Chapter 9: ...With That Sickness
He was dying, he just knew it.
After all of the craziness from the past few hours, Ash started training the moment the group got back to their camp just outside of town. What truly made it different than the usual training was that Ash had asked Dawn to show them how to perform that incredible midair spinning technique they used to take down the Aerodactyl. All the while, they had been going over different scenarios including what to do if they faced off against Roark's Rampardos versus what to do against another one of his Pokémon. He had to give Ash a lot of credit: even though he could be hard-headed and stubborn, when the time called for it, the guy could really develop some good strategies!
His joints - never being given a chance to catch a break - were aching with every little movement that Pikachu made. Every time that he felt the achiness begin to flare up, he grit his teeth and tried to toughen it out. For the first hour of training, he'd done rather well at hiding it but as the third hour began to roll around, he was beginning to wonder how much longer he could keep things going.
"Alright, once more! Let's go!" Ash shouted with a fist pump to Pikachu, Aipom and Turtwig.
"(Right!)" All three Pokémon shouted in unison before they jumped into the air and began to spin for several seconds before landing perfectly on their feet.
"Yeah! You're looking good!" Dawn shouted from the side. "Let's take it up a notch shall we? Alright, Piplup use Bubble Beam!"
"(Ready or not!)" Piplup yelled as he unleashed a torrent of sparkling bubbles at the trio.
"Okay guys, jump towards it and spin!" Ash commanded.
The three Pokémon did as they were told and jumped towards the attack before once again rotating their bodies in midair. As they did, they maneuvered themselves to spin alongside the attack, completely avoiding it.
All the while, Pikachu tried his best to maintain focus on whatever was ahead of him. All of this spinning was starting to do a number on his stomach although again, whether that was normal or due to being sick, he really wasn't sure. Speaking of which, with such a chaotic day, the training they already did in the morning and now this, Pikachu was honestly surprised that he didn't merely collapse from sheer exhaustion! It seemed like the only thing keeping him going was sheer willpower, a drive to not let Ash down again. But heavens above, if there was one thing he didn't need, it was feeling nauseous which was exactly what he was experiencing right now! The persistent headache had disappeared for a while but all of this craziness was allowing for it to make a comeback.
As he spun, Pikachu felt a shot of pain go through his head as his headache retaliated against all of this activity. He closed his eyes in sheer pain. Damn, he can't keep this up anymore he was gonna lose control, he was-
"(You all got this! Go Pikachu!)" Buneary's voice called out.
He opened his eyes as he continued spinning in the air. He could see Buneary jumping up and down on the sidelines. She had been present for their training from the moment they started, all the while, she resumed her cheerleader persona, supporting them through the entire training session.
Pikachu gave a smile and looked forward.
"Well, I don't want to let Ash down. And I certainly don't want to let you down either do I?" Pikachu thought as he continued spinning forward. He couldn't help but put on the goofiest smile, today was the second time she saved his hide. The first of course was when she saved him from being run over by Officer Jenny's motorcycle which also happened to be the first time they'd met.
After a few moments had passed, all three Pokémon landed behind Piplup and quickly turned around.
"Alright! That's what I'm talking about!" Ash proudly shouted with a determined smile.
His three Pokémon couldn't help but smile themselves albeit in between pants. After being at this for hours it looks like they finally got that special technique down! From Pikachu's perspective, they were ready.
"I'd say they're good to go Ash!" Dawn said beaming.
"Yeah! With this new move, we'll be sure to win!" Ash declared.
"Let's call it a night, we've been at this for a while and I'm sure everyone's exhausted."
"You're right, okay everybody let's call it in!"
"(Alright, I'm beat!)" Aipom proclaimed, obvious relief in her voice.
"(Me too! I'm famished! When's dinner?)" Turtwig asked.
As if on cue, Brock approached them, a ladle in his hand and wearing an apron.
"Hey guys, the food's almost ready!" Brock announced.
"Great, we're all starved!" Ash excitedly shouted. "Let's all get ready for some grub!" He said, turning back to everyone to which he was met with cheers.
