Pokémon – Thunder Yellow
Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader
Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri
Chapter 5: The Boy and the Frog – Part 2
Typically, when a Wild Pokémon is about to captured by a Pokémon Trainer, two things are guaranteed to happen. Either the Pokémon in question will do everything within their power to escape or will simply submit and accept its fate. Those were the only choices they had and it was that single choice that would that would forever determine how the Pokémon lived its life going forward. This was the case for many Wild Pokémon, but none more important than the Masked Pokémon of Viridian City.
With its back against the wall, the Masked Pokémon found itself surrounded as it struggled to stay on its feet. This was due, in no small part, to the machinations of a man named Bruce, who was accompanied by two of the Masked Pokémon's enemies, Mankey and Nidoran, as well as another Pokémon named Koffing. Normally, Mankey and Nidoran would pose no threat to the Masked Pokémon due to the fact that they were simply weaker than it. However, that wasn't the case this time around.
Somehow, Mankey and Nidoran have grown incredibly strong. Their growth seemed so sudden, so unnatural, that the Masked Pokémon wondered if they were the same bullies that it always has to deal with on a daily basis. Not only that, but the two of them also learned some new attacks. Those attacks only made them more powerful, especially Mankey's Thunder Punch, which literally sent the Masked Pokémon flying. All of those things, as well as Koffing's involvement, made this a battle like no other. However, it wasn't over yet as Bruce made its way towards the Masked Pokémon, pulling out an empty PokéBall as he did so.
As this mysterious man in black enlarged the ball and prepared to throw it, the Masked Pokémon tried its best to move out of the way and create some distance. Unfortunately, while attempting to do so, the Pokémon suddenly felt another pain jolt of electricity run through its entire body. This electricity, which came about when Mankey struck it with its Thunder Punch attack, ended up paralyzing the Masked Pokémon, making it extremely difficult to move. Because of that, all it could was watch as Bruce went on to throw the empty PokéBall at it.
As it watched the ball approach it, the Masked Pokémon tried once more to force its body to move so that it could get out of the way, but was still paralyzed by Mankey's attack. Because of that, the little Pokémon angrily cursed itself before closing its eyes and preparing itself for what was to come. However, just as the ball was about to reach its intended target, something occurred that completely changed the entire situation.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"
From out of nowhere, a suddenly burst of electricity shot up and zapped the oncoming PokéBall, knocking it away. Shortly after that, another blast of electricity appeared and separated Bruce and its allies away from the Masked Pokémon. Upon hearing all of this commotion, the Masked Pokémon slowly opened its eyes, wondering what was going on. Once it did, it was utterly shocked to see two individuals standing in front of it, two individuals that it already seen before.
"…I'm not quite sure what's going on here, but don't you think you're taking this a bit too far?"
As the Masked Pokémon continued to look on, it watched as both Takashi Nakamura and his partner Pikachu were protecting it from this assault. Having just managed to arrive on the scene, the two of them instantly decided to intervene and stop this before it got any worse. This greatly surprised the Masked Pokémon as it never expected that it would be rescued by the two of them. It then watched as Takashi gently turned his head towards it, giving the little one a reassuring smile as he did so.
When the Masked Pokémon saw that smile it immediately understood what Takashi was trying to convey to it. Even though this battle had nothing to do with him, Takashi simply couldn't stand by and allow this beating to take place. Not only that, but both he and Pikachu wanted to pay the Masked Pokémon back for the help they received when they dealt with both Mankey and Nidoran the other day. This smile was meant to show the Masked Pokémon that, which only ended up surprising it even more.
Meanwhile, while all of this was going on, Bruce was busy looking on at Takashi with a silent expression on his face. He then glanced over towards Mankey and Nidoran and saw that the two of them were clearly upset by his and Pikachu's appearance. Although he wondered why that was the case, Bruce quickly put those thought aside for now. He then turned his attention back towards Takashi, glaring at him slightly.
"Pardon me…" He said in a cold tone of voice. "But may I ask what you're doing?"
"Isn't it obvious…?" Takashi replied. "I'm stopping you from beating on this little guy."
Having already seen this earlier today with Froakie, Takashi was very upset that another Pokémon was being ganged up on. This caused him to glare at Bruce, knowing that he was the one responsible for all of this. However, upon seeing his glare, Bruce simply let out a rather annoying chuckle. Hearing him laugh like that only ended up angering Takashi even more, causing him to clinch his fists in frustration. Once Bruce finally stopped laughing, he looked back over towards the young Pokémon Trainer.
"Listen here, young man. It's obvious to me that you're a brand new Pokémon Trainer and that you believe that all battles should be fought fair and square. Unfortunately…that's simply not how the world works. If you want to become the very best that no one ever was…and if you want capture any Pokémon that you set your sights on…then you're going to have to bend the rules. It may not be pleasant…but that's simply how it is."
As Bruce continued talking, Takashi noticed that both Nidoran and Koffing were coming towards him and Pikachu in opposite directions. He also saw that Mankey was preparing to make its way towards the Masked Pokémon, who was slowly picking itself back up. It was clear to him that a battle was about to take place and so he braced himself for what was about to happen.
"So…why don't you be a good boy and leave," Bruce suggested to Takashi. "If you don't then I may have to get a little rough."
"…Is that so?" Takashi took a deep breath, gathering all of his nerves as he did so. Once he excelled, he glared sternly at Bruce. "Then I'm truly sorry…but you're going to have to get rough with me!"
With his desire to stay and fight clearly known, Takashi planted both his feet onto the ground, showing Bruce that he had no intention of leaving. Pikachu also went on to display its own desire to fight, letting out several small sparks of electricity from the sacs on its cheeks. When he saw that, Bruce simply shook his head in disappointment. He then went on to signal to Mankey, Nidoran, and Koffing.
"Fine then…but don't cry to me when this is over."
After raising his right arm high into the air, Bruce suddenly slammed it back down, causing Nidoran and Koffing to make its way towards Pikachu. At the same time, Mankey started dashing towards the Masked Pokémon, intending to strike it down before it could recover any more of its strength. When he saw that, Takashi realized that he needed to act quickly if he wanted to get out of this situation in one piece. As a result, he glanced over at Pikachu, who went on to do the same.
"Alright buddy…" He said to his partner. "Use Quick Attack!"
Nodding its head in compliance, Pikachu quickly dashed past both Nidoran and Koffing and started making its way towards Mankey. It then tackled the Pig Monkey Pokémon, sending it backwards and allowing Takashi to pick up the Masked Pokémon. Once Pikachu saw that Takashi had it safely in his arms, it then sprinted back over towards Nidoran, knocking it down with a firm tackle as well. The Mouse Pokémon then jumped up and did the same to Koffing, bringing crashing towards the ground as well.
