Act III: Heartbreaking Realizations
Chapter 40: Lovely to See You Again
ENTRY NO. 17.
WE HAVE BEEN STATIONED ON THE MAINLAND FOR OVER SIX WEEKS NOW.
YESTERDAY, OUR SCOUTS INFORMED US THAT THEY HAVE CAPTURED NEW ASSETS. IF THEY SUCCESSFULLY RETURN TO THE SHIP WITH THEM, THEN OUR QUOTA HAS BEEN REACHED.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO OUTSIDE REPORTS OF OUR ACTIVITIES. ALL REMAINS QUIET.
WE RECEIVED WORD FROM T-5 STATIONED ON THE ISLAND. THE TOWER IS NEAR OPERATIONAL. HE IS INSISTING ON USING IT NOW HOWEVER, I OBJECTED. OUR ORDERS WERE TO WAIT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. GIOVANNI WANTED THIS OPERATION TO REMAIN DISCREET AFTER ALL.
STILL, I CANNOT DENY THAT T-5 HAS MANAGED TO GET HIS WORK DONE AT A RECORD PACE.
NOW THAT BOTH OF OUR ASSIGNMENTS ARE NEAR COMPLETION, I WILL REACH OUT TO HEADQUARTERS TO SEE IF WE CAN PROCEED WITH STEP THREE OF OPERATION ELYSIUM.
THE CREW SEEMS ECSTATIC TO LEAVE AND TO NO LONGER WORK IN THE SHADOWS.
THE WEATHER APPEARS CLEAR AND ARCEUS IS OVER ALL.
THIS IS CAPTAIN ERIC JOHNSON (GAMMA-7) OF BRAVO ONE, SIGNING OFF.
The road to success is paved, though what it's paved with always depends. Failures. Mistakes. Obstacles. Motivation.
No matter what, that road is always paved with something.
At least that's what Ash and Pikachu had heard throughout their adventures. For them, the journey continued on like it always had. Almost immediately after arriving in Unova, they experienced what – by now anyway –felt quite typical: encountering trouble, Pikachu ending up in not the best condition, meeting new traveling companions and adventuring throughout the region in the hopes of becoming stronger.
On a scale of one to ten with ten being absolute insanity, the journey throughout Unova so far was probably a solid five. Nothing could really beat how things started off on the very first day of their very first journey but still, it wasn't exactly uneventful either.
Around six months had passed since leaving Sinnoh and while things on the surface appeared to go as they always did with Ash, Pikachu had made it clear from the get-go that they were to call Dawn whenever they could, as a certain bunny always awaited for him on the other line. True to their word, the ex-couple sorted it out so that their trainers would try to remain in contact as often as possible.
It seemed like whenever the two entered a new town, they wouldn't leave until at least one phone call was placed somewhere, often from the Pokémon Center. From this, the ex-couple often learned about what was going on in each other's lives. A new friend here, an adventure there...it was almost like they hadn't even separated. In fact, not long into his new adventure, Pikachu had learned that Buneary's photoshoot was very well received and that Hermione had nothing but praise for her! Indeed, it looked like her career as a model had nowhere to go but up!
Pikachu wished that he could say the same for his own track record. Starting his adventure, he had fallen ill...again, was defeated by a Pokémon who could only really be described as a newbie and overall, their journeying through Unova could've been going a lot better.
But that's okay. If there was anything to take away from being with Ash, it was to look on the positive side of things. Though his journey was off to a rocky start, Pikachu did indeed feel as though he was getting stronger, not to mention that he had made new – rather interesting – friends.
There was Iris, a young girl who aspired to become a Dragon Master and whose acerbic wit and comments towards Ash reminded the mouse of Misty a little. Still, she did show quite a lot of potential and it really wouldn't surprise anyone if she ended up at the top of her field!
Alongside her was Cilan, a Pokémon Connoisseur who had the most peculiar habit of relating everything – sometimes when the situation was uncalled for – to food and cooking whenever he could. Speaking of which, Cilan, to both Ash and Pikachu's complete surprise, proved to give Brock a run for his money when it came to the culinary arts!
Of course, a journey wouldn't be complete without assembling a Pokémon crew with some new faces being rather pleasant while others were...well...they weren't not pleasant...just interesting.
On top of all that, not too long ago, the crew had come across a mythical Pokémon called Meloetta who had taken quite a liking to Ash. The floating sprite, while kind and easy to talk to, was also quite shy and sheltered. Indeed, whenever anyone managed to talk to her, some of the most basic things in life had to be explained and it seemed like she could have been a prime target for manipulation. At times, Pikachu worried that someone like Emolga would catch on and use the sprite's naivety for something.
...Like free manual labor for hunting for apples...
In the end, the journey continued as it normally did, but things took a turn not long after Ash had earned his eighth badge. After arriving at a quiet little place nestled in the cliffs near the ocean called Undella Town and encountering Jervis, the butler of Sinnoh champion Cynthia, the crew was on their way to a beautiful villa with a certain mythical Pokémon having snuck into the car thanks to her ability to turn invisible.
At first, everything went on as per usual...
...It was only when they met up with a certain someone did things truly change.
Standing in the living room, Ash looked behind to one side after feeling a gentle tap on his shoulder but saw nobody. Then he turned to the other side but still he didn't see anyone. He only heard a stifled giggle.
"Who's that?!" Ash grumbled as he fully turned around only to meet the smug smiles of Dawn and Piplup.
