Hey everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying the latest chapters so far; I've been updating every 2-3 weeks per chapter recently, so I'm proud of myself for being active on this story again as I was in 2013-2015. Anyways, this new chapter is pretty much inspired by an earlier scene from my first draft of this story on Deviant Art, titled "50,000 Volts" on fefe46 if you're interested in reading it. It is there you can also see the new artwork of the story's current cover: "Lucas and Orion" which was made by mysticalpha on deviant art. Anyways, this may be the last chapter for the year. If that's the case, I hope everyone has a happy holiday and a happy 2021 greetings! Enjoy this new chapter of 50,000 Volts!

Chapter forty-two: The Portrait

I wake up to the sound of George calling for us from the other room. I rub my eyes and sit up and see Rigel and Orion doing the same. It's early in the morning: the sun is slowly rising above the horizon with some scattered clouds visible in the sky.

We all get out of bed to get ready for the day, the day that we might finally go to see Bill, the man who might be my only salvation in saving my humanity.

"Good morning Lucas, how'd you sleep?" Orion asks as I shrug, "Alright I guess."

Rigel steps into the bathroom and takes a shower while Orion and I converse for a while until the teen steps out and changes into his clothes. Rigel grooms and feeds his Pokémon as I dress in my Pikachu-sized clothes for the travel ahead.

"Alright, time to go see Bill!" George exclaims from the other room while Rigel joins his father there.

Orion brandishes his arm toward the humans as if he's ushering me out, "shall we?"

"We shall" I chuckle as I follow him, but then I forget something. I pat the top of my head to feel for it: I forgot the goggles! I wanted to wear them on the journey to Bill's cottage.

"Oh, hold on, lemme get my goggles" I say, turning back to go get them from my bed as Orion crosses his arms: rolling his eyes playfully in response to me.

I search my bed for them and it takes a minute.

"Where are they..." I ask myself before kneeling down to check under the bed...and...voila! It turns out they had fallen off the bed in my sleep. I grab them before standing up again.

"Found them, buddy?" Orion inquires from across the room.

"Yea, they were..." I stop suddenly. I look at Orion with amusement, but he gives a raised eyebrow to me.

"I ah..." I look down to see the goggles: they're shaking uncontrollably. No...those are my paws trembling...what the? Was it the way I slept last night; maybe it has something to do with sleeping on the wrong side of the bed or something? Am I nervous? I must be, we were about to embark on a long journey to see a strange man, who we didn't know and can barely trust, in a strange place.

Then, both my paws started trembling together. The blue goggles I am holding fall from my grasp and hit the floor hard. Orion walks close to me with a worrying voice and expression, "Lucas, are you alright?"

My tail starts twitching too until it becomes unbearable and impossible to ignore. I look behind me to see it getting out of control. The twitching soon spreads all over my body to my face. It is then that my head explodes into indescribable, ungodly pain. I clutch the sides of my head, closing my eyes: giving off a muted scream of agony, which is accompanied by overwhelming confusion.

What...is happening...to me!?

Orion steps back, giving a gasp of shock at what is going on. He turns around to alert the others of the scene unfolding before him.

The pupils in my eyes shrink while my mouth starts to foam uncontrollably!

I...can't...think...straight…

It isn't long before the room around me starts spinning uncontrollably, accompanied by the flashing of lights all around me.

I can't explain it, but I am going through a change…my mind was changing, and it seemed inconceivable from how fast it was all happening.

All the years of education I've learned over the years, everything I took for granted, began to be drained from my brain, and I became frightened. It didn't stop there...soon even my most precious memories began to be affected. I try as hard as I can to hold on to them, but it's all in vain. Soon, there will be nothing left. Every memory from my human life disappears in just a few seconds as I spin around the room in muted agony. Everything was gone: I forgot where I was born, who my human family was, what I did or where I went in my life: all gone as if they never happened.

This is it...this is the end, isn't it? I'm done for...please...just don't let me forget her...don't let me forget my name at least...Lucas…Bright...my name is...my name…

…..

Where am I?

A human boy, along with his entire family, gather around me by the corner. A Pikachu is the only one who steps closer to me. He reaches a paw out towards me with an anxious face:

"Lucas? Are you alright?"