Upon seeing all 3 Pokémon on ground, Takashi let out a small sigh of relief as Pikachu was able to create some space. He then decided to use the old strategy of divide and conquer, knowing full well that he can't defeat all 3 of them at the same time. With that in mind, Takashi proceeded to focus his attention on Koffing first, as it was the one Pokémon of the 3 that he knew nothing about. Fortunately, he then went on to pull out his PokéDex so that he could remedy that problem.
"Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokémon," The PokéDex stated. "The gases that fill Koffing's body are extremely toxic. When it's under attack, it releases this poisonous gas from jets on its surface. Koffing is a Poison-Type Pokémon."
Once his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi quickly placed it back into his pocket before focusing all of his attention back on Koffing. As he stared at the Pokémon, the young Trainer noticed Koffing was letting out small puffs of toxic fumes from the holes surroundings its body. Just looking at them made him realized that he couldn't afford to let Pikachu get close, lest it get poisoned. Because of that, he decided that the best course of action was to fight from a distance.
"Pikachu…use Thunder Shock!"
Nodding its head, Pikachu unleashed a powerful zap of electricity from its cheeks and directed it towards Koffing. However, despite the fact that the attack was coming towards it, Koffing didn't seem too worried. The same was true for Bruce, who simply snickered to himself.
"Koffing, use Smog!" He declared.
Upon hearing Bruce's command, Koffing took in a deep breath, causing its body to expand until it was double in size. It then exhaled, unleashing a black smoke from the holes on its body. This smoke went on to absorb Pikachu's electrical attack, rendering it powerless. After that, the smoke then proceeded to make its way over to Pikachu, greatly worrying it's Trainer.
"Pikachu, you have to jump back!" Takashi told it.
"I don't think so! Nidoran, use Poison Sting!"
Pikachu prepared to jump back in order to distance itself from Koffing's black smoke. However, just as the Mouse Pokémon was about to do so, Nidoran suddenly appeared behind it and began firing a barrage of poisonous needles from its mouth. When Takashi saw this, he instantly realized that Bruce had already anticipated his divide and conquer strategy and rendered it ineffective by having Koffing and Nidoran attack together. As a result, Pikachu was cornered and Takashi wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this situation.
Fortunately for Pikachu, just before it was struck by Koffing and Nidoran's combined attacks, a barrage of bubbles suddenly appeared and intercepted the blow. Thanks to this, Koffing's smoke cloud disappeared and Nidoran's needles were successfully blocked. At first, Takashi was confused as he wasn't sure where those bubbles came from. However, after feeling something move around in his arms, he immediately discovered the answer.
Despite being injured, the Masked Pokémon was still determined to fight and wasn't about to sit around and allow Takashi and Pikachu to fight its battles. Because of that, it used its Bubble attack to shield the Mouse Pokémon, paying it back for when Pikachu shield it from being caught by Bruce's PokéBall. This caused Takashi to let a small smile before turning his attention back towards the battle.
"Pikachu…!" He called. "Use Quick Attack on Koffing!"
Complying too Takashi's order, Pikachu took a deep breath before dashing towards Koffing at an incredible speed. Before the Poison Gas Pokémon had time to react, it was already sent flying due to force of Pikachu's assault.
"Now use Thunder Shock!"
"Koffing, use Gyro Ball!" Bruce ordered swiftly.
After bouncing off the wall, Koffing started spinning its body rapidly as it began making its way towards Pikachu. Fortunately for the Mouse Pokémon it was able to easily avoid the attack by sidestepping the other way. It then went on to fire another blast of electricity from its cheek, which this time was able to connect with its intended target. Because of that, Koffing fell face first on the ground, unable to continue the battle.
When Bruce saw this, the calm and collected look that was on his face was beginning to give way to one of anger and annoyance. He then turned his attention towards Nidoran, silently telling the Pokémon that it better not fail like Koffing just did. Nidoran, upon seeing that look, instantly got the message and started firing another barrage of its Poison Sting attack. This prompted Pikachu to jump out of the way of the way before preparing itself to combat the Poison Pin Pokémon.
"Nidoran, use Horn Attack!"
Locking on to its target, Nidoran started running towards Pikachu with its horn aimed directly at it. Due to its greater speed, Pikachu was able to avoid the initial strike, but Nidoran refused to let it end there. The Poison-Type Pokémon continued on with its assault, gradually pushing Pikachu back until it was trapped in a corner. Once Nidoran saw that, it then gave one last charge, certain that this time its horn will hit its target.
At the last moment however, Takashi watched as the Masked Pokémon suddenly escaped from his grasp and quickly made its way towards Nidoran. It then struck it in the side of the head with its Pound attack, causing Nidoran to stumble and crash into a wall. Not only that, but as it attempted to recover, Nidoran discovered that its horn was stuck in the wall, rendering it unable to move. Seeing that gave Takashi the opportunity he needed.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock before it can escape!"
Once again, Pikachu fired off another blast of electricity from the electric sacs on its cheek. At the same time, the Masked Pokémon also went on to fire another barrage of bubbles from its mouth. Both attack quickly made their way towards Nidoran, connecting and dealing the Poison-Type a significant amount of damage. By the time it finally managed to free itself from the wall, all Nidoran could do was angrily look towards both Pikachu and the Masked Pokémon before falling on the ground and passing out.
With 2 of the 3 Pokémon now defeated, Takashi let out a huge sigh of relief as now the battle was almost over. Pikachu went on to do the same thing as it was clearly exhausted from having to deal with 2 opponents at once. However, as it continued to catch its breath, Pikachu failed to notice that Mankey was right behind it, ready to strike it down with a powerful Thunder Punch attack. When the Masked Pokémon saw this it quickly pushed Pikachu out of the way, taking the full brunt of Mankey's attack as a result.
When Takashi saw this, the young man was utterly shocked and instantly ran towards the fallen Pokémon as it skidded across the hard ground. Once he finally reached it, Takashi saw that the Masked Pokémon was gravely injured from Mankey's attack, so much so that the damage it sustained even caused its mask to begin to fall off. When it did, Takashi's shock only grew as he recognized the Pokémon that he was looking at.
"…Froakie…?"
Indeed, the infamous Masked Pokémon of Viridian City was the same Froakie that Takashi and Pikachu met at Haru's bread shop. Although a part of him suspected this, given the fact that the Masked Pokémon and Froakie had the same attack and battled almost identically, Takashi was still very surprised. He then watched as Froakie started to slowly open its eyes as it was obviously in a great amount of pain.
