"Professor Oak, why are you at my house again?"
"Hahaha, hello, Ash."
"Tomorrow's the day you set out on your journey. Remember to come early to receive your first Pokémon—don't be late."
At the doorway, Professor Oak hurried off in a rush.
Ash turned his head, watching him leave, looking a little puzzled.
But quickly, his spirits rose. Tomorrow was the very first step toward becoming a Pokémon Master!
Getting his very own first Pokémon.
As for Professor Oak's warning not to be late, Ash didn't take it seriously at all.
He had already arranged with his older friend Natsume, who worked at Oak's lab, to keep an eye out for him.
...
The next day, at Oak's Laboratory.
"WHAT?! THEY'RE ALL GONE?!"
A shocked voice rang out, startling a flock of Spearow perched in the trees.
Inside the lab, a boy clutched his head, nearly driven mad with frustration.
Nearby, Professor Oak held a small notebook. Looking at the dejected Ash, he sighed and said:
"Really now, how could you trust that kid Natsume to pick a Pokémon for you? Doesn't he always sleep in until noon?"
Ash: "…"
The mood was heavy.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound split the air.
*THWACK!*
A Pokéball smacked Ash right on the head.
Unfortunately, since the *target* wasn't a Pokémon, the beam of red light failed to capture him.
"Ow! Natsume, how many times have I told you? I'm not a Pokémon, so stop throwing Pokéballs at me—it hurts!"
Ash winced, clutching his head as he turned toward the doorway, where a tall, lanky boy was walking in against the light.
As he drew closer, his features came into view: dressed in casual sportswear, refined and fair-skinned, with a scholarly air that gave off the impression of being well-behaved and approachable.
Floating beside Natsume was a phone with tiny lightning-shaped wings.
In response to Ash's complaint, Natsume only shrugged.
"Who knows?"
With a sigh, he bent down to pick up the Pokéball still beeping on the ground.
The thirty-second failed attempt to capture the *strongest humanoid Pokémon*.
*Ding!*
[D-Rank: Research Project]
[Subject] Is Ash a Humanoid Pokémon?[Conclusion] No[Reward] Scratch Card ×1
Feeling the scratch card materialize inside his system space, Natsume's face lit up with joy.
At last—he had collected ten in total.
Just as he was thinking about going home, washing up, lighting incense, and happily redeeming his ten scratch cards, Ash's miserable voice rang out beside him.
"Natsume, what about the Pokémon I asked you to pick for me?"
Seeing Natsume's absent-minded look, Ash was about to lose it.
"Come on, don't tell me you forgot! Because Gary just strutted out of here with Squirtle and laughed at me."
"Oh, that?"
Natsume turned, his face earnest.
"Of course I didn't forget. What I prepared for you is a Pokémon completely different from the ones the other trainers received."
"It's very, very special."
His words carried a teasing charm. Ash froze for a moment, curiosity bubbling inside him.
Since Natsume was Professor Oak's assistant, there was some credibility to what he said.
Ash's eyes shone, his heart secretly full of anticipation.
*What kind of unique Pokémon could it be?*
Natsume moved behind Ash and pressed a hidden switch.
Before Ash's wide eyes, a yellow-furred mouse was slowly lifted up by a mechanical platform.
"Wow, so cool! That looks like a really strong Pokémon!"
Ash's eyes lit up as he pulled out the Pokédex Professor Oak had given him and aimed it at the yellow mouse in front of him.
Soon, a mechanical voice spoke from the device:
**Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon. As common as stray dogs on the street.**
Ash: "…"
"Natsume, didn't you say this was something rare? Uh… Natsume?"
Turning around, Ash found no trace of him. Looking around in confusion, he finally spotted Natsume already outside the door.
Natsume pointed behind him.
Ash and Professor Oak turned together—only to see an angry Pikachu.
It seemed the blunt words from the Pokédex had enraged him.
*Pika…CHU!*
A Thunderbolt struck, blasting the two inside flat on the ground.
"N-Natsume, you're so unreliable…"
Ash lay on the floor, his pajamas charred black, trembling as he pointed at Natsume standing safe and sound in the doorway.
*What a fool.*
Watching Ash, Natsume shook his head.
This Pikachu truly was rare!
*Ding!*
[S-Rank: Research Project]
[Notice] Special Pikachu detected! [Subject] Pikachu [Objectives] Analyze Ash's Pikachu
So it was confirmed—Ash's Pikachu was a special individual.
Hearing the system prompt, Natsume's lips curled into a smile.
Ever since crossing into the Pokémon world, he had been bound to the **Pokémon Research System**.
By seeking out and studying unique individuals among ordinary Pokémon species, he could constantly earn rewards.
The first one that came to mind was, of course, Ash's Pikachu.
