New Partner

…

Aaron immediately fled the Deerling Facility. He had to find a Pokeball before he could capture a Pokemon.

Aaron made his way to the manager of the other section and showed him the badge he got from Sawyer. When he arrived at the common area he then heard voices and turned to see Sawyer conversing with Candice the Mystic Gym Leader. She looked nothing like his first impression of her she looked more like a scientist as she had on a white lab coat and her hair back in the ponytail and had glasses on. She still had the cold demeanor but it came off more as serious when she was talking.

Aaron immediately went up to the two leaders.

He bowed slightly when they turned to him.

Sawyer spoke "There is my favorite Brat. Have you found what you were looking for yet?"

Aaron spoke, " No Mr. Sawyer I just arrived here as I was touring the other area's around the facility although some of them are locked."

Candice's raised her eyebrow and turned to Sawyer "Mr. Sawyer? You let this trainer around the facility?"

Mr. Sawyer scratched his beard and laughed " Yeah he is a bright lad and my stupid son forgot to pay his debt so I let him choose some pokemon here."

Candice "Hmph" " I knew it that muscle head can't keep things straight all he cares for is fighting. If you didn't manage the guild behind the scenes my Mother's guild would already have surpassed you."

Mr. Sawyer "Don't I know it."

Candice "Was it the Krookodile that he owes you for?" As she turned to Aaron

Aaron nodded but his eyes were elsewhere as he was scanning the Pokemon in his vision.

Aaron then turned back to Mr. Sawyer and asked "Mr. Sawyer, why are the Pokemon drugged here? Wouldn't it produce better quality food and Pokemon if they didn't have their potential reduced by drugs? I mean at least the docile nature ones. The Corphish are a different story."

The two of them were shocked and Candice had a gleam in her eyes at the statement.

"Brat what do you mean potential reduced? And yes, we have to due to most of the workers here are civilians and not trainers. That is what has been mandated by the City."

Aaron nodded and said "Well I just noticed that almost all of the Pokemon here have duller colors that what I remember reading about in the Pokedex on the computer. I mean wouldn't better quality Pokemon mean better Products and higher prices?"

Candice laughed lightly at the elder. Her voice was melodious and Aaron couldn't help but take a glance at her when she stated with amused eyes "He really has you there. He is a bright one. That's why my guild sometimes requests undrugged Pokemon from you for our research and our trainers."

Aaron smiled and The Elder just shook his head.

"So why are you still here Brat? Go! Find your Pokemon but make sure to stay out of the pens because generally most of these Pokemon will attack you although they are not the same as the newborns.

Aaron " I don't have money for a Pokeball as I have only had 2 missions." He said with a straight face and no shame.

Candice smiled at him and said "I am beginning to like you. You are different than the other trainers have you thought about joining Mystic? My offer still stands."

Aaron smiled wryly and said "Sorry Mrs. Candice I am not looking for a guild right now. Additionally, I don't seem to get along with others my age that well."

Candice " It is Miss. Not Mrs. and yes I was the same as I had different priorities than trainers my age also." She then took a Blue and green Pokeball out of her bag. "Use this to get your Pokemon. It is built for water types."

Aaron gratefully took it while Sawyer complained "Common Little Snowy don't you steal my potential recruit. He would make a better leader than my son."

Candice's eyes went sharp " Don't call me that old man. Also like Aaron said earlier he isn't planning on joining any guild just yet."

They turned to look at Aaron but he was already gone and one of the doors to the pens was slammed shut.

Both of them chuckled at that.

Sawyer "Inpatient brat"

Suddenly the door to the lobby opened abruptly.

"Aunt look what I got!!" Roxy came in skipping up to Candicewhile she held a Pokeball. Candice just patted the girl's head lovingly.

Gwen strolled up after her sister with a cold face. One could tell that she was mad about something.

Candice "Why is your sister mad Roxy?"