I quickly turn around: startled, confused, and afraid. What is going on here!? Who are these people!?

"Who...who are you!? Where am I!?" I snarl loudly at the other Pikachu who shakes his head in disbelief.

"Lucas...what is wrong with you?" he asks as sparks start to envelop my red cheeks while they build up more and more energy. I growl before shouting at the top of my lungs in defense:

"Get away from me!"

My body shines as lightning bolts spread out in all directions, enveloping the Pikachu and the humans behind him.

I keep yelling, expelling powerful energy until...the room explodes…and everything gets dark...

I wake up with a sharp, painful, gasp, and in cold sweat before looking around. It's still dark in the room, still nighttime: with Orion and his trainer still sound asleep. I wipe sweat off my forehead, sighing softly to myself in quiet relief. It was just a dream...or a nightmare rather...but nevertheless I've been having them for days now. They're dreams wherein I lose my human mind...my memories...my very identity...and they're getting more frequent.

It's going to happen, isn't it? Eventually there won't be a Lucas Bright anymore...just some confused and frightened Pikachu that will just take over...and I'll just fade away...to be forgotten...forever.

Oh Bill...please...you must have a cure for my condition. You have to figure out a way to change me back...for my sake...because if you aren't able to: I'm doomed…

...

Morning arrives very quickly, and I am woken up by George, who whispers to me:

"Lucas, I got the professor on video and he wants to talk with you" he explains.

I rub my eyes before yawning.

Professor...who? Could this be the same person George was talking about in the park the other day? I sit up, blinking wearily in the process. I shake my head to wake myself up even more, and I give another cute Pikachu yawn before following him into the other room.

There I see May by the mirror getting ready for the day and a laptop that is on top of the desk across from her. George picks me up, much to my protest, but my thrashing soon dies down once I come face to face with a person on the computer screen.

"Is this the one?" A somewhat middle-aged man asks George. His hair is somewhat spiked from one side and is gray in color. He has a stern, yet welcoming, look running up and down his face. He appears to be wearing a labcoat along with a red-button down shirt. The man focused his eyes on me while I stare back, blinking a few times as we both wait to see who speaks first. Instead, George sets me down on the chair, which has several books on them, so I can be eye level to the screen and webcam.

"Ah-em, Lucas, this is Professor Samuel Oak of Pallet Town. He studies Pokémon, and their relationship with humans."

"Hello there!" Oak introduces himself first, "I understand that you are the human supposedly trapped inside the body of a Pikachu?" the man asks before I nod, "yes...I am" I speak to him in English. Suddenly, we can see the professor fall on his back in total surprise. George and I move closer to the screen with worry.

"P-professor? Are you alright?" George asks.

Oak recovers from his shock, giving an embarrassed expression, "y-yes, I'm quite alright. It's just that no one told me that he could talk, and I wasn't exactly ready for that to happen" he exclaims. I look up to George with a raised brow and all he does is shrug before I shake my head.

I clear my throat, "I can, though...it's hard sometimes..." I explain as he examines me with child-like fascination.

"This is incredible! How did you figure out how to talk?" The middle-aged man asks, and I just give him a slight shrug. I honestly don't know how it happened...we were at Rigel's house and for some reason I could now speak from that point on.

"We figured it had something to do with him being human before, but we're not exactly sure of that" George explains to Oak who scratches his chin in silent contemplation, quietly thinking about the possibility. To him this must have been such a great discovery for a scientist, especially one who specializes on the very nature of Pokémon.

"Ah, perhaps. It could be due to his prior knowledge of the human language that gave him the ability to break the barrier. It is fascinating nonetheless, and I have so many questions to ask" Oak closes his eyes and smiles, clamping his hands together before rambling on:

"Can you understand other Pokémon, do they sound the same as they do for us, have you been able to use Pokémon moves..." the doctor adds one question on top of another while George and I look at each other

I ultimately interrupt the professor and explain everything I know to the man. It takes a bit, but by the end he is just overblown with excitement.

