The air shimmered faintly around Pikachu as the flow of time, which had felt like it had slowed to a crawl, suddenly snapped back into motion. It was subtle, like the moment after waking from a particularly vivid dream—when reality returns and you're left wondering whether any of it had truly happened. But for Pikachu, the phone in his small paws and the strange, lingering warmth of the seal etched onto his fur was proof enough.
Naruto—Emperor of Mankind, ruler of galaxies, and apparent part-time prankster—had tasked him with world domination. A joke, surely. But something about that man's eyes, filled with ancient power and a strange, playful warmth, made Pikachu hesitate to dismiss it outright.
Still, he wasn't going to test fate. He might act like he didn't care—ears flicked back in feigned annoyance, eyes half-lidded in that cool "I'm too chill for this" way—but truthfully, Pikachu felt something flutter in his chest.
Pride.
Someone had chosen him. Not as a pet. Not as a partner.
But as a hero.
The golden light filtered through the thick canopy of the Viridian Forest, dappling the mossy floor in shifting patterns of green and gold. Birds chirped in the distance, and the wind rustled softly through the tall leaves. Time marched on.
Ash Ketchum, full of energy and dreams as wild as his hair, marched ahead with his usual determined grin.
"I'm gonna catch every Pokémon in this forest!" Ash declared, pumping his fist with the unshakable confidence of a twelve-year-old who had just left home and was convinced the entire world was waiting for him to conquer it. "Caterpie! Weedle! Maybe even a Pidgeotto!"
He turned to look at Pikachu, who trotted beside him with deliberate nonchalance.
"You ready, buddy?"
Pikachu didn't respond immediately. He glanced down at the phone hidden within the sealing mark on his chest fur. He could feel it there, a strange tether to beings across the stars—heroes, monsters, scholars, maniacs. And him, Pikachu. A little yellow mouse from Pallet Town.
He gave a short nod and a confident "Pika."
Ash grinned and turned back to the path, already spotting something rustling in the grass. "Let's go!"
Trailing a few steps behind them, Misty scowled and swatted away an invisible bug for the third time that minute.
"Ugh. I can't believe I agreed to this," she groaned, clutching her backpack as though a Weedle might crawl out of it at any moment. "I hate bug-types. I mean hate them."
She cast a wary glance at a nearby bush, which had just moved ever so slightly in the breeze.
"Don't they teach sanitation in this forest?! It's like a creepy-crawly nightmare!"
Pikachu tilted his head toward her, one ear flicking up. She was dramatic, that was certain. But he liked her. She was loud, brash, and a little mean—but he could feel the warmth in her tone when she scolded Ash, and she hadn't once looked at Pikachu with anything less than affection.
The Viridian Forest itself was massive—a living maze of ancient trees and narrow dirt paths, the kind of place that seemed to shift subtly when no one was looking. Though it had a fearsome reputation in the old days, it had long since become a known route for young trainers to cut their teeth on early captures. The Pokémon Rangers had cleared the worst of the dangers over the years, ensuring that only the mild-mannered Pokémon remained—Caterpie with their wide eyes and Weedle with their slow waddle.
As the group continued their journey Ash talked about his plans to become a Pokémon Master—the one who stood above all Champions and even the Elite Four. He would catch them all, he swore, but he also wanted to help Professor Oak with research.
"After all, he gave me you," Ash said to Pikachu with a smile. "And you're the best partner I could ask for."
Pikachu felt his heart skip slightly, a strange warmth blossoming beneath his fur. His tail twitched, and he looked away quickly, embarrassed.
"Pika-chu…"
The sun hung lazily above the Viridian canopy, shafts of light filtering through like golden swords piercing the emerald gloom. The dirt path beneath Ash's boots crunched softly with every step, the symphony of forest sounds playing all around them—chirping bird Pokémon, the buzzing of distant Bug-types, and the occasional rustle of leaves.
Suddenly, a fluttering commotion erupted overhead.
A sharp caw! rang out as a Pidgey, with its wings flared and eyes narrowed like a feathery sentinel, dove at the branches of a nearby tree. It pecked and flapped aggressively, disturbing the branches and sending a shower of twigs and startled Pokémon from their hiding spots.
"Whoa, what's going on up—"
Thud!
A small green body plopped onto the path directly in front of them with all the grace of a sack of jelly. The creature blinked its big, glossy eyes and gave a soft, almost apologetic, "Cater... pie?"
Ash took a curious step forward, but the world exploded behind him.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!"
Misty.
