sadness.
Ash and the others caught up with the three Pokémon, confused at why Pikachu and Meowth were further talking to the former Pokénapper.
"What's up Meowth?" The raven haired boy asked.
"Ya see, dis here Scrafty was tryin to find help because his den was swiped by a Mandibuzz." The cat Pokémon explained.
Like other times, Ash knew a Pokémon's feelings more than anyone, which Meowth could not help but notice. It was strange to him, but he always had a feeling that anyone under the care of Ash was in good hands. It was a nice feeling, another reason why he felt like this new journey with the 'twerps' would help him find his way. The Pokémon trainer walked up and kneeled at Scrafty's level.
"Scrafty, where can we find your den?" He asked rather politely.
Scrafty then sighed in compliance, getting up slowly and pointing in the direction of the den. Ash smiled, finding trust in the fighting-type.
"Don't worry, I will get your home back." Ash said with assurance.
Meowth once again saw the kind hearted person his old nemesis was, something he ignored for so long.
"Man, dat twerp was always a really nice guy wasn't he?" The cat thought to himself.
Once Ash found Scrafty's den, the Mandibuzz was still present, getting comfortable in its position, but was easily startled with the sounds of leaves and twigs snapping as the group ran towards their target.
"Mand, mandibuzz!" The large bird Pokémon screeched in alarm.
Pikachu caught up, instinctively putting himself in front of Meowth in a battle stance. This shocked Meowth; not expecting the electric-type to put himself in harm's way to protect him out of all things. The cat seemed to have the same feelings for Pikachu, with that same kindness and protectiveness over his friends. However those feelings seemed to be a bit stronger for Pikachu. Meowth could not figure out the reason, but as a fellow Pokémon, he wanted to stay with Pikachu for as long as he could, maybe become his best friend.
As he pondered his thoughts, they were quickly interrupted by the sounds of the giant bird Pokémon who was preparing for an attack. Ash was the one to put a halt to that, trying to reason with it first. That was when he called for Meowth, who was at this point too nervous to move.
"Hey Meowth, I need you to help me understand what this upset Mandibuzz is saying." he ordered, more desperately than usual.
"Uh sure, whadeva youz say twer- I mean Ash." Meowth replied and did as he was told.
Ash quickly got filled in on what was troubling the giant bird Pokémon.
"It appears that dis Mandibuzz was kicked out of its own home because of a bad fight with a fellow Mandibuzz."
Ash nodded, as did Scrafty, finally being able to understand the reason for his actions. Just then, another screech of a flying Pokémon could be seen approaching the group. Meowth looked closer, being able to identify it as another Mandibuzz. This one looked more furious than Scrafty and the other Mandibuzz. Meowth knew that no one was going to be able to calm this one down, and if there was one Pokémon who knew how to negotiate with other people or Pokémon, it was him.
Meowth knew what he had to do. Suddenly, a surge of energy sparked into the cat's thin body. He ran on two's straight towards the diving Mandibuzz.
"Hey Mandibuzz, please stop hurting dis here Mandibuzz, I think deres a way we can negotiate dis!" The ex-Rocket member called out.
The massive bird responded with a roar of anger, loud enough to make the cat vibrate. Despite the fear that ran down his body, he continued to stare the Pokémon down. The anger and distress the mighty creature was in, oddly reminded him of his own anger.
"Look pal, I tink I know how you feel." He started.
"Ya see, I was once like youz, a wild Pokémon living off da land, tryin to get by."
Mandibuzz once again screeched in defiance, but this time, not as threatening. Pikachu watched in awe at what Meowth was doing.
"I tried makin friends, but where I was from, most Pokémon didn't like me, took advantage of me, and we got into many fights." Meowth continued.
"The world I lived in was unforgiving and merciless, so I thought I should also be unforgiving and merciless to everyone I met, but dat was where I was wrong."
"Ya see, I realized the more people I pushed away, the more lonely I got and for the worse. And I'll admit dis right here, if it weren't for dis Pikachu and his friends, I don't tink I would ever find relief from all da anger and hate I suffered."
A wave of sympathy suddenly struck the electric-type mouse right in the heart. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, as if this were someone else talking. Ash, Iris, and Cilan all seemed just as surprised as Pikachu, unaware of the infamous Team Rocket cat's true feelings.
"So all and all, I really tink if you just hold back dat anger for just a minute, I really tink you may find yourself feeling happy for once."
No one had anything else to add to that; every person and Pokémon were silent, processing such strong words coming from a talking Meowth. Pikachu was especially touched by that speech, he began to wonder if he had been hiding those thoughts all this time. Whatever the case, Meowth's words were strong enough to reach the angry Mandibuzz's cold heart. Finally the great bird flew down to a gentle landing, it's feathers softenging, and his guard down.
Ash then walked up towards him while looking next to Meowth with a proud grin.
"Thank you Meowth." He praised, then turned to the bird.
Eventually the two Mandibuzz were able to make up for their fights, and were both welcomed back into their home, with Scrafty finally having his den all to himself. The fighting-type thanked everyone, including Meowth for helping him get back his den. Once everyone was settled, Cilan told the group that they should get back on track to Nimbasa City. All complied, and soon we're back on the path where they started.
In all the action, the sun set sooner than even Cilan could expect, resulting in the temporary camp being set up. Meowth was quiet for most of that time, still pondering on the story he told a random Pokémon.
After everyone ate another Cilan cooked supper, the long day resulted in much tiredness in which everyone was sent to bed.
Meowth laid in his sleeping bag alone, not tired at all. The cat sighed, remembering those painful memories of his early life, not wanting to end up like that again. His thoughts froze when he noticed a small yellow body enter the tent.
"Hey." he whispered, hoping not to wake anyone.
"Hey." Meowth copied.
"Can't fall asleep?"
"I guess so, I've just been thinking about earlier today, I had no idea you went through all that." The mouse inquired.
"Yeah, I guess I was tryin to forget about those bad memories, but hey, I was desperate to calm dat big Mandibuzz down right?" Meowth jokes, trying to find humor in a painful memory.
Pikachu made a light chuckle, and then proceeded to enter the sleeping bag, and moved right next to Meowth, to his surprise.
"You know, what you did out there was amazing." The electric-type praised.
"I mean, if it hadn't been for your communication with those Pokémon, things would be a lot more difficult for us."
Meowth grinned slightly, trying to show his appreciation. Pikachu smiled back and rewarded him with a nuzzle on the cheek. Meowth shot his head the opposite direction to avoid the large blush created on his face. Pikachu noticed this, trying to figure out why he was hiding himself.
"You okay Meowth?"
Meowth then forced his face to return to normal and looked back.
"Yep, everyting is alright, thanks for trying to make me feel better." The ex-Rocket complimented the caring mouse.
"Yeah, of course, I'm really glad to see you happy." The mouse replied in honesty.
Meowth smiled, and finally gave a great yawn of exhaustion. Pikachu laughed, following his own yawn.
"I guess dat's nature's way of telling us to go to hit da sacks." Meowth joked.
"Goodnight Pikachu."
"Night, Meowth."
—
Note: Wow! Two uploads in the same week? I must have really grinded to get this new content done. It's been awhile since I last worked on this interesting story about the relationship between Pikachu and Meowth. Thanks to all of your patience and supporting me through this year. I made this chapter extra lengthy so I could capture the action, (this could almost be considered two chapters in one). But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story thus far and stay tuned for new chapters and future stories!
