Pokémon – Thunder Yellow
Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader
Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri
Chapter 2: An Electrifying Beginning – Part 2
"Wait…so he just left the house and he didn't tell you why?"
"That's right…I'm getting really worried about him, especially because of how bad the weather is outside."
As a bad thunderstorm continued to make its way through the small town of Pallet, Haruka Nakamura was currently as the Pokémon Research Lab of her good friend, Professor Oak. Having seen her son, Takashi, rush outside for no apparent reason, Haruka became extremely concerned for him and hoped that he decided to come to the Professor's residence. Unfortunately, Professor Oak revealed that not only did Takashi not arrive here, but he had no idea where the young man was. This worried Haruka greatly, especially because of the state of mind her son was in right now.
Earlier today, Takashi set out with his friends Minako and Kazuto in order to receive their Starter Pokémon and officially become Pokémon Trainers. Unfortunately, as they were making their way over to the Professor's Lab, Takashi got distracted by something and told his friends to go on without him. This turned out to be a bad move on his part as Takashi's actions delayed him significantly, causing him to arrive at the Lab late. Not only that, but by the time he did arrive, Professor Oak didn't have any more Starter Pokémon to hand out to him at this moment in time.
The realization that he wouldn't be able to get a Starter Pokémon, let alone begin his Pokémon Journey, saddened Takashi greatly and Haruka was well aware of that. Even though he tried to put on a brave face, such as being happy for his friends and allowing them to leave on their respective journeys, it was obvious that Takashi wanted to go with them too. This left him extremely disheartened and Haruka felt just as bad as there wasn't much she could do to make him feel better.
As Haruka continued to spout her concern for her only son, Professor Oak quickly sympathized for both her's and Takashi's predicament. Having known the both of them for a long a time, Oak was well aware how much this day meant to Takashi and he felt really bad not being able to give him a Pokémon to start his journey with. Even though his next batch of Starter Pokémon will arrive within the next couple of days, Oak wondered if there was anything he could do in order to make things up to Takashi. Before he could think of something however, both Professor Oak and Haruka heard the doorbell ring and former proceeded to make his way towards the door.
"Yes," He said. "I'm coming."
Once Professor Oak made his way to the front door of his research lab, he opened it and was surprised to see who was on the other side. When Haruka looked on as well, she was just as surprised as the Professor. The person who was on the other side of the door was none other than a completely drenched Takashi, who was busy holding an injured Pikachu in both of his arms.
"Help…" Takashi said as he looked up towards Professor Oak. "Please help…"
Upon seeing the desperate look on Takashi's face, Professor Oak could tell right away that the young man was extremely concerned for the welfare of this particular Pikachu. Because of that, he didn't waste any time and quickly helped the both of them inside. As soon as they were, the Professor quickly took Pikachu into his arms and carried the Mouse Pokémon into another section of his lab so that it could get treated. As he watched them leave, Takashi's eyes remained fixated on Pikachu, looking on at it with a concerned look on his face.
Shortly after Professor Oak left the room, Haruka slowly made her way up to Takashi and watched as he looked back at her. She could instantly tell from the look in his eyes that not only was he concerned about this Pikachu, but he also saw something that really impacted him as well. Haruka wasn't sure if what Takashi saw was a good thing or a bad thing, but the one thing that she was sure of is that it was troubling her son. Because of that, she grabbed a towel that was next to her and gave to Takashi before proceeding to comfort him.
"C'mon…let's get you all warmed up." She said with a kind smile.
Nodding his head softly, Takashi complied with his mother's request as he took the towel she gave to him and placed it upon his head. He then took the time to take off his wet clothes and hang them next to the fireplace in the living room so that they could get dry. Once he did that, the young man went on to put on some spare clothes before sitting on a chair and thinking quietly to himself. As he did so, Haruka looked at her son with a silent expression on her face.
While looking at Takashi, Haruka wondered what she could do in order to help him feel better. It was obvious from the look on his face that not being a Pokémon Trainer was the last thing on Takashi's mind at the moment. In fact, Haruka could tell that her son was more focused on the Pikachu he brought here. She was about to say something to him about that, but Haruka was stopped in her tracks when Takashi suddenly spoke up to her.
"Mom…" He started off. "Can I talk to you about something?"
"…Sure sweetie," Haruka replied. "You can talk to me about anything."
After gently nodding his head at her, Takashi went on to talk to his mother about what he witnessed while he was outside. He mentioned how he encountered this particular Pikachu earlier and how it wasn't getting along with the Raichu who was the leader of its pack. Takashi also talked about the battle the two of them had and how Raichu ruthlessly beat down Pikachu before leaving the other Pikachu, effectively abandoning this one. As he continued to talk about this, Takashi's hands were beginning to shake slightly as thinking about all of that was really bothering him.
As she was listening to Takashi's story, Haruka was beginning to understand what was troubling her son so much. This was the first time he's encountered such a large number of wild Pokémon before and, because of his inexperience, it was clear that he didn't know how they sometimes act when they're not under the ownership of a Trainer. Because of that, what Takashi witnessed was something both very surprising to him, but confusing to him as well. Haruka understood what Takashi was feeling and proceeded to offer him so words of advice.
"Listen sweetie…" She started off. "I know what you saw was very shocking, but that's sometimes how life works. When Pokémon live together in packs, there are times when conflicts occur between them. The battle you saw between Pikachu and Raichu was probably one of those times."
"…I get that," Takashi replied to her. "But still…why did Raichu have to take the battle so far? Not only that, but why did it and all the other Pikachu have to abandon this one? I mean…weren't they friends?"
Takashi looked down towards his hands again and watched as they started shaking a bit faster. Being someone who cherishes his friends dearly, Takashi simply couldn't understand why Raichu would do that to Pikachu. The beating it gave the little mouse was horrible and the way it and all the other Pikachu abandoned it was even worse. However, what bothered Takashi the most about the whole thing was inability to do anything about it.
Ever since he was a little boy, Takashi made a vow to himself to not only be a Trainer who was strong, but also one who would help out anyone in need, whether they be people or Pokémon. Unfortunately, when that time came, the young man couldn't do anything but watch. Takashi was ashamed of himself because of this and a small part of him started to wonder if he had what it takes to be a Trainer, especially if this was how he was going to act.
