"This is the first time we're here on our own, right, Pichu?" Arthur smiled as he gently patted the little Pokémon perched on his shoulder.
"Pichu!" it chirped, nodding enthusiastically.
It had been a week since the day Arthur handed out a new batch of Pokémon eggs to the others.
He'd originally planned to keep one egg for himself too, but decided to postpone that until after today's battle.
Right now, he stood deep within what would soon become Rastor's Safari Zone, preparing to take down the 'boss' of this area.
After all, it wasn't like he could just release Pokémon into the wild and expect the ecosystem to welcome them with open arms. That would be too convenient.
Although this part of the forest had a 'boss', it was still classified as a relatively safe zone. The creature in question was the leader of a Jujig Boar pack—known as the Jujig Boar King. Despite the grand title, its strength only matched that of an average First Ring monster, roughly equivalent to a level 14–16 Pokémon.
They were so common, in fact, that regular subjugation requests had to be sent to the Adventurer's Guild to keep their numbers in check. Rastor Village had the strength to repel an entire horde of Jujig Boar Kings, but due to their sheer numbers, some would inevitably slip through the defenses and wreak havoc.
They were essentially a necessary pest control target. Left alone, their population could grow unchecked, threatening both the local wildlife and nearby villages.
As for Arthur—if he were facing one alone without preparation, a Zero Ring like him would be no match. But with time to prepare, especially with the use of pre-placed magic circles, defeating a Jujig Boar King was child's play.
And prepare he did.
His parents, Hector and Anna, had accompanied him into the forest days earlier, guarding him with their own strength and Pokémon while he quietly inscribed hidden magic circles across the forest floor.
Now, beneath his feet, lay a web of magical 'bombs' ready to detonate at his command.
Still, he didn't intend to end the fight with a single, anticlimactic explosion.
He'd come here with his own Pokémon—Pichu. And this time, he intended to fight alongside it, intending to use the magic circles sparingly—only to support their teamwork during the battle.
This would be Pichu's first real battle against a native monster rather than a sparring match with another Pokémon.
Arthur scanned his surroundings as he stepped deeper into the forest.
The forest pulsed with quiet enchantment, the afternoon air thick with golden motes that drifted like fireflies. Strange flowers glowed faintly beneath towering trees, and the songs of unseen birds echoed with magical vibrance. Encircling the forest were Arthur's advanced magic circles, etched into twelve pedestal stones positioned at each cardinal direction. Together, they linked to form a shimmering dome overhead—a barrier sealing the area for what would become the future Safari Zone.
The protective dome had already been activated, preventing any unregistered living beings from entering or leaving the forest.
After inspecting the hidden 'bombs' magic circles scattered throughout the interior of the dome and confirming they were still active, Arthur followed the mental map he'd memorized, heading straight toward the Jujig Boar King's lair.
…And promptly got lost.
Do I really need a Memora Potion for something like this? I should've brought a physical map! he grumbled internally, shooting a sneaky glance at his Pichu—and immediately catching its disappointed expression.
"Hey! What's with that look? This forest is seriously confusing, okay?" he huffed, trying to salvage his dignity as a Trainer.
Pichu narrowed its eyes, then burst into a playful giggle before hopping down from his shoulder and darting off toward the north.
"Pichu? Where are you going?!" Arthur called out, quickly chasing after his Pokémon.
Before long, a cave came into view ahead—his exact destination: the lair of the Jujig Boar King.
Noticing Pichu's smug expression, Arthur turned his head slightly with a sheepish cough and muttered, "Ahem! As expected of my Pokémon. Truly, greatness runs in your veins."
Pichu gave him a narrowed stare before giggling again, leaping back onto his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek affectionately.
"Pichu~" Its eyes turned into playful crescents, clearly fishing for praise.
Arthur's gaze softened as he handed it a boiled egg. "You did great. Thanks for leading the way, partner."
Turning back to the task at hand, he examined the pre-drawn magic circles around the cave's entrance. With a quick incantation, he activated one to scan the area for any First Ring—or stronger—lifeforms nearby.
He detected seven life signatures—one of them being his own Pichu.
Huh? There are five others? Arthur blinked in surprise, but realization quickly dawned.
One was clearly the Jujig Boar King. The remaining unknown signatures belonged to his mom, her Butterfree, his dad Beedrill, and his sister's Squirtle.
They must have been quietly tailing him from afar, clearly worried about him facing the king of boars alone.
The thought warmed his heart, and he smiled softly.
As for his sister, Lena, and his father, Hector, they were currently busy tending to the Lapras and Scyther eggs, which were taking longer than usual to hatch—due to their high base stats. That was probably why only their Pokémon had been sent to check on him. Otherwise, they would have come along too.
