CHAPTER 11: The harsh truth
Time after Ash won some gym badges after his fourth badge, he was getting closer to participate in the Unova League. His Pokémon were preparing for future battles to come, and Oshawott was preparing for something special.
The Sea Otter Pokémon was in love with Iris's Emolga for a while. He still was interested for her, even though he had fallen in love with other Pokémon on the way. Since a long time, they were together as partners, but no as mates, and that was what Oshawott wanted to get.
When he was outside of his Poké Ball to walk around the place before lunch, Oshawott stood away a bit from the others to think what to say and what to give her. The words little by little were assembling in his mind, and also the image of the present for her.
Previously, when Emolga joined as a traveling partner, Oshawott gave her some little signs of affection that, according to him, she had liked. It was strange. When he came closer to the sky squirrel, she always asked him to bring apples. He guessed that those were her favorite of all the time. If he wanted to win her heart, he would bring all the apples of the world to her.
And that was how Oshawott was pleasing his future girlfriend bringing her apples when she was hungry. He didn't think that Emolga was a bad Pokémon. He brought all the apple she needed, even some for the otter, but sometimes she wanted to eat the ones he had, because she was very hungry, and the apples that he brought to the flying squirrel it wasn't enough, so Oshawott went again to the forest to search for more. He did it to make her happy, enough that she grew fond to the water type over time.
Emolga was the right girl for Oshawott. He knew, after the electric-flying type joined, that she was fighting with her travel companion, who was Snivy. The Sea Otter Pokémon was on Emolga's side than Snivy's side, at least the first one was kinder with him and didn't give terror for how cold she was, like the case of the grass snake. Snivy was a good Pokémon, but for Oshawott she was a difficult girl to win her heart, Emolga was easier for him.
The time passed and little by little Oshawott had the things to declare his feelings to his love. He was still being faithful to Emolga bringing her apples constantly. Sometimes he risked his life for bringing her the perfect apple. He got into dark places and full of dangers, where there was very fearsome Pokémon that protected their food source from anyone who crosses his territory. Sometimes he got hurt after facing a wild Pokémon, or he had to run away as quick as possible with the apples. Everything for Emolga, he thought.
The otter already had a plan to confess his feelings to the flying squirrel, it was almost done. He knew what to say to her, but he needed a present. The gift had to be something that she likes a lot. Could it be a beautiful flower? Umm, it sounded nice; but, where would he get the perfect flower for her? He was traveling with Ash and company, so going to search while they were in the same place to lunch was the preferable thing.
One day, Oshawott was away from the rest, checking his surrounding which flower he was going to give to Emolga. Maybe in the forest could find what he wanted. He was deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice that there was someone talking to him. "Oshawott?" the voiced asked that took him out of his thoughts surprisingly. He got very scared. "Aaaaaaaaahhhh!" the otter screamed.
After calm himself down, he saw who talked to him: it was Snivy, who wasn't very surprised by the sudden reaction of his teammate. Before that, the grass snake was resting in a relative far place, when she saw Oshawott going to the forest alone. She was intrigued and followed him. In a considerable distance, she saw the otter search on the ground. It seemed that he was looking for a flower in specific. It was better asking what he was searching.
Snivy came closer to ask a question. She knew what his reaction would be anyways, so she didn't surprise so much. Once the otter was calmed, he said nervously: "H-hi, S-snivy." The snake asked him: "Oshawott, what are you doing in the forest?" That made him startle. Emolga's gift had to be a secret to give her a nice surprise, he hoped.
He tried to lie. "Me? Umm… well… I… I… was… I was getting a breath of fresh air in the forest. Yeah… that…" Snivy wasn't convinced about what her partner said. "Oshawott, I have been following you here. I have seen you are seeing any flower that crosses on your path, are you looking for flowers?" That made the water type more nervous. He said stutteringly: "Umm… n-no. I-I-I was just see-seeing the flowers because they're very pretty, don't you think?" "Oshawott, what's wrong with you? You have behaved unusually these days, Is something wrong? Don't lie me!"
The Sea Otter Pokémon didn't want to tell her, but he had no choice. "Argh, okay! I'll tell you, if you promise me to keep the secret, okay?" "Yes, I can do that," Snivy answered with honesty. Oshawott told what he wanted to do. "Well, it's true, I was looking for flowers." "Why did you do so?" She asked. "Well… the thing is… I… uh…" "It is for someone?" "Mmm… yeah…" "For whom?" "Uh… Umm… it's for Emolga." Snivy was surprised by what his partner said. "For Emolga, you say?! Seriously?!" "Umm… yeah…" "But… Why?!" "I wan-wanna give her something to her, do you understand?"
