Water Shuriken.
At first glance, it seemed like just another multi-hit move, similar to Bullet Seed, striking 2 to 5 times per use. On paper, its base damage wasn't impressive—each shuriken hit only dealing 15 points of damage, even weaker than Bullet Seed's 20.
By technical standards, Water Shuriken was arguably one of the weakest multi-hit attacks.
But in the world of Pokémon, strength wasn't just about numbers. A move's power depended on who was using it.
Just like Giovanni's Beedrill.
To most, a Beedrill's Twinneedle attack felt like a mosquito bite. But when Giovanni's Beedrill unleashed it… it was like being stabbed in a major artery. Brutal. Deadly.
Even Dragonite, the ace of Lance—the Champion of the Johto Silver League and acting Champion of Kanto's Indigo League—stood no chance against that Beedrill.
That was the truth of Pokémon battles:
Even "weak" Pokémon, in the right hands, could conquer giants.
Giovanni is forever a legend.
And Water Shuriken, much like Twinneedle, was often dismissed as a gimmick. With average Frogadiers or Greninjas, it was considered a simple disruptor—not a true finisher.
But in the original timeline, that very move—Water Shuriken—underwent a transformation.
When Greninja entered its Bond Transformation with Ash, that humble move evolved into a monstrous, oversized, glowing shuriken capable of one-shotting even the toughest foes. No longer a low-damage, multi-hit annoyance—it became a devastating signature finisher.
In Ash's planned move framework for Froakie, Water Shuriken was supposed to be a core technique. He'd expected to unlock it only after evolving to Greninja, or maybe copying it from another trained Greninja later.
But to his surprise, now—right after evolving into Frogadier—his Pokémon had miraculously learned it early!
Ash was thrilled.
The earlier Frogadier started practicing it, the earlier it would refine the technique—and eventually, master its ultimate form.
"No matter what, Froakie… Congratulations on evolving!" Ash beamed.
"Wait—no. I should stop calling you Froakie now, huh? It's Frogadier."
"Froa~!" Frogadier smiled, nodding. The joy in its eyes made it clear—it was proud of its evolution.
Gary walked up, still full of admiration.
"So this is Froakie's evolved form? It looks seriously cool.
Ash smiled.
Ash stretched and clapped his hands. "Alright then! Our battle's over. Let's get started with today's training! You better keep up, Gary—my Froakie just evolved into Frogadier! Don't fall too far behind~"
"Hah! Don't worry," Gary said with a confident smirk, hands on his hips. "I'll catch up in no time!"
—
After treating Gary's Eevee and Squirtle using Healing Grace, Ash turned his focus back to training. He stood between his two partners—Pichu and the freshly evolved Frogadier.
But his eyes were locked on Frogadier.
Because of the evolution boost, Frogadier had jumped two full levels. Ash was slightly concerned that its foundation might now be shaky. So, he decided to intensify the training regimen—to solidify Frogadier's new form.
"Frogadier," Ash called seriously, "we're changing your morning training schedule."
"First, you're going to warm up with me—light jogging. Then we'll head to the river that runs beneath the town's stone bridge."
"From the bridge, you'll swim all the way downstream to the ocean inlet—and back. That's one lap."
"You get 3 minutes of rest between laps. Your goal this morning is 10 laps."
"After that, we'll do strength training. On this riverbank, you'll pick up stones and throw them into the water. We'll do this for 30 minutes, with a 2-minute rest every 10 minutes."
"And once you're done building arm strength… it's time to train your new move—Water Shuriken."
"This move is going to be your main damage-dealing core skill in future battles."
"This morning, your goal is to raise its proficiency level from Novice to Skilled."
Ash paused and looked up at the taller, leaner Pokémon now standing above his waist.
"You ready for all that?"
"Frogaa~!" Frogadier nodded confidently.
Despite its new form and newfound power, Frogadier hadn't changed in attitude at all. Unlike Charizard from the original story, who grew arrogant after evolution, Frogadier remained humble, loyal, and obedient.
Though it could no longer sit on Ash's shoulder or cuddle in his arms, it still had the same calm, serious heart. A silent warrior.
Ash smiled.
He turned to Pichu next.
The tiny Electric-type was just starting formal training today. Ideally, Ash would have given it his full attention, but with Frogadier's evolution, his focus was slightly divided.
"Pichu," he knelt down, "your task today is to improve skill proficiency."
"You've just reached the Skilled level in Thundershock."
"So for today's goal—bring Tail Whip and Charm from Novice to Skilled."
"Think you can do it?"
"Pichu~! Pichu!" The little one chirped, eyes sparkling with determination.
"Alright then," Ash grinned. "Let's begin this morning's training!"
With their objectives clear, Ash began running alongside Frogadier while keeping an eye on Pichu's moves, fully immersed in building up the strength of his growing team—one evolution, one attack, and one step at a time.
The road to greatness had only just begun.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals