Pewter City, inside the laboratory where Researcher Nero worked.
Terrance arrived here before Ash and his group, but before long, Ash and the others hurried over as well.
Following the coordinates Terrance provided, and with Brock, a native of Pewter City, leading the way, Ash's trio quickly found the laboratory.
"This is the place…" Brock checked the map, let out a breath, and then turned to Ash and Misty.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go in!" Ash rushed forward, unable to wait any longer, and pressed the doorbell.
"Ding dong~"
With the sound of the bell, the door soon opened. Researcher Nero, with messy afro hair yet looking energetic, walked out with a smile: "You must be the guests invited by Researcher Terrance? Please, come in."
After greeting the three, Researcher Nero looked over at Brock among them and suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Aren't you…?"
"Hello, I'm Brock, the former Pewter Gym Leader, currently traveling with them," Brock said with a smile. As a Gym Leader, he used to attend many Pewter City events. Although he wasn't as famous in Pewter City as Terrance was in Fallarbor Town, it was still quite normal for local residents to find him familiar.
"So you're the Pewter Gym Leader, that explains it." Researcher Nero realized, patting his forehead and warmly inviting them in, completely oblivious to the fact that one of the three was also the little sister of Cerulean Gym...
Inside the laboratory, Terrance saw the group led in by Researcher Nero and smiled as he came over to greet them: "Ash, Misty, Brock, you've finally arrived."
Seeing Terrance, Ash was momentarily stunned, but he quickly remembered the Light Ball and hurriedly asked, "Brother Terrance, when is the challenge you mentioned going to start?"
"Child, don't be in such a hurry."
At that moment, Researcher Nero brought over some tea, smiling as he looked at the three of them, especially Ash.
Upon seeing Ash and the Pikachu on his shoulder, he immediately knew Ash was the main participant in this experiment. From his experience in researching Electric-type Pokémon, Nero could tell that Ash's Pikachu had been raised quite well.
However, even though it seemed well-trained, Researcher Nero still didn't know what set this Pikachu apart from other Pikachu, and he didn't understand where Terrance's confidence came from.
"Thank you,"
Misty, Brock, and Ash took the tea and thanked him.
After receiving their tea, the three sat down to rest for a bit. Afterward, Terrance finally spoke: "Ash, before we start, I want to tell you a few things to keep in mind."
"Okay," Ash nodded.
"Pikachu, you should listen closely too," Terrance continued.
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded as well.
"The Light Ball is a special item I came across by chance in the Kalos region. Essentially, it's a bead filled with a unique kind of electricity. As for how it makes a Pokémon stronger, it's different from the usual charging process of Electric-type Pokémon."
"Your Pikachu might have experience with powering up Electric-type moves by charging, but the Light Ball is on a whole other level compared to that."
As Terrance spoke, Ash and Brock listened intently.
"The special electricity within the Light Ball has a fusion property. It can combine with Pikachu's Electric-type energy to form a new kind of Electric-type energy. This new energy has a special function: it can generate a wild power of lightning that stimulates the body's vitality. In other words, if Pikachu masters this power of lightning, it can use the lightning to stimulate its vitality and directly enhance its physical capabilities in battle. This strengthening mechanism is much more comprehensive than simply charging, and the degree of enhancement is even greater!"
Terrance explained things in simple terms, so Pikachu, Brock, Misty, and the others all understood the mechanism.
As for Ash, seeing his confused expression, Terrance wasn't sure whether he understood or not...
"As long as it means getting stronger, that's all that matters," Ash suddenly said.
"All right, then I'll explain why this is called a challenge. During the process of fusing with the Light Ball, the wild power of lightning it generates places a heavy burden on Pikachu's body. If Pikachu can't control this power of lightning—if its willpower isn't strong enough—then the fusion will fail."
"Don't worry, Pikachu can definitely do it." Ash stood up, clenching his fists with confidence. But the next moment, Misty punched him.
"Mr. Terrance, please ignore this idiot for now. May I ask, if the fusion fails, will Pikachu get hurt?" Misty asked.
"If the safety measures are thorough, nothing dangerous will happen." Terrance shook his head.
With that, Terrance had finished all his explanations.
"Pika pi!"
At the same time, Pikachu glanced at Ash. This Trainer and Pokémon pair were both full of confidence. Even though they now knew the process of fusing with the Light Ball would be very difficult, neither showed any sign of worry.
"Good spirit. So, when should we start?" asked Researcher Nero.
Terrance looked at Ash and Pikachu. Seeing their eager expressions, he smiled and said, "Look at the two of them, they can't wait any longer. I say, let's start right away."
"Yes, we can begin anytime!!" Ash said.
Once Ash confirmed they were ready, Terrance and Researcher Nero discussed a few more details.
Finally, Terrance said, "All right, let's head to the lab. Everyone can come along."
In the laboratory, all the equipment needed for the Light Ball fusion had already been prepared. Terrance not only brought in Ash and Pikachu, but also invited Brock and Misty to join.
"Is that all right?" Brock asked.
"It's fine, it's just a simple fusion. It shouldn't make much difference on success or failure." Researcher Nero had already experimented many times himself, so he reassured them.
Inside the lab, Terrance took out the prepared Light Ball and instructed Rotom Pokédex to record all the data.
For this fusion, whether it failed or succeeded, Rotom Pokédex had an important role, responsible for connecting with the fusion device.
For this process, to ensure a successful Light Ball fusion, Researcher Nero had come up with a complicated device. This instrument could stabilize the wild power of lightning. Unfortunately, even with this, his own Pikachu had never managed a successful fusion.
The device looked like a huge oven...
There was a tray at the bottom, and inside the box, there was something like a retractable hand to clamp Pikachu's cheeks, used to stabilize the power of lightning.
In addition, the tray had a recessed slot to fix the Light Ball in place. Terrance could tell that Nero had put a lot of thought into this setup, and now that he was generously offering it for Ash and Pikachu to use, Terrance was deeply grateful.
"Pikachu, are you ready?" Terrance asked.
"Pikachu, do your best!!" Ash hugged Pikachu and cheered it on with all his might. Since there was no danger, Ash naturally hoped Pikachu could master the Light Ball's power.
"Pika!!" Pikachu clenched its fists and nodded seriously. Then, one by one, it looked at Ash, Misty, Brock, Terrance, and Researcher Nero, and finally, under Nero's guidance, entered the oven-like device.
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