Chapter 4 : the wind festival race, zippy zaap unleashed !
"You've shown off enough power for now. Come back inside."
I recalled Charizard into his Poké Ball and looked down at Pikachu. Without hesitation, Pikachu jumped up and settled comfortably onto my shoulder.
"Oh, right! I haven't checked the System Store yet." I mentally opened the System Store interface.
[ System Store ]
[ Purchase Points: 23,100 ]
After glancing at my balance, I noticed something odd. My points had increased by 100.
'System, what is going on? Where did I get these extra 100 points from?' I asked mentally.
[ Host, you received 100 points as a reward for the battle you just engaged in. ]
'Oh, that's good. But why didn't you tell me earlier that battling yields points?'
[ Host, you didn't ask. Therefore, the System did not deem it necessary to answer. ]
I was left speechless by the System's blunt reply. Deciding to ignore its attitude, I started scrolling through the items in the store.
There were piles of items available:
[ Mega Stones: 3,500 Points, 6,000 Points... ]
[ Carry Props: 50 Points, 70 Points... ]
[ ... ]
I checked the prices of various items, but I wasn't really in the mood to buy most of them right now.
However, as I continued scrolling, my eyes suddenly lit up when they landed on a specific item.
[ Item: Partner Potion ]
[ Description: After drinking this potion, Pikachu or Eevee can evolve into their 'Partner Pokémon' form. ]
[ Benefits: Once evolved into a Partner Pokémon, they gain the ability to undergo Mega Evolution. ]
[ Example: After evolving into Partner Pikachu, it will be able to Mega Evolve into Raichu X or Raichu Y temporarily during battle. ]
[ Price: 10,000 Purchase Points ]
'This… this is exactly what I needed!' I thought excitedly. 'Pikachu has no intention of evolving,
which means he normally couldn't Mega Evolve. But this potion solves that problem easily.'
I looked at the price tag. It would cost nearly half of my total points.'It doesn't matter,' I consoled myself. 'For Pikachu, this is worth it.'
[ Ding! 10,000 Purchase Points deducted. ]
My heart felt like it was weeping tears of blood as the points vanished, but I swallowed the pain.
Pop! A small bottle containing a glowing yellow liquid materialized in my hand.
Pikachu looked at the potion in my hand, then at me, confused.
"Pika, Pika, Chu?" ("What is that, Ash? And how did it just appear out of thin air?")
"Pikachu," I said seriously, ignoring the magic trick question for a moment.
"If you drink this, you will never evolve into a Raichu. Even if you touch a Thunder Stone in the future, your body won't change."
"Pika, Pi?" ("Really? Are you telling the truth, Ash?")
"Yes. And not only that," I continued, "after drinking this, you'll be able to learn 'Partner Moves'."
"Pika?" ("Partner Moves? What are those?")
I thought for a moment, trying to find the best way to explain.
"Partner Moves are similar to Signature Moves, but a bit different. Let me explain Signature Moves first. Your Signature Move is 'Volt Tackle,'
which you haven't learned yet. Only Pokémon in your evolutionary line can learn it. In the same way, Partner Moves can only be used by Partner Pokémon."
"Pika." ("I understand.")
"Here, drink this." I handed the bottle to Pikachu. He popped the cork open.
Gulp… Gulp… Gulp… Pikachu drank the yellow liquid greedily. A few moments later, a wave of relief washed over him.
Every day, Pikachu had to mentally suppress the biological urge to evolve. It is a natural law that every Pokémon must eventually evolve,
whether they want to or not. Just like humans grow from children to adults over time—we cannot stay children forever—Pokémon go through a similar process.
For some Pokémon, it happens naturally. For others, like Pikachu, an external catalyst like a Thunder Stone is needed. But even then, the body subconsciously attracts itself toward evolution.
To remain a Pikachu, he had to constantly fight that instinct. This natural urge is a blessing for those who seek power, but a curse for those who wish to remain as they are.
But now, that burden was gone. Pikachu felt a sense of total freedom. He realized he had "grown up" fully without changing his form. He no longer had to endure the subconscious pressure to evolve.
"Pika… chapi…" Tears of pure happiness welled up in Pikachu's eyes. Seeing this, I gently picked him up and placed him back on my shoulder, patting his head.
Curious about the changes, I pulled up Pikachu's updated status.
[ Name: Partner Pikachu ]
[ Type: Electric ]
[ Skills: Agility, Tackle, Quick Attack, Thundershock, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder ]
[ Partner Skills: Zippy Zap, Splishy Splash, Floaty Fall, Pika Papow ]
[ Held Item: Light Ball ]
I grinned. Even though I had expected him to learn these four skills based on the game logic, seeing them actually listed in his status made me incredibly surprised and happy.
...
We stood atop a massive, modern open-air stage constructed from sleek stone. Three grand staircases led up to the platform where we waited.
Pikachu and I were not alone; we were surrounded by dozens of other eager trainers, each accompanied by their partner Pokémon.
Below us, a large crowd of spectators gathered, their eyes fixed on the stage. This was the highlight of the day a special Pokémon Catching Race held during Fula City's annual Wind Festival.
The rules were simple but challenging: Trainers had to scatter throughout Fula City and capture specific Pokémon marked with a special sticker.
We were given unique green Poké Balls for this task. Each capture would earn points, and whoever accumulated the highest score by the end would be crowned the winner.
Standing near me was a man who looked to be about thirty years old with messy blonde hair. His outfit was quite distinct: a dark blue beret, a red short-sleeved collared shirt buttoned all the way to the top, and a mustard-yellow vest with brown trim.
He wore off-white capri pants, dark red shoes, and a black watch on his left wrist.
I recognized him. His name was Callahan. In the original timeline, he won this competition using a Staryu lent to him by a scientist named Toren. But things were going to be different this time.
The host grabbed the microphone, his voice booming across the plaza. "The competition is about to begin! Remember, find the Pokémon with the stickers and catch as many as you can!
Three... Two... One...
START!"
Cheer!
The crowd erupted, and the trainers instantly dispersed, scattering in all directions to hunt for targets.
"Let's go, Pikachu!" I shouted. We sprinted down the stairs and broke away from the main group.
After running for a short while, we spotted our first target slithering near a street corner. It was an Ekans.
I grinned, looking at my partner. "Alright, Pikachu! It's time to test out our new power. Use Zippy Zap!"
"Pika-chu!"
Pikachu dropped into a low, aerodynamic stance.
Crackle... Zzzzt! Sparks of electricity began to arc violently beneath his feet, building up pressure. Then, in the blink of an eye, he launched himself forward with blinding speed.
Whoosh!
He moved so fast he was a yellow blur, slamming into the Ekans before it could even react.
Bam!
"Ekaaaans!" the snake Pokémon cried out as it was thrown back by the impact. It hit the ground, swirls instantly appearing in its eyes. It was completely fainted.
I didn't waste a second. I wound up my arm and tossed one of the contest's special green Poké Balls.
Thwack! The ball hit the Ekans, and with a flash of green light, it was sucked inside.
Wiggle... Wiggle... Click.