Route 5: Waterfall, Day…
Over the course of the group's travels, Froakie managed to learn water pulse. As such, it was decided they'd stop off for a little training with the new move. Fortunately, the bubble frog seemed to be good with the move when all was considered.
"Alright, let's do one more!" Ash called out. "Water pulse!" Froakie landed atop a tree branch before forming a sphere of water, which he flung into a rock and destroyed it. "Yes!"
Froakie then lept down to the ground before facing his trainer. "Froa!"
"You still have much work to do." A voice noted from seemingly nowhere.
Froakie clocked something at the trunk of a nearby tree, so he threw a frubble.
"So, you found me." The voice noted.
The sheet which Froakie hit dropped to reveal a male ninja. He had dark purple hair tied in a pony tail and hazel eyes. His attire consisted of a blue head covering, sleeveless top, and pants.
Additionally, he wore a yellow scarf with black boots and arm coverings.
Ash and Clemont were shocked while Bonnie was impressed. "Wow, a ninja!"
"Now, ninja leaf shroud!" The guy declared, slamming his hand on the ground and vanishing in a whirlwind of leaves.
"He's gone!" Ash exclaimed.
There was shaking from the nearby brush, drawing Froakie's attention as he threw frubbles.
"Use your frubbles!" The guy's voice rang out again.
Frubbles were thrown to destroy Froakie's and pressed on to the bubble frog pokemon, who ended up dodging.
"Good Froakie." Ash started moving. "Now, let's go."
They broke through the bush, only to see no one. Froakie then threw a frubble at a nearby pile of leaves, resulting in a Frogadier leaping forth to a tree branch above.
"Who's that pokemon?" Ash questioned, retrieving his pokedex:
Frogadier, the Bubble Frog Pokémon, and the evolved form of Froakie. Frogadier's speed is unmatched. It can climb a tower over 2,000 feet tall in one minute.
Ash looked to his pokemon. "The evolved form of Froakie…"
Frogadier was joined by his trainer, the ninja guy, before they lept down. "I am Sanpei, a young and skillful ninja."
"Well, my name is Ash." The Kanto native approached. "You got a great partner in Frogadier. How about a battle with my Froakie?"
"I've been looking for a suitable opponent to battle against, but I have my doubts your Froakie is powerful enough." Sanpei noted.
"Froa." Froakie voiced, offended.
"We won't know until we try!" Ash exclaimed.
"Alright, I accept your challenge." Sanpei stated.
"Yeah!" Ash grinned. "Let's do this Froakie!"
"Froakie." Froakie declared, determined.
Everyone then moved to open ground, with Clemont taking up the roll as ref. "The one-on-one battle between Ash and Sanpei is about to begin. The battle will end when one pokemon is unable to continue. Is that understood?" Both nodded. "Alright, begin!"
Ash vs Sanpei
"You may have the first move Ash." Sanpei declared.
"Since you're so willing, we'll use smack down." Ash declared.
Froakie created the sphere of orange glowing rock energy before sending it above Frogadier.
"Dodge it." Sanpei ordered.
Frogadier lept up to a tree branch as the sphere came down, resulting in it impacting with the ground.
"Whoa, he's fast." Bonnie marveled.
"Well, we can move fast to." Ash stated. "Chase Frogadier and use pound."
Froakie lept at Frogadier with his fists coated in normal type energy.
"Frogadier, dodge." Sanpei commanded.
Frogadier lept clear to another branch before Froakie could hit him.
"Try it again." Ash ordered.
Froakie lept and attempted to nail his evolved opponent; however, Frogadier deftly dodged. The pair proceeded to move through the trees, the former attempting to hit the later yet seeing no success.
"Frogadier really is quick." Ash noted. "In that case, aim and use water pulse."
Froakie stopped on a tree branch and created the sphere of water while tracking the leaping Frogadier. Soon enough, Ash's bubble frog hurled the sphere.
"Now, use smoke screen." Sanpei ordered.
Frogadier stopped and spun while emitting black smoke which completely blocked the water pulse. When the smoke dissipated, Frogadier was gone.
"This is a ninja stealth skill." Sanpei informed.
"Froakie, concentrate. Use your instincts." Ash instructed. "Water pulse."
