Apologies for the long delay. I've been busy with more work lately, and Brilliant Diamond, Rimworld, Stellaris, Crusader Kings 3, Legends Arceus, and Violet took most of my hours. New Pokémon and possibly new lore to consider. Also, a new puppy came to my family, so I was extra busy on my hands.
Reduced the number of cuss words thanks to criticism and fixed some issues here and there in the last chapter. I intended the main character to be vulgar for a while until a certain point in the story, but I now understand that writing too much of it makes it unreadable to some.
"Aw, such a cutie~!" Miss Ketchum cooed as she scratched my chin.
"Can you stop, please?" I whined as I pushed her hand away. The worst part was that I was beginning to like it.
"Hey, Mom? I don't think Pikachu likes being petted." Ash, you innocent soul, thank you.
"Oh, nonsense, He's beginning to enjoy it!" Ugh…
I lost track of time getting from Professor Oak's lab to Ash's home. The threat of loving pets by Miss Ketchum was getting to me.
Just when I was about to give in to Miss Ketchum. A house came into view that I recognized from the show. Red roofing with white walls surrounded by white fences and a clown-like Pokémon with an apron sweeping the floors of the path near the door.
Hold up, wait, isn't that Mimey? I remember him before the Orange Islands started. How the hell did he appear this early?
Mimey saw us and then glared at Ash, suddenly gesturing with his hands to the broom like the actual mimes from the cartoons. He then made a downward motion with his broom, and all it did was hit the grou-
"Ow!" Ash grunted in pain as he rubbed the back of his head. Christ, whoa!
"Mr. Ash Ketchum!" Mimey yelled out. His face turned a dark pinkish-red, lifting his broom. "Do you have any idea how long it took to clean your room? And you destroyed your alarm clock again!" I recoiled as he shouted. Damn, that's some anger.
Ash lowered his head, looking to the ground, keeping eye contact with Mimey apologetically. "Um, sorry, Mimey..."
Mimey's expression softened. "Well… It is your birthday." He sighed before spotting me, making a humming sound. "You must be his starter."
"Uh… yeah," I responded with a hesitant paw wave. "Hi."
"Thank you for cleaning the house as always, Mimey. Please, you deserve a break." Miss Ketchum said with a smile.
Mimey waved off her hand with a hearty laugh. "Oh nono, It's alright, Miss Ketchum. I'm already indebted to your family for saving me."
Wait, when did he get saved? Wasn't he a wild Pokémon before he was caught? I'm trying to remember the episode featuring Mimey, but it's drawing a blank.
"Oh, Mimey, same as ever," Miss Ketchum giggled as she shook her head before turning to us. "Well, ready to get inside?"
"Yeah, mom!" Ash cheerfully shouted, a little too loud for my poor ears.
"Uh, sure," I replied as if they could hear me, rubbing my right ear from the slight ringing.
Mimey opened the door, and Ash's family went inside. The wooden floors were polished and reflected light. A well-watered potted plant ran up the stairs to the next floor, and there was an entrance to a kitchen with polished red tiles. I could smell cooking.
Left of me are a living room with a yellow carpet, a white chair with its fair share of use, a bookcase, a damp fireplace, and a couch with a TV in the corner. Among the items behind the couch is a dust-free dresser with a number pad and a phone from the '90s.
"Welcome to my house, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed to me. Gave me the biggest smile.
I hummed a bit before I nodded. It wasn't a bad place and definitely better than my old apartment, and I had yet to get a house back home.
We settled in the living room, myself next to Ash on the chair as he turned on the TV, saying something about a Pokémon League battle before hugging me.
That's how I found myself under the ownership of Ash Ketchum. Hugged by the future ten-year-old Pokémon Master. What did I do to deserve this again?
"Oh man, I can't wait to be a Pokémon Master and be like the ones on TV!" Ash exclaimed.
He must mean the first episode, right? I turned to the TV; on screen, it showed a Blastoise and a Venasaur battling each other, with the commentator explaining that the battle ended in a tie and took place yesterday.
I tilted my head to the side, feeling my brow raised. Shouldn't it have been Gengar vs. Onix? What is going on here?
"You can't be a Pokémon Master if you're not dressed and missing your breakfast." I heard Miss Ketchum say behind us with a stern tone.
"Yes, mom..." Ash slumped back on the chair with a groan.
"Now, help me cook. You want to show Pikachu what you can do, right?" Miss Ketchum said, motioning her hand to the kitchen.
He jumped out of the chair and looked determinedly at Miss Ketchum. "Of course, Mom! You know how well I cook!"
Uh, should I be worried? I remembered Ash being a lousy cook in the show. He turned to me with a big grin.
"Just wait, Pikachu, you'll love my cooking!" Ash declared before he followed Miss Ketchum to the kitchen.
"Welcome to our humble home," I hear Mimey say with a chuckle. "So, how can a Pikachu like yourself get caught?"
"What do you mean?" It's a fair question since I'm in the same boat. Professor Oak never explained how he caught Pikachu.
"Don't think I haven't seen you running around here, Mr. Blackout," Mimey said as he crossed his arms with a raised brow. "You tell me." Him too? I guess it's infamous around here.
I thought about my options: Should I abridge Pikachu's past? I could make something up, but they could cause some questions down the line that I have no answers to.
"Um, I guess I got unlucky," I answered honestly with a shrug. Waking up in a Pokémon world and being turned into a Pokémon owned by the future champion is one way.
"Really?" He chuckled with a smile. "I was a troublemaker before Ms. Ketchum put me into shape." I guess we're bonding now; I'm not great at socializing.
"Pikachu! Mimey!" Ash shouted across the room. "Food is ready!"
"Come, let's head to the kitchen; I'm sure Ash will have something special for you," Mimey said with a hearty laugh as I got off the chair and followed him. I can't wait for burnt food; yours truly by Ash Ketchum.
We entered the kitchen and noticed the refrigerator reflected light a little and had magnets that held drawings by Ash, a sink filled with dishes next to the microwave, an oven on the left where Miss Ketchum was preparing food in a pot, and cupboards above her.
There's a dining room on the right side of the kitchen, with a slightly worn wooden table covered in a light blue covering and matching colored chairs decorated the same way my mother decorates stuff. A door behind one of the chairs leads into a backyard.
"You're going to love it, Pikachu! I made it myself!" Ash suddenly picked me up, which caught me off guard. He puts me on the table near the bowl filled with... brown kibble?
"What is this?" I had to ask as I leaned in and sniffed one of the kibbles. This is damn pet food.
As if Ash heard my question, he answered with a proud look. "It's PokéChow!"
"No," I declined as I pushed the bowl back. "I'm not a fucking pet, Ash." As I said, Mimey frowned, putting his hands on his hips with disapproval and anger.
"Watch your mouth, young one. Ash has taken his time making food for his first Pokémon, so you better eat it." He chastised me, and I raised an eyebrow at him. What? Isn't there a language barrier here? I don't think Ash heard what I just said.
Ash and Miss Ketchum looked at Mimey in surprise before Ash shook his head and turned to me.
"Aw... come on, Pikachu," Ash begged, looking intensely into my eyes, putting his hands together like a prayer. "Please?"
I sighed. Fine, but only because I respect you, Ash.
Ash cheered as I took a piece of PokéChow kibble and cautiously bit one chunk into my mouth. The flavor is bland, but I'm not a cook. Maybe it will be good? He's watching me as I attempt to swallow it.
I nearly choked as I immediately kicked the bowl, coughing out the food particles from my mouth and spreading them over part of the table.
My god, what the hell is inside that thing?!
"I have never seen a Pokémon not liking PokéChow." Miss Ketchum commented as I continued to cough out the kibble.
"Aw. Pikachu didn't like it? Did I put in the wrong ingredient somewhere, or maybe it was too dry?" The sadness is pouring from Ash's mouth, and I feel more terrible than I already am.
"Don't worry, Ash. I'm sure you did it correctly." His mother reassured him. I felt like I was going to puke. Christ, help me.
"Urp! Can I get something that doesn't taste like cardboard…?"
Thankfully, I didn't vomit, but I cleaned up some of the mess on the table myself, so Mimey wouldn't have to worry about it. But he still had to sweep the other crumbs that fell through on the floor.
After that, Ash has given me some regular Human food: Green salads.
Admittedly I'm not a fan of them, and I'm not sure if that's even good for a rodent, but I'll happily take that over garbage pet food. I started to take one piece of the salad Ash had given me and chewed it.
My tastebuds melted in bliss. This is the best salad I have had in years!
I devoured half of the plate and nearly stuffed myself with food. The family began to laugh at my state, and I felt my face heating up in embarrassment.
"Hey, Mom," Ash began to say as I finished picking off the last of the lettuce. "Can I feed Dad's Rapidash before I go?"
Wait, what? A Rapidash? When did they have one? At least, to my knowledge, I know it was that racing episode, and I barely remember it other than Ash riding one.
