Chapter 13: Please Don't Let Me Be...
It had been less than a day since Dawn got her Coin Flip application and the gang was back on the road trying to make some more progress towards Hearthome City. Since they had plenty of time to make it to her contest, Dawn insisted that they stop early to make camp and spend the day training.
Pikachu clearly couldn't stop beaming, especially since he was hearing how excited both Ash and Dawn were for everything ahead of them and at this rate, it should only take a few more days to reach their destination. Needless to say, spirits were quite high for the group!
...Well almost all of the group. Inside Dawn's bag was a Pokéball that contained a little brown bunny who was lost in a sea of her own thoughts.
Buneary continued to lie on her back on a bed made of flowers that sat upon a green hill. She stared off into the vast blue virtual sky. Despite how lovely this faux world was, no smile appeared on her face. All she could do was quietly sigh.
Her first attempts at showing maturity didn't exactly get off on the right foot. She was given two good opportunities and she - from her perspective - didn't exactly stick the landing. Her eyes continued to lazily wander across the deep blue above her that seemingly went on forever. For a moment, she swore that she could see Pikachu's face in the white clouds above her. Heh, either it was a coincidence or she subconsciously willed it into her virtual world.
Continuing to lie on her back, Buneary placed her paws behind her head as she blankly stared at nothing in particular. Having some time to think about how things went, she could remember the first opportunity so clearly...
It wasn't too long after Happiny hatched when the team had stopped traveling early to get a bearing on their directions. As it turned out, the humans were considering using another route, something about incidents happening on the road and it being too dangerous. Regardless of the reason, it meant that everyone had a free day and Buneary knew what that meant...playtime!
The day was bright, the weather was clear, save for a slight breeze, and thankfully, the team had stopped by a rather picturesque valley surrounded by equally beautiful mountains and forests. And what better way to pass the time here than with a good ol' game of "balance yourself on a beach ball"? It didn't take long for a number of them to chase after the ball and try to replace whoever was on it. The day only truly started after it had exchanged a few hands.
"(Yeah!)" Pachirisu merrily proclaimed as he jumped onto the ball and rode it for a few good feet before he suddenly lost his balance and fell forward on the grass, the ball bouncing off his head.
Without missing a beat, Piplup jumped up and landed on the ball, riding it with the proudest smile, his fins on his sides.
"(I'm so awesome!)" The blue penguin declared, unaware that a certain purple monkey was quickly catching up to him. Running up to the side of the ball, Aipom jumped and shouldered him off of it, much to his complete surprise. She continued to put on that huge classic grin of hers as she took the penguin's spot on the ball.
Running alongside Pikachu and the rest, Buneary paid no mind to her teammate as he slid facedown along the grass. As she passed him, she noticed Piplup immediately get back up with a rather irate look, dirt smattered across his face. He immediately rushed forward and passed everyone else.
"(Hey what's your deal?!)" He cried out as he ran behind the ball. Aipom's smile faltered as she looked behind herself. Upon making eye contact, Piplup launched himself forward and promptly kicked her off the ball. Almost immediately, the rest of the group stopped in their pursuit to watch the spectacle. Pikachu let out a noticeable gasp while Buizel just exasperatedly watched the scene.
As soon as she got back up, Aipom angrily reestablished eye contact with the penguin and the two simultaneously took a step forward. While everyone was distracted, Buneary saw the perfect opportunity and – as quietly as she could – snuck behind everyone towards the ball which had rolled off to the side. Sneaking around like this definitely wasn't her first time after all! As she hopped over to the ball, she could hear Aipom and Piplup shouting.
"(Hey, what was that for?!)" Aipom cried out.
"(Me?! You pushed first! What happened to partners in crime?!)" Piplup yelled.
"(Piplup this is different, this is the 'balance yourself on the ball' game!)" Aipom retorted.
"(Alright that's enough you two!)" Turtwig shouted, no doubt trying to break up the fight. Suddenly there was a thud, as if someone fell down or something.
Regardless of what was happening, none of that mattered because by then Buneary had gotten on top of the ball and started riding it! She couldn't help but put on the biggest smile as she continued forward. In fact, she was having so much fun that she closed her eyes and just took in the experience. Rolling around on that beach ball...it was simply the best! She felt free! She felt elated! She...stopped?
Opening her eyes, she looked down and saw Pikachu with his arm extended out, holding the ball in place as he looked up at her.
"(Hey, we're going to the river playground!)" He declared as everyone gathered around them.
Suddenly, Pachirisu started twirling in place, completely over the moon upon hearing the news. "(The river playground! The river playground!)" He exclaimed.
Catching whatever infectious enthusiasm the little squirrel was dishing out, Buneary cupped her paws together, her smile returning.
"(Oooh alright!)" She gleefully said.
"(Right and the river is over here!)" Piplup declared, his anger having completely disappeared and replaced with his usual confidence before proceeding off in a direction. "(Guys, just follow me!)"
The rest just looked at him dumbfounded.
"(Uhh, the river is over there...)" Buizel said unamused, pointing a thumb in the opposite direction and causing Piplup to fall over in sheer embarrassment.
Their sudden laughter permeated throughout the valley.
Buneary gave a small chuckle upon remembering that day. That Piplup, always so self-assured yet every time it came back to bite him. And Turtwig, always trying to break up fights, well next to Pikachu anyways.
Suddenly thinking about the electric mouse again, Buneary's smile faltered a little. Oh yeah...him. It was kind of funny, now that she was thinking about it in hindsight, he was once again acting as the leader to everyone. While everybody was goofing off and - even though he was joining in on the fun - Pikachu was still looking after everyone.
