Chapter 52: Only Say that You Love Me...
All five humans screamed as Victini's V-create collided with the two larger aircrafts. In an instant, the vessels combusted in a deafening roar and they promptly spun out of control! The once hovering ships had become encased in blue flames as they gyrated and began breaking apart while Butch and Cassidy's small drone was pushed off to the side.
With the sounds of metal splitting accompanied by crackling fire, it was only a matter of time now for the two larger vessels.
"Evasive maneuvers Butch!" Cassidy squealed as she held onto her teammate's shoulders.
"That just means get away right?!" Butch screamed back as he desperately tried to regain control of their drone.
Drifting through the air, Pikachu and Buneary looked at each other and in that moment, the two shared the same thought. Nodding in silent agreement, they angled their bodies towards the vessels, Pikachu towards Butch and Cassidy's drone and Buneary at the two larger aircrafts.
"Butch!" Cassidy yelled as their drone started to twirl in midair. "If I die, I promise I'm gonna haunt you forever!"
"Shuddup will ya?! I'm just gonna-eh?" Butch snapped back before he saw a small yellow mouse glide through the air and grab onto their vessel.
"Huh? What's that?" Cassidy wondered aloud as they looked over the side and saw Pikachu stare up at them.
They could only blink in confusion as the electric mouse gave a deadly mischievous glare before a golden and violet light emanated from his body.
"Uh…" Butch muttered.
"…Oh." Cassidy followed.
Then, the sky lit up from Pikachu's Thunderbolt and the drone that they were on disintegrated into atoms and the two Team Rocket grunts were flung across the ocean.
"Why do terrible things happen to semi-decent people?!" Butch yelled as his now charred figure rapidly flew into the air.
"That's it! I swear I'm gonna start looking for another career!" Cassidy screamed, sparks of electricity sporadically appearing across her boy.
"We tried so hard...!" Butch started to say.
"...And got so far!" Cassidy followed.
"...But in the end, it doesn't even matter!" The two simultaneously yelled before they spun into the air and out of sight.
Meanwhile, Buneary trajected her body to come into direct contact with the two larger airships. Angling her body, the rabbit's feet touched the metal of the Team Rocket ship and for a moment she was entirely sideways. Channeling all of the remaining gifted energy into her legs, Buneary used the most powerful Bounce she could muster and promptly kicked the airborne vessel in the opposite direction. As she did, a flash of pain shot out from her already injured leg and she winced from it.
Evidently, the rabbit's efforts proved successful as the aircraft went spinning away like a flaming top and smacked into the PLA aircraft. With that, the two vessels went soaring over the horizon as the three leaders screamed and shouted and cursed as their vessels began to fulminate.
And just when the two aircrafts were nearly out of sight, a blindingly powerful flash of light erupted in the sky followed by a loud explosion.
Even from where they were, the duo could see that the two ships had completely erupted into balls of flames, taking anyone who was onboard with them.
When the noise had finally died down, a calm lull overtook the sky.
At long last, all remaining traces of either intruding group were finally gone.
Smiling to herself, Buneary relaxed her body and let herself fall, the last remaining energy draining out of her. She rapidly descended and saw Pikachu doing the same. Just as she saw his falling figure, her mind raced back to the beach when he had caught her.
Suddenly feeling a rush of adrenaline, the rabbit got a second wind and without thinking, she maneuvered her body towards Pikachu's. A second later, she grabbed both of his paws and the mouse looked up at her in confusion. They locked eyes and Pikachu's confused face was only met with her gentle smile which brought a strange comfort to him. Unable to break their gazes from each other, they both fell into a dreamlike hypnosis as they continued to descend. They were so entranced with each other that for a brief moment, the two couldn't even tell that they were high in the air. In a truly bizarre feeling, it felt as if they were actually falling towards the sky.
Her senses snapping her back to reality, Buneary focused and saw where the ground was and she moved forward to firmly hold onto Pikachu's body. Getting an idea, she spun the two of them forward and like a comet colliding into the planet, they crashed and skidded along the ground until they finally came to a stop, their bodies billowing smoke as they did.
