"It's finally over. Thank goodness the Shogun is alright."
Kondo's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed. As expected, company trips and the like were not to be trusted.
After trembling while lighting a cigarette, Hijikata took a deep drag and slowly exhaled:
"Kondo-san, aren't you thinking about what the Shogun went through? You call that alright??"
The helicopter was blown up, he was used as a snowboard, the penile brake, kicked off a cliff, and on top of that, hoodwinked by a certain nasty natural perm… Just how unlucky do you have to be to encounter all of that in a single day!
Kondo thought about it and scratched his head in embarrassment:
"E-even after encountering so many unexpected situations, the Shogun is still safe. Doesn't that just prove we did a good job protecting him!"
"Kondo-san, is it possible that without our protection, the Shogun might actually be safer?"
Sougo added silently.
"You can't escape responsibility either, you ringleader!"
Hijikata suddenly felt mentally exhausted. Who told him to have such an unreliable boss and a subordinate who constantly pits him against said boss?
.....
However, not long after, the video screen changed again, and a new title appeared on the screen.
〖 POKÉMON WORLD: RAINBOW HERO, I CHOOSE YOU!! 〗
[ As the text faded, an incredibly cute yellow mouse with lightning bolts on its cheeks appeared before everyone's eyes! ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
"Ash! It's Pikachu!"
Seeing that somewhat familiar appearance, Misty immediately cried out in surprise.
"It's really true! If Pikachu is there, that means it's our world, right?"
Ash got excited upon hearing this:
"I wonder what kind of exciting Pokémon battles it will bring? I'm really looking forward to it!"
When Professor Oak saw the words "Rainbow Hero," he sprayed the water he had just sipped right out of his mouth, feeling a sudden toothache:
"What Ash said before about meeting Ho-Oh couldn't possibly be true…"
Meanwhile, in the Sinnoh region, Champion Cynthia also perked up. Always curious about myths and legends, she naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
It could be said that the entire Pokémon world was on high alert. This was the Legendary Beast Ho-Oh, the kind one might struggle to see even once in a lifetime. Who could resist the temptation?
.....
[ As the video began to play, a 10-year-old boy was seen running out the door in a panic, constantly shouting, "I'm late… I'm late!"
Ash ran all the way to Professor Oak's research lab in his pajamas and bare feet, but because he was late, all the starter Pokémon had already been chosen.
Ash felt like he had been struck by a bolt from the blue, freezing in place: "Does that mean I have to go on my journey empty-handed…" ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
"Great. The dream of becoming a Pokémon Master ended before it even began."
Everyone was rendered speechless. This kid… seems a bit scatterbrained, doesn't he? On such an important day, he actually overslept.
Watching this scene, Lance couldn't figure one thing out:
"Professor, I heard there were four children, so you only prepared three starters?"
.....
"Achoo~ Who's thinking about me?"
Professor Oak reached out to rub his nose, also feeling somewhat puzzled:
"It really is Ash, but the development seems a bit different?"
.....
[ Looking at the dejected Ash, Professor Oak hesitated for a moment: "There is actually one more Pokémon here, but there might be a bit of a problem with it for you…"
Ash agreed without a second thought: "It's fine! I was late today anyway, so it's my own problem!"
"In that case…" Professor Oak looked toward the second floor, where a Pikachu was moving about. Ash excitedly chased after it.
"This Pokémon is called Pikachu! What do you think?" After toying with Ash for a bit, Pikachu obediently stayed by Professor Oak's feet.
Ash didn't care about any of that and leaned in directly, picking it up with both hands: "It's the best of the best! My name is Ash, pleased to meet you, Pikachu!"
Then, the picked-up Pikachu became unhappy: "Pi… PIKACHU!!"
As the red circles on its cheeks flashed with electric light, a dazzling golden current struck directly onto Ash's body, though he appeared to be unharmed.
"It's also known as the Electric Mouse. It's very shy, so it's hard for it to get close to people… If you touch it casually, it will turn out like this." ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Everyone was dumbfounded. Professor, was that step back you took just now serious? You call that very shy??
What stunned everyone the most was that Pikachu's electric shock didn't seem to cause any damage to Ash…
Lance rubbed his eyes:
"Is this kid actually a Ground-type human? Taking Pikachu's Thunderbolt directly, and only his clothes got slightly dirty?!"
Somewhere, Steven, who was still mining, laughed:
"With that body durability, it's a pity he didn't come to mine with me."
Alder was also caught between laughter and tears:
"Should I be glad there are no wild battles involving humans…"
〜A Certain Magical Index World, Academy City〜
"Kuroko, pinch me. Am I still asleep?"
Misaka Mikoto blinked her eyes in a daze.
These Pokémon were not only cute but also had such strong abilities. It suddenly felt like electric-type abilities were becoming a dime a dozen.
Moreover, this boy named Ash was so strong… As an LV 5 Electromaster, she naturally knew how strong that current was, yet the other party was completely fine.
"Onee-sama, accept reality. You aren't dreaming."
