[Newbie Ash: I think I get it. So the Eye of Insight lets me see a Pokémon's potential in terms of its stats, right?]
[Breeder Ash: That's just the basic part. At my current level, one glance is enough for me to read an opponent's Pokémon—its true strength, stat caps, level of cultivation, what moves it knows, even its habits in daily life and in battle.]
[Breeder Ash: For me, that ability is the real deal—S-rank. Since you drew an A-rank version, it means you didn't get everything I can do right now, but it should be more than enough for everyday use.]
Ash—who'd reached the top in multiple fields in different timelines—always had absurdly broken abilities.
His first draw, Aura Power, could even stand up to the world's strongest Legendary Pokémon.
This second one, the A-rank ability, might still be a mystery in terms of specifics, but even one of the functions Breeder Ash mentioned would already be worth its weight in gold.
Honestly, having a veteran pave the way felt ridiculously good.
[Newbie Ash: How do I use this Eye of Insight?]
[Breeder Ash: You think it's a move? This is more like an instinct I've honed to perfection. Just look at a Pokémon and you'll get its data. If I had to label it, it's a passive—no input needed. You'll get it once you're back out there.]
[Newbie Ash: But I don't even know how the tiers work for Pokémon. I won't know what I'm looking at, right?]
[Breeder Ash: If you'd gotten my full ability, the Chat Group would've jammed the tier knowledge straight into your head. Even without that, you'll still be able to see what tier a Pokémon is—you just might not understand what each tier means.]
In other words, Ash might be able to tell whether a Pokémon was Champion-tier or Elite Four–tier, but not where those tiers sat within the overall hierarchy.
[Breeder Ash: The tiers are: Beginner Tier, Normal Tier, Advanced Tier, Elite Tier, Professional Tier, Gym Tier, Elite Four Tier, Champion, Godly Domain Level. When you use the Eye of Insight, you'll easily see a Pokémon's tier—just match it against this list I sent.]
[Newbie Ash: Got it. I've memorized it!]
Ash quietly committed Breeder Ash's words to memory. He'd never paid this much attention in Professor Oak's classes.
[Newbie Ash: Then what about that C-rank ability? Does it make me run faster?]
[Breeder Ash: That one's for your Pokémon. Remember how I said stats have potential grades from S down to E? If you give that ability to your Pokémon and its Speed potential is below C, it'll immediately jump to C. If it's already C or higher, the potential stacks, with a chance to break through its current cap.]
[Champion Ash: Which is why we said your luck's off the charts. Even as a C-rank, it's one of the best pulls—way better than something worthless like "which dinner combo tastes better."]
[Newbie Ash: …]
Good grief—there are junk C-ranks like that? Just how Unlucky do you have to be to pull those… Ahem, don't tell me Unlucky Ash pioneered that path?
Out in the real world, Unlucky Ash—currently fishing—sneezed, glanced around suspiciously, decided the sea breeze was chilly, and put on another layer.
[Champion Ash: You in Viridian City yet?]
[Newbie Ash: Not yet. I should get there tomorrow.]
[Champion Ash: That's pretty fast. Heads-up—don't challenge the Viridian Gym. Don't ask why. Once you're at least Gym Level, then go learn what's up with Viridian Gym.]
[Newbie Ash: Uh… okay. Got it.]
Ash was a bit baffled. He hadn't even known Viridian City had a Gym until now, and he had no idea why he shouldn't challenge it.
If Champion Ash hadn't said anything, he'd probably have registered and gone straight to the Viridian Gym.
But since the Champion said to hold off, he'd shelve it for now.
After saying a quick goodbye in the group, Ash exited the Chat Group and returned to the real world.
It felt like he'd been chatting for ages, but only ten minutes or so had passed. Outside, the rain had only just stopped. Misty, still leaning on her bike, looked half-asleep, so she didn't bother Ash, who'd had his eyes closed for the past few minutes.
Back in reality, Ash turned his gaze to his Pikachu—and in an instant, lines of information flashed across his clear eyes.
[Name: Pikachu]
[Sex: Male]
[Tier: Normal Tier — High]
[Ability: Static]
[Moves: Quick Attack, Thunder Shock, XXXXX]
[Stats: Attack D—B (A) / Sp. Atk D—B (A) / Defense E—C (A) / Sp. Def E—C (A) / HP D—B (A) / Speed D—B+ (A)]
(Note: This panel is listed out only to make things easier for readers to understand; it's not literally what appears in Ash's vision.)
Staring at Pikachu's six stats, Ash practically had visible question marks floating over his head.
What was this weird stat spread?
D—B… So it fluctuated between D and B. Did normal Pokémon have fluctuations this dramatic?
And then there were Pikachu's stat caps—every single one was A-rank.
Pikachu might be the first Pokémon Ash had analyzed, but based on the lottery wheel, A-rank was already rare—second only to S-rank.
Which meant Pikachu's potential was unexpectedly excellent?
It was just that the stat fluctuation was… baffling. Was it normal to see a three-grade swing? A single grade difference in stats could be huge—how could it swing by three?
Or was his Pikachu just special?
Unfortunately, with no other Pokémon to compare against, he couldn't draw any solid conclusions.
Besides stat values, he could also see moves, Ability, name, and tier. This passive was practically a built-in Pokédex—one that could probe far more than an actual Pokédex.
But as Breeder Ash said, it wasn't the complete ability—so it still had flaws.
For example, Pikachu's Ability: Static.
Ash could clearly see what Pikachu's Ability was, but he didn't know what Static actually did…