Chapter Text
" I may be small, but I am fierce." - Unknown
Pikachu
The static leaves me, and a deep, rumbling voice calls out from the Lord's Room, "Send him in, Electrode. I know this one."
Alpha sputters and their eyes dart from the door to me and back. "Of-of course, my Lord!"
My fur stands up, and my pulse quickens. That was Zapdos's energy I'd felt. He does remember me!
"Well, what are you waiting for, a lick on the cheek?" Alpha rolls behind me and nudges me forward, though the sheer mass of them makes me worry about being squished. "Lord Zapdos wants to see you!" They lower their voice. "Is it good or bad that he knows you?"
They sound less like they're concerned for me and more like they're debating throwing me out on my tail. I don't have an answer, though I'm hoping for good. Steeling myself, I push open the door only to be bombarded by cold rain. But, then I look up, and my physical discomfort is overshadowed by anxiety.
At a first glance, the Lord of Lightning doesn't seem like much; people often imagine Legendaries to be the size of buildings, but that isn't the case for most. Zapdos, for instance, is actually a little bit shorter than Alpha Electrode. His body is covered in yellow feathers, and the ones on his wings, head, and tail are longer and have an almost spiky appearance. My body is practically vibrating from the sheer force of electricity in his presence, and the thunderstorm doesn't help. It's not a bad feeling, but the suddenness of it makes me flinch.
Zapdos is perched on a large generator, and I can see the electricity radiating from it to him, as if the lightning itself has solidified. Which, in a way, I suppose it has. Zapdos had been facing away from me when I entered, but now he turns his head around and looks at me with unreadable black eyes.
"Pikachu." He turns fully and hops off the generator, plunging the "room" into the darkness of the storm. He seems unaffected by the weather. "I thought I recognized that energy." He steps forward, his talons clicking against the tiled floor. "It has been a long time."
I hope I'm only shaking from the cold. "Y-Yeah. I mean, yes, it has. My Lord," I quickly add with a bow of my head.
Zapdos huffs in amusement, and my skin heats up. I lift my head to find him gazing around and I bet I know what for. "I assume your partner is here as well?" he asks.
I hate how grateful I am that he didn't refer to Ash as the Chosen One or the hero or something. But, my heart hurts all the same when I tell him, "No, Ash isn't here."
"Hm. What a shame. I'd like to see him again."
So would I. Ash would love this. I blink quickly as my eyes start to burn. There is no way I am getting emotional in front of the Lord of Lightning.
Unfortunately, the Lord picks up on my mood, and his eyes narrow down at me. "Something happened."
"Yeah, but Ash is fine." I hope. "I just…don't know where he is. I've been searching for a while now."
Zapdos relaxes slightly but stares at me with pity, which is somehow worse. Then, to my surprise, he bends down and scratches my head with his beak. Then, he straightens and nods. "I remember your strength back then, and I can feel that you've grown stronger since. I imagine Ash has as well. You will both be fine. A bond like yours is a rarity that is meant to be preserved. I am confident that you will find each other again."
Oh! That was… I hadn't expected that level of kindness. Then again, I am Ash Ketchum's partner. I choke back a bizarre mix of longing and pride and bitterness. "Um, thank you. But, what do you mean about our bond?"
Zapdos chuckles and gives me a side-eye. "A human can understand you and no other pokemon, and you ask what I mean? I remember hearing you two talk. Moltres, Articuno, and myself were most intrigued."
My heart skips. For years, I've been wondering how it was possible for Ash to understand me. Could I be about to get answers? "My Lord, do you…know something about that?"
"You do not?" the Lord asks with a head tilt. "Hm. Tell me, has Ash reached maturity yet?"
Well, that was random. Zapdos is surprising me left and right. "Maturity?" That's eighteen years for humans, right? Yes, I remember how excited Ash was to be a "legal adult, then I can finally get a tattoo without Mom's permission." And, then he showed me the design he wanted. I still have no idea what a tattoo is, but I fight a smile and say, "He will pretty soon."