Soon, as Takashi continued to think about all this, Haruka gently took her hand and placed it upon his shoulder. When he looked up at her, the young man saw his mother give him a warm smile. Ever since he was little, Haruka's smile always made Takashi feel better and today was no different. Once she saw her son cheer up a little, Haruka started talking to him again.
"Takashi…I don't really know why Raichu abandoned Pikachu, but there is one thing that I do know. What happened wasn't your fault and you have no reason to blame yourself for it. Also, regardless of what anyone may think, the fact you went out of your way to help this Pikachu makes you more than qualified to be a Pokémon Trainer. Don't you ever forget that…and don't let anyone tell you any different."
Once she finished saying that to him, Haruka smiled at Takashi one more time before taking her hand and gently rubbing the top of his head. Although he felt slightly embarrassed when she did that to him, Takashi was glad that his mother did that as it allowed him to get over his doubts, at least temporarily. The two of them then shared a quick embrace before turning around and seeing Professor Oak walking towards the both of them.
"I've just finished tending to Pikachu's injuries…" He said to the both of them. "I'm glad to say that it'll be just fine. All it needs is a few days of rest."
As soon as he heard that Pikachu would be alright, Takashi let out a huge sigh of relief. He was glad that despite all the injuries that the little Pokémon sustained during its battle against Raichu, none of them were permanent. When Haruka saw how relieved her son was she went on to let out a kind smile, happy that Takashi was continuing to feel better.
"Now that's taken care of…" Professor Oak continued. "Can one of you tell me what's exactly going on here?"
Nodding his head in agreement, Takashi went on to explain to Professor Oak everything that transpired when he made his way into the forest. As he listened to the story, Oak slowly started to understand what happened to Pikachu and why Takashi was so worried about it. Having been researching Pokémon for a vast majority of his life, the Professor had a pretty good idea on some of them tend to act, especially when they tend to live in packs. Because of that, once Takashi finished his story, Oak went on to give the young man the answer that he was looking for.
"I see…" He started off. "If that's what happened, then odds are that Pikachu attempted to defeat Raichu so that it could take leadership of their pack."
"Huh?" Takashi replied, confused by Oak's response. "What do you by taking leadership?"
"Well you see, when Pokémon live in packs the strongest one among them tends to act as the leader of the others. In this case, that Raichu was leader the leader of all those Pikachu. According to your story, the Pikachu that you saved wasn't getting along with Raichu and so it probably decided to battle against it in order to become the new leader. Unfortunately, as you obviously noticed, things didn't go well for Pikachu and it lost that battle."
After Professor Oak finished talking for a moment, Takashi took a moment to think about the battle between Pikachu and Raichu once more. Having just learned that the battle wasn't as baseless as he initially believed it to be, Takashi was starting to understand the situation a bit better. Even so, there was still something else that was still troubling him and as he continued to think about it, the Professor started talking to him again.
"Sadly for Pikachu, defeat in a battle for leadership…also means banishment," He continued on. "You see, if the challenger loses a battle then the rest of the pack will no longer have any faith in its abilities. They fell like that they will hold them down…so they leave it behind and go about their business. It's harsh, but when you're living in the wild it's usually survival of the fittest."
"Oh…I see…" Takashi softly replied.
When the Professor finished his explanation, he looked on and watched as Takashi was busy thinking quietly to himself. Even without having to say anything to him, Oak could tell that Takashi was thinking about Pikachu again. Despite knowing the risks involved, Pikachu still challenged Raichu for to battle. Not only that, but the Mouse Pokémon kept on fighting despite being beaten into an inch of its life. Takashi couldn't help but feel impressed by Pikachu's resolve, but the young man still felt very bad as Pikachu could no longer return to its friends.
While the group continued to stand around in the living room they suddenly all jumped up when they heard something very loud sound off in the other room. At first none of them knew what the cause of that noise was, but upon hearing it again Takashi started to recognize something about it. Listening closely, Takashi was able to hear the sound of electricity. Since it was storming outside, there was only one other thing the noise could be and proceeded to rush over to another section of the lab. When both Professor Oak and Haruka saw him leave the two of them quickly followed after.
Eventually, the group made their way into the medical lab and they all saw what the cause of the noise they heard. As Takashi suspected, the noise was coming from Pikachu, who has just woken up and was both confused and angered by its current surroundings. This was due to it being still somewhat delirious as a result of the intense battle it went through, causing Pikachu to see things that weren't really there. Because of that, the little mouse started striking everything that it could see with its electrical powers.
"Pikachu!" Takashi called out to it. "Pikachu, stop it!"
Pikachu managed to hear Takashi's voice and proceeded to turn its head towards him. Unfortunately, the Mouse Pokémon wasn't able to tell who was it looking at and started growling at him as a result. Pikachu then went on to unleash another bolt of electricity that made its way towards Takashi, which he managed to avoid thanks to Professor Oak's help.
"Stand down, Takashi!" Oak told him. "It's clear that Pikachu is in a confused state of mind. It won't listen to reason no matter what you say!"
Pikachu continued attacking everything within the lab as Takashi, Professor Oak, and Haruka tried their best to avoid its destructive rampage. As he did so, Takashi couldn't help but feel bad for Pikachu. It was clear that Pikachu had no real idea what it was attacking to its delirious state and was only acting on instinct. If things continued as they were, then it would only be a matter of item before the Mouse Pokémon ended up injuring itself even further. Once that happened, Pikachu could possibly end up dying from its injuries and that was something Takashi could not only to happen.
To that end, Takashi got up and slowly made his way towards Pikachu as it continued shocking everything in sight. As his mother and Professor Oak both looked on with concerned look on their faces, Takashi finally got close enough to finally reach the electric mouse. Once he did, he slowly bent down and attempted to pet it.
"It's okay Pikachu…" He said as he continued to get closer. "It's going to be okay."
Pikachu slowly turned its head and watched as Takashi continued making his way towards it. However, just like before, Pikachu was unable to recognize who he was and started growling at him as sparks of electricity started shooting from its red cheeks. Although frightened by this at first, Takashi held his ground and soon got close enough to gently touch Pikachu's head. He then smiled at it, hoping that seeing an unthreatening face would calm it down. However, that simply wasn't the case.
