Chapter 38: Go Your Own Way
Time went on as it always did. The journey continued for the gang and as per usual, it was nothing but misadventure after misadventure. Everything went on as expected: more run-ins with Hunter J and Team Galactic not to mention Team Rocket.
And just like how things usually went, they were eventually dealt with.
Contests here, gym battles there, the occasional new face in need of assistance...
Yup, that's how it went. How it always went.
In addition, another party member joined the group because Dawn was given a togekiss by a princess named Salvia who resembled her so strongly that they could've been twin sisters!
And of course, throughout all of that, Pikachu and Buneary continued to go on their dates although after Hearthome, they kept their mischief to a minimum.
Through smiles and laughter, the two hid from everybody else what they felt deep down. What Ash didn't know, what nobody else knew for that matter, was that as their crew approached the final stages of their journey, a dark cloud began to hang over both of their heads and the closer they got to the league, the more it weighed upon them, knowing what was likely coming next.
If they were being honest with themselves, they were holding onto a grain of hope that Dawn would accompany Ash on his next journey, and for a while, that actually appeared to be the case. As talks of going to Kanto began to occasionally spring up between Dawn and the boys, that cloud began to gradually disappear. It wasn't anything set in stone, but when all was said and done, it felt as if that little bit of hope was keeping their spirits up more than anything and now with their journey nearing its end, it seemed like they wouldn't have to separate!
Regardless of the hardships, the journey through Sinnoh only continued. Face after face, battles of all sorts, things went on as normal and around two and half months after Hearthome, Ash and Dawn were entering their respective leagues.
The Lilly of the Valley Conference soon to begin, Ash and Pikachu stood in their hotel living room. The young trainer was making sure to go over what sort of strategies he'll implement in which situation. As the boy went over the different scenarios both in his head and aloud, Pikachu looked elsewhere as he stood on the couch. He'd been down this road before and knew full well that there was a strong possibility that once again, they wouldn't come home with the trophy. Then again, they did win the Battle Frontier right? So who knows how things'll go.
Their hotel room was on the fourth floor and near the window, Pikachu watched all the people and Pokémon pass by. Some looked like they were heading elsewhere and others appeared to be here for the tournaments. Holding back a sigh, the mouse buried his anxiety deep down. Being here, at long last, reminded him of a conversation he had with Buneary, right after their disastrous battle with Paul at Lake Acuity...
Lying on a bed in a special hospital room in the Pokémon Center, Pikachu held back a frown as Buneary tried fluffing his pillow. It had only been a few hours since the battle and he was the sole occupant here, his burns having to be specially treated until he was considered well enough to be let out amongst the others. Thankfully, Nurse Joy had told him that it would only take another hour or two to determine his condition though it already looked pretty hopeful. Still, nobody would be able to tell, given the numerous bandages covering his body, including around his ears.
Humming a tune, Buneary continued to lean over and massage his pillow before leaning back with a smile.
"(There!)" She proclaimed, her paws on her hips. "(Anything else I can do for ya?)"
He looked at her before quickly darting his gaze elsewhere. "(No Bun. I think I'm good.)"
She clicked her tongue and looked at him with incredulity. "(Hmph, well make sure to drink plenty of fluids, 'kay?)"
"(M'kay.)" He muttered, still looking away. "(...How's Ash?)"
Her bright demeanor suddenly changed into one of mild surprise at the question, then into subtle somberness. "(He...just needs some time.)"
"(Mmm...)" Pikachu muttered, gripping the hospital bedsheets a little more firmly. "(And the others?)"
"(Everyone's still being checked out but they're fine.)" She gently replied.
"(Okay.)" He said, his voice so low that it was practically a whisper.
Buneary continued to silently stare at him before her expression turned into a grimace. "(Pikachu...)" She sternly said.
"(Huh?)" He muttered, looking back at her.
"(I know you. I know that look. What's up?)" She asked, still not taking her eyes off him.
A little taken aback, his ears twitched and he blinked at her. "(O-Oh...uhh...)" He stammered, a little too embarrassed to have gotten caught so easily and he once again looked away. "(It's just that...y-you know...)"
