Early the next morning, Alex and the group flew southwest from Paniola Ranch over Route 4, their shadows sweeping across rolling hills covered in dense tropical grass and clusters of palm trees bent slightly by the ocean wind. The route stretched between the sea and patches of rocky terrain, broken apart by narrow dirt roads and fenced farmland where Tauros grazed lazily under the sun.

A flock of wild Pikipek burst out from the taller grass as Mantine glided overhead, its broad fins cutting smoothly through the air currents near the coastal cliffs. Further inland, Alex spotted a pair of Eevee frolicking among the grass while several trainers walked along the roadside with backpacks and camping gear strapped to their shoulders. Some waved up at the flying group while others pointed excitedly at the sight of a giant Mantine carrying riders through the sky.

The farther they traveled along the route, the more travelers appeared below them. Small campsites rested beneath banyan trees where smoke drifted upward from portable stoves and fire pits. A group of younger trainers practiced battles nearby while an Alolan Rattata chased a Grubbin through the grass.

Eventually, Pikachu Valley came into view off to the side of the main route, tucked into a natural basin surrounded by rugged cliffs and a steady waterfall spilling down one side into a shallow stream below. Hundreds of tiny yellow figures darted between the rocks and grassy slopes even from a distance, their cries carrying faintly through the wind.

Near the valley entrance, a brightly decorated Pikachu-themed trailer sat parked on a leveled patch of ground, its exterior painted in soft yellow and brown tones with stylized Pikachu tail patterns along the sides. A small awning extended from the side, forming a shaded checkpoint area where a pair of Trailer Guides stood, managing incoming trainers, offering information, and reminding visitors about safe interaction rules with the wild Pikachu population.

“Daddy! Can we puh-leeease stop by that area?” Lila begged as the others looked over and spotted an army of peaceful Pikachu running freely throughout the valley.

“What do you all think?” Alex asked.

“It’s about time for lunch anyway,” Leilani said while Marlo nodded beside her in agreement.

The girls and children quickly voiced their approval, prompting Alex to guide Mantine into a gradual descent toward the valley floor.

The moment they approached, most of the Pikachu stopped to stare upward curiously while others continued chasing each other between the boulders. Alex guided Mantine down onto a flat stretch of grass near the edge of the valley.

Lila immediately bolted off with excitement while the other kids followed to greet the sea of Pikachu. Alvera and the twins came along as well, staying more vigilant than the children as they kept a close watch and ensured no one got shocked in the excitement.

Meanwhile, the adults set up a grill and began preparing lunch. They still had a solid stock of steak bought from the farm, and since they hadn’t had their fill yet, they fired it up without hesitation. The rich scent of premium Tauros meat quickly drifted across the valley, drawing immediate attention.

The smell was enough to pull in nearly every Pikachu in the area, their curiosity sharpening into mischievous intent as they crept closer. However, a Champion ranked Gardevoir and Gothitelle quietly positioned themselves between the grills and the encroaching crowd, prompting the Pikachu to halt at a cautious distance. They instead settled for putting on their most pitiful, wide-eyed expressions from afar, while the children squealed and rushed over to pet them freely under Alvera’s careful supervision.

Vera, the resident Pokémon Breeder, felt pity for them, so she opened up their supply of Expert ranked kibble to tide the army of Pikachu over, satisfying them enough for them to understand that was all they would get. As a side effect, they became more docile, easily allowing the kids to pet them and lowering their guard around Alex’s group, while still keeping one eye on the steaks.

Alvera, meanwhile, was piled on by a hundred Pikachu who found her Electric affinity absolutely delightful. They buried her under a dog pile attempting to bond with her. Fortunately, Alvera had enough control over her energy to avoid accidentally adopting an entire army of them, although the thought briefly crossed her mind.

She certainly had the resources to keep them, but it would ultimately depend on how her other Pokémon would react. Unfortunately, they weren’t here other than Rotom who didn’t have much of an opinion when she asked and Arctozolt who refused out of jealousy.

“Oh, well, I might as well take a few of you. You’re all just too adorable to pass up. There are too many of you here, though, so we’ll have to thin your numbers,” Alvera said before snapping her fingers. “How about this, any Pikachu that’s willing to evolve into a Raichu to join can stay.”