The Bubble Frog noticed that Mankey was making its way towards it, determined to finish the battle between them. Although it was in no condition to battle, Froakie stood up and prepared to face its rival. Seeing this prompted Pikachu to attempt to step in and assist, but Froakie simply stopped it by throwing a piece of its Frubbles by the Electric-Type's feet. It then shook its head in disapproval, silently telling Pikachu not to interfere. Froakie then went on to do the same to Takashi, telling him the same thing.
Once that was taken care of, Froakie slowly made its way towards Mankey and the two Pokémon renewed their battle. As he looked on, Takashi wondered if he was doing the right thing by letting Froakie fight all by itself. However, he didn't have enough time to think about that as he suddenly heard the sound of a PokéBall expanding. This prompted him to turn his head and saw that Bruce was busy gripping a PokéBall in his right hand. Not only that, but he was also giving Takashi a vicious look, something that frightened the young Pokémon Trainer.
"You brat…!" Bruce said, shaking his arm violently as he did. "I warned you not to get in my way...but you simply wouldn't listen. Now…You're going to pay the price for your insolence!"
With his mind set on utterly destroying Takashi now, Bruce threw the PokéBall that he was gripping and watched as a blast of light energy suddenly erupted from it. Once the energy took shape, Takashi was stunned by the sudden appearance of a large snake-like Pokémon with purple skin, yellow eyes, and a rattle at the end of its tail. Having never seen a Pokémon like it before, Takashi quickly pulled out his PokéDex, hoping that it would tell him who it was.
"Ekans, the Snake Pokémon," The PokéDex stated. "When Ekans rests, it coils its long body up into a spiral. In this position, it can quickly raise its head to challenge a foe. Ekans is a Poison-Type Pokémon."
After his PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi watched as Ekans quietly gave Pikachu and frightening glare. Just looking at it caused shivers to run down the Mouse Pokémon's entire body. Takashi felt the same way, shaking slightly as Ekans slowly unwrapped its long body and began slithering its way towards Pikachu. Upon seeing that, Takashi's fear quickly grew in intensity, prompting him to act before Ekans got any closer.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock right now!"
At the very instant it heard Takashi's command, Pikachu fired off another blast of electricity and directed straight at Ekans. However, the Snake Pokémon easily avoided the attack thanks to the unique way it slithered its body around. Once it got close enough, Ekans lifted its body up and started towering over Pikachu, making the Mouse Pokémon seem even smaller by comparison.
"Ekans, use Acid!" Bruce demanded.
"Pikachu get out of the way."
Reacting first, Pikachu quickly jumped high into air just as Ekans proceeded to spit up a strange yellow liquid from its mouth. At first, the liquid didn't seem all that powerful to Takashi, causing him to wonder if he was overacting a little. Unfortunately, after noticing that ground before him was beginning to erode due to Ekans's attack, Takashi realized that he was right to be afraid earlier. He then kept on his toes, wondering what other tricks this venomous snake had of its sleeve.
"Now Ekans, use Bite attack!"
Nodding its head, Ekans locked onto Pikachu just as the Mouse Pokémon landed back onto the ground. It then lunged at it, causing Pikachu to back up and try and distance itself. However, no matter how hard it attempted to do so, Pikachu wasn't able to distance itself as Ekans simply kept on coming. As a result, Pikachu soon found itself stuck into a corner, leaving itself wide open for Ekans to strike.
With nowhere else to go and Ekans once again preparing to attack, Pikachu realized that the only thing it could do was move forward. With that in mind, Pikachu waited until it saw Ekans lunge towards it again. It then used its Quick Attack to narrowly avoid Ekans fangs and make a break for some open space. Unfortunately, just when it seemed that Pikachu finally managed to create some distance, Bruce simply let out an evil snicker.
"Ekans…Wrap!"
Without even needing to look back, Ekans used the end of its tail to trip up Pikachu and cause it to fall face first onto the ground. The Snake Pokémon then quickly approached the fallen Pikachu and proceeded to wrap its entire body around it, squeezing it as tightly as it could. Right away, the Mouse Pokémon found it incredibly hard to breathe, let alone move, as Ekans's grip only grew tighter as time passed by. This greatly concerned Takashi, as he knew that Pikachu couldn't withstand this for much longer.
While this was going on, Froakie was continuing its own battle with Mankey. For time, the Bubble Frog Pokémon managed to hold its own against its opponent, but it was clear that its injuries were hampering it. With each attack it avoided, Froakie would only lose what little strength it had remaining. This resulted in its movements becoming even slower than usual, allowing Mankey to gradually injure Froakie bit by bit. Eventually, things reached the point where Froakie simply found it too hard to even stand up, falling to its knees as a result.
When Mankey saw this, a fiendish smile quickly grew upon its face. For months now it had to deal with the humiliation of constantly being defeated by Froakie, but now things were finally different. This time, Mankey was the one on top and the Pig Monkey Pokémon was going to make sure that it stayed that way. With that, Mankey covered its fist with electricity again and prepared to finish things with one last Thunder Punch. However, just as it was about to do so.
"Ekans, finish this off with Poison Sting!"
As Mankey prepared to strike down its hated foe, Froakie looked over towards Pikachu and saw that it was still stuck within Ekans's grip. It then watched as the Snake Pokémon prepared to fire off a large barrage of poisonous needles from its mouth. Knowing that Pikachu wouldn't be able to withstand an attack like that from such a range, Froakie decided that it needed to act now if it wanted to save its new ally.
With that in mind, the Bubble Frog Pokémon grabbed a piece of its Frubbles and threw it at Mankey, blinding it and causing its attack to miss. Once Froakie saw that it then used all of its strength to quickly make its way over to Pikachu and push it aside, free it from Ekans's grip. However, by doing this, Froakie found itself completely overwhelmed as Ekans's Poison Sting attack struck the Water-Type head on.
"Froakie…No!" Takashi screamed.
Shocked by this sudden turn of events, Takashi quickly ran over towards Froakie just as it fell towards the ground. He then picked it up and saw that Froakie was unconscious and unable to continue battling. This greatly concerned him, prompting him to hold the Bubble Frog Pokémon tightly so that no more harm could be done to it. Unfortunately for Takashi though, Ekans was standing just above, willing to go through him if it meant getting to Froakie.
"It's over for you, brat!" Bruce declared as he got ready to launch the final blow. "Ekans…ends this with another Poison Sting!"
Opening its mouth, Ekans got ready to launch one final assault on both Takashi and Froakie with its poisonous needles. Pikachu, seeing that it's Trainer was in trouble, tried its best to get in him in time, but was simply not fast enough. It seemed like this would be the end for Takashi, prompting him to place his head down while still using his body to shield Froakie. But, just Ekans was about to fire, something occurred that suddenly caused it to stop.
What stopped Ekans's attack was the sound of a very loud siren. When Bruce heard it, the villain instantly recognized as the same siren that police officers use and realized that they were approaching the area. Knowing that he couldn't afford to get himself caught, Bruce angrily pulled out Ekans's PokéBall and promptly returned the Snake Pokémon to it. He then glared at Takashi for a moment before getting ready to flee.
"Let's go, you fools!" He said, talking directly to his Pokémon allies. "We have to go!"
Mankey, stunned that they were running away just when it looked like they were going to win, attempted to protest Bruce's decision. However, after receiving one of Bruce's fierce glares, the Pig Monkey Pokémon eventually relented. It then went over to wake up both Nidoran and Koffing before fleeing the area with Bruce.
Once they were alone, Pikachu quickly rushed over towards Takashi, just as he was beginning to pick himself back up. The two of them then looked over at Froakie, seeing that the Water-Type condition was only worsening as time passed by. As Takashi wondered what he was going to do, a police car suddenly appeared right in front of him and opened its down. He then watched as a beautiful young woman, with light blue hair and wearing police uniform, exited from out of the vehicle.
"Hey kid!" The woman said. "What's going on here?!"
For a moment, Takashi remained speechless as he was still trying to comprehend what just took place. By the time he finally managed to gather his thoughts together, the young Trainer stared directly at the police officer with an extremely worried look on his face.
"Help…!" He said. "Please! I need to get this Froakie some help!"
Hours following the incident at the main city block, Takashi and his Pikachu were busy sitting in the waiting room inside of the Viridian City Pokémon Center. As they sat down, a bandaged Pikachu looked over towards Takashi and noticed that he seemed very sad. Knowing full well what was on his mind, the Mouse Pokémon attempted to comfort him as best as it could. When he saw this, Takashi let out a small smile and proceeded to gently pet the top of Pikachu's head. However, once he finished doing so, the young man face returned to its previous expression as he placed his head towards the ground and started thinking to himself.
He thought about the police officer that he encountered shortly after his battle against Bruce. She revealed to him that her name was Jenny and that she was the chief of police of all the officers within Viridian City. Having heard of the disturbance that was taking place at the city block, Jenny decided to investigate the situation and that's when she happened across Takashi. However, as he was the only one present at the time, Jenny wrongly assumed that Takashi was the only responsible for what happened and was prepared to arrest him as a result.
Fortunately for Takashi though, someone else was there to vouch for his innocent. That someone was none other than the jewelry store owner that was being assaulted by Mankey and its friends. Having watched the battle from behind his desk, the owner explained to Officer Jenny that Takashi was attempting to help fight off the ones responsible with the help of the mysterious Masked Pokémon. Upon hearing this, Jenny immediately apologized to Takashi for her wrongful assumption and on to assist him on getting Froakie some help.
The two of them quickly made their way over to the Pokémon Center, where they met up with Nurse Joy and pleaded with to help Froakie. Upon seeing the Water-Type's condition, Joy called over her Chansey and the two of them immediately took Froakie over the emergency room. Once they were there, Joy closed the door and began her treatment, forcing Takashi and Pikachu to wait for her to finish.
Following this, after giving Takashi some time to decompress, Officer Jenny approached the young man and questioned about everything that occurred with Bruce. Although there wasn't much he could tell her that she didn't already learn from the store owner, Takashi did his best to answer Jenny's questions. Once she got what she wanted, Jenny thanked the young man and promised him that he would find Bruce and make him pay for what he did. With that, Jenny left the Pokémon Center.
Once they were alone, Takashi and Pikachu waited as Nurse Joy continued on with her treatment. As he did so, Takashi's concern for Froakie's well being made the wait seem much longer to him than it actually was. Not only was Froakie hurt long before he got there to help, but it also got injured further after getting struck by Ekans's Poison Sting, an attack that was originally aimed for Pikachu. This caused the both of them to feel very bad, believing that if they were only stronger, Froakie wouldn't have needed to do what it did.
While Takashi wondered what he could to make things right, Pikachu noticed that the door the door next to them was beginning to open. When it did, the Mouse Pokémon saw that person making their way inside the waiting room was none other than Froakie's friend, Haru. When Takashi saw the old woman, he immediately picked himself up and walked over to her. He attempted to say something, but simply couldn't find the words. However, he didn't need to say anything as Haru already knew what was on the young man's mind.
"…Its okay," She said, placing one hand on Takashi's shoulder. "Froakie's a fighter. It's going to get through this."
As he watched Haru give him a warm smile, Takashi's eyes started to water up a bit. This prompted him to cover them with his arm, trying his best to keep himself from crying in front of her and Pikachu. This caused Haru to smile some more, knowing that Takashi's tears was his way of showing that he cared deeply for Froakie's well being. Because of that, Haru's opinion on Takashi only grew, once again believing that he is the one that she has been looking for.
Soon though, just as Takashi was beginning to get himself together, both he and Haru noticed that someone was beginning to exit from out of the emergency room. This someone was Nurse Joy, who just finished her treatment on Froakie. Upon seeing her, Takashi rushed over towards the nurse and asked her if Froakie was going to be alright. When she saw this, Nurse Joy went on to calm Takashi down before giving him a warm smile.
"Froakie's going to be just fine," She said to him. "It was touch and go for a bit, but things could have been a lot worse if you hadn't brought it here as quickly as you did. So thank you Takashi…Your quick actions saved Froakie's life."
When Takashi heard Nurse Joy say that, the young Trainer wasn't able to contain his emotions any longer. He believed that his actions only resulted in Froakie's suffering, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, it's because he intervened on Froakie's behalf that the Bubble Frog Pokémon is not only safe from capture, but also still alive. Because of that, Takashi started crying as tears started streaming down his face. When they saw this, Nurse Joy, Haru, and even Pikachu went on to comfort Takashi, knowing what he's been through and what he's been feeling.
Sometime later, Nurse Joy had Chansey move Froakie to the Center's recovery room. She then allowed both Takashi and Haru come and stay with the Bubble Frog Pokémon before leaving to tend to the other Pokémon staying at the Center. Once she was gone, Takashi looked over towards Froakie and watched as it slept peacefully on a hospital bed. While doing so, a thought suddenly entered his mind, something he wanted to know ever since he discovered that Froakie was the Masked Pokémon.