"(Yeah. I think I do.)" Buneary gently said before shuffling in place. "(This one was important.)"
Pikachu's expression turned sadder and he gently nodded his head. "(Mhmm.)"
A tad uncertain of what to say, Buneary held her arm. "(Well...)" She said, briefly turning away to think about it before she looked back at him. "(I guess all I can say is...follow your own advice.)"
"(Hmm?)" Pikachu managed to say as he confusedly looked back at her.
Buneary folded her arms over her chest and gave a little sigh. "(Remember what you told Chimchar? Er, I mean Monferno?)" She asked. Cocking his head a little, Pikachu simply looked at her. Buneary shrugged, her voice rather gentle. "(It was right after he joined our group. He had that little breakdown and you went over to cheer him up, remember?)"
Realization suddenly hitting him, Pikachu silently opened his mouth and nodded. "(O-Oh yeah...)"
"(You told him that even when he gets knocked down to just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start over again. And you know what? He really believes in that!)" She beamed, her voice suddenly brightening.
"(R-Really? How?)" Pikachu asked, quite puzzled.
Buneary's smile only grew as she pointed out the door. "(Right now, he's with the others and already he's talking about getting back out there! All he wants to do right now is leave, get stronger and try to battle Paul again!)"
Pikachu stared at her, seemingly unable to fully grasp what she was saying. "(Is he now...?)"
"(Yup!)" Buneary confidently declared, leaning back a little and took on a rather Piplup-esque pose. "(And you wanna know something else? I have a feeling that Ash is gonna do the same thing real soon! Well...especially after our little performance, but you'll have to wait for that!)"
Pikachu gave an amused huff and turned away with a little smile. "(Yeah, knowing that guy...)"
Before he could say any more, he suddenly felt Buneary grab him by his shoulders and before he knew it, he was looking her straight in the eyes, her face so close that their noses were almost touching.
"(So when you're feeling better...get up! You get up Pikachu, walk out those doors and get stronger! You kick that self-doubt right in the teeth!)" She proclaimed, her gaze becoming rather intense.
Pikachu gave a nervous gulp upon hearing his own advice and quickly nodded his head.
They stayed like that for a beat, Buneary carefully eyeing his expression before appearing to be content.
"(Good.)" She said, before she leaned back and nodded her head.
A moment of silence passed before Pikachu lightly gripped his bedsheets again.
"(So...)" He gently whispered, his gaze down at his paws.
"(Well...I guess I should let you get some rest. Gotta a lot of things on the horizon right?)" Buneary said, an intentional brightness to her voice.
"(...Right.)" Pikachu muttered, giving her a side-glance.
With that, Buneary hopped off the bed and started heading towards the open door. As she got about halfway across the room, she stopped in place. A moment later, she tilted her head to the side and slowly turned around to make eye contact with him.
Perhaps it was because she got a good look at how uncertain he still appeared to be or maybe because she knew that she hadn't gotten through to him but regardless, she gave him a rather serious look. For a moment the two stared at each other before Buneary spoke up.
"(You know something Pikachu...?)" She remarked, looking off at the wall. "(...You lost.)" She flatly said, causing him to blink in surprise at her. "(You lost badly. And you know what...?)" Buneary gently muttered before heading towards the door with an oddly composed look on her face. "(...The world didn't come to an end...)"
She took a moment to look at him, his expression still one of subtle surprise before she stepped out and closed the door behind herself, leaving him in silent contemplation.
Pikachu gave a silent exhale as he continued to look into the outside world. Even now, he was still slightly taken aback by her words and how bluntly she had said it. Still...it's not like she was wrong. Because of that bad experience, they did grow stronger and learned a lot, Ash especially. And now, here at the cusp of becoming champions, they were as ready as they could be.
And even if it doesn't work out...there's always another chance.
As Pikachu ran alongside Ash, his mind was racing in a million different directions. It hadn't been too long since Infernape – utilizing Flare Blitz strengthened by his Blaze ability – scored the final blow against Paul's Electivire. With that, Ash's team had won the quarterfinals.
And yet...
"Paul!" Ash cried out as he stopped midway on stone steps leading out to the ocean, the orange sunset bathing them in light.
The purple-haired boy stopped in place and silently looked back at them. After staring each other down, he closed his eyes and, while looking down, smiled.
"Infernape's gotten a lot stronger." He calmly said, a hint of pride behind his voice.
"Yeah, sure has Paul!" Ash beamed with an even greater smile which disappeared as soon as he saw Paul's fade. "Huh? Are you going?"
Paul looked back at him, though unlike all of the previous times, there was no contempt in his eyes. "I lost didn't I? So there's no reason to stay. I'm going to go back to Snowpoint City and request another battle there with Brandon."
His smile returning, Ash eased up a little. "Gotcha! Good luck Paul."
"Yeah. Thanks, you too." He said, allowing another moment to pass between them which ended when the horn of a boat bellowed in the distance. "So...I'll see you." Paul remarked before he turned around and started making his way down the stairs.
Pikachu looked up at his trainer and immediately he knew that the boy wasn't done just yet.
"One more thing Paul!" Ash shouted; his hands cupped around his mouth. "Let's battle again really soon!"
"(Yeah, I look forward to it!)" Pikachu followed.
The two of them could see Paul's head jerk up a little and he made an audibly surprised noise. After another moment, he eased up and – without looking back – gave them a wave.
And with that, he headed off, their heated rivalry finally coming to an end.
As Ash and Pikachu saw Paul leave, they looked to the sky, both thinking about going up against their next opponent in the finals: Tobias.
Evidently, Buneary's words of advice proved to be prescient for the both of them.
Perhaps designed by fate, amusedly so, Dawn faced off against Zoey in the final round at the Sinnoh Grande Festival. While Buneary did not participate, the tag-team of Piplup and Togekiss battled their hearts out against Zoey's Glameow and Gallade.
In the end, Zoey had barely squeaked out enough points to be declared the winner.
Still, Dawn didn't let the loss bring her down too badly and she congratulated her friendly rival on her victory and promised to get stronger while also thanking her own team for their hard work.
Likewise, Ash experienced a similar outcome
...Because by the end of the day at the league, Pikachu was laying up against Tobias' latios, the two successfully knocking each other out.
...And with Pikachu being Ash's last party member to use, Tobias was declared the winner and proceeded on in the league while Ash placed as number four.
And just like that...the gang's journey through Sinnoh...was over.
Still, things weren't entirely dreary. Not long after the league, Brock found a new dream of becoming a Pokémon doctor and with that, the group began to head to Dawn's house. With talks of going to Kanto together, things were actually looking up for the group and even as they approached the front door, neither one of the couple felt any sense of anxiety...
...Because it looked like everything was going to work out just fine!
...
...But of course, fate had other plans for them with one simple phone call that Dawn received...
Sitting on the stairs leading to Dawn's backyard, Ash and the others gasped as Buneary's exuberantly performed a backflip, landing next to Dawn.
"(Teehee~! Can you believe it?! You're looking at a superstar!)" She declared with a proud pose, vest and all.
"Buneary, you look amazing!" Ash declared, leaning forward with a proud smile.
"Being picked to be a Pokémon model is a real honor y'know?" Brock said, equally enthused.
"(I'll say! That's incredible!)" Pikachu beamed at his girlfriend.
Her face reddening, Buneary turned away with a rather content smile. "(Th-Thanks everyone!)" She squeaked, a certain mouse's support meaning the most to her.
"Yeah, and they said they wanted to take pictures at Hearthome City right away! So we should hurry!" Dawn said with a grin.
"(Huh?)" Piplup muttered, unheard by anyone else.
Squatting down to the bunny's level, Dawn continued to give her Pokémon a smile. "Well Buneary, are you up for this?"
Buneary – returning her smile as she looked at her trainer – immediately twirled in place.
"(You bet I am!)" She excitedly declared with a wave.
"(It's amazing, you're gonna be a model! I'm so proud of you!)" Pikachu energetically said.
"(Thanks baby! It's so hard to believe!)" Buneary squealed, looking back at him with her paws on her cheeks and closing her eyes.
Standing back up, Dawn put her hands on her hips. "Then it's settled! You're going to become an honest-to-goodness Pokémon model!"
Over the moon, Buneary started jumping in place and began performing grand poses. "(You bet I am! I can't wait for all the fashion I'm gonna see and the other models and the sight-seeing...!)" She announced, going off into her own world.
"Wow, Buneary's really psyched!" Ash proudly said.
"(B-But guys...!)" Piplup said, standing up.
"Good luck Buneary, and promise you'll let us know as soon as the magazine comes out!" Ash followed.
"(What about-?)" Piplup asked, turning to the young trainer before Dawn spoke up.
"We will!" Dawn said before leaning forward a little. "Oh yeah, I gotta let Zoey know! And when we go to Hearthome City, maybe I'll run into Fantina!"
"Sure hope she won't be off on another journey!" Ash chuckled.
"I guess that means we won't be going to Kanto together." Brock calmly said with a grin which was met with a surprised noise from the penguin.
"Yeah that's too bad, but this is Buneary's big chance and we don't wanna miss it!" Dawn replied with a grin.
"Right, it's awesome! And I can say I'm friends with a big star!" Ash replied.
"Maybe we should get Buneary's autograph now!" Brock heartily laughed.
"Heh, they may get autographs and bragging rights, but..." Pikachu thought with a proud grin as everyone talked.
Never in his life did he think that he'd be dating a model but here they were!
...Not like it was something to go bragging about in any way. After all, model or no model, he loved being with her no matter what!
But still, this was absolutely fantastic! Just when things are coming to a close, another door opens! She'll go out there, model for Poké Chic, kill it of course, get more opportunities and travel the world with them. They'll continue to cheer each other on, her career only skyrocketing, and...a-and...
...
Oh.
...Right.
They...weren't going to travel anymore then. Just like Brock said. So then that means...
"(I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS!)" Piplup shrieked, tears welling up in his eyes. Everyone immediately stopped talking to look at him. Pikachu was quickly pulled out of his thoughts as Piplup flailed in place. "(You all are so selfish; how can you smile and laugh at this?! Don't you know what this means you jerks?! First Ambipom and now you guys?!)"
"(Hey, hey! What's the matter man?!)" Pikachu shouted as he ran up to grab him by the shoulders, only for the penguin to try and resist his attempts at settling him down.
"Piplup, what's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"Why're you so mad?" Ash followed as he and Brock stood up to get a better look.
"Pip, what's gotten in to you?" Buneary thought as she silently looked on at her teammate.
"(Get off me!)" Piplup screamed as he pushed Pikachu away, causing everyone to gasp in shock. "(STAY AWAY!)" He yelled as he unleashed a Whirlpool at the group.
"Stop! Piplup, what are you doing?!" Dawn yelled as the water came crashing around them, causing them to scream in surprise as they were knocked back.
When the attack subsided, everyone groaned as they started to get back up.
"(Jeez, I wasn't expecting this today...)" Pikachu grumbled as he lay on his back, Buneary right behind him face down on the ground.
"What happened?" Dawn muttered as she looked up only to see that Piplup was gone. Gasping, she and everyone else quickly got to their feet. "Piplup just disappeared!"
"I wonder what that was all about?" Ash pondered aloud.
Pikachu began to wonder the same thing when he felt a paw grab his tail for support.
"(You okay?)" She gently asked, her fur as equally soaking wet as his.
"(Yeah, you?)" He replied.
"(Mhmm.)" She muttered, her grip squeezing his tail a little more firmly.
They both continued to look forward, hoping to see the penguin's blue figure somewhere amongst the greenery. They remained in place even when Dawn's mom, Johanna, opened the door.
"Dawn, what's going on?" She asked only to gasp upon seeing the group's soaked figures.
As Dawn began to explain what had happened, Pikachu and Buneary looked between everyone, a whirlwind of emotions going through them, perhaps the most prominent one being confusion. It was what Johanna said next that surprised them for certain...other reasons.
Sighing, the blue-haired mother gave a sad look. "Maybe Piplup doesn't want to face having to say goodbye to everybody."
