11.Speak

Nothing could compare to the feeling of being back in his real body, Andre thought, becoming human again. At first, it had been strange for him to be so small, to have a tail and to want to fool around like a Pikachu. That fur and those stubby legs... But damn, how he missed his beard!

He scratched it with pleasure, feeling the familiar roughness of the hair on his face again. How long he had longed to grow that exquisite beard, and how angry he had been when he had been forced to shave it off. Without the beard, he looked too young, and he hated looking like a child.

Speaking of a child...

That same 'child', only in the form of Pikachu, looked at him with such sad eyes...

"I thought you would stay Raichu longer..." - His little Beatrice squeaked sadly, her lip even quivering! Was she really using her cuteness to her advantage!

Andre could not resist this touching sight. He bent down and gently took Beatrice in his arms, cradling her against his chest.

"Hey, don't get so upset, little one," he said affectionately, stroking her head. - I can always turn into Raichu whenever I want. But for now, it's time for us to move on.

But wait, Andre just did, Beatrice blinked a few times and thought a bit.

"You understand me! As a human?!" - She exclaimed and climbed onto his shoulder.

"Yes, I do. " he grinned, turning right down the path.

"Wow~, you're so cool, Big A! But how did you do that, you didn't understand me before. " - She asked an interesting question.

"Hahaha, you see, the thing is, the Pokémon language is much harder to adapt, so I had to copy you first, Beatrice, so I could scan the language and adapt to it," he explained.

Beatrice nodded vigorously, pretending to understand, even though she didn't really understand what he was saying.

Now that they had time to talk, and Beatrice could understand Andre in human form, he decided to ask where it all began. The very beginning of their unusual relationship... Under the morning dew. And the strangest thing was that it had only been one day since he, a grown man in his thirties, had befriended the little Pikachu.

"I have question, Beatrice, tell me, why did you decide to stay with me?" - Andre asked quietly, looking intently into her cute little face.

He had many other questions about her, but everything required patience, and it was always worth starting with the easiest.

Beatrice furrowed her brow, pondering his question. Finally, she lifted her wide-open eyes to him and squealed

"A...Ahem..Well, I was scared at first, you know, because ... Big A, you're such a... Well, big human!" - She gestured, pointing at his large figure and saying the most obvious thing, which made Andre laugh. "I've never this big human! And you looked so unusual, but..."

She lowered her ears a little and peered at the rim of his glasses as they walked leisurely on.

Andre didn't interrupt her, giving her as much time as she needed to answer.

"You looked so sad, so tired, just like me," Beatrice said softly.

Andre stopped where he was and slowly turned his head towards her as she played with her fingers in embarrassment.

"Like you, my little storyteller?" - He interjected softly, feeling something clench inside him.

Beatrice nodded without lifting her eyes.

"Yes... All those days alone, without a family, without a home... I was so lost. I even evolved because of it, trying to deal with the danger. I-It were hard days, and then you appeared, Big A... Lost, helpless for a moment...And I didn't want you to go through the same thing I did. I thought you needed a friend as much as I d-did."

She stuttered slightly at the last moment.

He understood. She was a child who had to grow up too soon, who had to leave her comfortable world to deal with hard circumstances.

Ironically, the little girl had shown more maturity than he had at that moment. He had much to learn from her.

She was just a child and there was nothing wrong with her intentions. She simply saw a man in a bad state and genuinely wanted to make him feel better.

Fate is a strange thing.

But what happened to her family? If she doesn't talk about it herself, she doesn't want to. He'll wait, Andre was always patient. He learn to be. And for his 'daughter' he was willing to wait as long as it took.

Carefully releasing his hand, he stroked Beatrice's head, gently caressing her soft cheeks. She cuddled trustingly into his large palm, making a soft, rumbling sound.

"It's amazing how a little thing like you can calm down a big man like me," Andre laughed, putting his arm around Beatrice. "I don't like to be angry, my little one, because it's hard for me to calm down. But you seem to have found my weakness."

She pulled away from his arm a little. "Yes?"

He nodded confidently, hardly believing he was saying the words:

"You, my dear Beatrice. Your sincerity and caring are what can dispel any darkness in my soul."

Mischievous light danced in her eyes.

"Perhaps I should open a school for calming grumblers." - She muttered, covering her mouth with her paw to hide a chuckle.

Andre raised an eyebrow and poked her with his finger, making her shriek and laugh.

"Hey, who's the grumpy one? I'm just a... A slightly grumpy 'old man', as the dog put it. " he said indignantly, making a serious face.

Beatrice giggled and quickly wrapped her paws around his neck, nuzzling her nose against his cheek.

