Instead of looking at the chat, she tapped a few keys on her computer and opened a different icon: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team.
The stream chat immediately flooded with question marks.
[???]
[Cynthia, what are you doing?]
[Not playing Pitch Black Phantom anymore?]
Cynthia adjusted her microphone.
"I'm wrapping up with Emerald for now, so I'm going to try out this game."
[Holy crap?]
[Cynthia's playing Rescue Team now?]
[Kairos's game is too addictive! Even streamers are falling for it!]
[Quick, quick! Let's see what she rolls!]
Ignoring the exploding chat, Cynthia dove straight into the philosophical quiz. Her choices were quick and decisive, without a moment's hesitation.
[1. Which do you prefer?]
[A. Running under clear blue skies.]
[B. Reflecting in the quiet of a rainy night.]
Cynthia clicked B. Silent rainy nights were perfect for gathering her thoughts and researching legends.
[2. A friend is in trouble. What do you do?]
[A. Jump in to help without hesitation!]
[B. Stay calm, analyze the situation, and find the best solution.]
B. A Champion's duty required level-headed judgment.
[3. When facing the unknown, do you tend to...]
[A. Charge forward and carve your path with strength!]
[B. Explore cautiously and use wisdom to avoid risks.]
B. The restricted zone around Rayquaza was the perfect example.
[4. What quality matters most to you?]
[A. The passion to inspire others!]
[B. The resolve to protect your partners!]
[C. The dedication to pursue truth!]
C. Seeking legends and truth was her lifelong conviction.
[5. At the end of your journey, what do you hope to leave behind?]
[A. A legend remembered by all!][B. Warm memories shared with partners!][C. A deeper understanding of the world!]
C. Legends and memories were important, but understanding the mysteries of the world was what she truly sought.
With the questions finished, the screen went dark. Cynthia leaned back in her chair, fingers lightly tapping the desk.
She'd already watched some recorded streams of this game and understood what the opening quiz was for.
Given her personality and choices, what would she get?
Maybe a steady, reliable Pokémon? Or something more intellectual?
Images of Blastoise and Alakazam flashed through her mind.
On screen, light flickered back to life, outlining the shape of a Pokémon.
The silhouette was small, with what looked like... a giant leaf on its head?
Cynthia's calm expression froze instantly.
When the light fully faded, what appeared on screen was a light green Pokémon with a massive heart-shaped leaf on its head, confused eyes, and a soft, almost tiny appearance.
Chikorita.
The stream fell into three full seconds of dead silence.
Then the chat exploded.
[??]
[Chikorita??]
[HAHAHAHA]
[Wind knows how to deliver entertainment!]
[Cynthia: Where's my Spiritomb? Where's my Garchomp? And you give me THIS?]
[Tiny, pitiful, but can eat grass]
[Chikorita is adorable though]
Cynthia stared at the screen where the little Chikorita tilted its head with innocent eyes. Her hand on the mouse paused.
There was no way she resembled a Chikorita, right?
This felt... incredibly strange.
It was like if her Garchomp suddenly learned how to act cute, absurd on every level.
A hint of helpless amusement crept onto her face.
Fine. If this was an experience of "not being a Trainer," then she'd... see it through to the end.
She took a deep breath and clicked confirm.
The next moment, a prompt appeared on screen:
[Adventurer, welcome to a new world.]
[Best of luck to you.]
Meanwhile, Iono was controlling Zeraora, carefully cradling an unconscious Pikachu with blood still at the corner of its mouth, hurrying through the forest behind Caterpie.
Finally, she spotted the massive ancient tree that had been converted into a guild.
"It's right ahead! The Wigglytuff Guild! Blissey's definitely there!" Caterpie shouted anxiously.
Iono breathed a sigh of relief and rushed through the guild entrance.
The bustling hall quieted down considerably as many Pokémon's eyes turned toward them, focusing on the Pikachu in her arms.
"Please, someone help! He's hurt and unconscious! It's serious!" Iono pressed the interact button and shouted into her mic, Zeraora frantically looking around.
But the eager help she expected didn't come. Whispers spread like a tide.
"Look... it's that Pikachu..."
"Why's he back again? And in that state..."
"Tch, bad luck..."
"Stay away from him..."
"Anyone who helps him is asking for trouble..."
Those gazes held coldness, disgust, contempt, and even a trace of fear.
The previously busy Pokémon instinctively backed away, as if Pikachu carried some kind of plague. A Machoke carrying supplies even frowned and took a huge detour to avoid them.
Iono was completely stunned.
What was going on? Just moments ago outside, Caterpie had been talking about this place with admiration, saying they could help. How did everything change the moment they walked in?
This wasn't right.
Had this Pikachu done something unforgivable?
The chat exploded:
[???What's with this attitude?]
[Refusing to save someone?]
[Is Pikachu's reputation really that bad?]
[There's definitely a story here! Streamer, ask around!]
"Hey! What's wrong with you people? He's this badly hurt!" Iono was getting anxious, making Zeraora carry Pikachu forward a few more steps.
The surrounding Pokémon backed away even further. Caterpie's expression was equally confused, clearly not understanding why things had turned out this way.
Just as Iono was about to lose her temper and start cursing, a gentle voice called out: "Everyone, please make way. Where's the injured one?"
A pink Blissey pushed through the onlooking Pokémon and hurried over.
The egg on her chest seemed to radiate a warm glow. When she saw the Pikachu in Zeraora's arms, her brow immediately furrowed.
"Follow me, emergency room!"
Without hesitation, she turned and led the way.
Knowing help had arrived, Iono quickly followed.
The emergency room was tucked in a corner of the guild, very quiet.
Blissey gestured for Zeraora to place Pikachu on a bed lined with clean, soft padding.
"How did things get this bad?" Blissey sighed as she rapidly checked Pikachu's injuries.
"Old wounds acting up again... plus forcing himself to use his powers. He's completely burned out."
"Old wounds?" Iono caught the key phrase. "Does this happen to him often? And... why does everyone seem to... really dislike him?"
She chose her words carefully.
Blissey's hands didn't stop moving as she pulled out equipment glowing with soft light to scan Pikachu. Her tone carried complex emotions.
"Him? He used to be the deputy leader of the 'Star of Hope' rescue team. That was a top-tier five-star team, filled with really strong Pokémon."
"Star of Hope?" Both Iono and the chat perked up their ears. The name alone sounded impressive.
"Yes. But sadly... about half a year ago, they took on a high-difficulty mission to explore the depths of 'Shadow Gorge.'
Supposedly they encountered something truly terrifying... In the end, only he came back, injured and unconscious just like now."
Blissey's voice lowered. "When he woke up, his strength was... nowhere near what it used to be, and he was left with incurable internal injuries that could flare up at any time, like today. And also..."
Blissey paused, seeming reluctant to continue: "There are rumors that... at the critical moment, he abandoned his teammates and escaped alone. They call him a coward, a traitor."
Abandoned his teammates? Escaped alone?
Iono looked at the Pikachu lying on the bed, brow furrowed even in unconsciousness, looking unusually stubborn.
She frowned.
That didn't seem like something this guy would do.
The chat immediately flooded:
[That's nonsense! I don't believe it!]
[If he'd really abandon his teammates, he wouldn't have helped the streamer fight those Koffing and Zubat in the cave, let alone help Caterpie...]
[Exactly! He was already injured but still charged in and wiped out the opposition.]
[He's clearly got a tough exterior but a soft heart...]
[I agree, this Pikachu looks proud but doesn't seem like a bad guy at all]
As the chat debated, scenes from earlier flashed through Iono's mind.
She remembered how Pikachu had acted in the cave, how even when coughing up blood before collapsing, there hadn't been a trace of fear in his eyes.
Would a Pokémon like that abandon his companions?
There had to be more to the story, at least it couldn't be as simple as it appeared.
Though there was no way to know for certain what Pikachu had actually done in the past, her instincts told her to believe in him.
