Ash rode Misty’s red bicycle across the open wilderness at full speed.
The wheels crushed over uneven ground, producing constant clattering sounds, while the entire frame shook violently with every movement he made.
The dark clouds overhead continued to gather, pressing heavily down upon the land.
Dull thunder rumbled deep within the clouds, and the air was thick with the damp tension of an approaching storm.
After a prolonged chase, the world had already grown dim, with little light remaining.
In the bicycle’s basket, Pikachu lay there, its body rising and falling slightly with the jolting motion.
Its eyes were tightly shut, its chest moving steadily as it struggled to recover what little strength it had left.
Ash was pedaling desperately, his heavy breathing stretched thin by the rushing wind.
He stole a glance back at the situation behind him, and his heart immediately tightened again.
The flock of Spearow and Fearow was still chasing relentlessly, the sound of their wings beating blending into a single overwhelming noise.
On this vast, unobstructed plain, their advantage in flight speed was displayed to the fullest, and the distance between them was rapidly closing.
“These guys… they really hold grudges like always.”
Ash gritted his teeth, complaining inwardly as he felt his legs beginning to ache faintly.
Yet he did not dare to relax for even a moment.
At this rate, being caught was only a matter of time.
Just as his mind raced, calculating how much longer he could hold on, a sudden chill crept up his back.
That feeling…
Ash instinctively turned his head to look again.
And with that single glance, his pupils shrank abruptly.
Among the flock, one Fearow, larger than all the others, suddenly accelerated, surging to the very front.
It opened its sharp beak without hesitation, and within it, a glowing orange yellow sphere began to rapidly gather.
Hyper Beam?!
Ash recognized the move instantly.
“What is going on?! Is this still the beginner area?! What does it even mean for a Fearow here to use Hyper Beam?!”
He shouted toward the sky, unable to comprehend it.
Compared to what he remembered from the past, not only had more than a dozen additional Fearow appeared out of nowhere, but now there was even one capable of using a move as powerful as Hyper Beam.
This was completely unreasonable.
In a flash, a thought suddenly emerged in Ash’s mind.
Could it be that he had not simply returned to the past, but had instead come to a far more dangerous parallel world?
In the next instant, a thick orange yellow beam tore through the dim air, carrying a destructive aura as it shot straight toward Ash.
In that split second, Ash’s body reacted at its fastest.
He leaned forward sharply, using one arm to tightly pull Pikachu from the basket into his chest.
Then, with a powerful push of his legs, he leapt off the speeding bicycle.
Bang!
Ash crashed onto the grass while holding Pikachu, rolling several times in a messy tumble before finally coming to a stop, his body covered in dirt and bits of grass.
Almost at the same moment, the Fearow’s Hyper Beam struck the ground directly behind the bicycle.
With a deafening explosion, a massive shockwave instantly blasted up chunks of turf and soil.
The unfortunate bicycle was sent flying several meters into the air, flipping multiple times before crashing heavily back down.
Fortunately, it did not appear to be damaged.
The violent shaking of the surroundings, along with Ash’s sudden jump, finally startled Pikachu awake from its sleep.
Pikachu forced its heavy eyelids open, and the first thing it saw was Ash crouching slightly, looking up at the sky with a troubled expression.
Instinctively, Pikachu followed his gaze.
In the next second, it saw the dark mass of Spearow and Fearow circling above them, their sharp and furious cries merging into a deadly symphony as they rapidly closed in.
“Pika…”
Pikachu struggled to stand, preparing to fight.
But the moment it exerted any strength, a wave of weakness washed over it.
Its body wobbled before collapsing back onto the ground.
Clearly, its stamina had not recovered at all.
Even at full strength, the current Pikachu would have struggled against such an overwhelming number of enemies, let alone in its weakened state.
Ash noticed Pikachu’s struggle.
He still remembered that, in the past, it was precisely at this moment that Pikachu, pushed to the brink, unleashed an unprecedented power, striking with a shocking electric attack that saved him and defeated the entire flock.
Even so, if he had a choice, Ash would never want Pikachu to walk that same path again.
That desperate attack had also pushed Pikachu into an even more dangerous state.
If he had not rushed it to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Thinking of this, Ash slowly stood up under Pikachu’s confused gaze.
He removed his jacket and gently draped it over Pikachu’s body. This story is hosted at g.com.
“It is about to rain. Do not get soaked later.”
He spoke in a calm, almost casual tone.
“Pika…”
Pikachu let out a weak sound, not understanding what Ash intended to do at a time like this.
Ash did not explain further.
He simply turned around and walked forward alone, placing himself between Pikachu and the massive flock, using his own body to shield Pikachu from all danger.
Relying on brute strength alone, there was no way he could defeat them.
Ash understood this clearly.
So now, he was trying something else.
He slowly closed his eyes and focused all his spirit inward, searching for a power within himself.
Aura.
It was a power he had never fully mastered even in his previous life.
Although he could not yet use it as freely as Lucario to launch Aura Spheres, with the assistance of Aura, perhaps he could still accomplish more in this seemingly unwinnable battle.
This was only an attempt.
Ash had not held much hope.
Yet his body gave him an unexpected surprise.
A faint blue glow quietly gathered in the palm of his hand.
Immediately afterward, a warm power surged through his entire body.
In that instant, Ash’s vision became incredibly sharp and expansive.
The frequency of the birds’ wingbeats in the sky, even the slightest trembling of each feather, was laid out clearly before his eyes, as if the entire world had slowed down.
It worked.
Ash lowered the brim of his cap, revealing a smile of joy.
Then he suddenly raised his head toward the sky.
In front of Pikachu, and the entire flock of Spearow and Fearow above, he spread his arms wide and shouted with all his strength.
“Come at me! I am Ash from Pallet Town, the future Pokémon Master! I will defeat every single one of you right here!”
If the Ash of the past had shouted such words in this situation, it would have been fueled more by hot blood, forcing himself to push forward and forget his fear.
But now, Ash spoke with absolute confidence and an unshakable resolve to win, issuing a direct and fearless challenge to the flock.
(End of Chapter)