Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 59

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Another one that went well past 5k words. It seems like a habit that is creeping back into my writing, but this chapter was easier to write for some reason, so I barely noticed when I went overboard.

9th December

Lucas wandered downstairs late the next morning, still fatigued from yesterday's events. Using the Mewtwo state not only caused extreme hunger, but physical and mental exhaustion as well. It may be because he pushed Mewtwo to the limits in the fight, and allowed himself to run out of aura, forcing him back into his human state. It hurt a lot, but he was too distracted by falling towards the ground to notice at that time. He would have to be careful and manage his aura better in the future.

He managed to heal his arm at least. He used Omniscient Eyes to examine the bone and found no breaks, showing that it had fully healed. The First Aid skill was overpowered. He had promised to teach it to Fauth, so he would have to experiment with his aura and see if he could replicate it. There were Aura Healers out there that could heal injuries that were a lot more severe than his own, so he knew it was possible.

Lucas entered the cafeteria and almost retreated upon seeing his grandfather sitting there with his friends. Tobias did not seem to be in a good mood, even though he was conversing with the others easily enough. He wanted to return to his room rather than talk with the old man, but he lost the chance to escape when his grandfather turned his head and saw Lucas standing there.

"Lucas," Tobias greeted him. "It's about time you got up. I had just been having a very illuminating conversation with Faith."

“Whatever she is telling you, it’s all lies.”

Taking a seat next to Faith, Lucas leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He said good morning to Jason and Misty, who seemed to be slightly intimidated by his grandfather. It was easy to forget that he was the Minister of Defence and had a commanding presence that unnerved some people. He just saw him as his grandfather, so he ignored the title he held.

His team waved at him from their position on the floor, chatting with the other Pokemon. The only one who was standoffish was Freya, but that was just her nature.

“Hey, old man, long time no see. How’s things going?” Lucas asked cheerily.

“I would be a lot better if I didn’t have a grandson that was a magnet for trouble,” Tobias said gruffly, staring at Lucas with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t have a clue what you are talking about,” Lucas said. “Personally, I think it is Jason that attracts all the trouble. Maybe we should abandon him here when we leave?”

“Arsehat,” Jason muttered.

“Don’t be flippant with me,” Tobias said sternly. “Why didn’t you call me back when you knew that there was something going on?”

“There was no time,” Lucas shrugged. “In any case, everything turned out okay, so why all the fuss.”

Tobias was frustrated at his grandson's attitude. The boy seemed to disregard his own safety in order to go off and rescue others. His selflessness was admirable, and he was secretly proud of him for it, but he wished he didn't get into scrapes every other week.

“I spoke to your parents about the incident,” Tobias said, causing Lucas to blanche. “Your mother was so upset by your recklessness, she revealed your little secret.”

Lucas' eyes widened, and the others were also surprised. Did that mean…?

Tobias looked around before he leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Yes, I know about the other form that you turn into. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Dad wasn’t sure if your priorities would lie with your family or the government, so he told me to not tell you,” Lucas stated bluntly, completely selling out his dad. “I disagreed, but he knows you better than I do, so I went along with it.”

Tobias grimaced. While he had guessed that may have been the reason, as his grandkids didn’t hold the same distrust towards him as their dad did, it was still hard to swallow.

“I suppose I can understand that,” Tobias conceded. “However, what possessed you to show yourself in the ruins so everyone in town can bloody see you. The news is out there now, and there is no taking it back. The town is now swarming with reporters, looking into the mysterious Pokemon that was seen. It’s bigger news than the existence of the oversized Jigglypuff.”

“Reporters?” Lucas asked with dismay. “It looks like we have to get moving sooner rather than later. I don’t want to be stopped by them when we leave town.”

“That’s all you got out of this?” Tobias questioned angrily. “Are you forgetting that Giovanni and Team Rocket are still out there? I have no doubt he would have heard the news or soon will hear about it, and that’s going to open another can of worms.”