In a blind rage, Pikachu bit Takashi's hand as hard as it possibly could. Once it had him in his grasp, the Mouse Pokémon went on to shock him with a massive volt of electricity. The pain that he was feeling was so intense that caused Takashi to drop down to the ground and scream in agony for a moment.
"Takashi!" Haruka yelled out of concerned.
Both Haruka and Professor Oak were stunned by what they were seeing and wondered what they could do to help Takashi before things could get any worse for him. Soon though, Oak noticed a set of rubber gloves sitting on a counter. As rubber is a natural insulator, Oak could use them to grab Pikachu while protecting himself in the process. Because of that, the Professor quickly made his way over towards the counter, grabbed the gloves, and put them on. He then prepared to make his way towards Takashi and Pikachu, but stopped when he saw something very surprising.
Despite being in an incredible amount of pain, Takashi was holding his ground. Not only that, but the young man even used this opportunity to grab Pikachu and hold it gently into his arms. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon was shocked and soon stopped attacking with its electricity. Once it did, it finally managed to get a good look at him and was again shocked to see that the young man was smiling down at it.
"You're…you're going to be…okay…" He said as he tried to shake off the pain. "You're going to be alright…Pikachu."
As Pikachu continued looking at Takashi's smile, the electric mouse suddenly felt a sense of ease and security overwhelm its body. This caused Pikachu to feel extremely weak and it soon fell to sleep right in Takashi's arms. As it did so, Takashi simply looked on at Pikachu with a small smile still on his face.
With the problem now averted, Haruka instantly made her way over to Takashi and checked to see if he was alright. Although he was still in a lot of pain, Takashi insisted to his mother that he was fine and slowly got up from the ground under his own power. Once he did, the young man saw that his mother was both angry and upset with him for doing something so reckless. Even so, the young man had no regrets as he knew that this was something that he just had to do.
Meanwhile, Professor Oak took a moment to look over the destruction that Pikachu caused before turning his attention towards the Mouse Pokémon. Oak had no idea what he was going to do with it as if he left Pikachu here with him then it ran the chance of causing even more damage and possibly hurting some of the other Pokémon that were staying here with him. On the other hand however, Oak also knew that in its current condition, Pikachu wouldn't last day in the wild. It was a problematic situation, one which he wasn't sure he could solve.
"What to do…?" He said quietly to himself.
As the Professor continued pondering his options, Takashi looked at him for a moment and had a pretty good idea on what he was thinking about. He then turned his attention back towards Pikachu and watched as it continued to sleep in his arms. While thinking to himself, Takashi suddenly got an idea that could benefit both Professor Oak and Pikachu and thus he turned his head back towards the former.
"Professor…I have a favor to ask of you," He said.
"A favor…What is it, Takashi?" Oak replied.
While waiting for the young man to tell him about his request, Professor Oak noticed something in Takashi's eyes. Unlike earlier today, where he looked rather defeated and disappointed, Takashi's eyes showed a glint of determination and strength. When he saw that look, the Professor could tell right away that whatever was on Takashi's mind, it was something that he was very serious about. Because of that, he listened closely as Takashi spoke to him.
"Until Pikachu feels better would you mind…that I take care of it?"
"Stop Pikachu! Please, you have to stop!"
It's been 3 days since Takashi Nakamura asked for Professor Oak's permission to take care of Pikachu until it finally recovered from its injuries. At first, the Professor was very reluctant to do this as Takashi didn't have any Pokémon of his own to protect himself with and it was unknown whether or not Pikachu would could problems for him. However, upon seeing the look in his eyes, Oak realized that Takashi was still going to do this, regardless if the Professor agreed to it or not. With that in mind, and wanting to confirm something that he was feeling, Professor Oak ultimately agreed to the request.
Unfortunately, things weren't going quite well for Takashi once he brought Pikachu with him over to his house. As soon as the Mouse Pokémon woke up, it soon started all kinds of problems for the young man. It tore up furniture, scratched up posts, and crewed up wires. It was a complete mess and as he continued to try and stop Pikachu from causing any more problems, Takashi started wondering to himself what he was going to do.
However, Pikachu wasn't the only thing that Takashi had to worry about. As the days rolled by and Pikachu's attitude refuses to change, Takashi looked on and saw that Haruka was becoming fed up with this. Although her Sylveon tried its best to calm her down, Haruka was very upset about all of this. Not only was Pikachu destroying her home, but Takashi was doing a pretty poor job in taking care of it like he said he would. Being her son, Takashi knew that Haruka was the last person he wanted to make angry and that he needed to take care of things before she decided to get involved.
With that in mind, Takashi tried his best to catch up with Pikachu as the electric mouse was busy running around the house again. He was trying to put new bandages on Pikachu earlier today, but the Mouse Pokémon wouldn't have any of that. To that end, Pikachu took the fresh bandages Takashi was holding and wrapped them around the young man. It then ran away as Takashi tried his best to chase after it. Eventually, as he continued to run after Pikachu, Takashi ended up tripping over the bandages that were covering him and fell down onto the ground.
"Oww…." He said as he reeled from the pain. "That hurt…"
Sitting up from the ground, Takashi looked up and saw Pikachu staring at him from a distance. The electric mouse was laughing at him, highly amused by the display that it was seeing. Just seeing it laugh at him was a crushing blow to Takashi's confidence and it caused him to doubt whether or not he could actually do this. Not only that, but if couldn't take care of one little Pokémon like Pikachu then what chance did he have when the time came for him to become a Pokémon Trainer. This made him feel awful, which only fueled Pikachu's amusement.
While this was going on however, Pikachu failed to notice something very important. The Mouse Pokémon was directly under a shelf that was holding a vase. Not only that, but the vase was barely standing on the shelf as all the commotion that Takashi and Pikachu were causing loosened it. From way it was currently positioned, one more push would be enough to knock it down and as Pikachu continued laughing, it accidently hit the shelf and caused to the vase to start falling.
When Takashi looked up and saw this, the young man's eyes suddenly widen and from his perspective, the area around him was moving in slow motion. If that vase continued falling where it was, then not only would it hit Pikachu but it would also cause some serious damage to the little Pokémon. Just thinking about that caused something within Takashi to snap and he soon started running towards Pikachu as fast as he could.
