Dead silence fell over the cave once again.
Froakie looked down at the Poké Ball, then looked up at Ariel.
This man's eyes were very cold, but beneath that iciness lay a power that made it inexplicably trust him.
It remembered the unwilling look in its patriarch's eyes as he fell.
It remembered the desperate screams of its companions as they were shoved into cages.
Revenge!
This thought was like a cluster of frantically burning flames, instantly consuming all the hesitation and weakness in its heart.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Froakie reached out its small hand and resolutely pressed the button in the middle of the Poké Ball.
"Bang!"
A flash of red light sucked its small figure into the ball.
The Poké Ball shook gently on the ground, its red light flickering.
Once, twice, thrice... *Click.*
Accompanied by a crisp Lock-On sound, the red light went out, and everything returned to peace.
Ariel walked forward slowly and picked up the Poké Ball from the ground.
He stroked the smooth surface of the ball, a hint of satisfaction finally appearing on his face.
The plan had gone very smoothly.
This Froakie's will was even firmer than he had imagined.
He took out his pokédex and aimed it at the Poké Ball in his hand.
Besides the gimmick of revenge, the more important reason he captured this Froakie was, naturally, its potential.
In the original story, the protagonist's Greninja was undeniably powerful.
The pokédex screen lit up and began scanning.
"Beep! Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon... Evaluating potential..."
Ariel's heart rate accelerated slightly.
Sen and his subordinates had turned the entire tribe upside down, and the best potential they found was only Gym-level.
So, what exactly was the potential of this "orphan" that Whiscash had gone out of its way to protect?
Please don't let him down.
The progress bar on the screen reached the end, and the final evaluation results were clearly displayed.
"Potential: Quasi-Elite Four Level!"
Seeing these four words, Ariel's breath hitched!
Quasi-Elite Four Level!
He gripped the pokédex tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
The surprise in his heart was like a volcanic eruption, instantly sweeping through his entire body!
He had bet correctly!
That old fellow Sen really picked up a sesame seed and lost the watermelon! He had exhausted his efforts to capture an entire tribe, yet the highest masterpiece he obtained was a mere Gym-level.
And the true treasure, this future powerhouse with Quasi-Elite Four Level potential, had landed in his hands by a stroke of luck!
This was the second Pokémon with Quasi-Elite Four Level potential he had obtained, after Sneasel!
"Hehe..." Ariel couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, which sounded somewhat eerie in the empty cave. "Interesting, truly interesting."
He clipped Froakie's Poké Ball back to his waist and turned to walk out of the cave.
In his great mood, even the smell of blood in the cave seemed to have faded a lot.
Leaving the grotto, Ariel returned along the same path.
Krokorok and Sneasel followed him on his left and right, while Inkay lay on top of his head; all the Pokémon remained highly alert.
The terrain inside Meteor Falls was complex. Along the way, they encountered a few blind wild Pokémon that tried to block their path, but they were all easily dealt with by Krokorok and the others, not even qualifying to make Ariel step in.
After passing through a narrow stone wall passage, the sight ahead made Ariel stop in his tracks.
At the exit of the passage lay a corpse.
It was a very young Trainer, looking about the same age as Ariel, wearing an exploration outfit. He was now lying face down on the ground, with a claw mark deep enough to see bone on his back. Dark red blood had soaked through his clothes and had long since congealed.
Beside his corpse, fragments of Poké Balls were scattered all over the ground.
Obviously, this was a failed capture.
This young Trainer had attempted to capture a powerful wild Pokémon, but ended up suffering a backlash, dying here along with his own Pokémon.
Ariel's gaze lingered on the young corpse for a few seconds, and the face of that little girl, Misato, involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
She just wanted a Pokémon, and her father, Sen, immediately took action, capturing an entire Froakie tribe and eventually choosing a Gym-level Froakie to give to her as a gift.
Her obtaining a powerful Pokémon was as easy and pleasant as getting a new toy.
Yet this young man, around the same age as himself, had paid the price of his life just to capture a single Pokémon.
Truly... ironic.
"In this world, what some people dream of is something others can obtain at will."
Ariel whispered to himself, his voice devoid of any emotion.
He didn't feel sentimental pity for this stranger, nor did he foolishly think of avenging him.
The world was just this cruel.
The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest.
Sympathy and compassion were the most useless things in this world.
He withdrew his gaze, not looking at the corpse again, and stepped around it.
Stepping out of Meteor Falls, the warm sunlight spilled over him, dispelling the cold and dampness of the cave.
Ariel narrowed his eyes and looked up at the azure sky.
He touched the Poké Ball on his waist containing Froakie, feeling the unwilling and stubborn aura coming from within.
"Let's go."
He spoke softly, as if to himself, and also to his newly captured partner.
"Our path has only just begun."
This was a piece of unpolished jade.
And he, Ariel, intended to be the top jeweler, making its light bloom completely in this world... With a few days left before the Fossil Press Conference Steven had invited him to, Ariel was in no hurry to travel. Instead, he chose to stay in Dewford Town for a period of intensive special training.
Dewford Town was a small island surrounded by the azure sea. The air was filled with the salty sea breeze, and the waves tirelessly slapped against the reefs on the shore, making a splashing sound.
The center of the island was a dense primeval forest, providing an excellent habitat for pokémon.
For special training, having both forest and sea made it an ideal location.
But more importantly, Ariel could get some ready-made guidance here.
Personal instruction from the Gym Leader, Brawly.
This Fighting-type master was the first true League Trainer Ariel had met since arriving in the Hoenn region...
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