“Maybe,” Lucas said stubbornly. “But if it is a choice between saving people or saving my own hide, I am always going to choose the former. Maybe I could have gone about it better, but I don’t regret it in the least.”

“I agree with Lucas,” Faith said, sticking up for her boyfriend. “There was little time to come up with a better solution. Whatever consequences arise from it, we will take care of it.”

Faith had a staredown with her grandfather, refusing to be intimidated by the old man. Eventually, his grandfather released a bark of laughter.

“I like her,” he said to Lucas. “She has some fire inside her, unlike your spineless friend here.”

“Hey, old man, want to fight?” Jason shook his fist at him but backed down as soon as his grandfather turned to stare at him.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t insult my friends,” Lucas said. “You don’t know him at all, so keep your opinions to yourself.”

“That’s right,” Jason grinned. “Fight him, Lucas. Show that old geriatric who is boss.”

“Shut up,” Lucas and Tobias said simultaneously, causing the girls to laugh.

“How many people know about your ability to turn into a Pokemon?” Tobias asked seriously.

“My parents and these guys obviously,” Lucas replied. “Also, Nora and Eve on Cinnabar Island.”

“I will have a word with the last two you mentioned, to ensure they don’t say anything,” Tobias said, before looking at his friends with a fierce gaze. “And your friends will not say anything, I trust?”

Faith, Misty and Jason agreed without hesitation.

Tobias continued. “I won’t be able to protect you if your secret gets out. Not even the Prime Minister will listen to me, and will probably have you locked away in some research laboratory, or even turn you into a weapon.”

“Right,” Lucas swallowed nervously.

“What is going to happen with the Jigglypuff?” Misty asked.

“Well, the scientists will study it of course,” Tobias said. “There must have been a specific reason that it mutated to be so large, such as its environment. Besides its insane durability and strength, it's not even comparable to a Pseudo-Legandary at the same level, and it's too large to be used as an effective weapon. So it’s hard to tell what they will do with it."

“They better not kill it, right Lucas?” Faith asked heatedly.

It wasn’t like he was going to disagree with her looking at him like that. “I have an inkling that it was being controlled somehow by the Calamity goons. You may want to search the area for anything they may have used. If the government finds it too bothersome to keep Jigglypuff around, then I will take it off their hands. Maybe I could build a home for it on the island.”

“I doubt they will give it up,” Tobias snorted.

Lucas looked at his watch and found it was past ten already. “Can we leave town now? And can you sneak us out so we won't be mobbed by reporters? We need to pick up Shelly and the trailer from the storage area outside of town."

“Sure,” Tobias agreed. “But I want you to tell me everything about what happened yesterday before you leave.”

“Alright,” Lucas sighed.

⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭⌭

An hour later, they were back on the road heading northwest, with the ruins and town receding in the distance. Lucas took it easy at first, only going at a slow run to get back into the groove, before slowly increasing his speed. Their next destination was a small mining town about three days’ travel from here. As they moved further north, the area got even more remote, with only a few towns in between here and Mulberry City far to the north.

When his grandfather questioned him about his methods of capturing a cult member, he couldn't deny that they had been effective, given the time constraints he was facing, although he didn't look happy with that admission. Lucas asked him about the major operation that was in the works to eliminate the cult, but his grandfather refused to say anything. He would have to keep a close eye on the news, as he suspected his grandfather would take action soon.

Before they left, Lucas had an idea that he discussed with Faith and Jason. It was regarding their Pokemon fossils. He saw no reason why they should have to wait until they arrive at Pewter City to have them revived. Lucas had done some research on the subject and discovered that it could take upwards of a month for them to be revived. Instead of waiting, he had an idea to send the fossils to Ron in Pewter City, and have him start the process. It would cost them twenty thousand Pokedollars each to have the Pokemon revived, but it was worth the price.

Faith and Jason agreed with his idea, so Lucas sent the three fossils to Ron via the secure Pidgeot Courier service. By the time the team arrived at Pewter City, the Pokemon should be close to being ready.

