It was the next morning.
Ash was up early.
The faint hum of the Pokémon Center was still quiet at this hour, sunlight only beginning to creep through the windows. Rubbing his eyes, Ash stretched once before heading straight for the shower. He turned the knob, letting cold water cascade down—
And nearly jumped when a blue blur slipped in beside him.
"…Riolu?"
The little Pokémon stood there calmly, letting the cold water run over him, looking far too comfortable for someone who had just invaded Ash's personal space. Ash stared for a moment before sighing. 'When did that little thing even wake up?'
He shook his head, letting Riolu enjoy himself. After finishing quickly, Ash stepped aside and left the shower running. Riolu stayed only a little longer before hopping out as well, shaking off water like a puppy and following Ash with quiet steps.
With the morning chill still lingering in the air, the two headed out to a nearby open training ground.
A few early-rising trainers were already there. Greetings were exchanged, and before long, a couple of friendly warm-up matches took place. Riolu moved like a blur—clean footwork, sharp counters, and precise strikes.
He won decisively.
Hands down.
By the time they returned, Pikachu hopped down from Ash's shoulder, stretching lazily. Pidgeotto ruffled his feathers as he fully woke up, letting out a sharp cry. Froakie blinked awake as well, looking around in confusion.
"Froa…?" The little frog tilted his head, clearly surprised. The group being awake before him was rare.
After cleaning up, Ash called Yellow to see if they were up—only to find that she and Misty were already in the cafeteria. They hurried over, settling into a relaxed breakfast. Ash brought out his super jelly blocks, placing them on the table.
Froakie's eyes lit up instantly. His interest in this team rose sharply.
They assumed Metapod wouldn't be able to digest such food—until Ash pulled out a transparent container filled with a thick, glowing nutritional jelly. Metapod was gently placed inside and left to soak.
An hour later, Ash lifted him out and carefully wiped his shell dry.
Yellow watched with curiosity.
Since Ash had worked with Professor Oak many times before, she naturally assumed this was one of his methods. She mentioned it to Misty, who nodded knowingly.
Both of them were wrong.
This wasn't Oak's work.
This was Maddoc's solution. Ash had retrieved it from his system space that morning—designed specifically for Metapod's current stage.
The idea that Metapod simply stores energy and evolves into Butterfree was flawed. In truth, Metapod absorbs nutrients directly from the trees it attaches to, using that energy to fuel its evolution.
This jelly? It was a concentrated, high-grade nutrient—easily ten times richer than what a tree could provide.
Just a few minutes of soaking was enough for Metapod to absorb it directly through his shell.
Once done, Ash recalled Metapod and packed everything away.
With breakfast finished, the group set out toward a riverside.
Misty wanted to try her luck at catching Water-type Pokémon, and Ash had his own plans.
Finding an open clearing near the water, Ash looked around with satisfaction. It was perfect. A proper training ground.
At this point, he had already assembled a solid team of five. Metapod is a Bug type. Riolu is a Fighting and Steel type. Pikachu is a pure Electric type. Pidgeotto is a Normal and Flying type. And Froakie is a Water type. Well… eventually Dark type too. At least by the time he reached Greninja.
Ash brought up the system panel briefly.
[Status.
Species: Froakie.
Level: 17.
Type: Water Type.
Talent: Protein/Torrent.
Attack: C [S]
Agility: B+ [S+]
Defence: C [A]
Sp. Attack: A [S]
Sp. Defence: B [S]
Moves: Quick Attack [Lv. 2], Aerial Ace [Lv. 3], Water Pulse [Lv. 1], Cut [Lv. 4], etc.]
Lowering the panel, Ash smiled faintly. Yellow, Misty, Pikachu, and Ash settled near the riverside while Froakie dashed ahead, thrilled by the sight of flowing water. He leapt straight toward it, splashing happily.
Ash watched, speechless for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Let him enjoy it." He called the others out as well, planning to let them relax a bit.
That plan lasted all of five minutes. Pikachu's eyes lit up when he saw Metapod. The next moment, String Shot shot toward him. Pikachu twisted, jumped, and used the terrain to avoid it, turning the entire area into an agility course. He trained movement, reaction, and positioning all at once.
Metapod benefited just as much.
Target practice.
Trajectory control.
Accuracy.
Ash stopped Metapod from using Energy Ball—it drained too much energy at the moment—but allowed Sticky Web. This time, however, he gave specific instructions.
// Given normally, if I were to say that Ash was Butterfree to use as a technician in his team, normally you all would think that I am planning to use Compound Eye, increasing the chance of landing spores and other control skills, to make the enemy enter a stun state, poison state, or sleep state. //
Ash thought the same—initially. But Tactical Master had called that idea simple. Effective? That's a bold yes. But transparent – well, in short, very easy to see through.
Compound Eyes itself was already a game-changing talent. Using it for basic status spam was wasteful. This training was different. Ash wasn't just raising a Butterfree. He was preparing to redefine how trainers viewed the Caterpie line.
And when the time came, no one would dare look down on Butterfree again.
After that, it was Froakie's turn to train.
