“Man, it’s been a while since we’ve been here, huh? Pikachu?”

“Pika-pika!”

“The last time we were here was with Brock and Misty, and Sam…”

“Pika, pi…”

“Heh. It’s alright, buddy. Sam’s back in his time, probably an old man by now. I wonder how Brock and Misty are doing though?”

“Pika, pika. Pikachu.”

“I know, I know… I should have called. I promise we’ll head back home after this okay? Been awhile since we’ve been back to Pallet Town.”

“Pika!”

“Urgh. I wonder if Misty will even want to see me though…”

“Pika?”

“She was really pissed off with me the last time I tried calling, remember?”

“Pika, pika. Pika, pikachu!”

“What do you mean it’s my fault? I don’t even know what I did wrong!”

“Pika! Pika pi!”

“Whatever… But hey, look! The waters here are as beautiful as ever. Wonder if we’ll be able to bump into Suicune again?”

Ash Ketchum knelt down to dip a hand into the crystal clear lake in front of him, his reflection rippling on the surface; the young man’s favorite red and white baller cap, spiky black hair and the patchy stubbles around his face.

He sighed. “Gonna have to shave before we head back home huh? Or mom’s never gonna let me hear the end of it.”

“Pika!” Pikachu reached out and rubbed unpleasantly at the coarse stubbles on his partner’s cheeks before nodding in agreement.

“Heh. Let’s go. Bugsy said that there was this super strong Scyther living in the forest and I want to try battling it. Maybe he’ll even want to join the team afterwards?”

“Pika, pika-pi. Pika pika!”

“You know the deal, Pikachu. New region, new Pokemon. Or in this case, old region, I guess?”

“Pika…” The Pikachu nodded.

With an exaggerated oomph, Ash stood up with Pikachu on his shoulder. Then proceeded to march into Ilex forest in search of the fabled Scyther.

***

“Man, I remember this place used to be a lot brighter.”

“Pika-pi, pika...”

“We’re not lost, Pikachu.”

“Pi! Pika-pi!”

“Okay, maybe we’re a little lost… Oh hey, there’s someone right there. Maybe we’ll be able to ask for directions.”

“Pi!” Pikachu vehemently shook his head and pulled at Ash’s ears to get him to turn back.

“What’s wrong, Pikachu?”

However, before his partner could respond, the brooding figure in front of them turned around, having been alarmed by the sudden commotion.

Tall, muscular build, pitch black suit, a neatly trimmed crew cut and a perpetually condescending grin on his face. It was a face that Ash knew, a face that he had met before.

“Giovanni!” Ash startled and shifted into a battle ready stance, his gloved hand reaching for his belt only to realize that he didn’t have anyone but Pikachu with him.

“Oh? Have we met?” The man’s voice was deep and smooth, sickeningly so.

Giovanni casually approached as he spoke, hands in his pockets, every syllable of his words carried effortlessly into Ash’s ears despite his sedate tone.

“Stand back!”

“Pika-pi! Pikachu!” Pikachu’s cheeks sparkled in warning as she jumped down from Ash’s shoulders and confronted their opponent with his tail raised.

Giovanni scoffed. “It seems you’re not the courier. Another lost wanderer I suppose…”

“I’m warning you! Stay back!”

The man was heedless of Ash’s distress and continued to strut casually towards him.

“Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!”

“Pikaaa! PIKACHUUUU!!!”

A powerful bolt of lightning shot out from the overcharged yellow rodent. However, before the Thunderbolt could even reach Giovanni, the ground rumbled and cracked, breaking apart to reveal a Rhyperior that emerged to intercept the attack with its horns.

“Pika!” Pikachu cried in shock. But before he could follow up with another attack, Rhyperior bored down and slammed a powerful fist into the dainty mouse Pokemon.

“Pikachuuu!!!” Ash dove onto the ground to catch his partner, his elbows bloodied in the process.

“Pika. Pika-pi…”

“You’re alright, Pikachu. Can you still battle?”

“Pika!” Pikachu nodded with a fiery gaze.

“That’s right, we’re the World Champions. As if some criminal is enough to take us down!”

“Oh… The World Champion, you say?” Giovanni flashed a malicious grin. “I was going to let you go if you swore yourself to secrecy. But now…”

“Never!” The younger man exclaimed. “You’re Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket. As if we’re gonna let you get away!”

The crime boss chuckled then broke out into cackling laughter. “Boy, I have no idea what delusion you’re under. Perhaps the time you spent trapped in this forest has addled your mind. Pft. ‘World Champion’... On any other day, I’d be honoured to exchange moves with such an exalted figure. But you’re sorely mistaken if you think that a paltry little Pikachu is enough to contend with me.”

With a snap of his fingers, the rest of Giovanni’s Pokemon emerged one by one; a Garchomp and Hippowdon from the ground, Nidoking from the forest, and a Krookodile from the shadows. All of them surrounded the stray trainer and his Pikachu.

“This is your last chance, swear yourself to secrecy and leave your Pikachu behind as a guarantee. Once I am done with my business here, I shall personally escort it back to the nearest town. You have my word.”

Ash bit down on his teeth in frustration. As if he would believe the words of someone like Giovanni! This was probably just another ploy by Team Rocket to steal Pikachu away from him.

He looked into the eyes of his partner in his arms, and through the strength of their lifelong bond, an understanding flashed between them.

With a nod, Pikachu sprung up from Ash’s shoulder and slammed a Volt Tackle into the Garchomp behind them. Electric may not be effective against Ground, but the physical aspect of Pikachu’s Tackle still applied. And after all these years, Ash had the utmost confidence that Pikachu was at least strong enough to push the Garchomp aside.

“Pika!”

At Pikachu’s cry of affirmation, Ash got up, turned around and ran for it with Pikachu following from behind.

However, before Ash managed to go any further, a purple silhouette flashed before him and he felt a searing wet patch on his chest.

“Gliscor…”

Ash stared, wide eyed and mouth agape, at the Gliscor that suddenly appeared before him. Then down at his chest, where a purple stinger was now buried in his chest, where his heart was supposed to be, blood spurting out from the fringes.

“Pika! PIKACHUUU!!!”

Pikachu cried as his partner fell. His voice, filled to the brim with devastating grief, echoed throughout the forest.

Meanwhile, Giovanni watched on with an impassive gaze, at the sobbing Pokemon desperately trying to shake its trainer awake.

“What a waste…” Contrary to how others might perceive him, he abhorred wasting lives. Especially those of competent Pokemon Trainers, delusional or not.

But alas, he had his own agenda to think of and he could not risk the Indigo League learning of his whereabouts just yet.

With a shake of his head, Giovanni averted his gaze and turned back around only to feel a sudden shift in the air.

“Wha—”

Before he could fully verbalize his thoughts, Giovanni found himself alone again in his little clearing, feeling like he had just forgotten something.

***

Ash opened his eyes with a stretch and breathed in the refreshingly cool air of Ilex Forest.

“Man, it’s been a while since we’ve been here, huh? Pikachu?”

“Pika-pika!”

“The last time we were here was with Brock and Misty, and Sam…”

“Pika, pi…”

“Heh. It’s alright, buddy. Sam’s back in his time, probably an old man by now. I wonder how Brock and Misty are doing though?”

“Pika, pika. Pika pi.”

“I know, I know… I should have called. I promise we’ll head back home after this okay? Been awhile since we’ve been back to Pallet Town.”

“Pika!”

“Urgh. I wonder if Misty will even want to see me though…”

“Pika?”

“She was really pissed off with me the last time I tried calling, remember?”

“Pika, pika. Pika, pikachu!”

“What do you mean it’s my fault? I don’t even know what I did wrong!”

“Pika! Pika pi!”

“Whatever… But hey, look! The waters here are as beautiful as ever. Wonder if we’ll be able to bump into Suicune again?”

Ash Ketchum knelt down to dip a hand into the crystal clear lake in front of him, his reflection rippling on the surface; the young man’s favorite red and white baller cap, spiky black hair and the patchy stubbles around his face.

He sighed. “Gonna have to shave before we head back home huh? Or mom’s never gonna let me hear the end of it.”

“Pika!” Pikachu reached out and rubbed unpleasantly at the coarse stubbles on his partner’s cheeks before nodding in agreement.

“Heh. Let’s go. Bugsy said that there was this super strong Scyther living in the forest and I want to try battling it. Maybe he’ll even want to join the team afterwards?”

“Pika, pika-pi. Pika pika!”

“You know the deal, Pikachu. New region, new Pokemon. Or in this case, old region, I guess?”

“Pika…” The Pikachu nodded.

With an exaggerated oomph, Ash stood up with Pikachu on his shoulder. Then proceeded to march into Ilex forest in search of the fabled Scyther.

***

Author's note:

I actually rewatched the Celebi movie for this arc. It was never really specified in the canon where Ash and his gang met Celebi. But just based on context clues and comparing it to the in-game map, it seemed pretty obvious to me that it was Ilex Forest.

In hindsight, I probably should have done a better job of writing the previous chapter. Maybe split it into two part where the Nina and friends' first entry into forest mirrored Ash's.

But oh well, what's done is done.