Froakie had it, spotting frubbles sticking out from behind a tree. He generated the sphere of water before hurling it at the tree. This only resulted in a log, which had frubbles placed on it, falling. Frogadier then lept from the nearby water.
"Now, use bubble." Sanpei ordered.
Frogadier produced bubbles which flew at his unevolved opponent.
"This is our chance, smack down." Ash commanded.
Froakie just managed to send the sphere of rock energy above the currently airborne Frogadier before being pelted by bubbles. Those ceased as the sphere came down hard atop Frogadier's head. As he was now positioned above the ground, Sanpei's pokemon crashed hard.
"Frogadier/Froakie!" Ash/Sanpei called out.
Both were quick to recover at their trainers' call and faced off once more on solid ground.
"Water pulse, let's go." Sanpei commanded.
Frogadier formed a large sphere of water and flung it.
"Now, you use water pulse to." Ash ordered.
Froakie generated his own sphere of water and flung it as well. The two attacks collided with Frogadier's overcoming Froakie's to then hit the unevolved pokemon. He was knocked back but managed to flip and land on his feet.
"Froakie, use water pulse once more." Ash commanded.
Froakie just began generating a sphere of water.
"Use quick attack." Sanpei ordered.
Frogadier sped around the immediate area, effortlessly avoiding the water pulse Froakie threw before then hopping around him.
"Uh, I'm getting dizzy." Bonnie noted.
"I've never seen a quick attack like this before." Clemont voiced in surprise.
Frogadier rammed into Froakie, knocking him back first into the trunk of tree.
"Froakie, you okay?" Ash asked.
"This battle is over." Sanpei declared. "No one I have battle has withstood my Frogadier's quick attack and been able to continue battling."
"Froa…" Froakie managed, slowly standing as a dark blue aura overcame him.
"Torrent…" Sanpei noted.
"That's right, we're not done yet!" Ash declared. "Froakie, use water pulse now!"
Froakie generated a far larger sphere of water before hurling it at his opponent.
"Frogadier, use your water pulse once more." Sanpei ordered.
Frogadier created his own large sphere of water before hurling it. The two spheres collided, just as the initial ones fired before had. Unlike those initial spheres, these were dead even in size resulting in them canceling one another out.
"Now Frogadier, use quick attack." Sanpei ordered.
Frogadier charged forward once more, though Froakie lost his blue aura and faltered forward.
Sanpei noticed this as he slammed his hand on the ground. "Now, ninja leaf shroud!"
Froakie was surrounded by a shroud of leaves, getting him out of there as Frogadier came through with his quick attack.
"Froakie!" Ash yelled.
Waterfall
"It was already over." Sanpei approached with Ash's pokemon in his arms. "Froakie just wouldn't quit."
He gave over the water starter, which Ash gratefully took. "Froakie…"
"Kie kie Froa." Froakie managed.
"I hate to admit it, but we lost." Ash ended up taking his pokemon to the nearby water and cupped some in his free hand for him. "Here, drink this." Froakie did just that. "We lost because I didn't come up with a good strategy. I let you down."
"That is correct." Sanpei approached. "Not only strategy, your Froakie requires more training." He pointed as the Kanto native stood. "You misread the way our battle progressed while Froakie trusted his own power more than he should have. Be grateful he did not take more damage."
He then presented a spherical food pill. "Here. This is a remedy which has been formulated using fruit. It shall replenish Froakie." He fed the water type who wasn't a fan, though he was certainly active. "When a medicine is bitter, you can be sure it will work."
Froakie wasn't pleased, though Ash smiled as his pokemon flailed about in anger. "Wow, he's looking better already."
"Anyways, it's time for us to leave." Sanpei noted, as he and Frogadier began to walk off.
"Hey, wait a minute." Ash called out, stopping them.
"Something else I can do for you?" Sanpei asked.
Ash took his starter's pokeball off his belt. "Riolu, come on out." His starter appeared alongside Froakie, looking to Sanpei as he already understood. "I've seen quick attacks, but Frogadier's is something else. Not even Riolu was capable of one like it. Please, help us."
In the long run, Ash assumed getting rid of quick attack on Riolu had been for the best. After all, they needed metal claw. Besides, his starter had vacuum wave for the time being while feint and endure seemed useful. With a quick attack like Frogadier's, Froakie and Riolu could be stronger.
Sanpei took a moment as he surveyed the three before him. Ash was sincere in swallowing his pride, Froakie didn't like it thought knew his trainer was right, and Riolu was willing to train however his trainer decided.
The ninja smiled. "Alright."
Ash looked up, hopeful. "You're not kidding?"
"No way." Sanpei assured.
"Yeah!" Ash cheered before looking to his pokemon. "Isn't this great Froakie and Riolu?"
"Froakie/Riolu." Froakie/Riolu answered in the positive.
"Just know my training methods are strict." Sanpei warned.
"That's just fine with us, right guys?" Ash asked.
"Froa/Rio!"
"Know when I train a pokemon, I train them hard, and alongside them." Sanpei informed.
"Yeah, I'm right there with you." Ash assured. "I'll train hard right alongside Riolu and Froakie."
Forest
With that, everyone moved into the forest for the first lesson.
"The important thing about quick attack is to move quickly." Sanpei and Frogadier began jumping. "To do that, one must develop springy and flexible muscles, so the first thing we must do is strengthen your spring."
"Hm, I'd say it's time for me to step up." Clemont declared. "You better prepare yourselves for this. Clemontic Gear on." He put on boots with attached springs. "I call this my Muscle Mass Magnifying Machine. I thought we'd encounter a situation precisely like this one."
"Okay, so you've put springs on your shoes." Bonnie noted.
"Ah, these are no normal springs." Clemont retorted. "The basis of all exercise is increasing muscle strength. The springs I've equipped to these shoes multiply the power of your jump by using your body weight in the process thusly strengthen your leg muscles rapidly."
"Wow." Ash marveled. "Science is so amazing!"
"Allow me to show you how it works." Clemont voiced, taking a step forward.
He was then shot multiple feet into the air, screaming all the way until vanishing as a twinkle.
Cliffs
After recovering Clemont, who ended up crashing down in some water, and ensuring he was alright, the group moved to a rocky cliff area.
"Training must proceed step by step." Sanpei informed. "Frogadier, please demonstrate our basic training method."
Frogadier lept atop a rock before jumping to a slanted tree trunk and running up it. The evolved starter then proceeded to leap from rock to rock at a rather rapid pace.
"So quick." Ash noted, impressed.
"Alright Froakie and Riolu, do you think you can keep up?" Sanpei asked.
"Froa/Rio." Both answered.
Froakie was able to leap up to join Frogadier; however, Riolu had to take the prior path the evolved starter had used initially. Soon enough, he joined the two bubble frogs before leaping along with them.
"I am always one with my pokemon." Sanpei declared, proceeding to leap back and forth.
"Yeah, me to!" Ash declared, following suit.
Bonnie happily joined the pair. "Count me in!"
"You're not jumping fast enough." Sanpei noted.
"Keep it up Froakie and Riolu." Ash declared.
"You're still jumping too slowly." Sanpei chided.
"How about this?" Ash asked, picking up the pace.
As he picked up the pace, so did Riolu and Froakie.
"Every one of you needs to be faster!" Sanpei exclaimed.
Ash picked up the pace while Riolu and Froakie fell in proper sync with Frogadier.
"Uh, I can't do anymore…" Bonnie managed, falling backwards.
"Bonnie!" Clemont caught and lowered his sister to the ground.
Lake: Later…
Sanpei now took the group to a nearby lake with a smaller island in the center. "Next, we shall teach Froakie and Riolu to run over water."
"Running on water is scientifically impossible." Clemont retorted.
"Nah, they can do it." Ash assured.
"Frogadier here will show you." Sanpei stated.
The evolved water starter ran across the water, right to the island in the center of the lake.
"I can't believe Frogadier really ran on water…" Clemont commented, stunned.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Bonnie declared in awe.
"Froakie and Riolu, it's your turn." Ash stated.
The pair nodded before running out on the lake. While Froakie was a water type, he ended up beneath the water first. Riolu, due to his prior usage of quick attack, had a bit more speed which saw him draw closer to the island.
