Author's note: Hey!

Well, after thirty chapters of development, will there finally be some sort of payoff?! Read on to find out!

Hope you enjoy the chapter! :D

Chapter Thirty-two: Emotional Enlightenment

As all the memories of Pikachu passed through Buneary's head, she felt her heart thump against her chest, enveloping her body in warmth.

His stubbornness, his kindness, his teasyness... Well, that last one wasn't a word, but still! They all sent a wave of happy feelings through her as she remembered each one.

... In fact, she hadn't thought about his cool stunts at all, the entire time, had she?

Huh. Maybe she did like him for who he was, after all!

Wow! That would be the first time! The first time she'd not just liked a guy for his cool stunts! She actually liked Pikachu for all sorts of reasons!

... Except... it didn't really matter, did it? She'd asked him out, and he'd rejected her...

Her face fell as she watched the pikachu cloud break away into smaller, more shapeless clouds.

She still couldn't believe he'd said no. After all their time together in Sinnoh, she'd thought for sure that he'd been into her. That he'd just been too shy to make the first move, or too naive to know about her feelings... but she'd been the fool, it had turned out. The fool who'd missed all the signs.

Though... saying that... she'd assumed he must have disliked her. Yet, thinking back on all these memories, maybe he hadn't? He'd always been so friendly and kind to her.

... So maybe... he simply hadn't wanted to date her.

Her eyes widened. Yeah, maybe that was it! Maybe all he'd wanted was friendship, so things had always gotten awkward when she'd tried to push for more!

... Wow. Now she kind of felt bad. It would be like if Piplup flirted with her, when she'd only ever seen him as a friend.

She winced. Yeesh... okay, so maybe she'd been the problem. Sure, she would have loved to date Pikachu, but it took two to tango. If one person would rather dance alone, then it wasn't going to work.

... Maybe she was just undateable. After all, none of her other crushes had been interested in her, either... and Absol was into Glaceon.

Yeah. Maybe she could have even been friends with some of them, but she'd always been pushing for more. Was she too greedy?

She heaved a sigh. Maybe she should've just been happy with being Pikachu's friend. Then the air wouldn't have been so tense around them before she'd left Unova. She could've left on a good note. A 'see you later' note. A 'can't wait to hang out with you again' note.

Instead, it had been on a 'bye, I guess...' note.

Buneary shook her head, clearing it of negative thoughts. Okay. Well, next time she saw Pikachu, she'd try to greet him with a smile. A friendly smile! One with no romantic intentions behind it.

She'd greet him like an old friend, and they'd hang out like old friends. No strings attached!

Maybe, one day, she'd find a guy who wanted to date her. For now, though, she'd try to be comfortable in the friend-zone.

After all, being friends with Pikachu was much better than never being on good terms with him again. So she'd persevere!

Pikachu stared at the sky in horror, his eyes wide. The buneary cloud became white wisps that blew away on the wind.

This warm, cosy feeling in his chest, brought on by reliving his memories in Sinnoh... This pounding of his heart against his ribcage... This desire to be around Buneary again, seeing her smile, hearing her giggle, and listening to her crazy ramblings...

He... liked her, didn't he? As in liked her. As in, romantically. As in, wanted to date her!

His brain had fried itself.

How had it come to this?! He'd tried so hard, for so long, to avoid these kinds of feelings! And yet, here they were, just randomly!

... No. No, they weren't random. He'd always felt something warm and fuzzy in his chest around her. He'd just refused to acknowledge its presence.

He turned his gaze to the ground, still stunned. He really liked her, didn't he? For how long? He wasn't really sure...

... He'd never told her to stop flirting with him. He'd always told himself that it was because she'd get over him eventually, so there was no point. That just flat-out rejecting her would make it harder on both of them, when it didn't even matter anyway. She'd just find another guy in no time, so neither of them needed the extra heartache.

... But was that really it? Or was there... a different reason he'd never told her to stop?

At least, not until she'd backed him into a corner and left him with no choice, other than to reject her...

But had there really been no other choice?

He imagined himself dating her, and shuddered.