Half of the Pikachu left, unwilling to give up their adorable forms. Unfortunately, that still left over fifty who were eager to join her on her journey.

“Hm… still too many. Let’s thin you guys out a bit more,” Alvera said as the remaining Pikachu listened intently. “I’m a photographer who likes taking pictures of rare, powerful Pokémon or beautiful but dangerous scenery, so there will be plenty of traveling and plenty of fights with the odds stacked against us. We’ve taken on plenty of nests just by ourselves and we’ve managed to do fine, and with you guys as additions, I bet we would have survived a defensive battle instead.”

Most of the Pikachu left, unwilling to live such a hectic life. Pokémon battles were fine, but getting surrounded by nests a hundred times their size was simply too much. This left about a dozen Pikachu who didn’t back off, eager for an exciting life outside the valley.

“Still a bit too much, but with a dozen of you firing off Thunder under Electric Terrain, I can imagine the devastation that would bring. At the very least, no nest would dare mess with us if all of you manage to reach Elite rank. Alright, a dozen it is then,” Alvera said as she took out a dozen Thunder Stones and threw them out.

“Alvera! Wait!” Vera shouted in warning, but it was too late.

The Pikachu eager to bond with Alvera jumped forward and absorbed the stones’ properties as the light of evolution enveloped them. A dozen Pikachu shone brightly before an oppressive psychic force bore down on the immediate area. Fortunately, Gardevoir and Gothitelle, along with Espeon, were there to contain the rampaging energy as a dozen Alolan Raichu finished their evolution and emerged, floating slightly just above the ground.

Compared to the usual Raichu Alvera was used to, these were rounder and cuter overall, with rounded ears and tails and a slightly different color scheme. Their long tails gently curled like floating surfboards beneath them as they hovered in place, while faint psychic sparks flickered around their bodies in soft, rhythmic pulses.

“Whaaa!?” Alvera exclaimed. “What happened? What are these?”

“These are Alolan Raichu,” Vera said as she approached. “Pikachu that evolves into Raichu in Alola gains a Psychic typing and takes on this doll-like appearance. You should really study the Pokédex more if you’re planning on visiting an unfamiliar region. Now, you’d better be ready for what comes next.”

“What comes ne—” Alvera started to say, just before she was interrupted as the Raichu pounced on her.

The Alolan Raichu immediately crowded around Alvera, rubbing against her and flooding her with Electric and Psychic energy, overwhelming her as a dozen bonds snapped into place. Along with them came a dozen psychic links that rattled her mind, giving her a sharp headache.

“Alex!” Vera called out. “Alvera needs help dealing with the psychic connections. She can’t handle a dozen at once.”

Alex approached Alvera’s listless form and sent a surge of Dark type energy into her mind, dulling the connection with the Alolan Raichu and finally snapping her back to consciousness.

“What… what happened?”

“You were overloaded,” Alex said. “A dozen thought streams invaded your mind beyond your control. You’re going to have to learn to manage them from this point on. It’s going to be hard considering you don’t have any talent for Psychic energy.”

“Okay…” Alvera said slowly as she tried to manage a dozen excited voices in her head.

“The steaks are ready!” Lina shouted from the grill, drawing the Alolan Raichu’s attention.

‘Steaks! Steaks! Steaks! Steaks! Steaks! Steaks!’ came a dozen voices in Alvera’s mind as she subconsciously whispered, “Steaks!” under their influence.

Alex added a bit more Dark type energy to ensure she didn’t drown in the voices. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

“Take some time to slowly familiarize yourself with a dozen new brains in your head. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. It’ll just take time,” Alex said, snapping Alvera back to the present.

With a dozen new Psychic type Pokémon to keep her busy, Alvera joined the others while sticking close to Alex, unwilling to be further influenced until she managed to get used to having twelve psychic connections active nearly at all times.

They enjoyed a lovely lunch in Pikachu Valley and stayed a while longer to play with the Pokémon before finally taking off in the middle of the afternoon and arriving at Heahea City by evening. The group planned to stay for a few days, shopping at tourist stores and enjoying the amenities of their luxurious hotel before continuing on to the next leg of their vacation.

Meanwhile, with Rotom’s help, Alex dug up some information and managed to identify the perfect target for Lila’s first lesson on humanity and the cruelty people were capable of.