Huge thanks to Foxyjosh, Ri2, Colb-a-nater, Imagine100perc and wolf guardian of light for your encouragement and ideas. And a special thanks to Shiguya Retomasi and Coranth, who went above and beyond the call of duty and wrote me paragraphs. :D
Um…this chapter is basically a mammoth filler. I tried to get all (or most) of the happy fluffy stuff out of the way in this chapter so I wouldn't have the urge to write it in later. We'll see how well that worked. I also incorporated Ri2's idea and added a short Bayleef introspective towards the end to balance out all the fluff. It was a good idea, and I think it turned out alright.
And don't worry, not all the chapters will continue to grow at this rate. The next one should be back at normal(ish) size. Also, I've given up on trying to do complex conversations between pokemon in English, so:
"words" : pokemon speak
Disclaimer!! – I most definitely do not own Pokemon. Let this disclaimer stand for all previous and future chapters of this fanfiction, as I do not foresee this situation changing in the near future.
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A Different Kind of Soulmate
Chapter 4: Are We There Yet?
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Ash left Pewter early the next morning as planned, so early in fact that he was not able to say goodbye to Nurse Joy. Not that he was particularly sorry about that; if he had run into her again, it probably would have been noon before they were able to leave. He knew he would have welcomed such attention (however annoying it was) in the past, when he was younger and more willing to believe himself all-knowing and all-powerful, but not now. Ash had changed, for the better he hoped, and he could tell that Pikachu had as well. Looking at her now, happily dozing on his shoulder, he knew her change was for the better. He supposed he had rubbed off on her, but it seemed her first impulse now was to trust everyone she met rather than shocking them first and asking questions later. For himself, he had learned from her to take a stranger's words with a grain of salt.
Returning to the present, Ash sighed as he pushed yet another thorny branch out of his way, earning him a couple new scratches for his efforts. Beside him Bayleef hacked away at more vegetation, obviously enjoying it much more than he was. Hissing as he gained yet another scratch, this time one that bled, he was forced to admit that this hadn't been such a good idea after all.
The plan had been to cut through the dense woods to the east of Pewter and head south and east towards Celadon. From there they would follow the road to Saffron and finally to Lavender. In theory, the plan was a good one. In practice, however, Ash found the term 'dense' to be taking on a whole new meaning.
"Piii!" A particularly vindictive branch had struck Pikachu full in the face while she was peacefully sleeping, knocking her right off Ash's shoulder. She slid down the back of his jacket and frantically clung with her claws to avoid falling entirely.
"Pikachu!" Ash quickly rescued his pokemon from her precarious position, carefully attempting to unhook her tiny claws from his jacket with the smallest damage possible to both jacket and pokemon. He cradled her in his arms, carefully feeling her head for any sign of injury. Pikachu lay calmly in his hands, eyes closed, probably trying her best to recover from the traumatizing experience she had woken up to. He found nothing but a small, slightly bloody scratch on her forehead, but all the same, his eyes darkened with rage at the being who had dared to harm his best friend.
"That's it," Ash growled, his free hand dropping to his side to make a fist. "We are getting out of here now. Bayleef, solarbeam!"
"BaaaayLEEF!" Bayleef cried as she unleashed her most powerful attack, not fully understanding Ash's goal but trusting him nonetheless. The blinding beam of light cut through the trees and shrubbery within seconds, leaving an opening with charred remains on either side.
"Take that, evil thorns!" Ash yelled, thrilled with his revenge on Pikachu's attackers. But when his eyes finally recovered from the blinding light they had been exposed to, the sight he beheld made him think that he really hadn't changed at all. There, not five meters away from where they stood, was the edge of the forest. A populated road ran right in front of the forest's edge, and the high buildings of Celadon could be seen shining in the distance. As Ash watched, travelers on the road began to stop and stare at the sudden whole in the forest. Ash felt a blush rise to his cheeks and he clutched Pikachu and tried to fade back into the forest.
"Pikapi…pikachu pi-pikachu," Pikachu scolded from her spot in her trainer's arms. She shook her head in false disappointment to cover her amusement and pleasure at Ash's display of protectiveness.
"I know, I know, bad move," Ash muttered in response, backing away even farther into the trees. "Sorry."
"Pika pichuka pi," Pikachu continued, not finished her scolding. "Ka, pichu kacha."
"I didn't need to kill the big bad tree for you, huh?" Ash repeated, laughing. "I'll be sure to remember that next time."
"Pika, pikachu."
"Oh I will. Thanks for the forgiveness though."
"Pi!"
"Now, how are we going to get out of here?" Ash asked worriedly. A crowd was beginning to gather around the hole.
"Bay, bayleef bay bay!" Bayleef whispered urgently, gesturing towards a gap in the trees.
"Huh? Oh, you've found a way out?" Bayleef nodded and disappeared into the bushes. Ash stared at the place where his pokemon had vanished and sighed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"Pika…" Pikachu said, sounding no more enthusiastic than Ash. Ash grinned evilly and gestured at the gap.
"Ladies first."
Pikachu glared and leapt out of his arms, heading toward the hole. Just when Ash thought he was safe, she glanced back over her shoulder and gave him a small thundershock.
"Ow! I'll get you for that!"
"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu taunted, bolting into the undergrowth.
"Hey! Come back here!" Ash had no choice but to follow Pikachu back into the forest, and once more boy and pokemon chased each other through the trees, this time with Bayleef just barely staying ahead of them. And so it was a miracle when they all finally surfaced closer to Celadon and free of a crowd of curious strangers.
(o. o)
The team finally reached Celadon around midday, having taken the whole morning to get through the forest. They stopped there for a quick lunch, and then pressed on to Saffron. Along the way Ash was recognized as the Master by more people than he or Pikachu had expected, and was challenged to a number of battles both by those who knew him and those who did not. Ash regretfully turned them all down, saying that he was in a hurry, which was very true. He consoled himself by promising that he would accept at least one challenge when he reached Lavender, but he didn't have the luxury to do so before that.
They reached Saffron by nightfall, weary and footsore (at least in Ash and Bayleef's case). Although it was still early in the evening, they headed directly to the Pokemon Centre, eyes and ears blind and deaf to the excitement of the huge city. Pikachu, not nearly as tired, hopped up on Ash's head the better to see everything and everyone. Ash completely ignored the extra weight on his head, concentrating instead on Bayleef, who would at least complain along with him.
They staggered into the pokemon centre and collapsed. Pikachu let them rest for a few minutes before pointing out that they were in need of food for tomorrow's trek. Without opening his eyes, Ash dug into his pocket and pulled out a few coins, which he held out to Pikachu. Pikachu merely stared at his hand and Ash groaned.
"Fine, I'm coming," he managed, forcing himself to rise. "Come on Bayleef, I'm sure it won't take long."
"Bay." Bayleef shook her head slowly, refusing to budge.
"No way, if I have to go you have to go."
"Bay," she responded stubbornly, shaking her head again. "Bay bayleef bay," she added, mimicking the release of a solarbeam. Ash sighed in defeat.
"Fine, I give. You deserve your rest. Return." Bayleef was sucked back into the ball, which Ash minimized and attached to his belt. "Well buddy, looks like it's just you and me."
"Pi pikapi!" Pikachu agreed happily. She jumped back onto her trainer's shoulder, a spot which she had been forced to abandon when he had collapsed.
"You know it's because of me that you're so energetic right now," Ash grumbled as he weaved through the crowds. "Show a little sympathy."
"Pi," Pikachu murmured, giving his cheek a pat with her paw. But her little show of sympathy was immediately forgotten when her eyes landed on one of the large television screens in the window of a store.
"Pikapi!" she cried, pointing. "Pikachu, pi pika!"
"What? I'm on TV?" Ash turned in the direction Pikachu was pointing and his eyes widened. Displayed on each of the TVs in the window of the shop was his smiling face. Curious, he paused to listen.
"…Ash Ketchum, the current Pokemon Master, was absent," the news reporter continued. "Mr. Forrester was offered a battle from Gary Oak, who is now accepting all challenges directed toward the Master, but he declined." A young boy now popped up onto the screen. A Sandslash stood beside him.
"I trained hard to be able to challenge Ash," the kid said, obviously annoyed. "I just can't believe he's not here! This is completely unfair. It feels like all my hard work's gone to waste." The boy and his Sandslash disappeared and the news reporter again took the screen.