Why was he shuddering, though? Why did the thought of dating her repulse him, when he knew he liked her?

Was it that she was shallow, like all the rest?

Well, her crush had started when he'd caught a potato in an acrobatic way... but all those times they'd spent together, where they'd chatted and laughed, and she'd made him feel better about himself...

Was that really what the problem was?

Well... he still wasn't entirely sure if she liked him on any deeper level, despite them sharing a very fun friendship together.

Then again, there had been that incident with Harley's pikachu, which had only served to confuse Pikachu further. She'd gotten over him, only to lose her cool at a familiar phrase from the day they'd met, and had gone straight back into a depressive slump.

Did that mean she did like him on a deeper level, after all?

He slumped against the stone wall, defeated. In just a few days, his entire worldview had flipped upside-down.

He... just didn't know what to think anymore...

That night, Pikachu lay on his front at the foot of Ash's bed in one of the two guest rooms. As per usual, he, Ash and Cilan were sharing one room, while Iris and Axew slept in another.

The mouse grunted, turning over to lie on his side. Sleep just wasn't coming to him tonight. He just had far too much on his mind. Images of Buneary swirled tauntingly in his brain, stopping him from getting any rest.

Whenever he thought about her, he felt lost. Just what was he supposed to do now?

He had no idea...

His gaze drifted across the room to where Cilan was fast asleep in his own bed, a content smile on his face.

A pang of jealousy hit Pikachu. It must've been nice, being able to sleep with no worries at all...

Suddenly, the bed shifted, surprising him. Glancing over, he saw Ash quietly slipping out of bed and tiptoeing across the room. He was clearly trying not to wake anybody, but what was he doing? It was very unlike Ash to still be up when everyone else was asleep.

Well, unless he was particularly excited about something, but there was no immediate thing to be looking forward to. Not until they were told about the date and location of the Unova League, anyway.

Pikachu watched curiously as Ash knelt down and slowly unzipped his backpack. Cilan mumbled, stirring in his sleep, which caused Ash to freeze up in panic.

After a moment, Cilan mumbled again, rolling over. Silently sighing in relief, Ash picked up his backpack, stood up and moved towards the door. He quietly opened it and snuck out of the room, but didn't quite close the door fully.

... Okay, now Pikachu was really curious. Standing up, he hopped down from the bed and made his way towards the door on all fours. Nudging it aside, he stepped out onto the landing, using his tail to gently close the door behind him. Glancing around, he caught sight of Ash a bit further away. The boy was kneeling down and digging through his backpack. Even more curious, Pikachu approached him.

Catching sight of him, Ash looked up in surprise. "Oh, Pikachu," he said in a hushed voice.

"(Hey,)" Pikachu replied in an equally hushed voice. Reaching Ash's side, he stood up on two legs. He indicated the backpack. "(What are you doing?)"

Ash's eyebrows rose. "Oh, what am I doing?" He looked down at the backpack. "Well, I was looking for some things." He continued digging through it. "I'm... pretty sure they're still in here... I never took 'em out..." He dug around for a little longer, and Pikachu was even more curious. After a moment, Ash's eyes lit up. "Oh hey, I found 'em!"

He pulled out two objects, one in each hand. When Pikachu realised what they were, he stared at them in shock, his eyes widening.

The Misty lure and the pink handkerchief...

He... really still had them...

He hadn't thrown them away...

Ash sighed with a smile, as he gazed at the items in a sad kind of fondness. "Man, I sure buried 'em deep, huh?"

"(Yeah...)" Pikachu was still in shock, but he also felt something else from the revelation. Something... warmer.

After a moment, the smile fell from Ash's face. He frowned in contemplation as he stared at the Misty lure, which was winking back and holding up a single finger. "But... why did I forget I like her, though?"

Snapping out of his trance, Pikachu's ears perked up in intrigue. "(Huh?)"

Ash heaved a sigh. Sitting back, he landed on his rear and folded his legs, looking a bit lost. "I just don't get it..."

"(I... dunno...)"

That was a good question. Why had he forgotten his feelings for Misty?

