Chapter 19: I Can't Tell You Why

The next day, life at the cabin remained both quiet and peaceful with Pikachu recovering at a record pace. For the first day and half he had mainly stayed in bed, only leaving to use the restroom and even then with Buneary's help. Now, Pikachu was already able to walk around, albeit sluggishly, not for very long and still required some help but nonetheless he didn't have as much difficulty as they had originally feared.

As it turned out, the gash on his side wasn't too deep and thankfully appeared pretty clean. It actually looked to have nicked an artery or a vein which could have explained the initial bleeding but otherwise thanks to Buneary's efforts, it was healing nicely so long as Pikachu didn't move around too much. Perhaps those nasty berries she was feeding him were doing a much better job than she anticipated? Regardless, Pikachu seemed to be in pretty high spirits!

...Granted he was still in no shape to move around for too long let alone leave the cabin...but still, progress was progress!

Things were going at a fair pace until midday rolled around as the convalescing mouse was becoming stir crazy from being stuck in essentially the same room all day. Buneary did everything she could to keep his mind at ease whether taking the time to tell each other stories, getting him food and water or simply just being there for him. Still, she knew that she couldn't keep him from climbing the walls much longer. After all, a fierce battler like him could never stay in bed resting for too long if he could help it!

That morning, Buneary stepped out to pick some more berries from the nearby wilderness. Pikachu had recovered to the point where he could be left unattended for small periods of time so she figured that it was fine to gather some more snacks for them. She was hoping to find more Oran berries or at least find something that tasted better. It was risky enough that she had stepped out to gather berries the first time they arrived here but just like now, he needed to eat something to regain his strength.

Outside, the air was crisp and fresh, the rain having lasted the entire night and well into the morning. As she started the process of picking berries and putting them in a little wicker basket, Buneary mulled over their situation. She had to admit that spending all of this quality time alone with Pikachu was something that she – on some level to her secret shame – was enjoying quite a bit. Seeing him break down and crying to her was something that she honestly didn't expect from the mouse. Sure, he can be caring and shy but on the other hand, he was so strong and brave, one of the bravest Pokémon she'd ever known if she was being honest with herself. So to see him confess his feelings the way that he did...well...even though it was heartbreaking, it did make a spark go off in her chest at the thought that he could confide in her like that.

Regardless of how she felt about being with Pikachu, Buneary knew that the most important thing right now is deciding what the best course of action would be. Despite secretly enjoying having to spend so much time with him, there was nothing more that she wanted right now than for them to be reunited with their trainers and friends and get him medical help.

If she was still being honest with herself, she couldn't help but feel her heart break every time that she thought of poor Ash. Pikachu had mentioned that they'd been separated before, heck their first travels into Sinnoh started off with them trying to find each other again. But had they ever been separated for this long? And under such dire circumstances? She could only hope that this entire ordeal would be over with soon and everyone would be reunited.

But what could they do? For one, Pikachu was still too injured to travel very far so she was rather hesitant to leave right now. Plus, she wasn't too comfortable leaving him behind if she went out for help because who knows how long she would be gone for?

Second, that Aerodactyl might still be nearby. If they were to leave right now and crossed paths with it again out in the open...in the state that Pikachu is in...

...Throughout this whole ordeal Buneary had done her absolute best to remain resolute in her efforts to stay strong, to not show her concern and indeed she was quite successful however there were moments where that strength broke away and he saw how she truly felt. To her shame, he would make some obvious attempt to lift her spirits by telling her how, as a battler, he would often visit the Pokémon Center and be out usually the next day so something like this wasn't anything new to him. While this did actually bring a little bit of comfort to her knowing that he's so tough...at no point did he mention that things were this bad...that he was ever in as bad of a condition as he's in right now...as bad as he was when she found him. All that blood...

He may have been making incredible progress but if she hadn't gotten to him when she did...well...he would've surely...

Buneary shook her head, hoping to be rid of that horrible thought. At least here at the cabin, he could rest. Plus, they were under the protection of countless trees so that flying beast wouldn't be able to see them or easily land nearby.

