After leaving Pallet Town, Ash walked along Route 1 with Pikachu for quite some time, and the scenery around them gradually shifted from the familiar sights of the town to wide, open fields.
Before long, Ash stopped on a flat stretch of grass.
He turned around and looked at Pikachu, who had been following closely behind him step by step, and could not help but feel a little helpless.
“Hey, Pikachu, aren’t you tired just walking behind me like this the whole time?”
Looking at Pikachu’s two little legs constantly moving, Ash spoke from the bottom of his heart.
“No matter how you think about it, staying inside a Poké Ball would be much more comfortable, right?”
As he spoke, Ash took out Pikachu’s Poké Ball and waved it slightly, trying to make the other understand his good intentions.
However, in response to Ash’s attempt at persuasion, Pikachu simply snorted in disdain.
“Pika!”
It turned its head away, presenting the back of its head to Ash, clearly showing that it could not be bothered to communicate.
Ignored again.
Ash sighed.
Seeing how stubborn Pikachu was, he could only give up on his original plan.
He put the Poké Ball away and spread his hands.
“Alright, alright, if you don’t want to go in, then just stay outside.”
Hearing Ash’s compromise, Pikachu’s tense body relaxed a little, and for the first time it finally seemed willing to glance at him properly.
‘Finally willing to acknowledge me.’
Ash felt a surge of joy inside, as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.
He quickly crouched down so that he was at eye level with Pikachu, then carefully extended his hand.
“In that case, from today on, we’re partners!”
His tone was filled with anticipation, and his face carried a sincere smile.
However, what greeted him was yet another resolute turn of Pikachu’s head.
This time it went even further.
Pikachu even used its tail to swat his hand away.
Rejected once again, Ash could only withdraw his hand helplessly.
He stood up with his arms crossed and could not help muttering, “You’re really a tough one to deal with.”
“Pika!”
Pikachu snorted again, its tail flicking impatiently.
Difficult?
From Pikachu’s perspective, it wished it could be even more difficult, so that this trainer who already looked unreliable would give up and release it altogether.
Back when it was still a free Pichu, it had spent its days happily playing in the forest, living a carefree life.
Then that old man in a white coat showed up.
For some reason, that man had chased it relentlessly for more than half a year, constantly muttering things it could not understand.
Something about needing to prepare a starter Pokémon for a certain child, and something about Pichu being acceptable, but it would be best if it could evolve into Pikachu.
In short, it was all a bunch of strange, incomprehensible ramblings.
And then, in a moment of carelessness, it had been caught.
Being captured for no reason had already filled Pikachu with anger, and now its trainer turned out to be this reckless and seemingly unreliable person.
How could Pikachu possibly be in a good mood?
“You really are incredibly stubborn,” Ash said, looking at Pikachu’s unyielding attitude, feeling completely at a loss.
He scratched his head, then simply sat down on the grass in front of Pikachu, crossing his legs so that his line of sight matched Pikachu’s.
“Do you really dislike me that much?” Ash asked.
Pikachu nodded without hesitation.
“Pika! Pika!”
“But…” Ash looked at its resolute expression, and instead of getting angry, he showed a somewhat embarrassed smile.
“I really like you.”
Pikachu’s head, which had been shaking, suddenly stopped.
Its long ears twitched ever so slightly.
As if not noticing its reaction, Ash continued talking.
“Even though… well, even though I overslept this morning and let the other three starter Pokémon get chosen by someone else…”
He spoke a little awkwardly, but soon raised his head again, his eyes becoming incredibly sincere.
“But even if they were all still there, as long as I saw you, I would still choose you.”
Ash spoke firmly, without the slightest hesitation.
He did not know why.
It was clearly his first time meeting Pikachu, and Pikachu’s attitude toward him had been terrible from the very beginning.
But the moment he saw Pikachu, he had genuinely come to like this little Pokémon from the bottom of his heart.
After hearing Ash’s words, Pikachu was stunned for a moment.
Then, without even realizing it, its tail began to sway gently from side to side.
Seeing that Pikachu’s mood seemed to have improved, Ash felt delighted.
He thought this was a great opportunity to get closer to Pikachu, so he quickly struck while the iron was hot.
He took off the travel backpack from his shoulders, opened the zipper, and began rummaging through it.
“We’ve been walking for a while, you must be hungry, right? Hold on, I’ll find something for you to eat…”
As he spoke, Ash searched enthusiastically through the bag.
However, after rummaging for a while, his expression gradually turned awkward.
Aside from a change of clothes and some basic travel tools, the only food inside the bag was a packet of dry looking bread slices wrapped in plastic.
‘Mom!!!’
Ash cried out inwardly.
Usually, even when he went out to play in the forest, his mom would prepare plenty of delicious food for him.
So why was there suddenly nothing now that he was actually setting out on a journey?
Soon, Ash discovered a note left by Delia inside the bag.
“To Ash: Pallet Town is very close to the first city you are heading to. If you leave in the morning, you might arrive in just half a day. Of course, that is only if you do not get lost. So to lighten your load, I did not pack much food for you. If you do get lost, just rely on the bread to fill your stomach.”
Ash fell silent.
He put the note back with a somewhat defeated expression.
Looking again at the bag, aside from the bread, there were only a few odd looking items left, which seemed to be spreads for eating with the bread.
Mayonnaise… strawberry jam… and…
Ash picked up the last bottle of red sauce and looked at the label.
The corner of his mouth could not help twitching.
Ketchup.
His last bit of hope instantly vanished.
With an awkward scratch of his cheek, Ash was just about to quietly zip the bag shut and pretend nothing had happened.
But at that moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out deep within his mind without any warning.
“Ketchup! That’s the one!”
Ash froze.
Who?
Who is talking?!
Panicked, Ash looked around in all directions, but aside from Pikachu, who was staring at him like he was an idiot, there was no one else nearby.
(End of Chapter)
“Speaking” – This I will only use on Pokedex description of Pokémon and when Champion Ash is speaking mentally to Young Ash.