At midnight, little Pichu quietly crept to the mouth of the cave. It didn't leave immediately.
Looking back at its mother and sister, who were sleeping soundly inside, its eyes welled up with tears. The thought of leaving them behind filled it with sadness and reluctance.
But there was no other way. For the happiness of its mother and sister, it had to go.
Taking a deep breath, Pichu made up its mind. Just as it was about to leave—
"Is it okay to just leave like this?"
"Pichu!"
The sudden voice startled it, sparks flashing across its cheeks. Following the direction of the sound, little Pichu tensed up, ready for battle.
"I mean no harm."
Ash walked out of the shadows, both hands raised in peace.
"I'm just curious. After all, it's rare for a Pichu and a Kangaskhan to live together."
"Pichu!"
It was him—Ash, the human who had risked his life to save its sister.
If its mother and sister knew Ash was here, they'd be so happy.
Should it wake them up to tell them? No, if it did, its "escape" plan would be ruined.
But not waking them up felt rude too… Pichu hesitated, its tiny mind caught between guilt and gratitude.
"If you leave like this, they'll be very sad, won't they?" Ash said softly.
Of course they would. But if Pichu stayed, its mother would only be held back by it.
Lowering its head, the little Pokémon looked dejected. If it had a choice, it would never take this path.
"Why don't you come home with me?"
Ash's words slipped out—sudden, but somehow so natural.
[Meowth: Aha! Parallel world Ash finally showed his true colors, didn't he? After all that fuss, he just wanted to catch the little Pichu! Humans really can't be trusted.]
[James: Hey, hey, hey—show some respect! Your teammates are humans too!]
[Jessie: Heh, I think you're the one showing your true colors, Meowth. It's one thing to insult us, but even the boss?]
[Meowth: Slip of the tongue! Slip of the tongue! Boss, I'm loyal! Totally loyal! You gotta believe me!]
[Will: Ash from the Parallel World isn't that smart either. All that trouble for a Pichu? What's he thinking?]
[Lorelei: Will's getting on my nerves again. I really wanna punch him.]
[Lance: Don't mind him—if you get the chance, punch him good!]
[Ash: Wow, the me from another world is so cool! I can even stay out late!]
When Ash was five, if he'd dared to stay out past dark, his mom Delia would've shown him exactly why flowers are so red.
[Misty: Heh, do you really compare to him? If you were even half as well-behaved as Black Ash, Aunt Delia would be burning incense in your honor.]
[Delia: Exactly! Ash, you should learn from him.]
Now, little Pichu had two choices—
One: refuse Ash's invitation and continue to wander alone.
Or two: accept it, repay Ash's kindness, and still be able to visit its family whenever it wanted.
That wasn't a hard choice at all.
Pichu nodded. It chose Ash.
Seeing Pichu's affirmative reply, Ash exhaled in relief. He hadn't realized how nervous he was until now. The more he wanted something, the more he feared rejection.
Back in the nest, Kangaskhan Mama was reluctant to part with little Pichu. Though it wasn't her biological child, she had long treated it as her own.
But what mother would stop her child from chasing a bright future? Pokémon were wiser than people thought.
Though she and Ash had only met twice, Kangaskhan Mama could tell—the boy's future was limitless. By following him, Pichu might also achieve something extraordinary.
With that thought, her heart finally eased.
Meanwhile, the two baby Pokémon were crying buckets of tears. Anyone watching might've thought it was a tragic farewell for life and death.
It was a bit much, honestly—Pallet Town was only about an hour's journey away. If Pichu wanted to, it could visit every day.
12:30 AM.
Delia's house was crowded; half the town had gathered inside.
Delia said, "Professor, we can't wait any longer!"
She had been pacing anxiously for hours. If Professor Oak hadn't calmed her down, she'd have already gone searching herself.
"Alright, let's go," Oak finally said.
The professor didn't actually believe Ash was in danger. Even at five years old, Ash was more composed than most adults.
With his tough little physique—built from constant outdoor training—there wasn't a wild Pokémon near Pallet Town that could threaten him.
Still, it was very late, and if they didn't find him soon, Delia would probably have a breakdown.
With Oak's signal, everyone began to move. Delia rushed straight for the door, yanking it open—
And there stood a confused Ash.
Ash: ???????
Pichu: ???????
Both looked completely dumbfounded.