"Pikachu…Look Out!"
When Pikachu heard Takashi calling out to him, the Mouse Pokémon looked up and saw the vase that was making its way towards it. When it saw it, Pikachu tried its best to get out of the way but wasn't fast enough to do so. Fortunately, before anything could happen to it, Takashi was able to get there and managed to extend his arm out enough to push Pikachu out of the way. Once the vase hit the floor it was smashed into several pieces, a few of which scratched Takashi's arm and left cheek, causing them to start bleeding.
"Takashi, what going over there?!" Haruka asked from another room.
Rushing over to where Takashi was, both Haruka and Sylveon arrived and were shocked by what they both saw. A broken vase was lying on the ground, a pretty cut up Takashi was lying on the ground, and Pikachu was simply looking on at him with a confused look on its face. As Haruka tried to figure out what happened, Sylveon was busy looking at Pikachu with a ferocious look on its face. The Pokémon loved Takashi, just as much as it loved its Trainer, and seeing him hurt like this really set it off. Not only that, but seeing Pikachu here caused Sylveon to believe that the electric mouse was responsible for Takashi's injuries, causing it to try and attack it.
However, just before Sylveon could strike Pikachu, Takashi got up and held onto the pink and white Pokémon. Both Sylveon and Haruka were shocked by this scene with the latter wondering what her son was doing. Eventually, Takashi managed to calm Sylveon down and convince it not to harm Pikachu. He then made his way towards the Mouse Pokémon and extended his uninjured arm out to it. At first, Pikachu believed that Takashi was about to hit it, but was shocked to see that Takashi went on to gently pet it instead.
"Thank goodness…" He said with a small smile. "I'm glad that you aren't hurt Pikachu. That would've been really bad."
As Takashi continued petting the top of Pikachu's head, the little Mouse didn't know what to make of this. For the last couple of days, Pikachu has been causing Takashi nothing but trouble; attacking him, messing up his house, and even causing his mother to become very angry with him. Even now, Pikachu's actions not only resulted in a broken vase, but also caused Takashi to suffer an injury as well. Despite that however, Takashi wasn't mad and was simply relieved that it was alright, shocking Pikachu greatly.
Eventually, Haruka stepped in and helped her injured son off of the floor. She then glanced at a still confused Pikachu for a moment before taking Takashi into the kitchen and proceeded to clean his wound. As she did so, Haruka noticed that both injuries were pretty deep and there was a pretty good chance that they could leave a scar. While this concerned her greatly, Takashi didn't seem too worried about it, which piqued her interest somewhat.
"Takashi…" She said as she wrapped his hand with a bandage. "Why'd you do that? Look what happened. Don't you realize that your injuries could've been a lot worse than what they are?!"
"I know mom…" Takashi answered. "But still…"
"But what…?"
As Haruka waited for a response from her son, Takashi was busy thinking about everything that's happened ever since he first encountered Pikachu. Like with what happened in Professor Oak's Lab, Takashi acted more out of instinct than logic. He knew that he would get hurt, but he simply didn't care. All he did care about was helping Pikachu and that's exactly what he did, despite the physical cost to himself. To that end, Takashi looked his mother in the eyes and said the following to her.
"I just felt it was something I had to do," He said. "For me, I would rather do something and regret it than do nothing and regret it. That's just the way I am Mom…I can't stand by when someone needs help."
When Haruka heard Takashi say that, her eyes lit up suddenly as she remembered something important. She then turned his attention towards a photo of her, and her late husband's Tatsumi's, wedding. As she stared at her husband's smiling face, Haruka started thinking back when he was still alive and how he always thought more about others than he did about himself. It was that characteristic of his that caused Haruka to fall in love with Tatsumi and as she looked back at her son she realized that he inherited one of his father's more positive traits.
This realization put a small smile on Haruka face as she continued treating her son's injuries. Once she finished wrapping his arm and placing another bandaged on Takashi's cheek, Haruka looked around the area for a moment in order to find Pikachu. When she couldn't see it, she let out a small sigh before talking to Takashi again.
"Listen sweetie…" She said. "I understand why you want to help Pikachu, I really do. But I'm not sure that your feelings will reach it."
"What do you mean, Mom?" Takashi asked her.
"What I mean is that even though you always want to help people, there are times when those you help aren't appreciative of you. They'll hold you down and make fun of you, despite your noble intentions. I believe Pikachu is one of them, a Pokémon who will always cause you problems. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's what I believe. I mean…has Pikachu ever thanked you for what you did for it?"
At first, Takashi was about to speak up about what his mother just said to him, but he suddenly stopped. He then thought about what she said and remembered how Pikachu would always bite him or electrocute him if he even attempted to get close to it. This caused him to realize that Haruka was right, much to his disappointment.
Eventually, as he continued to think about this, Takashi felt something touch his left shoulder and saw that it was his mother's hand. When he looked up at her he saw that the expression on her face was mixed, indicating it was something that she wasn't sure she should say to him. However, given everything that's happened so far, Haruka believed that it was something that she needed to say to her son.
"Takashi…I think it's time you send Pikachu back into the wild."
Once he heard his mother say that to him, Takashi's eyes widen greatly as he immediately stood up from his chair. He promised Professor Oak that he would take care of Pikachu while it was recovering and even though things haven't turned out the way he's hoped he still had every intention of doing that. Unfortunately, Haruka didn't feel that way as she believed that having Pikachu around would only cause more harm than good.
"I know this is something that you don't want to hear," She continued. "But I think this is for the best. In any case, this isn't up for debate. Tomorrow morning you are to take Pikachu back into the forest and leave it there…Do you understand?"
Takashi tried his best to come up with an excuse that will convince his mother to allow him to keep watching over Pikachu for a bit longer. However, no matter how hard he tried to do so he couldn't come up with anything. Not only that, but upon seeing the look on Haruka's face, Takashi knew right away that she had no intention of changing her mind. Because of that, as much as it pained him to do so, the young man had no choice but to comply with his mother's request.
"Alright…" He said as he put his head down.
With that said, Takashi slowly left out of the room that he was in and began making his way upstairs. As she watched him leave, Haruka felt her heart ache for what she having her son do. In all of her years as a mother, she never wanted to do anything that would bring any sadness to her son. Even so, it was because she was his mother that Haruka believed that this would be for the best. Because of that, she simply hoped that when this was over that Takashi would eventually forgive her.
