"Are you ready, Uncle Muso? Ash?" After checking that the equipment was set up, Mark asked.
"Yes! Everything's ready. Ash will be in charge of stepping on the water wheel to boost the electricity, I'll be monitoring the external equipment, and you, Mark, keep an eye on Pikachu. If anything goes wrong, shout out immediately and we'll stop," Muso replied firmly.
With the tasks clearly assigned, Mark and Ash nodded in agreement. Muso attached the power supply device to the electrical storage sac on Pikachu's face.
"Start!" Ash called out and immediately began stepping forcefully on the water wheel. A massive surge of energy began flowing into Pikachu's tiny body—far beyond what it could normally handle. Only a Pokémon with limitless potential could endure such an ordeal.
"Pikachu…" Pikachu frowned, a grimace of pain overtaking its face as the electricity coursed through it.
"Hang in there, Pikachu! If it's you, you can do it! Just endure it, and your power will skyrocket!" Mark encouraged from the side.
"Ash is giving it his all—I can't give up either!" Ash's determination shone through despite the grueling effort. The enormous water wheel demanded great strength, but Ash's support and belief never wavered.
"Why are you all doing this? It's so extreme! Mark, why are you helping Ash with this nonsense?" Misty arrived at the scene, her face full of disapproval.
"This is Pikachu's own choice. We have to help it!" Mark responded firmly.
"Even without this shortcut, I could lend my Water-type Pokémon to Ash! Then he could easily win!" Misty added, glancing at Pikachu's agonized face.
"Misty, this is a battle that belongs to Ash and Pikachu alone. Neither of them would want to rely on others to win. You have to understand—it's Ash's pride as a Pokémon Trainer. If he gave up here and won with someone else's help, it would turn his lifelong dream of becoming a Pokémon Master into a joke!" Mark's expression hardened as he spoke.
Watching Pikachu's struggle and Ash's sweat-drenched effort, Misty seemed to understand something. "Fine! I'm not going to interfere," she huffed, turning away. But in her heart, she silently cheered for Ash and Pikachu.
After a while, the surge of electricity had fully charged Pikachu's body. Seeing this, Mark knew the process was about to succeed. He immediately left the hut. Moments later, Pikachu's tremendous "Thunderbolt" burst forth, blowing apart the entire shack. Only a patch of ground and an electric-charged Pikachu remained.
Pikachu, Male, Ability: Static, Elite-level between mid and high tiers, Supreme aptitude, Potential: Infinite. Moves: Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Thunder. Notes: Having endured an excruciating process of forced charging, its electrical capacity now far exceeds other Electric-types at the same level, allowing it to challenge beyond its class.
Reading the system's update, Mark knew it was a total success. Pikachu's power had soared from Regular to Elite rank—now it could challenge Brock's Gym on equal footing.
The next day, filled with confidence, Ash and the fully recovered Pikachu prepared to set off once again. This time, they were determined to win the badge.
"Wait!" Mark called out.
"What is it now, Mark? I just got pumped up—you're ruining my vibe!" Ash shouted back.
"Ash, haven't you learned from the last defeat? Even though Pikachu's power is now comparable to Brock's Onix, the type disadvantage hasn't changed—it's still too much. Your chances are slim. Besides, gym battles are 2-on-2! If you don't prepare more, do you really plan to send Pikachu to fight two opponents alone?" Mark reminded him. In the original story, Pikachu had accidentally won after hitting a fire hydrant, but luck wouldn't save him again.
"Oh, that's true! I can't be reckless this time. Mark, what should I do to prepare?" Ash finally listened.
"Hm, I've thought about your lineup. To beat Brock's Rock-types, the key lies in Pikachu and Pidgeotto," Mark carefully analyzed.
"Ash, do you know what types of moves can counter Rock-types effectively?" he asked.
"Well… Water and Grass types, right?" Ash thought for a moment.
"Yes, but not entirely. Besides those two, Fighting, Ground, and Steel types also work. The key this time is to have Pikachu and Pidgeotto learn Steel-type moves—Iron Tail and Steel Wing," Mark explained.
"Come out, Beldum! Ash, this is a Beldum I just hatched from an egg. From now on, it'll teach your Pikachu and Pidgeotto Steel-type moves. I'll demonstrate first—Beldum, use Iron Head on that rock!" Mark ordered.
Beldum immediately responded, gathering its steel energy in its head and slamming into a nearby rock. The rock shattered instantly.
"Amazing!" Ash exclaimed in awe.
"The principles of Iron Tail and Steel Wing are similar—they focus steel energy into the tail and wings, making them as hard as iron," Mark explained.
Half a day later—
"Ash, I think your Pikachu and Pidgeotto understand the principles and usage of Iron Tail and Steel Wing pretty well. But theory is one thing—you need practice to master it. I suggest you stay a couple more days until they've gotten the hang of it before heading to the Gym," Mark advised.
"Got it. Thank you so much, Mark!" Ash said gratefully.
"Well then, it's time for me to leave. I'm heading to Mt. Moon. You train hard—the next battle is up to you, Ash," Mark smiled, waving goodbye.
Mark bid farewell to Ash and Misty and set off alone toward Mt. Moon. Once he crossed it, he'd soon reach Cerulean City. The Cerulean Gym Sisters were no match for Brock, and with Grovyle's type advantage, Mark wasn't too worried about the upcoming battle.
Still, Mark had to reconsider his Pokémon training methods. Grovyle could continue training as before, but Scyther needed to start focusing on powerful Bug-type moves like X-Scissor. Beldum had to be fully leveled up, as it wouldn't learn new moves before evolution. On the other hand, Feebas couldn't learn new moves easily. It didn't even know a Water-type attack! To strengthen it, Mark considered two options: either evolve it quickly with a Beautiful Scale or rely on move tutors to teach it powerful Water-type moves like Scald and Surf. Mark preferred Feebas to evolve naturally through confidence, reaching max Beauty before transforming. That way, it would grow more self-assured. Hence, Mark wanted to find ways to teach Water-type moves in Cerulean City's Gym—despite its average reputation, it would surely have techniques to help Feebas grow stronger.
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