As soon as the words fell, a white light suddenly appeared in front of Pikachu. Immediately after, Dratini used Dragon Breath. The cyan dragon aura surged forward, colliding with Pikachu and neutralizing the impact of its Quick Attack, then knocking Pikachu's small body backward.
Pikachu cautiously raised its head and looked at Dratini's body, which had reached a height of 2 meters. Thanks to Professor Oak's careful training, Dratini's development was exceptionally good.
Because of the obvious size difference, Dratini's towering body even blocked the moonlight, leaving Pikachu surrounded by nothing but darkness.
But waiting to be defeated was not Pikachu's style. After realizing Red's intention, Pikachu immediately launched an offensive, using Agility to close in on Dratini's position, then swinging its silver-glowing Iron Tail fiercely toward Dratini.
"Use Dragon Tail!"
Green energy covered Dratini's tail as it followed the command, clashing head-on with Pikachu's Iron Tail. In just a moment, it overwhelmed the smaller Pikachu and sent it flying. Dratini then seamlessly followed up with Dragon Breath, the cyan dragon aura rushing straight toward Pikachu.
"Pika—!"
Seeing this, Pikachu immediately used Thunderbolt, releasing its electric current to cancel out the power of Dragon Breath.
The two moves collided violently, and moments later an explosion erupted, scattering stones around and briefly obscuring Dratini's vision.
Seizing the opportunity, Pikachu immediately used Quick Attack, crashing into Dratini at lightning speed.
"Mi!"
Dratini glared angrily at Pikachu. It unleashed its power, whipping up a tornado with its tail, attempting to trap Pikachu inside, then followed with Dragon Tail aimed at Pikachu.
"Pika!"
Pikachu refused to sit still. It immediately countered with Iron Tail, but instead of attacking Dratini, it struck the ground to propel itself into the air, escaping the tornado's grasp and dodging the Dragon Tail.
Then, under Dratini's astonished gaze, Pikachu released a high-voltage current and used Thunderbolt, striking Dratini directly.
"Mi—!"
Dratini let out a painful cry. Although as a Dragon-type Pokémon it could reduce electric-type damage by half, Pikachu's current still inflicted considerable damage.
Enraged, Dratini turned and fired a close-range Dragon Breath that hit Pikachu squarely, the impact even embedding Pikachu into the wall, leaving it unable to break free.
Dratini completely unleashed its ancient dragon might. The oppressive aura it emitted caused even Pikachu to tremble uncontrollably.
Under Dratini's ancient dragon might, the surroundings gradually fell silent. The wild Pokémon that had been lingering nearby fled in panic.
But Pikachu did not give up. Gritting its teeth, it struggled free from the wall, wiped the dust from the corner of its mouth, and stared firmly at Dratini ahead.
"Pikachu, I'm very interested in your talent and strength. Become my partner and take the role of vanguard in my team!"
Red extended his right hand and invited Pikachu.
As Ash's twin brother, Red had long wanted to catch a Pikachu, but had never encountered a suitable one. Unexpectedly, today his wish might finally be fulfilled.
To be honest, Red did not want to miss this extraordinarily talented and fiercely independent Pikachu. It perfectly matched his preferences.
After hearing Red's invitation, Pikachu snorted in disdain. A Pokémon that loved freedom and solitude like Pikachu would never easily agree to such a request.
Unless Red could fulfill its wish and redeem the deepest regret in its heart—this was the knot Pikachu had carried all along.
To this day, Pikachu could not forget that rainy day, when it had been so heartless as to abandon its twin younger brother just to survive…
Every time it dreamed of that scene, Pikachu would wake up in terror, as if from a nightmare. Looking at the bleak surroundings, its heart was filled only with guilt and unease.
"It's hard to imagine your birthplace is Viridian Forest. After all, that place is mostly home to Bug-type and Flying-type Pokémon, not suitable for an electric mouse like you. I'm very interested in your past."
As soon as he said this, Red noticed that Pikachu began to shed tears of regret, covering its face as it cried bitterly.
Seeing this, Red rarely showed a flustered expression. He quickly released the Power of Viridian to soothe Pikachu's unstable emotions.
"Pika~"
After being calmed by the Power of Viridian, Pikachu visibly relaxed, placing a paw on its chest and shaking its head, unable to put its feelings into words.
Red stopped Dratini, who wanted to continue fighting, with a look. What Pikachu needed now was companionship, not endless combat.
This action made Pikachu view Red more favorably, realizing he was different from ordinary Pokémon Trainers who came here.
Most trainers, upon encountering Pikachu, would try to capture it out of goodwill, only to be easily defeated and turned into Pikachu's battle experience.
After a short while, once its emotions stabilized, Pikachu took the initiative to request that Red continue the battle between itself and Dratini.
This time, Pikachu did not hold back. Electricity wrapped around the tip of its tail, forming a sphere—it used Electro Ball.
The power of Electro Ball depends on the user's speed. The greater the ratio between the user's speed and the target's speed, the stronger the move.
"Dratini, use Dragon Tail!"
Simply dodging would only increase Electro Ball's power. Red decisively commanded Dratini to attack, using Dragon Tail to offset the electric damage.
Dratini swung its tail forcefully, smashing the Electro Ball into a nearby trash can, causing a significant explosion.
"The power of that Electro Ball… It seems my guess was correct. This guy really isn't an ordinary Pikachu."
As if to confirm Red's speculation, Pikachu released a shocking surge of electricity, covering its entire body before transforming into a bolt of yellow lightning and charging straight at Dratini.
"So it's Volt Tackle—what a fine little one," Red said with excitement.
Volt Tackle is a signature move unique to the Pikachu line, but not every Pikachu can master it.
The fact that this Pikachu could use Volt Tackle was proof enough of its exceptional talent.
"Dratini, use Dragon Pulse!" Red ordered.
Upon hearing the command, Dratini opened its mouth and unleashed a shockwave, which took the form of a cyan dragon and surged toward Pikachu, colliding with the Pikachu engulfed in high-voltage electricity.