Nanwu Town.
Ever since a micro-Secret Realm appeared nearby, the population of wild Pokémon around the town had surged. However, most of them were harmless species like Magikarp, Caterpie, and Pidgey.
The more dangerous Pokémon from the Secret Realm had largely been relocated to the Nanwu Mountains.
There, the Fairview Trainer Association had established a Ranger defense line to monitor and contain them. With decades of experience in handling Secret Realms, the Association had the process down to a science. As a result, the daily lives of Nanwu's residents remained largely unaffected.
"Dr. Hayden, long time no see!"
During the Spring Festival, after returning to Nanwu with his parents, Owen paid a long-overdue visit to the local Pokémon Center to see the man who had looked after them in the past.
"Oh, if it isn't Owen!"
Owen was something of a minor celebrity in this small Pokémon Center now. The staff had rewatched the battle videos from the Young Ho-Oh Cup more times than anyone could count—mostly thanks to Dr. Hayden's constant bragging.
Inside the center, Dr. Hayden stepped out of an exam room in his white lab coat. He looked Owen up and down, noting he'd grown a bit taller. "Back home for the holidays?"
"That's right," Owen smiled.
On his shoulder, Eevee waved a paw in greeting, though she clearly still remembered this "Demon Doctor" and his needles.
"Good, good. But listen, even if it's the holidays, don't get too relaxed. A trainer should work hard with their Pokémon while they're young," Dr. Hayden chuckled. "I'm pulling overtime here during the Festival, so if Eevee gets any training injuries, you know where to find me!"
"No problem. Eevee, hurry up and thank Dr. Hayden."
Eevee: "???"
Seeing Eevee's indignant expression, the two men laughed. Owen stopped teasing her; it was a holiday, after all. He intended to give Eevee a few days off to rest. He wasn't a monster.
That being said—if Eevee chose to "work" voluntarily, that was on her.
During these festival days, Owen spent most of his time researching new recipes for Pokéblocks. Specifically, he was trying to mass-produce the light-blue version that boosted Mental Power and Beauty.
Watching Owen and Magnemite busy in the kitchen making "gourmet" food, Eevee suddenly got restless. She was terrified that if she didn't help out, she wouldn't get a share of the final product.
The light-blue Pokéblock was their crowning achievement so far. Below that was a new grey variety they had developed during the holidays.
Black, White, Grey, Light Blue.
Their lab had produced several distinct tiers. Light Blue was the gold standard, offering massive benefits to both Eevee and Magnemite. Black was a total failure—not even fit for a Pokémon to eat. White and Grey were better but still had odd, unblended berry flavors that Eevee and Magnemite found hard to stomach.
However, there was an exception: the newest Grey recipe. While the color was drab, Magnemite found the taste surprisingly acceptable. The effects were currently unknown—it might do nothing, or the effects might just be too subtle to see in the short term.
Magnemite liked it, but Eevee? She took one bite and spat it out. Disgusting.
Owen understood. Every Pokémon had different tastes. Pokéblocks were highly subjective; a Pokémon with a specific nature would prefer certain flavors, and if they enjoyed what they were eating, the nutritional absorption was significantly better.
"Vee..."
In the kitchen, Eevee officially went on strike, her displeasure written all over her face. They'd spent so much time on research, yet the latest result was only for Magnemite. Her mental state was nearing a total meltdown.
Seeing this, the ever-thoughtful Magnemite immediately pushed its own bowl of Light Blue blocks toward Eevee to comfort her. This act of kindness quickly melted Eevee's annoyance.
Then, Eevee looked at Owen, hoping he would be "thoughtful" too. She had already recruited Magnemite into her "Eevee Board of Directors"; now she just needed to bring Owen into the fold.
Owen, however, ignored her. He checked the date and sighed.
"Tell you what, Eevee. I'll take you out to... exercise your teeth."
"???" Eevee was confused. Did that mean a big feast?
"The data collection for the 'Magikarp Rattled Ability' paper is only half-done. Let's gather as much as we can before school starts! You won't actually eat them, of course, but using Bite to check for the Ability counts as a dental workout, right? It'll make your dinner taste better later." Owen gave a mischievous grin.
"Vee?!"
Eevee's eyes went wide, and she immediately flopped onto the floor, rolling around in protest. He wanted her to go back to chasing those salty fish? No way.
Magikarp were practically all bone; how was that a "workout"? She suspected Owen was raising her like a dog...
Wait, even Lynnea's Growlithe didn't have it this hard!
Ultimately, Owen and Eevee headed out. The "Great Demon King" Owen always had a way of winning these arguments.
There was a river near the Nanwu mountains. While it teemed with Water-types, getting to the main current required clearing the Ranger checkpoints, which was a hassle. Owen decided to stick to the tributaries and small puddles.
Magikarp were incredibly hardy. They could survive in filthy water or even on land for extended periods. They were in rivers, ponds, and—as it turned out—muddy puddles.
Owen arrived at a large puddle, almost a small pond, near the riverbank. Magikarp often jumped out of the river onto the grass and, unable to find their way back, ended up flapping into these isolated spots.
"Eevee, scan the perimeter."
Owen called out as he began to scan the water himself. The greenish water wasn't crystal clear, but since the puddle wasn't deep, he could just barely make out the movement below.
Suddenly, a red fish with a golden crown-like fin swam past. Owen's eyes lit up. There's one.
But before he could move, he froze in place.
Emerging from the mud was a Pokémon with a lumpy, brownish-grey body. It looked strikingly like a largemouth bass, but its appearance was... off. It was scarred, rugged, and held a certain presence that commanded his full attention.
"This is..."
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