Requesting Hoenn Starters

"By the way, Samuel, Aoki hasn't received one of the three traditional starter Pokémon before, so it should be fine for him to get one now, right?" Matsuda asked.

Aoki was a commoner Trainer, which meant he never had the privilege of receiving one of the League-distributed starters.

"Oh? So Aoki is a civilian Trainer?" Professor Oak said with interest.

Matsuda nodded. "Yes, Aoki is a civilian Trainer, so when he showed his talent, those old men in the League went crazy."

"He must have remarkable talent," Professor Oak remarked.

"Indeed. He can choose one. Since he's planning to open a Water-type Gym, it'd be best for him to pick a Water-type starter. How about Squirtle from the Kanto region?"

Squirtle?

Aoki considered the Pokémon and its final evolution, Blastoise.

Among the League's starter Pokémon, Blastoise was a solid choice.

With its pure Water typing, it had good resistances, being only weak to Electric and Grass moves, while resisting Steel, Water, Fire, and Ice.

Blastoise's stats were balanced, excelling in both physical and special defense. While not the fastest, it was still reasonably quick and could fit into a variety of team compositions.

The key advantage, though, was that Blastoise could Mega Evolve. Upon Mega Evolution, its base stats increased by 100, with a significant 50-point boost to Special Attack, raising it to 135. This allowed it to capitalize on its newfound offensive prowess.

Moreover, Mega Blastoise's ability, Mega Launcher, amplified the power of aura and pulse-based moves by 50%, making it a devastating special attacker.

However, Aoki wasn't sure Blastoise would fit well in his team.

His Slowking already handled special attacks efficiently.

Mega Blastoise was best suited for a backline cannon role, which fit its very image.

But Slowking already occupied that niche.

"I wonder… could I choose a starter from another region?" Aoki asked.

Professor Oak thought for a moment. "In theory, yes. Which region are you thinking of? Hoenn?"

Aoki nodded. "Since I'll be opening a Gym in the Hoenn region, it'd be best to choose a starter from there. And since it'll be a Water-type Gym, I'd prefer Mudkip."

Swampert had always been Aoki's top pick.

It was an excellent Pokémon in terms of typing, stats, and abilities.

With only one major weakness—Grass moves hitting it for quadruple damage—it could handle most opponents with ease. Its Torrent and Damp abilities were decent, but once it Mega Evolved, its Swift Swim ability made it a perfect fit for rain-based teams.

Mega Swampert's Attack skyrocketed to a terrifying 150, while its defenses reached 110 each, with solid HP at 100. Paired with a rain team, it could become a monstrous sweeper.

For Aoki's current plans, Swampert was the best choice.

If his Poliwhirl evolved into a Politoed with Drizzle, it would set up permanent rain. Combined with Slowking's special attack output and Mega Swampert's boosted Speed and Attack, he could form a powerful rain team.

"A Mudkip from Hoenn, huh?" Professor Oak mused. "That makes sense. Since you're establishing a Gym there, you'll need a strong local Water-type."

Mudkip was a solid choice.

"But if you want a Mudkip, you'll need to travel to Hoenn to get it yourself. I don't have one here," Oak continued.

"I'll send an email to Professor Birch in Hoenn. You can pick it up from him when the time comes. I'll give you his contact information so you can make the arrangements yourself."

Aoki nodded. That worked perfectly for him.

Although it was a bit of a shame that he wouldn't be able to keep his Slowking in the team permanently, there would be opportunities in the future.

Professor Oak, for his part, still had a fondness for Aoki's Slowking.

After all, a shiny Slowking was an incredibly rare sight—almost unheard of.

There was likely no other one like it in the world. And the chances of a shiny Slowpoke evolving into a Slowking were minuscule.

"Alright, that's settled then," Matsuda said. "Now that business is taken care of, Aoki, why don't you go explore Pallet Town for a bit? Take a look around, but don't stray too far or disturb the Pokémon here. I'll talk to Professor Oak for a while."

Clearly, they had something to discuss privately.

Aoki took the hint and nodded.

He returned Slowking to its Pokéball and stepped outside.

While he was curious about what Matsuda and Professor Oak were discussing, he was even more curious about someone else—

The so-called "Chosen One"—Ash Ketchum.

Maybe he'd get a chance to see Ash before his journey began.

And, of course, there was also Professor Oak's grandson—Gary Oak.

As he walked through Pallet Town, Aoki released Slowking.

Since its evolution, he hadn't let Slowking out in public much.

After all, a Slowking was rare enough to turn heads, and many people weren't even familiar with the species.

But Pallet Town was quiet and relatively safe, so he figured it was fine to let Slowking stretch its legs.

Besides, Slowking's Psychic perception might help him locate the two boys—both of whom had the potential to become Champions.

Maybe he could make an impression on them.

Or even… change something.

So far, despite his actions, the world's major events had continued on their destined course. In some ways, he had even accelerated them.

But what if he tried to influence Ash?

Was the so-called "Chosen One" truly bound to a fixed destiny?

Of course, Aoki had no intention of interfering with Ash directly—he had no desire to steal his Pokémon or disrupt his luck.

He was confident that in the future, he would surpass Ash on his own merits.

But still…

He was curious.

Would his presence in this world have any effect on its supposed fate?

This was a small experiment.