In the original storyline, after leaving Petalburg City, Ash once ran into a flock of Taillow, eventually capturing their leader—the very Pokémon that would later evolve into his indomitable Swellow.
And before reaching Rustboro City, he encountered another turning point of his journey: a special Treecko. That meeting happened deep inside a forest inhabited by Treecko—a place that would later give birth to Ash's Hoenn ace.
Now, realizing where he had wandered into, Aiden Flint couldn't help but glance toward Grovyle.
With a subtle nod from his Trainer, Grovyle immediately understood. His body blurred as he sprang up a tree, moving swiftly toward the wary Treecko in the distance.
"Treecko."
At Grovyle's call, the three Treecko stiffened in surprise. The vigilance in their eyes softened almost instantly.
Starter Pokémon were special everywhere.
Fire-type starters were rarely seen in the wild at all, let alone forming clans. Even Ash's Fire-type partners—Charmander, Chimchar, and Tepig—had all been abandoned by previous Trainers before joining him. Without protected zones like Charicific Valley, Fire-type starters simply didn't survive long enough to establish groups.
Grass-type starters were different.
Bulbasaur, Treecko—Pokémon like them often lived in forest clans. As for Water-types, they usually formed groups in rivers or wetlands rich in resources, such as Squirtle, Totodile, or Mudkip.
Aiden had long wanted to make his system space more vibrant and self-sustaining.
Now that he had stumbled upon a wild Treecko clan, there was no way he was letting this opportunity slip by.
He hadn't sent Grovyle over to fight. He'd sent him as a bridge.
With Grovyle acting as a representative, Aiden hoped to earn the clan's trust—and if words alone were enough, persuade them to move into his system space.
He had no intention of training another Sceptile himself. But watching a Treecko clan thrive and grow? That was something he genuinely wanted.
After all, Grovyle was their evolved form. To the Treecko, his presence alone carried a natural sense of kinship.
Sure enough, after a brief exchange, the Treecko relaxed completely. One of them gestured, inviting Grovyle—and Aiden—to follow them back to their territory.
Aiden's eyes lit up.
Grass-type Pokémon truly were different. They might be wary at first, but once trust was established, there was little malice in them.
Seeing that Aiden traveled alongside a Grovyle, the Treecko clan accepted him without hesitation. In their eyes, a Trainer capable of raising a Grovyle could never be a bad person.
Soon, Aiden was led into the heart of the clan.
There, he met the Treecko elder—an aged Treecko whose movements were slow and heavy with time.
The clan numbered over a hundred and fifty Treecko, yet not a single one had evolved. None were Grovyle, let alone Sceptile. Most were under level ten, with the majority possessing green or blue potential. Shockingly, there wasn't a single purple-grade among them.
Aiden knew why.
That one exceptional Treecko—the purple-grade prodigy—had already left with Ash. That Treecko would later evolve into a Sceptile powerful enough to challenge even Legendary Pokémon.
This clan was what remained.
Their problem was simple and dire.
The Life Tree that sustained them was dying. Though its roots still lived, restoring it to a towering giant would take countless years. Until then, the Treecko were vulnerable.
Staying in Petalburg Woods meant constant danger. Strong wild Pokémon roamed freely here, and without evolution, the clan had no way to defend itself from annihilation.
After listening to the elder's worries, Aiden spoke calmly.
"I know of a place untouched by danger," he said. "A sanctuary filled with trees and food—more than enough for your clan to thrive."
"There are no predators there. If you stay here, it's only a matter of time before you encounter something you can't escape."
The elder's eyes brightened.
Protecting the clan was his greatest wish. A safe land where Treecko could live and reproduce without fear was exactly what he had been searching for.
But there was still hesitation.
Migration itself was dangerous. Moving an entire clan through hostile territory could cost many lives.
Aiden exchanged a glance with Grovyle. Both smiled.
Words alone weren't enough.
Grovyle led the elder into the system space.
The moment the elder Treecko saw the vast forest inside—towering trees, abundant resources, and only a few hundred Pidgey and Pidgeotto inhabiting the area—his breath caught.
This wasn't just a sanctuary.
It was paradise.
When they returned, the elder wasted no time. He gathered the clan and announced the decision.
A land without danger. Endless food. A future without fear.
The Treecko erupted into excitement.
In the end, more than ninety percent of the clan agreed to move. Out of over one hundred and fifty Treecko, one hundred and thirty chose to enter Aiden's system space. Only twenty elected to remain behind, bound to the land of their birth.
There was no conflict—only acceptance.
Some would follow the Trainer.
Some would live in paradise.
Some would stay behind.
No matter the path, the Treecko clan would survive.
Before leaving, Aiden stocked the remaining Treecko with large quantities of Oran Berries, then finally stepped out of Petalburg Woods.
During this journey, he hadn't encountered any Pokémon he wished to capture. Most of his time had been spent traveling and training.
But the results were clear.
Grovyle had reached level twenty-nine.
Pidgeotto stood at level twenty-eight.
Milotic—thanks to her final evolution and gold-grade potential—had surged ahead, reaching level thirty.
All three had officially entered the elite tier.
Much of that growth was owed to the system space's simulated battles, where Aiden's Pokémon could train endlessly, refining their strength without limits.
After another week of travel, Aiden finally emerged from the forest.
Rustboro City lay ahead.
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