——Forest Camp Kitchen——
Inside the camp kitchen, among the three chefs peeling potatoes, a woman with dark magenta hair stared through the glass window, watching the students outside as they released their newly received Pokémon.
A sinister aura, like ghostly blue flames, surrounded the magenta-haired chef as she seethed in frustration.
"Arrrrgh! Why?!"
"Why didn't we realize earlier that the boxes we handled had the Pokémon meant for the campers?!"
"We came here disguised as chefs specifically to steal those Pokémon—and yet we actually helped deliver them to the students!"
"As elite operatives of Team Rocket, directly under Boss Giovanni, what we just did was beyond idiotic! We wasted a golden opportunity!"
Clutching the shoulders of her teammate beside her, the furious woman violently shook him in sheer frustration.
"Jessie, stop! You're about to dislocate my shoulders!" cried the blue-haired male chef, gritting his teeth in pain.
"Both of you, keep it down! You want someone to hear us?" warned the smallest chef among them, hunched and catlike, as he tried to calm the duo down.
"That was just a minor misstep. Who could've expected the opportunity would fall into our laps the moment we infiltrated the camp? Relax—meow!"
"Let's regroup and draft a new strategy. I'm confident we can still net every last one of these Pokémon—meow!"
Jessie, now slightly more composed, adjusted her chef's hat and muttered, "You make it sound easy… but now that the Pokémon are with the students, it won't be easy to grab them all at once again."
"Trust me—I've already got a new plan—meow!" said the catlike chef with a glint of devious brilliance in his eyes.
"Typical Meowth, our evil mastermind. Spill it!" James asked eagerly.
"Of course! I am the evil genius of the team—meow!" Meowth said, chest puffed out in pride.
Smack!
"Cut the drama and just tell us the plan already!" Jessie growled, whacking Meowth on the head.
"Alright, alright, don't rush me. The plan is…"
…
…
Meanwhile, back in the training grounds—
"System, scan Froakie's data," Ash thought, eyes fixed on the little blue frog Pokémon. He had a suspicion, and he wasn't about to let it go unchecked.
—————
[Pokémon: Froakie]
Level: 5
Type: Water
Nature: Serious
Abilities: Torrent, (Hidden Ability: Protean, Ethereal-Gifted Ability: Bond Phenomenon)
HP: 41
Attack: 56
Defense: 40
Sp. Atk: 62
Sp. Def: 44
Speed: 71
Overall Stat Total: 314
Potential: [Purple]
Fated by the destiny of the Kalos region; chosen to play a key role in saving Kalos from a future catastrophic crisis!
Skills (Copyable):
[Advanced]: Pound, Bubble
[Intermediate]: Growl
—————
"As I thought!" Ash muttered internally, his eyes gleaming with realization as he read the system's scan.
The two pieces of information that confirmed his suspicions:
"Ethereal-Gifted Ability: Bond Phenomenon"
and
"Potential: [Purple] – Fated to save Kalos from a future disaster!"
If it had been any other detail, he might still have second-guessed. But these two? They confirmed everything. Without a doubt, this was that Froakie from the original story!
The one who defied trainers because of its stubborn nature. The one who left multiple trainers before finally choosing him. The one who, after the Garchomp incident, recognized his strength and chose to follow him on its own.
The Froakie who would eventually evolve into Greninja, learn to synchronize its soul with its trainer and achieve the Bond Phenomenon—battling alongside him in the Kalos League Finals, where they fought fiercely against Mega Charizard X with their signature "Golden Water Shuriken" and narrowly lost.
And when Kalos faced annihilation, it was this very Greninja, with its unique perception and bond, who saw through the sinister vines birthed from evil energy running through the earth's ley lines.
It was then entrusted by Zygarde—the guardian of balance and order among Kalos's three legendary Pokémon—to assist in the purification mission, vanishing into the wilderness to fulfill its destiny.
Looking at this Froakie—chosen by fate just like Pikachu—Ash was overwhelmed with emotion. He stepped forward, knelt beside it, and extended his hand with a warm smile.
"Nice to meet you, Froakie. I'm Ash."
The Froakie, which hadn't moved a muscle since being released, stared at Ash's eyes for a long moment. Then, slowly, a smile crept onto its face.
"Froaaak~"
It lifted one gloved hand—like an old friend reunited—and placed it gently into Ash's palm.
"Our journey to the top… starts now, from this very summer camp," Ash said with bold determination as their hands met and their eyes locked.
"Froaaak~" Froakie nodded solemnly.
There was no need for Aura, no need for Viridian power. The connection between them was innate—destined. Froakie knew what Ash meant, and Ash knew Froakie understood.
"Wow, Ash! You and Froakie are totally in sync!" Green and the others couldn't help but comment as they watched the pair's natural bond.
All of their Pokémon had been artificially bred by the League and selected by the research center for beginner compatibility. Their stats, natures, and strength were ideal.
But to be accepted so quickly and form such instant synergy? That wasn't normal.
"Haha, honestly I don't know. I guess Froakie and I just clicked," Ash replied with a grin.
…
…
"Alright, young Trainers. Now that everyone's received their partner Pokémon for the camp…"
"I'll give you thirty minutes to get familiar with each other. After that, we'll have a battle—your first official match in this camp!"
"Oh—and this one will count towards your scores!"
...
...
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T/N:
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