And a dad, huh? He was only mentioned a few times but never appeared officially.
"Of course, Ash, but you need to get dressed first," She took the empty plates from the table, then made her way to the sink, turned the faucet, and rinsed the dishes. "Remember, you were going to head out on your journey right after getting your Pokémon." Ash got up from his chair and ran off with a huge grin, leaving the kitchen and hearing his footsteps coming upstairs, where I assumed his room was.
"For goodness' sake," Miss Ketchum sighed as she shook her head before turning toward the stairs. "I packed your clothes, running sneakers and underwear, towel, toothbrush, and a sleeping bag in your backpack, sweetie!" Ms. Ketchum shouted.
"Ok, mom!" I heard Ash before hearing a door swing open. I turned to Miss Ketchum to see her return to the sink and begin cleaning the dishes, and before I knew it, I found myself staring at the knife she was rinsing.
...I'm going to leave the kitchen.
I jumped from the table and left to follow Ash to his room.
Getting to the second floor with my new body took a while. Stretching my arms to grab the ledges and climb up each step was a pain, and when I finally reached the second floor, there was a hallway with four doors in which, thankfully, the last door was open. I'm sure Ash left it open for me to enter his room.
"Today's the day I will be a Pokémon Master!" I heard Ash shout in excitement as I entered his room and reminded myself of how small I was again. The room is damn huge, and you can see all sorts of stuff in his room; A giant Snorlax plush, an old TV playing some kind of sport on top of an end table filled with books, a bunk bed on the right, a table with a laptop and a mess of clothes of the floor.
Ash is half-clothed with unbuckled pants and socks and already having difficulty putting on his shirt. Once it was on, he grinned before spotting me. "Hey, Pikachu! Like my room?"
I hummed as I nodded, looking around his room, which looked much cleaner than my own, most likely Mimey's work.
"Awesome, buddy!" Ash exclaimed as I turned to him, as he suddenly dashed and held his arms toward me. Oh crap! I held my paws up and shook them frankly. NONONONO, GAH!
"We'll be the best of the best and become a Pokémon Master!" He exclaimed as he put me on his right arm before looking at the bedroom cupboard where his alarm clock used to be and chuckling nervously. "Other than the alarm clock, I have to pay for Mimey soon."
I took a deep breath and exhaled. This is going to be great. Can you stop picking me up so quickly?
As Ash put me on his bed, I heard him listing his clothes. I spotted a mirror as I looked at myself in my reflection.
A breathing, yellow-furred rodent stared back at me. I'm an actual Pikachu, and I'm pretty chubby too.
Oh, right, Pikachu was fat back then before season four came along.
Taking my paws to my red cheeks, I gently rubbed them as I watched the mirror mimic my movements. Tiny sparks appeared as I touched them, and I felt a slight twitching here and there, like power awaiting release. Until now, I didn't notice it. Maybe it was due to the electricity?
I don't know; I wasn't a zoologist. Like I can tell about fictional rodent biology.
"Pikachu, you ok?"
I jumped and turned to see Ash already dressed, holding his backpack in his right hand with a face of concern.
"Ash, Don't sneak up on me like that." I rubbed my chest. Christ, my heart.
Ash rubs his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Pikachu didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," I replied as I looked at the mirror. "It's not your fault."
"Alright, since we're ready," Ash puts on his bag before sprinting out of the room. "Come on, Pikachu! I want you to meet Rapidash before we go!"
"Hey, hold up!" Holy Christ, he's fast! Slow down, Ash! I'm still getting used to this body!
He ran down the stairs, and I followed. I felt my right foot trip on the top, and-Oh, SHIT!
I screamed as I tumbled down the stairs to see the wall before my eyes. I closed them, expecting to hit the wall, but they never came. I opened my eyes to see the floor and…. Hovering. I turn my head to see Mimey stretching out his arm with a glowing blue hand and eyes.
"Please watch your step, young one," He said as he gently put me down, and his glowy hand and eyes returned to normal.
"Thanks, I owe you," I muttered, groaning from the pain. It wasn't my first time falling down the stairs, and thankfully it's not that bad. I entered the kitchen before I walked outside to the backyard but stopped to take a breather and look around my surroundings.
There are wooden fences with a large open field. I see Ash with an aging Rapidash, its coat discolored and covered with scars and its horn broken. The flames are just enough to see it visible, but not by much. Its body shakes every few seconds. Ash took a bucket filled with grain food and put it near Rapidash, which it put in its muzzle, eating the contents inside.
