"Ho-Oh, put those wings away and go sweep the floor!" Lin Hao muttered against the feather, silently repeating the order through gritted teeth. The feather immediately retracted, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
Professor Oak stared at the screen, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Strange. The energy signature disappeared?" He turned and eyed Lin Hao suspiciously. "Lin Hao, what were you muttering just now?"
"Huh? I said the robot vacuum in this lab needs replacing. It hasn't even cleaned the floor properly." Lin Hao pointed at the dust on the ground.
May leaned closer and looked at Pikachu. "Lin Hao, this Pikachu of yours... something's off."
Lin Hao felt a pang of unease but kept up a brave front. "What's off? It's just an ordinary Pikachu I picked up by the roadside."
"Why does it look like it's staring at a mere mortal?" May frowned and reached out to pet Pikachu.
Pikachu tilted its head, dodging May's hand.
Lin Hao looked away, not daring to answer that. "It's shy around strangers. Leave it alone." He hurriedly tucked Pikachu into his arms.
"All right, now that you've received your Pokémon, you can set off." Professor Oak adjusted his glasses but said nothing more.
Once they left the lab, Lin Hao's rigid back finally relaxed. "Finally out of there. That was exhausting."
"What's so exhausting about picking up a Pokémon?" May scoffed beside him. "Everyone else gets so excited they can't sleep, but you act like you're being tortured."
"You don't understand. A slacker's happiness lies in lying around." As Lin Hao spoke, a commotion broke out up ahead.
Several burly men in black uniforms with large red Rs printed on their chests blocked their path.
"Team Rocket?" May pressed a hand against the Poké Ball at her waist.
"Well, well. Aren't you the rookies Professor Oak just sent out?" The leader sized them up. "Hand over the Pokémon you just received, unless you want a beating."
Lin Hao turned his head aside. He really had run into this tired old robbery routine. "Come on, man. All I got was a Charmander. It's not even a month old. If you steal it, are you going to feed it?"
"Enough bullshit! Hand it over!" The burly man waved his hand. "Arbok, Crunch it!"
An enormous purple venomous snake shot out, lunging at Lin Hao with its gaping maw. May was about to throw her Poké Ball when she noticed Lin Hao still standing there. "Lin Hao, get out of the way!"
Lin Hao let his shoulders droop and looked down at Pikachu in his arms. "Hey, time to put on an act."
Pikachu rolled its eyes and hopped to the ground. "Pika..." it grunted, casually waving its stubby little arms. Boom! A bolt of lightning crashed down from above, electricity arcing everywhere before forming a thick pillar of lightning half a meter wide!
Arbok didn't even get a chance to scream. It was instantly charred black and collapsed to the ground, trailing dark smoke. The smell of roasted meat filled the air. Everything fell silent, and the Team Rocket men's eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
May froze, not even noticing the Poké Ball slip from her hand and fall to the ground. "Th-that was Pikachu's Thunder Shock?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Maybe the weather's dry today, so there's more static electricity." Lin Hao spun the lie with a straight face.
"You call that static electricity?" the Team Rocket leader shrieked. "That was a fucking heavenly tribulation!"
"Run! There's something wrong with this kid!" The burly men dove into the bushes and disappeared in an instant.
Lin Hao bent down, picked up Pikachu, and brushed the dirt off it. "You hit too hard. Remember to hold back next time."
"Pikachu..." Pikachu cried. It had only used a little strength.
"Lin Hao, tell me the truth. Where exactly did this Pikachu come from?" May stopped him, planting herself in his path.
"I really did pick it up by the roadside." Lin Hao spread his hands.
"I don't believe you! What roadside Pikachu can knock out an Arbok in one hit?"
"Maybe that Arbok had low blood sugar and happened to faint."
May practically jumped with frustration. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Believe whatever you want. I'm just an ordinary person." Lin Hao stepped around May and continued on, quickening his pace. He needed to find somewhere secluded fast. If those troublesome big shots in his pockets started acting up, Pallet Town might not survive.
"Wait for me!" May chased after him. "I'm a Pokémon investigator. I have the right to investigate you!"
"Investigators police people picking up Pikachu, too?"
"Yes! Anyone suspicious falls under my jurisdiction!"
Lin Hao glanced at May, who refused to stop following him, and felt a headache coming on.
As they walked, a flash of red appeared in the woods ahead. A boy wearing a red-and-white cap, with a Pikachu perched on his shoulder, sat fishing beside the river.
Lin Hao's eyes lit up. "Hey, Red! Caught anything?"
Red turned, lowered the brim of his cap, and remained silent for three seconds. "No."
"Perfect. I didn't bring any food either. Want to make do together?"
Red glanced at the Pikachu in Lin Hao's arms, then fixed his gaze on Lin Hao. "Your Pikachu is strong."
Lin Hao kept a straight face. An expert really was an expert-he had seen through him at a glance. "Strong? All it can do is discharge a little static electricity."
Red said nothing, simply watching the water. A long while passed before he spoke. "Want to battle?"
Lin Hao shook his head repeatedly. "No, no. I'm just an ordinary person."
"You call that ordinary? That lightning bolt just split the sky!" May loudly tattled from behind him.
Red put away his fishing rod and stood, looking at Lin Hao. "I want to try."
Lin Hao stepped back and was about to refuse when Ho-Oh's voice rang out in his mind. "Master, shall we let Arceus out to play with him? It's been feeling a little stiff lately, anyway."
"Shut up!" Lin Hao roared in his mind. He looked at Red and gave a couple of dry chuckles. "Red, we're neighbors. Neighbors shouldn't be fighting each other."
"Just one battle." Red's tone was firm.
Lin Hao saw what he was after. With this battle fanatic fixated on him, he wouldn't get away easily today. He sighed and tossed Pikachu onto the ground. "Fine. Pikachu, go through the motions. Don't hurt them."
Red sent out his Pikachu. The two Pikachu exchanged looks, sparks crossing in midair. "Thunderbolt!" Red commanded.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt too. Remember, minimum power," Lin Hao reminded it.
The two blasts of lightning collided with a thunderous roar, kicking up dust that blanketed the riverbank. Once the smoke cleared, Lin Hao saw Red's Pikachu lying on the ground, its body heaving. His own Pikachu, meanwhile, had its mouth wide open.
"Lin Hao, this Pikachu of yours... is it really just an ordinary Pikachu?"
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