Chapter 10: Under Pressure
"So...you two ready to give it all ya got?!" Dawn determinedly shouted in her cheerleading outfit with a pom-pom in each hand.
"(You bet!)" Piplup exclaimed.
"(Let's do it!)" Buneary yelled, throwing her paw in the air above her.
With that, all three began to enthusiastically wave their pom-poms in the air. "Go Ash number one! Battle right and get it done! Time to get this battle won! Do it right and have some fun!" They cheered from the stands.
"Hey thanks Dawn!" Ash said with a smile as he gave them a glance before turning his attention to Roark. "After all of that, how could I not win this battle?"
Pikachu nodded his head in approval. It was just like Piplup and Buneary had said, they really were cheering them on like cheerleaders! Heh, he had to admit that it certainly made for an ego booster!
...
...And if he was being honest with himself, he was a little disappointed that it was only Dawn sporting the cheerleading outfit. After getting that mental image from yesterday, Pikachu was just the tiniest bit curious how it would've looked on her. She definitely could have pulled it off!
...
...A-And Piplup too.
Pikachu shook his head trying to get rid of those thoughts in order to focus on the battle that was to begin. He saw Roark give a determined look as he threw out his Pokéball and released Onix which gave a glorious roar as it materialized on the battlefield.
"So Onix is up first huh?" Ash muttered with a smile as he turned to Pikachu. "You ready to go Pikachu?"
"(As always!)" Pikachu shouted with a nod and with that, he jumped into the rock-themed battlefield. "(Let's do this!)"
"Then let the battle begin!" Ian declared.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack now!" Ash shouted.
"(Right!)" Pikachu replied as he began to move at a blinding speed towards Onix.
Just like before, Pikachu was so focused on the battle that he barely heard Roark's reply although he did hear him give the command to use Slam.
Obeying its trainer, Onix proceeded forward yet Pikachu continued to run towards it as Ash gave another smile.
As Onix lifted its tail to attack, Ash took a step forward. "Pikachu, dodge and climb onto Onix now!" He shouted. Doing just that, Pikachu avoided Onix's massive tail and began to run along the Rock-type's segmented stony body.
Pikachu continued to make progress of getting closer to Onix's head as Roark complimented the duo's ingenuity although as soon as he was done, the gym leader took a step forward himself.
"Onix, use Screech let's go!" Roark commanded as Onix opened its mouth and began to unleash unbelievably strong shockwaves.
Giving a small grimace and closing one eye, Pikachu's determined look never faltered. "(Oh no you don't!)" He shouted as he jumped off Onix's body. Thankfully unlike before, Pikachu had built up enough speed to withstand the attack long enough for him to jump and grab the protrusion atop Onix's head.
"Hold on tight!" Ash exclaimed.
"Onix, shake it off!" Roark yelled as Onix began to violently thrash its head from side to side as the yellow mouse hung on for dear life.
"(Woooaahhh Nelly!)" Pikachu yelled as he clung onto the jutting portion of Onix's head. The experience was so intense that he couldn't help but tightly shut his eyes.
Thrusting a fist forward, Ash puffed out his chest. "You can do it Pikachu! Use Iron Tail and give it your best shot!" He commanded.
Opening his eyes, Pikachu grit his teeth as his tail began to glow bright white. "(Right!)" He shouted and, pushing himself a little, thrust himself forward and promptly smacked Onix across the face with the Iron-type attack! The giant Rock-type groaned in pain as it was thrusted backwards.
As he fell, Pikachu curled up his body and performed two forward summersaults before safely landing on the rocky terrain.
"Way to go! Great Pikachu!" Ash proudly shouted with a fist pump as Pikachu got on all fours and turned back towards his opponent.
"(No sweat!)" Pikachu replied as he saw Onix trying to shake off the hit as once again Roark complimented them, this time on how their special training had certainly paid off. Regardless of how hard they were trying, it was still nice to battle someone so courteous. Pikachu grit his teeth again as he saw Roark give a little smile.
"See how ya like this! Quick, Onix Double Edge!" Roark shouted to which the Rock-type gave a furious roar as it proceeded towards Pikachu. As it did, its entire body began to glow a bright white.
"Let's go Pikachu!" Ash yelled.
Knowing exactly what he meant, Pikachu stood on his hindlegs. "(You got it!)" Pikachu declared as he suddenly jumped towards Onix. He steeled his nerves as he saw the already massive Rock-type getting bigger and bigger as it approached him.
"Now spin!" Ash shouted.
"(Right!)" Pikachu said with a smile as he began to rotate his body in the air alongside Onix, completely avoiding the attack! Despite how exciting things were getting, Pikachu could clearly hear both Roark and Onix gasp at the special technique. In fact, he could even hear his friends continuing to cheer from the sidelines!
As he spun, Pikachu gave a side glance to their personal cheerleaders in the stands. He saw everyone giving astonished looks at his performance. His eyes rested on Buneary as she continued to look on, mouth agape and eyes wide as they could go.
He smiled. "Heh, you won your battle with this move, lemme show you I can do the same!" He thought as he turned his attention forward. After a few moments, he spun past Onix's body. As quickly as it could, Onix turned back around as the bright white light around its body disappeared.
"Now let's finish it with Iron Tail!" Ash shouted with a fist pump.
Retaining control of his body, Pikachu spun back around as his tail once again began to glow an iridescent white.
"Dodge it!" Roark shouted.
Pikachu swung his now-heavier tail only for the Rock-type snake to lurch backwards and avoid it. Uh oh, this wasn't good!
"Quick Onix, use Slam!" Roark commanded with a smile.
Leaning to the side, Onix swung its tail right along Pikachu's torso as he yelped in pain. At that moment, all he could hear was Ash screaming his name as Onix's tail slammed him into a large jutting boulder. He could only gasp at the impact as the battlefield was clouded by debris and dust.
Everything was dark. Had he been knocked out again? Pikachu opened his eyes and blinked. Taking a moment, he pinched himself and upon feeling a slight sting, he realized that he was indeed fully awake. Yet, everything was still dark and somewhat quiet, aside from the pounding headache that was beginning to ring in his ears. Trying to push away the pain he looked around and could see strands of light creep in through the darkness and he realized that he was actually underneath some rocks. Actually, he could hear Roark saying something yet his words were muffled.
That changed when the mouse heard Roark tell Onix to use Stealth Rock. He could hear Onix roar as high-pitched projectiles whizzed through the air. By the sound of it, they appeared to be heading in his direction! He steeled his nerves.
"Now Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried out.