Resting his arms on his legs, Ash faced his palms upwards with the objects on full display. He stared at them for a good few moments.

"... You know, after Buizel stole my lure that one time, I was... kinda scared I'd lose these things for good one day. So I put 'em really deep in my bag to keep 'em safe."

Pikachu felt intrigued, but also a little in awe. He'd really done that?

Without thinking, he walked a bit closer, placing his paws on Ash's leg to show the boy he was giving him his full attention. He really wanted to hear about this.

"(Yeah?)"

Ash smiled at him. "Yeah... and I guess they were safe, but then I forgot how I felt." He heaved a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. "Maaaan... I got so upset when Misty left. Caused a scene, and everything..."

Yeah, Pikachu would never forget that day for as long as he lived. For so long, he'd assumed that Ash had miraculously gotten over it, but apparently not. Instead, he'd just forgotten his feelings, somehow.

Ash huffed out some air, looking back at Pikachu. "You know, that day, I didn't know if I'd ever see her again." He paused in thought. "And... I guess, after that thing with the mirage mewtwo, I didn't see her again..."

"(Yeah... I guess not...)" Pikachu felt his ears dip in pity, and perhaps a bit of sadness, too.

Ash frowned in contemplation again as he looked off to the side. "So when did I stop thinking about her? And why?"

Pikachu didn't know. There was one question he wanted to ask, though. He tentatively raised his paw to the side of his own head, sticking out the thumb and pinky finger. "(Why... did you never call her?)"

Ash blinked at him. "Huh? Why... didn't I call her?" At Pikachu's nod, Ash looked contemplative again. "Hmm..."

Pikachu put his paw back on Ash's leg and waited for a response.

The boy was silent for such a long while that Pikachu was starting to wonder if he was even going to get one. Eventually, though, he did.

"Maybe... I just didn't wanna think about it?"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow. "(Huh?)"

"I mean... I guess I just wanted to get on with adventuring and battling, and... not... thinking about her..." Ash frowned at the adjacent wall. "'Cause thinking about her upset me, so I just... didn't."

"(So you... buried your feelings? Is that it?)"

Ash looked at Pikachu curiously. "Hmm?"

The mouse pondered how best to get this across. He glanced around briefly, and his eyes landed on the items in Ash's hands. Getting an idea, he leaned over and grabbed them both, one in each paw.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked in intrigue and... was that a bit of worry in his voice?

He really cared about these items, didn't he?

There was that weird warm feeling in Pikachu's chest again...

Shaking it off, the mouse put the Misty lure on the floor, draped the pink handkerchief over it and bundled it up as tightly as he could. Then he put his paws over it, completely obscuring it from view. When he finished, he pointedly looked up at Ash.

The boy blinked at him. He blinked again. Then his eyes lit up in realisation. "Oh! Are you... saying I buried them? I buried my feelings?"

Happy that he understood, Pikachu smiled and nodded. He let go of the items, and Ash picked them back up again, one in each hand. The boy looked at them both.

"Yeah... maybe I did..." He glanced over at his backpack. "... They were buried, just like these were buried." He briefly lifted up the items to indicate them, then huffed in amusement. "How ironic." He paused for thought. "... Or is it more like appropriate?"

Pikachu's smile became softer and warmer. Ash had finally hit a breakthrough with his feelings, and he was proud of him.

After a moment, Ash blinked. "Wait..." He held up the Misty lure and stared at it. "... Iris and Cilan have often said I train way too much. I get really absorbed in it and don't think about much else..." He continued to stare at the lure. "Was I... using that to... help bury them?"

Pikachu's ears perked up in surprise and intrigue. Ash had been... burying his feelings with training?

His thoughts went back to a few days ago, when he'd heard Iris and Cilan talk about Ash's strange obsession with training. At the time, Pikachu had remembered how much more Ash had been training in the last few years. How he'd gained a passion for it, put his heart and soul into it, and how he'd prioritised it over everything else.

How he'd... buried himself in it...

A sudden image of Buneary flashed into Pikachu's mind. He recalled how he felt about her. How he'd pushed those feelings away for so long. How he had no idea how long he'd even had them for...

