On a stretch of open fields five kilometers outside Pallet Town.
Under a sky filled with pounding rain, a soaked and battered boy clutched a Pikachu in his arms as he sprinted down a narrow country road.
Behind him surged a furious swarm of wild Pokemon, Spearow.
Ash's heart had already sunk to the bottom.
Not long ago, he had officially set out on his journey with the starter Pokemon Pikachu he received from Professor Oak.
Earlier, they had run into a Pidgey in the tall grass. Ash tried to catch it, but the Poke Ball missed and instead struck a Spearow on the head nearby.
The enraged Spearow immediately called its companions, launching a relentless pursuit of the human and the Pikachu, intent on taking revenge.
"Pikachu, I'll protect you!" Ash said, lowering his head as he ran.
"Pika…" Pikachu looked at the human boy who was being chased by wild Pokemon, facing danger to his life and still refusing to abandon it. Something deep inside Pikachu stirred.
Tears streamed from its eyes as it let out a faint cry.
"Pika…"
Ash gasped for breath and glanced back at the Spearow hot on his heels. In a moment of carelessness, he tripped over a rock and fell hard to the ground.
The Pikachu in his arms was thrown forward.
It hurt.
Sharp pain shot through his knee, but Ash had no time to think about it. He saw Pikachu ahead of him and hurriedly crawled forward, then planted himself in front of it.
Anger flashed across his face as he glared at the Spearow. "Hey! Don't underestimate me! I'm Ash from Pallet Town! I'm going to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master! I won't lose to you! I'll catch all of you! Come on!"
Those words only fueled the Spearow's rage. Flames of fury burned in their eyes as they circled in the air, power building as they prepared to strike with everything they had.
Seizing the moment, Ash quickly turned back to Pikachu.
"Pikachu, get inside! Get into the Poke Ball, I'll handle this!"
"Pika…"
Pikachu stared blankly at the human boy standing in front of it.
The Spearow finished gathering their strength. Like a black cloud blotting out the sky, they dove straight toward Ash.
"Pika, pika!"
Pikachu understood all too clearly. If that attack landed, the boy named Ash would die.
Ignoring the severe injuries on its body, it forced itself up, enduring the pain. With a sudden leap, it vaulted over Ash's shoulder and landed in front of him.
"Pika...chu!"
A surge of overwhelming electricity erupted from Pikachu. The electric energy merged with the surrounding rain and detonated in an instant, forming a massive electric sphere that blasted the Spearow apart.
"Spearow!"
The wild Spearow were thrown into panic. Terrified by what they had just witnessed, they abandoned the attack and scattered in all directions.
As they fled, the sky slowly cleared.
Ash and an exhausted Pikachu lay on the ground, staring at each other.
"Pikachu…"
Pikachu looked at the boy, joy at surviving washing over it. A small smile appeared on its face.
"Pika!"
Ash laughed too. He reached out and pulled Pikachu into his arms.
Pikachu affectionately licked his cheek.
Ash froze for a moment, then looked at the Pikachu who had never listened to his commands. He could not help asking again,
"Pikachu… will you become my Pokemon?"
"Pika~!"
This time, Pikachu nodded vigorously. In its heart, it had already accepted the boy before it.
At the same time, high above.
Ho-Oh, which had just departed Mount Tensei not long ago, passed through the skies here.
It narrowed its eyes and looked down at the boy and the Pikachu.
Everything that had happened below had been clearly seen by it.
This human… might possess the qualifications to become a Rainbow Hero.
With that thought, Ho-Oh flew boldly over Ash and Pikachu's heads.
The pair below immediately noticed its figure.
"That is…"
Thanks to Ho-Oh's frequent appearances in the human world over the years, Ash had heard its legends since he was very young and had seen photos taken by others.
He recognized it at a glance.
That was…
"The Legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh!"
Ash cried out in shock.
Then he saw a feather glowing with rainbow light slowly drift down from the sky, landing in his hand.
Pallet Town, Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Professor Oak stood at the entrance of the lab, gazing into the distance with a worried expression.
Even now, he clearly remembered the human child adopted by Raikou.
Not long ago, Ash had already set out on his journey with Pikachu.
By all rights, Fuyuki should have already turned ten by now.
And yet… the period for receiving starter Pokemon was almost over, and that child still had not appeared.
"I wonder if that kid will come…" Professor Oak murmured.
With a helpless sigh, he turned back into the lab and looked at the Poke Ball resting on the table.
This really was the last Pokemon he had left.
When Ash took Pikachu, he still had several others. After Ash left, a few more Trainers from nearby villages came one after another and took the remaining Pokemon.
"Click!"
A flash of white light burst forth.
A Pokemon popped out of the Poke Ball.
It looked out at the sunset beyond the window, then around the empty laboratory. A deeply disappointed expression spread across its small face.
No Trainer wanted to choose it. No human wanted to become its partner…
Its head drooped, mood sinking.
Seeing this, Professor Oak sighed and tried to comfort it. "Don't worry. There should still be one Trainer who hasn't come yet. He lives very far away. Maybe he ran into some trouble on the road and couldn't make it in time."
But the Pokemon could hear the obvious attempt at reassurance in his words.
Its head drooped even lower, and it let out an extremely dejected cry.
"Oh dear, I really wasn't lying!" Professor Oak hurriedly added when he saw its reaction.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Excuse me, is Professor Oak here?" A boy's voice came from outside.
He's here! Professor Oak's eyes lit up. He looked happily at the Pokemon in front of him. "See? I wasn't lying to you."
At those words, a glimmer of hope appeared in the Pokemon's eyes.
Outside the door, Fuyuki stared at the closed entrance in confusion.
"Huh? Is Professor Oak not home?"
The next second, the door opened from the inside. Professor Oak stood there, smiling warmly.
"Welcome, Fuyuki, and Rai..."
Before he could finish, his eyes widened in shock.
Because standing beside Fuyuki this time was not Raikou, but a Pokemon entirely different. It radiated overwhelming pressure and scorching heat, its gaze stern and imposing.