All except for one.
Even though enough time had passed after performing their spinning move, Pikachu still couldn't stop panting while Aipom and Turtwig had already caught their breaths. Thankfully, nobody seemed to take notice but there was still another problem: he could feel a nagging cough creeping up from his throat! As soon as he felt the tickling sensation, he quickly turned around.
"(Er, I'll be right with you guys, I uh...need to use the bathroom!)" He blurted out, trying to suppress the cough that was desperately trying to get out.
"(Oh, okay, don't be late then!)" Buneary giggled.
"(Yeah! I'm so hungry I just might eat your portions!)" Turtwig said with a smile as they started to make their way back to camp.
With that, Pikachu got on all fours and ran towards a bush. As soon as he got behind it, he unlocked his throat and unleashed a series of coughs that went on for much longer than he expected. As it continued, his chest tightened and began to intensely burn as his eyes began to water. As soon as the last of his coughs were expelled, he hunched over and held onto his chest. He took a moment to steadily inhale a few times to catch his breath.
When he finally managed to steady his breathing, he let out a quiet groan. Heavens above, he felt like absolute death! His muscles ached, his head was pounding, his throat was scratchy, he couldn't catch his breath and even when he could, he would just start coughing up a storm again!
"(Ugghhh...)" He groaned as he put a paw up to his head. A sudden thought came to him as he turned his paw over and gently placed it against his forehead. He couldn't exactly tell if his forehead felt hotter than normal but it was certainly sweaty.
He put both of his paws on his face and it was only then did he definitely feel a burning sensation. While he was a little uncertain if the heat he felt was from training so hard, with all of the other symptoms, it stands to reason that he had a fever.
"Okay, I'm really not feeling any better than I did yesterday. If this is how I feel tomorrow, I'm not gonna perform any better than last time." He thought with a grimace before he let out a sigh. "I have to tell Ash. He'll understand. It'll be okay if we delay things for just a little bit. Yeah."
Taking a moment to deeply inhale, Pikachu walked out from behind the bush and made his way to camp.
As per usual, the humans ate at a folding table while their Pokémon sat scattered around, eating from their bowls. Pikachu had taken a seat on the grass with Buneary sitting next to him while Aipom, Turtwig, Piplup and Staravia sat across.
Aipom and Turtwig were ecstatic about their progress and were eagerly chatting away about how things were going to go tomorrow. Piplup, of course, took any moment to give himself credit for showing them how to perform such an effective technique. Staravia occasionally gave a compliment but was otherwise quietly sulking, still not fully getting over being passed over from the other day.
Buneary, just like Aipom and Turtwig, was excited about tomorrow and giving everyone praise although most of it was for Pikachu, not like he was complaining. It certainly helped boost his hurt ego which had only sunk to a new low in the past two days.
"(You guys look so great! I'll bet that you're gonna win so fast that I shouldn't even blink!)" Buneary said with a large smile.
"(You bet! Watch, I'll be sure to avoid any Flamethrowers!)" Turtwig declared.
"(Yeah and I'll be able to get a good Focus Punch in!)" Aipom chimed.
"(Lucky bastards...)" Staravia grumbled.
"(What was that?)" Pikachu asked as he turned to the bird.
"(Er, nothing! I said...uhh...show those bastards who's boss!)" Staravia practically shouted back, a bead of sweat on the side of his head.
Buneary giggled. "(A little intense don't you think? Sure they're your opponents but otherwise they seem okay. Can't say the same about that Paul guy from what I hear.)" She said as she reached for a pellet.
Pikachu recoiled as he remembered the awful events from the other day. How Paul treated his Pokémon even though they were performing so well and probably doing their best, not to mention the last words he said to them before he left.
And of course what he did to Azumarill. Upon remembering that, Pikachu shuddered. Jeez, the picture of that kid holding Azumarill's Pokéball and running off is something he'll probably never forget. He couldn't help but wonder if Paul even told Azumarill that he was giving it away. Somehow, the thought of him not doing so...only made it all seem so much worse.