She sighed...as far as she could tell, there weren't many options. Thankfully, after their little moment last night, she rummaged through some other drawers hoping to find some more bandages and ended up finding a brochure with a map of the surrounding area. If they decide to leave, then at least they had an idea of where to backtrack or where the nearest Pokémon Center would be.

She looked down at the ground with a grimace. Looks like it's settled then. They'll need to stay here a little bit longer, either until help arrives or until Pikachu is feeling better enough to travel. And if they did encounter that Aerodactyl again, then at least together they would have a fighting chance. Even if Pikachu was still recovering, her Ice Beam was both fast and effective enough to do some major damage. Hopefully though, it would never have to come to that given the mouse's condition.

Buneary looked up at the sky between the tree branches. It was mostly clear save for the pearly-white clouds that floated idly by. Still...Ash...Dawn...everyone must be losing their minds right now. Settling her gaze back on her basket of berries, Buneary took a deep breath and continued looking for more to bring back with her.

As Buneary searched for berries outside, Pikachu laid in bed, as he had for the past day and a half now. He looked to his right to gaze out the window.

"Ash..." He worriedly thought. He had agreed with Buneary when she said that it would do no good to constantly worry about everybody else, but as far as he was concerned, he was entitled to a little concern here and there for his best friend and trainer at least. He continued to dreamily stare out the window and watched the clouds go by. Despite everything that had happened and was currently happening, he was at least thankful that he was alive, that he can walk out of here relatively soon, that everybody was probably fine and...he was thankful for Buneary.

As he looked on into the outside world, he reminisced how he had broke down in front of her yesterday. How he had confessed his deepest vulnerabilities. He felt his cheeks burn at the embarrassing memory. Throughout his life, he had rarely...ever done something like that! The only other individual that usually saw that side of him was Ash. Even then that was different because he certainly didn't recall going into a hypnotic trance whenever things got so heavy. Speaking of which, now that he's been confined to his blanketed prison, there was plenty of time to think about...that. No real excuses or distractions to push it away now.

...

So...what was it anyway? That strange hypnotic daze that he would go into in times like that? In times with only her? And that equally bizarre feeling that he would feel when he was around her...like dynamite going off in his chest or being hit by a lightning bolt.

Pikachu turned his head back towards the room and looked down at the blankets that covered him. That all-too familiar feeling started with her double-battle after he saw her in that ice bubble vortex. When she hugged him and thanked him for helping her win even though he lost that bet. When he looked at her face which beamed so brightly that she could've lit up a darkened room. How it caused him to forget about his troubles...

That was far from the only time when he felt that strange sensation. The double-battle, the gala, Master of Song karaoke, the second bet and now this.

When he looked into her eyes yesterday, even though he broke down...he felt...safe...like he could say anything to her and it would be okay. Like he could be himself without genuine fear of teasing or judgement or embarrassment from her. He could just...be with her and it would always be okay.

He blinked upon thinking that. Being with her? He recalled when he first thought about that, ironically when they were in another cabin.

'That girl thinks the world of you.' Piplup had said.

'Sometimes, you just have to go for it!' Aipom told him.

His heart felt heavy upon remembering that. It only felt heavier when he remembered how he had accidentally asked her out on that picnic date. He just wanted to repay her for taking care of him when he was sick...or rather when he was being stubborn and made everyone worry about him. He wanted to do something nice for her but then again, he didn't have to offer the picnic date the way that he did. The cliff with flowers, her favorite snack, just the two of them. When he offered it up it just felt...right...and for some reason, saying that he didn't mean to ask her out just didn't sit well with him. It made his stomach feel like it was going to turn over.

...

"No. No, just stop being so stubborn and be honest with yourself. Just admit it already..." He thought followed by a trembled sigh. "Even right after asking her out, you knew. You knew exactly what you were doing. Why keep being afraid to just say it?"

Taking another steady, if not shaky, breath, Pikachu felt his heart racing as he sorted through what he was feeling. That settles it then. Even though he may not have been fully aware of it at the time...he really did mean to ask her out on that date. He wanted to repay her for what she did. Because she deserved it. Because...because she's smart, funny, caring...cute...

...And because she's amazing...

He blinked again.

And...

He asked her out because wanted to spend time with her.

Because...

B-Because...

...

Because they should be together.

