Ash, Misty, and Brock continued along the forest path as sunlight filtered through the leaves.
A faint vibration came from Ash’s backpack.
Inside, the Egg in its incubator had begun to glow.
“Huh?
The Egg is moving!” Ash stopped and carefully took the incubator out of his backpack.
Misty and Brock gathered around him.
“Wow, is it finally going to hatch?
I can’t wait to see what kind of Pokémon it is!” Misty clenched her fists and stared at the Egg.
The light grew brighter until a crack appeared across the shell.
When the light faded, a fluffy little cat lay curled up in Ash’s arms.
Its pale green fur made it look especially cute in the sunlight.
A dark green marking shaped like four overlapping leaves covered the center of its face around its pink eyes.
The green fur around its chest resembled a small collar.
“It’s Sprigatito!” Ash said.
Sprigatito blinked and looked around curiously.
It looked first at Ash, then at Misty and Brock, and finally at Pikachu and Eevee as they came closer.
“Meow!”
Sprigatito’s soft meow sounded like a greeting.
Unable to resist, Misty reached out and stroked Sprigatito’s head.
“It’s so cute!”
Brock looked Sprigatito over with interest.
“So it’s called Sprigatito.
I’ve never seen a Pokémon like it before.”
“Of course you haven’t.
Sprigatito comes from the Paldea region,” Ash said.
“It’s known as the Grass Cat Pokémon.
Its fluffy fur is similar in composition to plants, so it frequently washes its face to keep from drying out.
Its body gives off a sweet scent that can charm those around it, and the scent grows stronger in sunlight.”
“Wow, so it’s from another region.
No wonder it’s so special.” Misty looked at Sprigatito with renewed curiosity.
“Sprigatito, starting today, we’re partners.” Ash took out a Poké Ball and gave it a small shake in front of Sprigatito.
“Meow!”
Sprigatito meowed happily as if it understood.
Then it reached out and tapped the Poké Ball with one paw.
A flash of red light pulled Sprigatito into the Poké Ball.
The Poké Ball shook several times and then fell still.
Ash had caught Sprigatito.
Misty smiled at Ash.
“Sprigatito really likes you, Ash.”
“Haha, of course.
I really like Sprigatito too.” Ash put the Poké Ball away.
[Pokémon: Sprigatito (Shiny)]
[Gender: Female]
[Type: Grass]
Its fluffy fur is similar in composition to plants.
It frequently washes its face to keep from drying out.
The sweet scent its body gives off can charm those around it, and the scent grows stronger when it basks in sunlight.]
[Base Stat Total: 341]
[Ability: Overgrow — When its stamina is low, the power of its Grass-type moves increases.]
[Hidden Ability: Protean — Changes the Pokémon’s type to match the move it uses.]
[Current Strength: Normal]
[Potential: Elite Four Level]
[Moves: Scratch; Tail Whip; Leafage]
[Status: Healthy]
Ash was quite satisfied with the results.
After all, he had adjusted Sprigatito’s data with the system’s cheat function.
…
Eventually reached a small town.
Ash headed straight to the police station to see Officer Jenny.
This was where Squirtle had joined him.
Squirtle’s four old companions had stayed behind, and the Squirtle Squad now served as the town’s firefighting team.
Ash pushed open the police station’s glass door, and a wind chime rang overhead.
Officer Jenny looked up from the case files she was sorting.
“Ash?!”
She hurried over.
“What brings you here?”
Ash scratched his head.
“Actually…”
Before Ash could finish, they heard splashing water from inside.
Four Squirtle wearing sunglasses rushed out.
Ash sent out his own Squirtle.
At once, the five Squirtle began playing together.
“You little troublemakers!” Officer Jenny scolded, though she sounded amused.
“You just finished training, and you’re already fooling around!”
“Still the same as ever.” Ash went down the line, rubbing each Squirtle’s head.
The five Squirtle crowded around him, all calling, “Squirtle!
Squirtle!”
Brock and Misty laughed from the doorway, caught up in the excitement.
Misty crouched.
“So this is the Squirtle Squad.”
Officer Jenny watched the Squirtle fondly.
Officer Jenny smiled at Ash, then explained to Misty and Brock, “They were all abandoned Pokémon at first.”
Officer Jenny sighed as she spoke.
“Ash passed through this town back then, and his suggestion changed their lives.”
“Over time, these abandoned Pokémon became the heroes who protect our town.
Now they’re local celebrities!” Officer Jenny smiled proudly.
“And we have Ash to thank for that.”
“I never knew about any of that.
Ash, that’s amazing!”
Brock smiled and nodded.
Ash scratched his head and gave an embarrassed laugh.
“It was nothing, really!
The Squirtle were already great.”
Misty stared at the Squirtle, envious.
“I wish I had a Squirtle too.
The way they spray water is so cool, and they’re adorable.
They’re amazing.”
As she spoke, Misty made a round shape with her hands to imitate Squirtle’s plump body.
Ash smiled and shook his head at her excitement.
“You guys keep playing.
I’m going outside for some air.”
Pikachu and Eevee kept chasing the Squirtle and did not even look back.
Ash left the police station.
Once he was sure no one was watching, he opened the exchange interface and spent points on a Squirtle Egg.
He used the system’s cheat function to adjust the Egg’s data and set its hatching progress to one hundred percent.
Ash tucked the Egg into his arms and returned to the police station.
When Ash returned, Misty was crouched in a corner, looking disappointed.
He nearly laughed.
“Here, this is for you.” Ash held out the Egg, trying to sound casual.
Misty stared in shock as the shell split open with a sharp crack.
A wet little Squirtle poked its head out and looked around with wide eyes.
Then it cried, “Squirtle!” and leaped into Misty’s arms.
“Is… is this real?!” Misty asked, her voice trembling.
Her eyes reddened as she held the little Squirtle in shaking hands.
[Pokémon: Squirtle]
[Gender: Female]
[Type: Water]
[Introduction: The Tiny Turtle Pokémon.
It hides in its shell to protect itself, then sprays water at its opponent when it sees an opening.]
[Base Stat Total: 314]
[Ability: Torrent — When its stamina is low, the power of its Water-type moves increases.]
[Hidden Ability: Rain Dish — In rain, it slowly recovers stamina.]
[Current Strength: Normal]
[Potential: Champion Level]
[Moves: Tackle; Tail Whip; Water Gun]
[Status: Healthy]
When Officer Jenny and Brock came over, they found Misty nuzzling Squirtle and mumbling, “Ash, you idiot… but I love it so much!”
Ash stood nearby with his hands in his pockets, unable to hide his smile.
At this point, Ash, Misty, and Brock had the following Pokémon:
Ash: Pikachu, Eevee, Ivysaur, Charmeleon, Squirtle, Dratini, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Sprigatito
Misty: Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, Milotic, Squirtle
Brock: Geodude, Onix, Zubat