Eyes widening in fury, Pikachu screamed as he unleashed the Electric-type attack, dispelling the rocks that covered him and flinging them in countless directions, destroying the Stealth Rock projectiles and directly hitting Onix who surprisingly roared in pain.
Huh, looks like he had a lot more fight in him after all, sickness or no sickness!
"Pikachu, finish this up with Iron Tail!" Ash commanded with another fist bump.
Pikachu got back on all fours and ran towards his opponent at full speed as his tail once again began to solidify.
"Now, Screech Onix!" Roark quickly shouted as Onix hunched over and produced another series of shockwaves.
"(Not this time! You won't get me with that because you...will...!)" Pikachu shouted as he jumped to avoid the attack and quickly slammed his Iron Tail along Onix's body, causing it to screech in pain. Roark could only scream his Pokémon's name in shock. Pikachu landed on his feet with a determined pose. "(...Lose.)" He said under his breath as he felt Onix collapse behind him with a quiet groan.
Leaning forward a few times to get a good look, Ian stood straight back up. "Onix can't battle! Pikachu wins!" He declared as he waved a hand towards the duo.
Upon hearing that, Pikachu smiled although he couldn't stop panting.
"Alright! Pikachu way to go!" Ash shouted with a smile.
"(T-Thanks bud!)" Pikachu replied as he turned back.
Returning Onix, Roark could only smile and praise the duo for their progress although once again the mouse couldn't really hear it as his breathing blocked out most of what the gym leader had to say. After giving them some much need compliments, Roark took out another Pokéball and released Geodude.
"That Geodude's sure something. Pikachu, you take a break!" Ash said.
"(Right!)" Pikachu said as he ran towards his trainer's side.
As he stood by Ash, Pikachu watched as the young trainer released Aipom. While everyone focused on the next phase of the battle, Pikachu rubbed his temples. He didn't want to show it, but all of that spinning and getting slammed into a rock only made his headache evolve into a migraine again! He silently inhaled and then let out a sigh as he took his paws off his head to watch the battle.
Everyone cheered as they saw Onix unconsciously slam into the ground while Pikachu - albeit looking a bit scratched up - was as strong as ever!
"Awesome, Pikachu came through in a big way!" Dawn excitedly shouted.
"That pressure just must have pushed them over the top!" Brock replied.
Little did either know, nobody was more awe-struck than the little brown bunny cheering with them.
As she saw Pikachu strike down Onix, her heart immediately fluttered and her eyes began to sparkle. Wow...just wow! That mouse was really something else! It was all she could think as she saw him land with a confident pose and sheer determination in his eyes, completely unaffected by the massive Rock-type collapsing just behind him! She felt her cheeks began to feel like they were on fire at the mere sight!
"(You rock Pikachu!)" She proclaimed with the most wonderstruck smile she'd ever given before pausing for a brief moment. "(Pun not intended I mean!)"
Suddenly she heard slight snickering from the side. Unable to take her eyes off Pikachu, Buneary ignored it.
"(Enjoying the show there?)" Piplup asked as he tapped her arm with a pom-pom with a rather smug look. Still not taking her eyes off Pikachu, Buneary gave a little nod. Snickering again, Piplup shrugged. "(Can't say that I'm surprised, he does this kind of stuff all the time!)"
Even after hearing that, the bunny still couldn't take her eyes off of that absolutely stunning mouse! She only blinked in response. "(He...he does?)" She finally asked, awe clearly in her voice.
Seeing his opportunity, Piplup gave a slightly evil grin. "(Yup! I seriously can't tell you how many times he's overcome impossible challenges!)" He proclaimed, waving his pom-poms for good measure.
Blinking again, Buneary only looked on as Pikachu was declared the winner. All the while, Piplup's words reverberated in her head.
"All the time? He's...he's even more spectacular than I thought! Just...wow..." She thought. Upon seeing a smile appear upon his handsome face, she blushed. Feeling excitement rushing through her body, she eagerly thrusted her pom-poms forward.
"(Yeah! You go Pikachu you amazing mouse!)" She cheered.
As the battle raged on, Aipom and Geodude continued to exchange and avoid attacks, the battle at a stalemate. Pikachu's breath got caught in his throat as he saw Geodude block Aipom's Focus Punch using its hand alone! Things only got more intense as the Rock-type used Seismic Toss to propel both of them high into the air and fling Aipom into the hard surface below!
As Roark ordered Geodude to use Rollout, Ash remained steadfast.
"Dodge!" He yelled.
Pikachu felt his heart miss a beat as Aipom slammed her tail into the ground and propelled herself towards Geodude. As she approached the Rock-type, she spun and avoided his attacks! Pikachu smiled as he could hear Roark express disbelief that Aipom was capable of such a technique as well. He looked over to the sidelines and without intending to do so, made eye-contact with Buneary. Slightly caught-off guard, he blinked before he gave her a smile and a wave. She smiled back at him in response, waving a pom-pom for good measure. He pointed towards her in a silent expression of "can you believe this?!" only to see her giggle at him.
"Silly bunny..." He thought with a smirk and turned his attention back to the battle. It was a good thing too because he was just in time to see Aipom use Focus Punch to knock out Geodude! He loudly cheered as Ian declared Aipom the victor.
Landing on her feet, Aipom gave an intense look at her fallen opponent. "(Yeah! That's right! Know who's boss!)" She shouted.
Alright! Two down already!
...
Then as Roark released Rampardos, Pikachu couldn't help but feel his heart sink again.
Pikachu's fears turned out to be well-founded as Rampardos almost immediately knocked Aipom out with a well-placed Headbutt. The knockout was so quick and stunning that Pikachu nearly found himself choking on his own breath and suddenly had to stifle another coughing fit. He managed to regain his composure just in time for Ash to turn to him.
"'Kay, will you get in there Pikachu?" Ash asked.
Pikachu cleared his throat and looked back at his friend. "(You know it!)" He said with a nod as he jumped onto the battlefield. He locked gazes with Rampardos. "(Ready?)" Pikachu asked, giving his opponent an intense look as electricity began to spark out of his cheeks.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded as Pikachu began to unleash a powerful wave of electricity from his body towards Rampardos. It struck the ground and proceeded towards his opponent yet it remained in place.
"Dodge and do Zen Headbutt!" Roark shouted with a smile. Rampardos jumped to avoid the attack as the top of its hard cranium began to glow a brilliant blue.
Ash grit his teeth as he looked up. "Dodge and get out of the way!" He shouted.
Pikachu did as he was told and jumped towards Rampardos. He spun his body like before however this time he felt a strong sting along his shoulder as the attack nicked him, causing him to tailspin out to the side! He groaned in pain as smoke billowed from his body. Great, if he wasn't feeling achy before the battle, he was definitely gonna feel this later.
