Chapter Fifteen: A Unique Gift

The Grass type draws upon the sun’s power and absorbs nourishment from the earth. If the Grass type is the earth’s way of seizing the sun’s gifts, then it surely does so with skill and dexterity, thriving from both sides.

Hearing Amu’s “grand theory,” Elder Wenye’s face showed a flicker of surprise—a look that struck Amu as oddly familiar, though he couldn’t quite place it. Still, he didn’t dwell on it; after all, Amu was only slightly face-blind.

Yet Wenye’s reaction wasn’t because Amu’s perspective aligned with his own, but because Amu’s answer was both original and firmly grounded in reality. Amu’s insight was, in part, due to the knowledge of herbs bestowed by the “Pharmacist” path, and also because his own affinities lay with the Fairy, Dark, and Ghost types—that is, the forces of the moon, the stars, and darkness and curses.

The greatest difference between the powers of the Fairy type and the Psychic type is this: Psychic types wield their own mental strength, while Fairy types draw upon power from the world around them. The Grass type’s use of the sun is, at its core, similar to how Fairy types employ moonlight and starlight—it is all an extension of the sun’s might.

Previously, Elder Wenye had questioned the younger Grass-type trainers not because he expected some earth-shattering answer, but rather as a test of their thinking. That they lacked ability for now was inconsequential; what disappointed him was a tendency to parrot doctrine or remain willfully ignorant. Such minds were unworthy of his attention.

Amu, however, had won Wenye’s admiration—perhaps even astonishment.

“Elder?” Amu called out again when the old man fell silent.

“You… are quite good,” Wenye said, clear appreciation in his eyes.

Noticing this, Amu thought to himself: This is promising!

“You don’t have any special talent, do you?” Wenye’s next question made Amu a little embarrassed.

“If you mean special gifts, I don’t have any at the moment,” Amu admitted honestly. He understood that Wenye wasn’t questioning his innate ability, but rather whether he possessed any of those rare “special talents.”

For the Grass type, these might be the Power of Grass or the Heart of Grass; more generally, there were the Viridian Force or the Aura of Transcendence. Such talents granted trainers unique abilities, but those who possessed them were exceedingly rare, especially among newcomers—it was entirely normal not to have one.

“There’s no need to lose heart.”

It was clear that Elder Wenye viewed this as only a minor shortcoming, as if it were nothing of consequence.

Amu, for his part, was far from discouraged. Even among professional trainers, nine out of ten lacked such gifts. Besides, he was convinced that as he progressed along his divine path, one day he would awaken these talents. Not to mention, at Sequence 7—the “Priest of the Harvest”—one of the abilities was “to become more gifted with the Ground, Grass, and Poison types.” Perhaps this would awaken a special talent for one or more of those types!

“Talents aren’t the crux. Some special gifts may smooth your path to the rank of Elite Trainer, but to go further, it all comes down to your heart.” Elder Wenye’s words were somewhere between consolation and encouragement.

Yet—what astonishing confidence!

A Pokémon with a theoretical battle strength above sixty thousand would be called an Elite, and only a trainer who commanded a full team of such Pokémon could be deemed an Elite Trainer. In general terms, this was the benchmark for a “Pokémon Master.” Each League also granted the title of “Elite Four,” ranking just below the Champion and above the official Gym Leaders.

For ordinary trainers, especially newcomers, the Elite rank was a distant dream. Yet Wenye spoke of it as though it were merely the starting line.

“Tch, but right now, which of the Indigo Elite Four doesn’t have a special talent?” Misty said, her tone implying, “Do you really know more about Pokémon than the Elite Four?”

At this, Elder Wenye’s expression brightened, as if she had played right into his hands. “You’re not wrong, little girl. But special talents can be gained or cultivated later on. That’s why the heart is most important—if someone’s a fool, no talent in the world will help him.”

As he spoke, Elder Wenye reached out toward Amu’s Bulbasaur, palm extended, eyes closing in concentration.

“Bulba?” Bulbasaur looked puzzled, as if sensing something.

“Hmm?” Elder Wenye’s eyes snapped open in surprise. First he looked baffled, then grew excited as he turned to Amu. “It seems… you’re not without special talent after all! It’s just a rather well-hidden one. Otherwise, how could your Bulbasaur have inherited so many moves?”

Amu immediately understood that Wenye had just used his own special gift, though what it was, he still didn’t know.

“Is it… the Heart of Grass?” Amu ventured.

Truth be told, Amu wasn’t especially interested in Elder Wenye’s abilities, but the old man looked as if he was just waiting for Amu to ask. Amu was hoping that if he humored him, Wenye might be pleased enough to give him the Leaf Stone—so he asked deliberately.

Elder Wenye shot him a glance. “Ignorant! The Heart of Grass? I do have that, but… this is much more than just the Heart of Grass!”

“The Viridian Force! It’s the Viridian Force!” Misty exclaimed in astonishment.

“My, you’re the more knowledgeable one, aren’t you?” Elder Wenye said, looking at Misty with surprise.

Amu didn’t know much about the Viridian Force either. Basic trainer manuals didn’t give special talents much emphasis, since they were so rare; including them would only discourage beginners. But Amu at least knew that the Viridian Force was the pride of Kanto, just as the Aura was for Sinnoh and the Power of Transcendence for Kalos.

From rumors and whispers, Amu had learned that the Viridian Force had two main features: the ability to communicate with Pokémon, and the power to heal their wounds. It was considered the strongest talent in Kanto, appearing only in the region surrounding Viridian Forest, which led many to believe it was a gift bestowed by the forest itself.

Moreover, the Dragon-type Elite “Lance,” one of the current Elite Four and a favorite to be the next Indigo Champion, possessed both the Heart of Dragons and the Viridian Force. Elder Wenye’s combination of the Heart of Grass and the Viridian Force was comparable to Lance’s own!

“So this is the Viridian Force? Incredible, truly incredible,” Amu said as earnestly as he could, hoping to further please the old man.

“I believe you have a real gift for the Grass type. And as for the Viridian Force… many say it’s an innate talent, but I think it’s actually an extension of the Grass type’s power,” Elder Wenye continued, his tone growing even more solemn.

Misty immediately grasped his intent—this old man seemed to have taken a liking to Amu. Though she harbored some resentment toward Wenye for her own reasons, she was genuinely happy for Amu.

After all, who could say whether the Viridian Force could be cultivated later in life? But the Heart of Grass certainly could, and there was no doubt this old man was an Elite of the Grass type—perhaps even a Grand Elite!

After all these hints, Amu seemed to catch on and exclaimed in delight, “Does that mean… you’ll give me the Leaf Stone now?”

Elder Wenye and Misty: …