Chapter 163: Ash from Pallet Town, Pikachu~
The cry from the void had barely faded when it rang out again, louder and more desperate this time.
"Don't run off!"
At the counter of the Dimensional Restaurant, Tony Stark leaned forward, his posture rigid with an intensity that had nothing to do with the empty plate of A5 Wagyu beef before him. The lingering savoriness of the meal—the richness of the fat and the subtle char of the sear—had been replaced by a burning, intellectual hunger.
His eyes were locked on the wooden door. To the casual observer, it was just a door. But to Tony, whose mind was currently running simulations at a speed that would make a supercomputer blush, it was a rupture in local space-time.
"It's not fluctuating," Tony murmured, his voice low and tight. He tapped a finger against the polished countertop. "The energy signature is stable. It's holding the connection open, waiting for mass to traverse it. That defies the Heisenberg uncertainty principle on a macro scale."
He stared at the wood as if trying to dismantle it with his gaze alone. "A stable Einstein-Rosen bridge... in a restaurant. Jarvis would implode trying to process this."
Beside him, Lucifer, the Queen of Hell, swirled the melting ice in her glass. She propped her chin on her hand, her silver hair spilling over her shoulder like liquid moonlight. Unlike the billionaire scientist, she looked less impressed and more mildly annoyed.
"What is going on with this situation?" she asked, her crimson eyes flicking toward the glowing frame. "The connection has been active for a full minute. Is the guest hesitating? Or is the door broken?"
Ren, who was wiping a crystal glass with a white cloth, paused. He glanced at the door, sensing the subtle vibrations in the air.
"It's just as the voice says," Ren replied, his tone calm and soothing, the perfect counterweight to Tony's manic energy. "The Restaurant has chosen a customer, but it seems the customer is... occupied. They are chasing something."
Ren smiled, placing the glass on the rack. "Don't worry. The door won't close. Destiny has a way of dragging people in exactly when they need to be here."
Lucifer huffed, taking a sip of her drink. "Destiny. How convenient."
Tony Stark didn't even blink. "Chasing something? Through a dimensional rift? That introduces a variable of velocity that should destabilize the exit vector. Unless the portal anchors itself to the subject's biological signature..."
Ren glanced at Tony, amused by the scientific jargon filling his magical dining hall, but he said nothing. He turned his attention back to the tablet set up between him and Lucifer, where the movie continued to play.
At a nearby table, the three bodies of Cerberus sat in a huddle. The Hellhound triplets were deep in thought, their expressions grave.
Thinking...
The door is glowing.
New customer?
New customer means Ren cooks.
Ren cooks means... leftovers?
Thinking about leftovers...
Hungry.
The complex philosophical debate in Cerberus's mind inevitably crashed and burned into the singular desire for food.
Meanwhile, in a universe governed by elemental types and turn-based battles, the moon hung high over the dense canopy of the Viridian Forest.
The forest was a labyrinth of ancient trees and tall grass, shrouded in shadows that danced in the pale moonlight. The air was cool and damp, smelling of moss, wet earth, and the faint, sweet scent of sleeping Oddish.
"Don't run off!"
The shout tore through the tranquil silence of the woods.
Ash Ketchum, a boy with messy black hair and a red-and-white hat turned backwards, pounded his sneakers against the uneven dirt path. His chest heaved, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but his legs pumped with an inexhaustible energy.
"Pikachu! Wait up! We need to talk!"
Ahead of him, a small yellow streak moved with the speed of a thunderbolt. Pikachu, the electric mouse Pokémon, zigzagged between the massive roots of the trees, its long, lightning-bolt-shaped tail twitching with every turn. It was fast—incredibly fast.
The little Pokémon hopped onto a fallen log, paused for a split second to look back at its trainer, and let out a soft, mischievous "Pika!" before diving into a thicket of ferns.
"Gah! You're too fast!" Ash groaned, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his glove. He didn't stop, though. He ducked under a low-hanging branch, ignoring the leaves that whipped against his vest.
Deep in the underbrush, hidden by the shadows, three pairs of eyes watched the chase.
"Stop... stopped..." a breathless voice wheezed.
Jessie, of Team Rocket, leaned against a tree trunk, clutching her side. Her signature magenta hair, usually styled in a gravity-defying curve, was currently snagged on a twig, and her pristine white uniform was stained with grass.
"Why... why did the twerp suddenly get so excited?" she gasped. "He's running... like a Rapidash..."
"Don't... don't say it!" James collapsed next to her, his face a mask of pure agony. He held up a boot that was covered in mud. "They're running again! My boots! These were limited edition Italian leather!"
"Ah~ Hurry and chase! We must catch it!"
Meowth, the talking cat Pokémon, was on all fours, his claws digging into the dirt. His eyes, however, were burning with greed. "We must catch it! That Pikachu has stamina like I've never seen! If we give it to the Boss, he'll make us branch managers! Think of the promotion! Think of the banquet!"