Kuroko sighed. The times have changed; now even a mouse from another world can discharge electricity. Though it is indeed very cute!
.....
[ Although his scalp was numb from the shock, Ash just shook his head and said with a determined face: "This is nothing."
Subsequently, Ash changed into the clothes his mother sent, put on his hat, and prepared to set off: "Let's go, Pikachu!"
Unexpectedly, Pikachu arrogantly turned its head away, completely ignoring Ash's words. So, Ash tried to recall it into its Poké Ball: "Get in, Pikachu!"
Directly, Pikachu slapped the ball back with its tail, smashing it into Ash's face. Just like that, Ash and Pikachu seemed to be at odds, tossing the Poké Ball back and forth. ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
"You call a Thunderbolt 'nothing'… You really are a beast, a proper Humanoid Pokémon! You almost got captured by Pikachu just now."
Seeing this scene, everyone rubbed their temples in headache… This fool, has he never been to school? Kid, your trainer level isn't high enough! Pikachu won't listen.
"It really is different."
Professor Oak took a slurp of his instant noodles and noticed the discrepancy. He didn't get shocked this time?
Could it be a parallel world?Or perhaps a Reverse World like the one with the Legendary Giratina? But regardless, it piqued his curiosity.
.....
[ Professor Oak spoke up to remind him: "Actually, this Pikachu really hates entering Poké Balls…"
After several rounds of catch with the ball, Ash also gave up on the idea of recalling it into the Poké Ball and reached out to pick it up again: "Forget it, Pikachu and I are friends, right?"
Clearly not… because Pikachu released electric light again, and this time, no one present could escape.
The scene shifted. Ash finally embarked on his journey, tying a rope around Pikachu's waist and dragging it out of Pallet Town.
"Sigh…" After sighing, Ash still untied the rope: "Anyway, I want to get along with you, so we don't need this."
However, Pikachu still wasn't willing to acknowledge him. Just then, Ash discovered a Pokémon in the grass: "It's a Pidgey! The first capture is the first step toward becoming a Pokémon Master."
"Go, Poké Ball!" Ash threw the Poké Ball at the Pidgey without a second word, hitting the target!
Accompanied by a red light from the Poké Ball, the Pidgey was taken inside. After shaking a few times, the Pidgey turned into a white light and ran out of the Poké Ball. Capture failed. ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Watching this capture process, the audience was stunned, collectively slapping their foreheads hard… This fool, did he really never go to school?
Awesome, the Full-Health Ball Throwing Master… You think you're holding a Master Ball! Who taught you to catch Pokémon by just throwing the ball directly? It would be weird if it didn't fail!
"What do the people of Pallet Town grow up eating? Are they all this resistant to electricity? Everyone got shocked, but no one was hurt."
"Sorry, but you took the wrong first step toward becoming a Pokémon Master. Who starts their journey by tying a rope around their starter Pokémon!"
Watching Ash's operation, everyone felt like they were watching their own student using a beaker to cook instant noodles. They wished they could go over there personally and teach him what common sense was.
.....
[ Looking at the failed Poké Ball, Ash finally remembered the scant knowledge in his brain: "To capture one, I need to engage in a Pokémon battle! Go, Pikachu."
Pikachu continued to ignore him, grooming its fur. It looked as if to say 'you do it,' squatting on a rock and continuing to slack off.
"Fine, then I'll do it!" Ash's temper flared up, too. Giving up on asking for help, he bent down and picked up a small stone.
Without a word, he threw it at the Pidgey, but the Pidgey happened to fly away, and the stone smashed into the grass further away.
"Caw?" A Spearow, looking like bad news, poked its head out with a large bump on it, looking around. It quickly locked onto Pikachu, who was laughing on the side.
"Caw!" The Spearow howled angrily and rushed over to attack, but Pikachu easily dodged it and even shocked it a bit, causing it to stumble and fall into a large tree.
Subsequently… flocks of Spearow flew out from the tree, rushing towards them without hesitation! ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
"You just said Pokémon battle, and then you attacked? Are you the legendary Humanoid Pokémon? So that move just now was Rock Throw, right!"
Watching Ash's behavior, everyone expressed their speechlessness. They had seen many novice trainers, but never one this novice! Throwing rocks? How did you even come up with that?
However, jokes aside, everyone was still somewhat worried. After all, a flock of Spearow was no joke. How could a ten-year-old child handle this?
Cynthia frowned slightly:
"With so many Spearow, this boy is in a bit of danger!"
Steven also stopped his mining motions, appearing somewhat concerned:
"What can be done now, Ash…"
A novice adventurer who just set out on a journey, encountering such a flock of Spearow, without having captured a single Pokémon—how could he face the current situation?
.....
( Translator-kun: Wait, what does Prof. Oak mean? Are there two timelines in the first Pokémon series? I thought the split timeline start was on the Mega Timeline and the Non-Mega Timeline in Hoenn/Kalos. Also, clarity: 'Main Worldline' = Anime, while games will be referred to by Version or Protagonist Name. )