My Pikachu is a squishmallow, but he is more than that to me. He is my emotional support. He has bright yellow fur that is super soft, so I love to hug him and pet him. He is round with 2 pointed ears with black tips. He has large black eyes with white pupils. He has a black dot for a nose and a black, curved perpetual smile. He has two bright red circles for cheeks. On his back, he has a lightning bolt for a tail with brown stripes. What makes my Pikachu unique is that he wears pajamas that used to belong to my mom, but now they are his. He wears a white, grey, and black patterned pajama top that hangs below his bottom with sleeves that extend to his arms. Since my mom wore the pajama top for a long time before Pikachu started wearing it, it is worn out but very soft.
A few years ago, I was really into Pokémon. I collected Pokémon cards. My favorite Pokémon was Pikachu. One day, I was at Kohl’s shopping for clothes and found him in a big box with other Pokémon squishmallows, but he was the chosen one. I chose Pikachu because he was super cute and soft. After I brought him home, I hugged him and put him in my bed. Then, Pikachu started doing more things with me. We started by doing homework together. He kept me company. He also kept me company when I did my tutoring. Sometimes I joked with my tutor that I did not know the answer, but Pikachu knew the answer. When Pikachu was with me, I felt happy and safe. He became my emotional support.
My Pikachu is the emotional support that helps me feel better even when things are hard. One example of how Pikachu helped me was when I had to take the ISEE to get into middle school. We had to drive to Los Angeles to take the test since I have accommodations. We stayed in a hotel. I felt very nervous about taking the test because it was a big test and it was 4 and a half hours, and I studied for it for over a year. I slept with Pikachu the night before the test, and he made me feel secure. During the test, my mom held Pikachu outside and waited for me. She was cold since she did not bring a long-sleeved shirt, so she stripped Pikachu’s pajamas off him and put them on. When I took my one 10-minute break, I saw my mom holding Pikachu without his pajamas outside the door, waving Pikachu’s ear at me. I felt happy when I saw Pikachu, but sad that he did not have his pajamas. Seeing him helped me to keep going and finish my test. I ended up doing pretty well on the ISEE and was accepted to LJCDS. We all go through stressful times and need support. My life became happier after I had Pikachu. He is so close to me now, I call him “Pik” or “Piki”. He sleeps with me at night and goes with me when I travel to new places. I cannot imagine my life without him.
By Eric O.- 7th