While all of this was going on though, Pikachu was busy sitting in another room. The electric mouse overheard everything that Takashi and Haruka said to each other and seemed pretty unsure about what was going to happen. As it thought about that though, Pikachu was also focusing on the mess that it made and the drops of Takashi's blood that was still on the floor. Just looking at it caused Pikachu to remember how Takashi risked himself to help it and that was causing the Mouse Pokémon to start questioning its opinion on him. Even any case, things between the both of them would be settled once tomorrow came.
Once tomorrow did come and the sun began to rise over Pallet Town, Takashi somberly got up from bed and put on his clothes. He then led Pikachu outside of his house as his mother was busy standing near the front door. Before he left, Takashi turned around and faced Haruka and she saw that he was still pretty upset about all of this. However, before she could say anything, Takashi and Pikachu left and began making their way towards the forest. Once they were gone, Haruka put her head down slightly as her Sylveon attempted to cheer her up.
After a bit of walking, Takashi and Pikachu finally reached the forest just outside of Pallet Town and proceeded to enter it. As he walked through, the former noticed that there was a large number of Bug-Type Pokémon present. This was strange as they weren't there when he entered the forest a few days ago. He wondered what was going on here, but he decided to put those thoughts out of his head for now. Eventually, both Takashi and Pikachu arrived in the same spot where they first met and stopped walking.
"Well…we're here," He said silently to himself.
While trying to prepare himself for what he had to do, Takashi closed his eyes for a moment and once again thought about the last few days he spent with Pikachu. As expected, the memories he had weren't very pleasant and were downright painful for the most part. Even so, Takashi cherished those memories as it was the first time he interacted with a wild Pokémon before. He had hoped, through all their time together, that he would manage to touch Pikachu's heart and that the two of them could become friends. Sadly however, that simply wouldn't be the case.
Pikachu had no intention of being Takashi's friend and despite wanting to deny it, Takashi slowly began to realize that fact himself. Because of that, the young man let out a small sigh before looking down at Pikachu. He then knelt down to its eye level and looked at it with a smile that was both kind, yet sad at the same time.
"This is it…I guess," He said, trying to come up with the right words to say. "Time sure does pass by quick."
Takashi started chuckling to himself for a moment, but it was only so he could keep himself from crying in front of Pikachu. He wanted to show it, even if the Mouse Pokémon didn't like him, that, that he wouldn't falter from this. Once he finished chuckling, Takashi stared at Pikachu for a moment before slowly taking his hand and gently petting the top of its head.
"Listen Pikachu, I'm sorry that I haven't done a good enough job taking care of you. I thought I had the ability to do so, but it's clear to me that I don't. I guess that means I still have a lot to learn about taking care of Pokémon. Even so...I know that you're an incredible Pokémon, Pikachu and I know that you'll find a Trainer that will take good care of you and make you even stronger."
Surprised by Takashi's comment, Pikachu's eyes widened slightly as the Pokémon couldn't believe what he just said. However, what shocked Pikachu more was what it saw next. As the time for them to part finally arrived, Takashi soon started to lose control of his emotions as tears began falling down his face. Even though he was still smiling on the outside, the young man was unbelievably upset on the inside and he couldn't take it anymore. Even if his mother said that this was the best thing him to do it wasn't what he wanted to do and Pikachu saw that.
Soon, after feeling one of Takashi's tears fall onto its face, Pikachu's also began to recall all of its time with Takashi. Despite everything it put him through, Takashi has never treated it badly in turn and has always tried to be friends with it. This caused the Mouse Pokémon to remember its time in its pack. It was always considered the weakest Pikachu among them and was somewhat of an oddball. This caused it to be singled out and as a result, Pikachu didn't have any friends of its own. Because of that, when it was exiled following its defeat at the hands of Raichu, none of the other Pikachu even cared and were glad that it was gone. It was at that moment that Pikachu felt that it was alone in this world, but that wasn't really the case.
Through the compassion of a young 15-year-old boy, Pikachu slowly realized that it wasn't alone at all. It was thanks to Takashi bringing it to Professor Oak's lab that Pikachu didn't die of its injuries. It was thanks to him that Pikachu had a nice place to stay instead of being forced back into the forest when it wasn't healed. And it was thanks to Takashi that Pikachu had its very first friend. Unfortunately, by the time Pikachu realized all that, it was too late.
Takashi rubbed the top of Pikachu's head one last time before standing up and wiping the tears from his eyes. He then slowly began to walk away from the area, leaving Pikachu behind. Before he did so however he turned around and gave one last look at Pikachu, who looked back at him in return.
"…Goodbye Pikachu,"
With those two words, Takashi turned back around and left the area as fast as he could. If he stayed any longer his heart would start wavering and he wouldn't be able to do this. Because of that, he just ran and kept on running. Once Pikachu couldn't see Takashi anymore, the little Pokémon looked around the area and saw that it was all alone. When it realized that, a strong sense of loneness began to overrun Pikachu and it soon found itself running in the same direction where it saw Takashi run. But, as it did so, Pikachu ended up hearing something strange and suddenly stopped.
As a Pokémon, Pikachu's senses were far more powerful than that of a human's and although the noise it heard was small, it was still able to hear it. Soon, the noise started growing louder and as it did, Pikachu noticed that it had a buzzing sound to it. At first, Pikachu had no idea what this sound was, but as it got even louder, a surprising thought soon entered its mind. However, it just when Pikachu remembered where that buzzing noise was coming from did it finally appear and when it saw it, Pikachu was utterly terrified.
The source of the buzzing noise was coming from a large swarm of bee-like Pokémon that had two large stingers for arms. These Pokémon were called Beedrill and they are considered to be extremely dangerous due to their aggressive attitude and the poison that their stingers contained. As Pikachu looked up at all of them, it suddenly recalled how Raichu and its former pack were able to drive the Beedrill away from the area so that they could live here. Now that they were gone, the Beedrill have returned and they were not happy that one last Pikachu was still around its territory. Because of that, the swarm began making its way towards the little Pokémon and Pikachu was forced to flee.