"Say…Ms. Haru," He called, looking over towards her. "Why does Froakie goes out of its way to help people…and why does it wear a disguise while doing so?"
Upon hearing his question, Haru took a moment to ponder on it for a while. Even though she's known Froakie for a while it wasn't like she could read its mind and discover what it was really thinking. However, given the Pokémon's overall personality and the way it choices to go about helping people, Haru had an opinion and decided to share it with Takashi.
"Froakie is a very kind Pokémon with a strong sense of justice," She began. "It simply can't bring itself to stand by and watch while someone else is in trouble. It will try and help as best as it can…even if it gets hurt in the process. You should understand this better than anyone Takashi. After all…You and Froakie are a lot alike."
Surprised by Haru's statement, Takashi turned his head for a moment and looked back down at Froakie. As he watched it sleep, he thought about the times the Bubble Frog Pokémon came to his rescue, both in the battle against Bruce and when he first encountered Nidoran and Mankey upon first arriving in Viridian City. He then compared it to how he's unable to sit around and watch injustice unfold right in front him. Even if it's known of their business, both Takashi and Froakie will always fight for those who can't fight for themselves, whether it be people or Pokémon.
"As for why Froakie disguises itself," Haru continued. "I'm not entirely sure. However…I think it's because Froakie doesn't want anyone to recognize it while it searches for it."
"Searching for what?" Takashi questioned.
"For the perfect Pokémon Trainer. I told you before that Froakie is very selective. This is because it was abandoned by its previous Trainer. When I first found it and saw that it had an intense desire to become more powerful, I told Froakie that it couldn't do that by simply relying on its own power. It had to find the perfect Pokémon Trainer, one that it could truly trust, and combine its power with him in order to obtain the strength it desired. However, that's easier said than done."
Haru paused, taking a moment to reflect. She thought about all the times Trainers would come to her bread shop, demanding to battle against Froakie so that they could try and capture it. She also thought about all the times it appeared as the Masked Pokémon, moving the city and looking several more Trainers as it went out on patrol.
"Most Trainers want to capture Froakie either due to its strength or because it's such a rare Pokémon. While that's understandable…it's also very selfish. Froakie wants a Trainer that it can truly rely on, one who will always stand by it no matter how tough things seem. It wants a Trainer who will never give up, both on himself or on his Pokémon. But most importantly…Froakie wants a Trainer that it could truly consider to be its friend."
Once he finished listening to Haru's explanation, Takashi looked back towards Froakie again. He then thought about what happened earlier again. Although he doesn't have all of the details, it seemed to him that Bruce wanted to capture Froakie because of how rare it is in the Kanto Region. The same thing applied to both Marcus and Jack from earlier this afternoon, as well as any other Trainers it fought. All of this time, Froakie has been searching for the right one, the one Pokémon Trainer that it could truly devote its time and effort too. After all this time, one would think that it would give up, but Froakie refused to do so and that greatly impressed Takashi.
Eventually, as time passed by, Takashi noticed that Froakie was beginning to stir a little. He then watched as the little Pokémon slowly began to open his eyes, much his and everyone else's relief. Once it did, Froakie was very surprised by what was going on and attempted to sit up, but found it very difficult due to the amount of pain that it was in. This prompted Takashi to gently place Froakie back onto its bed.
"Take it easy, Froakie," He said to it. "You're going to be alright. Just get some rest."
Reluctant at first, as it still remembered the beating that it received at the hands of Mankey and Ekans, Froakie soon complied after seeing how concerned Takashi is about its well being. As it continued to watch him, the Bubble Frog Pokémon could feel a warm sensation enveloping its entire being. This feeling made it feel both strong and safe, almost like nothing could harm it. Although it wasn't sure why it was feeling this way, Froakie eventually realized that the one causing this sensation was none other than Takashi.
When the two of them first met one another, Froakie was able to instantly tell that Takashi was very different from the other Trainers that it encountered. There was something about this young man that drew the Water-Type to him and although Froakie wasn't entirely sure why that was, it didn't seem to mind all that much. What was important that both he and Pikachu were alright and as long as that was the case, Froakie didn't mind getting injured.
Soon, after insisting that it was truly beginning to feel better, Froakie sat up and started interacting with both Takashi and Pikachu. As she watched this, Haru smiled as she's never seen Froakie interact with another Trainer so openly before. Normally, the Water-Type would simply keep to itself, only responding when it's either patrolling the city or being challenged by another Trainer. Even Haru, the one who's been taking care of Froakie since they first met, doesn't get much a response out it, only receiving silent nods. So the fact that Froakie is slowly starting to bond with Takashi not only made Haru very happy, but it also made her consider something.
"Takashi…" She called.
"Yes ma'am," The young man replied.
"Earlier today I wanted you to do something for me…but we were interrupted by what happened at the city block. Now with that over, I think the time has come for me to make my request."
Glancing over at Froakie for a moment, Haru gently petted its head before looking over at Takashi and Pikachu. As she did so, the old woman smiled at the two of them as she could tell that they were a perfect fit for one another. This made her truly believe that Takashi was indeed the one that both she and Froakie have been searching for, prompting Haru to make her request.
"If you're willing…would you ple-"
Once again, just as Haru was about to finish stating her request, a loud noise suddenly erupted and stopped her. Recognizing the sound as a police siren, Takashi sat up and began walking over towards a nearby window. Upon looking through it, the young Trainer saw several police cars racing towards the site of large pillar of smoke. Just seeing that smoke gave Takashi a strong sense of Déjà vu, causing him to realize what was going on here.
"He's back…"
Clinching his fist in anger, Takashi knew what was going on here. That pillar of smoke was coming from Koffing, which meant that Bruce was back and was causing trouble again. He also knew that Bruce was trying to draw Froakie out again, knowing that it will come if he and his Pokémon allies make enough trouble. This angered Takashi, prompting him to act before Bruce manages to cause any more trouble. With that he looked over towards Pikachu, who instantly got the message and jumped onto his shoulder in response.
Once Pikachu was settled, Takashi prepared to leave the Pokémon Center in order to confront Bruce before the police did. Haru, knowing what they were planning, considered stopping them before they did something extremely reckless. However, after looking into the eyes of both of them, the old woman quickly realized how pointless that would be.
As she already stated, Takashi is the type of person who will not stand by and let injustice occur. If there's someone in trouble, Takashi will try to help them and if there's someone causing trouble, Takashi will try to stop them. It was that simple and there was nothing Haru could but to stand by and allow him to leave. Unfortunately, there was one who didn't feel the exact same way.
