Chapter 1

Under the Straw Hat

'I close my eyes and I can see the day we met. Just one moment and I knew. You're my best friend, and I'd do anything for you.'

Pika had been running for so long that sometimes he forgot why he was running at all. His left ear was hanging by a thread, his entire body ached, and blood trickling into his eyes was making it impossible to see the thorn bushes in front of him. His sense of smell however was keen and second to none, as was his sense of direction pointing him home.

He'd been running for his life for three days now, only ever pausing to drink from a puddle or eat an unripened berry. Red had ordered Pika to save himself and run, but the infamously ornery Pikachu had other plans. He was going to find help and return with reinforcements. Only problem was, nobody would be able to understand him, and Pika was having a difficult time remembering where he had come from, who had attacked his team, and how exactly it had happened.

The electric mouse vaguely recalled there being a Rhydon, Hitmonlee, and Cloyster, as well as a man in a dark suit, but not much else. His body shuddered every time he thought of them, and he cried thinking of his trainer reaching out for him only to fall into the abyss below. Pika never stopped running however.

Familiar sights passed by, including the Viridian Forest where he'd lived as a wildling, and the rolling hills of Pallet Town where the team had spent the past several months training for their upcoming title match. Unfortunately it hadn't prepared them for the man in the suit...

Professor Oak's lab was located just to the south of Pallet Town atop the countryside's largest hill, but after three days of almost nonstop running, an extra mile or two made little difference. Red's home was located in the middle of town, but Pika didn't know how his trainer's mother could possibly be of any help. She'd be a great comfort and sight for sore eyes to be sure, and could probably even sow his ear back on, but that hadn't been why Pika ran home. He needed help, and along with being the man Red respected most, Professor Oak was also a former Champion. He'd know what to do better than anyone.

Finally atop the hill, Pika climbed out of the rain through a cracked window into the professor's state of the art laboratory, and collapsed onto the floor where a crimson puddle formed underneath him. Pika was bleeding from more than just his ear, but was too weak to cry out for the professor, and didn't even have the electricity to try and signal him either.

His breathing was labored and although he could barely keep his eyes open, Pika knew if he fell asleep now he'd probably never wake up again, and that would mean Red never getting help. That was simply unacceptable tp a Pokémon with a near perfect battle record.

Some tangled wires connected to a machine caught his eye, and any kind of plan he might've had instead gave way to instinct. Red had captured him in Pewter City after a bounty had been placed on the mischief-making mouse. Chewing on wires was a bad habit of his species, and whether it was to get the professor's attention or simply animalistic instinct, Pika crawled across the room and sank his teeth into the delicious-looking wires.

Pika screamed when electricity surged through his weakened body, and he had no other choice but to immediately release it all into the lab.

"What in the world!?" cried a familiar voice upstairs.

The lights went out as did the electronic hum from all the equipment in the room. Electricity always initially hurt regardless whether it was going in or out of Pika's body, but he suddenly felt sympathy for all the foes he had electrocuted over the years, and for all the times he had shocked Red, accidental or otherwise.

'Red... Save Red...'

Smoke rose from Pika's body, his fur matted and singed. He smiled thinking of his trainer, knowing that either he'd get help or more likely, they'd be together forever very soon. His body no longer hurt, and after three long, nightmarish days, Pika finally allowed himself to rest.

'Good work, buddy,' Red told him. 'Take a nice long rest...'

It didn't take long for Professor Oak to figure out what had happened to his lab, or identify the Pikachu that had fried thousands of dollars worth of research equipment. Although the species was common in this part of Kanto, there was only one Pikachu in the world that could cause so much trouble and as much destruction as Red's Pika.

Following the smell of burning fur was how he located the pitiful creature, and he hadn't wasted any time capturing it in a research ball and placing it into a healing machine similar to the ones used at Pokémon Centers. Thankfully the lab's medical equipment was stored in an adjacent room.