She had shot into the air as though she'd been hit with a Thunderbolt herself, leaping backward so fast her shoes skidded in the dirt. Her face had drained of all color, and she was now pressed flat against a tree trunk, breathing heavily and vibrating like a cornered Meowth.
"GET. IT. AWAY." she screeched, her voice two octaves higher than usual. "Ash, if you don't remove that thing from my presence in the next three seconds, I swear I will start the world's first bug-type purge!"
Ash burst out laughing. "Oh come on, Misty! It's just a Caterpie. Look at it!" He crouched next to the little Pokémon, who was inching nervously away from the group and looking up with its wide, innocent eyes.
"It's adorable!" Ash added, patting his knees and gesturing like one would to a lost kitten. "You're acting like it's a giant Beedrill or something."
"Adorable?!" Misty's eyes bulged in outrage. "It's a creepy, slimy, wriggling mini-horror! I'd rather be stuck in a room with a dozen Ekans!"
Pikachu, meanwhile, had taken a protective step in front of the Caterpie. He glanced up at the Pidgey still circling overhead, tail twitching. The bird Pokémon clearly recognized a threat when it saw one—it had wisely chosen not to attack, thanks to the very obvious presence of a certain electric rodent on the ground.
Pikachu's cheeks crackled softly as he looked up at Ash. The message was clear: If this Caterpie wants a chance, we're giving it one.
Ash grinned and nodded. "Right, buddy. Let's do this."
He turned to Misty and gave her a smug smirk. "You might want to go stand behind that rock. Y'know, just in case Caterpie looks at you funny."
"I hate you," Misty said, her voice muffled from behind the tree where she'd hidden again, clutching her bag like it was a life raft.
"Love you too," Ash replied cheekily.
He turned to Pikachu and pointed dramatically at the Caterpie. "Alright! Pikachu, get ready! Time for our first official forest battle!"
Pikachu stepped forward like a seasoned general going into war, sparks already curling around his cheeks. His eyes locked with the Caterpie's, who seemed confused, unsure, but also curious.
The tension hung in the air like a dropped Poké Ball just waiting to burst open.
Caterpie blinked.
Pikachu sparked.
Ash grinned.
Caterpie, trembling but determined, narrowed its bulbous eyes and scrunched up its little green body.
"Cater... PIE!"
With a tiny burst of resolve, it used Harden, its slimy body shimmering faintly in the filtered sunlight. A moment later, it shot out a string of sticky silk—String Shot—that laced through the air in a frantic web, aiming to entangle the yellow blur in front of it.
But Pikachu didn't move.
He didn't need to.
He simply tilted his head, eyes half-lidded with bored amusement, and then sidestepped the attack with a casual hop. The silk landed harmlessly beside him, coating a rock with a wet splat.
"Pika... chu," he muttered, voice low and laced with a warning growl.
The bug-type froze. It was slow. Too slow. And weak. So weak.
To Pikachu—an experienced battler who had faced wild Fearow, tackled Team Rocket, and exchanged blows with wild predators—this wasn't a fight.
This was a formality.
Pikachu took a few deliberate steps forward, his paws making no sound on the forest floor. Electricity crackled faintly across his fur, casting a soft golden glow. His crimson cheeks sparked with warning jolts, lighting the shadows around him. It wasn't anger. It wasn't even annoyance. It was sheer dominance.
He stopped just short of Caterpie, his tiny shadow falling over the creature like a guillotine.
"Submit," Pikachu said in a voice that echoed in the mind more than in the ears. "Before you get hurt."
Caterpie felt it.
The aura.
It was as if the weight of a thousand thunders bore down on its squishy frame. Pikachu's killer instinct—honed from days of battle —washed over the poor bug like a tsunami. His fur sparked again, and Caterpie's stubby legs locked up.
It couldn't move.
It couldn't breathe.
It was paralyzed—partially from the static, but mostly from fear.
Ash, eyes wide with admiration and dramatic flair, held out a Poké Ball in his hand.
"Now's my chance!"
With a fling and a shout, the red-and-white orb sailed through the air, tapping Caterpie on the head.
Pop!
Flash!
The Caterpie vanished into red light, and the ball dropped to the forest floor.
Wiggle.
Wiggle...
Wiggle...
Ding!
The Poké Ball clicked shut.
"YEAH!" Ash punched the air in triumph. "My first wild Pokémon caught! We did it, Pikachu!"
"Pikaaa~!" Pikachu said proudly, though his gaze lingered on the ball like a warrior watching a defeated opponent limp off the battlefield.
