Sitting on the couch, Arlo tapped through his BrainLink menus absentmindedly. He was halfway into a sleep scroll loop when something clicked in his memory. Wait—Kane gave me a contact. Water-type specialist. He pulled up his messages. There it was, buried under old mission logs and travel receipts
Contact: Amaya Beckett – Pokémon Breeder | Specialization: Water-types
Without overthinking it, Arlo initiated a video call. The screen buzzed for a moment, then connected. A woman appeared, wearing a simple white tank top. Long orange hair, no makeup, sun-kissed skin—probably from working outdoors. She had that no-nonsense look Arlo respected."Hello?" she said, voice clipped but not unfriendly. "What can I help you with?"
"Hello," Arlo replied, leaning slightly forward. "My name is Arlo Leeroy. Kane from the Trailblazer Guild referred me. Said you're the go-to breeder for water-types."
Amaya's eyes lit with faint recognition. "Kane, huh? Haven't seen him in a while. All right, yeah. If you're looking to buy a Pokémon, I don't do remote transactions. You'll need to visit the nursery in person. Beckett's Breeding Center—Ataraxis Coastal Area. You'll find it easy."
Arlo nodded. "Got it. I'll head there now."
Amaya gave a short smile. "We'll be expecting you. Just don't wear white shoes. You'll regret it."
The call ended. Arlo chuckled to himself and looked down at Link, who was resting beside the couch. "We're going out, bud. Time to meet your potential new teammate."
Link perked up at the word teammate, letting out a cheerful bark. "Ruff!"
"Glad you're excited." Arlo stood, stretched, and got dressed in his standard travel gear: fitted T-shirt, dark jeans, and a lightweight gray jacket with enough hidden pockets for tools and snacks. He clipped Link's Luxury Ball to his belt."You're riding inside this time," he said, patting the ball. "Gotta move quick."
...
[Ataraxis Coastal Area: Train Station]
After locking up his apartment, Arlo made his way to the Residential District Train Station. The station was quieter than the Central one—no guild flare or marketplace noise, just soft hums of rails and automated announcements. He stepped onto the coastal line train, found an empty seat by the window, and slid in.
As the train began to move, he opened his BrainLink again and pulled up articles on Ataraxis's coastal district.Turns out the sea wasn't natural. It was entirely manmade—an ambitious Pioneer project from over fifty years ago. Dozens of species were relocated from abandoned universes and restored habitats. The sea now teemed with marine life, both native and imported: Sharpedos, Mantines, even some experimental hybrids.
Arlo read on. Apparently, the ecosystem was stable enough that Pokémon Centers were spread along the coast, and small fishing towns had even popped up. Real effort went into this place, he thought. Not just another sim layer.
The train announcer chimed in, snapping him out of his scroll."Next stop: Coastal Area Train Station. Please prepare to disembark." He closed the Holo-screen and stood. As the doors slid open, the scent of saltwater hit him like a truck. It wasn't fake. It was real—moist air, seabirds in the distance, sunlight bouncing off waves.Arlo stepped off the platform and walked toward the main overlook. He reached into his jacket, pulled out Link's Luxury Ball, and popped it open. A flash of red light, and then—Link materialized beside him.
"We're here," Arlo said.Link looked up at him, then forward, eyes going wide. A massive expanse of water stretched out to the horizon, with boats, platforms, and piers dotting the view.
Arlo stared too. "That's manmade?" he muttered. "Looks more real than half the worlds I've been to." It was hard to believe. Waves rolled in with natural rhythm. The sounds, the wind, the wildlife—all of it felt authentic. If someone told him it was terraformed from a dead zone, he wouldn't have believed them without reading the file himself. He looked down at Link, who was already sniffing the sea air and wagging his tail. The pup looked amped.
"No swimming yet," Arlo said. "First, let's find the place. Then you can go nuts."
***
Arlo called a local taxi hovercar from his BrainLink. The AI driver arrived within a few minutes and hovered silently to a stop. Arlo and Link climbed in, and he punched in the destination: Beckett's Pokémon Breeding Center.
The cab took off, weaving through light traffic along the coastal strip. The farther they got from the station, the more the environment shifted from urban edge to scientific infrastructure and open waters.The building they arrived at was massive. Not just large—absurdly wide, like someone had mashed a laboratory and a luxury aquarium together and scaled it up. The exterior was built with light-reflective alloy, and its windows were deep tinted glass layered into sleek arches. Transparent tunnels of reinforced glass wrapped around the upper levels like arteries.
Arlo stared through one of the massive tunnels running alongside the walkway. Inside, water Pokémon swam freely in controlled currents. He caught glimpses of Magikarp schooling lazily, a few Kinglers bumping along the sand bed, and a Seel spinning in play. A pair of Seadra zipped past like torpedoes, scattering smaller fish in their wake. Link pressed his snout to the glass, tail wagging in wide circles. "Ruff!" he barked excitedly, fogging the pane.
"Yeah," Arlo muttered. "This isn't some backroom breeding pit. This is high-tier. Whole facility's built like a Pokémon Safari Zone with a research budget."
The front entrance slid open automatically as they approached. The lobby was spacious, decked out with soft blue lights and large holographic displays showing water habitats and breeding cycles. A reception desk stretched across the far end, where a neatly dressed woman looked up from her terminal."Welcome to Beckett's Breeding Center," she said. "I'm Emma. Do you have an appointment?"
Arlo stepped forward. "Amaya Beckett is expecting me. I spoke with her this morning. I'm Arlo Leeroy. A friend of mine referred me."
Emma's tone shifted slightly. "Ms. Beckett's schedule is typically full. She doesn't take walk-ins without confirmation."
Arlo stayed calm and opened his BrainLink, pulling up the recorded referral from Kane. "I've got the message right here. Verified timestamp. She told me to come down personally."
Emma's eyes widened slightly at Kane's name. "Trailblazer, huh? One moment, please." She tapped a few commands into her console, and a private line opened up. "Ms. Beckett? Yes, there's a Pioneer Arlo Leeroy here. Says he's referred by Trailblazer… yes, that's what he said…" She paused, then nodded and hung up. "She'll be right with you. Apologies for the misunderstanding."
Not long after, Amaya herself walked into the lobby. She looked exactly like she had on the call—white tank top, blue jeans, sandals, and a lanyard hanging loosely around her neck. She greeted Arlo with a firm handshake."Arlo, right? Glad you made it." She looked down at Link and crouched. "And this must be your Pokémon. What a handsome Rockruff."
Arlo smirked. "You can just call me Arlo. And yeah, that's my Pokémon, Link. He's got a habit of charging headfirst into trouble and somehow making it out alive."
Amaya chuckled. "Like most good Pokémon. And you can drop the 'Ms. Beckett' thing. Just Amaya is fine. Any friend of Kane's is a friend of mine."
"Got it, Amaya," Arlo said. That got a smile out of her."C'mon," she said, motioning him forward. "Let's give you the tour. We do more than hatch eggs and hand out starters. This facility supplies over seventy percent of all licensed water-types in circulation across three zones. We also run long-term studies on Pokémon behavior, ecological stability, and adaptive evolution."
They walked past several sealed corridors—one labeled Aquatic Incubation Lab, another marked Field Compatibility Testing. Each was humming with quiet energy and dim lighting, like labs in a high-end research RPG.
Eventually, they reached the nursery area. The atmosphere changed instantly—brighter, warmer, more playful. Miniature pools, shallow wading areas, and transparent bubble pods filled the space. Inside, dozens of baby water-types waddled, splashed, and chirped.
Squirtle groups practiced water jets in a corner pool. Mudkips swam in synchronized lines. A Psyduck waddled around in a circle like it was stuck in a loading animation. Froakies clung to vertical surfaces. A Piplup was balancing on one leg in a weird attempt at dominance.
Arlo stood at the glass observation railing, taking it all in. "Didn't expect to see this many water type Starter Pokemon in one place."
Amaya leaned on the railing next to him. "Most of these are already sold or reserved for interdistrict transport. What you're seeing are the few not yet assigned."
Link ran ahead and instantly made friends. A Lapras calf nuzzled him curiously, while a Totodile splashed him with a tail flick. Link yipped happily, darting around as more of the younger Pokémon engaged with him.
Arlo watched, arms folded. "He makes friends fast. Must be the lack of intimidation factor."
Amaya grinned. "Or he's just got that main character energy. Pokémon sense that stuff."
Arlo let himself smile faintly. "Any of these still up for selection?"
"Yeah," Amaya nodded. "A few of the ones interacting with Link aren't on the shipment list. That Lapras, for example. We've been waiting for a good match. Personality fit matters more than people think."
Arlo leaned forward, scanning the playful chaos. "Any standouts in terms of compatibility?"
Amaya shrugged. "Let's see how they take to you. If one follows you back to the gate, we'll know."
As if on cue, a Froakie that had been curiously watching from a distance began swimming closer, occasionally glancing at Arlo. Link noticed and barked, encouraging it.
"Interesting," Amaya said. "That one's been cautious with everyone—never seen it approach someone on its own."
Arlo raised an eyebrow. "Then let's keep an eye on that one."
...
"So," Arlo asked, arms crossed as he watched Link roughhousing with a Totodile, "what's the ballpark cost for these water-types?"
Amaya adjusted her lanyard and gave a casual shrug. "Depends on lineage, moveset, and temperament. You're looking at anywhere from ten thousand to fifty thousand credits."
Arlo blinked. Internally, his brain hit the pause button. Fifty thousand? He was expecting a five-digit number, sure—but starting at ten thousand and going up that high? That was pushing elite-tier costs. Guess these aren't Route One captures.
Still, Arlo kept a poker face. The Clown's Body Control perk wasn't just for combat—came in handy for keeping cool too. He nodded slowly. "Right. That makes sense. Just for reference... what do you have around the ten-thousand mark?"
Amaya smirked knowingly, probably catching on that his wallet wasn't infinite. "Follow me." She led him to another side of the nursery—quieter, smaller pools, a little less chaos. "These are the more accessible ones. Still solid Pokémon, just not custom-bred or from battle-tested lines." She gestured casually. "Magikarp—obvious pick, low maintenance. Staryu's a great choice if you want something that scales well. Then we've got a few of the starter line: Oshawott, Totodile, Popplio."
Arlo raised an eyebrow. "You've got three starters available?"
Amaya nodded. "They were part of a discontinued training batch for a defunct league simulation. Good health, clean records. Just looking for new homes now."
Arlo crouched near the pool's edge, watching the Oshawott balancing a pebble on its nose like a showoff. Totodile was in the middle of trying to scare a nearby Magikarp with exaggerated chomps.
As Arlo weighed the options, a sudden growl echoed from across the room. It was low, alert. Link's voice.Both Arlo and Amaya turned toward the sound. Link stood stiff, tail bristled, growling at a small blue figure across the nursery—a Froakie.The Froakie just stood there, smug expression plastered on its face like it owned the place.
Amaya let out a tired sigh. "You again?" she muttered, rubbing her temple.
Arlo tilted his head. "Isn't this the Froakie we meet earlier?"
Amaya walked toward the standoff, motioning for Arlo to follow. "Unfortunately, yeah. That Froakie's been here longer than most of the recent batch of Pokémon."
As they approached, Amaya explained with the tone of someone who had repeated the story more than once. "He was sold over a year ago to a high-level trainer. Problem is, he doesn't listen to commands. Doesn't battle on cue. Doesn't care about bonding. The guy brought him back after five days."
Arlo squinted at the Froakie. "Returned like an unopened package?"
"Pretty much. He's been unlisted ever since. Not worth the paperwork or the complaint cycles. Honestly, we've considered just keeping him as a permanent resident." Amaya replied
Arlo knelt beside Link, whose ears were still raised, but no longer growling. "Sounds like a problem child."
"Exactly," Amaya said flatly. "Too smart for his own good. And too stubborn to let anyone in." Something about that description made Arlo curious. He didn't say anything, just activated [Observe] through his BrainLink Holo-screen.
---
Froakie ♂
Level: 10
Type: Water
Species: Bubble Frog Pokémon
Nature: Timid
Potential: Advance Level
Ability: Torrent / Hidden Ability: Battle Bond
Movesets: Cut (Egg Move), Frubbles, Growl, Pound, Bubble, Quick Attack, Lick
---
Arlo's eyes narrowed. Wait… Battle Bond?
No one in the room reacted—because no one could see what he just saw. Hidden Abilities weren't normally visible. His system perk must have picked it up. He stood and looked at the Froakie again with a fresh lens. The Pokémon was now hopping onto a dry rock, staring down Link with that same arrogant smirk.This wasn't just a misfit. This Froakie had raw potential—Game-Breaker potential. But it had no respect for orders. No trust.
Battle Bond wasn't just rare. It was absurd. That meant Ash-Greninja or a form of natural mega evolution. That meant synergy beyond standard movesets.
Arlo stepped forward slowly and crouched again, hands open in a relaxed posture. "Hey. Name's Arlo. That's Link. Just wanted to say hi—" Before he could finish, Froakie launched a stream of bubbles right at his face.
SPLAT!
The move wasn't strong, but it was direct. Arlo wiped his face, unfazed. Behind him, Link barked furiously, fangs bared, but held back.
Amaya stomped forward. "Froakie! That's enough. You don't do that to guests."
The Froakie didn't care. It had already turned its back, hopping lazily into a shallow pool like nothing had happened.
Arlo stood slowly, face dripping. "Yeah. I see what you mean."
"I'm sorry about that," Amaya said. "We've tried everything. Discipline, incentives, training sessions. Nothing works. He just... does whatever he wants."
Arlo flicked water off his sleeves. "No worries. Honestly, I've dealt with worse. At least he's honest about it." He watched Froakie float on his back like a smug little king. That rebellious attitude... Arlo had seen it before. Usually in the mirror.
Most people don't see the value in unpredictability, he thought. But chaos has its own logic.
Link sat beside him, glaring at Froakie. Arlo scratched behind his ears to calm him.He turned to Amaya. "What if I want to try working with him?"
Amaya raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"
"Yeah," Arlo said plainly. "Something tells me this one's worth the trouble."