"PA!!"
Squirtle, still flipped over with its shell glued to the ground by the Bubble Mousse, flailed helplessly as Ash snapped his fingers with a smile.
"Froakie, use Bubble!" Ash commanded coolly.
"Froa—kii!! (bloop bloop bloop bloop!!)"
Pursing its lips, Froakie rapidly fired a flurry of water orbs like bullets, pelting Squirtle's exposed belly with pinpoint precision.
LV.17 vs LV.5 = Level Gap: 12!
Even though both were Water-type Pokémon—which typically meant strong resistance to each other's moves—the sheer difference in level made even a basic Bubble attack land with bone-rattling force.
BLOOP!
BLOOP!
BLOOP!
Three direct hits.
Squirtle, who had withdrawn into its shell, finally couldn't take it anymore. Its limbs flopped out limply, eyes spinning into a dizzy spiral.
Completely KO'd.
"Squirtle…" Gary murmured, disheartened.
As Professor Oak's grandson, Gary had always carried a deep sense of pride. Sure, he often complained about how strict his grandfather was, but behind the scenes, he worked incredibly hard—always chasing excellence.
He had always believed that his efforts placed him among the top of his peers. Maybe not #1, but definitely among the best. But now… watching both his Eevee and Squirtle get trounced back-to-back?
It stung.
Even though he knew his friend Ash was powerful, the direct comparison exposed how weak he truly was.
Ash approached him, giving Gary a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Hey, win or lose, that's just part of being a Trainer," Ash said with a grin. "Don't be so down about it."
"I caught Pichu before summer camp started. As for Froakie—I've been training him non-stop for two weeks now during camp."
"Your Eevee and Squirtle were just caught, like, yesterday. They're brand new. No training, no real synergy yet."
"If you'd battled me with that Fletching you've been training these past two weeks, the outcome might've been totally different. I might've had a real fight on my hands."
"So now that you've got new partners, the path forward is simple: train them. Because I won't be slowing down. If you don't keep up… you'll never beat me~"
Ash winked.
Gary's eyes lit up. The frustration and defeat that clouded them started to clear.
"…Thanks, Ash. I'll work hard."
"No need to thank me." Ash laughed. "We're friends, aren't we?"
"Since the battle's over, let's both start training our Pokémon. If you need help, you know where to find me."
"OK~!" Gary nodded, smiling once more.
But just then—
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You've defeated LV.5 Squirtle. EXP +50]
[Froakie has met the conditions to level up… Current Level: LV.18]
[Froakie has met the conditions for evolution… Froakie is evolving!!!]
Ash blinked.
"Wait, huh?" He was a little confused why the system hadn't notified him earlier after the fight.
Now, all at once, three alerts chimed in rapid succession.
"What's wrong, Ash?" Gary asked, noticing his friend's stunned expression.
Ash didn't answer. He simply pointed toward the small, motionless Froakie squatting in the middle of the field.
Gary followed his gaze—and his eyes widened in astonishment.
Froakie's body was now glowing softly, cloaked in a radiant white light accompanied by a subtle hissing sound.
"It's… evolving! Froakie's evolving!!"
Gary shouted, completely blown away. His earlier frustration vanished, replaced by awe.
The evolution didn't take long.
Bathed in that gentle, glowing light, Froakie's short, stubby body—barely 0.3 meters tall—began to stretch and shift, growing taller, leaner, and sharper in shape.
SHHHH!!!
With a soft flash, the light dispersed like a cloud of fireflies, revealing Froakie's evolved form.
The new Pokémon shared Froakie's blue color, but the tone was darker and deeper.
It was taller now—its frame more athletic and lean. Two long arms hung at its sides, coiled with agility and strength.
Its head had raised ridges, shaped for slicing through water to reduce drag when swimming. Around its neck was the familiar foamy scarf of Bubble Mousse—but now, it resembled a sleek, flowing white sash rather than a bundled pack.
This… was Frogadier.
[Pokémon: Frogadier]
Level: 20 (32/460 EXP)
Type: Water
Nature: Serious
Abilities: Torrent, Protean
(Ethereal-Gifted Ability: Bond Transformation)
HP: 54
ATK: 63
DEF: 52
Sp. ATK: 83
Sp. DEF: 56
Speed: 97
Total Stats: 405
Potential: Purple 1.5% (Peerless)
(Favored by the destiny of Kalos. Chosen to play a crucial role in saving the region during an impending crisis!)
Copyable Skills:
· [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)
· [Novice]: Smokescreen (1/100), Water Shuriken (1/100)
Ash pulled up Frogadier's stats from the system interface and nodded with satisfaction.
Froakie had evolved at level 18 and had gained a massive power boost across all its base stats.
Not only had it grown stronger, faster, and tougher—but it had also learned two new moves: Smokescreen and…
"Wait… Water Shuriken?" Ash's eyes widened.
"Isn't that supposed to be a move Greninja only learns after reaching its final evolution?!"
Yet here it was—already present in Frogadier's move pool.
Ash could only laugh in amazement.
This wasn't just evolution.
This was destiny accelerating.
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T/N:
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