The young trainer eased up and his annoyed frown was replaced with a smile which was followed by Pikachu's own grin.
"Oh! It's Dawn!" Ash laughed, completely caught-off guard.
"(Didn't expect to see you here!)" Pikachu said with a smirk.
"Hi! It's been a long time Ash!" Dawn chuckled with a wave of her hand before giving them a wink.
"(Too long if you ask me!)" Piplup laughed.
"Sure has!" Ash replied with a wink of his own.
"(I'll say!)" Pikachu beamed.
With that, the two trainers gave each other a high-five.
A few minutes went by of the humans conversing amongst themselves, mainly of Ash and Dawn catching up. It was only after Ash had suggested meeting each other's parties did Pikachu and Piplup have some time to catch up themselves, their trainers taking some time to unpack their stuff.
"(Yup, I've been getting puh-retty strong if I do say so myself!)" Piplup proudly said as he puffed out his chest.
"(Oh that's awesome man!)" Pikachu beamed, genuinely happy for the penguin.
"(Mhmm...)" Piplup remarked with a slight flex, earning an eyeroll from the mouse.
"(So how's everyone else doing?)" Pikachu asked once he got over the second-hand embarrassment.
"(They're doing good. Mostly the same. Uhh...let's see...)" Piplup replied before placing a flipper up to his chin as he gave a thoughtful look. "(Cyndaquil evolved, uhh...a couple of us learned new moves...and I think...that's it. Oh and things went pretty well in Hoenn! I mean...I'm sure you already know about that~)" He said with a smirk and a wink.
Pikachu paused and blinked at him. Huh? Why would he-?
Then he felt his cheeks heat up. Oh right...he meant her. Speaking of which...
"(Er...yeah. H-How's she doing by the way?)" Pikachu replied, nervously scratching the back of his ear.
"(Oh her? She's doing just fine!)" Piplup said with a slightly evil smile. "(Dunno if she mentioned it, but she's getting more modeling work! Hermione is already arranging some things in the near future.)"
Pikachu blinked at his friend. That's certainly news to him, he knew that her photoshoot went well but still...that fast huh?
"(O-Oh is that right? Well...tell her I said great work!)" He said, followed by an awkward chuckle. His response only made the penguin's smile turn even more wicked.
"(Why ask me when you can tell her yourself?)" Piplup asked with a grin.
Pikachu jerked his head back a little upon seeing his friend's rather intense stare.
"(Is that really a good idea? I mean, we're still on good terms but don't you think it'd be a bit...weird?)" He responded as he gently rubbed his arm for comfort.
Piplup eased up and turned his beak up at the mouse as he closed his eyes. "(Tsk, please. You two were closer than I've ever seen anyone one, even after we left Sinnoh!)" He said before opening one eye to look back at him. "(I think you'll be fine.)"
"(Well...)" Pikachu muttered, looking away. "(...Assuming that she's not too weirded out.)"
"(Pikachu, let me ask. When you go your separate ways with your other friends, do you keep in touch all the time?)" Piplup gently asked, still maintaining his pose.
Pikachu paused and he stopped rubbing his arm. "(Uhh...I-I er...sometimes we keep in touch.)"
"(Buuut...?)" Piplup asked, leaning forward a little.
"(But...)" Pikachu muttered before looking down at the couch, a light blush dusting his face "(...no.)"
"(Well there ya go!)" The penguin declared, waving a flipper in front of himself. "(What you two have is definitely special compared to your other friends!)"
Pikachu sighed and looked away. "(Well...I'm just not sure if she'd even want to see me. It'll probably be too awkward.)" He muttered only to nearly jump out of his skin upon hearing the penguin's disbelieving gasp.
"(Are you kidding me?!)" Piplup screamed, causing the mouse to immediately turn to him. "(When she heard that we'd be meeting up with you guys, she spent days getting herself ready!)"
Pikachu could only silently stare at him in response. "(...Really?)" He nearly squeaked.
Almost immediately, the penguin's expression changed into one of surprise...followed by silent horror. "(I-I mean...uhh...n-no...not at all!)" He sheepishly said as he cleared his throat, abject terror underlying his every move. Pikachu merely raised an eyebrow at that. Huh...guess he just heard something that he wasn't supposed to.
Suppressing a smile, the mouse walked over and patted his friend's shoulder.
"(Oh alright.)" Pikachu said as gently as he could. "(If it means that much...we'll talk.)"
Piplup sighed and gave the mouse a side-glance. "(...Please don't tell her I said that.)"
The mouse merely smiled at him. "(Your secret is safe with me!)" Pikachu laughed.
Buneary hummed the tune to some song that she couldn't remember as she continued to look at herself in the mirror. She and a few of the other members of her party were in a rather large room that Dawn was staying in, complete with rather aristocratic-appearing furniture. Outside, they could hear the humans conversing, including a certain mouse and penguin.
"(Darling won't you ease my worried mind~?)" She softly sang as she looked for any imperfections in her appearance including if her fur was clean, checking to see that her fluff was combed, and so on.
"(Buneary darling, stop fretting so much. You look incredible!)" Togekiss gently said from a few feet behind.
"(Yeah! Pikachu's gonna flip out when he sees you!)" Pachirisu beamed, his tiny paws held together in excitement as he stood next to the bird.
Carefully using a brush to comb through her fur for the dozenth time, Buneary continued to inspect herself.
"(I appreciate it guys, really I do. It's just that...)" She said before taking a bottle of perfume and spritzing the slightest amount on herself. "(...I want to make the best impression that I can.)"
"(You will!)" Pachirisu nearly shouted. "(Don't worry, you look fine!)"
Buneary quickly turned back to look at the little squirrel, as did Togekiss, the latter of whom looking quite alarmed.
"(Fine you say?)" Buneary asked quite seriously.
"(Uhh...)" Pachirisu absentmindedly replied.
"(Pachirisu!)" Togekiss sternly remarked, causing the squirrel to look up at her.
"(What? What'd I say?)" Pachirisu asked.
"(She's not trying to look 'just fine'.)" Togekiss sighed.
"(Exactly.)" Buneary said before quickly whipping back to the mirror to resume her work.
"(S-Sorry...)" Pachirisu nervously chuckled as he held a paw up to the side of his head.
After a few more moments of combing through her fur, Buneary finally stopped and stared at herself. Her two friends anxiously looked at each other before they heard her sigh.
"(Well...guess that's as good as I can make myself...)" She whispered as she slumped her shoulders.
Togekiss furrowed her brow a little and took a step forward.
"(Umm...Buneary dear? Are you alright?)" The Flying-type gently asked.
Another moment passed before the bunny looked in the mirror and stared at their reflections.
"(Yeah...)" Buneary muttered. "(It's just that...I don't know what to expect.)"
"(Expect? Whaddya mean?)" Pachirisu asked, tilting his head a little to which Buneary turned to look at them.
"(I mean it's the first time we've seen each other in a long time a-and I don't know what it's going to be like.)" She sadly said.
"(But you've been talking to Pikachu all this time haven't you?)" Togekiss asked.
"(Yeah, but what if it's gonna be really weird? Like what if we can't actually hang out anymore because...you know...?)" The bunny whispered, a sad look dominating her face as she stared at the floor.
Pachirisu put his stubby arms up to his face and gave her a rather concerned frown.
"(Y-You think that he doesn't like you anymore?)" He asked, obvious fear in his eyes.
"(Well...)" Buneary mumbled as she held her own arm. "(...Maybe. Or maybe things are gonna be too awkward to ever be normal again.)"
The other two sympathetically looked at her.
Quietly inhaling, Togekiss took another few steps and gently placed a wing on the bunny's shoulder and gave a sympathetic look. "(Buneary...)" She said "(...I don't think you have anything to worry about.)"
Slowly, Buneary looked up at her friend. "(What...what do you mean?)"
Giving her a gentle smile, Togekiss backed away. "(If Pikachu is anything like he was back in Sinnoh, he'd be more than happy to see you again!)" She said before giving a rather proud pose. "(Why, I have half a mind to think that he would want to talk to you first!)"
Buneary blinked at her. "(...You really think so?)"
Confidence obvious in her eyes, Togekiss nodded her head. "(I know so!)"
"(Yeah, totally!)" Pachirisu declared, waving his paws in the air. "(Pikachu was head over heels for you back then, and he'll be over the moon when he sees you now!)"
Making a dry gulp, Buneary looked between them.
Yeah...maybe they were right...
Was it really like Pikachu to turn someone away? Especially if they were friends or...even more? Sure, it might be a bit touch-and-go to get started on catching up, but knowing how he is...everything would be alright!
Her anxiety slowly evaporating, Buneary gave a slightly relieved exhale. "(Thanks...thanks guys.)"
"(If you'd like some advice...)" Togekiss said, locking gazes with her. "(...Just be yourself.)"
Buneary, slightly surprised to hear that, merely looked at her. "(I-I don't...)" She managed to say before trailing off.
"(Act like yourself!)" Pachirisu repeated, his enthusiasm not faltering for a moment. "(Be the girl he fell in love with back in Sinnoh! Just act like nothing's weird and you'll be talking like old times!)"
Blushing a little upon hearing that, Buneary cleared her throat and looked away. "(Dunno about the 'love' part but I...I guess I can do that.)"
"(Then do it dearie!)" Togekiss laughed. "(Do it for him!)"
Unable to hold back a light chuckle, Buneary smiled and looked over at them. "(Okay...I'll do my best.)"
"(Good luck~!)" Pachirisu practically sang with clear mirth in his voice as he rushed over to hug her causing her to brightly laugh.
Outside of the villa, Pikachu took a step back upon seeing Quilava. Jeez...they grow up so fast.
"(Yup! And then I learned Eruption and can you guess what happened next?)" Quilava declared, puffing his chest out with a proud smile.
Trying to resist a chuckle upon seeing the Piplup-esque pose, Pikachu gave the stout a gentle grin. "(What happened next?)"
"(I used it to get myself free from the String Shot and blast away those ariados!)" The Fire-type proclaimed, waving his arms for dramatic effect.
"(Oh, that's pretty cool!)" Oshawott chirped.
Emolga replied with a slight huff followed by the tiniest of smirks.
"(Mhmm.)" Quilava smiled with a nod. "(Helped get us out of that whole mess that's for sure!)"
Pikachu merely smiled at him. Heh, looks like all of that traveling with Piplup was really rubbing off on the Fire-type. Funny, it didn't seem too long ago when they were butting heads over Dawn's attention. Then again, six months was probably enough time to leave an impression...
