Red casually pulled Ash's Pokédex from his pocket and scanned the Pikachu in front of him.
"Pikachu. Moves: Tackle, Thunder Shock, Growl, Tail Whip."
Simple. Plain. Nothing fancy.
Then he scanned his own round-faced Pikachu.
"Pikachu. Moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder, Volt Tackle, Extreme Speed."
The string of move names left Misty completely stunned.
"Thunder" alone was a move only high-level Pokémon could use.
And as for "Volt Tackle" and "Extreme Speed"… she'd never even heard of them.
A rookie Trainer… who somehow got a max-level Pikachu for free?!
Or was the Pokédex broken?
Seeing Red clearly preparing to fight, Team Rocket quickly tossed out two Poké Balls in response.
"Koffing—Poison Gas Pokémon. Kind-hearted. Cute."
"Ekans—Poison Snake Pokémon. Also kind-hearted. Even cuter."
The Pokédex chirped automatically.
Misty: "..."
Yeah. Definitely water damage.
"Pika!"
Ash's Pikachu raised its head eagerly, clearly itching to battle.
Red: "..."
He didn't choose it.
This Pikachu belonged to Ash—not him.
And judging by its condition, this would be its first real battle.
That kind of milestone should be left to its rightful Trainer.
"Get ready, Pikachu."
"Pika!"
At Red's command, the slightly sturdier round-faced Pikachu dropped into a charging stance, eyes locked onto Team Rocket.
In an instant, the trio felt as though they were being targeted by a top-tier predator.
Their bodies stiffened.
Instinctively, they took a step back.
"D-Damn it… why does a Pikachu feel so scary?!" Jessie muttered.
Shaking herself, she barked the first order.
"Ekans! Use Bite!"
"Pikachu—Quick Attack."
Red added calmly, turning to Ash's Pikachu:
"Watch its movements closely."
He had personally witnessed the lightning this Pikachu could unleash—so powerful it tore a vacuum hole through storm clouds.
That kind of raw potential…
It might even surpass his own Pikachu someday.
Teaching it a thing or two wouldn't hurt.
Whoosh!
The round-faced Pikachu vanished in a flash of white light, leaving an afterimage behind.
Ekans bit down on empty air and smashed into the floor.
"So fast!" Misty gasped.
The Pokédex beeped.
"Beep! Ash's Pikachu has learned a new move: Quick Attack."
Red raised an eyebrow slightly.
Impressive.
Just watching once had been enough.
"Then let's take it a step further," Red said.
"Pikachu—Extreme Speed."
"Pika!"
The white light surrounding Pikachu abruptly shifted into a strange blue glow.
Its speed skyrocketed.
Even the afterimages vanished.
The Pokémon Center lobby was now filled only with fleeting streaks of blue.
"What IS this thing?!" Jessie screamed.
Neither she nor Ekans could see Pikachu anymore.
Red glanced back calmly.
"Well? Still keeping up?" he asked Ash's Pikachu.
"Pika…"
Ash's Pikachu shook its head.
Extreme Speed was still far beyond it—for now.
"That's fine," Red said gently. "Just remember the movement."
Seeds planted today would bloom one day.
Seeing Jessie being toyed with, James hurriedly joined in.
"Koffing! Use Poison Gas!"
If we can't hit it, we'll cover everything!
Red remained unhurried.
"Don't let it spread. Pikachu—Thunder Wave."
Extreme Speed halted midair.
Pikachu reappeared, flipping nimbly.
Electric energy gathered at the tip of its tail, forming a glowing sphere.
Zap!
The electricity burst outward, forming a massive net that completely enveloped the poisonous gas—before it could spread.
The Thunder Wave kept going, flying straight toward Team Rocket.
"Finish it," Red said.
"Thunderbolt."
"PIKA!"
Pikachu slammed its cheeks.
Golden lightning erupted like roaring thunder serpents, igniting the trapped gas in a massive explosion.
"BOOOOOOM—!!"
A pillar of light shot skyward, blasting Team Rocket—and their Pokémon—straight through the ceiling.
The Pokémon Center roof was left with a gaping hole.
"That Thunderbolt was insane!"
"That Pikachu is definitely not a normal Electric-type!"
"If we capture it and give it to the Boss, we'll be promoted for sure, nyah!"
A certain great thinker once said:
The greatest fear in life is having no dreams.
As they flew through the air, Team Rocket—who hadn't had a meaningful goal in over a decade—suddenly found one.
Capture that freakish Pikachu.
"Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaain~!"
They vanished into the night sky above Viridian City.
Afterward—
"Pika!!"
Ash's Pikachu stared at the round-faced Pikachu with pure admiration.
That flashy combo had completely won it over.
"You'll be able to do that too someday," Red said, gently rubbing its head.
With the matter resolved, Red recalled his Pikachu, quite satisfied with his first battle in this world.
No matter where I go—still a clean sweep.
Seeing the hole in the Pokémon Center roof, Red asked Nurse Joy for some wooden boards and climbed up to repair it.
After all, he'd caused the damage.
Leaving arrogantly without fixing it might expose him as an ignorant outsider.
Misty, left behind, stood there in stunned silence.
What the hell…
Are rookie Trainers these days all this terrifying?!
That Pikachu alone could bulldoze the Cerulean Gym flat.
Flatten it, renovate it—then flatten it again.
Watching Red casually haul boards up to a roof nearly eight meters high, Misty muttered:
"…He's surprisingly responsible."
Then—
Wait. I think I forgot something.
Pokémon Center Rooftop
Red gazed at the crescent moon hanging in the night sky, eyes deep in thought.
"This kid Ash is ridiculous," he muttered.
"Built like a Tauros—just flipping his way up here."
The Next Morning
Misty opened her door.
At the same time, the door across the hall opened.
Still half-asleep, she greeted him:
"Morning, bike thief."
"Ah—it's you!" Ash blurted out.
"Yesterday was totally my fault! I'll definitely find a way to repay you for the bike!"
Misty: "?"
She was instantly wide awake.
Did I open the door wrong?
She shut it, took a deep breath, and opened it again.
"Morning… bike thief?"
"I told you I'll take responsibility! Stop calling me that!"
Ash frowned, baffled.
"And I have a name! I'm Ash Ketchum—and my dream is to become a Pokémon Master!"
Misty: "?"
Is this kid doing some kind of split-personality routine?!