A few seconds passed before Buneary slowly let go of Pikachu. Shaking, she stared down at him and saw both yellow and violet sparks occasionally emanate from his cheek sacs. Then he opened his eyes, seeing her gentle face and her fur slightly ruffled.
"(…Bun?)" He finally whispered; his voice so soft it was difficult to hear.
"(I'm here Pika…)" She gently said back, giving him a warm smile as she gingerly wiped away a speck of dirt on his cheek.
Pikachu blinked and slowly lifted his paw to gently grab hold of her arm. "(Are you…okay?)"
Buneary blinked at him. "(Yeah…I'm okay. How 'bout you?)" She asked.
"(I'm fine…thanks to you.)" He said with a nervous chuckle to which she joined.
Suddenly, the two saw each of their given powers begin to fully fade. The glowing sheen on Pikachu's body finally disappeared and the violet electricity that emanated from his cheeks vanished. Buneary's fluff rapidly turned from a snowy white back to its usual cream color and the diadem that she had on her forehead broke apart and crumbled into nothingness.
The two looked over each other and then themselves before realizing what had happened.
"(Aww man…)" Buneary grumbled with a pout. "(I really liked that look too…)"
"(Same…)" Pikachu muttered before he glanced back at her. When he saw her displeased face, a strange compulsion overtook him and he gently lifted a paw up to her cheek, much to her surprise. She looked back at him only to see him smile. "(But I like you how you are anyway.)"
She blinked at him again and she stifled a giggle before she suddenly leaned forward to hug him. As Buneary nuzzled into Pikachu's cheek, a furious blush began to form on both of their faces.
Then simultaneously, they opened their eyes and realized that an entire crowd had formed around them. They looked around and saw that all of the island Pokémon had gathered together to see if they were alright.
All of them looked banged up...but they were alive...and they were safe.
Slightly astonished, the duo watched as many in the crowd smiled in appreciation while others nodded their heads in some sort of silent acknowledgement. Then, one of them started cheering and immediately the dam broke and the entire crowd began applauding and whistling and saluting them.
Slightly embarrassed, Buneary's blush didn't leave her face as she rubbed the back of her head and looked away as the congratulatory praises didn't cease for a moment.
"(Oh…uh…thanks everyone! Glad to help!)" She nervously laughed.
Pikachu snickered and amusedly shook his head. "(As long as you all are safe!)"
Then, everyone stopped upon hearing something descending from nearby. All eyes turned to see Victini gently float down and touch the ground. It looked on and surveyed the crowd. Finally, it rested its eyes upon Pikachu and Buneary.
A moment of silence passed as the duo locked eyes with the mythical creature. It definitely looked as if it had seen better days and it was clearly beyond exhausted...
But it too was alive and well. And really, that's all that mattered right?
Then, in a sign of respect and appreciation, Victini smiled at them and nodded its head. Pikachu and Buneary smiled back and watched as the Fire-type began to float into the air again, this time high above the trees.
As it hovered above the crowd, it looked down at them and – as if by some sort of silent approval passing between them all – the island Pokémon began to move away.
The duo looked on as the mythical creature began leading everyone as if it were some sort of guide. They saw how the Flying-types took flight and flew alongside Victini. As the crowd followed the island's guardian, Pikachu and Buneary saw Victini give them one last nod and smile before it continued to fly away, leading everyone back to their homes and loved ones.
Soon, all other figures were almost completely out of sight, now once again free to live their lives as they see fit.
Beaming, the duo waved goodbye as many of the island Pokémon acknowledged them and some even smiled and waved back.
"(You're welcome~!)" Buneary happily shouted, cupping her paws over her mouth before waving again.
Then they were gone. And with that, the duo were the only ones left in the area.
Taking a moment to enjoy the long-deserved silence, Pikachu let out a huge exhale of relief. "(Oh thank Arceus that worked out!)" He sighed, relaxing his body while closing his eyes and facing the sky.
"(Yeah, you did great back there!)" Buneary beamed, turning to look at him.
