Yuuto and the two girls followed Flint along a worn, riverside path. Flint carried his heavy stone satchel and walked with brisk, purposeful strides. The lazy, defeated slump he had shown earlier was completely gone.
"Young man," Flint said, glancing back at Yuuto as they walked. His tone had turned serious and professional. "Actually, type matchups among Pokémon aren't absolute. There are many ways to weaken or even overcome them."
"For example, level suppression."
"Or special items that can boost move power or reduce incoming damage from disadvantageous types."
"And another way… targeted enhancement training."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted meaningfully to the Pikachu resting in Yuuto's arms.
Yuuto nodded. "I know about those things."
After grinding so much experience in Viridian Forest, he had already figured this out. Battles in this world generally followed the familiar type chart, but it was never set in stone. With the right conditions, fighting at a type disadvantage was possible—just extremely difficult.
Flint continued, eyes sharp with the scrutiny of a veteran Trainer. "Looking at your Pikachu's condition, its level isn't low, but it's not high enough to completely ignore type matchups yet. As for those special items…"
He paused, sweeping a quick glance over Yuuto's simple clothes and the girls' practical traveling outfits.
"…those things cost a fortune. You three don't look like kids from rich families."
Flint stopped walking and turned to face Yuuto directly.
"So if you truly want to use this Pikachu to win a type-disadvantage battle at the Pewter Gym, the only realistic option is special training."
"What kind of special training?" Yuuto asked.
"We're here."
Flint didn't answer directly. He raised a hand and pointed ahead.
Beside the river stood a small, weathered wooden cabin. Moss clung to the old planks, and an ancient water wheel creaked steadily beside it, turning with the current.
"This is the place."
Flint led them over and pushed open the cabin door. The interior was even smaller than it appeared from outside—barely enough room for a simple bed, a table, and a pile of stone specimens stacked in one corner.
"Pikachu's special training is naturally Electric Power Special Training."
Flint walked to the wall and flipped a switch. A dim yellow bulb flickered to life overhead. At the same time, several crude electrical devices in the corner hummed to life with a low buzz.
"Can that water wheel alone generate this much electricity?" Misty asked, craning her neck curiously at the running equipment.
"Of course not." Flint smiled with clear pride. He walked over to what looked like a generator and lifted its cover, revealing an irregular, fist-sized, yellow translucent stone. Faint, current-like patterns could be seen slowly flowing inside it.
"It's all thanks to this stone," he said, tapping it. "One of the few good things I got during my failed Trainer days. It can amplify input electricity several times over. That's how a tiny water wheel can power the whole house."
He turned to Yuuto, expression growing solemn.
"If Pikachu wants its Electric-type moves to make a qualitative leap in power, it must endure a super-overloaded electrical environment for a long enough time. We'll use powerful external currents to stimulate the electric sacs in its body and force out its hidden potential."
"In simple terms… Pikachu will stay inside a powerful current amplified by this Electric Stone. But the process requires a continuous, stable supply of electricity."
Flint pushed open the back door of the cabin. Outside, in the open space by the river, sat a device that looked like an old exercise bike. Thick black cables ran from it straight into the generator inside the house.
"See this?" Flint patted the bike. "This is a human-powered auxiliary generator. The water wheel's electricity gets amplified by the stone for Pikachu's training, but someone has to keep pedaling this bike to maintain stable output. If the current fluctuates too much, Pikachu could be in danger."
His gaze settled on Yuuto as he sized him up.
"So, young man…" He reached out and gave Yuuto's chest a firm pat. "I wonder if your body is strong enough to keep outputting power for as long as needed."
"He's super strong!"
The words burst out of Misty before she could stop herself. The moment they left her mouth, she realized how they sounded.
"Oh?" Flint raised an eyebrow, giving Yuuto a meaningful look, then turning to Misty.
"N-no, that's not what I meant!" Misty's face flushed bright red. She waved her hands frantically. "I mean he's physically strong! Not… not that kind of strong!"
"I… ugh, forget it!"
Unable to explain herself, she stomped her foot and quickly hid behind Delia, only half her scarlet face still visible.
Delia's cheeks also turned pink at the sudden remark. She stole a quick glance at Yuuto, then lowered her head, embarrassed.
Flint chuckled twice and continued.
"In short, the auxiliary power generation outside is up to you," he told Yuuto. "Whether Pikachu can break through under overload depends on how much power you can output and how long you can keep it steady."
"That won't be a problem," Yuuto replied calmly.
He set Pikachu down, walked over to the power-generating bike, and tested the resistance of the pedals. It was heavy—continuous pedaling would definitely drain a lot of stamina. For someone with his enhanced Dragon's Body, however, it was nothing serious.
"Let's start then."
Without hesitation, Yuuto grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off in one smooth motion, exposing his upper body to the sunlight.
Delia had already seen and touched Yuuto's body inside the tent at night, but seeing him like this under bright daylight hit differently. Smooth, powerful muscle lines. Perfectly sculpted pectorals. Clearly defined abs. Strong back and arm muscles that gleamed with a healthy, sunlit sheen.
Her throat went dry. She subconsciously licked her lips as a frantic voice screamed inside her head:
*Underwear! I absolutely must buy several more pairs this time— all sorts of styles! Otherwise there won't be enough to change into!*
Misty's eyes were glued to him too. She swallowed hard, cheeks burning.
*So this guy… has such an amazing physique under his clothes?*
*These muscles… they look so powerful…*
Her mind was a mess, but her tomboy pride still made her compare herself.
*Cough… M-my figure isn't bad either! I even have an ab line! It's not as exaggerated as his… but it's still really good!*
Flint, however, paid almost no attention to Yuuto's physique. His focus was entirely on the training.
"Pikachu, come over here."
He waved the little mouse over and pointed to an area inside the cabin fenced off with insulating materials. In the center stood two metal electrodes connected by thick cables to the generator.
"In a moment, you'll stand between these two electrodes. The current will pass through your body. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but you have to endure it. This is the key to breaking through."
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded vigorously, its small face full of determination. It walked into the insulated area and positioned itself between the electrodes.
"Alright."
Flint double-checked every piece of equipment. Once satisfied, he called out to Yuuto outside.
"Young man, are you ready? You can start! Begin applying force slowly so the electricity rises steadily!"
"Understood."
Yuuto mounted the bike, gripped the handlebars, and placed his feet on the pedals. He began to push with steady, controlled power.
The old bike groaned under the strain, but Yuuto's strength flowed out smoothly and continuously. It traveled through the cables into the generator inside the cabin. The machine's hum grew noticeably louder. At the same time, the Electric Stone began to glow with a faint yellow light as the current patterns inside it sped up.
Pikachu's Electric Power Special Training had officially begun.