#pikachu wooden puzzle

[thoughtvoid]

My mom bought a bunch of wooden puzzles off of Temu. Mostly for herself, though the got me a couple of dragon ones. And I took a while to get around to working mine, so she'd done all of hers and showed how pretty much all of them have cute shapes of animals mixed in. (And she's wanted these kinds of puzzles for a while, but the sites she knew of were more expensive and too few pieces for her to spend on prior.)

Now the funny thing is, when I did work mine, I laid out all the pieces for the first puzzle and was sorting them by colour, yada yada, and also picked out the shapes. And the first shape I pulled. Was not an animal. And it took me a while to figure out, because I'm not into any of the sort of shows I knew it was from, and I'm just. 'Not Kamen Rider, I'd recognize him, my friends like him. Pulseman? No, that's not a show, that's a Game Freak game. Hmm... Ultraman? ....Yeah, that's the only other name coming to mind, it's probably Ultraman.' And it was Ultraman, or at least his head, but it's funny. The puzzle also had a Pikachu, amongst the more normal things like a fish, a fox, a dragon, etc. And while my mom would know Pikachu, I know for a fact that she'd have no idea in the slightest what Ultraman is. I barely know him, but I've at least heard of him enough to associate him with the costumed action hero stuff. So of course it was in my puzzle.

(The second puzzle had no franchise icons, just animals, so it's just the one. Out of like. Ten between the two of us. Maybe more, but I think mom gave some of the ones she bought to friends.)

[saiki-k-innie]

Your boyfriend, Denki Kaminari, is the UA traitor

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Anime: My Hero Academia Character(s): Denki Kaminari Legend (y/n = your name): gender neutral reader, quirk not mentioned, y/n is a gamer (not a major plot point) Word Count: 2.1k Warnings: (very) minor angst, invasion of privacy Notes: I wrote this while listening to (this) playlist, originally in the comment section of the video. I decided to refine it and post it here, because why not?

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 when you first found out, you were devastated.

Denki? Your little Pikachu? The UA traitor? preposterous. it was almost laughable. almost. 

 You were chilling in his room, playing on his PlayStation while he was out training with Kirishima and some others when you discovered his secret.

 It was pretty common to see you in his room without him or vice versa. You two completely trusted each other with everything. There was nothing to hide from each other, or so you thought. 

 When you were about to claim a win in Overwatch, (you were KILLING IT as Widowmaker), Denki's monitor went black. No response from the controller or the console. Sighing, you pushed yourself back in his chair and ducked your head under the desk. 

"oh my god" you breathed as you laid eyes on the rat's nest of wires tangled beneath his desk. It was absolutely insane. You couldn't tell one cable from another in the gordian knot of cords. You quickly identified the problem (the plug for the PlayStation had come loose) and fixed it. You cringed at the loss of your game progress but you had another problem at hand. 

 You powered off all of his consoles and settled down to solve the tangle of cables. Laughing, you didn't know why you expected anything more of Denki. He was so lucky that you loved solving puzzles, and knots were your specialty.

 Looking closer, you saw that he had taken the wall socket apart and messed around with it to accommodate his quirk and gamer lifestyle. You were surprised that it hadn't started a fire, but decided not to mess with that because you were genuinely afraid of what would happen if you grabbed the wrong cable. 

 After a bit of untangling, you finally had the cords separated. You identified and tagged all of the cords at the speed of a professional, but one cord that ran straight into the wall remained. You couldn't find what it plugged into or where it went, and it was driving you crazy. 

Temporarily abandoning your original task, you swiftly ran your nimble fingers along the mystery cable. It snaked along the base of Denki's desk into the back of one of his drawers through a clearly handmade hole. You wondered why this cable was so concealed while the rest were once so tangled and what it led to. 

 Extracting yourself from under Denki's desk, you took a deep breath and stretched our your back. You easily identified the drawer it was supposed to go to and opened it up. The drawer was surprisingly organized, containing game cases for games that you hadn't seen him play before, but you definitely recognized the titles. There was still no sign of what the cable led to. 

You weren't going to give up so soon, though. If he thought this would satisfy your curiosity, he was dead wrong. Smirking at the feeble deterrent, you promptly removed all of the cases to see what they were covering up. 

 "Huh," you vocalized as you stared at the empty drawer. Something wasn't adding up. Peering at the back of the drawer, you could see the cable lead... underneath the drawer? No, you were sure that it was this drawer. 

Inspecting the drawer carefully, you realized that the depth of the drawer didn't match the depth of the space allotted for it. You were starting to get excited. Remembering what Light did to hide his Death Note, you realized that the bottom of the drawer was probably a fake. Smiling fondly, you remembered how Death Note was the first anime you two watched together.

 Ducking your head under the drawer, you saw the hole for the ink cartridge from a ballpoint pen that would reveal the secrets. You shook your head. How did Denki think he could hide something from his weeb s/o??? You swiftly disassembled a pen and poked it into the hole.

 Success! the faux bottom popped up. 

Nearly vibrating from the excitement of discovery, you carefully removed the thin wooden facade from the drawer. 

 What- What is this? There were several circuits and wires winding around the drawer, all carefully placed and put together so they covered the bottom of the drawer snugly. You saw a button, a switchboard, a headphone jack, and what looked like a place for a cd to sit in the area closest to you. The switchboard had three buttons labeled "play" "pause" and "record". The button off of the switchboard had no label, but it was significantly bigger than the others, so it had to have some significance. 

 The excitement slid off of your face and was replaced with a look of pure confusion and disappointment. You didn't know what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

 Well, the puzzle certainly got a lot more complex but that wasn't going to stop you either. You stared at the labyrinth of lines and wires, like little highways connecting on the circuits and different components. You had completely forgotten your original objective of cable management. 

 Thinking for a second, you picked up one of the game cases that you took out of the drawer.  The title read "Halo 3: ODST". Popping it open with the finesse of a pro gamer, you peeked inside, expecting to see the matching blue disk, but instead saw a grey cd with "021" scribbled on it in Denki's signature scrawl. 

Shifting your weight onto your knees, you plugged your headphones into the audio jack. You pried the disk from the case and set it down in the drawer and pressed "play". 

Your ears were assaulted with a series of beeps and you instinctively ripped your headphones from your ears. What was this??? After calming down, you sighed and carefully put your headphones back on. The beeping continued, and you realized that it was in a specific pattern. You identified it easily as morse code, and you remembered that Denki had taught you it a while back, just in case you had to communicate non-verbally. You used it to share answers on tests and talk in class more than anything, and sometimes to communicate during training. Jirou was the only other person who knew morse code in class 1-A, but you seriously doubted that she knew about this. 