His ears pricking up, Pikachu smirked. "(Heh, you weren't too bad yourself Bun.)"
They both laughed before pausing again. The silence was broken up by a sudden thought coming to Pikachu.
"(So uhhh…what now?)" He asked.
"(Now? Now we head towards the beach!)" Buneary declared with the utmost confidence while pointing in the direction from where they had come from.
"(Huh? Why's that?)" Pikachu asked, a bewildered look on his face.
"(Because that's where I told Meloetta we'd be when she comes back with our group!)" Buneary giggled.
Pikachu blinked. Oh yeah…that's right! Man, from all of the craziness in the past few hours, he had nearly forgotten.
"(Oh…okay.)" He muttered as he looked back. "(Well, best get a move on then.)"
"(Yup!)" Buneary chirped before taking a confident step forward. "(So let's get goin-ACK!)" She suddenly yelped as she nearly fell forward. Pikachu immediately whipped his head in her direction only to see her doubled over, gingerly holding onto her leg.
"(Buneary! What's wrong?!)" He shouted as he practically ran up to her.
"(It's my leg.)" Buneary said as she rubbed it, painfully sucking air through her teeth. "(Guess I went a little too far at the end there.)" She sheepishly chuckled.
"(Here, lemme see it.)" Pikachu said as he knelt down in front of her and ever-so-gently examined her leg as she sat upon a rock. It was a bit difficult to tell what was wrong given that her fur covered anything that he could see. From the looks of things, her fur was a bit ruffled but even then, he could tell that a rather dark purple bruise was forming. Thankfully, it didn't look like anything was broken but she'll probably need to get it bandaged up.
"(Anything serious?)" She nervously laughed.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Pikachu quickly looked over at her and noticed the amount of concern in her eyes. He gave a little smile to help ease her nerves. "(No, just looks like it's bruised.)"
He got back to his feet and put his paws on his sides.
"(Okay, well we should get going then.)" Buneary declared as she got up and took another step forward only to nearly lose her balance. She started to fall but suddenly felt something – or rather someone – catch her before holding her close.
"(Oh no, doesn't look like you can walk very far with that leg missy!)" Pikachu laughed as he held onto her.
Buneary's face was practically in his chest when she looked up and locked gazes with him. She silently gulped and focused her thoughts on something else.
"(So what do we do then?)" She asked.
Pikachu took a moment to look at her before giving a confident smile. "(Only one thing we can do…!)" He declared before gently taking a step back and quickly turning around to lean forward. Buneary immediately noticed how he motioned for her to climb on his back. "(Hop on!)" He said.
Taking a moment to register what she was seeing, Buneary stifled a giggle. "(A piggyback ride? The meeting spot is practically across the island! You sure you want to do that?)"
Still maintaining his pose, Pikachu looked back at her, his smile never faltering. "(Don't be silly! It's the least I can do for you! C'mon, let's get you back to the mainland!)"
Buneary stared at him. She looked slightly touched and in a moment of appreciation, she gently put a paw up to her chest before walking over and climbing on top of the mouse's back. When her grip on his shoulders was secured, he gently steadied himself.
"(Ready?)" He asked.
"(Mhmm!)"
"(Okay then!)" He declared before suddenly taking off down the path that they had come from. "(Let's go!)"
Together they moved forward, only stopping by a bush to grab Pikachu's letter bracelet along with the Pokétch which he gave to Buneary to put in her fluff.
Then, they headed off in the direction of the shore.
Over an hour later, Pikachu and Buneary made their way past the ancient ruins and beyond the vicinity of where Team Rocket's crashed ship once was. All the while, Pikachu never faltered nor slowed down from carrying her. Passing by a never-ending series of columns and structures, the two saw more writings carved into marble, often too faded or in languages that neither understood.
Her face resting on Pikachu's shoulder, Buneary's eye caught a glimpse of a series of markings carved into a rather magnificent edifice that somehow managed to withstand the test of time.
こうして私たちの糸は強く残るだけだ
She stared at it for as long as she could before they passed by it.