Running as fast as it could, Pikachu tried its best to escape the Beedrill swarm and get somewhere safe. It tried, hiding behind tree and zigzagging all over the place, but nothing was effective. Eventually, Pikachu found itself at a dead end and, with nowhere to go, was forced to fight. Unfortunately, despite using its electrical attacks to hit some of the Beedrill, Pikachu couldn't defeat them all and was thus stung by them repeatedly. The poison from their stingers weakened it greatly and soon Pikachu found itself unable to move at all. It was at that moment that the Beedrill were about to launch their final attack…however.
"LEAVE PIKACHU ALONE!"
From out of nowhere, Takashi suddenly appeared and with a large stick in his hand, started swinging at the Beedrill. His sudden arrival completely caught the Beedrill off guard, so much so that all they could do at the moment was simply avoid his attacks. This gave the young man the chance he needed to reach Pikachu and pick it up in his arms. He then threw the stick he was carrying at the massive swarm before running off as quickly as he could.
As Takashi ran, Pikachu slowly began coming too and when it did, the Mouse Pokémon was surprised to see Takashi was here. Not that long ago they parted ways, but now he was here and Pikachu couldn't believe it. With what strength it had, Pikachu tugged on Takashi's shirt and when he looked down at it, the young man saw how confused it was. In response to that though, Takashi simply smiled as he continued to run with the electric mouse.
"I just couldn't do it…" He said. "I just couldn't leave you behind, Pikachu. I'm sorry, but I guess I'm just stupid like that."
Letting out a light chuckle, Takashi looked up at the sky for a moment before thinking about his father. He turned his attention back towards Pikachu as he held it even closer to him.
"Even so…my dad taught me to abandon my friends no matter what. Pikachu, even if you don't like me, I think of you as my friend and I promised to take care of you. So matter what happens here today…I swear to protect you!"
When Pikachu heard Takashi say that, the young Pokémon couldn't believe again. Even with all the danger that they're in, Takashi's only concern is making sure that Pikachu is safe. Nothing else matters to him, even his own life. This devotion caused a swell of emotion to erupt through Pikachu, causing tears to form in its eyes as it continued to be carried in the young man's arms.
Eventually, as dark clouds continued to cover the area and a fierce rainstorm began to fall, the Beedrill swarm finally caught up with Takashi and Pikachu and proceeded to chase after them. Despite seeing the swarm going after them though, Takashi refused to show them any fear and simply kept on running as he held Pikachu even closer to him. He swore to protect Pikachu and even as the swarm ganged up and started stinging him, Takashi refused to let the Beedrill have the electric mouse. Soon, as he continued to get stung, Takashi ended up tripping and found himself sliding down a small hill. By the time he each the bottom, he accidently let go of Pikachu and watched it land a few feet away from him.
Upon seeing Pikachu lying motionless on the ground, Takashi suddenly feared the force for it and slowly began making his way towards it. As he did so though, the Beedrills poison was beginning to take its effect on him, hindering significantly. Even so, he powered through and he finally reached Pikachu he was relieved to see that it was still alive. However, it was at that moment that the Beedrill swarm appeared before them both, prepared to finish them.
While watching the large swarm of Pokémon flying ever closer to him, Takashi's life soon started flashing before his eyes. He remembered every single event, from his birthday, to the day he learned his father passed away, to even his first steps as a baby. But despite all of that, the one memory that etched through his mind the most was the day he met Pikachu. Just thinking about that caused something to erupt within him and he soon found himself filled with energy. Because of that, Takashi angrily ripped off his shirt and went on to confront the Beedrill swarm.
"That's it!" He screamed. "I've had it with you damned bugs! You think I'm going to back down and let you have Pikachu…well think again! You want Pikachu, then you'll have to go through me first!"
The Beedrill swarm suddenly stopped when they heard Takashi yelling at them. They all saw the look in his eyes and it wasn't a look of a young man who was afraid for his life. It was look of a young man who was absolutely determined to protect what was important to him and that scared them. As for Takashi, he clinched up his fist as he took one step closer towards the large swarm, causing the Beedrill to fly back a few inches.
"Listen to me, Beedrill! My name is Takashi Nakamura and it's my destiny to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master! A Master that not only surpasses previous Masters…but only one that future Masters cannot surpass! I refuse to be defeated by the likes of you! So c'mon…I'll take all of you bastards at once!"
Once again, the Beedrill flew back due to the overwhelming might of Takashi's determination. Soon though, the entire swarm immediately came to the realization that this young man was someone that couldn't be left unchecked. To that end, they all started charging towards him, preparing their stingers for one final assault. In return, Takashi started charging towards the swarm, refusing to back down from them. However, before he could reach them, Takashi felt something jump off of his shoulder and come in between himself and the Beedrill.
"Pikachu…?!"
In a surprising display, Pikachu started charging towards the massive swarm, both of its cheeks sparks with electricity. Having witnessed Takashi's impressive resolve, Pikachu determined that it couldn't just sit around and let him risk his life to save it. The electric mouse was going to fight, no matter the cost to itself. To that end, Pikachu gathered all the electricity that it could muster and unleashed it in one massive blast.
At the exact moment Pikachu launched its attack though, something unexpected suddenly took place. From the sky, a powerful bolt of lightning struck Pikachu like a lightning rod. The resulting energy from the lightning bolt combined with Pikachu's own power created a massive blast of electricity that completely covered the entire area. By the time he realized what was going on, Takashi was blown away by the explosion and was rendered unconscious as a result.
Sometime later, Takashi slowly began to open his eyes and began to pick himself up from off the ground. He then looked on with a surprising look on his face at the sight of many unconscious Beedrill lying on the ground. As he looked at them all, the young man wondered what could have done this before remembering that it was Pikachu. He then started looking for the electric mouse, hoping that it was alright. After about a minute, Takashi managed to find Pikachu lying motionless in a small crater, prompting him to rush towards it.
"Pikachu!" He said as he picked up the Pokémon. "C'mon Pikachu, wake up! Wake up, Pikachu! Please open your eyes!"
At first, there was no response and Takashi started to worry that Pikachu had died protecting him. This brought tears to his eyes, prompting him to start sobbing as he brought Pikachu closer to him. However, as he continued to cry for it, some of his tears fell on Pikachu's face, causing it to wake up. When he noticed this, Takashi's face changed from one of sadness to one of joy. He then started smiling as more tears fell down from his face.
