With the sun already high in the sky and Pidgey soaring through the clear blue air, Leyn slowly woke up. Beside him lay Pikachu, still fast asleep. Feeling groggy, Leyn wrapped his arms around Pikachu and closed his eyes once more, drifting back into sleep.
Screech!
The door suddenly opened, startling both of them awake. Leyn rubbed his eyes sleepily as Pikachu let out a small yawn. Squinting toward the doorway, Leyn saw his mother standing there.
"Mom," he asked groggily, "why are you here so early?"
Rhea smiled as she looked at her still half-asleep son.
"What time do you think it is?" she asked.
Leyn blinked. "Isn't it still, like… eight?"
Rhea let out a small laugh. "No, silly. It's already 11:30. Look at your clock. I was wondering why you weren't coming down—so you were still asleep, huh?"
Leyn smiled wryly, while Pikachu looked embarrassed. The two of them had stayed up late the night before, playing around and talking about how to improve their performance, all while brainstorming new ways to make money.
Seeing this, Rhea couldn't help but smile at her son's reaction."Wash your face and go downstairs now, Leyn. It's already lunchtime. Your dad already went to the lab, and I need to head out too," she said. "You're not going to the lab today, right? It's your day off."
After saying those words, Rhea left the room.
As she stepped out, Leyn sat up on the bed, his feet touching the floor. "Mom! What's for lunch?" he shouted after her.
Only her voice answered from outside the room. "Mushroom soup."
Going down the stairs, Leyn saw his mother heading out the door. Rhea noticed him as well and paused to remind him,"The soup is on the table, and the rice is still in the rice cooker. If that's not enough, there's also food in the fridge you can reheat."
Leyn nodded. "Okay. Be careful on the road, Mom."
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu called out as well, waving a paw as if saying goodbye. Seeing this, Rhea chuckled before leaving the house.
Leyn turned toward the table and spotted the soup. He grabbed a plate, served himself some rice, and prepared his meal.
Once done, he sat on the couch with Pikachu beside him, each of them enjoying their food.
Leyn turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, trying to find something to watch. Meanwhile, Pikachu was already eating eagerly, not bothering to wait for Leyn.
After finding something entertaining to watch, Leyn finally began eating. As he did, his gaze drifted toward Pikachu, who was happily enjoying his meal. Those chubby cheeks puffed out as Pikachu chewed, and Leyn couldn't help himself.
He wanted to pinch them.
Leyn's hand darted toward Pikachu's cheek.
Pikachu's ear twitched.
Sensing something coming, Pikachu swiftly dodged, hopping to the side before Leyn could touch him. He spun around and shouted,
"PIKA PIKA PII KAA!"
"Oh come on," Leyn said with a grin. "Just let me pinch your cheeks."
Still chewing, Pikachu backed away warily as Leyn continued inching closer. Suddenly, Pikachu released a small jolt of electricity.
"Pika!"
Leyn flinched, his hand stinging—but he didn't stop. Instead, he lunged forward with determination.
"PIKA PIKA!"
"JUST ONCE!!" Leyn shouted.
______________________________
After finishing their food—and their little scuffle—Leyn and Pikachu cleaned up the table, placing the plates and bowls into the sink.
They flopped onto the couch upside down, their heads hanging over the edge as they stared at the TV. The channels kept changing, but nothing caught their interest.
"Ugh… it's so boring to do nothing," Leyn groaned.
"Pika pikaaaa," Pikachu agreed, letting out a long sigh.
As they continued flipping through channels, a ray of sunlight streamed in through the window and hit Leyn right in the face. His eyes lit up.
Why not go out?
He sat up quickly and turned to Pikachu. "Buddy, let's go outside and explore the town."
Pikachu's ears perked up instantly. "Pika pika!" he shouted happily
Leyn changed out of his pajamas into something more presentable and lightly combed his hair, trying to tame his messy bedhead. Beside him, Pikachu waited impatiently, tapping his foot and glaring at him for not heading out right away.
Once they stepped outside, Leyn locked the gate, and the two of them headed toward the road.
"Ugh, it's so bright," Leyn groaned, raising a hand to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight.
As they walked down the path, Leyn glanced toward Leaf's house to see if she was outside. When he didn't spot her, he shrugged and continued walking.
"Leyn! What are you doing here?"
He turned around to see Leaf hurrying toward him. Leyn waved, and Pikachu enthusiastically waved a paw as well.
"I was bored just staying at home," Leyn said. "So Pikachu and I decided to explore the town."
"You really can't stay still, can you?" Leaf said with a knowing smile.
Leyn scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "Hehe…"
"So where are you and Pikachu going?" Leaf asked.
"Well, we didn't really plan anything," Leyn replied. "We were just thinking of checking out the ocean behind the town and exploring the streets a bit."
"Then can I go with you and Pikachu?"
Leyn hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure—just as long as you have your parents' permission."
"Okay! I'll ask them now!"
With that, Leaf hurried back inside her house.
Left outside, Leyn wiped sweat from his forehead, still not fully adjusted to the heat. He glanced down at Pikachu and groaned.
"Pikachu, we forgot to bring a hat or an umbrella. We're seriously getting toasted by the sun."
"Pika pika…" Pikachu nodded in agreement, his ears drooping.
Leyn crouched down and gently wiped the sweat off Pikachu's fur. Just then, a shadow fell over the two of them.
They both looked up.
Leaf was standing there, holding an umbrella above them, shading them from the sun.
Their expressions immediately brightened.
"Nice one, Leaf," Leyn said with a grin. "Good idea bringing an umbrella. Now we don't have to suffer anymore."
"Pika pika!" Pikachu chirped happily.
Leaf sighed as she looked at the two of them, though there was a smile on her face.
"I was wondering why you weren't wearing a hat or bringing an umbrella," she said with an endearing grin. "It looks like you just forgot. Sometimes you're really ditzy, Leyn."
Embarrassed once again, Leyn could only scratch the back of his head and smile.
Just then, a voice called out from inside the house,
"Be careful out there, okay? Kids!"
"Yes, Mom! Don't worry about us—we have Pikachu here to protect us!" Leaf shouted back. Then she lowered her voice and looked at Pikachu. "Isn't that right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu froze for a moment before awkwardly copying Leyn, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
Seeing this, Leaf couldn't help but laugh. "You really are trainer and Pokémon. Look at you—you even copy each other."
"Hehehe. Of course," Leyn said proudly.
"We're the best buds."
"Pika pika," Pikachu agreed.
As they started walking, Leyn fell into thought about where to go first. The beach came to mind, but imagining the scorching sand under the blazing sun made him wince.
"Why don't we explore the town first," Leyn suggested, "and then head to the beach when it's not so hot? That way we can enjoy the cool breeze and the sunset."
Leaf nodded in agreement, and Pikachu happily nodded along with her.