 You pressed "pause" and removed the disk from the tray. You grabbed a notepad and reassembled the pen that you had dissected to reveal the bottom of the drawer. Sitting back down, you put the CD back into the tray and played it from the beginning. 

Focusing completely, you wrote down the corresponding words to the rapid beeps. After about two minutes, the high-pitched beeps ceased completely. You put down your pen and read the message you had translated. 

 "Monochrome to Sparks. Bi-weekly report for week 11. Recruit for new members has proved successful. Two new villains by the names “Toga” and “Dabi” have joined us. We are still planning for the next attack on UA. Void has used intel for the specific layout of UA to detect weak points in the mainframe successfully. Crusty has suggested that we wait for the current term to finish to make our next move. We may be able to kidnap students of choice if they end up going on a training trip. That is all. Please send your reply at the usual time. Over." 

 Your jaw went slack. What- what is this? You shakily took the cd out of the drawer and replaced it. You opened up the other game cases that you had removed. They also contained grey disks, some labeled and some blank. 

You placed the labeled ones in numerical order and listened to them one by one. The notepad was filled with all of the messages from months of corrospondence. Some had pre-dated the dorm system, so you figured that Denki converted their format to match the ones that were recorded after moving into the dorms to disguise the timeline. 

Looking over your work, the puzzle pieces all fell into place. Denki had been working with the LOV for months, even before he came to UA. He had tricked you and your classmates into thinking that he was training to become the next generation of heroes with his charm and jokes. It all made sense, in a twisted way. Who would be better to be the traiter than him? To stupid in school to seem like he could pull it off, but insanely smart outside of the classroom. Was his academic shortcomings a fake too? No, you had sat there with him for hours trying to help him understand logarithms to no avail. He couldn’t of faked the tears of frustration he had before you agreed to go taste all of the flavors of Monster Energy and rank them instead of studying for midterms. 

No matter what he had been planning, he still was your boyfriend. He was still your little static boy. Right?

You read over all of the messages over and over until your eyes blurred from tears. You put everything back and silently organized the cables you had pulled out. Shaking, you sat on his bed, clutching the notepad in your hands, waiting for Denki to come back.

After what seemed like forever, you heard his footsteps in the hallway.

When Denki walked in, you could tell he was exhausted. 

You put down the notepad and held out your arms to him. He collapsed into you and exhaled, clearly wiped from training. You love him so much it hurts. He means the world to you, and you would do anything for him without hesitation. You solemnly made up your mind.

 "Denki..." you started, rubbing his hair. "Mmmmph" he replied, noise muffled by your body. When you didn't respond, he sat up and faced you, rubbing his eyes. 

You smiled sadly at him. 

"What is it, my little spark?" he asked, his tone strained with worry. 

 You sighed and handed him the notebook with the messages written on them. 

You watched his expression shift from confusion, to horror, to fear, to resignation. He didn't make it through all of the messages. He knew you would find this one day. He had made it so only you would know.

 His gaze slowly panned over to the cords under his desk. When he saw that they were neatly organized, he sighed and put down the notebook. "y/n... let me explain... I understand if you turn me in. I understand if you never want to speak to me again. I understand if-" his voice broke and his eyes welled up with tears. 

 It hurt you so badly to see him like this. You looked over his beautiful face, distorted from the tears in your own eyes. 

"Denki, when were you planning to tell me?" You felt so hurt that he kept this from you, but you knew why. How could he tell you? You both were training to be heroes. How was he supposed to tell you that you were part of the League of Villians?

 "I- it all happened so fast, and I wasn't supposed to make friends, let alone be in a relationship. The shit hit the fan so quickly that it felt impossible to tell you. When we moved into dorms because of the LOV attack, I knew that I would have to tell you eventually. I set it up so we would know how to communicate in morse code so that you and only you would be able to find the communicator, and so that you would feel comfortable in my room. I just- I just hoped that maybe you would never find out." As he spoke, he moved his hands around feebly, just to let them rest on his lap. 

 You listened to him in silence. When he was done, you gazed into his honey-colored eyes that were trained dutifully on his bedspread and smiled. "I would burn down the world for you, Pikachu. I wish you would've trusted me with this sooner." You laughed and shook your head. "You are more important to me than you could ever imagine. If you are the UA traitor, if you are part of the League of Villians, so be it. I will shake hands with the devil if it means I will be by your side." 

 His blonde head snapped to attention. “Y/n...?” He looked at you quizically. This... didn’t sound like you. He knew that you were determined beyond measure to become a hero, and he didn’t expect you to be swayed so easily. 

 "Please, please, please don't hide anything else from me. I will always be on your side. Don't ever forget that, okay sparky?" 

 He looked at you, surprised that you weren't telling Aizawa about him at this moment, not that he would stop you. "Okay, my little spark."

 "I love you" 

 "I love you too"

“... do you want to play a video game?”

“you know I do.”

“okay.”

“Hey y/n?”

“yes Denki?”

“let’s burn down the world together”

[voids-colourful-creations]

“ Isn't It Simple When You Think About It?” - Pokemon Journeys Fic

Rating: G Category: Gen Pairings: Goh and Satoshi (implied feelings for each other, but can be read as friends) Word Count: 4.6k Warnings: Nightmares and Mild Self Deprecation 

Goh is used to nightmares by now. Not that he enjoys them, but he's accepted that they'll always be there, and all the negative thoughts that are bound to follow. He's done the same things to get by for years now, this time is no different. But it's not so easy to make the fear go away, and when he's caught awake in the middle of the night, there's only one question that comes to mind. Satoshi might be the only person who can help him find the answer.

Read on Ao3!

Goh was not a stranger to lying awake at night, even when he knew he should’ve been sleeping. It wasn’t a new occurrence– no matter the location, there would always be some reason or another it would be hard to fall asleep. The world was an exciting place after all, why sleep when he could be out there exploring it?

This was not the case, however, on this particular night.

Goh had fallen asleep at first, sure, but now, he was wide awake, staring at his bed as he tried to calm himself.

Nightmares were also not a new occurrence.

For as many beautiful, wonderful, things the world held, there were just as many things to spark fear and anxiety, left festering in the back of his mind until the night, when they could crawl out and take hold of his thoughts.

There were dozens of different bad dreams he’d had over the years, not that he had kept track. In this case however, Goh couldn’t quite remember what he had been dreaming about. It was all a dark blur, with twisted, complicated emotions. Goh pointedly decided to ignore it. Whatever it had been was enough to wake him with a start, so not something he would be eager to think about if he could avoid it.

