Red pulled Ash's Pokédex from his pocket and scanned the Pikachu standing before him.
Pokédex: "Pikachu. Moves: Tackle, Thundershock, Growl, Tail Whip."
Standard starter stuff. Next, he turned the scanner toward his own "round-faced" Pikachu.
Pokédex: "Pikachu. Moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder, Volt Tackle, Extreme Speed."
The list of high-tier moves left Misty, who was hovering over his shoulder, completely floored. A move like Thunder was usually reserved for high-level powerhouses. As for Volt Tackle and Extreme Speed? She hadn't even heard of them.
Did a rookie just luck into a max-level Pikachu? Or is this Pokédex a total piece of junk?
Seeing that Red was actually ready to throw down, Team Rocket tossed out two Pokéballs to meet the challenge.
Pokédex: * "Koffing: A hygienic Pokémon with a heart of gold and a very cute appearance."
"Ekans: A non-venomous Pokémon with a kind soul and an even cuter appearance."
Misty: "..." Yep, this Pokédex definitely has water damage.
"Pika!" Ash's Pikachu looked up and gave a spirited cry, clearly itching for a piece of the action.
Red: "..."
He didn't send it out. After all, this was Ash's Pokémon, not his. Besides, he could tell this Pikachu hadn't seen its first real battle yet. A milestone that meaningful belonged to its actual master.
"Get ready, Pikachu!"
At Red's low command, his brawny, "retro-style" Pikachu dropped into a combat stance. Its sharp gaze locked onto the Team Rocket trio. Instantly, a sensation of being "Locked-On" by an apex predator sent shivers down their spines. All three of them took an involuntary step back.
"Ugh, why is that electric rat so terrifying?!" Jessie regained her composure and barked the first order: "Ekans, use Bite!"
"Pikachu, Quick Attack," Red said, then added a side note to Ash's Pikachu: "Watch its movements closely, little guy."
Whoosh!
The round-faced Pikachu turned into a blur of white light. It moved so fast it left an afterimage, causing Ekans to lunge at thin air and slam face-first into the floor.
"So fast!" Misty exclaimed. Just then, the Pokédex chimed in:
Beep-beep... Ash's Pikachu has learned a new move: Quick Attack!
Red raised an eyebrow. The potential of this particular Pikachu was indeed extraordinary; it had mastered the move just by catching a glimpse.
"Then let's take it up a notch. Pikachu, Extreme Speed."
"Pika!"
The white light surrounding Pikachu shifted, turning into a strange, cyan streak. Its speed spiked so high that even the afterimages vanished. All that remained in the lobby were faint traces of light flickering through the air.
"What in the world is that?!" Jessie and Ekans were completely disoriented.
"Well, little one? Still keeping up?" Red asked, glancing back.
Ash's Pikachu shook its head frantically. Clearly, Extreme Speed was still a league above its current pay grade.
"No worries. Just remember the feeling." Red was planting a seed, confident that one day, the flash of Extreme Speed would bloom within this special Pikachu too.
Seeing his partner being toyed with, James rushed to join the fray. "Koffing, use Poison Gas!"
If you can't see 'em, hit the whole room! Red calmly countered: "Don't let it spread. Pikachu, Electroweb."
Mid-air, Pikachu materialized. Its tail whipped around, generating a sphere of electric energy before firing it off into a massive web. The net snared the toxic gas before it could dissipate and, without losing momentum, slammed straight into Team Rocket.
"Finish it. Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu slapped its cheeks. Golden electricity erupted, reacting with the trapped Poison Gas to create a catastrophic Explosion.
BOOM!!!
A pillar of light and fire roared upward, launching the Team Rocket trio and their Pokémon into the stratosphere, punching a fresh hole through the Pokémon Center's roof in the process.
"What kind of Thunderbolt was that?!" "That Pikachu is definitely a freak of nature!" "If we catch it for the Boss, we'll be rolling in promotions and caviar, Meowth!"
As a wise man once said: The greatest fear in life is having no dreams. The three of them, currently soaring through the clouds, had suddenly found their life's purpose: they had to bag that weird Pikachu!
"We're blasting off again—!" The trio turned into a twinkling star and vanished from the city skyline.
After the dust settled, Ash's Pikachu looked at Red's Pikachu with pure, unadulterated hero worship.
"You'll get there too," Red said, patting its head.
Job done, Red withdrew his Pokémon, feeling quite satisfied with the debut. No matter where he was, he always preferred the "total domination" style of play. Noticing the gaping hole in the roof, Red asked Nurse Joy for some wooden planks and climbed up to the rafters to fix it. He wasn't about to be known as some irresponsible "ishekai" delinquent who breaks things and leaves.
Misty stood alone in the lobby, stunned. What the hell? Are all rookie Trainers this scary now? That Pikachu could have leveled my Cerulean Gym single-handedly!
Watching Red quietly haul planks up a twenty-foot roof, Misty muttered, "I guess he's actually a responsible guy after all..."
Wait. She felt like she was forgetting something important.
On the roof, Red gazed at the bright moon, his eyes deep with thought. He couldn't help but marvel: This kid Ash's body is ridiculously sturdy. He's built like a Tauros. A couple of tumbles and I'm already up here.
The next morning.
Misty pushed her door open just as the room across from her did the same. Still half-asleep, she groaned, "Morning, bike thief."
"Ah... it's you! Look, I'm really sorry about yesterday! I'll definitely find a way to pay you back for the bike!!" Ash apologized with frantic, wide-eyed sincerity.
Misty: "?"
She blinked, her sleepiness evaporating as she stared at Ash. Did I open the door wrong? She closed the door, took a deep breath, and opened it again.
"Morning... bike thief?" she tried again.
"I told you I'd take responsibility! Stop calling me a bike thief!" Ash snapped back, annoyed. What kind of weird performance art is this girl doing?
"Besides, I have a name. It's Ash, and my dream is to be a Pokémon Master!"
Misty: "???" Does this guy have a split personality or something?