Seeing so many Mudkip at once, even with Aoki's knowledge, was a bit surprising.
So many?
The League was really confident, leaving this many of the Three Royal Starters in Professor Birch's backyard?
But in reality, the League truly was that confident.
After all, Professor Birch was the best Pokémon researcher in the Hoenn region.
And his own strength wasn't weak either.
There wasn't any particularly powerful underground organization in Hoenn, so there wasn't much to worry about.
"Mudkip should be here. See if there's one that suits you," Professor Birch said as he took a handful of food from his white coat pocket, knelt down, and placed it on the ground.
Before Professor Birch even finished speaking, Aoki was already using his system to scan the data of these Mudkip.
But soon, Aoki frowned.
Although there were plenty of Mudkip here, their potential surprised him—not because it was too high, but because it was too low.
Or rather, it was all over the place.
The lowest-ranked Mudkip had only a light green rating, and there were quite a few of them.
It was clear that, despite the large number of Mudkip here, Professor Birch hadn't specifically selected for their potential.
But thinking about it, that made sense. Professor Birch researched Pokémon habitats and evolutionary branches. Potential rankings weren't really his concern.
Fortunately, there were enough Mudkip here.
As the saying goes, quantity makes up for quality.
Aoki had plenty of options to find a Mudkip he was satisfied with.
For a key mber of his future rain team—Swampert—Aoki wanted to be extra careful.
Aside from Mudkip's final evolution, there was another Pokémon Aoki had considered for his rain team: Ludicolo.
As a Water/Grass-type, Ludicolo, with its Swift Swim ability, was an excellent choice for a rain team. However, now that Aoki could get a strong Mudkip, his need for Ludicolo wasn't as urgent.
He could wait until he encountered a good one in the future rather than searching for one specifically.
Aoki instructed the system to compile data on the Mudkip with the best potential.
In the end, he confird his choice—a relatively strong one.
Pokémon: Mudkip (Light Cyan)
Gender: Male
Level: 5
Type: Water
Ability: Torrent
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Ancient Power, Bite, Counter, Refresh
Basic Moves: Tackle, Growl, Water Gun
Learnt Moves: Water Pulse, Aqua Tail
TM Moves: None
This Mudkip had one of the best potential rankings among the group. It also had decent Egg Moves and Learnt Moves, which was a great sign.
For a Level 5 Pokémon, learning this many moves was quite impressive.
"That little guy," Aoki said, pointing at the Mudkip near Professor Birch.
"Oh?" Professor Birch picked up the little one Aoki pointed to.
He held it up, examining it to make sure there were no injuries.
The Mudkip was calm, likely recognizing Professor Birch as the one who fed them regularly. It didn't struggle or resist.
Instead, it looked at Aoki with curiosity.
For so reason, it felt like it was about to leave its companions.
Although there was so reluctance, there was an even stronger yearning to see the world outside.
"You have a good eye. As expected from a Pokémon Breeder. This little guy is one of the better Mudkip in the group," Professor Birch said with a smile after confirming its condition.
Even though Professor Birch primarily studied Pokémon habitats and evolutionary lines, as a Pokémon Professor, he could still recognize a Pokémon's potential.
He just preferred not to interfere with a Trainer's choices.
A Trainer chooses their Pokémon, and the Pokémon chooses their Trainer. A true partnership is ford when both sides see eye to eye.
When Professor Birch handed the Mudkip to Aoki, it didn't resist. That told him that, even though it didn't fully understand what was happening, it didn't reject Aoki's presence.
That was enough.
"I'll leave this little guy with you for now. Try to bond with it. I'll wait for you outside," Professor Birch said, walking a short distance away from the lake.
The Pokémon here were wild. If Aoki wanted to capture this Mudkip, it was up to him to earn its trust.
At Level 5, brute force wasn't the answer.
Aoki gently placed Mudkip on the ground.
The Mudkip looked up at him with round eyes, curious about what he would do next.
Aoki slowly crouched down and placed a hand on Mudkip's head. Its texture reminded him of a Slowpoke he had encountered before.
A familiar feeling.
Aoki sighed inwardly.
Then, he activated Telepathy.
Mudkip, would you like to co with and see the vast world outside? Aoki projected the words into Mudkip's mind.
"Gulu?" Mudkip's eyes widened in shock. It looked around but saw only Aoki.
Yet, it had clearly heard a voice—one it could understand.
You don't have to look around. I'm the one talking to you, Aoki continued.
This ti, Mudkip was certain that the voice ca from the human in front of it.
How was that possible?
Mudkip's curiosity was fully awakened.
Aoki opened his palm, revealing several specially-made Pokeblocks. Knowing he would be catching a Mudkip, Aoki had prepared these in advance.
As soon as Mudkip caught the scent, its eyes lit up.
It glanced at Aoki, then at the Pokeblocks, then back at Aoki.
It couldn't hold back any longer and ate them all in one bite.
So, what do you think? Want to co with ? The world outside is huge—full of amazing places, interesting Pokémon, and all kinds of people. Of course, there will also be many battles. But as a reward, you'll get plenty of these delicious treats, Aoki said persuasively.
For a young and inexperienced Pokémon like Mudkip, the unknown world and delicious food were the perfect temptations.
Sure enough, after a mont of hesitation, Mudkip quickly stopped resisting and nodded in agreent.
Aoki smiled.
He took out an empty Great Ball and held it out for Mudkip.
Without hesitation, Mudkip allowed itself to be captured.
The Pokéball clicked shut.
Mudkip, successfully caught!
With this, Aoki's rain team was starting to take shape.
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