Red calmly pulled Ash's Pokédex from his pocket and scanned Pikachu.
"Pikachu. Moves: Tackle, Thunder Shock, Growl, Tail Whip."
Basic moves.
He then scanned his own Pikachu.
"Pikachu. Moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder, Volt Tackle, Extreme Speed..."
The sheer list left Misty, who was standing nearby, stunned. Thunder was a move only high-level Pokémon could learn—and as for Volt Tackle and Extreme Speed, she had never even heard of them.
A rookie trainer, fresh on his journey, already had a max-level Pikachu?!
Or… was this Pokédex broken?
Seeing Red genuinely seemed eager for a battle, Team Rocket threw out two Poké Balls in response.
"Koffing, Poison-type Pokémon. Very cute.""Ekans, Poison-type Pokémon. Even cuter."
The Pokédex automatically chimed in.
Misty: "..."
Yep. Definitely water damage.
"Pika!"
Ash's Pikachu squeaked, looking eager to try.
"..."
But Red didn't send it out. After all, this was Ash's partner, not his. He guessed this Pikachu hadn't even fought its first battle yet—it was better to leave that memorable first time to its real trainer.
"Get ready, Pikachu!"
With his low growl, the slightly chubby Pikachu by his side instinctively crouched into a launching stance, eyes blazing as it stared down Team Rocket's trio.
In an instant, a predator's killing intent froze them in place, sending a chill down their spines and forcing them a step back.
"Damn it, how can an Electric Mouse be this scary?!" Jessie shook herself and struck first."Just a bluff! Ekans, use Bite!"
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Red ordered—and then, to Ash's Pikachu, added, "Watch closely, little one."
He'd seen this Pikachu's lightning before—enough to tear a hole through the clouds. Its potential was no less than his own Pikachu's—no, maybe even greater. Giving it a lesson or two wouldn't hurt.
The big Pikachu's body blurred into a streak of white light, moving so fast it left an afterimage. Ekans's fangs snapped on empty air, burying themselves in the floor.
"So fast..." Misty couldn't help widening her eyes.
Her own Pokédex beeped:
"Beep! Your Pikachu has learned a new move: Quick Attack!"
Red raised an eyebrow. To master a move just by watching… this Pikachu's potential was astonishing.
"Then let's go even faster—Pikachu, Extreme Speed!"
"Pika!"
The white light wrapping Pikachu's body shifted into a strange green glow, and its speed skyrocketed. The afterimages vanished entirely; the small Pokémon Center lobby was now lit only by flickers of green light.
"What the hell?!" Jessie and Ekans panicked—the chubby Pikachu had simply vanished.
"So, little Pikachu, can you keep up?" Red asked slowly.
"Pika..."
Ash's Pikachu shook its head. Extreme Speed was still too much for it right now.
"That's fine. Just remember the movement."
A seed planted now—one day, the light of Extreme Speed would bloom in this extraordinary Pikachu.
On the other side, seeing Jessie being toyed with, James joined the fight."Koffing, Poison Gas!"
If you can't see it—spread the damage!
Red calmly ordered, "Don't let it breathe—Pikachu, Electric Net!"
Mid-Extreme Speed, Pikachu froze in midair, spun, and flicked its tail—lightning crackling at the tip.
Swish!
The thunderbolt shot out, weaving into a huge electric net that swallowed the Poison Gas before it could spread, then surged on toward Team Rocket without losing momentum.
"Finish it—Thunderbolt!"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu's cheeks sparked, unleashing a golden bolt of lightning like a living serpent. It collided with the gas in a deafening boom.
BOOM!
Electric light burst upward, blasting Team Rocket and their "cute" Pokémon straight through the roof, leaving a massive hole.
"What a powerful Thunderbolt!""This Pikachu is no ordinary Electric Mouse!""If we bring it to the Boss, we'll get promoted and rich, meow!"
As the great Lu Xun once said: The greatest fear in life is having no dream.And so, mid-flight, the trio suddenly found a dream they hadn't had in decades.
Catch this Pikachu!
"Such an unpleasant feeling~!"
They became shooting stars, vanishing into the Viridian sky…
"Pika!!"
Ash's Pikachu gazed up at the bigger one in awe, clearly captivated by its flashy move combos.
"You'll be able to do that one day too." Red patted its head reassuringly.
When it was over, Red looked at the gaping hole in the Pokémon Center roof, borrowed some planks from Nurse Joy, and climbed up to fix it. After all, he had broken it—if he just walked away, people might say he was some arrogant outsider.
Misty could only stand frozen in shock.
Were rookie trainers this scary now? This Pikachu alone could probably level her Cerulean Gym… and then do it again after repairs.
When she saw Red carrying planks up a 7–8 meter roof, Misty couldn't help but murmur, "He's… a good, responsible person."
Wait… something's off!
On the roof, Red stared at the bright crescent moon, eyes deep in thought.
"This kid Ash's body is ridiculous… strong as a Tauros, and he still managed to scramble up here in a couple flips."
The next morning.
Misty opened her door just as the door across the hall swung open. Still half-asleep, she mumbled, "Morning, bike thief…"
"Ah, it's you! Yesterday was my fault—I'll definitely pay you back for your bike!!" Ash said earnestly.
Misty: "???"
Fully awake now, she stared blankly at Ash.
Did I open the door wrong?
She shut it, took a deep breath, and opened it again.
"Morning, bike thief…?" she tested.
"I told you I'll take responsibility—stop calling me that!" Ash looked just as confused.
"I have a name! I'm Ash, and my dream is to become a Pokémon Master!"
Misty: "???"
Was this kid… acting out a one-man play?