Choosing not to expose their quiet support, Arthur turned to his Pichu, who had just finished munching on its favorite boiled egg. He gently patted its head.
"Alright. Go lure out the smaller Jujig Boars. We'll wipe them out with my magic circles, then focus on the big guy."
Pichu nodded with a determined look, leapt down from his shoulder, and dashed into the cave.
Sure, Arthur could've asked his parents to handle the Jujig Boar King—but he wanted to face it together with Pichu. If they overcame this challenge as a team, it could deepen their bond, possibly enough to trigger the Friendship evolution.
He still felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering if Pichu might not be able to evolve into Pikachu. And if that happened, it could mean that other Pokémon with similar abstract evolution conditions—like those based on friendship—might face the same problem. But despite his worries, he remained hopeful for today operation.
He was confident their bond was already strong—maybe even as high as it could go. Perhaps all it needed now was one final push.
And what better way to strengthen a bond than to fight side by side in a real battle?
It was a perfect plan.
Rubbing his hands together, he gave the magic circles another quick check and then settled in to wait, calm and focused, for Pichu to return from the cave.
Arthur trusted his partner enough to know that Pichu would have no trouble luring the Jujig Boars out.
And Pichu proved him right.
As the small, yellow electric mouse darted out of the cave, a swarm of wild boars followed behind, charging like a hive of disturbed bees.
One, five...twenties of them? Arthur blinked in surprise. That was far more than he had anticipated, but the number didn't matter. With his mastery of magic circles, monsters below First Ring were no challenge.
Jujig Boars were large, rugged creatures resembling ordinary wild boars, with muscular frames, coarse bristled fur, and tusks that grew sharper with age. While they were generally easy to deal with, their tusks shouldn't be underestimated. That's where they gathered their mana, imbuing the tusks with an enchanting force that, with the right momentum and direction, could easily pierce through a tree.
Among this horde, perhaps half could mature into new Jujig Boar Kings by next month. That's why, unless the entire forest was razed, controlling their population was impossible. The best they could do was thin their numbers from time to time.
Once Pichu climbed up his body and settled on his shoulder, Arthur waited for all the boars to enter the effective range of his magic circle.
He gently tapped his foot on the magic circle beneath him and began chanting in English, "Earthora Spikan."
The Earth Element spell Earth Spikes manifested beneath the charging Jujig Boars, piercing them directly through the head with pinpoint accuracy. They collapsed instantly, their bodies largely intact. This would allow him to harvest their meat later—he didn't want to ruin the food if he could avoid it.
Arthur's modified English chant allowed the spell to flow seamlessly with the English-Japanese magic runes he had invented. It was also a precaution—by altering the chant, he ensured others couldn't easily decipher his magic circles, his greatest strength apart from his Pokémon.
Would it stand out? Not really. Many mages modified their chants for this exact reason—to obscure the nature of their spells. While this did weaken the spell slightly, the benefits outweighed the cost. No one would find it odd if he spoke in English during his incantations.
Reden might notice something, but unless he read and spelled out the magic runes directly in front of her, there was no way she could discern how the spoken language of the runes would sound.
With the boars killed instantly by the earth spikes, Arthur tapped his foot on another magic circle to move their corpses aside, clearing the area for the real challenge: the Jujig Boar King.
Grrrooaaarr!
Arthur heard the furious roar of the Jujig Boar King as debris and earth tumbled down around the cave, shaking the ground. The massive creature charged toward the entrance, its grief evident in the destruction it left in its wake—the life of its kind brutally stripped away.
Arthur took a few steps forward, positioning himself over another magic circle, readying for battle. Pichu jumped down from his shoulder and stood firmly in front of him, its eyes narrowed as sparks of electricity crackled from its cheeks.
As he waited, Arthur couldn't help but lament the inconvenience of using magic circles in battle. It would be much more practical to engrave the circles onto something portable, like a wand or a staff.
Before Rosalia had come into his life, Arthur had barely enough funds for his research. His work on magic circles had focused on minimizing costs, relying mostly on drawing power from nature rather than using magic materials or resources to fuel his circles.
His Poké Balls and Pokédex were exceptions. For those, he'd invested heavily in research to make them self-sustaining and portable, unlike his stationary magic circles.
Maybe it's time to seriously look into portable magic circles? Arthur thought, torn. Although he was much wealthier now, and the funds for researching portable magic circles were reasonable, the cost would still be high. More importantly, he'd rather focus on Pokémon research than turn his attention to crafting weapons with magic circles.
