Learning and Training (1)

After shaking off Brock, Tetsuya headed to the training room. While urging his Pokemon to keep training hard, he also studied new knowledge to improve both himself and Zero.

"Pokemon Abilities are a very peculiar concept. The first person to propose this concept was Professor Uchiki of the Orange Islands, who specialized in researching differences among Pokemon.

Afterward, professors from various regions joined forces to conduct in-depth research on the subject.

In the end, the professors led by Professor Oak gave Abilities a simple definition: special abilities possessed by every Pokemon.

In other words, the essence of an Ability is a special power an individual Pokemon may possess based on its own characteristics. Take the Chlorophyll Ability possessed by most Grass-type Pokemon as an example.

Because of the unique nature of certain Grass-type Pokemon bodies, which are more like a combination of plants and animals, their bodies become more active under sunlight. Thus, Pokemon with Chlorophyll gain increased Speed in sunny weather.

Take Pokemon like Cubone, whose heads possess extremely strong resistance to impacts. Since their heads have excellent defensive properties, they possess the Rock Head Ability, which prevents recoil damage from their own moves.

During their research, the professors discovered that different Pokemon species possessed different numbers of Abilities. Some had only one Ability, while others could have as many as three different Abilities.

Further comparative analysis revealed that among Pokemon species with two or three Abilities, exceptionally outstanding individuals often possessed two different Abilities at once, completely unlike ordinary individuals with only a single Ability.

After compiling the data, the professors provided more specific explanations and classifications for Abilities: First Ability, Second Ability, and Hidden Ability.

There was little to say about Pokemon with only one Ability. Such Pokemon did not even have Hidden Abilities; every individual possessed the same Ability.

Furthermore, if a Pokemon species possessed only a First Ability and Second Ability, with no Hidden Ability, then ordinary common individuals would possess only one of those Abilities as their special power.

No Pokemon possessing both a First Ability and Second Ability had been discovered so far.

However, if a Pokemon species possessed a Hidden Ability in addition to either a First Ability or a Second Ability—

Note that it was "or," not "and." In other words, even if a Pokemon species had only one First Ability and no Second Ability, it would still meet the above condition if the species possessed a Hidden Ability.

Likewise, Pokemon species that possessed a First Ability, Second Ability, and Hidden Ability naturally met the condition as well.

Then, exceptionally outstanding individuals would possess one of the first two Abilities, along with an additional Hidden Ability as their special power.

Take Onix as an example. Its species' First Ability is Rock Head, its Second Ability is Sturdy, and its Hidden Ability is Weak Armor.

Ordinary individuals would possess either Rock Head or Sturdy. Exceptionally outstanding individuals would possess Weak Armor, the Hidden Ability, in addition to either Rock Head or Sturdy.

Here, exceptionally outstanding individuals specifically referred to Pokemon with Champion Potential or above.

According to the samples, provided that the species possessed a Hidden Ability, individuals with Champion Potential had roughly a fifty percent chance of possessing that Hidden Ability.

Due to the limited number of samples, Quasi-Champion Potential individuals could only be estimated to have a probability between sixty and seventy percent.

Under the same conditions, Pokemon with Champion Potential all possessed Hidden Abilities, without exception.

Meanwhile, Pokemon below Champion Potential possessed no Hidden Abilities, also without exception.

The professors also discovered that a Pokemon's Abilities changed after evolution, but those changes followed a pattern: Ability continuity.

Ability continuity meant that if a Pokemon with a First Ability evolved and its Ability changed, the corresponding new Ability would also be the First Ability of its next form rather than the Second Ability. The same applied to Pokemon with Second Abilities.

Take Roggenrola as an example. Its First Ability is Sturdy, and its Second Ability is Weak Armor. Boldore's First and Second Abilities remain unchanged, so a Roggenrola with Sturdy would still have Sturdy after evolving, while one with Weak Armor would still have Weak Armor.

However, Gigalith's First Ability is Sturdy, while its Second Ability becomes Sand Stream. Thus, Roggenrola and Boldore with the First Ability Sturdy would still possess Sturdy, the First Ability, after evolving into their Final Form.

Meanwhile, Roggenrola and Boldore with the Second Ability Weak Armor would have their Ability change into Gigalith's Second Ability, Sand Stream, after evolving into their Final Form.

If the Hidden Abilities before and after evolution were inconsistent, this property applied to Hidden Abilities as well.

The professors speculated that Hidden Abilities might possess other properties, but because the proportion of samples with Hidden Abilities was too small, no conclusion could yet be reached."

Setting down the materials, Tetsuya muttered to himself, "So that's how it is. Combusken's Speed Boost Ability is a special power caused by the exceptional development of its leg muscles. As a Pokemon with Champion Potential, it was bound to possess it.

"As for Pidgeot and Roggenrola, I can only say I got lucky and hit that roughly fifty-percent probability. Or, put another way, Pidgeot and Roggenrola are exceptionally outstanding even among Pokemon with Champion Potential.

"Otherwise, they couldn't both possess Hidden Abilities."

Yes, Roggenrola had a Hidden Ability as well.

On Zero's Panel, Roggenrola's current status after passing its Young Stage looked like this.

Roggenrola

Category: Mantle Pokemon

Type: Rock

Height: 0.5 m (Average Value: 0.4 m)

Weight: 22 kg (Average Value: 18 kg)

Ability: Weak Armor (When damaged by a physical move, Defense decreases while Speed rises sharply.)

Hidden Ability: Sand Force (During Sandstorm Weather, the power of Rock-type, Ground-type, and Steel-type moves increases.)

Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Harden, Stealth Rock, Gravity (Inherited), Wide Guard (Inherited)

Level: 6 (Novice)

Potential: Champion

Training Method: Due to this Pokemon's special nature, feed it high-energy Energy Crystals until evolution (synthesis method below)

Due to its high Rock-type talent, supplement it with various Special Rocks to produce different effects and resistances in its Body Surface rocks (details below:.)

"Moreover, Roggenrola's Weak Armor Ability will become the corresponding Second Ability, Sand Stream, after it evolves into Gigalith. Combined with Sand Force, it'll be like a fish in water.

"Conversely, that also proves this Roggenrola has extremely high talent in the Rock Type, which matches Zero's assessment."

Tetsuya nodded slightly, feeling that he had gained a great deal.

After all, this kind of knowledge was not publicly available. He had once wondered why so-called Hidden Abilities existed, but now it seemed they were simply traits that made highly talented individuals stronger in certain areas.

"Combusken, pay attention when you exert force with your right lower leg. Don't relax too much."

As he pondered, Tetsuya noticed that Combusken beside him seemed a little distracted and reminded it.

This was also something an excellent trainer should do. Pokemon were living creatures too. They grew tired, experienced joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and could lose focus during training. At times like that, they needed their trainer nearby to remind them.

Please invest, bookmark, recommend, and send Monthly Passes!!!

I want everything!!

P.S. A simple explanation of the Dual Ability concept.

Although the official setting states that a Pokemon can only have one Ability, I filled in the reasoning myself. It might be a bit off-putting for some readers who insist on the original setting, and I apologize.

Of course, it isn't complete. Since the timeline is set earlier, many research findings have yet to emerge. For example, the special nature of Rockruff's Own Tempo and Greninja's Bond Phenomenon Ability.

Personally, I think this setting should be fine...

If you don't understand the explanation, look at the examples. You should get it.

Also, not all of the Protagonist's Pokemon will have Dual Abilities.