It started with a challenge.
Three days after the Steve Incident (as it was now known), Zippy approached Marcus with a demand.
"Pika pika pi ka chu." I want to solo the Pokemon League.
Marcus, who was in the middle of eating breakfast, choked on his cereal.
"You want to WHAT?"
"Pi ka." Solo the League. Like Sunny did. But better.
"Zippy, Sunny's run was LEGENDARY. It's literally in the Hall of Fame records as the greatest individual Pokemon achievement in Kanto history."
"Pika." Exactly. I want to beat that.
"That's... that's not how records work! You can't just—"
"Pika pika chu." Watch me.
"Marcus," Steve interjected, still nursing his wounded pride from a medical bed, "please tell the rodent that its ego has exceeded safe operational parameters."
"Pika pi." Your face exceeded safe operational parameters when it hit the ground.
"I WAS UNCONSCIOUS!"
"Ka chu." From losing. To me. A Pikachu.
"A PARTNER Pikachu! There's a significant statistical difference—"
"Pika pika." Excuses, excuses.
Steve's eye twitched violently.
Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, both of you, stop. Zippy, why do you want to solo the League?"
"Pi ka pika chu." Because I can. Because Sunny got to be a legend. Because I've been waiting patiently while everyone else had their moments.
Zippy's eyes gleamed.
"Pika pi ka chu." And because the Elite Four need to learn that Pikachus aren't jokes.
ONE HOUR LATER - VIDEO CALL TO INDIGO PLATEAU
Lance stared at his screen in disbelief.
"You want to WHAT?"
"Zippy wants to challenge the Elite Four and Champion," Marcus repeated. "Solo. Like Sunny did."
"Marcus, with all due respect—and I have a LOT of respect for you after that Charizard run—a Pikachu cannot solo the Elite Four."
"Pika." Bet.
"Did... did your Pikachu just challenge me?"
"Pika pika." Scared, dragon boy?
Lance's expression hardened. "Fine. You want to prove yourself? The Elite Four accepts your challenge. Tomorrow. Full rules. No items, no switching, no mercy."
"Pi." Perfect.
Marcus sighed. "Lance, I want to officially state that this wasn't my idea."
"Noted. Your Pikachu is going to get destroyed."
"Pika chu." Your Dragonites are going to need therapy.
"They ALREADY need therapy! From YOUR TRAINER!"
The call ended.
Zippy looked satisfied.
Marcus looked exhausted.
And somewhere in his medical bed, Steve was silently hoping the Elite Four would finally humble the insufferable rodent.
THE NEXT DAY - INDIGO PLATEAU
The Pokemon League had assembled.
Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance waited in the main chamber. They had decided to face the Pikachu together—one continuous gauntlet instead of separate rooms.
"This is ridiculous," Lorelei muttered. "We're the ELITE FOUR. We don't need to take a Pikachu seriously."
"We said that about the Charizard," Bruno reminded her.
"We said that about the SHUCKLE," Agatha added darkly.
"This is different! It's a PIKACHU! Electric-type! I have Ice-types! Bruno has Ground-types! There's no WAY—"
The doors opened.
Marcus walked in.
Zippy walked beside him, somehow radiating more confidence than a creature one foot tall should be capable of.
"Hello, Elite Four!" Marcus waved. "And Lance! This is Zippy. Zippy, say hi."
"Pika." Your careers end today.
"...Zippy, we talked about this."
"Pika pika." Fine. Hello. Your careers end today RESPECTFULLY.
Lorelei's eye twitched.
BATTLE START - LORELEI
"DEWGONG! Let's remind this Pikachu why Ice-types are superior!"
The elegant sea lion materialized, confident and ready.
Zippy looked at it.
"Pika?" This is the best you have?
"AURORA BEAM!"
"Zippy, ZIPPY ZAP!"
The Pikachu VANISHED—moving so fast it left afterimages—and reappeared behind Dewgong.
Critical hit. Always.
Priority move. Always first.
Dewgong didn't even get to ATTACK before Zippy's electrified strike connected.
