Author's note: Hey, guys!
Whew, this one took me a while, for some reason. I don't know why. I started writing it when I was dying from my country's heatwave and only now do I get it finished.
Hope you enjoy it!
... Also, this fic wasn't meant to still be going by this point - and there's still quite a bit of story left to tell - but I hope nobody minds! This way, there's more fluff, right? Lol.
Arc III: The Extra
Chapter Eleven: Perceptions
His heart beat erratically in his chest as he struggled against his restraints. They pinned him down, held him in place, kept him prisoner.
Above him swam the dark shapes of sinister figures. Who were they?! What did they want with him?!
One approached, looming over him menacingly. Its ears were jagged and its face was cast in shadow. His heartbeat tripled and he tried desperately to wrench his arms free.
It was saying something to him, calling him something, as it reached towards him. He screeched in terror.
Pikachu opened his eyes with a start. Blinking several times, he looked down to see himself curled up on Ash's chest as it gently rose up and down. Lifting his head, he glanced around. Nearby, he could see Dawn, Brock, Lyra and Khoury, all fast asleep in their own sleeping bags.
Sighing in relief, he lay his head back down.
That nightmare again. He had no idea why he had it so often. Was there something bothering his conscience? Was there something stressing him out? He wasn't really sure.
The nightmare seemed to change slightly each time, but, each time, he would hear a voice. One that was hard to understand. Hard to remember.
It had called him something. Kane? Jane? He wasn't really sure.
... Dreams were weird, he decided, as he closed his eyes.
It had been a few days since the group had eaten marshmallows around the campfire and, now, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Lyra and Khoury had arrived at a quaint little town. Their first stop had, of course, been the pokémon centre.
"Thank you for waiting," Nurse Joy said with a smile, handing them back Pikachu and their pokéballs.
Brock immediately leaned over the counter, clasping her hand in both of his and surprising her. "For you, Nurse Joy, I would wait forever!" he cried. He posed dramatically. "I would wait until the sun goes supernova, turning the earth into a desolate planet of ice!" Croagunk suddenly appeared and gave his rear a quick Poison Jab. "Ack!" He slowly collapsed to the ground. "Or until I get Poison Jabbed..." Croagunk silently dragged him away.
Ash and Dawn laughed awkwardly at their friend, while Lyra watched in fascinated amusement, and Khoury - who'd been taking breeding tips from Brock - just looked surprised. Pikachu couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly himself as he jumped on Ash's shoulder.
"Phew..." Ash said, wiping his forehead under his hat. "Man, it's a scorcher today... I dunno how he's got the energy for that sorta stuff right now!"
"(Heh, no kidding...)" Pikachu added with a sheepish smile as he wiped his own forehead.
"That's Brock for you," Khoury said, actually sounding impressed. "Lots of energy, even in this weather!"
Lyra giggled. "Sure didn't take him for the flirting type, though!" she said. "You think you know a guy..."
"Phew..." Dawn said, fanning her face with her hand. "I dunno about you guys, but I could go for a nice cold drink!"
"Oh, well, in that case," Nurse Joy replied with a smile, "can I make a recommendation?"
Dawn turned to her. "Hmm?"
Nurse Joy beamed. "There's a lovely little café down the street from here that sells the most delicious smoothies. I can personally recommend the Tropical Paradise."
"Tropical Paradise, huh?" Ash asked, smiling.
"Yes! It's the perfect thing for quenching your thirst on a hot day."
"Sounds good to me!" Lyra replied.
"Yeah, me too!" Khoury added.
"What's the name of this café?" Dawn asked excitedly.
"It's called The Yato," Nurse Joy replied, pointing to the left of her. "If you take a left and walk down a few stores, you can't miss it."
"Yato?" Lyra asked in amusement. "What a strange name. Is it foreign?"
"Sounds like it might be," Khoury replied with an intrigued nod.
"Foreign shmoreign, let's just go there!" Ash cried, pumping a fist in the air.
"(Yeah!)" Pikachu agreed, mimicking him.
"Sounds good to me," Dawn added with a nod, still fanning her face.
"Alright," Brock said, appearing from nowhere and startling them all, "then let's head there now."
