[Professor Sakuragi: Goh, how could you do something so cruel to Koharu! Don't you feel the slightest shame? Koharu was only five years old back then! Five! How dare you leave her to face a Nidoking alone!]
At the future Sakuragi Institute, Professor Sakuragi was so furious his lungs felt like they were about to explode.
All this time, he thought Goh was one of Koharu's few friends.
But now it was clear — Koharu had so few friends because of Goh.
Ever since childhood, Goh stuck to her like glue. With someone like that around, how could she ever make other friends?
Every time, Goh swore up and down he was Koharu's "best friend."
But looking at it now, it was obvious — he just couldn't make friends himself, and he didn't want Koharu to have any either.
At such a young age, instead of learning better things, he already knew how to PUA!
Worse still — because of that incident, Koharu had started to dislike Pokémon.
For a child, what a devastating blow that was!
[Mewtwo: What a disgusting human. No, you don't even deserve to be called human! To put the word 'human' on you is an insult!]
At home, Goh had no idea such an existence had already set its eyes on him.
He was still brooding over what exactly he'd done wrong.
Wasn't it normal to run when faced with danger?
Wasn't it normal to try and catch a Pokémon you liked?
Everyone did the same thing, so why was he being criticized like this?
Goh's already dark complexion seemed to darken further.
[Goh: What kind of garbage livestream is this? What garbage ranking! Slander! Nothing but slander! I never did those things, so why are they pinning it on me? Just a few clips and you call it truth? Isn't it possible this light curtain is faked? And even if I did do it, so what? I only made mistakes that anyone would make. I…]
[Warning! This livestream is fair, impartial, and open. Everything shown is factual.]
[User "Goh" has deliberately slandered the stream. His ability to send comments is revoked, and punishment will be administered.]
The moment Goh sent that barrage, two lines of text immediately appeared on the screen.
The broadcast froze — and then a black-skinned youth appeared on the light curtain. He looked exactly like an older version of the little boy from earlier.
No one had any doubt now — this was Goh.
[Punishment: Ten Million Volts! Pokémon Affection Level reduced to -10,000!]
The next instant, multicolored lightning crashed down from the sky, striking Goh head-on as he stared blankly.
Countless volts surged through his body.
His skin, once merely dark, was now charred to coal.
The Poké Balls he carried fell from his belt, shattering under the onslaught of electricity. The Pokémon inside wasted no time fleeing his side.
The punishment lasted only three seconds.
When it ended, the broadcast returned to normal.
Now, no one dared doubt the authenticity of the light curtain anymore.
Goh had become the clearest example.
And no one wanted to be the next to suffer Ten Million Volts.
[Bruno: That was truly satisfying. I've always despised people who disrespect their partners and Pokémon.]
[Mustard: Some are born human, yet unworthy of the name.]
[Leon: Master's right!]
[Ash: Anyone who doesn't care about the bond with their Pokémon doesn't deserve to be a trainer at all!]
[Paul: I don't agree with Goh, but I don't agree with you either. Pokémon battles can't be won by "bonds" alone.]
On screen—
After rescuing Koharu, Mew blinked away and reappeared beside a Kangaskhan and its baby.
The two Pokémon began playing together.
But in its excitement, the baby Kangaskhan slipped and nearly fell off a cliff.
A nearby Pichu instantly rushed forward without hesitation.
Fortunately, Mew used Psychic just in time to catch the baby and return it safely.
The baby leapt into its mother's pouch, and Kangaskhan hugged her child tightly.
Seeing this, Pichu froze, lost in thought.
Perhaps… it was time to leave.
That night, after Kangaskhan and her baby had fallen asleep, Pichu carefully slipped out of the pouch.
Before leaving, it looked back one last time, imprinting the image of mother and child in its heart — then walked away with determination.
Kangaskhan's love had been real, but her baby was her true child.
Pichu had been sharing affection that didn't truly belong to it.
All those memories flashed through Pichu's mind. Love could continue on — but it was time to move forward.
A single tear slid down Pichu's cheek.
"Pi…chu…"
Bathed in moonlight, Pichu's body shone with the brilliant light of evolution.
Pichu evolved!
When the glow faded, a Pikachu stood in its place.
No longer Pichu—
Now Pikachu!
It dashed joyfully through the forest, the scenery around it shifting rapidly.
The screen shifted—
Ash was lying in his room, fast asleep.
The next moment, he jolted awake.
Seeing the sun rising outside the window, he rushed out the door without even changing clothes.
Ten-year-old Ash was about to meet his most important day — the day he would receive his first Pokémon and set off on his journey.
At Professor Oak's lab, Ash successfully received a Poké Ball from him.
The Poké Ball, marked with a lightning bolt, opened—
And Pikachu tumbled out, straight into Ash's arms.
But the heartwarming scene didn't happen.
The moment Pikachu emerged, it zapped Ash into a charred mess.
The scene was almost identical to Goh's earlier punishment.
But!
Something unexpected happened.
Despite being hit with Thunderbolt, Ash didn't collapse like Goh.
Instead, as if nothing happened, he cheerfully greeted the Pokémon in his arms.
"Pikachu, right? I'm Ash. Nice to meet you!"
The image cut back to Pikachu running through the forest.
This time, a faint human silhouette appeared beside it.
As time passed, the silhouette grew clearer—
A boy from Pallet Town, running with his Pokémon down its streets.
The once-lonely Pokémon had finally found its destined trainer!
In White Silver Town, Jessie hid in the crowd, trembling with excitement.
"Pikachu! That's the twerp's Pikachu!"
"Could it be… the legendary trainer is that brat?"
James was just as thrilled.
"If we grab Pikachu and present it to the Boss, meow~"
Meowth's instincts screamed that this was the perfect plan!
"Promotion to executive!"
"Section chief position!"
"What a wonderful feeling, meow~"
"Soy-nansu!"
Not far from Team Rocket, Ash scooped Pikachu into his arms.
"Pikachu, I never knew you had gone through all that. You're incredible."
Stars shone in Ash's eyes. Compared to his own appearance in the end, it was Pikachu's story that truly fascinated him.
If he hadn't overslept that day, maybe he could've met Pikachu even earlier!
Wouldn't that have been amazing?
"Pikachu! I'll always be your family. As long as I'm here, you'll never be alone!"
Saying this, Ash hugged Pikachu tightly.
In Ash's embrace, Pikachu felt true warmth. His promise — it would surely be kept.
Because he was Ash!
[Gary: Grandpa, I thought Pichu needed high friendship to evolve? How could a wild Pichu evolve without a trainer?]
[Professor Oak: Pichu's evolution requirement is indeed friendship, but it doesn't only mean friendship with a trainer. Its bond with Kangaskhan and her baby was enough. This kind of evolution isn't uncommon among wild Pokémon.]
[Bruno: As expected of Professor Oak — even tricky questions like this, you can answer so easily.]
[Cynthia: But are you sure it's okay to entrust such a dangerous Pokémon to a new trainer? That Pikachu doesn't look easy to handle.]
[Professor Birch: Professor Oak, you didn't forget someone and only prepared three Poké Balls, did you?]
[Professor Oak: Haha, of course not. I simply saw the bond between Ash and Pikachu.]
At Oak's lab, the professor looked incredibly guilty, even putting down his instant noodles without realizing.
Ash's carefree personality had made him completely forget the boy was supposed to set off today.
But still!
Pikachu truly was the perfect partner for Ash!