"Don't be mad, Big A! I'm just kidding!"

Andre broke into a broad smile against his will and stroked her head.

"What a little prankster. Okay, I'll forgive you just because you're so cute."

He pulled Beatrice closer to him, feeling the weight of loneliness finally lift from his shoulders for the first time in a long time. In the company of this tiny creature, he could allow himself to be himself - sometimes grumpy and sullen, but still capable of genuine laughter and warmth.

***

As they approached the Poké Center, Andre looked around to make sure no one was around. Then he turned to Beatrice and said quietly:

"Don't tell anyone I understand Pokémon, okay?"

Beatrice immediately nodded and covered her mouth with her paw.

"Okay! It'll be our little secret!"

They reached the entrance to the Poké Center just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, and the streetlights came on, illuminating the path with a soft glow. A warm evening breeze blew behind them, bringing a pleasant coolness.

Andre ducked to go inside. They found themselves in a spacious hallway with several couches and chairs, where several trainers were already seated with their Pokémon.

As they entered, the trainers and their Pokémon in the room immediately turned their attention to them. As they studied the new visitor, their eyes widened in amazement. There was a deathly silence in the room, a very familiar reaction for Andre.

Well, what did you want, you don't see a giant like that every day!

He heard one of the Pokémon whisper softly, "Humans can evolve too?"

Andre could barely contain his laughter as he took wide strides towards the reception desk where the diminutive nurse Joy was standing.

Standing in front of her, he cast a huge shadow, almost completely blocking the girl from the light.

"Excuse me..." - he began in his deep, slightly raspy voice.

Sister Joy gasped in surprise and almost fainted.

Andre bit his lip, fighting the urge to laugh - her reaction was priceless! He put his fist to his face to stop himself from laughing. He seemed to have startled her with his appearance. Maybe he shouldn't have hovered over the poor guy like that.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, taking a step to the side so that his huge form no longer blocked the light.

"N-no p-problem, sir," Nurse Joy replied slowly, trying to get a closer look at the giant's face.

He had a clean, well-groomed beard, a broad smile, and gold horn-rimmed glasses, with a small Pikachu perched on his shoulder (well, it looked tiny on his shoulder).

Trying to keep his tone confident, not intimidating, Andre asked the girl:

"Can you tell me where I can find Ash Ketchum, Nurse?"

Joy straightened up slightly, got a little bounce in her step, and pointed her finger at the door next to the front desk.

"In the backyard, practicing with his Pokémon."

Andre nodded and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."

The Pikachu on his shoulder waved a paw as Andre moved toward the backyard exit.

Nurse Joy escorted the rather unusual couple out with a glance. Her sisters wouldn't believe it. But it was a good thing they had working cameras.

***

As Andre stepped out into the backyard, he heard no sounds of training, only the children's lively conversation and the nods of approval from their Pokémon. However, the field itself, which had apparently been used for training, was quite damaged, providing undeniable evidence of recent training.

Bonnie was the first to notice its appearance. The girl immediately screamed with joy:

"Mr. Andre, Beatrice, hey!"

She began to wave intensely, attracting the attention of Ash, Pikachu and Clemont.

Andre nodded back at them and moved forward, but it was Beatrice who waved her paws with equal intensity and shouted:

"Guys!!!"

But all they heard was "Pika-Pika! "

Andre took his time walking over to the boys, noting the shabby appearance of Pikachu, Ash, and Clemont. He gently lowered Beatrice to the ground beside them so she could get some exercise after her long journey. The giant himself said hello to the children:

"Good evening, kids."

They responded to his greeting in a friendly manner. Ash inquired curiously:

"How was your walk, Mr. Andre?"

"Very well, Ash, thank you," the giant nodded.

However, he and Beatrice now had one important matter to resolve before they traveled further.

"Would you guys mind feeding Beatrice? After that, she and I will have to head out on the road."

To this request, Bonnie was the first to respond:

"Sure, no problem, Mr. Andre!"

But Clement still felt it necessary to clarify:

"On the road? "Isn't it a little late for that, Mr. Andre?"

Andre raised his palm slightly, dispelling their doubts with a warm smile:

"It's alright, traveling at night is common for me."

"Beatrice and I are off to Santalune City, and we should be there by morning," Andre said with a smile

***

(A/N) Please forgive any mistakes, I was in such a hurry to get this chapter done as promised that I may have made a few mistakes.... Maybe more. You've done more than that, which I am immensely grateful for. And check comments for the art, next time it will be much better art for these two.

Also in the next chapter Andre will try to make money, and buy some accessory for Beatrice, well the pokeball too.