"Interesting." He turns and, beckoning me with a nod, walks back to the generator. More confused and curious than ever, I follow but stop when he leaps on top with a flap of his large wings, spreading a thin layer of static in the process. "Sit with me, Pikachu."
I obediently climb on to the generator. Electricity shoots over my skin and into my cheeks with every footstep. It actually feels quite nice, I muse. The generator isn't huge, but it's tall and flat on the sides and slippery from the rain, so climbing takes some effort. Perhaps it's the extra jolts I'm receiving, but I'm not the least bit cold or winded when I eventually make it to the top and sit down. There is just barely enough room for both of us.
"What happens when Ash reaches maturity?" I ask.
Zapdos hums. "I cannot say for certain, but I am reminded of someone; a human named Akari, who could speak to pokemon, could hear their voices as though their language were her own."
"Do-Do you mean… all pokemon?" My blood is pumping as if I'm in the heat of battle. Does that mean that Ash…? I have to meet this girl! Ash has to meet this girl!
"Don't get too excited," Zapdos says. "This was before your time. Akari, and all who knew her besides myself, are long gone, I'm afraid."
"Oh." I turn away so he can't see how disappointed I am. Is it possible to grieve for someone you've never heard of?
Zapdos preens his wing then continues. "Gone, she may be, but I would never forget such a unique human. Akari existed back when the harmony between humans and pokemon was still forming. At that time, most humans were terrified of us and our power. But, she was not. I remember, I was relaxing on a mountain top when I saw her. She was cautious at first but quickly realized that I wasn't hostile. I can't begin to describe how shocked I was when she began to converse so flawlessly with me. I asked her what a human was doing so high in the mountain, and she revealed that she was one of several humans working together to study pokemon. All that they learned would eventually become the world's first…pokedex, I believe it's called."
"The first pokedex?" I gasp. "That's amazing!"
Zapdos chuckles. "I thought you might be interested. Anyway, I asked Akari how she learned to communicate with pokemon."
"What did she say?" I ask, trying not to seem too eager. When Ash first started to really hear me, he said it just sort of happened. Even more curious is that he can't understand other pokemon, only me. Unless you count Team Rocket's Meowth, but Meowth learned to use the human language himself somehow, so everyone can understand him.
"She didn't know," Zapdos continues. "According to her, it began with a Zorua she was very close to." Just like Ash with me! "Years later, she woke up one day and could suddenly hear the voices of pokemon. She said it happened after she 'became a woman,' as she put it. I assumed that meant she'd reached maturity. That's why I asked about Ash's age." Zapdos smiles nostalgically. "We struck up a sort of companionship, she and I. Zoroark - the evolved Zorua - as well, after his initial shyness. I don't usually associate with humans, but Akari was too interesting to ignore."
My mind is reeling. A human who understood pokemon; not just one specific pokemon, but all of them. Could Ash… Is it possible that… The thought excites me but also disappoints me a little. As much as I want to know how our connection works, I'm not sure how to feel about sharing it. It's selfish, I know, but it's always just been our thing. It's unique, it's special, it's ours . If Ash does one day hear all pokemon, of course I'll be happy for him, but…what would we have then? We'd still be best friends; we were even before he could hear me. It would just be, well, different. Not a big deal- Okay, a big deal but not in a bad way.
Ashton Satoshi Ketchum. There's something about him. I don't know what it is, but it's there. He shines with it. Even when I first met him, back when he was more arrogant, more temperamental, he was still kind, caring, thoughtful. Pokemon are drawn to him somehow. Even those who don't like him grow to love him; I'm living proof of that. He connects to pokemon in a way that other humans don't, and he can't even understand them verbally. If Ash does have some kind of ability, if he can one day talk to pokemon, he'll be over the moon.
I remember his reaction when he heard me the first time. Confusion, like he wasn't sure, then shock then the biggest smile I'd ever seen, followed by laughter and a tight hug. He said that it felt natural, like it was just supposed to happen. " It's like…like I've been waiting for something, but I didn't know what it was until now, " he'd said. Of course Brock and Misty thought he was crazy until Misty hid something and I had to tell Ash what it was and where it was. It was a tampon, and Misty had put it in a garbage can in the girls' bathroom in the Pokemon Center. She was certain that he wouldn't even think to look for it, let alone actually find it. I don't know what a tampon is, but Ash was not happy when he came out of that bathroom.
