The lush tree canopy blocked out the blazing sun, casting scattered flecks of sunlight onto the grass below. A fresh breeze gently rustled the foliage, carrying with it the earthy fragrance of soil and grass. A small, clear stream flowed slowly across the landscape, bringing vitality wherever it went.
Ray Chu stared gloomily at his reflection in the water.
The river was crystal clear, mirror-like, perfectly reflecting a small, yellow creature.
Less than half a meter tall, bright yellow fur, long ears tipped with black. A tiny nose and mouth, two round, black eyes, and two red circular patches adorning its cheeks.
Its limbs were short and stocky—five claws on the forepaws, three on the hind. Three black stripes marked its back, and a zigzag lightning-shaped tail waved flexibly behind it.
Although undeniably cute, Ray Chu found it extremely hard to accept that he'd become this thing.
"Just because my name is Ray Chu doesn't mean you can turn me into a Pikachu! @#￥*%&..." Ray Chu angrily hurled away the berry in his paw, cursing fluently, yet all that came out were two adorable squeaks, "Pika! Pika!"
After sulking for a long moment, Ray Chu sat down by the riverbank, utterly depressed. The soft grass brushed his fur, making him squirm uncomfortably. He rested his head on a paw and sighed heavily.
He couldn't comprehend why he had suddenly woken up as an ordinary Pikachu living in a forest. And if he wasn't mistaken, this was unmistakably a Pokémon world.
A Caterpie slowly crawled past him, its tiny yellow-ringed body arching through the grass, waving its red, Y-shaped antennae around.
Upon noticing Ray Chu, it raised the front half of its body defensively, "Pika—!" but was swiftly slapped away by Ray Chu's tail.
The wild forest wasn't exactly peaceful; Ray Chu had already witnessed a Pidgey hunting, swift and fierce, far surpassing any flying creature from the real world.
Though this Pokémon world wasn't an entirely savage place ruled by survival-of-the-fittest—most Pokémon could survive merely on berries—carnivorous Pokémon still existed.
Ray Chu certainly had no intention of encountering one of those while he was still weak.
Suddenly, Ray Chu remembered something extremely important. Jumping up, he anxiously reached beneath his belly—thankfully, beneath the soft fur, something reassuringly familiar made him breathe a sigh of relief. As a proud guy, even if he was transformed into a Pokémon, at least he was still male!
He could grudgingly accept becoming a Pokémon—as long as his gender stayed the same.
Well, I'm here anyway. Might as well adapt. Ray Chu always believed in rolling with the punches. Perhaps being reincarnated as a Pikachu was actually better than his complicated and chaotic previous life.
"Though luckily, this isn't one of those freakishly dark Pokémon universes. Otherwise, this little pika wouldn't survive past episode one!"
Lost in idle thoughts, Ray Chu was suddenly splashed in the face by cold water. A red fish floated up from the river, a dumb-looking creature with long, catfish-like whiskers and a golden crown atop its head. Its dead eyes stared blankly at him.
This thing had just hit him with a Splash attack.
"Damn it! You're just a pathetic Magikarp—how dare you bully this pika! As if you'll ever evolve into a Gyarados!"
Enraged, Ray Chu shouted "Pika!" and charged into the river. Unfortunately, though he was now a Pikachu, he hadn't inherited any Pokémon abilities. Without home-field advantage, he crawled back out moments later, dripping wet and utterly defeated.
In the river, the victorious Magikarp arrogantly leaped, splashing another stream of water at the miserable electric mouse on shore.
Ray Chu couldn't even muster the energy to stand. His pathetic attempt had nearly drowned him in a stream less than a meter deep.
Facing the tragic truth—he was now weaker than when he was human—Ray Chu resolved himself:
It was time to train!
This was a Pokémon world, and as a Pokémon, training and battling would quickly make him stronger.
...
The next morning, Ray Chu woke refreshed from his makeshift nest, rinsed himself quickly in the stream, and began his rigorous training.
After last night's experimentation, he'd grown somewhat familiar with his new body. Although having a tail was initially awkward, he discovered his balance had noticeably improved.
Unlike other Pikachu who ran on all fours, Ray Chu began hopping rapidly on his hind legs, flexing powerful thigh muscles and using his tail to maintain balance. He jumped back and forth tirelessly between two points, determined to master moving freely upright.
"Hmm… need to keep training and strengthen these hind legs. Once I fully free up my front paws, I can start using tools."
The key difference between higher and lower animals was tool use. Though Ray Chu had only a vague idea of how to proceed, freeing his paws was undoubtedly the right first step.
After mastering two-legged hopping, Ray Chu moved to the next item on his training plan...
Tree climbing!
Specifically, climbing fruit-bearing trees, which were abundant in the wild and essential food sources for Pokémon.
Transitioning from a modern, convenience-filled society to life as a Pikachu, Ray Chu now had to work hard just to eat.
He stared at a fruit tree about two or three meters tall, bent his legs, then jumped up and clung to the trunk. Pushing upward with his legs, he surprisingly reached the top easily, possibly thanks to residual instinct.
"At least I won't starve!"
Ray Chu tossed several berries onto the ground, slid down the trunk, picked up a berry, sniffed cautiously—finding its scent fresh and harmless.
He rinsed the berries at the stream, then sat down to breakfast. After only two berries, his small Pikachu body felt full. Ray Chu stored the rest and continued with serious training:
100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and finally, a 10km run. By midday, he'd finished this exhausting regimen.
Despite several breaks forced by fatigue, Ray Chu persevered. His tiny body held astonishing potential, enduring training difficult even for adults.
...
At noon, Ray Chu rested in the shade, finishing his leftover berries. The gentle breeze lulled him into a comfortable nap, relieving his tiredness.
Awakening refreshed, he found all fatigue vanished, ready for afternoon swim training. Determined to conquer land, sea, and air as a future Pokémon master, Ray Chu avoided yesterday's Magikarp and chose an upstream spot instead.
Though he initially struggled with his unfamiliar body, Ray Chu quickly adapted, smoothly cycling through backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and freestyle. To a Weedle passing by, this odd Pikachu seemed more like a Water-type Pokémon.
After several training rounds and snack breaks, he was thoroughly accustomed to swimming.
Evening came, and he repeated his tree-climbing training, gathering more berries. Sitting alone on a hillside, Ray Chu quietly watched the sunset paint the sky, until dusk settled gently over the forest.
Nighttime was equally beautiful in the Pokémon world, plants glowing softly in the darkness. Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon wandered peacefully; despite occasional dangers, most Pokémon coexisted harmoniously, surviving on berries and plants. Solo Pokémon like Ray Chu were not uncommon.
Returning to his cozy, clean tree hollow beneath a large tree, Ray Chu curled up comfortably. Accompanied by forest breezes and gentle insect songs, Pikachu Ray Chu gradually drifted into sleep.
[AFTER A DAY OF DILIGENT TRAINING, LEVEL +1]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 2]