Just as Takashi and Pikachu were about to leave, something suddenly struck the both of them in the back of their heads. Turning around they see that it was Froakie throwing its Frubbles at them. The little Water-Type seemed very determined about something, as it was busy glaring out the window, staring at the site of the disturbance. When Takashi saw this he knew right away what Froakie wanted to do.
"You want to come…don't you?"
Nodding its head, Froakie let out a passionate cry. Even though it's still injured and in no condition to battle, Froakie was determined to face Bruce again. Haru, already a bit unsure about letting Takashi go out, was highly against Froakie doing the same. Because of that, she proceeded to confront the little frog.
"No Froakie…you have to stay here and rest!" She told it. "Look at what happened to you last time. In your condition there's no way that you can win. Just stay here where it's sa-"
Before Haru could finish her sentence, the old woman paused as she watched Froakie stare directly at her. As she stared back at it, Haru was able to see the fire that resided within its eyes. Even though it knew that she was worried, Froakie couldn't stand by and allow Bruce to get away again. It had to fight, not just for itself, but for everyone who might be in trouble. Upon realizing that, Haru reluctantly relented.
"…Okay," She told it. "You can go…but on one condition."
Turning her head slightly, Haru stared at Takashi with a silent expression on face. Right away, the young man knew what she was going to ask him and nodded his head in response. He then made his way over to Froakie and went on to place the Bubble Frog Pokémon on his other empty shoulder.
"Don't worry…I promise that I'll look after Froakie," Takashi said to her.
"…I know you will," Haru softly replied.
With that said, Takashi went on to give Haru one final nod before proceeding to leave the room through the window. Once outside, he raced over towards the site of Bruce's attack. Although he was unsure if he could defeat him and his powerful Ekans, both Pikachu and even Froakie gave him so much needed encouragement. Thanks to that, his determination grew and he soon found himself running even faster towards the disturbance.
Meanwhile, in another section of the city, Bruce was busy causing mindless destruction thanks to the help of Mankey and the other Pokémon. As they did so, Bruce's mind was fixated on what happened earlier. He had Froakie right where he wanted it and would've captured it if Takashi hadn't gotten in his way. Just thinking about him angered Bruce immensely, prompting him to summon his Ekans from out of its PokéBall.
"Ekans, use Acid!" He shouted.
Immediately after it materialized from its PokéBall, Ekans started spewing a large amount of its corrosive acid all over the immediate area. When it landed, the acid quickly began to dissolve anything that it came in contact with, including buildings, cars, and windows. Seeing this greatly frightened the citizens, causing to flee as quickly as they could. However, as they did so, a little girl named Emily ended up tripping and fell hard on the ground, injuring herself.
As she attempted to pick herself back up, Ekans noticed Emily and began to slowly make itself over to her. Although she tried to get away, her injury made it extremely difficult for her to do so. Because of that, Emily found herself cornered and soon braced herself as Ekans prepared to strike.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Just as Ekans prepared to fire its Acid at the defenseless Emily, Pikachu suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and proceeded to ram itself directly into the Snake Pokémon's long neck. As the neck was the most sensitive part of its body, Ekans was sent flying back, causing its attack to miss. Once that happened, Takashi and Froakie soon appeared and proceeded to help Emily reunite with her parents before going on to confront Bruce.
Upon seeing him again, Bruce was both angry and excited at the same time. Not only would he have another chance to capture Froakie, but he could get his revenge on Takashi for getting in his way the last time. Because of that, he went to smile viciously at them while Takashi, Pikachu, and Froakie simply stood their ground.
"So you've finally arrived…" He said. "Good. Now I can finish what I started!"
"Oh really…?" Takashi replied as he took off his hat. "I was just thinking the same thing!"
Grabbing his father's headband, Takashi tied it firmly around his eyes. He then stared down Bruce, who proceeded to do the same thing. As they did so, Pikachu and Froakie stood next to one another as they prepared to confront both Ekans and Mankey respectively. Although Nidoran and Koffing were eager to assist, Bruce simply glared at them.
"Stay out of the way, weaklings! You'll only get in the way!"
Having seen how they performed last time, Bruce concluded that both Nidoran and Koffing would be no use to him at all. Because of that, he coldly tossed them to the side and the Pokémon silently complied too his demand. This left both Mankey and Ekans, the only Pokémon capable of bringing down Froakie and Pikachu. With that, all 4 Pokémon proceeded to rush towards one another as the battle between them began once again.
Mankey proceeded to launch the first attack, preparing to strike Froakie with a swift Karate Chop attack. However, the Bubble Frog Pokémon was able to avoid the blow by quickly jumping high into the air. It then turned itself around and began firing a large barrage of bubbles at Mankey, who managed to evade them thanks to its own athletic ability. For that moment, it seemed like both Froakie and Mankey were evenly matched with one another. Unfortunately, at the very instant that Froakie landed back on the ground, it became very clear that wasn't the case at all.
Due to the injuries that it received earlier, Froakie immediately started holding its sides once it landed. Every action it took was agonizing, so much so that Froakie found it extremely hard to stand up straight, let alone battle. Despite that though, Froakie had no choice but to continue to fight as Mankey was right on top of it, attacking a swift barrage of punches and kicks.
"Froakie…be careful!" Takashi called out.
"You should worry about yourself instead!" Bruce responded. "Ekans, use Bite on Pikachu!"
Upon hearing Bruce's voice, Takashi suddenly remembered that Pikachu was the midst of its own battle and quickly turned to focus on that. He then watched as Ekans leaped towards his little partner and prepared to bite down it.
"Dodge it Pikachu…then use Thunder Shock!"
At the last moment, Pikachu managed to narrowly avoid Ekans's jaws by jumping backwards. It then went on to fire a quick blast of electricity at the Snake Pokémon, which actually managed to make contact. However, the attack simply wasn't powerful enough as Ekans was able to shake it off rather easily. It then went on to try and bite Pikachu again, forcing the little mouse to do everything within its power to evade.
As he watched this go down, Takashi noticed that Froakie wasn't fairing any better than Pikachu and wondered what he was going to do. It was clear that Bruce wasn't playing around this time as he was determined to finish things once and for all. This caused Takashi to start to panic a little bit, as he never faced odds like this before. And, to make matters even worse, Bruce had Ekans and Mankey press on their attack, making it even harder for either Pikachu or Froakie to do anything.
Eventually, Froakie's injuries finally managed to catch up with it as it failed to avoid Mankey's Low Sweep attack, causing it to fall to the ground. At the same time, Ekans managed to send Pikachu flying into Froakie after it used its long tail to grab a hold of the Mouse Pokémon and toss it around. The two Pokémon then went on to corner Pikachu and Froakie, backing them until they reached a nearby wall.
