"Everyone line up! One by one!"
Under Professor Oak's command, all one hundred students quickly formed three lines and approached the Professor and his assistants to receive their Poké Balls.
All the Pokémon were contained inside Poké Balls with no external labels or markings—so each student simply reached into the box and drew one at random.
Of course, most students believed the Pokémon in the box in front of Professor Oak would be rarer and more powerful. So predictably, the majority lined up there, hoping to get lucky.
And among those most enthusiastic… was none other than Goh, Chloe's good friend.
Ash, however, didn't follow the crowd. He happened to be closer to the assistant Sophie, so he simply joined her queue and received his Poké Ball from her.
Each student only got one Poké Ball and was expected to move aside before opening it—like opening a blind box with a friend. Ash, ever curious, wasn't paying attention to what Pokémon others had drawn. Now that it was finally his turn after two minutes in line, his mind was elsewhere.
"Hmm… which one should I pick?" Ash muttered, staring at the open box.
He hadn't expected to have any real choice, but now that he stood before a dozen Poké Balls, he found himself struck by indecision.
Just as he considered using Aura to sense which Pokémon lay within, one of the Poké Balls—previously buried under the others—suddenly gave a slight shake, then rolled on its own right into his hand.
Clink—
Ash's eyes widened.
"So... you chose me on your own? Alright then, for the next two weeks, let's take care of each other," Ash said inwardly, using Aura to communicate directly with the Pokémon inside.
Bzzt~! The Poké Ball trembled gently in his palm, as if acknowledging his words.
—
—
"Alright! Let's all open our Poké Balls and see who our partners are!" someone shouted from the nearby open space.
"Let's do it!" came the chorus of excited voices.
Everyone was buzzing with anticipation and excitement.
"Come out, my partner!"
One by one, students tossed their Poké Balls into the air. The clearing outside the camp burst to life with the pop of dozens of Poké Balls opening in unison.
"Whoa! I got a Butterfree! I'm so happy!"
"I got an Oddish!"
"Guys! Look! This one looks just like your Pichu, Ash—so cute!!"
Ash, Gary, Tierno, Trevor, Green, Shauna, Serena, Chloe—and even Goh, who ran over to join them after receiving his Poké Ball—all stood in a circle, each releasing their Pokémon at the same moment.
This summer camp was a special Kanto × Kalos cultural exchange event. To help campers experience the beauty of different regional Pokémon, the organizers had included species from both regions in the selection pool.
Gary drew a Fletchling, a Flying-type from Kalos. Tierno got a Poliwag, a classic Water-type from Kanto. Trevor received a Sandshrew.
Green got a Dedenne—an Electric/Fairy-type from Kalos often called Pikachu's little cousin. Shauna received a Kanto-native Butterfree. Serena, surprisingly, got a very rare Clefairy.
Chloe's draw was a Spritzee—the Fairy-type perfume Pokémon from Kalos.
And Goh, who had been especially eager and raced to Professor Oak's line?
He got…
A Magikarp.
The Pokémon that flooded every stream, river, lake, and ocean in the world. A legend in its own right. The King of Fish.
Goh's face went pale with despair, while Gary, watching from the side, tried and failed to suppress a laugh.
But Ash wasn't paying attention to any of that.
The moment he released his Pokémon, his eyes locked onto it—and never left.
"Hey, Ash… is that Pokémon from Kalos too? What's its name?" Green asked curiously.
Ash's Pokémon was a pale blue frog-like creature. It had large, yellow eyes that alternated between wide ovals and narrow slits depending on its mood. A deep blue stripe ran across its face and nose. Its hands were white as though wearing gloves, and its neck and back were wrapped in foamy white bubbles that looked like a soft scarf or pack.
This was the Pokémon that had rolled its Poké Ball to him—chosen him.
Ash felt a strange excitement stir in his chest.
When he opened the ball and saw the creature inside, he'd been genuinely stunned. It was beyond anything he'd expected.
"That's Froakie," Ash finally answered. "In Kalos, it's also called 'Bubble Frog Pokémon.' It's the Water-type Starter of the region."
As he spoke, Froakie crouched on the ground, perfectly still, staring up at Ash with unblinking focus.
Ash, too, couldn't look away. From the moment Froakie emerged, his eyes were fixed.
"Whoa! You got a Starter Pokémon from Kalos? Ash, you're really lucky!" Green exclaimed sincerely, thrilled for her friend.
"But my Dedenne is still the cutest," she added quickly, lifting her Pokémon for a cuddle.
Ash didn't respond. He was lost in thought, staring deep into Froakie's gaze.
That same feeling was rising again—the same emotion he'd felt when he first met Pichu.
That strange familiarity.
The warmth.
The instinctual closeness.
And the way Froakie had deliberately chosen his Poké Ball.
"No way…" Ash whispered to himself. "Could this Froakie be… the very same one I met in Kalos in the original story?"
He stared into Froakie's large yellow eyes.
Froakie stared right back.
…
…
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