Ash Ketchum (サトシ) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
2bamaster) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
pokemonthenovel2020-05-13 03:41 pm
2bamaster) wrote in pokemonthenovel2020-05-13 03:41 pm
Chapter 4: Showdown at Vermilion Gym (English Terminology)
Over a month had passed since they left Cerulean City.
They had gone through forests, across mountains and along coasts, but Ash hadn’t caught a single new Pokémon.
Some of the towns they visited had Pokémon Gyms, but given their areas of expertise, he hadn’t challenged any of them.
Anyway, the Pokémon Ash had caught were still just Pidgeotto and Butterfree.
And with Pikachu making three, he had very little variety.
Fighting an opponent you’re at a disadvantage with and making your Pokémon suffer isn’t conduct befitting a trainer.
Not that Ash had room speak on the matter, considering his experiences at Pewter Gym and Cerulean Gym.
Things weren’t really going well at this point.
He had two badges given to him out of pity. And only three Pokémon...
The others who left Pallet Town the same day, how many badges... how many Pokémon... would they have by now.
Ash was beginning to lose his patience.
It was around when the trio of Ash, Misty and Brock had arrived in Vermilion City.
Tourism Guide ... Vermilion City
A port town.
It contains the largest port in the region, and occasionally plays host to luxury cruise ships. ... The Vermilion in Vermilion City likely refers to a vermilion orange hue... In kanji it’s written as decayed leaves, the colour leaves turn when they fall to the ground and rot.
The name is likely unrelated to the colour of vermin Pokémon.
Typically describing something as rotten sounds bad, but it’s like a red tinged yellow... but it’s not a gross colour.
It’s long been considered an elegant colour in this country, back in the distant past of 1909, the colour was hugely popular in the world of fashion.
There’s a number of explanations about why this city is named Vermilion, but it’s largely agreed that it’s because Vermilion City was founded in 1909 as a naval port.
Speaking of the navy invokes ocean blue. Blue and white sailor uniforms... (By sailor uniforms, I’m not referring to high school girls uniforms, but the uniforms naval officers wore in the old days) those are the images conjured in your mind, but the naval officers of the day were quite a flamboyant bunch, and so at the time, chose the most fashionable colour.
As a naval base, you may expect a pretty serious city, but in times of peace, other than having a ticket window for foreigners not much is different, a city flowing with foreign culture, away from the military housing, it is a flashy western style city spreading out.
Ever since this country lost the war (This country lost a war with foreign nations, after which it went through a period of foreign occupation) the city has often housed foreign battleships and military personnel.
Of course, the country has since regained peace and independence, and the occupying forces have returned home, but this port is still used as a base for foreign battleships and many foreigners stayed, settling here.
As such, the stores still employ a lot of foreigners, and a lot of young people came to town, considering it a cool scene.
However, there was a global economic recession, leading a lot of foreign navy to pull out, leaving a number of unneeded aircraft carriers and submarines abandoned.
If left alone, rusted ships will eventually fall into disrepair, leaving only the engines of aircraft carriers and submarines which can’t be properly disposed of. There’s no appropriate location to dispose of the aircraft carrier and submarine fuel, and nowhere else to handle the emissions from burning the engine’s fuel.
As such, the engines were repurposed as generators for the city.
Since then, the city has been fully powered by these engines... making it one of the cheapest places in the country for power bills.
As people can use as much power as they like, Vermilion City is also known as the electric city.
As a result, the flammable fuel emissions are pumped underground.
Taking responsibility for your own actions... as they say.
Keeping in mind all the foreign military that have settled and international feel of the city, there’s a number of well known landmarks, the most famous one would be the Enpri Building.
It’s a massive building that is immediately noticeable upon entering port.
Long ago, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the SS Enterprise (It’s not a spaceship. Just a regular seafaring aircraft carrier ship.) was fixed into place in the harbour and had a building constructed on it for general use, beginning selling electric manjuu (manjuu cooked by the engine’s steam), electric bread (toast cooked in an electric toaster) and various souvenirs, they eventually expanded to a hotel, a Pokémon Gym and various other things. It’s said that once you enter, you could live your entire life without leaving again.
Though recently, the hull has become incredibly rusted and experts have been calling for an inquiry into the safety of the structure.
***
It was a building large enough to recognise when you saw it.
“Something this big used to sail the seas, huh.”
Brock sighed as he looked at the map.
Ash and the others were standing outside the Enpri Building.
“There’s a Pokémon Gym in there...”
He wanted to challenge the gym.
But could he win with his current lineup? ...
“I’m a bit concerned about my hair... Like, what’s with the natural perm?”
Misty said as she patted down her short hair.
Misty’s hair kept sticking on end.
“I see, so it’s affecting you, Misty.” Brock said.
“Eh? What is?”
Brock read from the guide on the map.
“Your hair is probably reacting to the static electricity... Everything in that building is powered by electricity. It’s generated by the old aircraft carrier ship’s engines. The electricity sort of builds up everywhere. It’s all properly insulated, but people can sense it sometimes. Sort of like an electric massage... Misty... does it feel good?”
“Now you mention it, I feel something tingly in my chest... I guess it feels good?”
“Pika!”
As if in response to that, Pikachu suddenly chirped up by their feet.
Naturally, if anyone other than Misty was going to feel the electricity, it was Pikachu.
For a while, more so than a good feeling, it was a pleasure that carried him away.
To Pikachu, the Enpri Building was like a castle of dreams.
“Hey! Pikachu, where are you going!?” Ash called out.
Pikachu had dashed off towards the Enpri Building as if drawn to it.
Nothing could be said to stop Pikachu in this situation.
Ash and the others had no choice but to follow Pikachu.
***
The ship had a large opening on its side, which acted as the main entrance to the Enpri Building, Pikachu had darted inside and ran down the halls, going straight past the souvenir vendors without a glance, and went down the stairs to below.
Ash and Brock remained in pursuit.
“Hey, wait up.”
Having been following them up until now, Misty’s hair was now sticking out like a porcupine fish.
“Kyah! I can’t believe this.”
There was a sign at the entrance of the stairs.
“... This way to Vermilion Gym... There’s strong electric fields, but no negative effects to the human body. If you’re having trouble with your hair, we recommend the Enpri Hair Salon on level 2.”
... So this is Vermilion Gym... If there’s no negative effect on the human body, we’ll be fine... Feels good here...
Misty went down the stairs with every hair on her body standing on end.
***
“Ah, it’s them.”
One of the souvenir sellers called as they pointed at the stairs.
“So they’ve finally made it here.”
Another vendor selling electric manjuu nodded.
It was Jessie and James.
“Nya, I see ‘em too.”
Mixed in with a bunch of life size Pokémon plushies being sold, Meowth shifted about.
It’s not like the two people and one Pokémon of Team Rocket had actually been waiting to ambush Ash and the others.
After fleeing Cerulean City, Team Rocket somehow made their way to this city, but were now completely broke until their next payday.
With no other choice, the pair had taken up a part time job a week ago.
They were able to save up by eating unsold electric manjuu to avoid food expenses.
However, seeing their old enemy Ash and his friends turn up by coincidence, they began to formulate a new scheme.
The pair abandoned their stalls and stalked after Ash and the others.
***
The staircase was long.
After descending five floors worth of stairs, a wide floor spread out.
“No way, seriously?”
Huffing and puffing from having run down all the stairs, Ash was appalled.
There were four elevators. ... Pikachu, I wish you took the elevator instead...
However, Pikachu didn’t care what Ash thought as he went further into the floor.
“Pikachu, where are you going?”
There was a neon sign at an entrance further in... Welcome to Vermilion Gym... was written in both a foreign language and hiragana.
“Vermilion Gym...”
Having been chasing a delirious Pikachu up to this point, Ash had no idea Vermilion Gym was here until now.
“Uh... Excuse me.”
Ash called out, peeking in through the entrance.
The neon suddenly began to flash as spotlights lit Ash and Pikachu.
“Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ ｔｏ Ｖｅｒｍｉｌｉｏｎ Ｇｙｍ.”
It was a foreigner’s voice, and the wall in front of them dropped.
On the other side of the wall, audience seating in and a battleground larger than the Enpri Building’s hall that Ash and the others had entered through appeared before them. The floor was covered with something resembling artificial turf. It appears that the floor was covered in some kind of electrical insulation.
“So this is Vermilion Gym, huh...”
Brock sighed.
“This building used to be an aircraft carrier that held a lot of planes. It seems that this gym makes use of one of the old hangars.”
This was also information he was reading from the map.
“I’m not sure I can handle this place.”
Misty was trembling with a spellbound expression.
She could feel the electricity from the gym’s ceiling, walls, floor, everywhere.
It was like her whole body was drifting away in an electric massage chair.
Pikachu was beyond spellbound, swaying around as if drunk.
“Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ... Ｂｏｙ. All applicants must sign these documents.”
Speaking with a slight accent, a blonde haired foreign man appeared.
He looked like a bodybuilder, his muscles bulging out of his training shirt.
The man handed over an application form with a smile.
“You get 10% off the monthly rate if you pay for an annual membership.”
“I’m not here to join.”
Ash said flustered.
“I’m an aspiring trainer. I have two badges.”
“Two badges? Which means you’re a ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｒ... a challenger?”
Ash couldn’t back down after coming this far.
“Well, I guess so...”
“Pwafafafa!”
The man suddenly erupted with laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re out of your depth. Give up, kid.”
Ash was furious. The fact that the two badges Ash already had hadn’t even been properly won also frustrated him.
“A gym has to accept any challenger!” Ash shouted.
The man shrugged his shoulders.
“If you really insist.”
The man pulled out a cell phone.
“Leader... It’s a ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｒ. Also, the challenger’s Pokémon is a Pikachu.”
“Gwahahahaha...”
Suddenly, the whole gym echoed with a great laugh.
Part of the floor opened up, and a sofa with a large man sitting on it rose. The sofa was adorned with glowing cables, coils and neon. You could perhaps call it an electric chair.
“I’m the leader of this gym, Surge.” As expected, he had some kind of foreign accent.
The large man stood up. He looked twice as foreign as the previous man. And twice as musclebound too.