Of course, he inevitably fell beneath the water himself. Both were quick to surface, only to find Frogadier laughing at them. That certainly angered Froakie while making Riolu more determined to succeed. All pokemon soon returned to the proper bank.
"The trick for a pokemon to run across water is to move their feet quickly." Sanpei advised.
"Move your feet quickly…" Ash turned to his pokemon. "Can you two do that?" Froakie began hoping in place while Riolu merely turned towards the water, prepared to put his absolute all into running. "Alright, you two seem pumped so give it a go!"
Both of Ash's pokemon sped over the water, with Froakie making it further before submerging. The water type immediately lept back onto land, only to turn and see how his fellow pokemon had done. Riolu had moved faster than ever and managed to reach the island.
This had Froakie gritting his teeth, prompting Ash to speak up. "Feeling frustrated?"
Froakie nodded. "Froa!"
"Then, take all that frustration and use it to get out there." Ash declared. "Give it all you got!" Froakie moved with all the speed he could muster, managing to reach the island. "Alright! Great job you two!"
"Froa froa kie kie!" Froakie celebrated.
Riolu gave his fellow pokemon a simple pat on the shoulder, catching his attention. Froakie ended up returning the gesture with a firmer pat on the fighting type's back. Despite utilizing the fighting type as motivation, Froakie held no ill will towards him.
Bridge: Later…
Before moving on, Sanpei had both pokemon run back and forth. Both repeated it until he was certain the pokemon had this step down.
Now, they were walking along a bridge when Ash spoke up. "Alright Sanpei, what's next?"
"Let me think…" Sanpei began before both boys' stomachs growled. "Oh, I'm embarrassed."
"Well, this is nothing a little lunch can't fix." Clemont smiled. "As you two have been training hard, leave the cooking to me."
"Yeah, it's lunch time!" Bonnie cheered.
Field: Later…
The group were under the shade of a tree, atop a blanket, as Clemont had prepared a feast. Noddle dishes, sandwiches, and various sides had been prepared while juice had been poured.
"Alright, eat up." Clemont declared.
"Thanks!" Ash, Sanpei, and Bonnie returned.
"This is great." Sanpei complimented, rapidly devouring a plate of food. "What is this?"
"You're eating fried noodles." Clemont replied.
"It's now my favorite food." Sanpei voiced. "I'd heard of it from my friends at Ninja Village, but it is better than what I've ever been told."
After Lunch…
Once everything was cleaned, the whole group took to laying in a circle under the tree.
"There's nothing like a nap after a good meal." Sanpei voiced contently.
"For sure." Ash agreed. "So Sanpei, is that Ninja Village you mentioned your home?"
"That's right." Sanpei replied. "It's also home to my oldest brother Ippei, the strongest man in all of Ninja Village. He's there with his Greninja."
"Greninja?" Ash asked.
"The final evolution of Froakie." Clemont answered.
"Then, there's my other brother Nihei." Sanpei continued. "He lives in Ninja Village as well with his Venusaur."
"So there's Ippei, Nihei, and Sanpei." Bonnie counted.
"My goal is to one day defeat both my brothers and assume the title of Strongest Ninja in Ninja Village." Sanpei declared.
"So, you left Ninja Village to train then, right?" Ash asked.
"Exactly." Sanpei replied. "What of you, Ash?"
"I'm working hard to one day be a Pokemon Master." Ash answered.
Trees
Ash, Froakie, and Riolu had joined Sanpei and Frogadier within the tree branches above.
"Next, we shall train by jumping from tree branch to tree branch." Sanpei informed. "This will give an example of the kind of explosive power needed to perform an exceptional quick attack." Sanpei informed. "Your three just need to follow Frogadier and I."
"Froakie and Riolu, this is where we need to really step on the gas." Ash declared.
"Froa/Rio." Both answered.
"Let us begin." Sanpei declared, stating to leap along the branches.
Frogadier joined him. Ash and his pokemon followed suit, and while they could land on the next tree branch, it was sloppy.
Sanpei saw this and decided to offer advice. "Always look two or three branches ahead, you'll go faster." He and Frogadier sped up. "Once you get the hang of it, you won't believe your speed."
The Kanto native and his pokemon were managing to follow, as well as doing it a lot more deftly than how they started.