Everyone looked at each other, a little taken aback.
"Yeah, I'll bet that's it." Brock said to the rest of the group.
Pikachu and Buneary exchanged uneasy glances at each other. They both had the same thought.
"You've gotta go and find Piplup right away!" Johanna declared to which Dawn affirmatively nodded her head.
Releasing Togekiss and Staraptor, the group prepared themselves.
"(Alright, I'll get a head start!)" Pikachu announced as he ran forward and jumped atop Staraptor.
"Pikachu, you wanna be part of the search?" Ash asked.
"(You know it!)" Pikachu firmly replied. He looked over and again locked gazes with Buneary before she turned to Dawn.
"(Well...?)" She asked only for the coordinator to squat down to her level and give a confident smile.
"No need to worry, you just leave everything to us!" She said as she reached behind herself to grab her Pokéball. With that, Buneary was enveloped in a bright red light and disappeared.
Pikachu cocked his head to the side upon seeing that. Strange choice. After all, Buneary's hearing can definitely come in handy, plus as Piplup's teammate, she can certainly talk some sense into him. Then again, perhaps Dawn simply didn't want Buneary to get too ruffled up before her big photoshoot. Well regardless of her reasoning, it looked like the group was ready to head out.
With that, they made their way to the nearby forest, the only place that Piplup could hide out at. As they ventured, Pikachu gave an occasional glance at Dawn and he suddenly got a sinking feeling. Trying to bury it down for now, he looked onwards and focused on the job at hand.
"Packing done you guys?" Dawn asked as she looked over to see Ash and Brock rummaging through their backpacks.
"Yup, just about!" Ash replied.
"All done on my end." Brock said as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.
It had only been a few minutes since Piplup's outburst, the crew having found him in the woods. With Pikachu and Togekiss talking some sense into him and providing some emotional comfort, they were all back at Dawn's house, preparing to head out but not before they were to watch a championship match between Cynthia and Flint in half an hour.
"Okay, remember what time the boat leaves." Dawn said, motioning to her Pokétch.
"Alright, I think I'm good." Ash said, standing up with his backpack in his hands. He looked over at Pikachu, still smiling. "Anything else you can think of Pikachu?"
His smile faltered as he saw the mouse shifting somewhat uncomfortably in place, his gaze elsewhere as he held his arm. Pikachu's demeanor didn't go unnoticed as Dawn looked over and gave a concerned look.
"What's with Pikachu? Is it because of Piplup?" She asked.
Brock merely shook his head. "I think it's someone else he's thinking about." He sadly muttered as he motioned to Dawn's bag, containing her Pokéballs.
All three trainers looked at it before a somber silence settled in.
Giving a sad sigh, Ash looked back at Pikachu and put his backpack on the floor. "I get it buddy. Tell you what, how about we give you two some time in the backyard?"
Pikachu looked up and locked gazes with him. After a moment, he nodded his head before something struck him.
"(Wait, one sec!)" He blurted out before suddenly sprinting up to Ash's backpack.
The humans curiously looked over at him to see what he was he was trying to find.
They all immediately came to the same conclusion upon seeing Pikachu take out the letter bracelet.
As soon as Buneary was released from her Pokéball, the humans urged them towards the backyard and closed the door behind them. Standing on the porch, Pikachu awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as Buneary purposely looked elsewhere.
Due to the drama from before, Pikachu hadn't really noticed how beautiful Dawn's backyard was. Large enough to be physically active in yet always having a strange sereneness, it was the sort of place that one could have a battle in or visit to simply enjoy the moment. The grass was cut to a perfect length, the hedges immaculately trimmed and sometimes sculpted with flowers adorning them.
"(So uhh...you wanna walk over there?)" He asked, motioning towards a hedge sculpted into a beautiful arch with several different colorful flowers sprouting from it.
"(...Sure.)" Buneary said, her voice nearly a whisper.
Her terse response not going unnoticed, Pikachu quietly inhaled and extended his paw for her to grab. She looked at it and gently held his paw in her as he led her towards the arch.