“At our gym, we don’t allow Pikachu here unless you’re a member. So we assumed you were an applicant.”
“You don’t allow Pikachu? Why?”
“They’re too weak. Vermilion Gym is an electric type gym. If you’re going to challenge an electric type gym, the least you can do is not use a weak mouse Pokémon.”
From behind the sofa, an orange Pokémon wandered out.
“This is Pikachu’s evolved form, Raichu.”
“... Pikachu’s evolved form...”
He resembled Pikachu, but was twice as tall, four times as wide and five times as heavy.
“Raichu’s electricity is ten times stronger than the average Pikachu... I suggest you leave now. I suggest you evolve that cute little Pikachu of yours into a Raichu before you think to ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅ me again.”
It was indeed obvious who was stronger just by looking at Pikachu and Raichu.
Anyone could see it based just on their stature.
Raichu looked down upon the Pikachu who was half his height.
“Rai, rairai, raichu...” He spoke with a growl. This electric castle... It’s no place for a runt like you... This is my dominion (turf)...
Pikachu didn’t understand Raichu’s words. However, he understood the message behind them.
Raichu laughed scornfully as he slowly turned his tail, before pointing its tip at the exit.
To Mouse Pokémon, turning tail was an admission of defeat. ... I’m no match for you, please forgive me... I’m sorry... you get the idea.
Which means... in the current situation... Turn tail and get out of here!... is what Raichu was trying to say.
“Pika?” ... Why you...
Pikachu returned a glare at Raichu. The electricity pouches on his cheeks were glowing.
Having been raised in a laboratory, Pikachu was ignorant of the ways of the world.
But he had the instinct to understand this much.
What determines a creature’s dominion (turf), is power. Will you drive invaders from your domain? Or will you be driven out? Power will decide.
And this place is overflowing with electricity. It feels great here.
In fact, electrical facilities such as this are common breeding grounds for the Mouse Pokémon, Pikachu and Raichu.
Pikachu wanted to stay here a little longer.
And although Raichu, his evolved form, stood at twice his height, it wasn’t that intimidating compared to the giant Onix he had defeated at Pewter Gym.
The only way to know whether you’ll win or lose is to try... he thought.
Surge spoke to Ash.
“If you like, your Pikachu can become Raichu’s apprentice. Give him one month at Vermilion Gym and he’ll evolve into a tough, robust, mighty fine Raichu.”
“What was that?” Ash bit his lip in frustration.
Raichu sneered condescendingly at Pikachu. He once again ostentatiously turned his tail. Then mockingly with the tip of his tail, poked Pikachu right in the nose. ... Listen up, get out of here, turn tail and flee before you forget about this place...
Pikachu wasn’t going to quietly comply after this mockery.
“Pika!”
A sudden shot of electricity.
Raichu bathed in Pikachu’s electricity, surrounded by a swirl of sparks and light.
Ash was flustered. An attack had been launched without any signal of a match starting.
“Ah, ah, stop that! Pikachu. You can’t launch a surprise attack...”
However, Surge laughed with a shrug.
“Your Pikachu is a real live wire. I’ll give you that much. Ｂｕｔ (however), he lacks ｐｏｗｅｒ.”
The swirling sparks and light died down. Raichu was patting the electric pouches on his cheeks like nothing happened.
“I guess you’re not going to quit until you see the gap between our ｐｏｗｅｒ.”
Then he ordered Raichu.
“Raichu! Show them a real Thunderbolt.”
Raichu emitted a flash.
Pikachu went on guard. Or rather, tried to go on guard.
However, in his current state, he was blown back.
The electricity entering his body was enough to make him swell up. Pikachu was like a ball of light.
And that was the last thing Pikachu could recall. The unconscious Pikachu was flung from the gym’s entrance, slammed into the elevator doors, bounced up five flights of stairs, returning to the first floor and falling back right into a pile of plushies at one of the souvenir stalls.
By the time he settled, he was indistinguishable from a Pikachu plushie. He wasn’t moving a single muscle.
Surge spoke to Ash, who was standing there dumbfounded.
“This city’s Pokémon Center is on a hill you can see from the harbour. If you’re lucky, they might be able to save your Pikachu.”
“Hurry up! Ash! Misty!”
Brock grabbed both the numbed by shock Ash and the numbed by electricity Misty by the arm and dragged them out of the gym.
***
“Wow, taken out in a single shot.”
Having watched the entire event from a hidden area, Jessie was astonished.
“Is that really the same opponent that we, the elites of Team Rocket, have been worrying about day and night?”
James said as he looked over his journal.
“That Pikachu was powerful on this other occasion. And that one. And that time, and especially strong on that day. Because of all these occasions, we came to believe that Pikachu was an exceptionally rare Pokémon...”
Meowth shrugged.
“The average Pikachu would lose to a Raichu. ... I guess he ain’t special after all.”
“Are you saying that all our previous efforts to capture that Pikachu have been in vain?”
Jessie grabbed Meowth by the scruff of his neck and screamed at him.
“Wait! Rotten, nya.” Meowth responded as he struggled for air.
“Rotten? No matter how broke or starving we are, all you can think about is food! Eating some uncooked food isn’t going to kill you.”
Jessie tossed Meowth aside.
“That’s not it! What’s rotten... is if the boss of Team Rocket finds out. If he learns that we have been spending our valuable time working on chasing a plain old Pikachu after already getting an advance on our salaries...”
Jessie and James screamed.
“This suuuuuucks!”
The two people and one Pokémon had to ensure that Ash’s Pikachu was indeed a rare and valuable Pokémon.
***
Ash carried Pikachu to the Pokémon Center, which as Surge had said, was on a hill overlooking the harbour.
His body was covered in grazes, but his life wasn’t in danger.
This Pokémon Center’s Joy was apparently the cousin of the Joy at Cerulean Gym...
Despite Pikachu having the body of an electric type, it was still miraculous that after taking the full force of Raichu’s Thunderbolt that all he had suffered was losing consciousness.
“The Gym Trainers at Vermilion Gym are descendants of military personnel who were left unemployed after the war, so they tend to be a bit rough. They don’t know how to hold back. It’s like... if a lion used its full power against a mouse... Or in this case, an oversized mouse Pokémon against a regular mouse Pokémon... That said, they always go overboard in a match. I can give you some advice if you like.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” Ash declined.
“Eh?” Joy asked back.
“Anyway, I’ll be fine. Yeah.”
What happened couldn’t be called a match.
More accurately, Pikachu picked a fight before anything could get started.
However you looked at it, he brought it upon himself.
And so, it was the following morning that Pikachu woke up.
Out the window of the hospital room where he had slept, the Enpri Building was faintly visible through the fog by the harbour’s pier.
The sky looked as though rain was coming.
Though within Pikachu’s heart, he already had a miserable drizzle.
“What a relief. You’re awake... I know I’m a little reckless at times, but you’re pretty reckless yourself.”
Ash said kindly.
Pikachu stared at the Enpri Building without responding.
Ash could understand what Pikachu was going through.
... It’s frustrating, frustrating, so frustrating... I feel the same... But there’s no way we can possibly beat that Raichu.
“Pikachu, I think we should call it quits this time. We’ll get stronger, a lot stronger, and someday we’ll come for a rematch.”
Pikachu slowly shook his head.
“No? You don’t wanna do that?” Ash asked.
Pikachu nodded.
Then he pointed out the window at the Enpri Building and called out.
“Pikapi!”
Pikachu looked up at Ash.
Pikachu had a look of conviction.
Small sparks flew from the electric pouches on his cheeks.
He was filled with rage and fighting spirit.
“You... can’t mean... now? You wanna challenge them today?”
Pikachu nodded. And he kept on nodding. ... I feel the same. We didn’t stand a chance, but I don’t want to give up so easily. We may have launched a surprise attack, but he attacked without warning too.
We may have lost a fight, but we haven’t actually lost a match yet. ...
But, Ash thought.
... That’s not a great argument though.
We’ve seen the gap in our power, besides, having the match just to satisfy our own stubbornness... No, that’d be taking things too far. Stubbornness is one thing, but this is just stupid.
Pokémon Trainers battle with their Pokémon. Raise them. But importantly, they also protect them.
Ash was gradually gaining the self-awareness of a trainer.
Ash shook his head at Pikachu.
“No way. I’m not letting you take on an opponent you have no chance of winning against. I can’t let you hurt yourself any longer.”
Pikachu stared intently at Ash.
The sparks from his cheeks disappeared. His anger faded.
Pikachu gained a sadness in his eyes, and he continued to look right at Ash.
... Don’t you understand how I feel? If I don’t go back, I’m a coward. You want me to become some loser Pikachu who runs from a fight? I’m not ready to turn tail and flee just yet...
Ash could feel these words coming from Pikachu’s gaze. ... It’s important for a trainer not to hold their Pokémon back from something they really need to do... I guess if Pikachu has his pride at stake...
“You really still wanna challenge him?”
Pikachu didn’t nod.
But... You can see it in my eyes, right? ... is what he seemed to communicate. Or at least, that’s what Ash understood.
“Alright then...” Ash nodded.
Then he let out a big sigh.
“But there’s no way you can win in your current state. You’ll probably get torn apart in there. I don’t want that to happen to you, Pikachu... so here’s what I can do...”
Ash had only one solution.
Ash reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small rock.
It was the stone he had received from the old man at the museum in Pewter City.
“Hold it, that thing! Is that a Thunder Stone?”
Misty shouted from behind Ash and Pikachu.
She had been uncharacteristically quiet, her numbness from the Enpri Building perhaps still lingering.
But she couldn’t remain quiet upon seeing the Thunder Stone.
“Yeah, it’s a Thunder Stone...” Ash responded listlessly.
“Are you really thinking of evolving Pikachu into a Raichu?” Misty could only shake her head in disbelief.
***
“Hieeh!”
There was a small scream outside the hospital room window.
There was a listening device hidden in the vase on the windowsill, which the two people and Meowth of Team Rocket were eavesdropping on headphones from a tree branch within view of the window.
“Hold it, if Pikachu becomes a Raichu...” Jessie, who was the one who screamed, shook James by the neck.
“He’ll naturally become... as strong as Jessie.” James responded struggling to breathe.