How did it go again?
Running alongside Pachirisu, Aipom and Piplup, Buneary couldn't wait to get to the bottom of this incredibly steep hill! She was just so excited that she didn't even really hear what Pikachu and the others were saying behind them. Something to the effect of "Slow down! Don't rush!" and "Be careful!".
It was only upon getting to the edge of a little cliff did she heed their words and come to a full stop...well after Piplup and Pachirisu made a leap of faith and landed squarely on their faces. Catching up with her, the others joined her in gasping in shock upon seeing that the river was dried up!
"(What's going on?!)" She cried out, her paw raised to her mouth. Oh how terrible! One of their favorite spots was simply no longer there! And here she was hoping to reexperience swimming, water-based games and hopping on stones. Last time was especially great when Pikachu tried being a hero and jumped across several rocks in the river only to slip and fall in. Being underwater, he probably didn't hear her loudly giggling behind him.
Continuing to stare at the sky, Buneary shifted her body a little to get more comfortable. It started off as such a normal, nice day too. Of course, per usual, that wasn't meant to last. By chance, the group had stumbled across Meowth and his Pokémon companions who were also looking for some nice downtime in the river. After a few back-and-forth accusations, it was determined that something had happened upstream of the river. And then...
...And then...
And then Pikachu led the group again! In fact, he was also the one to suggest that something happened upstream of the river too!
Blinking upon realizing that, Buneary sat up, replaying the memory over and over again in her head. She could picture it so clearly with him pumping his fist in the air and confidently declaring that they go. Then everybody, her included, followed suit.
She didn't know whether to groan or smile if she was being honest. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how much responsibility that mouse often had. Heh, he really is a leader isn't he? If she had taken the opportunity, then she could have assumed that role and proven to herself that she was more mature than she'd let on!
As her eyes wandered over the bright virtual grass in front of her, she continued to remember how that day went.
It didn't take long for them to come across some drifloon and a drifblim and before anyone knew it, they hitched a ride to get upstream of the river. After a little while of floating through the air, the gang saw that that the river had actually been dammed!
Looking behind herself, she saw that Meowth and his gang had also hitched rides. Of course in typical fashion, Meowth decided to pick a fight while they were in the air and in the blink of an eye, everyone had been pushed into a group of beutifly! The disturbed winged Bug-types didn't take too kindly to any of that and unleashed a massive gust of wind, knocking everyone off in separate directions!
She didn't have any time to react as she was flung off the drifloon she was holding on to. All she could do was scream in surprise as she careened towards the ground! The only thing her mind registered before she slammed into the grass was a familiar yellow figure falling alongside her.
SMACK
Buneary landed face-first into the dirt with an audible thud. Accompanying the pounding in her head was an all-too familiar voice groaning next to her.
Straining a little to get back up, Buneary saw Pikachu doing the same. As they got back to their feet, both looked up upon realizing something.
"(Wait, where is everyone?)" Pikachu wondered aloud.
"(I don't see anybody...)" She murmured as she realized that they were the only ones in a wide lush valley.
Buneary smiled a little as she remembered that. It was as if some force from above willed it so that they would be isolated together. Seriously, what were the odds?! And just like all of the other times that they were together, she had a blast! It seemed that no matter where they were or what they were doing, they always had a good time as long as they were with each other.
She let out a dreamy sigh as she lay back down upon the flowers. Yeah...for as crazy as that day was going...being with him was certainly more than enough to make up for all of her troubles! Together alone trying to solve a problem...sometimes those were just the best moments! Plus when they were trying to find the others, it gave her an excuse to get to know him a little better.
"(So it's a...paste?)" Buneary confusedly asked as she walked alongside Pikachu across the valley, hoping to find their friends.
Pikachu chuckled. "(No, it's called a condiment and trust me, you haven't lived until you've tried it!)" He beamed, a starry look in his eyes.
Buneary cocked her head to the side, completely intrigued as she'd never seen that look on the mouse before. After a moment, she giggled.
"(Well if you insist, but I might still prefer cherry tomatoes. They're the best...the best Pikachu!)" She exclaimed as she waved her arms in the air for dramatic effect.
"(Are they filled with sugar, spices and corn syrup?)" He asked with a side glance, a noticeable smirk spreading across his face.
"(Er, no I don't think so.)" She said, contemplating it for a moment.
"(Well then madam I must respectfully disagree! Or should I say, I disagree with you Madam Cherry!)" He laughed.
She smiled and rolled her eyes at the nickname Pachirisu gave her. "(Pfft okay sure...!)"
This was nice, not the "separated from everybody" part but just being with him and having a fun conversation. It was certainly needed after all of the training, battles and Hunter J stuff the team had been going through. A day of fun-filled adventures was definitely warranted!
After a few minutes passed of walking through the valley, she noticed Pikachu's ears perk up.
"(Er, actually Buneary...come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure what direction we should be heading towards...)" He said as he suddenly stopped walking to confusedly look off into the distance.
Stopping herself, Buneary quickly glanced at him before looking around.
...Huh.
Come to think of it, neither did she...
It was a large valley with some mountains in the distance...that's...it...nothing really visible to get a good idea of where exactly they were.
Adopting a thinking pose, Buneary took a moment think it over. Her eyes widened upon realizing...that this was her chance at giving the whole leader thing a shot! And with Pikachu no less! A tiny smirk appeared on her face as she steadied her nerves. Okay, this is it, she just needed to take a moment.
Her mind raced as she tried retracing their steps of how they even got here. After thinking it over, she was satisfied with what she came up with.
"(Okay...)" Buneary said with a grin as she waited for him to turn his attention towards her. "(We landed over there.)" She said as she pointed her paw in the direction they just walked from.
"(Yeah...)" Pikachu muttered as he stared off to where she was pointing at.
"(And from up there we saw the river dam over...there.)" She said as she turned around to point in the opposite direction.
"(Okay...)" He muttered as he looked towards the new direction.
"(So that means our best course of action would be to head in the direction of the river dam! All of the others are probably doing the same, plus if we unplug the dam then the sound of rushing water will make everyone head in our direction!)" She exclaimed as she scanned Pikachu's reaction. For a moment he looked a bit perplexed, clearly thinking it over. He looked back over at the direction she pointed at.
For a moment, her stomach felt like it was about to drop as her mind repeated the same words.
"Please don't think I'm dumb, please don't think I'm dumb, please-" She worriedly thought before he piped up.
"(That's a great idea!)" He said with a huge grin. She smiled in return although she was trying her best not to let her body shake like a leaf in the wind.
"(G-Great, let's go!)" She beamed but on the inside she was letting out the biggest mental exhale! Taking a moment, she proceeded forward.
"(Right!)" He shouted as he followed her.
She wouldn't lie, in that moment she felt like she was on top of the freaking world! Heh, is this what Piplup feels like on a daily basis? Or better yet, is this what Pikachu feels? Being the leader and such? Either way it was amazing! And if that wasn't enough for her ego to double in size, what Pikachu said next certainly did the trick.
"(Good thing I'm with you! Ash is usually the one who handles the directions!)" He chuckled.
Feeling her heart perform a backflip, she tried her best to maintain her composure. After all, a leader wouldn't just swoon that easily right?
"(O-Oh yeah?)" She managed to say as she glanced back to look at him.
"(Yeah! And the last time I was separated from him I needed help then too!)" He said.
Her curiosity piqued, Buneary turned to fully look at him as she continued walking. "(Hmm? The last time? When was that?)"
"(Right when we arrived here in Sinnoh.)" He said with a smile.
"(Really?)" She asked, a little taken aback. "(So not that long ago?)"
"(Oh yeah, actually that's how I met Dawn!)" He laughed.
"(Huh?!)" She exclaimed as she stopped in her tracks, earning a little surprised look from him.
Seeing her reaction, he awkwardly scratched the back of his ear and chuckled. "(Y-Yeah she actually saved me from Team Rocket. I was...in kinda bad shape.)"
Buneary blinked at that. "(S-Seriously?)" She asked in complete disbelief.
"(Yup, not exactly the best way to start an adventure. Definitely worse than when we started our journey in Hoenn.)" He said with a shrug.
Not wanting to let the subject go just yet, she continued to stare at him.
"(Okay mister, you have GOT to tell me about this! Walk with me, talk with me!)" She said with a smile as she motioned for them to keep moving.
He blinked back at her before smiling and began walking alongside her. "(Okay well it all started when we parted ways with May, Max and Brock. After that, we returned home and then encountered Gary...)"
Her heart thumped a little harder in her chest as she continued to remember that day. Taking charge, leading the leader...
She gave a rather content smile as she closed her eyes.
Atta girl.
See? It wasn't too hard, she just needed to take the initiative! Yeah, she had it in the bag!
...That is until a few minutes later.
"(And the rest is history!)" He concluded as they continued to walk.
"(Well that's one way to start an adventure!)" She laughed.
"(Yeah, seems like whenever we start a new journey things always get off on the wrong foot.)" Pikachu said as he twirled his wrist.
"(I'll bet! Seeing how many misadventures you guys get into, it really doesn't surprise me!)" She said with a wink. "(Just can't stay out of trouble can you?)"
He lightly chuckled. "(Nope! Really, you should've seen how things went the first day I met Ash!)"
"(Really bad day I take it?)"
"(SUPER bad day! Ash didn't know what he was doing, we got attacked by the wildlife, we eventually met Team Rocket and uh...it...didn't help that I sort of...wasn't the nicest guy to be around at the time.)" He said as he embarrassedly looked at the ground and tapped his paws together.
Buneary merely looked at him, completely dumbfounded. "(Huh? You? You're kidding right?)"
He looked back up at her. "(Nope, I didn't really trust anyone...especially Ash at first. I kind of...zapped him the first time we met.)"
She stopped in her tracks again and her eyes widened in sheer surprise. "(R-Really?!)"
Pikachu also stopped walking. He started chuckling bashfully as he awkwardly scratched the back of his ear again. "(Yeaaahhh...I had issues.)"
Buneary continued to stare at him before something rather powerful overtook her...
Laughter.
Buneary suddenly stopped, doubled over and held her stomach as a furious giggling fit overtook her and before she knew it, she was laughing so hard that tears were forming in her eyes. She couldn't see him in that moment, but she was willing to bet that he just looked at her completely bewildered.
As soon as she calmed herself down, she managed to hear what Pikachu said next.
"(Huh, what's so funny?)" He asked, clearly confused.
Wiping away a tear, she looked back at him albeit with quite the doofy grin. "(I'm sorry it's just...I imagined what it must've looked like. You being mean is just so weird to me!)"
He blinked at her before crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "(Well you better believe it; I was quite the hostile mouse back then...not that I'm proud of it.)"
"(That's just it though...)" She said before Pikachu opened his eyes again to look at her. "(It's just hard for me to see it because you're the sweetest guy I know!)" She giggled.
