The Fiery Spirit of Friendship

"Behind every mask there is a face, and behind that a story." - Marty Rubin

Ash

The power plant is as run down on the inside as it is on the outside. Anything man-made - tables, chairs, computers, ex cetera - is either broken or barely hanging on. Plantlife shoots through every crack and opening. Yet, it's a sort of controlled chaos. The longer roots and vines are laying along the edges of the former lobby, like someone had pushed them out of the way but wasn't willing to disturb the plants' growth. Certain parts of the walls are covered by flat chunks of wood or whatever man-made objects they could find, a pokemon's way of repairing its home. The building is old and worn, but its inhabitants take good care of it.

As soon as we were all inside, Zapdos called the hoard to attention and I assume explained our presence on their territory. And, there are a lot of pokemon on their territory, though I can't say whether or not they all live here. Voltorb and Electrode seem to make up the bulk of the hoard, but there are a handful of other species as well. All electric-types, I notice. I wonder how they feel about Sarge and Gardevoir being here. I noticed some suspicious looks when we first walked in.

Zapdos had started cawing and making hand- Er, wing gestures at us, mostly at me. (I still can't believe he remembers me!) Then, they all looked at me with, to my surprise, awe and respect. Me of all people! As soon as Zapdos had stepped aside, a few younger Voltorb had rolled up to me, slowly joined by more and more until I was surrounded by spherical children. It was honestly a little embarrassing - and terrifying, considering that most of these guys could explode at the drop of a hat - and I have to wonder what Zapdos told them.

The others had backed away to a safe distance, though Ella looked kind of jealous. Luckily, the children's parents had managed to pry their kids away from me. Alpha Electrode made some kind of announcement, and everyone gave us more space afterwards, though I still received a fair helping of attention.

Now, I find myself constantly surrounded by new friends who want me to pet them and chat with them. It's a sharp contrast from when we'd first arrived. I'd love to know what that was about. Lorette and her new Electrode had been carted off somewhere, and they came back looking much better. Apparently, they'd been brought to a makeshift infirmary and given healing herbs and berries. It's nice to see that not everyone here hates us.

Though, from the death glares and harsh tones that Alpha Electrode and the ambushers had been getting from Sarge, Patches, and Gardevoir during the ambush, it's clear that the only ones who can explain are the ones who can't speak. Oh, well. I look up from the Electrode I'm petting to see that Lorette's Electrode is happily chatting with several of their kind. Though, Lorette isn't straying too far from her partner, not that I blame her. I'd be the same way if it was one of my pokemon-

My pokemon…

The Electrode before me moves aside, and I receive the perfect distraction in the form of two Electabuzz holding hands and presenting me with two very young Elekid, one just a little bit older than the other, who stare nervously at me with their hands behind their backs. I kneel and give them my warmest smile. "Hey, you two! My name's Ash." The hatchlings don't respond. "Come on. I don't bite." I hold out my hands, and the boys look curiously at them. The parents nod, so I tentatively hang my hands over their children's head. When the boys don't move away, I lower my hands and run my palms over the short, bristly fur on their heads. The boys coo happily, and the sound lifts my spirits. "See? I'm not that scary."

Man, Pikachu would lose his mind in this place. I can picture him rubbing cheeks with everyone, sharing electricity the way electric-types do to say hello. If he were here, he would have put these Elekid to ease before they and their parents had even approached me. My buddy has always had a way with others, people and pokemon alike. With him around, maybe we could have even talked a way around that ambush.

And if not, I know someone who would have taken Alpha Electrode down in an instant…

"Ash? It's Professor Oak."

"Oh, hey! Any news?"

"Well, yes, but not about Pikachu. Ash…we need to discuss Charizard."

Don't think about it. Gardevoir can sense your emotions. You promised him your best, and you've screwed that up enough today. So, for his sake, just don't think about it.

"Chi chi pah chi pah!"

Thank God for well-timed distractions. Patches comes from nowhere and throws herself at me, knocking me on my ass and scaring the Elekid and their parents. The shiny Pachirisu climbs into my jacket and crawls on to my back, shivering as she clings to my tank. I almost laugh when I find out why. Some hatchling Voltorb are rolling our way, and I shoot to my feet when they start randomly exploding as their kind are infamous for doing. The Electabuzz smartly hold their sons back as the Voltorb stop at my feet and eagerly jump up and down, trying to get to Patches, I assume. The poor thing starts whimpering, and her grip tightens.

I try to keep the amusement out of my voice as I tell the Voltorb, "Sorry guys. I don't think Patches feels like playing."

The group deflates, but the Elekid chirp happily at them. The kids run/roll off to play, and the Electabuzz coo gratefully at me, thanking me for being so kind to their sons, I imagine. I nod in acknowledgement and give Patches the all clear. She cautiously pokes her head out of my collar and sighs in relief.

I scratch her chin. "Why don't we get you back to your trainer."

I scan the room. Korou is watching some Magneton float around. Behind him, Sarge is picking up Voltorb one by one and rolling them across the room like bowling balls. They explode when they hit the wall. Korou freaks out when he sees this, though everyone involved seems to be having fun.

Not far from them, Lorette is on her knees, petting a Jolteon. Electrode is right beside her and seems to be policing anyone who gets too close. I watch as they send two other - rather irritated-looking - Electrode on their way but let another of their kind say hello to Lorette. There is a noticeable change in Electrode now that they've evolved. They seem more serious, more mature even. I noticed it right away. Granted, it could simply be the environment, what with some of the hoard attacking us and all, but it isn't unheard of for a pokemon's personality to change after it evolves.

Charizard, for instance.

Don't think about it. Focus on finding Ella.

Elsewhere, Gardevoir picks up some Voltorb and Electrode with Psychic and starts juggling them with a few twirls of his wrist. Soon, the participants start blowing up mid-air, and Gardevoir shrinks back and covers his head, dropping everyone. They lay there for a moment before shrieking with joy and crowding around Gardevoir, demanding another round. My eye-wided pokemon looks my way, silently begging for help.

