Chapter 369: Eevee's Evolution Goals! Snorlax's Special Energy Blocks are Born!

Chapter 369: Eevee's Evolution Goals! Snorlax's Special Energy Blocks are Born!

In the year 199 of the Pokemon League, early May, the weather was clear and sunny.

The summer heat brought a warm breeze that rustled through vibrant fields, carrying a hint of the approaching scorching season.

It was harvest time at the ranch, and the air was filled with the fragrant scent of ripe berries and the lush grass.

In the morning, Naoki donned a straw hat and picked up his electric clippers, heading out to shear the Wooloo flock.

It had been almost half a month since the Wooloo arrived, and their wool had grown thick and fast.

With the added heat, the Wooloo flock looked listless and overwhelmed by their fluffy coats.

Naoki opened the gate to the Wooloo enclosure and began shearing each sheep's thick, dense fleece.

Initially, Naoki's shearing skills were quite rudimentary, so he sought advice from the neighboring ranch owner who also raised Wooloo.

After dedicated practice, he finally mastered the technique of wool shearing.

First, he prepared a special set of electric clippers.

Then, he had the Wooloo sit and started shearing from the heels of their front legs, moving along the thighs to their bellies, and then down to the heels of their back legs.

After shearing the abdomen, he moved up to the waist and sheared from the lower back up to the Wooloo's neck.

With that, he had completed shearing an entire Wooloo's fleece.

Naoki recalled the advice of the elderly rancher next door, who had told him that the more intact the fleece, the more valuable it would be. Any breaks in the wool would result in a lower selling price.

Thus, he had to stay focused and attentive throughout the process to avoid any snags or cuts in the wool.

Shearing seemed simple, but it was actually a tedious and intricate task.

After shearing all eight Wooloo with utmost concentration, Naoki felt like his back was about to break from the strain.

Glancing at the time, he realized he had been at it for almost two hours.

A few more sheep, and he might just take off and soar into the sky.

However, looking at the now refreshed and neat-looking Wooloo flock, Naoki felt a sense of satisfaction.

The Wooloo, relieved of their heavy coats, pranced about with newfound lightness and energy, their spirits lifted by the absence of the stifling heat.

"All done with the shearing! Go and enjoy yourselves now!" Naoki said with a smile.

The eight Wooloo marched in a line, their movements synchronized as they walked along the small hill, resembling a platoon of soldiers.

This was a characteristic trait of Wooloo—they often moved as a group and enjoyed imitating their leader or owner's actions.

The verdant fields were alive with vitality.

The fertile grass, blooming wildflowers, Wooloo within the wooden fences, and butterflies drawn to the floral scents all created a vibrant tableau.

Gazing upon this scene, Naoki couldn't help but whisper, "What a beautiful sight."

He smiled, then gathered the wool from the ground and headed back inside.

In some of the larger cities of the Pasio region, handmade woolen goods were highly prized and fetched a pretty penny on the market.

Unfortunately, Naoki lacked the skill to create woolen carpets or scarves, so he could only sell the raw wool.

While the price he got was not as high as that of handmade items, it still provided a nice additional income for the ranch.

After storing the wool in the warehouse, Naoki returned to the living room to take a break and hydrate before moving on to the next task.

As he stepped inside, several Pokemon rushed over to greet him.

Naoki patted each of their heads affectionately before heading to the corner of the room to open the refrigerator. He grabbed a bottle of chilled soda and gulped it down.

As he sat on the sofa, the little Eevee jumped adeptly onto his shoulder, cuddling up to him and demanding attention.

Naoki was a sucker for this, and immediately obliged, cradling Eevee's front paws and engaging in playful antics.

In the corner of the room, Vaporeon hid behind the wall, peeking out with only half her face, observing the interaction covertly.

She hadn't given it much thought when there were no other Eevee around, but now that there was another Eevee on the ranch, Vaporeon suddenly felt a strange sense of competition.

So, that's how Naoki interacts with Eevee! But why hasn't he ever done that with me? I've never received that kind of treatment...

Vaporeon yearned for similar playtime with Naoki, but she felt self-conscious, thinking that as a fully evolved Eevee, it would be too embarrassing to ask for such attention.

