"What's going on with those two Froakie?"
As he spoke, Chen Shi pointed toward the two Froakie who seemed completely out of place compared to the others, curiosity filling his eyes.
Unlike the other Froakie happily playing nearby, those two were quietly training by themselves off to the side.
Again and again, they launched attacks toward a distant boulder.
Their small bodies continuously leaped and swung across the grass. Though their movements still looked somewhat immature, they carried an unmistakable determination and persistence.
Even though they were already panting heavily from exhaustion, neither showed any intention of stopping.
They simply gritted their teeth and continued training stubbornly.
That unwillingness to give up was strangely moving.
Professor Sycamore followed the direction Chen Shi pointed toward.
The moment his gaze landed on the two Froakie, a complicated expression flashed through his eyes.
There was sympathy there.
But also admiration.
"Those two Froakie were returned by traveling Trainers."
"They've already lived here in the laboratory for a very long time."
"Perhaps because they were abandoned once before…"
"…they've constantly been training themselves, hoping to become stronger and prove they aren't inferior to the others of their kind."
Professor Sycamore spoke slowly, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness.
"Why?"
Cynthia looked at the two Froakie with obvious curiosity and confusion before asking softly.
"Yeah."
"Why were those two Froakie returned?"
Steven also became interested and carefully observed the pair.
At first glance, the two Froakie appeared perfectly healthy and energetic.
Their eyes were sharp and spirited.
Their bodies were well-developed, with smooth muscular lines that clearly showed excellent physical condition and decent potential.
And on top of that—
They trained this diligently on their own initiative.
Logically speaking, Froakie like these should've been very popular among Trainers.
So why were they returned?
It truly didn't make sense.
Professor Sycamore sighed softly before explaining:
"Because these two Froakie… don't have Abilities."
"No Abilities?!"
Everyone cried out in shock while staring at the hardworking Froakie with expressions full of pity.
Abilities were an essential trait for every Pokémon.
Without one, a Pokémon was naturally born inferior to others.
No wonder they had been abandoned by Trainers.
Professor Sycamore nodded slightly.
"That's right."
"And speaking of it, these two Froakie are actually siblings."
"Perhaps because of some unknown issue, something ended up missing from their genetics, which caused them to lose their Abilities."
"At the very least, that's my current theory."
"I should also mention that Froakie normally possess two possible Abilities."
"One is Torrent."
"The other is the Hidden Ability Protean."
"You should all know both of them are extremely powerful Abilities."
"Unfortunately…"
"…these two possess neither."
"And that's the reason they were returned by Trainers."
"What a shame…"
Steven shook his head.
Without Abilities, these Pokémon were naturally born weaker than others.
To put it bluntly—
They were disabled Pokémon.
Even if their talent was decent, the League's chosen Trainers receiving starter Pokémon would never seriously consider them.
After all—
There were plenty of Froakie just as talented without any defects.
So why choose two flawed Pokémon instead?
Chen Shi quietly listened without expressing any opinion.
Instead, he secretly activated his system scan.
A virtual panel immediately appeared before his eyes, displaying the complete data of both Froakie.
Pokémon: Froakie
Level: 20
Potential: Champion
Ability: Battle Bond
Gender: Male
...
Note: Unable to evolve due to emotional trauma.
Pokémon: Froakie
Level: 19
Potential: Champion
Ability: Battle Bond
Gender: Female
...
Note: Unable to evolve due to emotional trauma.
"Holy shit!"
Chen Shi's eyes widened instantly.
The shock inside him became almost impossible to describe.
He could only curse violently inside his mind.
What the hell was this?!
These two Froakie actually both possessed Battle Bond?!
And Professor Sycamore called this having no Ability?!
An enormous storm erupted inside Chen Shi's heart as he stared at the two Froakie with blazing intensity.
Ash-Greninja!
Chen Shi had always known there were legends surrounding Greninja within Kalos.
And combined with Ash's Greninja in the future—
Everything pointed toward one fact:
The Greninja line was extremely special.
Among them existed a tiny number capable of possessing the Battle Bond Ability.
It was simply so unbelievably rare that only scattered legends remained.
Yet today—
He had actually encountered two Froakie possessing Battle Bond.
And to make things even crazier—
They had both been abandoned.
"Chen Shi, what's wrong?"
Seeing the excitement on his face, Professor Sycamore asked in confusion.
Chen Shi swallowed hard before turning toward him.
"Professor…"
"What are you planning to do with these two Froakie in the future?"
Although Chen Shi desperately wanted to catch the two Froakie immediately, he couldn't just blurt it out without restraint.
He first needed to know Professor Sycamore's plans for them.
In his mind, Professor Sycamore probably didn't have any good solution either.
Most likely, the laboratory would simply continue raising them in the backyard indefinitely.
And if that happened—
Chen Shi could naturally take the opportunity to request them himself.
Sure enough, things unfolded exactly as he expected.
Professor Sycamore thought for a moment before replying:
"I don't really have any good plans for them right now."
"I doubt any Trainer would be willing to take them."
"So for now, they'll probably just continue living here."
"Fortunately, the laboratory can still afford to feed them."
Chen Shi suppressed his excitement with difficulty.
"Then…"
"…could you let me take them?"
"You want to take them?"
Professor Sycamore looked at him in surprise before immediately asking:
"Are you planning to research the reason their Abilities disappeared?"
"I honestly think you shouldn't waste your effort."
"I already researched them before."
"All their physical indicators are perfectly normal. Nothing unusual at all."
"My theory about missing genetic fragments is ultimately still just speculation."
Professor Sycamore kindly warned him.
Chen Shi shook his head repeatedly.
"No, Professor."
"I don't want to bring them back for research."
"I want to catch them."
"You want to catch them?!"
This time, Professor Sycamore was genuinely shocked.
Earlier, he had already explained everything clearly.
These two Froakie had no Abilities.
Although their potential was still quite good—
Without Abilities, they were naturally disadvantaged in battle.
Even beginner Trainers didn't want Pokémon like these.
So why would someone like Chen Shi—
A genius widely considered the strongest among the younger generation—
Specifically choose these two Froakie?
Professor Sycamore simply couldn't understand it.
Chen Shi's tone became incredibly firm.
"That's right, Professor."
"I want to catch them."
...…
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