It's rare enough to encounter a Shiny Pokémon—there's no way I'm letting it get away.
Besides, this Shroomish already shows Gym-level potential; raise it properly, and it will have no trouble in a Gym challenge.
"Eevee, use Psychic," Gary ordered.
"Vee!"
Eevee's eyes glowed blue. A wave of psychic energy rippled outward and pinned the fleeing Shroomish in place. Startled, the mushroom Pokémon spat out a cloud of green spores, but it was too far away for the powder to reach Eevee and simply drifted to the ground.
Eevee didn't toy with its target; it slammed Shroomish into the turf head-first, knocking it out on the spot. On impact, more powder burst from Shroomish's body.
"Effect Spore…" Gary noted. The puff of spores confirmed that this Shroomish possessed the Ability.
Effect Spore normally gives a 30% chance to inflict poison, paralysis, or sleep on a contact attacker—annoying, but not game-breaking. Still, the opponent has to strike at close range for it to trigger.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
Gary lobbed a standard red-and-white capsule. It hit Shroomish, opened, and pulled the unconscious Pokémon inside.
"Eevee, bring it over with Confusion, please." With spores still lingering, Gary didn't want to risk a status condition.
Eevee enveloped the ball in psychic energy and floated it to Gary. He blew away the stray powder, tucked the ball safely away, and called up the data readout:
[Pokémon: Shroomish ♂ (Shiny)]
[Type: Grass]
[Level: 12]
[Potential: Gym]
[Ability: EX Effect Spore – When hit by a contact move, there is a 60% chance to inflict the attacker with poison, paralysis, or sleep.]
[Moves: Tackle, Absorb, Stun Spore, Leech Seed]
[Friendship: 90 / 255]
"What? An EX Ability…"
Gary stared in shock. This was the first Pokémon he'd ever caught whose Ability had been upgraded.
Abilities clearly come in tiers—an EX Ability is roughly twice as powerful as the normal version. A 60% chance to inflict a status condition is insane. Once this Shroomish evolves into Breloom, few opponents will risk close combat unless they have the Ability Overcoat or are holding Safety Goggles.
Gary hesitated. He had planned to collect Shiny Pokémon as trophies, but a Shroomish with EX Effect Spore was far too valuable not to train—especially since system missions and the Ever Grande Conference would force him to field Hoenn Pokémon. Gym-level potential is already enough for the Hoenn League, and the Ability more than makes up the difference.
"All right, I'll raise you," he decided.
Gary released Shroomish, sprayed it with a Potion, recalled it, and continued toward Treecko Forest.
─────
That evening, Gary made camp and released Shroomish for dinner. The little mushroom quickly grasped the situation: it had been captured, but its new Trainer was feeding it quality rations, so it obediently stuck close.
"Here, Shroomish, wear this." Gary handed it a Soothe Bell. "I'll teach you a few moves."
"Mush-room?" Shroomish tilted its head; it had never heard of moves being "taught."
Still, food was food, so it slipped the Soothe Bell around its neck.
Gary placed a hand on Shroomish's cap and transferred four TM moves—Rest, Body Slam, Solar Beam, and Sludge Bomb. Because Shroomish had yet to evolve, he avoided techniques it couldn't learn until later.
Shroomish blinked, stunned that it suddenly knew so much.
"Vee-vee."
Eevee padded over and explained (as best it could) that their Trainer had plenty of mysterious tricks and treated his partners well; Shroomish had nothing to worry about.
"Mush-room!"
Shroomish nodded. Following Gary was clearly the smart play—good food, new moves, and a path to strength.
─────
After a night's rest in Petalburg Woods, Gary pushed on and reached Treecko Forest near noon.
"There it is."
Ahead lay a sunken clearing dominated by a towering but withered tree—easily twenty-plus meters tall yet clearly dying.
[Lv. 15 Treecko ♂ / Normal]
[Lv. 10 Treecko ♀ / Normal]
[Lv. 17 Treecko ♂ / Normal]
[Lv. 18 Treecko ♂ / Gym]
[Lv. 30 Treecko ♂ / Elite]
…
"Found one."
Gary's eyes locked on an Elite-potential Treecko—the very one with a twig in its mouth that would one day become Ash's partner.
"Is that really the only Elite here?" Gary sighed. He had no desire to poach Ash's eventual Treecko.
This particular Treecko was born in the old tree and refused to leave, guarding it even in its final days. Ash would earn its trust only after helping the forest.
Moreover, that Treecko was prone to emotional scars: later, as a Grovyle, it fell for a Meganium who preferred Tropius; after evolving into Sceptile, it forgot how to use its own moves until Ash helped it recover.
Great potential, great character—but a fragile psyche.
"Let's keep looking first," Gary decided. "If there's no second Elite Treecko, then I'll reconsider."