037: Partners Who Met In Advance!
…Professor Oak had already tamed the wild Pikachu.
Of course, as a renowned scholar full of curiosity and a passion for Pokémon research, Professor Oak's instincts naturally pushed him to study the Electric-type. Even if Pikachu was considered a common Pokémon in the Kanto Region, every Pokémon had its mysteries especially a stray one with unusual behavior and hidden potential.
However, in Pikachu's eyes, what followed may have felt like betrayal.
Originally, he was an innocent and pure-hearted Pokémon playful, kind, and full of dreams. Called forth by the unseen pull of fate, this Pikachu had come to fulfill his destiny as the chosen partner of the world's future hero. He answered that call, stepping toward the Laboratory from the nearby forest, believing it would lead to a greater purpose.
Yet what awaited him wasn't a warm welcome, but the cold steel bars of a Poké Ball and a lab bench under sterile lights.
As shown in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Pikachu had once lived joyfully under the care of a Kangaskhan mother in the forest near Pallet Town. But after evolving from Pichu on a rainy night, he walked away on his own searching for something greater. That something led him to Professor Oak's backyard. And that's where things went wrong.
Within the Lab, despite Oak's best intentions as a researcher, Pikachu was monitored, poked, and studied in detail. It wasn't cruelty in the literal sense, but to Pikachu, who had only known warmth and freedom, it felt like imprisonment.
In his young, sensitive heart, the shock of sudden containment and being treated as an object of curiosity flipped a switch.
The once cheerful Electric Mouse turned cold, distant, and disobedient.
That's why, in the original timeline, when Ash finally received his starter on the morning of his journey after oversleeping and missing his original selection he was given Pikachu. And Pikachu, still angry and mistrustful from his experience, refused to obey, rejected the Poké Ball, and zapped anything that moved.
But destiny is relentless.
Despite their rocky beginning, it was during the encounter with the wild Spearow flock an attack that put both of them in danger that everything changed. Ash shielded Pikachu without hesitation, risking his life with raw courage and no hesitation.
That single act of loyalty shattered the wall between them.
Pikachu, hardened by fear and betrayal, was suddenly reminded of what he had yearned for: trust, companionship, purpose.
At that moment, something deep inside him awakened.
Empowered by the miracle embedded in his SS-level aptitude "favored by the luck of the world" Pikachu let loose an awe-inspiring Thunderbolt that lit up the stormy sky. It wasn't just electricity; it was divine power cloaked in lightning. In that instant: Ninefold Thunder cracked the heavens, the Miraculous Spark burst forth, and destiny was sealed.
The once-sullen Pikachu transformed in spirit his power blossomed like never before, and he became:
"Thunder·Miracle·Pikachu!!"
With a flash of golden might, the entire swarm of attacking Spearow was scattered, fried mid-air and turned into shimmering EXP points in the dazzling sky.
Thus, the once-blackened Pikachu was redeemed moved by Ash's sincerity, he returned to the side of justice. That day became the first true triumph of the partners who would face the world together.
Then, as if to acknowledge their bond, the sky opened.
Amid the glimmering aftermath, the legendary Phoenix Pokémon Ho-Oh, the symbol of hope and rebirth soared across the sky, casting a rainbow and dropping a single Rainbow Wing from its shimmering plumage, marking Ash and Pikachu's journey as chosen ones.
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"Pichu hasn't evolved yet… So, is he still living on his own? Or has he already been adopted by the Kangaskhan mother again?" Ash whispered, eyes still on the bushes.
But of course, no one answered him. Only the rustling leaves and faint sparkles of static electricity in the air remained.
"If fate placed you in my path early, then I'd be a fool to ignore it. Heaven's gift shouldn't be turned away."
"If the Summer Camp event allows me to have my own Pokémon in advance," he continued, voice resolute, "then there's no doubt who my Earl Dervish partner is it's you, Pichu."
Closing the system's Attribute Panel, Ash exhaled slowly, steadying his emotions. His decision was made.
This was no coincidence.
It was fate.
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"Pii-chu..."
