Author's note: Heyo, peeps!
Fun fact: the shenanigans of last chapter were heavily inspired by VGS2's old fic, 'Girl Troubles'! With a little bit of my super old, kinda cringey school fic, 'Blue Moon Junior High'! I hope it gave off a nice, nostalgic feel of the fics of old. XD
Regardless, hope you enjoy the new chapter! :D
Chapter Twenty-nine: Wild Whispers
Pikachu was in a daze. He wasn't sure how long he'd been staring at the television before he heard someone speak.
"Huh..." Ash muttered. There was a thump as he presumably sat back down on the couch. "Still can't believe they're dating..."
"Is it that big of a surprise?" Iris asked curiously. "I mean, I don't know May at all, but still! Were there no signs?"
"Hmm... well... he was always giving her roses, so maybe?"
Iris gasped. "Roses?! As in red ones?"
"Yeah."
Her tone became annoyed. "Are you serious?!" The volume of her voice rose in her exasperation. "How can you say 'maybe' when there's red roses involved?!"
Ash's tone also grew annoyed. "Well, he did always said they were for her beautifly!"
"Oh my- That's clearly just an excuse!"
"... It is?"
"Yes!"
"(Yep, sounds like love to me~!)" Axew said happily.
Something flickered in Pikachu's brain again. Love...
"Truly, the signs of something delectably romantic!" Cilan said. "One must take note, if they wish to be on his level!"
Cynthia chuckled. "I'd certainly have to agree there," she replied.
"As would I," Jervis added.
"... Huh," Ash replied, sounding surprised.
... Pikachu had to admit, seeing Drew confess firsthand that the guy was dating May had been beyond shocking. Sure, he'd constantly given her red roses throughout their time in Hoenn and Kanto, but the mouse had never thought it would lead anywhere!
He'd thought for sure that Drew would eventually give up, or find someone else, or May would decide she wasn't interested, or... something. But they were dating now. Officially. They'd announced it live on TV, to a crowd of Drew's rabid fangirls, so it was definitely legit, right?
And it wasn't as if Drew would openly admit that, if it wasn't true, right? So... what did this mean, exactly?
"Urgh..." Iris groaned, "then again, what can you expect from such a kid?"
"Hey," Ash replied in annoyance.
"I mean, seriously... have you never crushed on anyone before? 'Cause it's starting to sound like you haven't!"
"Of course I have!"
There was silence in the room for a moment, save for the commercials still playing on the television. Pikachu's ear twitched. Honestly, he was surprised Ash had admitted that, considering how stubborn the boy usually was.
"... Wait, really?!" Iris shrieked.
"(No way!)" Axew cried out in surprise.
Ash heaved a sigh, and there was a slumping sound. "Yeah," he mumbled.
"That's..." Cilan began kind of awkwardly, "something I wasn't expecting to see on the menu!"
"Do we know her?" Iris asked curiously.
"Nah," Ash replied. "I used to travel with her. It's been years since I last saw her, though..."
"Do you mind me asking if you still feel that way?" Cynthia asked. She chuckled. "Or is that, perhaps, too intrusive?"
There was silence, the only sound in the room being the commercials that were still playing. The pause from Ash dragged on for so long that Pikachu couldn't help but tear his gaze away from the television, just to see if anything was wrong.
He saw Ash with folded arms, staring down at his knees with a deep frown of concentration on his face. Everyone around him was watching him worriedly.
"Um... Ash?" Cilan asked with a sheepish smile. "Is everything alright?"
"... Master Ash?" Jervis asked.
Eventually, Ash's frown melted into a soft, yet sad expression. "Yeah," he replied. "I think I do."
Pikachu froze, his brain blanking out. He... what?
"Oh wow!" Iris said, beaming. "Well, if wonders never cease!"
Ash... still liked Misty?
No. No, that was impossible! After Ash's breakdown when Misty had left, he hadn't shown any more signs of liking her!
Well, sure, he'd said he missed her every day that one time, but then he'd never talked about her again!
And... And... that handkerchief he'd gotten from her. Pikachu hadn't seen that thing in forever, so Ash had probably thrown it away!
As for the lure, well, sure, Ash had gotten defensive when Dawn had tried to hold it once - and had tracked Buizel to the ends of the earth to get it back from him, when he'd stolen it - but that was only because it was his property, right?
