Fearow spread its wings, furiously pecking downward toward Ray Chu's location. Below it, Ray Chu swiftly dodged left and right, occasionally leaping to land a devastating Iron Tail, leaving Fearow increasingly unsteady.
"Gwaa!" After another heavy strike, Fearow suddenly swept open its wings and soared into the air with a violent gust. Ray Chu stared blankly, dumbfounded at the sheer unfairness.
Fearow, of course, cared nothing for fairness. It repeatedly swooped down with savage pecks, whipping up wind, scattering leaves, and puncturing holes all over the ground.
Ray Chu fled in disarray as Fearow pursued relentlessly, determined to teach this damned electric mouse a lesson.
The two figures tore through the forest, causing collateral damage everywhere. A panicked Pidgey fled blindly, crashing into a tree and falling from midair.
Ray Chu swiftly caught the Pidgey and tossed it onto a soft patch of grass. He glanced at the towering tree ahead, eyes suddenly gleaming with inspiration.
Watching Fearow dive from above, Ray Chu's mind rapidly calculated angles, gravitational acceleration, parabolic trajectories...
There!
In an instant, Ray Chu launched upward using Quick Attack, springing off a branch at the tree's summit, perfectly level with Fearow.
"Pika!"
In the eyes of the Pokémon watching, that bully Pikachu unleashed his full power Thunder Shock in midair, electrocuting Fearow until it dropped charred and unconscious from the sky.
Ray Chu flipped gracefully, landing steadily on the ground. Only after seeing Fearow incapacitated did he finally exhale deeply. He had seized the advantage with perfect timing; he wasn't sure he could repeat such a feat again.
Nevertheless—he'd won!
Ray Chu leisurely approached Fearow, about to deliver the finishing blow, when suddenly Fearow surged upright. Taking a running start, it charged at Ray Chu, spinning its body at incredible speed, its beak drilling forward like a spear—its ultimate, desperate attack.
"Pika!" Ray Chu lightly sidestepped Fearow's deadly strike. In the instant of Fearow's shock, Ray Chu's tail flicked out, smacking its head and knocking it senseless.
[DEFEATED FOREST INVADER FEAROW, LEVEL +1]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 15]
If anyone could outplay in dirty tactics, it was Ray Chu. He'd known Fearow was feigning defeat from the start and had simply pretended ignorance.
As expected, Fearow attempted a surprise attack, but Ray Chu had remained vigilant, completely crushing its hopes.
Fearow sprawled on the ground, eyes spinning dizzily. Ray Chu triumphantly planted a foot on its head, feeling exceptionally pleased with himself. Unlike that weakling Ivysaur, this Fearow had superb fighting instincts and strength—it was his first truly strong opponent, making this victory incredibly meaningful.
Ray Chu clapped his paws, and four Pidgey timidly poked their heads from the leaves. Only after confirming Fearow was down did they flutter carefully to the ground.
One of the Pidgey—with a distinct tuft of white feathers on its forehead, the one Ray Chu had saved earlier—stared at him with admiration.
"Pika-pika-poh!" Hang it up as a warning to others!
Ray Chu strutted proudly. The four Pidgey carried off the unconscious Fearow, preparing to hang it publicly for a week, as instructed by His Majesty the King of Viridian Forest, as a lesson to any other intruders.
Only after all Pokémon had left did Ray Chu slump onto the grass, wincing painfully as he rubbed his wounds. After a long while, he limped back to his nest, dug out some medicinal herbs from a corner, chewed them into a paste, and applied them carefully.
In the wild, there were no Pokémon Centers to tend wounds; Pokémon had to rely on themselves. Ray Chu had learned this herb remedy from an elderly Raticate.
As soon as the herbs touched his skin, a soothing coolness spread through his body. The herbs' special ingredients gradually sent Ray Chu—already exhausted from battle—into a deep sleep.
...
By the time he awoke, the sun had already set. His injuries were still far from healed, and with his stomach growling, he had no choice but to search for food again. By the time he'd filled his belly, night had completely fallen.
At some point, a bright full moon had risen high in the sky, its pale, silvery glow flooding the forest and painting the ground with an ethereal blue radiance. This was a unique sight in this world—exquisite and dreamlike.
Despite having seen it many times, Ray Chu still felt captivated. Not eager to return to his nest just yet, he climbed a tall tree, resting his head on his paws and quietly admiring the moonlight.
He'd been in this world for about a month now. Fortunately, it was relatively peaceful, allowing him ample opportunity to train and grow without immediate life-threatening danger upon arrival.
But if he wanted to keep progressing, he couldn't stay cooped up forever. Tomorrow, I'll leave this forest! Ray Chu excitedly imagined himself conquering the Pokémon League and challenging legendary Pokémon.
The moon shone like a glowing silver plate in the sky, its gentle halo growing larger and brighter, eventually enveloping him completely.
"Huh? Pika?!"
Ray Chu stared in astonishment as he was engulfed by silvery, water-like moonlight. Before he could react further, a mysterious force whisked him away with a "whoosh," plunging him into ripples of space ahead, like a pebble vanishing into still water.
This bizarre phenomenon attracted another Pokémon in the forest. Its appearance resembled a small, pink kitten, with triangular eyes and a tail twice the length of its body, ending in an oval-shaped tip trailing gracefully behind it.
Had Ray Chu still been present, he'd have immediately recognized this Pokémon as the legendary Mew.
Mew softly glided through the forest, landing precisely on the branch where Ray Chu had just stood. Mew tilted its head curiously; just moments ago, it had spotted a rather arrogant-looking Pikachu, but sensing an unusual spatial energy nearby, had come to investigate. Now, in the blink of an eye, the Pikachu was gone.
"Mew~" Mew cutely tilted its head, floating gracefully in midair. It decided to pay an old friend a visit and inquire about what exactly had occurred just now.
Mew departed as lightly as it had arrived, unnoticed by any Pokémon, all of whom had long fallen asleep.
...
Ray Chu's sudden disappearance briefly unsettled the Pokémon of the forest, but soon their peaceful lives resumed as before. Only a lone Pidgey and a Mr. Mime occasionally wandered the woods, seemingly searching for something, finally leaving with disappointed expressions.
But perhaps these two weren't the only ones who remembered Ray Chu. Not far from the forest, in a turbulent river, a Magikarp fiercely lashed its tail, struggling to swim upstream. Unlike others of its kind, this Magikarp had burning eyes filled with determination and fury.
Keep fighting! Keep fighting! One day I'll evolve into Gyarados! Every Magikarp has its day—don't look down on me!
With resolve burning in its eyes, Magikarp plunged into the roaring currents again…
,,,
Elsewhere, a newly evolved Butterfree skillfully fluttered over a sea of flowers. Its Sleep Powder drifted downward, instantly putting the pursuing Beedrill swarm into a deep sleep.
"Chu~" Spotting something shiny hidden in the grass, curiosity drew Butterfree closer. A strange flash of light shone, and when Butterfree returned moments later, it was subtly larger than before.
Every gift quietly carries its price. This Butterfree, changed by its experience, would now face a fate quite unlike its kind…
,,,
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, a Fearow hung upside down beneath a large tree, crying helplessly:
"Gwa, gwa-gwaaa!" Is anyone passing by... Somebody please help me!
---
T/N: awww poor Hanako :(