Unbeknownst to the electric mouse, Buneary flinched upon seeing the smoke emerge from his shoulder. She sucked in some air through her teeth in sheer sympathy as he careened off course.
Pikachu gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he landed on all fours, skidding across the rocky terrain before coming to a halt. He opened his eyes and frowned as he saw Rampardos advance towards him.
"'Kay, then try this out, Pikachu use Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Pikachu gathered his strength and ran towards his opponent so fast that a trail of light followed him.
"Intercept with Headbutt!" Roark shouted back. Rampardos ran forward as both Pokémon were on a direct course for collision!
"Jump Pikachu!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu took a moment to steady himself before performing a front flip over his Rock-type opponent! He continued to spin forward and in the midst of the excitement, he could hear Roark tell Rampardos to throw the technique off using its tail.
Before Pikachu could react, Rampardos use its tail to throw him directly straight into the air! He gasped as he tried regaining control of his now-airborne body.
"Hang in there! Now, use Iron Tail!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu spun forward once to get better control of himself as his tail solidified.
"(Take this!)" Pikachu shouted as he descended towards a surprised Rampardos.
"Quick, Zen Headbutt!" Roark commanded. Rampardos growled as the top of its head glowed bright blue again. The power from its attack was so overwhelming that Pikachu flinched for a moment before steeling his nerves and spinning his body to strike the top of Rampardos' head. The Rock-type Pokémon maintained its stance but groaned in pain as electricity surged through its body.
Once again, Buneary looked on in sheer awe, practically in disbelief! She could only cheer even louder at that unbelievable mouse!
"Ah, I get it. Ash was hoping to use my Static to affect him!" Pikachu thought as he began to back away from his opponent.
As Pikachu started to get out of the way, Rampardos roared as the electricity suddenly dissipated from its body! Pikachu gasped in shock as he saw his opponent regain its composure.
"Damn, that's right, he has his that Mold Breaker ability! Static isn't gonna take effect...great." Pikachu thought as he continued to try and gain some distance from Rampardos.
"Rampardos, finish it up!" Roark shouted as Rampardos' head began to glow again and it leaned forward. It was no use; Pikachu could feel every muscle in his body screaming at him to stop. His head felt like a set of drums and he could feel himself becoming short of breath. It also definitely didn't help that he didn't get much sleep last night thanks to fears of having another terrifying fever dream. Still, Pikachu tried to dodge it but in the end, he could only take the brunt of the attack to his chest, causing him to fly backwards and smack into another jutting rock.
"Damn, that's it I'm done. Knocked out cold. Or probably dead. I guess I did a little better than before so...Turtwig...the rest is up to you!" Pikachu thought as he landed on the hard ground. Then everything went black again.
He heard muffled voices calling out but he had a feeling he knew what they were saying. Suddenly, his eyes began to open as a familiar voice called his name and he felt himself being lifted up.
"Pikachu! Are you okay?!" Ash cried out as he lifted the mouse into his arms.
"(As I'll ever be...sorry Ash...)" Pikachu said with a sad frown.
"Hey you were great! You deserve a nice long rest!" Ash said with a slightly sad smile.
Ash wasn't the only one feeling sympathy for Pikachu. Everyone on the sidelines offered words of solicitude, especially in regard to how hard they had all trained to perfect their spinning techniques.
Buneary sadly looked on as Ash lifted Pikachu into his arms. Drat, he was doing so well too! Now it's down to one on one!
"(Oh darn...)" She muttered under her breath.
And yet despite how dire things seemed to be...she couldn't help but give the faintest of smiles.
"You still did really great Pikachu! The way you spun forward and kept thinking on your feet! No matter what, I'll be sure to give you all the compliments you deserve!" She thought as she steadied her nerves for the final phase of the battle.
The battle immediately kicked off to an intense start with both sides taking devastating blows. As he watched Turtwig get hit with Head Smash, Pikachu gasped only to feel another coughing fit occur, this time however he was caught off guard and couldn't stop it. Thankfully, the loud sounds of rocks being smashed and people shouting covered his wheezing. He managed to get it under control as Turtwig began to use Synthesis.
Things seemed to be at a standstill when suddenly Ash was struck with a rather clever idea! Using some cunning ingenuity, Ash ordered Turtwig to unleash a never-ending barrage of Razor Leaf against Rampardos' Flamethrower. The resulting burnt and dead leaves acted as camouflage for the Grass-type! Seeing this, Roark ordered Rampardos to jump into the air only for Ash to tell Turtwig to perform a side spin along the ground! Now with a golden opportunity, Ash ordered Turtwig to use Razor Leaf on Rampardos' soft underbelly, causing the Rock-type to momentarily become airborne! Rampardos could only screech in both pain and surprise as it harshly impacted the ground, knocked out.
"Rampardos can't battle and Turtwig is the winner! The victory goes to Ash of Pallet Town!" Ian proclaimed.
"Turtwig you did it!" Ash proclaimed as he ran to embrace the grass-tortoise with Pikachu following close behind. "You were so awesome!"
"(Thanks Ash!)" Turtwig happily exclaimed as he hugged his trainer.
"(That was amazing!)" Pikachu shouted as he joined in the embrace.
Off in the stands, their friends loudly shouted in sheer acclamation .
"(Alright they did it! They're so awesome!)" Buneary cheered as she waved her pom-poms.
"(Yeah go team Ash!)" Piplup shouted as he did the same.
"(You guys are incredible! Way to go!)" Buneary continued to cheer with all of her heart.
Later as the gang gathered outside of the gym, Pikachu could only beam in sheer pride and excitement as Roark gave Ash the Coal badge.
Seeing his best friend get a little closer to his dream never got old. If anything, it always made the struggles along the way worthwhile.
As Ash did his classic pose and declaration of his new badge, Pikachu couldn't help but act like a cheerleader himself for a moment!
After securing their victory, the gang once again visited the Pokémon Center to heal up and like before, Pikachu was to be treated outside of his Pokéball. After being treated, Pikachu sat on the chair in the little room behind the main counter which housed the healing machine, waiting for Nurse Joy to finish up on their paperwork. All the while he couldn't stop smiling and why shouldn't he? Hard work and sheer determination really paid off! They did what they set out to do and show that Paul that his way isn't the best nor is it the only way to win! Finally they can get back on the road and continue their journeys! Maybe now Ash can-
Pikachu suddenly felt an itch in his throat and unfortunately for the poor mouse, it was so quick that he couldn't stifle it in time. As the coughing fit began, he leaned his head over to the side so that nobody would accidentally walk into it. As he continued, the fit only kept getting more intense to the point where his throat was starting to get scratchy from it and he could feel a burning sensation in his chest again.
