Chapter 2 : Pikachu vs Ursaring
Present Day Pikachu and I were wandering through the lively festival, soaking in the atmosphere.
Suddenly, a familiar mechanical chime echoed in my mind.
'Ding!'
[ Host, you have received a Gift Pack for arriving in Fula City. Would you like to open it? ]
The System's message floated in my consciousness. Without hesitation, I thought, 'Yes, open it.'
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: ]
* Charizardite X (Mega Stone)
* Pidgeotite (Mega Stone)
I quickly read the descriptions that appeared on the holographic panel only I could see.
[ Charizardite X: A mysterious stone that enables Charizard to Mega Evolve during battle. ]
[ Pidgeotite: A mysterious stone that enables Pidgeot to Mega Evolve during battle. ]
Reading the descriptions, I couldn't contain my excitement. My heart raced.
'Wow! I have the Mega Stones for both of them now! I can't wait to see them Mega Evolve,' I thought enthusiastically.
However, my excitement dampened slightly as a realization hit me. 'Wait... I don't have a Key Stone yet. Without that, I can't trigger the evolution.'
'Sigh...'
I let out a breath of disappointment. 'Whatever, it's not a big deal. I'll just buy one from the System Store later,' I consoled myself.
Just then, a shadow loomed over me.
"Hey! You look like a trainer," a voice called out. I looked up to see a boy standing there, looking me up and down.
"You look pretty strong," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "How about a one-on-one match?"
I smirked. "Fine. I never back down from a challenge. I accept, but on one condition."
The arrogant boy raised an eyebrow. "What condition?"
"First, show me what you're willing to bet. Show me what you have in your bag," I demanded.
"Hmph," he scoffed but complied. He opened his bag and started pulling out Pokémon items.
First came a Luxury Ball, then an evolution stone... I watched as he pulled out about ten different items. Honestly, most of it was junk to me.
But when he pulled out the last two items, my eyes practically sparkled.
'System! Scan those two items immediately! If I'm right... these are exactly what I think they are.'
'Ding!'
The System scanned the objects and displayed a panel in front of my eyes.
[ Key Stone: The catalyst required for Mega Evolution. It creates a bond between Trainer and Pokémon to unlock hidden power. ]
[ Light Ball: A rare item. If held by a Pikachu, it doubles their Attack and Special Attack stats. ]
My heart skipped a beat. 'Jackpot.'
"I want those two," I said, pointing at the colorful stone and the electric orb.
The boy looked at me with a mocking grin. "Really? You chose the trash items?"
"What's the problem? Why do you call them trash?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"I tried to sell that colorful stone, but not a single shopkeeper wanted to buy it," the boy laughed. "And that energy ball?
I gave it to my Electric-type Pokémon to hold, but it didn't boost their power at all. They're useless."
I smiled internally. 'Of course, they didn't work. He has no idea. The Light Ball only works on Pikachu, and nobody in this world knows about Mega Evolution yet.
I'm about to get these for free instead of spending Points in the store!' "I don't care," I replied calmly. "I still want them."
"Fine by me," he shrugged. "Let's go to the battleground."
...
We arrived at the city's public battlefield. The stands were empty, but the tension was high.
I looked at my partner. "Ready, Pikachu?"
"Pika-Pika!"
Pikachu nodded firmly and jumped off my shoulder, landing on the field with a determined spark in his cheeks.
"Come on out, my friend! Let's give them a taste of defeat!" the boy shouted.
He threw his Pokéball high into the air. 'Pop!' A flash of white light materialized into a massive, hulking figure.
'Roar!!'
A large bear-like Pokémon with a yellow ring mark on its stomach stood tall. It was an Ursaring.
I didn't waste a second. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack and transition into Iron Tail! Aim for the head!"
'Whoosh!' Pikachu launched himself forward, moving like a white blur. As he closed the distance, his tail began to glow with a metallic silver light. He leapt into the air, spinning for momentum.
'Bam!'The Iron Tail connected squarely with Ursaring's head. The massive bear stumbled back, losing its balance and crashing to the ground.
Pikachu flipped backward, landing nimbly by my feet.
"Ursaring, get up! Use Hyper Beam!" the boy screamed.
'Groan...'
Ursaring scrambled to its feet, enraged. It opened its mouth, gathering a massive amount of orange energy.
'Vroooom...!'
"Pikachu, use Agility, now!" I commanded instantly.
Just as the destructive beam fired, Pikachu vanished from sight. The beam tore through the empty air where he had been standing a split second ago.
'Zip!'
Pikachu reappeared directly behind the Ursaring. Ursaring spun around, furious. It raised a glowing arm to use Hammer Arm, swinging down with crushing force.
"Dodge it!"
Pikachu sidestepped the heavy blow with ease.
I reached up and turned my cap backward. "Alright, let's finish this. Thunderbolt!"
'Pika... CHUUUUU!' A massive bolt of yellow electricity erupted from Pikachu's body. It struck the Ursaring at point-blank range.
'Zzzzzzt—BOOM!'
The explosion of electricity was blinding. Ursaring cried out in pain as the super-effective damage took its toll. When the smoke cleared, the giant bear collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud.
"Get up, Ursaring! We have to win this!" the boy yelled desperately at his Pokémon.
Ursaring tried to push itself up, its arms shaking, but it collapsed again. Its eyes turned into swirls.
'Thud.'
The referee (if there was one) would have called it. The boy realized it was over.
"Return, Ursaring," he muttered, recalling his Pokémon in a beam of red light.
He walked over to me, his head hanging low. "I'm sorry. I apologize for my behavior earlier. I took you for a rookie and spoke with arrogance."
He reached into his bag. "A bet is a bet. Here are your items." He handed them over and walked away.
I barely paid attention to his apology; my focus was entirely on the treasure in my hands—the Key Stone and the Light Ball.
"Pika!"
Pikachu hopped back onto my shoulder. He was staring at the Light Ball in my hand with intense greed. His instincts were telling him that holding that orb would skyrocket his power.
He looked at me with big, pleading eyes, ready to snatch it if I hesitated. "Relax, you don't need to be so impatient," I laughed. "I'm giving it to you. Here."
I handed the orb to him.
'Gulp.'Pikachu grabbed the Light Ball, and in a flash of light, it seemed to be absorbed into his fur (or stored in his fur pouch).
I immediately opened the System to check his status.
[ Pokémon: Pikachu ]
[ Type: Electric ]
[ Skills: Agility, Tackle, Quick Attack, Thundershock, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder ]
[ Held Item: Light Ball ]
I grinned. 'It worked. His stats are going to be insane now.'
To be continued...