A few minutes later, the two saw the vestige of what appeared to be a place of worship near the edge of the ruins. There they saw writing chipped into the building's smooth surface.
AND SO WE VENTURE OFF FOR A BETTER LIFE. NO LONGER AFRAID OF WHAT LIES BEYOND THE SEA.
OUR GUARDIAN HAS ENCOURAGED US TO SEE WHAT THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER.
AND WE WILL BE ITS LEGACY.
Over the hills and past some trees, the two went through the cave.
Buneary buried her face into Pikachu's shoulder as they went through it yet to the mouse, it was no longer intimidating. Actually, the place appeared to have brightened up a bit.
In fact, if one were to look around, it was actually quite beautiful. It reminded him of their time in Sinnoh.
Even Buneary started to look around and as she did, her grip on Pikachu's shoulders tightened a bit. She noticed how much stronger he's gotten since their time together, having no trouble at all carrying her for this long. She felt his muscles and realized that they were almost twice the size of what they were last she remembered. She gave a little smirk, pushing away certain thoughts.
Unlike Pikachu's previous experience in the cave, it took them no time to navigate their way through to the other side and before they knew it, they were out.
Some time later, the two were making their way through the jungle when they suddenly heard thunder rumbling from above.
"(Huh?)" Buneary wondered aloud and she stared at the sky. She saw that dark clouds were beginning to appear everywhere she looked.
"(Sounds like a storm is on its way.)" Pikachu said as he continued to run with her on his back.
"(Yeah, maybe it's best if we wait until it passes over.)" Buneary said, motioning towards the denser part of the forest.
"(Good idea.)" He replied as his run began to slow before regressing to a walk. When he did, the rain began to pick up. Just like Buneary had implied, they were mostly protected from the gentle shower thanks to the canopy of trees.
Looking for a good spot to wait it out, Pikachu noticed a particularly large tree growing off to the side. Hopefully, that alone would be enough to fully shield them from the storm. Satisfied with that, he walked over and gently placed her against it before staring up at the sky.
"(Looks like it's a light shower, probably not bad enough to become a lightning storm.)" He said with his paws on his hips. "(Okay now we can jus-)" He managed to say before a huge crash of thunder erupted throughout the sky. Immediately, the rain started to come down even harder, the tree they were underneath actually doing little to protect them from it. The duo felt the rain beginning to wet their fur.
Buneary quickly covered her head with her paws, her ears drooping. "(Oh great...)" She muttered, already starting to shiver as she closed her eyes in discomfort.
Not wanting her to get drenched, Pikachu immediately looked around for anything that could help. After scanning the area for a moment, he took notice of several plants next to them that sprouted impressively large leaves, the sizes of which were larger than them! He quickly ran towards one and plucked it out of the ground, the massive green leaf being large enough for the both of them to hide under. Steadying himself, he walked back over to Buneary and held the large leaf over her body.
Realizing that Pikachu was standing next to her, Buneary opened her eyes and saw the mouse holding the enormous leaf to shield her from the shower. Taking a moment to register what she was seeing, the bunny noticed that he was still getting wet from the rain. Suddenly, she let out a little giggle.
"(Teehee~! You're sweet!)" She laughed, a paw covering her mouth.
"(No problem Bun.)" He said with a smile, his fur progressively getting soaked.
"(But you're still getting wet!)"
"(You're right...ummm...)" Pikachu muttered as he eyed the ground. Seeing a spot of soft soil in-between them, he plunged the stalk of the giant leaf into the earth. With that, the leaf covered the both of them with a little room to spare. Sighing, Pikachu sat down next to her, completely exhausted.
They sat in silence for a bit, save for the sounds of rain pelting the area around them, including the leaf that protected them. It was only then did the two realize that they were actually near the shore as they saw through the foliage and noticed the waves of the ocean crashing upon the beach. From all of the storm's commotion, the sound of the ocean was rather muted.
Content with their situation, Pikachu closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree.
It was only upon hearing Buneary giggle again, did he open his eyes and look at her. "(Hmm? What's so funny?)"