I did not expect Rapidash to be in the state that it's in. What the hell happened?
Walking toward them, Ash turned to see me and smiled before putting the bucket down.
"Hey, Rapidash," Ash began to rub Rapidash's head through the flames without a hint of burns, and he stepped aside for it to see me. "This is Pikachu, my new best friend!"
"Uh...yo." I greeted with my usual introduction before breathing heavily. Christ, if Ash hasn't run out so fast.
"Oh, sorry, Pikachu," Ash nervously chuckled as he walked up and crouched down, and patted my head.
"It's fine, Ash," I assured him. Pushing his hand off my head.
"Hello, young one." Wow, his voice reminds me of Dumbledore, and he's making my whole body relax from the smoothness of his voice.
Before Rapidash could say another word, Ash chimed in. "Guess what, Rapidash," Ash gently petted the unicorn's neck. Making the equine neigh in approval. "I'm going on a Pokémon Journey and becoming a Pokémon Master!"
"That's wonderful, Ash." Rapidash nuzzles Ash, which makes the young boy hug him before the unicorn lets go and then looks at me. "You must be the Pikachu that caused the blackout."
"Uh… maybe? I've been told I've caused a blackout from other pokémon. Mind giving me what's that all about? I still don't remember much when I got out of the ball." I thought again about how I would cover something up from Pikachu's past, but I still didn't know. Maybe I can get info out of something from the old unicorn.
Rapidash huffed through his nostrils before grimacing and stomping his right hoof in irritation. I raised my paws up in defense as I moved backward. Jesus, man, I'm just in the dark as you, and I'm not responsible for anything Pikachu did before I came along.
Ash notices the change in Rapidash's behavior. He took something from his bag and pulled out some cream. "Hold on, Rapidash, I got you," he exclaimed, making soft shushing noises as Rapidash calmed down and stopped stomping, allowing Ash to use the white cream on the hoof and smooth it out on the hoof. "There, that should ease the pain for a little while."
Wow… That's… really sweet. I know Ash cares a lot about Pokémon, but this takes the cake way better than on TV as a kid.
Rapidash nuzzles Ash with relief in his eyes before turning to me. "Forgive me. I don't mean to react like that."
"I thought I screwed you over hitting that hoof or something." I replied, looking weary at his hoofs.
Rapidash shook his head as he made some kind of a horse equivalent of a laugh. "No, but you pulled a prank on this old one by giving me quite a shock on my backside. After you electrocuted me you went straight to the professor's lab. I can safely imagine what happened afterwards."
Sighing, I rubbed my face. Damn it, Pikachu, you had to do something like this. Why do I have to deal with someone else's mess? It's bad enough with my boss. I looked up and made an apologetic look at the answer I came up with.
"l'm sorry alright? Like I said with the other pokémon, I was trying to survive and I made a bad joke that could have killed you. It's… a coping mechanism for me." I half-assed the answer, making Rapidash raise a brow. Damn it. I knew it didn't work.
"Ash!"
Ash and I turned to see Miss Ketchum walking with Mimey. I thank the lord that Miss Ketchum came to see us just before Rapidash could call out my bullshit.
I noticed Mimey staring at me, feeling a numbing sensation in my head, but it stopped as the clown suddenly looked pained before giving me a surprised look.
I don't know what is happening, but it creeped me out.
"Pikachu almost got hurt while trying to catch up with you. Next time don't let him fall behind."
"I'm sorry." At least Ash had the decency to look sheepish before petting my head. Ugh. I pushed his hand away.
Ash giggled at my act before going to Rapidash and gently hugging his neck. Making the old unicorn softly neigh as he put his head on Ash's shoulder. "Bye, Rapidash; when I come back, I'll make sure to see you, Mimey, and Mom."
"I await your return, Ash. Farewell and safe journeys." Rapidash turned in my direction and made my fur stand on end with his intense stare. "And you too, young Pikachu. You take care of him. Ash has a good heart, and he will look after you."
I didn't know what to say, but I gulped and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll do my best to keep Ash safe."
"And don't you have Daisy to pick up your map?" Miss Ketchum crossed her arms with a raised brow. Wait, What map?
"Ooh." Ash puts his fist on his open palm. "Right, Gary must have gotten a town map from Daisy by now, and I hope she has one for me too."
"Well, I won't keep you any longer, Ash. I know you have to get going." Miss Ketchum hugs Ash tightly. "I love you!"
