David peeked through the crack in the door, his eyes going wide.
A pale blue Ralts was chained up in the middle of the room, a thick metal collar locked tightly around its neck, holding it in place like some kind of twisted accessory. It shivered slightly, eyes shut, psychic energy flickering weakly around it before fading out.
David's face dropped. "What the hell...?"
It didn't take long for him to piece it together. He'd read about this kind of thing back in Trainer School—a Psychic Suppression Collar. Completely illegal. Designed specifically to trap Psychic-type Pokémon by nullifying their abilities. Once locked on, the poor thing couldn't teleport or fight back. The only people who used these were the types who had 'Wanted' posters with big rewards on them.
"Well," David whispered to Pikachu, who was perched tensely on his shoulder, "I think we just walked into something way bigger than a shampoo scam."
Pikachu blinked, clearly unimpressed with his talent for stumbling into chaos.
David's eyes flickered back to the door. "Okay, first things first. Let's get this little guy out of here—" He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze catching on a small blinking light in the corner of the ceiling. A security camera, angled perfectly to catch the door. And right next to it? A fat, red alarm button, practically screaming Do Not Touch!
He groaned. "Of course there's a camera. And an alarm. Because why wouldn't there be?" He scratched his head. "I bet the second I open that door, this whole place goes full lockdown. Great. Just great."
David looked around the hallway desperately. "Okay, think, think... How do I break a psychic-proof lock, avoid an alarm, and not get vaporized by an angry Gardevoir all at the same time?"
Pikachu shrugged.
"Some help you are," David grumbled, crossing his arms. "Alright, how about a Thunderbolt? You know, just zap the whole floor. It might short out the system, right?"
Pikachu turned slowly, blinking up at him with an expression that clearly said, Are you insane?
(Shocked Pikachu. Jpg)
David held his hands up defensively. "What? I'm just brainstorming! No bad ideas in brainstorming!"
Pikachu's eyes narrowed into tiny yellow slits.
[Negative emotion value +50 from Pikachu...]
[Negative emotion value +50 from Pikachu...]
David rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine! Mr. Picky over here. What do you suggest, huh?"
Pikachu's tiny paw shot up, pointing directly at the ventilation duct above their heads.
David blinked. "The vent? You think you can get in through there?"
Pikachu nodded with a confidence that was almost smug.
David squinted up at the duct, then back at Pikachu. "I mean... I was just about to suggest that," he said casually, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "But I guess you can do it since you're so eager."
Pikachu just sighed. The things I do for world peace...
"Alright, alright," David whispered, giving Pikachu a little boost up to the vent. "You sneak in, unlock that collar, and get Ralts out of there. Easy peasy."
Pikachu stared back at him like he'd just asked him to bench-press a Snorlax.
"Hey, I believe in you," David whispered. "And if you get caught... uh... just pretend you're, like, maintenance or something. Wear a tiny hard hat. I dunno."
Pikachu rolled his eyes but squeezed his way into the vent, his little tail flicking back and forth as he crawled through.
David watched him disappear, hands on his hips. "Alright... Operation Pikachu Ninja Mode is a go," he muttered, feeling way too proud of himself.
Inside the vent, Pikachu navigated the cramped space with surprising agility, scampering through dust and cobwebs like it was just another Tuesday. After a few twists and turns, he reached a grate directly above the room.
Below him, the blue Ralts was still chained up, its tiny body trembling slightly. Pikachu tapped on the grate gently. "Pika! Pikachu!"
Ralts looked up, blinking its large red eyes in confusion. It scanned the room, its little head turning from side to side. Finally, its gaze landed on Pikachu peeking through the grate above.
"Lalu?" it murmured, eyes wide with surprise.
Pikachu gave it a thumbs up and pointed to the collar, then to himself. "Pika pika!"
Ralts seemed to understand—or maybe it was just desperate enough to try anything. Either way, it gave a hopeful little nod.
