Kazuki followed Flint to a small riverside cabin.
Flint pointed to the waterwheel resting on the dried riverbed. "That waterwheel's connected to a specially designed generator!"
"As long as you can get it turning to generate electricity, your Pikachu can be charged and acclimated to ultra-high-voltage shocks! You'll get some unexpected gains from it!"
"But it's the dry season now, so the waterwheel can only be powered manually. Think you're up for it?"
Kazuki looked at the waterwheel and answered confidently, "No problem!"
"Alright then, I'll hook Pikachu up. How much voltage Pikachu can absorb depends on your stamina!"
With that, Flint brought Pikachu into the cabin, while Kazuki climbed up onto the waterwheel.
As soon as Flint gave the signal, Kazuki threw his full strength into pedaling the waterwheel.
Watching it spin rapidly, Flint was stunned. "Whoa! This kid's got insane stamina!"
Flint had initially planned to warn Kazuki—if the rotation speed was too high, Pikachu might not be able to handle it.
But then he looked down and saw that Pikachu was unusually tough too. Despite the intense voltage, it adapted instantly.
Seeing Pikachu glowing brighter and brighter, Flint sensed something was off and rushed out of the cabin in a panic.
The voltage reading on the equipment reached its limit, and Pikachu let out a mighty cry.
In the next moment, lightning exploded through the entire cabin—and the whole structure was blown to pieces.
Pikachu had successfully learned the ultra-powerful move: Thunderbolt!
Even Misty, who had been watching from nearby, was stunned by the sheer strength of the electric-type move. Such a powerful electric attack... Will our Cerulean Gym really be able to go toe-to-toe with Kazuki in the future?
Kazuki leapt off the waterwheel excitedly as Pikachu sprinted out of the ruined cabin and dashed into his arms.
Kazuki approached the still-stunned Flint. "Sorry about your cabin, Mister Flint! I'll pay you back for the damage!"
"Hahaha!" Flint chuckled freely. "No need! Maybe this was destiny—destroying my home might be fate's way of forcing me to move on!"
"Come on, Kazuki! Let me witness the bond between you and your Pikachu!"
"Suddenly, I feel like I can step forward again too!"
Seeing the mission progress so smoothly, Kazuki nodded in satisfaction.
Of course, this wasn't fate at all!
Back when Pikachu learned Thunderbolt, Kazuki had deliberately had it fire off a blast immediately—blowing up Flint's cabin on purpose!
The goal was to create every possible condition to nudge Flint back home!
Sure enough, it worked perfectly—and no compensation required. Flawless!
Kazuki and Flint were now in complete sync, heading toward Pewter Gym brimming with confidence.
Meanwhile, Misty, who had been squatting on a rock nearby, was still totally lost. "What's all this talk about destiny and bonds?"
"Hey, Mister Flint, are you really okay with your house getting blown up?"
"Where are you even sleeping tonight?"
Clueless about the bigger picture, Misty had been in a fog from start to finish. She still didn't understand why Kazuki wasn't just using a Water- or Grass-type to beat a Rock-type Gym.
And so, she followed Kazuki and Flint, still confused, as they headed to Pewter Gym.
Before entering the Gym, Kazuki quietly released Pidgeotto.
This type-disadvantage battle tied into three separate missions, and the rewards were massive—Kazuki couldn't afford to lose due to carelessness.
So, although his original plan had been to use three Basic Rare Candies each on Pikachu and Pidgeotto, he now decided to give all six to Pidgeotto.
[Pokémon: Pidgeotto, Level: lv24 → lv30]
That brought Pidgeotto directly to Elite tier!
With that, Kazuki approached the stone doors of Pewter Gym with full confidence.
"Hey, where were you just now? I thought you ran off at the last second—I was about to go win the Boulder Badge for you!" Misty teased.
Then she leaned in and whispered, "Hey, Kazuki, Flint's been acting really weird ever since he entered the city. What's up with him?"
Kazuki glanced at Flint and smiled. "Don't worry. Once I win, he'll be okay."
Saying that, Kazuki pushed open the stone doors.
Inside, the Gym Leader of Pewter Gym—Brock—sat high above with his eyes half-closed, looking surprisingly authoritative at the moment.
"Hello! I'm here to challenge the Gym!" Kazuki called out.
Brock looked up. Whether he actually saw anything or not was unclear, but he seemed to survey the three of them briefly.
Of the three, Flint was clearly the most nervous, not daring to lift his head and make eye contact with Brock.
"Which of you is the challenger?" Brock asked.
"I am! Kazuki, from Pallet Town!" Kazuki stepped forward with Pikachu on his shoulder.
Brock glanced at the Pikachu and sighed slightly. "Another newbie Trainer, huh?"
"Challenging a Rock-type Gym with a Pikachu, of all things."
"Well, since you've come, I can't exactly turn you away. Let's give him a little wake-up call with Geodude."
"Alright then—let's begin!"
Brock activated a mechanism, and the battlefield instantly shifted into rocky terrain.
"Go, big bro! You got this!" a group of younger siblings on the second-floor balcony cheered Brock on.
"Wow, this Gym Leader's got a big family! His parents must be amazing!" Misty commented absentmindedly.
That one line made Flint bow his head even lower in shame, unable to speak.
Brock stood and began explaining the rules. "Gym battles are different from random encounters!"
"These are official Pokémon League matches!"
"Each side may only use two Pokémon, and the battle will take place on a field themed around the Gym's primary type!"
"I've already read up on that—thanks for the reminder!" Kazuki stepped confidently into the Trainer's area.
"Oh? So you have done your homework. That's unexpected."
"Still, if you knew the rules and still brought a Pikachu, I don't know if you didn't study enough or you're just cocky."
As a future Pokémon Doctor, Brock took interest in his opponent's Pokémon as well.
"No need to guess why. You won't figure it out anyway. Let's just get started," Kazuki said, clearly excited—it was his first official Gym match, and with triple mission rewards on the line, he could hardly wait.
"Alright then! As Gym Leader, I accept your challenge!" Brock drew a Poké Ball. "I'll be counting on you—Geodude!"
He was still going easy—choosing not to start with his Onix.
But after all the special training, Kazuki was fully prepared to take on even Onix. Whatever came, he'd face it head-on.
"Let's go, Pidgeotto!"
The moment Kazuki sent out Pidgeotto, Brock's eyes snapped open in disbelief…
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Next chapter at 100 PS :)
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