"Lucas...don't you realize who you are?" he asks me as I nervously scratch the back of my head in a questioning manner, "you just may be the first human in recorded history to bridge the gap between human and Pokémon language. This could be history in the making!" Professor Oak explains in detail.

"It's not just that. You're going to be even more surprised, but he taught my son's Pikachu how to write as well...human writing! I've seen it, and I can show you" George adds.

"I-incredible!" Oak exclaims excitedly.

"S...so...what now?" I ask, raising an eyebrow while lowering an ear.

"Well...I would ask if you could send yourself to me via PC for the morning. I would like to run some tests with you" The professor requests. As soon as he said that I moved away a little bit.

George notices my reaction and clears his throat to get the man's attention, "Ahh, Professor...maybe that's not a good idea. Lucas explained to us how some people tortured him in a lab. It's the reason he's a Pikachu. I'm not sure if he'd be willing to-"

"Oh yes, of course...I understand completely."

"George," I interrupt them, "let me...go" I request before he gives a look of uncertainty.

"Are you sure?" He asks before I nod, "yes."

Though George was right about my newfound fear of laboratories and experiments, and what not, thanks to Bartoli, I deemed it necessary to see Oak in order to try and fix me. The scientist seems quite harmless, and it could be a chance for me to see my hometown once again, if only for just a little while.

...

And so, despite my fears of being in a Pokéball, George takes me to the Viridian Pokémon Center and places me into a ball for transport. It only takes a few seconds, but I am sent dozen of miles away from Viridian City to Pallet Town. Professor Oak retrieves the pocket ball from the machine and quickly releases me: to which I look up at him in response. The man towers above me, but he gives a simple warm welcoming gesture, which relaxes me. I look around, and the thing that draws my interest is how open this laboratory is: there's a couch with a set of tall windows behind it and a balcony right above them. To the left are some stairs with some pictures hanging on the wall. On the second level the larger windows let even more sunlight in than the ones at ground level. This place honestly feels like a cozy cabin, which to me is reminiscent of the cabins in Verdigris (when the town wasn't abandoned as it is today.), and it's mixed with spare laboratory equipment. This is a stark contrast to the dull, steel, cold, and claustrophobic labs that belonged to Bartoli and Team Rocket.

As a result, I feel a sense of tranquility from this place, which is a relief. From the computer screen it looked as though his lab was just in some smaller room or something like that, but it's quite the opposite.

I continue looking around, taking notice of the desk and computer: that must be where he takes his video calls n stuff.

"Welcome Lucas, welcome!" Professor Oak exclaims warmly as I give a soft Pikachu smile to him.

"Are you hungry by any chance?" He asks me before I nod, my stomach growling afterwards.

"I'll bring some Poké puffs for you. Please, make yourself feel comfortable, I'll be right back" Oak exits as I jump down from the machine to explore.

It isn't long before he returns with a plate full of several cupcakes: the same ones Rigel gave me and Orion at his house. So, I expected the same heaven-like experience from eating them as before.

The human gets a small stool to place the plate on, allowing me to grab them, "please, let me know how they taste like!" Why do I get the feeling he's just doing this so I can tell him how they taste like...humans can't eat them after all, he must be very curious about my input from a 'human' perspective. He takes out a small memo book and pen from his coat and gets ready to write information on it.

It just takes a few minutes for me to devour the plate, but not before describing to Oak what each cake tastes like. Once I'm done, Oak takes the empty plate away. Soon afterwards he picks me up and puts me on the counter, so we can be eye to eye.

"So Lucas, tell me more about this formula they gave you" he queried quite impatiently. I sigh, starting from the very beginning. I tell him about the dark liquid and how, once in my bloodstream, I painfully transformed into what I am now. I explained how supposedly I wasn't the only one given the injection, for I was the first of many test subjects forced into the same experiments. From Bartoli's own words, I told the professor how the formula affected everybody differently depending on blood type. I told Oak about the Team Rocket members who could use Pokémon moves at their discretion. I explained how the formula also supposedly enhanced a Pokémon who were given samples, who was responsible, and everything else that had happened during my time in captivity. He just stands there, probably thinking to himself, trying to digest every little bit of information, yet he's writing everything on his little book with great speed. Once I am done, he paces back and forth, placing a finger under his chin while he ponders to himself.