What she said must have caught him off guard because she swore that she saw a light blush dust his cheeks.
"(O-Oh umm...thanks.)" He said, rubbing the back of his head.
Seeing his reaction, a tiny evil part of her took the reins for the moment and a truly mischievous grin spread across her face. "(Unless of course that old part of you is still there, deep, down somewhere~)" She said with a wink.
Pikachu's eyes widened in panic and he waved his paws in front of him. "(N-No! Not at all! I promise that I'm not the same guy that I was before!)"
She couldn't help but laugh again. It was cute how he clearly regretted being mean in the past. It just showed that he really was a sweetheart.
"(I'm just kidding! I'm sure you're nothing like how you were back then!)" She said with a warm smile.
He let out a clearly relieved exhale. "(Yeah, I try not to be. I was pretty mean...and a bit chubby.)"
Her smile only grew wider. "(N'awww~! Chubby and mean! You really were different weren't you?)"
His blush only grew darker and he turned away from her. "(Er, yeah well...you know...)" He managed to say, clearly too embarrassed to continue talking.
Not wanting him to feel too awkward and regretful, Buneary racked her brain to say something comforting.
"(It's okay! We all have things in our past we're not proud of!)" She said, earning Pikachu to give her a side glance.
"(Really? Even you?)" He asked.
"(Yeah, I er...used to be a bit of a thief when I was a wild Pokémon.)" She said, now her turn to tap her paws in embarrassment.
Clearly, what she said was surprising enough because Pikachu looked back at her.
"(Wow really?!)" He practically exclaimed.
"(Yup, one day I saw a trainer's picnic basket and I sort of...raided it...)" She muttered, feeling her cheeks beginning to flare up. "(It's...s-sort of how I first ate cherry tomatoes. I found some in a camper's cooler.)"
There was a moment of silence between them but it felt like an hour with each passing second making Buneary's heart beat faster and her stomach twisting in knots. All she could think of were the same words over and over again.
"Please don't think I'm bad, please don't think I'm bad, please don't-" Her mind repeated before she was jolted out of her anxiety-fueled thoughts to hear Pikachu's laughter. She looked up and saw that he was doubled over in a giggling fit. Oh how the tables have turned.
After a few moments passed, he managed to regain his composure and looked back at her. Seeing his glowing smile upon that handsome face only made her heart feel like it was going to soar into the air and she could practically feel her blush overtake her face.
"(You? A thief? Now that's hard to believe!)" He laughed. "(Still, stealing people's food? Tsk, tsk!)" He said while waving a finger at her in pretend judgement.
Smiling sheepishly, Buneary gripped her fluff for comfort. "(Well what can I say...I got tired of eating berries.)" She chuckled before she locked gazes with him. Not wanting Pikachu to see her darkened blush, Buneary quickly turned away and hid her face in her fluff, earning more giggles from the mouse.
Soon after, Pikachu's laughter eased up and she suddenly felt a paw placed on her shoulder.
"(Hey it's all good, it's like you said, we all have things in the past that we're not proud of. I'm just glad you shared it with me.)" He said in a comforting voice.
Peeking over her fluff, Buneary saw Pikachu give her a warm smile that immediately brought her ease. "(Th-Thanks, I'm glad you shared your past with me too.)" She managed to stutter.
"(No problem!)" He beamed.
Taking a moment to calm herself down, Buneary let go of her fluff and let out a small exhale before clearing her throat. "(So umm...rough start here in Sinnoh you said?)" She asked before they continued walking forward.
"(Yeah, we just never know how to start a journey the right way I guess.)" Pikachu shrugged.
"(Well I'll bet with time you'll-)" Buneary said before something caught her eye off a little to the left. She stopped in her tracks and stared wide-eyed at what she saw. Her focus on something else, she heard Pikachu mutter something behind her.
"(Huh? What's the matter?)" He asked as he looked in her direction.
She could only point. "(It's...it's...!)" She managed to say before suddenly hopping away.
"(Hey wait up!)" Pikachu shouted as he ran after her.
Before they knew it, they were in the middle of a flower bed! The slightly-taller grass beneath them was adorned with pink flowers that seemed to go on forever!
"(It's a field of flowers!)" Buneary exclaimed as she whipped her head around to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. She heard Pikachu run up behind her.
"(Er, yeah it is.)" He said as he looked around.
Buneary giddily twirled around, feeling like she was in absolute heaven. "(Oh I just love flowers! They're my most favorite thing ever!)" She happily squealed.
She couldn't see him because her eyes were shut in sheer contentment but she would've guessed that he was just looking at her, slightly bewildered.
"(Yeah it's really um...pretty.)" He said.
"(Oh I just need to admire them! Just for a moment!)" She said as she zipped over to some particularly beautiful ones, picking them up and holding them close to her face. Readying herself, she blissfully inhaled, taking in the heavenly aroma. "(These flowers are just so beautiful!)" She dreamily said.
"(Yes it is, but we've got to hurry up!)" Pikachu softly urged from behind her.
Turning around, Buneary took a moment to pose before holding the flowers close to her chest, a particularly enraptured smile on her face. "(But it's too beautiful!)" She merrily exclaimed as she wiggled her body back and forth in sheer joy.
Pikachu's ears drooped as he leaned over. He gave an exasperated smile before letting out a small sigh.
Blinking upon remembering that, Buneary didn't know whether to smile or frown. There was so much to think about that made her so happy: being alone with him, sharing some stories, getting to know him better and of course admiring some gorgeous flowers!
...