Pikachu flexed his tiny arms dramatically before getting to work unscrewing the grate. Dust and bits of plaster fell as he wriggled it free, but finally, with a triumphant squeak, the grate popped open.
"Pika!" Pikachu whispered, dropping down lightly onto the floor. He landed with all the grace of a seasoned ninja—at least in his own mind—and crept towards Ralts, whose eyes sparkled with hope.
Now all he had to do was unlock that collar... and not blow up the entire floor while doing it.
David, still in the hallway, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Pikachu better not mess this up," he muttered, then paused. "Actually... I better not mess this up either."
But for now, all he could do was wait. And if Pikachu succeeded, it was about to get very, very interesting.
David's voice echoed through the narrow metal of the ventilation duct. "Pikachu, tell the Ralts we can take it away!"
Pikachu, who had just dropped gracefully into the room like the world's smallest secret agent, perked up his ears. He glanced at the little Shiny Ralts, who was still chained up and pouting like it just bit into a sour berry.
"Pickup!" Pikachu squeaked confidently, pointing back up to the vent. "Pika Pikachu! (That guy up there? He's with me!)"
Ralts crossed its tiny arms and turned its head away dramatically. "Lalu!" it huffed, clearly unimpressed.
Pikachu blinked in disbelief. "Pika pika?! (What do you mean you don't trust him?!)"
"Lalu!" Ralts shot back, sticking its nose up defiantly.
Pikachu scratched his head, genuinely baffled. Sure, David was...well, David, but he wasn't evil. Reckless? Absolutely. Maybe borderline insane. But evil? Nah. Pikachu couldn't let that slide.
"Pickup! Pikachu pika! (Hey! He's not that bad! He just...has some creative ideas sometimes!)" Pikachu defended. His little paws waved around as he tried to explain.
Ralts just rolled its eyes. "Lalu! (Humans are all the same!)"
Pikachu looked genuinely offended for a moment, paw on his chest like Ralts had just insulted his grandmother. "Pika! (Hey! That's a bit harsh!)"
Meanwhile, David's voice echoed back down the vent, sounding slightly impatient. "Pikachu! What's going on down there? Did you tell it? Tell it we're here to help! And...uh, mention I didn't try to blow up the whole floor, okay?"
Pikachu shot a side-eye up at the vent. "Pika pika... (You kinda did though...)"
"WHAT?" David's voice shouted back.
Pikachu cleared his throat, turning back to Ralts. "Pikachu pika pika! (Look, the collar around your neck is blocking your powers. If I break it, you can Teleport us out of here. Easy, right?)" Pikachu mimed the motion of breaking the collar and then spread his little arms wide like they'd be flying through the sky.
Ralts stared at him blankly. "Lalu?"
"Yeah, like poof, we're gone!" Pikachu said, clapping his paws together for dramatic effect.
Ralts still seemed skeptical, but its eyes softened a little. For a moment, it looked like it might actually consider it. But then it glanced back at the heavy collar around its neck, eyes full of doubt. "Lalu... (If it was that easy, I wouldn't be here...)"
Pikachu put a reassuring paw on Ralts' shoulder. "Pika pika! (Hey, trust me. I got this. That guy up there may be a bit of a lunatic, but he's not a bad guy.)"
David, unaware of the judgment being thrown his way, leaned back from the vent. He knew time was running out; that salon owner could come back any moment. If Ralts wasn't willing to cooperate, there was no way he and Pikachu could fight their way out, not against seasoned Pokémon traffickers.
He'd have to abandon Ralts and escape, he won't risk his safety and Pikachu's for a pokemon that has nothing to do with him, no matter how precious.
He tapped his fingers nervously on the dusty floor. "Come on, Ralts...work with me here..." he whispered to himself, eyeing the door like it might burst open any second.
Inside the room, the argument between Pikachu and Ralts was still going strong. Honestly, it sounded like two elementary school kids bickering over who got the last slice of pizza.
"Pickup! (David's not a bad guy!)" Pikachu insisted, stomping its little foot for emphasis.
"Lalu! (Yes, he is!)" Ralts shot back, crossing its tiny arms.
