Author's note: Hey there!

At the moment, I'm only really in the mood to write easy stuff (since life has been really freaking taxing lately), so here's another one-shot!

This one's a concept I've been wanting to explore for a while, so I hope you enjoy it!

One, Two, Pikachu

"Alright," Ash called out as he walked, Pikachu on his shoulder, "we're off to get firewood!"

"Okay!" Dawn called back, while brushing Buneary's fur.

"Are you sure you'll be okay looking after the campsite, while we're gone?" Brock asked, walking with Ash.

"Of course! No need to worry!"

"(Yeah!)" Piplup agreed with his flippers on his hips. "(No need to worry!)"

Ash smiled awkwardly. "That's when we worry the most..." he said.

Pikachu bore the same awkward smile. "(Yeah...)" he agreed.

"Well, alright, then," Brock said, "see you later!"

"Yeah," Ash agreed, "see you later!"

They turned and walked away.

"Piplup, use Bubble Beam towards the sun!" Dawn called out.

Piplup sucked in a breath, then tilted his head backwards and shot a stream of bubbles into the air. As they lined up with the sunbeams, they cast a rainbow-coloured light on the ground.

"Now, use Whirlpool!"

Piplup raised his flippers and created a gigantic watery vortex above his head, which sucked in the bubbles. They began to spin around it, decorating the whirlpool with transparent spheres.

"Alright! Now, use Bide!"

Piplup concentrated his energy as he began to glow white. He held that pose for a while, the bubbles continuing to swirl around the whirlpool above him.

Once she'd waited long enough, Dawn dramatically held out a hand.

"Alright, Piplup! Let it fly!"

With a determined cry, Piplup unleashed his stored energy. It flashed outwards, destroying the whirlpool and bubbles. Left in its wake was a shower of sparkles and a small glittering rainbow.

The penguin proudly put his flippers on his hips. "(Heck yeah,)" he said.

"(Way to go, Piplup!)" Buneary cheered.

"(That was cool!)" Pachirisu agreed.

"Wow!" Dawn said. "That looked just how I pictured it!"

"(Naturally,)" Piplup replied.

Suddenly, Buneary's nose picked up a familiar scent. Beaming, she turned towards the source. "(Oh, hey!)" she said. "(Welcome back, Pi-") She paused, staring at the pokémon in front of her.

"(Hey there!)" the pikachu replied. "(Your friend'sh pretty good!)"

"(Uh, yeah...)"

She inhaled again, just to check that she hadn't been imagining things. Nope, this was Ash's pikachu's scent, alright. The only problem was that this wasn't Ash's pikachu.

Glancing left and right, she was surprised to find that her crush was nowhere to be seen. So, then, did that mean the scent was coming from this pikachu? But how was that possible? Not even siblings had the exact same scent! Heck, even the scents of identical human twins were slightly different!

"(There you are!) a voice called out. After a moment, a female chimchar ran up to the pikachu. "(Why'd you just run off like that?)"

"(Shorry... )" he replied. "(I heard a commotion over here and wanted to shee what wash going on.)"

"Oh, how cute!" Dawn said. "A pikachu and a chimchar!"

Buneary was dumbfounded. This mouse didn't look like Ash's pikachu - due to the strange markings on his ears that somewhat resembled a pichu - or sound like Ash's pikachu - due to the higher pitch, and the slight slur when he spoke - so how was he managing to smell exactly like him?!

"Oh, there you are!" a voice called out. Glancing behind her, Buneary saw a young girl with two long white pigtails running over to them. "You two really shouldn't run off like that!"

"Oh, hi there!" Dawn said.

Stopping, the girl turned to her and waved. "Hi!" she replied. She gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry about my chimchar and pikachu..."

"No need to worry! They were no trouble at all! I was just practicing for my next contest."

"Oh, you're a coordinator?"

"Yep! My name's Dawn."

"I'm Robin. Nice to meet you! I'm pretty new to this training thing..."

While the humans continued their conversation, Pachirisu and Piplup approached the Pikachu.

"(Hey there!)" Pachirisu said with a wide grin. "(Why do you smell like Pikachu?)"

"(Yeah, that's just weird!)" Piplup agreed.

The pikachu gave them a strange look. "(Why wouldn't I shmell like a pikachu?)" he asked.

"(Yeah, he kind of is one,)" the chimchar agreed.

"(That's not what we-)" Piplup began, but he stopped. "(Wait, why are you talking like that?)"

"(... Like what?) the pikachu asked.

"(Like that!)"

"(... Thish ish how I alwaysh talk.)"

"(Anyway!)" the chimchar said somewhat awkwardly. "(It's nice to meet you all. Since our trainer gave us nicknames, you can call me Ignis.)" She indicated the pikachu. "(And my friend here is called Levin.)"

Levin nodded. "(Pleashed to meet you.)"

"(Sure...)" Buneary replied.

"(What nice nicknames!)" Pachirisu said.

"(Hmph,)" Piplup said, "(we didn't get nicknames...)"

"(Well, that doesn't make you any less special,)" Ignis said with a smile.

Piplup raised his beak in the air proudly. "(Very true.)"

"(I still have no idea why you smell exactly like our friend,)" Pachirisu said, "(but I think it's cool!)"

"(Eh?)" Levin asked.

"(My sense of smell isn't as good as his,)" Piplup explained, "(so I have to take his word for it.)" He paused. "(Hey, Buneary? Your sense of smell is pretty good. What do you think?)"

Buneary's brain was having trouble functioning. She didn't understand it. She really didn't understand it! Her body, mind and soul had come to relate this particular smell with her crush, but, now that it was connected to a completely different pikachu, all kinds of signals were getting mixed up. Her brain was filling with endorphins and her heart was beating erratically in her chest. It didn't make any sense! She was starting to feel lightheaded from the sheer confusion.

"Hey, Dawn, we're back!" Ash called out. Buneary turned to see the three males each carrying a pile of sticks. "Oh, hey there!"

"Hey, guys!" Dawn replied. "This is Robin! Robin, these are my friends, Ash and Brock."

"Nice to meet you!" Robin said.

"Likewise," Brock replied, nodding.

Pikachu, however, blinked in their direction. After a moment, he dropped his sticks and pointed. "(Hey, it's you!)" he said.

"(... Oh, good grief...)" Levin muttered.

Beaming, Pikachu ran over. "(Hey, long time no see, Pikachutwo!)"

"(... Pikachu too?)" Piplup asked.

One of Levin's eyes twitched. "(Pleashe don't call me that,)" he said.

Buneary looked back and forth between the two mice. "(You two know each other?)" she asked, even more confused than before.

"(Yeah!)" Pikachu replied. "(He's my-)" Levin slapped a paw over his mouth, silencing him.

"(Yeah, it'sh great to shee you, too!)" he replied with a strained smile.

Ignis frowned slightly. "(Levin,)" she said, "(what are you...?)"

"I was just about to start dinner," Brock said, placing all the sticks in one large pile. "You're welcome to stay, if you like, Robin."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" Robin replied with an embarrassed smile. "I'll get out of your way before then."

"Well, if you're su-" He paused, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Hey, Ash... isn't that Pikachu's clone over there?"

"Clone?!" Dawn and Robin asked at the same time.

"Hey, you're right, Brock!" Ash replied, sounding equally as surprised. "I think it is!"

"(... Clone?)" Buneary asked.

All the pokémon stared at Levin, waiting for him to say something.

Heaving a sigh, he removed his paw from Pikachu's mouth. "(Alright, yeah...)" he said, "(I'm Pikachu'sh clone...)"

"(... Huh?)" everyone but Pikachu asked at once.

"Hey there, little guy!" Ash said. "Long time no see, huh?"

"(Yeah...)" Levin grumbled.

"What do you mean he's your pikachu's clone?" Robin asked.

"It's a long story," Ash explained, "and I don't remember most of it, but a lege-" He hesitated. "Uhhh, someone cloned my pikachu, and your pikachu is what came out of it!" He beamed.

Well, Buneary thought, that certainly explained why they shared the exact same scent...

"Wow, really?!" Robin turned to her pikachu. "Is that true, Levin?"

Staring at the floor, Levin nodded. "(Yeah...)" he replied.

"Wow! I knew my pikachu was special, but I had no idea he was this special!"

It was subtle, but Buneary noticed Levin's eyes narrow slightly.

"(Why didn't you tell me you were a clone?)" Ignis asked.

Levin sighed again. "(Becaushe I didn't want you to know...)" He paused a moment, before looking directly at Ignis. "(Yesh, my real name ish Pikachutwo... but I never liked being called that. I didn't wanna live in the shadow of Pikachu anymore. I'm my own man now.)"

Her eyes softened. "(Levin...)"

Levin turned to Pikachu. "(Sho, pleashe... call me Levin. It'sh who I am now.)"

Pikachu blinked at him. After a moment, he smiled. "(Okay, sure,)" he replied. Levin smiled back. "(So, Levin... how have you been, since I last saw you?)"