"Oh my, that's a nasty cough you have there!" Nurse Joy proclaimed as she turned to see what the commotion was about. Her eyes rested upon the wheezing mouse.
Pikachu waved a paw in front of him in a feeble attempt to dismiss her concerns but the nurse only raised an eyebrow in response as the mouse continued to practically hack up a lung. She wasn't wrong though; his coughs weren't letting up and they were getting so intense that Pikachu started to feel his gag reflex beginning to act up. It's not too surprising, after being pushed so hard, getting knocked out and spending the day in a dust and dirt-filled environment, it was actually a miracle that he didn't devolve into a coughing mess before!
As his coughing fit finally began to die down, Pikachu panted as he tried to catch his breath. Seeing this, Nurse Joy motioned for her fellow chansey to come over.
"I'd say I'm pretty excited to see what the next town looks like!" Ash declared to Dawn and Brock as they waited in the lobby for his Pokéballs to be returned to him. Piplup and Buneary had also decided to accompany them, both still not having entirely calmed down from the gym battle. "Er, what exactly is the nearest town Brock?"
Brock ruffled through his backpack and pulled out a map and held it to his face. "Hmmm, it looks like the nearest town we should be heading towards is Eterna City, that's where your next gym battle would be!" He said as he put the map back down.
"Don't forget that there's a contest being held in Floaroma Town! So after Ash gets his second badge, we're heading there!" Dawn excitedly proclaimed with a big grin.
Before either boy could respond to her however, their conversation was cut short by Nurse Joy approaching their group.
"Excuse me, which one of you is Pikachu's trainer?" She inquired with a slightly serious look.
Pulled out of their conversation, Ash confusedly looked at her. "Er, I am." He replied.
Nurse Joy paused for a moment. "We have some news. We've treated your Pikachu and normally we would just hand him back to you but..."
Ash continued to look at her. "But what?"
"I noticed that your Pikachu has quite the nasty cough so we took his temperature."
By now Ash was starting to get worried, where exactly was she going with this?
Being taken aback a little, Buneary raised an eyebrow upon hearing that.
"Yeah?" He asked only for Nurse Joy to look him straight in the eyes.
"For humans, a normal temperature range is between 97- and 99-degrees Fahrenheit. Because Pikachu is an Electric-type, his normal temperature range will be slightly higher at around 100- to 103-degrees Fahrenheit." She said before pausing again which only made Ash feel like his stomach was about to drop. "Your Pikachu's temperature came out at 115 degrees Fahrenheit."
Everyone gasped although perhaps nobody gasped louder than Buneary. None of them could believe it.
"(What?!)" Buneary cried out in disbelief.
"No way!" Brock shouted.
"(115?!)" Piplup exclaimed
"There must be some kind of mistake!" Dawn yelled however Nurse Joy only shook her head.
"I'm afraid not, we took his temperature three separate times with three different thermometers and it keeps coming out around that range." She solemnly said.
"I don't understand...is that really bad?" Ash asked, unable to keep himself from sounding worried.
"We would consider that temperature approaching dangerous levels. I'm sorry, but Pikachu is in no condition to travel, he needs to be hospitalized immediately." She said with conviction.
"Can't you just put him back in your healing machines or something?!" Ash asked, now no longer restraining himself.
"I'm afraid that there are limits to what our machines can do. It won't do much good for him, what he needs right now is bedrest and possibly medication to stave off the fever." She firmly said before pausing. "If we don't treat him now...it could be life-threatening."
Ash could only blink in response, unable to come up with anything. After a moment, he looked down at the floor, completely overwhelmed with grief.
"Pikachu..." He sadly muttered.
Buneary only looked at the poor boy before turning her attention to the room where Pikachu was. Her eyes were as wide as they could possibly go.
"(I didn't even notice...)" She mused.
"So do we have your permission?" Nurse Joy inquired, breaking the brief silence and startling the young trainer.
"Huh?" Ash wondered aloud as he looked back up at her.'
"Do we have your permission to keep him here until his symptoms subside?" She reiterated.
Ash took a moment before suddenly leaning forward. "Er, of course! Do whatever you can to treat him!" He determinedly shouted.
"Alright." Nurse Joy calmly said before turning back to the room behind the counter where Pikachu was sitting. Standing next to him was her fellow Chansey assistant.
Nurse Joy nodded her head and Chansey took the cue to call over more Pokémon assistants.
A few moments later, several other Chanseys quickly arrived, some of whom were guiding a clean, white stretcher.
Pikachu merely looked at them, not entirely sure as to what was going on.
"(Alright sir, we've been given permission to hospitalize you.)" One of the Chanseys said. "(Please allow us to help you onto the stretcher and we'll get you to your hospital room immediately.)"
"(Hospital room? B-But I...)" Pikachu muttered before the nursing assistant raised her paw at him.
"(It's not my call sir, your trainer gave us the go ahead.)" Chansey said. "(Now if you please would...)" She said before patting the stretcher.
Pikachu blinked and looked over across the room and tried peering into the lobby. He could barely see over the counter but he could make out his trainer. He looked pretty crestfallen, as if he was just given some pretty depressing news.
"Ash gave them permission? So he knows...and the others probably too." Pikachu thought before letting out an exhale. Great. Wonderful.
He turned back to Chansey and nodded his head in defeat. No point in fighting this anymore right? Maybe he could try and protest but the truth was that he simply didn't have the energy or strength right now. Pikachu could only inwardly groan as he allowed himself to be placed onto the stretcher and soon was wheeled out of the room and down the hallway.
After giving her Chansey the nonverbal cue, Nurse Joy turned back to the group who remained incredibly quiet.
"One last thing." She said, causing Ash to look back up at her. "We won't know until we fully examine him but..."
"But what?" Brock asked, genuinely concerned himself.
"Well it's uncommon for a fever to develop in a very short amount of time and it's even more unusual for one to get that severe so quickly. In all likelihood, your Pikachu has been sick for a few days now." She said only for everyone to gasp in absolute shock once again.
"A few days?!" Ash nearly screamed. Unbeknownst to him, the little brown bunny next to his leg was asking the same thing.
"(You can't be serious!)" Buneary shouted in disbelief.
"(I don't believe it!)" Piplup yelled.
Nurse Joy assuredly nodded her head. "Let me ask, has Pikachu been physically active in the last few days?"
Ash suddenly felt a wave of shame and guilt beginning to overwhelm him as he immediately understood what she was implying. He frowned and nodded his head. "Yeah, we've been training for the Oreburgh gym. We just got back from winning it. Actually...we...had to battle the gym leader twice..."