But, I know a losing battle when I see one. "You made your bed, Gardevoir. Now, you have to lie in it." Patches giggles. I try not to echo her. Gardevoir starts shouting at me, and I don't need a translator to tell me that I'm being cussed out. "Look, I need to find Ella. I'll be back soon." Maybe it's mean, but I can't resist waving and adding, "Have fun!"

He gives me the most human gesture I've ever seen from a pokemon.

I walk the down halls, calling for Ella. Patches is sitting on my shoulder (I'm going to pretend that's not Pikachu's spot), doing the same. I guess everyone's congregated in the lobby, because apart from the occasional straggler, it's just me and Patches. Then, we are approached by a small pokemon I'm not familiar with. He kind of looks like a plump orange Pikachu with a shorter tail and fat forearms. Patches makes a curious sound, so I don't think she knows what he is either.

I pull out my pokedex. 'Pawmi: the mouse pokemon. An electric-type. In addition to the electric sacs in its cheeks, Pawmi has special organs in its forepaws that generate electricity. If it feels threatened, it rubs its forepaws against its cheeks, preparing an attack.'

Well, this Pawmi is smiling and wagging his tail, so I don't think we have anything to worry about. Especially once Patches (finally) jumps off my shoulder and rubs cheeks with him, generating tiny, happy sparks.

Come to think of it, they both kind of look like Pikachu. More so with Pawmi, though Patches certainly has similar facial features.

Focus.

I kneel down and hold out a hand for the newcomer. "It's nice to meet you, Pawmi," I greet.

He sniffs me and, deciding that I mean no harm, cheerfully bats my finger with his paw. Patches squeaks in approval.

"I'd love to get to know you," I say, running two fingers between his large ears, "but we're looking for her trainer."

Patches chitters at Pawmi, who points to a door at the end of the hall. We thank him and head that way. The door in question suddenly flies open, and several Voltorb and Electrode roll out. We leap to the wall, trying not to get run over, but the group stops and stares at me. These are the guys who ambushed us, I realize. Some avert their eyes, and some are shrinking back like they think I'm going to hit them or something. I'd really like to know what Zapdos said.

I raise my hands placatingly. "Guys, it's okay. I don't know what all that was about out there, but you were just defending your territory from a bunch of strangers, right? You probably just targeted Electrode because they're one of your kind. Better the devil you know, as they say." Patches hisses at that. I look down to find her fur fluffed up and her cheeks puffed and staticky. "Come on, Patches. We can't fault them for defending their home."

"Chu pah," she snarls. Her fur is still raised, but the static is gone. Small victories.

I turn back to the group. "I forgive you guys, but I can't speak for everyone else."

Everyone visibly relaxes, and a few send Patches smug looks. She squeaks harshly at those ones, and they laugh and follow the others down the hall. Not for the first time, I long for the ability to understand pokemon.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" I ask her. She responds by grumbling and kneading the cracked tile floor. Huh. "Let's just find Ella."

The door the others came out of shows its age. It's so cracked that I don't know how it's still in one piece. It somehow latches, though the hinges swing both ways, which I suppose is useful for pokemon with no limbs. The door itself is surprisingly wide, like maybe people used to move machinery or something through it before this place was abandoned by humans. Considering that all the other doorways are crumbled on the sides and missing doors altogether, this must be the only entryway the alpha didn't have to alter to use.

I gingerly push the door open, cautious of breaking the one door they might actually want, and try to process what I'm seeing. It's a large room filled with broken machinery, including a huge generator that's lit up like it might somehow still be functioning. Given Pawmi's directions, I expected to see Ella in here.

Just not with Zapdos and Alpha Electrode.

Ella's long legs are spread apart like she's ready to flee, though her hand is hovering tentatively. Zapdos is standing in front of her, a wary but encouraging look in his dark eyes as he leans in closer. Beside him, Alpha watches with the same protectiveness that I saw in Lorette's partner.

Ella slowly lowers her hand to Zapdos's head then snaps back with a yelp when electricity cracks at her. He smiles apologetically, but a dopey grin pulls at Ella's mouth. "Thank you for-for letting me…try to pet you." Zapdos chirps kindly.

That's when Alpha spots me, and their serious gaze wavers. "Trode elec…"

Zapdos looks my way, and Ella's eyes follow. Ella grins and skips up to me. "Hey, Ash!" She starts as Patches climbs up her leg and rests on her shoulder. Ella brings a hand to her partner's cheek, bringing her closer. "Patches! I was wondering where you went." Patches nuzzles her neck, and Ella brings her fists to her chest. "Zapdos is so friendly! I thought a Legendary Pokemon would be intimidating, but it's so nice! I asked to feel its feathers, and it just let me! My hand kind of hurts now, but who cares?"

Anyone who sees a Legendary Pokemon and instantly asks to pet it is okay in my book.

While Ella babbles excitedly, Zapdos and Alpha Electrode walk/roll our way. Patches squeaks and hops to Ella's other shoulder, bringing her farther from the larger pokemon. Ella looks down at Zapdos when he nudges her arm and jerks his head at the door.

"You want me to leave?" she asks, disappointed.

Zapdos looks at me. Then he nudges her and nods at the door.

"I think he wants to talk to me," I interpret. "For lack of a better term."

"He? Zapdos is a boy?" Ella clarifies.

Patches throws her tail over her face in embarrassment, Alpha sighs and rolls their eyes, and Zapdos just looks amused. Frankly, I'm a mixed bag. Unless there is a physical difference, such as a Pikachu's tail or a Hippowdon's coloration, no one ever seems to know a pokemon's gender without asking it. It always seemed so obvious to me, but even seasoned pokemon professors call a pokemon "it" unless they can confirm otherwise. Pikachu says that males, females, and genderless all have an underlying scent that human noses can't detect, so maybe that's the problem. But, I don't smell anything, so how come I can tell?

