Chapter Six: The Journey Planned

After more than two hours of effort, just as Amun was nearly exhausted and Garlic was also on the verge of collapse, a new skill—Power Whip—finally awakened in the fourth dominant locus of Garlic's genetic double helix. The previous three loci already held the skills Tackle, Growl, and Vine Whip.

A Pokémon’s “skills” all stem from genetic awakening. Broadly, these fall into three categories. The first consists of those that naturally awaken as the Pokémon grows—corresponding to moves learned at certain levels. The second category includes skills that can be awakened through training—those that can be “triggered” by teaching. It is important to note, however, that “triggered” means only those moves a Pokémon is genetically capable of learning; a poor specimen may fail to awaken a theoretically possible move, and no matter how gifted, cannot learn skills absent from its genes. The third type is inherited moves, passed down from parent to offspring, usually apparent shortly after hatching.

Amun’s current ability pertains exactly to this third type. In theory, Amun can stimulate the awakening of any heritable skill. After all, if you trace back far enough, almost every inheritably possible move exists somewhere in the Pokémon’s genetic code, just lying dormant—such genes, if not activated at birth, would ordinarily remain forever latent.

As a beast tamer, however, one can “excavate a Pokémon’s potential,” though it takes time—hence, Amun had only managed to awaken Power Whip for now.

Garlic, too, had expended considerable energy, yet after learning—or rather, awakening—a new skill, he was visibly excited.

Amun, though, did not intend to let Garlic waste too much energy on this move. “No need to over-practice—we’re not specialized in physical attacks.”

Whether as Bulbasaur or its final evolution Venusaur, the species is innately better at special attacks, though their physical attack isn’t low either—this is true of most starter Pokémon; their physical and special attacks differ only slightly.

Overall, Garlic’s individual value is impressive, nearly a “+8%”—a direct sensation Amun perceived during that moment of “spiritual possession,” more accurate than any measurement.

Typically, individual values fluctuate between -10% and +10%, with most clustering near zero; values approaching the extremes are rare.

Professor Oak had claimed Garlic was a specially reserved, high-potential Bulbasaur—Amun wholeheartedly agreed.

The +8% is a general figure; in detail, Garlic’s physical attack leans weaker, while his special attack is significantly enhanced.

Thus, Amun was determined to focus Garlic’s training on special attacks. However, at level five, the difference between physical and special attack was negligible, and Power Whip, as a physical move of extremely high power, would certainly shine when used.

In human statistical terms, Power Whip has a base power of 120, whereas basic Vine Whip is only 35.

If Professor Oak knew Garlic had managed to awaken Power Whip, he would surely be astonished.

But the value of skills lies not in their quantity, but in their refinement—especially as Power Whip is a physical move.

The number of moves a Pokémon can learn is not fixed, but after learning, awakened genes remain recessive; only four skills can be expressed at any one time.

These four slots can be adjusted, that is, replaced with other skills—but such “move adjustment” requires some time.

Currently, Bulbasaur only knows four skills, so there’s no issue, but in the future, with more moves, only a select four can be actively used.

Move adjustment doesn’t take long—sometimes just a few hours—but in battle or competition, it’s far too late. One must rely on the four pre-selected moves.

After a simple, personalized training session with Garlic, Amun spent some time reading before bed, finally retiring at ten o’clock.

He awoke early at six the next morning, planning to say his farewells to Professor Oak after breakfast.

It was time for Amun to embark on his own journey.

“Good morning, Amun,” greeted Sonoko in the lab’s cafeteria.

“Good morning.” Amun, noticing her, couldn’t very well pretend not to see her and sit elsewhere.

There was even bacon on the breakfast tray—ordinary animals existed in this world, too.

As soon as Amun sat down with his tray, Sonoko, ever direct, asked, “You’ll be going to Rainbow City in four months... what about now?”

“I plan to head north first, passing through Maple Town, and then toward Pewter City,” Amun answered honestly.

“Maple Town? Makes sense—sometimes you can find Leaf Stones there... Pewter Forest is also a great place for you.” Ever since learning Amun was an apothecary, Sonoko had simply assumed he was a Grass-type specialist.

Amun didn’t deny it.

Of course, Pewter Forest isn’t exactly next to Pewter City—rather, Pewter City is beside Pewter Forest. The forest sprawls vast and wild, stretching from Mount Moon in the north to Kanto Bay in the south.

Mount Moon is where the Crown and Silver mountain ranges converge, a spur pressed up by tectonic shifts, lying at the northernmost edge of Kanto. Only Pewter City and its surrounding valleys lie farther north, so Pewter Forest occupies almost the entire central region of Kanto.

Along with Mount Moon in the north and Kanto Bay in the south, the forest neatly divides Kanto into east and west.

Thanks to its abundant resources, many of the forest’s outskirts are not uninhabited wilderness, and several small towns exist within; there are simply no metropolises.

For trainers from other regions, the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of Kanto is often Pewter Forest.

Kanto’s trainers consider the greatest natural talent to be the “Viridian Power”—an ability to communicate with Pokémon and accelerate their training and healing.

Naturally, as a forest, Bug and Grass types abound.

“Don’t you have school after this?” Amun asked casually.

From previous snippets, Amun had gleaned that the three of them were still in school—academy-type trainers.

“That’s right! But Teitan Academy’s curriculum just underwent reform. The high school now has longer holidays, and most courses are video-based. We only have to visit any of the six major cities once a month for exams and mandatory offline classes—it encourages travel,” Sonoko explained.

“Teitan Academy, huh...” Amun mused—the name hadn’t changed.

But Sonoko added, “Exactly! It’s the school Champion Leon founded! He’s so cool—just a shame he’s a bit older now...”

Amun: ...

So Teitan Academy was founded by Leon?

Well, that made sense.

Clearly, Leon intended to bridge academic and travel-based training.

As the foremost trainer of the age, Leon’s focus had shifted to nurturing the next generation.

“It’s a pity we’re heading straight to Pewter City after this; we still have a few days of classes at the end of the month, so we can’t travel together,” Sonoko said, with her usual familiarity.

Though all headed north to Pewter, it was obvious Sonoko and her friends didn’t want to dawdle—they weren’t aiming to become professional trainers and wouldn’t linger long in the wild.

Amun didn’t care to travel together either. After all, wherever Shinichi appeared, the local crime rate would inevitably spike.

“Perhaps I’ll see you in Pewter City later,” Amun replied politely.

Pewter City, also known as Viridian City, is one of Kanto’s six great metropolises.

After breakfast, the four of them were about to go thank Professor Oak and take their leave, when suddenly—

“Ah! Sorry—excuse me, I’m in a hurry—”

A boy in a red cap rushed past, nearly colliding with Amun’s shoulder as he dashed through the lab.

Staring after the boy’s retreating figure, Amun froze, a vague suspicion dawning in his mind...