He gazed at Ash in the moonlight.
Taiichi's eyes were bright and blazing.
No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not suppress the surge of excitement welling up inside him.
Those eyes were fixed on Ash, the adoration and longing swimming in them so intense they looked ready to overflow.
Ash was starting to feel a little uncomfortable under that gaze. He muttered inwardly: This kid... has he been filling in some very strange blanks with his imagination?
Neither Ash nor Mengmeng could read another person's thoughts with any real precision — only make vague guesses and inferences.
In truth, even within the Psychic-type discipline, mind-reading was an exceptionally advanced art.
Most of the time, practitioners could only pick up surface-level impressions — expressions, emotions, that sort of thing.
To actually parse concrete thoughts from brainwave patterns? The sheer volume of data involved made the difficulty absurdly high.
Being able to sense someone's general mood was already impressive. To know their specific thoughts... you'd have to seek out those [Gods] who specialized in exactly that.
But now was not the time to explore that particular topic.
Ash's attention quickly returned to the Eevee still curled up in Taiichi's arms, still looking timid and skittish.
Drawing on his increasingly sharp observational instincts, Ash could perceive clearly that the root of this Eevee's problem was not merely a matter of willingness — it was a lack of foundational "depth" in its very being.
Eevee was a species with extraordinarily unstable genetics, capable of evolving in a wide variety of directions.
Beyond the evolutions that depended on Evolution Stones — Water, Fire, Thunder, Ice, and Leaf — there were also Espeon and Umbreon, which evolved through friendship and time of day, and Sylveon, which required mastering Fairy-type energy and the bond of a deep connection.
Those latter three evolution paths might seem to require nothing external, but they actually carried hidden prerequisites: the Pokémon's own latent potential, and the depth of the bond between it and its Trainer.
The Eevee didn't need to be particularly strong — but it couldn't be too weak, either.
And once it reached a certain threshold — unless it was holding an Everstone — an Eevee with genetics that unstable was simply going to evolve, inevitably.
Taiichi's Eevee was clearly too weak by its own merits. Its life energy and mental strength were simply insufficient to sustain the metamorphosis toward Espeon or Umbreon, let alone Sylveon, which required actively perceiving and harnessing Fairy-type energy.
It was like a vessel with too small a capacity — unable to hold the enormous surge of energy that evolution demanded.
After all, Taiichi himself was still just a small child. How much could his Eevee really have grown?
A little resolve isn't enough. What's needed here is some practical help. The situation was clear to Ash now, and he made his decision.
His approach, as always, was direct, efficient — and he had already prepared for it long in advance. — That was just how Ash operated: he generally didn't go into battle without preparation, and he prepared as thoroughly as circumstances allowed.
"Come with me," Ash said to Taiichi. It was time to take that crucial next step.
Taiichi was full of questions, but his trust in Ash was already firmly established.
He hugged Eevee tightly and followed obediently behind Ash.
Far behind them, Brock and Misty — who had been secretly tailing the pair — exchanged a glance. With a mutual, unspoken understanding, they chose not to interfere, and simply watched them go.
The two of them knew: Ash was about to start one of his signature "moves" again.
Their destination was the modest inn where Ash's group was staying.
The night was deep and still.
The inn's corridor was completely empty, nothing but the sound of their own footsteps echoing back at them.
Taiichi watched Ash push open the door to his room, and the question marks stacking up in his head grew larger and larger: It's this late... why are we being brought to a bedroom?
Ash offered no explanation.
He simply made a "wait here" gesture toward Taiichi.
And then Taiichi was left standing outside the closed door.
Ash, alone, carried a thoroughly bewildered Eevee into the ensuite bathroom.
It wasn't the most spacious of rooms, but it was perfectly serviceable.
"Eevee?" Eevee squirmed uneasily in Ash's arms. It was instinctively anxious about the unfamiliar environment and whatever was about to happen.
Inside the bathroom.
The air still carried a faint wisp of water vapor — and something else, a fragrance impossible to put into words, like a blend of warm sunlight and sandalwood, clean and serene.
The water in the bathtub had not been drained.
Its surface was perfectly still. Under the light, it carried an extremely faint shimmer — a barely-there iridescent sheen, like a whisper of rainbow light.
This was the bathwater left behind from when Ho-Oh and Ash had bathed together earlier.
A divine bird's bath.
Even if it was simply a routine act performed in a disguised form, the water inevitably retained traces of a subtly dissipating sacred energy and vital life force.
...The amount of power present was, it had to be said, minuscule — so faint it was almost negligible.
