>>27379010>your Speech TM increases the intelligence of its bearersAlthough certain dialog I've written indicates that the effect of Speech TM is regarded commonly as a "brain upgrade," like all technical machines, what it imparts is the understanding a pokemon needs to perform, it does not fabricate new ability. (Otherwise, move tutoring couldn't work.) As is canonical, Pokemon have the capacity to communicate innately: They talk to each other, they understand (at least the gist) of human language well enough by instinct, and some pokemon are naturally telepathic in a way that eludes the language barrier. My Speech TM is a means by which a Pokemon will understand a broad vocabulary (a few times I've pointed out oversights in it) and realize how to make sounds that humans will understand.
The intelligence factor is less straight-forward and twofold. One, I indicate that a broader vocabulary and more intricate grammar enhances a pokemon's capacity for detailed thought. Two, because it is human language, they develop toward more human-like behavior. That's most fundamentally expressed in their motivations as owned pokemon: mutes aim to satisfy Master's needs, talkers aim to become a component in Master's lifestyle.
In Magdalene's case, she's in the middle. She has learned much from exposure to human language and culture, but her language is still pokemon (even when transliterated) although through her cards she is able to communicate fragments. As we see by her behaviors, she is still very goal-oriented and short-sighted—she has a simple mentality.
A good comparison is in LL: the mute Frankie, who is completely satisfied in life by everyday eating, watching TV, and minding the home's youngest; versus Sam, whose ambition to become "smart" like his master proved so effective that he has well exceeded Percival and is now frustrated by his master's failure to appreciate his efforts or to reciprocate them in kind.