It was a mild day, much warmer than it had been of late, and they enjoyed the sunshine while it lasted. There were a number of wild Pokemon roaming out on the plains, but he didn’t approach them. At the moment, Lucas wasn't interested in battling wild Pokemon. They were on a schedule, so he didn't want to slow down for anything. It was only when he had no choice but to fight that he would do so. He would get the majority of his experience for his Pokemon from trainer battles, as he needed a significant number of points in order to be able to level up to his trainer level to Amateur.

The level was important for one specific reason. It was the level that allowed trainers to use Hold Items in official battles, which added another layer of complexity to them. It would still be a while before he reached it, however, as he still needed to win four gym badges to reach Amateur, alongside the points required.

Around mid-afternoon, they stopped for a late lunch inside a small clearing sheltered by some pine trees. After setting up a temporary camp, they prepared food for themselves and their Pokemon.

Lucas wanted to try out a simple recipe for Freya. His experiments had so far led him to conclude that she had expensive tastes. So, he decided to splurge and purchase some ribeye steak to see if she liked it. Even if she didn't, he could always share the rest with the others, so it wouldn't go to waste.

Lucas rubbed the Chronium into the steak until it was evenly covered. Pokemon needed the mineral to repair muscles that were constantly breaking down due to physical exertion, as well as the red energy that ran through their bodies. He left out the salt and pepper, as Freya didn’t like them.

As soon as the steak reached medium rare, he set it aside to rest and cool. As he was cooking the steak, Freya remained close by, watching him closely. He wouldn’t be surprised if she started drooling. She was a lady of discerning tastes, and always made sure she took her time and savoured her food, unlike his other Pokemon.

After the steak was ready, he placed it on a paper plate and set it down in front of her. After sitting down, she impaled the steak on her scythe-like blade and started to eat. It soon became apparent that she was enjoying it immensely. He got a notification a moment later that confirmed that fact.

=====

The player has discovered Freya’s favourite dish!

Medium Rare Rib-Eye Steak.

Affection has increased by ten!

Craft: Pokemon Food has increased to level 22!

=====

Lucas was happy that he found what Freya liked at last. Although it would cost him an arm and a leg to feed her, she was worth it.

When they were nearly finished with their lunch, Jason suggested an idea for a live stream they could try this evening.

“I want to do some streams where we show off some of the methods you use to train your Pokemon,” Jason said. “I want to get them more involved in the channel.”

“Sure, we can give it a try,” Lucas agreed.

“It would be great if we could do this together,” Jason said enthusiastically.  “You can act as a teacher and teach me how to train my Pokemon. This will be the most effective way to deliver information to the audience."

“Wait a minute,” Misty laughed. “Is this an attempt to get Lucas to help train your Pokemon?”

“Of course not,” Jason protested a little too loudly.

“Hmm,” Misty squinted at him. “You sound suspicious.”

Jason’s two Pokemon both showed different reactions. Sandee looked down in embarrassment, while Bane shook his fist at his trainer, clearly not happy with him.

“Why didn’t you just ask for help?” Lucas asked, confused by his friend's reticence. “There is no need to be shy about it. I know you are not interested in competing on the circuit.”

“You are busy with your own team. I didn’t want to waste your time,” Jason replied.

Lucas stared at his friend incredulously, “You've got to be joking, right? I am able to manage both easily. Hell, we could even do Pokemon battles against each other, as it would help my Pokemon improve as well. It will be good practice to learn how to break down your Pokemon, that focus on defence."

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Jason admitted.

“Then let's try it tonight,” Lucas said, ending the discussion.

Before they set off, Jason accessed the Pokemon Channel website to scout out the area they would be travelling through this afternoon. It wasn’t always reliable, especially in this part of Kanto. It was less populated, meaning that the chances of the area getting an update in a timely fashion was remote.

“We are about to travel to an area close to a Red Zone,” Lucas said. “There is an elevated mountainous area to the northwest that is home to a powerful Ryperior. We should be on our toes just in case it or its pack decide to venture outside of its territory.”

“Man, I would love to catch it,” Jason said enthusiastically.

“Only if you have a death wish,” Misty retorted. “Don’t you know that the Pokemon levels in Red Zones range from level thirty to sixty? The Rhyperior is likely probably pushing the limit of that range.”

“Let’s get going,” Lucas said, looking around to see that everything was packed away.

They continued their journey. The road began straightening out, heading directly north, and it would continue like that all the way to Mulberry City. They made steady progress over the next few hours. Because they had started the day late, they wouldn’t travel as far today, but it was progress nonetheless.

The light began to fade, so they started to look for a place to spend the night. Lucas spotted an orchard of Berry trees a few kilometres away. Slowing down, he took a closer look. The trees looked like they had been planted deliberately since they were neatly arranged in rows. There must have been over a hundred trees, all of them producing Oran Berries.

“That looks kind of sketchy,” Faith said, saying what everything was thinking. “Who sets up a Berry Orchard in the middle of nowhere?”

“Maybe it’s part of someone’s property,” Jason suggested.

Lucas shook his head, “There is no fencing around it, and I cannot see any buildings either. Does it show up on the map?”

Lucas took out the map of western Kanto and scanned it, looking for any mention of a Berry Orchard. There was nothing, so it must not be anything important. Then again, this entire area wasn’t the best known for keeping its maps up to date.

“With that amount of berries, I imagine that there are a lot of Pokemon inside.” Misty eyed the trees nervously.

Lucas reduced his other senses and put the points into his Sight. He could now see a lot further ahead, and he scanned the tree line to see if anything was there. Towards the middle, there was a sign staked into the ground, with a warning symbol on it. If there was really something dangerous inside, then it seemed like an inadequate measure to warn people.

“Wait here,” Lucas said to the others. “I am going to take a closer look. Shout out if any trouble finds you.”

“Why do we need to check it out?” Faith asked reasonably. “I say we just skip it entirely. It’s not impeding our path.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Lucas countered. The trees seemed to be loaded with berries, so he was considering using the orchard to level his Harvest skill. His own skills had taken a back seat of late, so if there was any convenient way to level them up, then he was going to take it.

‘You’re not leaving us behind this time.’ Dante said, as his Pokemon surrounded him in the formation they had developed in situations like this.

Now that he had five Pokemon, he gained a lot of protection on all sides. Since Freya was the best melee fighter, she was put in front, so she respond more quickly to ambushes. Duke was placed in the centre with him, as he could easily pivot around and look in every direction. Dante was in the back, as he had the most experience of the entire team. The other two were placed on the sides.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Lucas replied.

The formation moved forward, crossing the distance to the Orchard quickly. When he was ten metres out from the edge of the tree, he activated Omniscient Eyes and scanned the area for any aura signatures. There wasn’t anything visible, so he continued forward until he reached the sign.

Beware! Danger Ahead!

This area has been declared off-limits by the Pokemon Rangers. People have reported entering the Orchard and getting turned around in a state of confusion. There seems to be something here that is affecting people’s perception, but a preliminary investigation has not found the cause.

Until we can send out another team to investigate, don’t enter the Orchard! It may be dangerous.

Lucas was interested. While it may be wise to turn around and forget about it, he wanted to know what the cause of the phenomenon was. It didn’t seem like anyone had been hurt so far, so it gave him some confidence that he wasn’t in any physical danger at least.

He moved toward the centre, avoiding the temptation to start harvesting the berries immediately. It looked like they hadn’t been harvested in a long time, which made sense since people likely would have avoided the place. However, he was surprised that no wild Pokemon didn’t eat them. Were the phenomena affecting them as well?

Lucas accessed the system map. It uncovered a lot of details in real-time as he moved. He could already see the centre of the Orchard marked on the map, even though he couldn’t physically see it.

There was a pond with a small island in the middle. There appeared to be a small structure on it, next to a single tree. The map didn’t specify what kind of tree it was, which meant that it was something he had not encountered before. Curious, Lucas continued onwards, approaching the centre. He half expected to be affected like the others as well, but he didn’t feel a thing. He asked his Pokemon if they felt anything, and they were the same as him. Could they be immune to whatever was going on in this place?

He entered the clearing and spotted a small cabin in the middle of the pond, right next to an unusual tree.

‘What kind of tree is that?’ Duke asked, looking at it in bewilderment.

Lucas shrugged. It was a lot bigger than the other trees in the orchard, and completely pitch black in colour, including the leaves. It only had two fruit on it. They were about the size of a coconut and shared the tree’s dark colouring. It was not something that he recognised, so he stepped to the edge of the pond so he could observe it.

‘Look out!’ Freya cried, and quickly moved in front of Lucas as something erupted from the water. Lucas retreated, cursing himself for forgetting to check the pond, because of his preoccupation with the strange tree.

Freya crossed its arms in front of her and blocked the attack. The Pokemon bounced off her and flipped backwards through the air and sank into the water slightly. It gave Lucas a chance to see what Pokemon had attacked him.

It was a Vaporeon, one of Eevee’s evolutions. The Pokemon released a howl, looking at them with an angry expression. It didn’t move to attack again, however.

Lucas was puzzled, wondering why it wasn’t attacking him but then realised that it must be protecting the tree.

‘We have some more company.’ Dante reported.

Another Pokemon emerged from the trees and rushed towards the Vaporeon. Lucas was surprised, as the Pokemon was an Espeon, another evolution of Eevee, and a much rarer sight in this world.

The Espeon jumped onto the island and stood in front of the tree. Lucas was beginning to think that the fruit was ambrosia, the way they were steadfastly protecting it. Lucas looked at the two Pokemon cautiously as he stepped forward close enough to examine the tree.

=====

Black Oran Berry Tree

Description: A rare berry tree saturated with dark-type energy. Specific conditions are required for it to grow. One, it only sprouts when surrounded by dozens of ordinary Oran Berry trees. Secondly, it feeds on dead matter, so it is likely to sprout where a corpse is located. The fruit it bears has a chance to affect a variant evolution of specific Pokemon, if the egg is conceived in its vicinity. As a defence mechanism, the leaves release a fragrance in a wide circumference around it, which causes acute confusion.

⦁ Produces two Black Oran Berries once every year.

=====

Lucas wanted one of those berries for himself, to see if he could get a seed from it and plant his own tree. If his theory was correct, then he had just discovered the method for evolving Eevee into Umbra. It was likely what these two Pokemon were saving the fruit for after they conceived an Eevee of their own. However, how did he go about getting one of those fruit from them?

The more he looked at the situation, the stranger it seemed. They were not acting like typical wild Pokemon, which meant they might actually belong to someone. Was it the owner of the cabin? Where were they at the moment?  It made him suspicious because how could they know the effects of the fruits? The most likely conclusion was that their trainer had stumbled upon the secret to Umbra’s evolution, and set up the Orchard to test it out.

Without their trainer, however, he wouldn’t have any answers to his questions. It’s not like he could communicate with them, could he? Then he remembered that he had the electronic pads stored in the trailer. It was likely the two Pokemon had been taught to understand English, which was what most trainers did when they got a new Pokemon.

“Duke, could you go back to the trailer and get an electronic pad? I wish to communicate with these two.”

‘Okay.’ Duke zoomed off and Lucas sat down to wait, under the watchful eye of the two Pokemon.

Duke returned half an hour later, but he had company with him. Faith followed Duke, wanting to know what was going on. He motioned for her to stay back so as to not scare the two Pokemon. Lucas took the pad from Faith and started writing a message with the stylus. He turned the pad around, so the two Pokemon could see the screen and read it. By this point, they had calmed down, seeming to understand that he was not a threat.

Hello, my name is Lucas.

Is your trainer around? I would like to trade for one of those fruits. If I am understanding it correctly, you are trying to conceive a Pokemon Egg of your own. I have something that will help with that, in return I will take one fruit and leave the other one for you.

The Espeon crept forward and peered at the screen. The Pokemon let a soft cry, turning to look at the tree. At first, Lucas thought that it was considering the trade, but when he looked closer at the island, he noticed a small gravestone that had been knocked over, close to the tree.

Lucas came to the sad realisation. Their trainer had died and had been buried next to the cabin by their Pokemon. It was their remains that allowed the tree to sprout. Maybe they weren’t exactly sure of the process of producing the tree and had died before they could discover the actual method. It was a sad irony if it was true, that it was their death that was the reason that the tree finally sprouted.

Lucas wrote another message and showed it to them.

I am sorry that your trainer died. You probably don’t like that I stumbled upon your home. However, my offer still stands. Will you make the trade? The item I want to give you will increase your chances of producing an egg.

The Vaporeon approached, and read the message with his partner. It motioned for Lucas to place the pad on the ground, and he did so. It used water manipulation to control the stylus and write a message. Lucas read it and was surprised by what it said.

Have one of your Pokemon fight me in a Pokemon battle. If you win, then we will do the trade. I miss competing against others.

Before he accepted the offer, he inspected the Vaporeon’s parameters. Its level was seventeen. Slightly troublesome, but not insurmountable. Lucas nodded, indicating his agreement.

“Max, you are going to be facing off against the Vaporeon. He is stronger than you, but you have the type advantage, so it evens out.”

Maybe it would push him to enter pre-evolution if he had a challenging fight.

‘Yes! I am going to take down the slimy Pokemon.

Maximus and Vaporeon faced off in the clearing. The opponent had the pond at his back and could retreat into the water at any time. However, since Max was an electric type, that may not be the best move.

Vaporeon

HP: 250/250

Faith volunteered to be the referee, although there would not be the usual match rules. She would only announce the start of the match, and declare a winner.

“Match…Start!” Faith shouted, using her scarf as a flag.

‘Thunderwave Plus. Two bolts.’ Lucas commanded.

Max released two bolts of lightning at Vaporeon, both of them attacking from different angles, making it hard for the Pokemon to dodge. The new modified move was amazing and only got even more so as Max practised it, learning how to change the trajectory of each bolt. So, far, he could only control two at a time, but it was still an improvement over the base move.

Vaporeon was initially surprised but managed to leap backwards and avoid the attack. He used a move of his own, Rain Dance. It caught Lucas off guard by how fast the Pokemon was able to execute the move, preventing him from reacting in time. A small dark cloud appeared above the clearing, and it started to rain.

Vaporeon has used Rain Dance.

Water-type attacks have increased in power by 50%

Vaporeon’s special ability has been activated. Hydration reduces the effectiveness of all status effects by 80% during rain.

It was a double-edged sword. Although the opponent’s water-type moves gained power, it also reduced its defence against electric-type attacks, although it was not explicitly stated. Any rain that fell on Vaporeon would increase conductivity from electric attacks. He could understand why Vaporeon did it, though. Paralysing his opponents was one of Max’s key tactics, so removing it from play was a smart idea.

‘Execute the chain attack. Charge into Quick Attack, into Thundershock.’

Snakes of electric energy enveloped Max’s body as he used Charge. Vaporeon was already executing his next move, which turned out to be Whirlpool. A small pool of twisting water appeared at Max’s feet, seeking to ensnare him in its grasp. If his legs were captured, then he would be trapped for a short time and be completely helpless.

Fortunately, Max was already executing Quick Attack and avoided being trapped in the water. He sped forward, approaching his opponent, before performing the last move in the chain, Thundershock.

Vaporeon was caught off-guard by the attack and was struck in the side by an arc of lightning, causing the Pokemon to cry out in pain.

74 damage dealt to Vaporeon.

HP: 176/250

‘Feint.’