"Indeed this is a major disappointment to all aspiring trainers like Mr. Forrester. However, upon much questioning, Professor Oak finally informed us that the young Master has gone in search of adventure, taking only two pokemon with him. No one knows where he is now, or when he will be back. We encourage all our viewers to report any sightings."
Ash turned away from the TVs, not quite knowing what to think. To get his first challenge in months only two days after he had left! The irony was not lost on him.
"Pika," Pikachu said, obviously just as annoyed as her trainer.
"I know, but it was to be expected I guess," Ash reasoned half-heartedly, his exhaustion preventing him from bouncing back as usual. "I just didn't think it would be that soon."
"Pikachu, kapi chu," Pikachu muttered darkly. Ash laughed, his normal buoyant spirits restored by one comment from his best friend.
"That theory's a little too paranoid even for me," he laughed, exhaustion and annoyance forgotten. "You really think that was their master plan, to wait until I left and then make their challenges?"
"Kacha, pi-pikachu."
"Oh, of course, if they only said they wanted to see me, then they wouldn't have to battle Gary. Very devious of them."
"Pika."
Ash laughed again, and after a moment commented, "Nice job on the conspiracy theory there."
"Chuka."
"You're welcome."
Ash finally located a small convenience store and was able to purchase the items needed for the next day's journey. The mission was very quick and cheap, and he was leaving the store again only minutes later. Wary of encountering anyone who would recognize him and report a 'sighting', he decided to take the back way to reach the pokemon centre. Confident of their abilities, neither Pikachu nor Ash felt at all concerned about wandering the alleys at night.
As expected, they encountered no problems with the alley nightlife, and surfaced safely near the pokemon centre. It was as they were crossing the relatively deserted square directly across from the centre that they encountered trouble.
The trouble presented itself in the form of a young boy, looking to be about twelve or so. He had neat brown hair and was wearing a plain blue t-shirt and raggedy jeans. He clutched a full-sized pokeball in his hand.
"Hey, you!" he called out to them. When they didn't immediately turn, he clarified, "You with the pikachu!"
Ash sighed and turned around slowly, all his former exhaustion returning. Pikachu mimicked his sigh and flattened herself on Ash's shoulder, trying to become as unremarkable as possible.
"Yes?" Ash asked reluctantly. The boy grinned meanly and Ash had to stop himself from just turning and walking away.
"I challenge you to a pokemon battle!"
"Normally I would accept, really, but I'm really tired tonight and I just want to go to sleep, so please find someone else to challenge, alright kid?"
"Joey. The name's Joey." Ash winced. He hadn't meant to call the boy 'kid'; it had just slipped out in his exhaustion. He remembered how much he had hated that when he had been Joey's age. The slip would only make this more tedious than it would have been otherwise.
"I'm sorry. Joey." Ash attempted—in vain, he knew—to make up for the 'kid' comment. "I'm just really tired, so—"
"I bet you're just running away because you're too scared. I bet you're just some loser trainer, because who else but a loser would carry around a weakling pikachu?" Joey finished by crossing his arms and grinning smugly.
"Excuse me?" Ash said, getting angry now.
"I said—"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, interrupting the boy. "Pikachu chu Pikapi."
"You're right," Ash said, anger dissipating. "He's not worth it."
"Hey! Who are you calling not worth it?"
"You," Ash answered with brutal honesty, too tired and annoyed to be nice. "Now please leave us alone, we're very tired." Ash stressed the 'very', hoping the kid would get that he was the largest source of their exhaustion at the moment. Even Pikachu looks tired now, he mused. He's sucked the energy right out of her. Probably for the best though, because otherwise she would have had trouble getting to sleep, which would have given me trouble sleeping since she refuses to sleep alone, and then tomorrow I would be tired and she would be tired and we'd both be wanting to kill Bayleef for being so well rested and—
"You're not running away from me!" Joey yelled, rudely breaking Ash out of his rambling sleep-deprived thoughts. "Bolt, come out and show them we're serious!" The boy threw the ball he had been clutching, and the contained light burst free. When the glow faded, 'Bolt' proved to be none other than a raichu.
"No," Ash declared flatly. "It is way too late at night for this."
"Pikaa," Pikachu growled threateningly at the new arrival, sparks shooting from her cheeks. Her vantage point from her trainer's shoulder gave her at least the illusion of being taller.
"Pikachu, remember," Ash whispered softly to his friend. "They're not worth it." Pikachu blinked and gave herself a shake.
"Chu," she declared in her best snobby attitude, pointing her nose in the air away from the raichu. Ash smiled as he recalled their first day together, when he had constantly been on the receiving end of that attitude.
"Goodbye," Ash said finally, and with that he turned and began to leave. He had not gotten more than a few steps away, however, than he heard Joey's voice ring out behind him:
"Bolt! Don't let the loser and his weakling get away!"
Pikachu glanced back at the other trainer's shout and was just in time to see the arc of lightning heading towards her. She braced herself, though she could do nothing to stop the electricity from passing through her body and into her trainer's. She felt tears come to her eyes as she felt Ash's body tense and spasm under her.
Not suspecting that any trainer would do such a thing, Ash was not prepared for the jolt of electricity that surged through his body. He froze and gritted his teeth as the energy swept through him, and at the end of it he remained standing, though faintly singed. He had endured far, far worse shocks from Pikachu over the years; this one was less than a blip on the radar.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, tears in her eyes. "Pikapi, pika!"
"Hey, I'm alright Pikachu, I'm fine," he reassured her, giving her a comforting pet. "And our food is fine too, see?" He held up the plastic bag to show her.
"Pikapi…" she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his and giving him a lick. Then her expression changed completely from one of love and concern to one of pure rage. "Piiikaaaaaa…"
"Yeah, now they've gone too far," Ash agreed, and turned around to face the younger trainer once more. "You refused to leave us be. You leave us with no choice." Ash's black eyes flashed, and for a moment both pairs of black eyes from trainer and pokemon alike fixed on Joey with the exact same expression of anger. Joey, disturbed, took an involuntary step back.
"Pika…" Pikachu growled threateningly.
"Rai rai," the raichu growled back, though not managing the same level of fury.
"Alright, a battle at last!" Joey exclaimed, shaking off the glares. "Bolt, growl!"
"Raichu," Bolt obediently growled. Both Ash and Pikachu ignored it.
"Pikachu," Ash began, twisting his hat around so it was on backwards. "You know what to do."
"Pika," Pikachu agreed, and she vaulted off from Ash's shoulder into the air. "Pikaa…CHUUUU!" she cried, unleashing a powerful thunder attack. Into it she poured all her rage at anyone who would harm Ash, and especially one who would put him through such pain using her own element, electricity. I'm the only one who's allowed to shock him, and only when he deserves it, she thought to herself, enraged. Only me!
This time it was Bolt the raichu who received the shock, but not his trainer. Pikachu was careful to restrict her attack to the pokemon only, conscious that such a blast could be enough to kill a person who was not resistant to electricity like Ash was. The final burst of electricity coursed out of her, and she landed lightly on the ground in front of Ash, tail straight up and ready for more.
The raichu, however, had taken on more than it could handle. It wobbled on its feet, tail lashing uncertainly. Finally it toppled over, eyes becoming swirls.
"Bolt!" Joey cried, crouching down to his raichu. "How could you lose to a weakling pikachu?"
"Do not call my pikachu a weakling," Ash warned, fists clenching. Pikachu's cheeks began to spark again.
"Okay, okay," Joey responded, raising his hands in surrender. "Your pikachu isn't a weakling. But I don't understand. How could it have beaten Bolt?"
"Figure that out yourself," Ash said, turning his hat back around, the battle won. He dipped his head so that his face was in shadow. "In the future, do not underestimate other pokemon. Sometimes the smallest can also be the strongest."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, shooting Joey one last glare before leaping to Ash's shoulder. Ash turned and began walking back to the pokemon centre, confident that there would be no shock this time.
"Wait!" Joey protested. "You must have cheated! There's no way…I demand a rematch!" Ash merely kept walking, and neither he nor Pikachu spared the boy a backward glance. He was still muttering insults when they left hearing range.
Ash allowed himself a smug grin of triumph, and he noticed that his best friend wore a similar expression. Thinking back on the battle, he realized something.
"So you're really stronger than a raichu now, in power as well as speed," Ash commented thoughtfully. "We've never tried to beat one with electricity before."
