The rain comes down in sheets. You wait patiently for it to pass. The leaf above keeps you mostly dry - that is, until the weight of the rain dumps a pool of water on your head, drenching you. You groan and make a pouty face; you just wish this will pass soon so you can continue on your journey.
Your tail perks up and rotates by itself. A strong lightning bolt is going to strike about a quarter of a mile northwest of your location; your innate sense of lightning tells you so. Sure enough, *CRRRAKK---BOOOOOOMM* The lightning is so loud, it shakes you to the core, but you don’t even flinch an inch; lightning strikes have never bothered you or any other pikachu for that matter. You’ve even seen lightning strike a pikachu directly and all it did was make them energetic for a few minutes. Getting struck by lightning is a sign of good luck in pikachu superstition, something you could use right now.
This is an odd rainstorm; the sudden onset of heavy rain almost reminds you of when the tribe would get angry and worked up into a frenzy about something. But they are miles away now so it seems unlikely that is the cause. Whatever the case, you sit for around half an hour until the rain ends, while keeping an eye out for predators.
The last few raindrops spit from the sky and the sun breaks through the clouds. The heat builds immediately, and the air becomes muggy. You walk out from the bush and shake the water from your fur and stretch. Time to keep moving.
Heading down a small game path, you come to a big fallen log blocking the path. It's no problem for you and you easily hop and climb to the top. Taking a moment to look around, you see far down the path ahead a large clearing but before that, a small path that turns to the left. A decision you'll make when you come to it.
You hop off the log. As soon as your paws hit the ground *WHAM* Something slams into your left shoulder blade, flinging you to the side. You skid to a halt on your back. Before you can even process what just happened, a vulpix pounces on your chest. An open maw lined with sharp rows of canines and dripping with drool lunges for your neck.
"Pika-CHUUUUUUU," you unleash your energy on the hungry predator. The electricity sends the fox reeling in pain off you. You get up quickly but another vulpix follows up with a bite attack aimed right at your tender side. You barely dodge the vicious teeth; their miss punctuated with a snip. The vulpix, not deterred by its bad luck, leans in and throws the top of its skull into your ribcage.
You yelp in pain but remain standing. "Pika-CHUUUUUUU," you counterattacked the vulpix sending it convulsing in pain. The original vulpix is now back on its paws and charging to keep up the pressure. You can't take on both of them so you dash off down the path ahead. The first vulpix almost bites your tail but just misses. You are much faster than even the fastest vulpix, so you should be fine now.
From behind, savage snarling and growling chases you down the path but fades with each passing step. Now with about twenty yards and gaining, you think you are safe when a red blur shoots out from the brush to your right. Yet another vulpix clashes with you and you tumble together. How many of them are there?! The vulpix is much stronger than you and soon winds up on top with lunging jaws opened wide to clamp down on your neck; a sight you've now seen twice in the last minute.
"Pika-CHUUUUUUU," another life-saving Thundershock unleashed from your cheeks spares you from a gruesome fate; but you know it was your last shock, for the time being; the rapid succession of hits and Thundershocks leaves your electricity stores depleted and you vulnerable. The Thundershock sends your latest would-be killer off your body. You quickly return to your feet to see the other two are closing the distance. You turn and run once more just before the others catch you; they are now just five feet away.
Once back to full speed, the vulpines lose ground once more. You can almost taste freedom. Fifty yards later you find yourself at the junction you saw from the top of the log. A small game path like the one you are currently on is to your left, and straight ahead is a large clearing. From the large clearing, you think you hear the faint sound of water roaring. The trio of vulpix are behind but only about twenty yards. You don't have much time to think; what do you do?
