Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon or any of its related characters or themes.

AN1: Don't know where this idea came from ... O.o;;; fun to write though! Haha!

Four Days

... Four days.

It's been four days now and Pikachu still refuses to emerge from Ash's jacket.

He doesn't really mind, per se, but it's kinda weird.

"What are you doing in there?" Ash sticks his head down into the jacket.

A curled up Pikachu looks up, all sleepy-eyed, "Pika-pi?"

"Never mind..."

He's pretty sure it's got something to do with the time Pikachu got so sick.

Yeah, that's probably it.

Heh, it's a good thing Misty and Brock decided to take off when they did, they probably won't let him live this down. Ever.

Every now and again he's pretty worried that his poor Pikachu might end up overheating in the jacket. The jacket IS made for winter weather AND it's zipped up halfway -just enough to make a weird kind of cradle for the rodent. He fans the jacket again, unintentionally reminding himself that summer weather didn't permit wearing this thing full-time. It was getting pretty bothersome.

He looks down again, not once pausing in his walking, and eyes his loveable friend again, "Are you feeling okay?" he knows he had asked this a couple of times now, but each time he just gets a half-hearted reply.

"Chaaa~"

"That explains everything," Ash says sarcastically and rolls his eyes. He feels the slight jolt against his stomach and knows that Pikachu heard him.

He parks underneath a tree and stretches out his tired legs, wincing when one of his knees pop. He unstraps his backpack and retrieves a packet of dried fruit and slowly starts munching away on the candied pineapple cubes, "Hey, Pikachu, you want any of this?". He doesn't wait for an answer though, he picks up a piece and drops it down into his jacket.

A soft crunching sound lets Ash know his little friend was also having a snack-break.

"More?"

"Pika!" Pikachu pops his head out of the jacket and dives into the small packet, munching away.

Ash smiles, glad to see his friend finally emerged from the jacket-cave, "Heh, finally you-"

The second was over and Pikachu retreated back into the jacket and rested on Ash's chest.

"Spoke too soon..." the young man relents and chugs the last bits of pineapple, "Are you going to come out anytime soon?"

"Chuuuuuu~" ... Ash hates it when Pikachu manipulates him like that, but he lets him stay anyway.

Thanks for reading! Please frop me a pm or review if you liked it!