Snivy couldn't believe what Oshawott was saying, she said: "Do you want to give a flower to Emolga?! Are you joking?!" Oshawott had to say the truth, he couldn't hide his feelings for the flying squirrel for a long time. He said very convinced of himself: "No, I'm not joking. I'm really in love for Emolga and I wanna declare my feelings to her so that she's my girlfriend." "Are you talking seriously?!" she said very angry. "I'm talking very seriously, I'm gonna get a flower so she knows that I love her."
The grass type Pokémon couldn't still believe it. She asked seriously. "How could you be in love with her, Oshawott? She doesn't even love you!" "No? I like Emolga because she's cute and kind with me, and I return the affection giving her apples that she likes." "Don't you see, Oshawott? She is using you for her own benefit!" "Using me?" That concept was new for Oshawott. How was the water type used by his beloved Emolga if she was kind with him? He didn't understand.
Snivy continued with the dialogue, trying that Oshawott saw reason: "Yes, she has been using you just to bring her apples, she didn't even thank you for that. She is taking advantage of you! You have risked your life many times in dangerous zones of the forest for her, and what do you receive in exchange? Nothing! She does not really love you!" After the lecture that his partner said, he realized something. "I think you have envy of having a relationship with the Pokémon you hate the most." "That's not true!" "So?"
Oshawott's partner talked to him very sincerely, she said: "Oshawott, the romance that you believe that there is between you and Emolga does not really exist. She is just using you. I don't want you to take more risks for her. You are an important part of our team; besides, I don't think that this romance ends well." The Sea Otter Pokémon came sympathetic by her words, but he was still sure that Emolga loved him. "Don't worry, Snivy, I'm sure that everything is gonna end well. I'm sure that she loves me as well."
Snivy still wanted to open Oshawott's eyes, but he didn't want to inquire more of the subject. She said firmly: "Okay, as you want. Go to get what you need. I will be with the others. Bye." And without further delay, she left the place. Oshawott didn't know what was wrong with her yet. The otter thought that she was jealous or something like that. It doesn't matter. He continued walking around through the forest searching for the perfect flower for Emolga.
Several minutes had passed since he entered the forest to get a gift to his future mate. He continued searching until he found a very pretty flower, as pretty as Emolga. It was the perfect gift. He took it and continued walking through the forest. Giving a flower wasn't enough to win her heart, so he went for an apple to complement his engagement's proposal.
He went to an apple tree and cut the branch of and apple so it fell. The good thing was he took one, the bad thing was that another apple that was in the same branch fell on a wild Galvantula's head that was sleeping. He didn't notice that Pokémon was sleeping there. The tarantula Pokémon woke up very angry from his sleep, and wanted to attack Oshawott. The otter didn't know what to do, he was very small compared to Galvantula, to battle would be a bad idea, so he didn't have other option than run for his life with the flower and the apple in his arms.
He ran as fast as possible while the EleSpider Pokémon pursued him giving electric shocks. He got electrocuted several times, but he tried to get out from there as soon as possible. After and intense persecution that ended him very tired, he could get rid of that Galvantula hiding in a hollow of a tree. It was very difficult for him, but he did it. The Sea Otter Pokémon was very exhausted, but he didn't want to stop there. He still had to declare his feelings to Emolga. Her love would be worthy all the effort that he did.
Slowly and unsteady, Oshawott walked sore after the incident with a Galvantula, but he didn't stop. After many minutes, he could arrive where Emolga was, she was resting calmly in a big branch of a tree. He thought she was going to like the surprise that he had prepared.
He came closer to the tree and said out loud to his future girlfriend, looking up: "Emolga! Emolga!" The flying squirrel woke up and looked where the sound came from, it came from Oshawott who was in the ground. He said: "Emolga, come down, please! I have something important to tell you!" Emolga was still sleepy, but since he was her personal butler, she went down to see what he wanted.
Thanks to her membrane like-cape, she could go down without problem. She looked at her companion, he looked… exhausted, wounded and… toasted. She thought that he had a conflict with Pignite for having stolen his food. She talked like nothing had happened. "Hi, Oshawott, good timing, I'm very hungry, can you bring me some apples for me, please?" Oshawott answered: "Well, good timing as well, because I bring this just for you."
All this time, the otter was with the arms in his back to not show the surprise in front, the water type showed what he had in the left arm: the apple that he had done so much effort to get it, but… something was strange. The apple… was scorched, toasted, with a blackish color that overshadow the color red shining of the fruit. She was confused by what he had there: "Uh… what's that, Oshawott?" The water type Pokémon was surprised, what happened to the apple that he got?
Oshawott thought that the fruit was reached by an electric attack while he escaped of that Galvantula. He had to say something about it and be positive so Emolga could think wrong of him. "Uh… well… the thing is… I wanted to give you this apple since the beginning, but there was a little inconvenient that I had to live while I was coming to here." "Hmm… I see…" "And well, do you wanna eat this apple that I brought you with so much love?" Oshawott asked with courtesy.
