084: "Forbidden Power"
But seeing how weak this wild Catterpie was, Ash wasn't particularly surprised.
Wild Pokémon without Trainers generally lack structured training or development. Their lives revolve around instinct searching for food, protecting their territory, mating, and merely surviving day to day. In the manga, even characters like Red note that wild Pokémon are often reactive, not strategic, lacking the experience that trained Pokémon gain in battles and competitions.
As such, wild Pokémon that train themselves, consciously seek stronger opponents, or pursue power without human guidance are extremely rare. These "heterogeneous" outliers—who aggressively seek to become stronger are treasured by human Trainers. Such Pokémon possess the potential to break limits, as seen in manga instances where wild Pokémon like Poliwhirl and Machoke became powerful partners through sheer tenacity.
That's why, upon encountering such a Catterpie, even one this weak, Ash was intrigued. Though this one didn't appear to be the ambitious type, his Trainer instinct still sparked.
"System, copy Catterpie's skills for me." Ash mentally instructed the Mega Trainer System, eyes fixed on the basic stats floating in his vision.
Even though Catterpie only had the basic moves Tackle and String Shot, Ash didn't mind. For him, every skill, no matter how rudimentary, had value especially with his system. After all, every skill copied was currency, potential, and utility.
Both moves had their merits. Take Tackle for instance
There are three core rules Ash had learned when using the "Skill Copy" module from the Mega Trainer System to distribute skills to other Pokémon:
First Rule: Attribute Compatibility.
A skill can be learned if the Pokémon's typing matches the skill's typing. Even if the move is not normally available to a Pokémon, the system bypasses natural limitations when there's a type match.
For example, Ash once enabled Froakie (Bubble Frog) to learn Aqua Ring a move typically unavailable to Froakie, Frogadier, or Greninja. But because it's a Water-type move and Froakie is a Water-type Pokémon, the system allowed it. The same principle would apply if Ash were to one day copy Primal Kyogre's ultimate move Origin Pulse Froakie could potentially learn it due to shared typing.
Second Rule: Normal-Type Flexibility.
Normal-type (Common) skills can be learned by virtually all Pokémon, regardless of type. Conversely, Normal-type Pokémon can learn a vast array of skills from other types though not necessarily all. The key is flexibility. For example, in prior battles, Ash's Rattata showed aptitude learning diverse move types via this rule.
With the system, though, the limits are removed. Any Pokémon can learn any Normal-type skill, and any Normal-type Pokémon can learn any other typed skill.
Third Rule: Learnability by Nature, TM, or Breeding.
If a skill is part of a Pokémon's natural level-up list, can be taught via TM, or is available through egg moves like Soft-Boiled, then the system can automatically integrate it, regardless of typing or method. This rule vastly expands the number of teachable skills, ensuring over 90% of all moves can be made learnable by over 100% of Pokémon within system constraints.
Together, these three rules made the Skill Copy module a weapon of evolution especially when thinking creatively.
For instance, Catterpie's Tackle might be basic, but what if it were taught to Magikarp?
In the manga, Magikarp is infamous for its flailing and splashy incompetence. However, introducing Tackle, a direct-contact physical move, would immediately give Magikarp an offensive option beyond Splash. That opens up early-level potential and synergy with physical stat buffs, breaking Magikarp's stagnant combat cycle and fast-tracking its evolution to Gyarados.
So even weak moves weren't useless Ash understood this deeply. Every move was a building block in a greater structure of strength.
According to in-depth studies conducted by Pokémon researchers and recorded observations in various official handbooks like the Pokémon Encyclopedia from the manga, Magikarp has the potential to learn Tackle in addition to Splash. In the wild, however, over 99.99% of Magikarp demonstrate only the most basic behavior flailing uselessly with Splash, an instinctual and non-offensive movement used primarily for startling predators rather than dealing damage.
This has led to a deep-rooted bias among Trainers. Despite knowing from sources like Professor Oak's field research that Magikarp evolves into the fearsome Gyarados a species so strong it once destroyed entire villages most Trainers dismiss Magikarp as useless. The real reason is simple: without any offensive skill, it's almost impossible to train or level up through conventional battles.
But Magikarp can learn Tackle under specific conditions, as proven by rare cases and supported by type-compatibility theory. And since Tackle is a Normal-type move, it falls under the broad category of "common" skills that can be used by most non-Normal-type Pokémon as well. This makes Ash nearly certain that, using his Mega Trainer System, he can help a Magikarp grasp Tackle bypassing the learning curve that stumps most Trainers.
If this breakthrough becomes public after Ash launches his online system-assisted Pokémon service, then not only will the "Tackle" skill's market value skyrocket possibly multiplying several hundred or even thousands of times but his entire storefront would likely go viral across the Trainer community.
So, at this moment, seeing that even a low-tier wild Catterpie has mastered Tackle, Ash doesn't look down on it quite the opposite. In his eyes, this "basic" move was now an absolute treasure, a business opportunity.
Once the summer camp wraps up and his shop officially launches with the headline banner "Teach Your Magikarp to Tackle Guaranteed!", Ash is confident that the "Tackle" skill he just acquired from this Catterpie will become his first gold mine in this industry.
"System, copy Catterpie's skills for me."
10%... 50%... 70%... 100%.
Because Catterpie only possessed the two most fundamental skills Tackle and String Shot the copying process was swift. A translucent progress bar in Ash's vision surged to completion almost instantly.
Opening the system backpack with a thought, Ash's eyes gleamed as he confirmed the result. The digit beside the "Tackle" skill icon, marked with a glowing disc symbol, had changed from ×17 to ×18.
Indeed, Ash already had seventeen copies of Tackle stored most of them acquired two days ago from wild Pokémon roaming the backyard of Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Thanks, Catterpie," Ash murmured. Unlike many Trainers who would have coldly cast the bug aside after use, he gently set the Catterpie down into the brush.
He plucked two fresh leaves ones suitable to Catterpie's diet as observed during Viridian Forest surveys and offered them. While the little worm munched happily, Ash reached out to softly stroke its back, feeling genuine gratitude.
Then, sensing an opportunity for reciprocity, Ash summoned a thread of Viridian Aura, known in rare circles as the Power of the Origin, a mysterious and ancient force tied to his body since childhood. A soft green glow shimmered around his fingertips as he gently transferred a trace amount of this energy into Catterpie's body.
Although skill copying caused no direct harm, Ash still wished to show appreciation. This residual "power of Perpetual Origin" had subtle effects like enhancing potential and improving genetic resilience.
"Catterpie, thanks again. Stay safe out there," Ash said warmly, channeling one last spark of Zhuoyuan energy, a term from the ancient scripts recovered in Pallet Town's subterranean ruins.
Catterpie froze mid-chew and turned its head, then gently nuzzled Ash's hand. It could sense the gift somewhere deep in its instincts.
Ash smiled, ran his fingers one last time across its tiny back, and began to rise.
And then something unexpected happened.
The dormant Viridian Force inside him surged like water suddenly brought to a boil. The sensation lasted just a moment, but Ash felt it distinctly. His heart thumped, and a warm current rushed through his arms and spine before vanishing.
Startled, he whispered to himself, "What was that?" His eyes widened slightly as he focused inward, sensing the truth:
His Origin Power had grown if only by a fraction.
"Why? How did that happen?" he muttered, as his mind flooded with possibilities. Could gratitude… activate the Viridian gift?
His expression grew thoughtful, puzzled but hopeful.
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