A few moments later, they had approached their destination: standing in front of the arch on a dirt pathway that branched into different directions and pink flowers adorning the sides. Beyond that, they could see the great open wilderness, everything looking quite lush and green, including the mountains. From their perspective, it looked as if the arch was some sort of doorway to another world.
Upon reaching the arch, they continued holding paws but looked anywhere other than at each other. A rather awkward, silent moment passed as they stood there, neither wanting to be the first to speak up.
As Pikachu looked out towards the open sky. He wondered how different things will be on their next journey, who they would meet, what new challenges await them. As he did, he couldn't help but think the same for Buneary. Being with him, Ash and Brock were the first group she and Dawn ever travelled with. It's going to be quite a whiplash going to new places, meeting new people, heck...travelling with totally different people along the way. He suddenly felt a pang of sympathy go through his heart at the thought. He remembered that it was certainly a bit odd for him to get used to someone other than Misty during his time in Hoenn.
Well...he couldn't just stand here forever and not say something right? Even if it hurts, he needed to speak up.
And so, steeling his nerves, Pikachu took a quiet, deep breath and looked over at her.
"(So...)" He started to say, waiting for her response.
"(So...)" She said, still looking away.
"(So...modeling huh?)"
"(Yeah...)"
"(Huh...well...gotta say, that doesn't really surprise me.)" He said with an intentional light-heartedness to his voice.
Curious, she looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "(Hmm? Why's that?)"
Feeling a little confidence coming out from his chest, Pikachu didn't want to lose the opportunity. "(Well...I mean look at you!)" He brightly said with a gentle smile, earning a head tilt from her.
"(Whaddya mean?)" She asked, her gaze locking with his.
Pikachu's smile only grew and he let go of her paw to step away before exuberantly waving his paws in the air. "(Oh c'mon! That Hermione lady was absolutely blown away by your performance, even way back in Hearthome! You looked incredible, you focused on performance rather than style and you displayed the kind of grace and awesome skill that only comes by once in a lifetime! It's no wonder that she wants to make you a star!)"
Buneary's mouth hung agape for a moment as one of her paws reached up to her cheek.
"(Y-You really think that?)" She stammered, still not taking her eyes off of him.
Pikachu smirked and walked over to gently place his paws on her shoulders and maintained eye contact with her. "(I know it.)" He gently said, practically staring deep into her soul.
She continued to look at him and although he saw some tears welling up in those hypnotic eyes of hers, he could tell that she was holding it back. She sniffled and nodded her head.
"(Thanks.)" She whispered before gently hugging him. "(I appreciate it. Really.)"
Trying to hold back a little sniffle himself, Pikachu's smile twisted in an effort not to cry. "(You're welcome Bun.)"
They held each other like that for a good long while before one of them broke the hug yet they resumed holding each other's paws.
"(You always seem to know the right thing to say huh?)" She half-heartedly laughed, wiping a tear from her face.
"(Well, if I know the 'mon well enough, I suppose.)" He said with a smug little shrug. They both laughed and looked back at the arch. "(So Hoenn then...)"
"(Yup. Well, Dawn's still deciding anyway.)" Buneary replied, her grip tightening a little. "(Although...I overheard her talking with her mom. She's not too sure if she wants to take all of us or start with a new party.)"
Pikachu looked at her and immediately saw her expression becoming rather dejected. Silently panicking, he fully turned towards her.
"(Well...I don't think you'll have to worry about that very much.)" He gently said. "(After all, you're the one with a modeling career. Plus, you're her best contest performer!)"
"(Yeah...I guess.)" She whispered.
Satisfied, he turned back to the arch. "(I have a feeling you won't be hanging around here for too long either. Around Sinnoh I mean.)"
Another moment passed between them, albeit far less awkward.
"(Pikachu...?)" She finally said.
"(Yeah?)" He replied, giving her a side-glance.
"(I'm nervous.)" She nearly squeaked.
His ears twitching upon hearing that, he fully turned towards her again and waited for her to do the same.
"(Nervous?)" He gently asked only for her to look down and nod her head.
"(Mhmm.)" She muttered, voice cracking.
