"Achoo!"
Ray Chu suddenly sneezed. Who's thinking about me?
But his carefree expression quickly turned serious, eyes narrowing sharply at the enormous opponent looming before him.
It was a purple Nidoking—muscular, powerful, and battle-hardened. A sharp, venomous horn protruded menacingly from its forehead, and even with its mouth shut, fearsome fangs remained plainly visible. A row of rugged spikes stretched from its neck to the tip of its tail, and its fierce triangular eyes glared aggressively at Ray Chu, hind legs braced and poised for attack.
Three days had passed since that stormy night. Now traveling alone, Ray Chu had embarked on a journey through a world dominated by battles, eager to challenge powerful Pokémon and raise his own strength.
This Nidoking was the undisputed king of this forest, countless scars—and especially the deep gash crossing its right eye—testifying to its experience in countless battles.
Poison and Ground types usually spelled trouble for Electric Pokémon like Ray Chu. But then again, he was no ordinary Pikachu.
[SAND ATTACK]
He kicked up a burst of dirt, briefly obscuring Nidoking's vision, and surged forward instantly with Quick Attack. Spinning midair, he unleashed a precise Double Kick straight into Nidoking's torso.
Nidoking roared in pain, but true to its status as the area's apex predator, it clenched its muscles to endure the blow, claws glowing white as it retaliated with Counter!
The heavy strike smashed straight through Ray Chu—only to find itself hitting an afterimage. Ray Chu's true form appeared in a blur behind Nidoking, his tail hardening to steel and whipping downward.
Yet at the last second, Nidoking summoned a shimmering Reflect barrier, dulling Iron Tail's impact. The long-prepared strike only made Nidoking stagger slightly. Regaining its footing, the great beast turned and fixed its fierce gaze upon the seemingly insignificant electric mouse.
Nidoking had faced countless challengers, dispatching most effortlessly. Today, for the first time, it found itself genuinely tested—even pushed back.
"Grrroaah!"
With a fierce roar that rattled the ground and blew Ray Chu's fur back, Nidoking's horn ignited in swirling green venom, releasing a dense poisonous mist toward him.
Ray Chu attempted to evade, but the toxic cloud exploded midair, catching him off guard. Even the faintest breath left him dizzy, vision swimming nauseatingly.
Sensing an opening, Nidoking charged, fists crackling fiercely with electricity as it swung forward in a mighty Thunder Punch.
However, Ray Chu's Lightning Rod ability nullified the electrical power completely, leaving only physical force to send him hurtling toward a nearby tree. He twisted mid-flight, kicking off the trunk the moment he touched it, and launched back at Nidoking with Quick Attack.
"[BRICK BREAK]!"
With double acceleration behind it, Ray Chu's Brick Break slammed mercilessly into Nidoking's chest, drawing another howl of agony from the beast as its tail lashed out wildly in blind retaliation.
Ray Chu sidestepped neatly, seized the massive tail with his small paws, and with shocking strength that cracked the earth beneath him, exploded with powerful fighting aura.
"[SEISMIC TOSS]!"
A signature favorite among Fighting-type Pokémon—but now devastating in Ray Chu's hands. With a fierce cry of "Pika!", the enormous Nidoking was lifted effortlessly into the sky by the much smaller Pikachu, before plummeting brutally back to earth, inflicting massive damage. Even Nidoking's rugged constitution left it immobilized for several moments.
[DEFEATED WILD NIDOKING | LEVEL +1]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 28]
[LEARNED MOVES: THUNDER PUNCH, SEISMIC TOSS]
Not bad. When Nidoking landed that Thunder Punch earlier, Ray Chu had absorbed the technique easily. Compared to Current Drive—combining Aura and Psychic energies—Thunder Punch was practically effortless.
Still, he'd need simpler attacks. Blasting every tough opponent with Current Drive would eventually kill someone outright—and there was no healing a Pokémon from that.
As for Seismic Toss, it was a Fighting-type move ingrained deep within a Pokémon's genetic memory. But Ray Chu quickly realized his body was exceptionally suited for such martial moves. It might even trace back to his Turtle School and Anything-Goes Martial Arts training.
With the battle settled, Ray Chu approached cautiously under Nidoking's wary gaze and healed its injuries with his Aura. After all, he'd provoked the fight to further his training. Luckily, Nidoking's hide was thick, and it quickly rose to its feet again.
With a silent nod of mutual respect—no words needed between warriors—Nidoking turned away, leading a family of Nidoran and Nidorina back into the forest depths.
Having bested the strongest Pokémon in this forest, Ray Chu had no reason to linger. It was time to move on.
Yet without navigation or even a basic map, Ray Chu's training journey meant wandering aimlessly through unfamiliar terrain.
...
A week later, Ray Chu finally emerged from the dense forest, dusty and dressed like a weary traveler. He couldn't help letting out a delighted squeak of triumph.
Ahead stretched a wide, bustling road. Children traveled in groups on foot or bicycles, chatting cheerfully, some stopping occasionally for impromptu Pokémon battles along the roadside.
As Ray Chu wandered onto the path, he quickly drew attention as a wild Pokémon. A short-haired boy stepped forward eagerly, shouting, "That's one spirited Pikachu! I'm gonna catch it! Go, Ivysaur!"
The boy pressed his Poké Ball, releasing Ivysaur in a burst of light. A squat Pokémon resembling a blue-green toad emerged, dark eyes alert, and a tightly closed flower bud on its back.
Ivysaur, the evolved form of the Starter Pokémon Bulbasaur—managing to evolve it this early indicated decent talent on the trainer's part.
Curious to gauge his strength against a trainer's Pokémon, Ray Chu patiently waited for Ivysaur's attack.
A small crowd quickly gathered to watch the match.
"Ivysaur, [VINE WHIP]!"
At its trainer's command, two emerald vines whipped forward aggressively from beneath Ivysaur's bud. But Ray Chu sidestepped them lazily, avoiding the strikes as effortlessly as taking a stroll. The vines merely slapped uselessly against the ground, sending up a small puff of dust—little more than a joke.
"Damn it! [RAZOR LEAF]!"
Ivysaur jumped back sharply, sending a flurry of spinning leaves slicing through the air toward Ray Chu, swiftly surrounding him from all sides.
"Nowhere to run now!" shouted the trainer triumphantly.
Before his victorious smile fully formed, Ray Chu yawned lazily, broke free with a casual Quick Attack, and swatted Ivysaur with a single, lazy sweep of his tail—sending it flying backward, eyes spinning as it lost consciousness immediately.
"Ivysaur!" cried the trainer in despair.
Clearly, Pokémon trained by typical humans might possess varied movesets, but their combat instincts paled in comparison to wild Pokémon. Didn't they know positioning was crucial for damage dealers?
Ray Chu shook his head, disappointed. He hadn't even warmed up, and yet his opponent had already fallen.
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T/N: oh btw current drive is basically uhhhh his z-move stuff like catastropika, blah blah dont think too hard since he doesnt have a trainer he cant do z moves