...Then again she sorta dropped the ball on the whole "mature leader" thing huh? After all, they needed to find their friends and there she was getting distracted by flowers. Seemed like as soon that happened, Pikachu resumed his typical leader role. Well shoot.
She felt her cheeks heat up although whether that was remembering that mischievous electric mouse or for showing her immature side again, she wasn't sure.
And the saddest part...was that wasn't even what she was most embarrassed about for that day!
Continuing their journey, Pikachu and Buneary arrived at the base of a large cliff and were greeted by something new: a cave.
Taking a moment to eye it up and down, Pikachu turned to her.
"(We'll need to pass through here to get to the top.)" He said as he waved towards the cave's entrance.
Hearing this, Buneary's expression turned into one of worry as she moved her paws up to her mouth.
"(A-Are you sure?)" She squeaked; her gaze locked with his.
Pikachu nodded back and looked at the cave entrance again. "(Hate to say it but I think so. It's probably the best way to get through this cliff.)"
Buneary peered into the cave but only saw darkness that seemed to stretch on forever. She suppressed the urge make a worried sound.
There were a lot of things she could do and handle but spooky situations are...a bit difficult for her. Especially when they involve dark caves, ghosts or potentially haunted places. She really, truly, didn't like this option.
Continuing to look into the cave, she didn't even really notice Pikachu's ears prick up before he looked back at her. Despite her attempts to stop herself from shaking in place, he must've noticed something because immediately he gave her a concerned look.
"(Er, Bun we don't absolutely have to go through it. We can probably find another way.)" He said.
Taking her eyes off the cave, she looked back at him. "(R-Really?)" She asked in a voice that was a little-too hopeful than she would care to admit.
He shrugged his shoulders. "(Yeah we could try another way. It's just...)" He paused before looking up towards the top of the cliff. "(...It might take us all day to find another route.)"
Buneary blinked as Pikachu continued to eye the cliff. What was she doing? Was she being a strong, mature leader right now or was she being a scared little baby bunny? What was there to worry about? She's tough, she can handle whatever's in there! Heck, maybe there's nothing in there at all! And besides, if she needs help, she wouldn't be alone!
Taking a moment to inhale silently and deeply, Buneary let out a quiet sigh.
"(Well...)" She said and waited for him to look back at her. "(If that's how it is...then let's go through the cave!)"
Now it was his turn to blink at her. "(You sure?)" He finally asked.
Steeling her resolve, she took a confident step forward. "(Yeah totally! Let's do it!)"
She wasn't sure if it was her confidence or sense of adventure but whatever it was, Pikachu smiled at her.
"(Well alright, let's go!)" He beamed as he turned to start walking into the darkness.
"(...R-Right.)" She said, feeling her body wanting to shake like a leaf again. Digging deep down to find her inner strength, she pushed away whatever fears she was feeling and started walking behind him.
As they continued to walk further into the cave, Buneary could see the light quickly disappearing and the cold darkness becoming omnipresent. She hesitantly looked around, trying to see how big the place was. To her surprise, the cave system was actually a bit bigger than she expected, large enough for stalactites and stalagmites to grow to sizes larger than the both of them! She heard the occasional droplet of water from the stalactites falling into small pools on the cave floor.
To her quiet shame, the further they went, the more her resolve began to chip away and her mind began to flood with all sorts of terrible things that they might encounter. A wild Pokémon, a ghost, a wild Ghost-type Pokémon and who knows what else?
Buneary closed her eyes and quickly shook her head, trying to rid her mind of those thoughts. She was just being scared and paranoid. She opened her eyes to see Pikachu marching on. Jeez, she needed to grow a backbone, look at him, he's not even fazed! She just needs to stay strong! Yeah. She'll just keep marching forward and...
"(Hmm?)" Pikachu muttered as he stopped to look behind himself only to see Buneary holding on to his tail. "(Something wrong Bun?)"
Buneary had impulsively reached forward to grab on and as soon as she did, she immediately felt safer. In fact, she was so content that she closed her eyes and gave the smallest of smiles. Upon hearing his question, her eyes shot open and she looked up at him. Their gazes locking, they stayed like that for a beat.
Thank goodness they were in the shadows otherwise he would've seen her face go as red as a tomato! Heck if this continued, she would probably glow bight crimson in the dark!
Blinking at him, her mind raced to come up with something less embarrassing.
"(Umm...I-I couldn't see very well in the dark a-and I didn't want to run into a stalagmite.)" She managed to say, feeling a strong urge to hide behind her fluff.
He looked at her for what felt like a long while. She wanted to shut her eyes again and just be somewhere else at the moment. All she could do was avert her gaze elsewhere and think the same thing over and over again.
"Please don't think I'm a coward, please don't think I'm a coward, please don't think-" She repeated in her head but as she kept at it, she heard him chuckle. A little surprised, she looked back up to see his smile through the darkness.
"(Well okay then! If you want, you can just keep hanging on.)" He laughed.
Instinctively, her grip tightened a little upon being given permission. She honestly didn't know if he bought her excuse or was just going along with it but either way, she was just glad that she felt a little safer.
She nodded her head and with that, Pikachu continued to lead the way.
A few minutes later, the two walked between rows of stalactites and stalagmites. In that moment, the whole cave system sparkled and was rather colorful. It would be pretty beautiful if it wasn't so dark and nerve-wracking.
Still holding onto Pikachu's tail, Buneary's nerves were mostly calm although she didn't dare let go just yet. Feeling a little braver, she thought about what would happen if they came across a threat or something potentially scary.
