The Search for Pikachu

A Story by Rachel Tierney

Tom knew it was getting late, but he need to relieve some stress from working all day. Also, his Pokemon horoscope told him he would find a Pikachu today. So out into the dyeing light he goes, in search for the elusive electric type. He takes a series of unfamiliar streets were leaf animations indicate where Pokemon hide from his steady swiping finger. He is repeatedly disappointed by Pidgie after Pidgie. An hour passes and Tom is entirely lost, and he is on street with no lamps. As he is about to open Google maps to find his way home, the encouraging leaf animation pops up over a house to his left. He checks to see what Pokemon are near, and, lo and behold, the familiar shadow Ash’s yellow friend is among the usual suspects. He circles around to the house so his virtual self can reach the animation. He briefly deterred by a wooden fence, but as a serious pokemon trainer, he is not so easily deterred. He throws his bulky self over the fence and quietly hunts for his prey. Unfortunately, he trips over a tree root and crashes onto a picnic table. A back porch light flashes on, and Tom considers fleeing. But he is too late. An old woman sees him from a window. She walks out onto the back porch and yells at him in a language he doesn’t understand. When she stops yelling, he approaches her. He notices the woman has tan skin and a head scarf that remind him of the disembodied head of the fortune telling machine he frequents in the grocery store. She looked furious and about ready to slap him. After trying in vain to explain to her what happened, he tries to show her the app. She sees the screen and rolls her eyes. Out of her pocket, she takes a strange spiral green candy and offers it to him. Tom is suspicious of the strange candy, but doesn’t want to offend her by refusing her peace candy. He plops the candy into his mouth and finds it tasteless. He looks around and everything looks disoriented and wavy. He shrieks at the old woman, “What did you do to me!” She strolls over, pats him on the head, smiles, and walks back inside. The color around him become violently brighter. The images continue to become increasing distorted and pixally. Now everything around him is unrecognizable. Then it all becomes familiar to Tom. The pixelated surround are his nostalgic hometown of Pallet Town. He hears the peppy voice of a man behind him say, “Hello, glad to meet you! Welcome to the World of Pokemon!” He spins around there stood Professor Oak next to a Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmandar.