ML54: I'm so so so so so so sorry! I've been all over the place on Facebook and FiMFiction that I completely forgot about this fic!
Pikachu: Stone him!
Chespin: Oh cool! We haven't stoned anyone in about three days! *Throws Stone*
ML54: OW! Quit it! Ow! I don't own Pokemon! OW!
Confused
Fennekin's eyes misted up again so she, for the eighth time today, dunked her head under the water of the pond in the Pokemon Centre's garden to rid her of the thoughts ailing her.
"Stupid!" She growled at herself, pounding the water as strongly as she could with her paw in anger. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Hey now, what's the water ever done to you?" She heard from behind her and turned to find Buneary, sitting beside her and gathering some water into her paws to splash into her face.
"Shouldn't you be glomping Pikachu right now?" Fennekin replied, not really in the mood to talk to anyone, especially someone who is, by all accounts, a stranger.
Buneary just gave her a smile and shook her head. "I would, but you're obviously upset. Pikachu wouldn't leave you in your misery, so I won't either," She explained, nudging the Fire-Type in the shoulder. "Besides, he can live without me for a few minutes."
"...You make it sound as if it'll only take a few minutes to console me," Fennekin dead-panned, dunking her muzzle under the water to take a drink. All the crying and shouting she had done recently had made her throat incredibly sore and dry.
"Depends," Buneary started, taking a small drink from the water she grabbed with her paws. "What's the problem and I'll decide if I should pack an overnight kit."
Fennekin giggled once she emerged from the water and decided she could trust this Pokemon. Maybe, deep down, she wanted someone to vent to, but she could tell Buneary was nice. She had to be if she was Pikachu's girlfriend!
"W-well...It all started yesterday when Froakie saved my life," She started, starting to feel guilty again before she pushed it down. She had enough emotions running around her right now, she didn't need that one getting mixed in as well. "I...I thought he would die. That he'd die saving me..."
"But he didn't," Buneary interrupted, placing her paw on the fox's shoulder. "So stop beating yourself up over it, I'm sure he doesn't want you to, or it'd defeat the purpose of the whole, saving you thing."
"I...I guess. Then this morning, I went out to the cliff side to think about a few things," She felt a shudder run through her at how close she was to convincing herself to step forward and finish herself off. "Then this Eevee came and talked to me, much like you're doing now."
"Ah yes, I believe she joined Ash's team earlier. I was wondering where she came from," Buneary said to herself, before sheepishly turning back towards Fennekin's raise eyebrow. "I'm sorry, continue."
"Right, so anyway she seemed to convince me that Froakie might have feelings for me...Then I started contemplating my own feelings for him and...a-and..."
Buneary was suddenly enveloped into a hug by the yellow fox, who had tears spilling out again. "And I don't know how I feel! Half of me thinks I have feelings for him, while my other half thinks that he's just a friend! And now that I've kissed him, I think I've given him the wrong impression but I don't even know what impression I was trying to make and...and...and...I'm confused!"
The rabbit rubbed Fennekin's back as soothingly as she could, massaging it in some places, allowing her to let her tears out and attempt to talk after she was done.
"Froakie, you okay?" Chespin asked from the door. It was still ten minutes before humans were allowed in and he had seen Fennekin run out a second ago.
"Yeah, I'm fine," He heard Froakie respond, still slightly pained by the strain on his throat, but it was easy to hear the lacklustre way he said it or the sigh he added at the end. He was anything but.
Chespin entered the room and jumped onto the bed, raising his eyebrow. Froakie was just staring at the door longingly, almost as if he wished for nothing more than to be able to run outside. "Hey don't worry bud! Nurse Joy will have you up and at 'em in no time!"
Froakie regarded Chespin before smiling a bit at his words. "Thanks...but that's not it," He said, before he thought the words over. "Well...not really."
Chespin scratched his head a bit in confusion. "What do ya mean by that?"
"It's kinda...personal,"
Chespin just grinned and lightly tapped Froakie on his good arm. "Oh c'mon, what's personal between best buddies!"
Froakie rose his pokebrow at him. "I thought...Bunnelby was your best...friend?"
"I can have more than one best friend!" Chespin argued, crossing his arms in defiance. "With as many friends as I have, you'd need to have more than one!"
Froakie glanced down to think over a few things, before shrugging. Chespin was harmless enough. "Alright fine...but you have to promise...not to tell anyone else!"
