Pikachu's skill selection

Could he only say that this really lived up to being a level 0 skill?

The damn thing really was restless!

And this was already the result of him running it at full power!

Still, that was no big problem. As his Soul Power and level increased, the arcs would gradually grow more powerful. For the time being, with Pikachu in hand, he could already go undefeated against anyone below level twenty. The immediate priority was to see whether he could develop other uses for the arcs.

With that thought, he changed tack and began trying to guide the power of lightning to other parts of his body.

Almost instantly, several equally slender golden arcs sprang from the skin of his arm, crackling softly against his sleeve. They felt slightly numbing and warm, but did not harm his flesh in the slightest.

Next, he tried his elbows, knees, and shoulders, and even tried pushing it out from between his brows. Without exception, any part with open meridians could produce arcs.

Although their strength and range were much the same, this at least proved one thing: where the power of lightning was released was entirely under his mental control. It was not limited to his hands. Any part of his body could serve as a release point, making it far more flexible than traditional Soul Skills.

Delight showed on Su Lin's face. This raised the arcs' potential for development by more than one notch.

Leaving everything else aside, among the anime, novels, and games he had seen in his previous life, the most familiar example was Mikoto Misaka from A Certain Scientific Railgun. Her electromagnetic control encompassed everything from electric current attacks to electromagnetic barriers and railguns-a textbook example of electromagnetic applications.

Then there was Magnetic Field Martial Arts from the Hong Kong comic Sea Tiger, which combined electric current, physical tempering, and techniques for exerting force, with an emphasis on fierce, domineering power.

Electricity could generate magnetism, and magnetism could generate electricity. Together, they formed electromagnetism, one of the universe's four fundamental forces.

In theory, if someone could master electromagnetism to a sufficiently profound degree, they would be practically omnipotent.

Controlling metal, reading electronic signals, using magnetic fields to disrupt an enemy's perception, or even going a step further to touch upon electromagnetic interactions at the microscopic level within matter...

All things could be reshaped, and the world lay within one's grasp. In the context of electromagnetism, those words were not pure exaggeration.

If he could master electromagnetism, he would be practically omnipotent. Truly, all things could be reshaped, and the world would lie within his grasp.

Of course, at Su Lin's current level of electrical arcs, never mind reshaping all things or holding the world in his grasp-he would struggle even to charge a phone.

For now, these could only serve as a framework for development, providing a general direction for Su Lin's future exploration.

The immediate priority was still to focus on raising his Pokémon.

Reining in his wandering thoughts, Su Lin sank his mind inward, and his consciousness entered the space inside the Poké Ball.

The scene before him had already changed somewhat from when he had first formed the contract last night.

Back then, this space had been an endless gray-white void, without boundaries or directions. Beneath his feet had seemed to be a barely perceptible surface of light, with nothing at all in the empty expanse.

Now, when Su Lin returned, the Chaos Qi had been pushed to the edges of the space, while the central area had become a vast stretch of wooded mountain terrain.

A heavy layer of gray clouds constantly shrouded the entire forest, with low rumbles of thunder occasionally sounding within them.

The forest's contours somewhat resembled an ordinary forest in the outside world. From time to time, a streak of silvery-white lightning flashed between the treetops, flaring and vanishing in an instant. A faint scorched smell hung in the air, like that distinctive scent of soil mixed with ozone in the fields after a thunderstorm.

Su Lin took a deep breath and could even feel tiny electrical charges dancing through the air, producing a faint prickling itch when they touched his skin.

Clearly, this was an environment suited to a Lightning Rat.

It seemed the Pokémon space could also adapt to a Pokémon's characteristics.

These flashes of lightning and peals of thunder were probably a tangible scene formed from fragments of its subconscious memories of "home."

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

He had barely steadied himself when a little golden figure darted out of a nearby bush, pushed off the ground with all four limbs, and leaped into Su Lin's arms. Its little head rubbed against the front of his clothes, utterly affectionate.

Smiling, Su Lin rubbed its furry head. With a thought, a translucent status panel slowly unfolded before his eyes:

[Pokémon: Golden Lightning Rat (Pikachu)]

[Level: lv23 (22/10000)]

[Skill slots: 0/3]

[Learnable skills: Electric Ember, Thunder Fang, Electric Shockwave, Electric Current Screech, Energy-Charging Thunder Shock, Electric Halo, Lightning Sucker Punch, Iron Tail...]

Perhaps because of its current level, there were not many skills available to unlock-only a dozen or so in total.

Su Lin swept his gaze over them, examining each one carefully:

[Electric Ember]: A basic close-quarters combat skill. Instantly releases fine electrical arcs to cover the body's surface, dealing lightning damage upon contact with a target, with a low chance of inflicting localized paralysis.

[Thunder Fang]: A close-range surprise attack skill. Highly concentrates the power of lightning between the teeth, unleashing a powerful paralyzing effect when a bite lands, briefly stiffening the opponent's limbs.

[Electric Shockwave]: An area offense-and-defense skill. Releases a ring of oscillating electric waves centered on the user, pushing surrounding enemies away and briefly stiffening them. Suitable for clearing the area and escaping when surrounded at close range.

[Electric Current Screech]: A sonic support skill. Blends the power of lightning into high-frequency sound waves and releases them, forming an invisible infrasonic impact that can disrupt an opponent's mind and scramble their perception. The target's movement and reaction speeds drop noticeably for the duration, with particularly pronounced effects on targets with weaker mental power.

[Energy-Charging Thunder Shock]: A single-target burst skill. Gathers all the power of lightning throughout the body over a short period to build up power. Its strength increases linearly with charging time.

[Electric Halo]: A defensive skill. Forms a rapidly spinning lightning shield around the body, capable of counteracting physical impacts and low-tier Soul Skill attacks. Targets touching the shield suffer continuous paralysis, combining offense and defense.

[Lightning Sucker Punch]: An agility-based assault skill. Wraps the entire body in the power of lightning, transforming the user into lightning to execute an extremely fast short-range dash. The dash inherently deals lightning collision damage.

[Iron Tail]: A defense-breaking skill. Concentrates Soul Power and the power of lightning in the tail, making it as hard as refined steel. Swings deal both blunt impact and lightning damage.

[...]: ...

Su Lin's fingertip brushed through the panel as he pondered for a moment.

The Lightning Rat was an agility-type assault Soul Beast known for speed and mobility. Taking attacks head-on had never been its strength.

Lightning Sucker Punch could push its speed advantage to the limit, making it useful for both rushing in and dodging. Energy-Charging Thunder Shock would make up for its lack of burst damage, allowing it to deliver a fatal blow at a critical moment. Add Electric Halo's defense, and that made one offensive skill, one speed skill, and one defensive skill-a perfect fit for its current combat setup.

Having made up his mind, Su Lin selected [Energy-Charging Thunder Shock], [Lightning Sucker Punch], and [Electric Halo] with a thought.

The instant he selected the skills, Su Lin felt the entire Pokémon space shudder violently.

The dark purple thunderclouds overhead instantly churned and gathered. The golden lightning between them grew increasingly violent, and thick pillars of lightning struck down one after another, smashing into the center of the valley and making the ground tremble slightly.

Before Pikachu could react in Su Lin's arms, it floated unsteadily into the air against its will, its short little legs kicking wildly and its round eyes full of bewilderment.

Three translucent pillars of light descended from the sky, enveloping the little creature completely. Illusory text slowly appeared beside the pillars:

[Skill: Lightning Sucker Punch special training activated]

[Skill: Energy-Charging Thunder Shock special training activated]

[Skill: Electric Halo special training activated]

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!?"