While it was far from a new or unique occurrence, Goh could hardly call it pleasant.

The tight feeling in his chest was restrictive and persistent, and his breathing was erratic, but quiet.

Goh didn’t move around much in his sleep, unlike a certain other research fellow, so he lay there, stock still, in the same position he had drifted off to sleep in.

Frozen.

This wasn’t new, Goh reminded himself. This had happened before, and he had been fine every time beforehand, so it stood to reason that he would be fine this time too.

Slowly, Goh tilted the tips of his toes to face the ceiling, partially to make sure he could still move them and particularly to do something to break up the shadows cast against the wall.

Impractical, yes, irrational, of course, but it worked, and that was what mattered.

Next thing to do, same as every other time, was to breathe.

Technically speaking, that should’ve been his first step, but perhaps someone's impulsiveness was wearing off on him.

In and out, mentally counting to sets of arbitrary numbers, he tried, but with his heart pounding in his ears his rhythm was messed up, and the breaths only came sharper.

It was right before Goh was about to start hyperventilating that he heard a small sound off to his right.

For a moment, his heart jumped in his chest, a spike driven through it.

And then he turned his head and promptly felt stupid.

Messon mumbled something he wouldn’t have been able to understand anyway in its sleep.

It was relieving to know it was only Messon, yes, but seeing his pokemon safe and sound was calming in its own right.

Messon was curled up on what was supposed to be Goh’s second pillow but that everyone knew was reserved for Messon, and formerly Hibunny.

Hibunny wasn’t there anymore, or rather, Aceburn was a bit too big to be sleeping with its trainer anymore. Goh missed it, remembering the light weight that used to curl up with him or lean against his legs.

Messon sighed in its sleep contentedly. Its breathing was soft and relaxed, and before Goh was aware of it, he had begun to match his breaths to Messon.

In and out. Gentle. Calm.

It was better now. Messon was safe, calm, and asleep. Satoshi, somewhere below him, was safe, calm and asleep. Pikachu was safe, calm and asleep. Goh was safe, calm, and… well.

He wasn’t quite ready to go back to sleep, just yet.

Against his better judgement, he found himself straining his memories for pieces of the dream he had just escaped.

‘Cut that out.’ He thought to himself. It didn’t work.

It was a lonely feeling that filled him, trying to remember. The type that made his head feel empty, and his arms heavy. He didn’t like the feeling. He tried to ignore it, and it didn’t work.

He’d been through worse before, alone, and he was fine now, and he wasn’t alone now, so he would really like to go back to being calm and asleep and not thinking about this now .

It was more than just loneliness, the mess of emotions and memories he didn’t wish to untangle.

Lost was a word that came to mind.

Goh shook his head. He was going to stop thinking about this, right this second. End of story.

He glanced out the window, or tried to. The wall got in the way, blocking Goh’s view from his bed. Theoretically he could stick his head out, but he feared the shift in weight would cause someone to wake.

The night sky was intriguing, a welcome distraction from the looming memories he was opting not to dwell on. He wished he could see the view, just to see a taste of the sky and surroundings before he went back to sleep. He would go back to sleep soon, he swore, he just…

Careful as can be, with calculated movement so as not to wake the sleeping Messon, Goh slipped out from under the covers and tiptoed down the stairs of his shared bunk bed. He pressed his right palm against the wooden wall for support, gently placing a foot down one at a time to avoid making a sound. His fingertips traced the wood grain lightly as he moved his hand along. By now he knew which stairs creaked and which didn’t, which parts were more likely to squeak than others, but he took caution just in case.

Safe on the ground, Goh slid across the floor as silently as possible, practically holding his breath as he made his way towards the window closest to the desk.

Trickling moonlight, though deflected by the blinds, scattered across the uneven wooden flooring.

He shouldn’t have worried so much about waking Satoshi, he knew. He was a heavy sleeper, unless some person or pokemon came to wake him. Nevertheless, he continued with caution.

The blinds had been drawn, of course, as they always were (unless someone had forgotten to close them like they were supposed to), blocking the majority of the moonlight from disturbing their sleep, and Goh from seeing the world outside.

Goh slipped a finger through the blinds, pushing a single thin wooden slat up the taut white string. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the blinds so he could peer through them and out into the world outside. The wood was cool to the touch, the proximity to the night air despite the glass between having chilled it.

Goh could see the cracks in the paint around the window sill in his peripheral vision, left as a reminder of when the glass had been punched out and sent scattering into the grass below. He ignored it.

He brushed up against the house plant stationed between the two windows, not wanting to harm it, but needing a closer look.

Finally… he could see outside.

It was dark, but there were a couple lights in the sky to break it up. Probably not stars, a planet maybe, a communications tower more likely. A plane or something of the sort drifted past. The trees and shrubbery that surrounded the Sakuragi Institute framed the window, preventing Goh from seeing most of the landscape further out. He didn’t mind. It was reassuring, seeing those planets growing calmly. A few leaves rustled in the night breeze.

A breath in, the air coming easier now. A breath out, leaving the faintest traces against the glass.

It was fine, he told himself. He was alright now, he told himself. He couldn’t even remember what he had been dreaming about, he told himself.

And when the pieces of the puzzle threatened the snap together, he told himself to be quiet.

Slipping his fingers out of the slat in the blinds with care so as not to rattle them, Goh turned away from the window.

There was only so much window staring he could do. He was going to go back to bed, and get some sleep, and then he would wake up and surely forget about this whole ordeal. Surely.

Yet again, with such care that it would be annoying if not for the pounding sound in his ears keeping him on edge, Goh moved across the room. He spared a glance at the lower bunk as he went.

Satoshi was sleeping peacefully, or as peacefully as someone could when sprawled out like that. His blanket had gotten tangled around his arms, one of his legs dangling out of bed.

The sight filled Goh with a warm feeling he couldn’t quite explain, but it was a welcome relief compared to the tension he had felt before.

Pikachu sat curled up against one of Satoshi’s arms, tail flicking slightly, back and forth.

Goh was almost back to the stairs, and then he stepped on a squeaky floorboard.

If he had only been paying attention to where he was going, instead of staring mindless at the lower bunk.

As the sound rang out, Goh froze in place, that familiar yet dreadful feeling spiking through his chest.

For a moment, Goh didn’t dare breathe, waiting for someone or something to begin making noise.

When nothing happened, Goh allowed himself a quick exhale.

“Pika?”

Which he immediately regretted.