Realizing that she'd voiced her confusion, Ella blushes and stammers out an excuse to leave. She rushes out the door, Patches in tow, leaving me with Zapdos and Alpha Electrode.

Anyone else would probably be quaking in their boots at the prospect of being so close to a Legendary Pokemon with lightning powers and what is essentially a six-foot tall bomb, but I've seen worse. Which says kind of a lot, I suppose. Either way, Zapdos made it perfectly clear that he has no intention of hurting me, so if he wants to see me for some reason, I'm more curious than concerned.

Alpha Electrode is the nervous one. They still won't look me in the eye. In fact, they seem ashamed. I wonder if Zapdos told them and our other attackers about my friends and I saving him, Moltres, and Articuno. That would explain a lot about how eager everyone is to see me.

"Uh, Alpha? I'm not mad anymore." Alpha looks up at me in surprise. "I mean, I don't like that you targeted my friend, but you were just protecting your home. I get it."

Alpha visibly relaxes until Zapdos gives them a side-eye and chirps at them. Then, they flinch and roll out the door. I wonder if I'll ever learn the whole story.

Zapdos taps his beak to my shoulder. At my blank stare, he repeats the motion and shakes some static from his feathers.

It clicks. "Uh, Pikachu?" He nods, and my heart sinks. I should have expected this. He remembers me, so of course he remembers Pikachu. "He's…not here, I'm afraid."

Zapdos shakes his head. He taps my shoulder again then takes a few steps back. He flaps his wings toward me twice, cawing and shooting off sparks with each flap. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out what a pokemon's trying to tell me, but I'm really coming up empty with this one.

Feeling embarrassed, I rub the back of my neck. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not getting this."

He smiles and shrugs, as if he'd expected this and isn't upset. Whatever he was trying to say must not have been very important.

There is a comfortable silence as we head back to the lobby. When we walk in, everyone stops talking and turns to stare, making me decidedly uncomfortable. Zapdos shakes his head and chuckles. He squawks for a while, then everyone returns to their conversations. There is an obvious respect from the hoard members, but there's a familiarity as well. Zapdos must come here more often than I thought.

The Legendary turns toward me, taps my shoulder again, and gestures to the crowd with his wing. I rack my brain for the meaning. A shoulder tap means Pikachu, I think. And, the pokemon seem to be important…

"Is-is Pikachu here?" I ask, but Zapdos shakes his head. "Was he here?" A smile and nod from him, but the rush of hope is all mine. "So, I guess you know what's been going on with us." A sympathetic head tilt. "Did he…look okay?"

Once again Zapdos flaps his wings and shoots off tiny lightning bolts.

"Does that mean yes?"

He winks at me before joining the crowd. I would have expected him to be as disappointed in me as some of my pokemon seemed to be. (Particularly Chariz- Stop it.) But, Zapdos doesn't seem the slightest bit upset with me. I wonder how much Pikachu told him.

Actually, Zapdos doesn't seem concerned at all. It's like it's a simple fact to him. The sky is blue, the grass is green, Pikachu is missing. It makes me a little angry. How dare he not care! Who knows how long it's been since those two saw each other? Even if it was as recent as this morning, Zapdos shouldn't be so damn flippant about the whole thing!

"Gardedeh?"

I nearly jump out of my skin. Gardevoir is suddenly right beside me. I throw a hand over my heart, as if that will slow its rapid beat. "Jesus, Gardevoir!" I snap. He flinches. I force myself to relax. I'm being irrational; I know I am. "I'm sorry." Then, I spot the handful of Voltorb and Electrode behind him. "I'm also sorry for, well, leaving you," I add with a glance down at the group.

Gardevoir turns around and shoos them away. Once they're gone, he turns back to me and places his hand on my chest.

"Yes," I confirm, "you almost gave me a heart attack."

He frowns deeper and shakes his head. He pats my chest then puts his hand over the small red horn on his own.

Of course. Gardevoir must have sensed my rising temper and came to check on me. I wonder how that works for him. Does he feel my emotions like they were his own? Or, is it more like background noise? Or, somewhere in between? I hope it's the second one. I feel horrible enough without the thought of having to share all this mess inside me. It's bad enough that he has to put up with it as a bystander.

Whatever the case, I can't keep this from him. If I'm going to be an asshole, I should at least explain myself. But, this isn't the time. "Later," I promise.

He nods but stays by my side when I put on a smile and venture back into the crowd. Fortunately, my smile isn't fake for long. Various pokemon, Pawmi included, gather around me, demanding attention. Gardevoir tries to police them like Electrode, but I tell him not to worry about it. He must feel my heightened spirits, because he backs off and lets me play with everyone.

I look up from the two Voltorb I'm petting to see Zapdos across the room with Korou and Sarge. Korou looks less terrified of the Legendary but still keeps close to Sarge. Sarge is laughing at something Zapdos said.

When Zapdos leaves, I excuse myself and head over, Gardevoir not far behind. "Zapdos is awesome, isn't he?"

Sarge gives me a cheeky grin and a thumbs-up (a move so distinctly Charizard that I inwardly cringe). Korou smiles weakly and brushes his fingers through his longish hair. "Well, it's- He's certainly less intimidating than I expected." He looks around with a thoughtful frown. "Though, I must say, it's quite a juxtaposition."

"A what-position?"

Sarge shrugs, but Korou chuckles and pushes up his glasses with his index finger. "I mean that now is a huge difference from when we first got here. I have to wonder what exactly was going on."

"Yeah, I hear you," I agree. "Personally, I think it was just a territory thing. We were strangers to them, and I imagine they don't see a lot of humans."

Korou ponders this. "I suppose that makes sense. And, Electrode is their own kind. Maybe they felt some sort of betrayal or something, and that's why they targeted it."

"I hadn't thought of it like that, but that makes sense too." We spot Sarge and Gardevoir glaring meaningfully at each other, a hidden message that doesn't need words. "Unless our pokemon learn to talk, I guess we'll never know."

"I don't care what the reason is," Lorette says, sauntering our way with Electrode by her side. "If anyone tries to mess with my buddy again, they're gonna hear from me." Electrode snuggles her hip, and she scratches their head.

They're so much like me and Pikachu that it feels like they've just thrown a rock at my chest. Gardevoir stands a little closer, silently offering support. I try to push the bad feeling away, but it doesn't do anything but sit there, weighing down my heart.

Lorette ponders whether she can still lift her partner and bends over to try. She moans and struggles for a while before finally giving up. At Electrode's distress at the idea of her never carrying them around again, she says, "Hey, at least petting you is easier. Plus, there's more room to rub." She proves this by aggressively rubbing their smooth, hard surface. Electrode coos and closes their eyes, pleased with the compromise.

"That's not so bad, is it, Electrode?" Korou chuckles. Sarge laughs and shakes her head.

"Hey, where'd Ella and Patches go?" I wonder.

I search the crowd just in time for the two of them to come running up to us. Well, more like staggering quickly, in Ella's case. She's charred and burned all over, and her pigtails are huge from static. She also has a manic grin on her face and a Joltik on her head.

I'm about to ask her what happened, but Lorette beats me to it. Sort of. "Girl, you look like you lost a fight with a hundred power cords."

"Are you alright?" Korou asks.

"Am I alright?" Ella spreads her arms out and spins around. "I'm surrounded by my favorite pokemon type, and I've never been electrocuted so much in my life!"

"Maybe you've been electrocuted too much?" I suggest with a chuckle, and Gardevoir laughs with me. Ella would probably squeeze Pikachu's cheeks just to get him to zap her.

She stops twirling, and I notice her eyes are a little unfocused. "There's never too much! And, now I know what purple tastes like!"

Patches sighs tolerantly, used to her trainer's antics.

"I think you need a break, Ella," Korou comments, properly concerned. "Or, maybe a hospital."

Before Ella can argue, I wrap my arm around her waist. "Let's get you some fresh air."

"You do that," Lorette says. "I'm gonna get some one-on-one time with Zapdos. He seems like a cool dude." She stabs her finger at my chest and narrows her eyes. "And, when you get back, you better tell us how you know him."

"Me too!" Ella chirps.

"Yeah," Korou agrees. "That has to be quite a story."

"I promise, you'll hear all about it," I say. "Now, let's go, Ella."

She struggles against me as I guide her out but relents when I threaten to throw her over my shoulder and carry her like a potato sack. I bring her outside, and we take off our backpacks and sit next to each other against the wall.

She crosses her arms and pouts like an angry toddler. "I still say I'm fine."

"You were tasting purple," I argue. "I've been shocked enough times to know that means you need a breather."

And honestly, I could use a breather myself. Any more time around electric-types and trainers and pokemon who love each other so fiercely, and I'll surely lose whatever composure I have left. I steal a second to survey the sky again. I don't know why I keep bothering. I know Charizard's not going to be there.

I was already a mess over Pikachu's disappearance. And, now…

No, Ash. No. Stop clenching the grass in your fists. Get the image of Charizard glaring at the ground and ignoring you out of your mind. Forget about what happened when he evolved from Charmander. This isn't like that. Because, this can't be like that.

Distraction. I need a distraction.

"Um, you didn't introduce us to your buddy," I say around the lump in my throat.

Ella blinks at me in confusion. "You already met Patches."

"No, silly." I point at the tiny yellow pokemon still resting in her hair. He squeaks and shrinks back. Not great with strangers, huh?

Ella raises a hand to pat her head, only for her eyes to widen when she taps Joltik's back instead. Having been caught, Joltik reluctantly crawls on to her hand and down her arm.

"I thought something felt off." Ella lowers her arm and smiles warmly at the little guy. "Well, hello there! What were you doing on my head?" Joltik squeaks again and squeezes his four blue eyes shut, trembling as if expecting to be punished. I can practically see Ella's heart melt. "Aw, it's okay." She carefully strokes Joltik's tiny head with her index finger. "It's okay, Joltik."

"So, I'm guessing this isn't your pokemon," I say as Joltik calms down and leans into the touch.

"Nope. Patches is my only one. I've never even seen a Joltik in person before."

"I have. Its evolution, too."

I pull my pokedex out of my back pocket, scan our new friend, and show Ella the screen. She stares intently, soaking in the data like a sponge. 'Joltik: the attaching pokemon. A bug- and electric-type. It is unable to generate its own electricity. Instead, it absorbs electricity from outside sources, such as other pokemon or electrical appliances.'

"Makes sense that it would be here, then," Ella comments. "This place must be like an all-you-can-eat buffet."

I put my pokedex away, as a lightbulb flashes in my head. "I wonder if that's why he latched onto you." I chuckle at the thought. "You've been electrocuted so much, he probably thinks you're an electric-type, yourself!" Her hair isn't puffy anymore, I notice, which proves my theory.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Is Ash right?" she asks Joltik. "Am I a tasty snack?"

"Johl, johl," Joltik mutters, shuffling his forefeet.

Ella brings him closer and nuzzles her nose on his fuzzy face. "That's okay! I don't need electricity like you do. Chow down!"

I grin. "I'm pretty sure they don't actually eat electricity, Ella."

"Whatever." She giggles when Joltik starts gently nibbling on her nose. "See? I am a snack!"

This is exactly what I needed. There is nothing like watching a new bond form between a trainer and a pokemon. "Joltik sure seems to like you. Why don't you catch him?"

Ella's eyes shoot up at me so fast that Joltik almost falls off her arm. "C-catch him?" She smiles sheepishly and twirls a pigtail with her free hand. "To be honest, I've never done that before."

Now, that's the last thing I expected. Of course, just because she's a teenager doesn't mean she hasn't just started her journey. Even so, with her enthusiasm, and the fact that she's from another region, I would have expected at least one catch. "Never? But, what about Patches? You caught her, didn't you?" Unless Pachirisu are starter pokemon in the Orre region, though I doubt a professor would use a shiny for that.

