*Ding!*
[SSS-Rank: Data Collection for Game-Rule Adaptation to Real-World Combat]
[Notice] Today's data collection complete. [Subject] Battle Arena [Reward] Scratch Card ×1 [Cooldown] 23h
With a thought, Natsume made a Scratch Card with a Pokéball design appear in his hand.
"System, why isn't this a Great Ball?"
**Battle data collection rewards random-quality Scratch Cards.**
"Fine." Natsume shrugged and tossed the red-and-white Scratch Card back into the system space.
Even low-quality Scratch Cards were worth saving up to scratch all at once later.
"Rotom, open the map."
*Roto~*
The Rotom in Natsume's phone floated in front of him, displaying a detailed map of Pewter City.
After a moment of observation, Natsume tapped a location on the map and followed the navigation.
To avoid getting separated from Ash at certain points, he had attached tiny trackers to the others' clothing.
Soon, guided by Rotom, Natsume located Ash and his friends.
They were at a small hydroelectric shed by a river in the outskirts.
By the time Natsume arrived, faint flashes of electricity were already visible inside the shed.
Near the river, the shed had an enormous waterwheel.
Since it was the dry season, the river's flow wasn't enough to turn the wheel.
Ash stood on the wheel, only two boards high, pedaling it like a bicycle to make it spin.
Watching Ash, tiny in comparison to the massive wheel, Natsume's mouth twitched slightly.
No wonder they call him the *Superhuman of Pallet Town*.
At the entrance, Misty held her backpack in front of her, seemingly wary of the occasional sparks inside.
"The flashes are going to get stronger in a moment," Natsume warned as he passed.
"Huh? Do you want me to get out of here?"
"No, you could also stand behind a reliable man, like Ash."
Natsume shrugged.
"What do you mean by that?!"
Misty's cheeks flushed as she hugged her bag and backed away hurriedly.
*Creak~*
Natsume pushed open the wooden door, which groaned under the movement.
Inside, Pikachu sat on a stool, his cheek pouches connected by wires extending from the generator.
"Natsume, you're here."
Flint didn't seem the least bit surprised by Natsume's arrival, speaking without turning his head.
"I'm curious—where did you learn this method?"
Natsume narrowed his eyes and glanced at the generator's readouts, showing Pikachu's average current tolerance. Clearly, Flint wasn't experimenting blindly.
"Back when I was a Gym Trainer, I was also a Pokémon Breeder. Pewter Gym handled some Pokémon breeding business as well," Flint said with a hint of nostalgia, recalling the past.
"This method… I discovered it by accident. By passing a specific current through the body, the moves of Electric-type Pokémon can be greatly amplified."
"Some naturally talented Electric-types can even see their power triple!"
Flint emphasized his words, and Natsume couldn't help but be surprised.
**Triple!**
Though Pikachu's base stats are generally modest, if his moves could be strengthened threefold, his attack would rival Legendary Pokémon!
No wonder even Alolan Exeguttor needs to use a Rock to block Pikachu's Thunderbolt.
And if you add a Light Ball on top of that… wow.
This was the first time Natsume had heard this claim clearly. He forced himself to suppress his racing thoughts and asked Flint:
"And then?"
"Then…" Flint suddenly looked dejected, "I began promoting this method to Trainers who sent their Electric-type Pokémon to my Nursery."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Natsume said, pausing for a moment.
Wait—that shouldn't be troubling. If it were good, everyone would already know about it.
"But it didn't last," Flint's voice suddenly choked with emotion.
"These Electric-type Pokémon, after being enhanced by the current, experience a sudden drop in level after a certain period. Many Trainers ended up abandoning them because of this."
"I am guilty. I don't deserve to be the Pewter City Gym Leader."
Natsume: ???
For a moment, Natsume was stunned by Flint's words, but then he realized.
*So in the original story, every time a region changes, Pikachu's level resets… and that's all your fault!?*
"You still used this on Ash's Pikachu?"
Natsume demanded, almost as if questioning Flint's very soul.
Flint, quietly sobbing, stiffened. After a long pause, he wiped his tears and looked at Natsume.
"Over the past few days, I've realized that this child shares a deep bond with Pikachu. He's absolutely not the kind of Trainer who would abandon his Pokémon."
Hearing this, Natsume paused. Following Flint's gaze, he looked out the window at Ash.
At this moment, Ash was completely unaware, pedaling the wheel by himself.
"Hm."
Natsume said nothing. From his understanding of Ash, even if Flint revealed the truth, Ash would only smile and say, "It's nothing—we'll just get stronger! Right, Pikachu?"
Ash never measured his bond with Pokémon by strength.
Still, this situation wasn't ideal. Natsume wondered whether there was any way to fix this side effect.
"Come on, Pikachu!"
Outside, Ash's voice rang out, full of enthusiasm.
*Pika!*
Inside, Pikachu's face showed a hint of strain.
"Pikachu is reaching his limit. Let's step outside for now," Flint suggested.
Natsume silently nodded.
He was slightly annoyed at Flint for acting on his own. If he had been informed earlier, he might have had a way to mitigate the side effects—maybe even publish a paper on it.
As they stepped out of the shed, a bolt of lightning shot into the sky. Natsume's mind was filled with the system's voice:
*Ding!*
[S-Rank: Analyze Ash's Pikachu]
[Subject] Pikachu [Reward] Subsequent Task Issued
[S-Rank: Research Project]
[Subject] Training System [Objectives] Create an Electric Training System Without Side Effects
A Scratch Card with a Master Ball design appeared in his backpack, along with a new S-Rank task.
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
But soon, he felt a jolt through his body.
*Chu—*
The lightning behind them intensified, tearing the shed's roof off.
The surrounding area fell silent, leaving only the crackling of the electricity.
After a long moment, the lightning gradually dimmed.
"Huh? Is it over?"
Behind Ash, Misty peeked cautiously over her shield, scanning the area.
Her eyes widened in shock.
The entire shed had been charred to black, and the surrounding cobblestones were scorched.
At the shed's entrance, two dark figures stood—Natsume and Flint exhaled black smoke in unison.
*Pika!*
A yellow figure leapt from the remains of the shed.
*Pikachu!*
Ash, standing in front of the shed, scorched himself but remained unfazed. In a few steps, he scooped up Pikachu.
"Ash, let me check."
Natsume, wearing a solemn expression, approached Ash.
"Okay, Natsume, you check," Ash said, holding Pikachu out.
Rotom in his phone floated forward, targeting Pikachu.
After a brief scan, Natsume stroked his chin, his eyes showing a look of *just as I thought*.
Pikachu's Attack and Special Attack, based on his base stats, had doubled.
His base stats had increased!
This meant that Pikachu hadn't just received a one-time boost from the dual-current enhancement; from now on, every level-up would increase his Attack and Special Attack more than other Pikachu would gain.
If you gave this Pikachu a Light Ball, even Mewtwo would need a shield to survive Thunderbolt.
"Natsume, how's Pikachu doing?"
Seeing Natsume silent, Ash grew anxious.
"No, Pikachu's condition is excellent."
"You scared me! I thought something happened to Pikachu."
Ash exhaled in relief, then quickly returned to his usual energetic self:
"All right, no time to waste! I'm going to challenge the Pewter City Gym now!"
"Wait!"
Flint called after him.
"It's getting late. Pewter Gym is already closed."
"Yeah, Ash. We're all dirty and tired—going back to rest first makes more sense."
Nearby, Misty approached with her bag and made the same suggestion.
"Let's head back to the Pokémon Center to recover."
Natsume made the final decision.
You can read more (around 50+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https ://ravenarchives .com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.