Chapter 22: Certamente
Upon arriving at the nearest Pokémon Center, the same one that the gang had visited just the day before, Pikachu was immediately checked out by Nurse Joy. After an hour of inspection, the nurse returned to inform everyone that Pikachu's wound had slightly reopened and required new stitches however after a few days of rest he would be fine to travel again, barring any training or battling of course. To say that everyone was relieved would be an understatement, it had been as though an anchor was lifted off Ash's head...an anchor that had plagued the poor boy for several days straight. In fact, upon hearing the good news, the young trainer nearly lost all feeling in his legs again!
That wasn't all though: Nurse Joy herself was quite astonished at how well-treated Pikachu's injury was. Seeing how clean and well-stitched it was upon arrival made treating it at the center all the easier.
As Pikachu was put on a stretcher and wheeled away, Nurse Joy turned towards the group.
"We'll be sure to keep a close eye on his injury but honestly there's little that needs to be done. Whoever treated Pikachu clearly went to great lengths to care for it!" She said before eyeing the group. "Out of curiosity, which one of you is responsible for his treatment?"
Everyone stared amongst themselves before turning back to her, smiling in unison.
"Nope, not me!" Ash said.
"Uh, uh!" Dawn replied, shaking her head.
"I'm a Pokémon Breeder in training but it wasn't me!" Brock declared.
Nurse Joy looked confused before she saw Dawn's smile grow even wider.
"Actually, we can thank Buneary for treating Pikachu!" Dawn said as she stepped to the side to give the Normal-type the spotlight. As soon as she did, the little bunny was taken aback a little upon seeing all eyes on her.
Nurse Joy beamed upon seeing her. "Well my, my! Aren't you the talented nurse!" She said with a grin. Buneary started to blush and felt a strong compulsion to hide behind her fluff yet she didn't want to ignore the swelling pride that she felt in her heart. "Pikachu's a lucky mouse to have you!" Nurse Joy chirped.
"(He sure is~!)" Piplup said with a smirk and a wink.
"Yup! Knowing Buneary, she was all-too happy to take care of Pikachu...especially Pikachu!" Dawn laughed.
Nope, that definitely did it. Unable to take the kind words and implications, Buneary hid her face in her fluff. Everyone's laughter rang out through the center.
Three days passed at the center and Pikachu was given permission to leave and travel although he would still need to refrain from intense activities for the rest of the week. His recovery progress went so well that he didn't even need to wear a bandage at all times anymore!
Of course the entire time that he was convalescing there was a three-way contest of who would stay by his side the longest between Buneary, Ash and Piplup. By the time Pikachu was ready to leave the center, he practically had to check them to see if they were alright!
Before the group set out on the road, they were greeted by Officer Jenny who was specifically looking for them. As it turned out, after she returned Dr. Kenzo and the Aerodactyl to the museum, the mayor of Oreburgh City had requested for the fiery officer to locate the group, which was made easier considering the phone call that Brock made yesterday. Making a phone call of her own to Nurse Joy, the officer was stepping through the doors in no time to tell them some news.
The gang was astonished to hear that the mayor intended to throw them a public award ceremony for taking care of the Aerodactyl not once, but twice now! In addition, the city was hoping they would comment on increasing security at the museum so that such an incident can never occur again.
After a few minutes of discussing it amongst themselves, the crew agreed and before they knew it, they were being driven in Officer Jenny's vehicle back to Oreburgh City.
The award ceremony was held in the heart of town with the mayor giving the group the key to the city, which was an actual, literal giant key! While largely symbolic, the mayor did publicly announce that whatever the group wanted from the city, they could have.
It was there that Officer Jenny informed the group that the PLA shouldn't be a threat to the region anymore now that their leader is in custody. While several members of the group were detained as well, many others had fled the region, most likely to Unova. Despite the group seemingly being disbanded, Officer Jenny expressed doubt that they were working alone.
After the celebration, the gang stayed in their hotel room, debating on what they should do now. Since they were back in Oreburgh City, they were actually further from Hearthome City than they were just the other day! Not to mention, after all the chaos and dread of the past week, the last thing anybody was looking forward to were more crazy adventures! Even Ash of all people was up for taking it a little easy, and why shouldn't they? Despite his boundless enthusiasm, Ash's upcoming gym battle could wait a little while, Dawn's contest wouldn't be held for another few weeks and after that whole "Pikachu's ghost" thing, it was doubtful that Team Rocket would show their faces anytime soon.
So it was decided...the gang would take a little vacation!
...The only question was where?
It didn't take long for the answer to come in the form of a brochure from the hotel lobby courtesy of Brock which actually provided a golden opportunity for some R&R. Amongst the brochure pages was an advertisement for a trip by ship to a small island off the northwest coast, near Floaroma Town. The island – called Solare Island – was advertised as always having great weather, delicious food, amazing sights and possessing the uniqueness of old-world Sinnoh. Plus if they signed up, they would get special tourist IDs to buy souvenirs and eat at restaurants.
A quick boat trip to a beautiful island? How could they say no?
"Hey guys! I think I can see the island!" Dawn proclaimed as she leaned over the railing of the deck and pointed forwards. Ash, Brock, Pikachu and Piplup all raced to where she was standing to try and get a peek. Indeed, there appeared to be an island that broke up the monotony of the blue sea.
"Woah! Yeah, I think you're right Dawn!" Ash happily exclaimed.
Their excited shouting bought the attention of the rest of the passengers as they too began to walk up towards the deck to gawk at the little island. As the small crowd gathered around the bow of the ship, a female voice came on the speaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Solare Island, one of Sinnoh's few inhabited islands! The weather here is usually sunny with occasional warm breezes but almost never cold. Aside from the great sights and amazing food, Solare Island has the distinction of having parts that have been virtually untouched for the past two hundred years! Many people say that it gives off an old-world, historical feeling but there are plenty of modern places to shop and visit!" The voice rang out much to the intrigue of the passengers.
As the tour guide continued to explain all of the appealing aspects of the island, the ship continued to get closer to the point where everyone could see people walking along the beaches.
"I can't wait to see what the shops have to offer! I wonder if I can get something authentic and unique!" Dawn exclaimed.
"The food from this island is pretty world-renowned! I wonder if I'll get a cookbook!" Brock happily said.
"(Man, I wonder if the beaches are nice. I have to check out the coast!)" Piplup remarked as he continued to eye the island. Pikachu happily nodded in response.
As Piplup continued to gaze at their approaching destination, his attention soon focused on the beach. The tour guide had continued talking about the different aspects of the island but it was what she said next that caught his attention.
"And to your left, you'll notice Auguri Beach. It's become somewhat of a local legend around Sinnoh that couples who walk along it find love and are destined to be together forever."
Piplup's eye twitched upon hearing that. Find love and be together huh? He looked over to Pikachu who continued to gawk at the sight of the island. A slightly mischievous grin began to spread across the penguin's face and as stealthily as he could, he slowly and quietly backed away from everyone. Once he was sure that nobody noticed him, he quickly ran to Ash's bag and looked for Aipom's Pokéball.
After the ship finally docked and everyone got off, the gang gathered along the nearby beach to release all of their Pokémon. After everyone was let out of their Pokéballs, the three trainers faced them.
"Alright everyone! We all deserve a little unwinding so we're gonna go over what we wanna do first!" Ash declared to which everyone else nodded in agreement. Pikachu, as usual, was on his shoulder. "Okay, first if you're going off on your own, you'll need to have a partner and-" Ash started to say before he was interrupted by a voice behind him.
"Hey Ash, I really want to check out the stores and Brock wants to check out the market, do you see those things on the map?" Dawn asked from a few feet away as she pointed to the brochure she was holding in her other hand.
"Huh? Lemme see that..." Ash muttered as he turned around to walk towards them. Dawn handed him the brochure and after a few moments of looking at the provided map, it was clear that the young trainer was just as confused.
As the three humans debated over the map, Piplup subtly looked over at Aipom and gave a wink which was met with a wave of approval.
"(Say Buneary...)" Piplup said before pausing to get the bunny's attention. "(Can you come check this thing out on the beach? I just need a second opinion.)" He asked as enticingly as possible.
"(Huh? Oh uh, sure.)" She said, a little taken aback before walking with him along the shore several feet away.
Aipom watched until she was sure they were out of earshot and then turned her attention towards Pikachu who was still on Ash's shoulder, engaged in the discussion about directions. Smiling, she took a few steps away from the group of Pokémon who were all chatting away. Eyeing all of them, she took a deep breath.
