086: The Mystery of "Forbidden Power"
After pondering deeply on this realization, Ash found that it was entirely plausible.
The Power of Viridian — the sacred gift granted by the Viridian Forest — is said in ancient records to be a selfless blessing bestowed upon children born near its borders. It is a pure Present from nature itself, offered without expectation of return.
Thus, it made perfect sense that a Psychic who awakens the Power of Viridian could only cultivate and enhance it through acts of pure selflessness and gratitude — mirroring the way it was originally bestowed.
"Whether my guess is right or wrong, I just have to try again to find out," Ash thought to himself, standing up and looking around attentively for another wild Pokémon.
It didn't take long before Ash spotted another Oddish nestled quietly within the grass.
Activating both his natural Waveguide perception and the affinity granted by the Viridian Power, Ash approached the Oddish without startling it. Following the same steps as earlier, he quickly gained its trust.
"Na Suo~ Na Suo~" chirped the Oddish happily, its leafy crown shaking with excitement as Ash scooped it into his arms. Its face was full of innocent friendliness.
[Oddish]
Level: LV.4
Attributes: Grass + Poison
Nature: Lively
Ability: Chlorophyll
Qualification: D (Common)
Skills (reproducible):
Proficiency: Absorb (61/500), Growth (27/500)
Rare: Acid (9/100)
This Oddish, much like the Caterpie earlier, was a Common Pokémon with D-rank qualification. However, its level was slightly higher — at Level 4.
Moreover, it had one more mastered skill compared to Caterpie — "Absorb," "Growth," and "Acid" — all very practical and versatile techniques.
Without hesitation, Ash commanded the system to copy all three skills that Oddish had mastered.
After organizing his thoughts, Ash once again infused the Oddish with a portion of his Viridian Power, feeling a warm rush of gratitude in his heart as he did so.
"Woo!!"
As soon as Ash withdrew his hand after the infusion, he sensed it — the Viridian Power in his body boiled slightly and then strengthened again.
"Sure enough..."
Ash smiled brightly, sensing the subtle but distinct enhancement of his power.
Just moments ago, after giving his energy selflessly to Caterpie, his Viridian Power had boiled and improved. Now, after expressing the same sincere gratitude to Oddish and offering a pure "gift" of energy without any ulterior motive, it had strengthened once again.
The fact that the two instances of boiling enhancement occurred consecutively confirmed Ash's guess completely.
The growth of Viridian Power was not similar to Pokémon gaining experience and leveling up over time through battles or effort.
Instead, the crucial condition was sincere and pure-hearted gifting of his energy — without any desire for gain or exchange — a direct echo of the natural laws of the Viridian Forest.
Once Ash fully understood this special condition, his heart filled with happiness and relief.
Having awakened such an ancient and powerful Psychic, it would have been a lifelong regret if he had never discovered a way to nurture it.
Now, that regret had completely disappeared.
"Oddish, thank you," Ash said softly, gently patting the crown of grass on Oddish's head.
He then placed Oddish carefully back onto the soft earth.
"Nah"
Oddish joyfully shook its leafy crown, as if waving goodbye, before bouncing merrily back into the depths of the grass and disappearing from sight.
Although discovering the special cultivation method for his Viridian Power was an unexpected and joyful bonus, Ash did not lose focus on his original goal.
He remembered clearly that he had entered the forest today for a very specific reason.
It had taken him quite a bit of time just to copy the skills of two Pokémon — Caterpie and Oddish — and Ash was not satisfied with his current efficiency.
In a vast valley and forest teeming with wild Pokémon, there were countless opportunities.
To Ash, every Pokémon he encountered here represented money — real, future income — and every skill he could copy was like picking up treasure from the ground.
Thinking about this, Ash clenched his fists, feeling his entire body surge with energy and enthusiasm.
Today was not just an exploration — it was the true beginning of his journey to become a top Pokémon Trainer.
Make physical contact with every Pokémon you encounter — hug, touch, and bond — and then copy the skills it has already mastered.
After copying the skills, Ash would also sincerely and gratefully inject a portion of his Viridian Power into these Common Pokémon, and each time, the Viridian Power within his body would slightly boil and grow stronger.
Logically speaking, under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for most people to copy Pokémon's skills without even a trace of selfishness or utilitarian motives before instilling Viridian Power into them.
But Ash succeeded in doing so. This wasn't because of some fabricated "protagonist's halo" — rather, it stemmed from his true identity: a traveler from another world.
In his previous life, Ash was an unabashed, devoted Pokémon fan. Being able to traverse into the Pokémon world, to live anew, to become a true Pokémon Trainer — something he had dreamt of countless times — and to have his own Pokémon partners, filled his heart with endless gratitude.
Unlike the natural-born residents of this world, who had long taken the existence of Pokémon for granted and developed personal biases — liking certain species and disliking others — Ash felt pure and boundless affection for all Pokémon.
Whether it was Water, Fire, Grass, Electric, Psychic, or any type — he loved them all the same.
Whether it was a cute Pokémon like Pikachu, or those like Gloom and Muk that were less aesthetically pleasing and even gave off strange odors, Ash cherished them equally and sincerely.
It was precisely this deep, unbiased affection rooted in his heart that allowed Ash's Viridian Power to respond so actively and positively when he channeled his energy into Pokémon.
In the original manga canon (Pokémon Adventures), Ash's predecessor — Red — never possessed the Power of Viridian. But after crossing into this world and becoming Ash, the traveler from another reality, he awakened it.
Perhaps, the ancient blessing of the Viridian Forest had not been meant for the original Ash, but instead had been granted to the soul of the traveler — to Satoshi.
Regardless, it was an undeniable blessing — a rare gift from nature itself and from the Pokémon world.
"Don't worry," Ash silently vowed in his heart, feeling the now much stronger Viridian Power coursing within him. "No matter how powerful this force becomes in the future, I will always use it to protect, never to harm. I will never allow it to be used against nature or Pokémon."
As he made this solemn promise to himself, Ash checked the newly copied skills:
[Weedle]
Level: LV.4
Qualification: D (Common)
Skills (reproducible):
Proficient: Poison Sting, String Shot
[Pidgey]
Level: LV.6
Qualification: D (Normal)
Skills (reproducible):
Proficient: Gust
Unfamiliar: Tackle, Sand Attack
[Rattata]
Level: LV.9
Qualification: D (Common)
Skills (reproducible):
Proficient: Tackle
Unfamiliar: Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy
[Sandshrew]
Level: LV.7
Qualification: C- (Normal)
Skills (reproducible):
Proficient: Scratch, Poison Sting, Defense Curl, Rollout
Unfamiliar: Sand Attack
[Bellsprout]
Level: LV.8
Qualification: D (Common)
Skills (reproducible):
Proficient: Vine Whip, Growth
Unfamiliar: Wrap
There were many wild Pokémon living in the vast forest outside the campgrounds.
Ash and Froakie had ventured out at around 2:50 p.m. and didn't return until roughly 5:30 p.m., content and energized.
Surveying the more than a hundred newly added virtual Skill Discs stored neatly in his system's backpack, and sensing the surging, much stronger Viridian Power within his own body, Ash's face bloomed into a bright, satisfied smile.
Today's harvest was not just abundant — it was the true start of his journey as a Pokémon Trainer blessed by the very heart of nature itself.
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