It wasn't because... it had been a present from Misty... right?
... But... Ash didn't lie. Sure, he could be stubborn sometimes, but... the look on his face right now told Pikachu that he was the furthest thing away from lying.
So... he... still liked her?
Iris smirked. "Well, I guess you're less of a little kid than I thought!"
Ash rounded on her, frowning. "And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
She frowned back. "Are you kidding? I'm surprised you know what a crush is, with all your talk of battles and training!"
Cilan smiled sheepishly. "Now, Iris..." he said gently.
"(She has a point, though!)" Axew added happily.
"Oh, come on!" Ash retorted, unfolding his arms to throw them into the air. "I'm not that stupid!"
"Oh yeah?!" Iris asked, still frowning.
"Yeah!" Ash pointed directly at her. "If you're so smart, then who's your crush, huh?!"
Iris jolted, clearly caught off-guard. Half a second later, she turned towards Cilan and looked him in the eyes.
Cilan stared back, his own eyes widening.
The few seconds they held that gaze dragged on a bit too long. Then, with a shake of the head, Iris turned her reddening face back to Ash with a huff.
"That... that's not of your business!"
"... Huh?" Ash asked, tilting his head. "So you do have one?"
"M-Maybe, but that's none of your business!"
Ash frowned. "Aw, come on, but you made me tell you!"
"Yeah, but I don't know that girl, whereas you..." Her eyes widened for a second. "Might know who I mean!"
"... I would?"
"... Maybe!"
Cynthia chuckled, exchanging a wordless glance with Jervis. Axew, on the other hand, was beaming brightly in Iris' lap.
Ash scratched his head. "Uhhh, okay..." He looked over at Cilan. "And what about you, Cilan?"
"Hmm?" Cilan replied, blinking himself out of a stupor. "Oh!" He beamed. "Why, yes, Ash!" He made a show of fixing his bowtie. "We all have a flavour we're particularly partial to, and I'm no exception!"
Iris looked at him in surprise when he said this.
"Oh yeah?" Ash asked curiously. "Who's that, then?"
Cilan paused a moment. His gaze drifted over to Iris, but immediately snapped back to Ash. He smiled again. "Maybe that's best saved for the girl herself! After all, a dish can be spoiled if served improperly! And to the wrong person!"
Ash stared at him. "... Huh?" He paused for thought. "Does that mean you're not telling me?"
Cilan smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Ash. Maybe later."
Ash slumped his shoulders. "Aww, come on, guys! I told you, but you won't tell me?"
Cynthia and Jervis shared another glance, while Axew utterly beamed in delight. Iris was staring at Cilan in deep intrigue.
Cilan suddenly glanced at her, noticing her expression. "... Although..." He looked back at Ash, smiling. "Perhaps a small taster wouldn't hurt!"
Ash perked up. "Oh yeah?"
"Most certainly! The girl I like... she's as fiery as the spiciest of chillies, but also as tender as a sirloin steak! Sure, she and I may be as different as night and day, but there's a certain... je ne sais quoi to that!"
Ash blinked at him in confusion. "... A certain what now?"
"An appealing flavour, if you will!"
Ash's eyes lit up in understanding. "Ohhh, right. Well, she sounds pretty neat!" He glanced down at the floor, and his voice lowered to a murmur. "Kinda reminds me of Misty, actually..."
"Oh, Misty is her name?"
A soft smile crept onto Ash's face. "Yeah..."
"Uh...!" Iris called out suddenly, startling everybody. "W-Well...!" She waited until Cilan was looking at her, though her face was rather red now. "M-My guy! The one I like? H-He's a real gentleman! A real reliable type, you know? A-And although he's a bit weird sometimes, a-and I don't often get him, his heart's in the right place!"
Cilan's eyes widened. His mouth twitched, but so did his eyebrows. He almost looked like he wasn't sure which emotion to feel.
"... S-So yeah!" Iris looked down at Axew with a grumpy huff. "Th-That's all I had to say..."
"... Huh?" Ash asked, staring at her in confusion. After a moment, he shook his head and smiled. "Well, he sounds like a cool guy." He glanced at Cilan. "Right, Cilan?"
"R-Right..." Cilan replied distantly.
Pikachu had remained frozen in his seat throughout the whole exchange. Was he... seeing and hearing things right? Did... Iris and Cilan like each other?!
