An abstract trainer who taught Charmander the Incinerate move

Chapter 159 It's all Zhu Lan's fault! (Seeking monthly votes and subscriptions)
“Ah——!!!”

Gong Ping suddenly sat up from the metal experimental table connected by various strange cables, the movement so violent that it almost sent several Pikachus that were acting as "bioelectric therapy devices" flying.

He was panting heavily, like a stranded, dying fish, his hospital gown instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The realistic touch and the cold air of the laboratory confirmed that he was still alive, but his soul seemed to be stuck in that dark seashell.

He felt as if he had experienced a cruel birth all over again.

No, it was a million times worse than birth!
At least he wasn't caught by a Shell that possessed Armor Haki when he was born!

Akroma stood to the side, holding a notepad. Behind his glasses, his eyes, which had been filled with intense curiosity, now held a look of utter disappointment.

He pushed up his glasses, a gesture carrying a cold indifference akin to issuing a death sentence.

"Awake? It seems the 'Dream Deep Stimulation Therapy' has failed as well. All physiological indicators remain... completely unchanged after such a high-intensity simulated confrontation."

He put down the clipboard and let out a short, mocking laugh.

"Ha. Gongping, I now seriously suspect that what you asked me to fix was a complete fake from the very beginning, a pathetic and laughable decoration that you wove together to numb yourself!"

Akroma took a step closer, her cold lenses almost touching Gongping's terrified face.

"What confident smile? What resolute gaze? What bullshit power of bonds? It's all built on a completely ineffective illusory gun! I actually wasted precious experimental time and top-tier resources trying to fix a congenital cripple! I was so... stupid."

At that moment, Gong Ping's heart sank to the depths of the Mariana Trench.

He understood, and Akromma finally gave up.

Give up on fixing his toy gun, give up on extracting secrets about Mo Zhen from him.

This should have been a relief, but looking at Akromah's eyes, which looked at him like trash, a huge sense of panic gripped him instead.

What will become of abandoned waste in this laboratory?
He was about to force a fawning smile when Akromah abruptly changed the subject, a strange, humorous smile curving her lips.

"However... giving up on you completely seems a bit wasteful, after all, the experiment has already progressed this far, it would be inappropriate for me to leave empty-handed."

He took two steps back, his back to Gongping, and his voice regained its calm, all-encompassing quality.

"I remember you really liked an anime? What was it called again... JIJI's Bizarre Adventure Part 7? Oh, it's called Steel Ball Run, right?" (Note: This is a reference to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run)
Gong Ping nodded blankly, not understanding why the demon suddenly brought this up.

"Ah."

Akroma chuckled softly, turned around, and his glasses reflected a pale light.

"That's a very interesting story. The protagonist, Johnny Joestar, is a loser who is paralyzed from the waist down and whose life has hit rock bottom, right? Just like you, a complete negative."

"but!"

Akroma's tone suddenly rose, carrying a strange excitement.

"Through the cruel twists of fate and brutal training, he seized that slim chance! He learned to wield the power of [Rotation], and though his body remained disabled, his spirit, his will, his very existence... stubbornly climbed from that despairing negative number to 0 (Zero)!"

He suddenly pointed at Gongping, his finger like a judge's pen.

"And now, Gongping! I, Dr. Akromma, have decided to take pity on you and become your 'Reversal' mentor! Since your toy gun has been proven to be a fake, a complete failure, utterly beyond repair..."

Akroma's lips curled up slightly, as if recalling the traditional culture of his hometown.

"Then... we'll completely abandon this dead-end path and let you start from scratch on another viable road! We'll turn your negative number in life into zero!"

"Ah this..."

Upon hearing this, Gong Ping was completely dumbfounded.

With his intelligence, he couldn't understand what Akromah meant for the time being.

Akromah snapped his fingers, and a look of extraordinary wisdom gradually appeared in his eyes.

"I'm starting to understand all those theories you were talking about earlier. In short, your magical powers stem from the so-called 'resonance' and 'bond' between you and that water otter, right?"

Seeing that Akromah seemed to finally understand what he was saying, Gongping immediately nodded excitedly.

"Yes...yes! You finally understand. I definitely didn't mean to deceive you before. It was all because of me..."

Akromah waved her finger impatiently, signaling him not to interrupt.

"In that case, things will be much easier. Since your previous bond and resonance have completely broken down, I will help you rebuild a new one!"

"A new resonance?!"

Upon hearing this, Gong Ping was immediately shocked!
At least for that moment, he genuinely admired Akromma's extraordinary wisdom.

Since he fell into a slump, he never imagined that there was such a way to go!

Yes, since everything that existed before has failed, why not just build a new bond?

An unexpected path has appeared...

At that moment, Gongping felt as if he had gone in a huge circle and finally returned to where he started.

Seeing the innocent, expectant expression on Gongping's face, Akroma couldn't help but laugh.

"Hehe... I've decided to develop a brand new training plan to help you and your friends train together, so you can truly start over and become zero..." Akromma spread his arms, as if proclaiming a great scientific creation.