"And the stuff that happened with the Aerodactyl and all of the training after that too." Dawn muttered.
Nurse Joy gave a serious if-not knowing look. "No doubt that would have exacerbated his condition."
"I see..." Ash sadly muttered again as he looked back down at the floor.
"Nevertheless, Pikachu will have to stay here for the next few days. He simply can't be travelling, even if he were to be in his Pokéball." Nurse Joy said.
Ash couldn't bring himself to say anything. He only nodded in approval as the nurse walked back behind the counter to give him new paperwork to sign.
Buneary sadly looked at the young trainer as Dawn and Brock put a hand on each of his shoulders. She looked back to the room she last saw Pikachu go into.
"Pikachu..." She thought with a sorrowful look.
An hour later everyone was in the waiting room, Ash having filled out more paperwork to allow Pikachu to stay overnight and likely for the next few days. The three trainers took their seats along the wall with Ash between Dawn and Brock. Despite their efforts to comfort him, the boy was in complete misery. He wasn't the only one though.
Pokéballs have a unique feature that allow for its occupant to overhear what is going on in the outside world. Upon hearing Pikachu's condition, Aipom and Turtwig willingly released themselves. Soon after they did, several others followed suit until the entire group was out in the waiting room.
Ash glossed over the other Pokémon who were conversing among themselves. It was nice to know that everyone was so concerned about Pikachu to wait along with him. He gave a small grin that soon disappeared back into a frown.
Seeing his friend's dour demeanor, Brock gave a supportive little smile himself as he placed his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Hey, no need to worry. Pikachu's gonna be fine!"
"Yeah...I guess..." Ash muttered, still not looking up from the floor with a grimace.
"Hmm? Is something else bothering you Ash?" Dawn asked as she turned towards him.
Ash continued to look away from them. "It's just that...Nurse Joy said that he's been sick for days now..." He finally said.
Brock and Dawn looked at each other and then back at their friend.
"Yeah." Dawn replied.
"He's been sick all this time and I didn't even notice it..." Ash muttered, his expression becoming even more desolate.
Finally getting it, Brock gave an understanding look. "Well, I didn't either." He said.
"Yeah me too." Dawn followed.
"It's different, I'm his trainer! He's always out of his Pokéball and I didn't even notice that he was that sick the whole time!" Ash shouted as his head snapped up to look at her. "He's probably been sick since we got here!"
"Ash..." Brock said, waiting for his friend to calm down. "Nobody at all noticed that he was sick."
Ash turned towards the older boy, concern clearly in his eyes. "So what are you saying? That he was trying to hide it from everybody or something? Why would he do that?!" He shouted incredulously.
"Well..." Dawn started to say, causing Ash to look back at her. "You two have been pretty excited about your gym battle..."
"And Paul..." Brock said. Ash whipped his head back to him, a mix of anger and disbelief in his eyes. "That guy really got to you, maybe...maybe he got to Pikachu too."
Ash blinked as his anger began to drain out of him. "What do you mean?" He confusedly asked.
"I mean maybe he wanted to prove a point to Paul just like you did. Maybe he saw how determined you were about Paul that he didn't want to disappoint you or anybody else by showing that he's been sick."
Ash blinked again at his friend. His eyes widened as the realization hit him and once again he felt a wave of guilt overtake him. He looked away.
"I...I must have been so focused on beating Paul and the gym battle...that...that I..." He muttered before gritting his teeth and trying to hold back the sorrow he was feeling. He brought a hand to his face.
"Don't beat yourself up Ash. Pikachu must've known he was sick too but he still didn't want you to know." Dawn said as she placed a hand on his other shoulder.
Ash nodded his head before he took his face out of his hand and looked straight ahead. He swallowed hard.
"In any case, I need to talk to him as soon as I can." He sniffled.
"I think that'd be for the best." Dawn replied as she rubbed his back.
Having overheard their trainers' conversation, Piplup turned back towards the other Pokémon. Everyone was gathered in a group except for Buneary who stood near the entrance to the patients' rooms.
"(So he's been keeping it a secret huh?)" Piplup mused. "(I definitely didn't notice, did any of you?)"
Everyone else shook their heads.
"(Not me.)" Turtwig remarked.
"(No, not at all.)" Aipom said.
"(A few days Nurse Joy said?)" Staravia inquired.
Piplup shook his head. "(Yup, probably since before we got into town.)" He said. "(Gotta say, if all of that's true, that's pretty dang impressive that he managed to do so well in battle! I mean, he took down Roark's Onix despite that!)"
"(Yeah, I guess you have a point. I dunno if I would've done so well if I was dying of a fever.)" Turtwig remarked only to get prodded in the side by Staravia. "(Ack! What?!)" He shouted before the bird raised a wing over to Buneary who continued to stare off at the other rooms. Turtwig blinked before getting the message. "(Oh, sorry.)"
"(But they said he's gonna be alright...right?)" Sudowoodo asked.
"(Yeah he'll be fine! He's a tough nut, no way a little sickness is gonna hold him back for long!)" Aipom quipped.
"(Still, I wonder when he got sick. I'd hate to think that he was under the weather during all that training.)" Piplup wondered aloud.
Everyone adopted thinking poses, curious themselves.
"(Hmmm, I remember that he looked fine when we were at the cabin.)" Turtwig muttered.
"(Yeah, and I think he was okay at the gala before that.)" Aipom said.
"(So I guess it must have been after we left the cabin. Maybe he got it on the road or something.)" Staravia replied.
Aipom began to open her mouth to say something back only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.
"(I'll bet it was that stupid dare of yours!)" Buneary shouted, venom clearly in her voice as she approached the group and pointed her paw at Aipom.
"(Huh? My dare?)" Aipom asked, clearly taken by surprise.
"(Yeah! That dare you made him do when he jumped into that freezing lake! I'll bet that's the reason why he's so sick right now!)" Buneary yelled causing Aipom to nearly jump back from surprise.
"(She's got a point. That's what I'd bet my money on.)" Turtwig remarked to which several in the group agreed.
Aipom looked at each of her friends before turning her focus back onto Buneary. She suddenly felt very small as she uncomfortably rubbed the back of her head. "(Oh...I guess ummm...I hadn't thought of that.)" She muttered only for Buneary to take another step forward.
"(Oh what a shock! You didn't care so long as you got a laugh out of him right?!)" Buneary yelled.
"(I-It's not like that! And it's not like anybody forced him to take the bet in the first place!)" Aipom squealed as she raised her paws in front of her.
"(How couldn't he?! With all of your teasing, of course he would be pressured into doing it!)" Buneary screamed.