He gave a surprised look upon thinking that. Wow, that was a bit...unexpected...to admit to something like that...

Pikachu firmly gripped the bedsheets as his mind continued to race. What exactly did this mean? Did he like her the same way she liked him? Was he simply curious about what would happen if he went through with this? And if they were to date...then...

"Don't think about the 'what ifs' is what she said." Pikachu thought, recalling Aipom's words of advice. While he didn't exactly know how he felt about Buneary, he was finally ready to accept that he was willing to give it a chance. Although he still couldn't explain why he fell into that trance and if it was something that he should come to expect if they started going out. He couldn't find a reason...those were simply questions that he didn't have answers to right now.

Strangely in that moment, it felt as though an anchor was lifted from his shoulders. Feeling a little relieved, Pikachu gave a light chuckle. "(Heh, well if that's how it is then...)" He muttered to himself with a faint smile. His ears pricked up as he heard the door open. He turned to see Buneary walk in carrying an assortment of berries of varying colors.

"(Oh hey! Were you taking a nap? Did I wake you up?)" She asked with a slightly sheepish grin upon seeing him.

"(No worries, I was just cloud-gazing.)" He said with a comforting smile.

"(Oh good, here's some berries if you want something to munch to on!)" She chirped as she put the basket on the nightstand next to him.

"(Oooh don't mind if I do~!)" He beamed as he reached over and grabbed the nearest one that looked tasty. He promptly bit into it but almost immediately his smile morphed into pure cringe as his taste buds screamed at him for making such a poor decision. Jeez, it was both sour and spicy! He nearly coughed but using all of the inner strength he could muster, he ever-so-slightly struggled before swallowing hard, albeit he did so with the strangest face. He let out a large exhale only to hear muffled giggling next to him. Oh great...

He turned to see Buneary covering her mouth and failing miserably to stifle her laughter.

"(Pffft! S-Sorry that was just...really funny!)" She said in-between her giggles.

"(Heyyy...)" He said, trying his best to act annoyed although seeing her laugh like that only made him want to smile. "(Wanna bite?)" He asked with a smirk as he handed the dreaded fruit to her.

"(Ummm, no thanks. I've got my own!)" She replied as she grabbed a different berry and gleefully bit into it. "(Mmmm, pretty sweet~!)" She said, emphasizing how tasty it was.

Pikachu rolled his eyes. "(Gee, thanks for finding the world's most sour berry for me to dine into!)" He said sarcastically.

"(Oh, you're welcome!)" She said with a slightly evil grin complimented with a wink.

Pikachu smiled back as he looked back at his berry. It wasn't that bad; he's certainly had worse. He shrugged and took another bite. This time, he did his absolute best not to make a face as he quickly chewed and swallowed.

"(Erm, if you don't like that one, you could grab a different berry.)" She said, a little confused.

"(Eh, it's alright. I can manage.)" He said with a slight confidence.

"(Not a guy who likes sour-flavored stuff huh?)"

"(It's not that I don't like sour stuff, I just wasn't expecting it.)"

Buneary giggled again. "(Well, you better eat all of that mister! Need to get your strength back as soon as you can!)" She said in her best stern voice.

"(Yes ma'am!)" He replied with a salute.

They both laughed. This was nice. Despite how crazy it had all gotten, laughing and joking like this made it feel like nothing had changed at all.

"(Actually, speaking of which, what about you? Do you like sour tasting stuff?)" He asked.

"(Me? Yeah I enjoy some sour stuff here and there. I also really like spicy stuff, something that gives a good kick y'know?)" She replied.

"(You sure you don't want this one?)" He asked, waving the berry in front of himself. "(It's sour and spicy! Right up your alley!)"

"(Ha! I think I'll pass for now, but thanks!)" She smirked before shrugging. "(If I wasn't eating something sweet right now I definitely would though.)"

"(Heh, well I'll keep that in mind.)" Pikachu chuckled.

"(Oooh for what? You plan on asking me out on another picnic?)" Buneary giggled as she took another bite out of her berry.

Pikachu felt his face burn upon being reminded of that. He felt even more nervous now that he'd accepted the truth of his intentions that day. He blinked again as a sudden thought came to him.