Samuel Oak wasn't a Nurse Joy, but he'd seen his fair share of emergencies over the years and thus was prepared for just about anything. Unfortunately Pika's condition was beyond even his considerable skill. He could keep the electric mouse alive, for now, but he could do little else.

An assistant from the nearest Pokémon Center was on their way, but that was all the way in Viridian City, and was an hour's drive or more in the best of conditions. He could only hope and pray they made it in time. Pika had lost a lot of blood, and preliminary scans showed it had internal injuries and swelling around the brain. Even its paws were bleeding from nearly running itself to death, and then there was electrocuting itself while soaking wet to consider...

True to its character however, it appeared the mouse was only still alive out of sheer stubbornness. Even a fully evolved Pokémon would've likely perished long ago, but not Pika. He simply refused to give his attackers the satisfaction.

After calling the Pokémon Center and failing to get ahold of Red's Pokégear, Oak had made one of the most difficult decisions of his life. Red's mother needed to know that her son was either badly injured or dead, but at the very least missing, and that could only be done in person.

No wild Pokémon could've done this to Pika, and he would've never left Red's side unless the situation was life or death. That could only mean one of Red's enemies had been behind the assault, and Oak could think of no one more likely than Team Rocket. Disbanded or not, many of its former members still held grudges against Red for causing their leader to go into exile, and there had been more than one thwarted assassination attempt in the past few years.

Oak called his grandson first, the only trainer in the world considered Red's equal, then the Elite Four, and finally the gym leaders he trusted most. Not only could they be next, but the Champion of Kanto and Johto being taken out of the picture could be a precursor to further attacks or another full scale assault on Kanto. Until they knew the facts however, the protectors of the region had promised to keep their search a secret.

Now if only that blasted nurse's assistant would get there already, Oak could stop pacing and break the news to Delia about her son...

*knock, knock*

Oak sprinted for the door, and upon opening it was greeted by a young cowboy wearing a straw hat and standing beside a Doduo. It wasn't at all what he'd been expecting, but he shook his head and quickly ushered them inside. The pair were soaking wet from the rain, but glancing around the lab, they almost appeared uncomfortable being indoors, and might've preferred standing in the rain.

"You must be Professor Oak," he said in a rough, rural accent. "Friends call me-

"It's about time you got here," Oak interrupted. "I don't know if Pikachu will make it another hour." He led them into an adjoining room where an impressive-looking machine was humming.

"So Pika is here! I followed the trail as best I could, but-"

"No time for that," the professor barked. He pressed a series of buttons and the Pokéball was ejected. "I've filled the ball with medicine but I'm afraid it won't do much good. Take him immediately to the Pokémon Center. I assume you've got a portable healing machine in that satchel of yours?" He eyed the canvas bag suspiciously before grumbling and dragging the pair back the way they came. "Doesn't matter now. I have an important errand to make, and so do you."

He shoved the Pokéball into the boy's hands then shoved him and his twin headed bird back out the door. He paused only briefly to grab a raincoat and lock the door behind him. "What are you waiting for? Get out of here! NOW!"

The professor hurried down the hill toward the town, leaving the boy in the straw hat blinking at the surprisingly spry old man.

"Something tells me he thinks I'm someone else." He glanced down at the Pokéball and smiled sadly at the unconscious Pikachu inside. He could sense its life energy fading, as well as every single ache and pain in its body, but it wasn't any cause for alarm. Not anymore.

"Don't worry, Pika," the boy said, his voice softening. "I'm better than any Nurse Joy or Pokémon Center, but you already know that. Come on, Dody. We better get out of here before the professor figures out there's been a mix-up. I hear he's got an awful temper, and I think we just got a taste of it. Besides, who knows what kind of scary Pokémon he's got."

He hopped onto the back of the flightless bird and ushered it to run in the opposite direction of the professor. His straw hat nearly blew off as they accelerated, revealing a long blond ponytail that he quickly tucked back under his hat.

