Ash pushed open the doors to the laboratory, the brilliant sunlight spilling over him and the Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He took one last look back at Pallet Town, where he had lived for ten years, his gaze turning firm as he strode onto the path leading toward an unknown world.
Unlike the noisy, mutually resentful start in the original story, Ash and Pikachu while not yet possessing an incredibly deep bond had at least established a preliminary level of trust and chemistry.
Pikachu sat obediently on Ash's shoulder, curiously taking in the scenery along the way, occasionally tapping Ash's hat with a paw and letting out a lighthearted "Pika-pi." Meanwhile, Ash walked while using his Aura Power to attempt a more subtle emotional exchange with Pikachu, and the results were remarkable.
"According to the map, once we pass through the woods up ahead, we'll be close to Viridian City." Ash consulted the map function on his Pokédex, planning their route. "This area should be a habitat for Pidgey and Spearow; we have to be careful..."
Familiar with the plot as he was, he knew very well that in the original story, it was here that a flock of Spearow was provoked, leading to a series of subsequent events.
Having a second chance, he wasn't going to let that happen again.
Before he could finish his thought, a series of urgent "Pidgey" cries echoed from the woods ahead, mingled with the sound of struggling and flapping wings.
Ash and Pikachu shared a look and hurried forward.
They found a Pidgey with slightly ruffled feathers and panicked eyes. Its feet were entangled in several tough vines, and it was struggling desperately to break free, but to no avail.
"Is it a trap? Or just something natural?" Ash's brow furrowed slightly. Such accidents weren't uncommon in the wild.
Still, this hadn't happened in the original story!
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu pointed at the Pidgey and then looked at Ash, seemingly asking what to do.
"Let's help it." Ash nodded. He stepped forward, crouched down, and carefully attempted to untie the vines. Pikachu jumped down as well, using its small paws to help pull.
However, while they were focused on rescuing the Pidgey, they failed to notice several pairs of sharp eyes staring at them from the canopy not far away. An exceptionally large Spearow with a vicious gaze let out a sharp, warning cry!
"Gaa—!!"
Ash's heart jumped, and he snapped his head up. Seven or eight Spearow had already flown out from the bushes, diving toward them in a flanking maneuver!
Their eyes were locked onto the trapped Pidgey clearly, that was their intended prey! In their eyes, the actions of Ash and Pikachu were undoubtedly a provocation to steal their food!
"Oh no!" Ash realized the situation instantly.
In the original story, his predecessor had kicked a stone in a huff and hit a Spearow; this time, they had drawn an attack simply by being kind enough to help the Spearow's prey!
"Pikachu, watch out!" Ash shielded the newly freed Pidgey behind him. Pikachu immediately hopped back onto his shoulder, cheeks sparking with electricity as it entered a battle stance.
"Pika—chuuu!" A weak Thunder Shock shot out from Pikachu, hitting the lead Spearow. However, it only made the bird pause for a moment before it became even angrier! Right now, Pikachu was far from reaching the status of a "Pika-God"; its current was nowhere near enough to deter an entire flock of Spearow!
The Spearow flock shrieked as they launched a more violent assault! Peck and Scratch attacks rained down like a torrential storm!
Ash swung his backpack, struggling to parry the blows. Pikachu's Thunder Shocks grew more frequent, but the effect was limited. One Spearow suddenly broke through the defense, its sharp beak diving straight for Ash's face!
In that moment of crisis, the Aura Power within Ash's body began to circulate at an unprecedented speed! Protect himself! Protect Pikachu! Protect the innocent Pidgey behind him! His intense will and survival instinct pushed this power to its limit!
Following a gut instinct, Ash pulled his right fist back to his waist while raising his left arm level, beginning to charge his strength.
[Detected host's strong will and energy eruption... Conditions for 'Changing the Node' met... Initiating temporary auxiliary energy transmission...] The system's cold voice flickered past like a hallucination in the heat of battle.
In the next second, Ash crossed his arms into an "L" shape, and a searing platinum-gold ray of light suddenly erupted from his right arm.
The beam was thick and concentrated, its form bearing a striking resemblance to the finisher of a certain Warrior of the Land of Light from his memories!
"Boom—!!!"
