Chapter Twenty-One: On How the Electric Mouse Became the Protagonist

On a wild road leading to Vermilion City, a Meowth suddenly leaped out in front of Ash and his companions.

It was a standard, indigenous Meowth—the kind that walked on all fours, could not speak, and was busy grazing on the grass.

"Meow!"

Seeing the three approaching, the wild Meowth lowered its stance, fur bristling, and let out a threatening sound.

"What a unique Meowth! It can't even talk!"

Ash was greatly astonished. His eyes lit up, and he immediately decided to capture this unusual Meowth. If he encountered Team Rocket in the future, he could use this Meowth to defeat theirs, countering them at the source!

"Um, Ash, normal Meowths don't talk..." Brock and Misty explained, feeling a bit speechless.

Why did they always feel that this boy's thought process was slightly different from a normal person’s? Did he think all Meowths in the world were talking Pokémon? They really wanted to open his brain and take a look.

Red: "..."

No need to open it; being there in person, it really was...

"Forget it, I've already decided to capture it. I choose you, Pikachu!"

As Ash gestured grandly, the Pikachu on his shoulder leaped up and struck an attacking pose. He still had too few Pokémon; three were hardly enough. He needed at least another one to round out a "four-emperor" bond.

"Strike first, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

"Pika!"

Hearing the command, Pikachu began to sprint across the ground, its body wreathed in a faint white light. It moved at an astonishing speed, zipping forward with a "whoosh."

"Meow!"

However, the wild Meowth didn't just stand there foolishly. With a sharp, piercing cry, it began to run on all fours. Using the exact same move, its speed was in no way inferior to Pikachu’s.

Quick Attack!

*Clang!*

Pikachu and Meowth collided. The shockwave from the impact rippled outward, flattening the surrounding grass—it was a stalemate. Both the cat and the mouse were sent tumbling backward.

"Be careful, Ash. Meowths are usually Pokémon that act like masters in cities; if they are in the wild, their strength shouldn't be underestimated," Brock cautioned.

But just as he finished speaking, the large gold coin on the Meowth’s forehead suddenly lit up with a strange glow. It flicked its front claws, appearing to throw something.

*Thump!*

It was as if Pikachu’s head had been struck head-on by something heavy, and its body flew backward as if it had been knocked out.

"Pika..."

When Pikachu stood up again, a large, red, swollen bump had appeared on its forehead, and its eyes were welling up with tears. It hurt so much!

"Damn it, it can even use hidden weapons!" Ash shouted angrily.

Just as he finished, his pocket felt strangely lighter, as if something had vanished.

"That move is called Pay Day. If Pikachu gets hit, your allowance is gone," Brock quickly warned again.

Ash: "?"

What kind of principle was that?

*Whoosh!*

Another gleaming gold coin projectile was fired!

This time, Pikachu narrowed its eyes, its face turning serious, and it quickly dodged to the side. It hadn't cared much before, but hearing what the "dark-skinned guy" said, if it got hit again, it would only make things worse for the already impoverished Ash. And if that happened, wouldn't it mean things would be worse for Pikachu too?

It wouldn't stand for that!

A warm current of electricity flashed through its heart, and Ash knew the moment had come. His expression sharpened, and he roared:

"Pikachu, use the finishing Thunderbolt!"

"Pika... CHUUUU!!!"

A powerful surge of electricity erupted from Pikachu’s cheeks. The lightning energy spilled out in all directions, and the brilliant golden light illuminated the entire meadow!

"Meow-meow-meow?"

Under the weight of the massive Thunderbolt, the wild Meowth’s eyes widened, and it could only stare in a daze. Its paw, still holding the gold coin, froze in place.

*Rumble!*

The next moment, the electricity exploded, black smoke billowed, and the Meowth was completely engulfed...

Soon, the lightning and smoke dissipated, leaving a large crater in the ground. The Meowth, now scorched to a crisp, was unable to battle and lay on the ground.

"Perfect chance! I choose you, Poké Ball!"

Ash’s eyes lit up. He grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt, struck a pitcher's pose, and threw it without a second thought.

*Clang!*

The Poké Ball hit the Meowth squarely on the head, adding insult to injury for the already defeated Pokémon.

"Meow#￥%@&!"

This time, the Meowth fainted completely... but the red light of capture never appeared. The Poké Ball bounced off and landed on the ground.

Ash: "???"