“He’s becoming even more of an ordinary Pokémon...” Meowth let out a sigh.
They leaned in close and whispered.
“More and more, completely and utterly, this suuuuuucks!”
***
“So you’re thinking that if he becomes a Raichu, he might stand a chance against Raichu. But have you really thought the repercussions of this through?” Misty pressured Ash.
“... Once he evolves, he can never go back to being a Pikachu. I’m well aware of that!”
Ash shouted in an outburst.
“Besides...” Brock spoke in a manner to help calm Ash.
“His body mightn’t be able to handle the electrical increase of a sudden evolution into a Raichu.”
“You really think so?”
Joy, who had been tending to other Pokémon in the hospital room, turned to Ash and the others to speak.
“Eh?”
“Sorry, I overheard your conversation. That Pikachu took a Raichu’s Thunderbolt attack and only fell unconscious. I think he’s got an abnormal resilience and could probably handle that much power.
“Like how I’m apparently abnormally weak to electricity? ...” Misty asked in return.
“Perhaps, you’re not weak at all. You may simply have a heightened sense for electrical currents. Different people have different physical constitutions. And naturally, different Pikachu also have different physical constitutions. Not everyone fits a textbook example.”
“Anyway, I...” Ash spoke.
“I like Pikachu. I want him to stay as a Pikachu. But Pikachu wants to fight Raichu. I don’t want Pikachu to get hurt. I just can’t see any other way.”
The words flowed out of Ash as he pulled the brim of his cap down further.
He didn’t want anyone to see if anything came from his eyes.
Ash held the Thunder Stone out to Pikachu.
“Pikachu, here, feel free to use it.”
Pikachu stared at the Thunder Stone.
Suddenly, the Thunder Stone was slapped out of the window by his tail.
“Eh?” Ash looked at Pikachu.
Pikachu looked up at Ash’s face and began speaking rapidly while shaking his head.
“Pikapikapikapikapika, pikapikapikapikapika...”
***
The Thunder Stone that Pikachu had flung smacked Jessie in the face.
“Owowowow... A female announcer and voice actor’s face is her life... I will cry.”
Ever since the idolised gazes of the three sisters of Cerulean City, she had been considering herself to be an announcer.
Meowth joined Jessie as he began to cry listening to the headphones.
“Nya! He’s a real stand up guy for a mouse. It’s enough to make meow cry... This is what Pikachu said. He has to defeat Raichu as a Pikachu. For his pride as a Pikachu, there’d be no meaning in victory if he were to evolve...”
“He’s going to challenge him as a Pikachu?” James asked Meowth.
“He’s certainly not like any other Pikachu.” Meowth nodded proudly.
“That’s our Pikachu for you, he’s a real fine man.” Jessie’s crying intensified.
In the middle of being deeply moved, Jessie and James came to a sudden realisation.
“Meowth, you can understand what other Pokémon are saying?” Jessie asked.
“I’ve learned a thing or two. I’m certainly not like any other Meowth.” Meowth murmured, looking off into the distance.
“We all have our burdens to bear.”
The two people and one Pokémon upon the tree branch embraced each other in tears.
***
Ash and Pikachu walked on the path down the hill towards the harbour.
“Ash, are you and Pikachu going alone?”
Brock asked at the entrance of the Pokémon Center.
“This is our problem, just me and Pikachu.”
Ash turned down Brock’s offer to come.
“Are you sure about this?”
Misty asked by the Pokémon Center’s doorway.
“Just this once, let us have our own way.”
Ash answered.
“I’m not asking you. I’m asking Pikachu.”
Ash staggered slightly at Misty’s response.
But Pikachu walked with confidence as he nodded at Misty... “Pika!”
***
The sound of thunder rumbled from somewhere.
The weather was already looking foreboding when they left the Pokémon Center, but by the time Ash and Pikachu approached the harbour the sky was pitch black and it was beginning to rain.
Before long the rain was pouring.
Even so, Ash and Pikachu continued walking as they stared down the hazy Enpri Building before them.
Beneath a streetlight, two shadowy figures stood with umbrellas.
A geisha and a man in a kimono, both wearing wooden clogs.
As Ash and Pikachu walked by, they offered their umbrellas.
“You need not speak. For we may be naught but strangers, allow us the honour of accompaniment to your destination.”
The man in the kimono... It was Jessie in disguise.
“It wouldn’t do to catch a cold before your big match.” The geisha was James in disguise.
“May your path be lit by our guardian spirit.” A child in a raincoat lit the path ahead with a flashlight as he walked. Naturally, this was Meowth in disguise.
They may not have been shouting from the rooftops, but this was Team Rocket’s idea of showing their support.
However, Ash didn’t respond.
His mind was so occupied with his match at Vermilion Gym that he barely even noticed the rain or the umbrellas.
Team Rocket protected Ash and Pikachu from the rain with their umbrellas throughout the streets all the way to the wharfs.
The Enpri Building was right before them.
Kaboom!
Lightning struck nearby.
“Uh oh... We’re in a thunderstorm holding two umbrellas, and the only nearby structure is the Enpri Building. Isn’t this dangerous?” Jessie whispered to James.
“Why’s that?” James asked in response.
“You idiot! We’re like lightning rods out here...”
“Lightning rods?”
“They attract lightning.”
Lightning flashed above their heads. It struck the roof of the Enpri Building standing before them.
Kaboom!
“Hieeeeh.” Jessie and James tossed aside their umbrellas and trembled with fear.
“The next one might hit us...” Meowth dropped his flashlight.
“Well then, this is as far as we’ll accompany you.”
“Best of luck!”
They fled tumbling over themselves.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!
Three bolts of lightning fell upon the wharf.
It’s said that no matter how fast you run, lightning can chase you down.
It can’t be said what precise location on the wharf the lightning struck,
but three screams of “This suuuuuucks!” echoed in the distance.
But Ash, who was staring down the Enpri Building as he approached it, heard nothing.
Though one thing was for certain, the two slackers who had been working part time selling souvenirs never returned after that day.
***
“They‘re taking a while...”
Misty’s hair was indeed standing on end.
“They must be like drowned rats in this rain. I wonder if being wet would provide any advantage for an electric type.”
Brock shrugged, thinking about how Pikachu had used water to defeat his Onix.
They were in the Enpri Building. Brock and Misty were already sitting in Vermilion Gym’s audience seating.
“I guess he really meant it when he said he wasn’t going to take any help.”
“He could have at least caught the bus from the Pokémon Center to the wharf.”
“He’s at that age where he still wants to walk everywhere. He’s still just a kid.”
That’s when he arrived.
“Excuse me! I’d like to request the gym battle we postponed the other day.”
A soaking wet Ash and Pikachu entered.
“Are you actually serious, kid?”
Surge and Raichu appeared rising from the floor.
“Serious? I’m Ash from Pallet Town and I have two badges. I wouldn’t come all the way to someone’s gym for a joke.”
“This ｌｉｔｔｌｅ ｌａｄｙ (small woman) and ｙｏｕｎｇ ｍａｎ (teenage boy) told me all about you.”
Surge pointed at Misty and Brock in the audience.
“When did you...” Ash’s jaw dropped, before coming to his senses to speak to Misty.
“You better not have said anything stupid.”
“Anything stupid?” Misty asked in response.
“Like asking him to hold back... because his opponent is a Pikachu...”
“I won’t hold back!” Surge said sharply.
“But are you sure about using that Pikachu?”
“You always turn Pikachu away because you think they’re weak, but there’s no actual rule saying you must reject a challenger with a Pikachu though.” Ash responded.
“True. But it leaves my heart a little ｂｒｏｋｅｎ... it pains me.”
“I don’t want your pity. I’ve got a strategy.”
“That kid, seriously has a strategy?” Misty cocked her head.
“A strategy? A strategy that’ll allow your Pikachu to defeat Raichu?” Surge was slightly intrigued.
“Alright. I accept your ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅ. We’ll use one Pokémon each. Raichu, face your opponent!”
Raichu plodded forward slowly.
“Pikachu, hang in there!”
Pikachu nodded and took his stance.
A steam whistle rang to signal the match had begun.
The building had once been a ship, thus the signal for opening the match fit in with that.
“Pikachu, my strategy is... do whatever you like! I won’t give you a single command.”
Pikachu suddenly ran out onto the gym’s battleground.
“Do whatever you like... that’s his strategy?” Misty sighed.
“Well, given that it’s Ash, maybe it’s better he doesn’t give any orders... Yeah, this could actually be a good idea.” Brock kept nodding in an attempt to convince himself.
Pikachu wasn’t going to use his electricity as a weapon. Pikachu instead used all the electric energy in his body to increase his speed.
He ran through the gap between Raichu’s legs, sped over Raichu’s head, wherever he saw an opening his tail would slap Raichu, the eye, the ear, the nose.
Taking out the eyes would blind him. Taking out the ears would render him deaf. Taking out the nose would prevent him following Pikachu’s scent.
“Eyy! He’s a speedy little bugger. Use Thunderbolt!”
Raichu unleashed his Thunderbolt.
Pikachu didn’t dodge.
“Pikachu, why!?”
Ash, Misty and Brock all gasped.
Moments before taking the Thunderbolt attack, Pikachu stood up on his tail and spun like a drill.
He had opened a hole in the floor, with his tail touching the metal surface beneath.
It was the hull of the old aircraft carrier that was now the Enpri Building.
The electricity from the Thunderbolt passed from Pikachu’s head down into the giant ship’s hull.
The whole building glowed slightly, but the Thunderbolt was but a drop in the ocean compared to the output of the Enpri Building’s engines.
It simply returned to be absorbed by the rest of the generator’s output.
And naturally, Pikachu’s body suffered no ill effects.
“Of course! Pikachu’s body is acting like a lightning rod to redirect the electricity!”
Brock explained with excitement.
“I don’t really understand it, but that’s great! Pikachu!” Ash fist pumped.
Raichu let off a second and third Thunderbolt, but the result was the same.
Each time, the whole building glowed slightly.
“I’m definitely feeling that... feels good.” Misty murmured as her body tingled.
It seemed that Misty was the only one in the gym feeling anything from Raichu’s Thunderbolt attacks.