"(Listen! I-I-)" Aipom stuttered before she was interrupted again.
"(Why do you always tease him anyway?! What did he do to you?! Why can't you just lay off him?!)" Buneary shouted before suddenly Turtwig ran to stand between them.
"(Alright! That's enough you two! We don't need another one of us in the hospital do we?!)" Turtwig shouted as he motioned to push them away from each other.
"(Tell you what? The next time you get the idea to make a bet, just keep it to yourself okay?!)" Buneary yelled.
All the while, Ash was worriedly looking at the shouting match. "What's happening?! What's wrong?!" He cried out as he got up from his seat, having seen the commotion as soon as it started.
"I don't know!" Dawn yelled back.
"It looks like it's between Buneary and Aipom!" Brock remarked.
Seeing that the fighting was indeed between the two, Dawn walked over to them.
"What's going on here? Why are you girls yelling at each other?" She asked, looking down at them.
A moment passed before Aipom looked at Dawn, then to Buneary before sadly looking down at the floor.
"(I'm...I'm sorry.)" She managed to say.
"(I'm not the one you should be apologizing to.)" Buneary said, finally composing herself.
"(You're right...)" Aipom remarked, completely crestfallen.
Another moment passed before Buneary took in a deep breath.
"(Well...you can tell him that when he's allowed visitors.)" She said, causing the purple monkey to look up at her.
Aipom nodded her head. "(Right.)" She quietly said.
Buneary took a moment before nodding back. "(Okay...I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just that...you know...)" She said as she rubbed her arm.
Aipom gave a sheepish grin and once again rubbed the back of her head. "(Yeah, I know.)" She said to which the others murmured in agreement.
Seeing that the argument has died down, Dawn looked back at Ash and Brock.
"Huh, don't know what happened but they seem okay now." She said.
"Yeah, I guess they settled things." Ash replied as he sat back down and took on a more relaxed pose.
Dawn turned back towards the two and crouched down to their eye level.
"Alright, I don't know what that was about but please try to get along would you? We already have Pikachu to worry about, don't make me worry about you as well!" Dawn said before both of them nodded their heads. Giving a small smile, Dawn stood back up. "Good."
Soon after Buneary and Aipom's little scuffle, Nurse Joy entered the room, this time with a more optimistic look. Upon seeing the nurse, Ash practically jumped out of his chair and rushed up to her.
"Any news?!" Ash shouted leaning towards her.
Nurse Joy chuckled awkwardly. "Your Pikachu will be just fine; his fever was a little more serious than we initially thought and he's too weak to move around much but he just needs some rest."
All at once, Ash and the others let out a massive sigh of relief, glad that the worst was seemingly behind them. Nurse Joy smiled at their reaction.
"That's good to hear..." Ash said as he closed his eyes and a look of exhaustion began to overtake his face though he clearly wasn't as upset as he was before.
"Yes, it looks like Pikachu will need to stay with us for about a week before he can travel again."
Ash opened his eyes to look at her, his expression turning hopeful. "Well...can we see him?" He asked.
Nurse Joy stared at him; she could only blink upon seeing the boy give her the biggest puppy-dog eyes. She looked to the rest of the group as many of them gave the same hopeful expression as Ash before giving another small smile as she looked back to the boy.
"Alright but only a few visitors and not for too long. After that, we need to let him rest." She said.
Ash immediately gave a determined look upon hearing that. "Alright! I'm definitely going!" He said with a fist pump before turning around to face the others. "Anyone else?"
"(Me! I'm going too!)" Buneary shouted as she raised her paw. Her sudden reply earned Dawn's attention as she turned to face the bunny.
"Huh? You too Buneary?" Dawn asked, behind her Brock gave a little smile.
"Heh, not too surprising." He chuckled.
Buneary couldn't help but blush a little at that. Darn, no hiding the obvious huh? Before she could say anything, she heard someone else behind her perk up.
"(I wanna see him!)" Aipom declared as she waved her arms above her. Ash looked a bit surprised seeing that.
"And you Aipom?" Ash asked as he turned to her to which she eagerly nodded in approval. He smiled at her and looked around. Everyone else gave him the same knowing look. Three guests would be plenty. Ash turned back to Nurse Joy.
"Alright, the three of us are going!" He proclaimed as Buneary and Aipom walked up next to him.
"Alright then, follow me." Nurse Joy said as she led the three out of the waiting room and down the hallway.
Lying in the hospital bed, Pikachu merely stared at the ceiling. His mind continually wandered to what staying in the Pokémon Center could mean. Aside from his illness apparently being worse than he thought, it would also likely mean that they would have to halt their journey until he recovered. Which means no gym battles in the near future. Which means no training for him. Which means...disappointing Ash again...
Pikachu dreaded the thought at imagining the boy's disappointed frown directed at him. He lightly shook his head. No! No way Ash would hold being sick against him. He's been sick before and they've managed through it so this will be no different...right?
Before Pikachu could answer his own question, he heard footsteps approach the door before someone lightly tapped on it. He glanced over and saw the door gently open as Nurse Joy entered followed by Ash, Aipom and Buneary.
"Excuse me Pikachu, you have some visitors." Nurse Joy said in a warm voice as she held the door open for his friends. As they entered, she continued to hold the door before turning to them. "Remember, not too long alright?" She whispered.
"Right." Ash said before Nurse Joy walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Pikachu looked over as Ash walked over to grab a chair and pull it next to him. At the same time, Aipom and Buneary both jumped onto the bed. Pikachu continued to stare at Ash as he sat down and gave a sad smile.
"Hey buddy, how are ya feeling?" Ash softly asked.
Pikachu blinked before giving a small shrug. "(Oh...well...)" He managed to say.
Ash only continued to smile at him. "Nurse Joy said that all you need is a little rest and you'll be back to normal in no time! You just need to take it easy and take something called Ibuprofen for your fever." He said, clearly trying to sound chipper.
Feeling a little relief that his diagnosis wasn't too serious, Pikachu nodded back. "(Okay.)" He said before leaning back on his pillow.
There was a silent pause between everybody before Ash perked up again.
"The thing is..." He said as Pikachu turned his head to look at him again. "Nurse Joy said that you've probably been sick for days now. Your fever was getting pretty bad." He said as his smile faltered.
Pikachu blinked again and he could feel an embarrassed blush beginning to creep across his face. "(Oh...w-well I...ummm...)" He muttered but he found himself unable to finish his sentence.
Ash turned away. "Pikachu..." He muttered. "Have you been...y'know...hiding this from everybody?" He finally asked.
