CHAPTER 6

Chapter 6: Shiny Froakie (6)

"May, let's take a break here for a while and go fishing together," Aoki suggested, pulling out two fishing rods from his bag.

Both rods were obtained from treasure chests and were far superior to ordinary fishing rods, featuring special attribute bonuses. While the bonus rate wasn't particularly high, it was still much better than purchasing a standard rod from a Poké Mart.

"Okay! I've always wanted to try fishing," May responded enthusiastically, taking a rod from Aoki. Whether she genuinely wanted to fish or just spend time with Aoki, only she knew.

The two sat side by side, casting their lines into the water, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Torchic, meanwhile, sat next to them, happily munching on the Pokéblocks Aoki had prepared. After two days of consuming these high-quality supplements, Torchic's feathers had grown even more vibrant, making it stand out among its kind—a handsome Torchic, indeed.

"Brother Aoki, I think your fishing rod is moving!" May suddenly called out.

Within just a few minutes, Aoki felt a strong tug. Whether it was due to the system bonus or sheer luck, he didn't know. He quickly reeled in his catch—only to find a familiar red fish flopping in the air.

Magikarp.

Although he had expected it, seeing the common Water-type Pokémon still left him slightly disappointed.

"They're everywhere, huh?" Aoki muttered. It was well known that Magikarp populated almost every body of water in the Pokémon world. If a trainer hadn't caught at least a hundred Magikarp, could they even call themselves a proper angler?

"This is a Magikarp! Brother Aoki, do you want to keep it?" May asked curiously.

"No, I don't need it," Aoki replied, releasing the fish back into the river.

Although Magikarp could evolve into the powerful Gyarados, Aoki already had an idea of what kind of Water-type Pokémon he wanted. Mudkip, Milotic, and Gyarados were all solid choices, but finding a high-quality Magikarp with Elite potential was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

His real focus, however, was on the silver treasure chest hidden in the area. It was rare for silver chests to appear, and he hadn't found one yet despite opening multiple bronze ones.

As the fishing continued, Aoki and May reeled in several Pokémon—Magikarp, Seaking, and Poliwag. The only one worth considering was Poliwag, as its evolution line had some potential, but none of the Pokémon caught so far truly piqued Aoki's interest.

Finding a strong Water-type Pokémon was proving to be quite a challenge. His ideal choices included Oshawott, Popplio, and, most notably, Froakie.

Particularly, the final evolution of Froakie—Greninja—was one of Aoki's favorite Pokémon. The Ash-Greninja transformation was incredibly powerful and had an air of dominance that appealed to him.

But that was just wishful thinking.

As the day ended, they set up camp for the night. Aoki had brought a tent, but with only one available, they had to share.

May noticed Aoki's hesitation and immediately blushed. "Um… B-Brother Aoki, I guess… w-we can share the tent?"

"Alright, that works. Don't worry, I won't do anything inappropriate," Aoki assured her before crawling into the tent. Although May was flustered, she seemed happy as she quickly followed him inside.

Before zipping up the tent, Aoki released his Pokémon. "Torchic, Boss Lairon, I'll leave things to you tonight."

Camping for the first time could be risky, so having Pokémon stand guard was essential. If danger approached, Boss Lairon could provide protection.

Torchic puffed out its chest in confidence but still glanced at Boss Lairon. It deeply respected its powerful teammate.

"Not exactly," Torchic muttered to itself, knowing it still had a long way to go before reaching that level.

Boss Lairon, unfazed, simply let out a low growl of acknowledgment before lying beside the tent, eyes half-closed but fully alert.

Torchic sighed in relief—it seemed like Boss Lairon wasn't too strict, after all. Relaxing, it hopped into Aoki's sleeping bag for warmth.

Over the next few days, Aoki remained by the river, patiently fishing while training Torchic. There was no rush to leave, as the silver treasure chest was still in the area.

Apart from fishing, Aoki focused on Torchic's battle training. Since it would eventually evolve into a Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon, endurance and combat power were crucial.

Special attention was given to improving Torchic's Fire Spin technique. Although it had inherited the move through its lineage, its flames were still too dispersed, reducing their effectiveness. Aoki worked on concentrating the vortex to increase its temperature and damage potential.

Thanks to intense training, supplemented by Aoki's Pokéblocks and Viridian Powers, Torchic's strength had advanced to the peak of the intermediate level—just one step away from reaching the advanced tier.

Once Torchic broke through, it could evolve into Combusken, which would significantly increase its power. If trained properly, it could eventually reach Blaziken's level, attaining Gym-tier strength.

Boss Lairon, on the other hand, was already at the Gym Leader level. Once it evolved into Aggron, it would reach the pinnacle of Gym-tier power. With consistent training over the next few months, it could even push toward Quasi-Elite.

Now, Boss Lairon was focused on mastering its Profound Meaning, striving to break through to the Elite Level.

One afternoon, as Aoki sat by the river, he felt another strong tug on his fishing line. He casually lifted his rod, expecting yet another Magikarp—

But instead, a small blue frog dangled at the end of the line.

"A frog?" Aoki muttered in confusion. Unlike Magikarp, this Pokémon had limbs and was struggling fiercely.

His eyes widened.

Froakie?!

This was the Bubble Frog Pokémon from the Kalos Region. But why was it here, in Hoenn?

Aoki's shock deepened as he observed the Pokémon more closely. Something was off.

Yes… The color was wrong.

Instead of the standard deep blue, this Froakie's hue was slightly lighter, almost a pale cerulean.

It took a moment for Aoki to realize what he had just fished out of the river.

A Shiny Froakie.