Raichu’s breath started to become heavy while discharging his Thunderbolt.
The intervals between each discharge became longer. He had trouble standing straight.
“Raichu’s tiring out. He’s taking longer to charge his attacks. Pikachu... and Ash, they might win!”
Brock felt as if he himself was battling and clenched his fist.
Surge shouted with impatience.
“Eyy. Raichu! If electricity isn’t working, then crush Pikachu with your overwhelming size!”
Raichu looked with blurred vision and threw himself at Pikachu.
But he wasn’t fast enough to squash the speedy Pikachu.
Raichu’s large body flew through the air and slammed into the floor.
Which only resulted in hurting himself.
And as he shakily got back to his feet, he continued to try and tackle Pikachu, hitting walls and the floor again.
Pikachu hadn’t gotten a single scratch.
Brock began to give an unprompted explanation.
“This is the weak point of Vermilion Gym’s Raichu. No matter how big the Enpri Building is, the battlefield has its limits. The high levels of electricity increase the power he gains through training. However, he’s limited by a lack of speed.”
Ash also came to understand Pikachu’s battle tactics.
“Pikachu, on your right. Above you! Keep up your Agility!”
The timing of Pikachu’s movements were matching Ash’s commentary perfectly.
“And now Quick Attack... and Tackle!”
In perfect timing with Ash’s voice, Pikachu plowed right into Raichu’s belly, which knocked Raichu out.
Raichu slowly fell backwards and stopped moving.
“Oooh! I can’t believe it!”
Surge screamed holding his head.
After confirming that Raichu was definitely unconscious, Pikachu’s body finally relaxed.
The electricity permeating the Enpri Building was soothing to his exhausted body.
But Pikachu no longer thought of this place as the ultimate dream castle.
Ash pulled the brim of his cap down to hide his face as he stood.
Pikachu knew exactly what Ash wanted to hide.
The journey ahead with Ash was sure to lead to many more wonderful places.
Pikachu ran back over to Ash’s side.
***
His expression having completely changed from earlier, Surge handed a badge to Ash with a smile.
“Congratulations. Ash ａｎｄ Pikachu. My Raichu and I gave it our all. We’ve no regrets over our defeat. This is Vermilion Gym’s Thunder Badge.. It’s a slightly brighter shade of orange than vermilion. Your future is sure to be bright too.”
“Arigatou. Ｔｈａｎｋ ｙｏｕ. Merci.”
Ash wanted to thank him in every possible language, but he could only think of those three.
For Ash it felt like his first legitimately won badge.
Though it may have really been more Pikachu’s victory.
But Pikachu had little interest in Ash’s badge, instead tending to Raichu’s wounds as he came to.
Raichu gently extended his tail out before Pikachu.
This was the mouse Pokémon’s way of acknowledging an opponent’s strength.
It was an entirely different gesture than turning his tail. However, this was the first time that Vermilion Gym’s Raichu had ever acknowledged a Pikachu as his equal.
Pikachu also extended his tail and lightly tapped it against Raichu’s.
Before and after evolution... Though they were two different Pokémon, they stood acknowledging each other.
Surge spoke while shaking Ash’s hand.
“I’ve learned a ｇｏｏｄ lesson today, and it seems my Raichu has learned too.”
“I’ve learned a lot too... But for now, I’ve got... the Thunder Badge!”
“Indeed you have, kid.”
Surge winked.
Brock and Misty, the latter of whom was still numbed by the electric atmosphere, also smiled.
***
On a deserted beach, three figures were buried up to their necks in sand.
“Are you sure this’ll get rid of the numbness after that shock?” Jessie asked.
“I’m sure this will work.” James nodded.
“Seems kinda odd?” Meowth cocked his head.
Needless to say, burying yourself in sand won’t cure numbness after an electric shock.
It’s said to be a way to cure the numbness you get after eating poison blowfish, but I wouldn’t put much stock on that either.
But the three of them weren’t feeling too bad right now.
The outcome of Pikachu and Raichu’s battle no longer seemed relevant.
“Y’know, that Pikachu is really something else.”
“He’s a rare Pokémon worthy of Team Rocket’s attention.”
“It’s decided then. Aah, it’s swell to have a purpose.”
“It’s swell to know he’s not an average Pikachu.”
“Speaking of the swell, nya.”
“Eh?”
“The swell?”
“Those waves are swelling, nya?”
“Is this high tide or low tide?”
“Ah, I didn’t check.”
The trio’s screams were drowned by the waves.
***
Delia, Ash from Pallet Town’s mother, listened to her son’s voice.
“Mom, I got my third badge. Talk later.”
It was a recording on the answering machine.
It was a short message, but just from the energy of his voice, she could clearly picture the joy Ash was experiencing.
... Even so... He’s not overdoing it...
“I guess children really do become adults while travelling...”
Though Delia did feel a pang of loneliness.
***
Ash and his friends were crossing another mountain en route to the next city.
Ash’s three Pokémon are Pikachu, Pidgeotto and Butterfree. He also has three badges.
Three for three.
Nobody had taken notice of it yet, but Ash now held the local record for most badges earned with least Pokémon caught.
Whether or not that should be considered a good thing for an aspiring Pokémon Trainer is unsure, but one thing for certain is that many more encounters with different people and Pokémon lie ahead, so look forward to it.
Appendix (Or perhaps afterword)
I have a costume of the fossil Pokémon Kabuto at home.
The costume is a detailed replica of the real thing. The outer shell is actually made with real fossils.
These kinds of costumes are like giant plushies that a person can move around inside, often relegated to children’s TV and stage shows or used for special effects in kaiju monster films.
That said I don’t own this Kabuto costume in order to appear on TV or a stage show.
In the middle of the night when most people are sleeping, when the stars are particularly bright, I wear my Kabuto costume and think in silence.
I barely move.
By nature, the fossil Pokémon Kabuto would have sat still and quiet in the depths of the ocean.
The Pokémon Kabuto went extinct a long time ago. But even an extinct Pokémon would have had feelings.
I wear this costume to ponder how this Pokémon lived and thought during its time living on this planet.
However, once I’m inside the costume, I feel at peace, and before I know it, I feel like I’ve become one with a Kabuto.
I feel like that Pokémon who has long since become extinct.
Or at least, I ponder how it must have felt?
This planet has existed for 4.6 billion years... so many living beings have populated this world, all of them with vastly different ways of living.
However, as living creatures, we must all share some degree of commonality.
That fills me with a sense of harmony.
Currently, this world is populated with more than 150 known species of Pokémon. Of course, these are only the ones humans know of, through the forests, fields and shores, there are many more Pokémon yet to be discovered. Those countless Pokémon also have their own lives.
However, the long extinct Kabuto... to the point where I wear this costume, is the one I feel affinity with.
An affinity I don’t feel with present day Pokémon or people.
Where does this affinity originate... Solving this mystery may hold the answers to the past 4.6 billion years of life on this planet? ... What are Pokémon? ... What are people? I seek these answers.
There’s something in this world called mythical Pokémon.
Anyone who knows anything about Pokémon has pursued a mythical Pokémon.
It’s unknown how many mythical Pokémon there are in the world.
There’s no limits to the myths seen by people, thus there may also be no limits to the mythical Pokémon we see either.
It could be possible that there’s truly only one mythical Pokémon.
Something that all life on our planet was linked to.
If we were to designate a specific entity as that mythical Pokémon, then we could no longer consider the mythical Pokémon to be a myth.
Because in such an instance, we would be able to verify the existence of it.
Humans currently approach Pokémon in many different ways.
Pokémon Trainers catch various Pokémon and interact and learn from them that way.
Pokémon Scholars examine Pokémon scientifically.
Each of these approaches are valid.
However, I ponder the lives of Pokémon in this world from a point of pondering life itself.
As such, I also ponder the meaning of life for humanity in this world...
But I’ll leave the complex topics behind for now.
Would you like to wear a Pokémon costume in the middle of the night one day?
A wonderful unity... it will surely lead to pleasant dreams.
The Sound Sleep Pokémon Costume Company
Over 100 varieties available
Discounts for buying in pairs.
We also provide Sound Sleep Pokémon pillows.
Note: This is a misleading piece of advertisement.
The first half has stolen my writing without permission. The latter half is a mish mash of Pokémon philosophers. Only those last four lines are originally written by the manufacturer.
Of course, when I sent in a complaint they responded by sending me a sound sleep pillow shaped like the cocoon Pokémon Metapod as an apology. There’s some truly despicable people in this world.
It’s quite depressing.
***
And that’s the end. It’s over. The author provided a short afterword in the first volume, so I thought that I, the translator, might include one here. This isn’t part of the original Japanese text, so feel free to ignore me, I guess?
Despite saying that the story would be continued in volume 3, a third volume of these books was never published. And even putting aside the fact these two books were published in the 90s, the fact that Takeshi Shudo passed away in 2010 means it’s highly unlikely that he’ll write any more of them.
Growing up, Pokémon meant a lot to me. It got me through a lot of tough times. I started watching the show as a boy roughly Ash’s age and am now a woman roughly Delia’s age. When I transitioned, I actually took my new name from my childhood Pokémon Crystal save file. To be entirely honest, I stopped watching the anime years ago due to a number of factors, but I still play the games and have been watching the movies again since 2017’s I Choose You.
This has actually become quite a bit longer than Mr. Shudo’s afterword from volume one. But after the effort of translating all of his words over the past two books, I think it’s fair that I get a few words of my own?
Translation Notes:
• The comparison of the words “Vermilion” and “vermin” were originally “Kuchiba” and “kuchibashi” (beak).
• The mention of there being a Joy at “Cerulean Gym” as opposed to “Cerulean City” is an error on the part of the original text, not the translation.
• The “guardian spirit” is specifically a “zashiki-warashi” in Japanese, a protective household deity.
• Instead of describing Misty and Brock in English as “little lady” and “young man”, Surge actually uses the English phrases “mini lady” and “middle young” in the original Japanese text. No actual English speaker would ever use that phrasing, so I changed it.
• Arigatou is Japanese for thank you, I left it untranslated when Ash was thanking Surge because of the use of multiple languages, including English.
• The “swell” pun was originally based on “並み” (average) and “波” (wave) both read as “nami”.