His eyes widened in shock. He and Ash... they were the same...

They'd both had feelings for a girl, but, for different reasons, had pushed them aside. Buried them. Focused wholly on their battles, their training, their badges, and their leagues... just to avoid thinking about them.

Ash had wanted to avoid being sad. Pikachu... had wanted to avoid admitting that he'd lost.

In the game of desperately trying not to catch feelings for someone... he'd lost.

He stared at nothing, still trying to process this, when he heard Ash speak again. "Huh... crazy..." He looked up at the boy, who was shaking his head in disbelief. After a moment, he smiled down at Pikachu. "Well, thanks for helping me figure that out, buddy. I think I'll sleep a lot better now."

Pikachu blinked up at him. "(You were... struggling?)"

Ash sighed, but kept the smile. "I had a lot on my mind after that whole thing with May and Drew..." He paused in thought. "... Still can't believe they're dating..." He shook his head. "But yeah, I couldn't sleep 'cause of it." He smiled again. "But I think I can now! So thanks!"

Despite still being in shock, Pikachu managed a smile back. "(No problem.)"

... It was kind of a pity that he couldn't easily discuss his own problems with Ash, but... maybe he'd be able to sleep a bit better himself now.

Pikachu cracked his eyes open, the light of the morning sun shining in his eyes from the barely open curtain. He was lying on something warm, which was slowly rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He also felt a comfortable weight on his back. Glancing around, he saw Ash's face pretty close to his, eyes closed and fast asleep.

Ah. The mouse must be lying on his chest, and the weight on his back was probably... Ash's hand? He reached up a paw to check, and felt skin behind him. Yep, that was a hand, alright.

Well, it seemed that Ash hadn't been kidding. After putting away his lure and handkerchief, he'd slept immediately, and... very peacefully, from the looks of it.

Heh. Well, Pikachu himself had slept pretty well, too. Not everything about his predicament had been sorted out yet, but it was enough of a start to make him feel better.

He stretched, limbering up all his limbs, and the movement seemed to stir Ash awake.

"Huh...?" the boy mumbled. Pikachu felt the weight remove itself as Ash stretched. "Man... that was a great sleep!"

"(Yeah,)" Pikachu replied, glancing up at him with a tired smile.

"Good morning, Ash!" Cilan said from across the room. "It seems I wasn't the only one who had sweet dreams!"

"Oh, you slept good, too?" Ash asked in pleased surprise. Pikachu glanced over to see Cilan beaming brightly.

"Why, yes! I feel fresher than a garden salad this morning!"

Ash chuckled. "Well, that's good!"

"Most definitely! And there's even some sharpness of lemon in the salad, too!"

"... I have no idea what means, but it sounds cool!"

"Oh, it most certainly is!" Cilan turned to smile at the door, though there was a shimmer of something else in his eyes. "I have a feeling today will be... gourmet."

"... Huh?"

Cilan turned back to smile pleasantly at him. "Oh, it's nothing, Ash! Now let's get up, and I'll make breakfast."

Ash suddenly leapt out of bed, knocking Pikachu onto his back with a yelp. "Oh boy, breakfast!"

Now staring at the ceiling, Pikachu heaved a sigh to himself that was half amused, half exasperated.

Oh, Ash... never change...

Buneary finished the last of her breakfast pellets, while she listened fondly to the duo sitting near her.

"(So I charged up allll my electricity...)" Pachirisu said dramatically, "(held on to it as long as I could...)" He flung out his arms. "(Then I released it all in a huge, sparkly burst!)"

"(Wow, that's so cool, that's so cool!)" Skitty replied, beaming while her tail wagged excitedly behind her. "(I gotta try that with Blizzard sometime! I gotta!)"

Pachirisu beamed back. "(Yeah, maybe you should! Who knows what it'd do with that move!)"

Skitty hopped up and down. "(Something great, I'll bet!)" She ran in a circle. "(Yeaaah!)"

Pachirisu laughed. "(Yeaaaah!)"

Buneary smiled to herself. They were so cute. There were no peas in a pod that were more pea-er and pod-ier than those two, that was for sure.

"I'm back," Drew suddenly said.

Buneary looked up to see him strolling back over to Dawn and May, one hand in a pocket and the other casually waving.

"Hey!" May replied happily. "You get the tickets?"

"Yep. We should get moving soon to catch the plane."

May blinked. "Oh, already?" She pushed back her chair and stood up.

"Yep."

"(Wait, you're leaving?!)" Pachirisu cried in shock.

Skitty sounded like she'd skidded to a halt. "(Wait, wait, we are?!)" she asked.

Buneary pulled a face. Oh dear...

"My plane's not for a bit yet," Dawn said, smiling as she pushed back her chair and stood up. "But, if you're leaving, I guess we'll have to say goodbye."

"(What?!)" Pachirisu cried.

"(Noooo!)" Skitty cried. Buneary looked over to see her standing on two legs and hugging Pachirisu. "(Don't wanna, don't wanna!)"

Pachirisu hugged back, and their tails wrapped around each other's bodies, causing a pang in Buneary's chest. Those poor peas were being forced to part now...

"Oh!" May said in surprise. "I, uh... don't think those two wanna be apart."

"Huh?" Dawn asked. There was a pause. "Aww~! Wow, they really got close after a few days, huh?"

May giggled. "No kidding. I feel bad for them now..."

"Hm," Drew said in thought. "Could you try and keep in touch?"

Curious and intrigued, Buneary looked over to see May shrugging.

"Well, I guess, but it won't be easy if I don't have a phone..."

Dawn's face lit up in realisation. Glancing at her wrist briefly, she broke into a beaming smile. "Wait, I know!" she said. She held up her wrist for them to see. "Why don't you get a xtransceiver? Then we can help Pachirisu and Skitty keep in touch!"

Buneary's eyes widened. Was there hope for these peas to stick together, after all?

"(C-Can we do that?)" Pachirisu asked hopefully.

"(Yeah!)" Skitty added enthusiastically. "(Can we, can we?!)"

May glanced their way and giggled. "Well, since they look so excited, how can I refuse?" she said. The cat and squirrel cheered in joy, and a warm happiness spread in Buneary's chest. May glanced down at her wrist. "Hmm. Maybe I should get a yellow one to match my outfit!" She smiled at her boyfriend. "What do you think, Drew?"

He smirked in amusement and shrugged. "Sure, why not?" he replied.

Dawn turned to the pokémon, her hands on her hips. "Alright, everyone, time to say goodbye to Drew and May's pokémon!" she called out. She followed up with a wink. "But not forever, though, since we're gonna stay in contact!"

There were many pleased responses, and all the pokémon started saying their goodbyes. Buneary glanced around at them all, before her gaze landed on the cat and squirrel.

"(I'll miss youuuuu!)" Skitty cried, still hugging Pachirisu, but smiling now. "(But, but, we can stay in touch, so that's great!)"

"(Yeah!)" Pachirisu agreed, also hugging and smiling. "(And maybe we'll meet up again sometime!)"

Skitty started hopping up and down, carrying Pachirisu along with her, though he didn't seem to mind. "(That'd be great! So great!)"

Buneary smiled. Daww! How nice for them.

"(Hey, uh...)" a voice suddenly said. Surprised, she turned to see Absol standing in front of her, looking sheepish. "(So I guess we're leaving now.)"

She beamed at him. "(Yep,)" she replied. "(Safe travels! And good luck with that last ribbon! Oh, and Glaceon, too!)"

He blushed, avoiding her gaze. "(Oh, um... thanks.)" He awkwardly glanced back at her for a brief second. "(And, uh, good luck to you, too. With your last ribbon, and, um... everything else.)"

Her smile softened, since she could hazard a guess at what he was referring to. "(Thanks.)"

"Well, come on, guys!" May called out. "We've gotta get on the plane back to Sinnoh, so Drew can get his ribbon!"

The eleven pokémon all called back their okays, all while hurriedly throwing in a few more goodbyes, as they started disappearing into their pokéballs. Buneary waved one last goodbye to Absol, just before he, too, vanished in a red light.