Pikachu and Oshawott exited the woods and walked over to an awaiting Buneary. She was cuddling against her precious egg when she heard them come back. "Oh, you're back. How are you feeling, Oshawott?"

He smiled nervously. "A little better, thanks for asking."

"No problem!" She gave a sweet smile. She got up and stood in front of Pikachu, embracing him and rubbing her nose against his. "It was very nice of you to help him like that. Just one of the reasons I love you."

Pikachu gave a dreamy smile and return the affection. "I love you too." He then remembered something and pulled back a bit. "Actually, there's something I need to ask you. Well, more so Oshawott than me."

She released the embraced and looked at the timid Oshawott. "Is something wrong?"

Oshawott gulped and blushed. "Um, you see…I have a small problem and…I need your…advice."

Pikachu face-palmed. Just a moment ago he was pumped, now he can barely speak. He shook his head and looked at the confusion in Buneary's face. "The thing is, he got upset with Piplup and Pignite because they were teasing him about his past crushes. When I talked to him, I realized why he reacted so badly to it."

Buneary gave a concern look to the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Oh Oshawott, did they hurt your feelings?"

He swallowed as much embarrassment as he could and spoke, "Not exactly. They kept saying how I might have a crush on one of the girls, including you, which I don't anymore!" He quickly added. Buneary giggled a bit, remembering their interaction when they met. "Well, they weren't totally wrong." This immediately caught her attention, prompting her to lean in with a wide, toothy smile.

"You have a crush on someone? Come on, tell me, who is she?!" She asked excitedly.

Oshawott took a step back. Sheesh, she is a romantic at heart. He looked around to make sure no one else was around before having the guts to say it. "I have a…crush on…" He leaned forward for safety precaution in case anyone was eavesdropping and whispered, "Snivy."

Once he pulled back, both he and Pikachu saw the surprised look on her face, which soon turned to giddiness. "Oh my gosh, you have a crush on-"

Before she could blurt it out, Pikachu slapped his paw over her mouth. He looked around to make sure no one heard, and sighed with relief that no one did. He removed his paw and whispered, "He wants to keep it to himself. He's too embarrassed about it."

"Ooohhh…" Buneary's ears flopped down as she gave a sad look to Oshawott. "Sorry Oshawott, I didn't mean to do that."

He got over his shocked horror when she didn't accidentally yell out his feelings and smiled sympathetically at her. "Don't worry, you were just excited." This made her feel better.

She shuffled her feet around. "So…you have a crush on Snivy?" He nodded, making her tap her foot in excited impatience. "Alright, tell me everything, starting from the beginning!"

So, Oshawott retold his feelings towards the Grass Snake Pokémon, mentioning the Attract incident, his strange behavior towards her, then finally realizing that he was starting to develop feelings for her. He also mentions his past crushes and why he's been trying to get them to like him. When he was done, he let out an exhausted sigh. "And that's about it."

Buneary squealed and teetered back and forth on her heels joyfully. "That was so adorable, even romantic! It reminds me when I was trying to grab Pikachu's attention. And now, it is true!" Pikachu chuckled and blushed brightly. "Still," She formed a serious look, "I think that pushing your feelings away like that was not a bold choice. You said it yourself that you and her are close friends. So what gave you the idea that she was 'out of your league'?"

He scratched the back of his head while looking down sadly. "From…Emolga." He admitted shamefully. "I was getting her lunch one day and decided to ask her out on a date. Her reaction was to laugh at my face. She then starts saying how no girl would ever go out with me because of my 'wacky' personality and that I was way out of her league. It got me thinking that if she wasn't good enough for me, Snivy was definitely a no."

Pikachu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I keep trying to tell you not to trust everything she says. Emolga just wanted to upset you to probably make you strive harder to impress her. Trust me, her cute act never really worked on me and it took a lot of convincing to keep her from using that Attract of hers on me."

"Pikachu's right, Oshawott." Buneary added. "Snivy is your best friend after all. Even if she doesn't like you the same way, at least you know that she'll still accept you as a friend. Doesn't that make you happy?"

He thought it over for a moment before smiling softly. "Yeah, a little." He then frowned. "Still…I really want her to be my girlfriend. What do you think I should do?" He asked the rabbit.

