Another journey through the multiverse.
Thud!
The glowing gate in the sky quickly shrank behind him. Ray Chu found himself plummeting from a great height as soon as he emerged. Before he could even deploy his psychic powers, he crashed onto something soft, bouncing high into the air, spinning rapidly before landing gracefully on the ground with a flick of his tail.
"A familiar scent… peaceful and comforting. Could this place be…?" Beneath his paws lay a soft grassy carpet, lush woods stretched ahead, and the air felt pure and fresh.
Ray Chu inhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes, only to witness a Beedrill bullying a lone Nidoran, its venomous stinger poised to strike.
Smack!
"Stop picking on the little guy!" With a swift tail swipe, Ray Chu sent the Beedrill spiraling away. He turned to offer a gentle smile to the trembling pink Nidoran—but the little Pokémon shrieked in terror and bolted away, vanishing without a trace.
Ray Chu's smile froze awkwardly. Am I that scary? I'm just your everyday, adorable Pikachu!
Then again, ignoring the Red Stone of Aja tied to his forehead, the oversized golden chain around his neck, and the brightly colored outfit he wore, he really wasn't that different from other Pikachu.
Just then, something soft tapped his shoulder. Annoyed, Ray Chu waved dismissively—didn't they see he was brooding?
It tapped him again, harder this time. Spinning around irritably, Ray Chu found himself face-to-face with an Ekans, whose tail pointed accusingly at a large bump on its head, then upward to the sky.
Ray Chu smacked his forehead. No wonder my landing didn't hurt! I must have crashed onto this guy. Guiltily, he stretched out a paw and gently rubbed the swelling bump on Ekans's head, then turned to leave.
But Ekans lunged forward, coiling its cold purple body tightly around him, squeezing in annoyance. "Ekans! Ekans!" it hissed accusingly.
"Hey! Don't you know mice absolutely hate snakes?" A vein popped on Ray Chu's forehead as electricity crackled from his cheek pouches. Ekans convulsed violently under the Thunderbolt, collapsing limply to the ground.
With the snake Pokémon swiftly handled, Ray Chu clapped his paws together and prepared to explore the Pokémon world anew—when suddenly, dazzling white light erupted behind him. Ekans writhed and hissed painfully as its body rapidly expanded, neck flaring wide, evolving into a massive purple cobra.
Ekans evolved into Arbok!
The sudden evolution rekindled Arbok's thirst for revenge. Remembering the humiliation of the electric shock, it coiled menacingly, baring its venomous fangs with an intimidating hiss.
"You really want to challenge me again? You'll pay the price if you lose," Ray Chu warned, bending his hind legs and raising his lightning-shaped tail, adopting a serious battle stance.
Arbok unleashed a menacing glare, the eerie pattern on its hood transforming as it activated its attack—[GLARE]!
An invisible psychic shockwave surged forward, momentarily paralyzing Ray Chu. Arbok seized the opportunity, lunging toward the Pikachu, fangs bared triumphantly. He didn't dodge—victory was at hand!
But before Arbok's bite could connect, the Pikachu vanished into thin air. It had only attacked an afterimage.
In the next instant, Arbok felt something land firmly atop its head.
"Pika!" With a devilish cry, Ray Chu discharged a merciless Thunderbolt. High-voltage electricity surged through Arbok, illuminating its bones clearly before it collapsed, charred and unconscious, a thin trail of smoke rising from its open mouth.
Ray Chu leapt easily from midair, casually using his aura to heal Arbok's wounds. Of course, he hadn't used full force against a newly evolved Arbok—just enough to incapacitate it neatly.
Shortly after, Arbok stirred and rose again, eyeing the Pikachu with complicated emotions.
Arbok might be a predatory Pokémon, notorious as villains among their kind for hunting weaker prey, but they naturally revered strength. Typically, when encountering a stronger opponent, they'd yield willingly.
Thus, when Ray Chu hopped back onto Arbok's head, boldly shouting, "Pika pika! (Let's move, Arbok!)", the cobra Pokémon twisted in mild annoyance but obediently slithered ahead according to Ray Chu's command.
Soon after, an astonishing sight spread throughout the forest: a fearsome purple Arbok streaking swiftly through the trees, a common Pikachu perched proudly atop its head like a knight riding a dragon. Countless young Pokémon watched in stunned awe.
In the blink of an eye, half a day passed since his arrival. Thanks to his snake guide's local knowledge, Ray Chu quickly traversed the forest, eventually reaching its edge.
This was clearly not the Viridian Forest he'd first landed in. Viridian typically housed young Bug-type Pokémon and certainly didn't have Ekans lurking about.
Standing atop Arbok's head to peer above the treeline, Ray Chu surveyed the peaceful town ahead. Playful Pokémon such as Pidgey, Rattata, and Diglett—far livelier than the Bug-types—were abundant here. They happily played on grassy lawns and tree branches, comfortably mingling with humans who treated Pokémon as beloved family members.
The town's residents seemed entirely accustomed to this harmony, with many homes keeping one or more Pokémon companions close by.
Witnessing this, Ray Chu deeply understood he had arrived in a peaceful, stable world, free from war or turmoil.
Deciding to explore, Ray Chu hopped down from Arbok's head, addressing it in Pokémon speech: "You've paid your debt for losing the battle. You're free to go back now. Farewell."
Arbok glanced at Ray Chu thoughtfully, then silently slithered back into the forest without turning around.
Ray Chu shrugged his tiny arms. Although riding a Pokémon into town sounded cool, Arbok's menacing presence might scare the children. Besides, a purple snake was hardly stylish, and it couldn't even fly. His future mount would have to be at least one of the Legendary Beasts—or perhaps Lugia—to match his prestige.
As for Ho-Oh… what if people mistook it for a Fearow? How embarrassing would that be?
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T/N: true hooh kinda lame