CHAPTER 641: PEERLESS PIKACHU*

Upon hearing Terrance’s explanation, the four of them suddenly understood everything.

Ash hadn’t expected that Terrance’s Pokédex was actually obtained from Professor Oak.

Serena and Bonnie glanced at the surroundings. Sure enough, Terrance didn’t even have a backpack with him, and scattered Berries were laid out on a rock. It did look rather bleak.

What should we do…

After a quick discussion, they realized such an opportunity was rare. Ash was eager to learn how to make Pikachu stronger, and at the same time, Clemont wanted to observe the Rotom Pokédex for a while. Less than a minute later, the four had reached a conclusion.

“Please guide me!” Ash said earnestly to Terrance.

“It’s no big deal, really.” Terrance laughed heartily and said, “But in exchange, you guys will have to take care of my meals for the next two days.”

“Of course,” Ash said seriously.

“Pika!”

Ash and Clemont wanted to stay, and naturally the remaining two didn’t object. After receiving Ash’s request, Terrance became serious.

What kind of potential exists between Ash and Pikachu?

To be honest, from Terrance’s perspective, both of them were rare talents.

But there was one flaw: their methods were too wild.

Ash hadn’t even considered how to properly train Pikachu to bring out its full fighting potential.

Seeing that Terrance was about to give guidance, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all gathered around Ash, wanting to hear Terrance’s insight.

Breeder…

Terrance had mentioned earlier that he was a Breeder!

“Ash, do you know what Pikachu’s strengths and weaknesses are?” Terrance began with a question.

Rather than immediately giving Ash a training task, it was better to first make sure he and Pikachu understood the purpose of the special training.

“Strengths, um…” Ash thought for a moment and said, “Speed?”

“And Pikachu’s moves are pretty powerful too…”

“That’s right.” Terrance nodded. “Even a Thunderbolt that had its electric currents dispersed was able to push back my Gallade. Pikachu has quite a remarkable talent in controlling electricity.” ŕÃＮօВË𝙨

“At the same time, with its small body, if it masters Quick Attack, speed would indeed be one of its strengths.”

“But what you said isn’t complete.”

“Not complete?” Ash fell into thought again, trying hard to recall what other strengths Pikachu might have.

“Try thinking from another angle. Between you and Pikachu, what shared strength do you both possess?” Terrance asked with a smile.

That kind of question would stump anyone thinking normally, but Ash wasn’t normal.

“It’s trust!! Pikachu and I trust each other. Our bond is second to none!” Looking at Pikachu, Ash showed a confident expression.

“A good answer.” Terrance nodded, then looked at the confused Serena and the little girl Bonnie, explaining with a smile: “The bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon isn’t just for show. When both sides are connected in heart, a Pokémon can often unleash even greater strength.”

“I saw it from the earlier battle and from how much Ash cares for Pikachu. The bond between Ash and Pikachu must be very strong, and Ash is clearly a Trainer who truly loves his Pokémon.”

“I see…” Serena and Bonnie once again understood, but they were still a bit puzzled. What does that have to do with special training?

“The trust between a Trainer and their Pokémon is most directly reflected in the Pokémon’s fighting spirit and willpower,” Terrance said. “When Pikachu took that nearly fatal blow just now, yet was still able to continue fighting with its battered body as if unfazed. It was the manifestation of the trust between Ash and Pikachu. This kind of trust is extremely rare between a Trainer and Pokémon.”

“Pikachu……” Ash listened to Terrance’s explanation, looking at Pikachu with excitement. He felt… he had been acknowledged.

Terrance gave a slight smile and said, “Then what about the weakness?”

Ash regained his composure. Through the earlier battle and Terrance’s reminder, he now understood very clearly: “It’s defense.”

This wasn’t just a weakness of Ash’s Pikachu. It was a weakness common to all Pikachu.

With such a small body, limited by its innate species traits, Pikachu simply couldn’t withstand attacks with its defense.

If it weren’t for the trust between Ash and Pikachu inspiring a stronger willpower in Pikachu, the battle between Gallade and Pikachu might have ended in the very first round.

“Since you already understand, then let me give you another hint,” Terrance said. “It’s a phrase.”

“I call it ‘using weakness to reinforce strength.’”

Terrance chuckled. It was a phrase he had come up with on the spot, and its meaning was completely different from “using strengths to cover weaknesses.”

“Using weakness to reinforce strength?” Ash was confused.

“That’s right. Take your own shortcomings and use them to enhance and amplify your strengths. That’s the true meaning of using weakness to reinforce strength.”

“But how do you do that?”

Faced with Ash’s question, Terrance’s gaze drifted off into the distance for a moment before speaking.

“Theoretically, to achieve the most ideal results from special training, gene medicines would be needed as support,” Terrance explained.

“This involves the combination of Inherited Moves, but since my Breeder training isn’t advanced enough yet, I can’t create the most perfect specialized training plan for you.”

“But through the bond between you and Pikachu, and by combining specific foods with training, even if the results aren’t perfect, you can still simulate about half of it…no, maybe even more. As your bond deepens, the effect could become even stronger.”

Gene medicine was a top-level research that Terrance had learned about while studying under Master Victor.

This technology was even more valuable than generational inheritance. At present, Master Victor hadn’t fully grasped it either, and had only created a few types of gene medicines.

The purpose of gene medicine was also to allow a Pokémon to learn Inherited Moves it otherwise couldn’t, but its conditions were far simpler. It didn’t require the Pokémon to inherit moves through a parent pairing. Instead, using special materials and gene extraction technology, a corresponding gene medicine could be created and then injected or consumed by the Pokémon to directly awaken the Inherited Moves!!

Terrance and Master Victor had once had the idea of awakening the move “Morning Sun” in Arcanine, but that plan hadn’t yet been completed.

But after seeing Pikachu and Ash, two Inherited Moves immediately appeared in Terrance’s mind!

Endure: Even when taking damage, it allows the user to retain at least a sliver of stamina and consciousness.

Reversal: An all-out counterattack. The lower the user’s HP, the stronger the move’s power.

You see, retaining just a sliver of stamina and consciousness is no different from losing consciousness for most Pokémon, since most lack the willpower to keep fighting in that state.

But Ash and Pikachu are different. Their level of trust could absolutely overcome that obstacle.

If paired with the move Reversal, and with Pikachu’s frail body that could suffer serious injuries from attacks, along with the stunning power of its moves, it would be enough to unleash a devastating, earth-shattering attack at a critical moment when Ash and Pikachu are in perfect sync, turning the tide from the brink of defeat!

“Even if you really can’t grasp these two moves, as long as I use the genetic knowledge recorded in the Rotom Pokédex… you can still make a simple attempt,” Terrance said with a deep gaze. Pikachu and Ash — they were very suited to training with the aid of Terrance’s genetic knowledge.

“Really?” Hearing that the special training could continue, Ash and Pikachu listened attentively.

“Of course. But from here on, we’ll explain and work toward the final goal during the training,” Terrance said with a smile.

Terrance devised a detailed training plan for Ash and Pikachu, primarily leveraging the bond and trust between them to awaken Pikachu’s potential, stimulating greater fighting spirit and the ability to rapidly return to peak condition through repeated states of near unconsciousness.

This training task was something even Terrance and his Pokémon would find difficult to accomplish. Terrance didn’t expect Ash to master it quickly either. He simply wanted to clarify the direction of the training as much as possible over these two days, leaving Ash and Pikachu to embark on the long and arduous journey of training on their own. However…

While Terrance was adjusting Pikachu’s diet based on the genetic knowledge recorded in the Rotom Pokédex, searching for a recipe that could match the effects of “Endure” and “Reversal,” an astonishing scene unfolded before him.

He swore that he hadn’t even formulated a more detailed training plan for Ash and Pikachu yet. He had only explained the conceptual effects of the two moves and their shared strengths!

But on the second day…

BOOM!!!!

A powerful explosion rang out.

As Pikachu, struck down by Gallade, slowly rose again from the ground at Ash’s call, unleashing a surge of electricity so intense it nearly toppled the surrounding trees, Terrance nearly dropped the Rotom Pokédex.

“They can achieve the same effect without even using those two moves?!”

An artificial Cosmo Burst? [TN: In Saint Seiya, Cosmo is a mystical energy and the fundamental force which powers every supernatural feat performed throughout the series. Explosion/Burst describes the act of releasing or awakening this energy, often in moments of intense battle or emotional climax.]

Terrance stared in shock at Pikachu, who had just caused massive destruction to the forest, and with the last ounce of its stamina, scared Gallade into using Teleport to flee far away. His expression was one of utter disbelief.

He had still underestimated the potential between Ash and Pikachu. As the protagonist of this world, even though Ash had yet to accomplish much, his uniqueness was enough to shock even Terrance, who had already reached the threshold of Top Trainer.

TN: *In the context of Chinese Pokémon games and fandom, Peerless Pikachu is notably used as the name of a powerful electric-type character in the mobile card game 《Let’s Go, Pikachu》 developed by Tianxiang Interactive. In this game, Peerless Pikachu is a special or upgraded form of Pikachu with devastating area-of-effect attacks and unique combos, making it a sought-after and highly regarded character among players.

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