Building on his earlier insight, Ash thought things through carefully and realized—it made perfect sense.
The Viridian Power was a blessing bestowed by the Viridian Forest upon children born in its vicinity. In essence, it was a gift from nature itself—pure, unconditional, and selfless.
So it stood to reason that those who awakened the Viridian Power would also be required to grow it through the same method: selfless giving. That would be the key to refining and strengthening it.
"If that guess is right or wrong... another test should be enough to confirm it," Ash murmured to himself as he stood up and began scanning the area for another wild Pokémon.
Soon, rustling leaves gave away the presence of a wild Bellsprout. Ash activated his Aura Perception and the Viridian Power's Natural Affinity. Following the same steps as before, he easily gained the trust of the little Pokémon and scooped it up gently into his arms.
"Naso naso" Bellsprout swayed happily in his embrace, its leafy crown trembling adorably with affection.
[Pokémon: Bellsprout]
Level: 4
Type: Grass + Poison
Nature: Lively
Ability: Chlorophyll
Potential: White
Skills (Copyable):
· [Skilled]: Absorb (61/500), Growth (27/500)
· [Novice]: Acid (9/100)
Like Caterpie earlier, this Bellsprout was a White Potential Pokémon—not particularly outstanding—but it was one level higher and knew more moves. The three it had—[Absorb], [Growth], and [Acid]—were all practical and reliable.
Without hesitation, Ash ordered the Ascension Trainer System to copy all three moves into his Skill Library.
Then, he closed his eyes for a moment, calmed his heart, and once again, with sincere gratitude, infused the Bellsprout with a trace of his [Source Cleansing].
"Brrmm!"
The very moment he pulled his hand back, Ash felt the Viridian Power inside him stir. It bubbled gently like warm water, and he could sense it becoming stronger again.
"Just as I thought…" A bright smile spread across Ash's face as he felt the unmistakable shift in his inner power.
Moments earlier, after transferring Source Cleansing to Caterpie, he had experienced the same thing: a surge of Viridian Power. Now, after gifting the energy to Bellsprout—again with no trace of selfish intent—it had happened once more.
Two consecutive power surges, both triggered by the same behavior.
This confirmed his theory.
Viridian Power didn't evolve like a typical Pokémon—accumulating experience until an invisible bar filled up. No, it responded directly to the purity of one's heart.
Genuine, selfless gratitude—that was the key.
If he offered Source Cleansing not as a transaction but as a heartfelt gift, Viridian Power responded by rising.
This realization filled Ash with joy. To possess such a powerful ability but not know how to train it—that had always left a bitter tinge in his heart.
But now that he had uncovered the special path to strengthen it, that final lingering regret vanished.
"Thank you, Bellsprout," Ash said warmly, patting its leafy head before gently placing it back in the grass.
"Naso naso!" Bellsprout danced happily, shaking its leaves as if waving goodbye before hopping away into the underbrush.
It was a beautiful, unexpected moment of discovery—but Ash hadn't forgotten why he'd entered the forest in the first place.
He glanced at the time. Only two Pokémon so far? That was far too low for the time he'd spent here.
This valley forest was home to countless wild Pokémon. Every single one was a walking treasure chest.
Right now, copying skills from these Pokémon felt like bending down to pick money off the ground—and Ash was absolutely fired up.
He made it his mission to approach every wild Pokémon he came across. A gentle touch, a kind hug, a cheerful smile—and once he'd made physical contact, he'd copy their moves into the system.
Then, without fail, he would pour some of his Viridian Power's [Source Cleansing] into them, accompanied by genuine gratitude.
Every time, he felt his inner Viridian Power quietly bubble—growing a little more each time.
Now, for most people, it would be incredibly hard to remain free of personal gain after copying something valuable from someone. Even harder to give a gift in return without wanting something back.
But Ash did it. And it wasn't because he had some "protagonist halo."
It was because of who he was.
In his past life, he had been an unshakeable Pokémon fan. Getting the chance to live in this world—to truly become a Pokémon Trainer—was a dream come true.
He held no prejudice. Unlike the native inhabitants of this world who had grown up alongside Pokémon and formed their preferences over time, Ash loved them all.
Water-types, Fire-types, Grass-types—it didn't matter.
Cute ones like Pikachu? Adorable. Weird-looking ones like Gloom or Grimer? Just as lovable.
His heart brimmed with that pure, childlike wonder.
That kind of sincere, unconditional love... was what the Viridian Power responded to.
In the original world timeline, Ash had never possessed the Viridian Power. But now that he, a reincarnated soul, had taken Ash's place, he had awakened this force.
Perhaps... the Viridian Forest hadn't chosen the original Ash.
It had chosen him.
But whatever the reason—being blessed by the Viridian Forest, by nature itself, by the world of Pokémon—was a gift beyond words.
"No matter how powerful this ability becomes," Ash vowed silently, "I'll only ever use it for good. I'll never do anything to harm nature or hurt the world of Pokémon."
Feeling the strength of the Viridian Power in his body—already so much more potent than it had been just an hour ago—Ash's resolve deepened.
…
…
[Pokémon: Weedle]
Level: 4
Potential: White
Skills (Copyable):
· [Skilled]: Poison Sting, String Shot
[Pokémon: Pidgey]
Level: 6
Potential: White
Skills (Copyable):
· [Skilled]: Gust
· [Novice]: Tackle, Sand Attack
[Pokémon: Rattata]
Level: 9
Potential: White
Skills (Copyable):
· [Skilled]: Tackle
· [Novice]: Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy
[Pokémon: Sandshrew]
Level: 7
Potential: Green
Skills (Copyable):
· [Skilled]: Scratch, Poison Sting, Defense Curl, Rollout
· [Novice]: Sand Attack
[Pokémon: Bellsprout]
Level: LV.8
Potential: White
Skills (Copyable):
· [Skilled]: Vine Whip, Growth
· [Novice]: Wrap
…
The forest outside the summer camp was brimming with wild Pokémon. Ash and Froakie had entered the woods around 2:50 PM, and it wasn't until 5:30 PM that they finally returned to the camp—grinning ear to ear.
His system backpack was now stacked with over a hundred new virtual Technical Machines.
His Viridian Power had grown exponentially.
And Ash?
Ash was absolutely thrilled.
…
…
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals