"Roar—"
Seeing this scene, Charizard couldn't help but spout a mouthful of flames, then looked down at Pikachu, its gaze somewhat surprised.
It didn't expect this little bro, who usually wished he could stick to Ash twenty-four hours a day, to have such a stubborn side.
I used to think you were a well-behaved student, but it turns out you're a reformed delinquent!
"Pika…"
Pikachu looked as if he was seeing his own dark history; he shyly reached out his little paw to cover his forehead and shook his head helplessly. Who told me to be young, vigorous, and ignorant back then?
.....
[ Facts proved that running isn't faster than flying. Pikachu was soon overtaken by the Spearow flock, who pecked frantically at his body, leaving him covered in cuts and bruises in no time.
"Stop it, all of you! I'm the one who threw the rock. If you want to attack, come at me!" Ash waved his hands to drive away the Spearow, then scooped Pikachu into his arms and ran forward.
Ash's clothes had been torn into tatters, but seeing the heavily injured Pikachu in his arms, he gritted his teeth and persevered.
Under the siege of the Spearow, after finally making it through the dense jungle, he discovered a cliff directly ahead. Seeing this, Ash gritted his teeth and leaped. ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
No way… You actually jumped!
This scene left everyone dumbfounded. This kid is truly reckless; if there's a cliff, he really jumps. But… shouldn't you check how high it is before jumping off a cliff?
Although Ash was a bit reckless, his love for his Pokémon moved people. This is the true bond between a Trainer and a Pokémon.
"Ash from Pallet Town… Pallet Town, is that in the Kanto region?"
Lance couldn't stand watching anymore.
As the Dragon-type Elite Four, he needed to go check it out. Flocks of Spearow are so dangerous for a child! Are they trying to stop rookie adventurers from ever going on an adventure?
On the other side, Misty was still confused. She pointed at herself and looked at Ash with a face full of doubt.
"This isn't right. Where am I? Where did I go?"
This was different from what she had experienced. Could it be that this time her bicycle was safe?
Unexpectedly, Ash was even more confused than she was.
"I want to ask that too. It's a bit different from what I experienced."
( Translator-kun: I'm a bit confused... So the version on the lightscreen is from the movie (I Choose You!), which is different from the main series? I always thought they were the same. )
.....
[ Splash— Although Ash jumped off the cliff without looking, fortunately, there was a rushing river below. Relying on his robust physique, falling into the water from such a height didn't cause any major harm.
But before Ash could relax, beneath the water's surface, a giant Gyarados charged aggressively toward him.
Ash was startled. He quickly curled his body, hugging Pikachu tightly, and tilted slightly to the side, barely escaping disaster before slowly wading toward the shore.
By this time, the sky was covered in dark clouds. Ash looked at the weak Pikachu with immense heartache. ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Watching this scene made everyone's heart skip a beat. Damn it, is everything coming for Ash? Are you kidding me? There's a Gyarados in this small river?!
Can we be reasonable here? Is this something a rookie adventurer who hasn't even caught a Pokémon yet should encounter? This difficulty level for a starting game, are you kidding me!!
Misty was still puzzled.
"Normally, a pitiful and helpless bicycle should appear right about now…"
In Professor Oak's research lab, Ash's mother, Delia, felt her heart rise to her throat seeing this scene.
"That child, he never told me it was this dangerous before!"
Professor Oak comforted her aloud,
"Don't worry, Ash has had a sturdy body since he was small. He's fine."
.....
[ Before they could catch their breath, the lingering Spearow screeched strangely and chased after them again. Ash's expression changed, and he had to start running once more.
However, having exhausted most of his stamina, he slipped under the siege of the Spearow and fell heavily to the ground, causing Pikachu to be thrown out.
It began to rain. Ash gritted his teeth and stood up from the mud. He went to Pikachu's side and took out a Poké Ball. "I know you don't like going inside the ball, but if you go in, you might be saved!"
"Leave the rest to me!" Ash placed the Poké Ball in front of the weak Pikachu, then stood up to face the Spearow in the air.
Turning his hat backward, he spread his arms wide to shield Pikachu. Facing the menacing Spearow, Ash shouted, "Who do you think I am! I am Ash from Pallet Town, the man who is going to become the world's number one Pokémon Master!"
"How could I lose to you! I'm going to catch all of you!" ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Even now, he still hasn't forced Pikachu to go inside…"
Everyone stared blankly at the young boy before them. This ten-year-old boy, protecting Pikachu with nothing but hot-blooded passion, seemed truly extraordinary!
A strange feeling arose in their hearts. Perhaps… he really could become the world's number one Pokémon Master!
