Although Ash's Pokémon placed great importance on learning and developing their ability to fight independently, they all shared the same goal in their training and growth: to become capable of standing on their own and handling any battle without relying on others.
However, their studies of Pokémon knowledge primarily focused on three areas:
Recognizing different Pokémon and familiarizing themselves with their types, Abilities, and special powers.
Memorizing type advantages and resistances as thoroughly as the multiplication tables.
Learning various battle techniques and accumulating combat experience.
Although recognizing Pokémon and understanding their types, Abilities, and special powers was one of the three major subjects they studied, it differed considerably from memorizing type matchups.
Type advantages and resistances were relatively fixed sets of information that rarely changed. Once they had memorized the chart, that part of their studies was largely complete.
Learning about Pokémon, on the other hand, was a lifelong pursuit, just like mastering battle techniques and accumulating combat experience. There was always something new to learn.
At present, even Pikachu and Greninja, the two Pokémon who had been with Ash the longest, had been part of his team for only a little over a year.
Consequently, although all of Ash's Pokémon had already memorized the type matchup chart and were steadily improving their battle techniques and combat experience through their regular trips to city arenas for competitive matches, their overall knowledge of Pokémon was still developing.
They could recognize the native Pokémon of various regions, but beyond that, their understanding remained limited.
Even Pikachu and Pidgeot, who were particularly diligent students, had so far mainly mastered information about Pokémon native to the Kanto region.
As for the Pokémon of Kalos, they knew very little about Fennekin's Hidden Ability. Most of them only knew that Fennekin was one of the Kalos region's three first partner Pokémon, representing the Fire type. Beyond that, they had little information about its abilities or characteristics.
Just as Pikachu, Fearow, Shiny Gyarados, and the others were struggling to come up with an answer, Greninja, which had been deep in thought, finally raised its head and opened its eyes. It looked toward Ash.
"Fennekin's regular Ability is Blaze, while its Hidden Ability is Magician!"
"There's no need for me to explain Blaze in detail. It's the same standard Ability possessed by Charmander, one of Kanto's three first partner Pokémon. When its HP falls to a critical level, the power of its Fire-type moves increases, allowing it to unleash a burst of greater strength."
"Magician, on the other hand, has the potential to steal an item held by an opponent during battle."
Although Greninja's knowledge wasn't much more extensive than Pikachu's, it was still one of the three first partner Pokémon from Kalos. Naturally, it knew more about Pokémon native to that region than Pikachu and the others did.
"Magician? That doesn't sound particularly special. In fact, it seems even less useful in actual combat than Blaze."
Pikachu looked puzzled by Greninja's explanation.
However, Ash's response immediately cleared up its confusion.
"Exactly. Blaze isn't particularly rare, and its activation conditions are relatively restrictive. Magician isn't especially practical or powerful, either."
"But for some reason—whether because little Fennekin is a Shiny Pokémon or because of some other special circumstance—its Ability isn't Blaze or Magician."
"Instead, it has an entirely different Ability: Mage."
"And Mage provides far more than the ability to learn Special Attack moves and status moves more easily. It also increases the power of Special Attack moves by 50% and doubles the priority of status moves when they're used."
"More importantly, the Mage Ability grants little Fennekin the innate talent to practice magic!"
Ash looked at Fennekin, who was sitting on the carpet with its little head tilted to one side, gazing at him with an adorably innocent expression. His eyes burned with determination as he continued.
"Now do you understand why I'm so interested in magic and mages, Pikachu? I want to help little Fennekin obtain the techniques needed to cultivate magic so that it can begin practicing magic itself."
"Mage? It can learn Special Attack moves and status moves more easily, increase the power of Special Attack moves by 50%, and double the priority and attack speed of status moves..."
Pikachu's adorable face was filled with disbelief.
"And it also grants the talent to cultivate magic?! There's really an Ability like that in this world? That's ridiculously overpowered!"
Even without considering the extraordinary talent it granted Fennekin for cultivating magic—a traditional power once practiced by humans—the basic combat enhancements provided by this Ability were already beyond what one would expect from even the strongest Abilities.
Only Abilities such as Huge Power and Wonder Guard could perhaps compare with it.
"According to everything I know, there is no Ability called Mage in the Pokémon world. I also have no idea why Fennekin possesses such an incredibly powerful and practically unique Ability."
"Whether it's the result of a mutation or a gift from fate, though, Fennekin is one of my Pokémon. It's our companion, and we'll be fighting side by side in the future."
"If Fennekin has been blessed with such a powerful Ability, that's a good thing."
Ash's expression grew resolute.
"That means my next task is to locate the mage organizations hidden somewhere in the Kalos region. And no matter what price I have to pay, I'll obtain a set of magical cultivation techniques for Fennekin!"
His gaze swept across the Pokémon gathered around him. When it came to securing the techniques Fennekin needed, Ash's determination was absolute.
"Mhm! Mhm!"
Pikachu, Greninja, Pidgeot, and the others nodded in agreement.
After spending so much time together, they understood Ash's personality extremely well.
As their Trainer, Ash had always treated his Pokémon with complete sincerity. When it came to raising and nurturing them, he spared no effort and never held anything back.
It was precisely because of his character and the way he treated them that his Pokémon genuinely acknowledged, loved, respected, and admired him. They had all resolved to follow him faithfully, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
After a moment of thought, Pikachu spoke again.
"When it comes to increasing our strength, there are only a few methods available to Pokémon like us. Setting aside external resources and the special abilities possessed by certain Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon, our main options are daily training and practical combat."
"If we could cultivate our strength the way you do, Ash, our rate of improvement would probably be incredibly fast."
Pikachu glanced at the little Fennekin sitting on the carpet.
"Since Fennekin possesses the talent to cultivate magic, it really does make sense to help it obtain the techniques it needs."
However, Pikachu's expression soon became more serious.
"But you also said that traditional professions such as mages have already declined. Finding these mysterious, ancient organizations hidden behind the scenes of modern society probably won't be easy."
"And cultivation techniques are the very heart of an ancient profession. They're its most valuable inheritance, something its practitioners have spent generations protecting."
"Even if we manage to find one of these mysterious organizations, persuading them to hand over their cultivation techniques will probably be even more difficult."
Pikachu looked directly at Ash, its usually adorable face now carrying an unusually solemn and thoughtful expression.
"So, Ash, do you already have a plan for helping Fennekin obtain the magical cultivation techniques it needs?"
Compared with its usual playful antics, cheerful personality, and habit of acting cute to get attention, Pikachu was now discussing the problem with complete seriousness.
At that moment, it truly resembled the dependable senior member of the team: calm, responsible, and ready to shoulder its share of the burden.
And as Ash's oldest companion, Pikachu understood that this wasn't merely a question of acquiring a powerful new ability.
It was about helping one of their newest companions unlock a potential that might change its entire future.