"Ah," Zapdos brings me back to the present, "here it comes."
He's staring eagerly up at the thundering, flashing clouds. I squint against the rain, trying to figure out what he's looking at.
He shakes out his feathers, sparks wafting off of them. "Tell me, Pikachu, have you ever been struck by lightning?"
What ? "I-Isn't that dangerous?"
He spreads out his wings, raises his head to the sky. "To others, it is a deadly occurrence. But, you and I, we are electric-types."
That's when it hits. I squeeze my eyes shut against a blinding light. White-hot pain sears at my flesh. My fur feels like it's being ripped out. My very bones are crackling with electricity.
It's…incredible.
It hurts. It hurts in ways I've never felt. But, at the same, I feel powerful, alive, refreshed, even. The feeling lasts only a moment, maybe less, but Mew's tail, that feeling . I'm left with energy like I've never experienced, I feel stronger than I've ever felt in my life. Colors are sharper and duller at the same time. I can't stop giggling.
Vaguely, I think I hear Zapdos laughing. "Amazing, isn't it?"
So much energy! My hands knead at the hard metal beneath me, the generator bringing me even more power. So much energy! My darting eyes land on the mass of feathers and lightning next to me. "Battle me," I blurt.
Zapdos blinks in surprise. "Excuse me?"
I jump up and crouch, ready to pounce while my hands continue kneading. "Battle me, Zapdos. I-I wanna battle you!"
Zapdos stares at me for a while - too long too long so much energy - then raises his head and laughs heartily. Then, he shakes out his feathers. "I can see why mortals avoid lightning."
What does that mean? Why won't you battle me?
"Alright," he says after so long . "I accept your challenge. If only so you don't end up overcharged because of this."
When an electric-type takes in too much electricity, they risk becoming overcharged. This leaves them in a weakened, feverish state. But, that won't happen to me! I'm handling the extra power just fine!
"Hey, can my friends watch?" I ask. "They're not allowed out of the main room because they're not electric-types. Unrelated, but I can taste purple now. Is that normal?"
It's still pouring rain, but there is enough ceiling for the hoard to sit under. After a thorough chewing out from Zapdos - I assume, as the message was sent via sparks - Alpha Electrode allowed my friends to watch the battle as well. Electrode Hoard is muttering amongst themselves and shooting me glances, and my friends stare at me in disbelief and concern as I pace back and forth and babble about my upcoming battle.
"A battle," Absol says when I take a breath. "With Zapdos. You challenged Zapdos . To a battle. In the middle of a thunderstorm, no less. "
Sprout shakes her leaves. "Why would you even do that ?"
I suddenly feel the urge to twirl around on two feet, so I do just that. "I've been struck by lightning, and it's making me a little crazy!" My friends make strangled noises. "Zapdos got struck too, and he's not crazy 'cause, uh, uh- What was I saying?"
" Lightning ?" Eevee exclaims. "And, you didn't die?"
I twirl in the opposite direction as Wobbles hums. "Actually, that makes sense. He is an electric-type, after all." I start to spin past her, and she stops me by putting her hand on my head. "So, this is what happens when an electric-type gets struck by lightning. At least, a non-Legendary one. Fascinating. A little alarming, but fascinating."
Zapdos calls me from across the room. "Are you ready?"
"You bet!" I charge back into the downpour - I'm already soaked through, so I barely notice, or maybe it's just mania - and take my place on the other side, a safe distance from the other pokemon.
My body tenses, my blood heats up, electricity warms me further. The thrill of battle, especially with a strong opponent, it's what I live for. And, with my buddy by my side-
I'm instantly sober. Ash isn't here. I have to battle without him. I'm battling a Legendary Pokemon without him. Someone says something I can't hear. What was I thinking, challenging the Lord of Lightning without Ash. He should be watching this battle, cheering me on-
Pain erupts all over me and I fly, landing hard against the wall, falling off and on to the cold, wet floor. Shoot, the battle's begun.
I pick myself up and shake off the pain, as Zapdos soars high into the air. White streaks pour over him like water as he descends; he's using Aerial Ace, a move that hits its target no matter what.
Focus, Pikachu. You challenged him . You are the reason this battle is happening. If Ash can't be here, I have to at least make this a battle he would be proud of.
When a move can never miss, your best bet is to hit it head-on. My fur flattens, and my legs move at an impossible pace. I jump, ramming him with Quick Attack. The collision hurts us both, propels us backwards. I spin mid-air and land on all-fours, sliding a bit on the slippery ground. Zapdos shakily remains air-born. Did he take more damage from that than I did? Or, am I imagining it?
While he's disoriented, I let out a Thunderbolt, but he dodges. Then, his beak glows, and his body spins, heading in my direction. My tail hardens, and I leap and twirl midair, my Iron Tail colliding with his Drill Peck. Then, while my tail's still on him, I use it to flip myself over him and, Iron Tail still active, nail his back. He cries out in pain, and crashes to the ground. He lays there stunned, and I leap off of him and land a safe distance away, waiting to see what he does next.
"Impressive," Zapdos grunts, carefully climbing to his feet and shaking out his feathers. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." Electricity gathers over him, and he spreads his wings. "But, this battle isn't over yet."
Multiple tiny lightning bolts shoot out of him. Discharge is hard to avoid, so I try to use Quick Attack to weave around it. A few bolts, I avoid. Most of them graze my skin. The burning almost breaks my stride, but I press on. Any other time, electric- or flying-type attacks wouldn't cause this much damage on me, but this is a Legendary Pokemon; raw power is just one of the many things they're known for.
Keep it up, Pikachu! In my head, I can hear Ash cheering me on. You got this!
He may not be here in person, but my buddy's with me in spirit. The thought encourages me, and my feet move faster. I'm still taking damage, but I barely notice. I get closer and closer to my target. Once I'm right in front, I jump, ready to ram him in the stomach.
But, Zapdos jumps too. Before I can process what's happening, Aerial Ace smashes me into the floor, and waves of agony explode over me. Everything aches. My vision is tilting, but I'm not through yet! My body screams as I force it to stand quadrupedal.
I look up. Zapdos is hovering high above me, injured but not as badly. "Tell me, Pikachu," large waves of electricity roll over him, making him look like part of the storm, "are you still feeling the lightning's effects? How about now?"
Thunder is one of the most powerful electric-type attacks in the world. And, in the still-pouring rain, it's a guaranteed hit. All I can do is hit it head-on.
Thunderbolt isn't as powerful, but it's the strongest move I've got, not to mention my and Ash's favorite of my attacks.
A massive yellow lightning bolt blasts at me, and I blast it right back. We are at a standstill, trying to overpower each other. The storm rages over us. Zapdos slowly descends, still using Thunder, the closer range making it harder for me to fight back. I'm exhausted, but I wrench up my limbs and force myself closer to him. Seconds pass; they feel like hours. Thunder creeps over my skin, tiny jolts burning my flesh. Strong, too strong.
Don't give up, Pikachu!
I won't, Ash. We don't quit until it's over.
I scream and fire off Thunderbolt with everything in me. I am pain and power and love and agony. Distantly, I hear Zapdos cry out. I'm starting to break through.
Then, we cancel each other out. Our attacks explode, throwing us in opposite directions. I am once again smashed into the wall. I collapse to the ground and force myself up. Zapdos is across from me, struggling to his feet.
Everything hurts. Everything's spinning.
Everything's blurry…
"Why won't he wake up?" I hear a voice. I think it's Eevee.
"He just lost a battle with a Legendary Pokemon." Absol. "It's going to take time."
"He'll wake up when his body is ready." Sprout.
"But, he's been sleeping forever !" Eevee again.
I'm so sore, just opening my eyes is a struggle. The high I felt from the lightning is long gone. At least I'm dry now.
Eevee is standing over me, his tail lashing anxiously. There are tears in his eyes, but then he looks down at me. "Pikachu!" He buries his face in my chest, which doesn't do my body any favors. "I-I thought you died!" Eevee sobs.
"Hey, I'm alright," I croak out. "Um, you're kind of hurting me."
Eevee squeaks and jumps back. I look around and see that we're in a large room full of human things - a former storage room? - and I'm lying in a nest of leaves. I'm alone with three out of four PokeSquad members. I internally groan; I have a pretty good idea of where a certain Wobbuffet might be.
Sprout helps me sit upright on the old torn cushion I'm resting on. I hiss at the movement. "Take it easy," she says gently. "Where does it hurt?"
I stare at her. "Yes."
She laughs sheepishly. "Right. Well, now that you're awake I'm gonna grab you a revival herb. One of the Voltorb brought some in."
As she makes her way to the small pile of herbs nearby, Absol clears his throat, a little smirk gracing his mouth. "Well, Pikachu, it seems I've underestimated you. That was quite a battle."
My face heats up, and I can't help a proud grin. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure I lost."
Eevee, his fears forgotten, pipes up, "Yeah, but you were so cool ! You were like-like," he jumps and twirls mid-air, " bam ! And, zap ! And, another zap !"
Ha ha! He sounds like Ash. Ash…who didn't see any of that battle. Sprout returns with a revival herb. I chew on it, letting the horrible taste distract me. After swallowing, my soreness quickly fades away. Too bad herbs can't fix the ache in my heart.
The door opens, and Alpha Electrode rolls in. A few younglings try to follow them, but Alpha shoos them away and shuts the door. Then, Alpha wordlessly rolls my way and stares at me in a new way, almost the same way they regard Zapdos. "Why didn't you tell me you were the Chosen One's Pikachu?" How do they know about that? "'Course, I guess I wouldn't have believed you if Zapdos hadn't told us."
"Chosen One?" Absol asks.
I ignore him. "Alpha, how-how do you know about that?"
"Zapdos tells us stories about his travels when he comes here," they explain. "The Chosen One story is particularly popular among the little ones. The idea of some human kid saving the world makes them think anything's possible. It's actually turned into one of their favorite games."
Longing, pride, bitterness; there's that mix again.
The PokeSquad are staring at me quizzically. Alpha takes notice. "What, you didn't tell your own horde about that?" They make it sound like I committed some crime.
I sheepishly rub the back of my head. "It never really came up…"
Alpha huffs indignantly. "I say, your horde should know the pokemon in charge of them. My horde knows everything that went on in my past and everything that goes on in my head."
"Really?" Absol almost sounds uncomfortable. Yet again, I find myself wondering what his story is. "No secrets at all?"
"Zilch in that department. If you trust your horde, they'll trust you."
Wistfulness gets thrown into my mix. I smile sadly. "My mother was the same way. She was the alpha of the horde I grew up in, you see."
"An alpha's son, eh?" Alpha says. "That explains where your strength comes from."
I blush at the compliment. "Well, Daddy wasn't exactly a slouch either."
"Your dad's an alpha too?" Sprout asks.
"No, he wasn't. But, when he battled, I tell you, there was no stopping him."
Absol nudges me playfully. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Eevee fluffs up his fur excitedly. "I bet your whole family is strong! I bet there's a whole bunch of alphas in your family!"
I giggle and swipe at my ear in embarrassment.
Then, static fizzles over my fur. ' Ah, you're awake at last. ' Zapdos is signaling me. ' Are you feeling up to a visit? '
' Of course, ' I respond. Maybe I can ask him more about Akari. Between the lightning and the battle, I'd completely forgotten about her until now.
' Also, would you mind taking your friend back? She is…a lot. '
I smile and shake my head. ' Sorry about her. She's just excited to meet a Legendary Pokemon. She's harmless. ' Mostly harmless.
' A harmless nuisance. '
I laugh as the connection breaks. "I think I found Wobbles."
Absol groans. "I knew it."
"We better go get her," Sprout says.
"PIIIIIIKAAACHUUUUUU!"