"Actually, my mother caught her. She found Patches while gardening and recognized her as a shiny. Patches kind of became the family pet after that."

"And, then she came with you on your journey? That's awesome!" A memory strikes that warms me completely. "My mom has a Mr. Mime, Mime Jr. back then, who I really wanted to travel with when I was little. But, Mimey prefers the quiet life. He's pretty content with my mom."

"So, who was your first pokemon, then?"

"Oh, a Pikachu," I say, pretending my throat isn't closing up again.

Luckily, Ella doesn't notice my discomfort. "That's funny, because I saw the most amazing Pikachu the other day!"

My pulse quickens, but I can't let myself get excited. There are plenty of Pikachu in Kanto if you know where to look.

Ella goes on, repositioning herself so that she's on her knees. Joltik crawls onto her upper arm. "And, not just a Pikachu. The perfect Pikachu!" She brings her hands to her chin and sighs dreamily. "Fur the exact color of a ripe lemon, perfectly circular scarlet cheeks, a tail with edges sharp enough to cut your hair on!" She does a little shimmy and lets out a weird squeeing sound. "And, just imagine him as a Raichu!" She sighs again. I'm pretty sure she stopped talking to me a while ago.

"You had me, and you lost me," I say, though I can certainly relate to her passion for pokemon. That said, if there's even the slightest chance that it could be my buddy… "If that Pikachu was that impressive, why didn't you catch him?"

She deflates slightly. "I asked, but he didn't want to come with me. I guess he didn't want to leave his friends. I offered to catch them too, but they said no."

Friends? My mind snaps to Charizard. If he and Pikachu had found each other, I would feel so, so much better about the whole thing. But, as soon as the thought hits, I realize that it isn't possible. Ella said that she saw this Pikachu the other day, and Professor Oak wouldn't wait a few days to tell me about Charizard. The thought of Pikachu having travel buddies still brings me comfort though. Assuming this is my Pikachu Ella's talking about.

"That reminds me," Ella says after a moment. "I should warn you about the poachers."

"Poachers?" I say. As if there isn't enough going on, now are poachers in the area?

"They call themselves Team Rocket. They showed up out of nowhere and tried to steal Patches from me!" So, Team Rocket is still around. Figures. "And, get this. That perfect Pikachu? It sounded like they were after him, too." My heart stops. Ella crosses her arms, and her next words sound far away. "We got rid of them - me and Patches and Pikachu and his friends - but they didn't get what they wanted, so they might come back. We should warn Lorette and Korou, too. Plus, all those other pokemon."

I finally find my voice, and I somehow manage to keep it steady. "Ella, by any chance, did these guys have a talking Meowth with them?"

I half-expect her to think I'm nuts, but instead her jaw drops. "You know them? Wait, the Meowth really does talk? I thought I was losing my mind."

That clinches it. I want to take Ella by the shoulders and throw a million questions at her. Where is Pikachu? How did he look? Who are his friends? Did Team Rocket hurt him? Did he seem unwell in any way? I reign myself in before my desperation can freak her out.

My voice weakens when I speak, but through some miracle, it doesn't shake. "Ella, two weeks ago…my Pikachu was taken by a group of guys with a talking Meowth."

I watch as my words sink in. Even Joltik tenses up. Ella whips around so fast that Joltik cries out and barely holds on. "I took pictures!" she cries as she digs around in her backpack. "Where's my phone? Here's my phone!"

She plays with her pink and rhinestoned cell phone, and I clutch my jacket to keep from taking her phone and searching through it myself. I can't work myself up. What if it's just a coincidence? With where my head's been today, I might actually break down crying if it's not him. I have to calm down and just breathe, but my lungs aren't working.

After an eternity, and a mumbling of "Wow, I took a lot of pictures today," she breathlessly asks me, "Is this him?"

She shows me the picture. It's all there. Dark brown, almost black eyes that lighten when he gets emotional. Ears that react to his emotions (in the picture, one is upright and the other is lopsided as he stares mystified at the camera). A rigid lightning-bolt-shaped tail, the only part of his appearance that he genuinely cares about.

It's my buddy. He looks completely dazed, but there isn't a mark on him. He's not sick. He's unharmed.

Wherever Pikachu is, he is completely fine.

"He is your Pikachu, isn't he?" Ella exclaims. She lowers her phone. "What about his friends? Are you missing any other-"

"Charizard?" I croak out. Now, my voice is trembling, and I can't stop it. "W-was there a Charizard?" I don't even know why I'm asking, but it could be possible, couldn't it?

Ella narrows her eyes in thought. "Let's see. Eevee, Bellsprout, Wobbuffet. There was another one, but I can't remember the name. What does Charizard look like?"

I don't trust myself to describe him, so I turn to pull out my pokedex and subtly dab my eyes on my sleeve. My heart races as I type in Charizard's name and show Ella the screen.

'Charizard: the flame pokemon. A fire- and flying-type. It breathes out flames hot enough to melt nearly any material. Fortunately, it has complete control over its fire's temperature and reserves more powerful flames for battling strong opponents.'

As the pokedex did its thing, I saw no spark of familiarity on Ella's face. I knew that would be the case, but I had to try. "So, that's a no, huh?" I say, my arm unusually heavy as I put my pokedex away.

"Sorry," Ella says sheepishly. "The other one had long white fur and a black horn on its head, and it walked on all-fours."

I try to picture it. "Could it have been an Absol?"

"Yeah. That sounds right."

An Absol and a non-Team Rocket Wobbuffet in the Kanto region? Unexpected, but I suppose anything is possible. But, it doesn't matter what pokemon they are. What matters is that Pikachu isn't alone.

So, where does that leave Charizard?

"Hey, give me your number," Ella says suddenly. "That way if I see Pikachu or Charizard, I can let you know."