From behind the tree, Misty peeked out.
"Is it gone?" she whimpered.
Ash turned and held up the Poké Ball. "Not just gone—it's mine now!"
Misty groaned. "Ugh, why would you want it?"
Ash shrugged. "Because every Pokémon has potential! Just watch, this Caterpie's gonna be amazing one day."
Pikachu snorted softly, shaking his head. Or at least stop freezing up at a stiff breeze.
Still, as he looked toward the canopy above, where a faint breeze rustled the leaves and light spilled like falling glitter, Pikachu couldn't help but feel a strange stirring in his heart.
A new teammate. A new journey.
And somewhere beyond, a new destiny.
The golden sunlight danced through the trees of Viridian Forest, casting playful shadows as the trio continued their slow but eventful march through the leafy path. Ash, ever the proud new trainer, was skipping ahead with a puffed chest and a goofy grin plastered across his face. He was holding the Pokéball containing Caterpie like it was the Holy Grail.
"Hey, Misty!" he said, turning around and walking backwards, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Look who's got his first wild Pokémon~! Wanna hold it? It's slimy, it's wriggly, and it might crawl into your hair if you're not careful~!"
"ASH KETCHUM!" Misty screeched, vaulting behind a tree like it was a war zone and the Pokéball was a grenade.
Ash cackled like a man unbothered by the concept of mortality. He jiggled the Pokéball lightly in his hand. "Caterpie says hi~ Wanna give him a kiss?"
Pikachu, watching all this from a nearby log, sighed deeply. Idiot.
But then he tensed. His ears perked. His fur bristled just slightly.
Danger.
It was in the way the air shifted.
It was in the eerie stillness of the forest.
It was in the way Misty suddenly stepped out from behind the tree with the ominous calm of a woman who had had enough.
Her eyes narrowed into slits, the corners of her mouth curled into a saccharine smile that did not reach her eyes.
"Oh, so that's how we're playing it today," she said sweetly.
Ash took a step back. "W-wait, Misty, it was just a joke—"
She reached for her belt.
Pikachu bolted sideways behind a rock faster than you could say thunderbolt.
Misty held up her Pokéball. "Vaporeon, let's teach him a lesson in manners!"
With a dramatic flash of light and a burst of water vapor, a sleek, elegant Vaporeon materialized beside her, its finned tail flicking like a warning sign. Water shimmered off its body in glistening droplets as it gave Ash a very unimpressed look.
Pikachu peeked out from behind the rock. One look at Vaporeon and his ears drooped.
That thing's at least level thirty...
Ash held up his hands. "Okay, okay, let's all calm down—"
"Bubble!" Misty ordered with a theatrical wave of her hand.
Basketball-sized bubbles launched from Vaporeon's mouth like cannonballs—bright, shiny, and way too fast.
"GAAAH!"
Ash was immediately blasted into a pinball routine of pain, bouncing from tree to rock to bush, screaming like a squeaky toy in a blender.
Then came the finale—a massive bubble that enveloped him completely, lifting him off the ground like a floating prisoner in a bubble wrap hot air balloon.
"HELLO?! I'M FLOATING! THIS IS NOT NORMAL!" Ash shouted, flailing inside the translucent sphere as it drifted upward.
Misty placed a hand on her hip and raised her chin. "Apologize."
"I'M SORRY!" came the muffled reply from the bubble.
"No," she said, inspecting her nails. "Say it like you mean it."
"I'M SORRY, MISTY! YOU'RE THE BEST! I'LL NEVER TEASE YOU AGAIN!"
The bubble popped dramatically, dropping Ash unceremoniously onto the grass with a soft thud.
Pikachu casually walked over and gave Ash a thumbs-up with his tiny paw. Survival: achieved.
Ash groaned as he sat up, soaked and humbled... for approximately four seconds.
Then he grinned again, that unmistakable spark of chaotic energy returning to his eyes.
Misty gave him a sidelong look.
"What?" Ash asked.
She crossed her arms, gave a swish of her hair, and said, "You should learn to act like a gentleman when talking to a beautiful girl."
Ash blinked.
He looked left.
He looked right.
He even looked up, just in case an angel was descending.
Then he looked back at Misty and said, with the full power of sarcasm:
"Okay, but only one of us can hallucinate at a time."
There was a moment of pure silence.
Even the forest paused to register the audacity.
Pikachu facepalmed.
Vaporeon raised an eyebrow.
Misty cracked her knuckles.
Ash realized, just a little too late, that he had chosen violence.
Again.