Oh, boy. Wobbles throws herself through the door and grabs me before I can process what's happening. Thank goodness for that revival herb; Wobbles is shaking me so hard she might have killed me without it. "Everyone's talking about a prophecy! You said you knew Zapdos, but you said nothing about a prophecy!"
My cheeks charge up.
"Wobbles, stop that!" Absol demands.
She ignores both him and the Vine Whip Sprout is sneaking her way. " You said nothing !"
I shoot off Thunderbolt on instinct. I hear more than one scream, and Wobbles lets go of me. My attack dies off, and I discover that the other screams came from the rest of the PokeSquad. They're close enough to me that I accidentally zapped them too. Now, all four of them are charred and dazed. I cringe and apologize.
Alpha Electrode bursts out laughing at the sight. "At least you're not overcharged!"
Eevee starts giggling. Maybe it's adrenaline, maybe laughter really is contagious, or maybe we're all just a little crazy, but the rest of us start laughing too.
Then, Zapdos pokes his head through the door, and we all fall silent. "Now, don't stop on my account." He steps fully into the room and tilts his head at my friends' blackened states. Wobbles makes a bizarre squee-ing sound and scitters toward him. His feathers spark threateningly. "Can someone do something about this one?"
Alpha shoots a murderous glare her way. "Have you been bothering him?"
Wobbles scoffs at them. "I just wanna know how he was born. And, about that Chosen One thing everyone's going about, Pikachu ."
I shrug helplessly. "I said I'd tell you later!"
"But, you didn't give us any details. Anyway, My Lord, why did you come here to begin with? Did you create the world's first thunderstorm like the legend says? How much wood would a Bidoof chuck if a Bidoof could- mmmm ."
Sprout had cut her off by wrapping Vine Whip around her body and mouth. Not that this has deterred Wobbles from speaking; we just can't understand her now. "I'm so sorry, My Lord!" Sprout exclaims with a bow.
Zapdos sighs and shakes his head. "Just keep her away from me." He turns a much friendlier gaze my way. "I just wanted to see if you were well enough for story time."
"Story time?" Eevee gasps, his eyes wide.
Zapdos chuckles at him. "Indeed, little one. Whenever I visit, I like to share stories with Electrode Horde and their guests."
"Oh, yeah," I say with a nod at Alpha, "Alpha mentioned that."
Wobbles wiggles excitedly. Sprout fixes her with a firm look. "If I let you go, do you promise to behave?" Wobbles nods. "Okay."
Sprout releases her, and Wobbles claps her hands and bounces on her feet. "I would very much like to hear your stories, Zapdos! All your stories!"
Zapdos glares at her. " You can sit in the back."
Wobbles raises her hand in her species' signature salute. "Fine by me."
"I'll keep an eye on her," Alpha says.
"Thank you," Zapdos says to them. "Anyway, Pikachu, I was hoping you would share the story of the Chosen One. I thought everyone, myself included, would like to hear it from your point of view. You were right at the Chosen One's side, after all."
Of course. Everything always circles back to Ash. And, why wouldn't it? Ash is amazing. He's kind, brave, selfless- So, why don't I feel happy? I love talking about our adventures. Even if they are really his adventures. I guess I helped, but mostly I was just kind of there…
I shake out my pelt, as if that will somehow dislodge the bad feelings, and force some enthusiasm. "Sure. I'd love to!"
Zapdos nods. "Excellent. I'll meet you in the main room." He starts for the door but turns around at the last minute. "By the way, I really enjoyed our battle. Let's have another one some time."
All dark feelings fade away, pride and real enthusiasm taking their place. Zapdos wants to battle me again! That means we're friends now, right? Am I friends with a Legendary Pokemon? I smirk. "Next time, I'm gonna win!"
He smirks back at me. "We shall see."
He leaves and Electrode follows him out to gather the hoard. Now, it's just me and the PokeSquad.
" Well ," Wobbles says, her hands on her hips. "Looks like I'm gonna hear the story after all!"
I roll my eyes. "I said I'd tell you. It's just gonna be for a bigger audience now."
"Either way, I can't wait to hear it," Sprout says with a grin.