"Really?" I ask. "You'd do that?"

She grins determinedly. "Of course! If they were my pokemon, I'd want someone to do that for me." Joltik chirps in agreement, and Ella glances down at him. "Oh, Joltik. Sorry, I forgot you were there."

"So, are you gonna catch him or what?"

"Well, I should see if Patches likes him first."

"Good call." We pull out our phones and exchange numbers. "I really appreciate you doing this, Ella. Especially since we just met."

Her amber eyes harden suddenly. "Hey, those poachers took your pokemon from you." They didn't take Charizard, but I don't have the balls to correct her. "And, did you hear about that Poke-X thing?"

"Actually, I'm part of the research team for it, and my aunt's in charge of it, so yeah."

She blinks, the only indication that this surprises her. "Then, you know how serious it is. It hasn't spread much yet, has it?" I shake my head. "Well, that doesn't mean your pokemon aren't still in danger." She raises her hand in front of her and makes a fist. "And, I won't stand for that!"

Who is this person, and where is that goofy girl who got electrocuted on purpose? "Are you me as a girl, or something? 'Cause that sounds like stuff I would say."

She giggles, collects her backpack, and stands. I do the same. "Well, I'm feeling a lot less shocky now," she says. She smiles at Joltik. "I'm thinking you had a hand in that."

Joltik responds by crawling back on to her head.

I chuckle. "If he and Patches get along, you might have to get used to wearing a hat." I tip my own for emphasis.

"Fine by me!" Ella says.

"By the way," I add, "would you mind sending me that picture of Pikachu? Or, would that be weird?"

Her eyes turn tender. "Why would that be weird?" She digs into her backpack and pulls her phone back out. "How many do you want? I took…" She swipes her finger over the screen for a while. "I took thirty-three." At my expression, she shrugs. "Pure perfection covered in fur. I got excited."

Part of me wants all of them, but even I have to admit that would be ridiculous. "Uh, just a couple, I guess."

"Okay. I'll scroll through later and send you the best ones. Why don't we head back inside?" She winks at me. "I promise not to get shocked again."

I want to go back inside and pretend that everything's fine, that my thoughts aren't occupied by lightning and fire. I want to walk into a room full of friendly electric-type pokemon and not imagine Pikachu having the time of his life. I want to look at Alpha Electrode and not envision Charizard challenging them to a battle just for the fun of it.

My friends can take care of themselves, and at least one of them isn't alone.

But, my heart has never felt heavier.

When my emotions threaten to overwhelm me, it's like alarm bells ring in my head. Red alert, red alert, evacuation protocol, like in those disaster movies my mom likes. I hate getting upset, and I hate others seeing me upset even more. So, I say to Ella, "You go ahead. I, uh," I jerk my thumb behind me, "I've gotta use the bush."

"Oh, okay," Ella replies. "I'll see you inside." She starts for the hole in the wall we'd come out of.

"Don't catch Joltik without me. Oh, and Ella?" She stops and turns around. "Could you…not mention anything to Lorette and Korou?" She and Joltik give me funny looks. "I just really don't wanna think about bad stuff right now." It's only half a lie. The whole truth is that I just remembered that those two don't know about Charizard, and I don't have the strength to tell them right now. Later, of course, when my heart isn't wedged into my throat, but not now.

Ella raises an eyebrow. "They do know about your pokemon, right?" I nod because they know about a pokemon, so it's not technically a lie. "Alright. I won't say anything. Come on, Joltik. Let's go meet Patches."

When I'm finally alone, I slump back down into the grass. I unclip Pikachu's pokeball from my belt and bring it to full size, giving it another thorough examination. Still no cracks or marks. There's no guarantee that nothing bad happened since Ella saw him, but knowing he's alive is good. Sometimes it feels like this pokeball is the only thing keeping me sane. I should have Professor Oak send over Charizard's.

Charizard. I remember when I met that Charmander who was sitting in the rain with nothing but a big leaf as shelter. He was on death's doorstep when we met, and now he's one of the strongest pokemon I know.

Charmander was a shy but friendly pokemon. Then, he evolved and did a total one-eighty. Charmeleon ignored me in battle, constantly disobeyed me and seemed to outright hate me. It got even worse when he evolved into Charizard. I never found out what happened. I asked Pikachu countless times back then, as he and Charizard were still close despite this, but even he wasn't sure.

Things changed when Charizard got knocked out by a powerful Ice Beam and ended up with a horrible case of frostbite. I'd stayed up all night talking to him and trying to keep him warm. Then, he finally cared about me the way he did as a Charmander. I'd walked on eggshells around him for a while after this, terrified that I would do something to start that awful cycle all over again. But, thankfully, his friendship and loyalty were here to stay.

At least, that's what I thought.

A tear lands on the pokeball and rolls down the side. I squeeze my eyes shut before more can fall. I have to pull myself together. If I don't go back in soon, someone will come looking for me.

"Gardedeh?"

I jump and make a very unmanly sound. "Son of a bitch," I mutter. "Where do you keep coming from?"

Gardevoir is cross-legged beside me, his face pinched in concern. When did he get here? He must have felt my change in mood. I'd promised him my best, and I'm still screwing it up!

I put the pokeball back on my belt and scrub at my face. "I'm fine. It's, uh, the pollen, is all." Gardevoir narrows his eyes, silently calling me out. I sigh heavily. "What am I doing? You can feel what I'm feeling. I can't hide anything from you." He stiffens. "Yeah, I know you can do that. I don't mind," I add quickly. "But, uh, are you able to turn it off?" He hesitates then nods, still too tense for my liking. It's like I've caught him doing something wrong, and he expects me to be angry. Still, it's a huge relief to know that he can stop whenever he wants. "Like I said, I don't mind. I just hope I haven't messed you up because of it." He shakes his head, relaxing a little. "I assume you've been doing it a lot today, and I can see why."