"(Alright everyone listen up!)" She said in a loud whisper.
"(Huh?)" Said many of the Pokémon in unison as they turned their attention towards her.
"(We don't have much time so here's the plan...)" She started to say.
A few minutes later, Piplup and Buneary returned to the group.
"(I dunno Piplup, I wouldn't say that rock looked exactly like you...)" She said with a look of slight exasperation.
"(Whaaa?! Of course it did!)" Piplup said as convincingly as he could to which Buneary merely rolled her eyes.
"(Oh hey! We were just talking about what we wanted to do first!)" Turtwig said upon seeing them.
"(Oh yeah? Any good ideas?)" Buneary asked.
"(Well I wanted to explore the island from the air!)" Staravia proclaimed.
"(And I wanted to check out the coast.)" Buizel said.
"(Hey, that sounds pretty cool. I think I might wanna do that too!)" Piplup chirped.
"(And I think the rest of us are gonna do some shopping.)" Aipom said.
"(Oooh that sounds fun, I'm definitely due for some shopping too!)" Buneary excitedly replied.
"(Are you sure? Because Dawn mentioned that there was a big flower garden overlooking the ocean. It's supposed to be one of the highlights of visiting the island I hear.)" Aipom said, trying to hide a smirk.
"(Flowers you say?)" Buneary asked, her interest piqued.
"(Yeah, I figured it was something that you'd like more than shopping.)" Aipom said with a shrug.
"(Well...yeah, I'd definitely want to check that out first!)" Buneary said with growing excitement.
Before they could say any more, Ash and the others, including Pikachu, returned to the group.
"Okay we got it sorted out. Now you can all go exploring the island as long as you stay safe. But no matter what..." Ash said before lifting a finger. "Nobody goes off on their own. At least have a partner, deal?"
Everyone nodded their heads. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder to join the group. As he walked towards them, realization overtook Buneary's face.
"(Oh shoot. Umm, does anybody want to join me for seeing the flower garden?)" She asked, somewhat sheepishly.
"(Ooh! Ooh! I like flowers!)" Pachirisu exclaimed as he waved his tiny arm in the air. Everyone turned to him with disbelieving expressions.
"(Ummm...Pachirisu...didn't you say before that you wanted to go check out the beach?)" Buizel said, gritting his teeth while maintaining a smile.
"(Huh?)" Pachirisu muttered, genuinely confused.
"(Yeah! You already made plans. Remember?)" Turtwig said, nudging Pachirisu's shoulder. The little squirrel turned to him with the most confused look on his face. "(Re-mem-ber?)" The grass-tortoise repeated, forcing a smile.
"(I thought you said you were gonna do something different than Buneary so that-)" Pachirisu said before Sudowoodo suddenly covered his mouth with his branches.
"(Sandcastles!)" Sudowoodoo quickly said, smiling while trying to subdue the squirrel from getting another word out. "(We were gonna build sandcastles!)"
"(Sorry Buneary, looks like Pachirisu will be elsewhere.)" Aipom said with a bead of sweat on the side of her head, a nervous smile plastered on her face.
Buneary raised an eyebrow before merely sighing. "(Oh, that's too bad. I really wanted to see it...)" She defeatedly said, her uncurled ear drooping.
"(Well...I can think of someone else to help out with that...)" Aipom quipped with a more confident grin before turning to Pikachu who was standing in front of Staravia. "(How about it Pikachu?)"
"(Huh?)" Pikachu wondered aloud before Staravia suddenly used a wing to push him forward.
Pikachu took a moment to look back at the bird Pokémon who tried his best to appear innocent. As he turned forward, he noticed that Buneary had a look of wonder, her eyes wide and sparkling.
"(You will Pikachu?!)" She asked, clear hope in her voice.
Startled beyond belief, Pikachu took a moment to glance around and noticed that everyone's focus was on him, some were leaning in with hopeful expressions of their own. Those sly devils...
He turned his attention back to Buneary. Seeing the face she was making; he knew he couldn't say no to her.
"(Umm, sure. Sounds like fun!)" He finally said with a warm smile.
Buneary squealed and jumped forward to hug him. "(Oh thank you Pikachu! You're the best!)" She giggled as she nuzzled him. As she did, Pikachu could hear some suppressed snickering around them. He did his best to hold back a sigh.
"Alright, we're gonna go check out the shops first!" Dawn declared. "Anybody gonna join us or at least have a partner?"
"(I do! Right here!)" Buneary proclaimed as she took Pikachu's paw and held it up.
"Oh Pikachu, you're gonna go with Buneary?" Dawn asked with a knowing smile.
"(Y-Yeah.)" He said, a little embarrassed. He averted his gaze from Dawn only to see Ash giving them a concerned look.
"Pikachu's not coming with us?" Ash asked, obvious worry in his voice. Dawn turned to him, already knowing exactly what he was thinking.
"Ash don't worry, the island is really safe, there's plenty of people around and they know where we're headed." She calmly said.
"Yeah, plus Buneary will be there to be his bodyguard!" Brock laughed as Pikachu blushed in response, his ears drooping.
Ash continued to give a worried look before letting out a small exhale.
"Well...okay. Just promise me you'll be safe okay buddy? And if there's any trouble, come find us." He finally said as he handed Pikachu a brochure with a map.
"(No problem!)" Pikachu said.
"And take this." Ash said as he handed him a laminated ID labeled "Tourist". Pikachu looked at it before staring back at his trainer who smiled. "Use that to get into places or to buy things. Sound good?" He said before the mouse nodded in approval.
"Alright everybody, let's not waste any more time!" Dawn declared as she pointed towards their destination.
"(You heard her! Flowers here we come!)" Buneary squealed as she began leading Pikachu towards the flower garden.
Unbeknownst to either of them, the entire group – Pokémon and trainers alike – all watched them leave with knowing smiles.
Paw-in-paw, it didn't take long for the two to reach their destination: a humongous cliff overlooking the beach. On the cliff was a terrace adorned with flowers of all shapes, colors and sizes. Even along the way, the stony walls, stairs and roads that made up much of the architecture of the island were decorated with brightly-colored flowers, often in pots while others seemed to naturally grow where they were found.
As they got to the flower garden, Pikachu noticed how bright and clean the light gray tiles that made up the terrace were in contrast to the lush green that made up much of the foliage including several healthy trees. Before he could make a comment, he heard Buneary squeal.
"(Ahhhh~! I can't believe it! It's...so...gorgeous!)" She exclaimed, her paws covering her mouth as she hopped forward to get a better look.
Pikachu lightly smiled as he saw her look every which way. "(Heh, yeah, it certainly is.)" He said with a little chuckle.
Still whipping her head around, Buneary's excitement didn't subside even for a moment. "(Ooh, which flower should I check out first? Which...which?!)" She mused aloud.
He continued to stare at her yet his little smirk didn't go away; if anything it grew wider. Gosh, it's been a while since he'd seen her this genuinely excited and happy hasn't it? Well...she definitely deserved to get some joy out of life after the past week! And him...well...seeing her this over the moon really did make this whole trip worth it, and they were just getting started!
Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted as Buneary quickly looked back and locked gazes with him, her eyes filled to the brim with joy. "(Pikachu!)" She practically shouted.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu muttered, a little caught off guard.
"(Which flower bed should we start with?!)" She asked, a little too-excitedly.
He blinked at her. "(Oh, uhh...)" He managed to say before giving the terrace a careful look. Let's see, starting on his far left were tulips of all sorts of colors, then a little beyond there were roses, some black, others red and blue. Looking ahead, past Buneary, he could see purple...ummm...geraniums? Erm...and a little to the right were daisies...probably. Actually aside from a few obvious ones, he had no idea what any of these flowers were. So that being said...how was he supposed to decide? Blinking again, he looked to his far right. He saw that the nearest flowers were a vibrant mixture of red, orange, purple and pink. He inwardly shrugged. Those look as good a start as any.
"(How about those ones?)" He asked as he pointed towards the nearest flower bed.
Her gaze followed his pointing and rested upon the vivid array of colored flowers. Her eyes widened upon seeing it and Pikachu swore he could see even more life radiating from her expression.
Gasping, she hopped towards the flowerbed with him close behind. As they got to it, they read the little sign.
CALLA LILLY
"(Oh they're so beautiful!)" She squealed as she got closer to inspect them before lightly inhaling their naturally soft and elegant scent.
He wanted to chuckle a little again. Seeing her enjoying herself like that reminded him of that time they got separated from their friends. It was the first time he realized how much she loved flowers, so much so that they had to pause their progress just so she could admire them!
Heh, that silly bunny.
Twenty minutes passed of flower-admiring and all the while, Buneary's smile never faltered. If Pikachu wasn't mistaken, she must've taken the time to gush over and smell every flower at this place!
All the while, he himself occasionally took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty that the various flowers had to offer. He thought it was both strange yet lovely how one flower could be so many colors! But what really caught his attention was just how amazingly breathtaking the view was from here. The terrace had given them a good view of the ocean yet allowed for a wonderful look at the island itself. The rocks and cliffs that made up so much of the island were a bright shade of white that allowed the rays of the sun to bounce off and give them a shiny, if not iridescent appearance. Not to mention, the sands of the beach absorbed much of the heat, giving the island an overall warm and welcoming look. The ocean itself was a deep sapphire blue and despite there clearly being other people and Pokémon around, it was oddly quiet and serene.
After admiring practically every flower in the area, Buneary's ears drooped a little.
"(Aww, I think that's it...)" She said somewhat wistfully.
Eyeing the area again, Pikachu noticed that in the middle of the terrace was another little flowerbed, one that had a narrow stone walkway through it. He was sure that they hadn't checked it out yet.
"(Hey what about that one?)" He asked, pointing towards it.
Buneary turned to see what he was talking about and upon resting her eyes on it, her spirits were immediately lifted.
"(Oh I didn't even see that!)" She beamed before taking his paw again, the sudden action causing his face to redden a little. "(C'mon!)" She shouted as she led him towards the little flowerbed. He tried not to gasp in surprise.
As they walked through the flowerbed, Buneary took some time to do her usual admiring but as she did, Pikachu noticed a sign off to the side.
VISITORS ARE ALLOWED TO PICK THE FLOWERS OF THIS FLOWERBED
Pikachu stared at the sign to make sure that he was reading it correctly. He looked back at Buneary who was clearly too busy to pay it any mind.
"(Hey.)" He said, waiting for her to turn around.
"(Hmm?)" She dreamily muttered.
"(Check it out.)" He said as he motioned towards the sign.
She looked up and silently mouthed what it said before her face brightened. He was slightly taken aback as he saw her eyes sparkle...just like the last time. Before he could go into that all-too familiar hypnotic daze, he heard her squeal again.
"(Oohh! I simply have to! Should I? I think I should!)" She cried out before darting between all of the available flowers. "(Which one though? They're all so beautiful! I should only pick one right?)" She rambled as her head whipped in every direction around them.
Calmly, Pikachu looked around the little flowerbed that surrounded them when a particular specimen caught his eye. He walked over to get a better look. They were a brilliant pink with a bright yellow center. Looking back at Buneary, Pikachu could see her still trying to decide. He looked back at the flowers and smiled; they were just her color. His gaze slowly drifted up towards a sign.
VIOLA/VIOLET
"(Which ones? Which-)" Buneary muttered before she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Pikachu's smiling face. She blinked, not exactly understanding what to expect but she noticed that he was holding something behind his back. Before she could say anything, he put his arms out and held something in front of her. She looked down and nearly gasped at the most beautiful flower she'd ever seen! Immediately, her paws covered her mouth.
"(I think we have a winner!)" He chuckled.
"(It's...it's gorgeous! For me?!)" She asked as she made eye contact with him. He smiled and nodded. "(Oh Pikachu~!)" She giggled as she began to reach out for it but before she could, Pikachu suddenly reached over and placed the vibrant pink flower in the fluff atop her uncurled ear. "(Huh?)" She wondered aloud as Pikachu leaned back to get a good look.
"(There, perfect! It's just your type!)" He said with a satisfied grin. Seeing her slightly confused reaction, he pointed towards a little pond nearby. "(Go check yourself out!)" He chuckled.
Feeling her own ear, Buneary hopped over to the pond and saw her reflection. Needless to say, she liked what she saw.
"(Oh my gosh, I look so adorable!)" She cried out, paws on her cheeks.
Pikachu beamed at her reaction. His ears suddenly twitched as he noticed something.
"(Oh wait...)" He said as Buneary turned back to look at him. "(You'll need two!)" He chirped as he turned back to pluck another pink violet and walked over to her. Gently, he placed it atop her curled up ear. After he was done, Pikachu took a few steps back to get a good look again. "(There!)" He said, his smile returning.
Buneary quickly looked back at her reflection. Again she immediately covered her mouth with her paws to stifle a squeal yet Pikachu could still clearly hear it. He swore that he could see tears practically forming in her eyes.
Once she was done staring at her reflection, Buneary looked back at him, quickly hopped over and promptly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"(Oh thank you Pikachu! They're so beautiful!)" She exclaimed.
"(No problem Bun.)" He beamed, returning her hug.
As she hugged him, her eyes took notice of the sign describing the violets behind him. Taking a moment to read the description, she started to giggle.
"(Hmm? What's so funny?)" He asked as she broke the hug.
"(Oh nothing, just...according to that sign, violets are given as a gesture of love and affection!)" She laughed as she pointed at the aforementioned sign.
Ears pricking up again, Pikachu looked back at the sign and saw the description. He noticed the words "love", "affection", "faithfulness" and "weddings". A sudden hot, electrifying feeling shot through his body. Oh legends above, he had only read the title...he didn't think to read the rest of the description!
"(Oh...I-I...umm...)" He stuttered, feeling his body practically turning crimson.
"(Trying to tell me something Pika~?)" She cooed with a wink.
"(Th-That's...th-those...y-you...)" He stuttered again. Good grief, every time he tried something nice, it always came back at him!
"(Hee~! I'm just kidding! C'mon, let's head out, there's something else I want to see!)" She giggled as she took his paw.
Feeling a little relief, Pikachu didn't resist as they started heading out of the flower garden.
"(S-Sure...)" He managed to say under his breath, trying to hide the blush beginning to appear on his face.
"(Here we are!)" Buneary declared as she stepped forward.
Pikachu looked up and blinked a few times at the building in front of them. It looked to be made of marble, the roof and columns that comprised it being elegantly sculpted to perfection. The whole building looked like it was in that style Brock and Dawn mentioned a few times on the way over here. What was it called? Baroque? Aside from that, Pikachu's eyes focused on what was inscribed near the top of the building.
MUSEO DEL PENSIERO/MUSEUM OF THOUGHT
He blinked again. Museum? Like for art and sculptures? He looked back at Buneary who was practically jumping in sheer excitement.
"(A museum?)" He inquired as he stared at her.
"(Yes! I always wanted to go to one! I've heard all sorts of stories about how amazing artwork can be and the meanings behind them!)" Buneary beamed as she turned to him.
Pikachu continued to look at her. "(Huh, didn't take you for the artsy-type Bun.)" He chuckled.
"(Hey, I'm more than just a cute face y'know?)" She winked.
He couldn't help but laugh a little. "(Oh trust me I know.)"
She smiled back. "('Kay, so I definitely wanna check it out!)"
Pikachu looked back at the building behind her. Of course he wanted to see her happy...but art? He wasn't much of a connoisseur of the art world; in fact, he didn't really know the first thing about it if he was being honest. Definitely a far cry from the world of training and battling that he's used to.
As he continued to stare at the building, Buneary's ear dipped a little.
"(Er, well we don't have to if you don't want to...)" She said, a little disheartened.
Snapping out of his trance, Pikachu looked back at her, his eyes widening, and defensively waved his paws in front of himself. "(N-No I didn't mean that! It's just that...)" He said as he embarrassedly tapped his paws together. (...I don't know much about art.)"
She looked at him. He swore that it felt like the entire world was staring right at him. He couldn't help but feel incredibly small at that moment. Thankfully for him, that agonizing feeling left as soon as he heard her giggle. Looking back up, he could see her covering her smiling face with a paw.
"(Hee~! That's okay, I'll explain things to you!)" She laughed as she removed her paw from her face, revealing her bright grin.
Feeling his heart beating out of his chest, Pikachu tried to maintain eye contact with her.
"(O-Okay.)" He said, face feeling a little hotter.
"(Alrighty then, let's go!)" She exclaimed as she took his paw and led him inside.