Grrrraaawww!
His thoughts were interrupted as a massive boar charged out of the cave, its red eyes blazing with fury.
The Jujig Boar King was a larger version of the Jujig Boar. Stronger, with dense bristles and heavy tusks that contained far more mana. Its charges could break stone and splinter trees, making it a fearsome opponent for the unprepared.
Despite that, it was still classified as an "easy" monster to hunt.
Still, Arthur knew he couldn't afford to be careless. One direct hit from those tusks, and both he and Pichu would be finished in an instant.
"Pichu! Focus on speed and avoid its tusks! Then, use Charge!" Arthur ordered.
"Pichu~!" It nodded eagerly and dashed into the forest, quickly ducking behind trees. It slowed down just enough to begin charging electricity, keeping a sharp eye on both Arthur and the massive boar.
Rraaahhhh!
The Jujig Boar King roared in fury as it charged toward Arthur, its massive body hurtling with deadly intent.
Staying calm, Arthur quickly tapped his foot on the grass, activating the magic circle beneath him. Mana from the earth and air flowed into it as he chanted, "Gravitora Surgis."
A Space Element spell, Gravity Well, was unleashed right beneath the Boar King's massive body. The increased gravity slowed its charge, pulling it down and throwing it off balance.
With a thoom and a crack, the Jujig Boar King collided with a nearby boulder, its glowing tusks piercing through the stone and causing cracks to spread around the impact site.
"Pichu! Sweet Kiss!"
Pichu emerged from the forest, its charge half-complete, and quickly blew a Sweet Kiss toward the Jujig Boar King, sending a floating pink heart in its direction. The heart-shaped kiss left the boar momentarily confused, halting its struggle to free its tusks from the boulder.
Arthur had considered starting with Nuzzle, but given the size of the boar, he doubted it would have much effect. He opted for Sweet Kiss instead, curious to see if it would work on a monster like this, and it seemed to be having the desired effect.
"Pichu! Release a fully-charged Thunder Shock!"
Noticing the small mouse gathering an intense electric spark on top of its head, the Jujig Boar King's fur stood on end as its instincts screamed to run. It began thrashing wildly, trying to shake off the mouse, but the confusion from the Sweet Kiss caused it to instead strike its own tusks, still lodged in the boulder, forming a crack in one of them.
Fully charged, Pichu grinned triumphantly, eager to take down an opponent much larger than itself.
"Wheeeerrrk!" The Jujig Boar King bellowed as it finally freed its tusks from the boulder.
But it was too late.
"Pi~... CHU~!"
A direct hit from Pichu's fully-charged Thunder Shock!
The blast of intense electricity surged through the Boar King's massive body!
Crack-BOOM!
The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the nearby leaves and sending a gust of wind through the trees. The boar's massive frame convulsed violently, its muscles locking mid-motion. Sparks danced along its dense bristles, and the glowing mana within its tusks flickered erratically—then one of the cracked tusks snapped clean off, clattering to the ground like a shattered weapon.
Arthur shielded his eyes from the burst of electricity, his heart pounding as he watched the boar king slump to its knees with a trembling groan. Smoke rose from its back, and its breath came in ragged gasps, steam escaping its nostrils like broken bellows.
But Arthur knew it wasn't over yet.
"Pichu! Nuzzle!" he commanded quickly.
Now that the Jujig Boar King had been weakened, there was a high chance the move would successfully paralyze it.
Just in case, he tapped his foot onto another magic circle and chanted, "Voltaria."
A Lightning Element spell: Lightning Field spread around the boar king, enhanceing the power of Lightning Element spells, including the Electric-type moves of Pokémon.
He hadn't used it earlier to amplify the fully-charged Thunder Shock, as he'd wanted to see how strong Pichu's move would be on its own against a monster of this world, supposedly of similar strength.
The results were satisfying.
Now, with the Lightning Field in place, Pichu's Nuzzle was further empowered.
Sparks snapped through the air with a sharp crackle.
The moment Pichu made contact—Zap!
A surge of amplified static discharged from its cheeks, flooding into the already-weakened Jujig Boar King. The beast spasmed, releasing a guttural snort, its limbs stiffening as a golden sheen of paralyzing electricity rippled through its bulky frame.
Success! Arthur silently cheered as he saw the boar king's body seize up from the paralysis.
It was time to finish this fight.
"Pichu! Together! Thunder Shock!"
At the same time, Arthur tapped another magic circle beneath his foot and chanted, "Watora Spikan."
A Water Element spell: Water Spike shot through the earth, carrying high-conductive metals he had strategically planted earlier. The spike erupted from below the Jujig Boar King's belly, piercing through its weakened body.