Trying to push that thought away, Pikachu tried to quell his emotions.
"(You don't know the half of it, that was like the third time we met that guy and believe me, he wasn't too pleasant the first two times either.)" Pikachu said as he started to nibble on a pellet.
"(Well still, you're gonna show him how it's done!)" Buneary beamed.
"(I hope so, Ash seriously wants to show Paul that he's completely wrong. How he's going about it as a trainer that is.)" Pikachu solemnly said as he reached for another pellet.
"(Really? I mean I heard that the guy was a jerk but does he really get under Ash's skin that much?)" Buneary asked, a little taken aback.
"(Oh yeah, I can definitely say that out of everyone we've ever met, Paul has peeved off Ash the most. And he's had a rival before, but he was mostly just a smug-kind of jerk. But Paul...he's really something else entirely.)" Pikachu said as he stared at his pellet with a frown before looking back up at his friends who were all looking at him. "(I need to do better than last time. I...didn't do nearly as well I hoped.)"
His friends merely looked at each other, somewhat surprised to hear that from him.
"(Didn't do well? You took on both Cranidos and Onix!)" Turtwig exclaimed.
"(Yeah and I got knocked out, Ash depended on me to win but I couldn't do it.)" Pikachu said, half-embarrassed. "(And we lost.)"
"(So? You did really well! Look at me, I got knocked out after like a couple of blows and barely got any hits in myself!)" Aipom said with a shrug.
"(Yeah, and I got knocked out with like one hit by Onix!)" Turtwig said with a grin.
"(Still...I need to do even better tomorrow!)" Pikachu yelled with conviction.
"(Then do it! But don't beat yourself up, just do your best!)" Piplup said with a nod.
Pikachu only looked between his friends who all gave him the same determined yet supportive look. Heh, it was funny. With all of the worrying and fretting over details, it got to the point where he couldn't see the big picture anymore. Couldn't see the forest through the trees as the saying goes. What was he even worrying about? This was Ash after all! The guy wanted to win sure, but he was certainly no Paul. They all just needed to do their best and he would be fine with that. That's all they guy ever asks of them!
Pikachu smirked. Perhaps all of this drama with Paul and his Pokémon was just getting to him. Especially after what happened to poor Azumarill...
"(You're right, I guess I'm just worrying too much.)" Pikachu finally said with a comforting smile.
"(There ya go! There's the mouse we all know and love!)" Buneary giggled. "(Now I don't want to hear you fretting about tomorrow anymore ya hear?)" She said as she uncurled an ear and started petting him on the head.
Pikachu gave a bashful chuckle. "(Yes ma'am!)" He said with a fake serious voice before popping the pellet into his mouth and started to chew.
"(Otherwise I'll have to come over there and sort you out myself!)" She giggled.
Before Pikachu could say something in response, he could hear light snickering from his friends.
"(Can't tell if that would be a punishment or a reward!)" Aipom giggled, trying to cover her smile with her paws. Immediately, Piplup lightly elbowed her in the ribs although there was an obvious smirk on his face as well.
Pikachu rolled his eyes as he continued to chew his food.
"(Aaaaannd...we'll be cheering for you the whole time tomorrow too~!)" Buneary said with a wink, her smile not leaving her face just yet.
"(Yeah! Pom poms and all! Maaaybe even cheerleading outfits...no promises though. Either way, prepare to see how well I can pull it off!)" Piplup shouted, excitedly waving his flippers in the air.
Turtwig rolled his eyes in amusement. "(Having cheerleaders on the side? Gee, I better not get too distracted!)" He laughed.
"(You'll be fine, Pikachu on the other hand...)" Aipom said with a grin, turning back to look at the mouse.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu muttered as he looked to her, his mouth still full of food.
"(Just sayin' that if you see a cute girl in a cheerleading outfit on the sidelines...well...just try your best to pick your tongue off the floor 'kay?)" She said, trying to suppress a laugh as she motioned towards Buneary.