Maybe it was her purposely trying to be brave or perhaps it was simply because she was holding on to Pikachu's tail, but she was actually starting to feel pretty confident! Granted, she had a worried look the whole time they walked through the tunnel but still, she actually felt better about doing this! Here she was, a strong, brave bunny with a super tough mouse who didn't shy away from the worst of the worst! They could handle anything thrown their way! She would stare down the threat and-
Buneary's thoughts were interrupted as she felt something drip on the back of her head.
Her screams must have echoed throughout the entire cave system!
"(AAAHHHH!)" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, letting go of Pikachu's tail and standing in place, her eyes shut as tightly as she could make them. In sheer terror, she held her paws up to her mouth.
Startled, Pikachu stopped walking and looked back at her. "(What's wrong Buneary?!)" He worriedly asked.
Once again acting on instinct, Buneary jumped forward and buried her face in his back.
"(I felt something touch me!)" She cried out.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu muttered before he suddenly let out a rather high-pitched, if not somewhat girlish gasp. Just as quickly as he started, he stopped and a curious noise came from him.
Buneary opened her eyes and looked up only to see Pikachu staring at the cave ceiling. She followed his gaze as he eyed a drop of water come from above and land on the cave floor. Smiling, he pointed at where it landed.
"(It's just water drops!)" He laughed. "(The water is dripping on you!)"
Frowning, Buneary looked to where he was pointing. Feeling a wave of embarrassment, she took a step back.
"(I-I see.)" She muttered before she turned to look at the cave ceiling for herself.
"(Come on, let's get going!)" Pikachu giddily exclaimed as he marched forward.
Yeah they can...wait was he moving on without her?!
Whipping back in his direction, Buneary's eyes widened as much as they could go and she held her mouth agape in shock.
"(Wait for me! It's so scary in here!)" She screamed as she ran after him. As soon as she did, she held on to his tail again.
"(We'll be fine!)" He confidently declared. As they walked away, Buneary could hear another drop of water splash behind them.
Grimacing, Buneary rolled over and buried her head in the virtual grass. Ugghh, why did that have to happen...and why did she have to remember it again?!
Looking up from the grass, Buneary stared off into her virtual world. Jeez, she was doing so well too...
Of course, things ended up resolving themselves. After getting chased by a snover that Piplup had peeved off, everyone regrouped and found themselves at the river dam. After a bit of a struggle with Meowth's help, they managed to dislodge a log and got the water flowing. The rest of the day went pretty swimmingly after that and they enjoyed their time there. Still after how she acted in the cave...
So much for the strong, leader image. Not to mention that Pikachu once again witnessed a less-than flattering side to her. Groaning, Buneary put her head back down.
...And yet...the second opportunity she had to prove herself went even worse!
It was just yesterday when Dawn was leading the way to the nearest Pokémon Center to get her newest application for her Pokétch before 5 PM. Trying to save some time, the group found themselves about to walk through a cave only for a trio of particularly strange photographers insist that the group - all Pokémon included – pose for a photograph. Before anyone knew it, a group of graveler and golem using Rollout passed through, causing everyone to scatter and find themselves in a huge maze!
As things were going down, Buneary hopped through the cave system, this time no longer finding any sort of inner strength to be calm! Alone and running from a group of Rock-types, she didn't slow down for a moment until she found herself out of the cave and walking between large cement walls. Upon realizing where she was, Buneary looked back to see the cave entrance she had hopped through. Pausing for a moment, she didn't see anybody else coming out of it nor did she hear anyone nearby. Sighing, she looked back and began walking through the maze.
A few minutes went by and she was already starting to get frustrated. How big was this place?! Was this some sort of tourist attraction? Why else would it be here? Frowning, she stopped in place and uncurled her ear to listen if any familiar voices rang out. Her expression turned dourer upon being greeted with silence. Curling one ear, she pressed forward.
Some more time passed and Buneary kept hopping through the maze, sometimes coming to a crossroad and having to come up with a reason to choose one path over the other. More often than not, she arbitrarily made a choice and continued onward. She didn't exactly know how much time had passed but at this point she could hear some sort of commotion off in the distance. It was too muffled and chaotic to make out any particular voice but it was honestly better than nothing! Feeling slightly hopeful, Buneary tried making her way towards the racket.
As she journeyed, her mind went through all of her options but found very few. What exactly could she do differently than what she was doing now? Even if she did come across someone, how would they rejoin the others? In fact, even if they all met up again, how long would it be until they get out of the maze? Perhaps Staravia could fly around and-
Buneary snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing a familiar cry ahead of her. Was that...Happiny?
Rounding a corner, she saw the baby Pokémon on her back, kicking her tiny feet in the air as she was clearly having a fit. Eyeing the area, Buneary quickly walked over and gently placed her paw on the baby's cheek.
"(Hey, hey!)" She soothingly said as Happiny looked up at her, her cries coming to an immediate halt. Buneary smiled, glad that the little girl was okay and had calmed down. "(It's okay, I'm here now.)" She gently said as she slowly began to lift Happiny back onto her feet. Suddenly the baby Pokémon put on the biggest smile and jumped into her arms.
"(Yay! Things okay now!)" Happiny exclaimed.
"(Yes, yes they are.)" Buneary gently said back. Although she was calm on the outside, she was practically screaming with joy on the inside.
"At least she's okay. And hey, look at that! Another shot at maturity!" Buneary thought as she looked back at Happiny. Judging by how well things were going so far, she just needed to get them to safety or meet up with the others and she'll prove to herself that she's getting better at this!
Feeling her confidence surge throughout her body, Buneary put on a serious look and puffed out her chest. Glancing the area, she saw that their only option was one path to their right.
