Part 2

Meowth -- Cha! Pipi, pika pikachu, pi, pika pikachu.
The moon hang on the dark blue sky, and a breeze blew through the plain, caressing them tenderly. Pikachus were singing there, rocking left and right. The guest of honor was Pikachu that night, so he was on a stump in the center of the plain, with the baby Pikachu on his head. Satoshi and Kasumi were a bit away from them, watching them.
"O.K. Dinner was ready." Takeshi had come and said. Then he noted Pikachus singing. "Oh, Pikachu is now completely good friends with them."
As Takeshi said, impressed, Satoshi replied in a moment. "Yes."
He was really glad, as if it was the matter of himself. He looked at Pikachu again. Pikachu's face brightened, that he had ever seen.
"Maybe he is happy," Takeshi murmured. "He is now with his friends. He has not ever been."
Takeshi's comment stiffen Satoshi up. Anxiety slipped into his mind suddenly. Pikachu and he had gone traveling for a long, long time since he left home, always being together, naturally helping each other. They were closed friends, not just a monster and the trainer, Satoshi had believed so. However, pikachu looked such happy now with his friends.
Pikachu looked up to the baby on his head then, and smiled. It was a sweet smile. The baby smiled back. A Fantastic view to see, Satoshi thought.
Takeshi and Kasumi had a good appetite. A bonfire they surrounded burned, brightening them, each on a collapsed trunk.
"The meal is much tastier tonight," Kasumi admired.
Takeshi replied, his mouth filled with meat. "Well, I'm a good cook."
"Oh, come on, Takeshi." Kasumi stared at him tenderly. "The materials are good, don't you think so, Satoshi?"
Kasumi turned to Satoshi, waiting for him to answer. But he stilled, not hearing her. "What's wrong, Satoshi?"
"No, why?" Satoshi managed to say, his concern over something else.
"You don't look well. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, sure." Satoshi laughed, relieving his friends. When the night was far advanced, they fell into sleep, except Satoshi, still sitting on the trunk, his eyes vacantly over the flames.
--Maybe he is happy with his friends.
--It is the paradise for Pikachus.
Kasumi and Takeshi's comments they had made echoed in his mind. Pikachus - who were wild, and whom his Pikachu had seen that day - were his friends. Well, then, was he --?
When he murmured so in his mind, he suddenly thought that he saw Pikachu in the flames; he gave a joyful smile. A moment later other Pikachus showed up, surrounding him.
"Pikachuc" His voice was hoarse, pressed by anxiety.
A blast of wind sprang up, making leaves dance in the air. It blew on the bonfire, too, and smothered it quickly, as Pikachu turned around to run away.
"Pikachu."
When Satoshi jumped up, feeling the pulse of running after him, the figure of Pikachu had disappeared. He felt a hollow in his mind, and was about to stagger down on the trunk.
-- Pi --!
Pikachus' screams sounded suddenly. Kasumi and Takeshi jumped up, startled. Something happened to Pikachus, they quickly recognized that, and dashed toward the plain they were.
Irritated, Satoshi beat thin branches of thickets which surrounded the plain away, then slid out to the plain. A huge net captured every one of Pikachus from the herd. Satoshi ran up to it, crying, "Pikachu, are you there?"
"Pikapi, pikachu." Pikachu's tortured voice came. Satoshi quickly scanned in the direction. He was there, in the net.
Kasumi and Takeshi were behind Satoshi, panting.
"What is going on?" Takeshi said.
"If you require to know what is going on -"
Three children were startled, recognizing the familiar voice with a touch of laughing. Yes, it was one of Musashi, from the Rocket gang.
"Listen to us, guys." It was Kojiro's, they understood.
"To guard the universal destruction."
"To keep the universal peace."
"We carry out an evil of love and truth."
"We are the loving and charming villains."
Their voices sounded over their heads, far above them. They scanned around there, but the echoing voices disturbed them to find where their enemies were.
"Musashi." Saying this, she showed up from behind a trunk of a tree across the plain. So did Kojiro on another branch.
"Kojiro."
