036: A Wild Pichu!!
"Susa…"
"Pijiu…"
There was a rustling sound in the dense underbrush near the broken fence, and in the astonished eyes of Ash and the others, a tiny Pokémon peeked nervously from the foliage.
A small, yellow mouse-like creature with long, triangular ears edged in thick black, a round head with expressive dark eyes, and two pink cheek patches that sparked faintly it was unmistakably adorable.
"Pi...chuu…" The tiny creature froze when it saw the group, then quickly ducked its head back into the bushes with a startled squeak.
"Ah!! Kawaii~ what was that?!"
"Ash, what kind of Pokémon is that? It's seriously cute!" Tieruno blurted out excitedly, clearly unfamiliar with the Pokémon of the Kanto Region.
"That's Pichu. This Pokémon is called Pichu," Ash answered simply, unlike earlier when he offered detailed explanations about Nidoking and other Pokémon the group had met. His voice was calm, but his heart was anything but.
It wasn't because Ash didn't know much about this Pokémon on the contrary, he probably knew too much.
In the original timeline, Pichu's evolved form, Pikachu, had been Ash's very first partner the cornerstone of his journey, his best friend, and the Pokémon who had been with him through countless battles, trials, and triumphs. Pikachu had once been just like this: a shy little Pichu.
"Even though Pichu and Pikachu are both native to Kanto and Johto, they're not commonly seen near Pallet Town. They usually live in small forest colonies closer to Viridian Forest or the Route 2 area near Pewter," Ash said thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes at the broken fence.
"So why is this Pichu here?"
He glanced back at the hole in the fence near the thick bush. Judging from the trampled grass and bent twigs, it was clear this Pichu had slipped through from the deeper forest beyond.
Ash quickly pieced the situation together. A wild Pichu, wandering outside its usual range, appearing near Professor Oak's lab at the exact time the summer camp reward Pokémon were being evaluated by the Alliance?
His heart began to race.
Just yesterday, Delia had casually mentioned that this year's summer camp would have a surprise the top three campers would be given the right to choose one of the three royal starters from the Kalos region. But the League had also sent several rare Pokémon for research pairing. Could this Pichu be one of those special-case Pokémon that had wandered off?
Ash's expression twitched slightly as a possibility formed in his mind one so wild, he lost grip of his emotional restraint for a moment.
"System," Ash called inwardly, keeping his face as composed as possible, "Scan this Pichu's information."
—————
[Pichu]
• Level: LV.5
• Type: Electric
• Nature: Timid
• Ability: Static (Hidden Ability: Lightning Rod)
• HP: 20
• Attack: 40
• Defense: 15
• Special Attack: 35
• Special Defense: 35
• Speed: 60
• Total Base Stat: 205
• Qualification: SS (King)
"Favored by the luck of the world, this Pokémon possesses incredible, miraculous potential!!"
• Skills (Reproducible):
Intermediate: Thunder Shock
Primary: Tail Whip, Play Nice
—————
"Hisss!!" Ash drew a sharp breath as the system's scan results appeared before his eyes. His pupils shrank slightly in disbelief, while a surge of ecstasy surged within.
He scrolled the data line by line. Stat-wise, this Pichu was ordinary, maybe even below average compared to most lab-raised or trainer-bred Pokémon. Level 5, minimal base stats, and just a few entry-level moves. The only above-average detail was the presence of its hidden ability: Lightning Rod a rare trait that reroutes Electric-type moves to itself, powering up its own Sp. Atk.
Still, none of that should've warranted more than a Normal C-tier evaluation by the system's standards.
And yet, its qualification was SS King-level.
—————
Pokémon Qualification Ratings
• Common D
• Normal C
• Elite B
• Perfect A
• Peerless S
• King SS
• Divine SSS
—————
Ash's fingers trembled slightly at the implications. An SS-rank Pichu destined for greatness, touched by luck, and possibly the next companion who could grow into something legendary.
He stared at the rustling bush, his eyes intense.
This wasn't just a random encounter.
It was fate knocking. Again.
To understand the system's classification of Pokémon aptitude, it divides potential into seven tiers in total, with the highest level being the SSS Divine Grade the rarest and most transcendent qualification any Pokémon can possess.
Yet, the rating the system assigned to the seemingly unremarkable and even slightly weak Pichu standing before Ash wasn't low at all it was the second highest level: the SS King Grade, second only to the mythical SSS Divine.
The reason for this unexpectedly high evaluation was also clearly stated by the system beneath the rating:
"Favored by the luck of the world, and possesses incredible miraculous powers!!"
"To be favored by the world's luck and hold miraculous potential... it was only a theory before but to think I was actually right," Ash murmured inwardly, his hands slightly trembling.
"This Pichu… it's really the same one that becomes my partner, Pikachu, in the original timeline."
He stared intently at the shaking bush where the little Electric-type was hiding, his heart racing with recognition and delight.
In the original continuity, particularly the first episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series titled "Enter Pikachu!", Pichu's backstory was finally revealed. That episode described Pikachu's earlier life in surprising detail, showing that it hadn't come from a breeder or been passed down by some mysterious figure like Ash's never-seen father, as some fans had once speculated.
Nor was it the case as some in Pallet Town believed that Ash had missed his chance to register early and that Professor Oak had simply given him Pikachu out of personal friendship with Delia.
In "Enter Pikachu!", it was revealed that the Pokémon who would one day become Ash's most trusted companion started life as a wild Pichu. He was born alone in the forest surrounding Pallet Town, and for a long time, he survived by himself.
Eventually, he was taken in by a Kangaskhan mother and became part of her family, bonding with her and her child as if they were his own kin. This period, though brief, was filled with warmth, safety, and joy.
But one night, under a full moon after a gentle rain, Pichu left of his own will driven perhaps by an instinctive awareness of the great journey ahead of him. It was in that moment of quiet resolve that he evolved into Pikachu.
The show didn't elaborate on how Pikachu ended up at Professor Oak's Laboratory, but clues were scattered.
Considering that the Kangaskhan family Pichu had lived with inhabited the forest behind Professor Oak's Lab, and seeing now that a section of the lab's wooden fence was broken, Ash began to connect the dots.
The present Pichu likely wandered through that very same gap and into the lab grounds just as Pikachu must have in the original story, before being caught and entrusted to Ash.
Moreover, Ash recalled how, during his original debut as a Trainer, Pikachu had a rebellious and distant personality refusing to obey, shocking everyone indiscriminately, and outright rejecting the Poké Ball.
Ash had always wondered why Pikachu was so aloof at first, and now, looking at the trembling bush, everything became clear.
As the destined protagonist the Child of the Aura, the Time Traveler gifted by fate it wasn't just Ash who was being drawn to Pikachu.
Pikachu had felt it too.
He must have sensed the calling of destiny and wandered from the forest, through that broken fence, into the lab's expansive Pokémon preservation yard.
Considering how vast Professor Oak's 'backyard' was spanning cultivated fields, open plains, and enclosed woods it was obvious the Lab had its own surveillance protocols to monitor fostered Pokémon.
So when this unusual Pichu strayed in, Professor Oak probably noticed immediately. Realizing that Ash still hadn't received his starter and seeing something remarkable in this wild Pokémon, Oak must have made the call to capture and tame it personally.
He would eventually present it as Ash's partner, unknowingly binding together two fates already entwined by the flow of time.
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