"(Alright Happiny, onwards! Stick with me and we'll meet up with the others in no time!)" Buneary declared with a paw confidently pointing down their chosen path.
"(Yay!)" Happiny cheered as she jumped in joy.
Heh, she's got this in the bag!
"(Tired!)" Happiny whined as she walked behind Buneary.
"(I know...you've said it three times already.)" Buneary frustratedly muttered without looking back.
"(Hungry!)" Happiny complained a little louder.
"(I'm sorry, I don't have anything to give.)" Buneary said as she quickly looked back to make eye contact with the baby Pokémon. It was a bit difficult to tell how long they'd been at it but it couldn't have been that long. Still, enough time must have passed because all of this wandering around was starting to get to her not to mention that Happiny's constant complaining was really making her head pound like a gong.
"(Want Brock!)" Happiny yelled as she waved her tiny arms in the air for dramatic effect.
"(Well we're looking for him, we'll find him soon I promise.)"
"(Want Brock now!)"
"(Now Happiny-)"
"(Now, now, now, NOW!)"
Buneary could only look forward and grumble to herself. Just stay focused, they'll find the others soon enough.
"(No more walking!)" Happiny yelled.
"(Look I offered to carry you and you said no!)" Buneary practically shouted back.
"(Noooo!)" Happiny whined suddenly plopping on her back and kicking her tiny legs in the air.
"(Happiny...)" Buneary muttered with her paws on her hips.
"(Too tired!)"
"(Okay well we'll just-)"
"(No fun! No fun!)" Happiny repeated, her voice only getting louder.
"(I know it's no fun but-)"
"(No mooooore!)"
"(Alright already!)" Buneary shouted, her composure quickly beginning to slip. She sighed.
"(Just a little bit further how about that?)"
"(Noooo!)" Happiny cried.
Feeling completely done with it all, Buneary could practically feel herself lose control. She was tired, lost, a bit scared and on top of that, she was developing one hell of a headache.
"(Look I'm doing the best I can!)" She yelled.
"(Not good at all!)" Happiny shouted, kicking her legs even faster now.
Biting her tongue, Buneary wanted to scream even though she knew it was wrong...
...But damn it she was going to do it anyway.
"(Oh yeah, you don't like how I'm handling things? Fine! I can just find everyone myself!)" She shouted, a prominent frown on her face.
"(Bunny no good! Want Brock!)" Happiny whined.
"(Well you know what?)" Buneary said turning away in a huff. "(Go find him yourself!)"
"(Fine!)" Happiny yelled as she suddenly got on her feet and adopted the same pose.
"(Fine! Good luck to you!)" Buneary snapped before hopping away. She could hear the pitter patter of Happiny's tiny feet move in the opposite direction.
Buneary didn't look back, she was just so absolutely fed up with everything. To top it off, she was too stubborn to show that she was considering changing her mind if only for a moment. Still, she dwelled on it.
"Humph! The nerve of that girl!" Buneary thought as she continued to hop further away. "All of that complaining, showing no appreciation. Who needs that? I certainly don't! I'll just find the others by myself!"
As Buneary continued on her way, she couldn't help but feel a small yet surprisingly strong compulsion to look back.
No! No way! She certainly didn't want to give Happiny the satisfaction of acting like she was concerned. After all, it's just a maze right? It's not like there are dangers here...aside from the commotion she heard earlier...
...
...B-But she'll be fine regardless! After all, she's super strong for a...a...b-baby...Pokémon.
...
...Ooooh...yikes.
For a moment Buneary faltered in her rhythmic hopping but continued anyway, lost in thought. As she continued to think it over, that iron-clad resolve of hers started to melt away and her incensed look gave way into a concerned frown.
"What am I doing? I just left her there! Yeah okay, she was being annoying and slowing us down but so what? She's a baby after all! She's not even like a month old!" Buneary thought, her hopping starting to slow down. Her frown deepening, Buneary's gaze focused on the ground in front of her as she continued. "This is wrong, I'm the adult here! It'll be frustrating but I need to go back. Yeah okay, I'll just turn around and-"
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by something grabbing her paw. Or rather someone.
Startled, Buneary stopped in place and slowly turned towards the culprit. Her eyes rested on Pikachu's tired face. The mouse was hunched over with Happiny on his back and his paw firmly gripped in hers.
All at once, every thought and concern that filled the bunny's mind evaporated like a single droplet of water on a hot sidewalk in the middle of summer. She couldn't think nor focus on anything else. She could only experience the sudden and fierce thumping in her chest at seeing that mouse's gorgeous face.
He was here! Him! Of all the souls running around in that maze then and there...well...to say that she was happy to see him would be the biggest understatement of the century. She was absolutely over the moon, around the sun and past the stars-elated!
As if by instinct, Buneary's free paw shot up towards her cheek and her eyes widened as much as they could go to the point where they could practically be replaced with hearts. All the while, her surprised look immediately changed into the giddiest of smiles.
"(Pikachu!)" She blurted out before compulsion took over and she jumped forward to hug him, earning a surprised cry from the mouse. "(You're here!)" She cried out in sheer joy.
She was so excited that she barely registered him giving a little, if not tired sigh. "(Hi there. Glad to see you're okay.)"
Breaking off from the hug, Buneary took a small step back although she didn't let go of his paw. "(Oh I'm more than okay...)" She said with a smile before giving him a wink (...now anyway~!)"
He gave a small smile. Buneary was about to say something else when her eyes took notice of Happiny on his back, watching them.