...For the vast majority of Pokémon with any meaningful level of strength, it would have virtually no effect at all.
...And the window to preserve it was already short; it would dissipate before long.
But for Taiichi's small and feeble Eevee, this was nothing short of a gentle yet remarkably potent tonic.
After all, whether something has an effect depends entirely on who it's being used on, doesn't it?
A dose of poison that can kill a person might only cause mild discomfort to an elephant. To a whale, it would be completely and utterly useless.
Whether we're talking about poison or medicine — discussing its properties without discussing dosage is just playing games.
And this particular Eevee was genuinely tiny and weak.
Which meant it was just the right fit.
...If this turned out to have no effect, Ash had actually been considering dissolving a few Revives in the water as a backup plan.
Ash carefully lowered Eevee into the gently warm bathwater.
At first, Eevee panicked — its limbs flailed wildly as it tried to escape.
But then, its whole body went rigid for a brief instant.
And then — as if it had encountered something indescribably comfortable — its entire body went limp with relaxation.
"Eevee~~"
"Eevee~~~"
"Eevee~~"
"Wuu~~~"
A series of strange yet unmistakably blissful little murmurs drifted out from the bathroom.
The sounds rose and fell, as if Eevee was in the middle of some indescribable and utterly transcendent spa experience.
Taiichi, standing outside the door, was going crazy with curiosity.
...What?
...What was happening?
...What on earth was going on in there?
Several times he almost reached out to push the door open and see for himself — but each time, he remembered the gesture Ash had given him earlier, and forced himself to hold back.
Pikachu and Mengmeng were standing guard by the door.
Pikachu wore the expression of someone who had seen it all before and found nothing remarkable about it.
Mengmeng, on the other hand, was floating in the air with her little mouth pursed in a dramatically high pout.
She was clearly extremely displeased that her Trainer had once again directed his attention toward a different Pokémon.
Mengmeng: I want to take a bath with my Trainer too! (-_-)
Inside the bathroom.
Ash could clearly perceive that the minuscule trace of sacred vitality within the water was, like a slow and steady trickle, gradually seeping into Eevee's pores.
This was also, in no small part, thanks to the fact that Ash was Ho-Oh's most beloved Rainbow Hero.
Under ordinary circumstances, such an infinitesimally subtle force would be nearly impossible to detect.
The total amount was just too small — it was basically negligible.
It was rather like noticing a thin film of oil on the surface of the water after you've taken a bath.
It's there, certainly — but most people wouldn't bother collecting it, would they?
This supplement to Eevee's reserves was not a forcible power boost.
It was more like a gentle combing and irrigation — a mild priming for what Eevee was about to do next.
That should be about right.
With that sense of readiness, Ash lifted Eevee out of the water — soaking wet from tip to tail, yet visibly revitalized, its fur seeming to have taken on a new, richer luster — and dried it thoroughly with a clean towel.
"Eevee~"
"Eevee~"
Eevee made a series of funny little cries as it was being patted dry, and throughout the whole process, there was no change in its behavior whatsoever — just those happy, odd little sounds.
"Alright, what comes next is the real thing," Ash said, stepping out of the bathroom with Eevee in his arms and meeting Taiichi's intensely curious gaze.
"We've topped up the foundations a little — but strength and control still need to be hammered out through real battle."
He glanced out at the deep darkness beyond the window and quickly ran the calculations in his head.
High-intensity training in the dead of night, combined with the clearly considerable bond between Taiichi and his Eevee — this Eevee might very well seize the momentum of the training to evolve into an Umbreon.
Umbreon, huh... not bad at all, Ash thought to himself, unbothered.
If it evolved into Espeon, a Special Attack-oriented type, he honestly had no idea how he'd coach it, given that his own Psychic-type skills were at the level of "I can barely stub someone's toe." But if it evolved into Umbreon — a Pokémon built around defense, endurance, and striking back from a reactive position — then the experience Ash had gained from his combat training, specifically regarding physical force management, taking hits, and the timing of counterattacks, might actually come in handy.
With that settled in his mind, Ash wasted no more time. "Let's go. We'll find somewhere quiet. Special training starts now."
Under the cover of the moonlight, the group quietly slipped out of the inn and made their way to a secluded open lot on the outskirts of Stonetown.
Far from the lights of the town's center.
Only the cool, clean moonlight fell here.
It draped a layer of quiet solemnity over the training that was about to begin.
"There's something I need to be upfront with you about," Ash said. He had no intention of letting this turn into some cheap primetime drama. Every issue needed to be laid out clearly from the start.
"Because it's nighttime right now, with my help, your Eevee will most likely evolve into Umbreon."
"If you want to refuse, you can leave now."
"This is still your window to choose."
As far as Ash was concerned, if Taiichi refused, then he refused — it genuinely didn't matter either way.
Ash's own strength alone was already more than enough to defeat Taiichi's three older brothers.
Throughout this journey so far, Ash and his Pokémon had been growing in power at a remarkable rate.
After all, Pikachu's strength could be said to have already brushed the threshold of a Gym Leader's core Pokémon.
And as a Partner Pikachu equipped with the Light Ball on top of that — Pikachu's power level was, frankly, completely absurd.
"Umbreon?" Taiichi thought it over for a moment. "Whether it's Espeon or Umbreon — I love them both!"
"This is the proof of our love!"
Taiichi looked at Ash with complete sincerity.
Taiichi, too, wanted to defeat his older brothers.
And this was his chance.
"Hahaha, then I'm rooting for you~" Ash decided he really liked this kid.
"Partner, Mengmeng."
"I'm going to need you both for what comes next."
Ash addressed his two companions.
"Partner, your job is to use Quick Attack and Agility to apply pressure on Eevee — push it to sharpen its reaction time and evasive instincts. Watch your power output, though."
"Mengmeng, you'll use Psybeam and Confuse Ray to disrupt Eevee — train its resistance to status effects and its mental focus."
Ash could tell that tonight was going to be a long one. Fortunately, his physical constitution was well beyond the human norm — he wasn't going to tire out that easily.
"Pika!" Pikachu's cheek pouches sparked with eager electricity, barely able to contain its readiness.
"Hmph!" Mengmeng still had a few lingering feelings to work through, but when faced with a formal directive from her Trainer, she gave a sincere nod and drifted up into the air.
Taiichi swallowed nervously and set Eevee down on the open ground.
Eevee seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere as well.
It shook its head and tried its best to adopt a battle-ready posture — but all four of its legs were trembling ever so slightly.
"Taiichi, keep your eyes on your Eevee!" Ash's voice rang out through the night air with unusual clarity. "Battle isn't just a clash of moves — it's a contest of will, reaction, and understanding."
"Command it, feel it, think alongside it!"
Most experienced Trainers don't give all that many commands during a battle — but for a newcomer still learning the ropes, a little more guidance was better.
Training began.
Pikachu became a streak of golden lightning, blazing across the field at blistering speed — each charge carried a razor-sharp momentum that forced Eevee to leap and roll in a constant scramble to dodge.
At first, Eevee was an absolute mess. Several times it nearly took a direct hit, and it ended up covered in grass clippings and dirt.
"Eevee, don't be scared! Watch its movements — jump left!" Taiichi shouted at the top of his lungs, his fists clenched tight.
Their bond was genuine and deep, that much was clear.
Encouraged by Taiichi's voice, Eevee gradually pushed past its fear — its evasive movements began to develop a semblance of pattern and rhythm.
Though it had to be said, under the pressure of this training, even "a semblance of pattern" was a hard-won achievement.
After all, calling Pikachu's output "pulling punches" would have been an insult. It was more like opening the floodgates on the entire Pacific Ocean.
Meanwhile.
Mengmeng traced strange and erratic arcs through the air above, her eyes flickering with light.
Twisting beams of Psybeam and disorienting flashes of Confuse Ray rained down on Eevee from every angle.
Eevee immediately felt the world spin — the scene before it warped and swam — and every instinct in its body screamed at it to retreat.
"Hang in there, Eevee! It's all an illusion! Trust your instincts!" Taiichi's voice was laced with urgency, but also brimming with trust.
...And this was exactly what Ash wanted to see.
...Affinity and friendship between Pokémon and Trainer were abstract concepts, impossible to pin down precisely.
...But Ash believed that putting them through shared hardships, striving together toward a common goal... it had to count for something, right?
Eevee shook its head back and forth, fighting through the disorientation with gritted determination, struggling to focus its gaze and lock onto Pikachu's true position.
Its chest heaved in and out. That body, which had been bathed in the residual waters left behind by Ho-Oh, did seem to carry a genuine extra measure of resilience — it kept Eevee from crumbling immediately under the mental assault.
Ash stood to the side, observing with calm focus, occasionally calling out pointers:
"Taiichi, watch Eevee's center of gravity! Its back legs aren't pushing off with enough force when it's preparing to dodge!"
"Eevee, don't rely only on your eyes — use your ears, use your instincts! There's a sound of wind when Pikachu moves!"
"Yes! Exactly like that — use the roll to absorb the impact and create distance at the same time!"
From Ash's perspective, Taiichi and his Eevee were genuinely not very strong.
But wasn't that completely normal for a seven- or eight-year-old kid and the Pokémon he'd been raising simply as a companion and playmate?
— A professional boxer can push their body to its absolute physical limit.
— An ordinary person obviously cannot.
— Different standards apply to different people.
— It's like getting a ten-yuan lunchbox from a street stall — as long as the ingredients are fresh and the portions are generous, it's a perfect six-out-of-five rating.
— Taste and quality? Completely irrelevant considerations.
— But if you go to a high-end fine dining restaurant and the flavor is even slightly off, or one ingredient has been handled poorly — then it's a garbage restaurant, plain and simple.
"Mengmeng, vary the Psybeam frequency a bit more — break its rhythm before it can fully adapt!"
Under the moonlight.
Golden lightning and violet shadow intertwined and danced.
The tawny Eevee pushed and struggled and adapted through the crossing currents between them.
Sweat had soaked through the hair on Taiichi's forehead.
He, too, had moved from the panicked scramble of the opening moments into a state of focused concentration, working hard to process each of Ash's instructions and translate them into synchronized actions with Eevee.
Real combat, as it turned out, was the greatest teacher of all.
It was only through actual battle that you found out whether all those ideas you'd been sitting on were worth anything.
Eevee's breathing grew heavier and more labored as the training pressed on.
But the timidity in its eyes was fading, piece by piece — replaced by a stubborn, fierce focus that had been drawn out under pressure.
...At its core, this Eevee was a good type — there was a genuine, unyielding streak to its nature.
...On the road to a Trainer's peak, flaws in character are far harder to compensate for than natural Individual Values.
Subtle changes were beginning to manifest in Eevee's body as well.
Its movements grew progressively more agile; its ability to anticipate Pikachu's attack trajectories sharpened with each passing exchange. It was even beginning to seize opportunities for simple counterattacks using the terrain — for instance, in the instant after dodging a Quick Attack, sweeping its tail across the ground to kick up a cloud of dust that obscured Pikachu's vision.
Ash watched this unfold and gave a small, quiet nod.
The foundational supplement combined with the catalytic force of high-intensity real battle — the results were immediate and visible.
He could feel it: some dormant potential deep within Eevee was beginning to stir, resonating with the energy of the night around it.
Eevee's coat seemed to deepen in hue under the moonlight — and on that body that had once been plain, ordinary tawny brown, faint ghostly impressions of pale yellow ring-shaped markings were beginning to surface, barely there, hovering just at the edge of perception.
Evolution...
seemed close enough to touch.
"Keep it up! Hold that state!"
"Feel the power of the night, Eevee!"
"Take that pressure — and let it become the foundation of your defense and your counterattack!"
"Taiichi, get ready — the critical moment is almost here!"
"You two need to work as one and take hold of your own destiny."
Ash's voice carried encouragement.
And deep in his chest, his heart was filled to the brim with a sense of achievement.
After all, Taiichi's situation was fundamentally different from Ash's own.
The debate Ash had with Raichu, Misty, and Brock had been about — a Pokémon that refuses to evolve can still become strong.
But Taiichi was a completely different case.
What Taiichi was rejecting was not evolution itself — he was rejecting the predetermined path that his three older brothers had tried to map out for him.
So the distinction had to be understood clearly.
Ash would never think to have Taiichi's Eevee stand its ground against the three brothers while remaining unevolved.
That approach wasn't just unrealistic — it would make them outcasts in this town, fighting against its very culture.
When it came down to it, Ash, Brock, and Misty could not stay here forever.
While they were here, they could help Taiichi push back against the local traditions — but what happened after they left?
They couldn't exactly take a small child with them on their journey, could they?
Taiichi had a family. His conflict with them wasn't so severe that his home had stopped being a home.
It was a family squabble.
Not the end of a family.
Sometimes, even [good intentions] have to be tailored to the situation at hand.
Good will that is too self-righteous, too centered on one's own perspective — that kind of kindness has a way of producing genuinely terrible outcomes.
Ash had thought this through clearly.
— Solve the problem.
— Don't inflame the conflict.
Taiichi held his breath, his entire focus locked on Eevee — panting hard in the center of the lot, but with eyes burning bright.
He knew: Eevee was on the threshold of a pivotal transformation.
And the path that he and Eevee had chosen together was about to reveal itself, clear and certain, in the light of the moon.
Taiichi: Here it comes!
Eevee: Taiichi!
____
👻🔥Whant more?: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: JJK: Naoya Zenin Reborn as a Woman
Let's reach these milestones together:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all readers