"Wow, you two really are faster." Ash noted, as they pressed on. "Yeah, keep it up!"
Sanpei and Frogadier stopped while the other three pressed on, resulting in them starting to fall off a cliff in a panic. Ash was quick to bring his two pokemon in, attempting to cushion them just as he had when they fell off Prism Tower.
Sanpei was quick to send out a length of rope and bind it around Ash's waist, halting his fall. "You three alright!?"
"Yeah!" Ash called up.
"Remember, you need to act with complete awareness of your surroundings." Sanpei voiced.
"We'll do that." Ash replied. "Thanks a lot."
Rock Field: Later…
After reconvening with Clemont and Bonnie, Sanpei brought them to a field of rocks. "It is finally time to work on quick attack."
"Here that?" Ash asked his pokemon excitedly. "We're ready to go?"
Both nodded. "Rio/Froa."
"Alright Frogadier." Sanpei turned to his partner. "Show them how it is done." He pointed at a large rock. "Now, use quick attack!"
Frogadier sped right through a rock with such force that it shattered into pieces.
"I get it." Clemont stated. "Quick attack generates power because it is done with great speed."
"Yeah, Frogadier's quick attack is as awesome as I've seen." Ash stated.
"Wow…" Bonnie marveled.
"Now, why don't you give it a try?" Sanpei asked.
"Right, we'll start with Froakie." Ash declared. "Quick attack, now."
Froakie sped forward, though his movements were more erratic before he collided with the rock and ended up bouncing back without leaving even a scratch.
"Froakie's form is correct, though he is still moving too slowly." Sanpei noted.
"Alright, let's have you give it a try next Riolu." Ash declared. "Quick attack!"
Riolu had the move back and better than ever as he sped off at the same rock. Just as with Frogadier, he shattered right through it before ever stopping.
"Excellent, Riolu has gotten the move down." Sanpei voiced.
Froakie knew he should have expected this of Riolu. The emanation pokemon had the move before, so it stood to reason he'd get the move before the unevolved bubble frog could get it once. Even then, his prior frustration from the lake exercise bubbled up again.
"Just like with the last time Froakie, channel that frustration into the move." Ash voiced, receiving a nod in return. "Alright, quick attack once more!"
Froakie targeted a new rock, rushing at it. Just like before, his movements were erratic. As he ran, all their training today for this move came to mind before there were suddenly multiple Froakie rushing towards the same target.
"What is that?" Bonnie asked, everyone shocked with even Riolu showing mild surprise.
"Froakie is using double team." Sanpei informed.
It wasn't quick attack, but Ash remembered how Clemont used this move. That meant they could still destroy that boulder.
"Froakie, use water pulse!" Ash declared.
All the Froakie lept into the air before generating a sphere of water and hurling them at the rock. Said rock shattered before all the Froakie's vanished and just one who landed. While it may not have been the quick attack they wanted, it was still a worthwhile move all the same.
Route 5: Evening…
After a little more time spent ensuring Froakie and Riolu had their moves down, the trio now stood across from Sanpei with their respective pokemon out.
"Thank you, Sanpei." Ash voiced sincerely. "With your help, Riolu relearned quick attack and is better with it while Froakie acquired a great new move in double team."
"Kie/Lu." Both added.
"With how the training paid off, it was no trouble." Sanpei smiled. "Your two pokemon show a great deal of promise."
"No doubt you will find uses for these new moves." Clemont voiced.
"They're totally cool to boot." Bonnie added.
"Well, we're off." Ash voiced, holding out a hand. "Let's battle again the next time we meet."
Sanpei clasped the hand in a comradery manner. "You got yourself a deal."
With that, the group hit the road once more.
If this chapter doesn't make it apparent, I am attempting to stay within the four-move limit generally kept in the anime and upheld in the gams. Of course, there are exceptions within the anime, Ash's Snorlax and Drake's Dragonite come to mind. With that in mind, I will say it isn't improbably that I may utilize rare cases like this throughout this series.
lrbrenneke: Given I'm not giving Ash his canon Kalos team, it stands to reason the legendary encounters, should I utilize them, would go different. That said, by the time they come, Ash is going to have great pokemon capable of handling them as needed.