Naoki, oblivious to Vaporeon's inner turmoil, was used to his Pokemon wandering off to various places to play. He often found them in nooks and crannies around the ranch—in the dim basement, under the bed upstairs, behind the television, or even on the roof of the house.

Thus, unless they failed to show up for mealtimes, he didn't worry too much about their occasional disappearances.

Naoki retrieved the "Eevee Encyclopedia" he had purchased from the bookstore. This comprehensive guide detailed the various forms and characteristics of Eevee.

Its author was a passionate Eevee enthusiast who went by the name "Eevee Lover."

Cradling Eevee in his arms, Naoki flipped through the book, sharing its contents with his curious companion.

"Take a look, little one," Naoki said. "What kind of Eevee do you want to become someday?"

Eevee tilted her head, confused by the question. "Ee-ve?"

Naoki explained, "I guess you could say it's like choosing your future path. Once you decide, I'll help you work towards that goal. Or, do you want to stay as you are and not evolve at all?"

At the mention of not evolving, Eevee quickly shook her head. "Ve!" She wanted to become a stronger Eevee.

Amused by her eagerness, Naoki chuckled. "Well then, let's take a look at your options. So far, you have eight possible evolution paths."

Eevee lowered her head, intently studying the book.

Naoki pointed to the eight Eeveelutions depicted and described them one by one:

"Flareon, a Fire-type Pokemon, capable of spewing scorching flames from its mouth to incinerate its foes."

"Ve?" Eevee's eyes sparkled with interest, clearly curious about this fiery Flareon.

"This is Jolteon. It can shoot powerful electric currents from its mouth, and its fur stands up when stimulated. The book says that due to the electric stimulation, Jolteon can become a little neurotic and hard to get along with."

Eevee didn't seem too interested in Jolteon.

"Now, let's look at this one, Leafeon. It's a Grass-type Pokemon, and after evolving, it can use photosynthesis to supplement its nutrition, so it doesn't need to look for food."

Eevee's eyes lit up, but then she thought of delicious food and shook her head. She didn't want to become like that either.

Naoki smiled faintly and continued to the next one. "This is Glaceon, an Ice-type Pokemon. Its body is icy cold, and it can freeze enemies with ice and snow."

"Speaking of which, we also have a Glaceon here. You've probably seen it already, right?" Naoki asked.

Eevee immediately thought of that cold and seemingly unfriendly Glaceon. "Ve~"

Naoki understood Eevee's thoughts and said, "Actually, it's a very kind Eevee; it just doesn't show it. It lives in the small ice house at the back."

As he said this, Naoki suddenly had a realization and looked up, his eyes meeting those of Glaceon, who was observing from the corner.

Glaceon looked flustered and quickly hid her head again.

However, Naoki didn't plan to let her off the hook.

He got up and brought Glaceon over, placing her on his lap alongside Eevee.

The two Eevee made eye contact.

The little Eevee blinked and then warmly greeted Glaceon, "Ve~!"

Glaceon's expression didn't change much; she still looked cold, turning away from Eevee.

"Ve~..." Eevee's tone was dejected.

Hearing Eevee's sad call, Glaceon's heart stirred, and she wondered:

Would acting like this hurt this little Eevee's feelings? She looked so young... Being treated so coldly must make her feel sad.

With these thoughts, Glaceon hesitantly turned her head and softly responded, "Ve."

Happiness shone in little Eevee's eyes, and she took the initiative to nuzzle against Glaceon.

Glaceon was taken aback by Eevee's sudden action.

This affectionate Eevee reminded her a bit of Frost Fairy... Maybe she wasn't so dislikeable after all.

Naoki noticed the interaction between the two Pokemon.

He introduced little Eevee's background to Glaceon: "This Eevee is a survivor of last year's forest fire. She lost her homeland and could only take refuge in the town."

Glaceon knew about that fire; she had been there and had even seen several Pokemon perish.

Thinking of this, Glaceon's expression softened, and when she looked at Eevee again, her eyes were filled with sympathy. This little one was quite pitiful.

Little Eevee didn't seem to notice. She tilted her head, looking at Glaceon, and sensing that this Glaceon didn't dislike her as much anymore, she happily exclaimed, "Ve~!"

