The rampaging power of lightning inside the device not only startled Ash and the others, but also scared Terrance badly.
But if there was a "fright level", Rotom Pokédex would probably be at the top. It was closest to Pikachu, and as an Electric-type Pokémon in essence, Rotom Pokédex was especially sensitive to the power of lightning. The moment Pikachu smacked away the stabilizer, Rotom Pokédex sensed things were about to go wrong and quickly retreated from the side of the device.
However, it still wasn't fast enough to escape the explosion.
This time, the explosion directly blew it away, slamming it into the wall.
"Pikachu!"
As the unexpected event occurred, Ash's pupils contracted and he tried to rush forward, but Terrance grabbed him and said, "Pikachu's fine, don't go over there right now. There's still danger."
Terrance's brows were tightly furrowed. Of the group, his perception was the sharpest; he was the first to sense that something was odd with Pikachu.
Even though there had been an explosion, Pikachu was still conscious. Right now, it was clutching the Light Ball in pain, sitting on the ground and struggling a little...
It was clear that Pikachu's condition was dire, already utterly exhausted. At this moment, the power of lightning was extremely wild, and even Terrance didn't know how Pikachu was still holding on. Meanwhile, feeling the stinging pain in its body, Pikachu gritted its teeth, trying to stand, but its body just wouldn't obey.
"B-but..."
Ash halted in his tracks, but he still looked anxiously toward the site of the explosion.
At this moment, Brock and Misty also ran up beside Ash, their gazes full of worry as they stared in Pikachu's direction.
No one could have expected Pikachu would smack away the stabilizer by itself, putting itself in danger.
"If you go over now, you'll definitely get hurt by the raging currents. I know you're not afraid, but Pikachu doesn't seem to have given up yet."
Terrance, still holding Ash back, spoke slowly. As the smoke cleared, everyone saw Pikachu hugging the Light Ball, struggling against the wild electricity both inside and outside its body.
"Pikachu's in really bad shape, its stamina should be all used up," Brock said anxiously when he saw Pikachu. "If this keeps up, I'm afraid..."
"Yeah, let's make Pikachu stop!!" Researcher Nero said nervously. His own Pikachu could only last 30 seconds even with the help of the device. But this Pikachu had already lost the device's protection, and it had been much longer than 30 seconds. If this continued, he was really afraid something would happen to Pikachu.
"Ash, trust me." Ignoring the others, Terrance placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, looked him in the eyes, and spoke seriously.
At this moment, none of them understood why Terrance was so confident. Only Terrance himself sensed something unusual - Pikachu could do it.
Right now, Pikachu was comprehending a special move.
Terrance could see it.
It was the move Reversal.
Because of Celebi, Terrance had traveled four years into the future. During his time mentoring Ash and Pikachu, he had personally witnessed how Pikachu awakened the move Reversal.
This move was Pikachu's trump card for making comebacks whenever Ash was in a pinch during battles. Pikachu had always known this move, but because it hadn't been specifically trained, it hadn't been properly developed.
Now, because of merging with the Light Ball, Pikachu had fallen into a state of exhaustion and was using Reversal.
In this state, not only did it provide great training for Pikachu in mastering the move "Reversal," but the explosive power that Reversal brought—could it possibly help Pikachu successfully merge with the Light Ball and suppress that rampaging power of lightning?
Terrance's breathing became calm and steady, but sweat was pouring down his forehead. Compared to Ash and the others, he was even more focused, rapidly operating his meditation method and paying extremely close attention to Pikachu's condition.
Since he was the one who suggested Ash keep waiting, he had to take responsibility for Pikachu.
So right now, Terrance was devoting 200% of his mental energy to monitoring Pikachu. The moment Pikachu showed any signs of abnormality, Terrance would take drastic measures to save it.
After listening to Terrance's advice, Ash gritted his teeth and stopped, standing together with Misty and Brock as they worriedly watched Pikachu.
Researcher Nero was shocked by Pikachu's willpower and couldn't understand why its condition had suddenly turned around.
As for Rotom Pokédex, after peeling itself off the wall, it looked at the interrupted data recording with a face full of misery, knowing that all its effort this time was wasted.
One second… two seconds… three seconds… After Terrance's intervention, Pikachu continued to endure, while Ash didn't let a single second pass without cheering Pikachu on. After another thirteen seconds like this, finally—
A new change erupted!
An immense surge of power of lightning burst from Pikachu's body. Just as Ash and the others were worrying, Terrance and Researcher Nero instead broke into excited smiles, shouting, "It succeeded!!"
This was Pikachu releasing the excess electricity in its body, using the move Thunderbolt!
"Pika...chuuuu!!!"
With the power of lightning swirling all around it, Pikachu let loose its explosive strength. At this point, Pikachu's mind was already blurry, and it could only vaguely hear Ash calling out to it, but deep down it knew that it had succeeded.
It had successfully mastered that wild power of lightning and completely fused with the Light Ball!
"So that's it. Reversal - forcing itself to achieve this magnificent rebirth by pushing itself to the limit, following the principle of "placing oneself in a deadly situation to find a way to survive"?
Looking at Pikachu, who had blasted a huge hole in the laboratory's electrical system and was now gasping for breath where it stood, Terrance suddenly felt as if he'd found the answer.
He should have realized it sooner!
The Flame of Life originates from Ho-Oh. Entei possesses it, Moltres possesses it...
They all have one thing in common!
Entei is said to be a legendary being born from an unknown Pokémon's death, brought back to life by Ho-Oh's flame.
Moltres, the legendary Pokémon that controls fire, is said to heal its wounds by entering a volcano's lava and burning its entire body.
"These Pokémon all seem to have this flavor of rebirth from the ashes, of being born anew in fire."
How can one understand the meaning of life without approaching death?
As for the Flame of Life controlled by Legendary Pokémon, how could it be so easily mastered by an ordinary Pokémon?
Upon realizing this, Terrance suddenly became enlightened.
Even if you know how the Flame of Life is composed, actually controlling that flame is incredibly difficult. Thanks to the process of Pikachu fusing with the Light Ball, Terrance finally understood. It was all thanks to the move Reversal.
At this moment, when Ash heard the word "succeeded," he had already rushed forward and hugged Pikachu, asking about its injuries and then cheering in celebration.
"Ha... ha... ha..." Researcher Nero also stared excitedly at the scene. They'd done it?
But, looking at the almost completely wrecked lab equipment and laboratory, he started to get a headache. These were all public facilities, after all. Damn, just how strong had this Pikachu's Electric-type moves become?
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