The mouse took a quick glance around and saw everyone else conversing amongst each other. Most were trading stories and retelling their whacky misadventures.
Behind him, he saw Iris and Dawn conversing and then looking straight ahead were Ash and Cilan, each human admiring the different Pokémon.
So far, it seemed like everyone was having a great time! Pikachu looked back at the little group he was in and saw that Oshawott had already begun to go off on a fantastical description of his own achievements...mainly of his romantic escapades or rather attempts at them.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes was watching him from not too far away.
Nervously watching the man she had once regarded as her beloved, Buneary continued to hide behind Mamoswine's leg, a paw covering her mouth.
There he is...half a year later and he still looks just as handsome as ever! Conversing with everyone, giving that adorable little smile, the kids looking up to him...he hadn't changed a bit, and that was perfectly fine with her!
She made a dry gulp and felt something thump rather hard in her chest. As she continued to watch him, she felt an immense wave of déjà vu. It was funny, standing here and hiding, absolutely terrified of his gaze...it made her feel as if she was transported to that first month she was with Dawn and how she had acted around him: a completely nervous and fidgety mess.
Oh how the more things change, the more they stay the same.
"(You're gonna have to go over there at some point.)" Mamoswine muttered, trying not to appear too obvious as he glanced down at the bunny.
Her eyes still not off of the mouse, Buneary shifted in place. "(I know...I know.)" She muttered, sighing before lightly tapping the mammoth's leg. "(Okay...okay I'm gonna do it! I'm just gonna go over there and say hi. Yeah, just...'hi Pikachu, how are you?'...yeah. Then we can-)"
She immediately paused upon seeing Pikachu's ears twitch, his back still facing her. Buneary's heart dropped down to her stomach. Uh oh...guess she was talking to herself a little too loud.
Pikachu turned around with a curious look and for a moment, his eyes wandered before settling on hers and they locked gazes.
"Oh no...o-oh legends, this is it! Okay girl, you're up! Just don't come off too weird..." Her panicked mind thought as she wordlessly stared back at him. "Oh for the love of Mew, please don't be weirded out, please, please don't be-!"
"(Hey! Buneary!)" Pikachu called out with the warmest smile she had seen in quite a while. "(Over here!)"
For the briefest of moments, everything went silent. Then, almost like a plane taking off, she felt her heart soar and every thought and feeling of doubt, worry and anxiety dissipated in an instant! Unable to hold a smile back, Buneary let out a tiny gasp.
"(O-Oh hi there!)" She squeaked before walking around Mamoswine's leg and – by instinct – held onto her fluff, all the while she tried to stop her grin from growing any wider though she was clearly failing.
With that, she began to walk across the dirt-covered training ground toward Pikachu's little group, so content was she that the bunny closed her eyes all the way. Though her heart didn't hurt and her nerves were soothed, her mind was still racing. What exactly should she say to him? Should she just walk up to him and join their conversation like it was no big deal?
What did Togekiss suggest again? Act like herself and things would turn out alright? Well, in that case...
She did her best to keep her cool.
...Oh legends above, how was he acting so calm about this?!
It was all she could repeat in her mind, unaware that Pikachu wasn't feeling much different.
"Okay, just keep smiling. Yup, just like that." Pikachu thought, his warm grin never faltering for a moment as he stood in place, watching Buneary make her way over to him. "Remember what Piplup said...just act like it's no big deal...!"
As she was about halfway through the training ground, he felt his heart do one of those weird somersaults. Initially, he chalked it up to nerves but it was only after she got closer and he noticed her light blush did another strange occurrence happen.
Quietly gulping, the once intense feeling he felt in his chest began to simmer and was replaced with some sort of odd, comforting warmth. It enveloped him, wrapping his heart in what felt like a protective blanket.
It was a feeling that he hadn't experienced in quite a while...something that he hadn't felt since Sinnoh...
As Pikachu waited for her to walk up to his group, a certain otter standing next to him had turned around to see what the mouse was staring at.
"(What are ya looking at? I was in the middle of my-)" Oshawott muttered only to see the most gorgeously stunning lass he'd ever seen making her way towards them! His eyes immediately sparkling, the little otter's face brightened up and his voice began to make that gushing sound that the others were so used to hearing whenever he was in the presence of a pretty face. "(Oh! O-Oh, hey there pretty lady~!)" He sang as he reached out for her.
"Okay, just keep walking and go with the flow. Act like you normally would." Buneary ruminated, so lost in thought that she didn't even notice another voice calling out for her just off to the side.
"(M-My name's Osh...Oshawott! Care to uhh...oh boy...!)" Oshawott stammered, clearly getting flustered with each passing moment. "(M-Maybe you and me can go get some coffee. Well actually, I'm too young for coffee, but how about a walk by the beach or a romantic dinner at-?)" He rambled as he watched her stroll right past him…
...And gently nuzzle into Pikachu's side.
So incredibly taken aback by this, Oshawott took a moment to stop fawning over her and instead gave a shocked look. In fact, he was so surprised that he ended up dropping his scalchop onto the ground.
Evidently, Pikachu felt much the same way because as soon as he saw Buneary getting closer, his confused staring turned into a mildly surprised smile and then one of recognition of what was about to happen next.
As soon as she nuzzled into his side, she gave a rather content sigh, her paws still gripping her fluff.
"(Hi~)" She whispered into his ear.
Pikachu felt a bead of sweat form on the side of his head. "(Hi. I uhh...missed you too!)" He awkwardly laughed.
