[Enhanceable]
[Ability]: Lightning Rod II (Draws Electric current into itself, is immune to Electric-type damage, greatly raises Special Attack, and increases the power of Electric-type moves by 50%)
[Enhancement Task]: Defeat Lt. Surge or Wattson or Volkner or Elesa or Clemont or Iono. Defeating any one of them will complete the task.
Just as Ash had concluded before, the second-stage task required defeating a Gym-level specialist of the same type.
Going by that logic, the third stage would probably require defeating an Elite Four member.
On top of that, the second-stage version of Lightning Rod really made Ash itch with anticipation. A full 50% power boost.
"Ash, this little one has been staring at you ever since earlier. It looks like it wants to go with you."
Serena's gentle voice broke Ash out of his thoughts.
He looked at Froakie.
"Froakie, do you want to become my partner?"
Looking straight into Froakie's bright, focused eyes, Ash remembered what the Pokédex had said. Froakie usually kept its eyes narrowed to a slit, and only opened them wide when it got serious.
That made everything clear to him at once. The battle just now had already earned its approval.
So he immediately took out a blue Dive Ball with a wave pattern from his waist.
Froakie's eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, it jumped up and pressed itself against the white button in the center of the Poké Ball.
Whoosh!
The Poké Ball opened and fired out a red beam straight at Froakie.
But the instant the beam touched it, a similar red light flared up around Froakie's body.
The light from the Dive Ball was knocked away on the spot, turning into a red mist that scattered into the air.
"Huh?"
Other than Ash, who had already expected this, the other three all blinked with wide eyes, completely confused.
In the end, Serena was the first to speak.
"It looks like... this Froakie already has a Trainer!"
Clemont rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"But that's what makes it strange. Judging from its behavior, this Froakie clearly recognizes Ash. So what exactly is going on here...?"
"In that case, let's go to the lab first. The local Pokémon Professor might know something."
Ash, the only one who already knew the truth, quickly settled on a direction.
Froakie had originally planned to get the four of them to follow it to the lab by calling for attention and gesturing the whole way. But hearing Ash say that, it could not help being a little surprised.
Then it took the lead on its own, hopping out in front and guiding them toward Professor Sycamore's lab.
The moment he heard they were heading out, Pikachu instantly scrambled up from the ground and climbed onto Ash's left shoulder.
The commotion made Froakie glance back.
Thoughtful, it gave a few quick jumps and landed on Ash's right shoulder, narrowing its eyes as it stared across Ash's head at Pikachu.
That, of course, did not escape Serena, Clemont, or Bonnie.
Serena, with that almost wife-like warmth she naturally gave off, covered her mouth and laughed.
"Ha ha, is it getting jealous? That's so cute!"
"So cute, so cute! Bonnie wants her own Pokémon too!"
"Not yet, Bonnie. You're still too young."
By the time they reached Professor Sycamore's lab, Ash once again sensed three familiar Aura signatures in the big tree outside the entrance. So the trio had really been blasted forward by Pikachu straight into the next story beat.
As expected, love interests might come and go, but Pikachu and the true main cast were forever.
Even though he had seen plenty of the plot before, more than ten years had passed, so there was no way Ash could remember every little detail like this. He really was a bit surprised.
Ignoring the trio, who instinctively covered their mouths and noses and tried to fade into the background, Ash led the others into the lab and, as expected, met Professor Sycamore.
He looked to be around thirty.
He had long black hair that was a little too flowing for a man, and a patch of very noticeable stubble on his chin that looked completely intentional.
One thing worth mentioning was that Ash had been the one to uncover the pattern behind Mega Evolution and help spread it widely, while Professor Sycamore was also a researcher of Mega Evolution, so the two of them could be said to be kindred spirits.
Professor Sycamore was extremely enthusiastic right from the start and even gave Ash a hug.
"Hello. I've heard your name for a long time now, Ash. Research into Mega Evolution owes a lot to you!
Also, Professor Oak already told me, you're coming today to receive one of Kalos's first partner Pokémon. I've got everything ready for you."
After the greetings were out of the way, Professor Sycamore turned toward Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
"You're Serena from Vaniville Town, here to receive your first partner Pokémon, right?"
"That's me, Professor!"
Serena nodded in greeting.
Then the Professor looked toward the other two.
"And who are you two?"
"I'm Clemont, and this is my little sister Bonnie."
Hearing their exchange, Ash could not help staring in disbelief.
Professor Sycamore lived in Lumiose City, yet he did not recognize the Gym Leader responsible for maintaining order there...
That really made no sense.
To pull that off, how much of a shut-in did Clemont have to be?
Or maybe it was because Clemont's father, the masked superhero Blaziken Mask, was just that busy, doing every single bit of public safety work a Gym Leader was supposed to handle by himself.
Just as Ash was thinking that, Froakie, which had already been impatient to become Ash's Pokémon, saw that the Professor still had not paid it any attention and decisively took the initiative.
It waved at Professor Sycamore while calling out.
"Froak!"
"Hm?... Froakie, what's wrong?"
Because the Froakie he was seeing now was not covered in injuries like before, the Professor had failed to recognize it at first.
Only after Froakie called out to remind him did he finally realize something.
He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Y, you... wait! It's you! If you're here, then that means... don't tell me your Trainer abandoned you again?"
"Froak!"
Froakie nodded matter-of-factly, as if it were talking about something that had nothing to do with it.
Just then, a female assistant in black stockings and a white lab coat came hurrying over at exactly the right moment.
"Professor, a new Trainer said they don't want their Froakie anymore, and they already sent its Poké Ball back."