"Pickup! (No, he isn't!)" Pikachu fired back, its cheeks sparking slightly in frustration.
"Lalu! (Yes, he is!)"
"Pickup! (Not!)"
"Lalu! (Yes!)"
Pikachu paused, puffing up its cheeks before finally slumping its shoulders. "Pi... Pikachu... (Okay, maybe he's... a little heartless and kinda cheap…)"
Ralts blinked in surprise, like it hadn't expected Pikachu to concede even a little. Pikachu just sighed dramatically, shaking its head. Getting through to this stubborn Ralts was like trying to explain algebra to a Magikarp.
Then Pikachu glanced at the collar chained around Ralts' neck. It looked uncomfortable—heavy, clunky, and completely unfair. A pang of sympathy flickered in Pikachu's eyes. Without another word, it reached into its little pouch and pulled out a slightly chewed cheese stick, the one David had bought earlier as a bribe for Pikachu's "good behavior," which had lasted all of two minutes.
Pikachu wiggled the cheese stick through the vent opening, dropping it right in front of Ralts. "Pickup! (Here, this is for you! David's already called for backup. You'll be out of here soon, I promise!)"
Ralts stared at the cheese stick suspiciously, then looked back at Pikachu, blinking. "Lalu? (For me?)"
Pikachu nodded, nudging it a little closer with its paw. Ralts sniffed it cautiously before taking a tiny bite. Its eyes widened a bit—sour, sweet, and...was that a hint of cardboard? Honestly, it wasn't the best thing it had ever tasted, but it was food. Ralts didn't hesitate, munching it down in a few quick bites. For the first time, it actually looked...grateful.
"Lalu!" Ralts suddenly called out, just as Pikachu was about to disappear back into the vent.
Pikachu paused, glancing back. "Pika? (What?)"
Ralts held up the cheese stick wrapper triumphantly. "Lalu! (I'll go with you, but I want more of this!)"
Pikachu blinked and then gave Ralts a thumbs up with its tiny paw. "Pika pika! (Deal! David's the one paying, anyway!)"
Somewhere back in the hallway, David, still pressed up against the vent, sneezed. He rubbed his nose. "Why do I feel like Pikachu just sold me out?"
Just then, Pikachu hopped out of the ventilation duct with a flourish. Unfortunately, the moment its feet hit the floor, an alarm blared through the entire second floor.
BEEEEP! BEEEEP!
"Well, that's subtle," David muttered, eyes wide. He rushed up to the crack in the door and shouted, "Pikachu, now's not the time to admire your landing! Break that collar and the chain, quick!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, its tail gleaming with a silver light. It spun around and smashed the Iron Tail down with all the grace of a toddler swinging a baseball bat. CRACK! The chain shattered instantly, pieces clattering to the floor.
The collar was trickier. Pikachu hesitated, worried that Iron Tail might hurt Ralts. It stepped forward, gently placing its paw on the collar. Sparks of electricity danced across its fingertips, and with a quick zap, the mechanism clicked open. The collar popped off and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Ralts rubbed its neck, stretching out like it had been trapped for days. It glanced at Pikachu, who was already gesturing towards the vent like, "Let's get moving!" But Ralts didn't budge.
Instead, its eyes glowed a faint purple, and its entire body shimmered with Psychic energy. Pikachu stepped back, looking both impressed and slightly terrified. With a flicker of light, the chains and the collar lying on the floor began to vibrate, crumpling inward like aluminum foil before dissolving into dust.
Pikachu blinked. "Pika? (Uh…what just happened?)"
Ralts looked at the ashes, then back at Pikachu. "Lalu. (I hate those things.)"
Pikachu just stared, then gave a little shrug. "Pika... (Fair enough...)"
Outside, David's voice crackled through the vent. "Did you do it? Is it off?"
Pikachu smirked. "Pika! (Oh, it's off, alright...)"
David paused, then chuckled nervously. "I'm just gonna assume that's good news…"
He had no idea what was coming next.