After walking down a few stores, as suggested, they found the recommended café with no trouble at all. With its dark blue overhang - decorated with large silver letters that read The Yato - and a red silhouette of a salamence next to it, it was impossible to miss.
Ash, Dawn and Brock immediately sat down at an outside table in the sunshine and pulled out some drink menus, while Pikachu sat on top of the table. Lyra and Khoury sat down at the next table over.
Ash scanned the menu until his face lit up. "Ah, there it is!" he said happily. "The Tropical Paradise."
After finding it on her own menu, Dawn began to read out loud. "Orange, mango, pineapple and passion fruit," she said. "The perfect combination to set your taste buds ablaze with flavour." She stopped reading and beamed. "Wow, that sounds delicious!"
A young man with long grey hair - that was tied back into a purple ribbon with two small plaits - and dark eyes approached. The uniform he was wearing bore the same salamence silhouette as on the overhang.
"Hello there," he said in a rather posh accent. "May I take your order?"
"We'll take three Tropical Paradises, please," Brock replied with a smile.
"Four!" Ash said excitedly. "One for Pikachu."
Pikachu's eyes lit up. "(Aww, thanks, Ash!)" he replied.
"And two for us, too!" Lyra called out. Opposite her, Khoury gave the man a polite nod.
"Of course," the man replied, bowing slightly. "They'll be with you momentarily." He spun around majestically and walked back into the café.
A short while later, the man returned, carrying two trays of orange-coloured drinks, each one with a slice of orange attached to the glass. He gracefully placed one tray on Ash's table and one on Lyra's table.
"There you are," he said to both tables. He bowed. "Enjoy your drinks."
"Thanks!" Ash replied with a smile.
"Yeah, thank you~" Lyra replied, beaming.
The man nodded. "Let our staff know if there are any problems," he said before spinning around and leaving.
"Man, these look good," Ash said, putting the straws in the drinks and passing them out.
"(Wow, they really do!)" Pikachu said, eyeing up his drink. Reaching up to grab the straw, he sucked on it.
Cold deliciousness hit his tongue. Sweet, tangy and fresh, with no hint of artificial flavourings. He couldn't help but sigh in contentment.
"Seems like Pikachu likes it," Brock said in amusement.
Ash sucked on his own straw. "Mmmmm!" he said happily. "Well, he's got good taste, that's for sure!"
"I guess Nurse Joy was right!" Dawn said, also taking a drink. Her face melted into an expression of bliss.
"(No kidding!)" Pikachu replied, beaming.
He took another sip of the delicious smoothie, glancing over at Lyra and Khoury as he did so. The two friends from Johto seemed to be enjoying the drink just as much, though Lyra kept pretending she was going to steal Khoury's drink. He kept pouting at her, but she'd just grin back at him.
Huffing in amusement, Pikachu looked around him at the other customers, continuing to sip his smoothie. When he spotted the very obvious couple sitting at a nearby table, however, he couldn't help but pause.
He could see how they were looking deep into each other's eyes. The way they were chatting and casually touching each other's hand across the table. The way they were playfully nudging each other with their toes.
He smiled slightly, reminded of himself and his own girlfriend.
Suddenly, a young woman with peach-pink hair - which was tied into a high ponytail - icy blue eyes and a salamence uniform emerged from the café. She began, slowly and carefully, carrying a single Tropical Paradise over to the couple's table. The entire walk over, she was muttering to herself with wide eyes. When she finally put the drink down, she sighed in relief.
Standing up straighter, she smiled. "Enjoy your drink!" she said. "I'll be back with your food shortly!"
"Thanks," the boy at the table said, picking up two straws.
Pikachu blinked. Wait...
Nodding, the woman turned and left. Brock, who would normally jump at the chance to flirt, not only had his back to her, but was too engrossed in a conversation to notice.
Pikachu blinked at the couple's drink, confused. Before he could question why there were two straws and only one drink, however, the boy placed both straws in the smoothie and pushed it into the middle of the table.
The girl giggled. "This is so cheesy!" she said.
The boy grinned. "You know you love it really."
"Well, yeah, but still."
He indicated the smoothie. "Well, go on."
The girl giggled again, leaning forward to drink from the straw that was facing her. When the boy moved forward to drink from the other straw, the girl beamed as bright as the sun.
