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After hanging up the call with Professor Oak, Ash still hadn't realized that the boy he had met was actually Professor Oak in his youth.
He was still wondering when he might see Sam again in this era; even though Sam would be over fifty years old now, Ash believed they would certainly still have plenty to talk about.
He felt that the guy really clicked with him—it was the first time someone had given him that kind of feeling right upon their first meeting.
However, Sam's whereabouts would have to be uncovered gradually; for now, there were more important matters at hand.
Ash focused his gaze on the Poké Ball in his hand—the one containing Froakie.
This was the Froakie that the experts in the group chat said would eventually become his signature Pokémon.
A Champion-level trainer had even saved the world alongside this very Froakie, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Legendary Guardian of Order, Zygarde.
It was hard to imagine a mere starter Pokémon achieving such a feat.
While his Charizard could stand toe-to-toe with deities after further growth, Charizard's journey had been unique.
From being on the brink of death to obtaining the Rainbow Wing of Ho-Oh and reaching his current level, he had endured countless battles and seized numerous opportunities.
If an ordinary starter Pokémon had faced what Charizard went through, it might well have perished back on that rainy night.
Charizard's greatest strength was his indomitable willpower.
What, then, made this Froakie so special?
Ash tossed the Poké Ball; with a flash of light, a frog-like Pokémon appeared on the field, its body primarily blue with touches of white.
"So, is this that rebellious Froakie? It actually looks quite cute and obedient!" Serena remarked as she leaned in to take a closer look.
Serena and the others had overheard the phone call; as a novice trainer, she was the most familiar with the Kalos starters—simply because she was the only one among them who had actually seen them before.
She had chosen Fennekin because it was more elegant than the other two Pokémon and better suited a girl's aesthetic preferences; plus, since the Fennekin was female, she decided on it after a brief moment of hesitation.
Froakie was actually quite good too, but she simply didn't care for frog-like Pokémon.
"A Water-type Pokémon! That's great, Ash. You've got three Water-types now, haven't you? At this rate, you're going to become a Water-type Pokémon expert," Misty said, looking envious.
Throughout their journey, she had caught only a few more Water-type Pokémon than Ash; if things kept going like this, it would be hard to tell whether she or Ash was the true Water-type specialist.
"This Froakie is in excellent condition—its coat is lustrous and it's full of energy. It's a fine Pokémon. It doesn't look like the type to betray its Trainer, so why does it keep leaving them?" Brock crouched down and examined the Froakie closely.
Froakie showed no signs of timidity despite the many unfamiliar eyes upon it.
Moreover, it displayed no annoyance at being scrutinized by so many people; it looked incredibly well-behaved—nothing like the sort of Pokémon that would betray its Trainer.
[Species: Froakie]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Water]
[Level: Peak Normal]
[Ability: Protean, Bond Phenomenon (Hidden)]
[Moves: Bubble Beam, Water Gun, Lick, Quick Attack, Water Pulse]
[Stats: Attack A (S), Sp. Atk A (A), Defense B (A), Sp. Def B (A), HP A (S), Speed A (S)]
Those stats were incredible; Ash couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen a Pokémon with such talent.
With four 'S' ratings, this Froakie was likely the most gifted Froakie in the entire world.
Even within Ash's team—filled as it was with powerful Pokémon—this Froakie's potential would rank in the top six. Moreover, there was something unique about this Froakie compared to Ash's other Pokémon: it possessed not just one, but two Abilities!
One was Protean—an incredibly powerful Ability that allowed the Pokémon to change its own type to match the type of the move it was about to use.
In the hands of a skilled Trainer, it was arguably the single most powerful Ability of all.
With a sufficiently diverse movepool and the type-shifting capabilities of Protean, a Trainer could gain a type advantage over any opponent, effectively rendering the opposing Pokémon's attacks "not very effective" or even completely ineffective.
It was a truly broken Ability, though it required a Trainer of considerable skill to fully unlock its potential.
That was precisely why it was considered the absolute best Ability for a capable Trainer.
As for the second Ability—"Battle Bond"—he had never seen or even heard of it before.
The experts in his online group had explained virtually every Ability to him. Possessing an exceptional memory, he could recall details about over seven hundred Pokémon species, let alone their Abilities.
He was certain that the group's experts had never mentioned "Battle Bond." What kind of effect did it have?
There was also a character for "Hidden" attached to the name "Battle Bond"...
What did that mean? A Hidden Ability? That didn't seem right; logically, Protean was supposed to be Froakie's Hidden Ability—a fact he had definitely learned previously.
Right from their first meeting, this Froakie presented Ash with quite a few mysteries.
After a silent standoff lasting nearly a minute, Ash finally stepped forward and crouched down in front of the Froakie.
"Hello, Froakie. My name is Ash, and I'm going to be your new Trainer. I hope we get along well."
As he spoke, he took out a Pokéblock designed for Water-type Pokémon.
He had crafted it himself, and its quality was top-tier; not only did it suit the tastes of Water-type Pokémon, but consuming it also gave them the sensation of being in the open ocean.
For their first encounter, he decided to use the irresistible lure of delicious food to improve the Froakie's first impression of him. An enticing aroma wafted toward Froakie's nose; he gave a gentle sniff, and his large eyes visibly brightened.
After a moment of hesitation, he took the Pokéblock from Ash and tossed it straight into his mouth.
Froakie's expression shifted instantly; his usual aloof demeanor softened, as if he were lying on an incredibly comfortable bed, savoring the plush sensation while his tense nerves were soothed away.
"Gie-ro!" Once he had composed himself, Froakie let out a soft call to Ash—a greeting that essentially meant, "I look forward to working with you."
"It worked! Froakie has accepted me!" Ash jumped for joy upon hearing this.
No matter how confident he felt, Froakie was a Pokémon who had abandoned several previous Trainers.
No one knew exactly what his criteria were—perhaps he judged a Trainer's skill, or whether their personality suited his tastes, or maybe he was just particular about appearances...
The reasons could be manifold; even with his confidence, Ash couldn't guarantee with 100% certainty that he would win Froakie over.
He had even prepared himself for a long, drawn-out process.
Yet, to his surprise, a single Pokéblock was all it took for Froakie to accept him.
It was an absolutely unexpected delight.
In reality, however, it wasn't just the effect of the Pokéblock; Froakie shared a similar feeling with Ash—an inexplicable sense of connection at first sight.
Despite it being their very first meeting, Froakie felt that Ash might well be the person he had been waiting for all along.
It was a feeling none of his previous Trainers had ever evoked in him.
That was precisely why Froakie accepted Ash right then and there.
"Then I look forward to working with you, Froakie. I'm going to put you through some really rigorous training. You're going to become the strongest Froakie in the world—no, the strongest Greninja!" Ash extended his fist toward Froakie, making a solemn promise.
Without a moment's hesitation, Froakie bumped his own small fist against Ash's and gave a firm nod with his large head. ...
After gaining Froakie's approval, Ash and his friends resumed their journey to Goldenrod City; they couldn't afford to waste too much time on the road, or else Brandon might leave the city.
If that happened, they would arrive to find the place empty.
Along the way, Ash checked the group chat to ask exactly what the "Battle Bond" Ability was and what the "Hidden" tag next to the data readout meant.
The experts in the group were surprised that Ash had caught a Froakie so early on, but they were even more shocked to learn that his Froakie possessed two Abilities!
They didn't explain the effects of Battle Bond in detail; they simply said that once Froakie evolved into Greninja—and provided the bond and intimacy between trainer and Pokémon were strong enough—Ash would naturally understand what the Ability entailed.
As for the "Hidden" tag, the Breeder in the group provided the answer.
It didn't refer to a "Hidden Ability" in the technical sense, but rather an Ability that hadn't manifested yet—one that would only appear during a future stage of evolution. In other words, the Froakie currently only possessed the "Protean" Ability.
Typically, an Ability marked as "Hidden" would overwrite the existing Ability upon final evolution, but Ash's Froakie was a bit different.
It would overwrite the old Ability, yet it wouldn't.
That tongue-twister of an explanation left Ash completely baffled—confused.jpg.
In short, the experts' conclusion was that everything would become clear once Froakie evolved into Greninja.
This Froakie was unlike other Pokémon; upon reaching its final evolution, it would undergo a qualitative transformation far more dramatic than that of most other Pokémon.
Therefore, Ash's primary goal now was to train Froakie until it evolved into Greninja.
Ash didn't need anyone to tell him to start training; he was already planning to work with Froakie, though he knew it would take quite some time for it to evolve into Greninja.
Amidst a routine of training, traveling, and clobbering Team Rocket, Ash and his friends finally arrived at their destination: Goldenrod City! ...
Seven days had passed since Ash obtained Froakie. Traveling from that small town to Goldenrod City in just a week was a brisk pace; Ash had hurried without pause—barely taking time to rest—because he was worried Brandon might slip away before he could get there.
Misty and Serena were so exhausted they could barely walk, so Ash decided to have the Tauros he'd traded for (from the Cyndaquil exchange) carry the two girls the rest of the way; otherwise, they likely wouldn't have reached Goldenrod City for another day.
Upon arriving in Goldenrod City, the group was dazzled by the sheer array of towering skyscrapers; they felt almost lost in this "concrete jungle," unable to tell north from south.
Just then, they ran into an acquaintance—
"Paul?! You're in Goldenrod City too?" Ash called out instinctively upon spotting that familiar profile.
Paul turned at the sound of the call—at once familiar and strange—wearing his trademark icy, unreadable expression, though his face did betray a slight flicker of emotion when he saw Ash.
"Are you guys... here to challenge Mr. Brandon, too?" It took Paul only a second to guess their objective.
After all, more than eighty percent of the people visiting Goldenrod City at this time were there specifically for Brandon.
That was especially true for trainers of Ash's level.
"Yeah, we heard the legendary 'Pharaoh' Brandon was in Goldenrod City, so we came over. You're here for him too, right, Paul?" Ash nodded and asked in return.
Paul nodded in confirmation. "Did you make a reservation?"
"Reservation? What reservation?" Ash blinked, confused by what Paul meant.
Hearing this, Paul gave a strange look.
"You didn't book a battle with Mr. Brandon online? Because of the overwhelming demand and the resulting queues, they don't do in-person lineups for challenges anymore; it's all done via online reservations now."
Ash and the others: ...
Well, would you look at that! No one had told them a thing! "Where do I book a slot? How come I didn't hear about this?"
"It's a policy that was rolled out just seven days ago. You can book a match at the Battle Pyramid right through the Battle Facility app." Paul took out his phone and pointed to the app's icon on the screen.
The app had only just been developed; it was a stroke of luck that it launched right as the Battle Pyramid was exploding in popularity—otherwise, the entrance would still be absolutely packed with crowds.
"Let me see... What?! I'm number 567 in the queue! It says the estimated wait time is over a month before I can challenge it!!" Ash nearly dropped dead on the spot when he saw his ranking.
Man, a month from now? That's way too late—the opportunity would be long gone by then!
It looked like they wouldn't be able to challenge Brandon during this trip to Goldenrod City after all; they'd have to head to the Goldenrod Gym first.
"You can cut the line," Paul suddenly said.
That single sentence instantly perked Ash up. "Cut the line?! How do I do that?"
Sure, cutting in line wasn't exactly good behavior, but it was certainly better than waiting over a month!
They had pushed themselves to the limit rushing here—all for the sake of challenging the Battle Pyramid!
If they couldn't challenge it now, what was the point of all that hardship on the road?
So, cutting the line it was—provided there was actually a way to do it.
"You can upload your personal profile here. As the Indigo Plateau Conference Champion, you have priority challenge rights. However, this privilege can only be used once; if you fail the challenge and try again later, you can't use it a second time."