Gardevoir scoots closer to me, silently urging me to continue. I may as well. He deserves an explanation, and I'm sick of hiding this.

"I should have said something this morning. I just… I just wanted to keep my promise to you. Plus, we had this Zapdos thing planned. Adventures like this are normal for me, and…I just…I just wanted to feel normal."

Gardevoir wraps his arm around me when I swipe at my eyes again and compose myself.

"That phone call this morning. You probably figured out that it wasn't telemarketers or whatever the hell I said. No, it was Professor Oak. You met him when you met my other pokemon. Remember?" He nods. "Well, he called this morning about-about Charizard. The one with the big wings who was breathing fire?" Another nod. "Apparently, he…he got out somehow. Nobody can figure how, but…" I blink against the fresh tears and sniff. "I guess I have two friends missing now."

Gardevoir is silent for a moment, then he takes Pikachu's pokeball and holds it up.

"Yeah. The working theory is that he's looking for Pikachu." He puts the pokeball back. I almost don't want to say what else is on my mind, but at this point I can't stop. "But…I'm worried that…that it's something else. You see, when I first caught Charmander, he was so sweet and kind of timid even. But, then he evolved and-and Charmeleon just-just hated me for some reason. And, God, don't get me started on when he evolved into Charizard."

Gardevoir frowns deeply and tilts his head, his tongue peeking out of his mouth.

"I don't get it either. This went on for a long time, and then he lost a really tough battle. I spent all night talking to him and nursing his wounds, and things were better after that. Things were amazing, actually." Just keep going, Ash. You can do this. "But, now, I'm worried that-that with Pikachu gone… When I told everyone, he wouldn't even look my way. I'm scared that…that he knows it's my fault and…" Now, I'm shaking and tears are dripping down my face. I no longer care. "W-what if he hates me all over again? *hic* What if he d-doesn't w-want to be my pokemon anymore?"

As soon as I put the thought out there, the dam bursts. Harsh sobs overtake me, and I muffle them by throwing my hands over my mouth. I bring my knees to my chest, scrunching into a ball as if making myself smaller will make the hurt smaller.

I can picture them as clearly as if they were standing right in front of me. Pikachu and Charmander playing together, training together. Even after Charmander evolved and changed in the worst way, those two remained brothers in every way but blood. Oh, they had their arguments, mostly about Charmeleon/Charizard's treatment of me, based on Pikachu's side of it. I recall several occasions when Pikachu and Charmeleon/Charizard would go at it when they thought no one could hear them. There was even a particularly explosive fight after my mess of an attempt at the Indigo Plateau. That day will forever live in infamy, not as my first serious loss, but as "the day Pikachu snapped."

Yet, through every harsh word plus Pikachu's meltdown on that particular day (which, in hindsight, was kind of funny considering that Charizard was cowering in fear of someone who is roughly the size of his foot), they always made up somehow. Pikachu could laugh at something Charizard had said. Charizard knew Pikachu's favorite places to be scratched. Pikachu would never admit it, but when we came home from other regions, Charizard was the pokemon he was most excited to see outside of a screen.

Now, Pikachu's gone missing in the midst of what could be a disastrous outbreak. I'm the trainer, and my pokemon's safety is my responsibility. Charizard knows that. That's surely why he left.

I've never truly hated myself until today.

Once my sobs slow down, I hear a quiet, "Gardedeh," and force my head up. Gardevoir cups my face and wipes my wet cheeks. Thoroughly embarrassed, I finish the job by wiping my nose on my sleeve. Gardevoir narrows his eyes and beats his fist against his chest. "Gardeh-vwarh."

I sniff. "Are you saying you have my back?" He smiles and beats his chest again. My heart feels a little bit lighter. "Thank you. I admit, it does feel good to get all that off my chest."

Gardevoir smiles in relief, but that undoes some of the progress. I broke my promise to be better, to be myself. I try, but I keep going back to being a wreck. That's not the real me, but it's the only me he knows, and I hate that. And, I won't let this go on.

After brushing away some leftover tears, I stand up and hold out a hand for Gardevoir. Curious now, he takes it, and I help him to his feet. I reach up to turn my hat around then put my hands on my hips. "Listen, Gardevoir. Those tears? They were a setback. Everyone has setbacks, and I'm no exception. Hell, you should have seen me in the Unova region. Oof, puberty hit me hard." He laughs at what I wish was a joke. "Anyway, here's how it works for me. When I'm upset, I stew for a while, shed a few tears if I'm really bummed. But then, I pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back on track. You've been so supportive and patient, and I can't tell you how much that means to me, but no more. I'm sick of having to lean on you all the time. I'm supposed to be one who gets leaned on, and I absolutely hate myself for being anything else."

"Gardeh gardevwarh-"

I raise my hand, stopping his protests. "Take me as I am, Gardevoir." He crosses his arms but doesn't argue. "I'm scared. I'm scared of Poke-X and what it does to pokemon. I'm scared for the pokemon themselves. And, I'm especially scared for Pikachu and Charizard. But, falling apart isn't going to fix anything. Like I said, what you just saw was a setback. I won't lie to you; depending on what happens, there could be another one. But, if that's the case, all it will do is slow me down. It will not stop me. I don't quit until it's over, and it's nowhere near over, you got that?"

Gardevoir's smile is just as fierce as I'm sure mine is.

"That's the spirit. And, one more thing. Have you ever heard the saying 'friendship is a two-way street?'" He shakes his head. "It means that love and support goes both ways. You can count on me just as much as I've been counting on you. I want you to know that you can come to me for anything. I can't guarantee that I'll understand- Actually, I can guarantee that I won't understand." He huffs a laugh. "But, I'm here. If you need a shoulder to cry on or something, I've got you, Gardevoir. You're not the only one who can initiate a hug, you know."

He responds with a warm smile and a tight hug.

"Hey, what did I just say?" I jest and wrap my own arms around him. "We should get back in there before we're missed."

"Vwarh," he agrees.