"WHAT!?"

Professor Oak glowered at the young woman riding a Ponyta. All three were standing at the bottom of the hill, out of breath and soaking wet.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but I was the only assistant on duty tonight. It's a small Pokémon Center and we don't get too many travelers, so-"

Oak growled at her to hush and glanced back the way he came, steam practically coming out his ears. He hadn't realized the boy and his Doduo hadn't followed him down the hill toward Viridian. The stranger had seemed honest enough, and Oak prided himself on being a good judge of character, but perhaps it had all been a ruse and he'd been a part of whatever happened to Red. Or perhaps he was just an ordinary thief at the right place, at the right time. It wouldn't be the first time after all.

One thing was certain however. He had to get Pika back, but he didn't have any Pokémon that'd be ideal for searching in the dark, or rain for that matter, and he also needed to speak with Delia as soon as possible. There was no telling when the news would break that the Tohjo Champion was missing, or worse, but Oak refused to let Delia find out on her own. Not after what happened to her husband.

"Call the police and tell them to search for a pre-teen boy with yellow hair and a straw hat," Oak told her flatly. "He'll be riding a Doduo. He has a stolen Pikachu from my lab, and he may or may not be dangerous. And tell every Pokémon Center and ranger station to be on the lookout for a Pikachu in critical condition. It'll be dead within the hour if it doesn't get to a healing station."

Without another word Oak started toward Delia's for what was certain to be the worst night of her life.

When Pika opened his eyes again, he was being cradled in the arms of someone with a familiar scent that he couldn't quite place. He immediately resented this person however for not being Red, and for waking up only for the nightmare to continue.

His anger subsided however due in part to the warmth pulsing throughout his body not unlike electricity, but mostly because he remembered this sensation from long ago. That and he didn't have the strength to electrocute them.

"Good to see you awake, Pika," the trainer said, stifling a yawn.

Pika looked around and saw that they were under a grove of trees somewhere outside of Pallet Town. It was dark and the rain had subsided somewhat, but he thought he recognized this particular grove from earlier in the day. How long-

"You've only been asleep for a few hours," they said as if reading his mind. "I've been using my powers to heal you, but it's taken a lot out of me so we're lying low until morning. Professor Oak's really mad. He sent the police searching for us and everything, but don't worry. We'll get everything straightened out eventually. With any luck we'll find Red before they find us."

It was strange, Pika could generally understand the gist of human speech, more so the meaning than the actual words, but usually only from voices he'd gotten accustomed to hearing. This trainer however he could understand every word said as though they were the same species, and to his surprise he knew exactly why.

"That's right, Pika. I'm the maiden of Viridian Forest." The trainer removed their straw hat, revealing a long blond ponytail.

A memory from several years prior sharpened into focus. A young girl being chased by foreign Pokémon in the Viridian Forest, and Red calling on Pika to rescue her. The memory was fuzzy just like all of Pika's thoughts at the moment, but he remembered his trainer getting badly injured along with several party members, and mysteriously being nursed back to health by the little girl who disappeared before she could be thanked.

Pika had known who she was at the time even though nobody else had. The children of Viridian were only ever daughters, and no hat, dirty face, or disguising of the voice could hide somebody's scent.

The trainer cleared her throat and when she began speaking again, her naturally gruff voice was softer and slightly more feminine. "I was either left as a baby in Viridian Forest or the forest itself created me. I don't know which. I don't really have a name, but folks call me Yellow on account of my hair and straw hat. I also sometimes go by Amarillo, Jaune, or Jamey, but Yellow's fine. I prefer the names Pokémon have for me anyway."

Pika nodded, understanding every word, and Yellow smiled at him. "You're wondering why I disguise myself as a boy?" Her eyes suddenly grew misty. "I have to keep my powers a secret, and since all of Viridian's children are girls, anybody hunting for the Maiden will be looking for a girl. That's why I change my voice and wear this hat. Thankfully despite being fourteen I don't have much of a girlish figure, though I wouldn't mind it being a little harder to hide in plane sight."

