Feng Che followed Yue to the clearing. The Poké Ball in his hand was vibrating violently as if the creature inside was trying to stage a prison break.
[Froakie: Let me out! I want to go back to the nursery! I didn't sign up for this!]
"Come out, Froakie!"
Feng Che released the ball, and the blue frog leaped out, landing with an exaggerated limp. It glared at Feng Che with its yellow eyes, pupils narrowed to slits.
[Froakie: Damn human! Are you that desperate for a starter that you'd take a 'cripple' like me? Fine, just you wait...]
Feng Che was about to send out Rookidee to humble the frog, but Litten stepped forward of its own accord. The black kitten puffed out its chest, its yellow eyes locked onto Froakie with predatory intensity.
"Litten? You want to fight?" Feng Che asked.
Litten let out a resonant cry, and its body temperature skyrocketed. Wisps of flame began to lick its fur.
[Froakie: Hah! A Fire-type? Don't you know the basics, kid? Water crushes fire. This is going to be easy.]
"Froakie," Feng Che shouted. "I'll use Litten against you. If I win, you join my team properly and follow my orders. If I lose, I'll release you back to the nursery to be 'king' of the pond again. Deal?"
[Froakie: This human is either a saint or a fool. Either way, I'm winning this. I miss my rock and my fan-wavers. But... wait. This Litten looks weird. It's too... hot.]
Froakie's eyes darted around, looking for an escape route or an advantage. He really is 'salty' to the extreme, Feng Che thought.
Froakie struck first. It reached for the frubbles on its back and launched a barrage of sticky bubbles at Litten. Litten leaped gracefully, the foam missing its tail by inches.
But Froakie wasn't done. It suddenly spat three simultaneous Water Guns from different angles.
[Froakie: My secret technique: Precision Snipe! No one escapes this!]
Precision Snipe? Feng Che was stunned. That was a high-level technique taught only by specialized masters in Hoenn. This frog's talent is terrifying.
The water jets tracked Litten like homing missiles, soaking its left shoulder, forehead, and tail. Litten hissed, its fur matted and dripping. It panted, looking nearly exhausted.
"Litten, stay calm!" Feng Che commanded. "Control the furnace inside you. Focus all that energy on your opponent!"
Suddenly, Litten's pupils dilated. A massive surge of fire erupted from its body. It clawed at the ground irritably, suppressing the raw power within.
[Froakie: Holy—! That cat's eyes! Why does it look like it wants to eat my soul? Maybe the outside world is too dangerous for a frog like me...]
This frog is so cowardly it's almost impressive, Feng Che sighed.
Froakie, panicking, conjured two spinning spheres of water—Water Pulse—but they were shaped into perfect, compressed spirals.
"Using Water Pulse like a Rasengan? Incredible control," Feng Che noted.
Froakie threw the spheres. "Litten, use Flame Charge! Pour your anger into this strike!"
Litten's flames turned from red to a searing cyan blue. The heat was so intense it felt like the air itself was combusting. When the Water Pulses hit Litten, they didn't even drench it—they instantly vaporized into thick clouds of steam.
Litten burst through the mist, its glowing eyes fixed on Froakie. The frog staggered back, feeling its skin start to blister just from the proximity.
[Froakie: This isn't a Pokémon! It's a lava demon! Is this what happens when you have a trainer?!]
Froakie didn't wait for the impact. It dropped to its belly, prostrating itself before Feng Che and using its white frubbles to fashion a tiny white flag.
[Froakie: I yield! I yield! You're the boss! Please don't let the cat eat me!]
"Welcome to the team, Froakie," Feng Che said, recalling the frog into its ball. He then picked up the exhausted Litten, who purred weakly before falling asleep in his arms.
In the distance.
"I told you, One-Eye," Shengmu whispered, lowering his binoculars. "That trainer has a Fire-type that produces cyan flames. Even your Houndoom would struggle. We wait."
"But the reward—" One-Eye started.
"The reward is no good if we're ash. My intel says Rocket is planning a raid on the Celadon Gym soon. They'll pull the guards from this shop to help. That's when we strike."
Behind the Shop.
Rocket grunts Kotaro and Xiangtai watched the smoke from the clearing.
"Should we report that fire?" Xiangtai asked.
"Nah," Kotaro yawned. "Just some rookie showing off his new starter. Probably just a charmander getting overexcited. Wake me up if something actually happens."
Unbeknownst to them, the "rookie" they were dismissing was already weaving a net that would catch both the assassins and the Rocket traitors alike.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 50 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.