... Since when?!
... Wait... then again, now that he thought about it, they'd spent a lot of time this last month hanging out, trying to impress each other and... blushing around each other?
Had... that been a crush all along, and he'd just refused to acknowledge it?
Ash turned to Cynthia. "What about you, Cynthia? Is there someone you like?"
Cynthia's eyes briefly widened in surprise, before she chuckled again. "Well..." she replied, "I suppose, since we're sharing secrets..." She held a finger to her lip. "Though don't tell anyone I told you this, alright?"
Ash smiled back. "I promise!"
She chuckled again, lowering the finger. "Well... I do happen to find Alder quite charming."
Everyone's eyebrows shot up into their hair.
"Alder?!" Iris cried.
"(That Alder?)" Axew cried.
"As in, Unova champion Alder?!" Cilan cried.
"You can't be serious!" Ash cried.
Cynthia chuckled again. "Oh, I am," she replied. She uncrossed her legs, then crossed them the other way. "You see, his problem is that he's a philanderer. One woman would never be enough for that man, so I am hardly special in his eyes. Only if he were to become more loyal would I even remotely consider it."
Iris heaved a sigh, slumping her shoulders. "Yeah, I see your point..." she replied.
"As friendly as Alder is," Cilan started, "he does seem to like... a lot of different flavours in his dish..." He smiled sheepishly again.
"Yeah, he's just like Brock," Ash replied, shaking his head. He paused to blink. "... Wait, isn't Alder, like, really old, though?"
Cynthia laughed more heartily than usual. "No," she replied. "Actually, he's not all that much older than me."
"Really?" Iris asked, eyes wide again.
Cynthia nodded. "Mm-hmm."
Pikachu was floored. So Cynthia liked Alder, but she wasn't shallow enough to pursue him? Like he was with her?
But... that didn't make any sense! Wasn't Pikachu the only one in this crazy world who was sane?! The only one who wasn't shallow?!
Or... had that... been a really naive and foolish assumption?
"And what about you, Jervis?" Ash asked, facing the butler.
"Yeah, do you like anybody?" Iris asked with a smile.
Axew blinked. "(Isn't he too old for crushes?)" he asked.
"I'll bet you're actually married!" Cilan added with a cheerful smile.
Jervis chuckled. "I did have a few romances in my youth," he replied, "but those days are behind me now. Now I put my all into serving Madam Cynthia."
The smiles fell, and most looked perplexed. Axew, however, looked sad.
"(So you're old and alone?)" he asked.
"Does that not bother you?" Iris asked.
Jervis shook his head. "No, of course not," he replied. "My life is quite comfortable, so I have no complaints."
... Huh. Pikachu had never considered that before. The idea of growing old and alone.
No, wait, he wasn't alone! He had Ash, and training, and his friends!
... But not... that other thing... That dreaded 'L' word...
But did he really need that in his life? He'd done just fine without it so far, right?
Though... did he want to be like Jervis?
But Jervis seemed perfectly happy with his life, so maybe it was fine? Maybe he didn't need love, after all...
Something twisted inside him at that. He tried his best to ignore it, like he always had.
Sitting down, and leaning against the stone wall outside the villa, Pikachu watched Ash and Oshawott do some training.
Halfway through, however, he realised that his attention was wavering. He harshly shook his head to get it back on track.
"(Whatcha doing over here, all by yourself?)" a cheeky voice asked.
He turned to see Emolga grinning at him as she approached. Walking next to her was Snivy, looking fairly neutral as she gave him a short wave.
"(Hey,)" he replied. "(Just... watching the training.)"
"(You seemed a bit distracted, honestly,)" Snivy said. "(Everything alright?)"
Pikachu blinked at her. "(Hmm? Oh yeah, I just...)" His gaze couldn't help but wander over to Ash again.
The boy was still training, though he looked a bit bothered by something at the same time, as he kept frowning in thought to himself.
Seeing this, Pikachu's mind replayed what Ash had said earlier, over and over again. He'd thought for absolute certain that Ash had gotten over Misty years ago. Hell, he'd even said as much to Snivy, Emolga and Oshawott just yesterday!
If Ash really did still like Misty, though... then that threw everything he'd ever believed - every notion he'd ever stubbornly stood by - into complete turmoil.
His thoughts were a mess, and he had no idea how to feel about this...