She chuckled at her own expense, the sound warm and husky to the ears. Pika nodded again, but in truth struggled at a glance to tell the difference between the male and females of her species. As much as he loved his trainer however, Pika found that the human females were better for cuddling, though they could be annoying when they baby-talked to him. A slight electrocution usually set them straight.

Yellow laughed as she read his mind, but once the fit was over she hugged him tightly and scratched his ears just the way he liked. "I was able to sense you running through Viridian Forest yesterday, and I knew something was wrong. I can sense every Pokémon I've ever healed the moment they step into my forest, and we tracked you back to Pallet Town."

Pika sighed and cuddled closer, not even thinking about his ear which hours earlier had been dangling by the thinnest stretch of skin. "I healed your ear as best I could, but I'm afraid you'll always have the scar. Not that battlers like you mind." Her voice hid a hint of disapproval but she continued smiling at him. "I might not like Pokémon hurting each other, but I understand why you and trainers battle together. You probably can't wait to show your new scars to your teammates, huh?"

As if instinctively, the electric mouse squirmed in her arms in an attempt to free himself and continue running until he inevitably collapsed again, prompting her to squeeze him tighter and release more of her energy into him. "Don't worry, Pika. We'll find Red, and your teammates. I read your mind and I've got a pretty good idea where to start looking." She buried her face in his fur. "Your memories are broken like pieces of a puzzle, and I'm afraid not all your scars are physical, but I'll help you as best I can. We're both children of Viridian, which makes us family."

Pika smiled happily, drifting back into unconsciousness where Red was waiting for him, and the girl called Yellow kissed him atop the head and hummed a soft lullaby the forest had taught her. With a look up to her faithful Rattata and Caterpie standing guard in the branches above, and her exhausted Doduo sleeping nearby, she tilted her hat over her eyes and was fast asleep.

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. "Electric Tale of Pikachu" gets its name from the 1998-2000 manga of the same name, but while that story was a loose adaptation of the anime, this story is inspired by the "Pokémon Adventures" manga, specifically the Yellow Chapter. Yellow is one of my all-time favorite characters, but for the purposes of this story I decided to take some liberties and tell a more condensed version of that story, mainly for narrative purposes.

I wanted to give a better reason for Yellow hiding her gender, and it being because all "Children of Viridian" are female makes sense in the narrative I wish to tell, and also ties loosely with my RWBY fics. Yellow's a very unique character in the manga because despite her incredible powers, she's also physically weak, tires easily, and has zero interest in Pokémon battles. She hates seeing Pokémon get hurt and thus her battle strategy revolves around incapacitating her foes rather than outright attacking them, which is in sharp contrast to the previous main character (Red), and of course Pika.

"Electric Tale of Pikachu" takes place in the same universe as "The Road You Choose", but I decided not to label this as a RWBY/Pokémon crossover due to Yellow and Pika being the main characters. A RWBY character or two may pop up, or perhaps referenced, but as with "The Road You Choose", readers who come here for a Pokémon fic will be able to treat the RWBY characters (if they appear) as OCs. Also, not that this really matters, but "Electric Tale of Pikachu" takes place a year or two before "The Road You Choose" since Red was already atop Mt. Silver recovering from his ice related injuries in his battle against Yang (Chapter 6).

I also just wanted to add that "Electric Tale of Pikachu" was inspired by r/Pokémonfanfiction's "Summer 2022 One-shot Contest" prompt "Pokémon POV", though it is not an actual entrant.

The cover image of "The Electric Tale of Pikachu" portraying Yellow and Pika belongs to The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and Game Freak. The art itself was created by "Pokémon Adventures" illustrator Mato.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and wonderful readers such as yourself. God bless)