After using their tourist pass to get inside, Pikachu and Buneary walked through the museum which was so clean and shiny that it was borderline reflective all throughout. As was expected for a museum, they stopped to look at paintings that had a description of the artist and the background of the work. Once in a while, Pikachu tried to understand what meaning could be deciphered from the artwork although sometimes it was so vague or abstract that Buneary needed to explain things just as she promised.
As they continued through the exhibits, it became clear that the museum housed an abundance of artwork from paintings to sculptures, sometimes Pokémon, sometimes people, oftentimes both. Eventually they stopped at a painting of a silhouette of what appeared to be a woman although upon closer inspection it could've easily been a humanoid-appearing Pokémon. The figure was on their hands and knees at the edge of a rather shallow coastal bluff overlooking the ocean and the moon shining above them. Pikachu looked down at the title.
ANCOR NON TORNA/AND SHE NEVER RETURNED – ALFONSO SIMONETTI
He looked back at the painting and upon seeing it again, he was filled with an intensely depressing feeling.
"(Like that one huh?)" Buneary asked behind him, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. Pikachu could hear her cackling before he even turned back around. He saw her covering her mouth, obviously trying not to make a scene.
Catching his breath, he turned back towards the painting, still trying to keep his cool. "(Well, I dunno about liking it. It actually looks pretty depressing to be honest.)" He said, hoping to avoid the subject of being easily startled.
She finally calmed herself down and looked at the painting before shrugging. "(Yeah, a lot of artists are pained souls. Not to mention that it was made like a hundred years ago so times were probably tougher back then too.)"
"(Hmm, guess I prefer the more uplifting kind of stuff.)" He said with a smirk. "(You know like bright colors and exciting events.)"
Buneary lightly rolled her eyes with a smile. "(I'll bet you do! You're a pretty positive kind of guy!)" She laughed before they continued looking at other paintings.
It didn't take long for them to come across another painting that fully caught Pikachu's attention. This one was of a smeargle on his knees holding onto the arm of a lopunny who was clothed in attire that Pikachu didn't recognize. It was black and white, covered her entire body and looked rather conservative. Looking to the side, Pikachu read the sign with the title of the painting.
UN PITTORE E LA SUA MODELLA/A PAINTER AND HIS MODEL – PIETRO ALDI
Again, Pikachu stared at the artwork, trying to decipher its hidden meaning. He furrowed his brow as nothing in particular came to mind. Was the smeargle confessing his love? Was he just trying to get the lopunny to model for his artwork? What's the story behind-
"(Another masterpiece catch your eye?)" Buneary whispered behind him, nearly causing him to jolt upwards which was stopped only through his sheer will not to be embarrassed again.
As soon as he could, Pikachu looked back at her who was stifling another giggle. He cleared his throat and turned back to the painting.
"(Yeah, this one's a little less depressing than the last one but I'm not really sure what it's supposed to mean.)" Pikachu said as he stared at the work of art.
"(Oh that's easy!)" Buneary beamed as Pikachu looked back at her.
"(Huh? It is?)" He inquired.
"(Yeah! So the smeargle is confessing his love for that beautiful young lopunny. The problem is that she doesn't know how she feels back and so...)" Buneary said before she started going into more detail about the underlying themes of the painting.
As she continued to excitedly explain the subtle meanings behind the artwork, Pikachu silently looked at her. A small smile crept across his face as he saw her beaming, excitedly describing the intricacies of a work of art made a century ago, her eyes sparkling and paws waving through the air in sheer enthusiasm. Pikachu's gaze drifted a little upwards and he noticed that atop her ears, she was still wearing the pink violets that he gave her. Wow, obsessed with flowers and yet an aesthete to the point where she can discern something that he himself can barely comprehend?
Heh, she really is a silly bunny. She...
Pikachu's eyes widened a little upon being struck with a realization.
Was he...? Was he...actually enjoying himself?! Normally that wouldn't be unusual as he often found enjoyment in most activities with those that he liked but what made it so strange was that he was having such a good time in a place where he typically wouldn't. In fact, he also had a lot of fun back in the flower garden too...
...Both times with her.
Pikachu's heart began to thump harder as he remembered something...something he thought to himself a while back. No matter what they were doing or where they were, he always had fun with her! Here he was; in a museum looking at old paintings by artists he'd never heard from and before that he was admiring flowers! It was the kind of stuff he didn't expect to find enjoyment in and yet...he's having a great time! If this wasn't proof that they could always have a great time together then he wasn't too sure what would be!
...And it's because of her. It didn't matter what it was, as long as he was with her, he found enjoyment in all of it even if it was just seeing her happy expression. When she was happy...he was happy. Surely if she made him feel like this all the time...then...maybe...they can...
Suddenly Pikachu felt his face begin to redden and he found himself unable to look her in the eyes. Legends above, what was happening to him?!
Two hours later, the duo left the museum, Buneary being fully satisfied with everything it had to offer. They soon found themselves traveling along the sidewalk of a town. The roads and sidewalks appeared to be made of some sort of cobblestone and it was pretty clear that they had been well-maintained throughout the years. Just like the tour guide on the boat had said, it certainly gave an old-world feel to everything. The hustle and bustle of locals and tourists was still oddly somewhat calm and quiet even with the occasional vehicle driving past them. All the while, the sun shined upon the island, basking it in a gentle warmth.
And as they walked through the town, they never let go of each other's paws.
Their journey came to a sudden stop when something caught Buneary's eye off to the side.
"(Hey check it out!)" She said, pointing towards a little shop next to them and stopping in her tracks.
"(Hmm? What's up?)" Pikachu inquired as he looked at the shop, taking notice of a sign in the window.
AUTHENTIC SOUVENIRS
Ooh boy, he had an idea of what to expect next.
"(We should get something to commemorate our visit!)" She beamed.
Pikachu chuckled. "(Sure why not?)" He said shrugging before she led them in.
As soon as they entered, their eyes darted around. It looked to be a quaint little shop with some knick-knacks throughout it but other, more interesting-looking stuff located further into the store. Before Pikachu could say anything, he could see Buneary move one paw up to her cheek in wonder, her other paw still in his.
"(Oooh, I wonder where to start?)" She mused aloud.
Looking around again, Pikachu wondered the same thing.
"(Well, I guess we can just look around and whatever looks good we can use the ID Ash gave us.)" Pikachu said.
"(Okay!)" Buneary beamed with a nod before letting go of his paw. With that, they began to look in different parts of the store.
A few minutes later, Pikachu found himself in an aisle, combing through anything that might look interesting. So far, he just found little things like refrigerator magnets, lanyards and some postcards. As he continued to look, a sudden idea popped into his mind.
Wait a minute, how about instead of getting something for himself...maybe he can get something for her? After all, she's done so much for him, it's only fair that he get her something in return, even if it's from a little shop here on this island! As long as it's thoughtful and perhaps unique, it would be a good gift! It was a start!
Pikachu smiled to himself, oddly proud of his idea. It would be a nice little surprise for her!
He walked into the next isle and immediately saw something interesting: an entire row of garden seeds of all kinds. Flowers, fruits, vegetables and whatever else that was capable of growing in the ground. Pikachu walked towards the section to get a better look. He saw options for watermelons, squash, daisies, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, mango-
Wait...cherry tomatoes?!
Pikachu blinked upon seeing that and immediately grabbed the bag. The front cover showed a rather unique-appearing sunburst-colored tomato. His eyes scanned what the little bag said.
SOLARE CHERRY TOMATOES-NATIVE ONLY TO SOLARE ISLAND! RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR ITS SWEET AND SLIGHTLY ZESTY FLAVOR. A STAPLE IN SOLARE CUISINE.
Interesting...actually come to think of it, Pikachu had heard of good food coming from this island. According to Brock, Solare Island was pretty renowned for its dishes, many of which had cherry tomatoes...
THIS was what they were made from?! The cherry tomatoes here were so good that it made this little island famous for its food?!
Blinking again, Pikachu gave a little smirk. Heh, well if that's true...then-
"(Hey buddy!)" A familiar voice rang out from behind him.
Pikachu yelped in surprise, jumping in place and nearly dropping the bag of seeds. He turned around to see Piplup staring right at him with the biggest grin on his face, no doubt smiling at his misfortune. He was holding a little book in his flippers.
"(Oh hey.)" Pikachu muttered, his face feeling a little warmer. "(What are you doing here?)" He asked, hoping to not dwell on the subject of being too-easily startled just like before.