"Pika!" Pikachu replied, eyes shining as she turned to look at her trainer. "Pi-pikachu, kapi Pikapi."
"I don't know if it's all thanks to me," Ash protested, grinning. "You really helped me too, Pikachu. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you."
"Pikapi…"
"It's true, and you know it. We're best friends for a reason, you know."
"Kacha!" Ash smiled and ruffled Pikachu's fur affectionately, and Pikachu nuzzled his cheek in response. Their souls in perfect harmony like usual, the two best friends walked through the sliding doors of the pokemon centre as deep night descended upon the city.
(o. o)-/
All three travelers rose late the next morning, well rested and content with the knowledge that there was no rush. The distance to Lavender was not great, and it was easily covered in a day. This made for an easy, carefree journey, with many stops along the way. Pikachu and Bayleef took turns wandering in the woods beside the path, never leaving Ash completely alone, which he was thankful for. For a short time he was worried that they would have a repeat of the rhydon incident, but the speed at which Pikachu responded to his call for a stop convinced him she was always close by.
After breakfast the pokemon ceased their exploration and remained with Ash, walking on either side of him. Eventually Ash grew bored and began looking for something to do. Talking tends to lose its appeal in long journeys, but, as Ash had learned long ago, that does not mean that the travelers do not get bored. They just don't tell each other about it.
Finally the Pokemon Master hit upon the idea of a race. Knowing he wouldn't stand a chance in a flat-out run, he imposed these restrictions: Pikachu would run through the treetops, Bayleef through the forest while carrying the pack, and Ash would just sprint. Both pokemon agreed, happy to find something to do and eager to show their trainer that they could win despite the handicaps. Ash handed his pack over to Bayleef, and after a moment of awkwardly trying to secure it, they were ready to start.
"Ready, set," Ash counted off, doing the honours. He could just barely make out Pikachu's yellow fur among the tree branches, and he couldn't see Bayleef at all. "GO!"
Ash sprinted off at his own signal, noticing the yellow blur disappear within a second. He heard crashing sounds briefly from the forest, but they soon faded. Ash ignored the signs that he was losing and concentrated on the large oak tree up ahead that been agreed upon as the goal, maintaining that it was not over until it was over. He remembered the story of the blastoise and the rapidash and grinned.
(o. o)
Pikachu dashed through the treetops, leaping agilely from branch to branch, always gaining speed. She spared a glance to the path beside her, and could just make out Ash falling far behind. She smiled smugly to herself and concentrated once more on the intricate path she had to travel to avoid falling. As she ran she looked for any sign that Bayleef was still around, but she saw nothing. Happily she sped up, naturally assuming she was in the lead.
Unfortunately for her, the added weight that came with the increased speed proved to be too much for the half-rotten branch she leaped onto next. With a hideous crack the branch snapped and she found herself falling. After a very long drop (for a pikachu) she landed with a thump in the middle of a bush. Fortunately the bush was soft and thorn free, although she thought she could feel something sticky underneath her paws. She stood and looked down at her feet guiltily.
She was standing in the remains of what had to have been a nest, although there was no nest-like material around. She had landed in the middle of a clutch of eggs, and although miraculously none were smashed, a few were badly cracked. Pikachu went utterly silent, listening for any signs of an angry mother or father coming to kill her, but heard nothing. She sighed in relief and looked back down at the eggs, trying to figure out how to get out without breaking any more. She raised a paw and froze. All the eggs surrounding her were staring at her. They had eyes.
Pikachu was so shocked she could only stare at the eggs which were impossibly staring back at her. Eventually she started to feel sleepy, and began to sway on her feet. She staggered and almost fell, but her paw stepped on something sharp and she was jerked out of her daze. Panicked, she shot out of the bush and out of the range of the hypnosis attack.
She paused to recover, thinking herself safe.
That was a mistake. Within moments Pikachu was surrounded once more. When she moved, recovered enough to continue racing, they pounced out of their hiding places. She jumped straight up to avoid them and landed outside the circle of eggs, running as soon as she hit the ground. She could hear branches snapping and leaves crackling behind her as the exeggcute pursued, and she sped up, her thoughts bent on finding Ash.
(o. o)-/
Ash jogged up to the oak tree to find Bayleef waiting for him. She was lying in the shade, resting. She had obviously been there for a while. Ash gave her a mock glare and retrieved his pack.
"Well, looks like you won," he grumbled, shouldering his pack, "even with the restrictions. Good job."
"Bay bay!" Bayleef said, happy with her trainer's praise, however reluctantly it was given. Ash grimaced, which only seemed to make Bayleef happier.
"Where's Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking around. "I thought she would have beaten me here at least."
"Bay."
"Hey! You didn't have to agree with me."
"Bay bayleef bay," Bayleef replied, getting comfortable. It looked like she was preparing to wait.
"Something must have happened," Ash muttered. "She never lets me beat her."
"Bay."
"Pikachu!" Ash called, starting to get worried.
"Hey. Lose something?" Ash spun around and came face to face with another traveler. The man looked to be about Ash's own age with windswept light brown hair and green eyes. He leaned against a tree near the road, hands stuck in the pockets of his jacket.
"Uh, yeah," Ash stumbled, surprised by the appearance of another person. "I can't find my pikachu."
"Well that's a problem. Do you have any idea where it could be?"
"Somewhere in this forest, probably. She—" Ash stopped mid-sentence as the lost pikachu bolted out of the forest in a panic.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called as she ran, eyes showing her fear. She reached him in moments and hid behind his leg, clutching his jeans. Ash looked down at her in confusion.
"Pikachu, what—" Ash was cut off again, this time by Pikachu's pursuers. A swarm of Exeggcute followed from the forest, gathering at the edge of the trees. They halted their advance momentarily when they spotted the humans, but after a bit of muttering between themselves, began moving towards Ash and Pikachu. Ash could only stare in amazement, wondering how in the world Pikachu had managed to get his many pokemon angry at her in such a short amount of time.
"You look a little shell-shocked," the other traveler commented. "If you don't mind, I can handle this one."
Ash nodded gratefully, not looking forward to the struggle it would have been to fend off this many exeggcute with only a grass and an electric pokemon.
"Growlithe, go!" the trainer shouted, throwing a red and white ball. The ball cracked open to release light that quickly shaped itself into a small dog. "Flame wheel!"
"Grooowl!" The fiery dog opened its mouth and released a ring of fire. The fire quickly engulfed the exeggcute, and Ash watched, impressed. Pikachu watched but didn't move from her spot behind her trainer's leg, still traumatized from her experience with the now-burning eggs.
"Alright Growlithe, that's enough!" The dog obediently allowed the fire to die, and the charred eggs were revealed. Slowly they began to stir and roll away back into the forest. Pikachu slumped against Ash's leg in relief.
As the growlithe ran to its master to be praised, Ash knelt down to Pikachu's level and picked her up. She burrowed into his chest and took a deep breath. Just filling her nose with his familiar smell was enough to comfort her.
"Pikachu…what happened?" Ash asked, exasperation creeping into his voice. Pikachu looked up guiltily.
"Pika…pikachu kacha pi-pika pi chu," she explained, dropping her eyes in embarrassment.
"You fell on them? No wonder they were so angry!" Ash laughed, finding Pikachu's experience extremely amusing.
"Pika," Pikachu added, not amused, "pi-pika pikachu kacha pi."
"What!" Ash's demeanor changed instantly from one of amusement to one of concern. "But you're alright?"
"Pi," Pikachu nodded, happy at the change.
"It's lucky that you were able to get away, then. Who knows what would have happened if you had fallen asleep."
"Pika…" Pikachu shuddered and buried her face in Ash's chest, not wanting to think about it.
"You're right," Ash agreed, and hugged his friend. "Let's not go there."
"Is it alright?" The other trainer walked over, Growlithe at his side.
"Yeah, she's fine, just a bit traumatized," Ash replied, giving Pikachu's fur a playful ruffle. She squeaked under the assault and leapt to his shoulder, out of range unless Ash felt like stretching.
"That's great," the other trainer said, looking confused, "but how did it manage to get all those exeggcute mad at it?"
Ash laughed. "She fell on them, and then ran when they tried to use hypnosis on her. They weren't too happy about that."
"No, I suppose they wouldn't be. I'm Alex, by the way." Alex held out his hand and Ash immediately shook it.
"Ash, and thanks for the save back there."
"No problem. Growlithe can always use more training." Hearing its name, the growlithe barked, and was rewarded with a scratch.
Pikachu, now fully recovered from her traumatizing experience, was remembering her manners. She jumped down from Ash's shoulder and walked over to the other trainer. Briefly stopping to sniff noses with the growlithe, she stopped in front of Alex.
"Ka Pikachu," she said, holding a paw out to the trainer. Alex only stared down at her, confused. Ash laughed.
"She's introducing herself," he explained, taking pity on the other trainer. "She wants you to shake her hand—or paw."
"Okay…" Alex knelt down to Pikachu's level and hesitantly gripped her paw in his hand. "I'm Alex. It's…a pleasure to meet you!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu praised, satisfied with the awkward greeting. She gave his hand an enthusiastic shake and then turned and shot back up to Ash's shoulder. Alex slowly straightened, slightly amazed. His growlithe barked in amusement.
"Don't worry, it takes a while to get used to Pikachu," Ash assured him, giving the yellow pokemon an affectionate stroke. "Especially now," he added quietly after a moment. "Being the Master has made your head larger than mine." Pikachu's only reply was to coo at the petting she was receiving.
"I suppose it would," Alex said after a moment, responding to Ash's first assurance. "She's very…unique, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is," Ash agreed, glancing at his happy pokemon and shaking his head. Even now, after all they'd been through together, she never let him gain an inch.
"So, since we're both here and we're both trainers, how about a battle?"
"You're on," Ash replied eagerly. After all, he was almost in Lavender. He could afford one battle.
"Great! Growlithe, return!" Alex held out a ball and Growlithe was sucked back inside. "Three on three then, with…" Alex trailed off as he saw Ash shaking his head.
"Can't. Pikachu and Bayleef are the only pokemon I have on me right now. Can we do two on two?"
"Are you sure? Your pikachu must be pretty tired from that exeggcute encounter." Alex gave Pikachu a concerned glance, but she flashed a peace sign at him. He frowned.
"Nah, Pikachu's fine," Ash said confidently, seeing the peace sign out of the corner of his eye. "Rules?"
"Yes, it has to actually be two pairs. One pokemon cannot be allowed to overrun both of the other trainer's pokemon."
"Alright," Ash conceded. "Is that it?"
Alex nodded. "That's it."
"Then let's get started!" Ash prompted, impatient and eager for the battle to start. This time Pikachu was no help in subduing him; she was just as excited as he was.
"Pi-pikachu!" she cheered, happy at the opportunity to test her skills.
"Wait," Alex said, holding up a hand to stop Ash from sending out a pokemon. "I already know which pokemon you have, so I'll go first. Electabuzz, go!" This time the ball opened to reveal an odd yellow creature that looked vaguely like a tiger but stood on two legs and had spikes like lightning rods sprouting from its head.
"Electabuzz!" it yelled, flexing its arm muscles and allowing sparks to bounce between its two antennae.
"Pikaaa," Pikachu growled, provoked by the appearance of another electric pokemon. She got ready to jump down but Ash held up a hand to stop her.
"No, Pikachu. I'm saving you for whatever he sends out next." Pikachu paused but obeyed Ash's wishes, although she still wanted to pit her strength against the other electric type. She realized, however, that it was the best move for Ash to save his strongest pokemon for the wild card that would come next. Resigned to waiting, she settled back down on his shoulder.
"Bayleef, you're up," Ash called, not even moving his eyes from his opponent. In what appeared to be an unconscious gesture he twisted his hat backwards into 'challenge mode'.
"Bayleef!" Bayleef cried, obediently dashing to the front as her trainer requested. She positioned herself between Ash and the electabuzz, and matched the electric pokemon's display of power with a fierce leaf twirl and a stamp.
"Alright Electabuzz, it's a grass type, you know what that means. Start it off with screech!"
"Bayleef, brace yourself!" Ash countered, hoping to feel as little an effect as possible.
"Bay," Bayleef muttered, settling herself into a sturdier position and glaring at Electabuzz as it opened its mouth and uttered an ear-shattering screech. Bayleef's tail twitched slightly at the sound, but she gave no other sign that the attack had affected her at all.
"Huh…" Alex muttered, surprised. "Looks like this'll be harder than I thought…"
"Razor leaf!" On Ash's orders Bayleef swung her large leaf to release a volley of smaller, razor-edged leaves. A few of the fastest and deadliest ones hit the other pokemon before its trainer recovered enough to order a light screen. Wincing against the rain of leaves, the electabuzz raised its hands and produced a shield of yellow light that Bayleef's leaves only bounced off of.
"Now, Electabuzz; ice punch!" Alex commanded, seeing he had the upper hand. Ash tensed as he saw ice crystals begin to form around the electric pokemon's fist. He waited for the right moment, and then:
"Bayleef, jump!" Immediately Bayleef shot out of the way of the ice, using her vines to propel her much higher than would normally be possible. Alex gasped as Bayleef rose high enough to block out the sun. "Now use your height for a body slam!" Ash ended with the follow-up command.
"Bay!" the grass pokemon screamed as she hurtled down at the electabuzz. She penetrated the light screen as if it was air and slammed into the other pokemon with all the momentum of the jump behind her, leaving the electabuzz lying on the ground. The observers waited in suspense for Electabuzz to move again, but it didn't rise. Eventually Alex shook his head.
"You're good, I'll give you that," he acknowledged as he withdrew his electabuzz. Ash grinned.
"Bay!" Bayleef cried and raced over to her trainer for a hug. Ash hugged her around the neck and she nuzzled happily into his chest.
"You were awesome, Bayleef," Ash congratulated her. "I'm proud. But I think it would be better if you stayed inside your ball for the next round. You should rest."
Bayleef stepped away and nodded, and Ash drew out her ball, recalling her in a flash of light.
"Ready for round two?" Alex questioned, seeing that Ash's half-victory celebration was over. He chose a pokeball from his belt and clicked the button. It made a whirring noise as it grew to its full size. "I think I can promise you that this one will be harder."
"Me and Pikachu are ready for anything you've got," Ash promised. "And if you think my Bayleef was strong, just wait till you see Pikachu."
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, jumping down from Ash's shoulder to enter the battle field. Despite her and her trainer's confident words, she felt some stirs of nervousness as she stared at the ball in Alex's hand, wondering what would come out. Even after all these years, after all these victories, she still felt a bit nervous before a battle. But it was something she had come to enjoy, the butterflies were now her friends; they heightened her senses in a fight and increased her speed and reactions. Being nervous when her opponent was overconfident had allowed her to win more than one battle in the past.
"I don't care how strong your pikachu is," Alex taunted competitively. "There's one thing no electric pokemon can deal with, and I've got the best example right here. I'm afraid you can't win this one. Golem, I choose you!"
This time the flash revealed something that resembled a round boulder with feet and a head. It clenched its gigantic paws and its red eyes glittered menacingly.
"Goolem," the moving rock ground out. Alex grinned and folded his arms, thinking the battle already won, but he was met with two identical expressions of satisfaction from Ash and Pikachu.
"Perfect," Ash declared, pulling in a fist in a victory motion. "Pikachu could use more practice with ground types."
"Chu," Pikachu nodded in agreement. She watched the rock advancing toward her, each step shaking the ground, and showed no sign of worry or fear.
"You're way too cocky," Alex informed them both. "There's no way a pikachu can win against a golem."
"Everyone says that at the beginning," Ash replied flippantly, unconcerned. "You'll change soon enough."
"We'll see about that. Golem, earthquake!" The golem lifted a foot to initiate an earthquake, giving Ash a brief instant to shout an order. It was hardly necessary, however. Pikachu already knew what to do, what her trainer would ask her to do, and she was in motion even before he spoke.
"Pikachu, dodge it with an iron tail!"
"What?" Alex muttered, confused at the order. Pikachu, confident in a strategy that had earned them victory more than once, dashed forward. As the golem's fists came crashing down to shake the earth, she shot up from the ground. In midair she twisted, tail aglow, and used her momentum to slam her tail into the tender spot just above the golem's skull, a bit of skin that wasn't completely protected by rock.
The golem cried out in pain, and, with the earth still shaking, clutched at its head. Pikachu danced out of the way of its large claws, her own tiny claws scrabbling on the other pokemon's rocky back.
"Golem, shake it off!" Alex commanded looking slightly annoyed. The golem obediently spun its rocky bulk, attempting to rid itself of the electric rodent. Pikachu, however, dug her claws in between the rock segments and refused to let go.
"Pikachu, iron tail, but don't let go!" Ash cautioned. Pikachu nodded her understanding, and dug her claws in even more firmly before swinging her glowing tail once more. This time the impact was not nearly as great, not having as much momentum behind it, but it was still felt by the rock pokemon. It cried out again, although more in annoyance this time than any real pain. Ash's smile turned grim, and Pikachu knew what it meant; this golem would need a really hard hit to fall. Pikachu's spirits fell slightly, but she kept her eyes on her trainer's face as she clung to Golem and waited for the ground to be safe again.
Suddenly Ash's face brightened with what Pikachu hoped was an idea, and she felt her spirits lift along with his. The ground stilled, and Ash gestured to her to get off. Gratefully she gave up her spot on the golem's back and jumped to the ground, running a short distance away before pausing, and putting her out of the range of immediate harm. Alex grinned, thinking he saw an opportunity. Pikachu grinned back, knowing he was wrong.
"Golem, rock throw!"
"Pikachu, dodge it with quick attack!"
"GoooLEM!" the golem cried, lifting a huge boulder out of nowhere and chucking it at Pikachu. Pikachu zipped away, leaving a shining trail of light behind her. She raced towards the golem, her tail beginning to glow slightly already in anticipation of Ash's next command.
"Now, use your speed for an iron tail!" Ash shouted, although he knew it was really just for his own peace of mind. He could see Pikachu's tail glowing even before he gave the order.
Pikachu dashed up to the golem, still prepared for a quick attack, but at the last minute used her speed to propel her upwards, and from there spun the momentum downwards once more, hitting the same weak spot with her shining tail. The golem gave a crackling roar and collapsed, Pikachu landing on top of its rough hide.
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered, sitting up on the rock and giving Ash their peace sign of victory. But before Ash could return it, the rock Pikachu was sitting on shifted slightly, upsetting her balance and almost knocking her over. She fell back on all fours, confused. Hadn't it fainted?
"Golem!" Alex shouted, joyous. "Great job, you hung on! Now, explosion!"
"Pi?!" Pikachu squealed, looking down at the rock beneath her feet in fear. It started to rumble threateningly and began to shake, and Pikachu frantically cast around for something to protect her. They didn't have a strategy for this, dammit! Why didn't they have a strategy for this?!
"Pikachu!" Ash called desperately, running out into the field himself. Pikachu responded to his call without hesitation.
"Pikapi!" she cried as she bolted towards her trainer, jumping into his arms. Ash immediately turned to run away from the impending explosion, but he didn't get far before it was upon them. He threw himself down on the ground, protecting Pikachu with his own body just as the BOOM sounded behind them.
Pikachu squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed against Ash's chest, protected from the worst of the blast. She allowed a slight electrical current to flow from her through her trainer in the hope that it would fry anything that came at them. Finally the dust settled and the newly brunette trainer cracked open an eye.
"Pikachu?" he whispered, his voice sounding gravelly. "You okay, pal?"
"Cha," she replied softly in reassurance. "Pikapi…" She gave Ash's cheek a lick of thanks, knowing that it was against the rules of a battle to protect one pokemon from another's attack. Yet he had still rescued her… "Chu?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…I think," Ash replied uncertainly. "Just a little dusty." Pikachu looked at him in concern and he summoned a smile. "As long as you're alright, I'll be fine."
"Chaa," she cooed finally, snuggling her head underneath his chin. Ash gave her a brief scratch and rose to his feet, groaning.
"Ash!" Alex yelled, running over. Golem was nowhere to be seen. "Ash! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash repeated, putting a hand to his head and looking surprised when his hand came away coated in dust. Pikachu couldn't keep in a quiet giggle.
"Why did you do that? You could have been seriously hurt doing something like that!" Alex looked utterly astonished, obviously not understanding what possible motivation Ash could have had to risk himself like that.
"I couldn't just let her get badly hurt like that," Ash explained. "It's still pretty far to the next pokemon centre. She would have suffered."
"She would have been fine in her pokeball," Alex countered. Ash shook his head.
"I don't use her pokeball. She's my companion and best friend, and she's treated like it." Ash tactfully refrained from mentioning his friend's fear of the balls.
"You do realize you forfeited the match," Alex informed him gravely after a pause.
Ash looked down at the unharmed mouse in his arms and performed a quick mental assessment. Almost immediately he came to the conclusion that yes, saving Pikachu the pain had been worth losing that match.
"Yeah," he whispered finally. "I know."
"Alright," Alex said, looking uncomfortable. "That means the battle as a whole is tied."
"Yeah," Ash said again, amazed that he hadn't won for once. He shook his head wryly and held out his hand to Alex. "Good match."
"Definitely," Alex agreed, grasping Ash's hand. "I will never underestimate a pikachu again." He paused, still looking uncomfortable. "I'm surprised you're not making a big deal out of this, actually. You would have won."
Ash only smiled, albeit a bit bitterly. "I know, but I also know that what I did was against the rules. I can accept that. Besides, there was nothing else I could have done."
"Pikapi," Pikachu murmured, eyes shining as she looked up at her trainer. He's never done this before, put my health and happiness first, she marveled to herself. The battle, the dream, has always come before anything else. He has never interfered in a battle. "Pichuka."
"You don't need to thank me, Pikachu," Ash protested, surprised. "Friends look out for each other, right?"
"Chu," she whispered in agreement. She felt her eyes watering up and to prevent the tears from falling she squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against Ash's chest once more.
"Hey," Ash murmured, slightly disturbed. He ran a hand comfortingly along her back. "Pikachu, what's wrong?"
"Pikachu pika kachu, Pikapi?" Pikachu met Ash's eyes with her own which were now sparkling with unshed tears. "Pi chuka pipi."
"Ah." Ash paused, taking in what Pikachu had just said. "Pikachu, I've done the dream. It's not over, but I am where I wanted to be. I see now that friends and family come first, and that means you come first. You had no chance against that attack, and you fainting would have only put you in pain. I won't allow that."
"Pikapi…pichu."
"Love you too, buddy."
Contented, Pikachu closed her eyes, this time in rest, and settled down in Ash's arms. Ash raised his head and met Alex's gaze.
"That's impressive," he began, "how close you two are. I'm jealous."
"It took a long time, and, well… Let's just say that over the years I've developed a pretty strong resistance to electricity."
Alex laughed, and commented, "It doesn't look like you two ever had any problems. You're so…synchronized."
"You didn't see her when we were racing. She never lets me win at anything." Pikachu gave a small 'chaa' of contented agreement at this and Ash grinned.
"I guess not," Alex conceded. "So what was that dream you were talking about?"
Without thinking, Ash replied, "The same one that every trainer has." He then frowned in confusion at the look of astonishment that slowly dawned on Alex's face.
"You…you're Ash Ketchum?" he stuttered, his mouth hanging open. Ash sighed, finally understanding, and nodded. "You're the Pokemon Master?" Another nod. "But…you mean I just tied in a battle with the Master?"
Ash gave another sigh. "Yes…" He mentally kicked himself for giving away his status, knowing it would lead to a reaction such as this. What he did not expect, however, was a teasing smile to cross the other man's face.
"You do realize that everyone in the world will soon know your weakness," Alex pointed out. "You'll be facing explosions and self-destructs everywhere." A look of determination came to Ash's face.
"It won't be a weakness for long," the Pokemon Master countered firmly. "There's a reason I've gotten as far as I have, and it was not because I let every little obstacle stop me."
"I sure hope not. All the same, I think I'll give you a head start on this one." Alex gave him a small, friendly wink.
"Really," Ash said suspiciously. "You don't want to brag?"
"Of course I want to brag. But no one would believe me anyway, so I guess I might as well just tell them that you stomped me flat. It's enough to be able to say that I met you at all."
"Thank you," Ash replied sincerely. "This one may take a while."
"Well, don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I won't tattle."
Ash nodded, and there was a short silence as they both mulled things over. Alex was the first one to break it.
"I have to ask," Alex began, though he appeared hesitant. "What's it like?" They both knew what 'it' he was referring to.
"To be honest, it's still strange," Ash confided. "I always dreamed of being the Master, but now that it's real… I mean, it's great, but I never really expected to make it, you know?"
