(16)
"Buneary... stalking Pikachu isn't the best of ideas".

"Eh, why?".

"Specially with his mate right behind you... What are you thinking?", Serena's Sylveon quietly asked the brown and yellow Pokémon in front of her as they walked together. Originally, Buneary sneaked off by herself but Sylveon couldn't help but follow her.

She was so suspicious.

"I'm just gonna... talk to him. Yeah, talk", the bunny responded, obviously lying.

Hana's eyes narrowed in judgment and she sighed lightly afterwards, "You're not actually doing that, are you...?".

"Nope", she admitted, smirking as she hopped.

Hana's (seemingly eternal) patience was running thin and she couldn't stop the thought of secretly wanting to strangle Buneary with her feelers... 

Was it that hard to accept Pikachu didn't love her that way?!

She had no choice, literally no chance against her... right?

Hana began to doubt herself but quickly stopped, Pikachu isn't like that... ever.

"I could NEVER hurt you, Eevee! I can't believe that jerk Zorua...".

She smiled softly at the memory, back when she was an Eevee and before her fallout with Pikachu happened. He wouldn't ever hurt her on purpose (or anyone, for that matter: Pika was that much of an angel), and if he did accidentally, he would give his all to apologize to her.

"Hana? Is that you?".

The Sylveon immediately turned around, hoping to see just who she was looking for. "Oh, Bunnelby. Hello", she was a little disappointed but tried to not let it show. Bunnelby was one of her best friends after all.

"What are you doing around here?", she asked him.

"I found it strange you weren't anywhere near camp. I was getting worried... you know, I don't want another lost Ribbon...", he chuckled ironically at the end, though deep sadness showed in his eyes as the chuckle slowly died.

"We still haven't found her...", Sylveon wasn't able to laugh.

"I'm so sorry, Hana... Really", tears started to drip from his eyes and he noticed his friend's, Ribbon's mother, were also. He decided to walk into her feelers and give her a gentle hug, saddened as she was.

Ribbon was like a niece to him... and she was missing. Hopefully safe, but missing.

But, still, they didn't... what if they never found her again? What if she wasn't even alive anymore...?

He couldn't bear the thought of the young child's life in danger and sobbed quietly.

"Hey? Did you really stop following me?", Buneary asked confused that Sylveon would do such a thing if she "loved" Pikachu so much? Didn't she want to make sure Buneary didn't do anything?

She was surprised when she saw Sylveon hugging another Pokémon very tightly; they seemed very into each other...

"Shh... shh... it's okay...", she listened to him, a male, soflty talking to her, caressing her pink ears as her shoulders shivered.

"Oh... my... Arceus... she's... she's cheating on Pikachu!", Buneary gasped before she swiftly cover her mouth with her hand so they wouldn't hear her eavesdropping.

"I can't believe it...", she seemed distressed and in disbelief, "This is worse than I thought... Pikachu's beautiful heart is going to be broken into tiny little pieces!", she almost cried, "I... I have to tell him this!".

Then she ran away from the scene.
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Raimei was slowly walking back from the spot he and Sanda frequented. He had taken to tutoring the kid, since the Pichu didn't have parents or older siblings or anyone for that matter...

He didn't know how he managed but at the same time he knew: once he had been just like him, and he wanted to help the past version of himself in an act of kindness...

He sighed at the deep thoughts before focusing back on the road--

"Pikachu!".

"Huh? Buneary...", he quickly recognized the annoying voice though he still kept his own voice and brown eyes low.

"Pikachu! Pika...!", she kept panting as if she had been in a marathon just a second ago.

"What is it, Buneary?", he had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Your mate... your mate's chea--".

"Pikachu! Nice to see you around", Bunnelby suddenly appeared behind her. Buneary cringed dramatically at the coincidence.

Pikachu smiled slighlty as he turned his vision from the girl bunny to the male one, "Hey, Bunnelby".

Sylveon was right behind him, her face looked a little brighter from before, but even the smile she had seemed sad, "Pika...".

Pikachu giggled happily as soon as he saw her and immediately went towards her, passing an upset Buneary, "Hana! I missed you".

Hana released a short laugh as he hugged her tightly, "You were the one who left". "Right", he chuckled, holding her. The white and light pink Pokémon leaned down just enough to shyly kiss his lips softly as he returned.

Buneary was obviously shaking behind them.

She didn't notice Bunnelby cautiously approaching her back. "Um, hello", he gave her a close-eyed smile to which she jumped in surprise at, then relaxed.

She doubted whether to respond.

"... hi".

"I think this is the first time we've met, right?", the grey and brown Pokémon said politely, "Clemont is my trainer, my name's Bunnelby. And yours, miss?".

He... h-he's such a gentleman! "I'm... I'm Buneary... my trainer's Dawn, Ash's friend", she coughed swiftly, trying to hide her sudden blushing face. W-what is happening to me?! I only blush for Pikachu! EVER!, she forced her cheeks back to normal, using Ice Beam inside herself maybe.

Wait... Pikachu... wasn't this how I met him? He was so nice to me when we first met... we fell totally in love... but he just kept denying it over and over! I was his self-proclaimed girlfriend!, Buneary remembered back in the old times at Sinnoh and smiled before frowning angrily: Pikachu sure didn't appreciate her enough for all the things they had gone through together and all the times she stood next to him!

It was so--

"Unfair...", she muttered deep behind her breath, but Bunnelby could still hear her with his giant ears.

"What?", he tilted his head in confusion.

"It's so unfair," she chuckled sadly, a few teardrops escaping her eyes, "Why do I have to love Pika if he doesn't ever love me back?".

"...".

"He... he never broke up with me...! Because we... were never dating to him".

"...".

"I-I t-thought we'd get married someday... b-but it never happened!", she was full on sobbing now, covering her cries with her paws.

Bunnelby finally understood the situation and moved towards her, taking her into his arms so she would lay her head on his shoulder and cry better. It must hurt... he knew beter than anyone... he had also loved... Eevee, one day, even though she never knew.

Buenary kept crying, she noticed Pikachu and Sylveon had already walked back home together (probably BEFORE she started crying) while she was stuck here, wailing. So unfair... so, so unfair...

"Are... are you okay now?", Bunnelby asked her gently after a while. "Y-yeah... I think so. Thank you, huh...", she forgot his name: Seriously?! After how much he has helped you!,  she internally blamed herself.

"...Bunnelby", he told her, "It was nothing, Buneary. Everyone should have a shoulder to cry on", he said, glancing away.

Everyone... including Sylveon? So maybe... she had overreacted...

Maybe she was looking for a last resort to make Pikachu love her.

"Thank you, Bunnelby", she repeated, confidently now; a small blush was tinting her cheeks and her tears had almost disappeared into her fur while she smiled brightly at him.

She's so... beautiful, Bunnelby mused at the image, blushing, too, "I-it was nothing, really!".

His ears instinctively brushed against her in a sign of nervousness and affection.

Buneary gave in a laugh, "Hey, this is a really pretty part of this place, isn't it?". She noticed the clear blue water and the mountains in the background.

"Yeah... it is pretty".

"I'd like to watch the sunset with you--", she stopped herself; isn't this what she always said to Pikachu? An order, instead of a question.

"W-w-would you like to watch the sunset with me?".

Bunnelby thought for five seconds before smiling sweetly at her, "I'd love to".
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