บท 14: CH_5.3 (14)

Caelan leaned back in his chair at the Pokémon Center's terminal, eyes fixed on the screen as he scrolled through the BattleNET forums. Rattata was still being tended to by Nurse Joy after a tough day of training, giving him a rare moment of alone time. He'd spent the last few minutes scanning the threads, trying to confirm what moves Rattata had somehow picked up.

Rattata had definitely used Bite. That one he was certain of. The attack had been unmistakable: the vicious clamp of her jaws, the power behind her strike—it didn't even feel like the same energy as Quick Attack or Tackle.

Rage, though?

"Doesn't feel right," he muttered, eyes scanning the screen. Back on Earth, the move Rage was an attack that fueled itself on damage and anger. The more a Pokémon was hurt, the stronger their attacks became.

But when Rattata had used it, it had been a sudden, explosive outburst of power—not a steady buildup. It didn't fit the internal description he had of rage at all.

He kept searching, pulling up an older thread from a trainer who specialized in Normal-types. The description caught his attention:

"Rage manifests differently depending on the Pokémon's nature. Some Pokémon, like Zangoose, are always angry. They store the anger within themselves like a reservoir, and the more they're pushed, the more violent they become. Others let it out in bursts—it brings less damage potential, but far more versatility. The former can theoretically increase infinitely, while the latter is limited but can be used to boost inoffensive moves like Leer."

"Edit: Combining Calm Mind with Rage made for some interesting effects. Will edit again later when I have more information."

Caelan frowned as he scoured the post only to find that the trainer not only never came back to elaborate but was currently online and purposely ignoring the messages on his profile. Annoying, but what else did he expect from the internet?

In any case, the description sounded like Rattata was a part of the latter group.

"Guess that settles it," he said to himself, his tone less enthusiastic than he had expected. He sort of wanted to get around the obstacle of Meowth without brute force, but he couldn't quite complain. Progress was progress, even if it didn't feel earned.

A chime broke his concentration, and Nurse Joy's voice rang out over the PA system. "Trainer Caelan, please come to the desk. Your Rattata is ready."

He stood up, stretching his legs as he made his way over. As he approached, Nurse Joy smiled warmly, holding Rattata in her arms. She handed the small Pokémon over to him, and he could feel a shift in her—a subtle energy still simmering beneath the surface.

"She's doing well," Nurse Joy said kindly. "A little bit of stress from the battle, but that's normal. She'll be back to her usual self soon."

Caelan nodded, placing Rattata gently on his shoulder. "Thank you as always," he said before pausing, curiosity taking over. "During that last battle, Rattata seemed to pick up two new moves: Bite and Rage. I didn't realize Pokémon could just suddenly learn moves without some sort of specialized training. Is that… common?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Absolutely. It's a lot more common than people think for Pokémon to learn new moves after a battle, especially if they've experienced strong emotions during it. It's part of their natural growth."

She must've noticed his confusion because she continued before he could ask further. "Contrary to popular belief, moves aren't tied to a Pokémon's class level or element quality. When a Pokémon grows emotionally, it reflects in their Aura. That shift in their Aura manifests as a new move. Rage, for example, comes from anger—so when your Rattata let out all that pent-up frustration, it unlocked that instinct within her."

Caelan blinked, processing the statement. "I see. But what about Bite? I can see how it'd be an instinct for a rodent like Rattata, but it's a Dark-type move. Wouldn't her natural growth be to learn Hyper Fang or something?"

"That's true," Nurse Joy confirmed with a nod. "In a case like this, I'd guess she learned it before the battle at some point. The reward for her emotionally growing after her last battle, maybe?"

'Before, huh?' Caelan glanced at Rattata, wondering what mindset would have triggered her to learn Bite of all moves.

But rather than dwell on that, a thought occurred to him instead.

Caelan's brow furrowed, his thoughts drifting to move functionality. "So… does that mean moves taught by TMs don't follow this principle?"

"Well," Nurse Joy began thoughtfully, "TMs do bypass that emotional growth. They essentially force the Pokémon to know the move without experiencing the mindset or growth behind it. That's why moves learned naturally are often stronger—they're a reflection of who the Pokémon is becoming."

Caelan stood quietly for a moment, considering her words. He'd always seen battles as a method of pushing Rattata's limits, of strengthening her powers and skills. But he hadn't fully grasped until now how deeply tied her physical development was to her mental.

"That's why," Nurse Joy continued with a warm smile, "I always recommend newer trainers let Pokémon learn moves on their own when possible. It may take longer, but the connection they build with that move will be far more meaningful."

He nodded, still processing the information. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. I'll keep that in mind."

With a final nod, he turned to leave, Rattata hopping down and walking beside him with her head held high despite her earlier exhaustion.

Caelan stepped outside the Pokémon Center, the cool evening air offering a brief respite from the long day. As he walked down the quiet street, his Pokégear suddenly vibrated in his pocket. A bit confused, he pulled it out, the screen lighting up with a message from the Pokémon Center.

'Ah. I had almost forgotten I asked for this,' he thought, recognizing the message.

It was an update on Rattata's current status.

[Species: Rattata (Female)]

[Level Estimation: Upper-Class 0]

[Type: Normal (Innate), Dark (Hidden)]

[Elemental Quality: Normal (C-Grade), Dark (D-Grade)]

[Ability: Guts]

[Condition: Average]

It was a marginal improvement, but a noticeable one. Rattata had reached Upper-Class 0, meaning she was now on the cusp of Level 10. Her elemental quality had strengthened as well, each one going up a whole letter grade. Everything showed a clear indication of her progress, but Caelan couldn't help but feel they only told a part of the story.

Lowering the Pokégear, he glanced down at Rattata, who trotted along beside him with a quiet but confident gait. Her ears flicked, picking up the sounds around her, but her posture remained steady—alert, but not anxious. For a moment, Caelan marveled at how much she had changed in such a short time. It wasn't just about the stats on the page; those were just numbers, after all.

"Not everything has to do with numbers," he muttered to himself.

The realization settled in his mind as he pocketed the Pokégear and tucked it away. Rattata's progress couldn't be entirely captured in a series of stats. There was something deeper at play—something he needed to understand if they were going to keep moving forward together.

Caelan let out a small breath, his lips curving into the faintest of smiles as Rattata glanced back at him, her eyes bright and expectant.

She'd earned this. Maybe it didn't feel earned in the way he'd expected. But it was earned.

And that, for now, was enough.