" Pikachu use thunderbolt!" Ash yelled as he pointed a finger at Team Rocket, and Pikachu jumped from Ash's hand and sparked. " Pika.... CHUUUU!"

" Sparky use Iron Tail!"

Ash turned to see a Pikachu with wild hair execute the attack.

" Now use thunderbolt!"

Ash regained his voice. " Pikachu, you too!"

" Pika.... CHUUUUUUUU!" the two Pikachus yelled

A red haired trainer ran to Ash.

" Richie!" Ash exclaimed as he extended an arm. " How ya doing?"

" Good!" Richie replied as he took Ash's hand. " What about you?"

" Good! It's such a surprise to see you in Pallet!" Ash said.

Richie nodded. " Yeah!"

They heard the distant yell of, " Team Rocket's Blasting off agaaaaaain!"

" So, what are you doing here?" Richie asked.

" This is my hometown!"

Richie grinned. " Cool! I'm here to see my aunt and cousin. I haven't seen him since I was young!"

" Great! I might introduce you to my cousin who's coming today, too! And get this- he has a Pikachu!"

Richie grinned. " So cool! I've only seen my cousin and aunt in pictures."

" Same!"

" Pika Pika pi!"

" Pika Pika pi Pikachu!"

Richie and Ash grinned. " Well, Pikachu and Sparky sure are getting along well." Ash said as he crossed his arms.

Richie grinned. " Right? I thought for sure they might not remember each other!"

" Nah." Ash said as he waved his hand. " I have a picture of our gang- the Charmanders, your Butterfree, my Pigeotto and Bulbasaur, and the Pikachus."

Richie grinned. " I have one too!"

Ash nodded and started walking. " Come on! I'll take you to my house and I'll introduce you to my mom again! And you can stay at my house until you figure out where your cousin's house is."

Richie nodded. " Let's go!"

" This is my house!" Ash announced as he stood in front of a white brick house.

Richie nodded. " It's a nice house."

They walked to the front door and Ash opened the door. " Hey, Mom? I'm baaaaack! And I brought a friend!"

Delia came from upstairs. " Who's your friend?"

" Nice to see you again, Ma'am." Richie said politely.

" Oh, it's Richie! He's here!" Delia said as she ran to hug him

Ash blinked. " Mom? Are you okay? Uh.... This is a lot of affection for one of my friends you've met before."

" Well, I suppose you wouldn't know. You haven't seen him for a while."

" What?" The two boys asked.

" Ash, Richie is your cousin."

They stared at Delia.

Then they blacked out.

" Delia, are you sure you couldn't have said it in a more.... Non- fainting way?"

" I didn't know they would black out!"

Someone put Ash's arm on his chest. " Well, Ashy has always been one to be dramatic. Classic Ash."

Ash groaned and rubbed his eyes as a boy wearing purple and messy hair with green eyes looking down at him. " What happened?"

Someone besides him stirred. " Yeah... What happened?"

Delia beamed. " Oh, you two are awake."

" You fainted." Gary said with a teasing smile.

Ash and Richie looked at each other.... Then remembered what happened.

" Mom, why did you not tell me one of my best friends was my cousin?!" Ash exclaimed.

" And why didn't my mom tell me?! I showed her pictures!"

Delia looked very innocent. " Well why not keep it a superise? Besides, professor Oak and Gary came to greet your cousin."

" You could have at least hinted." Ash muttered as he got out of the bed. " Hey where's Pikachu?"

" And Sparky?" Richie added.

" In the backyard." Delia replied.

The two boys bolted out of the room and down the stairs and grabbed the backdoor.

" Let me pull it." Ash said as he reached for the handle.

" No, let me." Richie replied.

" I insist."

" No, I insist."

" I insist, dear Richie."

" I insist, my good sir."

" I insist."

" No I insist."

Gary sighed and did it for them. " How about I open it?"

" Sorry." They choursed before running out.... And getting stuck in the doorframe.

" You can walk out first." Richie said.

" No, you can." Ash replied.

" I insist."

" I insist."

" I insist."

" I insist."

" I insist."

Gary shook his head, laughing as he watched the two boys stuck in their polite battle of “I insist.” He finally nudged them both forward, allowing them to tumble out of the doorframe and into the backyard.

As soon as they regained their footing, both boys spotted Pikachu and Sparky, who were happily sparking up a little battle of their own, chasing each other around a tree.

“Pikachu!” Ash called.

“Hey, Sparky!” Richie added.

The two Pikachus perked up at the familiar voices, then dashed over to their trainers, leaping into their arms with happy cries. Ash and Richie laughed, hugging their Pokémon.

“Alright, Pikachu, we’ve got family right here!” Ash said, giving Pikachu a scratch behind the ears.

“Yeah, Sparky,” Richie agreed, rubbing his Pikachu’s head. “Guess you and Pikachu are cousins too!”

The two Pikachus looked at each other, then nodded with big grins, clearly thrilled with the news.

Gary, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, smirked. “You guys really do make a great family reunion.”

Ash chuckled. “It’s weird, right? I never thought Richie would be my cousin, but... it kinda makes sense now.”

Richie nodded, smiling at Ash. “Yeah. It feels... right, somehow.” Then, his grin grew. “And now that we’re cousins, I say it’s time for a friendly battle to celebrate.”

Ash’s eyes lit up. “You’re on, Richie! Pikachu, are you ready?”

“Pika pika!” Pikachu cried, hopping down and sparking up with excitement.

Richie set Sparky down, who immediately mirrored Pikachu’s enthusiasm, sparks crackling around his cheeks. “Let’s do this, Sparky!”

Gary watched, amused. “Alright, guys, I’ll referee this. Let’s see if Pallet Town’s newest cousins can handle the pressure!”

Ash and Richie exchanged determined looks, then nodded. “Let’s go!” they said in unison, both taking a step back to give their Pokémon space.

“Pikachu, use Quick Attack!” Ash commanded.

“Dodge it, Sparky, and use Iron Tail!” Richie countered.

The two Pikachus zipped around the backyard, their moves lightning-fast as they dodged, struck, and leaped with boundless energy. Ash and Richie cheered for their Pokémon, calling out commands and laughing as Pikachu and Sparky’s competitive spirits flared.

At the end of the match, the two Pikachus landed in front of each other, both panting and sparking with a proud glow. They shared a paw bump, acknowledging each other’s strength.

Ash and Richie ran over, each kneeling beside their Pikachu. “That was amazing, Pikachu!” Ash said, patting his Pokémon on the head.

“Same here, Sparky. You were awesome!” Richie added, grinning proudly.

Gary clapped his hands, walking over to join them. “Well, I’d say that was a match worthy of family rivals! You guys better watch out—looks like these two have the same drive as their trainers.”

Delia called from the back door, holding a tray of snacks. “Anyone up for some refreshments?”

Ash, Richie, and Gary exchanged smiles and dashed over, each of them grabbing a drink and a snack. The two Pikachus sat down happily to share a bowl of berries that Delia had set out just for them.

As the group enjoyed the snacks and basked in the warm Pallet Town afternoon, Ash glanced at Richie, feeling a warm sense of belonging. They were cousins now—family—and it felt like they were exactly where they were meant to be.

“So, Richie,” Ash said, lifting his drink in a mock toast, “here’s to family. And to more battles.”

Richie raised his own cup, grinning. “And to cousins who never back down from a challenge!”