In the original Pokémon games, every Pokémon was limited to learning and using only four moves. That restriction made it necessary to forget weak or redundant ones in order to replace them with stronger techniques.
But in the real Pokémon world?
There was no such limit.
A Pokémon could learn as many moves as it was capable of — and use them freely in battle.
Take Ash's Froakie, for example.
When he received it at camp, it had only three basic moves: Pound, Bubble, and Growl.
But thanks to the Skill Copy Module from the Ascension Trainer System, Ash had helped Froakie learn Aqua Ring. Later, as Froakie leveled up, it even learned Quick Attack on its own.
Here were its current stats:
[Pokémon: Froakie]
Level: LV.8 (72/88)
Type: Water
Nature: Serious
Abilities: Torrent
(Hidden Ability: Protean, Ethereal-Gifted Ability: Bond Evolution)
Potential: Purple (Extraordinary)
(Chosen by the fate of Kalos; carries the mission of saving Kalos from a future catastrophe)
Moves (Copyable):
[Proficient]: Pound (37/1000), Bubble (36/1000)
[Skilled]: Growl (23/500)
[Novice]: Aqua Ring (1/100), Quick Attack (0/100)
That was five moves already.
Clearly, the four-move restriction from the games didn't apply here.
Which is why Ash had come up with his plan to open a skill shop on the official League trading site — a place where other Trainers could "purchase" move-learning services for their Pokémon.
And what would his shop offer?
Skills.
Not TMs. Not battle items. But custom moves, collected and copied from wild Pokémon using the Skill Copy Module of his system — acquired through direct physical contact.
Of course, the shop wasn't open yet. Camp was still ongoing. He hadn't even registered the store on the League's site.
But that didn't matter.
He could start stockpiling moves now.
This forest surrounding the summer camp was teeming with wild Pokémon. If he could collect their skills one by one, then by the time the camp ended and his online store was ready, he'd have an inventory ready for launch.
That was why he had brought Froakie into the woods alone today.
To work.
"Alright, let's begin," Ash whispered, stroking Froakie's head as he activated both his Aura and Viridian Blessing.
He triggered Aura Perception to sense emotions, and Natural Affinity to soothe wild creatures.
His first target stood on a branch ahead, nibbling leaves: a Caterpie.
Caterpie — one of the weakest known Pokémon in existence.
Aside from Magikarp and Wishiwashi (Solo Form), few could match it in sheer lack of strength.
And that's exactly why Ash chose it.
He needed a safe test subject.
Not that he was being paranoid. Back at Professor Oak's lab, he had copied moves from multiple Pokémon with no trouble — but those were domesticated, Trainer-owned Pokémon, already used to human contact.
This was different.
This was a wild Caterpie.
And even if it was the weakest wild Pokémon out there, Ash was still a six-year-old boy.
If Caterpie used Tackle, it could seriously injure him.
…Or so he thought.
Technically, he wasn't wrong — but he was underestimating himself.
Sure, his Aura hadn't been refined into a combat force yet. But even now, he possessed the physique of someone born in Pallet Town — a naturally sturdy body, toughened by a world filled with Pokémon.
If Caterpie did Tackle him, worst case, he'd fall on his butt.
Nothing serious.
Plus, he had main character luck on his side.
And more importantly, his innate Pokémon affinity — the same one his canon counterpart had shown — made wild Pokémon naturally like him.
Ash didn't know all of this, of course. He was cautious by nature. Reborn into this world, he wasn't about to take careless risks.
So he did things the smart way.
As he slowly approached Caterpie, he activated Natural Affinity — letting it calm the Pokémon's nerves — and simultaneously used Aura Perception to scan for hostility.
Was Caterpie nervous? Threatened? Aggressive?
Ash watched closely.
He even had Froakie on standby, ready to leap in if Caterpie tried anything funny.
But to his surprise, the little green worm didn't run.
Didn't hiss.
Didn't flinch.
It just looked at him… with big, curious eyes.
No fear. No aggression.
Just… warmth.
Ash was stunned. His Natural Affinity was more powerful than he thought.
Step by step, he moved closer.
Still no reaction.
He knelt down, smiling.
"Hey, Caterpie," Ash whispered softly. "Can I hold you?"
"Piii~"
Caterpie blinked and — to Ash's amazement — crawled willingly onto his outstretched hand.
"W-whoa!" Ash gasped.
This was his first real contact with a wild Pokémon.
He gently cradled the squishy little bug, feeling its plump, soft body press into his palm. The texture was… oddly pleasant.
Caterpie gave a content little coo as he rubbed its back. Its eyes curved into happy crescent moons, and it even nuzzled against Ash's thumb.
Ash's heart melted.
He was so caught up in the moment that he almost forgot his real purpose.
"System," he murmured internally, "scan this Caterpie for copyable skills."
[Pokémon: Caterpie]
Level: 3
Type: Bug
Nature: Gentle
Ability: Shield Dust
Potential: White (Basic)
Skills (Copyable):
· Skilled: Tackle (37/500), String Shot (68/500)
Yup.
Exactly what he expected.
A weak, entry-level wild Pokémon with basic attacks — nothing special, but perfect for testing.
And more importantly, the plan was working.
Ash grinned as he held Caterpie in his arms. This was only the beginning.
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T/N:
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