Chapter 189:Ninja Village and the Froakie with Dual Abilities!

Kyushu Island, Ninja Village.

This is a village nestled in a valley.

At the entrance of the village, there is a rustic gate made of bamboo.

A wooden sign hanging overhead reads "Ninja Village."

“Everyone, this is the Ninja Village of Kyushu Island.”

“This village was established 300 years ago by a ninja named Hanzō and his companion Greninja.”

A tour guide was leading a group through the entrance of the village.

Natsume remarked, “It seems that even this Farming area hasn't escaped commercialization.”

Onami walked alongside Natsume and replied, “There's no way around it.”

“After all, only in this way can the village continue to develop better.”

At the village entrance, two guards dressed in ninja attire, accompanied by Greninja, were standing watch.

Nearby, several tourists were lining up to take group photos with the guards.

“Manaphy~”

Manaphy stood in front of Greninja, looking up curiously at the upright Pokémon.

Natsume glanced at the two Greninja.

Their levels were around forty.

Their strength was quite impressive.

“Greninja~”

Greninja tilted its head slightly, looking curiously at Manaphy.

At this moment, Manaphy appeared to them as an ordinary human child.

This was an illusion created by Gardevoir.

Natsume said to Manaphy, “We’re going into the village now.”

“Manaphy~”

Manaphy responded and then bounced over to Natsume.

The guards looked at Manaphy’s retreating figure and then at Greninja. “What a cute child.”

“Greninja~”

Upon entering the village, the first thing they saw was a cobblestone path.

On both sides of the path were traditional wooden Japanese cabins.

The roofs were covered in thick thatch, and one could even smell the faint aroma of grass and wood.

While the buildings appeared to be from the last century, filled with a sense of historical depth,

the facilities inside were completely modernized.

There was a Poké Ball shop, a barbeque restaurant, a souvenir shop, and more.

Natsume also spotted a themed toy shop featuring Greninja, filled with Froakie, Gulpin, and Greninja plush toys and figurines.

The tourists previously crowded on the cobblestone path were now completely dispersed by these shops.

In this place, the past and present seemed to be seamlessly connected.

“Are we going to the Froakie Breeding Center in the village now?”

Onami asked Natsume.

“There’s no rush.”

Natsume spotted a shop ahead with a sign for Slowpoke Tail Skewers and quickened his pace. “Let’s go try that first.”

There was quite a long line at the shop, indicating they’d have to wait a while.

Slowpoke Tail Skewers were a local delicacy made from the tails of Slowpoke.

Their main ingredients were Slowpoke tails and batter.

You could also add various toppings according to your preference, such as seaweed and slices of ham.

Onami asked, “Does Natsume, the gym leader, really enjoy this local delicacy?”

Natsume replied as he looked toward the line, “I do.”

“Experiencing different foods from various places, learning about the local customs, along with the stories that happen along the way.”

“I think that’s the true meaning of traveling.”

Onami smiled at Natsume’s response. “Indeed, Natsume, the gym leader, is someone who enjoys life.”

At that moment, the line suddenly stopped.

Natsume, a bit confused, leaned forward to see what was happening.

In front of the line was a Chespin.

It appeared very anxious, looking around restlessly as if searching for something.

Clearly, this was a Pokémon waiting in line to assist its Trainer.

“Chespin, where’s your Trainer?”

The staff looked at the little Chespin with a bit of a headache.

“Chespin.”

Chespin replied urgently, “They’ll be here soon.”

“Then can you order in the meantime?”

“Let’s see what you want to eat.”

Chespin jumped up and leaned against the ordering window.

Chespin fell into silence.

“Chespin”

Chespin can’t read!

“What a careless Trainer. Why would they let such a small Pokémon order alone?”

“Exactly, that’s just too sad.”

Some customers in line sighed, “By the way, how much longer do we have to wait?”

Hearing the voices behind it, Chespin jumped down, looking a bit defeated.

Natsume approached the somewhat pitiful Chespin and said, “It wants to order a teriyaki-flavored Slowpoke Tail Skewer.”

“Chespin!”

Chespin nodded eagerly.

The staff sighed in relief. “I’ll get that right away.”

Natsume noticed that there were only two human staff members in the shop and curiously asked, “Don’t you have any Pokémon staff here?”

“We do.”

The staff replied awkwardly, “But one of them got injured yesterday in a Pokémon battle and is still in the hospital.”

“I see.”

Since it only required sprinkling on the seasoning, making a Slowpoke Tail Skewer was quite quick.

