Pewter City, Pokémon Center.
Ash sat slumped in his chair, a stark contrast to the fired-up rookie who had charged out of here ten minutes ago.
"Ash, you okay?" Misty and Flint approached. One look at his face told them exactly what the author had edited out: the rookie had just received a painful reality check from society.
The Thundershock Pikachu was so proud of had been utterly useless against that Onix. Then, it had been caught in a rocky bind, squeezed until it could barely breathe before being knocked out. Losing his first official Gym match was a massive blow to Ash's ego.
"I got too cocky," Ash muttered. Defeating those Bug Catchers and Team Rocket had gone to his head. But the real problem was figuring out how to beat a man like Brock—and on that point, Ash refused to back down.
Deep inside, Red's soul felt a pang of sympathy, mirroring Ash's self-reproach. But as he felt Ash's fighting spirit begin to kindle again, he couldn't help but offer a satisfied smirk.
Getting rubbed into the dirt early on is a good thing, Red thought. It tempers the will. Just like my first loss back in the day... it laid the foundation for me to become the strongest.
Red paused, deep in thought. Wait... who did I lose to the first time? He searched his memories for a long while before it hit him. Oh, right. I... I never actually lost.
Heh. But just because he was undefeated didn't mean he couldn't empathize. Currently, he was in a state of "living death," parasitic to this kid. He made a mental note to find a way to actually talk to Ash soon; he couldn't stay stuck in his head forever. A year or two was fine, but what if twenty years later Ash got married? Was Red supposed to watch the "live broadcast" of his private life? Absolutely not. Red had standards.
Outside, Misty couldn't help but suggest, "How about I lend you a Water-type? It would make dealing with Rock-types a lot easier."
"No thanks. I have to do this with my own strength!" Ash declined instantly. He believed in Pikachu. Even if they couldn't beat Onix now, with enough training, they'd flip the script. Borrowing someone else's Pokémon felt like admitting he and Pikachu weren't good enough.
But how to beat Brock remained the million-dollar question. Right then, the Pokédex at his hip emitted a mechanical chime:
Pokédex: "Beep... Pikachu is capable of learning the move: Iron Tail."
"Iron Tail?" Ash scratched his head. The name was completely foreign to him.
Flint, standing nearby, was a man of vast experience. Say what you will about him never winning a championship in twenty years of travel, but the man knew his stuff.
"Iron Tail is a Steel-type move. It's a type that only started appearing a few years ago in the Johto region. Against an Onix, that move would deal massive damage."
Ash's eyes reignited with the fires of war. "That's it! Pikachu, we're learning Iron Tail!"
"Cough... and just how do you plan on doing that?" Flint asked. "Don't I just shout the name and it happens?"
Flint & Misty: "..."
"Learning a new move isn't that easy! Especially a powerhouse move like Iron Tail. The difficulty curve is steep, kid!" Flint explained with a dark look. "Usually, there are three ways: use a Technical Machine (TM), but those are expensive and only sold in major department stores. Two: have another Pokémon teach it. Three: rely on raw talent and figure it out yourself."
Ash didn't even blink. "Option three. My Pikachu is a natural-born prodigy!"
The Outskirts of Pewter City
The trio arrived at a humble wooden shack. Behind it sat a river with a small, sputtering waterfall.
"Allow me to explain," Flint said, gesturing to the structure. "This is a hydroelectric mill. The water turns the wheel, which generates electricity." He pulled two thick jumper cables from the shack. "If we clip these to Pikachu's cheek pouches, we can flood it with power, supercharging its Thundershock for a short burst of extreme lethality."
"I don't really get the science, but it sounds awesome." Ash looked at his partner. "What do you say, Pikachu? Want to give it a whirl?" "Pika!" Pikachu slammed its fists together. It took that loss to Onix personally.
"Uh... isn't that waterfall a bit... weak?" Misty walked around the back. The water flow was so low a Magikarp could probably hop over it without breaking a sweat.
Flint chuckled. "It's the dry season, so the water's low. But you and Pikachu have a legendary bond, right? You can just use the 'Power of Love' to generate the rest!"
"You got it! Power of Love it is! We'll charge up tonight and get our revenge tomorrow!" Caught up in the hype, Ash leaped onto the waterwheel itself.
He gripped the railings, let out a roar, and started pedaling. Every muscle in his legs and core flared to life.
Crank... Creak! The massive wooden wheel actually began to turn—slowly, heavily.
Is this kid's physical strength... actually demonic? Flint was internally terrified. How was a ten-year-old this strong? When he suggested the "Power of Love," he actually meant Ash should pay him to have his Machamp pull the wheel. He didn't expect the kid to go full human-generator!
Flint hurriedly taped the cables to Pikachu's cheeks with heavy-duty electrical tape.
Zap... crackle... As the wheel picked up speed, a torrent of electricity flowed through the wires and into Pikachu's pouches. Who says you need the Volt Absorb ability to store extra juice?
"Harder! Faster! Keep going!" Ash roared, cheering himself on. He began a full-blown sprint on the wheel, sending it spinning at a dizzying velocity!
"Pikaaaaa...!" The raw current surged into Pikachu's tiny body, the energy within it skyrocketing!
He's too impulsive, Red thought, sensing the chaos. Learning a move takes time. Using a generator like this is just 'haste makes waste.' If the Pokémon's foundation isn't perfect, you're just burning through its potential.
Perhaps because he was essentially a piece of code from a digital world, Red realized he could actually interface with Ash's Pokédex. Earlier, he had subtly nudged the device to suggest Iron Tail. A proper Trainer should train properly—mastering a Steel move to win via type-advantage. This "Power of Love" generator nonsense wouldn't do anything but give Pikachu a headache...
KABOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion cut Red's internal monologue short. Through Ash's eyes, he saw a pillar of brilliant golden light pierce the heavens, as if trying to punch a hole in the clouds. The discharge illuminated the entire outskirts of Pewter City.
"Pika!" Pikachu stood there, sparks dancing across its fur, its eyes sharp and focused. Every movement was crisp and decisive. It was clearly at its absolute peak.
Pokédex: "Beep... Pikachu has learned a new move: Thunderbolt!"
Even Red, the man of few words, felt his digital jaw drop.
Oh... so he actually understands Pokémon better than I do? In that case, Red had absolutely nothing left to say.