His head whipped around to face the source of the noise, a now awake and bleary-eyed Pikachu.

Goh’s eyes widened. He pressed a finger to his lips, and tried to convey solely through frantic eye movements to  stay quiet, go back to sleep .

Pikachu blinked at him for a moment.

Goh nodded as if in encouragement.

Pikachu nodded at the boy.

And then immediately started poking Satoshi in the face and squeaking frantically.

“Pikapi! Pika-pika!”

Either Goh was a lot worse at non verbal communication than he had thought or Pikachu was just ignoring him.

“Pikachu!” Goh hissed under his breath, momentarily worried that Satoshi would be angry at having been woken up. He quickly dismissed the thought, this was Satoshi he was talking about after all.

“H– Wha’s wrong buddy…?” Satoshi muttered, yawning a bit as he spoke. His eyes remained shut.

Guilt washed over Goh, dousing him and spilling onto the wooden floor he remained frozen to.

“Chu. Pikapi chupika chu.” Pikachu said, or at least Goh assumed he was speaking.

Satoshi raised a hand to his eye, the other pushing himself up to a sitting position.

“Huh? What about him?”

Pikachu rolled his eyes.

“Chupika. Pikapi. Chu.”

Satoshi turned his head, finally blinking open his eyes to find Goh’s blinking right back at him.

“Oh hi, Goh… Is everythin’… alright?” He said, yawning before he could finish the sentence.

“O-Of course, e-everything’s fine! I just wanted to get some… water!”

Perhaps Goh was not as good of an actor as he had hoped, or perhaps Satoshi was just unreasonably good at picking up on people’s feelings.

Satoshi looked at Goh with doubt and thinly veiled concern. It hurt Goh to look at.

“I’m good now though so, uh, back to bed, see you in the morning!”

Goh surged forward with wide strides towards the bunk bed stairs, refusing to look Satoshi in the eye.

He slid back under the covers hurriedly, accidentally waking Messon in the process.

‘I just keep ruining things.’

Messon didn’t seem too upset, only a bit confused, staring at its trainer with wide, watery eyes, but the guilt remained nevertheless.

“Are you sure?” Satoshi’s voice, hushed but still carrying to the top bunk, whispered from below. “I’m happy to listen. That’s what friends are for.”

Friends. Thats…

The word got stuck in Goh’s head, looping over and over, a broken record, skipping and repeating and repeating and then-

Right. That’s what he had been dreaming about.

And that’s why he hadn’t wanted to remember.

The nightmares weren’t new, they never had been, but it was only recently that Satoshi had begun starring in them.

“I don’t need you.”

“Stay away from me.”

“You disgust me.”

They weren’t Satoshi’s words, no, they could never be, right?, but they were words Goh had heard before. The mouths and faces changed in a blur, voices rising and lowering, a patchwork of relationships broken before they had started.

He didn’t want friends. He had Koharu, that was more than enough.

Anyone who had ever wanted to be friends with him changed their mind quick enough, and those who didn’t…

Goh didn’t want to think about those.

The dreams were old. Repetitive and hurtful and so, so tiring, but not new. But the ones with Satoshi were different.

He could see it, even now, could picture the cold and distant expression on his closest companion’s face.

“You say you don’t need friends, but we both know that’s not true, right?”

He was always standing so far away in the dreams, and no matter how many times Goh had tried to reach him, he would never move an inch.

“The truth is, you’re lonely. The truth is, you want friends so badly it aches.”

He wouldn’t look Goh in the eye, maybe because then Goh would be able to see that it wasn’t  his Satoshi, his Satoshi would never, but in the blurred reality of his mind it never registered fast enough.

“The truth is…”

So when he did…

“It’s everyone else who doesn’t want you.”

Their eyes would meet for a fraction of a second, clashing blues and not quite browns, and Goh would return to the land of the waking again.

It wasn’t new. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how much he wanted to scream and cry and beg for someone to tell him it wasn’t true, he would keep his mouth shut.

They were only dreams. Stupid, foolish dreams.

Goh, sitting on his bed, a highly concerned Messon poking his leg, shook his head.

What he had planned to respond was “Thanks, Satoshi, but everything’s fine. Goodnight.”

But his traitorous mouth apparently had other plans.

“What does that even mean anyway…”

His words were quiet, a mere whisper, but the room was still, and Satoshi was listening oh so carefully.

“Mean?”

Goh slapped his hands over his mouth. Messon babbled, worried, climbing up onto its trainer’s arm.

“Son mesmesson? So-me-somesson.”

Their concern only magnified Goh’s guilt. How dare he make them worry on his behalf when it was his fault in the first place.

“I just- I- I was wondering what y-your definition of a friend was…”

Stupid stuttering. Stupid Goh.

It was relatively quiet, save for Messon’s nonstop stream of babble. It wasn't quite crying, but if this kept up, Goh feared it might.

“Me-messon! Messon messon, son-me!”

Finally, Satoshi spoke again.

“I guess I would say... friends are people who when you’re around you feel all  yay! And ohh! And whoaa! Like, people who encourage you and support you, and who share your interests, or at least are happy for you when you do fun things. It's the people you're close with, who make the days a little brighter. There’s lots of different types of friends, but they’re all important.”

Gou let the words run through his head for a moment. His first thoughts were ‘that’s beautiful’.

His second were ‘that doesn’t describe me at all.’ and he felt his stomach sink.

Because how could he ever be like that? It described Satoshi's other friends to a tee. Kind people, spirited people, who loved pokemon and battling like he did. Energetic people. Interesting people. People who weren’t like Goh.

Before Goh could succumb to the slurry of self hatred, Satoshi spoke again.

“What about you, Goh? What would you say a friend is?”

Goh felt ice cold dread fill his veins, injected directly into his heart.

“I… I don’t think I know…”

Why did he have to sound so broken like that? Goh felt Messon crawl up his arm, its little feet clinging to the fabric of his nightshirt and pulling it up to his shoulder.

“Messon! Messonnn– Me-messon, son.”

Still not quite crying, a new record for the pokemon Goh would have said, Messon nuzzled it’s head against Goh’s cheek.

Messon was a lot softer than Goh had first expected when he met the water type. It was scaly, yes, but in such a gentle, subtle way, that all the scales blended together and were near invisible. They layered over each other tightly, and the result was a fairly smooth but well protected Messon.

Maybe soft wasn’t the correct word for it, grammatically speaking, but when it pressed it’s head into Goh like that, it was always the first thing he thought of.

“What do you mean?” Satoshi asked, and Goh could hear the hurt in his voice, stinging his own throat in turn.