Hearing nothing from outside for a long time, the timid Pichu poked its tiny head cautiously out of the dense bushes once again.
Just beside the shrub was the narrow gap in the wooden fence that led out into the deeper forest yet Pichu had no intention of going back there. The outer forest was far too dangerous.
Its appearance here was a complete accident. Earlier in the day, it had been frantically fleeing a swarm of furious Beedrill, driven into a panic by their aggressive pursuit. While blindly rushing for safety, it had unknowingly slipped through the broken fence and into the spacious, enclosed backyard of Professor Oak's Laboratory.
But in that moment of panic, as it squeezed through the gap in the planks, its hind leg was nicked by a splinter jutting out from the wooden fence leaving a small cut.
As a wild Pokémon, Pichu's instincts for survival were sharp. It was especially true for a Pokémon like itself low-level, timid by nature, and easily startled. Unlike domesticated Pokémon raised alongside humans, wild Pokémon have to calculate every move based on risk and instinct.
And right now, Pichu's instinct was loud and clear: the forest was dangerous, but this fenced human domain felt safe.
So even though the bush where it had taken shelter was only a few short steps from the escape route into the woods, Pichu didn't dare run. It had already been discovered, but something made it hesitate.
"Tread..."
Footsteps approached softly.
"Pi...chiu!"
Startled again, Pichu immediately withdrew its head into the thick green cover at the sound of a human nearing.
"Ash, who is that?" Gary asked, frowning as he noticed Ash's cautious approach.
Ash didn't look back. He simply raised a finger to his lips and whispered, "Shh~" to Gary, Tierno, and Trevor, who smartly stayed quiet and stepped back.
Ash advanced carefully, stopping one meter short of the bush where Pichu was hidden. Based on the timid Nature revealed by the system's scan earlier and his own understanding from Professor Oak's training, Ash knew better than to force interaction with a scared wild Pokémon.
He crouched slowly, ensuring his posture was non-threatening. Then, drawing upon the Aura gifted to him a deep, ancient form of empathy—and the Viridian Power inherited from his bond with nature, Ash gently activated both.
With calm sincerity, he spoke softly.
"Hi, Pichu. My name is Ash. Would you like to be friends?"
Through the wave-like rhythm of the Aura and the serene influence of the Viridian Power, his words transcended language. They didn't reach Pichu through the ears but straight through the heart.
"Pii...chiu?"
Pichu blinked from inside the bush. A warmth flowed into it, soft and sincere. It had never felt something like this from a human before. It could hear his voice not with its ears, but as if the message bloomed gently inside its soul.
Curiosity overtook fear.
It stepped out cautiously tiny paws brushing past the leaves its dark, glistening eyes filled with innocence and wonder. It looked up at Ash, who remained still, smiling gently.
Ash felt his heart squeeze. Pichu's eyes were wide and black, clear and watery—so full of purity they could cleanse all sorrow. He nearly melted.
"You're really adorable, Pichu. I already like you a lot… Can we be best friends?"
Ash again transmitted the feeling through his Aura, letting his emotions wash through the space between them.
"Pichu…"
This time, the little mouse didn't hesitate. The meaning behind Ash's words struck it clearly. It nodded once, a tiny smile forming on its round cheeks.
When Pichu had been running earlier, escaping the Beedrill swarm, it had felt something unusual like a subtle voice, not words, but a pull, a nudge urging it to come this way.
Then, when it first glimpsed Ash from behind the bush, something deep inside lit up. A yearning to be near this boy.
Even now, with danger no longer pressing and the gap in the fence just steps away, the idea of fleeing didn't even cross its mind. Its scratched leg still ached faintly, but the fear of the forest was long gone replaced by something stronger.
The human in front of it… wasn't danger.
He was safety.
As a wild Pokémon, Pichu had always followed instinct: seek safety, avoid threats. But this time, its strongest instinct was the desire to stay right here, near Ash.
Something about him felt like home.
So when Ash extended his invitation once more, "Let's be good friends", the tiny mouse made its decision.
Without hesitation, Pichu limped forward on its sore leg and leapt into Ash's arms, chirping joyfully.
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