"I love you too, Mom," Ash hugs her back before letting go and turning to me. "Come on, Pikachu! Let's go to Daisy's house!" Gah! Shit! He ran off again!
"Ash! Goddamn it, wait!" Didn't you hear what your mom just said to you?!
"Don't forget to change your underwear every day!"
"I know, Mom!"
"Now Mimey, what was it, Huh? It didn't…." Miss Ketchum's voice fades as I chase after Ash.
I tried to run on two legs, but Ash's current speed was near impossible; I couldn't keep up with him.
Then an idea stuck: why not run on all fours like animals? I won't like it, but I have to do it to keep up with Ash.
I stopped momentarily to get on all fours, feeling the light dirt on my paws and remembering how a dog or cat runs, following the movement of my mind and then doing it.
Surprisingly, it worked; I caught up to Ash just barely enough to see him in the distance, despite the small pebbles sticking into my paws.
I lost track of how long it took to catch up with him, ten minutes at best. We passed by some sort of radio station. When I got to Ash, he was already knocking on the door.
I started panting heavily. I need to work on Pikachu's body. Holy crap, that left me out of shape.
It will take me a short time to check the house. It has a blue roof, a wooden balcony with fences, tan walls, and two narrow windows on the right side.
"Oh, Ash!" A voice prompted me to look up. A young brown-haired lady wearing a white undershirt, a long green dress, and a green headband emerged from the doorway.
"Hey, Daisy!" Ash as he showed his Pokédex and pointed his finger at me excitingly. "Look what I got!"
"Hey…" I waved as I climbed to the top of the last stairs, which left me heavily breathing in and out.
"Oh, a Pikachu!" Daisy said before gesturing her hand. "Come in!"
Ash went inside as I crawled towards the door before collapsing out of breath. Daisy kindly picked me up as I felt her hands under my arms and went into the house.
I checked the interior of the house. It's a little different from Ash's house. Wood flooring inspired by the Japanese, a single large table with a checkered-blue tablecloth that sits atop a vase filled with flowers and an open map, and four red chairs. There is a big green carpet with yellow polka dots under the table, stairs to the right leading up to bedrooms, a TV in the back, and a kitchen on the left.
Daisy started rubbing my chin with her fingers. It's alright; I just hope it isn't a regular occurrence. "Look at this Pikachu; it's so adorable~!"
My right foot began flopping in the air as I purred with joy and felt her fingers hitting the right spots.
"Ash, you need to make sure you are with Pikachu. Not making him catch up every time." Daisy stopped scratching my chin as she put me on the table.
Aw, man, come on... Gah! Focus, damn it! Don't let pets distract you!
"Just like people, Pokémon are living things. When they get tired, please give them a rest." She finished explaining.
"Sorry, Pikachu." Ash nervously laughs as he apologizes to me again before looking at Daisy. "So, where is Gary going?"
"He headed for Viridian City if you're looking for him; same for Marina and Tierno. Gary left with his Pokémon! It was so cute!" So now I learned who the other kids are. I vaguely remember the name Marina but who the hell is Tierno?
"Grr…. Gary." Ash, do you have a strong hate boner for Gary? I remember him not being this obsessive early on in the show. "A-anyway, Professor Oak is letting me go on a journey." He snaps out of it before blushing with a sheepish smile. "And well… I need a map."
Daisy rolled her eyes but kept her smile. "Here, this will help you," She took the map from the table and handed it to him. "You know how to use it, right Ash?"
"Of course," Ash said without hesitation as he took the map and briefly read it. I can imagine how many times we will get lost in the future.
"Remember, you stay safe out there, ok?" Daisy said with concern.
"I will, Thanks, Daisy!" He reassured as he put the map away on his back.
"Daisy! Food's ready!" A pink oval Pokémon appeared from the kitchen doorway. Isn't that the evolved form of the hospital Pokémon?
"Oh, Seych!" Seych? Who came up with these names? Daisy turns to Ash. "Sorry, Ash, I'm cooking food for Grandpa, and Seych is helping me with the ingredients. Good luck on your journey!"
"No problem, we're about to head out. Thanks, Daisy!" Ash nods in understanding before opening the door and turning to me. "Come on, Pikachu!"
"I'm Coming! Let me catch up, Ash!" I followed Ash to leave the house and into the main road. He took the map out and reread it before putting it back in his bag as he closed the door and caught up with me.
"Alright, Let's go, Pikachu!"
Finally! We can go to Route One!
This took a while to make. This went under rewrite a few times. This used to be with the previous chapter, but it got too big, so I cut it in half.