Pikachu is not really liking the silence. Whatever that small thing is, it seems to have triggered the boy into being in that state again.
Void of emotions, mind in another world entirely,...
The Electric-Type looked down the floor helplessly and subconsciously rubbed his forearm. Then came a twitch of irritation from his left eye when the reminder of the foams in his fur came back to him.
*THUNK!*
Cade jolted out from his depressed musing when his ears caught the loud sound of something hitting metal and instantly looked up and to the source.
He didn't expect to see the still foam-covered Pikachu down on the ground in front of one of the metal legs of the desk and a red bump on his forehead. The boy stared at the mouse, mind putting the pieces together, before chuckling.
'The package foams must have broken him,' he thought as he knelt down beside Pikachu who was beginning to gain conscious, "You alright there, bud?"
Pikachu sat up as he rubbed his head with a grumble, "Just peachy,"
These pink things had drove him to the point he wanted to scream his lungs out, maybe even release a large Thunder Shock. Sadly, and irritatingly, he couldn't do that. So, he did the second best option: Bash head-first to the first thing he glanced on.
Not the best option, but it was better than shocking a seizure to a ten year-old boy.
He turned to look up at the boy, hoping he wasn't back to that "dead inside" state. Good news, he isn't. Confusing news,...
Cade is now staring at him with a gaping mouth and wide, in-shock eyes.
…Okay, what did he do this time?
"Pikachu...." Cade finally spoke, tone of voice and facial expression both unreadable, "What are the names of Charmander's evolution line?"
If Pikachu has an eyebrow, he would be raising it. For one, that question is out of the blue.
"...Charmeleon is Charmander's first evolution and then Charizard soon after," Pikachu answered nonetheless, not following why the boy asked him such thing, "It's kind of weird that you asked me that, which is more weirder as you can't understand every word I say-"
"I am actually understanding every word you were and still saying,"
There is now a cloak of total, awkward silence covering the two of them as they both just stared at one another.
"...Can you help me get rid of these foam stuff off my fur and try to ignore the awkward silence?" Pikachu bluntly said.
"Will do," Cade spoke similarly.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Carefully, Cade plucked out the last one as Pikachu sat on his lap. While the foams is statically attracted to the mouse's fur, they aren't hard to remove. Other than the constant tingling sensation he felt whenever he goes to pluck off one piece, it wasn't all that bad.
"That's the last of it," Cade said.
"Thank you," Pikachu relieved, finally glad on having to get rid of all that, "I never thought I'd find something as mocking as that,"
Cade chuckled, then decided to speak again, "Well, I'd never thought I'd meet a talking Pikachu in my entire life..."
Pikachu chuckled the same, "Your surprise is as good as mine," He looked up to meet his face, then frowned at the sight of Cade's sober mood, "You have that face again,"
Cade blinked in shock of what Pikachu said. He didn't expect the Pokémon to noticed his depressed state. He stared down at Pikachu's eyes, which were glaring at him before it soften.
"Caden, was it?" Pikachu asked, careful not to use the other name.
The boy was yet again surprised of Pikachu, "How-"
"That human who barged in the room called you by that name," Pikachu explained, seeing the boy look at him with understanding and nodded, "Caden, I want to know why did you looked like you have nothing left to live for?"
The boy flinched back, which Pikachu grimaced to himself for going out blunt and straight. He is very terrible in socializing to humans as he realized.
"Sorry, a very bad move of mine," Pikachu apologized, ears droop down on sides of his head.
Cade looked away from him and remained silent, his mind going on a conflict as Pikachu looked at him with guilt. He was trying to help the boy, not make it worst.
Pikachu closed his eyes in resentment and sighed. That's it, he had failed to-
"You aren't wrong,"
Pikachu looked up at him in shock as a bitter smile spread in Cade's despaired face.
"I have nothing else, really," Cade shut his teary eyes in pain as he choked a sob, "I had lost my Mom, my Dad, and I lost my Uncle two days ago. Now, I am just an orphan with nobody to be cared by,"
"That's not true,"
Cade looked at Pikachu in confusion as The Electric-Type had his head low and tiny hands clenched into fists. When the mouse whipped his head up, the boy sees a lot of emotions in them. Sadness, determination, fury, pride, resolution, all blazing within the mouse's eyes like a spark.
"You are NOT a nobody, you hear me?!" Pikachu said, "I know you are more than that, more better, more special, and many more! So don't go around saying you are a nobody and say you are you!"
Cade stared in astonishment of what he was hearing, "Pikachu..."
Pikachu's eyes soften with a whole-hearted smile, "And please smile. I do not want to see you sad," he then gave the boy a cheerful expression he learned in his on-screen self: head tilt to the side, one ear limp, eyes shut in a happy way, and a bright smile on his face, "So let me see you smile,"
Cade stared at him with an unreadable expression.
In Pikachu's mind, the mouse was yelling to himself.
'Really, Pikachu!? This is the best way you could think of!?'
Then he saw a miracle.
Cade remained unresponsive for a while. Then a familiar shine glimmered in his eyes...
And the boy finally smiled.