Even Arceus would need to rely on a Plate to withstand that Thunderbolt—there was no doubt this Pikachu was extraordinary.
Looking at Ash and Professor Oak twitching on the ground, Natsume smiled warmly.
"Ash, I already told Aunt Delia—I'll be traveling together with you."
...
At the entrance of Oak's Laboratory.
A crowd had gathered.
Today was the day five trainers from Pallet Town set out on their journeys, and everyone had come to see them off.
The first three had already departed. Now, it was Ash and Natsume's turn.
In the crowd, Delia carried bags upon bags of supplies, stuffing them into Ash's arms nonstop.
"Here's your water bottle, and a tent. Rope and rubber gloves—you never know when you'll need them!"
"Alright, alright, Mom!"
Ash's arms were almost overflowing.
Seeing this, Delia smiled, her tone softening.
"And don't forget, Natsume will be setting out with you as well."
"I know, Mom. He already told me at the lab."
Ash scratched his head.
For some reason, he felt the neighbors around them were unusually enthusiastic. When Gary left earlier, nobody seemed half as fired up.
"Haha, that's good. Along the way, make sure you take care of Natsume and keep an eye on him, alright?"
"Sure, Mom, I'll listen to Natsume—wait, what?"
Ash looked completely baffled, pointing at himself with an expression that seemed to say:
*You want a ten-year-old to take care of an eighteen-year-old adult?*
But instead of finding it strange, the neighbors chimed in one after another:
"That's right, Ash, we're counting on you to look after Natsume. Keep a close watch on him!"
"Yeah, don't forget—Natsume's from Sinnoh, not from Pallet Town. Make sure everyone knows that clearly!"
"Uh… okay."
Scratching his head, Ash agreed to everything, though he was clearly overwhelmed.
Everyone here was acting really weird.
Just then, a loud voice called out from the distance—
"Ash, over here! Let's head out!"
It was Natsume, dressed neatly in sportswear with a travel pack on his back, waving toward Ash.
Looking at everyone who had come to see them off, Natsume couldn't help but feel moved.
Memories of the five years since moving to Pallet Town surged in his heart. He sighed with emotion.
Truly, this was a warm, anime-like world where people lived so simply and sincerely.
Just wait—once he became a true Pokémon Research Master, he would return to give back to the people of Pallet Town!
"Go, Ash, and never give up on your dreams!"
"That's right, Ash! You're the boy who will become a Pokémon Master. Until then, make sure you train together with Natsume!"
The crowd urged them on.
"Alright then, I'll be going. When I become a Pokémon Master, I'll definitely come back to see you all!"
Ash smiled, waved goodbye, and set off with Natsume.
Under the setting sun, their shadows stretched long.
Back at the gates of Oak's Lab, the moment Natsume walked out of sight, the sadness and reluctance on everyone's faces vanished instantly.
In its place came unrestrained joy.
"He's gone, he's gone! That devil Natsume is finally gone!"
Someone shouted with delight.
"Yeah, thank heavens! Ever since he moved here from Sinnoh five years ago, my Ponyta hasn't had a single good night's sleep!"
"And my Oddish—Natsume kept mixing its OWN shit into its food, saying he wanted to *study whether Grass Pokémon could achieve self-sufficiency*."
"Boohoo, I only found out after eating it for over a year. Now EVEN MY taste buds are ruined!"
"And don't forget my Geodude! He kept dragging it in for CT scans, saying he wanted to see if Geodude could get kidney stones. Now it's terrified of any light!"
The crowd grew angrier by the moment. Professor Oak stood among them, neck shrunk, not daring to make a sound.
It wasn't just the townsfolk—even the Pokémon in Oak's backyard were cheering.
They flew into the air, climbed into trees, and when they were sure Natsume the **Great Demon King** had truly left, they celebrated wildly.
A few Primeape even pulled out drums from god-knows-where, pounding away with gusto.
The racket of drums shook the whole of Pallet Town like a festival.
The booming sounds reached Ash and Natsume only faintly now as they walked away.
Ash's nose stung, and he spoke with a trace of sorrow.
"Everyone… it feels like they really can't bear to see us go."
The smiling faces of his mom and the neighbors were etched deep into his memory, along with their words of blessing and encouragement.
Ash's eyes grew damp.
"Natsume, maybe we should go back—spend just a little more time with everyone."
Wiping at his tears, Ash looked at the tall figure beside him.
After all, Natsume had built roads and even a power plant for the town with his patent money. Surely, he must feel the same attachment.
Natsume turned to Ash with a strange expression.
After all, Ash was still just a ten-year-old setting out for the very first time.
Thinking this, Natsume grinned, flashing his big white teeth, and clapped Ash on the shoulder.
"No need to look back, Ash!"
"A real man must leave behind a resolute back view!"