"(Look at you~! Carrying me across an island and shielding me from the storm!)" She laughed. "(I guess we're even now huh?)"
Pikachu blinked as he continued to stare at her, completely taken aback. Even? Was she referring to all of those times that she saved his butt from certain doom?
Still staring at her, he noticed how her fur was more ruffled up than ever and he briefly glanced over himself and saw that he too had seen better days. He turned his attention back to her. Strangely, he felt a warm sensation deep in his chest.
As soon as her giggles died down, he let out his own little chuckle.
"(Buneary...)" He smirked as he turned away. "(There is nothing...nothing that I can do on this planet to make up for what you've done for me.)"
Buneary's smile quickly melted into a look of surprise and she went quiet. "(Oh y-yeah?)" She finally managed to whisper.
"(Yeah! You've saved my life three times and you've nursed me back to health twice!)" He practically shouted with a smile. "(So doing this is the absolute least that I can do!)"
Buneary merely looked at him before grinning again. "(Hee~! Well like I said, someone has to save your butt!)" She chirped.
"(Huh? When did you say that?)"
"(Back in that cabin, after you ate those berries and got really woozy.)" She laughed before awkwardly turning away. "(...And that time in the hotel when we made up.)"
"(Oh...well...I don't remember that.)" Pikachu said, a light blush beginning to dust his face.
"(Don't worry, I'll remember for the both of us!)" She said with a wink.
"(G-Good to know.)"
They sat in silence again for a little while before Buneary chimed in.
"(Well anyway...happy to help.)" She said, rubbing the back of her head.
"(Heh, thanks again. If any of the others were in my position, I know you'd do the same.)"
"(Of course!)"
Pikachu settled his gaze forward. "(Well in any case, I can't wait to get back to the mainland. I think I've had enough adventure for one day.)"
"(Yeah...I'll say...)"
"(I can't wait for things to go back to normal.)"
"(Oh yeah...?)"
"(Yeah...)"
"(Like back to journeying and gyms and stuff?)"
"(Mhmm...same old, same old!)"
Buneary turned away to stare elsewhere. "(Well that's good...)" She quietly said.
Pikachu scooched a little closer to her and immediately, his heart started to twist in knots.
Now that all of that craziness was dealt with, he can finally confront that little epiphany he had.
What he came to realize here on this little island.
His feelings for her.
The fact...that he loved her.
Trying not to shake in place, Pikachu silently gulped and he felt as if his chest was made out of lead. He struggled to take in a good breath of air.
Oh legends above...how was he going to do this?!
His mind racing, Pikachu turned a little away from Buneary and closed his eyes to regain his composure.
Okay...just go slow.
"(You know...)" He started, waiting for her to look at him. "(When I landed here...I mean a-after what happened on that ship...I was alone for a while and it got me thinking.)" He stammered. His heartbeat immediately began to quicken and it became loud enough to ring in his ears.
"(Hmm?)"
"(Well I thought I...I mean you...I...)"
Jeez, this was harder than he thought.
Buneary tilted her head in curiosity. Pikachu took a moment to deeply inhale. His heart painfully thumped against his ribcage.
Okay...think of a way to ease into it...try something else.
"(After what you did on that ship...I-I couldn't help but wonder...about us.)" He said in a voice so low that it was practically a whisper. He nervously tapped his paws together. "(I mean I thought you...y-you almost...a-and then I thought that if I was given a second chance and wondered...if we can...if we could ever be...again...)"
Buneary's eyes widened a little as she understood what he was trying to say. Her face began to redden a little.
"(O-Oh, you were?)" She asked, taken aback while still not diverting her gaze off him.
"(Yeah...and I decided...for me, it's always yes.)" He said before quickly giving her a side-glance. "(I just...wasn't sure if it's off the table for you.)"
A moment passed between them before Buneary gave him a little smile.
"(Pikachu...)" She said as she scooched closer to him. "(As long as you're you...it's never off the table.)"
Feeling his heart twisting in knots again, it took everything for Pikachu to not to let his body shake.