“It’s not like I had friends to compare with.” The words, laced with old poison, dripping in sarcasm, slipped out before he could stop them. He really was a chatterbox at night.

“What about Koharu?” And though he returned to silence after that question, Goh could hear Satoshi’s unspoken words following closely behind.

“What about me?”

Messon babbled some more, as it pressed it’s head against Goh. It was oddly comforting.

“Thank you.” Goh breathed out to Messon, not quite loud enough for Satoshi to hear, feeling the dread subside a bit with each motion the pokemon made.

Simple and repetitive. Calm and reassuring. Goh felt his breathing slow (when had it sped up again?) for the second time, and yet again Messon was to thank.

He didn’t deserve Messon.

“Koharu…” He trailed off. ‘Doesn’t count’ his mind filled, but that wasn’t fair. She was a good friend, a great friend even. The only one willing to stick around, even if Goh never quite knew why.

“Koharu and I have been friends for… as long as I can remember. I don’t know why we’re friends.” ‘Why we’re still friends. Why she didn’t just leave, stop listening like everyone else had.’

Silence again. It was a staticky sound in Goh’s ears and he hated it.

“And…” Satoshi tried, and despite his voice dying Goh knew what he was about to say.

“And you…” He finished, though it could hardly be called that when he trailed off in much the same manner Satoshi had.

“It's nearly impossible not to be friends with you, you're wonderful and sweet and so kind, you'd make friends with any person or pokemon, anything with a face you'd want to be friends with, and they'd want to be friends with you. Because of the way you shine when you're passionate, and the way you always stand up for people, and how you work so hard. You're you , how could anyone not want to be your friend?”

That is what Goh wanted to say. But the words died in his throat, and slid down into his stomach where they burned in acid. Instead he said, “It's... different with you.”

“Bad different?”

“No, no, no! Good. Good different.”

There was a pause before Satoshi spoke again, silence returning after Messon had quieted down.

“So… I’m different from your other friends?”

“Friend, I guess.” Goh corrected half heartedly. Exhaustion had worn him down but adrenaline would not let him rest. “You, Koharu, that’s pretty much it. And… I guess Tokio didn’t really count. But the closest friend I ever made. Third ever, if you count Tokio. That probably counts for something.”

“Who’s Tokio?”

Goh bit his lip.

“He- he was my friend... at least I think… We met when I was on vacation one day, a few years ago. it was...  really fun…” Goh’s expression lighted, a small smile forming on his face before melting away just as quickly as it had appeared. “But when we promised to meet each other the next day... he never showed up. I-its fine, it wasn't even his fault, I found out just a little while ago he tried to make it back and couldn't... so I guess I was really the jerk, thinking he abandoned me so quickly…”

“Abandoned you…” Satoshi repeated to himself quietly, the words an unpleasant taste on his tongue.

“But really, it was my fault all along. I held a grudge, and it hurt for years and… it wasn’t his fault. He wanted to come back to me. I-I’m happy! That he didn’t try to leave me. That he wasn’t a liar. But… for years…” He couldn’t quite finish the sentence the way he wanted to. “I can’t forget how lonely it felt, all those years. I was just bitter… mad that someone finally wanted to listen to me, finally cared about the things I did, and then… before I could even cherish it, he was gone. Maybe I was more mad at the circumstance than Tokio himself, but it was easier to pin it on Tokio than admit…”

Goh closed his mouth, feeling the incomplete string of words sit taut in the air, hanging over both boys.

“I’m fine!” Goh added in, hoping to break the tension, “It’s just something dumb I think about, you shouldn’t worry about it.”

It was around now that Satoshi pieced some things together.

Why Goh had said he was just like “everybody else” when he had told him he didn't need him to be his friend. Why he'd looked so upset, eyes shining as they brimmed with tears that Goh refused to cry. Why he was so protective, why he'd slowly trail off after talking about this or that, waiting for Satoshi's input, only to continue with even more excitement when Satoshi acknowledged him.

It made a complete picture, but not one he wanted to look at.

Goh was severely regretting his life choices.

‘Great idea, Goh! Wake up Satoshi in the middle of the night to complain about how lonely you are! That’ll totallyyy make him want to hang out with you more. Or maybe even better, he’ll start pitying you!’

The sarcasm dripping from the false inner voice was as acid-laden as it was annoying.

Goh hugged his knees to his chest, drawing Messon in closer as he did.

“Son messon. Me-messon, messon-me.”

A rustling sound from the bed below met Goh’s ears, accompanied by a quiet, “Pika? Chu pika-pika?”, and before he was sure what was happening, a silhouetted face was looking at him from over the railing.

Goh startled, jostling Messon, but kept silent.

Satoshi nodded toward the ladder, then toward Goh, and tilted his head to the left.

Even without words, Goh could understand what he meant. He nodded back, crawling over to the end of his bed to make room for the other boy.

Satoshi shuffled into the space, careful to mind Pikachu on his shoulder, eventually sitting with his legs curled beneath him where Goh’s pillow normally sat. Now it had been pushed to the side to make room for the duo.

For a heart pounding moment, it was just the two of them together, inches away in the middle of the night, not saying a word, but staring in each other’s eyes with an intensity, waiting for the other to say a word.

“Goh.”

Satoshi said, and Goh straightened, his heartbeat pounding louder in his ears.

“You and me. We’re friends. Best friends. And we'll always be friends, I promise. I am not gonna leave you."

Logically Goh knew it was only the moonlight slipping through the blinds, but Satoshi’s eyes practically shone with sincerity as he spoke. Hushed, of course, and yet, serious, strong. For a moment, Goh wasn’t even sure if he had processed the words right.

“Sa– Satoshi?” Is all he could manage to choke out.

Satoshi’s expression softened, his normal smile stretching across his face again, but the spark in his eyes remained.

“Sorry, did that sound weird?” Satoshi rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, a feat considering Pikachu was sitting right there. “You don’t always understand the things I say, so I tried to say it as straightforward as possible. I thought it’d be better for me to tell you face to face, so you could believe it.”

Heat rose to Goh’s face.

“Y-you mean it? A-a-about us being friends! A-about… always being friends.”

Satoshi nodded.

“I do! Mean it, that is. All of it.”

“B-but what if I’m not a good friend,” Goh asked worriedly.

“You are!”

