Pokemon: Trait Master

Pikachu. 

Also known as—the most overused Electric pokemon in existence. 

These things were everywhere in Kanto. 

Their main trait? Sheer numbers. 

And typically, very few of them ever amounted to anything. 

Even if they evolved into Raichu, the number that reached the top ranks was next to none. 

But Ash's Pikachu? 

From an early age, even Gary could tell—this one was different. 

This thing was, without a doubt, the king of all Pikachu. 

As Professor Oak's grandson, Gary had never seen such an absurd Pikachu before. 

Whether it was attack power, speed, or sheer battle IQ, 

this Pikachu was outright broken. 

If it were any other Pikachu, 

Gary wouldn't even hesitate to throw his newly received Squirtle into battle. 

But against Ash's Pikachu? 

Hah. 

Maybe he'd consider it after his Squirtle evolved into a Blastoise. 

"See you at the Indigo League! Don't piss yourself when I take the championship trophy!" 

With that, Gary turned and walked away, surrounded by the cheers of Pallet Town's citizens. 

Ash smirked. 

This guy… so damn prideful. 

If he wanted to wish Ash good luck at the Indigo League, he could've just said so. 

But no, he had to make it all fancy and dramatic. 

Ash didn't bother with more small talk and instead headed straight into Professor Oak's lab. 

---

Ash hadn't planned on receiving an official starter Pokémon from Professor Oak. 

Pikachu was enough. 

His main reason for coming here was to get his Pokédex. 

After all, the Pokédex wasn't something just any rookie Trainer could obtain… 

As he walked into the lab, he saw Professor Oak busy working on his computer. 

Ash and Pikachu greeted him. 

"Good morning, Professor Oak! I'm here to get my Pokédex." 

"Pika Pika~~" Pikachu chimed in. 

The professor paused his work for a moment before realizing it was Ash. 

"Ah, good morning, Ash! Hold on a moment—I'm just finishing up your starter Pokémon's transfer." 

Ash: …? 

Starter Pokémon? 

"Wait, I have a starter Pokémon? Isn't Pikachu my starter?" 

Professor Oak waved his hand dismissively. 

"Hah! That Pikachu? You adopted it from a summer camp! It's not an official League-given starter." 

"And besides—you've helped me so much over the years, and you're a well-recognized name in academia by now. Not getting a starter wouldn't make any sense!" 

"Oh! Here it comes!" 

Just as Ash was about to respond, 

Professor Oak rushed over to the Pokémon Transfer Machine. 

A bright white glow filled the room. 

A second later, a red-and-white Poké Ball materialized onto the machine's platform. 

Professor Oak picked it up and handed it to Ash with a smile. 

"Here you go—this is your official starter Pokémon! I have a feeling you're really going to like this one!" 

Ash blinked in confusion. 

Wait a second… 

If he was getting a starter Pokémon, shouldn't it be one of the usual three Kanto starters? 

Why did it have to be specially transferred from somewhere else? 

With curiosity, Ash opened the Poké Ball. 

A flash of light burst forth— 

And when it faded, a blue, frog-like Pokémon stood before him. 

Its smooth, light-blue skin shimmered slightly in the light. 

Its hands and chest were white, and a pair of large, black-and-yellow eyes stared curiously at Ash. 

Around its neck, white foamy bubbles formed a scarf-like shape. 

Despite being only ten years old, Ash immediately recognized the Pokémon. 

One of Kalos' starter Pokémon—Froakie! 

---

Ash turned to Professor Oak, puzzled. 

"Professor… why am I getting a Kalos starter?" 

After all, he was from Kanto—shouldn't he be getting a Pokémon from here? 

And yet, from the moment he laid eyes on this Froakie, 

an unexplainable feeling of familiarity and connection rose from deep within him. 

Could this be the same Froakie from his future fate? 

But still—why was Professor Oak giving it to him? 

Kalos starters weren't exactly easy to obtain. 

Professor Oak didn't answer immediately and instead smiled knowingly. 

"Well? Do you like it?" 

"It seems this little Froakie likes you too." 

"You should know—this one was considered a problem Pokémon over in Kalos. Many Trainers couldn't even get it to acknowledge their existence." 

Ash turned his gaze back to Froakie, 

only to find that the Pokémon was still staring at him, unmoving. 

Its eyes held a complex mix of emotions— 

Caution. Vigilance. And… kinship? 

Kinship? 

Ash had only just met Froakie, yet it was already looking at him with familiarity? 

A thought crossed his mind, and he activated his Trait System's scan. 

[Name: Froakie] 

[Gender: Male] 

[Trainer: None] 

[Type: Water] 

[Level: Beginner (Low)] 

[Ability: Battle Bond] 

[Moves: Quick Attack, Bubble, Tackle, Growl] 

[Talent: Champion] 

[Special Move: None] 

[Traits: Bonded Power (Gold), Ninja Mastery (Orange), Exceptional Intellect (Purple), Rapid Leveling (Purple), Water Arts (Purple)] 

[Bonded Power (Gold)]: Grants a unique resonance with Ash, forming a power known as "Bond"— 

- Greatly enhances all stats and overall battle strength. 

- Deepens the emotional link between Froakie and its Trainer. 

- The stronger the bond, the greater the power. 

- If the bond weakens, so does the power. 

[Exceptional Intellect]: (Omitted) 

[Rapid Leveling (Purple)]: Until Elite Four rank, gains experience 80% faster than normal Pokémon. 

[Ninja Mastery (Orange)]: 

- Boosts stealth, agility, and combat techniques by 50%. 

- Learns ninja-style battle tactics more easily. 

[Water Arts (Purple)]: Boosts Water-type moves by 10%. 

---

Looking at these stats and traits, Ash's eyes widened slightly. 

This Froakie… 

It really was THAT Froakie. 

The one that would one day become his Greninja, capable of Battle Bond. 

The one meant to walk this journey alongside him. 

At that moment, Ash smiled. 

"Froakie… I guess we were meant to meet after all, huh?" 

Froakie's expression shifted slightly. 

After a moment— 

It gave a small nod.