Still grinning, Piplup twirled his flipper. "(Oh just browsing to see what I can take back with me. Aipom's waiting outside so I said I'd be quick. Check it out, I got this book of phrases and other stuff the locals say and do around here!)" He said as he waved the little book in front of himself. "(How about you? Enjoying your day with Buneary?)"
Pikachu's ears pricked up at hearing that. "(Er, uh...yeah so far so good.)"
Piplup opened his beak to say something else when something else suddenly caught his attention.
"(Oh, what's that? A bag of seeds?)" He inquired, pointing at what Pikachu was holding. "(And for cherry tomatoes no less? Funny, I thought you were more of a ketchup-kind of guy.)"
A sudden chill went up Pikachu's spine and he felt the strong urge to hide what he was holding, not like it would help at this point.
"(I-I well...you see...)" He managed to stutter before Piplup began chuckling.
"(No need to explain things to me pal! We both know who that's for!)" He laughed.
Pikachu merely stared at him, unable to come up with anything. He could only sigh in response. "(Okay you got me, it's for Buneary. It's just that...you know...I-I figured it would be something nice to give...)"
"(Giving each other little gifts eh? Heh, you two I swear...)" Piplup smirked as he shook his head.
"(W-What do you mean by that?)" Pikachu asked, suddenly feeling very nervous though he couldn't explain why.
"(C'mon man, don't act like you don't already know. You're spending the day together and you're getting each other gifts. Do I need to draw a diagram for you or something?)"
Pikachu slunk back, more embarrassed than ever. "(Well, to be fair, she doesn't know that I'm getting her this...)"
"(Still, my point stands. Why not just go through with it already? I mean, you seem like you're interested...right?)"
Looking around to check if she wasn't around, Pikachu turned back towards Piplup and deeply inhaled. "(W-Well I mean I...)" Pikachu managed to say before averting his gaze down to the bag of cherry tomato seeds in his paws.
"(C'mon Pikachu just commit to it!)" Piplup said with sudden fiery determination and earning the mouse's attention again. "(Rip the band aid off! Point of no return! You need to...)" He said before quickly opening the book he was holding and flipping through some pages. "(Cross the Rubicon as they say!)"
Pikachu merely stared back at him. Cross the what now? Clearing that thought from his head, he looked down at the floor.
"(I'm just a little...you know...)" He managed to mutter.
"(Nervous?)" Piplup asked, finishing what Pikachu was going to say. Still staring at the floor, the mouse nodded in approval. Giving a knowing look, Piplup smiled and set the book aside. "(Don't worry Pikachu, I'm sure anybody would be. It just means that you care! The important thing is that you're interested and that you're sure that this is something that you both want. So...do you want this?)"
Taking a moment, Pikachu slowly looked back up at his friend.
"(I mean...I think I do. It's just that-)"
"(You're not sure how it's gonna turn out? Seeing how you two are together, it's hard to imagine it'll be anything but great times ahead!)" Piplup confidently remarked. "(Pikachu...I know it's a tad cliché but sometimes you just need to say what's in here.)" He said patting a flipper against his chest.
Pikachu blinked at him. Then, as if some strange fire was burning in his chest, he felt reinvigorated. Seeing his friend's determination, the mouse suddenly felt a torrent of words come tumbling out of his mouth.
"(Yeah but it's only if I'm interested right? I mean...I am interested a-and I've given it a lot of thought before. I mean...I do like Buneary a lot and I'm sure we'd make a great couple...yeah!)" He suddenly blurted out in a somewhat high-pitched voice, causing Piplup to jerk his head back a little at seeing the mouse ramble to himself. He continued to remain silent as he watched his friend continue his ranting.
"(And sure, things will probably be great if we start dating but it's all so sudden to me and it's not like I've wanted to do this for a long time...it's just that, you know, I-I have wanted to go through with this for a while now and I...)" Pikachu rambled before suddenly stopping, realizing what he just said aloud. Piplup's eyes widened as much as they could go upon hearing his friend's confession.
He's...wanted this for a long time...?
Suddenly feeling lighter, a strange warmth coursed throughout Pikachu's body and he began to hold his mouth agape in sheer shock.
"(Oh my god...)" He muttered. He quickly turned back to Piplup. "(Why didn't you tell me?!)" He suddenly shouted.
Taken aback, Piplup blinked in surprise. "(W-We thought you knew!)" He yelled back.
"(We?!)" Pikachu exclaimed in disbelief.
"(Yes we all know, we talk about it all the time!) Piplup blurted out. "(I mean c'mon, it's so obvious! You two have acted like a couple since practically day one!)"
"(Oh god...so does Buneary...?)" Pikachu asked, pointing in a random direction.
"(Oh, well Buneary's more like wishful thinking, I don't think she knows anything.)" Piplup said with a little pep in his voice. "(But you can explain things to her...once you're together of course~)" He said with a wink. Pikachu continued to look at his friend, his heart thumping hard in his chest.
Once they were...?
"(Oh...wow.)" Pikachu muttered, looking back at the floor. He couldn't believe it; has he really felt this way for so long?
"(Sooo...)" Piplup said, taking a step forward.
"(Huh?)" Pikachu wondered aloud, looking back at his friend, his mind clearly elsewhere.
"(When are you gonna ask her?)" Piplup asked, obvious hope in his voice.
Feeling his face warming again, Pikachu suddenly felt himself shaking in place.
Ask her? Actually ask her t-to be his...
"(Er, I-I don't know.)" Pikachu managed to say, feeling slightly ashamed. He looked away again.
"(Pikachu...)" Piplup said. "(Not that you're exactly looking for my advice but...how about tonight?)"
Pikachu's ears pricked up again upon hearing that and he looked back at the penguin, surprise dominating his face.
"(T-Tonight?)" He asked.
"(Yeah! I mean, why not? You've spent the day together, you know how you feel, and you're on a beautiful island while on vacation! It's perfect! And as for the location, I'm talking something really nice and romantic! It can't just be randomly blurted out you know? It needs to be special!)" Piplup declared, a strange passion in his voice and a fire in his eyes.
Pikachu looked at him. To say that he was a little surprised was an understatement. Well perhaps he shouldn't be. After all, Piplup was one of the friends he went to for advice back at the cabin all that time ago. Seeing his friend's resolve made Pikachu feel a strange determination in his heart. For once, it thumped in his chest with an oddly confident beat.
"(Okay...I'll do it!)" Pikachu declared with a determined nod.
"(Yes! Good man!)" Piplup shouted as he reached over to pat the mouse on his shoulder. "(I'm proud of you! I know you two will be so happy together!)"
"(Thanks Piplup!)" Pikachu said with a warm smile. Suddenly the two heard a voice call out from across the store.
"(Pikachu! I think I'm done on my end; do you need more time?!)" Buneary shouted.
Turning around, Pikachu glanced around to see where her voice was coming from. Inwardly shrugging, he cupped his mouth with a paw.
"(Yeah, I found something too! I'll meet you at the front counter!)" He shouted in a random direction. Suddenly, he felt a flipper tap his shoulder.
"(Go get her Pikachu! You can do this!)" Piplup whispered to him.
Nodding his head, Pikachu put back on a confident look to strengthen his nerves. "(Yeah I got this...I got this! I got-)"
"(Okay Pikachu I'm on my way!)" Buneary shouted back.
"(...this.)" Pikachu squeaked as he let out an exhale before he started walking towards the front counter.
"(Good luck my friend!)" Piplup whispered to himself.
Pikachu made his way to the front desk where Buneary already was. He quickly put the bag of cherry tomato seeds behind his back.
"(There you are!)" She chirped. "(Had trouble finding something?)"
Feeling more nervous than ever, Pikachu rubbed the back of his head. "(Er, yeah totally!)"
"(Ooh must be something good! What is it?)"
Feeling his heart racing again, Pikachu took a deep breath. "(Umm, h-how about we show each other at the same time?)" He managed to ask, trying his best not to stutter.
She gave a sudden look of surprise. "(Oh um, okay. On three alright?)" She asked to which Pikachu affirmatively nodded. "(Okay, one, two, three!)"
With that, they held out what they had picked. It took a moment for Pikachu to register what he was looking at: a bottle with a brilliantly-red tomato logo. There was something written across the label.
SOLARE KETCHUP, WORLD-RENOWNED FOR ITS SWEET AND SPICY TASTE
Pikachu blinked upon reading that. He looked up and to his slight surprise, he noticed how Buneary's face was almost as red as the ketchup bottle itself.
"(Er, you're getting yourself some local ketchup?)" He asked.