“But… before…”

“I don't care about that!” Satoshi interrupted. “I mean, I care about you and your past and your friends, of course, but… We're friends because I want us to be. I like to spend time with you! You make me feel all sparkle-sparkle and blam and whoa every time we’re together. We've done so much together I can't even think of doing with anyone else! Who else would ride Lugia with me? Who else would catch Mugendina with me? Who else would be a research fellow? I can’t think of anyone but you.”

“But-“

“Even if there were other people,” Satoshi cut off, “They aren’t the same as you. I have lots of friends, and I love them all, but they aren’t  you. You can’t just be replaced like that. Even with all the definitions, I think friendship is simpler than that. If you want to be my friend, and I want to be yours, then we are, simple as that. That's all that matters.”

Satoshi leaned forward, and Goh didn’t recoil. He was close enough now for Goh to count each stray hair, to see the different streaks of brown overlapping in his eyes, eyes deep and rich and brown and shining.

He was giving him that look, that Satoshi look, the kind look, soft look. The one that made Goh believe him, from the depths of his heart.

"I want to be your friend, Goh."

He looked how he did back then, when Goh first truly believed him, when he said he wouldn't let the fushigisou be harmed and he meant it. He said those words the same way he said these ones now. With force and determination and above all truth. What he said was true, because he would make it happen.

Goh laughed, and nodded fiercely as he did.

A wide smile stretched across his face, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he felt light, instead of being dragged down. It felt good.

“Right! Can’t believe I had to ask for a second time, haha.”

Satoshi smiled too, giggling a bit.

“I don’t mind reminding you, you know!”

He was laughing as he spoke, but Goh knew he meant it.

“I might just take you up on that.”

Goh breathed in deep, and though he shut his eyes, he peeked one open to see Satoshi doing the same. Together, they held their breath, and as one, they exhaled.

Looking up, they grinned at each other.

Gently, but with much more confidence than before, Goh raised a closed fist for Satoshi to bump.

“Thanks, Satoshi.”

To Goh’s surprise, Satoshi didn’t return the gesture as intended. Instead, he opened out his hand in front of him, bending his fingers slightly in a “come here” gesture.

Tentatively, Goh reached forward, just placing the tips of his fingers on top of Satoshi’s. Satoshi’s fingers curled inwards, pulling Goh’s hand into the palm of his own and vice versa.

And there, in that moment, Goh held on tight. To the reassuring grip of his partner, and to the ideal of their future, together.

[End]

[aboyandhispokemon]

All You Need Is a Little Pokémon TLC

Summary: When Ash falls ill a day before Serena's performance, his Pokémon make sure that their Trainer gets the rest he needs, even if they have to be a little forceful. Ash has always taken care of his Pokémon, and his Pokémon will always take care of him. Sometimes the best cure for the flu is plenty of TLC. Takes place before Performing With Fiery Charm.

...

The morning sunlight filtered through the gap between the red curtains, rousing Pikachu from slumber. The Mouse Pokémon stretched out with a yawn, stomach rumbling in hunger. He took a fleeting glance at the clock, a puzzled sound escaping him when he discovered the time—it was late morning.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu began to shake Ash's arm, but the boy continued to snooze on. Pikachu's ears twitched, picking up on the odd, unusual rhythm of his Trainer's breathing pattern. He scampered to the right side of the bed, where Ash's head lay snug against the pillow. Pikachu's eyes widened at the red flush and sheen of sweat on Ash's face. His mouth was wide open as he breathed in and out, as he was unable to breathe through his nose.

There was no doubt about it—Ash was sick.

"Pikapi!"

His concerned call managed to rouse the boy awake. Eyes cracking open, Ash slowly sat up, wincing at the dull pound occurring in his head. "I'm up, I'm up," he said groggily. He tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness overtook him and he dropped limply back into the bed, stomach swirling. "Whoa…why's the room spinning?"

Pikachu hopped into Ash's lap and raised a paw to rest against Ash's forehead, which was warm to the touch. "Pika pika," he said worriedly.

"I'm fine," dismissed Ash, scratching Pikachu's head before gently setting him on the mattress. "Probably just hungry. I'll get dressed and we'll go downstairs for breakfast."

His stomach gave a lurch at the mere thought of food, but Ash ignored it. He once more stood up, moving cautiously across the floor towards his backpack, which rested next to the wooden dresser set. At that moment, to Pikachu's relief, there was a brief knock at the door and Clemont entered.

"Morning," he greeted with a smile. "I was wondering when you two would get up. I—" He noticed Ash wobble in place, his face flushed red, and he hurried to his friend's side. "Ash! Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, steadying the boy.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just off-balance today."

"Pikachu! Pika! Chu!" voiced Pikachu firmly. Ash was most certainly not okay, and it was his stubborn habit to pretend he was healthy when he was clearly ill.

Clemont pressed his wrist against Ash's forehead, ignoring his companion's sound of annoyance. "Yeah, you have a fever," he confirmed, leading him over to the bed and easing him down. "I'll go get Nurse Joy right away. Lie down and rest."

Ash scowled slightly as Clemont hurried from the room. "I don't need to be looked over by Nurse Joy. I said I'm fine," he grumbled. He idly swiped the back of his hand under his leaking nose. "Ugh."

Pikachu quickly went over to where a box of tissues rested on the top of the dresser. He grabbed hold of it and brought it over to Ash, who plucked a few tissues free and honked loudly into them. "Thanks, buddy," he said gratefully. "Must be allergies or something."

No, you're just sick, thought Pikachu in exasperation.

He made a noise of protest as Ash stood up again, but all he received was a reassuring pat on the head before Ash tried the trek to his backpack once more. The pajama clad boy swayed with each step, and looked close to collapsing at any moment.

I'm not going to be able to get him back to bed by myself.

Pikachu glanced towards the Poké Balls attached to Ash's belt, which was hung carefully over the back of the desk chair. "Hey, a little help?"

There were four bright flashes of white light, which caused Ash to turn around in surprise, having to grip the edge of the dresser to keep his balance. "Hey, what's up?”

"Froga." Frogadier took Ash firmly by the arm and led him to bed. "Dier."

"Cut it out, I'm telling you, I'm not—ah, ah, achoo!"

A bout of sneezing overtook the boy, cutting off his protests. He lacked his usual strength, and was not able to pull away from his Bubble Frog Pokémon. He grudgingly let himself be set on the bed, and Pikachu tugged the covers over his trembling form.

"Fine," he muttered, sinking back into his pillows. "Maybe I don't feel one-hundred percent."

"He's not going to admit he's sick, is he?" asked Frogadier, glancing at the Pokémon who had been with Ash since the very beginning.

"Nope." Pikachu shook his head. "Admitting he's sick means he's admitting he's feeling weak, and he hates that."

"That's silly," said Fletchinder, ruffling out its feathers. "Illness is natural."

"Try telling him that," muttered Pikachu.

Clemont returned with Nurse Joy at that moment, and she promptly went to Ash’s side to stuck a thermometer in his mouth, ignoring his protests. "No talking," she chided. Turning to the worried blonde, she asked, "Do you know his symptoms?"

"Well, I could tell he was sweating and he’s pretty congested," answered Clemont, adjusting his glasses. "It also looked like he was pretty dizzy. He was having trouble walking.”

"I see."

Ash's brow furrowed in annoyance, but he lay still on the bed, arms crossed loosely over his chest, the glass thermometer stuck under his tongue. His Pokémon stood at the end of the bed, watching their Trainer with intent eyes.

"All right, that should do it," declared Nurse Joy after a couple of minutes passed. She removed the thermometer and checked the result. "Yes, you have a fever. Nothing too serious, but you certainly won't be leaving this bed today."

"Aw, man," groaned Ash. "But what about Serena's performance?"

"We still have a day and a half," soothed Clemont. "If you rest up and drink lots of fluids, you should be better by then."

A soft beeping noise started emitting from the pocket of Nurse Joy's apron. "Oh dear, there's someone in the lobby needing my assistance. Will you be able to watch over him?" she addressed Clemont.

The blonde furrowed his brow. "I was supposed to pick up my sister from Serena and take her around Dendemille Town, but I'm sure she'll understand. I'll—"

"Don't—achoo—be silly," spoke up Ash, sniffling slightly. "I don't need to be looked after. I'll be fine. Serena would probably appreciate the time to practice without worrying about looking after Bonnie."

"Hawlucha, haw!" said Hawlucha firmly, forming a determined fist. "Lucha!"

Clemont looked over in surprise before smiling. "Of course, I should have realized sooner. You'll take care of him until we get back?"

"Pika!" confirmed Pikachu with a nod. "Pi pika!"

"Right, nobody listen to me," grumbled Ash.

"I'll be in the main lobby if you need me at any time," Nurse Joy informed the Pokémon. "I'll be up shortly with some medicine."

The pink-haired woman departed, and Clemont turned to Ash, who was trying to snuggle in his covers. "Do you want me to get you anything before I leave?"

"No," he replied stubbornly. "Go on. I'll see you later."

"You should at least have some water or juice."

"Pi pika pi!" spoke Pikachu.

"Right. I know you guys will take good care of him. I should stop worrying, huh?" Clemont raised his hand in farewell and started for the door. "We won't be long. Make sure he stays in bed."

Ash's Pokémon made noises of acknowledgement and the blonde left the Pokémon Center's guest room. Noibat flew up onto the edge of Ash's bed and studied him worriedly. The raven-haired boy managed to sit up and gather the young Pokémon into his lap.

"Hey, I'm okay, really," he said, gently rubbing Noibat's ears. He turned his head away and let out a series of sneezes that racked his body. He collapsed against the pillows with a soft moan, wearily reaching for another tissue.

His body trembled with shivers from his fever, and Fletchinder noticed Ash try to wrap himself tighter in the covers for warmth. It flew up onto the bed beside the boy and settled close to Ash's side, using its Flame Body to slightly heat up and give Ash some warmth. Ash almost immediately relaxed, his head falling slightly to rest against Fletchinder's feathers.

"Thanks, buddy," he murmured.

"Not too much heat," cautioned Pikachu, observing his ill best friend and fellow Pokémon from the end of the bed. "We don't want the fever to get any higher."

"I know," replied Fletchinder.

"Papa's gonna get better, right?" asked Noibat anxiously.

Hawlucha reached out and lifted the Sound Wave Pokémon up from where he rested on Ash's chest. "Of course. It’s a common illness.”

"And we want him to get better as soon as possible," spoke up Pikachu. "Hawlucha, do you think you can take Noibat and find Ash something to drink? Orange juice would be the best."

"Sure," answered Hawlucha, setting Noibat atop his head, where the young Pokémon stayed perched, large yellow eyes still locked on Ash, who was now half-asleep.

"I'll get Ash some soup from the Pokémon Center's diner," continued Pikachu. "Frogadier, can you stay here and make sure he stays in bed?"

Frogadier offered the electric Pokémon a salute. "Can do."

"We'll be back shortly!"

The three Pokémon scampered from the room, the door clicking shut to cause Ash to rouse back to full attention. He caught a glimpse of his Pokémon disappearing out into the hall. "Hey!" he tried to shout, though it came out as more of a rasp thanks to his scratchy and mildly sore throat. "Frogadier, where'd they go?"

"Froga," his Pokémon informed. "Dier."

"Well, so long as they don't wander," said Ash, rubbing at his bleary eyes. "Man, I hate being sick. You can't do anything." He scrubbed at his sweaty face, grimacing slightly. "I should at least have a shower."

"Frogadier," said Frogadier firmly, shaking his finger in a negative gesture.

Ash made a face, reaching out to playfully swat away Frogadier's hand. "I'm guessing you're not on my side either, Fletchinder."

"Fletchinder, fletch fletch," confirmed the Ember Pokémon, lightly nudging Ash's arm affectionately.

"And people say I'm the mother hen."

Frogadier reached out to feel Ash's forehead. It was still warm, and the Pokémon went in search of a cloth. Ash followed his movements in bemusement, and when Frogadier removed a white washcloth from the cupboard near the bathroom in triumph, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Seriously, I'm not like, dying. I can do that myself."

"Frogadier."

Ash rolled his eyes at Frogadier's dismissive sound, a smile on his lips. "Yeah. Stay put. I got it."

It was a minute later when the cool, drenched cloth was draped over his forehead, and Ash let out a soft sigh of contentment. He raised a hand to rub Frogadier's head, drifting it down a moment later to stroke Fletchinder's feathers.

"Thanks, guys."

It was not long before Pikachu, Hawlucha and Noibat returned, bringing with them a to-go container of soup and multiple cans of orange juice. Ash moved himself into a sitting position, warmth that had nothing to do with his illness coursing through him.

"You're the best," he said gratefully, taking the soup and spoon when Pikachu hopped into his lap. Noibat handed over a can of juice, and Ash immediately cracked it open, taking a long chug. The sweet liquid soothed his scratchy throat. Cradling the hot container in his hands, he regarded his Pokémon with a soft frown. "You guys are probably hungry, right? It is late in the morning."

