Ray Chu stood atop a tall tree, steadying himself against the trunk. Draped over his body was clothing woven from leaves and grass stems, turning the normally yellow electric mouse into a vibrant patch of greenery.
As a former human, he simply couldn't stand the thought of running around completely naked. Sure, Pikachu had naturally fluffy fur, but it still felt wrong without something on. So, as soon as conditions allowed, he'd crafted himself this leafy outfit.
Especially here in the forest, this "camouflage suit" perfectly concealed his presence, ideal for the next stage of his plans.
He had already reached the forest's edge, overlooking an open plain cut through by a gentle river. Beyond it stood a small town, inhabited by humans.
Historically, Pokémon living in this forest rarely ventured into human settlements, and humans seldom entered deeply into the forest—both sides minded their own business.
Of course, it wasn't that Pokémon and humans weren't closely linked. Actually, this world closely resembled the anime from his previous life. But since his reincarnation, Ray Chu had lived solely in the forest, unaware of exactly which area this was.
"Pika?!" Just then, something caught Ray Chu's attention. A Mr. Mime dressed like a housewife—with a scarf around its neck and a frilly apron—walked across the bridge from the town, entering the forest.
Quietly following behind, Ray Chu observed the Mr. Mime gathering mushrooms and berries, looking utterly unsuspecting.
Thinking quickly, Ray Chu jumped in front of it with a sudden cry: "Pika!"
The unexpected appearance startled the Mr. Mime so much it dropped its basket, scattering its harvest onto the ground. Terrified, it squatted down with hands over its head, shivering and babbling "bari-bari" pleadingly.
Ray Chu hadn't expected such cowardice from the Mr. Mime and quickly soothed it: "Pika~chu~."
After repeated assurances, Mr. Mime finally relaxed, realizing this oddly-dressed, leaf-clad Pikachu wasn't hostile. Still, it gently complained about being frightened and how its beloved apron got dirty.
Ray Chu laughed awkwardly, then began communicating properly in Pokémon language.
(The following conversation is translated for readers' convenience.)
"Hello, Mr. Mime."
"Oh please, call me Hanako! (^▽^)"
"→_→ Alright, Hanako-san. Why are you here in the forest?"
"I'm collecting nutritious ingredients for my beloved Nana-chan! '（∩_∩）′"
Sounds like a human's name. So, this one's already captured, Ray Chu thought. Suddenly, he put on an arrogant face (ˇ＾ˇ〉and snapped:
"Who said you could enter this forest? Everything here belongs to this king!"
Hanako stared blankly. "Eh? But isn't Viridian Forest public property?（⊙o⊙）"
Ray Chu mentally noted down the forest's name, but persisted arrogantly: "This king has already been unanimously elected by the local Pokémon as the King of Viridian Forest. Everything here is now my private property."
"Eh? Ehhh?! Then Hanako won't be able to prepare a delicious, nutritious dinner for Nana-chan! Σ( °△ °|||)︴"
A cunning expression spread across Ray Chu's fuzzy face.
"However, since you're also one of my subjects, this king will graciously allow you to collect food here."
"Really? Thank you! You're so kind! (>▽<)"
But as Hanako eagerly returned to collecting food, Ray Chu abruptly stopped her again.
"Don't you know the rules?! Even if you're allowed to gather here, you still must pay taxes to your king! (*￣︿￣)"
"T-taxes? (*._.)"
"Yes, taxes!" Ray Chu nodded firmly, inspecting Hanako up and down before asking:
"Mr. Mime is a Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon. What skills do you know?"
Hanako tilted her head cutely, counting skills off on her fingers: "Hanako only knows Meditate, Confusion, and Light Screen."
"Just three? That's pretty limited." Ray Chu frowned slightly. Mr. Mime was the evolved form of Mime Jr., fairly uncommon, though this particular housewife had already exceeded expectations by knowing three moves.
"Very well, teach me."
"Eh?! (＃°Д°)"
"Teach me your moves, and this king shall count it as paying your taxes for today..."
After a series of threats and persuasion, Hanako reluctantly agreed to King Ray Chu's "taxation." She followed Ray Chu to a clearing, earnestly teaching him her three Psychic-type moves.
First was "Meditate." As a skill Hanako frequently practiced at home, she gracefully demonstrated a series of elegant poses, twisting her body as if boneless into various shapes, impressing Ray Chu greatly.
Once finished, Hanako visibly brightened. According to her, Meditate provided immediate positive effects, improving health, beauty, and vitality if regularly practiced.
Ray Chu automatically filtered out "beauty," but boosting his constitution was certainly appealing. Compared to his earlier crude training, this was exactly the efficient method he needed.
Under Mr. Mime's guidance, Ray Chu began his first Meditate session. Thankfully, Pokémon had superb physical abilities—though the poses were challenging, Ray Chu completed the first attempt perfectly.
As soon as he finished, a warm energy flowed from within, easing his fatigue and strengthening his body noticeably.
Striking while the iron was hot, Ray Chu immediately began a second practice. By the time the sun had begun to set, he had performed Meditate nine times, fully mastering the skill.
Phew! After the final session, Ray Chu exhaled slowly, clearly feeling significant improvement compared to before.
Hanako collapsed tiredly nearby. But suddenly, seeing the sunset, she remembered something urgent and jumped to her feet, frantically gesturing at Ray Chu.
In helping Ray Chu master Meditate, she'd forgotten to prepare dinner for Nana-chan!
"Pika-pika~chu!" As your king, I'll help you gather ingredients. You can still make it home if you hurry now!
With Ray Chu, the local "boss," leading the way, Hanako successfully gathered enough food before sunset. Thanking Ray Chu repeatedly, she swayed happily back towards town.
Ray Chu watched her go thoughtfully, thinking:
That Mr. Mime should come back again, right? I still have two more Psychic moves to learn from her.
...
[LEARNED MOVE: "MEDITATE", TAUGHT BY MR. MIME. (HANAKO).]
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T/N: awww so adorable
future me here, i tled this because i like pikachu and i wanted to learn more about different franchises! anyway yeah bye!