The harsh white light of the laboratory shone on his fanatical face, and also on Gong Ping's face, which was full of expectation and longing.

"Then, the brand-new 'Project Zero' is officially launched!"

Akromma's lens flashed with a sharp light.

"Since the road ahead has proven to be a dead end, let's change our thinking and explore the possibilities of what lies ahead. From negative numbers to zero, this is a great evolution! A magnificent transformation of life forms!"

Gong Ping was thrilled. Although he didn't quite understand the specifics, words like "evolution" and "glorious transformation" sounded much more exciting than "useless" or "paralyzed"!
He seemed to see himself and the water otter Ashui bathed in holy light, their bodies shimmering with the glorious badge of "0".

"Lord Akromma! What should we do? Ah Shui and I will cooperate fully!"

Gong Ping straightened his back, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Good question!"

Akromah snapped his fingers.

"The core lies in the reconstruction of resonance! A deeper, more physical bond! For this, I spared no expense and specially invited the strongest experts from my hometown, the Johto region, to serve as your special training mentors!"

A top-tier expert in the Johto region?!

Upon hearing this gimmick, Gong Ping's anticipation immediately rose.

Who will be my special training mentor?

Could it be... the legendary dodo bird!

In Gongping's fantasy time, the heavy alloy door of the laboratory slid open silently.

"Hohohoho—!"

Four purple figures, as imposing as moving granite, strode in with an arrogant and domineering gait.

Their muscles were bulging, veins were popping, their four strong arms were full of explosive power, the champion belt around their waists was tightly fastened, and their pointed heads exuded the aura of top fitness champions.

Boom!

Gong Ping's mind exploded instantly!

He once thought there was nothing more terrifying in the world than working out with four Magnums in a nightmare!
But reality is often more terrifying than nightmares!
The special training instructors who appeared before him were none other than the four monstrous strengths!

"Goro! Goro!" (Muscles! Strength!)

The leader, a monstrous creature, let out a deep roar, his gaze precisely locking onto Gongping in the wheelchair and Ashui trembling beside him, his eyes filled with professional scrutiny and training enthusiasm for the new trainees.

The image of the four purple, muscular muscular men in front of him instantly overlapped with the terrifying scene in his nightmare where he was pinned to the ground by four Machokes and exchanging workout ideas!
"Hoh—!!!!!!!!!!"

Gong Ping's screams were ten times more piercing than when he was being electrocuted. He thrashed wildly in his wheelchair like a fish out of water, the restraints creaking loudly.
"Are you...you're kidding?! Lord Acromema, I'm human! How could my physique possibly work out with a monster's strength?! No way!!!"

Akroma pushed up his glasses, and a rare hint of helplessness due to the pressure of research funding appeared on his usually fervent scientist's face.

He sighed, walked over to the terrified Gongping, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, his tone carrying a sense of vicissitude, as if they were both in the same boat.

"Calm down, Gongping. The research world... also has KPIs. Personally, I'm completely uninterested in your current research project; in my opinion, it has absolutely no academic value! But... there's a mythologist from Sinnoh, um... she's a distinguished lady with a very 'spirit of exploration' and a 'unique pursuit of data'..."

Akroma lowered his voice, his eyes behind his glasses filled with admiration for the diversity of the world.

"For some reason, she was extremely interested in the experimental data on 'emotional fluctuations and physiological information generated when elves and humans exercise together under specific training conditions,' and offered a bounty that would make any researcher envious!"

Akroma patted Gongping's trembling shoulder, his tone heavy and earnest.

“I have already invested a huge amount of top-tier resources in you, but to no avail. The lab is even struggling to operate. Now, this benefactor's needs are like a beacon in the darkness! It's like receiving timely research funding in the snow!”

As they spoke, the super-strong instructor placed his large, powerful hand on Gongping's shoulder, intending to begin the most basic [machine squat] training for him according to the plan.

Gong Ping's face showed an expression of extreme pain, and he hysterically howled at Akromma.

“阿克罗玛先生，我还是想修复那把枪！我觉得它还能抢救一下！我……我这次一定好好配合数质数！1000减7等于993！985！977！呃……还是多少来着？”

Gong Ping was rambling incoherently, trying to use his terrible math skills to prove that he was still salvageable.

A hint of sympathy flickered in his eyes, and he patted Gongping on the shoulder.

"Sigh, no demand, no supply, no killing. I just don't understand why a mythologist like her needs this data. But there's nothing I can do. These wealthy people always have such strange and unusual interests. Little Gongping, if you want to blame someone, blame that Sinnoh woman. It's all her fault..."

For a moment, Kyouhei, who was doing squats, showed an expression of extreme pain on his face, his mind filled with the image of that Sinnoh woman.

Sinnoh woman! Mythologist! Sinnoh woman! Mythologist! Ughh ...

Thus, under the kind guidance and training of four extraordinary mentors, Gong Ping embarked on a brand new path in life, racing forward...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The path of common peace is nearing its end; the moment of ultimate ascension is about to begin...

(End of this chapter)