"Thank you Pikachu…" He told it. "You were awesome."
Pleased that it was able to save Takashi, Pikachu let out a small smile of its own before proceeding to lick his cheek as a sign of affection. When Takashi saw this, the smile on his face slowly became bigger and he soon brought Pikachu closer to his heart. He then proceeded to make his way out of the forest before all the fallen Beedrill begin to regain consciousness. Once they were out, both Takashi and Pikachu looked up into the sky and saw something incredible.
As the sun shined brightly over the horizon, a beautiful rainbow was seen above all of Pallet Town. Inside of that rainbow was a giant Flying-Type Pokémon, whose entire body was shined with an intense golden color. Although neither one of them knew what this Pokémon was, both Takashi and Pikachu felt warm feeling in their hearts as they continued to look at it. They then continued to stare at the Pokémon until it, and the rainbow, disappeared from sight. After that, Takashi looked down at Pikachu one more time before making his back to Pallet Town.
"Let's head home…"
"C'mon Pikachu…I'll get you this time!"
Two days have passed since the event that took place in the forest and during that time, plenty of noise could be heard coming from the Nakamura residence. Takashi was busy running after Pikachu, who was skillfully avoiding his every step. However, unlike when Pikachu was avoiding Takashi out of anger and mistrust, the electric mouse was running from Takashi because they were playing tag and having fun. Eventually, after running to other way in order to intercept it, Takashi was finally able to catch Pikachu and the two happily embraced.
As the two of them started laughing with each other, both Haruka and Sylveon were looking on at them with smiles on their faces. When Takashi first returned home with Pikachu after what happened a few days ago, Haruka was very concerned that more problems would occur between the two. To her surprise however, the exact opposite occurred. The experience that they went through together allowed Takashi and Pikachu to become good friends, making it seem like they were never at odds with each other to begin with. This made Haruka very happy, but there was something else that made her even happier.
In the beginning, Haruka was strongly against Pikachu being with Takashi as she believed the Mouse Pokémon would only cause problems for her son. However, Takashi refused to believe this and it was ultimately his will that won Pikachu over. Haruka was extremely proud of her son, not just because of his kindness and determination, but also because he had the strength to stick to his beliefs to the very end, even if it meant defying her. It was because of this that Haruka once again believed that her son had inherited some of her husband's more positive traits.
Eventually, as the day continued to roll on by, someone started knocking on the door and Haruka began making her way towards it. When she opened the door she happily greeted Professor Oak and welcomed him inside of her home. Once he was inside, the first thing that the Professor noticed was Takashi and Pikachu and he was pleased to see how close they have become in so short a time. He then made his way into the living room, where Takashi finally noticed him and began making his way towards the Professor.
"Good morning, Professor Oak." He said with a smile on his face. "What bring you here today?"
"Good morning, Takashi." Oak replied with a smile of his own. "I'm here today because I want to present you with a Starter Pokémon. I just received my latest shipment and I promised myself that you would get the first pick."
Pulling out the briefcase that he brought with him, Professor Oak opened it up and revealed 3 PokéBalls to Takashi. Inside of those PokéBalls were the 3 Pokémon that new Trainers from Kanto Region could choose to start their Pokémon Journeys with; the Grass-Type Bulbasaur, the Fire-Type Charmander, and the Water-Type Squirtle. When Takashi saw them, his eyes lit up as this was the moment he had been waiting for since he was a child. However, just as he was about to reach for a PokéBall, Takashi suddenly realized something important and stopped just short of doing so.
As his mother, Professor Oak, and Sylveon looked on, Takashi stared at all 3 PokéBalls for a moment before remembering everything he went through during the last couple of days. Granted, if he hadn't been late on that first day, he would've been able to obtain a Pokémon much earlier and be well on his journey along with his best friends, Kazuto and Minako. However, it was because of he was late that he was able to go through such a life changing experience and has he continued to think about it, Takashi had only one to thank for that and that was Pikachu.
Looking down next to him, Takashi stared at the electric mouse as it looked up towards him. Even though neither of them knew it when they first met, Takashi and Pikachu both realized that they were destined to meet up with each other. The two of them have been through so much in just a few days than most Trainers go through in their entire careers. It was because that what they've been through that Takashi couldn't bring himself to choose any of 3 Starter Pokémon. Instead, he decided to make a special request to Professor Oak.
"Professor…" He started off. "I truly appreciate this and nothing would make me happier than to start my journey with one of those Pokémon. It's just…there's another Pokémon that I want to start my journey with even more than those three."
Bending down, Takashi picked up Pikachu for off the ground and held it in his arms. As they looked at each other, Pikachu gave Takashi a warm smile, who returned it with one of his own. He then brought the Pokémon closer to him as they both turned their attention back towards Professor Oak.
"If it's alright with you, Professor Oak…I would like to start my Pokémon Journey with Pikachu instead!"
Upon hearing Takashi's request, Professor Oak looked into the young man's eyes and knew right away that he was serious about this. He then turned his attention towards Pikachu and noticed that the expression on the Pokémon's face as changed. At first, Pikachu had the look of someone who didn't trust anyone or anything. However, things were different now and Oak could see that Pikachu trusted Takashi greatly, both as a friend and as a potential Trainer. When he saw this, Oak started smiling to himself as he was extremely pleased by all this.
For over 2 decades now, Professor Oak has passed out Pokémon to new Trainers so that they can begin their respective journeys. During each of those times, it was always the Trainer who chose the Pokémon, but something different was occurring now. In this instance, while Takashi wanted Pikachu to be his Pokémon, Pikachu also wanted Takashi to be its Trainer. It was a case of a Pokémon choosing its Trainer and that was something that made the Professor very happy. Because of that, Professor Oak closed his briefcase and went to give Takashi an empty PokéBall.
"Of course…" He said. "If that's what you both want…then who am I to stop you."
"Thanks Professor…"
Taking the PokéBall into his hand, Takashi examined it for a moment before going on to press the button in the middle of it. When he did so, this caused the ball to expand until it fit completely in the palm of his hand. After that, he put Pikachu softly on the ground before standing in front of the electric mouse.
