Starting this chapter, I'm going to borrow a setup I saw in another fic by Xtreme Gamer. So credit goes to that person for this setup, because it was a pretty good idea.

("This") is Pokemon speech.

(This) is Pokemon thoughts.

I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter 5: Small Help

Pikachu was running slowly. He had decided to leave his friend alone for a bit. (Pikapi needs to be alone with May for a while.) When he came to another clearing, he stopped and sat down. His eyes drifted upwards at the clear sky. To him, it was hard to imagine that only a few days before, the area was drenched in a terrible downpour that caused a few small mudslides. And because of his Pikapi's sometimes lousy sense of direction, they had been caught in it. Dawn's frustrated ranting, Pikapi's occasional complaints about hunger, and Brock's gloomy overall look after getting caught in one really made him glad he was no longer living that nightmare anymore.

But then his thoughts drifted back to the Pokemon Center, and the reunion with May. (Pikapi always missed her...And so did I). May's state of mind affected them both deeply. Since she had come back, he often found himself cuddling up to May as much as he would with Pikapi. The night before, he found himself sleeping next to her. He actually thought he heard her cry. He didn't know why he was drawn to her. All he knew was that, for some reason, he cared for her exceedingly deeply. And on returning to Pikapi, he was deep in thought and looking worried. (Pikapi cares for her too...and really deeply.) But he also felt a little confused. (Am I sharing feelings with Pikapi?)

And then there was Dawn. Dawn always seemed to be watching Pikapi and May together, and would giggle at them. And he simply could not understand why. He found nothing at all funny about May right now. All he felt for her was care and worry. (Dawn has surely seen that she's unhappy). His thoughts of her began to grow stale. (I thought she was a good person, but maybe I was wrong). However, he quickly shook his head at that. Dawn never gave off that kind of vibe, and she certainly didn't smell like she was trying to be unpleasant. (She's a good person, and a good trainer. Her Pokemon are really good, too. I can't believe I thought that way about her.)

Thoughts of Dawn and her Pokemon suddenly brought Buneary to the forefront. Buneary was always hanging around him, complimenting his moves, showering him with praise whenever he did something impressive, and often while blushing really hard. At first, he was always a little uncomfortable when she did it. Now though, he was liking it, despite the fact that he often felt flustered when she did. He wasn't exactly sure why he liked it. (When others compliment me, it was no big deal. But Buneary...wait, why is she on my mind?) Pikachu was completely confused now. These feelings were strange to him. He had never felt this way before. And the more he thought about it, the odder he felt.

("Pikachu?")

Pikachu whirled around to the voice. Right on cue, Buneary had appeared. Blushing fiercely at being caught in his thoughts of her like this, he spoke very, very quickly.

("Bu-Buneary! What are you doing here?") He asked.

Buneary was blushing herself. ("Dawn told me...to look for you.")

Pikachu didn't answer. Still embarrassed, he scratched his ear, trying and failing to remove the blush. Buneary's blush lessened, and concern grew in her eyes.

("Pikachu? Are you...ok?") she asked.

("Yeah!") He said, still rubbing his ear. ("I was just...thinking.")

("Oh? What were you thinking about?") Buneary smiled a little.

Pikachu hesitated. He had to come up with something fast. May came into his mind at that moment.

("I was thinking about Pikapi and May.") He said. Buneary drooped her ears a little, and her smile faded. (So she's noticed it, too.)

("What's wrong with her that would make you look so worried?") She asked. She had noticed, but her mind was on Pikachu, not his trainer or the red girl. Her concern, however, began to drift from Pikachu to the objects of his worry. There was a silence for a moment, and Buneary began to gently pull at the top of her fluff, shaping it and letting it fall back in place. (I need to have Dawn trim it for me. Maybe I'll look better for Pikachu.)

("Pikapi's worried about her.") He replied, blush finally vanishing. ("That makes me worry about her, I guess. But May isn't being May. I want to help her get happy. That will make Pikapi happy.")

Buneary said nothing, but began to watch the sky thoughtfully, still occasionally tugging at her fluff. Pikachu found himself staring at her. The moon was high overhead and in a quarter phase, but it still bathed her in its light. She looked radiant, the shine in her large eyes accentuated by the night's soulful luster. Blood began to rush back to Pikachu's face. After a moment, Pikachu blinked. The thoughts were returning. He tried to race his mind, and suddenly Dawn appeared in his head, giggling.

("Hey, Buneary?") He said. Buneary brought her eyes to Pikachu's. Pikachu hesitated a moment. He was getting lost in her eyes. He blinked again to regain himself.

("So...what's with Dawn?") He asked. ("Dawn always seems to be watching Pikapi and May, and keeps giggling when she does. Do you know why?")

Buneary shook her head. ("We could always ask her.") She said, shrugging a little.

("That we could.") He said. ("Try not to end up in your Pokeball after we eat. We'll ask her when she's alone.")

("Sounds like a good idea to me!") She said, and then blushed. ("You always have the best ideas!")

Pikachu stiffened. Blood was rushing to his face again. ("L-Let's just hurry.")

After supper had ended, Dawn left again, and again told everyone that she was going to do more night watching. This elicited a suspicious look from Brock, but eventually, he seemed to wave it off. Sighing with relief, she headed back to where May and Ash were alone. Leaning against the same tree May had earlier that evening, she began to put together the events that had happened. Ash and May had been in a very serious discussion, and through that May must have revealed the reason why she was so gloomy. Ash of course, tried to instill her with confidence, but had failed. Or had he? At supper, May was looking extremely thoughtful. She smiled at Ash, and Dawn noticed that it wasn't a forced smile in the least. Whatever Ash had said certainly cheered her up a little. This is good. May will be easier to get to admit her feelings when she's in a happy mood. Hehe, thank you, Ash.

She rubbed her chin. Ash had been very quiet during dinner, possibly mulling over what May had told him. He really did have her well being in mind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked me to put my contests on hold. Ash liked her, she was certain. He was always focused on his training, the next battle, the next gym, and generally the next great challenge. To give that up all for May was nothing short of romantic. He just didn't know just how romantic that gesture really was. I HAVE to get them together now. With that, she began to try and formulate plans. Finally, one popped into her head. But it wasn't one she could do herself. She needed help.

There was a rustling in the bushes. She turned around to find Pikachu and Buneary. Surprised, she stared. Buneary had been resistant to go back into her Pokeball after she had eaten, and Pikachu didn't follow Ash into his tent. Hmm, maybe those two don't need my help...but they're going to get it anyway. Seeing them here was odd, however. What were they doing here? But it didn't matter. This is perfect.

"Hey you two...can you two keep a secret?" She asked them. Both of them scratched their ears in confusion. Dawn smiled.

"I've noticed that Ash and May are really, really close," She explained. "The two of them look so cute together. I think, the two are really in love with each other. They just don't know it. So I'm going to try and help them get together. But I need your help. Will you two help me?"

Pikachu nodded, a puzzled look in his eyes. Buneary nodded vigorously.

"Ok you two, here's the plan..."