As Hora pushed open the glass doors of the Viridian City Pokémon Center, he was instantly enveloped by a wave of warmth.
Unlike the cool air outside, the indoor temperature was perfectly regulated, and the air carried a faint scent of disinfectant mixed with Pokémon food. The lobby was exceptionally lively; many trainers were clustered around the service counter handling business, while others sat in the lounge area feeding or grooming their Pokémon.
Hora's gaze quickly scanned the Pokémon present, but he soon lost interest—most were common entry-level species like Caterpie and Rattata. Their potential was generally C-rank, with a few even being D-rank; they were clearly intended more as pets than battle partners.
Just as he was heading toward the counter to drop off Bulbasaur and Kakuna to restore their stamina, a familiar figure suddenly entered his field of vision.
In front of a video phone, Ash was holding the receiver, responding to someone dejectedly. On the screen was a woman with brownish-auburn hair. Before Hora could even open his mouth to say hello, Delia Ketchum's familiar voice came from the other end, carrying obvious surprise: "Hora? You're in Viridian City too!"
Ash turned his head in confusion. When he saw Hora standing behind him, his eyes instantly lit up. "Hora! You made it to Viridian too?"
"Long time no see, Ash," Hora said with a smile. He then turned toward the screen and waved to Delia, his tone polite and warm. "Hello, Ma'am. I didn't expect to run into Ash here."
"Hora is such a polite child," Delia smiled at him through the screen, but her tone shifted as she looked back at her son, tinged with helplessness. "Unlike our Ash, who only just thought to call home today. I've been worried sick for days."
Ash scratched his head, smiling sheepishly.
"Alright, alright, I won't nag you anymore," Delia shook her head. Her gaze fell back on Hora, her tone becoming a bit more serious. "Hora, you two are about the same age and are both trainers just starting your journeys. If you run into trouble later, remember to look out for each other. Ash can be a bit too hot-headed sometimes; remind him to be careful and not act so recklessly."
"Mom! I'm not reckless!" Ash protested indignantly, but he was silenced by a single look from Delia.
Hora nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Ma'am, I will. We grew up together as friends; looking out for each other is only natural."
"That's good," Delia nodded with satisfaction. She checked the time at the bottom of the screen and gave one last instruction: "Stay safe out there. Remember to eat and rest on time; don't just focus on traveling. I have things to do here, so I'll hang up now. You two chat."
With a wave, Delia pressed the end-call button. The screen went dark, and the lobby felt a bit quieter for a moment.
As Ash hung up the receiver and turned back to Hora, the excitement in his eyes had already faded, replaced by an unmistakable exhaustion. His usually bright eyes were drooping, and even his mouth, which usually curled upward, was pressed into a flat line.
His voice carried a hint of weariness: "Hora, did you just come out of Viridian Forest too? Did you run into any danger?"
Hora sat down naturally beside him, his gaze sweeping over the Pikachu curled in Ash's arms. The little guy had its eyes closed, its ears were limp against its head, and even its usually active tail was motionless. The red electric sacs on its cheeks had lost their usual luster—it was clearly in very poor condition.
Retracting his gaze, Hora answered calmly, "No real danger, but the sudden rainstorms over the last two days were a pain. It took some effort to find shelter in the woods. How about you? You don't look so good."
At the mention of his situation, Ash's expression darkened. He gently stroked Pikachu's head, his movements so careful he seemed afraid of hurting it. "I... I'm fine. It's just Pikachu... it was badly injured. It's had a high fever since yesterday. Nurse Joy just said there's still inflammation from the Spearow pecking wounds; it needs several days of rest to recover."
Hora wasn't surprised by this. He remembered clearly that Ash's first major defeat at the start of his journey was at the hands of a flock of Spearow. At the time, Ash and Pikachu hadn't established trust yet. Facing an onslaught from a flock, Pikachu had taken the brunt of the pecks and wing attacks before finally exhausting itself to drive the enemies off with a Thunderbolt, leaving it severely wounded.
"Did you run into a flock of Spearow?" Hora asked softly.
Ash looked up sharply, his eyes full of surprise. "How did you know?"
"Just a guess," Hora didn't explain much, merely pointing at the faint, visible wounds on Pikachu's body. "A Spearow's beak is very sharp; pecking wounds easily lead to inflammation. Plus, the humidity from the rain makes the wounds recover even slower."
He paused, then added, "Actually, Pikachu isn't weak. It's just that you two only recently became partners and haven't built up any chemistry yet. Yesterday against the Spearow, your offense and defense weren't coordinated, which let Pikachu take way too much damage on its own."
These words struck a chord with Ash. He lowered his head, his finger lightly brushing Pikachu's ear, his voice tinged with guilt. "I know..."
Pikachu seemed to sense Ash's emotions. It opened its eyes slightly and rubbed its small head against his palm, letting out a weak "Pi-ka..." as if comforting him.
Seeing this, Hora felt a slight stir in his heart. Ash might be reckless at times, but his feelings for Pokémon were incredibly sincere. He patted Ash's shoulder, his tone softening. "Don't blame yourself too much. Since Nurse Joy said it will recover after a few days of rest, then everything will be fine. Besides, after this incident, the trust between you two might become even stronger than before. Isn't that how true partners are? They understand each other better after facing hardships together."
Ash looked up at Hora, then back down at the Pikachu in his arms. His eyes gradually began to brighten.
Just then, Nurse Joy walked over pushing a treatment cart. She smiled at the two of them and said, "Ash, the anti-inflammatory shot for Pikachu is ready."
Ash stood up immediately, carefully cradling Pikachu as he handed it to Nurse Joy. His eyes were full of hope. "Thank you, Nurse Joy! Please make Pikachu feel better quickly!"
"Don't worry," Nurse Joy smiled gently and carried Pikachu toward the treatment room.
Watching her back, Ash took a deep breath and turned to Hora. "Hora, you're right! When Pikachu recovers, I'm definitely going to communicate with it and really get to know it!"