Telltale Signs

Ash and Pikachu were very much alike.

Both of their favorite colors were blue. They both hated the cold. Neither of them were unfamiliar with going to bed late and getting up early to train; although both complained loudly to themselves when they were awoken by someone else. They both seemed to have bottomless pits for stomachs. They both had a drive in their eyes and a compassion in their hearts that was hard to beat. They both slept in the same position- The list could go on and on.

Of course, neither Ash nor Pikachu themselves exactly realized how alike they were to one another. It was only as a traveling partner or an acquaintance that one could make the distinction. They really were just alike.

Of course that hadn't always been the case. In the beginning they hadn't gotten off on the best of feet, but they'd been partnered together and had decided to weather the storm. A storm that was short-lived as they were on the fast-track to bestfriendville within the month. That was when they began to slowly become like one another.

Perhaps it was because they'd been together nonstop for years. Or maybe because Pikachu was Ash's first and closest partner. Or even maybe because Pikachu was always out of his ball so they got to interact with each other 24/7 unlike his other Pokémon. Whatever it was though, they slowly began to meld with each other emotionally.

First they picked up one another's schedules, then preferences, then habits, and then thoughts. No, Ash couldn't understand what Pikachu was saying but he also sort of… could. He just knew. And maybe that's what made their bond all the more special.

The fact of the matter was, no matter who was looking at it, Ash and Pikachu were incredibly alike. Which sometimes gave insight about one of them, by looking at the other.

For example, Ash was a little bit dense and one thousand percent tight-lipped about what feelings he may or may not have had for any of his female traveling companions. Sure, he'd been asked about them by Brock or Cilan, or Iris, or really much of anyone who was curious about what other sorts of relationships he had in his life. He'd laugh and say they were silly and that he loved all his former companions equally. It was true enough; he really did love all of the friends he'd made along his journey.

And the same went for Pikachu. When he met up with Dawn or May or Misty again, Pikachu would always squeal in excitement before hopping up into their arms and giving them a warm welcome, chattering away at them as if he were telling them all about the adventures they'd partaken in since they'd parted. It just went to show that yes, he and Ash were still very much alike in that they were overjoyed to see old friends again, and eager to exchange information on what all they'd missed in each other's lives.

To the untrained eye, that was how it seemed, anyway. But to those who knew both Ash and Pikachu well, or at least took the time to really scrutinize the encounters… something more telling emerged.

Ash was hard to read. He had the same hearty laugh, sloppy smile, and firm handshake for all of his past friends. He'd lean down and pat Piplup on the head when Dawn visited, he'd ask May how Max was doing, and he'd ask Misty how the Cerulean Gym was fairing with her as the Leader. It was all friendly, warm, and comfortable. No one could read what he was really thinking. Or more specifically, if any of those reunions meant something… more.

That was when the focus shifted to Pikachu. His initial greeting was similar. Yes, he'd hop into their arms and chatter away. Then he'd mimic something similar to Ash. He'd hop down and chat away with Piplup, he'd rummage through May's bag and find something of Max's that he'd sniff, someone usually picking up on the fact that he was curious as to how her younger brother was doing. And he'd do the same to Misty, finding her little compartment that held Gym Badges and rifling through it, examining each one before he poked at her pokeballs to let out his old friends for a much-needed reunion.

He was curious about how they were doing. But it was in the interactions that followed which gave it away. Maybe the group would go out for dinner or on a long walk. Maybe they'd stay the night in the local Pokémon Center or maybe they'd arrange to travel together for a while. Pikachu and Ash were both of course ecstatic over the thought of spending more time with friends. However, Pikachu tended to… gravitate… a little more towards one companion.

Sure he would hang around with Piplup and play little games with Dawn. And sure, he would challenge one of May's Pokémon to a battle or happily much Pokeblocks from her hands. But there was something a little more intimate about his reaction to Misty.

Maybe he'd lean a little harder into her hand than the others' when she petted him. Or maybe he liked to sit by her at the table when they ate when with the others he was indifferent. It was almost as if there were a little magnetic field or a gravitational pull around Misty that attracted Pikachu to her. He was always relatively close to her, no matter what, when they were reunited. That was, if he wasn't perched happily on Ash's shoulder, of course.

It was something so small and so easy to miss if one was not looking for it. It was something that felt extremely natural and subconscious. Yes, Pikachu loved all of Ash's traveling partners that he'd had over the years, but if observed closely, it was clear that Misty was his favorite. That he liked her just a little bit more… That she seemed to fit just a little more perfectly… That she was just something slightly more special than anyone else.

And that was the tell that Pikachu had. Maybe Ash was impossible to read, but his better half and the creature that seemed to be on his exact same wavelength, gave him away.

Because Misty really was something special. Not because she was the first, and not because she'd been with them the longest, or the most, but because she was… well… her. Relationships worked in mysterious ways and the heart wants what the heart wants, and in the end it turned out to be Misty that satiated what both Ash and Pikachu's heart needed.

Because no, he hadn't confessed and no, he wasn't showing any signs of letting on how he felt either, but if you looked, you could tell… simply in the small ways.

The Sinnoh League Challenge - Route 202 vs. Shinx - write about an electric type Pokemon

Just a random but hopefully kind of cute little thing. :D
Ash and Pikachu are a lot alike, and so I feel like sometimes despite Ash's obliviousness his affection for Misty would be evident... if that makes sense. XD
Anyway, man I haven't written for these two in forever! I hope I didn't butcher it too badly.
I'd love to hear what you thought! I don't feel like Pokeshipping gets as much love as it used to. And that's just crazy! ;D

~Foxtail-chan