"(Oh yeah, speaking of which...)"

"(Hmm?)"

"(I'm...sorry.)"

Buneary was a little taken aback by his words. "(Sorry? What for?)" She asked, her head tilted in intrigue.

"(I mean I'm sorry that we'll have to hold off on that picnic date. I was really looking forward to it. But...looks like we'll have to do that another day.)" He said sadly as he turned to stare at the bed, unable to look her in the eyes yet he could feel her gaze on him.

"(Oh that? Don't worry about it! We can reschedule or do something else if you'd like!)" She said, not losing any pep in her voice.

"(Still, I'll need to make up for cancelling it.)" He said with a sheepish grin.

"(Ohhh don't worry your pretty little head! I'll tell you what, if it'll ease your mind, we can go another date!)" She laughed, prompting Pikachu to lose his serious composure and start laughing back.

"(Heh, well if you insist.)" He said with a smile as they continued to eat their berries.

As much as Pikachu and Buneary were enjoying the moment, the same couldn't be said for poor Ash and the rest of the gang.

"Whaddya mean they're not here?!" Ash screamed as he leaned on the counter, his eyes focused on the nurse in front of him. Despite his outburst, Nurse Joy didn't flinch nor break eye contact with him.

"I'm sorry sir, there's no record of a buneary visiting our center in over two weeks. It's been even longer since we've had a pikachu arrive here." She said, one hand clasped over the other.

"Well check again! Maybe they arrived and you didn't even notice!" Ash yelled back, barely being restrained by Brock and Dawn.

"Ash calm down would ya?!" Dawn shouted as she pulled on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry sir, we've already checked three times and there's no indication that either of your Pokémon have recently visited." Nurse Joy calmly replied.

Pulling away from his friends, Ash leaned further over the counter to the point where he was practically propping himself off the ground. "Well where else would they be?! We've looked everywhere! This would be the place they would go to!" He shouted as he pounded his fists on the counter. He grit his teeth as he looked down. "Why...why aren't they here? WHY AREN'T THEY HERE?!"

"I'm sorry sir, I wish I could give you an answer..." Nurse Joy said, a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Ash..." Brock softly said behind his friend. Ash turned back to look at him only to be greeted with a serious expression from the usually affable older boy. "If they're not here, they're not here."

Hearing this didn't bring any comfort to the young trainer as he pushed himself off the counter to give Brock his full attention. "But Brock, where else could they be?! This was our last shot!" Ash yelled.

"Not necessarily." Nurse Joy said, causing everyone to turn their attention back to her.

"Huh? What do you mean ma'am?" Dawn asked.

"Another location for people and Pokémon to gather is the police station." Nurse Joy said.

"Huh? The police station?" Ash mused as he turned back towards the counter. A sudden realization came over him. "O-Oh yeah! The police station! Where's that at?!"

"The nearest police station is two miles north of here." Nurse Joy responded. Ash merely blinked at her.

"That's...even further from camp..." Ash muttered as he looked down.

"Are there any other places people are regrouping at?" Dawn asked.

Nurse Joy shook her head. "In times like these, the only locations designated as safe zones are the Pokémon Centers and police stations." She said to which Ash looked back up at her.

"So you're saying that if, heaven forbid, something happened to our Pokémon, the only other place we should expect to see them is even further away from where we're camped?!" He shouted in sheer disbelief.

"You can use our telephone to call the police station from here instead of traveling-" She managed to say before she was cut off by the distraught boy who once again looked down at the counter and shook his head in dubiety.

"I can't do this Brock, I can't!" Ash said, his voice breaking. "If neither of them are there...if Pikachu isn't there...I...I don't think I can..." He managed to say before holding back a sob.

Behind him, Dawn wasn't faring much better. Hearing only more bad news and seeing her friend starting to break down took the wind out of her sails so to speak. She could only somberly look down at the floor.

"Buneary..." She said under her breath, clearly trying to keep it together herself.

"Hey..." Brock said.

Suddenly both Ash and Dawn felt a hand on their shoulders. Startled, they looked at the culprit only to see Brock's smiling face.

"We'll find them...both of them!" He confidently said as he looked between his two friends. "I promise we will! Even if it takes a long time, I'll be right by your side! You just need to have some faith and stay strong!"