One hit. One KO.
"WHAT?!" Lorelei screamed.
"We've been over this!" Marcus called out sympathetically. "Partner Pikachus are different!"
"CLOYSTER! SHELL SMASH AND ICICLE SPEAR!"
The defensive Pokemon boosted its stats dramatically and launched a barrage of ice shards—
"BUZZY BUZZ!"
Zippy's attack connected first—priority move AGAIN—and the Cloyster was paralyzed.
The Icicle Spear missed entirely as Cloyster's muscles locked up.
"SPLISHY SPLASH!"
A wave of water—yes, WATER from a PIKACHU—crashed into the Cloyster.
Super effective? No. But with Zippy's boosted stats and perfect IVs, it didn't NEED to be super effective.
Cloyster went down.
"YOUR PIKACHU KNOWS WATER MOVES!" Lorelei shrieked.
"And Flying moves! And Fire moves! And—"
"STOP EXPLAINING AND START MAKING SENSE!"
"I can't do both!"
Lorelei's Slowbro fell to a Buzzy Buzz.
Her Jynx fell to a Baddy Bad—Dark-type, super effective against Psychic.
And her Lapras, her beloved ace, faced Zippy with determination.
"Lapras, THUNDER!"
The Electric attack lanced toward Zippy—
"Pika." Cute.
Zippy TANKED it.
Electric immunity? No. Just pure, ridiculous bulk from Eviolite and boosted stats.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Lorelei screamed.
"GLITZY GLOW!"
Psychic-type move. On a Pikachu. Set up Light Screen while dealing damage.
Lapras was hit hard, but survived.
"ICE BEAM!"
"BOUNCY BUBBLE!"
Zippy's Water-type move connected first—because EVERYTHING Zippy did was faster—and healed the Pikachu while damaging Lapras.
The Ice Beam connected.
Zippy took it.
And shrugged it off.
"HOW?!" Lorelei was fully in breakdown mode now.
"Light Screen from Glitzy Glow reduces special damage! Plus Eviolite! Plus natural bulk!"
"PIKACHUS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE BULKY!"
"PARTNER Pikachus are!"
Zippy finished Lapras with another Zippy Zap.
Critical hit. Because always.
Lorelei fell to her knees.
"I didn't believe the reports," she whispered. "I thought the Charizard was a fluke. The Shuckle was a gimmick. But THIS..."
"Pika pika." This is PIKACHU POWER.
"PIKACHUS DON'T HAVE POWER! THEY'RE MASCOTS!"
"Pi ka." Not anymore.
BATTLE CONTINUES - BRUNO
Bruno stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"A Pikachu against Fighting-types. This will be EASY."
"Pika." Said the man about to lose.
"MACHAMP! CROSS CHOP!"
The four-armed powerhouse lunged—
"FLOATY FALL!"
Zippy launched into the air, reaching the ceiling of the chamber, and came DOWN like a tiny yellow meteor.
Flying-type. Super effective against Fighting.
Critical hit. Because Floaty Fall was based on the same mechanics as Zippy's other moves.
And the guaranteed flinch.
Machamp was knocked out before it could even CONNECT its attack.
"MY MACHAMP!" Bruno screamed.
"Pi." Next.
Onix fell to Splishy Splash. Water-type super effective.
Hitmonlee fell to Floaty Fall. Another Flying-type demolition.
Hitmonchan actually managed to land ONE hit—a Mach Punch that connected before Zippy could move.
It did approximately 15% damage.
Zippy looked mildly annoyed.
"Pika?" Was that supposed to hurt?
Hitmonchan's eyes went wide.
"ZIPPY ZAP."
Critical hit. KO.
Bruno's Machamp (his second one) didn't even try to attack. It just looked at Zippy, looked at Bruno, and shook its head.
"Machamp, what are you doing?! FIGHT!"
The Machamp crossed all four arms.
"It... it won't fight?"
"Pika pika." Your Pokemon is smarter than you.
