Ash pushed open the doors of the lab, and warm sunlight spilled over him and the Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He turned back for one last look at Pallet Town—the place he'd lived for ten years—then, eyes firm, stepped onto the road leading into the unknown.
Unlike the noisy, constantly bickering beginning in the original story, Ash and Pikachu hadn't developed a deep bond yet, but they had built the foundation of trust and cooperation.
Pikachu sat obediently on his shoulder, curiously observing the scenery, occasionally tapping Ash's cap with its paw and chirping a cheerful "Pika-pi." Ash walked while using his Aura to attempt more delicate emotional communication, with surprisingly good results.
"According to the map, once we pass through that forest ahead, we'll reach Viridian City," Ash murmured, following the Pokédex's map function. "This region is home to Pidgey and Spearow… gotta be careful."
Having full knowledge of the plot, he knew exactly what happens here in the original timeline—provoking a flock of Spearow, which then kicked off a series of major events.
But now that he had a second chance, he definitely wasn't planning on repeating any of that.
Before he could finish the thought, frantic "Pidgey! Pidgey!" cries echoed from the woods up ahead, mixed with the sounds of struggling wings.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a glance, then hurried forward.
There, a ruffled and panicked Pidgey had its feet tightly entangled by several tough vines. No matter how it flapped and twisted, it couldn't break free.
"A trap? Or just natural growth?" Ash frowned. Accidents like this weren't unheard of in the wild.
But… this didn't appear in the original story!
"Pika pi!" Pikachu pointed at the Pidgey, then at Ash, clearly asking what to do.
"Let's help it."
Ash nodded. He knelt down and carefully began working to remove the vines. Pikachu hopped down to assist, tugging gently with its little paws.
But while they were focused on freeing the Pidgey, neither of them noticed several sharp, predatory eyes watching from the treetops.
A larger, more menacing Spearow let out a shrill, warning cry!
"Gyaaa—!!"
Ash's heart jolted. He jerked his head up—
Seven or eight Spearow burst from the trees, diving toward them in a tight formation!
Their gazes were locked—not on Ash, not on Pikachu—but on the trapped Pidgey.
It was clearly their prey.
And Ash and Pikachu, by trying to save it, were seen as thieves stealing their food!
"Not good!"
Ash immediately understood.
In the original, Pikachu angered a single Spearow, triggering everything that followed.
This time, their kindness had provoked the entire flock instead!
"Pikachu, stay alert!"
Ash shielded the now-freed Pidgey behind him. Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder, cheeks sparking, ready for battle.
"Pika—CHU!"
A small jolt burst from Pikachu and struck the leading Spearow, but only made it pause for a heartbeat—before becoming even angrier. Pikachu was nowhere near the level of the iconic "Pika-god" yet; its power couldn't intimidate an entire flock.
The Spearow shrieked and launched a furious assault—
Pecks, slashes, wing attacks—
A storm of feathers and sharp beaks!
Ash swung his backpack to block as best he could, while Pikachu fired frantic bursts of electricity, but the effect was limited. One Spearow broke through the defense entirely, its sharp beak aiming straight for Ash's face!
In that instant of danger, Ash's Aura erupted with a ferocity he had never experienced.
Protect himself.
Protect Pikachu.
Protect the innocent Pidgey behind him.
His will surged—the raw instinct to survive igniting that inner power!
Without thinking, Ash drew back his right fist at his waist while extending his left arm, adopting a stance of focused concentration.
[Detected: intense host willpower and energy surge… Conditions met for "Event Alteration Node"… temporary auxiliary energy transfer initiated...]
The cold system voice brushed past his awareness like an illusion in the heat of battle.
In the next instant, Ash raised his arms into an "L" shape—and a blazing platinum-white beam erupted from his right forearm.
The beam was thick, concentrated, and its form unmistakably resembled the finishing move of that warrior from the Land of Light he remembered!
BOOOOM—!!!
The platinum beam didn't strike the Spearow directly.