They had gone through forests, across mountains and along coasts, but Ash hadn’t caught a single new Pokémon.
Some of the towns they visited had Pokémon Gyms, but given their areas of expertise, he hadn’t challenged any of them.
Anyway, the Pokémon Ash had caught were still just Pidgeotto and Butterfree.
And with Pikachu making three, he had very little variety.
Fighting an opponent you’re at a disadvantage with and making your Pokémon suffer isn’t conduct befitting a trainer.
Not that Ash had room speak on the matter, considering his experiences at Pewter Gym and Cerulean Gym.
Things weren’t really going well at this point.
He had two badges given to him out of pity. And only three Pokémon...
The others who left Pallet Town the same day, how many badges... how many Pokémon... would they have by now.
Ash was beginning to lose his patience.
It was around when the trio of Ash, Misty and Brock had arrived in Vermilion City.
Tourism Guide ... Vermilion City
A port town.
It contains the largest port in the region, and occasionally plays host to luxury cruise ships. ... The Vermilion in Vermilion City likely refers to a vermilion orange hue... In kanji it’s written as decayed leaves, the colour leaves turn when they fall to the ground and rot.
The name is likely unrelated to the colour of vermin Pokémon.
Typically describing something as rotten sounds bad, but it’s like a red tinged yellow... but it’s not a gross colour.
It’s long been considered an elegant colour in this country, back in the distant past of 1909, the colour was hugely popular in the world of fashion.
There’s a number of explanations about why this city is named Vermilion, but it’s largely agreed that it’s because Vermilion City was founded in 1909 as a naval port.
Speaking of the navy invokes ocean blue. Blue and white sailor uniforms... (By sailor uniforms, I’m not referring to high school girls uniforms, but the uniforms naval officers wore in the old days) those are the images conjured in your mind, but the naval officers of the day were quite a flamboyant bunch, and so at the time, chose the most fashionable colour.
As a naval base, you may expect a pretty serious city, but in times of peace, other than having a ticket window for foreigners not much is different, a city flowing with foreign culture, away from the military housing, it is a flashy western style city spreading out.
Ever since this country lost the war (This country lost a war with foreign nations, after which it went through a period of foreign occupation) the city has often housed foreign battleships and military personnel.
Of course, the country has since regained peace and independence, and the occupying forces have returned home, but this port is still used as a base for foreign battleships and many foreigners stayed, settling here.
As such, the stores still employ a lot of foreigners, and a lot of young people came to town, considering it a cool scene.
However, there was a global economic recession, leading a lot of foreign navy to pull out, leaving a number of unneeded aircraft carriers and submarines abandoned.
If left alone, rusted ships will eventually fall into disrepair, leaving only the engines of aircraft carriers and submarines which can’t be properly disposed of. There’s no appropriate location to dispose of the aircraft carrier and submarine fuel, and nowhere else to handle the emissions from burning the engine’s fuel.
As such, the engines were repurposed as generators for the city.
Since then, the city has been fully powered by these engines... making it one of the cheapest places in the country for power bills.
As people can use as much power as they like, Vermilion City is also known as the electric city.
As a result, the flammable fuel emissions are pumped underground.
Taking responsibility for your own actions... as they say.
Keeping in mind all the foreign military that have settled and international feel of the city, there’s a number of well known landmarks, the most famous one would be the Enpri Building.
It’s a massive building that is immediately noticeable upon entering port.
Long ago, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the SS Enterprise (It’s not a spaceship. Just a regular seafaring aircraft carrier ship.) was fixed into place in the harbour and had a building constructed on it for general use, beginning selling electric manjuu (manjuu cooked by the engine’s steam), electric bread (toast cooked in an electric toaster) and various souvenirs, they eventually expanded to a hotel, a Pokémon Gym and various other things. It’s said that once you enter, you could live your entire life without leaving again.
Though recently, the hull has become incredibly rusted and experts have been calling for an inquiry into the safety of the structure.
***
It was a building large enough to recognise when you saw it.
“Something this big used to sail the seas, huh.”
Brock sighed as he looked at the map.
Ash and the others were standing outside the Enpri Building.
“There’s a Pokémon Gym in there...”
He wanted to challenge the gym.
But could he win with his current lineup? ...
“I’m a bit concerned about my hair... Like, what’s with the natural perm?”
Misty said as she patted down her short hair.
Misty’s hair kept sticking on end.
“I see, so it’s affecting you, Misty.” Brock said.
“Eh? What is?”
Brock read from the guide on the map.
“Your hair is probably reacting to the static electricity... Everything in that building is powered by electricity. It’s generated by the old aircraft carrier ship’s engines. The electricity sort of builds up everywhere. It’s all properly insulated, but people can sense it sometimes. Sort of like an electric massage... Misty... does it feel good?”
“Now you mention it, I feel something tingly in my chest... I guess it feels good?”
“Pika!”
As if in response to that, Pikachu suddenly chirped up by their feet.
Naturally, if anyone other than Misty was going to feel the electricity, it was Pikachu.
For a while, more so than a good feeling, it was a pleasure that carried him away.
To Pikachu, the Enpri Building was like a castle of dreams.
“Hey! Pikachu, where are you going!?” Ash called out.
Pikachu had dashed off towards the Enpri Building as if drawn to it.
Nothing could be said to stop Pikachu in this situation.
Ash and the others had no choice but to follow Pikachu.
***
The ship had a large opening on its side, which acted as the main entrance to the Enpri Building, Pikachu had darted inside and ran down the halls, going straight past the souvenir vendors without a glance, and went down the stairs to below.
Ash and Brock remained in pursuit.
“Hey, wait up.”
Having been following them up until now, Misty’s hair was now sticking out like a porcupine fish.
“Kyah! I can’t believe this.”
There was a sign at the entrance of the stairs.
“... This way to Vermilion Gym... There’s strong electric fields, but no negative effects to the human body. If you’re having trouble with your hair, we recommend the Enpri Hair Salon on level 2.”
... So this is Vermilion Gym... If there’s no negative effect on the human body, we’ll be fine... Feels good here...
Misty went down the stairs with every hair on her body standing on end.
***
“Ah, it’s them.”
One of the souvenir sellers called as they pointed at the stairs.
“So they’ve finally made it here.”
Another vendor selling electric manjuu nodded.
It was Jessie and James.
“Nya, I see ‘em too.”
Mixed in with a bunch of life size Pokémon plushies being sold, Meowth shifted about.
It’s not like the two people and one Pokémon of Team Rocket had actually been waiting to ambush Ash and the others.
After fleeing Cerulean City, Team Rocket somehow made their way to this city, but were now completely broke until their next payday.
With no other choice, the pair had taken up a part time job a week ago.
They were able to save up by eating unsold electric manjuu to avoid food expenses.
However, seeing their old enemy Ash and his friends turn up by coincidence, they began to formulate a new scheme.
The pair abandoned their stalls and stalked after Ash and the others.
***
The staircase was long.
After descending five floors worth of stairs, a wide floor spread out.
“No way, seriously?”
Huffing and puffing from having run down all the stairs, Ash was appalled.
There were four elevators. ... Pikachu, I wish you took the elevator instead...
However, Pikachu didn’t care what Ash thought as he went further into the floor.
“Pikachu, where are you going?”
There was a neon sign at an entrance further in... Welcome to Vermilion Gym... was written in both a foreign language and hiragana.
“Vermilion Gym...”
Having been chasing a delirious Pikachu up to this point, Ash had no idea Vermilion Gym was here until now.
“Uh... Excuse me.”
Ash called out, peeking in through the entrance.
The neon suddenly began to flash as spotlights lit Ash and Pikachu.
“Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ ｔｏ Ｖｅｒｍｉｌｉｏｎ Ｇｙｍ.”
It was a foreigner’s voice, and the wall in front of them dropped.
On the other side of the wall, audience seating in and a battleground larger than the Enpri Building’s hall that Ash and the others had entered through appeared before them. The floor was covered with something resembling artificial turf. It appears that the floor was covered in some kind of electrical insulation.
“So this is Vermilion Gym, huh...”
Brock sighed.
“This building used to be an aircraft carrier that held a lot of planes. It seems that this gym makes use of one of the old hangars.”
This was also information he was reading from the map.
“I’m not sure I can handle this place.”
Misty was trembling with a spellbound expression.
She could feel the electricity from the gym’s ceiling, walls, floor, everywhere.
It was like her whole body was drifting away in an electric massage chair.
Pikachu was beyond spellbound, swaying around as if drunk.
“Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ... Ｂｏｙ. All applicants must sign these documents.”
Speaking with a slight accent, a blonde haired foreign man appeared.
He looked like a bodybuilder, his muscles bulging out of his training shirt.
The man handed over an application form with a smile.
“You get 10% off the monthly rate if you pay for an annual membership.”
“I’m not here to join.”
Ash said flustered.
“I’m an aspiring trainer. I have two badges.”
“Two badges? Which means you’re a ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｒ... a challenger?”
Ash couldn’t back down after coming this far.
“Well, I guess so...”
“Pwafafafa!”
The man suddenly erupted with laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re out of your depth. Give up, kid.”
Ash was furious. The fact that the two badges Ash already had hadn’t even been properly won also frustrated him.
“A gym has to accept any challenger!” Ash shouted.
The man shrugged his shoulders.
“If you really insist.”
The man pulled out a cell phone.
“Leader... It’s a ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｒ. Also, the challenger’s Pokémon is a Pikachu.”
“Gwahahahaha...”
Suddenly, the whole gym echoed with a great laugh.
Part of the floor opened up, and a sofa with a large man sitting on it rose. The sofa was adorned with glowing cables, coils and neon. You could perhaps call it an electric chair.
“I’m the leader of this gym, Surge.” As expected, he had some kind of foreign accent.
The large man stood up. He looked twice as foreign as the previous man. And twice as musclebound too.
“At our gym, we don’t allow Pikachu here unless you’re a member. So we assumed you were an applicant.”
“You don’t allow Pikachu? Why?”
“They’re too weak. Vermilion Gym is an electric type gym. If you’re going to challenge an electric type gym, the least you can do is not use a weak mouse Pokémon.”