"(Oh...)" He said before giving a rather relieved smile. "(Well...as long as you're you too then...)"
She giggled. "(You dork~!)"
He couldn't help but laugh himself. "(Hey give me a break! It's been a long day!)"
Pikachu scooted closer and before he knew it, his left side was pressed against her, providing much needed warmth. He could only hope that she didn't notice that his heart was practically beating out of his chest.
"(You know...today was one of the scariest days of my life.)" He solemnly said as he gently wrapped an arm around her. "(I almost lost you...twice...)"
Pressing her body against his, Buneary rested her head on his chest.
"(Yeah...)" She said before gently caressing his left side, carefully eyeing it. "(...I know how that feels...)"
Unable to resist it anymore, Pikachu felt his body shake a little yet she didn't say anything.
He just had one thing to say. Just tell her that he loves her. Just tell her...just...
She looked up at him and he stared deep into her eyes, the same eyes that mystified him yet always provided him with a sort of comfort that he couldn't find anywhere else. Not with Ash, not with his other friends, not from the cheering and support from those around them throughout their adventures.
As he looked back at her, he felt a faraway sense of relief upon seeing that her eyes were the same as ever. They weren't worn out nor battle-hardened, even after so much had happened since she had met him and traveled with Dawn. They were just as beautiful as the day he had first seen them.
It was her. She was really here with him. Through thick and thin, the tense and downright horrifying moments and all...she was still by his side.
So why was it so difficult to say those three little words?
I love you.
Never before had he realized the power that those words possessed. It was as if he was about to face off in the most challenging battle of his life, one that was totally uncertain and definitely not in his favor.
And yet despite the thought of admitting what he truly felt inside made him nervous, he was anything but terrified. He knew her well enough, he understood how she would probably take it. Regardless of how it could go, he never once thought she would be disgusted or mock him or put him down.
It was the mere act of being so open with someone that made it so difficult.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Pikachu looked down and saw how she continued to gently caress his side, the same one that she had nursed in his time of need. She looked rather comfortable.
He couldn't help but give a little relieved smirk. "(Just promise me that you won't do anything that crazy ever again...okay Bun?)"
Laughing a little, Buneary pressed a little more into him. "(Heh, well...if you insist.)" She whispered yet her voice was strangely somber.
Sitting there with her, his insides writhed in agony.
He wanted to tell her how he felt...more than anything. He wanted to scream it from the rooftops, the desire was so strong that it felt like it was burning a hole through his stomach. He remembered what that figure in the cave had said about only needing a moment. So why shouldn't he just say it to her? Right here, right now...?
Suddenly, his ear twitched a little.
He heard her sniffle.
Startled, he looked down and saw how her eyes were squeezed shut yet tears were still escaping them. His frantic thoughts came to an immediate halt and he was overtaken with concern.
"(Hey...what's wrong?)" He gently asked as he placed a paw under her chin and slowly lifted her face up to his.
Trying to catch her breath, Buneary wiped away a tear and sighed. "(Oh...it's just...been a rough day Pika...)" She quietly said.
He looked at her, trying to study her face a little more. That couldn't have been all there was to it. Knowing her, there was probably something else going on.
"(Are you sure?)" He whispered.
"(Mhmm...)" Buneary merely said with a nod.
Baffled, Pikachu opened his mouth yet his mind scrambled to come up with a reply.
"(Well I mean...yeah. After what happened I would er...I mean I assume that I...I mean you...y-yeah.)" He stammered. Deep down, his inner-being facepalmed at how clumsy he was handling this.
Oddly enough, she didn't say anything, not even a snicker at how awkward he was being. Now THAT was concerning...
Pikachu watched as the girl he secretly loved fought some sort of clear inner turmoil. His heart thumping so hard that it hurt, he gently put both of his paws on each side of her face and looked right into her eyes.
"(Bun...it's me. You can tell me anything.)" He gently said and he paused to gauge her response. She looked to be staring right into his psyche. "(Please tell me...what's wrong?)" Pikachu whispered.
They stayed like that for a few moments. It felt like neither wanted to make the first move.
Then, she gently nodded her head and Pikachu released his paws from her face. Buneary started to speak so quietly that it was barely above a whisper.
"(Yeah...it's just that...I-I was trying to stay strong. You know, on that ship I had to be strong to...do was I gonna do.)" She managed to say; her voice slightly cracking. Pikachu sympathetically watched her in silence as she moved forward to bury her face into his chest, catching him a little off-guard. "(And when I pushed you into that pod, I...I knew that I was gonna...)" She managed to say before she paused and then went completely silent.
"(...Bun?)" Pikachu quietly asked as he gently placed a paw on her cheek and she slowly looked up at him.
He once again stared into her eyes, which were now pink with tears constantly streaming down her cheeks. Immediately, he felt his heart shatter upon seeing her in so much pain and when he looked at her, he immediately saw himself in some strange way. Back in that cabin when she had tended to him after nearly dying, how he had tried so hard to push it all down.
In her eyes, he saw a desperate attempt to suppress what she was truly feeling by putting on a strong front only to have it come crumbling down around her. To think she had managed to hold strong all this time...
Buneary closed her eyes and she shook her head. "(I-I was so sure that...that I was gonna...!)" She managed to shout before she opened her eyes upon feeling Pikachu's arms wrap around her.
"(It's okay Bun...it's okay.)" He cooed as he hugged her.
Swallowing rather hard, Buneary slowly started to wrap her arms around his back. Soon, she started crying into his chest.
Pikachu gave a gentle smile as he heard her quiet sniffles. "(It's okay...just let it all out.)" He whispered to her and immediately, he felt her sobbing intensify. Rubbing her back, Pikachu felt the tiniest bit of relief. He knew it all had to come to light at some point.
He was just glad he could be there for her in this moment.
Gently rocking the both of them back and forth, Pikachu never let go of her.
As Buneary's sobbing slowly but surely began to soften, he thought of something else.
This wasn't the right time...she was so incredibly fragile right now...if he told her that he loved her right now...
...Well...maybe they needed a moment...the right moment to say it. This wasn't it. They were exhausted, injured and had gone through such an ordeal that adding a heartfelt confession would be too much.
But when they got back and things finally settled down...
...That's when he would say it.
Pikachu silently gulped in apprehension.
He wouldn't lie...he knew she wouldn't react with disgust but...he didn't know what to expect after that. Granted, she liked him first but there could still be a chance that she wouldn't say it back. A chance that she wasn't ready or that she didn't even remotely feel the same...especially since they had been separated for six months.
Taking in a quiet breath, Pikachu braced himself.
No.
When they get back to the others and things calm down, he'll say it. Nervous or not, he couldn't really live with himself if he had just moved on without confessing to her how he felt...not after today.
That figure in the cave had implied that he had pushed it away for so long to focus on other things...
...To pursue his own goals...not realizing what he had been denying for so long.
For what felt like an eternity, he felt as if he had missed his chance. But here he was...with her by his side once again.
A second chance. A chance to admit to her and to himself how he truly felt.
He owed her that much.
And so he'll say it to her.
When the time is right...he'll say that he loves her.
Minute after minute had passed and the tears finally began to cease and the two continued to hold each other. When all of the hurt, pain and fright finally left, they sat in comfortable silence.
It didn't take long before their frowns were eventually replaced by blissful smiles, fully content in where they were.
And so they stayed under that giant leaf, holding each other in the rain, waiting for their friends to bring them back to the mainland.
Author's Notes:
Major, major MAJOR shoutout to PiyoLondres for influencing this chapter! Not only has she been supporting this fic since practically the first chapter, but her incredible artwork on DeviantArt and Discord seriously helped the writing process for these last few chapters!
In particular, I want to give credit to her artwork titled "Rain" for inspiring the final part of this chapter not to mention the incredible work she's done for me based on my fic! If you're a fan of this shipping or just great artwork in general, go check out Piyolondres on DeviantArt! Thanks again Piyo, you legend!
Up next, something a little less complicated. Until then, thanks for reading!