To better communicate with this clearly off-kilter system girl, Satoshi decided to return home first.
Thankfully, he'd stayed calm just now, or Furiko—speaking with that weird, chirpy tone—really might've startled him.
Raichu was sunbathing outside. Satoshi turned his attention back to Furiko.
As for the system girl, Miss Furiko, well… that really was her name. Satoshi wanted to complain, but in the end, he let it go.
His main concern was the process she'd just mentioned—something about a "newbie starter pack."
In a world full of miracles like this one, with such an enormous variety of Pokémon, capturing strong and rare species required paying a certain price.
That "price" usually came in the form of personal growth. For example, students who achieved top marks in high school could earn access to the Ecological Dome, a facility where they were allowed to catch Pokémon.
Otherwise, catching powerful Pokémon in the city was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Here, being a Pokémon Trainer was the most sought-after profession. Following the normal routes, getting strong Pokémon was virtually impossible.
"Furiko… what exactly is this starter pack?"
Sitting down on a bench, Satoshi flipped through an old photo album for familiarity's sake as he spoke with Furiko.
His memories still weren't fully back, so he multitasked as best he could. Though honestly, there was a particular Pokémon he wanted…
Toucannon!
Back in the Scarlet and Violet era, it had the highest appearance rate in both Singles and Doubles. The one true god of competitive battling!
[It's a Pokémon egg, of course~ You'll pick your very first partner to hatch and raise~!]
Miss Furiko's cheerful explanation was brimming with delight, steadily fueling Satoshi's excitement. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, and his emotions surged.
The "first partner" referred to the regional starters—plus Pikachu and Eevee.
If he could choose a proper starter, the road to becoming a Pokémon Master would be a lot smoother.
"Furiko, you're honestly the best system in the world."
Satoshi couldn't help but smile.
[Ehehe~ Don't flatter me, Satoshi~♡]
What an awful voice…
Yup, my system's definitely not right in the head.
Silently roasting her in his mind, Satoshi sank into thought.
If it came to picking a starter, of course he wanted a strong one.
To be frank, only a few of the starters were really viable.
Take, for instance, the infamous "Wolfey"—Incineroar!
"Incineroar's a no."
But the moment he thought of it, Satoshi rejected it outright.
In this world, Singles battles were especially popular. And in Singles, Incineroar just didn't cut it. So he ruled it out immediately.
His real options were limited—maybe Rillaboom, Serperior, or one of the stronger Water-types.
Greninja…
The name popped unbidden into Satoshi's mind. But the Ash-Greninja variant with [Battle Bond] wasn't exactly legal.
He was a magic... what's his name again? Doesn't he know that?
[Battle Bond] Greninja?
Was that even allowed?
In the original games, the only way to get one was through a special Sun & Moon distribution. Normally, you couldn't obtain a Froakie with [Battle Bond] at all.
"Furiko, can I choose a Froakie with the [Battle Bond] ability, but without the transformation?"
Satoshi flipped to the next page of his photo album as he asked.
[Battle Bond]: After defeating a single opponent, it transforms into Ash-Greninja.
But in Gen 9, it had been changed: Defeating one opponent now raises Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by one stage. The effect only activates once per battle.
It lost the cool transformation, but in exchange, it gained much faster offensive momentum in Scarlet and Violet.
To be honest, Satoshi wasn't sure whether the transforming Greninja or the non-transforming Battle Bond Greninja was stronger. He hadn't tested it on the ladder before, so he couldn't say.
But as someone devoted to competitive power and meta strength, he didn't hesitate—he'd take the non-transforming[Battle Bond] Greninja.
[...Host, are you even sane?! What's the point of a Battle Bond Greninja that doesn't transform?!]
Miss Furiko was furious!
"Hmm?"
[It looks cool, duh! Don't you get it?! That Ash-Greninja even made it through the revival bracket! How could you not pick Battle Bond Greninja?!]
Furiko's voice rang out in his head like an alarm bell.
So annoying…
But stylish, huh? …Can't really argue with that.
Satoshi's heart wavered slightly.
That shift came from his deep understanding of the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. He was beginning to realize that Pokémon weren't just data—they were living, breathing beings in this world.
His time with Raichu earlier proved it to him.
Pokémon weren't just numbers. Their true strength came from emotional bonds and mutual understanding with their Trainers.
No matter which Pokémon he chose, what truly mattered was trust, resonance, and respect. That was the source of true power.
"I get it. In that case… I'll go with Froakie."
[Yay, Satoshi! LOVE~♡]
Furiko's emotional squeal echoed in his mind—and with it, a glowing Pokémon egg slowly descended from above. Sparkling with light, it was as if the heavens themselves were offering him a miracle. Satoshi's eyes lit up with excitement. He stretched out his hands and caught it gently.
He didn't stop there. Holding the egg, he began pacing back and forth across his room.
Walking in loops, letting the egg sway in his warm embrace.
An old egg-hatching pro.
He didn't have [Flame Body], nor a certain motorcycle that could run laps, but this was his first time hatching a Pokémon egg in the real world. The joy and satisfaction in his heart glowed like spring sunlight—warm and bright.
He could feel the life stirring inside the egg, and that only deepened his happiness.
Crack—
After a while, the egg finally began to split. Tiny sounds echoed as a crack appeared in the shell.
"Kero?"
A tiny Froakie poked its head out from the opening. Satoshi instantly reached out to welcome it.
"Nice to meet you, Froakie."
"Kero~ kero~" Froakie reached out its little hand in return, eyes full of trust and joy.
Before he knew it, Satoshi had swept it into a tight embrace, heart full of the Froakie's life and vitality.
But the tender moment didn't last long. After about 30 minutes of playing happily with his new partner…
[Host, I hate to interrupt you—really I do.]
Furiko's voice snapped Satoshi out of his trance.
"What is it?"
[Well… class is about to start. If you're late, you'll lose participation points.]
"...Huh?! Oh crap!"
Panic hit him like a Thunderbolt. He glanced at the clock—7:50 AM.
He threw on his shoes, placed Froakie on his shoulder, scooped up Raichu, and bolted toward the school.
"Kero?"
"Rai?!"
To challenge Gyms, he had to compete in the High School League. But with his current ranking points, he couldn't even qualify. That's why he was so desperate.
Even in his rush, he couldn't help but smile.
This is the first step toward chasing my dream.
From today on, he'd walk the path to becoming a Pokémon Master—with his partners by his side.
What Satoshi didn't realize… was that a girl had been watching him closely from behind. She even started running after him, quietly keeping her distance.
"Satoshi… when did you catch that Froakie?"
Nagasaki Soyo watched Satoshi's hurried departure, then glanced at her unwashed hand from the night before, a soft shyness blooming in her gaze.
Oh well, doesn't matter. We shook hands yesterday… today we'll hold hands properly.
---
[Raichu]
Type: Electric
Ability: Lightning Rod
Moves: Nuzzle, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt
[Froakie]
Type: Water
Ability: Battle Bond (?)
Moves: Icy Wind, Protect, Quick Attack, Water Pulse