"Alright Pikachu…" He said to it. "With you by my side, I know that we're going to make it all the way to the top!"
Once he saw Pikachu nod its head at him, Takashi looked at the PokéBall that he was holding for a moment before throwing it at the Mouse Pokémon. When the ball hit the top of Pikachu's head, it opened up and everyone watched as Pikachu then transformed into a mass of red light energy. The energy then made its way inside of the PokéBall from closing up and landing on the ground. It then started wiggling around for a few seconds before stopping, resulting in several colorful sparks to pop out when it did.
After that happened, Takashi picked up the PokéBall that contained Pikachu from off the floor and held it in his hand. A huge smile then appeared on his face as he knew that this marked the beginning of his career as a Pokémon Trainer. As a result, the young man raised the PokéBall high into the air as Professor Oak and the others all looked on in approval.
"Alright, I caught a Pikachu!"
While basking in the moment of catching his very first Pokémon, Takashi noticed that the PokéBall that he was holding was beginning to wiggle around again. As he wondered what was going on, the ball suddenly opened and released a massive blast of blue and white energy. When the energy hit the ground it transformed into Pikachu, who didn't seem too happy with Takashi for some reason. Before Takashi could ask what was wrong, Pikachu shocked the young man with its electric powers, causing him to fall to floor in agony.
"Ow….what was that for…?" He questioned.
"Well, it seems that this Pikachu doesn't like being confined to its PokéBall," Professor Oak answered. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. As you'll soon learn, every Pokémon has their own unique personality and as Trainer, it'll be your job to make the most out those personality traits."
Picking himself from off the ground and shaking off the pain that he was feeling, Takashi started at Pikachu for a moment before letting out a small smile. He then gently rubbed the top of its head, causing the tuft of fur on its head to flatten out for a second before it shot back up. This made Pikachu happy, prompting it to jump onto Takashi's shoulder. Once he saw it do that, the young man nodded his head at Pikachu before shrinking its PokéBall and putting it away.
"Alright then…" He said. "If you want to stay out here with me, then okay. In fact, I think I prefer it that way."
Nodding its head in agreement, Pikachu happily smiled at Takashi as it rested comfortably upon his shoulder. Sometime later, Takashi went on to repack all of the things he would need to start his Pokémon Journey with. Once he did so, the young man put on a black and blue jacket, a pair of sneakers, and a pair a set of fingerless gloves. He then went on to wear a red hat with a PokéBall symbol on it before making his way downstairs with his backpack. Once he was there, he saw both his mother and Haruka waiting for him.
Upon seeing her son all prepared to begin his journey, a sense of pride enveloped Haruka as she proud that Takashi was about to embark on the next stage of his life. Before she set him off however, Haruka went on to present her son with two things. The first was a keychain while the other was a bracelet. While being different, both items contained a special stone and for some reason, Takashi felt drawn them both.
"What are these, mom?" He asked her.
"Let's just say they'll help you as you set off on your journey," Haruka answered. "These items belonged to your father…and before he died he made me promise that I would give them to you when you became a Trainer. Cherish them Takashi…for they contain your father's will."
After listening to his mother, Takashi examined both of items one more time before taking them. He then nodded his head before placing the keychain around his neck and hiding it underneath his shirt. He then put the bracelet on his left arm, making sure it was on properly. Once he did that, Takashi looked back towards his mother, who went out of her way to hug him tightly.
Without even saying a word, Takashi knew right away how his mother was feeling and soon embraced her as well. It's always hard for a parent to say goodbye to their child and for a child to say goodbye to their parent. However, both Takashi and Haruka knew that this was for the best and that this parting wasn't a permanent one. Because of that, the two shared a nice long embrace as it would be the last one they'll have for a long time. Once they finished, Haruka then went on to gently kiss the top of Takashi's head, making him smile gently.
As soon as that was done, Takashi went on to say a nice goodbye to Sylveon, petting its head gently as he did so. While that was going on, Haruka went on to do the same with Pikachu. Like with Takashi, Haruka and Pikachu didn't have to say anything to each other in order to convey their feelings. Now that it was Takashi's Pokémon, Pikachu promised Haruka that it would take care of him and Haruka could tell that the electric mouse had every intention of keeping that promise.
"Alright sweetie…" Haruka said as she opened the door for her son. "It's time. Head on out there and achieve your dream. And always know that no matter what happens…I will always be on your side."
"Thanks mom…" Takashi replied.
With that, Takashi and Pikachu ran out the house and set off on their journey. As she watched him leave, Haruka started crying tears of joy. Even though it would be a little bit lonely without her son around, she was content with the knowledge that he was out there working hard to achieve his lifelong dream. Because of that, Haruka happily wiped her tears away and continued to watch her son run with pride. Once she couldn't see him anymore, both Haruka and Sylveon slowly closed the door to their home and head back inside.
Meanwhile, after running through the streets of Pallet Town, Takashi and Pikachu finally reached the edge before stopping. They then looked back at the town, with Takashi taking the time to reflect on everything he's been through since he's been living there. After doing so, Takashi then raised his right hand into the air and balled it into a fist. He then smiled confidently as he continued staring at the town.
"So long Pallet Town…Until next time."
With a smile still on his face, Takashi lowered his hand and soon turned away from his hometown. He then stared out at the path away from Pallet Town. Once he started down that path, the young man knew that he would be embarking on a brand new chapter in his life. Naturally, a part of him felt very nervous about this as new things usually do. However, upon seeing Pikachu sitting next him and remembering how his mother believes in him, Takashi was able to shake off his fears. He then started walking down the path with a confident look on his face.
"Let's get going, Pikachu!"
Chapter Preview
Now that he's begun his Pokémon Journey, Takashi Nakamura is ready to achieve his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. However, as he's about to find out, the path to becoming a master is filled with many different obstacles. How will Takashi handle these obstacles and what will happen when he engages in his very first Pokémon Battle?
Next time, Chapter 3: Taking the First Steps
Announcements
Spirit Reader: Hey guys, it's Spirit Reader with a quick announcement. I'm extremely sorry for the long delay, but I was busy planning and got caught with personal matters. However, I'm happy say that the next chapter will be coming out soon. For now, please just be a bit more patient. Thank you for your support.