Pikachu wanted to say something yet in that moment he couldn't help but get a mental picture of Buneary cheering, her smile brighter than the sun, her pompoms waving around, her chanting some kind of supportive motto, her dress that no doubt would have a short skirt that...umm...a-and the movements she would be making where she would kick her legs up and arch her back...all...all in a...sexy cheerleading outfit...
He suddenly felt the pellet that he was chewing get caught in his throat and he tried his best to suppress a new coughing fit. He leaned over and started pounding his chest with his free paw. In that moment he felt like Ash after the guy went on for a little too long without eating a meal and forgot how to properly chew his food.
He couldn't tell if it was because of what Aipom said or...well...
Buneary concernedly looked at him. "(Oh! Are okay?!)" She shouted as she used her uncurled ear to start petting his back.
"(Whoops! Looks like he got a clear picture eh?)" Aipom laughed as her giggles were immediately joined by Piplup's.
Suddenly the two felt a familiar presence behind them. They shakily looked back and saw Staravia giving them what could only be described as a death glare.
"(H-Hey buddy...!)" Aipom said with a nervous grin.
Staravia merely grunted in response and lifted a wing. Both Aipom and Piplup immediately put their arms in front of their faces in sheer terror.
"(Daahhh! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!)" Aipom shrieked as she turned back to Pikachu, her face still in her paws.
"(M-Me too! Sorry!)" Piplup shouted.
Finally, Pikachu managed to get his cough under control before he swallowed his food and let out an exhale.
"(It's cool.)" He managed to say as he looked back up.
Staravia nodded his head, put his wing down and walked over to sit back at his bowl.
Well, it was certainly nice to pretty much have a bodyguard looking out for him! Before Pikachu could thank Staravia, he suddenly heard some quiet giggling. Taking a moment to notice that it wasn't anyone in front of him, he looked to his side and saw that Buneary was the culprit.
"(What's so funny?)" Pikachu asked with an amused smile, taking an extra moment to notice her beaming face.
"(Oh nothing, just that your face is redder than a tomato right now!)" She managed to say in between laughs.
"(Huh?)" He wondered aloud as he felt his face. It felt like it was on fire.
"(Her words really got to you huh?)" Buneary said with a wink, getting her laughter under control.
"(Er, yeah, I guess so...)" He muttered, although, aside from the embarrassment, he was starting to get worried about something else: now he simply couldn't tell if his fever was getting that much worse!
"(Well don't worry, tomorrow I'll try to tone down the ummm...)" She said before taking a moment to think of the best word to use "(...provocativeness. Just for you okay?)"
Pikachu looked away in sheer embarrassment. "(S-Sounds good.)" He managed to say although now a more familiar heat was rising in his cheeks.
Minutes passed as everyone enjoyed their dinner. Ash had decided that instead of resuming their training as they usually did, they should all get extra sleep for tomorrow. None of that mattered to Pikachu at the moment though.
He had hoped against hope that getting a little rest and food would ease how he felt but instead, the exact opposite was happening. Now that he slowed down, he had allowed for his body to feel the full force of his illness' symptoms. His face – which he only imagined was still glowing red – felt equally hot to the touch even after time had passed since Aipom and Buneary's comments. The headache was still present although it was now a dull throbbing pain instead of the loud roar like it was during his training. His joints were now aching so bad, he swore they practically creaked like an old squeaky door. Finally, his throat felt scratchy to the point that he was actively holding back a cough every couple of minutes. Every time that he felt one coming on, he just acted like he was sighing in response to one of Piplup's attempts at self-praise or Staravia's continued sulking.
As the minutes ticked by, it slowly dawned on Pikachu what he had to do.
"That settles things, nothing for it. As soon as I put my bowl away, I'm telling Ash that I can't battle under these conditions." Pikachu thought, trying to hold back a frown to prevent his friends from noticing his inner turmoil. Without him, they would almost certainly have to delay getting that gym badge. Since Ash made it abundantly clear that he was only going to use the party he had on hand, the only other option was Staravia and – not trying to cast any doubt or aspersions on the bird – that likely wasn't going to do anyone any good. While Ash wouldn't mind the type disadvantage, Staravia hadn't been training with their special technique so he probably wouldn't be able to last very long in the battle anyway.
His mind set; Pikachu subtly nodded his head.
After dinner, Pikachu put away his bowl and immediately made his way over to Ash who was unpacking his sleeping bag near their tent. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to convey what was on his mind. Maybe do some sort of impression? Or perhaps act even more frail and sick than he actually was? He hadn't really thought of it.
Inhaling deeply, Pikachu approached Ash, who by now was sitting on a rock. The boy looked over and gave a smile.
"Oh hey buddy! Ready for tomorrow?" He asked with the same enthusiasm he always had for these kind of things.
"(Yeaaahhh...wellll...you see...)" Pikachu started as he rubbed the back of his head.
Obviously not understanding what the mouse was saying, Ash merely gazed forward at the rest of their party who at this point were cleaning up after themselves.
"Man, I know I sure am! We're gonna show Roark and Paul what we're really made of!" He beamed.
"(Actually, I'm not feeling so-)" Pikachu started muttering as he began the process of dramatically posing like he was dying to get the message across, paw on his forehead and all.
"And I know of course that you're gonna lead the charge!" Ash suddenly chirped.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu wondered aloud, blinking while still keeping his dramatic pose.
"The thing is, I know everyone will do great but you'll do incredible! I just know it!" Ash declared.
...
"(Huh?)" Pikachu repeated aloud.
"I mean, you even showed Paul how tough you are! Remember when you got back up and did that huge lightning bolt? He was about to leave but it was just so incredible that he came back to keep watching!" Ash practically shouted, clearly becoming more excited with each passing breath.
"(Err, yeah I guess.)" Pikachu said as he resumed his normal standing position.
"You know...that Paul..." Ash started to say, his expression turning from bright to solemn in just a few short moments. "I want to say that he's a major jerk but it's more than that!"
Pikachu continued to look on as his best friend furrowed his brow and his demeanor began to morph into pure anger.
"How he treats his Pokémon...it's just wrong...so, so wrong!" He yelled as he started to clench his fists. "He doesn't treat them like friends, he doesn't even treat them like they're living things with feelings! Like what he did to Azumarill!"
Pikachu felt his stomach twist in knots at the memory of that.
"I mean, did he even say goodbye to it?! Did Azumarill get a chance to say goodbye to its own teammates?! I...I still don't even want to accept that there are people like Paul out there who could just do that to their own Pokémon!" Ash screamed as he extended his arms out. He took a moment to regain his composure. "Well in any case, wherever it is, I just hope it's a lot happier and being treated better."
"(Me too...)" Pikachu said, a hint of sadness in his voice as he stared at the ground. His attention turned back to Ash as his demeanor brightened up again.
"But don't worry!" Ash confidently said, his fist pumped in front of him. "'Cause we'll show him that our way is better! That our way is the right way!"
Pikachu couldn't help but smile back at his trainer's infectious enthusiasm. "(Right!)" He happily replied with a wave.
"And with Dawn and Brock's help, we can overcome anything!"
"(Right!)"
"And I know that I can rely on you the most!"
"(Right!)" Pikachu shouted before catching himself, his eyes widening in surprise. "(...Wait...what?)"
Practically reading Pikachu's mind, Ash smiled back.
"Well yeah of course! Aipom may have Focus Punch and Turtwig is at a type advantage, but you're the one with the most battle experience! I mean, you took on both Cranidos and Onix! I know you can do this buddy! Whaddya say?"
Pikachu could only blink in response. He wanted to just come out and say what he was so determined about saying only a few minutes ago!
Just. Say. It.
"(Right!)" He blurted out.
"Alright! That's what I'm talking about buddy!"
...Aww crap.
Pikachu continued to run across the bright green, grassy field. The sky was dominated by a brilliant blue that was broken up by equally-bright white clouds.
He looked behind to see all of his friends chasing after him. He couldn't stop smiling, times like these were simply the best!
"(You're no match for me! Even in my nice dress!)" Buneary's voice rang out. Strange thing to say at the moment, especially considering that she wasn't wearing a dress.
After what felt like a long while had passed, Pikachu looked behind again and skidded to a screeching halt. He blinked as he saw everyone suddenly engaged in their own activities.
But things seemed...off...
Staravia was flying overhead and yet it looked like he wasn't making any progress traversing the sky. In fact...he was just stuck in the same exact spot as if he were frozen in time, not even flapping his wings.
Pikachu looked over to his left and saw Aipom happily riding on Turtwig's shell as he ran forward...only the problem was that while Turtwig was definitely running, he remained in the same place as if they were on an active treadmill.
Croagunk merely squat on the ground, staring directly at Pikachu. Okay, nothing unusual about that...except that every time he puffed out his cheeks and let out that familiar croak, it's as if the sound itself was being drawn out like he was being slowed down.
Buneary was standing in place, also looking at him, that same bright smile that she always had. Nothing at all strange about her.
Sudowoodo meanwhile, stood in place as he raised a branch to his forehead to salute. Over. And over. And over again.
Croooaaguunkkk
Suddenly, Pikachu turned his attention back to his left as he noticed Piplup running up to him. He skidded to a halt nearby, holding and stroking what looked to be...what did Brock call it? A poffin? He merely smiled and opened his beak.
"(Ohw elots eht strat? Ym tnemtnioppa si ni na ruoh dna ytfif-enin sruoh!)"
Huh? What was that?
Pikachu opened his mouth to say something only for nothing at all to come out! He blinked as he tried again to say something only to produce absolute silence.
"(You're no match for me! Even in my nice dress!)"
He looked over at Buneary only to see her standing in the same spot with the same smile, not having moved a muscle since he last saw her.
Croooooooooooooaaguuuuuuuunkkk
"(hsuhS! yM tsaey si gnisir.)"Piplup said as he continued to stroke his poffin.
Staravia managed to move from his spot in the sky although instead of flying like normal, his entire body twitched as if he were a computer glitch before disappearing altogether only to reappear off to the side.
"(Syawla gninnur os raf dna gnikam ssergorp tub uoy'er llits os dniheb...)"
Pikachu's eyes darted amongst them, his growing anxiety reaching its boiling point.
"(Ynam sknaht! I lliw hcaet uoy! I lliw hcaet uoy! I lliw hcaet uoy!)"
Crooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaguuuuuuu-
He tried to say something again. "(In my nice dress!)" He blurted out only instead of his voice...it was Buneary's! He immediately slapped his paws over his mouth and looked back up only to see that nobody was reacting to it. Having enough, he shut his eyes.
As soon as he did, all went quiet. He opened his eyes again...but he really wish he hadn't.
Everything had changed. And by everything, it really was everything!
The sky, once a bright blue, was now a neon red. All else – the grass, the trees and all of his friends – was a monochromatic black, so dark in fact that he couldn't make out any features aside from shapes. His friends – who were all performing their own idiosyncratic activities just mere moments ago – were all standing completely still, unblinkingly staring right at him.
Perhaps most unnerving were his friends' eyes which were now just as bright red as the sky.
Aside from the dead silence, there was the faint sound of...what was that? A heartbeat?
Feeling slightly creeped out, Pikachu took a step back. He felt something tug at his feet. He looked down and took a moment to register what he was seeing.
The ground that he was standing on – in addition to being completely black – now had the appearance of a soft blanket. Pikachu squinted his eyes and noticed what looked to be creases in the ground, as if it was a bedsheet being tugged on. It looked like it was being pulled in a certain direction. Pikachu's gaze followed the creases only for his eyes to widen in absolute horror.
There in the center of the field, in between all of his friends, was an ever-increasing swirling hole in the ground. With the way the ground looked, the vortex looked similar to a swirling whirlpool or even worse, a black hole!
Thump thump
Pikachu tried to scream for his friends to run and get away from the portal of doom only for his voice to fail him again! He looked up in terror as Staravia – who still remained frozen in place – began to descend as if he were being sucked in. Pikachu could only blink as the bird disappeared into the swirling vortex which then began to widen!
