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"How awful!" Misty couldn't help but exclaim after hearing Tommy's story. It wasn't surprising that he had ended up in such a place when he was too young to understand danger.
Fortunately, the Kangaskhan had found him. If he hadn't been discovered by them or had encountered more aggressive Pokémon instead, Tommy might not have survived.
"Yes, it's sad. But there's nothing we can do about it now," Officer Jenny said with a slight shake of her head. The situation was beyond their control—it all depended on the Kangaskhan. First, the Kangaskhan were extremely protective of Tommy.
Second, Tommy had fully integrated into their way of life over the years. In essence, Tommy believed he was a Pokémon and refused to leave his herd.
Facing this reality, Misty and Brock fell silent. If Officer Jenny couldn't help, they were even more powerless to change things.
Officer Jenny didn't say anything more and left the three trainers to rest. Seeing that Ash was focused on watching over Pikachu, Misty and Brock decided not to disturb them and quietly left the room.
Ash remained vigilant at Pikachu's side. In truth, nothing else mattered to him right now except for Pikachu's wellbeing. He only cared about the things that Pikachu cared about.
About half an hour later...
"Pika... Pika!"
Pikachu finally stirred, waking up groggily. At first, he seemed disoriented, but then appeared to remember something important and quickly tried to stand despite his weakened body.
"Don't worry, the Kangaskhan are safe. They've gone back to their territory," Ash reassured him.
Hearing the familiar voice, Pikachu turned to see Ash sitting beside the bed, having watched over him the entire time.
Relief washed over Pikachu upon learning the Kangaskhan were safe. Realizing it was Ash who had saved them, he happily jumped into his trainer's arms.
"You're welcome. I would never ignore something like this. You really care about those Kangaskhan, don't you?" Ash smiled as he held Pikachu. It was clear the Kangaskhan meant a great deal to his partner.
"Pika..." Pikachu lowered his head slightly. It wasn't that he wanted to hide anything, but explaining was difficult without the ability to speak.
"You can tell me if you want. We have plenty of time now," Ash said with an encouraging smile, seeming to understand Pikachu's hesitation.
"Pi-ka!"
Pikachu looked at Ash's expression and finally decided to share his story. He pointed to himself, then placed his hand at his neck, apparently indicating height.
"You mean you were smaller back then? You were a Pichu?"
Though he couldn't understand Pikachu's exact words, their bond from countless battles together had created a connection that allowed Ash to grasp the general meaning.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded enthusiastically, seeing that Ash understood. Then he changed his facial expression, relaxing his features before contorting them into a different shape. Ash looked a bit confused at first, but then realized Pikachu was mimicking a Kangaskhan's face.
Pikachu's talent for mimicry was impressive. Some fans back in Kanto even joked that Pikachu's true form might actually be a Ditto.
"So you met a Kangaskhan back then?" Ash asked with interest. In his journey, he had only known that he met Pikachu at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
But he had no idea what had happened to Pikachu before Professor Oak caught him. This was the first time Pikachu had mentioned anything about his past.
"Pi-ka-pi!" Pikachu confirmed Ash's guess with a nod. Then he continued to describe what had happened to him.
Pichu, Ash knew, were social creatures. Being so weak that even their Discharge moves could harm themselves, Pichu typically lived together in groups until they evolved before venturing out on their own.
As Pikachu continued his charades, Ash understood that Pikachu had accidentally become separated from his group when he was still a Pichu. After facing many challenges alone, he had encountered a Kangaskhan mother and her baby.
The Kangaskhan mother had taken him in, just as the herd now cared for Tommy, and Pikachu had spent a warm, memorable time with them.
Ash's understanding was correct. For Pikachu, that period had been the happiest time before meeting Ash. At first, Pikachu seemed cheerful while telling the story, but gradually his expression became wistful, then regretful.
"Pika pika pika!"
Pikachu grabbed Ash's hand and made a struggling expression as if pulling a heavy weight, though he wasn't actually exerting any force. Then he pantomimed being out of breath.
"Because you were an extra child to care for, the Kangaskhan mother became more tired than usual, right?"
"Pi-ka..." Pikachu lowered his ears and nodded sadly. That was exactly what had happened. Though he hadn't been heavy as a Pichu, he had still added to her burden. No matter what, it took more energy for the Kangaskhan mother to provide for two young ones instead of just her own baby.
"And then what happened?" Ash asked, seeing Pikachu's downcast expression.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu raised his hands from neck-height to head-height, then mimicked tiptoeing away stealthily. Ash understood the message.
"So to avoid being a burden, you evolved into Pikachu and then left secretly?" Pikachu nodded solemnly at Ash's guess.
"And later, Professor Oak caught you?"
"Pi-ka-pi!" Pikachu confirmed with another nod, and Ash smiled in understanding. So Pikachu had this history—no wonder he had been so concerned about the Kangaskhan herd.
"I see now. But you know, if you hadn't left then, maybe we would never have met." Ash gently stroked Pikachu's head. Pikachu looked up, slightly stunned by this perspective.
"Pika..." His mood gradually lightened. It had been sad to leave his adoptive family, but he had been fortunate enough to meet a trainer who truly understood him.
"Don't worry! I won't let anyone hurt the Kangaskhan," Ash promised with determination.
Hearing Ash's words, Pikachu felt a wave of emotion. Their bond had only grown stronger through this shared experience.