Her face began to redden even more. "(A-Actually I'm, um...getting it for you.)" She managed to say, her eyes looking elsewhere.
Pikachu couldn't help but make a surprised noise. "(Me?)" He asked only to see her silently nod in approval.
Feeling a warmth envelope his heart, Pikachu tried not to blush himself.
"(W-Well thanks!)" He said with a smile.
"(You're welcome!)" She chirped with a bright if-not embarrassed grin before turning back to him and quickly taking notice of what he was holding. "(Cherry tomato seeds? You're giving gardening a shot?)"
Hearing her question, Pikachu felt his blush finally overtake his face.
"(Umm...not really...i-it's for you actually. Umm, I know how much you like cherry tomatoes a-and this island is sort of famous for them so I figured...you know...)" He managed to say before looking away himself.
He quickly shut his eyes, unable to bear her gaze upon him, though he could definitely still feel it. Suddenly he heard giggling and felt her embrace him in a warm hug. He opened his eyes in sheer surprise.
"(D'awww~! You're so sweet you know that?!)" She happily shouted as she wrapped her arms around him a little tighter.
"(Th-Thanks...you too Bun.)" He bashfully said, still looking away.
"(Hee~! Great minds think alike huh?)" She giggled as she broke the hug and turned towards the counter.
"(Yeah...definitely.)" He said under his breath.
After getting their gifts, Pikachu and Buneary continued to explore the town, paw-in-paw. All the while, Piplup's words of encouragement rang through the mouse's head.
"Why not just go through with it already?" He had said.
As they walked through the town, Pikachu looked at the ground, unwilling to let Buneary see his nervous face.
"C'mon Pikachu just commit to it!" He had also said.
Piplup was right. It's time he committed to taking that next step. Nervous about the future or not, it's worth it to at least give it a chance rather than always wonder what could have been. That's something Aipom had told him as well.
But where? They were just walking through the town, it's not like they can just find a spot to-
Suddenly, Pikachu's thoughts were interrupted by a strange gurgle...coming from his stomach.
Buneary quickly turned around to stare at him. Good legends above, if he didn't feel nervous already, his face was practically on fire now!
He quickly turned away from her gaze. "(Umm...sorry.)" He sheepishly muttered.
She giggled, raising a paw to her mouth. "(Looks like someone's a tad hungry huh?)"
"(Y-Yeah...)"
"(Well we can-)" She managed to say before another gurgling sound arose, this time not from Pikachu. He turned back to see her eyes widen in surprise.
He smirked and immediately, Buneary's face began to redden.
"(You were saying?)" He smugly said with a mischievous smile.
She quickly pulled her fluff up to her face. "(H-Hey!)"
Pikachu chuckled. "(It's okay Bun, let's find a place to eat, it's getting kind of close to dinnertime after all.)"
She peeked over fluff, a faint blush still dusting her face. "('Kay.)"
With that, the two headed off in search of someplace nice to eat. Soon, their travels led them to a nice-appearing restaurant with an elegant sign in front.
LA SPONDA
The two carefully looked at the restaurant. Hmmm, it certainly looked nice, even fancy! The restaurant itself overlooked a cliff, giving another breathtaking view of the ocean.
Still holding paws, the two looked at each other before nodding. Might as well check it out. What's the harm?
They approached the front and were greeted by a man in his mid-thirties and dressed rather formally.
"Hello, and welcome to La Sponda, do you have a reservation or a tourist ID?" He asked.
Pikachu immediately lifted up the ID that Ash gave him and handed it to the man. He examined it for a bit before handing it back.
"Very good sir, only two?"
They both nodded.
"Alright, please follow me." He said and with that, led them into the restaurant.
Soon they were seated next to a window that gave a gorgeous view of the ocean. Off to the side were the cliffs of the island with several buildings nestled in the outcroppings. The sun, while still high in the sky, was clearly beginning to set. Soon the island will be basked in its heavenly glow as it touched the horizon. Although there was still light out, several of the buildings had already turned their lights on, causing the cliff to sparkle.
Pikachu and Buneary sat at a little table specially made for Pokémon their size. Actually, come to think of it, it appears that they had been assigned seats in a section of the restaurant that specifically catered to Pokémon as many of the humans were sitting across the building from where they were.
Having been given complimentary waters, they looked through their menus.
Pikachu scanned through his menu three times and yet he was still having a hard time even pronouncing the words! Granted, everything looked pretty good, definitely high-class cuisine. He felt his stomach growl again but as soon as it did, he intentionally cleared his throat loud enough to mask it.
"(Fancy huh?)" Buneary beamed, giving the restaurant a look around.
"(Yeah, totally!)" Pikachu said with a smile, taking in the atmosphere. He too looked around the restaurant and took note of a weavile in an upper-class uniform elegantly holding a tray of fancy-appearing dishes.
Suddenly a lucario in an immaculate waiter suit with a white cloth draped over his arm and notepad in paw came up to their table.
"(Hello, I will be taking care of you this fine evening. What can I start you off with?)" He asked in a calm, soothing voice.
Blinking, Pikachu's gaze quickly darted back to his menu. "(Oh! Uh...I...uhhh...)" He muttered before Buneary suddenly perked up.
"(I think we'll start with the bruschetta as an appetizer.)" She said with a smile, earning Pikachu to look up at her, a little surprised.
"(Very good.)" The waiter said as he wrote it down. "(Would you two like any drinks for the evening? All of our wines are made using local recipes passed down through generations.)"
Pikachu turned his surprised gaze at him. Wine? Are they even old enough?
As if on cue, the lucario waiter smiled and suddenly a warm blue light enveloped all three of them before quickly dissipating, much to the duo's surprise.
"(Before you ask: yes you are of age to drink here on Solare Island.)" He said with a smirk.
Pikachu and Buneary merely looked at each other before turning back to him. Huh, didn't know aura could be used for that purpose. The more you know...
Looking at her, Pikachu gave a little, if somewhat daring smile. "(What do ya think?)"
Buneary beamed brightly. "(I say let's go for it!)" She excitedly shouted. "(You pick Pikachu!)"
Still smiling, Pikachu looked at the menu and quickly read through the descriptions of each wine. Hmmm, their first wine...so something that's not too fancy or strong-sounding. Taking a moment to decide what she'd like; he made a decision.
"(We'll each have a glass of the Pinot Nero!)" He said, rather proudly, though the truth is that the only thing he knew about wine in general was from Brock who mentioned that it was used in certain recipes.
"(Excellent choice sir.)" The waiter said, scribbling it down on his notepad. "(I'll be right back with your selections.)" He said before walking away.
As soon as he left, Buneary giddily leaned in. "(Are we really doing this?!)" She giggled.
An oddly adventurous feeling began arising in Pikachu's chest as he looked at her. "(I'd say so!)" He laughed.
Soon their appetizers and wine arrived. For their entrees, they ordered arugula salads with Pikachu getting the gnocchi pomodoro while Buneary ordered the campanelle carbonara. They even went so far as to order dessert ahead of time: the strawberry panna cotta.
As soon as they ordered and the waiter left again, Buneary raised her glass of wine.
"(Cheers!)" She beamed, raising her glass high above her head towards him. Smiling, he did the same.
"(Cheers!)" He repeated before they gently tapped their glasses and simultaneously took a sip.
Immediately, their eyes bulged out of their skulls. The taste was indescribable. A mixture of sweetness with some kind of earthy undertone though they could definitely taste cherry not to mention that it was overall a tad spicy.
The wine still in his mouth, Pikachu slowly put his glass down and looked at it. He honestly couldn't tell if he liked it or not. He looked back up and saw Buneary giving an equally perplexed look.
Blinking, he tried racking his brain for something to say as he swallowed his wine.
"(Fancy huh?)" He said with a little smirk.
"(Yeah I'll say!)" She said with a giggle before taking another sip.
Not long after their first foray into wine tasting, their food arrived and it looked every bit as high-class as they expected! Well...at least it certainly looked and tasted more so than the pellets and rice balls that they were used to eating on the road.
As they enjoyed their dinner, Pikachu occasionally stole glances at her. Though he put on a smile, his mind was racing. Gosh, this certainly seemed like a nice, if-not romantic setting...
Should he ask her here? They were definitely enjoying themselves...what better place to-
"(Excuse me, sorry to interrupt your dinner.)" A soothing voice said next to them, causing them to look up from their food.
Next to them was a kirlia in a rather modest yet beautiful black dress. She was holding a bouquet of red roses.
