"Thank you."
Ash took the Oran Berry and, after expressing his gratitude, immediately fed it to Pikachu.
After Clemont announced the battle result, he also ran over to Pikachu along with Serena and Bonnie.
"Pikachu actually lost just like that..." Bonnie looked at the tired Pikachu, her heart aching.
None of them had expected Ash's Pikachu to lose so easily.
One could even say that, apart from that "Counter Shield," Pikachu hadn't dealt any substantial damage to Gallade.
Clemont adjusted his glasses. It wasn't that Pikachu was weak, but that its opponent was simply too strong.
Having traveled with Ash all this way, they had all witnessed Pikachu's impressive track record.
"I lost," Ash said dispiritedly after Pikachu recovered, "but next time, we'll definitely win."
"I've already come up with a strategy to deal with Gallade!!"
After that brief disappointment, Ash instantly regained his spirit just like Pikachu.
Looking at Terrance and Gallade, Ash's eyes were blazing with determination.
Sure enough, since arriving in the Kalos region, he had indeed encountered many powerful Trainers.
"I'm looking forward to it," Terrance said with a slight smile. To have already thought of a way to counter Gallade. Ash truly lived up to his name.
However, Gallade hadn't even used its full strength yet. At the very least, the totem aura hadn't been unleashed. Pikachu had a critical weakness: while the power of its move and speed were impressive, its defensive ability was lacking. That was Pikachu's fatal flaw.
Ash had chosen Gallade as the opponent, but Pikachu's proud speed was completely nullified in the face of Teleport. And against Gallade's slashing attacks, Pikachu's defense made it difficult to retaliate while taking hits. So to defeat Gallade, Pikachu would need to meet very high demands.
Although Terrance didn't know what kind of strategy Ash had come up with, he was looking forward to it.
Additionally, as a Breeder, Terrance had also noticed that Ash's Pikachu was exceptionally well-raised, with almost no flaws in terms of physical attributes. However, it was a pity that Ash didn't seem to consider any unconventional training methods.
"Should I do it…"
Terrance looked at Ash and Pikachu and suddenly thought of a potential path. He couldn't help but feel a desire to guide Ash a little.
He genuinely liked Ash and Pikachu.
Even though this wasn't the Ash who had just started his journey, having traveled through many regions, Ash and Pikachu's battle style was already well-established, leaving little for Terrance to guide in, but that didn't mean Pikachu had no room for further growth.
Terrance had guided Chisana before and had conducted a guiding battle for that Coordinator named Sora, but he had never guided a Trainer.
"Ash, I remember you're from Pallet Town in Kanto, right?"
Terrance began with a smile, using their earlier introductions as a conversation starter.
"Ah, yeah," Ash nodded.
"Then you must know Professor Oak, right?" Terrance asked.
"Professor Oak… Of course I know him. I got my Pikachu from Professor Oak," Ash replied.
"Received from Professor Oak..." Terrance walked forward and then took Pikachu from Ash's hands.
This action startled Ash, who quickly shouted, "Wait, careful—"
Ash hadn't finished speaking, but the scene he had imagined didn't happen. Pikachu, who didn't like being touched by others, didn't use Thunderbolt on Terrance. Instead, it showed an expression of enjoyment under Terrance's massage.
"Terrance, you seem really interested in Ash's Pikachu," Clemont said.
"Indeed, I'm very interested. I truly admire Ash for raising Pikachu to such an impressive level. And the fact that Pikachu is a Starter Pokémon from Professor Oak makes me even more curious," Terrance said slowly.
"And also..."
"And also what?" the others asked.
"And also, besides being a Trainer, I'm also a Breeder."
With a look of surprise on his face, Terrance observed more closely and further confirmed Pikachu's solid foundation.
"In its early stages of growth, this Pikachu must have received excellent care. It must have been raised by a very outstanding Breeder, right?" Terrance said.
it was definitely Brock.
Generally speaking, Pokémon raised with such meticulous care are usually raised by Breeders. A rough-around-the-edges Trainer like Ash could never have such refined breeding techniques.
Having had an excellent dedicated Breeder helping him through the rookie stage. It must be said that Ash was truly lucky.
"Hahaha, of course! He was my partner when I traveled in the Kanto Region. His name is Brock, and he used to be the Gym Leader of Pewter Gym," Ash said with a laugh, scratching his head.
"Ash," Terrance said as he held Pikachu, "As an excellent Trainer, you've already passed the mark. But you just said your dream is to become a Pokemon Master, that's no easy goal."
"Before, you had that Breeder friend to help you lay the foundation, but ultimately, the task of raising Pokémon has to be continued by the Trainer themselves."
"Have you ever thought about how to deal with Pikachu's flaws?"
Terrance smiled as he looked at Ash, and his words left the whole group stunned.
"What... do you mean?" Ash asked in confusion.
"Do you want Pikachu to become stronger? From that battle just now, I saw your potential. With just a bit of training, you and Pikachu could become much more powerful," Terrance said.
Terrance's words made Ash and Pikachu's eyes light up with anticipation.
Get stronger?!
"What do we need to do?!" Ash asked excitedly. He and Pikachu had undergone training before, but that was usually after losing to a Gym, and the training was focused on the trials of the Gym itself. However, the kind of training Terrance was talking about, aimed at addressing Pikachu's innate shortcomings, made both Ash and Pikachu look excited.
"But..." Serena suddenly spoke up, looking nervously at Terrance. "Why do you want to help Ash and Pikachu? What do you get out of it?"
She looked doubtful, worried that Terrance had some bad intentions. But when she saw the eager expressions on Ash and Pikachu's faces, she started to regret asking the question.
"Get out of it??" Terrance said with a wry smile. "As you can see, I have to stay in this forest for some reason right now, but... I didn't bring any cooking utensils or food. If Ash stays to train, I can freeload meals without feeling guilty, hahaha."
"Besides, my first Pokédex was also given to me by Professor Oak. In a way, I'm technically Ash's senior. And as a Breeder... well, let's just say it's a bit of a professional habit?"
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