For a Pikachu that had run away from home and was wandering from place to place, life during the day was no picnic.
It had to watch out for other Pokémon while staying alert for Poké Balls dropping out of nowhere.
As it cautiously stepped out of the grass, the yellow electric mouse emerged into the sunlight.
"Pika..."
Pikachu lazily twitched its long ears and gave a weary sigh.
Like any Pikachu that refused to enter a Poké Ball, it had to bear the consequences.
Namely, too little sleep and nerves worn thin.
Pokémon might be different from ordinary creatures, but they still seemed to follow the same basic rules.
Most cat- and mouse-like Pokémon were nocturnal, so their bodies made them more alert at night. It was a survival instinct written into their genes.
Night made hunting easier.
Pokémon raised by humans were different, though. Over time, they grew accustomed to life inside a Poké Ball, developing a sense of security there.
And it wasn't just Pikachu. The same was true of other Pokémon.
Once they got used to a Poké Ball, they came to see it as "home" and grew dependent on it.
That was one reason many released Pokémon struggled to adjust to the wild.
At night, their fear would swell until they couldn't sleep at all. They worried constantly about what might happen.
Even if they forced themselves to rest, instinct was instinct. The slightest rustle would wake them at once.
Besides, once a Pokémon had been inside a Poké Ball, it carried a distinctive "scent."
Almost all wild Pokémon instinctively shunned it.
So ever since this Pikachu had run away from home, it had lived with extreme caution.
Rustle—
Something moved in the bushes.
Pikachu instantly dropped to all fours, the sharp teeth beneath its