Chespin took it gratefully and knelt down to give Natsume a bow.

Natsume said, a bit embarrassed, “You don’t need to be so dramatic.”

Natsume looked at Chespin and asked, “By the way, where's your trainer?”

“Did they go to buy something else?”

Chespin replied angrily, “Chespin!”

Chespin said angrily that He were probably in the bathroom again.

Its trainer always had to go to the bathroom when they left home, and even when they arrived at a new place, it felt like they were always in there.

“Uh.”

“There's no need to go into such detail with me about that.”

While Natsume was chatting with Chespin, Onami and Gardevoir returned with the Slowpoke Tail Skewers.

Gardevoir picked up a piece, blew on it, and then held it to Natsume’s mouth.

As Natsume opened his mouth, he noticed that many people's gazes were suddenly aimed at him on the street.

Natsume chuckled.

Ahhhh~

Natsume took a bite of the Slowpoke Tail Skewer that Gardevoir offered.

“Wow~”

“That is a bit hot, but it’s really delicious. No wonder there’s such a long line.”

“Manaphy~”

Manaphy jumped onto Natsume’s shoulder.

Manaphy wanted to eat too!

Gardevoir then fed Manaphy a piece as well.

“Chespin, I’m here!”

A boy hurriedly ran up the street toward them.

“Chespin.”

Natsume glanced at the approaching boy and told Chespin, “Your trainer is coming, so we’ll be on our way.”

“Bye-bye, Chespin.”

“Chespin~”

After saying goodbye to Chespin, Natsume and the others continued walking down the main road.

Ahead was a square.

In the square, there was a statue.

The statue depicted a Trainer named Hanzō and a Greninja.

Below the statue, the history of their lives was inscribed.

“Everyone knows about Mega Evolution, right?”

At this moment, the tour guide was sharing their story with the tourists.

“It is well known that Pokémon can achieve Mega Evolution with the power of Mega Stones, gaining even greater strength.”

“Three hundred years ago, a general sought to dominate this territory and commanded a Hydreigon to raid the village with a multitude of Pokémon.”

“The ninja Hanzō confronted it with his Greninja.”

“In the midst of battle, Greninja was surrounded.”

“Just when everyone thought they were going to lose, Greninja suddenly surpassed itself during the battle and achieved Mega Evolution.”

“With the immense power of Mega Evolution, Greninja defeated the Hydreigon with a move that shone like gold, successfully protecting the village.”

“However, since then, no Greninja capable of Mega Evolution has been seen.”

“But since three hundred years ago, a legend has circulated in the village.”

“When disaster strikes, a strong hero will lead a Mega Evolution Greninja to save this world!”

“So, the people here firmly believe that the reason no Mega Greninja has appeared yet is simply that disaster has not yet come.”

One tourist laughed and said, “Does this mean that if a Mega Greninja never appears, disaster will never come?”

The tour guide chuckled, “If it were really like that, it would be wonderful.”

“But I believe the true meaning of this legend refers to the fact that when disaster strikes, only Trainers with true courage and their Greninja will be able to surpass themselves and become heroes.”

This statement immediately drew applause.

The tour guide continued, “Let’s move on.”

“Walking to the left will lead you to the Froakie Breeding Center.”

“Most of the Froakie there are descendants of this Greninja.”

“Walking to the right leads to the theater, where you can watch the stage performance of Greninja battling Hydreigon.”

Natsume looked at the sign in the middle of the square.

A Pidgey was perched on the sign at that moment.

It pecked at its feathers and then flapped its wings, flying to the left.

“Let’s go.”

Natsume pointed in the direction Pidgey flew and said, “We’ll head to the Froakie Breeding Center.”

Natsume and his group continued along the left path deeper into the village.

As they moved left, the commercial atmosphere of Ninja Village began to fade.

Both sides of the path were lined with lush woods.

“Froakie~”

A Froakie darted quickly through the clusters of trees.

It was being followed by someone dressed in ninja attire.

“Don’t think you can escape! I’ll definitely defeat you this time!”

The ninja shouted, brandishing several shurikens that flew rapidly toward Froakie.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~

“Froakie~”

Froakie jumped swiftly.

The shurikens struck the trunk of a tree.

“Froakie~”

Froakie leaped off the shurikens and jumped again.

A ball of white foam appeared in Froakie’s hands as it threw it at the ninja.

Bam~

A perfect hit.

The ninja tumbled down from the tree in a rather clumsy manner.

