Eevee
had just finished its bath.
The once filthy, matted fur was now smooth, revealing its pale yellow coat and the soft, off-white fluff around its neck.
Dew clung to the tuft of fur on its forehead, and
Eevee
shook its head, glancing at the mirror in confusion before stumbling back in shock.
“You silly thing.” Lu Ye laughed out loud.
“Vee!”
Eevee
glared at Lu Ye angrily, but with its adorable face, the expression lacked any real threat, only making it more lovable.
Lu Ye grabbed its soft little paw pad, trying to trim its nails, but
Eevee
struggled violently, forcing him to give up.
“I’m just trying to keep them from growing into your pads.” Lu Ye clicked his tongue.
Now,
Eevee
had returned to the cute creature he had first imagined, though its eyes were noticeably sharper.
To avoid any issues while raising it, Lu Ye stroked his chin and opened the group chat.
“How do you raise an
Eevee
?”
Brock was the first to reply: “Mr. Lu, did you catch an
Eevee
?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure how to raise it. It’s a bit of a headache.”
Brock nodded sympathetically.
“
Eevee
has eight different evolutions, and each one needs a different approach. It’s definitely tricky!”
“Little
Eevee
! (
Eevee
rolling around cutely.jpg)” Erika joined in with a playful comment.
“Hmm, what evolution are you thinking about, Mr. Lu?” Blue chimed in.
“If you need an evolution stone, I can give you a discount.”
Lu Ye gazed at the sky, thinking about his fierce little
Eevee
.
Evolving it into
Flareon
seemed like a good choice.
In winter, he could snuggle into its warm, fiery fur, maybe even drape it around his neck like a scarf or use it as a foot warmer…
Just imagining it made him excited!
“How much for an evolution stone?”
“Well, a regular-quality one is around 600,000, and the pricier ones can go for over a million. Which do you want, Mr. Lu?”
Lu Ye’s jaw dropped.
I can’t afford any of them!
Lorelei interjected, “You could go for a friendship-based evolution. Red’s
Espeon
, Abu, is adorable too.”
Green’s eye twitched.
You call a
Shadow Ball
capable of leveling a mountain “adorable”?!
As the chat veered off course, Lu Ye coughed lightly. “I think it’s best to respect
Eevee’s
own wishes.”
Brock nodded solemnly, his face serious.
Respecting a Pokémon’s will…
Is this Mr. Lu’s training philosophy?
Compared to methods that focus solely on battle strength, this was a remarkably advanced and profound view.
“Though it’s not much, I can share some
Eevee
raising tips,” Brock offered.
Always the quiet supporter, Brock was willing to help once he’d acknowledged Lu Ye.
Lu Ye’s eyes lit up. “Thanks a lot!”
【File ‘Eevee Raising Guide’ received!】
Brock’s guide included general tips on feeding and care for
Eevee
, but nothing about training since each evolution had different needs.
Lu Ye read the file seriously, occasionally nodding.
“Hmm, I don’t understand a word…”
It was pretty advanced stuff, but he picked up a few key points—
Eevee
was omnivorous, eating berries, meat, and grains.
Many breeders carefully balanced their diet, and some even fed them
Pokéblocks
for extra care.
“Wait, just
Pokéblocks
?”
Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.
“Well, that’s a relief!”
He might be a novice at everything else, but when it came to
Pokéblocks
, even Brock might not beat him!
With the care part settled, the training was still up in the air.
But Lu Ye never planned to be a Trainer.
There was no way
Eevee
could train itself like
Haunter
did…
Right?
One Pokémon was already a handful. Two? No way!
Confidently stepping out of his room, Lu Ye froze.
…
Haunter
was teaching
Eevee
.
“Haun!”
Haunter
had pulled out a blackboard from who-knows-where, covered in messy scribbles that barely resembled anything.
“Vee?”
Yet
Eevee
nodded seriously, occasionally asking questions.
“Haun-haun!”
Haunter
nodded, looking pleased, as if saying, “Good student!”
Lu Ye sat down with a cup of tea, a complicated expression on his face.
Something felt off.
Eevee
wasn’t training itself…
But why was
Haunter
training
Eevee
?!
His chest tightened.
Lu Ye rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply.
“It’s fine. No big deal…”
“Like
Haunter’s
lessons will help. What, is
Eevee
going to learn a new move?”
“Vee!”
At that moment,
Eevee
raised its head.
A faint shimmer peeled away from its body, forming a perfect copy of itself.
Lu Ye’s eyes widened.
No way.
Is that
Substitute
?!
“Vee…”
It only lasted two seconds, but it was unmistakably
Substitute
.
Eevee
was drenched in sweat, panting hard, eyes filled with excitement.
“Haun…”
Haunter
nodded with pride, wiping away an imaginary tear.
This was my best
Substitute
move.
Now, I pass it on to you, little
Eevee
!
Lu Ye didn’t know where to start complaining.
“This is too much…”
Sure, Pokémon could teach each other moves.
But who masters
Substitute
in an afternoon?!
Was it the teacher’s skill, or the student’s talent?
One backstabbing Pokémon was enough.
Now a second?!
“Vee!”
Seeing Lu Ye,
Eevee
excitedly ran over, showing off its new move.
Lu Ye forced a smile, patting its head. “Good job!”
“Vee (′▽`〃).”
Realizing it had shown too much enthusiasm,
Eevee
stiffened and turned away, but its wagging tail gave it away.
Lu Ye sighed deeply.
I didn’t want to be a Trainer…
So why are my Pokémon more motivated than I am?
As he stared blankly,
Eevee
snuck a glance at him.
For different Pokémon, battles meant different things.
In the mountains,
Eevee
fought to survive.
But now, Lu Ye had given it a new life and purpose.
To keep fighting—
To grow stronger and become the sharpest blade at his side.
Stronger than
Haunter
, stronger than any other Pokémon.
Eevee’s
eyes grew firm.
I’ll make him the strongest Trainer!