He looked on as one-by-one – Piplup, Turtwig, Aipom, Sudowoodo and Croagunk all began to either fall or be sucked into the swirling blackness. The only ones left were Buneary and himself. Making a soundless gasp, Pikachu got on all fours and ran forward towards her. When he managed to get near her, he felt himself suddenly slowing down, as if time itself was grinding to a halt. The vortex was right behind her and she started falling backwards into it.
Thump thump thump
The heartbeat was only getting louder and faster. Along with it, Pikachu heard what he could only describe as static or white noise.
"(Grab my paw!)" He mouthed as he extended an arm to reach out to her.
He missed her paw only by mere millimeters. He silently screamed as he saw her fall into the abyss and disappear.
Not even having a moment to fully take in what just happened, he scrambled on all fours and ran in the opposite direction as the vortex continued to grow. He closed his eyes as he ran, trying to suppress tears. He wanted to cry so badly; he didn't want to fall into that thing! He opened his eyes again only to see that while the ground was moving underneath his feet, he was getting no further from the vortex! He looked behind only to see ever encroaching darkness. Pikachu looked forward and put on a burst of speed. He blinked as he noticed that ahead of him were the darkened figures of Ash, Dawn and Brock.
"Alright! That's what I'm talking about buddy!" Ash shouted.
"I had a feeling before this was going on..." Dawn said.
"I'll use my trusty frying pan, as a drying pan!" Brock declared.
He opened his mouth to shout at them for help but again nothing came out. He looked back only to see that the black hole was right behind his feet! He silently screamed as he turned back to run as fast as he could, trying to stifle sobs.
Thump thump thump thump thump thump
He felt the ground under his back legs give way and he lost his balance. As he fell, he desperately grabbed the edge of the ground as the vortex continued to grow. He tried to scramble to get back onto the ground's surface but every time he made progress, the ground only spread further away from his grip. Then, he lost his hold on the surface's edge and began to fall!
He could only scream soundlessly as he fell further and further into the dark abyss. The only other thing present was the ringing sound of a deafening heartbeat and increasingly-loud static.
Pikachu bolted up from his sleeping spot. He couldn't stop panting as he frantically looked around to see where he was. Although it was dark, it wasn't nearly as dark as the vortex was. Plus he could actually make out things in the immediate vicinity.
His eyes quickly darted around the area and he finally let himself catch his breath as his mind began to register what he was looking at. He was in a tent, the usual kind they used to camp out on their adventures. Pikachu looked over to see Ash unconscious in his sleeping bag. As the clouds of grayness in his mind began to clear, Pikachu slowly let out an exhale and shook his head. He put a paw to his forehead, simply relieved that he was back in the normal world again.
Pikachu blinked as he realized that something was on his paw. He took his paw off his forehead and realized that it was wettened with sweat. Suddenly, he realized that the fur all along his body was matted with perspiration. He looked behind him and even in the darkness he noticed a damp sweat spot next to Ash. Pikachu took a moment to understand what he was looking at before letting out a sigh.
Great, tomorrow is certainly going to be fun.
Author's Notes:
Poor Pikachu, I feel you buddy. I know what it's like to have a big busy day and feel like absolute crap the entire time. Just like how I'm feeling right now!
Tried to make up a little bit for the lack of PikaBun in the last chapter but I think things came together pretty nicely.
Next up, the culmination of this little mini arc! Surely fighting a gym battle while you're sick as a dog isn't going to cause any problems right?
On a final note, I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for giving my fic a chance and reading this far! What started as a fun little idea in my head turned into something that I can channel my creativity into and it turned out to be far more fun and exciting than I expected it to be! Honestly, seeing such positive reception and encouragement both in private messages and reviews really help lift up what is usually a pretty exhausting day at work for me. So thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to read my little passion project! Hope you stick with me as I get to what I consider the really interesting parts!
...Like maybe starting in next chapter! Until then, bye-bye!