"(Would either of you like a rose? Free of charge!)" She chirped.
"(Err, well that's okay I think-)" Pikachu started before Buneary raised her paw.
"(Ooh! Actually, we'll take one rose please!)" She beamed, causing Pikachu to curiously look at her.
Seeing his reaction, Buneary giggled. "(Well, you got me flowers, it's only fair for me to give you one~!)" She said with a wink.
Pikachu blinked again before lightly smiling, noticing that, indeed, she still wore the two violets atop her ears. The kirlia took one rose and gently placed it on the table in front of him. He took another sip of his wine.
"(One rose for the happy couple! Enjoy your meal!)" She practically sang before twirling away.
Pikachu nearly choked on his wine. Couple?! W-Wait did she think...?
His eyes darted back to Buneary who went back to happily enjoying her meal. Huh, she didn't seem to mind what was said...in fact if he didn't know any better, she actually looked even happier than she did a second ago!
He looked down at the rose next to his plate. It looked like any other rose he'd seen before but upon closer inspection it actually appeared to have been crafted to perfection, its petals elegantly sculpted, showing off their ruby red colors. He gently grabbed it and rubbed the thornless stalk between his fingers.
Looking back up at her, he smiled again. "(Thanks Bun.)"
"(No problem Pika!)" She said before taking a little sip of her wine.
Feeling his heart beginning to thump faster in his chest, he could feel his breathing becoming shallow to the point where he had to avert his gaze back at the rose. He should do it. Here and now!
"(Buneary...)" He said, waiting for her to look back at him.
"(What's up?)" She asked before taking another bite of her food, not a care in the world.
"(W-We've known each other for some time right?)" He started, feeling his body beginning to shake despite his best efforts to do otherwise.
She looked at him for a moment before gently placing a paw up to her chin in thought. "(Hmm, yeah I guess...)"
"(A-And we've been through a lot of...crazy stuff before...right?)"
This time she giggled a little. "(I'll say! You just can't seem to keep yourself out of trouble!)" She laughed.
"(R-Right, s-so I was th-thinking...ummm...maybe...)" He stuttered before gulping hard.
Oh good legends above, was he really going through with this?!
"(Hmm?)" She asked, tilting her head a little.
"(Wh-What I'm saying is...I-I think that I...I mean you...you're very...)" He stuttered, feeling his face becoming hotter with each passing moment.
"(What is it Pika?)" She asked, seemingly a little curious.
Taking a moment to deeply inhale, Pikachu steadied his nerves.
"(What would you say if-)" He started before hearing someone speak off to the side. They both looked over and saw that weavile waitress near a small stage leaning in to a microphone.
"(Everyone, I hope you're enjoying your meals. To accompany you tonight will be Altaria serenading you with a song near and dear to the hearts of all Solare residents!)" She announced before a male Altaria in a well-tailored suit quickly took the stage and began singing into his own microphone, the band behind him gently playing their instruments.
In contrast to the rest of his species, Altaria's voice was richly deep and emotional.
Catarì, Catarì,
Pecchè me dice sti parole amare,
Pecchè me parle e 'o core
Me turmiente Catari?
Pikachu continued to look at the singer as he progressed through the song. Huh, he had to admit that that Altaria sounded pretty good...even if he had no idea what the lyrics meant. Anyway...
He turned back towards Buneary only to see her completely enraptured by the performance, her eyes sparkling as they always famously did.
"(Er, Buneary?)" He asked. Buneary slowly turned back towards him.
"(Oh sorry, it's just that...the song sounds so beautiful!)" She beamed before turning her attention back towards the stage.
Pikachu could practically feel a bead of sweat form on the side of his head. Oh great...that silly yet incredible bunny was too taken by all of the ambience!
Core, core 'ngrato,
T'aie pigliato 'a vita mia,
tutt'è passato
E nun'nce pienze cchiù!
As the song continued, the waiter handed them their dessert: a creamy white monolith drizzled with sweet red sauce, topped with strawberries.
"(Ooh, this looks delicious!)" Buneary chirped, quickly grabbing a spoon.
Eager to get a taste of the sweet dish in front of him, Pikachu picked up his own spoon. As they scooped up a piece for themselves, Buneary quickly looked up at him.
"(Wait, wait!)" She practically shouted, causing Pikachu to nearly jolt up in surprise and look at her.
"(How about we...you know...)" She said, moving her spoon to his mouth. Slightly taken aback by the somewhat intimate gesture, Pikachu felt his body beginning to shake again.
"(Oh, uh...okay!)" He said with a little smile, leaning his spoon towards her face.
"(Hee~! Alright, one, two, three!)" She said before they motioned further.
"(Bottom's up!)" He laughed before they both put the spoons in each other's mouths.
Immediately, the heavenly flavor overwhelmed their taste buds and they both let out an audible "Mmmm!" in sheer content.
"(Good?)" Pikachu asked with a smirk.
"(Mhmm!)" Buneary said, nodding her head with a bright smile.
He chuckled and took a moment to admire her beaming face. He was really going to do this...tonight here on this island...
He saw her turn her attention back to the singer who sounded like he was approaching the end of the song. No doubt, he would start up another song right after.
Pikachu lightly sighed to himself and glanced out the window to see the sun dipping lower in the sky above the gorgeous wide sea, its bright light shining upon the buildings proudly resting on the island's cliffs. He was going to do this...just maybe not here...
As the song ended, everyone – Pikachu and Buneary included – applauded Altaria's performance before he began the lyrics to another song.
Mi sono perso nei tuoi occhi,
Vicino, eppure così lontano.
After leaving the restaurant, Pikachu and Buneary walked a little more through the town, still continuing to hold paws. For Pikachu, one paw was gripped in hers while his other one held a bag full of their little gifts, including the rose she had gotten him. They had one last destination for the day: a rather high cliffside view of the beach.
As they walked, Pikachu's mind was far from at ease. Good lord, the day was almost over! If he didn't ask her now he never would! He had to think of something! He was so lost in thought that he barely registered that they were walking across a rather impressive-looking bridge over a river. What was it called? Ponte Sisto bridge or something?
Walking over the bridge, the mouse's mind was engulfed in a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas. Yet one memory kept replaying in his head.
"That kirlia called us a couple..." He thought. In retrospect, the reason she approached them in the first place was probably because they looked like one! Come to think of it, their waiter gave off the impression that he thought the same way...
...But why? Was it the way they talked to each other? Or perhaps it was the lovely setting? After all, it was just the two of them in a fancy, if-not romantic setting for their...their...dinner...date.
Pikachu's eyes widened upon that realization. Still walking forward, he quickly whipped his head back in the direction of the restaurant.
"Did...did we just go on a dinner date...?" He wondered.
The lovely ambience, the rose, the wine, the romantic food and heartfelt music...
Pikachu gulped hard as he recalled everything that had happened in the past few hours. Wow...just...just wow...
Suddenly, another bombshell hit him. Just like the flower garden and the museum...he had enjoyed himself! Just like those other two times, he was doing something that he wouldn't normally engage or find much enjoyment in and yet...
...And again it was with her...
Gosh, is this how it was going to be dating her? Always having fun no matter where they were or what they were doing? Was it because of their special dynamic or perhaps her constant uplifting attitude? Or maybe because...they just...go together.
"(Hey there it is!)" Buneary suddenly exclaimed, pointing forward and jolting Pikachu out of his thoughts.
"(Huh?)" He wondered aloud as he looked to where she was pointing at: a beautiful terrace that encompassed the edge of a cliff. He could even hear the sound of the ocean in the distance from where they were. Wow, he didn't even realize that they were still this high up on the island!
"(C'mon!)" Buneary squealed and with that, she led him to the viewpoint.
To say that the view was breathtaking was the understatement of the century...it was absolutely stunning! On top of the amazing view of the beach and ocean, the sun was getting closer to set, enveloping the sky in a brilliantly-bright orange and golden glow.
Both of them smiled as they looked on, paw-in-paw. Buneary's gaze floated down a little.
"(Hey look! There's our friends!)" She cried out, pointing to tiny figures running along the beach.
Leaning forward a little, Pikachu saw that those little figures were indeed their group! By the looks of things, they were all together, some running along the beach, others building sandcastles and a few in the ocean.
"(Heh, looks like they're having a great time. 'Course Piplup is probably running around trying to build the best sandcastle in the history of this island.)" Pikachu smirked, causing Buneary to giggle.