"Okay, I promise," Chespin replied, laying his hand over his chest. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a needle in my eye!"
Froakie nodded, glancing towards the door just in case someone was there.
When it was clear that there as still a few minutes before Ash could come see him, he enlightened Chespin of what happened earlier. "Well Fennekin came in...I apologised...for being mean to her...she thanked me for saving her...hugged me for a bit and then...she kissed me..."
Chespin's eyes lit up and grinned in pride, interrupting the frog. "Oh my dear Froakie just got his first kiss, oh I'm so proud of you!" He teased, pinching his cheek.
Froakie screwed his eyes up and used his good arm to swat his hand away. "Anyway, after she...did that she ran off...crying..." He sighed, looking towards the door once more. "I can't go...after her..."
Chespin grinned and laid a hand over his, knowing that it was time to get serious. "Don't worry, Loverboy, I'm sure she'll come back to tell you how she feels!" Froakie glared at him.
"I'm being serious here...Chespin..."
"And so am I!" The grass-type clarified, patting his hand a few times. "If she kissed you she must be, at the very least, interested in you. Just be yourself and I'm sure you'll win that vixen's heart!"
Froakie felt a small smile crawl onto his face at that. Despite how Chespin can be at times, he does know what to say and when to say it. "Thanks Chespin...You're a good...friend..."
"The best?" Chespin asked, hopefully. Froakie just rolled his eyes lightly, an undertone of amusement in them.
"Sure..."
"You okay now, Fennekin?" Buneary asked after all her new friend's tears had dried up. Fennekin hiccuped a couple of times, but nodded.
"Good now I just want you to answer me a simple question," The fire-type nodded. "Do you love him?"
Fennekin recoiled a little at the blunt question, but thought it over. It was both one of the simplest, yes or no questions she had heard and, yet, one of the most difficult to answer.
If she were to have been asked this question yesterday, she would have answered a solid no. But, with all the things that Eevee had shed to light. About his possible feelings for her, her hidden admiration and all those little moments and things that she started to notice about him made her question herself.
But, in the end, she did know the true answer. "No," She sighed, feeling a small pang inside her, but she pushed it down for now. "I can't, I've never thought about him like that before and, maybe, the only reason I'm thinking like this about him now is because he saved me."
Buneary down-casted her eyes, looking slightly disappointed but just smiled none-the-less. "I understand, that's fine. But then why is it so hard to be around him and explain your actions?"
"Because...! I...! I don't know," Fennekin mumbled, kicking the dirt to her side. "I guess I'm just..."
"Confused?" Fennekin nodded, getting Buneary to grin. "Trust me, I went through the same thing when I first saw Pikachu, but I'll tell you about that another time," She quickly added, to stop Fennekin from changing the subject.
Fennekin just puffed out her cheeks, causing Buneary to giggle a bit and say. "I'm sure Pikachu will want to tell that story to you all with me."
"Hey Professor Oak," Ash said to his town's resident Pokemon Researcher, Pikachu excitedly waving to Oak from his shoulder.
"Hello Ash and Pikachu! To what do I owe this...early morning call?" He replied, yawning a bit.
"I know it's early, but I just...One of my Pokemon got hurt really badly so I'll be staying in Coumarine City for a while. I just thought I'd let you know," Oak immediately dropped all his previous fatigue and looked alert.
"Is it okay?"
"Froakie's fine, just recovering in P.I.C.H.U. right now. It was a close call though," Oak hummed a bit, fetching a PokeBall from a nearby table.
"That's good to hear. I have a suggestion though. Since Oshawott also stayed in P.I.C.H.U. maybe he could help Froakie feel a little more at ease about what might happen," He explained, placing Oshawott's PokeBall on the teleport tray. "Just don't send him out right away, he's still sleeping off a big battle he had with your Corphish."
"I won't, don't worry. Thanks a lot Professor, I hope to hear from you soon!" Oak smiled and activated the teleport device to send Oshawott over.
Ash saw the PokeBall and picked it up, grinning. "I hope Snivy doesn't mind if I borrow him, huh Pikachu?"
Pikachu just gave him an unsure grin, not certain about whether or not he should try to arrange his trainer's funeral.
ML54: *Rubs head sores* Had your fill?
Pokemon: *Nods*
ML54: Good, now then I really apologise for everything that's been going on. I know it's a little late but I will try and get the next update out sooner! Til then, read and Review but please no flaming.