The woods beyond Beacon were quiet, save for the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of distant birds. Ash and Pikachu wandered through the trees, taking in the fresh air and peaceful surroundings.

"This place kinda reminds me of Viridian Forest," Ash mused.

"Pika," Pikachu agreed.

However, that peace was short-lived.

The moment they stepped into a small clearing, a group of suspicious-looking people emerged from the shadows, surrounding them. Their ragged clothes, rough demeanor, and smug expressions made it clear—they weren't friendly.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a lost kid and that...thing you got there," one of them sneered.

Ash tensed, stepping in front of Pikachu. "Who are you guys?"

"Doesn't matter," another bandit grinned, flipping a dagger in his hand. "Just hand over whatever valuables you've got, and we might let you walk outta here in one piece."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's not happening."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked dangerously. "Pika… CHUUU!"

A blinding bolt of electricity erupted from the tiny Pokémon, surging through the bandits and sending them sprawling with pained yelps. Some twitched on the ground, dazed, while others scrambled to regain their footing.

Ash smirked. "Still wanna try robbing us?"

But before he could react, a swift force struck him from behind.

THWACK!

Everything went black.

Moments later...

When Ash regained consciousness, his head throbbed, and he quickly realized his hands were bound behind his back. Pikachu was tied up beside him, glaring daggers at their captors. The bandits, though still recovering from Pikachu's attack, were now gloating as they towered over them.

"Ugh… what do you guys want?" Ash demanded, struggling against the ropes.

One of the bandits, a young woman with tan-colored skin, short brown hair and icy blue eyes, ignored his question and instead crouched down to his level, studying him intently. Her piercing gaze swept over his face, and after a moment, a small smirk tugged at her lips.

"Huh," she muttered, tilting her head. "Didn't expect a kid like you to be such a hassle." Her eyes lingered a little longer before she added, "You're kinda cute, though."

Ash blinked. "Wha—?!"

The moment those words left her mouth, a few of the bandits burst into laughter.

"Aww, come on, Vernal, really?" Shay, a burly member of the tribe, smirked. "That's your type?"

Another bandit snickered. "She likes 'em young, huh?"

"Shut up," Vernal scoffed, standing up and rolling her eyes. "I just meant he's not bad-looking. Unlike you lot."

That only fueled the teasing.

"Sounds like she's making excuses~."

"Careful, kid, she might just keep you for herself."

Ash groaned, his face heating up. "Oh, come on!"

Pikachu smirked despite the situation. "Pika pika~." (You've got a fan!)

Vernal crossed her arms, sighing. "You guys are idiots." But as she glanced back at Ash, her smirk remained.

Ash tugged against the ropes again. "Alright, seriously—what are you guys gonna do with us?"

Vernal, still smirking, leaned casually against a nearby tree. "Well, normally, we'd kill anyone who stumbles onto our turf. Can't have people running off and telling others about us, y'know?"

Ash tensed, and Pikachu growled.

Vernal let the tension hang for a moment before shrugging. "Buuut, lucky for you, I've taken a little liking to that cute charm of yours." She tilted her head with an amused grin. "So, I'll let you live. For now."

Ash gave her a deadpan stare. "Oh, wow. Thanks for your generosity," he said sarcastically.

Vernal rolled her eyes. "Don't mention it."

Shay, who had been standing nearby with his arms crossed, grunted. "Tch. You're being too soft, Vernal. The kid and his weird little pet blasted half our guys with lightning! What if someone comes looking for 'em? We should get rid of them before they become a problem."

Several of the other bandits murmured in agreement, some still rubbing sore limbs from Pikachu's earlier Thunderbolt.

Vernal waved them off. "Relax. Nobody's gonna come looking for them. And even if they do, I doubt anyone would really care about some lost kid and his pet." She glanced back at Ash. "Besides, I'm kinda curious what he's doing all the way out here."

Ash huffed. "I was exploring until you guys jumped me."

Vernal smirked. "Yeah? Well, maybe next time, don't wander into places you don't belong."

Shay scoffed. "You better hope she's right, kid. 'Cause if trouble does come knocking, I'm not gonna be as nice as Vernal."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Nice? You knocked me out and tied me up!"

Vernal chuckled. "Details, details." She stretched, looking back at the rest of the group. "Alright, let's move before someone actually does come sniffing around. And untie them. I wanna see if the kid's got any fight in him." Then, she had second thoughts. She took a step back, rubbing her chin in thought. "Y'know what? Forget untying him. I've got a better idea."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Oh, great. Can't wait to hear this one."

Vernal ignored his sarcasm and turned to the rest of the bandits. "Let's take him to meet Raven."

Shay immediately scowled. "What? Are you serious? You really think Raven is gonna be thrilled about some outsider waltzing into our camp?"

Ash blinked. "Raven?"

Vernal smirked, folding her arms. "Yeah. Raven Branwen. Our leader." She turned back to Ash, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "Since you're such a curious little thing, I figure you'd love to meet her."

Shay scoffed. "This is a terrible idea. The last thing we need is bringing some random kid back with us. And what about his weird rat?" He motioned toward Pikachu, who growled at him, cheeks sparking.

"Pikachu's not a rat!" Ash snapped.

Vernal chuckled. "Relax, Shay. I think Raven might actually like meeting this kid. He's got guts."

Shay ran a hand down his face, exasperated. "Or she'll kill him on the spot."

Ash frowned. "Not exactly reassuring."

Vernal smirked. "Well, guess we'll find out."

With that, she motioned for the bandits to prepare for the trip back to camp. Ash sighed, shifting against his bindings.

"Man… this day just keeps getting better and better."