The second we step back inside, most of our friends are there to greet us. "There you two are." Korou says. He takes a better look at me and frowns. "Ash, are you okay?"

Crap. I forgot how red in the face I get when I cry. "Uh, yeah, yeah. I-I kind of pissed off a poison-type pokemon, you see."

"By pissing on it?" Lorette asks with a wide grin that fades when no one laughs. Even Electrode looks annoyed. "Sorry. Ella said you were doing your thing, and I couldn't resist. But, seriously, everything good, man?"

I may be feeling better than when I left, but I'm not sure I'm stable enough to explain. I resolve to tell them about Charizard when we get back to Lavender Town. "Where is Ella, anyway?" I ask instead of answering. "We keep losing that girl."

Sarge points somewhere in the crowd. "Champ mahchamp."

We spot Ella's dark brown pigtails among all the red and white and head that direction. Ella is crouched down and fingering her bright pink backpack. She is laser-focused on Patches and Joltik, who are a short distance away and totally oblivious. Patches points to her cheek, and Joltik hesitantly touches it, calming when he soaks in her electricity. I think it's safe to say that those two are getting along.

I bend down and tap Ella's shoulder. "So, are you gonna catch that Joltik?"

"Catch Joltik?" Korou repeats.

Lorette chuckles and shakes her head. "Man, that thing was sitting on her for so long, I just assumed it was already hers."

Ella blushes and unzips her backpack. She pulls out a pokeball, brings it to full size, and switches her gaze between it and Joltik, rinse and repeat. "What if he doesn't want to be caught?"

"There's only one way to find out," Korou encourages. The rest of us nod.

Ella stares at us before turning back around and crawling toward the Patches and Joltik. "Joltik?" Joltik looks up at her. "Um, do you wanna come with us, maybe?"

A broad grin takes over Patches's face. She chitters at Joltik, who patters his feet on the ground in excitement. Looks like a yes to me!

"Really? You really wanna be my pokemon?" Ella confirms. Unbeknownst to her, Zapdos and a few others heard this and turned to watch. "Okay. Here we go!"

She taps the pokeball on Joltik's head, sending him inside. The ball shakes for a moment in her hand before clicking. Patches wags her tail and squeaks in pleasure, and some of the on-lookers chant their own congratulations.

"Alright!" I cheer. "You just caught a Joltik!"

Gardevoir echoes my joy. Sarge grabs Ella's shirt, lifts her to her feet, slaps her back so hard that she's almost on the floor again. Electrode gleefully circles Ella's feet. Zapdos caws and bobs his head, which everyone takes notice of. Anyone who didn't already congratulate Ella does so as a result.

"Looks like you've got Zapdos's approval," Korou comments.

"Zapdos is a cool dude," Lorette says. "I'm glad I got him pegged right."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Lorette gives me a side-eye. "My book, doofus. I mean I think I portrayed him right in my book."

"You wrote a book?" I exclaim. "Why am I just hearing about this?"

Korou raises an eyebrow at her. "You never told him?"

Lorette hums and touches a finger to her chin. "I thought I did. Maybe I didn't." She bends over in a mock-bow. "Anyway, Lorette Jenkins. Author of several works of fiction. Nice to meet you, Ketchum."

"Several?" This is getting more awesome by the minute! "I read all kinds of stuff! How come I've never heard of you?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. There are a lot of authors out there. Anyway, that's why I wanted to see Zapdos so badly. My latest work involves him in a big way. The story's already on the brink of publication, but I wanted to see how accurate I was. Besides, who doesn't wanna see a Legendary Pokemon up close and personal?"

"Man, I've gotta read that book. I've gotta read all your books!"

Lorette gives me a big toothy grin, and Korou says, "You should definitely check them out. Now, what's up with Ella?"

It turns out that Ella had spent our entire exchange staring at Joltik's pokeball with an unreadable expression. Our pokemon are gathered around her, poking and prodding her, trying to break her from her daze.

It isn't until Patches shoos everyone back and releases a bright blue Discharge that Ella finally wakes up. So much for not getting shocked again. She's burned to a crisp, and her pigtails have morphed back into giant fuzzballs, but at least she's lucid enough to raise her pokeball, kick one leg in the air, and shout, "I did it! I caught my first pokemon!" She shakes the pokeball. "Come on, Joltik! Come out of there!"

Joltik shoots out the pokeball and lands on his new trainer's head. He spins around twice before settling in.

I have to laugh. "Looks like you've got a new hat."

Lorette giggles. "It's very stylish."

"So," Korou adds, "are you gonna give Joltik a nickname like you did Patches?"

"Maybe if I can come up with something," Ella answers.

Patches climbs on to her trainer's shoulder and squeaks at Joltik, who chirps and waves in reply.

Zapdos walks up to Ella, and she and Patches stare down at him in awe. Joltik hides his face in Ella's hair and trembles. Zapdos lowers his head. Taking the hint, Ella does the same. Zapdos then reaches up and scratches Joltik's back with his beak. Joltik slowly turns around, and the Legendary chirps soothingly at him.

"Zapdos really is as awesome as I remember," I comment.

"You still haven't told us how you guys met," Ella says.

Zapdos coos at this and flaps in my direction, calling out to everyone. Before I know it, I have curious eyes all around me.

"I think you have an audience," Korou says in amusement.

"Well, I can't be the only storyteller here." Lorette sits cross-legged on the ground. "Tell us what's up. Now's as good a time as any."

My other friends, human and pokemon alike, follow her lead. Once again, thoughts of Pikachu and Charizard fill my mind. They were right beside me that day. They should be here to help me tell the story.

But, Pikachu has friends, and Charizard is, well, Charizard. Granted, that doesn't mean that they're safe. It doesn't mean that Charizard isn't angry with me for letting Pikachu get captured. For all I know, Pikachu himself could be angry with me as well-

No. Put those thoughts away. It's time to get back on track.

I clap my hands together and say to my audience, "Okay. Here's how it all went down."