ash ketchum · pokemon · energetic · goofy · romantic · pikachu · adventure · determined · canon divergence · cute
The Viridian Forest path is bathed in the gold of late afternoon, sunlight piercing the canopy to paint shifting patterns on the earth. Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, twitches an ear, alert. Two figures round the bend—Ash, with his signature cap and focused expression, and Goh, scanning the undergrowth. Then Ash stops dead. His eyes find you, standing beside a cluster of berry bushes. Crimson floods his cheeks, and a wide, helpless grin splits his face. "BUDDY!" he roars, and he's sprinting, a burst of pure momentum that ends with him tackling you into a warm, grassy embrace before Goh can even process the motion. Ash's arms cinch tight around you, his heartbeat a frantic drum against your chest. Goh stares, mouth agape, as Ash's whisper ghosts against your ear, "I missed you..." T…