And yet oddly...he didn't feel uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was out of sheer jubilation, but somewhere in the back of her mind, Buneary realized just how silly all her dreading in the past twenty-four hours was. Feeling so incredibly happy, the bunny didn't even notice the little banter between Oshawott and Piplup that went on right next to them. Something about a seashell or something? She was simply too lost in her own world to notice.
...Although she did pick up Pachirisu's excited yelling, followed by something being kicked and Oshawott's frantic shouting as he ran off.
"Aww! So this little one likes Pikachu!" Iris beamed, leaning forward to get a good look.
Piplup amusedly shook his head and leaned over to Emolga. "(Tsk, she doesn't know the half of it.)"
Emolga, already smiling from the genuinely sweet moment, momentarily looked surprised as she gave the penguin a side-glance only to see him smugly nod his head as if she had already said something in response. Trying to stay calm, the gliding squirrel turned back to see Buneary continue to nuzzle into Pikachu's side. And noticed that...he wasn't doing anything to push her away.
...Huh.
Unable to hold it back, Emolga gave an even bigger grin as she watched them but she was far from the only one to do so. In fact, literally everyone around had stopped what they were doing to look at the duo. Some were smiling, genuinely happy at the sight while others were trying to hold back laughter and a couple of them even started gushing.
All the while, Pikachu kept a sheepish smile and he tried to keep his cool even as he heard some snickering and whispers from all around. His eyes were closed, yet he felt everyone's gaze upon them.
"Isn't that sweet?" Cilan remarked with a smirk, a hand up to his chin as he curiously watched them.
Pikachu laughed awkwardly as he felt her lean a little bit more into him. "(Y-Yeah well, y'know...)" He stammered before hearing Quilava laugh from behind.
"Woah Quilava, you evolved!" Ash beamed, turning to look at the stout.
Tsk, typical Ash...
"(Huh? What the...?)" Mamoswine muttered from a few feet away.
Thankfully for Pikachu, the conversation began to turn towards training and the upcoming Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup.
...And still Buneary continued to press into the mouse's side, a noticeable blush forming on her face complimented by a blissful smile. It was only when Dawn declared that she too was entering the tournament did the bunny finally ease up though she stayed right next to Pikachu as everyone kept talking.
"Yes!" Ash determinedly said, raising his fists up in response to Dawn's comment. "This is getting interesting!"
"(Hey! There it is!)" Mamoswine suddenly yelled, jerking his head back upon seeing something float next to Ash.
"(Oh, you're back?)" Pikachu muttered as Buneary and Piplup gasped next to him.
"(What is that?)" Buneary asked, a paw up to her mouth.
"(I don't know...)" Piplup followed.
As was typical with journeying with Ash and Dawn, things only kept getting more and more interesting. No sooner did Meloetta introduce herself to the group did Piplup and Oshawott start butting heads over the sprite's affection, completely infatuated with her graceful beauty!
Aside from that, the crew got started on showing off some new moves and techniques after which, the humans called it a day and decided to start catching up again while hanging out around the villa, often discussing what was on the horizon. Meanwhile, all of their Pokémon took the opportunity to get to know each other while others preferred their usual routine of keeping to themselves.
And then there were the two Water-types whose attempts and drive to win Meloetta's heart only grew more intense and ridiculous. It started out with them merely trading insults and before anyone knew it, the two were flexing as hard as they could to see who was the most muscular and fit. The poor mythical sprite eventually had to make up a flimsy excuse to leave before turning invisible and floating off. Still, the two continued to argue even after she had left, each blaming the other.
Regardless of the faux romance, a certain ex-couple off to the side occasionally eyed each other from a distance, still somewhat unsure of what to do or say although things seemed a bit easier after Buneary had broken the ice.
A few hours went by of Dawn's group getting to know everyone before Pikachu and Buneary decided to sit in the backyard of the villa away from everyone else. Of course, Buneary chose a spot near a flower bed and it didn't take long for the two to get into the swing of things.
"(Sooo...)" Buneary started, her paws gripping her fluff a little.
"(Soo...)" Pikachu quietly replied, giving her a side-glance.
"(Sooo...eight badges now huh?)" She said, looking over at him.
"(Yup! He's really made a lot of progress compared to last time.)" Pikachu beamed.
"(I'll say! I think it took him twice as long in Sinnoh.)" Buneary laughed, although she continued to hold onto her fluff. "(Any ideas of where to go after this?)"
"(Nah, but that's usually how it goes.)" Pikachu said with a shrug. "(How 'bout you?)"
"(We're still not really sure, but Dawn's been mentioning Johto.)" Buneary replied. "(Guess deciding future plans at the last sec is something we're gonna do too.)"
"(I guess so. I think it's a little more fun that way!)" Pikachu laughed. "(I guarantee that's how Ash is gonna plan things out when we're finished with this region and the next!)"
"(Yeah, and it sounds like you've been having a blast in this region so far.)" Buneary said, tilting her head a little. "(Granted if you ask me, things have actually been pretty routine.)"
"(Hmm? Really?)" Pikachu muttered, blinking at her.
"(Well yeah...)" Buneary replied before lifting her paw to count her fingers, finally releasing her fluff in the process. "(Let's see, you got here and almost immediately something happened with Team Rocket, you ended up in not-the-best-of-shape and you got some new traveling friends pretty fast.)"