"That all depends, what have you tried so far?"

"Well, I did bring her a flower once…" This made her smile, "…that turned out to be poisonous when I grabbed it." She frowned in response. "Though, I did try to give her a box of chocolates…" She smiled again, "…but apparently they belong to a bunch of Pokémon that started to chase me." She frowned with narrowed eyes. "However, I once found a gift for her…" She just raised a brow, skeptic of the memory, "…though, when I brought it to the light, it was actually an old rag."

Buneary sighed and looked at her mate. "Please tell me he's joking."

Pikachu shook his head. "I wish I could."

Buneary tapped her chin in thought. "Well…I could always talk to Snivy and see how she feels about you. I know all the signs of a girl liking a guy!"

Pikachu chuckled a bit. "That may be difficult because Snivy isn't exactly known for showing off a lot of emotion. You may have a hard time deciphering her."

She waved him off. "Please, we tell each other lots of things. Trust me, I know what to do." She looked at Oshawott. "Don't worry Oshy, I'll make sure Snivy sees you the same way you do to her."

He smiled and hugged Buneary. "Thanks, that means a lot."

She returned the hug. "No problem." They separated from each other. Buneary gave Pikachu a quick kiss before walking over in Snivy's direction, with the egg as she picked it up. "See you two later!"

They waved at her. Pikachu turns to Oshawott. "Well, while we're waiting, maybe we can do some training. I've been meaning to try at some new techniques."

"Sure, let's do it!" They walked off towards a space where there wasn't that many Pokémon around. Oshawott quickly looked back at Buneary, worry in his eyes. "I just hope this doesn't end up like every other time." He whispered to himself.

Snivy watched from atop of a large rock at Scraggy and Axew as they were chasing each other playfully. She smiled lightly at the sight and sat back with her hands supporting her up. She closed her eyes for a moment as she let the beams of light from the sun hit her. She sighed peacefully, enjoying the sweet bliss.

Suddenly, she was greeted with a cheery voice. "Hey Snivy!" She opened her eyes and looked down to see Buneary with her egg. "Mind if I join?"

Feeling that a little company would be nice, she nodded. "Sure, come on up." Buneary jumped up next to her and sat down, placing the egg in her lap. Snivy looked at the egg. "You going to be excited when it finally hatches?"

The Rabbit Pokémon squealed delightfully. "You have no idea! Pikachu and I are both excited that we will become parents soon! I just wonder what it might be. A Buneary or a Pichu? A boy or a girl? Who knows, but I just want this egg to hatch soon!"

Snivy chuckled. "Well, I wish you the best of luck in the future."

"Thanks!" Buneary looked off to the side to see Oshawott and Pikachu were sparring with each other, instantly reminding her of why she was here in the first place. "So Snivy, how do you like traveling with everyone?"

"It's definitely a lot more exciting than the last trainer I was with. When I first met Ash and Pikachu, I didn't take so kindly to them. Even after I took on Pikachu, they just wouldn't give up."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Buneary laughed a bit. "Pikachu mentioned that you used Attract on him when you defeated him. He was worried that I might have gotten angry with him over it."

"Well, good thing that you weren't one of those crazy jealous girlfriends." Snivy joked, but was met with a serious look from Buneary.

"Actually, I am! You try that on my man again, you will be getting a Drain Punch that you'll never forget!" She threatened with a cold, piercing glare. Snivy nervously looked at her, feeling a tiny hint of fear. But, it went away when Buneary started to laugh hysterically. "I'm only joking, no need to get freaked out!"

Snivy sighed, but released a small laugh herself. "You are one crazy Pokémon." They shared a laugh together. She calmed herself and continued with her thoughts. "Anyway, I soon started to see that Ash really cared for his Pokémon, willing to dive over to protect them. I know I made the right decision to travel with them."

Buneary beamed brightly. "That's great! Though, I am curious as to why you don't hang out with them so much?"

Snivy laid down on her back and looked up at the sky. "Don't get me wrong, I do like playing with them and having fun, but I'm the type of Pokémon who just likes to be by herself. Not that I don't enjoy your company." She quickly added.

