Mudkip

Rei stepped into the grand halls of the Melayu Pokémon Alliance Headquarters, his boots echoing against the polished stone floor.

The air carried the scent of fresh grass and clean water, a testament to the care given to the Pokémon housed within. He had been summoned here as a reward for his contributions in stopping Team Aqua's plot in the secret realm.

As he walked deeper into the facility, he was greeted by Alex, an official with short-cropped silver hair and a confident demeanor who explained to Rey about the Space Realm.

"Rei," Alex greeted, offering a handshake. "You've done us a great favor. The alliance has decided to let you choose a Pokémon from our starter pool."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "I thought Melayu didn't have its own starters?"

Alex nodded. "That's right. Unlike Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn, we don't have our own native starter trio. The Alliance is still deciding on an official set. For now, we gather Pokémon from different regions and train them here. Trainers who qualify for the program get to pick from them."

Rei glanced around the spacious Starter Room, where dozens of young Pokémon played or rested in comfortable enclosures. He spotted a Torchic pecking curiously at the ground, a Turtwig sunbathing near a small pond, and even a Froakie perched on a tree branch.

"What's the catch?" Rei asked, his arms crossed.

Alex chuckled. "No catch. Consider it a reward. You helped prevent a major disaster." He gestured toward the Pokémon. "Go ahead, take your pick."

Rei scanned the room, looking for something that caught his attention. Then, by the edge of an artificial pond, he spotted a Mudkip.

Unlike the other Pokémon, which were either playing or training, this Mudkip was lying flat on a warm rock, eyes half-closed, completely ignoring everything around it. Even when a nearby Piplup splashed water its way, the Mudkip merely flicked its tail in annoyance before settling back down.

"That one," Rei said, pointing.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That Mudkip is… different. Most trainers skipped over it. It's lazy, always looking for the most comfortable spot to nap."

Rei smirked. "Then it fits right in with me."

He approached the Mudkip, kneeling beside the rock. The Pokémon lazily cracked open an eye and gave him a blank stare, as if to say, What do you want?

Rei reached out a hand. "You wanna come with me?"

The Mudkip blinked, yawned, and turned away, ignoring him completely.

Alex laughed. "Told you. It doesn't care."

But Rei wasn't the type to back down. After all the faint glow of light blue energy flickered around the Mudkip was a sign of it's strong aptitude despite its lazy behavior.

"Fine," Rei said, rolling up his sleeves. "If you won't come willingly, I'll just make you."

He grabbed a small Pokéblock infused with water-type energy from his pouch and held it in front of Mudkip's nose. The Pokémon sniffed, perked up slightly… then turned away again.

Rei narrowed his eyes. This little guy was playing hard to get.

Without another word, Rei used his telekinesis to lift the rock Mudkip was lying on. The Pokémon yelped in protest as its cozy resting spot floated away. It flailed, glaring at Rei as if he had committed a personal offense.

"Now you're interested, huh?" Rei smirked.

The Mudkip growled and launched a weak Water Gun at him, but Rei dodged with ease.

"Alright, let's make a deal," Rei said, crouching down. "You come with me, and I promise to make you the strongest Mudkip out there. No more lazy days—unless you earn them. I also prepare food and shelter."

The Mudkip stared at him, considering.

Then, with a reluctant sigh, it tapped its head against Rei's hand, signaling acceptance.

Alex whistled as he handed mudkip pokeball given to him by the staff. "Well, I'll be damned. You actually got it to agree. Here is mudkip pokeball"

Rei smirked, taking the Pokéball whole looking at mudkip. "Welcome to the team, Mudkip."