Roar! The boar cried out in pain but remained standing.
Then came Pichu's Thunder Shock!
"Pi~ CHU!"
The bolt of electricity collided with the Water Spike like lightning striking a rod—amplified by the still-active Lightning Field and the conductive path through the Jujig Boar King's belly.
Crack-KRAKOOOM!
Electricity surged through the beast's body, lighting it up from within. The creature spasmed violently, then let out a final, strangled roar before collapsing with a massive thud, sending a tremor through the ground and causing leaves to fall around them.
Arthur waited, ensuring the boar was truly defeated.
Once he was sure it was completely dead, he exhaled in relief, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Good job, partner. Perfect combo!" he said as Pichu dashed toward him, leaping to non-electric nuzzle his face with a proud grin.
This was the first time Pichu had fought directly alongside its Trainer, not just sparring against another of its kind. It was exhilarating, fun—and full of teamwork.
Arthur smiled and rubbed Pichu's head, rewarding it with a boiled egg.
There could never be too many boiled eggs for a growing, healthy little electric mouse!
But Pichu ignored the offering, its excitement still overflowing as it ran around Arthur, thrilled by their victory.
Arthur chuckled, dancing along with Pichu, lost in the moment—completely forgetting that his mom and the other Pokémon were secretly watching from a distance.
After a while, he calmed down, observing Pichu thoughtfully. His smile faded slightly as a quiet sigh escaped his lips.
It still hadn't evolved into a Pikachu... Arthur couldn't shake the thought that perhaps there was something wrong with the template itself. His bond with Pichu felt as strong as ever, so he was certain that wasn't the issue.
Shaking his head, he let out a soft sigh. "Well, never mind. Let's forget about it for now."
He decided to push the thought of Pichu's evolution to the back of his mind. There was nothing more he could do about it for the moment, so he focused on enjoying the victory instead.
He glanced at Pichu, who was happily munching away at a boiled egg, and his smile softened.
Pichu was more than just a Pokémon to him now—it was his partner, his friend, and the embodiment of a bond that had grown stronger with each passing day. It didn't matter that Pichu hadn't evolved yet; it would always be by his side, even if he never added it to his main team—when, one day in the distant future, he made the Pokémon League Tournament a reality in this world and joined it as just another Trainer
In that moment, he allowed himself to let go of all his concerns. He didn't think about the so-called 'friendship evolution' anymore, treating it as if it had never even existed.
But then, Pichu's small body trembled as it looked up at him, its eyes shining with genuine joy and affection.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Arthur asked, his voice laced with concern as he quickly checked Pichu's condition.
To his utter disbelief, Pichu suddenly began to spray thin strings from its mouth, wrapping itself in a cocoon without a hint of hesitation or concern for its surroundings.
"Pichu is... evolving?!" Arthur stammered, his mind reeling in confusion.
Why now? How?
And then, it clicked.
A bitter-sweet smile crept onto Arthur's face as he shook his head in realization. He couldn't help but blame himself.
So... it's my fault, huh? he mused with a rueful smile.
Though he had always cared deeply for Pichu, his true motivation had been to test whether the concept of evolution through friendship was possible. No matter how hard he tried to bury that thought—or convince himself that his intentions were truly sincere—he couldn't lie to himself.
He had indeed been sincere in his efforts to befriend Pichu, but the hard-to-suppress selfish desire had prevented him from being fully genuine...
That was why Pichu hadn't evolved until now...
Not until he had completely let go...
"Friendship…" Arthur murmured, his mind finally breaking free from its stupor.
A self-mocking laugh escaped him as he came to terms with the fact that he still had a long way to go—not only as a Trainer but as a person.
He understood why Pichu had chosen to evolve so suddenly.
Pichu, in its simple, pure way, had sensed Arthur's hidden desire. It knew he longed for its evolution, and in that moment, it threw caution to the wind—disregarding time and place—and cocooned itself the instant the conditions for evolution were met.
Arthur immediately activated all nearby protective and defensive magic circles, ensuring that the cocoon would be shielded from any danger. Though there was no threat, he would remain vigilant, guarding it with all his might.
He could have carried Pichu to the Pokémon Breeding Room and placed the cocoon on the Evolution Altar, but he decided against it.
Instead, he would respect Pichu's wish to evolve right here, right now, and protect it at all costs—until Pichu... no, Pikachu emerged from the cocoon.
"I'll be waiting for you right here." With a genuine, contended smile, Arthur sat beside the cocoon, his heart swelling with anticipation as he waited for his partner and friend to complete its evolution.