Egg Moves

"Egg Moves?"

Taking the term literally, Terrance thought of the biology he had studied in his previous life, though he didn't know whether the two had anything to do with each other.

But when he considered using what he knew to explain things in this world, Terrance couldn't help finding it strange.

The plants and animals in his previous life could be explained through DNA, but in this fantastical world, some Pokémon were simply hard to explain through science.

Could creatures like Onix, whose body was made of rock, Magnemite, whose entire body was made of magnets, and the Ghost-type Gastly, which was surrounded by a cloud of gas, really be explained that way too?

Terrance then voiced his question, and even Jun was puzzled by it.

"That's why we need to study it," Katsumune said with a smile, giving him a vague answer.

"Then what's your most significant achievement, teacher?" Nurse Joy Jun asked.

Both Master Aien and Master Ayaro had remarkable accomplishments to their names. Come to think of it, although Nurse Joy Jun was Master Katsumune's student, she really didn't know what her teacher's "secret technique" was.

"Me? Let me think. If I said I could get a Pokémon to learn three or four moves, would that count?" Master Katsumune said.

Three or four moves?

Not only Nurse Joy Jun, but even Terrance was puzzled.

Master Katsumune had just given the example of Master Ayaro, another top breeder, who had gotten a Snorlax with insufficient talent to learn nearly forty moves. Master Katsumune was also a top breeder, so why would he say his achievement was getting a Pokémon to learn three or four moves?

"You're confused, aren't you?" Master Katsumune said.

Both of them nodded.

"Then let me ask you this. Take Taillow, one of the most common Pokémon in the Hoenn Region, for example. Can it learn Quick Attack?"

"Of course."

Not only could it learn the move, but it could do so with ease. Taillow as a species could learn Quick Attack effortlessly.

"What about Steel Wing?"

"That too."

Nurse Joy Jun and Terrance answered without hesitation. Though it wasn't as easy to learn as Quick Attack, it wasn't difficult either.

"Then what about Rain Dance?"

At that, Jun and Terrance both froze.

No matter how they looked at it, Rain Dance and Taillow had nothing to do with each other.

"Although it's extremely difficult, there's still a slight chance that Taillow can learn Rain Dance," Master Katsumune said with a smile.

"Then let me ask you this: can Taillow learn Mirror Move, Refresh, or even Thunderbolt?"

Master Katsumune once again brought up examples neither of them had ever heard of.

"To be precise, through normal learning, a Taillow could never learn moves like Mirror Move and Refresh in its entire life. But through inheritance, combined with guidance from a breeder, nothing is impossible. That is my achievement: getting Pokémon to inherit moves they could never otherwise learn in their lifetimes." Master Katsumune laughed heartily. He seemed very excited as he spoke.

"Pokémon are such a remarkable species that they can even mate and reproduce across different species, and these unions often bring about some wonders that are hard to imagine."

"My research into inheritance is based on unions between Pokémon of different species."

"Don't underestimate those one or two moves. A different starting point can often bring out a Pokémon's deeper talents, draw out greater potential, and perhaps even allow it to break through the limits of its species."

"What about Thunderbolt, then?" Jun asked in surprise. Breaking through the limits of its species? Did that mean even Taillow could learn Thunderbolt?

If even Taillow could learn Thunderbolt, it would completely overturn her understanding of the world.

Could inheritance really accomplish that much?

"Unfortunately, there's been no precedent for that so far. But that's precisely why it's worth researching and exploring." The old man shook his head, but immediately smiled.

His attitude changed Terrance's view of breeders, giving him a new understanding of the profession.

"Is it possible for my Beautifly to inherit any moves?" Terrance asked.

"Beautifly? So far, no Egg Moves have been discovered for it. Perhaps I haven't trained enough," Master Katsumune said regretfully. As of now, no moves had been found that Beautifly could inherit despite otherwise being unable to learn them.

"I see." Terrance nodded, but he was still somewhat hopeful. Just because none had been discovered didn't mean there weren't any, did it? The unknown was the most fundamental reason people were driven to madness.

"Then what moves can my Chansey inherit?" Jun asked eagerly.

"Chansey? Let me think. Aromatherapy, Gravity, Heal Bell, Mud Bomb, and many more. But your Chansey was specially prepared by your family for newcomers, so it couldn't possibly have any Egg Moves," Master Katsumune said.

Jun murmured in acknowledgment, though she didn't seem particularly disappointed.

"Perhaps one day, you'll discover Egg Moves that have yet to come to light," the old man said with a smile, clearly holding high expectations for the two of them.

Master Katsumune's words also stirred a different feeling in their hearts.

What fields would they pursue?

Would she, Nurse Joy Jun, eventually follow the same path as everyone else in her family and work at a Pokémon Center? Would helping trainers heal their injured Pokémon be her life's work?

Terrance, meanwhile, had even more on his mind.

He had chosen to become a breeder initially only because of the benefits the profession offered. But after listening to a top breeder's explanation, it seemed that a breeder was a jack-of-all-trades who couldn't go wrong doing anything.

Breeders could help Pokémon grow healthier and reach their full potential, train them in the use of their moves, and groom them. How was that any different from a coordinator?

What's more, getting a Pokémon to learn dozens of moves was probably beyond even an outstanding trainer. With so many moves at its disposal, wouldn't the choice of tactics in battle be even better?

On top of that, raising a special Pokémon that possessed a move it should have been unable to learn also seemed like a very challenging undertaking.

Thinking of it this way, Terrance realized that a breeder's job was indeed more than just making nutritional supplements and looking after Pokémon.

Terrance's original goal had only been to secure a steady income through his status as a breeder. But now, it seemed the profession was anything but simple. Coordinators, trainers, scholars, and others couldn't even do without the foundations provided by breeders.

Carrying the hopes of everyone at Qinggu House, Terrance had once sworn to reach the final stage of the Pokémon Contest with Beautifly.

Now that he thought about it, that didn't seem at odds with being a breeder.

In fact, becoming an excellent breeder would make the path to becoming a top coordinator, an Elite Four member, or a Champion much easier.

"Thank you, Master Katsumune." Terrance's eyes gradually brightened. His understanding of breeders had deepened, and his curiosity had grown.