Chapter 7. Pikachu Project Hypothesis
After studying for a long time, Natsume put away the system panel.
Practice brings true knowledge, so if he finds someone to try it on one day, he will know.
In any case, there is no rush for now.
Natsume rubbed his hands, leaned back, and his Rotom Phone, perfectly in sync with him, instantly moved him back onto the original hospital bed.
The top priority now was to finish the Pikachu project.
Lying on the hospital bed, Natsume stared at the ceiling, a little absent-minded.
As for Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, he did, in fact, have a hypothesis in mind.
Although this was the real world and different from the anime, the plot he had seen in his previous life could still be used as a reference.
The moves that Ash's Pikachu used had power exceeding its level.
It was precisely for this reason that Team Rocket considered it a special Pikachu and set their sights on Ash.
The moves it used had power exceeding its level.
A held item flashed across Natsume's mind—a held item that only Pikachu could use: the Light Ball.
This was an item from the Pokémon game series and Pikachu's exclusive held item.
When Pikachu held a Light Ball, its Attack and Sp. Atk stats would be doubled.
Mapped into reality, that meant the moves it used would have power exceeding its level.
Having sorted out his thoughts, Natsume took out his little notebook and began to write down hypotheses.
Hypothesis 1: Ash's Pikachu swallowed a Light Ball.
Hypothesis 2: Ash's Pikachu has something on it akin to a Light Ball, or it experienced some event that caused unknown changes to occur, thereby granting it a buff that boosts both Attack and Sp. Atk.
Between the two, Natsume leaned toward the latter.
If he remembered correctly, Ash's Pikachu had absolutely no way to contend with Brock of Pewter Gym.
Yet after special training at the Power Plant, its Electric-type power greatly increased.
Could Pikachu gain a permanent offensive boost to both stats after each bout of large-scale charging?
All of a sudden, this thought popped into Natsume's mind.
He did not know whether only Ash's Pikachu could do it, or whether all Pikachu could.
If it was the latter, Natsume dared to guarantee he had a doctoral dissertation as a Pokémon Professor lined up.
"Clang!"
At that moment, the door opened.
It was Ash, who walked in looking dejected, with Misty following behind.
It was over—he had not found Natsume.
"Pika—pi."
Pikachu stood on Ash's shoulder and tapped Ash's forehead with its little paw as consolation.
"Natsume, where did you say you went?"
"I don't know, but I think I would go back to my original room."
"Ah, right, you might have returned to your original room."
Ash suddenly understood and turned to go look for Natsume.
"Idiot, isn't he right in front of you!"
Misty could not stand it anymore and yanked Ash back.
"Huh? Natsume, why are you here?"
Ash looked at Natsume lying on the hospital bed, a little surprised.
He had gone back and forth outside the ward several times and had not seen anyone inside.
"Lend me your Pikachu."
Just as Ash was puzzled, Natsume stood up and grabbed Ash's Pikachu by the scruff of the neck.
"Pi? Pika?"
Pikachu looked at Natsume in some confusion, not knowing what he was going to do with it.
"Natsume, what are you going to do with Pikachu? I'm really getting along with Pikachu now, hey.
If he's not on my shoulder, I'm not used to—huh?"
Before he finished speaking, a red flash released from the Poké Ball on Natsume's belt and landed on Ash's shoulder.
"Pikachu!"
The center-parted one waved at Ash.
Now you're used to it.
"…"
Natsume walked out of the room and found Nurse Joy.
After he presented his Pokémon Researcher credentials, Nurse Joy agreed to let him use the medical facilities here.
Soon, led by Nurse Joy, Natsume entered a room equipped with many devices.
"Pika pika pika pika!"
As soon as he stepped into the room, Natsume heard a chorus of noisy Pikachu voices.
The familiar panting of Pikachu almost made Natsume think he had returned to the Pokémon Day Care he had set up at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Turning his head, he saw, in a corner, a hamster-wheel-like rig with dozens of Pikachu running laps inside.
Seeing Natsume's expression, Nurse Joy smiled slightly and explained:
"These little ones provide electricity for the Pokémon Center, you know.
Not only that, but it was thanks to them yesterday that Pikachu recovered its strength and those bad guys were driven away."
As Nurse Joy spoke, a trace of admiration appeared on her face.
"Two kids who could stay that calm when facing an evil organization are really rare."
Seeing Nurse Joy's heartfelt sigh, Natsume scratched his head, then wrote something in his little notebook, tore out the page, handed it to Joy, and said seriously:
"This is Ash's home address.
You can send a commendation banner over."
Nurse Joy: "…"
Nurse Joy took the slip of paper and quietly withdrew.
The room grew quiet, leaving only a roomful of "Pika pika pika."
Turning his head, Natsume glanced at the busy Pikachu.
According to Nurse Joy, last night Pikachu had indeed charged up, and it had been the combined output of dozens of Pikachu.
Thinking it over, Natsume took out his Rotom Phone and opened the stats scanner app.
Before long, six numbers appeared on the scanner.
Among them, both Sp. Atk and Attack had risen slightly compared with the previous days.
"Eh!?"
Natsume suddenly felt that his second hypothesis had become a bit more likely.
Even so, the first hypothesis still needed to be tested.
Happily, this was a Pokémon Center, so he could give Pikachu an abdominal CT scan.
"Pika?"
Pikachu looked at Natsume in puzzlement as he fussed in front of it, as if performing some kind of examination.
"Mm, your coat looks good, and the electricity in your cheek pouches is plentiful—probably because you charged last night?"
"Residual feces at the anal opening, whether in terms of dryness or—ah!"
Natsume was kicked away by Ash's Pikachu.
"You're very healthy."
After recording Pikachu's physical features, Natsume pulled the nearby machine.
Soon, an abdominal scan image of Pikachu appeared on a monitor at the side.
"Nope.
From any angle, still no."
Natsume rubbed his chin and examined it very carefully.
There was nothing in Pikachu's stomach or intestines that looked like a Light Ball.
"But it seems like you have two small tumors."
"Pi—ka!?"
Pikachu jumped in fright and hurriedly looked at the display, only for Natsume's voice of sudden realization to follow on its heels.
"Oh, those seem to be your balls."
"Pi—"
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