"We the Rocket gang travel any stars in the Galaxy and -"
"A white hole - a white future is waiting for us."
As they finished giving the usual introduction of themselves, two college-student-aged rascals jumped to the grass. Then Nyase appeared from the place his gangs had been.
"Nyase!"
Satoshi bit his lower lip. Damn it! They had found the herd of Pikachus.
Kasumi shot a glance at the net, and sniffed. "It is no use. Shoot an electric beam and break the net, Pikachu."
Pikachu nodded strongly. His cheek pouches brightened, and electric sparks scattered, which were absorbed into ropes of the net.
"Pika, pika." Pikachu shook his head, annoyed.
Kojiro sniffed. "That is the net for Pikachus. We've applied for a patent of a new design for practical use."
"Made of an electricity-absorbing material, which is nature-friendly." Musashi finished the explanation for Kojiro.
"What does it mean 'nature-friendly'?" Takeshi fled up and cried.
Satoshi was also highly offended. "Save Pikachus!" Crying, he dashed, hurling himself on the gang. Takeshi and Kasumi followed.
Calmly, Kojiro leveled a rocket launcher. Three kids shrank.
A net was shot, capturing them. They tumbled to hit the ground.
"What is it?" Takeshi was completely confused.
The Rocket gang ignored him, attached the net which caught Pikachus to the bottom of a balloon, and leaped into it.
The balloon floated up, taking Pikachu higher in the sky.
"Pikachu!" Satoshi called helplessly, his throat aching.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called back, his tone turning to him for help.
Satoshi struggled to tear the net, but the ropes were quite hard. He was impatient.
The gang was in a good humor.
"Great! We made it."
The triumphant tone of Musashi seemed to provoke Pikachu. He opened his mouth, his teeth glittering in it, and snapped up a rope. Other Pikachus were inspired, and began to bite it.
Poor gang had forgot that they were a kind of mouse. They had to be in a panic to have found what was happening.
"Don't! Don't bit the net."
Kojiro squalled as Pikachu bit his rope off. He slid out, and dashed toward the balloon; a triumphant grin was on his face.
"Catch him!" Musashi shouted frantically, and the rest two of the gang leaped on him. But he was nimble.
Satoshi straggled out of the net finally on the ground. He found the tear Pikachu had made, and grinned, an idea in his mind.
He brought the net just below the balloon with the help of his friends, and called Pikachus in the net.
"Come on, guys. Jump down to it."
Satoshi indicated the net he grabbed with his thumb. The baby Pikachu nodded, and leaped down first. Satoshi's net successfully caught him. Other Pikachus followed one after another.
Noting every one was safe on the ground, Pikachu leaped to the handle the gang treated to operate the balloon. They glared at Pikachu, and said in chorus.
"Capture you only."
They leaped on him, crashing against the handle, because Pikachu jumped back before they reached him. A metallic sound echoed as the handle was torn away. And the critical action he took. He climbed up the curve of the balloon's cloth, then stopped to bite a point.
"Pikachu!"
It broke to make a split, and a gust of heated air splashed, blowing the balloon with the gang in it away.
Pikachu was also blown off. Satoshi dashed to be located at the point just below Pikachu who was floating in the air, and opened his arms.
"Pikachu," Satoshi called.
"Pikapi." Pikachu found him, and stretched his hands toward him. When Satoshi sensed that his hands touched Pikachu, his cute friend, he slid his arms around him and held him tight. Pikachu's fur tickled Satoshi's cheek pleasantly. It was good.
After a while Satoshi leaned back to face Pikachu. He chuckled wholly in his hands, his voice wheedling.
But soon he changed his face, and leaped over Satoshi on to the ground. Pikachus were behind them.
Pikachu ran close to them, facing the baby Pikachu.
"Pika," the baby said.
"Pika," Pikachu replied. A tumult rippled among them, and it formed union quickly. They clenched their hands into fists, raising them and lowering them.
"Pikachu, pikachu, pikachuc" they chanted. Fists were lifted up, and lifted down -
Satoshi vacantly watched that - that his Pikachu had totally blended in with others of the herd. Now he was close to them, not to him, he thought. Maybe he was happy with them.