Frogadier went over to Ash's backpack and proffered two cans of Pokémon food, and with Hawlucha's help removed the lids. Ash grinned as an earnest Noibat practically tackled one of the cans, only to be chided by the Wrestling Pokémon.

Satisfied that his Pokémon would be well-fed, Ash dug into his soup with the plastic spoon, taking careful sips. When he drained the last bit of soup into his mouth, Ash's stomach gave a lurch, which he tried to ignore. Though he hadn't felt like eating, he knew it was important to keep his strength up.

"Eat up, gang," he urged his Pokémon. "We want to be in top form for our seventh gym battle." He formed a fist and raised it determinedly. "That badge is going to be ours, no matter what."

"He's got a bit of a one-track mind, doesn't he?" asked Frogadier in amusement.

"You are not one to talk," scoffed Fletchinder.

Frogadier threw Fletchinder a slight glare. "You trying to say something?"

"Settle," warned Hawlucha, pointedly reaching over to pat an observing Noibat.

Pikachu snickered as the two hastily transferred into friendly chatter rather than threatening bickering. He ate his fill and then sprang up onto the bed, curling up next to Ash. The boy rubbed his ear affectionately. "All full, buddy?"

"Pika!"

As the others continued to eat, Ash idly sipped through another can and a half of orange juice, trying to subdue the rising build of nausea in his gut. When that didn't work, he clenched his teeth together, trying to focus on his breathing.

Pikachu peered up at his Trainer with concern, sensing something was wrong. "Pikapi?"

Unable to fight it any longer, Ash practically catapulted out of bed, sending Pikachu jumping to the side and the cloth that was resting on his head flying. His Pokémon jumped up as the boy raced for the bathroom, sliding across the tiles before falling into a kneeling position in front of the toilet.

His chest heaved and his throat burned as his body expelled the contents of his stomach. His hands shook and his breathing grew harsh as the uncomfortable sensation overtook him. His vision blurred, and after a moment he could feel soothing circles being rubbed into his back.

When his stomach at last settled, Ash slowly leaned backwards, turning to look over his shoulder. Frogadier and Pikachu were rubbing his back, while the others watched anxiously from the bathroom door. Once Noibat noticed that Ash had finished his retching, he burst into tears, sonic waves bursting throughout the room, and charged for his caretaker.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, I'm fine," soothed Ash, flinching against the high-pitched noise and petting Noibat's ears. "I didn't mean to scare you."

His chest hurt and there was a terrible taste in his mouth. He slowly got to his feet, with Frogadier steadying him, and flushed the toilet. He rinsed his mouth at the sink and made his way back to bed, settling back against the pillows with a soft moan.

"That wasn't fun," he muttered, holding Noibat close to his chest. "Ugh. Have I mentioned I hate being sick?"

"Many times, and I completely agree with you," said Pikachu sympathetically, hopping onto the bed and climbing into Ash's lap.

"I thought soup was supposed to be good for humans when they're ill," voiced Frogadier, retrieving the fallen cloth.

"It is, but his stomach isn't cooperating at the moment," replied Fletchinder. "Maybe he'll be able to eat in a few hours."

"I hope so. He needs to keep up his energy, and frankly he gets cranky when he's hungry," returned Frogadier, before disappearing into the bathroom to wet the cloth once more.

Hawlucha let out a soft snort. "Yes, much unlike you," he said sarcastically, causing Fletchinder to chuckle.

Frogadier returned and handed Ash the cloth. The boy set it over his forehead and opened yet another can of orange juice. "Yeah…so…I might need more of these," he muttered, squinting at the two that still remained. "Here's hoping this manages to stay down."

Before he could take a drink, there was a knock at the door, and when Ash answered Nurse Joy entered the room, carrying a small bottle of medicine. "I'm so sorry I didn't bring this sooner," she apologized, setting it on Ash's bedside.

"It's fine," answered Ash. "Thanks a lot."

"How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," he admitted. "Pikachu brought me some soup, but it didn't want to stay in my stomach."

"The medicine will help with that," assured Nurse Joy. "You should be able to eat an hour after consumption. This will also bring down your fever. It's quite bitter, so you should take some juice with it."

"All right."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Not right now, thanks. If I need anything later, I'm sure my Pokémon will be happy to get it for me. They're not letting me do anything but rest." Ash sent a mock-glare towards his friends. "They're very boring."

Nurse Joy laughed. "I can see they're doing a great job of looking after you. You have wonderful Pokémon."

Ash smiled sincerely. "Yeah, definitely. They're the best."

"I'll be in the lobby if any of you need anything. Rest well!"

"Right, and thanks again!"

Nurse Joy departed, and Ash stared at the brown vial of medicine. "So…Hawlucha, you want to go first?"

"Lucha lu," denied Hawlucha.

"Anyone else?" asked Ash. He received more noises of refusal, though Noibat was sniffing the bottle curiously. Ash grinned and uncapped the bottle. "Trust me, buddy, you don't want this stuff."

"Does it taste bad?" asked Noibat. "It doesn't really have a smell."

"Let Ash's reaction be all the answer you need," replied Pikachu.

Ash poured some medicine into the cap and stared at it for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he quickly downed the contents and his face immediately screwed up in distaste. He gagged slightly and grabbed his orange juice, taking a mighty swig.

"Gee, they must be just as bad as sour berries," remarked Noibat.

"If not worse," agreed Fletchinder.

"All right, that's enough of that," declared Ash, flopping back against the pillows. He was rather exhausted now, and his eyes were starting to fall shut. "Who wants to take a nap?"

His Pokémon made noises of agreement and they all clustered together on the bed, burying underneath the covers. Ash shifted over to make room for Hawlucha, fondly rubbing his head. "Hey…thanks, gang. I know I can always count on you, and I really appreciate you looking after me. You know I love you, right?"

"Not as much as we love you," replied Pikachu, nuzzling Ash's hand.

"You take care of us, and of course we'll take care of you," spoke Fletchinder. "Always."

"I love Papa," said Noibat cheerfully, snuggling close.

"Ah, we'd do anything for him," agreed Hawlucha.

"You're the Trainer I always waited for. You gave me the one thing I longed for, and I will return it to you full-heartedly," said Frogadier feelingly.

Soon the group fell asleep, with Pikachu cuddled in Ash's lap, with Noibat held close to the boy's chest. Frogadier lay beside Ash on the right, one of his arms slung over the Bubble Frog Pokémon's stomach. Fletchinder was pressed against Ash's left side, and Hawlucha was snoozing against Ash's leg, and that was the sight Clemont, Serena and Bonnie returned to.

[pokemonworldupdates]

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