Buneary blinked. "(Oh, I see you have a traveling buddy.)" She sheepishly said.
Adjusting himself a little, Pikachu gave a little glance back to Happiny. "(Yeah, I saw her wandering off on her own. Couldn't have that right?)"
Buneary merely looked at him before her eyes darted towards the ground. "(...Right.)" She managed to mutter, unable to look either of them in the face now.
"(Well regardless, we need to stick together. I don't know what made you two fight like that but it's best if nobody wanders off anymore.)"
Drat...guess he saw that...well great...
"(R-Right...I-I...)" Buneary stuttered before her gaze wandered back unto Happiny. "(I'm sorry Happiny, I shouldn't have lost my temper back there.)" She paused. "(And I shouldn't have left you.)"
"(Sorry too. Just...tired.)" Happiny said with an equally regretful look.
She didn't dare to glace back at Pikachu's face but she could only imagine the disapproving frown he was giving her, having left Happiny by herself and all.
"(Okay, now that we're all friends again, can we please try to find the others?)" Pikachu warmly asked with a little smirk.
Hearing how chipper his voice was, Buneary's ears uncurled in surprise. Feeling a little courage in her heart, she turned to him and nodded her head. "(R-Right!)"
"(Alright, let's go!)" Pikachu declared as he led them forward. All the while, they never let go of each other's paws.
They spent some time wandering through the maze and regardless of how things started out, at least they were all together. As embarrassing as it was to admit, Buneary's dour mood was slowly but surely being replaced with sheer jubilation. Soon, she was beaming brighter than the sun and practically humming to herself.
It was strange. So absolutely strange. There they were, lost and separated from everyone else. Yet...she was so happy! Just mere minutes ago she was frustrated and miserable and now...
"(Only a little further to go I'll bet!)" Pikachu said in a half-whisper with a comforting smile. His words were accompanied by soft snoring.
Looking over, Buneary's smile only widened upon seeing Happiny fast asleep on Pikachu's back. Giggling, she uncurled an ear and reached over to stroke the baby's head.
"(Hee~)" Buneary softly cooed. "(Looks like someone's asleep.)"
Still smiling, Pikachu looked behind himself. "(Oh yeah, guess you're right.)" He chuckled softly. "(Pretty adorable.)"
Buneary quietly laughed. "(I'll say!)" Buneary said before something occurred to her. She began to retract her ear. "(Say Pikachu...)"
"(Hmm?)"
"(Thanks. For handling her I mean.)"
"(Oh no problem!)"
"(No really, I mean I guess I kind of...well...)"
"(I get it. Kids can be a handful, especially when you're alone.)"
"(Still...I shouldn't have left her like that. I was about to go back but I guess you beat me to it.)"
"(Well...next time will be different right?)"
Looking back at him, Buneary quickly turned away in sheer embarrassment. "(R-Right.)"
"(Right! So don't sweat it! Knowing you, you were probably worried about Dawn and the others.)" He beamed.
Her grip tightened ever-so-slightly as they continued on their way. She took a deep breath.
"(Well, thanks again Pika...I'm glad we met up.)"
"(Me too Bun.)"
Her smile returning, it took everything she had to hold back a squeal of delight as they walked through the maze, their destination not entirely known.
Buneary continued to lie on her back, staring at the vast sky.
Jeez...what a mixed bag of a day. On the one hand, she got to spend some more quality time with her favorite mouse. They were together again, making the best of things as they always did. Heck with Happiny there, it looked like they were a little family!
She felt her cheeks heat up at the notion and she put her paws up to her face. It was...nice...so, so nice. Things only got better when they reached a large stone pyramid with a little garden on the top. To pass the time, Happiny wanted to play house to which Pikachu and herself pretended to eat some flowers the baby had prepared. Her paws still upon her cheeks, Buneary smiled. If they didn't look like a family before...then...
Feeling her heart thump harder in her chest, Buneary let out a small giggle.
Yup, on the one hand, it was a pretty great day!
...
...On the other...
Her smile faltering, Buneary stared out into the distance, remembering how she had parted ways with Happiny. How she lost her temper. How she totally screwed up taking charge. Sure, the little girl wasn't making things easy and it was a really stressful situation...but so what? It didn't matter! In that moment, she should've been the one to push through it. She – a young adult – should have been more mature and not lost her cool the way that she did. And she certainly shouldn't have left Happiny behind like that.
Groaning, Buneary pressed her paws to her face again and started shaking her head. Ugghh what was she going to do?! She knew it probably wasn't going to be easy to be more mature and all but...
Sighing, she slowly sat up. Well, nothing much to do but just keep at it. Sulking is only going to make her feel more miserable. She looked around her virtual world.
Suddenly, Buneary heard some mumbling off in the distance. Seems like the gang was going to stop soon to make camp and probably start training. She sighed as she remembered the absolute most embarrassing part of this whole thing.
Again that all happened in front of him. Twice the universe brought them together in a situation where they were lost and isolated from everyone else. Twice she got to spend quality time with him.
And twice he got to see less-than flattering sides of her.
Author's Notes:
Wouldn't be a Lagomorpshipping fic without the maze episode right? It's probably the most well-known scene for our little community aside from Buneary's first episode. As a tribute, that episode got two chapters dedicated to it!
Don't worry Buneary, just keep at it and your man will come around!
Feeling like this fic was lacking a little on the PikaBun stuff so here ya go!
Much more to come soon and so many questions to answer! Will Pikachu ever make a decision? Will Buneary prove her maturity? What the hell is up with Ash's Alola face design? All of these (mostly) to be addressed on another chapter of About Her!