Although they've heard those same words uttered before, it was certainly something they both needed to hear again in that moment. Wiping away a tear, Dawn gave a sad smile and nodded in approval. Brock smiled at her before they both turned back to Ash who had a slightly confused look. Taking a moment to gauge what they were thinking, Ash slightly nodded back.

"Okay." He finally said. Nurse Joy gave a slight smile at seeing their spirits being lifted a little. "Alright good, I'll make the call to the police station, ma'am where's the phone?" Brock asked.

"It's right over there, the number to the police station is in the booklet we provided." She said, pointing across the room to show a telephone on the wall with a video screen and a small book off to the side.

"Thank you, I'll be right back guys." Brock said as he turned to make his way across the room. As he did, a sudden thought came to Dawn.

"Oh and also..." Dawn said to Nurse Joy. "If our Pokémon do arrive here, can you please be on the lookout?"

"Of course." Nurse Joy replied.

Brock punched in the number to the police station and waited to hear someone else on the line. As he did, he looked over and saw that Ash and Dawn had taken a seat in the lobby, both holding on to each other, clearly trying to give one another some comfort. Still waiting to get a hold of someone, he gave a sympathetic frown and sighed upon seeing them.

They just needed to keep at it. No matter what.

Pikachu continued to lie in bed, fresh bandages covering parts of his body courtesy of his personal nurse. Buneary was rummaging through a cabinet, looking to see if there were napkins. As he lied on his back, staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but go over what he'd decided to do. He blinked and frowned upon coming to an embarrassing realization.

Three times. She has saved his life three times now! Officer Jenny's bike, the Aerodactyl the first time and now this. While he was certain that she would've done the same thing for anyone else, what kind of Pokémon would he be not to show his appreciation? He would need to think of something else to make it up to her.

And on top of that...after realizing his feelings on the matter...what kind of Pokémon would he be to not so much as give dating her a chance? Sure he was scared and probably so was she, but if things ended up working out, wouldn't it be worth it? Who's to say that things wouldn't be even better?

Struggling a bit, Pikachu lifted his head off the pillow to get a better look at the time. Almost eight o'clock. He put his head back on the pillow before his thoughts were interrupted by a shout.

"(Ah-ha!)" Buneary proudly proclaimed as she held up a bundle of napkins. Pikachu stared at her as she hopped over to his side and handed him some.

"(Thanks Bun.)" He said before wiping his face to clean off the berry juice. With some difficulty, he slowly sat up.

"(No prob.)" She replied as she reached over the bed and grabbed some of the berry stems that remained after their snacking session. "(So you were saying?)" She asked, not taking her eyes off her task.

"(Hmm? Oh yeah, so he ran in front of the flock of spearow, arms stretched out, ready for anything!)" Pikachu excitedly said, holding his own arms out for dramatic effect, one paw holding the remains of a half-eaten berry with a black stem. As soon as he did, Buneary placed the other berry stems on the nightstand.

She lifted her head to make eye contact with him, slightly surprised. "(Wow really? He was ready to get pummeled by them?)"

"(Yup!)"

"(So what happened next?)"

"(Well I was so taken by what he did that I ran forward, jumped onto his shoulder and then into the air. Then...)" He said, waiting for her full attention. "(Lightning struck me! And I let out a huge Thunder Shock!)"

A look of wonder spread across Buneary's face as she put away the last berry stem. Seeing her reaction, Pikachu couldn't help but smirk, his heart filling with pride.

"(That's...)" She slowly said before smiling. "(...Sooo cool!)" She beamed, her paws on her cheeks.

"(Yup, quite an interesting first day.)" He shrugged before taking another bite out of his berry. After he swallowed his food, he paused. "(Though...I guess we did ruin Misty's bike.)"

Buneary blinked. Then she started giggling. "(Just like Dawn huh?)"

Pikachu smiled. "(Yup...just like Dawn...and also May.)"

She looked at him rather surprised. "(Wow so three girls' bikes then?)"

"(Er...yeah.)" He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"(Just can't stop yourself huh?)" She laughed.

