Chapter 7 : a new partner and a thank you kiss
Morning arrived, and the golden sunlight streamed through the window, falling directly onto Pikachu and me as we slept.
"Yawn… Pika-Pika."
"Haaah… that was a good sleep," I stretched my arms, feeling refreshed.
We got up and went through our morning routine—brushing our teeth, taking a bath, and getting ready for the day. Once we were fresh and dressed, we prepared to head out and explore the city.
Just then, the familiar mechanical voice echoed in my mind.
[ Ding! ]
[ Host fought multiple Pokémon battles yesterday and captured several Pokémon. ]
[ Reward: 6,900 Purchase Points have been added to your balance. ]
Hearing this, a wide grin spread across my face. That was a generous amount.
"Let's go, Pikachu."
We walked out into the hallway and pressed the button for the elevator.
Ding!
The doors slid open, and we stepped inside. I pressed the button for the ground floor. Just as the metal doors were about to slide shut, a hand suddenly thrust between them.
"Hold it!"
The sensors triggered, and the doors reopened. A girl rushed inside, panting heavily.
I looked at her and immediately recognized who she was. It was Risa, the female lead of this story.
However, she looked nothing like the polished girl I remembered from the anime. Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was a mess with leaves stuck in it, and her makeup was smudged.
Based on what Callahan had told her in the original story, she must have spent the entire night wandering through the forest looking for the Pokémon her brother asked for. But obviously, she hadn't found it.
She looked up, wiping sweat from her forehead, and her eyes locked onto me. Recognition flashed on her face.
"Wait… you're Mr. Second Place!" she exclaimed. Before I could react, she grabbed my arm with a desperate grip. "Please! I need your help!"
"Pika?!"
Pikachu, who was sitting on my shoulder, was completely startled by her sudden lunge. His cheeks sparked instinctively.
ZZZZZZZZT!
"Gaaaaah!"
"Kyaaaaa!"
A bolt of yellow lightning discharged from Pikachu, shocking both Risa and me.
...
A few minutes later, we were walking down a path lined with tall grass. Risa had recovered from the shock, though her hair was slightly frizzier than before.
"Pika… chu," Pikachu bowed his head apologetically to Risa. He completely ignored me, as I was already used to his accidental discharges.
"It's okay, little guy," Risa sighed. She looked at me. "I'm sorry for grabbing you like that. And… I really need your help."
"No problem," I smiled, adjusting my cap. "I'm happy to help. My name is Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu."
"Pika!" Pikachu waved.
"I didn't expect the runner-up of the Catching Race to help me," Risa vented, her frustration bubbling up. "The first guy I asked gave me completely wrong directions! I spent all night looking for this Pokémon because of him!"
She pulled out her tablet and showed me a picture. "This is the one my brother wants."
I looked at the screen. It was an Eevee.
"Can you catch this rare Pokémon for me?" Risa looked at me with pleading, puppy-dog eyes.
I chuckled. "Well, Eevee is rare, but not that rare. If you search in the right places, you can find them in the forest or even on Route 1. You just need to know where to look."
"What?!" Risa's face turned red with anger. "So that liar sent me on a wild goose chase?!"
"Shh!" I suddenly pressed a finger to my lips, cutting her off. "Quiet. I hear something."
Rustle… Rustle…
I parted the bushes carefully and signaled for Risa to follow. We crept forward and peeked through the leaves.
There, sitting in a small clearing, was a small, brown, fox-like Pokémon. It was grooming its fluffy, cream-colored tail.
"There it is," I whispered. "That's your Pokémon. Go catch it."
Risa froze. She looked at the Eevee, then back at me, panic filling her eyes.
"But… how?" she whispered frantically. "I don't have any Pokémon with me!"
I blinked. Right. She's a complete novice.
I couldn't stand the look of helplessness on her face. I sighed and looked at my partner.
"Here," I said, nudging Pikachu toward her. "You can borrow Pikachu for this battle."
Risa's face lit up instantly. Overwhelmed with relief and gratitude, she leaned in and—
Smooch.
She planted a quick kiss on my cheek.
"Thank you, thank you!" she squealed. Then, realizing what she had just done, she pulled back, her face turning bright red.
"I—I mean—thanks!" she stammered.
Pikachu, who was watching this unfold, looked at me with a bewildered expression.
'Pika? Pi-pika-chu…' (Wait a minute… Just because I was lent out, Ash gets a free kiss from a girl? And here I am, still single? This isn't fair.)
"Focus," I said, trying to ignore the heat on my cheek. "Go get that Eevee."
I pushed Risa forward gently. She stepped into the clearing, looking nervous. She had no idea what commands to give.
"Eevee!"
The wild Eevee noticed them. Feeling threatened, it immediately launched an attack.
Whoosh!
A swirl of grit and dust kicked up. Eevee used Sandstorm. The stinging sand buffeted Risa and Pikachu.
"Ah! What do I do?" Risa cried, shielding her face.
"Don't panic, Risa!" I called out from the sidelines. "I'll guide you. Just do exactly what I say. First, keep your eyes on the Eevee. Now, tell Pikachu to use Quick Attack!"
Risa nodded, finding her voice. "Okay! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
"Pika!"
Zoom!
Pikachu's body glowed with white light. He kicked off the ground, turning into a blur of speed as he tackled the Eevee.
Bam!
"Eevee!" The little Pokémon stumbled back several steps. It shook its head and jumped into the air, its tail glowing.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Star-shaped rays of energy materialized around Eevee—it was using Swift. The stars honed in on Pikachu.
"Now, Risa!" I shouted. "Tell Pikachu to dodge and then use Thunderbolt!"
"Right!" Risa pointed forward. "Pikachu, dodge it and use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu jumped nimbly, weaving through the incoming stars. He landed perfectly, his cheeks crackling with electricity.
ZZZZZTTT!
A powerful bolt of yellow lightning erupted from his body, striking the Eevee directly.
"Veeeee!"
The Eevee cried out as the electricity coursed through it. It collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. It wasn't unconscious, but it was weak.
"Now! Take out the Poké Ball and throw it!" I commanded.
Risa fumbled with her bag and pulled out an empty Poké Ball. She took a deep breath and threw it.
"Go!"
Bonk.
The ball hit Eevee, and in a flash of red light, the Pokémon was sucked inside. The ball fell to the grass.
Wiggle…
Wiggle…
Wiggle…
Ding!
The button stopped flashing and clicked shut.
"I… I did it?" Risa walked over and picked up the ball. Her eyes sparkled. "I caught it! I caught an Eevee!"
She jumped into the air, cheering in pure delight.