Roxy "Ohhhh Sis met a boy! She said that she wanted to recruit him into the Guild but he isn't like all the other boys who stare at sis because of her beauty. He basically ignores her and only talks about Pokemon. I think she likes him but he keeps on disappearing."

Candice raised her eye to her niece "Gwen?"

Gwen "Roxy I do not like him! He is just annoying and gets on my nerves to no end. He would be valuable for our Guild that is all." She said staring at Roxy who stuck out her tongue at her.

Mr. Sawyer smiled at their interactions and cleared his throat and asked " By any chance is this Aaron we are talking about?"

Gwen snapped her head and nodded "Yeah that's him."

Candice chuckled and patted Gwen on the shoulder " He is just inside the other room lets go see what he is doing."

The two girls nodded and accompanied the two adults to the Frokie Pen which.

…

When they arrived everyone was stunned. They looked at the sight in front of them along with the site manager who had not been moving since they entered.

Aaron was sitting in the middle of the shallow swampy pond surrounded by Froakies young and old. They were all climbing all over him while he was smiling just looking around and playing with them. His Trapinch was by his side rolling in the mud with the frogs.

Roxy then broke the silence "Aunt is that normal?"

Candice shook her head " No that is not normal Roxy. After that event, it is not normal."

Mr. Sawyer "Even before the Event it is not considered normal." He then turned to the manager and said " How long has he been like this?"

The manager bowed and replied "Director, Ever since he entered the pen it was like all of these Pokemon were attracted to him. They swarmed him and I was afraid they were going to attack him but this happened. I also addressed the young trainer about the Pokemon before he entered. Today three new batches of Froakie's hatched and none of them have been drugged yet."

Candice " So it's these Pokemon's natural Attraction?" She said with glittering eyes looking at Aaron.

The manager nodded indicating it was so.

Suddenly Aaron got up and put all the Pokemon around him down. He then abruptly turned around and dove to the edge of the mud pit into the tall weeds. Before anyone could react Aaron stood up again and he was holding something invisible in his hands. They could make out an outline due to the mud that splashed on it.

Suddenly the Pokemon blurred into appearance. It was a Froakie of a lighter color. Most of the Froakies were born in various shades of blue and dark blue a few of them were born with lighter colors and where considered varients. Although these variants did not develop immunity to the Everstones

Gwen then piped up " How did he know that it was there?" Asking the question that was on everyone's mind.

…

Back with Aaron

"Haha, I got you."

Aaron held the struggling Pokemon in his hands. He smiled at it trying to convey kind intentions. The Pokemon stopped its struggle and stopped its camouflage. It was a smaller Froakie but its limbs were visibly more muscular than the other younglings of its species.

Aaron nodded and set the pokemon down on the ground and sat in front of it and motioned to Trapinch who waddled over to Aaron's side.

Aaron started "Froakie my name is Aaron and I want you on my team. We are all family as we will depend on each other and I can promise you that I can make you strong."

Froakie looked hesitant as it looked at all of its other friends who didn't seem to have a worry and were trying to follow the human.

It was naturally smart and felt that this place was too good to be true.

Aaron " You have two options either come with me and explore the outside world or you can stay here and become food for others."

Froakie lost his hesitation when he felt the sincere tone of the person in front of him. He hopped up to Aaron who held out a ball and he touched the ball which after a click confirmed that it was caught.

Aaron smiled and thought "It is not shiny but it has good potential"

====================

Froakie (Male) (Mutant)

The Bubble Frog Pokémon [CLICK TO EXPAND DESCRIPTION]

Ability: Torrent, Locked (Protean)

Attribute: Water

Potential: Light Blue

Strength: Mid Jr

Moves: Pound, Growl, Bubble, Quick Attack, Toxic Spikes (EGG) Camouflage (EGG), and Mind Reader (EGG)

======================

Aaron was really happy he knew he was lucky to find this one. All of the Froakie's must have a very powerful parent as their average potentials where Orange and Yellow with a couple of green mixed in.