.....
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Because of the video's appearance, several Champions had gathered together not long ago to watch the screen quietly. Upon seeing this scene, everyone's expression changed in unison.
Cynthia smiled faintly.
"The world's number one Pokémon Master, is it… I await your challenge, Ash of Pallet Town."
Leon nodded affirmatively.
"Hahaha, having such spirit at that age, truly remarkable! But I won't lose."
In a mysterious area of the Void Lands, a certain Pokémon with a silver-gray body and a purple tail and belly nodded silently after watching this scene. Then, with a flash, it departed from there.
.....
[ Accompanied by a lightning strike, the Spearow circling in the sky seemed to receive a command and dove toward Ash below.
Pikachu looked at the small, thin figure blocking the way in front of him and completely acknowledged Ash. With a determined look, he struggled to stand up, stepped onto Ash's shoulder, and leaped!
"Pika—chu!!" Accompanied by Pikachu's roar, golden electric light illuminated the dim sky, and a full-power thunderbolt engulfed the Spearow.
BOOM—!
The next second, a massive explosion rang out, and the formerly rampant Spearow instantly vanished without a trace.
After doing all this, Ash and Pikachu passed out directly. ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Watching this scene, everyone was deeply touched. This is the bond between a Trainer and a Pokémon, a friendship where they run toward each other!
"Was that the move, Thunder? No…"
As an Electric-type Gym Leader, Elesa appeared somewhat surprised.
"It was a maximum-power Thunder generated by borrowing the thunderclouds in the sky! He actually knows how to play with the weather… utilizing the rainy day to make Thunder hit with 100% accuracy!"
Elesa was now quite interested in this Pikachu. Only… she wondered if this was a coincidence?
In a meeting room elsewhere, the Kalos Champion, Diantha, also seemed very curious.
"Is it my illusion? I feel like this Pikachu's power seems very different…"
"You're probably overthinking it, right?"
Lance, the Flying-type Champion (Dragon Master), shook his head.
"Electric types naturally counter Flying types. Plus, with the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and quadruple damage, it's understandable."
.....
[ Unknown how much time had passed, all the dark clouds had vanished, revealing a fiery red sunset. Ash slowly woke up.
Looking at Pikachu, who was smiling happily in front of him, he slowly reached out and hugged him. "Is choosing me really okay?"
"Pika Pi…" Pikachu smiled and nodded, responding to him for the first time.
Then, as if sensing something, Ash slowly climbed up from the ground and looked up!
A giant bird shining with light appeared in the sky. It looked like a peacock, with a golden crest on its head and feathers composed of gold and red.
"That is…" Ash and Pikachu stared blankly at the holy figure in the sky, which then disappeared at the end of the horizon.
Ash reached out his hand, and a feather emitting rainbow light landed in his palm.
Ash and Pikachu looked at each other. "Pikachu, one day, let's go meet that guy!" ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
"Ho-Oh, that's the legendary Ho-Oh…! The Ho-Oh that disappeared for a hundred years has reappeared before human eyes."
"Is it my illusion? Did Ho-Oh just glance at Ash? It seemed like it came specifically for him…"
Everyone was already stunned, gazing quietly at that holy figure. Being lucky enough to see it once in this lifetime, one could die without regrets!
"I'm going to the Kanto region!"
Cynthia said excitedly. As a lover of myths and legends, nothing was more attractive than this.
She had heard the legend of Ho-Oh, possessing the magical power to resurrect the dead. Now that the legend was right before her eyes, she truly couldn't hold back.
"Let's calm down first! Ho-Oh's appearance was for this Trainer,"
Leon said with a smile.
"And this Trainer's journey has only just truly begun."
…On the other side, in Professor Oak's research lab, Professor Oak had already activated his 'Deadly Chain Call' mode.
"ASH—! IF YOU HAVE THE FEATHER, CONTACT ME!!"
Professor Oak's voice, sounding on the verge of a breakdown, came from the phone. This was probably the most significant discovery in history.
That is Ho-Oh's feather! Since Ho-Oh was willing to appear in front of him, Ash could be said to be the Rainbow Hero acknowledged by Ho-Oh.
Ash felt like his ears were about to go deaf and moved the receiver slightly away from his ear.
"But… I did see Ho-Oh, that's true, but it didn't leave me a feather."
"…Uh, then that should be a parallel world."
Professor Oak, who was originally agitated, suddenly paused.
What to do… suddenly, he felt somewhat envious of his parallel self. Maybe the parallel version of himself was already doing research with the Rainbow Wing.
.....