He looked at her, a little panic in his eyes. "(I-It's not like I go out of my way to do it! It just...sort of happens.)"

She laughed even harder. "(Uh huh. Sure. I'll bet it's that little mischievous part of you coming out every time!)" She said with a wink.

"(N-No I never...)" He started before suddenly yawning "(...try to do that on purpose.)"

"(Getting tired?)" She asked with a little smile.

"(Not really, I don't know where that came from.)" He said but something was indeed off. He actually did feel a little funny. A little...woozy maybe?

Trying to suppress another yawn, Pikachu attempted his best to steer back to the story.

"(Anyway that's when we saw it: Ho-Oh in the sky!)" He said, suddenly getting his second wind.

"(Ohhh, so that's what Ash was talking about! Dawn mentioned something about that!)" She excitedly said.

"(Yup, apparently it's so rare that many people think it's just a myth!)" He replied with a proud smile.

"(How exciting! I wish I had adventures that started off so memorable!)"

"(Heh, trust me, sometimes it's best to just have a normal day. After all, we just started our journeysh.)" Pikachu said before he realized how he flubbed that last word.

"(Huh? Jouneysh?)" Buneary asked with a raised eyebrow.

A little dumbfounded, Pikachu blinked. "(Er, sorry I meant journey. I...)" He said before yawning again. "(...Oh sorry, I don't know what's coming over me.)"

"(Looks like someone's ready for bed!)" Buneary giggled.

"(Yeah...I...um...)" Pikachu started to say before – to his surprise – his vision was starting to get slightly blurry and he felt a little dizzy. He shook his head to try and ward it off which worked but he could tell only temporarily.

"(You okay Pika?)" Buneary asked.

"(Actually I'm kind of feeling a little...off.)" He said, turning to look at her, the image of her starting to move back and forth a little with each passing moment.

"(Really?)" She muttered aloud before closely eyeing him up and down. After inspecting his wounds, she leaned back. "(Hmm, your injuries are fine. You didn't take any medicine while my back was turned did you?)"

"(No, just ate some of the berries you gave me.)" Pikachu said, pointing to the black stem in his paw.

They both looked at each other in silence, sharing the same thought. Pikachu turned his gaze back towards the stem.

"(Umm, Bun...you sure these berries were safe to eat?)" He inquired, still staring at the aforementioned fruit's stem.

"(Yeah, Brock showed us all sorts of berries we could find in the wild that were safe to eat.)" She said, also eyeing the black berry stem.

Pikachu looked at all of the other stems that were now resting on the nightstand next to the bed. Then it clicked in his head.

"(Hey actually...)" He said as he turned back to her, pointing at the nightstand. "(I recognized all of those berries except for this one.)" Pikachu said before lifting up the black stem that he was holding. "(What's this berry called?)"

"(Oh that? Umm...)" She said before putting a paw to her chin. "(...Actually I don't remember the name of that one. But Brock said it was safe to eat if it had a black stem.)"

Pikachu blinked at her. "(What do you mean?)"

"(Brock said that there are two types of that berry: one with a black stem and the other with a yellow stem. The black ones are safe to eat and the yellow ones make you sleepy.)" She said rather confidently "(He even gave us a mnemonic for it: yellow like the sun, you won't have any fun, if it's black you're okay Jack.)"

Pikachu just looked at her before turning back to the stem in his paw. "(Oh...well alright then.)" He said, a little disappointedly since he thought he was on to something. He shrugged and took a bite out of the last remaining bit of fruit that clung to the stem.

A moment passed before Buneary suddenly looked up and stared off into the distance, lost in thought.

"(...Or was it the other way around...?)" She muttered to herself.

Pikachu whipped his head back at her. "(Huh?)" He muttered before swallowing.

Taking another moment, Buneary blinked before she waved a finger in front of herself.

"(Nope, nope, it was the other way around. It was...yellow like the sun, you will have a lot of fun, if it's black, you're knocked out Jack!)" She excitedly pondered aloud. "(Yeah...)" She said with a little smile before turning back to him. Seeing Pikachu's dumbfounded expression immediately caused her smile to disappear. "(...Oh.)"

"(Buneary...)" Pikachu started, looking her directly in the eyes before lifting the black stem in front of his face. "(...I have eaten four of these.)"