"(Hey, hey, hey!)" Pikachu huffed, leaning forward a little. "(I didn't fry Iris' bicycle! So there's that!)"
"(No, you just shocked her instead!)" Buneary laughed, causing the mouse to roll his eyes in both mild annoyance and amusement. "(So three out of four then!)"
"(Sure...)" Pikachu muttered, clearly stifling a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.
A moment passed between them though surprisingly, it wasn't at all awkward.
"(And you? The photoshoot went well you said?)" Pikachu asked, looking back at her.
"(Yeah! Actually, Hermione said that she's already lining some more work for me soon!)" Buneary beamed, eyes sparkling just as much as ever.
Trying to not get lost in them like he always had before, Pikachu looked elsewhere and put on his best surprised voice. "(Whaa?! That's fantastic!)"
"(I know!)" Buneary exclaimed, her paws raised in the air.
"(That's great to hear! It's such big news!)" Pikachu declared before pausing for a second. "(For me to hear I mean...!)"
Buneary curiously glanced back at him. She almost looked to be studying him which caused the mouse to feel strangely nervous for some reason.
Her expression didn't change but something behind her eyes did. "(...Someone already told you didn't they?)"
A chill immediately going up his spine, Pikachu's inner-being entered into panic mode!
"(I-I...n-no!)" He stuttered only to be met with a rather amused smile from the bunny.
"(Mhmm...)" She muttered and put a paw up to her chin. "(I wonder who it was...)"
"(N-Nobody!)" Pikachu shouted, his voice cracking a little.
"(Hmm...gee...does their name start with the letter "P"?)" She wondered aloud, pretending to sound like she was lost in deep thought.
Panic turning into hysteria, Pikachu silently gulped in apprehension. Oh jeez, he'd forgotten how well she knew him by now!
"(Hmmph!)" Pikachu scoffed while turning away and closing his eyes. "(I don't know what you're talking about!)" He grumbled before opening one eye. "(...And you still need to narrow it down.)"
"(You're right. Pachirisu's a blabber mouth...but so is Piplup. Could've been either one of them.)" Buneary sighed.
"(Heh, couldn't tell you.)" Pikachu said with a shrug only to hear Buneary giggling up a storm.
"(You're such a liar Pikachu~!)" She said before lightly slapping his arm. "(And a pretty bad one at that!)"
Unable to keep up the façade any longer, Pikachu gave a small chuckle. "(Well...maybe I heard something through the grapevine.)" He laughed before rubbing the back of his ear. "(But seriously, congrats. Like I said, you're doing amazing right now! I mean, two careers?!)"
Buneary put a paw up to her face and turned away, somewhat embarrassed. "(Well, I only just started the modeling stuff!)"
Pikachu looked over at her and noticed her face progressively becoming redder. Heh, some things truly don't change huh?
"(Still, you're doing great! I wish I could say the same about me...)" He said, turning away and twiddling his fingers. "(To be honest, I think I was doing better in Sinnoh and Hoenn.)"
She turned to him, a look of slight concern on her face, the blush still somewhat noticeable. "(Hey, don't beat yourself over it! If you're still kicking yourself over what happened at the start of your journey...don't. I mean, I don't think getting zapped by Zekrom was a fair thing to happen to you.)"
"(Yeah...I guess.)" Pikachu muttered.
"(Besides, I see how you are with this group. Don't think I didn't notice Mr. Leader!)" She laughed followed by a wink.
"(Oh yeah?)" Pikachu replied, curiously giving her a side-glance.
"(Yeah! I'd say that you have your work cut out for you! Granted, I just met Oshawott, but he seems like quite a character!)" She brightly said.
"(Yeah...he's something else. By the way, he's a kind of a flirt, so he might try some smooth talk here and there.)" He said, trying to stifle a snicker.
"(Oh, don't worry I know!)" She laughed. "(I saw how he was when we first met!)"
Pikachu tilted his head a little and was reminded of what had happened in front of everyone just a few hours ago. Feeling his cheeks warm at the thought of it caused the mouse to awkwardly clear his throat.
"(Yeah. He's pretty used to rejection by girls, but you really caught him off guard.)" He said with a nervous chuckle.
She eyed him for a moment before a somewhat wicked grin appeared on her face. "(Don't tell him I said this, but he tried asking me out right after that.)"
Genuinely startled by that, Pikachu whipped his head back at her. "(Wha...? Really? But Meloetta...)"
"(Hee~! Yup!)" Buneary laughed. "(He was like, and I quote...)" She said before puffing her chest and putting on a voice. "('Hey pretty lady! I saw you nuzzled up to Pikachu and all, but how would you like a really hunky man? We can stroll by the beach and have a romantic picnic there!')"
Pikachu let out a burst of laughter, holding his stomach as he doubled over. "(Oh man! And what did you say?)"
"(I said, 'oh that's really sweet and all, but don't you think I'm a bit too old for you?')" Buneary chuckled before she shrugged. "(Not entirely untrue.)"
"(No of course not, he's still a kid.)" Pikachu replied with a tiny smirk.
"(So anyway, he kept at it for a bit before I just said that Dawn probably wants to show off some techniques or something so he gave up.)"
"(Tsk, for now anyway.)"
"(Yeah, he seems like the type to keep at it for a while.)"
"(Just until he sees another pretty face.)"
Buneary looked at him. She seemed genuinely touched by the implication before she smiled and raised an eyebrow. "(Like Meloetta?)"
