Chapter 8: This Machop is Not Ordinary
The reason this valley was given the name "Sunrise" by the Pokémon was entirely because the two towering mountain ranges encircling it were situated north and south, with the valley entrance facing due east and at a lower elevation. Therefore, every morning, the sunrise would pass over the forest canopy from the east, casting warm and brilliant sunlight into the valley, draping the entire landscape in a layer of golden gauze, rendering it incomparably beautiful.
It was early morning now, and Rio, enveloped in the dawn light, also felt a pleasant warmth on his body. However, he was in no mood to enjoy the sunlight; instead, he was looking around as if searching for someone.
"Hmm, Brother Machop, found you!"
Among a group of Machop that looked almost identical, Rio found the Elite Machop that had guided him yesterday.
As a slight addendum, in this world, apart from some individuals with special talents, other individuals of the same Pokémon species do not differ much in appearance. At most, there might be slight variations in size or some body parts.
So, how do Pokémon of the same species differentiate between different individuals?
Here, one must mention a substance that exists in the Pokémon world called "Pokémon Pheromones." Rio himself was only able to sense this substance after becoming a Pokémon. It is like an ID card in the human world, signifying each Pokémon's unique identity. The "pheromones" of Pokémon of the same species tend to be similar, yet they differ according to the individual.
Therefore, when encountering a Pokémon, one can perceive its corresponding species and distinguish its unique individuality based on its "Pokémon Pheromones."
Similarly, because "Pokémon Pheromones" are sufficient to distinguish Pokémon, most Pokémon do not have the habit of taking names, generally using their species as their designation (though some Pokémon deeply influenced by human culture still like to give themselves a name to express their uniqueness).
Returning to the main topic.
The Elite Machop was currently among a group of Fighting-type Pokémon, training with intense concentration.
"Hello, Big Brother Machop."
Rio approached the Elite Machop and greeted him.
"Oh, it's you. You're called... Rio, right? How was your rest?"
Machop raised a hand to wipe off sweat and smiled at Rio.
"Yes, yes, thank you for asking. Last night was the best sleep I've had in a long time," Rio paused, then said with some hesitation, "Um, I have some questions I'd like to ask you. I wonder if you're free now?"
Machop promptly stopped his training and led Rio to the side.
"Alright, go ahead. What can I help you with?"
"Can you teach me how to battle? I feel like I've clearly learned some moves, but I can't seem to use them."
Rio's eyes were filled with longing. His heart also yearned to battle and release his passion freely, just like the Machop and Mankey who had sparred earlier.
In his previous life, he had been passionate about combat and fighting, which led him to become a professional fighter. Although his heart condition prevented him from staying in the ring in his past life, now that he was reborn in this Pokémon world where battling was a central theme, how could he resist sweating it out and unleashing his desire to fight?
"I see, I understand now."
After listening to Rio recount yesterday's incident where he tried to use a move but nothing happened, Machop nodded in understanding.
"Then what do you think moves are?"
Machop asked in return.
Rio was at a loss for words. In his previous life, whether it was games, manga, or anime, none of them explained in detail why Pokémon could use moves. In games, using various moves was a common game mechanic, and in manga and anime, trainers could make their Pokémon use corresponding moves simply by shouting their names.
However, in this realistic Pokémon world, there was no game interface to select moves, nor was it possible to use them merely by shouting their names. So, how exactly were moves used?
Machop watched Rio ponder with a troubled expression and patted his shoulder with a smile.
"Looking at your energy fluctuations, you must be a recently hatched Pokémon. Don't worry too much; most newborn Pokémon find it difficult to use moves on their own without guidance from their parents."
"Then watch closely."
Machop's expression turned serious. He stepped back a few paces and took a stance. He took a deep breath, his body tensing slightly. At this moment, brownish-red energy surged from Machop's body, snaking up his arms and covering his fists in an instant.
"[Bullet Punch]!"
With a clear shout, Machop thrust his fists straight out, striking forward forcefully.
"Bang bang bang bang—"
The punches were extremely fast, the overlapping fist shadows even leaving afterimages in the air. The energy enveloping his fists exploded upon hitting the empty ground in front of him, creating several pits.
In just two or three seconds, Rio couldn't even count how many punches had been thrown. Looking at the pits, some deep, some shallow, that had been blasted open, the power of this move was evident.
Machop stopped his punches and let out a light breath.
"Now watch this move again."
Machop paused briefly, then adopted the exact same stance and threw the exact same punches.
Only this time, he didn't shout the move's name, and the brownish-red energy didn't appear. The end result was that the speed and power of the punches were still fierce, but they lacked the overwhelming might of the previous demonstration.
"Do you see any difference between my two demonstrations?"
Rio frowned slightly and said, "Is it about that brownish-red energy?"
Machop nodded.
"Everything in the world, whether it's living creatures or inanimate objects like rocks, water, gales, or even the air itself, is filled with energy. And this is precisely why we can use various magical moves."
"For Pokémon, energy can be divided into internal energy and external energy. Internal energy refers to the energy that Pokémon store within their bodies through methods like cultivation, accumulation, and absorption. External energy refers to the various energies existing in the external environment."
"Take Water-type Pokémon as an example. Why do they mostly frequent rivers and oceans? Besides the ecological environment being suitable for their survival, it's more because in places abundant with Water-type energy, they can fully absorb and store energy. At the same time, when encountering external enemies, they can better utilize Water-type energy to repel them."
"Grass-type and Bug-type Pokémon prefer forests and jungles, Flying-type Pokémon often build nests in high places, Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon habitually make their homes in caves and caverns, and so on. The ecological distribution of Pokémon is inextricably linked to energy."
Machop explained eloquently.
Rio had a sudden realization, but a faint curiosity lingered in his heart. He finally couldn't help but interrupt Machop, "Wait, Big Brother, how do you know so much?"
It just didn't seem like a Pokémon living in the wild would understand so much theory.
Indeed, Machop's answer cleared Rio's confusion.
"I followed a renowned Pokémon Professor for some time. The Professor is the most authoritative Pokémon research scholar in this region, and he has profound knowledge of all sorts of Pokémon. Initially, I was just assigned to protect the Professor's safety, but during my time with him, I gradually became fascinated by his vast knowledge. Moreover, the Professor never looked down on me because I was a Pokémon. After I kept asking all sorts of questions, he often patiently taught me many things..."
"Can we Pokémon also communicate with humans?" Rio's heart beat a little faster. Even though he had been reincarnated as a Pokémon, as a human in his past life, he still longed to re-enter human society one day.
Machop nodded, then shook his head.
"Human language and our Pokémon language are different. I was able to communicate with the Professor back then because he used many rare materials to create a few Pokémon Language Translators. I was honored to be able to use one of them to communicate with him."
Speaking of this, a look of reverence and joy appeared on Machop's face, but it didn't last long before he looked dejected.
"While exploring the forest over here, I unfortunately lost contact with the Professor due to an earthquake. After wandering around, I ended up here. I've met many companions here, and they are very willing to help me search for traces of the Professor. Alas, it's a pity there's been no news so far."
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's return to the previous topic."
Machop cast aside his sorrowful thoughts and earnestly resumed his explanation for Rio.