Pikachu felt his heart drop down to his stomach. Despite all of his best efforts to keep things on the down low, the truth was coming out anyway. He wanted to deny it but he felt that he's been a surreptitious enough mouse. He merely sighed and nodded his head.
Seeing his best friend's answer, Ash held back a frown and turned to him.
"But why Pikachu? Why keep it a secret?" He asked, causing Pikachu to feel like his face was on fire.
"(W-Well...you see...)" Pikachu again muttered. Oh boy, how was he supposed to explain this? Literally, how was he supposed to explain himself? Before he could finish his stuttering, Ash spoke up again.
"Brock and Dawn think that because I was so focused on the gym battle and Paul that you wanted to help no matter what. Are they right?"
A little surprised, Pikachu merely stared at his trainer. Jeez, he forgot how perceptive Brock could be and Dawn was clearly no slouch when it came to shrewdness either. Giving him a sad look, Pikachu nodded his head again.
Seeing his response, Ash lowered his head to where his hat covered his eyes. "I see..." He managed to say. Immediately, Pikachu felt a growing anxiety bubbling inside. "Well then...Pikachu..." He began to say. Pikachu felt his heart beat faster in sheer anxiety, fully expecting him to express how disappointed he is at him.
"(Ash, look, I-I'm-!)" He managed to say.
"I'm sorry." Ash said causing Pikachu to blink in confusion.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu muttered in complete bewilderment.
"I'm so sorry Pikachu!" Ash managed to say as he continued to look at the floor though it was clear his voice was cracking and Pikachu could see some tears drip down his face. "What kind of trainer am I to not have seen that you were so sick? You travel out of your Pokéball all the time and yet I didn't even notice that something was wrong!" He cried, becoming less able to hold back his tears. "Nurse Joy said that your condition was life-threatening! If I kept ignoring it, you...you would've...!"
Eyes widening and mouth agape, Pikachu could practically feel his heart breaking at the sight of his trainer and best friend, in such...agony. He immediately leaned a little closer.
"(No Ash! I'm sorry! This is my fault too!)" He shouted.
Seeming to understand what the mouse was saying, Ash paused and nodded back with a small smile. "I know...and that being said..." Ash muttered between sobs before doing his best to compose himself. He wiped away some tears and quickly took in a deep breath before turning back to Pikachu. "You could've told me or anyone else for that matter, we would've understood."
"(Yeah! We wouldn't have held it against you buddy!)" Aipom chimed. Pikachu nearly jumped out of his bed in surprise. Being so concerned with Ash, he nearly forgot that they weren't the only ones in the room.
Pikachu looked at her, she was standing a few feet away from him on the bed while Buneary...
...Buneary was nearby on the bed looking off to the side and fiddling with her fluff, clearly unable to look at him. He couldn't explain, but something about her demeanor in particular made his heart break a little more.
"(Yeah...)" Buneary managed to mutter under her breath.
"Look Pikachu..." Ash started to say, causing Pikachu to look back at him. "I don't want you to ever think that training and battles and rivalries are more important than your wellbeing. If you're feeling sick or hurt, please just let me know. After all..." He said before looking him in the eyes. "You're way more important than any of those things okay buddy?"
Hearing that, Pikachu could feel his eyes begin to water. Trying to stay strong, Pikachu sniffled and nodded back. "(Okay...)" He managed to say through a stifled sob as he wiped away tears of his own.
"Okay." Ash softly said before turning his attention to Aipom and Buneary. He gave them a little smile before looking back at Pikachu.
"Now that we've cleared that up, looks like they wanna talk to you too." He said, pointing a thumb in their direction.
Pikachu looked at them in confusion. "(Oh...uh...okay...)" He said before Ash started to get up.
"Alright, I'll be in the waiting room okay buddy?" He said before opening the door. Pikachu smiled back.
"(Okay Ash!)" He said with a little more pep as Ash walked out of the room. When his trainer was out of sight, Pikachu turned his attention to the other two.
"(Soooo...)" Aipom started to say before walking up next to Pikachu. She put her paws on her hips and looked down at him. "(A couple of days huh?)" She inquired with a smile.
Pikachu could feel a bead of sweat form on the side of his head as he gave a sheepish chuckle. "(Uhh...y-yeah.)" He said with a sad smile as he defeatedly sunk back into his pillow.
Aipom waved a paw in front of her. "(Tsk, tsk, tsk! Naughty, naughty boy!)" She giggled.
"(Yeah, I guess so.)"
"(Well, just like Ash said, if you're ever feeling down, you can always come to any of us. I may enjoy a little teasing but I certainly don't want to see you like...)" She said before waving a paw in his direction, "(...this.)"
"(I'll be sure to remember that.)" Pikachu chuckled.
There was another pause before Aipom chimed in again.
"(And some, er...others...)" She said before briefly glancing at Buneary who briefly looked back at her in return. "(...think that you might've gotten sick from my dare at the lake.)" She said as she rubbed her arm.
Pikachu blinked and gave a little grin. "(Well...it has crossed my mind...)"
Aipom's classic smile faltered as she took a deep breath, continuing to rub her arm. "(Okay well if that's true then...I'm sorry too.)" She said, catching Pikachu a little off guard. "(I mean, if I had known this would happen I never would've made you do that dare in the first place!)"
"(It's okay, I didn't expect this to happen either.)" Pikachu said with an embarrassed yet comforting smile.
Aipom again waved a paw in front of her. "(No, no, no! Sorry bud, but that won't do! I screwed up and I need to make it up to you so I'll tell you what...to make up for getting you sick...you get one super-duper special Aipom-guaranteed favor from me!)" She said before patting her chest. "(Anything you want, whenever you want, no strings attached! Deal?)" She proclaimed before holding out a paw.
Pikachu merely looked at her extended paw and then back to her. She gave him the biggest, warmest grin, giving her desire for atonement some verisimilitude. Smiling back, Pikachu fist bumped her. "(Deal!)" He laughed.
Satisfied, Aipom leaned back, her paws back on her hips. "(Good! And I mean it, whenever or whatever!)" She said before her eyes opened slightly wider upon a realization. She looked behind herself and saw Buneary continuing to stare off to the side. She smiled again as she turned back to Pikachu. "(Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time.)"
"(Huh?)" Pikachu wondered aloud as Aipom got closer to him.
"(Looks like someone else wants to talk to you~)" She practically whispered to him as she pointed her tail at Buneary.
"(Oh?)" Pikachu asked although deep down he wasn't really surprised.
"(I'll leave you two to it!)" Aipom giggled before she jumped off the bed and exited the room.
After she left, there was - what felt to be - a very long silent pause as Pikachu awkwardly looked at Buneary before glancing to the side and rubbing the back of his head. The agonizing silence was finally broken when she spoke up.