Emolga didn't know what to say, that her personal butler brought her an apple before asking was a good gesture, but… she didn't like the apples that looked very bad from the outside. "Umm… no thanks, I don't like scorched apples," she answered uncomfortable. 'Darn it,' the otter thought. It seems that everything was crumbling, it doesn't matter, he wanted to keep the smile. If the first gift didn't work, the second one would work well.
It was strange that Oshawott brought her apples without her asking for them, it seemed that the otter had something more to tell her. "So… why did you bring me an apple without my asking, eh?" It was the perfect opportunity to tell her what he felt. "Well, besides the apple, I came to give you a surprise for the time we were traveling together." "A surprise? What is it?"
After that Emolga asked, the water type showed what he had in the right arm: the flower that he assured she was going to like. But, when the electric-flying type saw the flower, Oshawott saw her face that showed much strangeness. Why her face looked like that? He looked the flower and saw that it was all toasted, faded and with falling petals. 'Goodness, what happened to the flower?!' Oshawott thought. Emolga didn't know what his partner was doing. "Umm… Oshawott, why do you have that ugly flower," she asked him confused. Ugly flower? That made to hurt the male Pokémon's feelings. How could she say that to the gift that he put so much effort to get it? The bad thing it was true, after that incident with Galvantula, the beautiful flower that he got went wrong. "Why did you bring me that?" said the female Pokémon with a disgusted tone.
Despite everything was crumbling, Oshawott wanted to be even more optimist, if the two presents didn't work, maybe his words would change her mind. "Emolga, I'd like to tell you that, since the first day that I see you, I've madly fallen in love with you." "Umm… what?" that made her more confused. "I'm talking seriously, it was a love at first sight. When I see you, you make me feel very happy of having you in the group. That makes my heart beat of happiness. I wanted that you… and me… to be mates, because I love you Emolga. What do you think, do you feel the same as me?"
Those words were very cute, but for Emolga wasn't so much. She still remembered the first time that she saw him, she was in a battle against Bianca's Minccino and the otter stood in the middle to receive the Attract move from the flying squirrel. She always used Attract to steal other's food, the ones who were affected by the move stayed there without doing anything, but Oshawott was different. Instead of that, Oshawott, in a very rude way, was coming closer to her saying lovely things. That made her very uncomfortable. Not just that, the other shows of affection that he did didn't like her absolutely. She knew that she liked taking advantages of others to get apples, but that Oshawott proposed her to be his girlfriend was the last straw. She couldn't stand anymore the antics of her companion.
Emolga said: "Oh, Oshawott, please, when are you going to grow up?" "Wh-what do you mean with that?" he didn't understand the question. "Oshawott, I'm really tired of you doing this kind of things. Please, stop it. That makes me very uncomfortable." "What-what-what-what are you saying, Emolga? I…" "Oshawott, haven't you even noticed yet? I was just using you. I know you are clumsy, but I never imagined that were so much. I don't really feel anything for you" That last sentence was resounding in Oshawott's head, he couldn't believe it yet. "Bu-bu-but…" "Oshawott there is something that you have to know, even if we are good partners, partners' group don't fall in love with themselves. I haven't seen some case like that, so that is completely true, do you understand?" The otter was silent while Emolga continued talking. "It's better that we are partners, even friends at most, so I don't want more stupid lovely things to me, so no more 'I love you', no more 'my love', no more of your fantasies with me and no more shows of affection. Is that clear?"
Suddenly, Emolga's stomach began to growl, she was hungry, she wanted to eat apples. "Oh! I'm very hungry, I'm going to look for some apples for me, better one than what you brought me to me. Bye-bye." And Emolga started to fly searching for an apple tree, leaving Oshawott alone, with the scorched apple and the flower with completely fallen petals. Oshawott couldn't believe it, his partner that traveled quite enough time, had rejected him. He sat and left the object on the ground. He got very sad. He was about to cry.
In that moment, Snivy appeared going down a tree. She was seeing all the conversation from above. She saw everything, included the rejection that Emolga did to him. The grass snake put a hand on his partner's back to comfort him. He didn't care, he wanted to vent emotionally. Both were alone in the forest until Snivy told him that they had to come back where the others are, she thought that they were very worried for their absence. Oshawott was always accompanied by Snivy during the way. It was a very heavy rejection to the Sea Otter Pokémon.
Oshawott was still affected by the rejection after giving the proposal of Emolga being his girlfriend. He was sad for a couple days. Like Snivy said, the sky squirrel wasn't in love of the Sea Otter Pokémon all the time, she was just taking advantage of him. After reaching an agreement with the electric-flying type, she apologized with Oshawott for what she did, but that didn't change her mind. Soon, the water type's heart could heal and accepted that Emolga wasn't the right girl for him. He returned to be happy. His partner Snivy said that he shouldn't be sad, the journey was far from over and that he would find soon with more female Pokémon to relate. That made him happier. He hoped to get someone to love him.