"(Hellooooo?)" Emolga called out, waving a paw in front of his face.
He jolted, turning back to face her. She looked exasperated, while Snivy was raising a questioning eyebrow.
Pikachu blinked at them. "(Oh, sorry.)"
Snivy crossed her arms. "(Are you sure you're alright?)" she asked.
"(Yeah, I...)" No. No, Pikachu was not alright. He was very much not alright. "(... Actually, can I ask you two a question?)"
Both pairs of eyebrows rose in surprise. "(Oh?)" Emolga asked.
"(Yeah. Do you... think all crushes are shallow?)"
They briefly glanced at each other in confusion, before looking back at him.
Emolga put her paws on her hips with an exasperated frown. "(You're asking about this again?)"
"(Yeah, I... just wanna know what you think.)"
Snivy hummed in thought. "(I'm surprised you're actually asking our opinion on this,)" she replied. She shrugged. "(But sure. I don't think all crushes are shallow. It's a shame all the ones you know turned out to be, but they can't all be like that.)"
"(Yeah!)" Emolga agreed, grinning. "(You just got super bad luck with all the ones you met!)"
Pikachu gave them a perplexed frown. "(Like Oshawott?)" he asked.
The girls gave each other another brief glance. Emolga gave Pikachu a sheepish grin. "(Yeeeeah, well, Oshawott's... He's a nice guy and all, but he comes off kinda desperate.)"
Snivy nodded. "(Not picky, either,)" she agreed.
Emolga nodded back. "(Oh yeah! Any girl will do for that guy!)"
"(No one's particularly special to him.)"
Huh. That reminded Pikachu of what Cynthia had said earlier, when she'd been talking about Alder. Well, one couldn't deny how incredibly similar the otter and the Unova champion were, he supposed.
Though, now, that made him wonder something else...
"(I... heard something similar recently,)" he said, getting their attention. "(About a... philandering guy who's charming. Would you say Oshawott's charming?)"
Both their eyes widened in surprise.
"(Well...)" Emolga started. She looked away, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "(I... suppose so.)" She glanced towards Oshawott, then lowered her voice as she pouted at Pikachu. "(Now, don't tell him I told you so, but I probably would give him a shot, if he wasn't so desperate and shallow.)"
Pikachu's eyes widened. They froze like that as he tried to process what he was hearing. "(You... would?)"
"(Yeah. I mean, he's a nice guy, like I said. Always gets me apples, when I ask him to. Don't even have to use Attract, or anything! He just does it.)" She shrugged. "(He's kinda nice, and fun to talk to, too.)"
"(... I'd... agree,)" Snivy added. Emolga snapped her head around to stare in disbelief at her, but the snake's expression remained fairly neutral as she continued. "(If... he wasn't so desperate and shallow... maybe he'd make a decent boyfriend...)"
Was Pikachu dreaming? Had he lost his mind? Or was he really hearing this? Was he really hearing other people admit that shallowness was a thing? That they wanted to be special in someone's eyes? That they wanted to be the only one that person looked at that way?
His mind was utterly blown. He couldn't think straight. His world had been completely rocked in just one day.
"(I... see...)" he replied. Suddenly feeling a wave of dizziness, he held a paw to his head to try and steady himself. "(If... If you'll excuse me, I think... I need some time alone to think...)"
They both turned to face him. "(Oh?)" Emolga asked. "(Well, alright...)"
"(We'll see you later, then,)" Snivy added, a tone of concern in her voice.
"(Yeah...)" Pikachu replied distantly, "(see ya...)"
He vaguely saw them turn around and walk away. Eventually, he could no longer hear the sounds of their feet on the concrete.
He sat in silence for a while, the only sound now being Ash training with Oshawott a fair distance away.
No matter how hard he tried, though, his thoughts kept drifting back to her.
... She was shallow, right? That was the whole reason he hadn't given her a single chance, in all the time he'd known her. Because her crush had started from him catching a stupid potato, and would probably end on something just as stupid. That was what he'd always told himself.
But then... why was she still sad, when it'd been a whole month since he'd rejected her? Why had she done well against a female granbull, but had lost her moves against a male pikachu, of all things? One that had... said the same things he'd said once?
... No. No, she was definitely... shallow. She was... Right?
Right?
As he sat there, his paw still on his now aching head, his mind drifted back to his journey through Sinnoh...