Eevee bolts for the door. "Let's go right now!"
Absol chuckles and says, "Whenever you're ready, Pikachu," before chasing after the hatchling.
I slowly stand up on two feet, testing my limbs. Everything feels good, so the rest of us start two follow them out, but Wobbles stops us. "Oh, I almost forgot. Hey, Pikachu."
Wary now, I take a step back. "Yeah?"
I'm expecting her to freak out again. Instead, she calmly slaps her hands over my cheeks. "I wanna touch your face."
How do you respond to that?
"Wobbles, do I have to tie you up again?" Sprout threatens.
"I just need to see something." Then, Wobbles leans in and stares at my face. Thoroughly creeped out, I squirm, but she just holds on tighter. "Everything looks normal."
I try to pull away, but her grip just tightens. All of a Pikachu's electricity is stored in their cheeks. Because of this, the cheeks are the most sensitive part of their bodies. In other words, Wobbles is now hurting me . My cheeks start to vibrate. Sprout sees this and scurries out of the room, knowing what's about to happen.
Wobbles, however, is oblivious. "I'm sure I saw-" And, then I shock her again. Once that passes, her hands are still on my face, but at least she isn't squeezing me anymore. "I forgot how sensitive your cheeks are," she croaks.
Equal parts confused and irritated now, I back away and let her face-plant on to the hard floor. "Okay, seriously, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine, thanks," she says to the floor. Groaning, she slowly rises to her feet. "When you were battling, your eyes looked like they were glowing. I wanted to look at them."
Glowing? What is she talking about? "Wobbles, we were two electric-types battling in a thunderstorm."
Wobbles arches her back and hisses in pain. "Yeah, I guess the lighting was kind of weird. Just forget about it."
But, I can feel her eyes on me as we make our way to the main room.
I wasn't sure what to make of story time at first, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! All eyes were on me as I recalled the day Ash saved the Elemental Birds from that pokemon hunter, restoring the balance of nature in the process. I answered a lot of questions and even got requests to hear more stories. Even Zapdos himself was eager to hear about my and Ash's many adventures! Naturally, I was happy to oblige.
It helped that Alpha Electrode gave Wobbles a quick shock every time she strayed too close. Though, I am a little worried she'll become an electric-type herself if this keeps up.
Overall, I had a blast! It was nice to be the center of attention for once, hearing the audience praise me for my actions, despite the fact that I was just doing what I was told. (And, if I left out that particular detail, well, no harm done.) The best part was when one of the children asked to be my friend. Then, another and another until an argument broke out over who should be friends with me. I happily agreed to be friends with anyone who wanted to be. This turned the fighting into a round of rather adorable cheering. I even overheard Eevee declaring that he was already my friend, prompting a youngling to tell him how lucky he was. The whole scene had made my heart sing.
Even so, I couldn't completely ignore the mental image of Ash sitting among the pokemon, listening to stories he already knows, laughing at the silly parts, cowering at the scary parts, cuddling up to someone during the sad parts despite knowing that everything turns out alright in the end.
" It's the way you do it, " he told me once when I asked why he always listened so intently when I told our friends stories he'd heard before or was actually a part of. " You're so passionate. Your hands go all around, you act out some of it, you do voices, and sometimes you even get a little emotional yourself. "
"I guess I never noticed," I'd said.
" Ha ha! Yeah, you get really into it. When you tell a story, even if I've heard it a million times, it always feels like I'm hearing it for the first time. You make it so exciting that I really feel like I'm there! And, when it's one of our stories, I remember that I was there, and that makes it even more awesome! "
The memory encouraged me, and my tales of battles and bad guys and Legendaries spread on until I realized that the rain had stopped and the sun had set. I should have been upset about another day of searching, but I was on such a roll that I kept going until the little ones started to doze off.
Now as their parents usher them off to bed, despite their children's protests, the remaining pokemon offer me more praise and ask some questions. I try not to let the attention get to my head, but I can't help eating it up just a little. Once the crowd dies off, the PokeSquad, as well as Zapdos and Alpha Electrode, approach me. The only one missing is Eevee, who is sprawled out on the floor, having passed out just after the tale of my and Ash's victory at the Manalo Conference.
