Chapter 30: A Heart Like Gold!
At the same time.
Many memories of his journey with Pikachu flashed through Satoshi's mind.
From Pikachu's uncooperativeness.
To Pikachu occasionally giving him a Thunderbolt.
And then to their teamwork in battles...close and intimate...
"This is for the best!"
"This is for the best!"
Satoshi kept repeating this phrase.
Compared to a willing choice.
Satoshi felt more like he was convincing himself.
"Pikachu would be happier staying here than traveling with me!"
"This way, it's the happiest for it!"
Takeshi and Kasumi looked at Satoshi's back, unable to offer words of comfort.
The morning sun rose.
Satoshi lowered his head, unwilling to let his reddened eyes be exposed.
Then—
Satoshi saw a familiar figure appear beside him.
It was Pikachu, catching up with the sunrise!
…
"Wuwuwu! I was about to cry!"
"Pikachu! Pikachu really loves the little guy!"
"They are both running towards each other meow! It's truly mutual meow!"
The Rocket Trio saw this.
They instantly empathized, embracing each other and crying together!
Wuwuwu!
They really cried themselves to death!
Satoshi and Pikachu should be locked together forever!
Locked forever!
What separation?
It doesn't exist!
…
Kalos Region.
Serena looked at the video with teary eyes, with sparkling tears in the corner of her eyes.
"All these years…Satoshi has never changed!"
"Satoshi has always been that Satoshi!"
A sincere and enthusiastic young boy!
Wuwuwu!
For Satoshi like this, how could she not…cough cough!
Thinking about this, Serena blushed again.
…
In the screen—
Countless wild Pikachu stood behind Satoshi's Pikachu.
They cheered rhythmically for Satoshi's Pikachu.
Satoshi's Pikachu rushed towards Satoshi's embrace without hesitation or delay!
"Pika pi!"
"Pikachu!"
The trainer and Pokemon embraced each other tightly once more!
In Pikachu's eyes, there shone a light called happiness!
For Pikachu.
Being with Satoshi was its happiest moment!
What happened here.
It wasn't a loss for either Satoshi or Pikachu.
From this moment onwards.
The hearts of Satoshi and Pikachu were tightly connected, and even more determined than before!
Pokémon League.
"Sigh..."
Dandel looked at Satoshi and Pikachu tightly embracing, sighing helplessly and shaking his head.
"This kid Satoshi...has a heart that's too sincere and soft."
"Moreover..."
"Is this the way Ho-Oh wanted humans and Pokemon to coexist?"
Dandel murmured.
In the video.
Neither Satoshi nor Pikachu.
Their choices were not made out of selfishness.
They were completely made from their own perspectives, for the other.
For two completely different species.
It was indeed an astonishing thing.
Releasing a Pokemon powerful enough to defeat a legendary, was Satoshi really stupid and clueless?
No, no!
Dandel didn't think so.
Satoshi knew Pikachu's potential.
Satoshi valued Pikachu greatly.
Yet Satoshi still made this decision, one that seemed foolish in the eyes of others.
The purpose behind it.
Was simply for Pikachu to be happier!
This kind of foolishness...If possible, Dandel sincerely hoped that Satoshi would maintain it forever!
A pure heart!
It was definitely Satoshi!
…
The screen played on—
The flashback went by quickly.
Everyone could see.
Satoshi, with Pikachu, started to take on Gym challenges.
Starting from the first Gym in Kanto.
The strength that Pikachu displayed was not as powerful as it would be later.
Every time, it was very close.
This was partly because Satoshi didn't have enough knowledge about Pokemon.
"Normally, Pikachu isn't a particularly strong Pokemon."
"But your Pikachu is different."
"This is an anomaly."
The strength and potential that Pikachu displayed were beyond the capabilities of a normal Pikachu.
In addition, Satoshi would always have some ingenious ideas in battles.
For example.
Using an attack to trigger the automatic water spray fire extinguisher, successfully defeating Onix.
He managed to obtain a few badges.
Until—
He faced Shigeru of the Viridian Gym.
The evolved Raichu, with an extremely strong presence, overwhelmingly defeated Pikachu.
And directly injured Pikachu seriously.
It was urgently sent to the Pokemon Center.
Faced with the Thunder Stone given by Nurse Joy, Pikachu could evolve into Raichu using this evolution stone.
This way, it could gain the same powerful strength as the Raichu from the Viridian Gym.
Evolving into Raichu.
For this choice.
Pikachu refused.
Pikachu didn't want to evolve!