"How interesting…" he then turns and asks me, "Lucas, are you okay with me obtaining samples from you?" I gulp in response...needles now frighten me, but this is necessary...it has to be done. Maybe my blood type can be the key to finding a cure?

Nevertheless, I sit down on the counter and Professor Oak draws blood from me. After he does he takes the tube sample to a machine for testing, "I'll try and get enough data to send to my colleagues for further analysis" he murmured.

It takes a while, but after the machine finishes scanning the blood sample: some data appears on the computer screen. Once he takes a look at the results he rushes toward me, "It's-it's true! I can't explain it, but you are indeed showing higher combat data compared to others your range. I had a Pikachu here in my possession not too long ago that was around your level, yet you're showing higher stats compared to them" he explains to me.

I roll my head to the side in a questioning manner, with my ears following the same direction.

"I'm not quite sure how this formula affects humans with giving them the ability to use moves. Perhaps it affects people at the genetic level..." Professor oak explains further, "I've studied the similarities between human and Pokémon DNA, we share a number of characteristics with one another. As disturbed as this might sound to you, we might not be so different after all!"

"I see..." I respond in English softly to myself.

Oak takes notice of this and is just as energetic as before, "I find it amazing that you are teaching a Pikachu to write. I can imagine, that one day...all Pokémon will be able to communicate with humans in English just like you!"

I briefly consider the possibilities, but I soon remind the man about my condition. I add one more, VERY IMPORTANT, detail that I, for some reason, forgot to bring up earlier: the possibility of losing my human mind while in this body...explaining to him all my psychological hiccups over the past few weeks.

The man scratches his chin, unsure what to make of my statement, "well Lucas, I am...unsure. I would have to study this formula in your bloodstream more, and it may take a while; however, perhaps I can reverse engineer a cure from its components" the scientist reassured me.

I turn away…

As much as I wanted results right away...realistically I was not going to get much...if anything at all.

"I'm not entirely sure how I'll be able to make you human again; however, I do think you can increase your chances by visiting Bill also, which by the way I think that's what George explained to me during our previous conversation."

I look up at the professor, nodding slightly...yes...YES! I mean think about it...now I have Bill and Professor Oak helping me...the odds appeared to be more in my favor now. Despite this, waiting is all I can do for now, and of course: to make the long journey to Bill's sea cottage. In the meantime, however, Oak will be taking more samples from me.

...

It's late in the morning by now. Oak has gathered all the samples and questions he could possibly get from me, and so: there's no reason to stay anymore…

Finally, he asks the question:

"would you like to be sent back to Viridian City now?" he asks while I think to myself.

...maybe not yet…

...I kind of want to see my hometown…

It takes some convincing, but Professor Oak agrees to give me a "tour" of Pallet Town since it's pretty much within short walking distance. We exit the laboratory, which is on a hill, and we walk along a trail surrounded by dormant, leafless trees. There are some two-story houses scattered around while the landscape in the background is mountainous, much like the outskirts of Viridian City...heck the city is literally in that direction anyways! Closer to Pallet, however, are rolling hills. It isn't long before we come across more and more houses beside the dirt trail and up on the hills. Nostalgia hits me like a Rhydon charging at full-speed and full-force: not much has changed here...aside from a few new houses here and there.

I stopped once I saw it: it is unmistakable...especially to someone who's memorized everything from childhood...it's been years, but it's still here...like they said it was…

It's my childhood home...and inside...are probably members of my family…

Tears begin falling quickly, never stopping. My Pikachu eyes focus on the exterior of the house and how little it has changed in the years since being here...it's almost exactly the same as how I remember it. The human beside me just looks down at me with a questioning demeanor, but very soon he realizes what is happening here.

"I see...this is why you wanted to come see the town. This is your house, isn't it?" he asks, but he doesn't need confirmation, for everything I do is enough to tell him yes.

I silently walk forward, towards the white picket fence before Oak tries to stop me, "Ah-um, Lucas, are you sure you want to go in there?"

I ignore him and enter the residence, but not before turning to him, "I just want...to see" I tell him before he paces back and forth.