The stream of platinum-gold light didn't strike the Spearow directly. Instead, it slammed into the empty ground in front of the flock, blasting up massive amounts of dirt and grass and creating a scorched crater! The powerful energy shockwave and blinding light instantly terrified all the Spearow!
Frightened out of their wits by this sudden, never-before-seen attack, the Spearow let out panicked cries. They instantly abandoned their assault, flapping their wings as they fled in a frenzy, quickly vanishing into the horizon.
After the attack, Ash felt a surge of intense exhaustion. A tearing soreness radiated from his right arm, nearly making him stumble. That single strike had almost completely drained his Aura Power!
"Pika?!" Pikachu asked, looking at him with concern.
[Ding! Host has successfully repelled the Spearow flock and protected the Pidgey, changing the event node for 'The Pallet Town Rookie Trainer's First Attack.' Avoided severe injury to self and the overextension of Pikachu's potential. Reward: 500 World Essence.]
[Ding! Host has creatively applied Aura Power in actual combat for the first time, comprehending the skill prototype: [Aura Ray] (Requires extensive practice to stabilize). Reward: 100 World Essence.]
[Ding! Detected that the host possesses a Pikachu and has successfully changed the initial destiny node. Issuing exclusive partner reward: [Light Ball] x1.]
[Current World Essence: 700 points.]
The system's prompts rang out clearly, confirming that what had just happened wasn't a dream. To his even greater surprise, he had actually been rewarded with a Light Ball!
With a thought from Ash, a yellow orb appeared in his hand, flickering with dazzling golden arcs of electricity as if countless bolts of lightning were being generated inside. The moment the orb appeared, Pikachu was instantly captivated. Its eyes went wide, and the electric sacs on its cheeks involuntarily emitted small sparks, creating a strong resonance with the Light Ball.
"Pika! Pikachu!" (?ω?) Pikachu cried out excitedly, pointing its little paws at the Light Ball, its desire written all over its face.
"This is for you, Pikachu." Ash smiled and handed it over. "It's called a Light Ball. It should help you become stronger."
Pikachu couldn't wait to take—or rather, hug—the Light Ball, which was not much smaller than its own body. Miraculously, as soon as the orb touched Pikachu, the electrical arcs on its surface became docile, as if it had found its master. Strands of electrical energy flowed slowly and steadily into Pikachu's body.
"Pi~~kachuuu~~" o(￣▽￣)o Pikachu squinted its eyes in comfort, letting out a satisfied hum. It could clearly feel its power growing slowly, and its affinity with electricity was rising!
Although it couldn't be used directly in combat yet, wearing it long-term would provide a massive boost to its potential and the power of its Electric-type skills!
Watching Pikachu hug the Light Ball with such affection, Ash felt very happy. This was truly timely assistance!
He immediately tried to use his mind to return the Light Ball to the system space, thinking he would only take it out when a battle was necessary to avoid drawing too much attention. Sure enough, the Light Ball instantly vanished from his hands and appeared in the storage space provided by the system.
"Pika?" Pikachu froze, realizing its treasure was gone, and suddenly looked anxious.
"Don't worry, Pikachu. I've tucked it away for you. I'll give it back whenever you need it," Ash hurried to explain, sending a soothing thought through his Aura. Pikachu seemed to understand; though a bit reluctant, it nodded in trust.
Overall, this haul was a massive profit!
At that moment, the Pidgey they had rescued timidly approached, nuzzling Ash's pant leg to express its gratitude.
Ash looked at the Pidgey, and a thought struck him. Perhaps...
He pulled out an empty Poké Ball and spoke gently to the Pidgey. "Do you want to come with me? To see a much wider world?"
The Pidgey looked at Ash, then at Pikachu on his shoulder. It seemed to think for a moment before nodding softly and proactively tapping the Poké Ball with its beak.
A red light flashed. Capture successful!
Ash raised the Poké Ball high. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, plating him in a golden glow.
"Great! I caught a Pidgey!"
Though the start had been unexpected, the result seemed... even better than the original? He had captured his first Pokémon, his relationship with Pikachu was more harmonious, he had received system rewards, and he had even mastered a preliminary offensive Aura skill.
The road ahead was looking more and more worth anticipating.
"Let's go, Pikachu, Pidgey! Target: Viridian City!"
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Are you satisfied with this use of Aura? There will be more ways to unlock it in the future, so stay tuned!
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