"Yeah," Alex said, understanding. "And for all those like you who don't expect to make it and do, there are thousands who know they'll make it, and don't."
"I suppose so." Ash paused and the two trainers stared at each other for a moment, understanding passing between them on what it truly meant to be a trainer, one who clings to a dream that will only come true for a single special person.
"Pika?" Pikachu questioned, curious at the prolonged silence. Ash looked down at his pokemon, his best friend, knowing that this was the one thing she would never be able to understand. He summoned a smile and gave her a scratch, eliciting a small coo of pleasure.
"So good luck on wherever you're heading. No," Alex warned, seeing Ash open his mouth, "don't tell me; the media might pry it out of me. They're asking for sightings of you, you know."
Ash shook his head wryly. "I know. It's definitely one of the worst things about being the Master. Good luck to you as well."
"Thanks." Alex began to walk away, but turned around again after only a few steps. "I'll see you around?"
"If nothing else, you'll certainly see me on TV," Ash replied, laughing. "Goodbye and good luck!"
"Same to you." Alex turned and walked away for the final time. Ash turned to the supposedly sleeping pikachu.
"Well buddy, it's just you and me again," he told the little yellow bundle. "And it's still a long way to Lavender." Ash paused to see if he would get a response, but Pikachu's ears only twitched to indicate she was listening. Ash grinned evilly. "You up for another race?"
"Chu," Pikachu muttered in reply, treating her trainer to a small thundershock for his cruel joke. Ash, however, merely laughed it off and started walking, the bundle in his arms still once more.
(o. o)
The pair arrived in Lavender at dusk, the battle and Ash's easy pace eating up more time than had been expected. Pikachu was actually asleep by the time they reached the city and Ash, just as tired as his pokemon if not more so, decided to head directly to the pokemon center. His whole back was sore, which he suspected was an effect of sheltering Pikachu from the explosion. He did not want to do anything else while in that condition, especially since he would also have to carry the sleeping Pikachu around. If he woke her up, she would sit on his shoulder and just hurt his back more, and if he left her at the center she would kill him for abandoning her. It was a lose-lose situation, and Ash really didn't see any point in losing.
So the Pokemon Master gave Bayleef to the nurse for a well-deserved healing and slumped into one of the waiting chairs, Pikachu still asleep in his lap. He closed his eyes for a quick rest, only for a moment…
"Sir," he heard dimly, and had to wonder why the giant tomato was talking to him. "Sir," it repeated, and now Pikachu, who was eating the giant tomato, looked at it in astonishment as well.
"Sir, wake up." This last was accompanied by a shove, not forceful but still enough to jerk Ash out of the abstract dream he was having about Pikachu eating a giant tomato. "Sir, your pokemon is ready."
"Wha?" Ash mumbled, still not fully awake. His eyes scanned the room in an attempt to pinpoint his location, and as it is with gathering consciousness, his memory returned suddenly. "Oh!" he exclaimed, jerking up in his seat. "I'm sorry—I must have dozed off."
"I can see that," the nurse replied, trying to hide a smile and failing. She held out a pokeball to him. "Your pokemon is ready."
"Thanks." Ash took the ball, minimized it, and stuck it on his belt with Pikachu's lone, slightly dusty ball.
"Would you like me to look at your pikachu?" the nurse questioned politely, a kinder smile in place.
"No thanks. I don't want to wake her up."
"Of course. She doesn't look injured, so she will most likely be fine after some sleep." Ash nodded.
"Well, thank you for taking care of Bayleef."
"No problem. It was in great health." With that final compliment, the nurse turned away and went back inside the offices. Used to compliments on his pokemon, Ash brushed it aside and carefully picked up Pikachu. He stood, resettling her in his arms, and headed into one of the spare rooms the hospital always had on hand for trainers. He placed Pikachu on the soft white bed while he did the basic preparations to sleep.
Finally he placed his pokeballs on the nightstand beside the bed and gratefully lay down on the clean bed. He sighed happily into the pillow and was just drifting off when he felt something moving across the bed. He cracked an eye open and spotted Pikachu stumbling over to him from where he had placed her at the foot of the bed.
He smiled as she tripped over his legs, obviously not at all awake. Eventually she made her way up to his head, mostly through trial-and-error, and curled up just over his heart. He heard her give a contented sigh and fall into a deep, restful sleep. Unable to resist, Ash echoed Pikachu's happy sigh and drifted off to sleep, this time without interruption.
(o. o)-/
"Pika!"
"Hey, watch it!" Ash yelled to the man who had so rudely run into him, almost knocking Pikachu from his shoulder. Ash shook his head in disapproval when he received no reply. "Where is he headed in such a hurry, anyway? It's Lavender Town."
"Pika…" Pikachu jumped up onto Ash's head to get a better look at where the guy was going. Ash, wary of a pickpocket, checked his bag and wallet to make sure nothing was missing. Happily, nothing was, and he continued walking.
He and Pikachu were doing the rounds of the town, taking today as a rest day. The goal for the day was to gather all the needed materials and just rest; tomorrow they would conquer the mountain. Ash was getting excited just thinking about it; it would be another adventure for him, possibly the biggest yet. He had really been idle for way too long.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, and waved her tail in front of his face to get his attention. Ash stopped and pushed the lightning bolt out of his face, amused by the tactic.
"What's up, buddy?"
"Pika pi-pikachu," she answered, and Ash turned around curiously. Suddenly Pikachu jumped down from his head and dashed off through the streets. Ash stared after her for a moment before realizing she wasn't coming back.
"Pikachu!" he called in vain, and took off running in the direction she had gone. He followed a flash of yellow through a side street, and skidded to a stop when he found himself in a large paved square. There was a large crowd gathered around something that looked vaguely like a stage. The crowd blocked his view and he couldn't see more.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu came running up to him from somewhere near the crowd. He sighed and picked her up.
"Don't go running off like that," he chided. "Remember the Rhydon thing?"
"Pikachu kacha," Pikachu replied, brushing off the rebuke.
"I know it's only Lavender Town, but we should still stick together."
"Chu," Pikachu agreed finally. The crowd gave a particularly loud, unintelligible cheer and Pikachu immediately brightened. "Pi pi Pikapi," she urged, pointing towards the crowd. Ash gave a valiant effort but couldn't conceal the interest that showed on his face. Pikachu chirped happily and slipped out of his grip to sit comfortably on his head as he attempted to weave through the mass of people.
Finally he reached the front of the crowd, mostly thanks to his size and the fact that Pikachu was not above 'persuading' people to move out of their way. The stage that Ash had glimpsed was there, but it was of course what was on the stage that had the people so enthralled.
There was a boy standing on the stage, bowing to the audience. He was blonde and blue-eyed, and couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve. There was something beside him—Ash's eyes widened when he realized that the pink blob on the stage was actually a ditto. It's just like Duplica, he mused. I wonder if this ditto has the same problem.
"Thank you, thank you, you're all too kind," the kid onstage announced graciously. "Now, if I may have another volunteer… Ma'am, do you have any pokemon?"
The woman in question, a small lady with grey hair, nodded and made her awkward way up to the stage. The ditto moved to help the lady, and without any direction from its trainer, transformed into a machoke to help her up the stairs. Ash smiled as the crowd applauded.
"Now miss," the boy continued, the ditto returning to his side as a ditto. "Please show us the pokemon you know the best."
The lady pulled out a pokeball and out popped a beautiful bellossum. It spun in a circle once to show off, the perfume from its flowers causing the air to sparkle. Again the crowd applauded, and this time Ash and Pikachu joined in.
"Ditto, transform," the boy ordered. The pink blob at his side sparkled and rearranged itself in the shape of the bellossum across from it. A quick glance at its face showed it to be free of the problem that Duplica's ditto had been afflicted with. Suddenly a small red curtain dropped down seemingly out of nowhere to cover the two identical pokemon. After a moment where nothing seemed to happen, the curtain was lifted and Ash noticed that it remained suspended above the stage by a network of ropes and pulleys.
"Ma'am, would you do us the honour of picking out your pokemon?" The boy gestured towards the two bellossum, giving the audience a wink. There was a smattering of applause, but most people were watching the old lady, who was studying the two bellossum intently. Finally she shook her head.
"I don't know," she admitted, laughing. "I can't tell them apart. Maybe…this one?" she picked up one of the pokemon, only to have it melt in her hands and reveal itself to be the fake. The audience cheered, loving the demonstration.
The ditto slipped out of the lady's hands to return to its trainer and her bellossum cheered good-naturedly for the skill of the ditto. She recalled it and made it off the stage without help, still smiling. Again the audience cheered.
"Thank you, really. And I think that's it for today…" the boy trailed off, obviously hoping to be called back. He wasn't disappointed as shouts of protest rang out through the crowd.
"Alright then," the boy agreed a large smile on his face. "I guess I have time for one more demonstration." The huge grin reminded Ash that the performer was still just a kid and he frowned. Pikachu, sensing the direction of his thoughts, put in her two cents.
"Pikachu-pi pika kachu," she commented, not taking her eyes off the stage. Ash sighed at his silliness.
"You're right, of course," he agreed, and Pikachu nodded in approval. "If I started my journey at ten, why can't he? Ignore me, I'm just being silly. I think I've been around adults too long."
"Chu," Pikachu agreed, sparing him a glance. He gave her a self-mocking grin and she turned back to the stage, satisfied with her trainer's state of mind.
"Now I'll need another volunteer," the boy onstage continued, bright blue eyes scanning the crowd. "What about you, sir? You have pokemon."
Ash blinked like a deer caught in the headlights when he saw the boy's gaze settle on him. He glanced around, hoping to find that the boy was actually speaking to someone else.
"Yes, I'm talking to you, sir," the boy laughed, finding Ash's confusion amusing. "The one with the pikachu."
"Uh, I'd rather not," Ash tried. He didn't want to spoil the kid's show, but there was no chance that he would be tricked again by a ditto. Pikachu, not understanding his hesitance, butted him with her head in encouragement. People around him began to push him towards the stage as well, and he finally gave in.
"Fine," he sighed, making his way up to the platform. As soon as he was in place Pikachu leapt down from his head to stand beneath the hanging curtain. Ash gave her a glance and she allowed her cheeks to spark a bit, making scorch marks in the planks at her feet. There was applause at Pikachu's display of power, especially by those close enough to the stage see the marks.
"Pikachu it is," the boy stated, and gave the crowd a wink, confident of victory already. "Ditto, transform!"
Ditto began to sparkle and eventually rearranged itself into a perfect replica of Pikachu. It gave a quick cry and bounded over to stand beside the other pokemon. As the curtain fell Ash, not wanting to upset the kid's show, began to form a plan.
As soon as the curtain was down, the ditto turned to Pikachu and asked to switch sides. Pikachu held up a paw to wait, and the ditto stopped, looking confused.
"Okay, what's the trick?" she asked, looking at the ditto suspiciously. The pikachu-shaped pokemon shook its head.
"No trick, although no one has ever gotten it right." The ditto looked like it was done talking, but Pikachu gave it a hard look and it shuffled a bit, "Well, there is a slight trick."
Pikachu waited, but finally prompted, "Yes?" The ditto still looked reluctant, and Pikachu added, "Who am I going to tell?" Thankfully the ditto appeared satisfied with this.
"We make the other pokemon look duller and I appear more attractive." The ditto stopped again, but this time Pikachu could tell it was for dramatic effect. It seemed proud of its secret, and happy to be able to brag to someone. "It's all mirrors."
"So the trainers will go for you." The ditto nodded, and Pikachu added, "Well, it won't work with Pikapi. He'll see through it."
"I don't think so," the ditto replied confidently. Pikachu ignored its last comment and finally allowed it to switch places with her. The curtain rose.
Ash watched as the red cloth square rose after an abnormally long amount of time. The ditto trainer as well as the audience had started to get anxious and suspicious, but Ash wasn't worried. While he wasn't quite sure what his friend was up to, he knew she could handle whatever it was.
"Now, trainer, would you please pick out your pokemon?" the boy asked, looking confident again now that his ditto was visible. Ash walked over to stand in front of the two pikachu.
His eyes passed quickly over the fake to his right and settled on Pikachu. He locked gazes with her long enough for her to understand that he could tell which one was the fake, and then adopted a confused expression.
"I'm not sure," Ash said, scratching his head. "Maybe…this one?" He reached over to the fake, purposely ignoring Pikachu. He picked the ditto up and it dissolved in his arms as the crowd applauded.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, content in the knowledge that her trainer hadn't been fooled. The ditto slipped out of Ash's hands but Pikachu, trying not to look too happy at the apparent failure of her trainer to recognize her, didn't jump up for a hug. Instead she remained standing beside Ash as the boy bowed.
"Thank you, thank you," the kid said through the applause. "And now I really must be going. Thank you all, you've been a wonderful audience!" The audience, their calls of protest ignored, began to disperse. Ash began to make his way off the stage, Pikachu at his heels, grateful for Lavender's tiny size and isolation. If it had been any larger, someone would have recognized him and he would have been forced to pick Pikachu out to preserve his reputation.
"Wait!" Ash halted at the boy's call and turned around, curious. "Can we try that once more?"
"Chu?" Pikachu queried, equally curious. Ash remained silent, content to let his friend speak for him.
"I want to do the transformation again," the kid explained. "But this time you have to really try." Ash's eyes widened.
"How did you…"
"You're not a very good actor," the boy informed with a flat look. "Now can we try that again?"
Ash frowned but finally nodded. Catching her trainer's nod, Pikachu ran over to her old spot, easily identified by the small scorch marks.
"Okay Ditto, transform!"
"Pikachu."
"Pikachu."
Two identical pikachus now blinked at the two humans, and the curtain fell again. It lifted much more quickly this time, and Ash walked over to the two yellow pokemon. With no hesitation he reached across the closest pokemon and picked up the second.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu praised happily, and Ash, laughing, gave her the hug she had wanted. "Chaa," she cooed, rubbing her cheek affectionately against Ash's and letting out a few sparks in the process, forgetting momentarily that her trainer was not another pikachu. Ash, used to this, didn't even flinch.
"That's amazing," the boy said, frowning. His ditto resumed its natural form and flowed over to him. "No one's ever seen through our trick before."
"Whatever you do, it doesn't change the eyes," Ash informed him, Pikachu still in his arms. "And I'd know Pikachu anywhere."
"Pikacha!" Pikachu agreed. She looked up at her trainer. "Pikachu kacha pika pichu."
"Mirrors, huh?" Ash mused, glancing around the stage. His eyes caught a glimmer of something and he grinned. "Yeah, look, there's one over there." He pointed to the mirror he had spotted attached to the corner of the stage. Pikachu nodded and pointed to the now-suspended curtain, which was also covered with small mirrors.
"How…did you know that?" the boy stuttered, shocked. Ash's grin widened.
"Pikachu interrogated your ditto. Right?" he ended, looking to the electric mouse for confirmation.
"Pi."
"Oh," the blonde stated. "Well, it shouldn't have told you that." He paused, considering. "This is a problem. If you could see through it, then that means it's not foolproof…" As if he had just realized something, he looked up at Ash and added, "Thank you for trying to act fooled. Hopefully no one else noticed."
"I didn't think I was that obvious," Ash muttered. The boy didn't comment, and he continued, "Well, you're welcome. I didn't want to ruin your show, and the crowd really seemed to like it." The boy brightened.
"They did, didn't they?" he chirped. "Um, I'm William by the way," he added belatedly, holding out his hand to Ash. Ash smiled and gripped it.
"Ash." Ash paused, and then added, "Do you know Duplica, by any chance?"
"Um, yeah," William responded slowly. "Who doesn't?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well anyone that's heard of a ditto has heard of Duplica. What, have you been living under a rock or something?"
Remembering his long stint of training within Mt. Silver, Ash put a hand behind his neck and chuckled. "Something like that."
"Duplica is only the world's most renowned ditto master," William proclaimed importantly. "She runs her own school of performing arts for ditto trainers. I am her top student."
"Wow, I really have been living under a rock," Ash muttered to himself. "Or in a bubble."
"Chu," Pikachu agreed soberly.
"I'll have to go visit her someday," Ash added more loudly. "It'd be nice to catch up."
"Sure," William muttered, doubting that the black-haired trainer really knew his teacher. "You're lucky if you actually know Duplica."
"I guess I am." Ash paused, reflecting on their last meeting with her, her ditto, and Minidit. Pikachu poked him and drew him out of his thoughts, gesturing with her tail to leave.
"Well, I guess we'll be going then," Ash told the ditto trainer. "See you."