"Banquet..." James drooled slightly, the thought of food momentarily overriding the pain in his legs.
"Move it!" Jessie snapped, peeling herself off the tree. "If the twerp can run, so can we!"
The three villains—and one cat—stumbled forward, resuming their pursuit. They were exhausted, hungry, and in pain, but their dedication to their craft (kidnapping Pokémon) was nothing short of admirable.
Ahead, the chase continued. Ash burst through a wall of bushes, his eyes scanning the darkness.
"Where... where did he go?"
The yellow blur was gone. Ash slowed to a jog, then a walk, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He looked around. He was back at the campsite. The embers of their campfire were glowing faintly in the pit, and the two tents—one green, one pink—stood silent.
"Don't... don't run..." Ash whispered, his voice hoarse. "I'm... I'm exhausted..."
He straightened up, looking around the empty clearing. "Pikachu? Buddy? Come on, we still have to travel tomorrow... Pewter City is still miles away..."
Hummmmm.
A low, vibrating sound caught his ear. It wasn't the wind. It wasn't a Pokémon.
Ash blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Huh?!"
He froze.
The flap of his tent—the green one—was glowing.
It wasn't a normal light. It was a warm, inviting, amber radiance that seemed to seep through the canvas itself. The fabric rippled slightly, as if a breeze were blowing from inside the tent.
From the shadows near the firewood pile, a small head popped up. Pikachu twitched its ears, its nose wiggling. It looked at the glowing tent, then at Ash, then back at the tent.
"Pika?" The electric mouse tilted its head, pointing a small paw at the mysterious phenomenon.
In the bushes at the edge of the clearing, Team Rocket skidded to a halt.
"Hey hey~" Jessie whispered, a sinister grin spreading across her face as she saw Ash standing still. "They stopped! What a good opportunity!"
"Yes! Finally!" James whispered back, reaching for a Poké Ball. "Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!" Jessie chimed in instinctively.
"Are you two idiots?!" Meowth hissed, smacking them both on the shins with his claws. "Look! Open your eyes! Can't you see the door of that tent is glowing?!"
"Ouch!" James rubbed his shin. He looked up. "Glowing? Is it... a move? Flash?"
"No," Meowth narrowed his eyes. "It feels... weird. Like a treasure chest opening! It must be rare loot!"
Hearing the cat's deduction, the other two exchanged glances. Their exhaustion vanished, replaced by the golden light of greed.
"Treasure?" Jessie's eyes sparkled.
Just then, Pikachu made a decision. With a cheerful "Pika!", the yellow mouse bolted. It didn't run away from Ash this time; it ran directly toward the glowing tent flap.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, panic surging through him. "Don't run off!"
He didn't think. He didn't consider the physics of a glowing tent. He just saw his partner heading into the unknown. Ash Ketchum sprinted, his sneakers kicking up dust.
Pikachu leaped, disappearing into the light.
Ash followed a second later, diving through the flap with outstretched arms.
The light swallowed them both.
Then, silence.
The tent flap fell back into place. The glow vanished instantly, leaving the green canvas looking perfectly ordinary in the moonlight.
Team Rocket, hiding in the bushes, watched this entire sequence with dropped jaws.
"Seriously?" James whispered, his voice trembling. "They... they went in?"
"Did the tent just eat them?" Jessie asked, clutching her collar.
Meowth stared at the tent. "They went in... and the light turned off. That means the treasure is inside!"
"Let's go!"
Greed overcoming fear, the three rushed out of the bushes. They scrambled over the logs and practically threw themselves at the green tent.
"We've got you now!" Jessie screamed, ripping the zipper open.
They dove inside.
"Aha!"
Empty.
The tent was completely, utterly empty. Just a sleeping bag, a backpack, and the smell of old socks. No Ash. No Pikachu. No treasure. No glowing portal.
Team Rocket froze. They looked at the empty space, then at each other. The wind howled through the trees outside, sounding like a mournful ghost.
Cold sweat beaded on James's forehead. Jessie turned pale. Meowth's fur stood on end.
"It's haunted!!!!"
The scream tore from their throats in perfect unison. It was a harmonious chord of pure terror that echoed through the forest, sending a flock of Pidgey scattering into the night sky. They grabbed each other, shivering violently.
Suddenly, the flap of the pink tent next door flew open.
A girl with pigtails and a white beanie stormed out, clutching a round, blue, mouse-like Pokémon—a Marill—to her chest. Lyra looked absolutely furious, her eyes burning with the rage of someone woken up from a good dream.
"Ash!" she shouted, stomping her foot. "Can you and Pikachu be a little quieter?! Marill and I are trying to sleep! We have a long walk tomorrow!"