"(So...)" She finally said, still fiddling with her fluff.
Pikachu's ears twitched upon hearing her voice, his full attention directed at her.
"(You're feeling okay now?)" She asked, still not looking at him.
"(Ummm...)" He started to say, unsure of how to approach this. She seemed pretty shaken up about his condition so...maybe a little facetious humor would help cheer her up?
His ears twitched again as a sudden thought came to him. A slightly mischievous grin appeared on his face. "(Oh yeah! Never been better! I'm fit as a fiddle! Wanna see me win another battle? Just show me the way!)" He confidently proclaimed, puffing his chest out for added effect.
He could see Buneary hold back a giggle and paused fidgeting with her fluff. She closed her eyes and smiled. "(Good to hear.)" She managed to say before giving him a side glance. "(You know...you did really well back there. With the gym battle I mean.)"
"(Thanks! I had some...er...really good instructors to help me.)" He said with a wink.
Buneary's face began to redden as she gripped her fluff a little tighter. She gulped as she finally looked back at him.
"(So you're sure that you're feeling okay?)" She inquired.
Still attempting to lift her spirits, Pikachu beamed so hard that he closed his eyes. "(Yup!)" He said in a rather chipper voice.
"(Good because...)" Buneary said before she hopped over...
...And lightly bopped him on the nose with an uncurled ear.
"(Ack! Hey! What was that for?!)" Pikachu shouted; eyes wide open as he rubbed his nose. It wasn't sore at all; he was just a little surprised she did that. He looked at her to see that she gave him a stern look with both of her paws on her hips.
"(Hmph! Pikachu you jerk! You really had me worried there!)" She practically shouted.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu muttered as he lowered his paw to get a better look at her.
"(I mean, you were sick for days. Days! And you didn't tell anyone?! Not Piplup, not Ash...not me...)" She said, that last part sounding particularly sad.
"(I'm...I'm sorry Buneary, it's just that...I really wanted to help Ash with his gym battle and Paul and then stuff happened with the Aerodactyl...)" He rambled before catching himself. He sighed. "(Everything just happened all at once...)"
"(Well...you still could've told me at any time y'know.)"
"(Yeah...I'm sorry.)"
Buneary paused and then let out a frustrated sigh.
"(It's okay. Just...)" She started to say before she folded her arms and looked him in the eyes."(Just promise me that you won't do something like this again.)"
"(Hmm?)"
"(Promise me...that if you're in trouble o-or feeling down or sick to just come get us...or at least talk to me.)" She said before taking another step near him and looking away, her face beginning to redden ever-so slightly. "(You don't have to do everything alone you know.)"
Pikachu looked at her for the longest time. Gosh, was this the first time he'd made her this upset at him? Seeing her worried face made him remember when he made her cry the second time they met. His heart twisted in painful knots at that thought. The feeling in his chest only tightened upon remembering his conversation with Aipom and Piplup about her.
...And as he saw how concerned she was for him, her slightly reddened face turned away in shy embarrassment...he felt his heart do a backflip.
Pausing for a moment to take in a deep breath, Pikachu maintained his focus on her. "(Okay. I promise.)" He finally said.
"(You mean it?)" She asked, giving him a side-glance.
"(Yeah...I do. If I need help, I won't try to do it all on my own.)" He said before giving her a little smile. "(And you'll be the first to know!)"
Buneary gave back a small smile of her own and closed her eyes. "(Good.)" She said under her breath.
Suddenly in an instant, Pikachu felt her wrap around his neck. It was all so fast that he nearly gasped in shock as he could feel Buneary lightly sob into his shoulder.
"(Just don't do something that stubborn again you dummy!)" She managed to say in-between laughing and crying. Pikachu's eyes widened as her grip around him lightly tightened. He gave a little grin and closed his eyes.
"(I won't Buneary. I promise.)" He said as he hugged her back, holding back a sniffle as he could hear Buneary continue to lightly cry as she nuzzled him.
They stayed in that position for a while, neither really wanting for it to end.
As Aipom entered the waiting room, the rest of the Pokémon practically ran up to her.
"(So how is he? Ash said that he was doing okay!)" Piplup asked, practically flailing.
"(Yeah, he'll be fine. He just needs to take it easy.)" Aipom said.
"(That's good to hear.)" Turtwig remarked as the others agreed with him.
"(Wait...where's Buneary?)" Staravia asked as he looked behind Aipom.
Aipom giggled. "(Where do you think? Probably crying a literal river over him right now!)" She said in between laughs.
"(Oh yeah...I guess that was kind of a dumb question.)" Staravia sheepishly replied with a smile.
"(Still, poor guy is probably gonna be out of commission for a few days.)" Turtwig said.
"(Well if that's true then I say...)" Aipom started before she waited for everyone to turn their attention towards her. "(We do our best to help take care of him! I know I will since I got him in this mess in the first place!)" She proclaimed.
The others looked at each other before turning back to her and nodded in approval.
"(You bet!)" Turtwig replied.
"(I'm all for it!)" Sudowoodo exclaimed with a salute.
"(Me too! You watch! I'll be the best nursing assistant ever!)" Piplup declared with his familiar prideful flair.
Aipom laughed before looking back to where Pikachu's room was. "(Heh, you'll have to get in line.)"
After Buneary finally managed to stop crying, Nurse Joy convinced her to let Pikachu rest albeit with some minor protesting. As he laid in the hospital bed, Pikachu relayed all of the conversations he just had with his friends. He closed his eyes.
Despite how emotional it had gotten; he was glad that everyone was on the same page including himself. He couldn't help but give a little smile as he made himself more comfortable.
After everything, he was just glad to get some rest!
Author's Notes:
And so ends the Sickness Arc! Well, unless you count the next chapter which kind of plays a little into it. Glad that we can finally get this show on the road and move on to new wacky mishaps!
While I like all of the mini arcs of this fic, the next one is something that I'm oddly very, very proud of and I can't wait to get there!
But you'll just have to wait and see, next time on an all-new episode of About Her!
Update, January 13, 2023: And so begins the last handful of episodes with Ash and Pikachu as the main characters. I don't know how everyone else feels but personally I don't care much for what happens to Ash's story, I'm just secretly pleading for them not to mess with this shipping. They missed their opportunity to show Buneary reunite with Pikachu in Journeys and they haven't shown them together since that one Black and White episode (like ten years ago!). I'm not holding my breath for the writers to show them together in these last few episodes but still, I just don't want a coupling that I liked in my youth to be messed with. I'm all for seeing them together again and sharing a moment but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. We'll just have to wait and see...