Rustle… rustle…
"Pichu…"
The sound came from the bush near the broken section of the fence. All four children froze, eyes wide, as a small creature carefully poked its head out from between the leaves.
It was tiny—barely the size of a loaf of bread. Its fur was a soft, creamy yellow, and its black-tipped triangular ears twitched at every sound. Round, glossy eyes shimmered like black pearls, and two rosy cheek patches faintly glowed with static energy.
"Pichu…" The little Pokémon squeaked timidly. When it noticed Ash and the others watching, it gasped softly and immediately ducked back into the bush, trembling.
"Ah! So cute!" Tierno's eyes lit up. "Ash, what kind of Pokémon is that? It's adorable!"
"That's a Pichu," Ash answered, keeping his voice calm. Unlike before, he didn't launch into a detailed explanation like he had with Nidoking.
It wasn't that he didn't know—it was that he knew too well.
Because this Pokémon, this timid little mouse trembling in the grass, was the unevolved form of the one that would someday change his entire destiny—Pikachu.
He took a slow breath, his expression deepening. "Pichu, huh? They're not supposed to live anywhere near Pallet Town… their usual habitat's further east."
His eyes moved toward the broken fence again. The connection formed instantly in his mind.
"If it's not native here… then it must've wandered in. A wild one."
The realization sent a thrill racing through him. His heart pounded.
"Pichu… Pallet Town… a broken fence leading from the forest…"
Ash's hands trembled slightly as the clues pieced together in his head. Then his expression shifted—eyes widening, breath catching, disbelief and excitement flooding his face all at once.
"No way…" he whispered. "It can't be… could this Pichu be that one?"
For a brief moment, the world seemed to blur. Memories of the anime—the original timeline—flashed in his mind.
The very beginning of everything.
He clenched his fists, suppressing his excitement, and silently called out in his mind:
"System, scan this Pichu's data."
A glowing blue panel materialized before his eyes.
——————————
[Pokémon: Pichu]
Level: 5
Type: Electric
Nature: Timid
Ability: Static
(Hidden Ability: Lightning Rod)
HP: 20
Attack: 40
Defense: 15
Sp. Atk: 35
Sp. Def: 35
Speed: 60
Total Power: 205
Pokémon Potential: Gold(Favored by the world's destiny; blessed with miraculous power!)
Moves (Copyable):
[Intermediate]: Thunder Shock
[Basic]: Tail Whip, Charm
——————————
"Wha—?!"
Ash inhaled sharply. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the final line of text.
Every value, every stat—it was average. Mediocre, even. Nothing about this Pichu screamed "extraordinary."
Except one thing.
That single, golden line.
Potential: Gold
He blinked in disbelief. The system's potential scale ran from White to Black:
[Pokémon Potential Classification]
White
Green
Red
Blue
Purple
Gold
Black
Out of all seven tiers, only two stood at the top: (Gold) and (Black).
And this little, fragile Pichu—this trembling bundle of fur—was ranked Gold, just one step below perfection.
The system even provided a note:
Favored by the world's destiny; blessed with miraculous power.
Ash's entire body went still.
"So it's true…" he murmured, his voice barely audible. "This Pichu… it really is the one."
The realization sent chills down his spine.
This wasn't just any wild Pokémon. This was the Pichu—the one destined to evolve into his Pikachu.
The same one whose origin story was revealed in the anime Pokémon Journeys: Episode 1 – "Pikachu's Birth!"
He remembered every frame of it.
That story had shown Pikachu's past—how it wasn't given to him by Professor Oak, nor a gift from his mysterious father, nor even something his mother arranged.
No, Pikachu had been born wild, living freely in the forests near Pallet Town.
But one fateful day, it was taken in by a caring Kangaskhan family. The Kangaskhan mother and her joey gave Pichu warmth and love, teaching it what it meant to belong.
When the time came, under a glowing moon and a clear sky after the rain, the little Pichu left its adopted family behind.
It evolved into Pikachu that very night—its heart full of gratitude, courage, and longing for something greater.
From that moment on, its journey began.
Ash swallowed hard, looking toward the trembling bush again.
The broken fence.
The wild Pichu near Professor Oak's research lab.
Its overwhelming potential rating.
Every piece fit perfectly.
"It must've come here… answering destiny's call," he whispered. "The same destiny that led it to become my first partner."
He could picture it already—Professor Oak's surveillance cameras picking up the wild Pichu, the staff capturing it for safety, and then, later on… Oak realizing it was the perfect starter for an eager boy from Pallet Town.
A soft smile tugged at Ash's lips.
"So this is how it began…" he murmured. "The bond that started it all."
The faint rustle of leaves pulled his attention back to the bush, where two round eyes blinked curiously from the shadows.
"Pichu…"
Ash took a slow, careful step forward, his heart pounding.
This time, he didn't just see a frightened little Electric-type.
He saw his future partner—his friend, his symbol, his destiny.
The beginning of everything.
…
…
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T/N:
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