Aaron was about to leave and clean himself up from being in the mud until he noticed he was being watched by people at the edge of the facility.

He cocked his head to the side "What?"

…

Aaron eventually had to explain to the group what he was doing. He said that he felt an attraction to the Froakie's and when he was looking for a potential Pokemon he saw slight impressions in the muddy grass. He had researched beforehand that this Pokemon has the ability to camouflage to its surroundings.

The others accepted the explanation but Gwen was giving him a weird look. After he thanked and excused himself he took off to the Pokemon center to give his Pokemon a Checkup and hash out his new plans but not before he took a shower.

…

When Aaron left the group was silent thinking about the things that Aaron said especially, Candice and Sawyer. Candice was thinking about how the young boy had a lot of potential to become a researcher while Sawyer was thinking that this phenomenon was attributed to what his Gogoat described yesterday.

'Maybe since he has a hidden power it is either water or dark type? Froakie is known as water type but it also gains the darkness attribute in its final evolution. I will have to read more about this. This might be able to help our guild in some way."

He then thought of something and asked. "I don't want to come off wrong but would you young ones heard any rumors or gossip lately?"

The Girls looked at the old man weirdly but Roxy was the first to pipe up

"Hmmm Well, all I know is that there are rumors of a rare pokemon in the mountains, rumors of Valor chasing after girls in the red light district, rumors of Instinct having a large Pokemon Market in the coming weeks." She then frowned as she thought of something that she heard but didn't believe at the time.

"Mmmmm well there was something about some boy tried to force himself on Claire, Aunt's apprentice. I asked her about it and she said that it was just a rumor and that she didn't want to talk about it."

Mr. Sawyer jaw dropped and thought ' Those damn kids making trouble for me again. Getting caught in the Red Light district. At least wait till you are older like the rest of us.' "Few okay well I think I know what happened and it seems to have got out of hand due to my guild. Sigh, I hope Aaron forgives me for this."

Candice turned to him questionably "What do you mean?"

Gwen connected the dots and was shocked " No WAY, Aaron is the boy in the rumor with Claire!!!"

Candice went wide-eyed and her good impression of Aaron was immediately gone. She loved her apprentice very much and she had a lot of talent and might eventually replace her as the Guild Master.

Sawyer waved his hands to the girls and sweated a bit "No. No, it's not like that! Sigh this is what I have talked to Aaron about."

He then preceded to narrate Aaron's story over the past couple of weeks, about the Ordeal, coming back, his only friend leaving for Pallet, and his training. His first missions and the things that he had to deal with.

He then went silent and let the others process what he had recounted.

Candice "He seems like he doesn't really care about the rumors but as it stands now it seems like it is mostly Valor that seems to treat him like that. This also concerns Claire's reputation so I will have to talk to her about it."

Gwen "The rumor is definitely false because even if you briefly know him all he seems to care about is Pokemon and getting stronger and learning."

Roxy nodded "Yep, he didn't even give Sis a second glance."

Gwen just scowled at Roxy.

Candice "I think we should just let it play out. Worse comes to worst we will have to mediate this as it could affect both guild's reputation."

Sawyer nodded "Don't tell others about Aaron's story because it might make matters worse."

They all nodded but Candice had a ruthless light in her eye as she knew that all of this might come back and affect her Apprentice.

…

Aaron quickly made it to the Pokemon Center where he got his two partners a full health diagnostic. Meanwhile, he went and quickly ate his food and brainstormed ideas of what he needed to do. He realized that everything came back to one thing MONEY.

He needed to take missions and train his pokemon at the same time. So Aaron decided to spend two days fully training his team again and then take a couple of missions that require some battling. Although all the D-Rank missions kept him within the city-state he could always make his way to the wild and collect some Pokemon and herbs from various places. But first, he needed to make his team solid so he planned a training regime which heavily includes using the weighted vests that he had acquired from Team Valor.

…