Naoki patted the heads of the two Eevee and smiled, "Alright, let's continue."

"Next up is Espeon. Unlike the previous Eeveelutions, Espeon can fight using psychic powers. The red jewel on its forehead can absorb sunlight and convert it into mental energy, but Espeon isn't good at fighting at night."

Eevee and Glaceon lowered their heads to look at the photo of their fellow Eevee in the book.

They had never heard of Espeon before!

"The next one, Umbreon, is the opposite of Espeon. It's a black Eeveelution that evolves at night and can use the power of moonlight."

"Ve~..." Eevee murmured, not liking the idea of having black fur.

Glaceon, however, didn't feel too strongly about it since she had already evolved.

At that moment, Eevee noticed the unique Eevee below.

She tapped the photo with her paw and asked, "Ve ve?"

Naoki followed her gaze and smiled, "This is Sylveon. Isn't it adorable? There's even a beautiful fairy tale written about a Sylveon."

Upon hearing this, both Eevee and Glaceon became curious about the story.

"Ve~?" they asked in unison.

Naoki raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to hear it?"

"Ve!" they nodded together.

"Alright, then I'll tell you the tale." Naoki cleared his throat, leaned back on the sofa, and began to recount the fairy tale he had heard from the Galar region.

"Once upon a time, there was a small town called Apple Town, where people lived peacefully and happily."

"Until one day, a terrifying Dragon-type Pokemon arrived and kidnapped the mayor's daughter. It also destroyed the apple trees in the town, spreading fear among the residents."

"Amidst this turmoil, a beautiful and kind Sylveon came to the town. Upon learning of the townspeople's troubles, she bravely embarked on a journey to defeat the evil dragon."

"With her efforts, the lovely Sylveon successfully rescued the mayor's daughter and helped the people drive away the fearsome Dragon-type Pokemon."

"After that, Sylveon lived happily together with the townspeople."

After hearing the fairy tale, Eevee and Glaceon couldn't help but look dreamy.

"Ve~!"

However, their reaction caught the attention of the nearby Dragon-type Pokemon.

Dragonite refuted loudly, "Roar! Dragon-type Pokemon aren't villains!"

He was a Dragon-type Pokemon himself, and he had never done anything like that!

"Grrr..." Axew hesitated but agreed with Dragonite.

Naoki: "......"

"It's just a fairy tale. If you want, I can also tell a story about brave Dragon-type Pokemon defeating the bad guys and saving the world." he said.

"Aggron!" Gurdurr immediately piped up, eager to hear that story that very night.

Naoki reluctantly agreed: "Alright, alright, I'll tell it to you guys later tonight."

The wrongfully accused Dragon-type Pokemon were finally satisfied.

Naoki turned to the bright-eyed Eevee and asked, "Have you made up your mind? What kind of Eevee do you want to become in the future?"

Without hesitation, Eevee extended her paw and tapped the photo of the Sylveon: "Ve~!"

Naoki: "......" Looks like little Eevee has a dragon-slaying spirit!

"Have you decided?" Naoki asked.

Eevee nodded vigorously: "Ve!"

"Okay, then I'll help you evolve towards Sylveon."

As he spoke, Naoki recalled the evolution method for Sylveon from the game.

If he remembered correctly, it involved reaching a certain level of friendship with the trainer and learning a Fairy-type move, right? That would require some effort.

But for Naoki, it wasn't a problem.

After all, they had all the time in the world.

After a short break, Naoki let the two Eevees play by themselves while he headed out with Gurdurr and Thwackey to the berry orchard.

After more than ten days, a new batch of berries had fully ripened.

Looking at the plump and juicy berries hanging from the trees, Naoki decided to use them all to make Special Energy Blocks.

There were quite a lot of berries, but with the help of his Pokemon, the harvesting process went smoothly.

The harvested berries were placed in baskets, filling six large baskets with the fruit from the entire orchard.

What surprised Naoki even more was that among the berries, there were also two Colorful Berries!

[Colorful Berry: A special ingredient that changes the color of a Pokemon when consumed, either directly or through cooking. ]

The last time, Papu-Bubbud was the one who ate this berry and became the sparkling Papu-Bubbud.