From behind the sofa, an orange Pokémon wandered out.
“This is Pikachu’s evolved form, Raichu.”
“... Pikachu’s evolved form...”
He resembled Pikachu, but was twice as tall, four times as wide and five times as heavy.
“Raichu’s electricity is ten times stronger than the average Pikachu... I suggest you leave now. I suggest you evolve that cute little Pikachu of yours into a Raichu before you think to ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅ me again.”
It was indeed obvious who was stronger just by looking at Pikachu and Raichu.
Anyone could see it based just on their stature.
Raichu looked down upon the Pikachu who was half his height.
“Rai, rairai, raichu...” He spoke with a growl. This electric castle... It’s no place for a runt like you... This is my dominion (turf)...
Pikachu didn’t understand Raichu’s words. However, he understood the message behind them.
Raichu laughed scornfully as he slowly turned his tail, before pointing its tip at the exit.
To Mouse Pokémon, turning tail was an admission of defeat. ... I’m no match for you, please forgive me... I’m sorry... you get the idea.
Which means... in the current situation... Turn tail and get out of here!... is what Raichu was trying to say.
“Pika?” ... Why you...
Pikachu returned a glare at Raichu. The electricity pouches on his cheeks were glowing.
Having been raised in a laboratory, Pikachu was ignorant of the ways of the world.
But he had the instinct to understand this much.
What determines a creature’s dominion (turf), is power. Will you drive invaders from your domain? Or will you be driven out? Power will decide.
And this place is overflowing with electricity. It feels great here.
In fact, electrical facilities such as this are common breeding grounds for the Mouse Pokémon, Pikachu and Raichu.
Pikachu wanted to stay here a little longer.
And although Raichu, his evolved form, stood at twice his height, it wasn’t that intimidating compared to the giant Onix he had defeated at Pewter Gym.
The only way to know whether you’ll win or lose is to try... he thought.
Surge spoke to Ash.
“If you like, your Pikachu can become Raichu’s apprentice. Give him one month at Vermilion Gym and he’ll evolve into a tough, robust, mighty fine Raichu.”
“What was that?” Ash bit his lip in frustration.
Raichu sneered condescendingly at Pikachu. He once again ostentatiously turned his tail. Then mockingly with the tip of his tail, poked Pikachu right in the nose. ... Listen up, get out of here, turn tail and flee before you forget about this place...
Pikachu wasn’t going to quietly comply after this mockery.
“Pika!”
A sudden shot of electricity.
Raichu bathed in Pikachu’s electricity, surrounded by a swirl of sparks and light.
Ash was flustered. An attack had been launched without any signal of a match starting.
“Ah, ah, stop that! Pikachu. You can’t launch a surprise attack...”
However, Surge laughed with a shrug.
“Your Pikachu is a real live wire. I’ll give you that much. Ｂｕｔ (however), he lacks ｐｏｗｅｒ.”
The swirling sparks and light died down. Raichu was patting the electric pouches on his cheeks like nothing happened.
“I guess you’re not going to quit until you see the gap between our ｐｏｗｅｒ.”
Then he ordered Raichu.
“Raichu! Show them a real Thunderbolt.”
Raichu emitted a flash.
Pikachu went on guard. Or rather, tried to go on guard.
However, in his current state, he was blown back.
The electricity entering his body was enough to make him swell up. Pikachu was like a ball of light.
And that was the last thing Pikachu could recall. The unconscious Pikachu was flung from the gym’s entrance, slammed into the elevator doors, bounced up five flights of stairs, returning to the first floor and falling back right into a pile of plushies at one of the souvenir stalls.
By the time he settled, he was indistinguishable from a Pikachu plushie. He wasn’t moving a single muscle.
Surge spoke to Ash, who was standing there dumbfounded.
“This city’s Pokémon Center is on a hill you can see from the harbour. If you’re lucky, they might be able to save your Pikachu.”
“Hurry up! Ash! Misty!”
Brock grabbed both the numbed by shock Ash and the numbed by electricity Misty by the arm and dragged them out of the gym.
***
“Wow, taken out in a single shot.”
Having watched the entire event from a hidden area, Jessie was astonished.
“Is that really the same opponent that we, the elites of Team Rocket, have been worrying about day and night?”
James said as he looked over his journal.
“That Pikachu was powerful on this other occasion. And that one. And that time, and especially strong on that day. Because of all these occasions, we came to believe that Pikachu was an exceptionally rare Pokémon...”
Meowth shrugged.
“The average Pikachu would lose to a Raichu. ... I guess he ain’t special after all.”
“Are you saying that all our previous efforts to capture that Pikachu have been in vain?”
Jessie grabbed Meowth by the scruff of his neck and screamed at him.
“Wait! Rotten, nya.” Meowth responded as he struggled for air.
“Rotten? No matter how broke or starving we are, all you can think about is food! Eating some uncooked food isn’t going to kill you.”
Jessie tossed Meowth aside.
“That’s not it! What’s rotten... is if the boss of Team Rocket finds out. If he learns that we have been spending our valuable time working on chasing a plain old Pikachu after already getting an advance on our salaries...”
Jessie and James screamed.
“This suuuuuucks!”
The two people and one Pokémon had to ensure that Ash’s Pikachu was indeed a rare and valuable Pokémon.
***
Ash carried Pikachu to the Pokémon Center, which as Surge had said, was on a hill overlooking the harbour.
His body was covered in grazes, but his life wasn’t in danger.
This Pokémon Center’s Joy was apparently the cousin of the Joy at Cerulean Gym...
Despite Pikachu having the body of an electric type, it was still miraculous that after taking the full force of Raichu’s Thunderbolt that all he had suffered was losing consciousness.
“The Gym Trainers at Vermilion Gym are descendants of military personnel who were left unemployed after the war, so they tend to be a bit rough. They don’t know how to hold back. It’s like... if a lion used its full power against a mouse... Or in this case, an oversized mouse Pokémon against a regular mouse Pokémon... That said, they always go overboard in a match. I can give you some advice if you like.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” Ash declined.
“Eh?” Joy asked back.
“Anyway, I’ll be fine. Yeah.”
What happened couldn’t be called a match.
More accurately, Pikachu picked a fight before anything could get started.
However you looked at it, he brought it upon himself.
And so, it was the following morning that Pikachu woke up.
Out the window of the hospital room where he had slept, the Enpri Building was faintly visible through the fog by the harbour’s pier.
The sky looked as though rain was coming.
Though within Pikachu’s heart, he already had a miserable drizzle.
“What a relief. You’re awake... I know I’m a little reckless at times, but you’re pretty reckless yourself.”
Ash said kindly.
Pikachu stared at the Enpri Building without responding.
Ash could understand what Pikachu was going through.
... It’s frustrating, frustrating, so frustrating... I feel the same... But there’s no way we can possibly beat that Raichu.
“Pikachu, I think we should call it quits this time. We’ll get stronger, a lot stronger, and someday we’ll come for a rematch.”
Pikachu slowly shook his head.
“No? You don’t wanna do that?” Ash asked.
Pikachu nodded.
Then he pointed out the window at the Enpri Building and called out.
“Pikapi!”
Pikachu looked up at Ash.
Pikachu had a look of conviction.
Small sparks flew from the electric pouches on his cheeks.
He was filled with rage and fighting spirit.
“You... can’t mean... now? You wanna challenge them today?”
Pikachu nodded. And he kept on nodding. ... I feel the same. We didn’t stand a chance, but I don’t want to give up so easily. We may have launched a surprise attack, but he attacked without warning too.
We may have lost a fight, but we haven’t actually lost a match yet. ...
But, Ash thought.
... That’s not a great argument though.
We’ve seen the gap in our power, besides, having the match just to satisfy our own stubbornness... No, that’d be taking things too far. Stubbornness is one thing, but this is just stupid.
Pokémon Trainers battle with their Pokémon. Raise them. But importantly, they also protect them.
Ash was gradually gaining the self-awareness of a trainer.
Ash shook his head at Pikachu.
“No way. I’m not letting you take on an opponent you have no chance of winning against. I can’t let you hurt yourself any longer.”
Pikachu stared intently at Ash.
The sparks from his cheeks disappeared. His anger faded.
Pikachu gained a sadness in his eyes, and he continued to look right at Ash.
... Don’t you understand how I feel? If I don’t go back, I’m a coward. You want me to become some loser Pikachu who runs from a fight? I’m not ready to turn tail and flee just yet...
Ash could feel these words coming from Pikachu’s gaze. ... It’s important for a trainer not to hold their Pokémon back from something they really need to do... I guess if Pikachu has his pride at stake...
“You really still wanna challenge him?”
Pikachu didn’t nod.
But... You can see it in my eyes, right? ... is what he seemed to communicate. Or at least, that’s what Ash understood.
“Alright then...” Ash nodded.
Then he let out a big sigh.
“But there’s no way you can win in your current state. You’ll probably get torn apart in there. I don’t want that to happen to you, Pikachu... so here’s what I can do...”
Ash had only one solution.
Ash reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small rock.
It was the stone he had received from the old man at the museum in Pewter City.
“Hold it, that thing! Is that a Thunder Stone?”
Misty shouted from behind Ash and Pikachu.
She had been uncharacteristically quiet, her numbness from the Enpri Building perhaps still lingering.
But she couldn’t remain quiet upon seeing the Thunder Stone.
“Yeah, it’s a Thunder Stone...” Ash responded listlessly.
“Are you really thinking of evolving Pikachu into a Raichu?” Misty could only shake her head in disbelief.
***
“Hieeh!”
There was a small scream outside the hospital room window.
There was a listening device hidden in the vase on the windowsill, which the two people and Meowth of Team Rocket were eavesdropping on headphones from a tree branch within view of the window.
“Hold it, if Pikachu becomes a Raichu...” Jessie, who was the one who screamed, shook James by the neck.
“He’ll naturally become... as strong as Jessie.” James responded struggling to breathe.
“He’s becoming even more of an ordinary Pokémon...” Meowth let out a sigh.
They leaned in close and whispered.
“More and more, completely and utterly, this suuuuuucks!”
***
“So you’re thinking that if he becomes a Raichu, he might stand a chance against Raichu. But have you really thought the repercussions of this through?” Misty pressured Ash.