“Froakie~”

Seeing the ninja sit up, Froakie turned and left the area.

Natsume did not witness this exciting scene.

As Natsume and the others approached, they only saw a group of people helping up a ninja clad in traditional attire.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

The ninja said a bit awkwardly, “I just let my guard down; otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t have been hit by it.”

“Haha, cut it out, Ikuchi.”

Some villagers approached and laughed, “You’ve challenged that Froakie several times.”

“Every time, it easily dealt with you.”

Ninja Ikuchi retorted, “It’s not just me who lost to it.”

“The young ninjas in the village aren’t its opponents either, so it’s normal for me to lose.”

“After all, this Froakie is indeed very strong.”

Tourists around them expressed confusion, “But weren’t you in a Pokémon battle just now?”

“Oh, that.”

Ninja Ikuchi explained, “That’s because things are different here than they are outside.”

“If the ninjas in the village can defeat a Froakie using their own strength, they can capture it directly.”

“That’s why I personally battled that Froakie.”

He added, “Of course, only people from our village can do that.”

Onami stood outside the crowd, and after listening to Ikuchi, she said to Natsume, “What a pity.”

“If outsiders could do that too, then Natsume, the gym leader, would easily get the Pokémon he wants.”

Natsume replied, “Such privileges are only for those from their own village.”

“That’s only natural.”

Ninja Ikuchi overheard Natsume and Onami's conversation.

He slightly raised an eyebrow and approached Natsume, sizing him up. “Do you know any ninja techniques?”

Natsume shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“Then you’re a samurai?”

“Not that either.”

Ninja Ikuchi looked puzzled. “If you’re neither a ninja nor a samurai, what makes you think you can earn Froakie's acknowledgment?”

Natsume pointed casually. “Because I’m Psychic.”

Under Natsume’s control, Ikuchi’s body slowly lifted into the air and then gently landed back down.

“Any more questions?”

Ninja Ikuchi’s face turned red. “No, that’s all.”

“I just wanted to let you know that the Froakie Breeding Center is right ahead, where you can experience battling Froakie.”

As Ikuchi finished speaking, a loud sound rang out, and Razor Leaf fell down in front of Natsume.

Ikuchi’s body vanished in an instant.

Natsume turned to see Ikuchi hiding behind a tree, awkwardly stamping his foot.

“How unlucky, stepped right into it.”

Onami looked at the pile of fallen leaves in front of Natsume and said, “So this is ninja technique; it’s truly amazing.”

Natsume wasn’t particularly interested in ninjutsu, after all, it didn’t compare to Psychic abilities.

Natsume chuckled, “Let’s go, it’s right up ahead.”

Crossing through this small woods, they found a training area.

In the training area, several Froakie were practicing their throwing techniques.

The Froakie stood in front of a target, using their white foam to strike at the bullseye.

Beside the training area was a battle arena.

Next to the venue was an advertising board.

It read: Pokémon battles—299 for one battle, includes a ninja art photo.

Natsume looked at the battle arena.

After all, ordinary people who hadn’t exercised wouldn’t stand a chance against Pokémon.

However, everyone looked like they were having a good time.

“Natsume, the gym leader, are you going to sign up?”

Natsume just glanced over and shook his head. “No thanks.”

“Games like this don’t hold much meaning for me.”

At this moment, Natsume was checking the data of the Froakie in the training area.

The potential of the Froakie was quite good, mostly at the Elite level.

Natsume even saw several Froakie with Gym Leader potential.

“Froakie~”

From a clump of trees, a Froakie came bouncing toward them.

It stood in front of a target and waved at the Froakie practicing throwing techniques.

That Froakie immediately launched an attack.

However, all of its attacks were dodged by Froakie.

Bam~

A perfect hit.

“This one looks quite promising.”

Natsume thought to himself as he directed his gaze at it.

Name: Froakie  
Type: Water  
Level: 20  
Ability: Torrent  
Hidden Ability: Battle Bond  
Individual Values: HP 31, Attack 31, Defense 30, Special Attack 31, Special Defense 31, Speed 31  
Moves: Pound, Growl, Quick Attack, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Smoke, Fling  
Inherited Moves: Mind Reader  
Potential: Elite

“Hmm?”

Natsume felt invigorated as he looked at the data for this Froakie.

“What’s up with this Ability?”

It was the first time Natsume had encountered a Pokémon with two abilities.

Furthermore, this Froakie should have already evolved by now.

Froakie noticed Natsume’s gaze and looked back at him in confusion.

“Froakie?”