And now, it meant that in addition to Papu-Bubbud, the ranch could have two more sparkling Pokemon!

But who should get them?

Gurdurr?

He recalled that the sparkling Gurdurr was black, giving off a cool and handsome vibe.

Or should he give it to Eevee?

Because if Eevee ate it and then evolved into Sylveon, it would become a sparkling Sylveon, changing from pink to blue, and looking even cuter.

He made up his mind to give one of the berries to Eevee!

As for the remaining one...

Just then, Naoki noticed the Hakuryu that had followed them to the orchard and were playing amidst the berry trees.

His gaze fell on the unique pink Hakuryu among them.

As everyone knew, when a sparkling Hakuryu evolved into a Kairyu, its color would turn into a frightening green.

These Hakuryu would definitely evolve at some point.

And a green Kairyu was simply too intimidating.

After a moment's thought, Naoki waved at the group of Hakuryu.

"Haa?"

The Hakuryu flew over curiously.

Naoki handed the remaining Colorful Berry to the pink Hakuryu: "This berry can help you become like the others. Do you want to eat it?"

The shiny Hakuryu blinked and then opened its mouth to devour the berry.

The next second, its body erupted with a radiant light.

Within the glow, Hakuryu's color rapidly shifted, transforming from its original pink to match the color of the others.

The nearby Hakuryu witnessed this transformation and let out a chorus of "Haa!" in astonishment, circling their now-matching companion.

The transformed Hakuryu wore an incredulous expression but seemed overjoyed and excited, not at all saddened by becoming an ordinary Hakuryu.

"As I thought!" Looking at this scene, Naoki knew he had made the right choice.

He reached out to pat the heads of the Hakuryu, saying, "Alright, you guys can keep playing. I have work to do!"

The Hakuryu gathered around him, their eyes sparkling with enthusiasm as they offered to help with the work, just like the Kairyu had done! "Haa!"

Seeing their eager expressions, Naoki fell silent.

He turned to glance at the baskets of berries nearby.

The Hakuryu didn't have hands, so they couldn't help him carry the baskets, could they?

They could hold the berries in their mouths, but that would be rather inconvenient.

As he hesitated, Gurdurr and Thwackey had already moved five of the six baskets.

Watching Gurdurr pick up the last basket, Naoki could only say to the Hakuryu, "I appreciate the thought, but you're still too small. Come help me again when you become bigger dragons!"

"Haa......"

The Hakuryu looked dejected.

Becoming bigger dragons... Did they mean evolving into Kairyu?

Oh right! Once they evolved into Kairyu, they could be of real help to him, just like the Kairyu!

The Hakuryu quickly cheered up, their hearts filled with determination.

Decision made! They would work hard to evolve and become strong enough to assist Naoki!

Unaware of the Hakuryu's plans, Naoki smiled and said, "You guys go play some more. I'm going to take these berries into the house now."

Gurdurr and Thwackey had already jumped into the car, and Naoki took the driver's seat, driving the berry-laden pickup truck to the house.

Then, together with the two Pokemon, he began carrying the baskets of berries into the living room and kitchen.

He set aside some for making Pokeblocks and berry juice, intending to use the rest for his energy block experiments.

At present, he only had a handful of Energy Block recipes at his disposal.

There was the one that attracted Toxel, another for feeding Little Snorlax...

But these were not enough.

Therefore, Naoki decided to spend the entire day creating new varieties of Energy Blocks.

After all, with the Big Gluttony Snorlax around, he didn't have to worry about any leftover blocks going to waste.

First, he wanted to improve the Snorlax delicacy that Yu Hui had given him.

Little Snorlax was the initial form of Snorlax, and after evolving, not only did its size increase, but its appetite also grew significantly.

This meant that the previous Energy Blocks were no longer sufficient.

Recalling the recipe for the Snorlax delicacy, Naoki selected several Berries from the box.

"After evolving, Snorlax's appetite increases, and the previous Energy Blocks are no longer enough. Hmm... To improve it, I need to increase the number of Berries and replace some of them with special ones."

"Replace the Shuca Berry with a Kee Berry. Compared to the Shuca Berry, the Kee Berry contains more energy and calories, which should be able to satisfy Snorlax's needs."