“... Once he evolves, he can never go back to being a Pikachu. I’m well aware of that!”
Ash shouted in an outburst.
“Besides...” Brock spoke in a manner to help calm Ash.
“His body mightn’t be able to handle the electrical increase of a sudden evolution into a Raichu.”
“You really think so?”
Joy, who had been tending to other Pokémon in the hospital room, turned to Ash and the others to speak.
“Eh?”
“Sorry, I overheard your conversation. That Pikachu took a Raichu’s Thunderbolt attack and only fell unconscious. I think he’s got an abnormal resilience and could probably handle that much power.
“Like how I’m apparently abnormally weak to electricity? ...” Misty asked in return.
“Perhaps, you’re not weak at all. You may simply have a heightened sense for electrical currents. Different people have different physical constitutions. And naturally, different Pikachu also have different physical constitutions. Not everyone fits a textbook example.”
“Anyway, I...” Ash spoke.
“I like Pikachu. I want him to stay as a Pikachu. But Pikachu wants to fight Raichu. I don’t want Pikachu to get hurt. I just can’t see any other way.”
The words flowed out of Ash as he pulled the brim of his cap down further.
He didn’t want anyone to see if anything came from his eyes.
Ash held the Thunder Stone out to Pikachu.
“Pikachu, here, feel free to use it.”
Pikachu stared at the Thunder Stone.
Suddenly, the Thunder Stone was slapped out of the window by his tail.
“Eh?” Ash looked at Pikachu.
Pikachu looked up at Ash’s face and began speaking rapidly while shaking his head.
“Pikapikapikapikapika, pikapikapikapikapika...”
***
The Thunder Stone that Pikachu had flung smacked Jessie in the face.
“Owowowow... A female announcer and voice actor’s face is her life... I will cry.”
Ever since the idolised gazes of the three sisters of Cerulean City, she had been considering herself to be an announcer.
Meowth joined Jessie as he began to cry listening to the headphones.
“Nya! He’s a real stand up guy for a mouse. It’s enough to make meow cry... This is what Pikachu said. He has to defeat Raichu as a Pikachu. For his pride as a Pikachu, there’d be no meaning in victory if he were to evolve...”
“He’s going to challenge him as a Pikachu?” James asked Meowth.
“He’s certainly not like any other Pikachu.” Meowth nodded proudly.
“That’s our Pikachu for you, he’s a real fine man.” Jessie’s crying intensified.
In the middle of being deeply moved, Jessie and James came to a sudden realisation.
“Meowth, you can understand what other Pokémon are saying?” Jessie asked.
“I’ve learned a thing or two. I’m certainly not like any other Meowth.” Meowth murmured, looking off into the distance.
“We all have our burdens to bear.”
The two people and one Pokémon upon the tree branch embraced each other in tears.
***
Ash and Pikachu walked on the path down the hill towards the harbour.
“Ash, are you and Pikachu going alone?”
Brock asked at the entrance of the Pokémon Center.
“This is our problem, just me and Pikachu.”
Ash turned down Brock’s offer to come.
“Are you sure about this?”
Misty asked by the Pokémon Center’s doorway.
“Just this once, let us have our own way.”
Ash answered.
“I’m not asking you. I’m asking Pikachu.”
Ash staggered slightly at Misty’s response.
But Pikachu walked with confidence as he nodded at Misty... “Pika!”
***
The sound of thunder rumbled from somewhere.
The weather was already looking foreboding when they left the Pokémon Center, but by the time Ash and Pikachu approached the harbour the sky was pitch black and it was beginning to rain.
Before long the rain was pouring.
Even so, Ash and Pikachu continued walking as they stared down the hazy Enpri Building before them.
Beneath a streetlight, two shadowy figures stood with umbrellas.
A geisha and a man in a kimono, both wearing wooden clogs.
As Ash and Pikachu walked by, they offered their umbrellas.
“You need not speak. For we may be naught but strangers, allow us the honour of accompaniment to your destination.”
The man in the kimono... It was Jessie in disguise.
“It wouldn’t do to catch a cold before your big match.” The geisha was James in disguise.
“May your path be lit by our guardian spirit.” A child in a raincoat lit the path ahead with a flashlight as he walked. Naturally, this was Meowth in disguise.
They may not have been shouting from the rooftops, but this was Team Rocket’s idea of showing their support.
However, Ash didn’t respond.
His mind was so occupied with his match at Vermilion Gym that he barely even noticed the rain or the umbrellas.
Team Rocket protected Ash and Pikachu from the rain with their umbrellas throughout the streets all the way to the wharfs.
The Enpri Building was right before them.
Kaboom!
Lightning struck nearby.
“Uh oh... We’re in a thunderstorm holding two umbrellas, and the only nearby structure is the Enpri Building. Isn’t this dangerous?” Jessie whispered to James.
“Why’s that?” James asked in response.
“You idiot! We’re like lightning rods out here...”
“Lightning rods?”
“They attract lightning.”
Lightning flashed above their heads. It struck the roof of the Enpri Building standing before them.
Kaboom!
“Hieeeeh.” Jessie and James tossed aside their umbrellas and trembled with fear.
“The next one might hit us...” Meowth dropped his flashlight.
“Well then, this is as far as we’ll accompany you.”
“Best of luck!”
They fled tumbling over themselves.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!
Three bolts of lightning fell upon the wharf.
It’s said that no matter how fast you run, lightning can chase you down.
It can’t be said what precise location on the wharf the lightning struck,
but three screams of “This suuuuuucks!” echoed in the distance.
But Ash, who was staring down the Enpri Building as he approached it, heard nothing.
Though one thing was for certain, the two slackers who had been working part time selling souvenirs never returned after that day.
***
“They‘re taking a while...”
Misty’s hair was indeed standing on end.
“They must be like drowned rats in this rain. I wonder if being wet would provide any advantage for an electric type.”
Brock shrugged, thinking about how Pikachu had used water to defeat his Onix.
They were in the Enpri Building. Brock and Misty were already sitting in Vermilion Gym’s audience seating.
“I guess he really meant it when he said he wasn’t going to take any help.”
“He could have at least caught the bus from the Pokémon Center to the wharf.”
“He’s at that age where he still wants to walk everywhere. He’s still just a kid.”
That’s when he arrived.
“Excuse me! I’d like to request the gym battle we postponed the other day.”
A soaking wet Ash and Pikachu entered.
“Are you actually serious, kid?”
Surge and Raichu appeared rising from the floor.
“Serious? I’m Ash from Pallet Town and I have two badges. I wouldn’t come all the way to someone’s gym for a joke.”
“This ｌｉｔｔｌｅ ｌａｄｙ (small woman) and ｙｏｕｎｇ ｍａｎ (teenage boy) told me all about you.”
Surge pointed at Misty and Brock in the audience.
“When did you...” Ash’s jaw dropped, before coming to his senses to speak to Misty.
“You better not have said anything stupid.”
“Anything stupid?” Misty asked in response.
“Like asking him to hold back... because his opponent is a Pikachu...”
“I won’t hold back!” Surge said sharply.
“But are you sure about using that Pikachu?”
“You always turn Pikachu away because you think they’re weak, but there’s no actual rule saying you must reject a challenger with a Pikachu though.” Ash responded.
“True. But it leaves my heart a little ｂｒｏｋｅｎ... it pains me.”
“I don’t want your pity. I’ve got a strategy.”
“That kid, seriously has a strategy?” Misty cocked her head.
“A strategy? A strategy that’ll allow your Pikachu to defeat Raichu?” Surge was slightly intrigued.
“Alright. I accept your ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅ. We’ll use one Pokémon each. Raichu, face your opponent!”
Raichu plodded forward slowly.
“Pikachu, hang in there!”
Pikachu nodded and took his stance.
A steam whistle rang to signal the match had begun.
The building had once been a ship, thus the signal for opening the match fit in with that.
“Pikachu, my strategy is... do whatever you like! I won’t give you a single command.”
Pikachu suddenly ran out onto the gym’s battleground.
“Do whatever you like... that’s his strategy?” Misty sighed.
“Well, given that it’s Ash, maybe it’s better he doesn’t give any orders... Yeah, this could actually be a good idea.” Brock kept nodding in an attempt to convince himself.
Pikachu wasn’t going to use his electricity as a weapon. Pikachu instead used all the electric energy in his body to increase his speed.
He ran through the gap between Raichu’s legs, sped over Raichu’s head, wherever he saw an opening his tail would slap Raichu, the eye, the ear, the nose.
Taking out the eyes would blind him. Taking out the ears would render him deaf. Taking out the nose would prevent him following Pikachu’s scent.
“Eyy! He’s a speedy little bugger. Use Thunderbolt!”
Raichu unleashed his Thunderbolt.
Pikachu didn’t dodge.
“Pikachu, why!?”
Ash, Misty and Brock all gasped.
Moments before taking the Thunderbolt attack, Pikachu stood up on his tail and spun like a drill.
He had opened a hole in the floor, with his tail touching the metal surface beneath.
It was the hull of the old aircraft carrier that was now the Enpri Building.
The electricity from the Thunderbolt passed from Pikachu’s head down into the giant ship’s hull.
The whole building glowed slightly, but the Thunderbolt was but a drop in the ocean compared to the output of the Enpri Building’s engines.
It simply returned to be absorbed by the rest of the generator’s output.
And naturally, Pikachu’s body suffered no ill effects.
“Of course! Pikachu’s body is acting like a lightning rod to redirect the electricity!”
Brock explained with excitement.
“I don’t really understand it, but that’s great! Pikachu!” Ash fist pumped.
Raichu let off a second and third Thunderbolt, but the result was the same.
Each time, the whole building glowed slightly.
“I’m definitely feeling that... feels good.” Misty murmured as her body tingled.
It seemed that Misty was the only one in the gym feeling anything from Raichu’s Thunderbolt attacks.
Raichu’s breath started to become heavy while discharging his Thunderbolt.
The intervals between each discharge became longer. He had trouble standing straight.
“Raichu’s tiring out. He’s taking longer to charge his attacks. Pikachu... and Ash, they might win!”
Brock felt as if he himself was battling and clenched his fist.