Could the Poké Balls he received from the lab be knock-offs?! You’ve really done it this time, Professor Oak.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the Poké Ball suddenly popped open with a "pop." Ash subconsciously touched his own belt. Everything was fine; his Rayquaza and utility bird were still there.

As the light faded, they saw another Pikachu. It was slightly larger, its fur a darker shade, and its demeanor quite seasoned. Most peculiar was its face—unlike the squash-like shape of Ash’s Pikachu, this one had a small, round face, giving it a somewhat exotic style.

Ash: "???"

He realized it in an instant. Professor Oak had been playing favorites, stuffing another Pikachu into an empty Poké Ball? You really are something, Professor Oak!

Red: "..."

What kind of logic was this?

But finally realizing he was carrying a second Pikachu, whether intentional or not, even the introverted Red couldn't help but reveal a motherly smile.

"Finally, I don't have to wake up in the middle of the night to find food for Pikachu alone..."

Misty rubbed her eyes, remembering something, and said triumphantly:

"Haha, Ash! I told you that you had a second Pikachu, and I've finally caught you with proof!"

A second Pikachu?

Watching the two look at her with confusion, Misty continued, "Didn't I say before? Back in Viridian City, you were already carrying two Pikachu, and one of them could even use a high-level skill called 'Extreme Speed'."

"Pika~!"

Seeing this, Ash’s Pikachu hopped over quite happily, lifting a small paw and pointing at the other cat, as if claiming credit.

"Pika..."

Red’s Pikachu stood on its tiptoes to make itself look a little taller, then patted Ash’s Pikachu on the head, acknowledging its performance. Mouse Pokémon were naturally superior to cat-type Pokémon; they had a racial advantage.

"Pika...?"

"Pika!"

"Pika-pika-pika-pika..."

The two began to communicate in the universal language of electric mice, leaving the three humans unable to understand a word, watching like they were looking at a mystery through a microscope. But one thing was certain: this wasn't the first time these two Pikachu had met.

The two Pikachu chatted away, seemingly discussing something. If the Meowth were conscious, it might have been able to translate for them.

"Little Pika," the round-faced Pikachu said, "how many battles have you slacked off in lately?"

"Three."

The round-faced one nodded, quite satisfied.

"Not bad. As children of destiny, slacking off is a racial skill we must master. But you can't slack off forever; you have to keep your own muscles hard. In future battles, strive to be the first Pokémon to enter the field, seize all the initial focus, and after defeating one, step back to avoid the heat. Then, reappear when the climax arrives to clean up, while blowing up the surrounding field and destroying facilities, becoming the most eye-catching electric mouse in the arena. This way, others will get the illusion that you alone carried the other five 'muggles' from start to finish."

Red’s Pikachu continued to provide pointers. *How to Become a Protagonist: A Guide for Electric Mice.*

Ash’s Pikachu nodded repeatedly, as if receiving a treasure, its experience points skyrocketing. It thought to itself that the great senior was indeed impressive; a few words of advice were worth ten battles against Team Rocket.

"Hey, hey, Pikachu, is this your relative?" Ash asked, unable to resist interjecting now that the two had finished communicating. Damn it, why was his Pikachu, despite being shorter than the other, so much wider in girth!?

"Pika~"

The round-faced Pikachu twitched its ears and raised a small paw to greet Ash cordially. This was the instruction Red had given it before they parted: to temporarily be the Pokémon of this boy named Ash. Although the trainer's level seemed a bit low, he smelled similar to Red... The round-faced one actually had a decent impression of Ash.

Seeing this, Ash seemed to understand something and asked, "So, are you going to travel with me?"

"Pika~!"

The round-faced Pikachu nodded, acknowledging Ash's status as its trainer.

"Then, I'll be counting on you."

Ash bent down, intending to pat the head of this exotic Pikachu.

*Zip...!*

Just as he reached out, the Pikachu agilely hopped up his arm and onto his shoulder. Then, it reached out and patted Ash’s head with an old, experienced air.

"Pika-pika~~!"

If the Meowth were there, Ash would have understood what it was saying: "Kid, I've got your back from now on."

And so, a second Pikachu had inexplicably appeared on Ash's shoulder, and the three of them left the meadow in a daze...

"Finally symmetrical..."

"But shoulder pain might be a problem..." Ash muttered, shrugging his shoulders.

...

A long while later, the wild Meowth stood up in the grass, full of question marks.

Meow???

So they just came here to beat me up?!