"(Well, after the clonesh left Mount Quena, I tried living the life of a wild pokémon. It wash hard at firsht... but I eventually got the hang of it.)" His eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. "(Then I thought to myshelf... 'I should get out and shee more of the world'... sho I went on an adventure. I travelled far and wide, exhploring everywhere I could... though there are limitsh to how far a wild pokémon can go... That wash when I met Robin.)"

"(The moment my trainer saw him,)" Ignis said, "(she was drawn to him. Maybe because he wasn't like any pikachu she'd ever seen.)"

Levin sighed. "(I tried sho hard to be a normal pokémon... I tried sho hard to fit in... but I never will, will I?)"

"(Naw, I'm sure that's not true...)" Pikachu replied.

"(It ish... I didn't want anyone finding out I'm a clone for thish exhact reashon... but it sheems I can never eshcape what I am...)"

"(... Levin,)" Ignis said, a serious edge to her voice. He looked at her. She gave him a warm smile. "(When we met, I knew you were different. I didn't know exactly how different... but, at the time, it didn't matter. You were still my friend, regardless.)"

Levin's ears drooped. "(And what about now? I'm not jusht a clone, you know... I'm a deformed clone. One that washn't fully developed. I think shomething went wrong in the cloning prochessh...)" He glanced at Piplup. "(Which ish why I talk funny...)"

"(Oh...)" Piplup replied. He shared a silent glance with Pachirisu.

"(I jusht wanted to be normal, but maybe Mewtwo wash right... we are what we are...)"

Buneary was about to question who Mewtwo was, before a voice cut in.

"(... Yes, you are,)" Ignis said.

Levin looked at her in surprise. "(Ignish?)"

She had a very serious look on her face. "(You are what you are. You are who you are. Clone or not... speech impediment or not... you're still you, Levin...)" She smiled warmly. "(And I wouldn't change a single thing about you.)"

A light pink blush spread across Levin's cheeks. "(Ignish...)"

"Well, it's been really nice talking to you," Robin suddenly said, "but we need to get going. I think we've kept you from your food long enough." Ash's stomach growled in agreement. Everyone laughed. "Come on, Ignis! Levin!"

"(Coming!)" they replied at the same time, rushing over to their trainer. Running up her body, they each rested on a shoulder.

Smiling fondly at her pikachu, she stroked him behind the ear. "And thanks for telling me about Levin. I mean, it doesn't change anything, but it was nice to know, you know?"

"Yeah!" Ash replied. "Well, I'm just glad to see he's happy."

"I hope he is..." Levin nuzzled against her cheek in response. She smiled at him. "Oh, you..." She turned to Ash, Dawn and Brock. "Well, see ya." Turning, she began to walk away.

Everyone, both human and pokémon alike, waved and shouted their goodbyes, until Robin disappeared from the horizon.

"(... Well, that was something!)" Pachirisu said with a smile.

"(No kidding...)" Piplup agreed.

"(Wow...)" Buneary breathed, still amazed, "(I never knew you had a clone, Pikachu...)"

"(Honestly, I never thought I'd see him again...)" Pikachu replied, "(though I'm glad I did.)" He gazed off into the distance, where Robin and her pokémon no longer were. "(And I'm glad he's finally happy.)"

"(Yeah...)"

"(... It's funny, isn't it?)"

"(Hmm?)"

"(He's my clone, but we're really nothing alike at all.)"

Buneary paused, pondering this comment as she looked at Pikachu's smile. The smile that always made her heart go a mile a minute. The smile that always made her insides twist into pleasant knots. The smile of the nicest, bravest, strongest, cutest pokémon she'd ever met. The smile that you could trust with your life. The smile that you'd want to wake up to every morning.

... Now that she thought about it, they really weren't alike, were they? Sure, Levin had been nice and all... and sure, her heart and brain had been reacting rather strongly to his scent... but that was just it, wasn't it? She'd only been reacting to it because it was Pikachu's scent.

Well, technically, it was Levin's, too... but her point was that they were completely different pokémon. Just because they smelled the same, it didn't mean they were the same.

"(No. You're really not.)"

He turned to her. By the light of the setting sun, they exchanged a smile that made her insides feel warm and fuzzy.

"(Guys!)" Piplup cried. "(Looks like Brock's gonna start cooking dinner now!)"

"(About time!)" Pachirisu agreed, hopping up and down excitedly. "(It's already getting late, as it is! So, let's help out! Come on, come on!)"

Piplup danced around dramatically. "(Yeah, I'm huuungryyyy!)"

Pikachu gave an exasperated chuckle. "(Okay, okay...)" he replied.

Giggling, Buneary followed him over to where Brock was setting up the campfire. Yep, he truly was one of a kind.

The End