"Oh, you have such a rich life," Sprout says with a big smile.
Absol nods. "If I hadn't watched you battle a Legendary Pokemon, I probably wouldn't believe half of those stories."
Alpha chuckles. "I'm starting to see why you don't tell them everything. There's a lot to tell, and some of it's pretty unbelievable."
"I believe it," Zapdos says. "Every word. And, I'm quite confident that's not all of it."
Fresh praise means a fresh warmth in my chest that makes me giggle. "Not even close!"
Wobbles just keeps staring at me. I try not to think about what that could be building up to.
Gggrrrggrrrr.
Sprout jumps. "What was that?"
Gggrrrggrrrr.
Finding the sound and the feeling itself familiar, I smile awkwardly. "I guess I was having so much fun, I forgot to eat." Everyone laughs, startling Eevee awake.
"I'll show you where the grub is," Alpha says, "then we can find you a place to nest." To my friends, they say coldly, "you all can sleep outside." Zapdos loudly clears his throat, and Alpha cringes and amends, "I-I mean, you can stay with Pikachu."
I fight a smirk. "I'll catch up. I wanna talk to Zapdos."
"So do I!" Wobbles says.
She tries to say more, but Sprout wraps her in Vine Whip and drags her away. Absol rouses a sleepy Eevee, and they all follow Alpha down the hall.
"I was wondering if you could tell me anything else about Akari," I say once I'm alone with Zapdos.
"I thought you might say that." But to my disappointment, all he says is, "If Ash is the same way, and I suspect that he is, then you'll find out in time."
The next morning, I finally remember to ask Alpha Electrode about Vermilion City. They point us in (what they think is) the right direction, and we say our goodbyes to Electrode Horde and their other guests. Wobbles is once again restrained by Vine Whip, though supposedly she did get some one-on-one time with Zapdos last night once she calmed down. And, had strict supervision from Alpha.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see that everyone in the building has come outside to see us off and even more surprised when some of the younger ones start crying and begging me not to leave. I'm honestly kind of sad myself. Despite a rocky start, I've had a great time here. Plus, a traitorous part of me thinks, nobody here sees someone's pokemon; everyone sees me .
Still, I miss Ash terribly.
"Now, now," Absol soothes the children. "Pikachu's on a mission to find his trainer. He can't do that if he stays here forever."
That halts all the crying, and one of the hatchling Voltorb asks him, "Do you mean Ash? The Chosen One?"
"Come to think of it," a Magneton says, "where is Ash? Pikachu made it sound like they're always together."
There's a curious murmuring among the crowd. Before I can answer, Alpha whispers to me, "Why do I get the feeling you're not actually the leader of your horde?"
I shrink back, a bit ashamed of our ruse. "Sorry, Alpha. We figured you wouldn't let us in if you knew Absol was in charge."
"They wouldn't have," Zapdos mutters. Alpha suddenly seems very interested in the sky. Zapdos shakes out his feathers and addresses the crowd. "How about one final story before our new friends part?"
Everyone agrees, the youngest ones roll - or run, in terms of the two Elekid - to the front, Eevee plants himself down among them, and how can I say no?
I climb up a tree and sit on one of the low branches, offering me a better view of the many eager faces. "Okay. Several days ago, Ash received an invitation…"
I go on to explain how Ash and I were having fun on the S.S. Anne when that employee came to get me. Turns out they all knew already about Poke-X, though they hadn't known what it was called until now. I continue on, telling them about how the employee was actually part of Team Rocket. I explain how I escaped from the cage they'd locked me in, and tell them about the sickly Magikarp who was unwittingly responsible for freeing me from the submarine. I end with being found by Eevee and saying how grateful I am for the PokeSquad's willingness to help me. The PokeSquad all smile at that.
"And, here we are," I conclude.
"So, if you're still in the story," one of the Elekid says, "does that mean it's not over yet?"
I nod. "Right. But, once I find Ash, I promise I'll come back and finish the story."