The nature reserve was beautiful—lush green fields, crystal-clear ponds, and Pokémon roaming freely. There were Butterfree fluttering through the air, a herd of Ponyta grazing in the distance, and even a few Eevee darting through the bushes.
I loved it. Really, I did.
But instead of taking in the sights, I was sitting on a bench, nose buried in my notebook, scribbling down observations about Pokémon habitats and migration patterns.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to enjoy the reserve. It was just… there was work to be done. And if I wasn’t working, then what was I even doing?
The others, meanwhile, were off playing with some Pokémon—Ash trying (and failing) to befriend a stubborn Growlithe, Leaf feeding a cluster of Oddish, Blue standing off to the side looking vaguely unimpressed, and Red... well, Red was just watching everything quietly.
I flipped to a new page, adjusting my grip on my pen—
Then I heard it.
A low growl.
Followed by a series of panicked yelps.
I glanced up, just in time to see a group of trainers backing away from a very angry-looking Pikachu.
And I mean angry.
Her ears were flattened, fur bristling, cheeks sparking with electricity. One poor guy tripped over himself trying to escape, while another girl yelped and ducked behind a tree.
Leaf gasped. “Oh my Arceus, that Pikachu is feral.”
Blue scoffed. “Tch. That thing needs to chill.”
Ash looked way too excited. “A wild Pikachu?! That’s so cool! I’m gonna—”
Mom grabbed the back of his shirt before he could do anything reckless.
“Stay back,” she warned.
The trainers who worked at the reserve looked just as panicked. “That one’s been causing trouble for weeks! It won’t let anyone near it!” one of them explained.
“Yeah,” another agreed. “It bites! It shocks people! It won’t even let the other Pokémon near!”
I blinked, tilting my head.
Huh.
I don’t know why, but… I kind of got it.
Sometimes, when you’re hurt enough times, you don’t want anyone near you.
I understood that.
I turned back to my notes—
And that’s when it happened.
The hostile Pikachu—the one that had everyone terrified—suddenly stopped growling.
Her fur flattened.
Her ears perked up.
And then—before anyone could react—she bounced straight toward me.
Gasps rang out.
“MIA, WATCH OUT!” Leaf shouted.
“MIA, MOVE!” Blue yelled.
Ash looked torn between horror and excitement. “OH MAN, SHE’S GONNA ZAP YOU!”
Red tensed.
Mom looked ready to step in.
But before any of them could do anything, the Pikachu landed effortlessly on my shoulder.
And nuzzled me.
Happily.
Silence.
Complete and utter silence.
I blinked.
She nuzzled me again, letting out a soft “Pikaaa~” and wrapping her tail around my neck like she’d known me forever.
The others?
Yeah. They freaked out.
Ash’s jaw dropped. “Wha—? Huh—? HOW?!”
Leaf looked horrified. “SHE’S POSSESSED.”
Blue pointed dramatically. “SHE’S USING YOU AS A HOSTAGE.”
One of the reserve workers actually fell over. “SHE—WHAT—BUT—SHE HATES PEOPLE?!?!”
Mom just stared, completely stunned.
Red, still quiet, just raised an eyebrow.
I… wasn’t really sure what to say, either.
The Pikachu—my Pikachu, apparently—just curled up against me, looking very pleased with herself.
I hesitated, then slowly lifted a hand and scratched behind her ear.
She let out a happy little chirp.
Huh.
“Well,” I muttered, giving the others a pointed look. “I guess she doesn’t hate me.”
The whole group just gawked.
Ash threw his hands in the air. “HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO YOU?!”
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
