"But… we'll meet again in the future, won't we?"
Right now, the most important thing is to win the 10th and final challenge of this summer camp… so Froakie can officially become my Pokémon!"
At 7:30 AM, with morning mist still hugging the mountain peaks and the white clouds rising slowly into the sky, Ash had just finished his morning training session. As he heard the stirrings of others waking in the row of cabins nearby, he looked up and smiled inwardly.
"Come on, Froakie. Let's go get you healed up at the camp's Pokémon Center with Nurse Joy. After that, breakfast!"
"Froa~ki!"
Hearing the word breakfast, Froakie beamed with a huge, silly smile and squinted its eyes in delight.
Just as it was about to leap onto Ash's shoulder, however—
Whoosh!
A sudden flash of bright white light flared from Froakie's body.
It only lasted a moment, but Ash noticed it immediately.
"What the—?!"
His eyes widened at the flicker of light on Froakie's form. At first, he was stunned. Then—
"Froa—k…?! Ash… what's happening to me? Am I dying?!"
Froakie looked up with genuine fear and uncertainty.
Ash crouched down quickly and gently rubbed its soft little head.
"Don't worry, Froakie. There's nothing wrong with your body. [This is a good sign. It means… you're close to evolving.]"
"Froa…!"
Froakie's eyes sparkled with joy.
Unlike the original series where Bulbasaur and Squirtle resisted evolution, this Froakie—born under the blessed fate of Kalos—had a strong obsession with becoming stronger.
It bore the destiny of saving the Kalos region from an impending cataclysm.
For Froakie, evolution wasn't something to fear—it was something to dream of.
"Let's not rush it," Ash said gently. "Evolution will come naturally as your strength grows. When the time's right, it'll happen on its own."
"Froa! Froaki!" Froakie nodded obediently and with excitement.
[Pokémon Froakie]
Level: 16 (32/460)
Type: Water
Nature: Serious
Abilities: Torrent
(Hidden Ability: Protean | Ethereal-Gifted Ability: Bond Evolution)
HP: 41
Attack: 56
Defense: 40
Sp. Atk: 62
Sp. Def: 44
Speed: 71
Total Stats: 314
Potential Tier: [Purple] – Chosen by the Fate of Kalos; carries the burden of saving the region from future destruction.
Skills (Copyable):
[Mastered]: Pound (200/1000), Bubble (200/1000), Aqua Ring (1/1000), Quick Attack (1/1000)
[Skilled]: Growl (23/500), Water Pulse (347/500), Lick (117/500), Rain Dance (112/500)
…
For the past two weeks of the summer camp, Ash had maintained a strict routine:
Wake up at 6:30 AM. Train with Froakie for one hour every single day.
Even though the rest of the day was filled with evaluations and challenges—and even in his downtime, he was pushing himself to study the terrain and copy skills from the 100 Rotom drones that Yoko brought—he never missed that morning training session.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Where else could he be surrounded by dozens of Pokémon in such a safe and structured environment? Once the camp ended, he wouldn't have this chance again. So Ash took full advantage.
Froakie, despite the limited training window, had steadily climbed to Level 16.
Thanks to daily drills, its Aqua Ring and Quick Attack skills had gone from "Skilled" to "Mastered."
Water Pulse had also improved significantly, and the overall coordination between Ash and Froakie had reached an incredible level—even though that didn't show directly on the interface.
After visiting Nurse Joy for a quick recovery session, Ash and Froakie made their way to the cafeteria for breakfast.
…
"Today's the final day," said Trevor cheerfully, fiddling with his camera. "Wonder what the last challenge will be… kinda nervous!"
When Trevor had first arrived in Pallet Town to stay temporarily at Ash's home, he was shy, quiet, and didn't talk much.
But after spending time with Ash's group, he gradually opened up. While he still came off timid in front of strangers, with Ash and the others, Trevor had become cheerful and confident.
Of course, the one who changed the most during this camp… was Serena.
Back in Kalos, Serena had been extremely shy—barely able to speak above a whisper. She always hid behind her friend Shauna's sleeve, peeking out from behind like a nervous little mouse.
But since joining the camp, she had gone through tremendous growth.
Thanks to Ash's personal guidance in Pokémon battles, learning about various career paths, and even facing her fears during the forest night trial…
Serena had begun to change.
She was becoming confident.
Her eyes sparkled with determination.
Her presence was blooming with grace.
And so were her feelings…
…
"After today… this camp will end. I'll have to go back to Kalos. I might never see Ash again…"
"He's so talented, so popular. There are already so many girls who like him here. Will he ever see someone like me—just a plain girl—as anything special?"
Walking out of the cafeteria after breakfast, Serena glanced at Ash, who was confidently leading the group like a born leader. Her heart was full of sadness and longing.
"Let's go," Ash called out. "Time to gather up. We'll find out what the last challenge is when we get there."
Gary: "OK~"
Green: "~OK"
…
"Good morning, students!!" came a cheerful voice.
"Good morning, Professor!" echoed several campers.
Professor Oak smiled warmly as he looked over the spirited group in front of the main training field.
"Excellent. Everyone looks bright and full of energy today."
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T/N:
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