c160: Eevee Breeder Field
"Anyone here?"
After stepping through the wooden archway of the Eevee Breeder Field, Chen Xiaoxiao glanced around the quiet courtyard lined with berry trees and incubation sheds, her voice echoing faintly.
"Welcome! Oh? Wait, are you… Chen Xiaoxiao?"
A mature woman with soft chestnut hair walked out from behind a set of nursery pens. Her eyes widened in recognition.
"Heehee, Sister Xiaoqing! It's me! Long time no see!"
Chen Xiaoxiao's eyes brightened. The woman before her was the same young caretaker who had helped her choose her Eevee here ten years ago.
"Really Xiaoxiao? I can't believe it!" Xiaoqing said, half-laughing in surprise. "You've grown so much! What brings you back?"
"I'm on a journey," Chen Xiaoxiao explained, brushing a strand of hair aside. "Since I'm passing through Guangdong City, I wanted to bring my Sun Pokémon back to where it was born."
She reached down and stroked the sleek fur of the Pokémon standing beside her. The Sun Pokémon Espeon.flicked its forked tail and purred softly.
"This Espeon… wait, is it that little Eevee?"
Xiaoqing crouched and gently patted the top of Espeon's head. Espeon tilted its head curiously, then let out a warm "Eee~" before affectionately rubbing against her hand.
"Yes, the same one," Chen Xiaoxiao said with a laugh.
Although hundreds of Eevee had been raised here over the years, Xiaoqing immediately recalled this particular one the quiet little Eevee who always napped under the apricot tree near the pond.
"Xiaoxiao, you've raised it so beautifully," Xiaoqing said admiringly. "Its coat's sheen, its aura, it's incredible!"
Suddenly, she gasped and hurried over to the counter inside the main building. "By the way! I've seen your reports in the Trainer Weekly! You and your Sun Pokémon are practically celebrities now!"
She pulled out a glossy issue of Pokémon Time Magazine. Chen Xiaoxiao's face adorned the cover, standing beside her Gardevoir and Espeon during her regional trainer assessment.
"See? Right here, it even says your Espeon's power was rated at Elite-level psychic output during testing! The Master couldn't stop bragging!" Xiaoqing said, half-proud, half-incredulous.
Chen Xiaoxiao flushed slightly at the sight of herself on the cover. "Ahaha… Sister Xiaoqing, please don't tease me like that."
After chatting for a while, Chen Xiaoxiao smiled and asked, "Can I take Sun Pokémon to walk around the park?"
"Of course! Are you kidding? You're family here," Xiaoqing said warmly.
Given the connection between Chen Xiaoxiao's grandmother a well-known Breeder from the Kanto Association and Master Yi, the owner of this facility, there was no reason to refuse. And besides, Espeon had been born here; this was its first home.
Xiaoqing led them through the familiar grounds. Eevee of all shades and sizes played freely some chasing each other under the sunlight, others sleeping in groups. A few young Breeders were tending to the nursery incubators, feeding baby Eevee with berry milk prepared fresh from Miltank herds.
Chen Xiaoxiao and Sun Pokémon paused under the old apricot tree.
"Sun Pokémon, that's the tree I found you under," Chen Xiaoxiao said softly.
"Espi~," Espeon purred, rubbing against her knee. Its memories flashed vividly.the day it met a shy young girl who offered it a Pokéblock under this very tree.
With Xiaoqing's permission, Chen Xiaoxiao and Espeon played a while with the younger Eevee. Espeon even lowered its psychic barrier to let them tumble around its tail, laughing telepathically as they tried to mimic its movements.
From a distance, Xiaoqing smiled warmly. So that little Eevee really found a Trainer who loves it…
After some time, Chen Xiaoxiao looked back at Xiaoqing. "By the way, where's Grandpa Yi?"
"Master's inside. Come on, I'll take you," Xiaoqing said, leading her toward the main house.
"Master! Guess who's here!" she called as they entered.
An elderly man in his sixties sat at a low table, sipping tea beside a stack of breeding records. He looked up curiously.
"Heehee! Grandpa Yi, do you still remember me?" Chen Xiaoxiao asked, waving cheerfully.
The old man blinked, then broke into a grin. "Ah, so it is you! Xiaoxiao! Come, sit, sit!"
Master Yi set down his teacup, visibly delighted. He had heard plenty about Chen Xiaoxiao from her grandmother and seen her face in multiple League publications.
"Xiaoxiao, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here? Don't tell me your Sun Pokémon's giving you trouble?" he teased. "If it's being stubborn, I've got plenty of Eevee here you can always trade it for another."
"Espii!"
Before he could even finish, Espeon's gem flashed crimson. Its tail bristled, and its eyes glowed threateningly.
"Ah just kidding! Just kidding!" Master Yi raised his hands, laughing nervously. "So serious! The quiet little Eevee from before sure got fiery after evolving, huh?"
Chen Xiaoxiao giggled and stroked Espeon's back to calm it. "Don't mind him, Sun Pokémon. He was just teasing."
Espeon snorted softly and lay across her lap, still glaring at the old man.
"Heh, your bond's strong. You've done well," Master Yi said sincerely. "Most Trainers never come back after taking their first Pokémon. It's rare to see one return just to visit."
He leaned back, smiling warmly. The Eevee Breeder Field had raised hundreds of Pokémon over the decades, but only a few Trainers ever returned with their partners.
"So, Xiaoxiao," he said after a moment, "what brings you to Guangdong City this time?"
"Heehee," Chen Xiaoxiao said proudly, taking out her Badge Case. "I'm competing in this year's Alliance Circuit! I've already earned a badge from Guancheng Gym, and now I'm here to challenge Guangdong City's Normal-type Gym!"
Master Yi's smile faltered slightly. His hand paused mid-air.
"…Guangdong's Normal Gym?"
Seeing his expression shift, Chen Xiaoxiao blinked in confusion. "What's wrong, Grandpa Yi?"
She looked toward Xiaoqing, who gave her an awkward smile and a tiny shake of the head, as if warning her not to ask further.
The mood in the room suddenly changed.
Did something happen at the Guangdong Gym…?
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