*Pika!!!!!!*
Pewter City, Pokémon Center, backyard.
Occasionally, a Pikachu's agonized screams echoed, drawing curious glances from passersby, who wondered if some cruel Trainer was abusing a Pokémon inside.
"Um, Mr. Natsume, is your Pikachu really okay like this?"
Nurse Joy walked by with a tray, looking concerned toward the backyard.
At the far end, near the Pokémon Center wall, a Pikachu was tightly strapped to a chair tangled in wires.
Among the chaotic cords, a thin line connected to a specialized current meter extended toward the Pokémon Center and plugged into an outlet.
Clearly, the ear-piercing cries were coming from this Pikachu.
"Mr. Natsume, isn't this a bit… much?"
Nurse Joy approached, her heart aching.
*Pika—*
Whether intentional or not, Midchu's cry grew even louder.
Natsume sighed, removed his sunglasses, set down his newspaper, and approached the *agonized* Pikachu.
*Bang!*
He tapped Midchu on the head. The current spread to him, making his hair stand on end. "Stop pretending—this level of current wouldn't even hurt me."
Midchu's pained expression vanished, replaced by a look of caught-in-the-act guilt.
*Pika pika*
"You'll follow my current-enhancement training plan every day. The intensity will gradually increase. This is all for your benefit—no harm at all. In a month, you'll see."
Natsume looked at the chair beneath Midchu and stroked his chin.
Yes, materials were limited; the chair he made could only generate this level of current, less than one-tenth of what Ash's Pikachu experienced yesterday.
*Pika~*
Midchu lowered his head, resigned.
It just wanted to stay in his Pokéball and sleep peacefully.
But the devilish voice rang out again:
*And you'll train with Ash every day. I'll have him teach you. If you skip, the current-enhancement time doubles each day!*
*Pikachu!*
Midchu panicked. Doubling was unacceptable—sitting here, tingling and sleepy, but jolted by the current every so often, made for absolute torment.
"I'm going to mail something. Nurse Joy, please keep an eye on this little one."
"Oh, okay."
Seeing Midchu's expression shift dramatically, Nurse Joy blinked in surprise and nodded.
Natsume left the Pokémon Center and headed toward the Pewter City Science Museum.
Ash was off challenging Brock, so in this gap, Natsume planned to mail the Wishing Star to Professor Oak, requesting Professor Magnolia's help in crafting a Dynamax Band.
Making it himself would be too troublesome and require a return trip to Oak Research Lab.
A normal post office wouldn't know how to store a Wishing Star safely, so Natsume decided to entrust the Science Museum staff in Pewter City to forward it to Oak.
Upon entering the Pewter City Science Museum, countless fossil skeletons filled the hall—if Misty were here, she'd probably be too scared to look.
"Hello, may I help you?"
Natsume headed straight upstairs but was stopped by a young man in a white lab coat.
The youth had dry hair and a stubbly chin, seeming not to groom often.
"Hello, I'm Garasu, a researcher at the Pewter City Science Museum. Only staff can access the second floor."
The young man showed his ID and introduced himself to Natsume.
"Professor Oak Research Lab, Natsume."
Natsume presented his own ID.
Upon seeing it, Garasu's eyes lit up immediately.
"You're the researcher who proposed the Rotom–Natsume Law! I've read your paper—I didn't expect you to be so young!"
Garasu was unexpectedly excited, his face radiating enthusiasm.
"Yes, that's me."
Natsume scratched his head and stared straight at the young man.
Garasu shivered slightly under the intense gaze before finally speaking.
"Then, Mr. Natsume, what brings you here? I can handle it for you!"
Garasu patted his chest confidently, as if the task were already his responsibility.
"I'd like to entrust you with sending something."
"It's an important research result, right? Please, follow me."
Garasu wasn't naive; if Natsume had come here, he likely had a good idea of what needed to be sent.
Under Garasu's efficient guidance, Natsume soon sent off the packaged Wishing Star.
"Um, Mr. Natsume!"
At the Pewter City Science Museum entrance, Garasu called after him.
"Yes? What is it?" Natsume turned, a little puzzled. From the moment Garasu greeted him, his enthusiasm had been off the charts, and during their interaction, Natsume had a sense that Garasu was holding something back.
"Here's the thing—I'm also researching some Rotom-related topics. Could you help me review them?"
Garasu handed Natsume a stack of documents, eyes full of hope toward the pioneer of Rotom innovation.
Indeed, Natsume was a pioneer.
Especially his Rotom-Natsume Principle, which served as the baseline standard for Rotom fusion forms.
Professor Oak wouldn't serve as a mentor to an ordinary researcher otherwise.
"My focus is on the optimal plasma circuit solution when Rotom fuses with high-power appliances, but without an actual Rotom, my research has remained purely theoretical."
Just a glance, and Natsume understood Garasu's approach.
When Rotom enters different appliances, it assumes a plasma state, becoming the electricity that drives the appliance, enabling a new fused form.
Even for the same Rotom, operating via different circuits with the same appliance produces varying stats.
This was something Natsume had roughly outlined in his top-tier journal paper, yet this young man had gone further, detailing it.
Predictably, Garasu might also explore optimal circuits for low-power appliances, overclocked appliances, and other niches, yielding multiple papers.
Realizing his paper's origin had been seen through, Garasu's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Mr. Natsume, you're the idol of mid-level researchers like us. Your work opened a vast avenue. We just need to study the small details to complete our research and graduate!"
Natsume's eyes lit up.
He was the idol of mid-level researchers?
It made sense—most general Pokémon research directions had already been explored.
Natsume's bold approach had carved out a huge gap.
He wanted to create *Mecha Rotom*—the workload was enormous, especially for theoretical verification.
Could multiple Rotom collaborate to control a giant mecha? Would ordinary materials fused with Rotom undergo physical or chemical changes?
What collaborative Rotom configuration would be most efficient? How should the circuits operate under such configurations?
A broad research direction could be subdivided endlessly into smaller and smaller directions—eventually leading to topics like Garasu's **Optimal Plasma Circuit Solution for Rotom Fusing with High-Power Appliances**.
Natsume estimated there could easily be thousands of research topics.
If he did them all himself, he'd be exhausted!
"Um, Mr. Natsume?"
Seeing Natsume silent, Garasu's excitement faded, realizing he had, in some sense, borrowed someone else's idea, causing his face to redden.
"Your idea is excellent. Actually, it's possible to use Pokémon that can precisely control current intensity in place of Rotom."
Natsume patiently explained this to Garasu.
Today, he realized he could leverage all the mid-level researchers in the region.
What they lacked was insight like Garasu's—without it, they couldn't find precise sub-directions.
While small researchers might struggle, he, as the pioneer, could point them to clear research paths.
Natsume resolved in his mind: someday, he needed to hold a symposium—or better yet, start a school. He would become the academic overlord… no, the principal!
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.