Buneary laid down as well, hugging her egg close to her. "I like hanging out with my friends. Before I met everyone in Sinnoh, I was really shy. But, I was encouraged to spend so much time with them, especially Pikachu." She finished with a heavenly tone.

Snivy smiled at her friend. "Must be nice to have someone to love."

There's my opening. Buneary thought deviously. "Oh, it is. Say, is there anyone that you love by any chance?"

"No, not really." She replied casually, an answer that the rabbit was not hoping for.

Buneary quickly darted her eyes towards where the boys were. She didn't want to disappoint Oshawott, so she pushed on with the question. "Are you sure? There isn't anyone at all that you might have special feelings for? Someone that you feel shy around? Someone who you might be best friends with?" She hinted heavily.

Snivy stared at her oddly. "Buneary, are you feeling alright? You're acting a little funny, more so than usual."

Buneary laughed nervously. "What, me? Oh no, I'm perfectly fine. Can't a gal just wonder if one of her dearest friends might have a crush on someone?" She gave a wide, almost creepy, nervous smile.

Snivy narrowed her eyes deeply and positioned herself up. "Uh huh. Listen, I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but let me make this clear. I. Don't. Love. Anyone. Okay?" Buneary nodded reluctantly. "Good." She resumed her previous position.

Buneary sighed. Well, this isn't going well so far. What else can I do? I don't want to end up telling Oshawott that Snivy doesn't love, though I guess he'll also be relieved that she doesn't love anyone else. She scratched her chin in thought, trying to figure out a solution to her problem. Well, I can still ask how she feels about Oshawott and work from there. She cleared her throat and said, "So, um, I was talking to Oshawott recently and he mentions how you two are best friends, right?"

Snivy smiled. "Yeah, the goofball is a lot of fun to be around. Never was a dull moment around him. Whether he is making a fool of himself, trying to be funny, or causing some sort of trouble that gets other Pokémon mad at him. Trust me when I say this, most of the time it's when his stomach starts telling him what to do."

Buneary chuckled. "I've seen moments when Pikachu would act the same way, minus the whole trouble part."

Snivy shared a laugh with her. "Yeah, Oshawott really is a great friend to have around. When he isn't trying to be funny, he's a kind-hearted Pokémon who is willing to help others out. He occasionally helps me watch over Scraggy and Axew when I'm tired and can't focus. We would talk about things, such as battles or pointless stuff. I enjoy his company the most out of everyone else's."

Buneary raised a brow. Something about the way she said that. Maybe she does like him…no, she made it very clear that she didn't share any romantic feelings towards Oshawott. But, she does like spending time with him, that's something. Maybe I should keep questioning her. "How come?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, there's just a certain…joy he brings whenever I see him. I just really like it when he's around me. I just can't explain why."

Buneary gasped quietly. Maybe she does like Oshawott, but she doesn't know it herself. "Well, do you have any special feelings for Oshawott?"

Snivy sighed. "Buneary, I already told you-"

"They don't have to be romantic feelings, just, you know, a connection with him."

Snivy tapped her chin in thought. "Well, in that case, I guess maybe I do have a sort of admiration for him. And, well, there are times when I can be protective of him."

"Protective?" Buneary asked.

"Yeah, Oshawott got into some trouble awhile back and I had to come and save him."

FLASHBACK

Oshawott ran in fear of the pack of Galvantula. Apparently, he accidentally ate their supply of berries and they were beyond furious with him. "Get back here, you little squirt!" One of the Galvantula yelled.

Oshawott, without looking back, yelled, "No thanks, not in the mood!" He turned a corner in the woods to try and lose them, but ended up tripping on a root and falling face first into the dirt. He tried to get up, but was stopped by a sharp pain shooting up his leg. He clenched it in agony. "Ow, I twisted my leg!"

As he rubbed it, he saw a shadow begin to loom over him. He looked up and saw the Galvantula that were chasing him. "Gotcha, you nuisance." The leader hissed sinisterly.

Oshawott gulped and slowly started to crawl away, but it was useless. The Galvantula all lunged at him, causing him to cover his eyes in fear. Suddenly, something wrapped around his body and pulled him to the side. This caused the Galvantula to ram into a tree. Oshawott was momentarily confused before a voice came up.

"You just love to cause trouble, don't you?" He turned and saw Snivy, who was retracting her Vine Whip. She eyed the gang of Dual-Type Pokémon starting to get up. She walked right in front of the injured Oshawott. "Stay behind me!" She commanded.

Oshawott's eyes widened in fear. "Are you crazy?! They're like seven of them and you're just going to-" But he was stopped by her raising her hand in a 'stop talking' manner.

"I don't care. You're my best friend and I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, no matter what." She turned around before she could see his facial expression. She got into a fighting stance as the Galvantula started rushing towards them. With a gleam in her eye, she released a powerful Leaf Storm at her attackers.

FLASHBACK ENDS

"Thankfully, I managed to beat them without much difficulty. Ever since that day, I've been keeping a close eye on Oshawott. I always made sure that he was within my sight if he were to scamper off. I can't even imagine how I would feel if something bad were to happen to him." She frowned sadly, possibly thinking about life without Oshawott.

Buneary showed a look of sympathy. "I know how you feel. If I were to ever lose Pikachu…I don't know how devastated I would be."

Snivy sighed and looked to the side. "Truth is, I never had any friends before I met you guys. My old trainer was always pushing me to my limit, not giving any consideration to my own feelings. The other Pokémon weren't exactly kind-hearted themselves. I just decided to smash my Pokeball one night and run away. When I became part of the team, Oshawott was the first to really greet me. We got along so well that…well, I just know I made the right decision running away."

Buneary smiled lightly and rubbed the top of her egg. "You know what I think?" Snivy moved her head a bit so she can see her. "I think someone like you didn't deserve that harsh treatment. Meeting Oshawott and the others was definitely the best thing that could've happened to you."

Snivy smiled at her friend. "Thanks." She looked off to the side and saw Axew got his foot stuck in some vines with Scraggy trying to pull him out. She shook her head. "Oh boy. Sorry Buneary, but I need to take care of this. It was nice talking to you, though. Later!" She jumped off the rock and headed over towards the two kids.

Buneary waved at her. "See ya!" When she was certain Snivy was out of earshot, she sighed. "Well, not the answers I was hoping for, but it's all I got."

"And, that's basically all I got." Oshawott sighed and fell on his back. Buneary looked at him with sympathy. "Sorry Oshawott, but Snivy made it very clear that she doesn't have any romantic feelings for you."

He shrugged. "It's fine, you tried your best and that's all that matters." He may have sounded cool about it, but the tears threatening to leave his eyes were against him.

Pikachu rubbed his back soothingly. "It's alright, buddy. It's fine."

Buneary brought something else up. "Though, in my opinion, she might have a crush on you."

Oshawott immediately brought his head up, knocking down Pikachu. "Really?!"

Buneary, after getting over her surprise by his sudden change in mood, said, "Well, yeah. While she didn't say that she had feelings for you, she did keep saying that she admires you and would do anything to keep you safe. She said how you were her best friend. I think she does like you, but hasn't realized it herself."

Pikachu got up and rubbed his sore head. "So basically, Snivy just hasn't realized her feelings towards him and just assumes them as her strong bond with Oshawott?"

"That's what I think, at least." Buneary replied honestly.

Oshawott leaned back, supporting himself on his paws. "So, how do we get her to like me? I can't just walk up to her and say 'Oh Snivy, I'm in love with you. Please go out on a date with me.' That would just sound awkward."

Pikachu scratched his chin. "If you two were left alone for a bit…" He started off.

"Oh no!" Oshawott immediately started to refuse. "The last time we were alone, I could barely speak to her. In fact, when we're alone is when I try to ask her out, but I just can't say it without sounding like an idiot!" He fell onto his back. "This is hopeless."

Buneary smiled. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." Oshawott looked up at her. "Maybe we can help you."

Oshawott gave a skeptical look. "How?"

"Pikachu, Oshawott, huddle up!" They huddled up together and Buneary started to explain her plan with inaudible chatter. Once she was done, she said, "Okay, got it?"

"You sure this will work?" Oshawott asked worriedly.

"I promise you, Snivy will be your girlfriend before you know it!" Buneary exclaimed proudly, but made sure to keep her voice within range of them. Oshawott sighed deeply. This was going to be one interesting afternoon.