"MACHAMP, I ORDER YOU TO—"
"SPLISHY SPLASH!"
The wave hit before the order could be completed.
Machamp went down.
Bruno stared at his unconscious team.
"I am the Fighting-type master," he said quietly. "I have trained for DECADES."
"Pika." And I'm a Pikachu who learned Floaty Fall. Life's not fair.
BATTLE CONTINUES - AGATHA
Agatha watched from her position, staff clutched tight.
She had seen the impossible before. She had witnessed the Shuckle. She had experienced the Charizard.
But this Pikachu was somehow WORSE.
Because it was SMUG.
The Charizard had been determined. The Shuckle had been... Kenneth. But this Pikachu actively ENJOYED traumatizing people.
"Young Pokemon," she said carefully as Zippy approached, "you've proven your strength. There's no shame in—"
"Pika." Fight me, grandma.
"...I was trying to offer you an honorable—"
"Pika pika." Honorable is for Pokemon who might lose. I don't lose.
Agatha's expression hardened.
"GENGAR! SHADOW BALL!"
The battle was FIERCE.
Gengar was fast. Almost as fast as Zippy.
Almost.
Shadow Ball launched—
"BADDY BAD!"
Dark-type versus Ghost-type. Super effective BOTH ways.
Both attacks connected.
Both Pokemon took damage.
But Baddy Bad also created a protective barrier around Zippy, reducing physical damage.
"Impressive," Agatha admitted. "But Gengar has more tricks. HYPNOSIS!"
The sleep-inducing wave washed over Zippy—
Who was holding a Chesto Berry.
"Pika." Nice try.
The berry activated. Zippy was awake instantly.
"ZIPPY ZAP!"
Critical hit. Gengar down.
Agatha's Haunter fell to another Baddy Bad.
Her Arbok—not even a Ghost-type, just there for coverage—was demolished by Floaty Fall.
Her Golbat actually FLED. It looked at Zippy, made a terrified shrieking noise, and phased through the wall.
"MY GOLBAT!"
"Pika pika." Smart bat.
And finally, Agatha's second Gengar.
It was stronger than the first. Her true ace. The Pokemon she'd trained for forty years.
"GENGAR! DESTINY BOND!"
The Ghost-type formed a connection—if it went down, it would take Zippy with it.
Zippy paused.
"Pika?" Clever.
"Not so confident NOW, are you?" Agatha smirked.
Zippy looked at the Gengar.
The Gengar looked at Zippy.
"Pika pika." BOUNCY BUBBLE.
"What—"
The attack connected. Water-type. Not super effective. But dealing damage AND healing Zippy simultaneously.
Gengar survived! Barely!
Destiny Bond was still active!
"Now I just need to attack and—"
Gengar couldn't move.
It was paralyzed.
From the Buzzy Buzz Zippy had used earlier in the fight. The paralysis had carried over.
"NO!"
The paralysis wore off the next turn. Destiny Bond had faded.
"Pika." Bad luck.
"ZIPPY ZAP."
Final Gengar down.
Agatha sat down heavily.
"I've battled Oak in his prime," she said quietly. "I've faced Champions and legends. But I have never... NEVER... felt so thoroughly outclassed by a PIKACHU."
"Pika pika." Thanks. That means a lot.
"That wasn't a COMPLIMENT!"
"Pi." Everything's a compliment if you're confident enough.
FINAL BATTLE - LANCE
Lance stood alone.
His Elite Four had fallen. All three of them. To a PIKACHU.
He had his full Champion team ready. The team that had almost beaten Sunny. The team that had defended Kanto for years.
But looking at that Pikachu—that INSUFFERABLE Pikachu—Lance felt something he rarely experienced.
Doubt.
"You've done well," he said carefully. "Better than anyone could have expected."
"Pika." Obviously.
"But I am the CHAMPION. Or was, until your trainer took the title. Either way—I have faced gods. I have faced legends. I will NOT lose to a Pikachu."
"Pika pika chu." Famous last words.
Lance released all six of his Pokemon simultaneously.