Another pang of sympathy shot through him upon seeing her face. Pushing it away, he intentionally brightened his demeanor. "(Well that's okay! It's totally natural to feel that way Bun!)"
"(But...what if it doesn't work out? Both the modeling and the contests?)" She sadly asked, her voice progressively becoming weaker. "(What if I just don't have it in me? What if I don't belong in that world? What if-?)"
"(Stop.)" Pikachu firmly said, quickly grabbing her by the shoulders as she squeezed her eyes shut, her mouth twitching in a desperate attempt not to cry. "(Listen to me. You can't keep thinking about the 'what ifs' in life okay? Sometimes, you just need to go for it. Ambipom once told me that a long time ago.)"
Buneary's despaired look quickly morphed into intrigue as she opened her eyes to look at him. "(Ambipom said that?)" She asked in-between sniffles.
"(Yup. She could give good advice when needed. Trust me.)" Pikachu replied, his gentle smile returning. "(And I've taken her advice on more than one occasion.)" He practically whispered as he held up his arm to show his bracelet.
Buneary gave a good long look at him in silent contemplation. Rather gently, she reached out and caressed his bracelet.
"(I've been thinking...)" She said, not taking her eyes off of her gift to him "(...I don't know what we're going to do about...umm...)"
"(Us?)" Pikachu softly asked as Buneary nodded her head again. He looked elsewhere and swallowed hard before scratching behind his ear. "(Well...I've been thinking about that too.)"
"(Yeah?)"
"(Yeah.)"
"(Sooo...what do you think?)"
"(I'm not gonna stand in the way of this. This is a great opportunity for you! I want you to take this chance Bun.)" Pikachu firmly said, looking away to sort out what he wanted to say next. "(So I think...)" He paused before gathering the strength. "(We don't have to stop talking.)"
Buneary finally took her eyes off the bracelet and looked at him rather curiously. "(How do you figure?)" She asked, her head cocked to the side.
Pikachu continued to look away as he began to awkwardly scratch the back of his ear. "(I mean, we knew that something like this could happen...doing our own thing for a while.)"
"(Yeah.)" She sadly said, her ears drooping.
Immediately, he gave her a hopeful look to ease her sorrow. "(But just because we'll be separated for a bit doesn't mean we can't keep talking right?)"
"(Yeah...I guess.)" She said, looking down at her paws in his.
"(Right, I mean, I...uhhh...)" Pikachu said, beginning to lose his nerve. He too looked away before glancing back at her. "(Look...how about this? No matter what Ash and I are doing, no matter where we are, I'll always try to call you. How 'bout that?)"
She stared at him with a somewhat perplexed look. "(But what if you're in the middle of your journey?)"
"(Journey or no journey...)" Pikachu said with a dismissive wave of his paw. "(...Even if we're in the middle of doing stuff, if there's a phone, I'll drag Ash over and call you because I...I...uhh...)" He started to stammer, his heart feeling like it was going to burst out of his chest then and there the more that he saw her lovingly sad expression.
"(...Yes Pikachu?)" She asked. Legends above, her voice was so soft and vulnerable.
"(I really uhhh...l-like you Bun a-and I don't want things to end on a sad note. We could umm...keep in touch at the very least. I-I'd...like that.)" He said, his face becoming redder with each passing word.
He didn't dare to look at her. After all, the embarrassment would be positively fatal in that moment! He could, however, hear her make some sort of contemplative squeaking sound.
As they stood there, the silence was deafening and it only served to make his heartbeat sound like drums pressed against his ears.
"(...I'd like that too Pika.)" She finally said, her angelic voice being the best reprieve from the horrid quietness of uncertainty.
Still not looking at her, he nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. "(Good...)" He managed to whisper, his voice on the verge of breaking.
She stared at him for a little longer before wiping a tear from her cheek. "(Oh, I'm sorry, I know you just got into it with Piplup. I didn't mean for it to get too heavy.)" She half-heartedly joked.
Pikachu sadly smiled and shook his head. "(Don't be Bun.)" He said before he turned and gently embraced her. "(You're the most amazing girl I've ever met...you know that?)"