Surge shouted with impatience.
“Eyy. Raichu! If electricity isn’t working, then crush Pikachu with your overwhelming size!”
Raichu looked with blurred vision and threw himself at Pikachu.
But he wasn’t fast enough to squash the speedy Pikachu.
Raichu’s large body flew through the air and slammed into the floor.
Which only resulted in hurting himself.
And as he shakily got back to his feet, he continued to try and tackle Pikachu, hitting walls and the floor again.
Pikachu hadn’t gotten a single scratch.
Brock began to give an unprompted explanation.
“This is the weak point of Vermilion Gym’s Raichu. No matter how big the Enpri Building is, the battlefield has its limits. The high levels of electricity increase the power he gains through training. However, he’s limited by a lack of speed.”
Ash also came to understand Pikachu’s battle tactics.
“Pikachu, on your right. Above you! Keep up your Agility!”
The timing of Pikachu’s movements were matching Ash’s commentary perfectly.
“And now Quick Attack... and Tackle!”
In perfect timing with Ash’s voice, Pikachu plowed right into Raichu’s belly, which knocked Raichu out.
Raichu slowly fell backwards and stopped moving.
“Oooh! I can’t believe it!”
Surge screamed holding his head.
After confirming that Raichu was definitely unconscious, Pikachu’s body finally relaxed.
The electricity permeating the Enpri Building was soothing to his exhausted body.
But Pikachu no longer thought of this place as the ultimate dream castle.
Ash pulled the brim of his cap down to hide his face as he stood.
Pikachu knew exactly what Ash wanted to hide.
The journey ahead with Ash was sure to lead to many more wonderful places.
Pikachu ran back over to Ash’s side.
***
His expression having completely changed from earlier, Surge handed a badge to Ash with a smile.
“Congratulations. Ash ａｎｄ Pikachu. My Raichu and I gave it our all. We’ve no regrets over our defeat. This is Vermilion Gym’s Thunder Badge.. It’s a slightly brighter shade of orange than vermilion. Your future is sure to be bright too.”
“Arigatou. Ｔｈａｎｋ ｙｏｕ. Merci.”
Ash wanted to thank him in every possible language, but he could only think of those three.
For Ash it felt like his first legitimately won badge.
Though it may have really been more Pikachu’s victory.
But Pikachu had little interest in Ash’s badge, instead tending to Raichu’s wounds as he came to.
Raichu gently extended his tail out before Pikachu.
This was the mouse Pokémon’s way of acknowledging an opponent’s strength.
It was an entirely different gesture than turning his tail. However, this was the first time that Vermilion Gym’s Raichu had ever acknowledged a Pikachu as his equal.
Pikachu also extended his tail and lightly tapped it against Raichu’s.
Before and after evolution... Though they were two different Pokémon, they stood acknowledging each other.
Surge spoke while shaking Ash’s hand.
“I’ve learned a ｇｏｏｄ lesson today, and it seems my Raichu has learned too.”
“I’ve learned a lot too... But for now, I’ve got... the Thunder Badge!”
“Indeed you have, kid.”
Surge winked.
Brock and Misty, the latter of whom was still numbed by the electric atmosphere, also smiled.
***
On a deserted beach, three figures were buried up to their necks in sand.
“Are you sure this’ll get rid of the numbness after that shock?” Jessie asked.
“I’m sure this will work.” James nodded.
“Seems kinda odd?” Meowth cocked his head.
Needless to say, burying yourself in sand won’t cure numbness after an electric shock.
It’s said to be a way to cure the numbness you get after eating poison blowfish, but I wouldn’t put much stock on that either.
But the three of them weren’t feeling too bad right now.
The outcome of Pikachu and Raichu’s battle no longer seemed relevant.
“Y’know, that Pikachu is really something else.”
“He’s a rare Pokémon worthy of Team Rocket’s attention.”
“It’s decided then. Aah, it’s swell to have a purpose.”
“It’s swell to know he’s not an average Pikachu.”
“Speaking of the swell, nya.”
“Eh?”
“The swell?”
“Those waves are swelling, nya?”
“Is this high tide or low tide?”
“Ah, I didn’t check.”
The trio’s screams were drowned by the waves.
***
Delia, Ash from Pallet Town’s mother, listened to her son’s voice.
“Mom, I got my third badge. Talk later.”
It was a recording on the answering machine.
It was a short message, but just from the energy of his voice, she could clearly picture the joy Ash was experiencing.
... Even so... He’s not overdoing it...
“I guess children really do become adults while travelling...”
Though Delia did feel a pang of loneliness.
***
Ash and his friends were crossing another mountain en route to the next city.
Ash’s three Pokémon are Pikachu, Pidgeotto and Butterfree. He also has three badges.
Three for three.
Nobody had taken notice of it yet, but Ash now held the local record for most badges earned with least Pokémon caught.
Whether or not that should be considered a good thing for an aspiring Pokémon Trainer is unsure, but one thing for certain is that many more encounters with different people and Pokémon lie ahead, so look forward to it.
To be continued in Pocket Monsters: The Animation Vol. 3
Appendix (Or perhaps afterword)
(... If you're in a hurry, then volume two is finished. ... However, there may be some important information written here that nobody has ever seen before.)
I have a costume of the fossil Pokémon Kabuto at home.
The costume is a detailed replica of the real thing. The outer shell is actually made with real fossils.
These kinds of costumes are like giant plushies that a person can move around inside, often relegated to children’s TV and stage shows or used for special effects in kaiju monster films.
That said I don’t own this Kabuto costume in order to appear on TV or a stage show.
In the middle of the night when most people are sleeping, when the stars are particularly bright, I wear my Kabuto costume and think in silence.
I barely move.
By nature, the fossil Pokémon Kabuto would have sat still and quiet in the depths of the ocean.
The Pokémon Kabuto went extinct a long time ago. But even an extinct Pokémon would have had feelings.
I wear this costume to ponder how this Pokémon lived and thought during its time living on this planet.
However, once I’m inside the costume, I feel at peace, and before I know it, I feel like I’ve become one with a Kabuto.
I feel like that Pokémon who has long since become extinct.
Or at least, I ponder how it must have felt?
This planet has existed for 4.6 billion years... so many living beings have populated this world, all of them with vastly different ways of living.
However, as living creatures, we must all share some degree of commonality.
That fills me with a sense of harmony.
Currently, this world is populated with more than 150 known species of Pokémon. Of course, these are only the ones humans know of, through the forests, fields and shores, there are many more Pokémon yet to be discovered. Those countless Pokémon also have their own lives.
However, the long extinct Kabuto... to the point where I wear this costume, is the one I feel affinity with.
An affinity I don’t feel with present day Pokémon or people.
Where does this affinity originate... Solving this mystery may hold the answers to the past 4.6 billion years of life on this planet? ... What are Pokémon? ... What are people? I seek these answers.
There’s something in this world called mythical Pokémon.
Anyone who knows anything about Pokémon has pursued a mythical Pokémon.
It’s unknown how many mythical Pokémon there are in the world.
There’s no limits to the myths seen by people, thus there may also be no limits to the mythical Pokémon we see either.
It could be possible that there’s truly only one mythical Pokémon.
Something that all life on our planet was linked to.
If we were to designate a specific entity as that mythical Pokémon, then we could no longer consider the mythical Pokémon to be a myth.
Because in such an instance, we would be able to verify the existence of it.
Humans currently approach Pokémon in many different ways.
Pokémon Trainers catch various Pokémon and interact and learn from them that way.
Pokémon Scholars examine Pokémon scientifically.
Each of these approaches are valid.
However, I ponder the lives of Pokémon in this world from a point of pondering life itself.
As such, I also ponder the meaning of life for humanity in this world...
But I’ll leave the complex topics behind for now.
Would you like to wear a Pokémon costume in the middle of the night one day?
A wonderful unity... it will surely lead to pleasant dreams.
The Sound Sleep Pokémon Costume Company
Over 100 varieties available
Discounts for buying in pairs.
We also provide Sound Sleep Pokémon pillows.
Note: This is a misleading piece of advertisement.
The first half has stolen my writing without permission. The latter half is a mish mash of Pokémon philosophers. Only those last four lines are originally written by the manufacturer.
Of course, when I sent in a complaint they responded by sending me a sound sleep pillow shaped like the cocoon Pokémon Metapod as an apology. There’s some truly despicable people in this world.
It’s quite depressing.
An excerpt from the memos of Pokémon Analyst Bill Sonezaki
***
And that’s the end. It’s over. The author provided a short afterword in the first volume, so I thought that I, the translator, might include one here. This isn’t part of the original Japanese text, so feel free to ignore me, I guess?
Despite saying that the story would be continued in volume 3, a third volume of these books was never published. And even putting aside the fact these two books were published in the 90s, the fact that Takeshi Shudo passed away in 2010 means it’s highly unlikely that he’ll write any more of them.
Growing up, Pokémon meant a lot to me. It got me through a lot of tough times. I started watching the show as a boy roughly Ash’s age and am now a woman roughly Delia’s age. When I transitioned, I actually took my new name from my childhood Pokémon Crystal save file. To be entirely honest, I stopped watching the anime years ago due to a number of factors, but I still play the games and have been watching the movies again since 2017’s I Choose You.
This has actually become quite a bit longer than Mr. Shudo’s afterword from volume one. But after the effort of translating all of his words over the past two books, I think it’s fair that I get a few words of my own?
... The Translator
Translation Notes:
• The comparison of the words “Vermilion” and “vermin” were originally “Kuchiba” and “kuchibashi” (beak).
• The mention of there being a Joy at “Cerulean Gym” as opposed to “Cerulean City” is an error on the part of the original text, not the translation.
• The “guardian spirit” is specifically a “zashiki-warashi” in Japanese, a protective household deity.
• Instead of describing Misty and Brock in English as “little lady” and “young man”, Surge actually uses the English phrases “mini lady” and “middle young” in the original Japanese text. No actual English speaker would ever use that phrasing, so I changed it.
• Arigatou is Japanese for thank you, I left it untranslated when Ash was thanking Surge because of the use of multiple languages, including English.
• The “swell” pun was originally based on “並み” (average) and “波” (wave) both read as “nami”.