She looked at the stem, then back at him, then back at the stem. Then she suddenly burst into a fit of giggles. She tried to cover her mouth to muffle her laughter but to no avail. In fact she was laughing so hard that tears started to form in her eyes.

"(You are gonna sleep goooood tonight mister!)" She managed to say in-between her giggles. He frowned before she managed to catch her breath. "(Don't worry, they're not poisonous or anything. Brock said that they'll make you sleepy and maybe a bit woozy.)"

Pikachu sighed, resigned to his fate. He tossed the stem onto the nightstand next to the bed. He looked back and saw that Buneary was desperately trying to get ahold of herself. Despite how ridiculous this whole thing was, he couldn't help but smirk a little. After all...her laughter was quite infectious!

Chuckling lightly, Pikachu rolled his eyes. "(Okay but if I start acting dumb, don't judge me.)"

"(Oh don't worry, I never do~!)" She said with a wink.

"(Good...wait.)" He said before he turned back to see her sticking her tongue out at him. They both laughed for a good while after that.

A little while later, Buneary had cleaned up the bedroom, putting the uneaten berries away and throwing the stems in the trash. After all was said and done, she turned off the lights save for the one on the nightstand and got into the bed next to Pikachu who by this point was starting to really feel the berry's effects.

"(Woaahhh...)" He stupidly said, waving his paws in front of his face.

Buneary merely looked at him. Oooh boy here we go. Looks like wooziness wasn't the only side effect.

"(This is...woooow~)" He dreamily muttered, the dopiest grin on his face as he stared at his own paws.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "(Need anything else Pikachu before we go to bed?)"

He shook his head rather slowly, still looking at his paws.

"(Alright then.)" Buneary said as she reached over to turn off the light next to the bed. "(Goodnight Pika.)"

She got under the covers, trying to make herself feel comfortable with her back to him. All the while, Pikachu let out an occasional dazed chuckle. As dumb as he was acting, she couldn't hold it against him. After all, it was her mistake.

"(Hey...)" He said next to her.

"(Yeah?)" She said, turning to give him a side glance.

"(I'm feeling pretty good right now~)" He dreamily muttered.

Trying to suppress a chuckle, Buneary couldn't help but give a little smile.

"(Oh I'll bet; you basically ate the equivalent of four cups of warm milk...with cough syrup.)"

"(Yeaaaahhh...this feels nice...)"

Rolling her eyes, she repositioned herself a little to get more comfortable.

"(Just try to close your eyes and go to sleep 'kay?)"

"(Okay...)"

...

Buneary felt her eyelids droop a little before Pikachu's voice rang out again.

"(Hey...)"

"(Yeah?)"

"(Thanks again...)"

"(No problem Pika...)"

"(You're amazing you know that?)" He asked with a surprisingly serious tone.

A silent moment passed between them. She didn't know what to say. How could she? She was totally caught off guard by that! Still, it didn't stop her breathing from suddenly becoming shallow, causing her to glance over at him.

Gathering her thoughts, Buneary tried to remain calm. She gulped hard. "(Huh? Hardly...I mean...I did feed you the wrong berry.)" She said, still glancing over at him.

"(No, no, not that. I mean everything else.)" He said, waving his arm in the air.

"(Hmm? What do you mean?)" She asked as she turned over to look at him.

"(Well I mean...you saved me. You...always save me...)" He said, looking down at the blankets.

Feeling a little embarrassed, she gave an awkward laugh. "(Well somebody has to do it!)"

"(Yeah...but you've done it...three times now.)"

She blinked at that. Oh yeah, she supposed that was pretty true. Huh. Seems like she really did often pull him out of jams.

"(Well...happy to do it Pika!)" She said with a warm smile.

"(Buneary...)" Pikachu started before he gave her a side glance. "(I'm...I'm really glad you're here. I'm really glad that you saved me.)"

"(I'm just glad that you're okay.)" She gently said, feeling a strange happiness course through her body, causing her to want to shake underneath the covers.

"(I mean it too! Out of everybody I can think of, you're the most perfect one be here with right now.)"

Feeling a familiar heat rising in her cheeks, she was still a little confused. "(W-What do you mean?)"