Blissey's treatment lasted a long time.
Gentle light enveloped Pikachu, his tightly furrowed brow seemed to relax, and his breathing steadied.
Finally, Blissey withdrew her hands and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"He's out of danger, but he needs rest. As for the internal injuries... I can't do anything about those. He'll just have to be careful and not push himself like this again."
Just then, the Pikachu on the bed's eyelids trembled and slowly opened. Those crimson eyes, still emotionless, first stared blankly at the ceiling before focusing on Iono's Zeraora.
He sat up silently, movements still sluggish.
Pikachu's gaze swept over Iono, then Blissey, and finally settled on the treated wounds on his own body.
He didn't ask anything or say much. He just fumbled around, first pulling out a gold coin and tossing it to Blissey.
Then he pulled out a dull gray, completely unremarkable-looking stone and casually tossed it to Iono.
"Thanks for the help." His voice was still cold, devoid of any emotion. "Take it and get lost."
With that, he struggled to get off the bed, as if he didn't want to stay there a second longer.
Watching him put up walls like this, that stubborn streak in Iono flared up again.
She moved Zeraora forward a step, blocking Pikachu's path.
"Hey! Wait!" Iono spoke into her mic.
"Pikachu! Want to... join my rescue team? Let's team up!"
Pikachu's movements froze.
He looked up, those crimson eyes sharpening for the first time as they locked onto Zeraora, as if he could see right through to the person behind the screen.
The emergency room fell terrifyingly silent.
Even Blissey stopped what she was doing, staring at Zeraora in surprise, seemingly unable to believe he'd say something like that.
After several seconds of silence, Pikachu's mouth twitched into something like a mocking smile.
"Team up?" His voice was icy. "Aren't you afraid... that I'll do what they say and abandon you when danger comes, then run off by myself?"
The words came out like a knife, directly addressing the gossip from outside.
But Iono just rolled her eyes.
"I don't believe a word of what they said!" Iono's voice was firm and resolute.
"I think you're nothing like what they describe! Nothing at all!"
"Back in that cave, you could've ignored that Caterpie, ignored me, and just left! But you stepped in!
You helped us!
Even though you were injured! And even knowing that using your powers would have consequences... you still did it."
She paused, then very seriously extended her invitation again: "So I think... you're a partner worth trusting. Want to team up with me?"
Pikachu stared intently at Zeraora. Something incredibly complex seemed to flash through those crimson eyes.
But all those emotions quickly vanished, and he returned to that ice-cold demeanor.
Once again, he said nothing. He just turned away from Zeraora and walked toward the emergency room exit without looking back.
Seeing this, the chat erupted in wails:
[Ah! He's leaving!]
[Streamer, chase him!]
[It's over, no chance now!]
[Damn, why's this guy so cold??]
[Did the streamer not say the right things to convince him?]
Iono watched Pikachu disappear through the doorway, feeling a bit helpless.
Had she been too direct? Or not expressed herself well enough? This Pikachu's emotional scars seemed way deeper than she'd imagined.
Or had she actually been wrong about him?
Maybe this Pikachu... wasn't the right partner for her team?
So what now? She couldn't just go find another Pokémon to form some rescue team with...
Just as she was feeling dejected and moving Zeraora to leave the emergency room too...
A cold, impatient voice suddenly drifted back from the doorway.
"Hey."
Both Iono and Zeraora froze.
In the light of the doorway, the yellow Pikachu hadn't gone far.
He stood with his back to Zeraora, his golden figure paused in the hallway, tail tip swaying slightly.
"Our rescue team..." He paused, as if weighing his words. His voice still lacked warmth but was no longer as sharp as before.
"...what are we calling it?"
Iono paused, then suddenly grinned.
"Well, I haven't thought of a name yet. How about we figure it out after you join?"
"Tch, you don't even have a name picked out... and you're inviting me to team up? I don't do sloppy work like that."
Pikachu spoke dismissively and walked away.
"When you've got a name figured out, come find me at the guild entrance."