"(Yeah, like Meloetta.)" Pikachu said, staring off into the distance with a little grin.
"(I swear, it's like being with Brock all over again. Guess you always manage to befriend the flirty types huh?)" Buneary snickered.
"(He's a good kid. Emolga on the other hand...well, she's kind of a different story.)" Pikachu said with a shrug.
"(She is? She seemed nice to me.)" Buneary said, somewhat surprised by that.
"(She's the kind of girl to use Attract to get boys to do what she wants. At least Oshawott won't go that low!)" Pikachu laughed as Buneary joined him.
"(Oh jeez. That's puh-retty bad!)" Buneary giggled.
"(You should've seen the first time we met her!)" Pikachu said, shaking his head, trying to keep his snickering down.
"(I know you told me over the phone, but you're here now sooo...gimme more details!)" Buneary beamed, inching closer to him.
"(Well let's see...)" Pikachu said, putting a paw up to this chin as he looked up at the sky to remember that fateful day.
As the former couple conversed, off in the distance stood Emolga in a group composed of Snivy, Piplup, Pachirisu and Togekiss.
"(Yup, I would say my Ice Beam is coming along pretty nicely! Not as good as Buneary's but it's on its way!)" Piplup declared with a proud pose.
"(Yeah! And I can make sparks come out of every part of my body, wanna see?)" Pachirisu beamed.
"(Er, no thanks, maybe later.)" Snivy muttered before staring back at Piplup. "(Say, aren't you supposed to be fighting Oshawott right now or something?)"
The penguin merely stared at her before he snorted and looked away. "(Hmmph! She wanted some time to herself so he went looking for her.)" He said before a rather mischievous smile spread across his beak. "(So I pointed him in the wrong direction!)"
Snivy merely rolled her eyes at him and looked elsewhere.
While everyone else was talking, Emolga took particular notice of Pikachu and Buneary who, in that moment, looked to be in the middle of a conversation. She gave a rather evil smirk upon seeing the bunny giggle and Pikachu nervously rub the back of his head.
The flying squirrel's smile soon faded and Emolga blinked as she silently gawked at them.
How bizarre...Pikachu's never really-
"(Hey Emolga.)" Snivy said, taking notice of the Electric-type's focus on the duo.
"(Huh?)" Emolga muttered as she looked back at them, snapping out of her trance.
"(You good? You look like you've been paying attention to something else.)" Snivy remarked with an unamused frown and her paws on her hips.
Blinking, the Electric-type looked between the others. "(Oh? Who...me?)"
"(Yeah, something on your mind dearie?)" Togekiss asked, genuine concern in her voice. As she asked that, Snivy's gaze traced to where the glider was previously looking at. Upon seeing the duo, her frown deepened.
"(N-No! Just thinking...)" Emolga laughed awkwardly, frantically waving her paws in front of herself.
"(Emolga...)" Snivy sternly muttered, giving the flying squirrel a rather annoyed glare. "(Are you being nosy again?)"
As soon as the Emolga looked into the grass-snake's face, she felt a slight shiver go up her spine.
Damn...busted.
"(Nosy? About what?)" Piplup asked as he looked behind her only to see Pikachu loudly laughing in response to something Buneary had said. Taking a moment, he slowly looked back at her. "(Ohh...)"
"(Spying on our dear Buneary Emolga?)" Togekiss asked with a smirk.
"(I uhh...)" Emolga replied only to see everyone's smiles widen...well except for Snivy who only looked more perturbed. Feeling as if there was no way to lie her way out of this, the flying squirrel sighed. "(Okay, fine. I just wanted to see what the deal was with them.)" Emolga muttered defeatedly while pointing at the ex-couple. "(I mean, that's the girl right? The one Pikachu always calls whenever we get to a phone?)"
"(Yeah, she is.)" Piplup said before shaking his head. "(Tsk, Pikachu mentioned that you were nosy but...)" He muttered.
"(Hey, can you really blame me?)" Emolga practically shouted. "(I mean, look at them! I've never seen him act this before! Like really, who is that guy?!)"
The others looked towards the former couple only to see Pikachu in the middle of saying something to Buneary who was eagerly leaning forward to hear it.
"(None of your business, that's who.)" Snivy flatly said.
"(But c'mon! You can't act like you're not surprised by it! I mean, I thought Pikachu was just like Ash. Y'know...stuff like romance never crosses his mind.)"
"(Heh, if only you knew...)" Piplup chuckled, shaking his head.
"(Y'SEE?!)" Emolga yelled, pointing at the penguin who merely shrugged.
"(Actually, he can be a real Casanova sometimes.)" Piplup chuckled. "(But it's not really anyone's busi-)"
"(They used to date! And they were sooo in love!)" Pachirisu blurted out with the most eager smile Emolga had ever seen on another Pokémon. Indeed, the little squirrel's reaction was so sudden and intense, that it had made the glider jerk her head back in surprise.
"(Pachirisu!)" Togekiss shouted, her wings over her mouth to cover her shocked face.
"(Since when did you become such a gossip?!)" Piplup yelled as he zipped over and placed a flipper over the squirrel's mouth.
Emolga merely looked at the group, watching Pachirisu struggle to say something else. Then she smirked and put her paws on her hips. "(Tsk, c'mon, let him speak! How 'bout it Pachirisu? Will you give me the deets?)"