Pikachu blinked at this. So, sharing a drink was a romantic gesture? The boy on the nearby table was doing it, and his girlfriend seemed to be enjoying it.
He glanced at his own smoothie. If he did that, too, would Buneary enjoy it?
... Well, he was always trying to find ways to be a better boyfriend, so would this help?
He glanced up at Dawn, who was happily drinking her own smoothie. When she caught his eye, she looked down and smiled.
"Hey, Pikachu," she said. "Enjoying your smoothie?"
"(Yeah, but...)" he replied. He indicated the smoothie. "(I wanted to... well, you know...)"
Dawn tilted her head. "Hmm?"
"(Um...)"
Realising there was no other way to explain, he lifted up his lower skin to look like fluff, tucked in his tail and made one of his ears flop over.
Dawn's eyes lit up in realisation. "Oh, I get it!" She smiled. "You want Buneary out here, right?"
Dropping the skin, loosening his tail and lifting up his ear, he smiled back, nodding. "(Yeah!)"
"Okay, then!" She took out a pokéball, pressed a button to enlarge it, and then opened it. "Come on out, Buneary!"
In a flash of white light, Pikachu's girlfriend materialised on the table. "(Hey there!)" she said. After a moment, she blinked. "(... Whew... it's pretty hot today...)"
Dawn smiled at her. "Hey, Buneary, wanna try some of this smoothie?" She indicated her own drink.
Pikachu panicked. "(Uh, no, no!)" he said, pushing his own drink forwards. "(Try some of mine!)" He paused. "(If you like.)"
There was silence as everybody stared at him.
Dawn blinked. "Huh?"
Brock smirked. "Oh, I think I know what's going on..." he said. Pikachu blushed in response. "Pikachu wants to share his smoothie with Buneary."
"... He does?" Ash asked, sounding confused.
Buneary blinked. "(... You do?)" she asked.
"(W-Well...)" Pikachu replied, kind of embarrassed. Her eyes widened in response.
Dawn clapped her hands together. "Aww, how cute!" she cried happily.
"Oh, now that is a guy who knows how to treat his girl!" Lyra called out. "You should take note, for when you get a girlfriend, Khoury!" She giggled to herself.
"H-Hey..." Khoury replied, sounding like he was pouting again. "Just what do you mean by that?"
Dawn also giggled. "She's right, you know, Pikachu!" she said. "About you, not the other thing." She pumped a fist, grinning. "Anyway, no need to worry! I'll go get you another straw." She stood up and walked inside the café.
"Yeah," Brock added with a knowing smile, "and I'll help get you seated at another table. To make it more private, you know?"
Pikachu's blush deepened.
"... I don't get what the big deal is..." Ash said, shrugging, "but whatever, I guess."
Pikachu stood across from Buneary on the table, watching his girlfriend happily drink from her straw. She looked so content with this new arrangement. Smiling, he mimicked her, drinking from his own straw.
This wasn't the first time he'd shared a drink with another pokémon. He used to do it with Misty's togepi all the time, back in the day, but that had been on a purely platonic level. Here, right now, he was sure it was meant to be a romantic gesture. Somehow, anyway. He wasn't really sure about the specifics.
Maybe it was how close they were standing while drinking it? Or how close it made them look as a couple? The fact that there was enough trust between them to share it in the first place? Or perhaps it was the sharing, itself? He wasn't sure.
Still, he wasn't complaining. This was almost like one of their dates. They were alone, on a table together, sharing a cold drink on a hot, sunny day. All around them was the hustle and bustle of the townsfolk, but, surprisingly, it wasn't all that busy. True, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Lyra and Khoury were sitting at nearby tables, but they were all engrossed in their own conversations, so it still felt isolated and private.
"(So, nice smoothie, huh?)" Pikachu asked.
"(Yeah!)" Buneary replied, beaming. "(It's delicious!)"
He gave her a gentle smile. "(Heh.)"
Her smile melted into a softer, warmer one. "(Thanks for sharing yours with me~)"
He blushed slightly. "(N-No problem.)"
She giggled. "(Even if you were really awkward about it.)"
His ears drooped slightly in embarrassment. "(H-Hey...)"
"(I kid~!)" She winked. "(It was cute, anyway.)"
He glanced away, but smiled in response.
As he glanced back, he saw her take a sip of the smoothie. "(Mmmm~!)" she said.
He mimicked her, also taking a sip. "(Mmmm...)"
"(I always wanted a date at a café. It has a sort of human charm to it.)"
"(Oh yeah?)"
"(Yeah! And sharing with you just makes it even better!)"
He chuckled in embarrassment, secretly very pleased with himself. "(Well, you know...)"
"Oh, how cute!" a voice suddenly said.
Surprised, Pikachu turned around to see the employee with peach-pink hair - who was carrying a tray with two toasted sandwiches on it - staring at him with a smile on her face.
"(Huh?)" he asked, confused.
She smiled wider. "Are you two on a date?"
"(Uh...)" Pikachu nodded, wondering where this was going. "(Yeah.)"
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I knew it! You look so in love~!"
Pikachu's eyes bulged in shock. "(Wh-What?!)" He quickly looked over at Buneary, but she was smiling at the woman, barely reacting to the comment.
"(Hee~!)" she said.
Pikachu slowly turned back again, his mind racing. Love...?
Brock suddenly appeared, kneeling in front of the woman and posing in a Shakespearean manner, one hand to the heart and one out in front of him.
"Not as in love as I am with you!" he cried. The woman cried out in shock, almost dropping the tray she was holding. "My heart burns for you... burns hotter than the sun... so serve me up some nice cold, refreshing love!"
Croagunk appeared beside him. He pulled back his hand, the tips of his fingers glowing purple.
"Oh, I'm... very sorry, sir!" The woman fumbled with the tray, trying her hardest not to drop it. "I-I'm very flattered, but... oh, gosh... but, but I have a boyfriend!"
Brock looked devastated. He made a few choked noises of horror before hanging his head in defeat.
The glow on Croagunk's fingers disappeared as he quietly put his hand down.
"Um..." the woman said awkwardly, "a-anyway!" She stumbled over to the table with the couple sitting at it. "Here's your..." She almost tripped. "Whoa! Your food..." She placed down the tray and nodded. "E-Enjoy!" She made her way back inside the café.
As Brock tried to piece together what was left of his dignity - and Ash and Dawn chuckled awkwardly at his failure, while Lyra and Khoury were too busy chatting to notice - Pikachu turned back to his smoothie. He quietly took a sip, thinking.
Love. That woman had said they looked in love.
That was a bit extreme, wasn't it? Sure, he really, really liked Buneary, but love?
Then again, he'd said that same thing back when this whole thing had started, hadn't he? When Brock had spouted something about them being in the 'springtime of their youth'.
Back then, though, he hadn't known how he'd felt about Buneary. He'd just been testing the waters to see if he could feel anything.
Things were different now. A lot had changed in the past couple of weeks, and he now knew exactly how he felt about her.
Still, though... love?
... Wait, now that he thought about it, why had Buneary not really reacted to the woman's comment? Had she not heard it? Or registered it? Or had it just not bothered her? Maybe she'd thought it was silly. Or amusing. Or maybe she'd thought nothing about it at all.
Or, maybe...
Suddenly, a loud crash resounded from inside the café. Jumping out of his skin, he whirled his head around to take a look. He couldn't really see anything from out here, but the crash was soon followed by disappointed wails.
"Oh, I was doing so well!" the voice of the female employee rang out.
"For legends' sake, woman!" the voice of the male employee snapped. "Do I need to re-educate you on the proper way to carry a tray?!"
"I'm so sorry!"
"If you're not careful, our boss will dock your pay again!"
"Ohhh, I can't do anything right!"
The male employee heaved a sigh. "Here, let me help you up. This looks bad in front of the customers..."
There was the sound of a sniffle. "Thanks..."
"... Huh," Ash said in concern. "Better check if she's alright." Pushing back his chair, he stood up and hurried inside.
From the corner of his vision, Pikachu saw Dawn and Brock glance at one another. Lyra and Khoury were probably doing the same over at their table.
Blinking at the odd event, he turned his head back to Buneary, who was looking at him, wide-eyed and equally surprised.
After a moment of staring at each other, they both started giggling. Both at the weird situation and the amusing looks on each other's faces.
Relaxing once more, they went back to drinking their smoothie, smiling happily.