"It's been fun…but it's time to end this little game of ours," Bruce stated before pointing directly at his 2 opponents. "Ekans, use Poison Sting on Pikachu and Mankey, use Thunder Punch on Froakie!"
Right away, both Pokémon complied with Bruce's command and proceeded to launch their respective attacks. With nowhere to run, the only thing Pikachu and Froakie could do was brace themselves as Mankey charged its fist with electricity and Ekans got ready to fire poisonous needles from its mouth. However, just as they got ready to launch their attacks, someone suddenly came in between them and shielded Pikachu and Froakie.
With a shocked look on both of their faces, Pikachu and Froakie watched as Takashi was struck from behind by his opponent's attacks, causing him to scream agony as a result. Although surprised by this sudden turn of events, Mankey and Ekans continued on with their attacks, managing to force Takashi to one knee. Despite that though, the young Trainer remained firm and managed to withstand this onslaught long enough until both Mankey and Ekans finally stopped.
Once the attack ended, Pikachu instantly rushed over towards its Trainer, tearfully wondering if he was alright. Although he didn't answer right away and was breathing rather heavily, Takashi looked down at Pikachu and gave it a small smile. He then went on to gently pet its head before looking over at Froakie and smiling at it as well.
"Don't worry…this is nothing." Takashi said, obviously lying. "I'm just glad both of you are alright."
As Takashi continued to try and reassure Pikachu and Froakie, the latter was completely stunned by what it just witnessed. Never before as it ever seen someone take an attack like just to defend it. However, Takashi did and as he started tumbling towards the ground, Froakie was left amazed by the resolve of this young Pokémon Trainer.
Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way as Froakie as Ekans, Mankey, and especially Bruce were furious by Takashi's sudden intervention. Finally at his wits end with him, Bruce decided to put an end to this little game and had both Mankey and Ekans focus their wrath on Takashi. He did this knowing that once Takashi is gone, Froakie and Pikachu would be defenseless and unable to stand against him.
"It's time for you to meet your end…" He said in a soft, yet cruel tone. "Ekans…Mankey…Kill him now!"
Upon hearing him say that, Pikachu let out a loud scream as it quickly got in front of Takashi and prepared to defend him. Even though they've only known each other for about a week, Pikachu has grown to truly care about its Trainer and wasn't about to let him die. Because of that, the Mouse Pokémon started gathering all the energy it could muster just as Mankey and Ekans prepared to attack. This resulted in Pikachu awakening a brand new power, much to shock of everyone involved.
The new power that Pikachu awakened caused all the energy that was enveloping its body to condense into a large orb of electricity that was placed just above its tail. Once it built up enough power, Pikachu threw this electric orb at both Ekans and Mankey, dealing them a considerable amount of damage as they were both sent flying backwards. Although this greatly surprised Bruce, it ended up surprising both Takashi and Pikachu even more, prompting the former to pull his PokéDex in order to get some answers.
"Electro Ball, an Electric-Type move," The device explained, "When a Pokémon uses Electro Ball, they throw a powerful orb of pure electricity at their opponent. The move is more powerful the faster its user is to their opponent."
Once the PokéDex finished its explanation, Takashi looked back over towards Pikachu, amazed that it was able to learn such a powerful move. He then watched as the Mouse Pokémon rushed over to him, wondering if he was truly alright. This prompted Takashi once again pet the top of Pikachu's head, silently telling it that he was.
Meanwhile, Ekans and Mankey were slowly picking themselves back up after being struck by Pikachu's new attack. When he saw this, Bruce became extremely worried as he wasn't expecting such a development this late in the battle. If things kept going like this then there was a good chance that he might lose, an outcome that he refused to let happen. With that in mind, he angrily turned his attention back towards Takashi, just as he was starting to pick himself back up.
"Don't think this changes anything!" He told him. "Even with that new move you're still no match for me!"
"…I'm not so sure about that," Takashi replied. "I think this changes everything."
Once he got back to his feet, Takashi looked over towards Ekans and Mankey and saw that both of them were still reeling from Pikachu's Electro Ball. If he managed to get one more attack on the two of them, Takashi believed that he would have this battle in the bag. All he needed was a little bit of time for Pikachu to build up the necessary power to do so. While trying to figure out how to do that, Froakie stepped in to give them the time they needed.
Without even needed to question it, Takashi could tell from the look in its eyes that Froakie was confident that it could provide Pikachu with enough time to charge its attack. As a result, the young man silently nodded at the Bubble Frog, who went on to do the same. Froakie then went on to charge towards Mankey and Ekans, using all the power it had left to do so.
"That's right!" Bruce said as he watched Froakie get closer. "Come on over and face you're destiny! Ekans, use Wrap and Mankey, use Karate Chop!"
Right away, Ekans and Mankey leaped towards the charging Froakie and got ready to use the attacks that Bruce told them to use. Upon seeing them do that, Froakie acted accordingly and went on to blow a few bubbles from its mouth. The bubbles went on to hit Ekans eyes, causing it to stop for an instant and try to correct its vision.
After Ekans was successfully stopped, Froakie then went on to narrowly avoid Mankey's Karate Chop, who quickly followed up by trying to connect with another Thunder Punch. Fortunately for Froakie though, it grabbed a piece of its Frubbles and threw it at Mankey's face, blinding it as well. Once both Pokémon were unable to see, Froakie called out towards Takashi, telling him that the time to finish this had now come.
"Good work, Froakie!" He said proudly. "Now Pikachu…End this with Electro Ball!"
Nodding its head, Pikachu once again mustered all the power that resided within its body and condensed it into another powerful orb of electricity. It then went on to use its tail to launch the orb at Mankey and Ekans, with Froakie managing to jump out of the way before the attack could connect. Once the attack did connect, a huge explosion occurred and when the smoke cleared both Mankey and Ekans were lying on the ground, completely unconscious.
Once the battle was seemingly over, Bruce was utterly stunned that both Mankey, who he trained to learn Thunder Punch, and Ekans, who was his strongest Pokémon, were defeated. This wasn't how it was suppose to go for him. He was supposed to capture Froakie and bring it with him to his organization. But, that wasn't the case now as Froakie is the one who was victorious, thanks in no small part to Takashi and his Pikachu. This realization angered him greatly, but he soon remembered something extremely important, causing him to laugh hysterically.
"Don't think that this over, you fool!" He said as he continued to laugh. "This battle has only just begun! Nidoran…Koffing…Come here now!"
