Pokemon: Path to the Unknown

Chapter no.17 Pikachu

Ash wasn't sure whether to laugh or be scared.

Walking behind Professor Oak, he was constantly startled by the sound of electricity crackling through the air.

Am I going to meet a legendary electric type, Ash mused internally as he approached the source of the sound—and his test subject.

Before him stood a short, chubby rodent Pokémon covered in yellow fur, marked by two horizontal brown stripes on its back. It had a small mouth, long pointed ears with black tips, and warm brown eyes.

Each cheek boasted a bright red circle, housing a pouch for storing electricity. Its forearms were short, with five fingers on each paw, and its feet had three toes each.

A patch of brown fur adorned the base of its lightning bolt-shaped tail.

This was a Pikachu, but not just any Pikachu.

It was the Pikachu—the iconic partner of Ash Ketchum from the anime.

This was the Pokémon that had impressively taken out legendary creatures like Latias but was infamously defeated by a Snivy.

How did he know this was Ash's Pikachu?

It was chubby and looked somewhat aggressive.

It was residing in Oak's ranch, and most tellingly, it was glaring at the Pokéballs in his hand.

All signs pointed to one conclusion: yep, that was Ash's Pikachu.

Ash abruptly stopped as he felt Oak's hand stopping him from going further.

"Professor," Ash asked nervously, "what's going on here?"

"Don't cross the zones," Oak replied with a serious tone. Ash's gaze shifted to notice three rings encircling Pikachu. They looked like fresh mud rings with thin rod-like objects pushed into the ground. From where he stood, these were nearly invisible.

"Professor, what is all of this?" Ash inquired, curiosity mixed with caution.

"Safety zones, my boy," Oak answered just as Pikachu released a burst of electricity. Ash's heart skipped a beat as the electrical discharge surged towards the thin rods, which acted like lightning rods.

"Safety, my boy. A wild electric type is quite dangerous around people. That discharge of electricity could electrocute you, hence the safety zones," Oak explained. "The first zone is Pikachu's spark-gap distance."

Ash looked confused, so Oak continued. "Spark gap distance is the maximum distance an electrical discharge can travel through air before the air becomes ionized and electrically conductive. Once air is ionized, electricity can flow through it, creating a spark or arc."

Understanding dawned on Ash's face as he nodded.

"The second zone," Oak went on, "is where the electricity might travel indirectly, such as through the ground or by jumping to nearby conductive objects—like a human body."

"And the third zone?" Ash asked, swallowing nervously.

"An extra layer of safety. There's no such thing as being too cautious around an electric type," Professor Oak concluded with a firm nod.

Ash gulped nervously and then asked, "Do I really need to test out these hypotheses with such a dangerous Pokémon?"

"Don't worry, all the safety procedures are in place, and if something happens, I am here," Professor Oak reassured him, which calmed Ash slightly as he opened Abra's Pokéball.

With a flash of red light, Abra appeared beside him, immediately settling into a slumber.

Pikachu eyed them cautiously.