Three Dragonites. A Charizard. An Aerodactyl. A Gyarados.
Six of the most powerful Pokemon in Kanto.
Facing one Pikachu.
"BEGIN!"
It was a slaughter.
But not in the direction anyone expected.
Gyarados opened with Hydro Pump—
"ZIPPY ZAP!"
Priority move. Faster than Hydro Pump. Faster than EVERYTHING.
Critical hit. Gyarados down.
Aerodactyl dove with Rock Slide—
"SPLISHY SPLASH!"
Water-type. Super effective against Rock/Flying.
Critical hit. Aerodactyl down.
"THAT DOESN'T CRIT! SPLISHY SPLASH DOESN'T HAVE INCREASED CRIT RATE!"
"Pika." I'm just built different.
Lance's Charizard faced Zippy, fire blazing.
Dragon versus mouse. Titan versus tiny.
"FLAMETHROWER!"
"BOUNCY BUBBLE!"
Water beat Fire. The Charizard took super effective damage while Zippy healed.
"AGAIN!"
"BOUNCY BUBBLE!"
More damage. More healing.
"THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE! CHARIZARD, DRAGON CLAW!"
The dragon lunged—
"FLOATY FALL!"
Zippy went UP. High into the ceiling. Then came DOWN.
The impact was tremendous.
Critical hit.
Lance's Charizard was knocked out.
"That's FOUR," Marcus called out. "Two more to go!"
"I CAN COUNT!" Lance shouted back.
The first Dragonite fell to a combination of Zippy Zap and Splishy Splash.
The second Dragonite actually managed to land an Outrage—three consecutive hits that dealt significant damage.
Zippy was in the yellow.
"FINALLY!" Lance crowed. "You CAN be damaged!"
"Pika." Sure. But can you finish me?
The Dragonite was confused from Outrage.
"BOUNCY BUBBLE!"
Healing. Damage. The Dragonite was down.
One left.
Lance's final Dragonite.
His absolute strongest. His partner of fifteen years. The Pokemon that had saved the world.
It faced Zippy with the determination of a true champion.
"Dragonite. Everything we have. HYPER BEAM!"
The ultimate attack. Maximum power. Do or die.
"Zippy. End this."
"Pika." With pleasure.
"ZIPPY ZAP!"
The Pikachu moved FIRST.
It shouldn't have been possible. Hyper Beam was already charging. The attack was milliseconds from release.
But Zippy Zap was ALWAYS first.
ALWAYS.
The electric strike connected with the Dragonite mid-charge.
Critical hit.
The Hyper Beam fizzled.
The Dragonite fell.
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
Zippy stood in the center of the battlefield, surrounded by unconscious Elite Four Pokemon, completely undefeated.
"Pika." And THAT is how it's done.
AFTERMATH
The scoreboard told the story.
ZIPPY (PARTNER PIKACHU) - POKEMON LEAGUE SOLO RUN
Lorelei: 5-0Bruno: 5-0Agatha: 4-0 (one Golbat fled)Lance: 6-0
TOTAL: 20-0
DAMAGE TAKEN: 37%
STATUS: ABSOLUTE VICTORY
Lance approached Marcus after the battle, expression unreadable.
"Your trainer's Charizard soloed us with grit, determination, and pure heart."
"Sunny's the best," Marcus agreed.
"Your Pikachu soloed us with... with..."
"Smugness?"
"OVERWHELMING smugness, yes." Lance looked at Zippy. "And ridiculous moves that shouldn't exist."
"Pika pika." They exist. I use them. Get over it.
"Does it ever STOP being insufferable?"
"No," Marcus admitted. "But you get used to it."
"I don't WANT to get used to it!"
"Pika." Tough.
HALL OF FAME UPDATED
SOLO RUN RECORDS:
Zippy (Partner Pikachu) - 20 Pokemon defeated, 37% damage takenSunny (Charizard) - 16 Pokemon defeated, 99% damage taken (dramatic victory)
NOTE: Sunny's run remains the most DRAMATIC solo victory. Zippy's run is the most EFFICIENT. Both are now considered legendary.