She looked around the campsite. She saw the trembling Team Rocket huddled in the green tent. She saw the empty sleeping bag.
"Huh?" Lyra blinked, her anger turning to confusion. "Where's Ash?"
Dimensional Restaurant
The moment the boy dove through the light, the door in the restaurant swung open.
Tony Stark, who had been staring at the wood for so long his eyes were starting to water, leaped to his feet.
"Contact!" he announced, his voice cracking with excitement.
Ren and Lucifer turned their heads. Even Cerberus stopped thinking about food for a brief second.
Whoosh!
Everyone saw a yellow blur shoot out of the doorway. It didn't walk; it zoomed. The creature skidded across the polished floor, sparks of electricity crackling from its red cheeks, before coming to a halt in the center of the room.
It stood on its hind legs, looked around with wide, black eyes, and twitched its long ears.
"Pika?"
Tony Stark stared. He looked down at the creature. He looked back at the door. He looked at Ren.
"A... rat?"
Tony's face fell. The grand mystery of the multiverse, the Einstein-Rosen bridge, the potential for alien contact... and it delivered a yellow rodent.
He turned to Ren, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Boss, seriously? You allow non-human customers? I mean, does he have a wallet? Does he even know what a menu is?"
Ren looked at the little creature with surprise. He had seen many things, but this... this was new. And undeniably, it was charming.
"Pika!" The creature noticed the attention and waved a small paw.
Lucifer, the Queen of Hell, felt her heart skip a beat. Her stoic, arrogant facade crumbled instantly. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she instinctively grabbed Ren's arm, burying her face in his sleeve to hide her reaction.
"It's... it's too cute," she muffled into his shirt. "Ren, why is it so cute?"
Ren chuckled, patting Lucifer's hand. He leaned over the counter. "You are..."
"Pika-pi!"
"Uh..." Ren blinked.
"Pika~"
Ren nodded slowly. "I see. I have absolutely no idea what you're saying, but you are welcome here."
"Pikachu! Don't run off!"
Before the conversation with the mouse could continue, a boy burst through the open door.
He came in at a run, momentum carrying him forward until he nearly tripped over his own feet. He was dressed in a blue vest, baggy jeans, and a red hat. He looked wild, energetic, and completely out of place in the refined atmosphere of the restaurant.
"Pikachu!"
The boy spotted the yellow mouse and let out a sigh of relief loud enough to be heard in the kitchen.
"There you are! Geez, don't run off like that!"
Pikachu grinned. "Pika!" It scrambled up the boy's leg, climbed his vest, and perched itself on his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately.
Tony Stark watched this interaction, his disappointment shifting back to curiosity. "So, it's a pet. A bio-electric pet. Interesting."
(Kyubey: I'll just go jump into the deep fryer now, shall I?)
Everyone present realized that the "chase" Ren had mentioned was simply a boy catching up to his mischievous companion.
Ash Ketchum took a deep breath and finally looked around. He saw the wooden interior. He saw the man in the expensive suit. He saw the silver-haired woman with horns. He saw the three-headed girl.
He blinked.
"Sorry for the intrusion!" Ash bowed instinctively, his voice loud and polite. Then he straightened up and scratched his head. "But... where is this place? It doesn't look like the Pokémon Center."
Ren smiled, his professional host demeanor slipping into place effortlessly. "Welcome. This is a Restaurant in Another World."
"Another... World?" Ash repeated, tilting his head.
"Pika Pika?" Pikachu mimicked him, tilting its head to the exact same angle.
Lucifer let out a small squeak of suppressed delight at the synchronized movement. Ren glanced at her, amused, before addressing the boy.
"Yes. You have left your world and entered a dimensional space. But don't worry, the door behind you will take you back exactly where you came from. However, since you are here, it means you are hungry."
"Hungry..." Ash's stomach gave a loud, treacherous growl on cue. He blushed, laughing sheepishly. "Hehe, yeah. I guess running through the forest really took it out of me."
"Another World..." Ash murmured the words again.
Then, a grin spread across his face. It wasn't a smile of fear or confusion. It was a smile of pure, unadulterated excitement. He adjusted his hat, turning it backwards with a sharp flick of his wrist—a gesture of determination.
"That sounds awesome! Another World means new adventures, right?"
He looked at everyone in the room, his eyes shining with a fire that Tony Stark recognized well. It was the fire of ambition, of someone who refused to see limits.
"Hello everyone!" Ash shouted, striking a pose with a thumbs-up. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered, raising a paw.
Ash grinned, his confidence radiating like a solar flare. "And this is my partner, Pikachu! My goal is to become the greatest Pokémon Master!"
[Akarin's Note: Pokémon Master - The ultimate title Ash Ketchum aspires to. It implies being the strongest and most knowledgeable trainer in the world.]
[Akarin Note:
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