Pikachu's... limits?
Is the Professional Level already the limit for Pikachu? That doesn't make sense!
Upon hearing Breeder Ash's words, Ash's first reaction was disbelief.
A regular Pikachu might reach Professional Level and already be grinning from ear to ear, but his Pikachu is different, it's truly different in every sense of the word.
Whether it's the partner form or the fluctuating ability values, and the effortless way it breaks through levels, all are enough to prove Pikachu's extraordinary qualities.
Before reaching Professional Level, Pikachu didn't even encounter any bottlenecks, yet the bigshots in the group claim Pikachu has already hit its limits?
How could that be possible!
[Newbie Ash: Is there some kind of mistake? Pikachu was doing fine up until now, whether it was leveling up, learning new skills, or other aspects, there was no sign of reaching its limits. I even feel that Pikachu is far from reaching its limits now.]
[Breeder Ash: Your feeling is not wrong, Pikachu indeed hasn't reached its ultimate limits yet, but at the current level, it is at the end unless special methods are used to move forward.]
[Newbie Ash: Special methods? What do you mean?]
[Breeder Ash: Let me think, perhaps it's better to start from the beginning. First, our Pikachu is very special, you should have realized this by now, right?]
[Newbie Ash: Uh-huh.]
Since he started, he hasn't encountered a Pikachu as special as his own; he hasn't even heard of any, not to mention seen them, even the partner form is a skill unique to him in this parallel world.
So Ash never even considered the idea that his Pikachu would reach its limits.
[Breeder Ash: But have you ever thought about it, such a special Pikachu, is there really no price to pay? What is your Pikachu's capability cap? Six A-levels, and even within the Pikachu species, it's at the top level, but how can this speed of growth compare to even a six S-level Gardevoir? Can it purely rely on bond?]
[Newbie Ash: ...]
Though harsh, these words make sense.
Even if a Pikachu's potential reaches Six A-level, on what basis can its growth speed match a six S-level Gardevoir?
The upper limit of ability values doesn't completely relate to level-up speed, but there's a relative correlation.
Pikachu may not have the worry of raising ability values, but its growth speed shouldn't be this fast.
It's been half a month now, and Pikachu still hasn't broken through the Gym Level, which for a normal Pokemon is completely normal, but for Pikachu, it's not.
This clearly shows how fast Pikachu's growth speed was before; no matter the level, it would basically stabilize at one level every seven days. Continuing at this rate, within a year, Pikachu would reach the Divine Domain Level!
Again, on what basis can a Six A-level Pikachu have such talent? Is it purely on bond?
Perhaps the bond between Ash and Pikachu is indeed quite deep, but Gardevoir and Charizard are not too far behind. He almost treats all his Pokemon equally, just that the starter Pikachu is a bit more special.
If it's just this little difference, theoretically, it shouldn't result in such a drastic growth discrepancy.
So why can Pikachu surpass Gardevoir in leveling speed?
[Breeder Ash: The reason Pikachu's growth speed is so fast is that once it reaches Professional Level, it caps out. Steady growth speed without encountering level bottlenecks actually indicates Pikachu has some unseen flaws.]
[Newbie Ash: Then... what is the special method you're talking about, bigshot?]
Ash didn't forget the special method Breeder Ash mentioned for solving Pikachu's bottleneck.
Pikachu's limits aren't truly the Professional Level; it's just that the right method hasn't been found, and that method might be related to his one-time ability draw.
[Breeder Ash: The method is... to 'transcend calamity' in other regions.]
[Newbie Ash: ??? What's 'transcend calamity'?]
[Breeder Ash: It's actually just an exaggerated way of saying that the actual method is for you to reach the end in one region, and then go to another region. This will allow Pikachu to break through its current ceiling level.]
[Newbie Ash: Reach the end? Where exactly? Isn't the endpoint different for each region?]
[Breeder Ash: This endpoint isn't a specific location, but rather the endpoint of your journey, for example, in the Kanto Region, if you collect eight badges and participate in the League Conference, regardless of what rank you get, it counts as having completed that region's journey.]
[Breeder Ash: Besides collecting badges, there are other ways to reach the 'endpoint,' such as defeating a region's Elite Four, gaining fame in a region, or defeating the local Champion.]
[Breeder Ash: Outside of the methods mentioned above, there are no specific standards for reaching the 'endpoint,' but you can easily determine if you've reached the so-called 'endpoint' locally by visiting another region.]