"And for flavoring, I'll use a Tamato Berry..." As Naoki thought about Snorlax's unique taste preferences, even enjoying the toxic sludge of a Muk, he realized that this particular Berry, with its sweet taste, might not be as appealing to Snorlax.

So, he decided to swap out the Tamato Berry for a higher-calorie Liechi Berry instead.

Additionally, he would need to increase the number of Berries...

With that in mind, Naoki began to work on the recipe.

While crafting Energy Blocks by hand was not as convenient as using a Berry Blender, it offered more control and potential.

He peeled the Berries, mixed them, heated them, and stirred them...

Until finally, a batch of specially crafted Energy Blocks emerged from the oven, their color a deep black.

Naoki took a look and realized that these blocks had no effect at all—a failed experiment.

"A failure?" Naoki wasn't too surprised and instead began to ponder where he had gone wrong.

After a moment of contemplation, he started his second attempt.

Then came the third, fourth...

And on the fifth try, the Energy Blocks didn't turn black; instead, they took on a peculiar indigo hue.

Intrigued by this unusual result, Naoki immediately checked their information.

[Snorlax Delicacy: A special Energy Block designed for Snorlax, crafted using advanced Berry compression technology. This block combines the power of dozens of high-energy Berries into a single, satisfying meal for Snorlax. Warning: Not for consumption by regular Pokemon!]

"Success!"

Looking at the Energy Blocks before him, Naoki was delighted that his research direction had paid off.

With this, Snorlax's feeding problem became much simpler.

Naoki promptly washed his hands and took out some paper and a pen to record the formula for this Energy Block.

Naoki had two notebooks.

One was the "Cooking Compendium," which meticulously documented the ingredients, preparation methods, and specific effects of those special dishes.

The other was the "Energy Block and Poffin Compendium," which recorded the recipes and preparation methods for Energy Blocks and Poffins, as well as any unique effects they possessed.

Now, this notebook had one more formula added to its pages.

After recording the recipe, Naoki eagerly moved on to the next step of his research.

This time, he had no specific direction in mind and instead opted for a more spontaneous approach, combining various Berries in different ways to create Energy Blocks.

Time ticked by, the sun rose high in the sky, and then sank below the distant horizon.

A hard day's research came to a satisfying end, and although he might not have achieved as much as some of the more renowned Breeders, Naoki had still managed to figure out some basic Energy Block formulas on his own.

For example:

[Grass Energy Block: An Energy Block designed to attract Grass-type Pokemon. When placed outdoors, it will surely attract Grass-type Pokemon.]

[Bug Treats: Energy Blocks that appeal to Bug-type Pokemon. Their flavor is highly popular among Bug-type Pokemon, and when placed outdoors, they will undoubtedly attract Bug-type creatures.]

...

"It's usable, at least." Looking at these Energy Blocks, Naoki felt a twinge of disappointment that he hadn't created anything with miraculous or groundbreaking effects.

After some contemplation, he shared these Energy Blocks with Butterfree, Gogoat, Eldegoss, and Combee—all Bug-type or Grass-type Pokemon.

To his delight, they all gave unanimous approval.

Naoki was thrilled; at least his day's work hadn't been in vain.

After dinner, as the night deepened, Naoki had intended to go to bed early.

But before he could even get into bed, several Dragon-type Pokemon from the ranch intercepted him.

Naoki: "..."

Oh well.

"Follow me, then!" Naoki said.

With Reuniclus watching TV in the living room, Naoki led the group of Pokemon outside and sat down by the river, where fireflies danced in the night air.

Golett, Axew, and Noivern looked on expectantly.

Naoki had promised to tell them a story that night about brave Dragon-type Pokemon defeating evil and saving the world.

A story about Dragon-type Pokemon...

Naoki wasn't sure where to begin.

After all, there really was a fairy tale from the Galar region about a Sylveon defeating a Dragon-type Pokemon.

After some thought, a brilliant idea popped into his mind.

He could tell them about Eternatus stopping the battle between Groudon and Kyogre and saving the world! After all, Eternatus was also a Dragon-type Pokemon.

With that in mind, Naoki slowly began his tale:

"Once upon a time..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end