GLTMC EMERGENCY MEETING
"A Pikachu," Brock said flatly. "A PIKACHU did what Sunny did."
"But faster," Misty added.
"And with less effort," Surge contributed.
"While being INSUFFERABLE," Sabrina emphasized.
"That Pikachu trash-talked me," Agatha muttered. "It called me GRANDMA."
"My Golbat is still missing," Bruno reported. "It flew out the wall and hasn't come back."
"My Dragonite started a support group with the other League Pokemon," Lance said. "They meet Wednesdays. It's called 'Survivors of Zippy.'"
Giovanni, watching from Johto, shook his head slowly.
"I thought the Shuckle was bad. I thought the Charizard was bad. But this Pikachu is the worst of all."
"Why?" Lorelei asked.
"Because it KNOWS it's the worst. And it ENJOYS it."
Everyone shuddered.
POKEMON PARADISE - THAT EVENING
Zippy had been given a hero's welcome.
The other Pikachus—the regular seventeen—had formed an honor guard. The Legendary Pokemon acknowledged Zippy with respectful nods. Even Steve, still recovering, gave a grudging telepathic grunt of acknowledgment.
But Zippy wasn't interested in celebration.
The Partner Pikachu approached Marcus with a satisfied expression.
"Pika pika." I did it. I proved myself.
"You definitely did, buddy. How do you feel?"
"Pi." Zippy considered. "Ka pika pika chu." Good. But also... empty?
"Empty?"
"Pika pika pi." I spent so long waiting for my moment. Training. Preparing. And now it's over. I won. But what do I do now?
Marcus sat down, and Zippy hopped onto his lap.
"That's the thing about moments, Zippy. They're just moments. What matters is what comes after."
"Pika?"
"You've proven you're strong. The STRONGEST, maybe. But strength isn't everything. What do you WANT to do?"
Zippy thought about it.
Really thought about it.
"Pika pika chu." I want to help the other Pikachus get stronger. The regular ones. They look up to me now.
"That's... actually really sweet."
"Pi ka." And I want to keep fighting Steve occasionally. His suffering brings me joy.
"Less sweet, but understandable."
"Pika pika pi ka chu." And I want to be there for you. Like Sunny is. Like Kenneth is. Like all of them are.
Marcus smiled and hugged the little yellow Pokemon.
"You already are, Zippy. You already are."
THAT NIGHT - STEVE'S MEDICAL BED
Steve lay in recovery, staring at the ceiling, contemplating his existence.
"I was created to be the ultimate Pokemon," he mused. "The pinnacle of genetic engineering. The strongest being alive."
"And I have now been defeated by a Pikachu. TWICE. If you count the League run as a statement victory."
"Perhaps strength is not measured purely in combat ability. Perhaps there are other forms of power. Emotional resilience. Friendship. The capacity for growth."
"Or perhaps that Pikachu is simply a ridiculous aberration that should not exist and I am justified in my desire for vengeance."
Steve nodded to himself.
"Yes. The second one. Definitely the second one."
CURRENT STATUS:
Zippy's Ego: Fully validated
Elite Four Status: Collectively traumatized (again)
Steve's Rivalry: Eternal
Kenneth's Opinion: Approving vibe
Sunny's Opinion: Proud but slightly competitive
League Solo Run Leaderboard:
Zippy - 20 wins, 0 losses, maximum smugnessSunny - 16 wins, 0 losses, maximum heart
Bruno's Golbat Status: Still missing, presumed hiding
[A/N: ZIPPY SOLO RUN COMPLETE! THE PARTNER PIKACHU HAS ACHIEVED ULTIMATE VICTORY AND MAXIMUM SMUGNESS! Next chapter: Marcus finally takes his show on the road to Johto! How will an entirely new region react to the trainer with 4,847 Pokemon? VERY POORLY! Leave a comment about whether Zippy or Sunny had the better solo run!]