Chapter 27: Pikachu's Evolution Item: Electirizer

"Pika?"
"Awoo~"
"Pika?"
"Awoo~"
Soon, the two Pokémon engaged in a conversation in the language of dragons... while the three human muggles merely stood by, staring blankly.

"Pika pika..."
After a while, Pikachu hopped down from the rocky platform and began gesturing wildly at the three of them, as if trying to convey something.

"Leave it to me. I share a fated bond with Pikachu, so I’m sure I can understand what it’s saying." Ash stepped forward, standing in front of the other two with an expression of absolute confidence. He rubbed his eyes and looked directly at the Pikachu on the ground. Combining the creature’s series of physical motions and facial expressions, Ash felt a sense of connection slowly bridging the gap between them, allowing him to gradually grasp what it intended to communicate.

"Oh, I see. It means that this Charmander is here in deep, focused training, and it wants us outsiders to leave immediately, right?" Ash translated slowly.

Pikachu: "?"

The two behind him could only provisionally agree with this assessment. After all, they lacked a bond with Pikachu, and in such a situation, it made more sense to trust Ash, who shared a fated connection. Besides, if it truly was deep training, then the creature's exhausted state made perfect sense. Wild Pokémon had their own worlds, and humans really shouldn't interfere with such rigorous discipline.

"What a shame..." Ash sighed inwardly, choosing to walk away. It seemed that capturing the Charmander was impossible, especially since it had asked them to leave.

Pikachu: "?"
Charmander: "?"
It wanted Ash to help find its Trainer...!

Soon, the three arrived at a small Pokémon Center cabin halfway up the mountain. Just as they pushed open the front door, a clap of thunder exploded outside. *Tap, tap, tap...!* Within moments, a torrential downpour began.

"To think it’s still persisting in its training even in this... what an admirable Charmander," Ash remarked, looking up at the rain outside with a sigh of admiration. Then, glancing down at his feet, he saw Pikachu standing just outside the threshold, shaking its body to spray off the water. His expression shifted to one of stern disappointment. "Pikachu, why don't you go stand out in the rain, too? Maybe you'll evolve by tomorrow."

Pikachu: "?"

"Pikachu don't evolve through intense training," Misty couldn't help but interject. "I heard it requires a specific item." How could there be a Trainer who didn't even know how his own Pokémon evolved?

"An item?" Ash became intrigued, pulled out his Pokédex, and asked, "Pokédex, oh Pokédex, tell me what item is needed for Pikachu to evolve?"

"Beep. Searching for Pikachu’s evolution item..." The Pokédex emitted a string of inexplicable electronic noises as its CPU whirred to life. "Search successful. This search took 27 seconds, surpassing 1% of all Pokédexes in the country. Fantastic. Beep. Pikachu evolution item: Electirizer."

Brock and Misty: "?"
Pikachu: "?"

"An Electirizer? Sounds pretty high-end..." Ash muttered, lost in thought for a moment. He had never heard of such an item in his life. But if evolving meant gaining immense combat power, the prospect was certainly attractive. Even though his Pikachu was still in its growth phase, preparing the evolution item in advance wouldn't be a bad thing.

"So, where do we go to find this item..." As Ash pushed the door open to enter, the other two exchanged glances, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Is it really an Electirizer...?"
"I thought it was a Thunder Stone?"
The two whispered to each other.

***

Inside the small mountain cabin of the Pokémon Center, though small, it was fully equipped with medical facilities, lodging, and the standard Nurse Joy and Chansey set. The three sat at a dining table, intending to have a proper meal and rest.

*Rumble!!*

Another clap of thunder rolled outside. The sky, which had been relatively clear, was now blanketed in dark, ominous clouds, looking as though a dangerous storm was brewing. Ash, usually enthusiastic about food, frowned; the curry rice in front of him suddenly didn't seem as appetizing.

"Hey, Brock, if it keeps training like this, someone’s going to get hurt, right...?" he asked tentatively, his face full of worry.

Brock and Misty lost their appetite as well, clearly understanding what Ash meant—he was worried about the Charmander from earlier.

"Pika!"

At this, Pikachu finally lost its patience. It jumped up and kicked Ash in the knee, signaling that his translation from earlier had been nonsense. *Your whole family is the one training in the rain!*

"What’s wrong, Pikachu? Don't you like today’s Electric-type flavored rations? Here, you can have my curry rice instead." Ash ignored Pikachu and instinctively pushed his bowl toward it.

Pikachu: "?" Although confused, it decided to eat the curry anyway. It buried its face in the bowl and began to feast, deciding to eat first and explain later.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

Just as the three were lost in their own thoughts, a group of people hurried into the Pokémon Center. They were a few years older than Ash and his friends, and judging by their attire, they looked like a bunch of rowdy delinquents. They didn't pay any attention to Ash's group and sat at the table right next to them.

"This rain is so unlucky!"
"By the way, Brother Damian, you’re amazing! You’ve caught so many Pokémon so quickly."
"I, Kenji the Bug Catcher, proclaim you the strongest."

Damian, the delinquent who was being flattered, leaned back with his hands behind his head, propping his feet up on the table with a smug, self-satisfied look. "Hahahaha, I am the future League Champion, so naturally, my starting point is this high." He dumped a pile of more than twenty Poké Balls onto the table, where they rolled around messily.

"But Brother Damian, how come we don't see that Charmander of yours?"

"Oh, you mean that Charmander? That weak Pokémon couldn't even beat a single Gyarados, so I dumped it," Damian said, waving his hand dismissively. He then seemed to remember something and laughed triumphantly. "I even told it to wait for me in the mountains, and that I’d come back for it soon. Hahaha, that idiot actually believed me!"

"As expected of Brother Damian, so cunning!"
"Incredible!"

His lackeys immediately piled on the flattery, causing Damian to shake his leg in triumph and laugh loudly again.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. A low, trembling voice reached his ears, filled with immense fury.

"So, you’re the one who abandoned that Charmander...?"

Without anyone noticing, Ash had arrived behind him. The playful expression he wore all day was now replaced by a look of extreme seriousness—and anger.

"What’s it to—" Before Damian could finish his sentence, a whistling sound cut through the air, followed by a sharp, searing pain on the side of his face.

*Smack!*

A crisp sound of a slap echoed through the room. Damian was knocked clean over by the sheer force of the blow, landing hard on the floor. Ash had slapped him. He had promised that if he ever saw someone abandon their own Pokémon, he would take action.

"You brat, you little Caterpie!!" After a moment of shock, Damian scrambled to his feet, clutching his face with a look of pure rage, veins popping on his forehead. Was this kid crazy? How dare he hit the great him!?

Even his lackeys were stunned. They knew how to handle Pokémon battles, but they’d never learned how to handle a physical brawl! So, they just stood by, shouting encouragement from the sidelines.

"Don't fight, don't fight! You'll kill someone like that!" Brock and Misty were shocked by Ash's sudden outburst, never expecting the usually airheaded boy to have such a violent side. They exchanged glances and rushed over to intervene. Brock grabbed Damian, while Misty held onto Ash.

"Let me go! I’m going to flatten that country bumpkin!!" Damian roared frantically.

Brock: "No! Fighting is wrong!" He restrained Damian tightly; regardless of the circumstances, physical violence was never the answer.

"Let me go! I’m going to flatten that city boy!!" Ash shouted back just as frantically.

Misty: "Okay."

Damian: "?"

Misty let go, and Ash bolted forward like a wild Arcanine off its leash. His previous blow had hit the left side of Damian's face; this time, he swung a heavy right hook. Damian tried to dodge, but he felt as if his limbs were bound by rock and steel, leaving him completely unable to move.

*Wham!!*

The heavy punch slammed into the right side of Damian's face! The sheer force sent his head spinning, and when he tried to get up, he looked like a candle flickering in the wind. Ash had flattened Damian!

***

"The Pokémon Center is no place for fighting!!" After the two strikes, Nurse Joy finally appeared, sternly putting an end to the private scuffle. "Please stop fighting immediately, or your Trainer qualifications will be revoked!"

"You're right, it was my fault." After venting his frustration, Ash immediately bowed to Nurse Joy to apologize, acknowledging that he shouldn't have resorted to violence. Ignoring Damian’s reaction, he grabbed a raincoat and turned, sprinting out of the Pokémon Center. Beating someone up wasn't the point; the point was that Charmander! Brock and Misty hurried to follow him.

The three left, and it took a long time for the dazed Damian to come to his senses. He pointed angrily in the direction they had gone and roared, "Nurse Joy, they hit me! Hurry and revoke their Trainer licenses!"

"I'm sorry, but that requires video evidence, and this Pokémon Center is too small to have security cameras." Nurse Joy simply gave him a cold, dismissive look before walking slowly toward the medical room. It looked like she was going to prepare the facilities for that Charmander after all.

Damian: "..."

Only Damian remained, standing there in the middle of the room, looking utterly humiliated.