Ash stood up and stretched his arms slightly before looking toward the little blue frog. "So, little buddy… How about a match?" Froakie's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Let's go with Pikachu," Ash continued calmly. "He won't use any Electric-type moves." Pikachu was called over immediately. Cutting short his own training, the yellow mouse dashed back to Ash's side, sparks of excitement practically dancing in his eyes.
"Pika~?"
"A quick battle," Ash said with a grin. That was all it took.
Pikachu's stance shifted at once, his body lowering instinctively. Froakie, on the other hand, felt a sharp sting of irritation. To him, Ash's words sounded like a declaration—that Pikachu was clearly stronger, so much so that he needed to be restricted.
His fighting spirit ignited. "Froa~!" Froakie hopped forward, body tense and ready. "Let the battle begin." The moment Ash's voice fell—Pikachu vanished in a blur.
Quick Attack.
Froakie reacted instantly, his body surging forward with the same move. The two clashed head-on, a sharp impact ringing out across the clearing. The result was immediate.
Froakie was sent tumbling backward, rolling across the ground before barely managing to stop himself. Pikachu flipped backward gracefully, tail slamming into the ground to stabilise his landing. It all came through Pikachu's experience from the past fight that he was that strong at controlling his body part.
Before Froakie could recover, Pikachu leapt using its tail; his jump was high, giving a solid platform to deliver... Two sharp kicks descended from above.
[Double Kick: Lv. 3]
A move he had been refining for months.
Froakie gritted his teeth and brought up Cut, barely deflecting the first kick. The second landed cleanly, knocking him back several steps. His leg trembled slightly as he struggled to regain balance. "Alright. That's enough." Ash's voice cut through the tension instantly.
Pikachu stopped at once.
"Pika~ Wiga~" He hopped over to Froakie and extended a paw. Froakie stared at it for a second before accepting the help, pulling himself up.
"Froa…" There was gratitude in his voice—mixed with lingering competitiveness. He had to admit it. At his current level, Pikachu was stronger.
"You two, come here."Ash crouched down, his palm glowing softly with Viridian energy. Pikachu and Froakie felt warmth wash over them, fatigue and minor injuries vanishing rapidly. "Eat this," Ash said, pulling out Pokéblock gel. "We're not done yet." They devoured it without hesitation. Ash's expression turned serious as he looked at Froakie.
"You noticed it, didn't you? Your speed is good—but your leg development is uneven. That's why you lost ground earlier. Your attack instincts are sharp, though."
Froakie listened intently. "I'll teach you Double Kick." Pikachu immediately raised a paw and flashed a V-sign, clearly approving. A notification appeared in Ash's vision.
He accepted it.
Froakie stiffened, eyes widening as knowledge flooded into him—movement, timing, balance. Instead of panicking, he instinctively focused, fully immersing himself in understanding the technique. Without a word, he hopped toward a nearby tree.
Jump.
Kick.
Kick.
Twin strikes snapped through the air, faint white energy flaring intermittently around his legs. He repeated the motion again and again, adjusting angles, correcting posture, and refining instinct.
Behind him, Pikachu watched—
And something clicked.
Unnoticed by Ash, Pikachu's Double Kick quietly levelled up. Ash sensed something but chose not to comment.
[Status.]
Species: Pikachu.
Level: 20.
Type: Electric Type.
Talent: Static / [Protein].
Attack: A. [S+]
Agility: S. [S+]
Defence: B. [S]
Sp. Attack: A. [S+]
Sp. Defence: B. [S]
Moves: Electric Shock [Lv. 3], Thunderbolt [Lv. 2], Double Kick [Lv. 4], Quick Attack [Lv. 5], etc...
From that day onwards, Pikachu grew rapidly. In just three days, he gained three full levels—an impressive growth rate for the outside world. Pidgeotto rose by a single level, having fewer direct battles, but his Tailwind reached [Lv. 3], and Aerial Ace climbed to [Lv. 2].
Riolu showed explosive growth. All three of his older moves stabilised at level one, and he somehow picked up both [Detect] and [Counter]. His level jumped to 11—the fastest in the team.
As expected of a talented Riolu.
Still, he struggled with Detect and Counter's timing, so Ash had Metapod assist. Riolu practised dodging Sticky Web and countering it whenever possible, gradually refining reaction and prediction.
Pidgeotto wasn't spared either.
Ash forced him to train Steel Wing—a move he had neglected. It was painful, exhausting, and frustrating, but necessary. Rock types wouldn't always be avoidable. All five of them trained relentlessly.
Pikachu's sharp intensity.
Froakie's burning competitiveness.
Riolu's pure fighting temperament.
Even Metapod and Pidgeotto were dragged into the storm. Ash himself felt drained. Maintaining Viridian healing on all of them pushed him hard—but help arrived.
Yellow quietly returned from time to time, slipping away from cooking duties to assist with healing. She never complained. Misty helped too, bringing juice, snacks, and supplies she had prepared in advance.
The day passed before any of them realised it. That night, Ash chatted briefly with the guild, reporting the training results, before collapsing onto the bed. He slept like a log.
So did Riolu, Froakie, Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Metapod—sprawled around him, breathing softly as the room finally fell into silence.