Ash strolled through Beacon's library with Pikachu resting on his shoulder. After his encounters with Ruby and Weiss, he decided to find a quiet spot to relax and read up on this fascinating world. However, as he turned a corner, he almost bumped into a girl with long black hair and a bow on her head, her amber eyes focused on the book she was carrying.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Ash said, stepping back.

The girl looked up, her expression calm but scrutinizing. "You must be the visitor Ruby mentioned."

"Yeah, I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu," he introduced with a smile, motioning to the Pokémon on his shoulder. Pikachu gave a cheerful "Pika!" in greeting.

Blake's gaze shifted to Pikachu, her calm demeanor replaced with a sharp frown. "You… keep it on your shoulder like that?"

"Uh, yeah?" Ash replied, puzzled. "Pikachu likes it there. Right, buddy?"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu confirmed, nuzzling Ash's cheek affectionately.

Blake's frown deepened. "Do you always treat your… partner like this? Carrying it around and making it fight for you? Sounds a lot like… slavery."

Ash's eyes widened in shock. "Slavery?! No way! Pikachu's not a slave—he's my best friend!"

Blake crossed her arms, her tone cold. "It's almost as bad as humans treating Faunus like pets."

Ash blinked, confused. "What's a Faunus?"

Blake sighed, closing her book. "Faunus are people like me. We have animal traits. But we've been treated unfairly for centuries—used, abused, and oppressed by humans."

Ash tilted his head, trying to process her words. "Wait, so… are you a Faunus?"

"Yes," Blake said bluntly, her amber eyes narrowing slightly.

Ash looked her over, noticing the bow on her head twitch slightly. Before he could ask further, Blake's gaze shifted to Pikachu, her pupils dilating.

Pikachu tilted its head, confused, as Blake's cat-like instincts suddenly kicked in. Her eyes locked on the small, yellow creature as her lips twitched into an almost predatory smile.

"Uh… are you okay?" Ash asked cautiously, noticing her strange expression.

Blake snapped out of it, her cheeks reddening as she shook her head. "I-I'm fine. Sorry, I got distracted."

Pikachu leaned toward Ash nervously, sensing something odd.

Blake sighed, composing herself. "Look, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you. But you need to understand why I reacted that way. Too many Faunus have been mistreated by humans, and seeing you with Pikachu reminded me of that."

Ash nodded solemnly. "I get it. I didn't know about Faunus before, but I can promise you, Pikachu isn't like that. He's my partner, my friend, and I'd never make him do something he doesn't want to."

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped in agreement, leaping onto Blake's shoulder and nuzzling her cheek.

Blake flinched but smiled softly, gently scratching Pikachu's head. "It seems you're telling the truth. I wish more people thought like you."

"Thanks," Ash said with a grin. "And, hey, maybe I can help. If Faunus need someone to stand up for them, I'd be happy to do it!"

Blake blinked, surprised by his sincerity. "That's… kind of you, Ash. The world could use more people like you."

They spent the next hour talking about Faunus history and Ash's adventures with Pokémon. Blake found herself laughing at Ash's stories, especially when he recounted Team Rocket's antics.

"Let me get this straight," Blake said, smirking. "These three people keep chasing you, trying to steal Pikachu, and they always fail?"

"Every single time!" Ash said, laughing. "You'd think they'd give up by now, but nope!"

Blake chuckled softly. "I'll admit, you're not what I expected. You're… different, in a good way."

Ash rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly. "Thanks, Blake. You're pretty cool too. And, uh, I hope Pikachu doesn't make you too hungry."

Blake's cheeks flushed again as she gave him a playful glare. "Don't push your luck, Ketchum."

After a long and insightful conversation about Faunus, Ash found himself growing increasingly curious about Blake. Despite her calm demeanor, there was something mysterious and captivating about her, particularly the way her bow seemed to twitch slightly at times.

"So, Blake," Ash began hesitantly, rubbing the back of his head, "I've gotta ask… are your ears under that bow?"

Blake froze, her amber eyes narrowing at him. "Why do you want to know?"

Ash raised his hands defensively. "I was just curious! I mean, you're a Faunus, right? And, well, your bow keeps moving… it's kinda obvious."

Blake sighed, her cheeks tinting pink. "You're more observant than you look."

"Is that a yes?" Ash asked, leaning forward slightly.

Blake crossed her arms and looked away. "I don't usually show them to people. It's… personal."

Pikachu tilted its head, letting out a curious "Pika?"

Ash nodded, understanding her hesitation. "Hey, no pressure. I was just curious. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Blake glanced at Ash, noting his sincerity. After a moment of silence, she let out a small sigh. "Fine. But if you laugh or say anything stupid, you'll regret it."

Ash blinked, a bit startled by the threat, but nodded eagerly. "Got it. Promise!"

With a deep breath, Blake reached up and removed her bow, revealing a pair of sleek, black cat ears perched atop her head. They twitched slightly, as if adjusting to the newfound freedom.

Ash's eyes lit up. "Whoa! They're so cool!"

Blake blushed deeper, her ears flattening slightly. "Cool? That's… not the reaction I was expecting."

"They look so fluffy," Ash said, leaning closer. "Can I… uh… touch them?"

Blake's blush deepened, and her amber eyes narrowed dangerously. "Absolutely not."

"Aw, come on," Ash said with a pleading smile. "I promise I'll be gentle!"

Blake's ears twitched as she crossed her arms, her voice dropping to a warning tone. "Ash… if you even try to touch my ears, I'll turn you into my personal scratching post. Got it?"

Ash gulped, leaning back with a nervous laugh. "O-Okay, okay! No touching! Got it!"