"Really great! They are all safe." Kasumi sighed, relieved.
"Yeah. Satoshi's Pikachu worked well," Takeshi said.
"And you, too, Satoshi," Kasumi told Satoshi.
Satoshi didn't reply. He stared at Pikachu, his eyes full of affection, then turned around to leave.

He had decided to leave Pikachu. Trampling out the smoldering bonfire, he told his friends that. Kasumi was astonished, asked him, blaming him. "Oh, why?"
"Don't ask me anything. I made up my mind," Satoshi said, his voice blunt.
A thicket behind him rustled, and Pikachu slid out. His eyes were pure, capturing Satoshi's.
"Pikapi, pikachu?"
Satoshi, will we go? - he asked so, Satoshi understood. Not answering, Satoshi knelt before him, staring back. He could sense that the little friend trusted him, ready to follow him out of the forest. They had been together for a long time. Tears surged up to fill his eyes, so he looked down, holding them back.
"You stay here."
"Pi?" Pikachu frowned, seemingly puzzled.
"Maybe you will be happy here with your friends." Satoshi placed his hand on Pikachu's head, patting it lightly. While annoyed, Pikachu seemed pleased to have been cared.
"Pi," he said briefly.
"Bye, Pikachu." Satoshi stood up, and started. Startled, Pikachu ran after him.
"Pikapi," he called sadly.
"Don't come," Satoshi said flatly, then softened his voice. "Guys in the forest need you. So you stay here."
When he finished his sentences, he dashed out. Pikachu ran, too.
"Don't come," Satoshi shouted. Pikachu stalled.
Satoshi didn't look back, or stop, neither. He just ran down the road. Running, he relived the path which he had shared with Pikachu on their journey, that Pikachu had shot an electric beam at him when they had first met, that they had trusted each other intimately after the attack of Onisuzumes, and that they had won the tough rival Raichuc
After a long-time running, Satoshi stopped finally. He panted, partly because he had been tired, partly because of a sob he had held back, yet in his throat. While he adjusted his breath, Kasumi and Takeshi kept up with him.
"Why, Satoshi?" Kasumi asked, out of breath.
"He shouldn't come with me." Satoshi paused, then continued. "He could be happier with his friends."
Three of them couldn't say any further. They all looked down, each feeling something.
Day was breaking, and transparent-blue dawn light showered them. Satoshi bit his lower lip. He should go without the cute friend from just now. A big sorrow surged to his guts again.
A shadow he saw at his foot, making him look back.
The sun was rising beyond a low hill. On the hill something he found.
Pikachu was there, smiling a pure smile. Satoshi opened his eyes wide, unable to speak.
Wild Pikachus appeared, their faces brightening with joy. The baby Pikachu was in front of Pikachu, stretching his hand out.
"Pikachu," he said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu answered. Then they let their tails join, wagging.
"Pika pika," they said in chorus.

Suddenly, other Pikachus clenched their fists, lifting them up and down.
"Pikachu, pikachu, pikachuc" they said in chorus.
Kids watched them wonderingly, not realizing what they meant. Finally, Takeshi said, "maybe they're sending yells."
Satoshi was confused. "Yells?"
Takeshi nodded strongly. "Yes. To you and Pikachu."
Pikachu said something shyly, and left. He, on all fours, an affectionate smile over his face, ran down the path of the hill - heading straight for Satoshi.
"Pikachu," Satoshi murmured, as something hot surged up to his throat, making him unable to continue. Pikachu was now right before him, and kicked the ground to throw himself against Satoshi.
"Pikapi!"
Satoshi held him tight in his arms, feeling the warmth of his little friend. Tears rolled down, hot on his cheeks, he recognized. And then Pikachu rubbed his cheek against Satoshi's wet one.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
Tightening his grip around him, Satoshi made up his mind that he WOULD not leave him. Ever. The morning fresh air tickled the two friends tenderly.

Copyright(c)1998 Shou Tsurugi All rights reserved.