Max vanished from sight and reappeared at his opponent's left side, but Vaporeon managed to recover quickly and executed another Whirlpool before dodging to the side. Max was caught in the move and started taking damage.

16 damage dealt to Maximus.

HP: 199/215

17 damage dealt to Maximus.

HP: 182/215

……

He bit his lip in frustration. The Pokemon’s ability to use its attacks quickly was frightening. Lucas began to respect its trainer as it looked like they had been good at training their Pokemon.

Lucas expected Vaporeon to attack while Maximus was trapped, but instead, it performed the next move on itself. Rest.

Instantly, the Pokemon fell into a sleep, and its HP was fully restored. It didn’t stay asleep for long, however, as the effects of Hydration kicked in. Vaporeon woke up, looking refreshed, and rearing to go. Such a cheat combination.

Max had taken a further forty damage before the Whirlpool subsided and he was released. He managed to dodge a Quick Attack, but he looked frustrated, releasing a growl of discontent.

‘Take it easy buddy. Don’t let it go to your head. Looks like we will have to change tactics and get up close and personal.’

Max grinned and started closing in on his opponent. He enjoyed it most when he got really physical. For the next few minutes, the battle got a little stale as Max pursued Vaporeon energetically, who didn’t seem to want to fight up close. Max got in a few hits and chipped away at his opponent's health, although it was slow. The fight went on so long, that Rain Dance disappeared, so Vaporeon lost the advantage of Hydration.

Lucas was waiting for the perfect moment to execute a Thunderwave, so he finally could stop the Vaporeon in its tracks and end the fight.

He found the perfect moment, when Vaporeon stumbled slightly while avoiding an attack from Max, and started to give the command. However, it proved unnecessary, as Max was way ahead of him and executed a Thunder Wave without prompting.

Vaporeon almost evaded, but his tail was his downfall. It was struck as it was attempting to dodge the two bolts sent in his direction.

Vaporeon has been paralysed for nine seconds.

Max cried in elation and began wailing on his opponent. Lucas let him be, allowing him to work off some frustration. Vaporeon was unable to recover in time and fainted soon after.

“Vapereion is unable to fight. Max is the winner,” Faith declared.

Max ran over to Lucas and jumped into his arms. Lucas patted him on the head, congratulating him. It may surprise some, but Max hated to lose the most, out of all his Pokemon.

Espeon looked at him, silently asking him a question. The Pokemon didn’t seem too upset by her partner's loss.

“I will get the item for you now,” Lucas assured it.

“Are you talking about the Eevee Egg Incense?” Faith asked. “I will get it.”

Lucas nodded in thanks and sat down. While he waited, he opened up his notifications to see the results of the battle.

=====

Congratulations!

The player has won the battle!

The Experience Junkie Perk has triggered. The player has earned four times the experience! (640).

Max has earned 100% of the experience: (160).

=====

Max has entered the pre-evolution stage.

[Pre-Evolution Stage] (Duration: One month) [Potential Unlocked: 0%] Energy Capacity: (0/20000)

Effective Evolution Items: Thunder Stone (energy); Magnet (increases Special Attack during evolution); Power Bracer (Increases Attack during evolution).

=====

“Yes! It’s about time you entered the pre-evolution stage,” Lucas shouted in excitement. “Another evolved Pokemon is close at hand.”

The one concerning thing was that the energy requirements were double that of what Dante and Imara had to achieve. Was this because Max’s evolution was a lot more extreme, evolving into the huge Electabuzz? They had their work cut out for them in the next month.

‘Yeah! Soon, I will get my revenge on Dante.” Max exclaimed.

They were excited for two different reasons. Maybe he shouldn’t have had Dante work him so hard, as it looked like it generated some resentment. Oh, well, that was something for future Lucas to worry about.

So, what do you think? Max will be evolving next, and will he get some revenge against Dante?

Thanks for the support, everyone.

Shoutout to my Pro and Hardcore Gamers for the extra support.