Buneary gently rubbed his back as she held him tighter. "(You're such a flirt Pika~)" She laughed as the tears once again began to flow. "(...I'm really gonna miss you.)"
"(I'm gonna miss you more.)" He said as he strengthened his hug.
"(Well...we'll just see about that.)" She giggled as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.
A few moments passed as they continued to hug in silence, both unable to hold back from crying any longer.
And as they stood there, holding each other close, Pikachu felt a strange yet rather lovely feeling start in his chest before coursing through his very being. It took everything he had not to open his eyes and make a surprised noise.
That ever-increasingly familiar cozy feeling surpassed by nothing else. The same feeling he experienced during their snowball fight and when they were by that gentle fireplace.
...A feeling that felt vaguely familiar to when they were in that cabin after she had saved his life...
He still couldn't explain what it was, only that it felt different than what he had experienced all of those other times he was with her. Something less intense and passionate yet more subtle and ever-present.
Pikachu pressed his cheek against her shoulder a little more and for a moment, he felt completely comfortable.
"(I...don't want to let go.)" Pikachu whispered.
"(Me neither...but you'll have to.)" Buneary sniffled.
"(Mhmm...I hate this.)" He replied as he began to feel her break away from the hug.
"(Then let me make this a little easier for you Pika.)" She whispered into his ear.
"(What are you-?)" He managed to say before she rubbed her nose up against his. Completely shocked, electricity began to emanate from his cheeks, causing the fluff atop her ears to stand up a little.
After the initial surprise had passed, he felt his fortitude melt away and – almost as if he were in some sort of strange trance – he pressed back.
When they broke away, they looked into each other's eyes, not a word being said before they impulsively locked lips.
When all was said and done, it was just as she had told him.
Although it certainly felt like it in that moment, the world didn't come to an end.
As Pikachu, Ash and Brock waved goodbye to Dawn and Piplup from their boat, they looked towards their destination: Kanto.
It wasn't long until they got to the mainland and before they knew it, they were at a crossroad.
"I guess this is it." Ash calmly said, looking at the sign pointing in opposite directions.
"Yeah." Brock said with a nod and smile.
Extending his hand out, Ash waited for Brock to shake it and as he did, they exchanged grins.
"You can do it, Pokémon doctor Brock!" Ash confidently announced.
"Pokémon Master Ash, you can too." Brock calmly replied.
With that, the two parted ways, another journey behind them.
It wasn't long until Ash and Pikachu were looking at Pallet town from a hill, the young trainer still holding onto a bag he had gotten in Sinnoh.
"There's Pallet Town." He said before looking over at the mouse perched on his shoulder. "Let's go Pikachu!"
"(Right!)" He happily replied before jumping forward and the two immediately began to run home.
And as they did, Pikachu stopped to look back. For a moment, her face flashed across his mind and he wondered when he would actually see her again. Not wanting Ash to notice that he wasn't running alongside him, the mouse quickly took in a deep breath.
Pikachu gave a proud smile and silently wished her luck and quickly turned around to catch up to his trainer.
He knew deep down that they would see each other again, sooner than later.
Author's Notes:
And with that, Act II ends! Gotta say, things in the show lined up pretty nicely with what I had in mind haha. It's crazy to think that it's been a full year since I started writing this story. How time flies when you're having a blast!
...And here comes the awkward part where I have to announce that I'm taking another temporary break. Once again, I need more time to write things out and also to take care of some things in my personal life. Although I will say that Act III is something that I have better planned out so who knows how long it'll take haha.
Anyway, just like last time, I want to give you, the reader, a big shoutout for sticking by and reading this far into my story! It means so much to me that you take time out of your day to see what I have to offer! Remember to keep an eye out for this story on Archive of Our Own or my DeviantArt account (Carson55AllDay) for the commissions I'm releasing!
Well, now that the journey through Sinnoh is over, what could possibly be in store for our favorite couple? The possibilities are endless!
Only one way to find out! Until then, Carson55 out!
Update September 19 2023: Sorry for the delay, this site was acting wonky for a bit!