Instead, it blasted the ground in front of the flock, exploding dirt and grass everywhere and carving out a small, charred crater!
The intense shockwave and blinding light instantly stunned every Spearow in the air!
Terrified by this sudden, unknown, overwhelmingly powerful attack, the entire flock shrieked in panic, abandoned their assault, and scattered wildly into the sky until they vanished from sight.
Once the attack faded, a heavy wave of exhaustion hit Ash. His right arm throbbed with a tearing pain, and he nearly lost his balance. That single blast had drained nearly all of his Aura!
"Pika?!" Pikachu cried in worry.
[Ding! Host successfully repelled Spearow flock and protected Pidgey.
Altered the event node: "Pallet Town beginner trainer's first ambush," preventing severe injury to host and Pikachu's potential overexertion.
Reward: 500 World Points.]
[Ding! Host has creatively used Aura in real combat, awakening the prototype skill: Aura Ray (requires extensive practice to stabilize).
Reward: 100 World Points.]
[Ding! Detected: Host possesses Pikachu and has successfully altered the initial destiny node.
Granting exclusive partner reward: Light Ball ×1.]
[Current World Points: 700.]
The clear system prompts confirmed everything—that attack wasn't a hallucination.
But what truly shocked him was…
The system actually gave him a Light Ball right away!
Ash focused, and a bright yellow orb appeared in his hand—crackling with golden electricity, as if countless bolts of lightning swirled inside.
The moment it appeared, Pikachu's attention was instantly seized.
Its eyes widened, the electric sacs on its cheeks popping with sparks as the Light Ball resonated strongly with it.
"Pika! Pika-chu!" (★ω★)
Pikachu practically sang in excitement, pointing eagerly at the orb.
"This is for you, Pikachu."
Ash smiled, handing it over. "It's called a Light Ball. It'll help you grow much stronger."
Pikachu immediately grabbed—no, hugged—the Light Ball that was nearly as big as its own torso.
Strangely, the crackling electricity around the orb softened upon contact, as if recognizing its rightful owner.
Fine, gentle streams of electrical energy flowed steadily into Pikachu's body.
"Piiiiikaaaachuuu"
Pikachu narrowed its eyes in bliss, humming comfortably.
It could feel its power rising, and its affinity for electricity increasing!
It wasn't battle-ready yet, but wearing it long-term would greatly boost Pikachu's potential and the strength of its Electric-type moves.
Seeing Pikachu clutching the Light Ball so dearly, Ash couldn't help feeling delighted.
This was practically a gift from system.
He focused his thoughts and attempted to store the Light Ball in the system's inventory, intending to bring it out only during battles to avoid unwanted attention. And sure enough—the Light Ball vanished from his hand and appeared in his system storage.
"Pika?"
Pikachu froze when it realized its treasure was gone, becoming a little panicked.
"Don't worry, Pikachu. I stored it for safekeeping. I'll bring it out when you need it."
Ash used his Aura to transmit reassurance as he spoke. Pikachu hesitated, then nodded reluctantly—trusting him.
Overall, this was a massive win!
At that moment, the rescued Pidgey approached carefully and gently rubbed its head against Ash's pant leg in gratitude.
Ash looked at the Pidgey, and an idea stirred in his mind.
Perhaps…
He took out an empty Poké Ball and spoke softly:
"Want to come with me?
Let's see a bigger world together."
Pidgey glanced at Ash, then at Pikachu on his shoulder.
After a moment of thought, it nodded lightly and tapped the Poké Ball with its beak.
A flash of red light—
Capture successful!
Ash lifted the Poké Ball in triumph, sunlight filtering through the leaves to cast a warm golden glow over him.
"Alright! I caught Pidgey!"
Though the start had been chaotic, the outcome was… even better than the original story.
He'd caught his first Pokémon, built deeper trust with Pikachu, earned system rewards, and even awakened an offensive Aura technique.
The journey ahead was looking brighter than ever.
"Let's go, Pikachu! Pidgey!
Next stop—Viridian City!"