Ash thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what "first transformation" meant. Right now, Pikachu wasn't in a good condition, and since they snuck out, he needed to recover Pikachu first to avoid suspicion.
The injuries would take longer to heal at a Pokemon Center than in his own hands, so Ash decided to help Pikachu recover himself.
Once Pikachu was healed, Ash would go back to the group and ask what this "first transformation" actually meant.
The injuries caused by the leveling down took about ten minutes to heal, but Pikachu would need to train himself back to his previous level slowly.
As for what stage Pikachu could reach now, it depended on what level he would get stuck at next. He should at least reach Gym Peak, right?
Ash let Pikachu get used to his current level a bit, and then he went back into the group chat to report his good news to the experts and clarify any confusion.
[Newbie Ash: I've already placed that One-Time Exclusive Ability on Pikachu. Pikachu initially was in a lot of pain, but eventually, by dropping two small levels, he gained growth in his Ability Value and his potential should have improved further. But what exactly does "first transformation" mean?]
[Champion Ash: Each time Pikachu steps into a neighboring region, his level drops but his potential increases, much like a phoenix experiencing Nirvana Rebirth. So, we call this act reincarnation. Since Pikachu can reincarnate multiple times, his current state is just an abbreviation for the first reincarnation, called "first transformation."]
[Breeder Ash: We already defined this term earlier in the group chat, so that's why your Eye of Insight would see the status mark next to Pikachu's name. Before joining the chat, I didn't have a fixed term for Pikachu's state, the status bar I saw was something like "leveled up multiple times." Compared to that, "reincarnation" does sound better.]
Reincarnation is just a term that arose due to Pikachu's situation. If you want to call it something else, Ash can just think of another term in his mind, and the small text next to Pikachu's name will update.
Basically, you don't have to worry about it, just knowing Pikachu's current state is enough.
[Newbie Ash: So, what level did your Pikachu reach after the first transformation? Gym level?]
[Champion Ash: Mine reached Gym Peak.]
[Breeder Ash: Gym High Level.]
[Ash the Aura Guardian: Gym High Level.]
[...]
Several other experts in the group chat, who had been silent, also spoke up, their Pikachu were generally between Gym Intermediate and Gym Peak after the first transformation, with none surpassing Gym Peak to reach Elite Level.
This basically confirms that the limit of a Pikachu after the first transformation is Gym Level, which should be enough for Ash.
If Pikachu can reach Gym Peak, with its explosive power, it could definitely contend with someone at Elite Peak.
By then, he should have reached Johto, right... Oh, speaking of Johto, some experts in the group once mentioned something about it.
[Newbie Ash: You guys mentioned before that reaching Johto Region won't cause any change in Pikachu, right? Why's that? Isn't Johto supposed to be another region?]
According to Pikachu's logic, traveling to another region should trigger another transformation, so why doesn't it happen in Johto? Why the double standard?
[Breeder Ash: That's because Johto Region is special and is almost connected to the Kanto League, and another thing is... the Kanto League has no champion, and half of the Elites there are actually from Johto, so Kanto and Johto are considered as one region.]
[Breeder Ash: But it's not like Johto Region has no effect on Pikachu. It does have some effect, just significantly less compared to normal reincarnations. It might only up the limit by one or two small divisions.]
[Newbie Ash: Eh~ Isn't Kanto prestigious, even though its Gym Leaders are so strong.]
[Champion Ash: Haha, no way around it, Kanto is in a bit of a transitional phase, but if you can become a champion, you might be able to revive the entire Kanto Region; the task of revitalizing Kanto rests on your shoulders!]
[Newbie Ash: Hearing you say that, now I feel a bit pressured~]
...
After chatting with everyone in the group, Ash logged out and returned to the inn with his fully recovered Pikachu.
Meanwhile, Misty and the others were still asleep. Compared to the lively Ash, Misty and Brock were modeled after normal people, only falling asleep in the wee hours last night, waking up before 8 AM would be surprising.
Seeing this, Ash went downstairs and used the video phone at the inn to call Oak's Research Institute.
"Hello, this is Oak... Hmm? Ash, why are you calling so early today?" Professor Oak greeted and then realized it was Ash calling. He instinctively looked at the time; it was just past 8 AM. What's Ash doing calling so early?