For a moment, Takashi was shocked as he also forgot about Nidoran and Koffing and braced himself for their arrival. However, for some strange reason, the two of them didn't appear. This confused Bruce, prompting him to call them again.
"Nidoran and Koffing, get over here now! It's time for you to start pulling your weight!"
Again, neither one of them appeared, angering Bruce even more. As he started searching the area for them, Froakie noticed something from the corner of its eye and saw that both Nidoran and Koffing were busy hiding behind a nearby trash can. Having watched what just unfolded, the two Pokémon knew right away that they would be no match for either Froakie or Pikachu, even if they were not at 100 percent. Not only that, but the two of them also didn't want to have to deal with Bruce, knowing what will happen to the two of them if they lost. Because of that, Nidoran and Koffing silently fled the area while Bruce was still looking for them.
Soon, once he realized that they weren't coming, Bruce turned back towards Takashi and watched as he, Pikachu, and Froakie were to reeling from all the damage they took. Even though he didn't have any more Pokémon to battle with, Bruce believed that he could still accomplish his mission if managed to defeat them while they were still recovering. With that in mind, the villain started charging towards all 3 of them, aiming for Takashi first. However, the young man had saw this act and responded accordingly.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock and Froakie, use Bubble!"
Turning around, Pikachu and Froakie faced Bruce and proceeded to launch their respective attacks at him. The combination of the water and electricity created a large explosion that sent Bruce finally into a nearby wall, knocking him out. Once that happened, Takashi then went on to grab a piece of rope that was lying by a trash can used it to tie up Bruce's arms and legs, preventing him from moving once he finally wakes up.
After he finally finished, Takashi let out a small sigh as he suddenly fell to the ground completely exhausted. Pikachu and Froakie quickly ran up to him, both of whom were concerned for his well being. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Takashi smiled at the two Pokémon and went to pet both of their heads again. This continued until a police car suddenly appeared and Officer Jenny exited from it.
"What the hell…?" She said, clearly confused by everything that she was seeing. "Takashi…what happened here?"
"…Simple Officer Jenny," Takashi replied. "We won…WE WON!"
3 days have passed since the battle against Bruce came to an end and, for the most part, life in Viridian City has finally returned to normal. Shortly after Bruce's defeat, Officer Jenny went on to arrest him for his crimes and proceeded to confiscate any Pokémon he had in his possession, including his Ekans. However, while she was doing this, Jenny noticed that Mankey had fled from the area. Although somewhat concerned about that, the officer decided to search for the Pig Monkey Pokémon another time, as arresting Bruce was more important.
After the arrest was made, Jenny went on to thank Takashi again, knowing that a lot more damage might've occurred if he hadn't intervened. Although flattered by her kind words, Takashi gave all the credit for this victory to the Pokémon instead. He knew that if didn't have Pikachu and Froakie by his side then none of this would be possible. In his eyes, this victory was just as much theirs as it was his. This made both Pikachu and Froakie very happy, especially the latter.
For what seemed like ages, Froakie's thoughts had been fixated on what happened to it in the past. Its abandonment left a noticeable scar in its heart and although it encountered people like Haru and Nurse Joy, who was always kind to it, Froakie found it extremely hard to trust others again and became rather silent as a result. However, in the span of just a few days, all that changed and the one responsible for that was none other than Takashi Nakamura.
Froakie was now a lot more open with its feelings, often smiling or looking intently whenever Takashi or Pikachu were around. Although it was still burdened by what happened in the past, and could possibly always will be, the Bubble Frog Pokémon was at least able to put it behind it somewhat and move forward. This made those who knew Froakie very happy, especially Haru as she was relieved that her little friend was able to get that massive chip off of its shoulder.
Eventually, after spending a few days resting at the Pokémon Center, Takashi, Pikachu, and Froakie were finally discharged. The three of them then headed over to Haru's bread stand, who welcomed all 3 of them with some fresh pastries. Just taking a single bite out of them allowed the trio to feel the amount of love that Haru put into creating them, making the pastries taste even better as a result. Seeing them enjoy her baking made Haru feel even happier, prompting her to offer them some more.
As the group continued to eat, Haru watched as Takashi take to time to offer some of his bread to both Pikachu and Froakie, who happily went on to eat it. She then watched Froakie go on to help Takashi and Pikachu with their training. Seeing all of this once again confirmed her belief in Takashi, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that was indeed the one. Because of that, the old woman let out a small smile as she began making her way up to Takashi and the Pokémon.
"Excuse me Takashi…" She said, calling out to him. "But now that everything with that Bruce fellow is finally over…there's something really important that I need to talk to you about."
Looking towards her, Takashi remembered that Haru indeed wanted to discuss something with him and the two occasions prior, Bruce interfered. Now that he was in jail, Takashi decided that the time was indeed right to hear what Haru had to same to him. With that, the young Trainer walked over towards her, with both Pikachu and Froakie going on to rest on his shoulders.
"So what did you want to talk about Ms. Haru?" He asked her.
"Listen Takashi…" She started off. "I already told you about what happened to Froakie…and how it's spent the last 6 months searching for a Trainer that it could not only help it become stronger, but also one that Froakie could call its friend. It's been a long 6 months…but I truly believe that Froakie has finally found the Trainer it's been looking for."
Somewhat surprised by that, Takashi's eyes lit up as he wondered who this mysterious Trainer was. When she saw his confusion, Haru giggled silently to herself as even though Takashi held a lot of potential for someone just starting out as a Pokémon Trainer, who was also somewhat clueless too. Eventually, the old woman decided to just come out and say it, starting off by pointing directly at Takashi.
"It's you Takashi…You're the Trainer Froakie's been searching for."
Now fully surprised by Haru's words, Takashi couldn't bring himself to believe what he just learned. Out of all the Pokémon Trainers that have come and gone through Viridian City, the one that Froakie has been searching for all this time was him. It was almost too incredible to believe, but Takashi could tell from the look on Haru's face that she was indeed telling the truth.
Soon, as the young man continued to process all of this, Haru took the opportunity to grab Froakie from off of Takashi's shoulder. She then smiled at the Water-Type, assuring it that it made the right choice and that she would support it completely. Once she put Froakie on the ground and had it directly face Takashi, Haru looked back over to him and finally made her request.
"Takashi Nakamura...will you please take Froakie with you on your Pokémon Journey?"
Chapter Preview
How will Takashi respond to Haru's request? Will he take agree to take Froakie with him or will he decline? Also, where is Mankey and how will it respond after being dealt another humiliating defeat?
Next Time, Chapter 6 – The First Catch