"(Yeah and Aipom is probably competing right alongside with him!)" She laughed.
He turned to her and...and...
...And seeing her laughing as she always did against the backdrop of the golden hue of the sky, along the top of this cliff overlooking this beautiful scenic view of this quaint yet amazing little island...her smile somehow brighter than the approaching sunset with those pink violets resting atop her ears that were just her type...
Something stirred inside of Pikachu in that moment. Some sort of strange yet oddly passionate feeling akin to a fire in his chest as his confidence shot up like a rocket into space. It was here...it was here that he should do it! He should just cross the Rubicon!
...Whatever that meant.
Shakily inhaling, Pikachu steeled his nerves. Without further ado...
"(Say Buneary...)" He said, waiting for her to turn her attention towards him.
"(Hmm?)" She wondered aloud, her giggles finally dying down.
"(S-Speaking of Piplup...a-and Aipom for that matter...)" He managed to say, turning to make eye contact with her.
Buneary tilted her head a little in intrigue.
"(Ummm...)" He muttered, suddenly feeling his confidence melt away with each passing moment. He quickly turned away from her, his gaze settling on another part of the beach, his mind racing faster than it ever had before.
"Sometimes you just need to say what's in here." Piplup said, motioning to his chest.
"In here..." Pikachu thought as he briefly lifted his free paw to touch his own chest. He could feel his heart practically beating out of it. Taking a moment to close his eyes and deeply inhale again, Pikachu cleared his mind. He turned back to give her a side-glance.
"(You know they always like to tease me...about us...)" He said, earning Buneary's increasingly-intrigued look.
She merely blinked in response, again tilting her head. "(Yeah...I guess they do.)" She softly muttered, rubbing behind her ear.
"(They seem to have this crazy idea that...that ummm...)" He said before fully turning to her to look her in the eyes.
"(Hmm?)"
"(That you...like me.)" He finally said.
Her eyes widened and she quickly turned her gaze away from him. Even against the orange sky, he could see the faintest pink blush appear on her face.
"(O-Oh uhh...really? You don't say...)"
Despite her reaction, she still didn't let go of his paw. And...despite everything...there was one last question floating around in his mind.
"(Yeah...but that's pretty silly for them to think that...)" He paused. "(...Right?)"
A silent moment passed during which Pikachu saw her blush beginning to darken. His eyes widened as she quickly and fully turned away from him and pulled her fluff up to her face. While he couldn't make out what she was saying, he heard her softly mutter something.
And so that was it. He saw it for himself. She really did...like him...
Feeling his heart doing summersaults, Pikachu gently placed the bag of gifts on the ground. She suddenly let go of his paw to keep her fluff up to her face.
"(W-Well if that's how it is...)" He said as he scratched the back of his ear.
"(Hmm?)" She managed to say as she peeked over her fluff.
"(I-I...I think...)" He started to say, his heart beating so loud that it was practically all he could hear. He rubbed his arm.
She continued to look at him. He quickly closed his eyes and steadied his nerves as he took a final deep breath.
"(I'm willing to give it a chance. I'm willing to give us a chance...i-if you'd like.)"
Buneary blinked at him as she began to lower her fluff, revealing her absolutely shocked face.
His heart twisting in knots now, Pikachu felt his nerves racing as he started to shake. Quickly, he looked back at the ocean.
"(I mean, I had a really nice time today and...and who knows? Maybe it will be even better if we're dating...I mean I don't really know how I feel but I do know that I like you a lot, a-and we always have fun together...)" He paused again before fully turning to her and looking her in the eyes. "(So...I'm willing to try...)"
She continued to stare at him, her eyes as wide as they could go, her fluff fully dropping back down to her waist.
"(A-Are you asking...?)" She managed to ask, unable to complete her sentence.
Another moment passed, one that was perhaps the longest in Pikachu's entire life. He continued to gaze into her eyes.
Those eyes...the same ones that made him go into that hypnotic spell. The same ones that took him somewhere else. The same ones that always sparkled and electrified him. In that moment it was like she was staring past him, right into his soul and even a touch further beyond that.
Unable to bear it, Pikachu quickly looked away from her gaze, his face redder than the approaching sunset and feeling hot to the touch.
"(I-I mean if you don't want to then that's fine too, I just think that dating you would be worth it!)" He blurted out. "(I think...we would make a great couple...)" He said, his eyes focusing on the ocean ahead and for a moment there was silent peace. "(But I mean if you don't want to-)" He said before suddenly feeling her arms wrap around him and the silence being broken by her sudden squealing.
"(Oh my gosh, yes of course!)" She cried out.
Completely floored, Pikachu took a moment to register everything that was going on. In that moment, all he could understand was Buneary's squeals of joyful laughter mixed with light crying. She continued to hug him so tight and intensely that he suddenly found himself balancing on one foot.
And yet...he smiled.
Taking a moment to blink and register what was happening, Pikachu tried composing himself. Then...he felt a warm happiness flow through him. "(Well...if you insist~)" He said with a smirk, feeling lighter than a feather in that moment.
"(And you're serious?! Is this really happening?!)" She exclaimed, looking him in the eyes.
Trying not to fall under that hypnotic spell again, Pikachu focused on any other part of her cute, beaming face.
"(Yes, certainly!)" He said with a warm smile.
"(I can't believe it! This is a dream come true!)" She cried out as she hugged him again.
"(Well...I-)"
"(I'm so happy I could just...just...!)" She said before suddenly grabbing both of his paws.
"(Well you know...I-)" He started to say before suddenly he felt his feet lose touch with the ground. "(Woah!)"
Buneary continued to giggle and cry as she spun him around just like the day they met.
"(I'm the luckiest girl in the world~!)" She cried out as she started to jump in place with the poor unfortunate mouse spinning along with her.
"(Waaahhh!)"
Unbeknownst to them, two pairs of eyes were staring at them from a distance on the beach down below.
"(Told you he could do it.)" Aipom said with a satisfied smile.
Piplup nodded his head in agreement. "(Well yeah, of course he could! After heeding my advice!)" He said quite smugly.
"(Oh please! Literally sixty seconds ago you were panicking that he was gonna lose his nerve!)" She said turning to him.
Piplup cleared his throat. "(W-Well in any case...)" He said, motioning back towards them, Buneary still jumping and spinning in place with Pikachu.
"(Yeah...looks like he did it.)" Aipom said with a proud smirk, paws on her hips.
"(Yup, he actually went through with it.)" Piplup responded with an equally glad look. "(And by the looks of things, she was more than happy to say yes!)"
Aipom continued to smile as she looked at the penguin. "(So I guess that's it then? Mission accomplished?)" She asked, prompting Piplup to look back at her with an intrigued expression.
He took a moment to adopt a thinking pose. "(Oh yeah...I guess so.)"
...
Piplup looked back at her, a strange glint of mischief in his eyes. "(Oooor, we could keep it going!)"
Aipom blinked at him. "(Huh? What do you mean?)"
"(I mean now that they're together, they'll definitely need some help keeping things afloat...especially Pikachu!)" Piplup replied nodding his head.
Aipom continued to stare at him before realization began to show on her face.
"(Ohhh I get it! So keep the love train a-chuggin' huh?)" She laughed.
"(Yup!)"
"(So that means...)"
"(Operation Pikachu and Buneary Forever continues!)" Piplup declared.
Smiling back at him, Aipom reached a fist out in front of herself.
"(Heh, alright then partner!)" She smirked as Piplup fist-bumped her.
Author's Notes:
And there you have it! Looks like the happy couple finally got together! One could only wonder what's in store for them in the future...
After spending roughly a month researching locations, cuisine, music, art and anything remotely romantic in old-world Italy I gotta say...haven't done so much research since graduate school! XD
Gonna take a moment to give another shoutout to ravengal, particularly for "A Gracious Gift", specifically chapters 2, 3, 6 and 24 for directly influencing this chapter. There were plenty of other chapters and fics from her and others that are amazing or helped with the writing process but those specific chapters from "A Gracious Gift" without a doubt, not only directly inspired this chapter but were the main inspiration for writing this fic in the first place! Just like VGS2, this will probably be the last time I shout her out since this also the third time I've done so and if I did it for every moment of influence, I'd be name-dropping her in every other chapter haha. And what better place to show my appreciation than to shout her out one more time for this very special chapter? So here's to you ravengal you legend!
Anyway, one more chapter to wrap up Act I and then some announcements after that!
Until then, Carson55 signing off!