It was an early spring's morning, and Ash, Misty and I were all camping out 
in the Viridian forest. As I gazed into the sky, still sparkling with stars, 
I started to think of Butterfree. This is where Ash first met Butterfree, 
well, the Caterpie that would soon evolve into Butterfree. I was sitting on 
the same stump that Caterpie and I sat on the night Ash caught Caterpie. I 
was wondering how Butterfree was doing, when I remembered something my mother 
had told me when I was just a young Pichu. 
"Spring is mating season for most species. When the snow melts, everyone has 
children, so the children can be taught how to survive for the winter."
She told me it was mating season for humans too. I learned a lot about human 
from my mother. I learned the humans reach puberty between 10 and 13 years 
old. I though that was forever, as we reach puberty between 10 and 13 months 
old.
I didn't like humans as a child. When I was a year old, my mother took us to 
the deep, dark parts of the forest to teach us how to find food for 
ourselves. I had only just evolved into a Pikachu, and wandered a bit too 
far. Then, out of the shadows, I saw a weird thing coming at me. The next 
thing I knew, I was in a new place. Everything was white and shinny, and 
there was a human looking at me. He said something, but I didn't listen to 
him. I was angry. I wanted my mommy! I attacked. Then, as he got up after 
being shocked, I knew that what I did was bad. He took out the little thing 
again. I got a better look at it this time. It was a ball, like an apple, but 
it was half red, and half white. I saw a little yellow squiggle on the red 
part, right above a white circle on the equator of the ball. It looked like 
what I just shocked the man with. The next thing I knew, everything was 
silver and shinny. Then I saw the forest, my home. But something was wrong. I 
tried a thunder shock, and everything went silver. It was a fake environment. 
The next thing I remembered was a little human hugged me, and I shocked him, 
then, well, you know the rest!
I didn't realize that as I was remembering my childhood, the stars had 
disappeared. The sun was coming up. I looked around me. Then I realized 
something. There was a tree that looked familiar. I didn't realize it when I 
was sitting here with Caterpie, but this is where I was caught. 
What's that smell? I looked around. I though hard about where I smelt that 
smell before. Brock? It can't be Brock. Brock smelt similar, but the basic 
smell was different, and he masked it with perfumes and oils. It's not a very 
pleasant smell, but there must be a reason for that musk. I looked over the 
stump's edge. It was Ash!
But why would Ash smell like that? 
When Pikachu are old enough to find a mate, they start to smell. The smells 
that the males release are pleasant to the females, and vice versa. But other 
pokemon hate that smell. Could it be the same with humans?
"Mmmmmmmm." Ash was talking in his sleep again. He tends to do this when he's 
really enjoying his dreams. Or if he's having a nightmare. Usually he mumbles 
something about becoming the greatest pokemon master in the world, or winning 
a big battle or tournament, or food. I looked over to the other side of the 
log. Misty was still sound asleep.
"I love you too," whispered Misty. She speaks in her sleep also. It must be a 
human thing. Misty usually talking in her sleep about love, water pokemon, 
Ash, and how much she hates her sisters. It's like she's getting married: 
Something old is how much she hates her sisters, something new is love, 
something borrowed is Ash (don't ask me how it works, it just does.) and 
something blue is Water Pokemon! I looked over at Ash again.
"Misty." Misty!? What's he dreaming that he's moaning Misty's name? 
"Ash, I love you." This is what confuses me. Misty loves Ash, but only when 
she doesn't think anyone is listening to her. When anybody says she loves 
Ash, she denies it. Humans are so confusing. Why lie about love? Misty 
dreaming about Ash is nothing new. But I have here her moaning Ash's name 
over and over while she's sleeping. No clue why. 
But Ash dreaming about Misty? That's out of the ordinary.
Now the sun's broken the tree tops, and is bathing me in orange light. Ash 
has started grunting. He's about to wake up.
As Ash woke up, he yawned silently. Then he sat up, and looked at me. He had 
a sad look on his face, like he had felt paradise, but then realized it was 
only a dream. He looked over at Misty, still asleep. Ash is the only person, 
human and pokemon alike, that doesn't know how much Misty loves him. He 
looked at her longingly. 
Wait. Can he... Does he... Is he in love with her? 
As Ash watched Misty sleep, I saw a yellow flash go through the bushes. I ran 
after it. It smelt familiar. Ash didn't realize I left; he was in a kind of 
daze. I'd have to wake him up later. I caught up with what I saw in the 
bushes.
"Wait up!" I said. 
"Huh?" It stopped. Then I realized that it was a Pikachu. It smelt like how I 
remember my mother smelling. 
"Do I know you?" the other Pikachu said.
"I don't know," I said. "But you smell familiar."
"We smelt each other for a second."
"My son!" The other pikachu was my mother. I told her everything that 
happened since we got separated. Briefly. After ten minutes, we were saying 
our goodbyes, and I ran back to the clearing where Ash and Misty were. Ash 
was sitting on the log, a tear running down his cheek. I leapt into his lap.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He looked over at Misty, and started petting me on the head. Then he smiled. 
Funny thing, when a human is smiling and crying at the same time. It's 
confusing how two opposite emotions can be felt at the same time. Then I 
realized that Ash was confused. Love, a very powerful emotion, is like an 
attack that backfires. It makes you confused, and forces you to do anything 
that the person you love wants. Now I knew, Ash loved Misty. 
"Come on Pikachu, time to go." I know what that means. Ash went to pack up 
everything, and I woke Misty up. As we were leaving the clearing, I saw Ash 
look at Misty, and Misty look at Ash. They both grinned softly, like they 
were in love. Ash loves Misty. Misty loves Ash. If only they both knew it.