Managing to move his face away from Piplup's flipper, the little squirrel merely sighed. "(I would...but I probably shouldn't. Everyone is so weird about talking about Yellow Guy and Cherry...)"
Emolga blinked at him, completely dumbfounded. "(...Yellow Guy and Cherry?)"
"(Yeah! That's what I call them!)" Pachirisu happily declared. "(And I'm Little Wing!)"
"(Little Wing? You don't have wings.)" Emolga flatly said.
Pachirisu gave a huff. "(Well, that's my name!)"
"(But I'm the one with wings...sort of.)" Emolga replied. "(If anything, you all should call me Little Wing!)"
"(Too late! That's my nickname!)" Pachirisu protested, flailing in place.
Emolga looked between everyone else for further explanation though she received none. She looked back at the younger squirrel before she paused.
"(...So dated huh?)" She muttered, hoping to move away from the previous topic. Another smirk began to spread across her face. "(That makes sense...!)" Emolga said before using her paw to make a beckoning motion towards the young Electric-type. "(So...out with it then!)"
"(Emolga, it's none of our business.)" Snivy remarked, progressively becoming annoyed.
"(Oh come on! It's out in the open now, skitty's out of the bag! You might as well tell us!)" Emolga insisted, whipping her head over to stare at her rival.
The members of Dawn's group slowly looked at each other before Piplup finally sighed.
"(You know, I once travelled with someone like you. Always eager to see those two together...)" Piplup muttered as he shook his head. "(...Okay, fine.)"
"(You're really going to tell them?)" Togekiss asked with a raised eyebrow.
"(C'mon already! I'm all ears!)" Emolga beamed as she leaned forward, the eagerness behind her voice nearly palpable.
"(Not if you're going to get on Pikachu's case about it!)" Snivy growled, taking a step towards her.
Emolga momentarily looked at the Grass-type and then to everyone else. She saw that the rest had equally-stern gazes. "(Tsk, okay, okay fine.)" She said before crossing her heart. "(I promise that I won't tease him about it. Happy?)"
"(You bet your apples on that?)" Snivy asked.
Emolga paused. "(I-I...)"
Snivy locked gazes with her. "(Do you. Bet. Your apples on that?)"
The gliding electric squirrel swallowed hard. "(Y-Yes...yes I do.)"
The Grass-type snorted. "(Even your secret stash?)"
"(M-My secret-?)"
"(The one you keep in Cilan's bag instead of Iris'? The stash that you begged him to keep a secret? That one.)"
Emolga looked quite horrified. "(N-Now hold on a sec-!)"
"(It's either that or no gossip.)" Snivy flatly said with a shrug.
"(I-I...)" Emolga stuttered, looking between everyone else who appeared more perplexed than anything.
Truly between a rock and a hard place, the often-cunning girl's eyes darted from face to face. What was she supposed to do? A promise of sacrificing precious apples was one thing, but her secret stash?! Could she really commit to such a-?
Emolga's ears twitched upon hearing laughter in the distance. Instinctively, she and everyone else looked over and saw Buneary giggling up a storm. Curious, Emolga blinked at the sight only to see the bunny playfully slap Pikachu's arm. Completely baffled, the glider hung her mouth open upon seeing their faces. Was Pikachu...blushing?
"(Well Emolga?)" Snivy asked, the seriousness in her voice never leaving.
Clearing her throat, Emolga whipped her gaze back at the Grass-type. "(...Okay. Even my secret stash.)"
A look of subtle surprise came over Snivy's face. She eyed the flying squirrel for a few moments before she took a couple steps forward and tapped the girl's chest, all the while looking her in the eyes.
"(May you never eat apples again if you break your promise.)" The grass-snake whispered, which sent a slight chill up the Electric-type's spine. Giving a rather amused huff, Snivy stepped back and crossed her arms.
Everyone else looked between the two before they all sighed in relief.
"(Alright, where to begin?)" Piplup muttered to himself as he put his flippers on his sides and looked up to the sky. "(Well it all started with-)"
"(She liked him the first moment she saw him!)" Pachirisu shouted, pushing Piplup out of the way as the penguin gave a surprised yelp. Emolga raised an eyebrow as the little squirrel took a step towards her, his eyes so wide and full of wonder that they were sparkling. His talking immediately sped up to a mile a minute. "(Shesawhimcatchapotatothenjumpedtosavehislifeandthen…!)"
As the younger Electric-type rambled, Emolga gave another side-glance at the former couple.
Interesting...
Author's Notes:
Well, well, well...hiya! And welcome back to my little story!
Last time on "About Her", the journey through Sinnoh had ended and now we're in new territory, both figuratively and literally! But what exactly does that mean? Excitement! Drama!
Makes explosion sound effects and waves hands in the air.
I want to give a shoutout to Mezamun's "The Sincerest Form of Flattery" for influencing some of the dialogue for this chapter which helped form some of the ideas of this part of the story. They've got a few fics focusing on Pikachu and Buneary plus some Ash-centric stories, all of which are wonderfully written, so go and check them out!
As a heads up, in addition to artworks, I've been commissioning a couple of animations, so keep an eye out for those if they show up on my DeviantArt account!
Anyway, let's see how our favorite ex-couple gets past the horrid awkwardness of reuniting after being separated for a while. Surely, everything will go smoothly right?
Only one way to find out! On to the next chapter, and welcome to Act III! I'm back baby!
-Carson55