"(Well...)" He said, a faint blush dusting his face, visible even in the darkness. "(I mean Ash wouldn't really know what to do, neither would Dawn o-or any of the others probably. And Brock...he would know what to do but I wouldn't be able to talk to him so easily.)" Pikachu shakily said before turning to make eye contact with her before giving her the biggest grin. "(But you...you're everything I would need and more!)"

Buneary's mouth hung open a little and her heart started beating out of her chest. Lightly shaking her head, she put on a face, hoping to hide her surprise.

"(H-Happy to help!)" She bashfully chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head, looking away from him.

"(Seriously Bun...you're so incredibly reliable and smart! Anyone would be lucky to have you!)" He beamed, causing her to look back at him, this time her surprise was as clear as day.

Reliable? Smart? Gosh, she certainly didn't expect that! And from him of all Pokémon! Was she actually getting somewhere in her efforts to better herself?

She continued to look at him, unable to find the words to say back.

What was she thinking? Of course she has! She did save him and got them both to shelter not to mention took care of him all by herself! Like it or not, she was actually proving to be a reliable leader! And a pretty mature, responsible one at that!

Feeling like her cheeks were ablaze, Buneary tried to resist the urge to fully turn away in embarrassment. Her eyes wandered back to him. Seeing the genuinely warm smile upon that mouse's handsome face...nope that did it, she couldn't help herself. She promptly hid her face in the blankets.

"(Th-Thanks Pikachu. You don't know how much that means to me.)" She managed to say albeit a bit muffled.

"(Well it's the truth. You're incredible Bun. I wish...)" He said before he yawned. "(...I wish I had what you have.)"

Peeking from the covers, Buneary stared at him. "(What do you mean? What do I have?)"

"(Everything.)" Pikachu said with a tired smile as he leaned a little further towards her. "(You have it all, you're funny, you're smart, you get along with everybody...)" He said before leaning in a little closer.

Staring into his deep brown eyes, Buneary slowly took her face out of the blankets.

"(Pikachu...)" She managed to say, completely mesmerized.

"(And on top of that...)" Pikachu said as he reached over to brush her cheek.

Inside, Buneary was screaming to the heavens, her face practically emitting steam! The gentle contact of his paw against her cheek sent what felt like a jolt of electricity through her body, causing her to uncontrollably shake underneath the covers. And yet...she never broke eye contact with him.

"(Yes Pikachu?)" She asked, eyes sparkling, her face going completely red.

"(On top of that...you...)" He said before pausing, his eyes becoming half-lidded. "(You're so...)"

Buneary dreamily looked at him, her breath caught in her throat. She swore right then and there that her face was the darkest shade of crimson yet her heart was oddly calm and ready for anything. She leaned forward...

And then...

...His head gently dropped on her shoulder. She merely blinked at him as she started to hear him gently snore, already in a deep sleep.

"(Pikachu?)" Buneary whispered only to be greeted with another quiet snore.

She stared at him for a moment, then gave a sad smile as she gently brushed his cheek. Somewhere deep down he must have noticed her gentle touch because his lips started to curve into a little smile.

Well shoot. She really wanted to hear what that last part was. For a moment she considered shaking him a little to wake him up but immediately decided against it.

She continued to look at him, realizing that he probably won't remember much tomorrow anyway. Looks like that last part will have to remain as one of the great mysteries of the world.

Still, she didn't want to remove him from her shoulder for fear of waking him up. Lightly sighing, she snuggled up to him a little bit, trying to make herself comfortable once again under the covers.

When she finally felt like she got into a cozy sleeping position, she gave one last exhale before closing her eyes. As she did, she placed a paw on her cheek, the same one that he touched. It felt like it was on fire.

Suddenly, Pikachu stirred a little, mumbling something in his sleep.

"(I...know what to do...)" He muttered before lightly snoring again. She held back a giggle as she pulled the covers over them a little more.

After that, all was rather quiet save for the soft snoring from the handsome mouse snuggled up next to her. It didn't take long for her consciousness to ebb away into blissful sleep.

Before her mind drifted off, she managed to conjure one last thought with a smile.

"Heh, silly mouse."