Chapter 42: Pichu in Crisis
Location: Thunderstorm House
Model: Urban Environment Map No. 10
Background Introduction:
This was once an ordinary house, with nothing out of the ordinary.
Over two months ago, a violent storm swept through the entire city of Galas.
It was as if the sky had torn open, unleashing torrents of rain. The downpour was so heavy that even the lower-lying areas were flooded with small streams. The storm brought not only rain but also fierce winds, strong enough to lift cars and demolish buildings.
Thunder rumbled through the sky, and lightning streaked across the darkness. A bolt of lightning struck a house on XX Street in Galas City, instantly igniting it in flames. The fire consumed the entire building.
Luckily, the family that lived there had gone on vacation for the summer, sparing them from the disaster.
Although the torrential rain prevented the fire from spreading to nearby residences, the house itself was left in ruins, completely uninhabitable.
The original owner, a nouveau riche, had inherited the property from the older generation. Since it was in a remote location and held little value, he abandoned it.
Later that same month, during another heavy storm, a pale yellow Pokémon Egg arrived through a dimensional rift, landing inside the remains of the house...
Ten days later, the Pokémon Egg hatched!
The house was officially renamed—
Thunderstorm House!!
"Officially renamed Thunderstorm House?"
Nero stared at the name, momentarily stunned.
This was his second time doing a spatial geography check-in, and compared to the first time, he was much more familiar with the process. He quickly analyzed the background information.
"A Pokémon descended into this world amidst a thunderstorm. And judging by the pale yellow Egg, it must have been a Pichu."
Nero had never expected that the origin of this Spiky-eared Pichu would be so extraordinary.
It had arrived through a space-time rift during a storm—
A storm filled with torrential rain, raging winds, and crackling lightning...
Could this be the legendary Thunder God?!
What surprised Nero even more was the timing.
Today was March 9th, meaning the storm had occurred a little over two months ago—early January.
A lightning bolt struck, igniting the house, and in that very same month, Pichu's Egg appeared.
Coincidentally, that was also when Nero had transmigrated into this world!
At that time, he had still been in the hospital, but he had heard about the massive storm that struck Galas City.
Could Pichu's arrival have been some kind of prophecy...?
"Combusken!"
A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind him.
Nero turned around to see a Igglybuff holding half-eaten Berries, while Combusken dragged over a tattered chair.
The chair was scorched as if it had been struck by lightning. Upon heading upstairs, they discovered clear signs of a struggle!
Pichu was in danger!!!
"Combusken, let's go! There aren't many residents on this street, meaning Pichu has no chance of being rescued. If someone with ill intentions comes along, they'll surely trap Pichu here!"
...
In a dark alleyway.
A shady-looking teenager named Gard Lovas smirked as he slowly approached the weakened Pichu. His eyes gleamed with greed and excitement.
"Run, little Pichu! Why aren't you running anymore?"
Gard narrowed his eyes as he looked at the exhausted Pichu lying on the ground. In his hand, he held a Poké Ball. All he had to do was throw it, and Pichu would be his.
"Pichu..."
Pichu glared at the plump teenager in anger.
Seeing its resistance only made Gard even more thrilled.
"What an adorable little Pichu. And to think, no one else has discovered you yet. Looks like I've got quite the keen eye, hahaha!"
"A Spiky-eared Pichu... I've never encountered one before!"
"Being my collectible is your greatest honor. Whether you evolve or not, that cute face of yours is bound to attract plenty of pretty girls, heh heh~"
Gard Lovas, with his toad-like mouth, spoke with an expression so unsettling it sent chills down one's spine.
Gard Lovas, a senior high school student at Galas City's No. 17 High, was an unremarkable Pokémon Trainer. While his skills were decent compared to his classmates, his repulsive appearance and disgusting personality made him someone few people were willing to associate with.
One day, while taking a selfie, he accidentally captured Pichu in the background of his shot. Initially furious that his 'handsome' photo was photobombed by a random Pokémon, his anger quickly turned into excitement when he zoomed in and realized—this Pichu was different from the others!
A Spiky-eared Pichu! A Pokémon so rare that he had never seen one before!
Determined, Gard made up his mind—he had to capture this Spiky-eared Pichu!
He immediately took several days off from school and spent that time closely observing Pichu's movements.
To his delight, he discovered that the Spiky-eared Pichu had no trainer.
Each morning, it would sit atop the roof of an abandoned house, gazing at the endless streams of people below.
It watched as anxious office workers rushed to catch their trains, listened to the morning cries of street vendors selling breakfast, and observed students chatting happily as they walked into school…
Once the bell rang for classes at Samron First High, Pichu would hop down from the rooftop and take out its stash of Berries for breakfast.
Then, it would spend the rest of the morning playing with nearby Pokémon like Clefairy, Smoochum, and Igglybuff.
Around four in the afternoon, Pichu would run all the way to a martial arts dojo. The dojo's towering walls blocked Gard from seeing inside, and the imposing Machamp guarding the entrance deterred him from barging in.
Through his days of observation, he also confirmed that Pichu had no fixed residence.
Though it wandered without a permanent home, it still followed a certain routine.
On Sundays and Tuesdays, it would stay in an abandoned house.
Sometimes, it would visit the old dojo, and on occasion, it would spend the night at a friend's place.
So when was the best time to strike?
The answer was obvious—Sunday!
On this day, Pichu would return to the abandoned house in the alleyway to rest and sleep. That was the perfect opportunity to make his move!
So, on Sunday night, just as Pichu returned from the dojo, Gard sprang into action!
He began his pursuit the moment Pichu stepped into the abandoned house.
Raticate, a Pokémon well-suited for nighttime activities, had razor-sharp eyes that could see clearly even in the dark.
Pichu, still a small and weak Electric-type Pokémon, had no chance against a more powerful opponent like Raticate at night. And if it tried to use an Electric-type move, the bright sparks would immediately expose its location.
Gard was a cruel Trainer who took immense pleasure in hunting down weak Pokémon. Seeing them panic and flee in terror gave him a twisted sense of exhilaration.
He had been enjoying the thrill of chasing Pichu for two whole days now, playing mind games with it, baiting it with food, and toying with it like a predator teasing its prey. He relished every moment of it.
But enough was enough.
Now, it was time to claim his prize.
"Pichu, you're mine now!! Hahaha!!"
Gard Lovas stretched his toad-like mouth into a grotesque grin. Holding a Poké Ball in his hand, he prepared to throw it at the exhausted and helpless Pichu…
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