"Bye," William waved absently, presumably not considering the problem of how to fix his act. Ash turned and walked off the stage, Pikachu again on his shoulder. The sounds of the collapsing stage and the grunts of the Ditto-turned-Machoke followed them out of the square.
(o. o)
Ash and Pikachu stared at the pokeball in Ash's hand. It shone brightly in the dimming sun that was streaming in through the window, the white half glittering merrily in spite of the dying sun and its own future. Ash couldn't help but feel guilty for sending Bayleef back when she was such a good friend, but the dream had been clear on that, at least. He and Pikachu had to go alone. Resigned, Ash finally tossed the ball, releasing the creature it contained.
"Bayleef!" the grass pokemon cried, free of her confinement. She immediately adopted a fighting stance, ready for anything, but was surprised to find herself inside a pokemon center with Ash and Pikachu looking at her sadly. She relaxed her stance and tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"Bayleef, we're in Lavender Town now," Ash explained. "Tomorrow me and Pikachu will go to the mountain. We have to send you back to Oak."
"Bay…" Bayleef dropped her head and her leaf drooped.
"Hey, it's not that bad," Ash comforted, going over to her. Pikachu jumped down to stand a little ways off. "We'll only be gone for a little while."
"Bay?" Bayleef raised her head hopefully. Ash winced.
"Well, I don't really know how long we'll be gone," he backtracked, wanting to be honest. "But I promise that we'll come see you as soon as we get back."
"Bayleef," she agreed, nodding. Her eyes began to sparkle with tears and Ash felt horrible.
"It can't be that bad with the professor," Ash tried, laying a comforting hand on her neck. "He takes care of you, doesn't he?"
"Bayleef bay bayleef," she responded, butting her head against Ash's chest for a hug. Not completely understanding what she had said, Ash simply gave her the hug. She sniffled and snuggled her head against his chin.
"It's okay," he soothed. "It's not like it's goodbye forever or anything." Bayleef didn't respond, only remained in Ash's arms.
Pikachu, watching this interaction from a few meters away, realized what was wrong. The persian's hateful words rang in her mind and she went forward, deciding to try her luck at comforting the grass type.
"Pikapi kachu pikachu," she assured Bayleef, coming to stand beside her. Bayleef sniffed and turned her watery gaze on Pikachu. Ash spared Pikachu a glance and then turned back to Bayleef to enforce the yellow pokemon's words.
"She's right, you know. I'll never abandon you—any of you."
"Bay," Bayleef agreed, nodding. The assurance seemed to calm her a little and Ash, seeing the final acceptance, turned to the nearby computer terminal and contacted Professor Oak's lab. Within a few minutes the face of the old researcher appeared on the screen.
"Ash!" his voice came in, sounding only faintly distant and mechanical. "Have you safely reached Lavender Town, then?"
"That's right Professor. We're heading up the mountain tomorrow."
"I suppose there's no way to talk you out of this?"
"Nope," Ash replied cheerfully. Oak sighed.
"Well then, transfer Bayleef over." Ash looked confused and Oak explained, "I can see her peeking over your shoulder there." Ash looked and sure enough he found her head right beside his. He laughed, but it quickly died when he pulled out Bayleef's pokeball.
"Bay!" she cried, running at him for another hug. Forgetting all her previous lessons on tackling people, she struck Ash with so much force that he staggered. She looked up at him, guilt replacing sadness in her eyes for a moment, and Ash smiled.
"It's alright Bayleef," he assured her, giving her another hug. Pikachu, not wanting to intrude on the trainer/pokemon moment, cast her eyes around the room and spotted Nurse Joy. The nurse was standing in the middle of the room, watching the tearful goodbye with a sympathetic expression. Her eyes strayed to Pikachu and, finding herself watched, she produced a small, sad smile and continued on into the ER.
"Pi…" she sighed sadly, ears drooping. Somehow sympathy from someone else made it worse.
"See you soon," Ash said finally as he and Bayleef parted, and Pikachu's attention was drawn back to the scene with the sound of her trainer's voice.
"Bay."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu dashed over to Bayleef, unable to let her leave without a proper goodbye. She purposefully turned her back on Bayleef and offered her tail up to the grass pokemon. Bayleef stared for a moment in confusion, but her face brightened when she realized what was going on.
"Bay!" she exclaimed happily, and dropped her head to Pikachu's level. Using her leaf as a makeshift tail, they shook hands pikachu style. Both separated smiling.
"Goodbye Bayleef," Ash whispered, and before Bayleef had a chance to lose the happy mood that Pikachu had given her, sucked her back inside her ball. He sighed and bowed his head, his hat casting his face in shadow, and placed the pokeball on the pad. He and Pikachu watched in silence as sparks of electricity teleported Bayleef away.
"Good luck, Ash," Oak said, and Ash nodded. The connection was severed and Ash was left staring at a black screen.
"Pikapi…" Pikachu leapt up to Ash's shoulder and gave him a nuzzle. "Pikachu pika pi pikacha."
"I know we'll always have each other. That will never change." Ash paused, and then added, "But it's never easy to say goodbye to a friend."
"Chu."
Finally Ash turned away from the place where he had last seen Bayleef and headed towards their room, Pikachu on his shoulder. As the two friends settled down for the night, they understood that while they would always be together, friends forever, the same could not be true for others.
(o. o)-/
The screen didn't dim quite so fast on the Professor's end, and the split-second flash of Pikachu giving Ash a cheering nuzzle was enough to douse any friendly feelings Bayleef had been entertaining for the electric mouse. That tail-shake thing had almost got to her, but… Bayleef shook her head. She would not forget who her rival was.
She turned away from the computer and made for the lab doors with slow, deliberate steps. She heard Oak call her name from behind her, but she ignored him. She knew the layout of this place like the back of her paw; she had certainly been here long enough.
Bayleef's leaf sagged as she relived the trip in her head. She just couldn't understand what was so special about Pikachu. Sure, the rat had known Ash the longest, but apparently they hadn't even gotten along at first. Still, for some reason the two were inseparable and Pikachu was treated like a treasured friend. Bayleef hadn't witnessed this kind of relationship between a human and a pokemon ever before, and it had been that which had originally drawn her to Ash. She had wanted it for herself. And although it had sometimes been frustrating, she had never given up on the hope that one day, if she just kept trying, Ash would see her as he saw Pikachu…which would mean, of course, that Pikachu would necessarily be out of the picture. But now that Ash and Pikachu were together all day, every day, while she was cooped up in this lab…well, there really was no hope.
Not that she hadn't tried anyways. But the most frustrating thing was that Ash didn't even seem to notice his blatant favouritism. It seemed to her that Pikachu was somehow elevated in his mind to something beyond a pokemon, to…well, she wasn't quite sure what. At any rate, the rat had achieved a place that Bayleef – or any other of Ash's pokemon – could never hope to reach.
Pokeballs didn't cut off the outside world quite as much as people seemed to think, and Bayleef was not deaf. She knew that Pikachu had lost against that golem. She also knew that Ash had risked his life to save her, and had heard the oh-so-touching conversation that had followed. She had noticed that he only included friends and family as being above winning, and she was willing to bet her leaf that he would not include her in that category. No, Bayleef would have faced that same blast alone, because, of course, she could handle it.
She had also noticed that the rat's defeat was never mentioned, and there was no mention of extra training or new tactics. If she was feeling more charitable, she would explain it away with their new journey, but that final parting image of Pikachu and Ash would not leave her mind. The defeat was not mentioned because the rat was just that special.
The irony of the rat's parting words had not been lost on her. It was all very well and good for Pikachu to say Ash would never leave her, because for the rat this was true. But Bayleef was all too aware of the invisible distinction Ash seemed to draw between Pikachu and all other pokemon, and she was equally aware that it was a line she could never cross. If there had been any remaining doubts before this little trip, they were gone now.
Bayleef butted her head against the heavy lab door, pushing it open and blinking into the setting sun, which was turning the grass an ugly blood red. Her eyes immediately landed on the grass pokemon across the field from her, dyed a similar red, and she began to trot towards it. Her appearance was greeted with a happy "Bulba" and she smiled sadly in return. At least there was one other that understood.
Hmm…I do seem to like random trainers. Let me know if you think they were okay, because I'm not really sure. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the feel-good filler, since things will be getting more interesting from here…and darker. I think Bayleef's insight foreshadowed that quite nicely. As always, comments and critism are appreciated!