"Oh dear..." the man says silently to himself.

I couldn't just barge into the house and expect my parents and brother to recognize me and welcome me back...even if I could explain everything…

I think the first thing I wanted to do was to see if anyone was actually home. And so, I jumped up and climbed the window sill, resting on it before seeing everything inside: from inside the house I saw no one...not a single soul...the living room was empty. To add, I couldn't hear any noises coming from the inside. Against my better judgment, I quietly opened the window and entered the house. I tiptoed toward the living room where I look around...

In the center is a small black coffee table with some magazines scattered about. To the left, by the wall, is a white couch and a painting above it. Next to the furniture is a bookcase with some familiar things on it: photographs...but not just photographs...they're pictures of me with my family when I was very young...when I was around ten years old...

I decide to continue touring the house, visiting my parents' bedroom, which was also devoid of people...and I also checked my brother's room, which...you guessed it...empty. Where was everybody?

Finally, I checked the last place I could think of...my old bedroom. When I opened the door, by jumping up and turning the knob, I am surprised to see how much it has changed. It now looks like a guest room: with a very simple design and not much decoration...with the exception of some family photos I see on the counter, one of which catches my interest. I climb up and I pick up the portrait with my soft yellow paws.

The young man staring back at me through the portrait was none other than Lucas Bright: me. This photo was taken roughly ten years ago when I was eighteen...just before I left Kanto to live in Sinnoh. My brown hair is longer in this picture, and I lacked the stubble I had just before my transformation. Plus, I was kinda thinner, and well...age is partly the reason for it. I wanted to take the portrait with me, but what if my family realizes it was taken? What then…

...screw it…

I decide to take it with me, despite its size. I tuck it beneath one of my arms and make my way back out. Once I'm outside, I close the window behind me and return to Professor Oak...who's...hiding behind a tree? Once he notices me he steps out, looking quite relieved that I am okay.

"Lucas-"

I interrupt him, "No one...was there" I look down with sadness, but then I think: maybe it's just better I don't see my family for now...who knows what might've happened if I ran into them in there...my emotions would have gotten the better of me...and well...it probably would not have ended well...I probably would have been chased out, or worse...captured…

Oak sees the object I now have in my possession and I show it to him, "this is me" I say, showing him the portrait.

"I see…if you really want to take it with you, I won't object. We should get going Lucas" Oak tells me before I nod. We both begin our trek back to the lab, but not before I give one last look of my childhood home…

For all I know this could be the last time I'll see it...or remember it...hopefully the latter will never happen...hopefully...I won't forget...

...

Once we are back in the laboratory, Professor Oak prepares to transfer me back to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City: where George will be waiting for me.

"I'll keep in touch with George, who will keep in touch with you regarding progress. Lucas, I can't promise anything, but I'll do what I can to help you. If you do go to Bill's...please have a safe trip, and I hope you can find resolve with him."

I nod to him, "thank you...professor" I say before he brandishes a ball and calls me into it, setting it into the machine.

The next time I am "conscious" I am released into the hotel room to be greeted by the family.

"Lucas!" Orion exclaims as Rigel does the same

"How was it?" Maybelline asks before I explain everything that happened to everybody. Despite me speaking in English, Orion understands just as he would if I spoke normally with him. He just sits down, legs crossed, listening to my story attentively. George adds by showing everyone my portrait, which Oak sent to him through another machine. Orion and Rigel had already seen my face on TV during the investigation, if only for just a few seconds, but now they could see just how different I looked as a human. Rigel had told his parents previously that I was the missing person on TV, so the parents could see the correlation between the photographs on the air and from the portrait despite the slight age difference.

George gives good news: they're letting us go to Bill's cottage today. Of course, it looks as though some officers will accompany us just in case. And so, everyone gets ready for the long journey ahead of us. Rigel gathers his belongings, including his Pokémon and Pokéballs. I go to my bed where I find the blue goggles. I stop...my mind goes back to the dream I had the other night.

Please...don't let this be another bad dream…

I went to reach for them, but nothing happened. I give a hefty sigh, and then join the others in the next room to leave...