It was a Pokémon with a dingy tan body and dull blue fins.
After wriggling out of the mud, the creature swam with a vacant, glazed expression back into the thick water weeds. Owen rubbed his eyes vigorously.
Did I see that right?A Feebas?
Owen replayed the image of the Pokémon in his mind—that ragged, lumpy appearance. There was no mistaking it. It was definitely a Feebas.
"I can't believe there's a Feebas here..."
Owen was genuinely stunned. But soon, he came to terms with it. While Feebas wasn't as ubiquitous as Magikarp, they certainly weren't rare.
The only reason they weren't caught was that their evolution difficulty was legendary—no one wanted the hassle. Furthermore, because they looked unappetizing, predators rarely targeted them.
As a result, their numbers grew steadily. It was much like the wild Magikarp found everywhere; even though they could evolve into the mighty Gyarados, Magikarp hadn't been hunted into extinction either.
For both Magikarp and Feebas, any trainer would have to consider one major factor: Cultivation Cost.
Taking Magikarp's evolution as an example, there are two common theories:
Growth Evolution: Achieving evolution through specialized nutrition and natural law. However, wild Magikarp rarely find enough nutrients, so this is the path most trainers take. It's said that the resource investment is astronomical and time-consuming. But that makes sense—turning a "salted fish" into a majestic Gyarados without paying a massive price wouldn't be logical.
Rage Evolution: A mutation triggered by unstable internal or external factors. Researchers have found that "Rage Energy" can alter a Magikarp's genes to a degree. However, Gyarados evolved this way are almost impossible to control, prone to destruction, and considered "deformed" evolutions. Plus, not every Magikarp has the constitution for it; it's a one-in-a-thousand trait.
Aside from these, a small group of people believes in a third, more "scientific" way: The Leap. Some exceptional Magikarp, by battling against the ocean, waterfalls, and rapids, break through their own limits and tap into their life potential—evolving into Gyarados in a manner reminiscent of the ancient myth "The Fish Leaps Over the Dragon Gate."
Most wild Gyarados evolve via the second method, which explains their notoriously violent temperaments.
Researchers had Magikarp figured out, but Feebas? That remained a mystery.
Some fed them supplements. No effect.
Some tried to stimulate "Rage Energy" like with Magikarp. No effect.
Some even tried applying makeup and dressing them up. Still no effect.
Every logical method had been exhausted, yet the specific conditions for Feebas's evolution remained undiscovered.
"It's just Prism Scales and Beauty..."
Owen stared at the pond, lost in thought. Those were the two ways a Feebas evolved. A Prism Scale was likely a rare scale from a Milotic—finding one wasn't hard, but the cost was high, and any old scale wouldn't do.
The concept of Beauty, however, was the core. It clearly wasn't as simple as making the Feebas think it was pretty or dressing it up. If it were that easy, some eccentric trainer or researcher would have figured it out by now. The concept of "Beauty" was even more nebulous than "Friendship."
"The conditions those researchers are pulling their hair out over... I have them right here."
Owen pulled a small box of Pokéblocks from his pocket and shook his head. It's lonely at the top.
His light-blue Pokéblocks worked from the inside out to change a Pokémon's temperament and appearance. This was a scientific alteration of a Pokémon's constitution through energy absorption to raise Beauty—vastly different from superficial "makeup" or "Photoshopping."
Owen suspected the root of the problem was there.
A "pretty exterior" was just the surface; changing the Feebas's constitution through energy to raise its "True Beauty" was the key. In the games, "Beauty" wasn't just about looks—it was a stat linked to attributes, moves, and abilities.
"Vee?"
Seeing Owen standing still, Eevee tilted her head. She had no idea Owen was currently daydreaming about an empire.
"Eevee, this is a big business opportunity."
Owen sighed. Everyone on Earth knew how rare Milotic was. A paper on Feebas's evolution conditions would bring him a fortune, but like discovering a new Eevee evolution, it was a one-time payout.
But, if he bundled the evolution conditions with his Pokéblocks... the value would be entirely different. The blue Pokéblocks would become a high-end consumable as valuable as Evolution Stones.
Standard Pokéblocks were just high-nutrition supplements. But if they had the power of an Evolution Stone? Their value would multiply a thousandfold. This business could make Owen rich enough to never work a day in his life.
Seeing the Feebas today had reignited that ambition. Owen tried to force himself into "Sage Mode" to stay calm.
"Can't rush. First, get into university and become a Registered Researcher. That's how I get the biggest piece of the cake."
Owen took out a light-blue Pokéblock and, like a nouveau riche flaunting his wealth, tossed it into the pond. Eevee's eyes went wide with pure heartbreak. What a wasteful trainer!
But the Pokéblock was the perfect bait. As it hit the water, the surrounding Pokémon turned and swam toward it, lured by the scent. Even the Feebas that had hidden in the weeds reappeared.
Suddenly—Owen and Eevee locked eyes with the Feebas.
Unlike the vacant Magikarp, this Feebas's eyes sharpened when it saw the others getting closer to the food. Zip! It used a Tackle move to propel itself forward, lunging out of the water to headbutt the Pokéblock into the air before swallowing it whole in one gulp.
"Using moves to snatch food... this Feebas isn't bad. It knows how to adapt, unlike those dumb Magikarp," Owen noted.
After swallowing the treat, the Feebas shot a glance at Owen and Eevee. Then, it promptly sank back into the depths.
"..." Owen.
After eating my food, you don't even say thanks? He thought the Feebas would be begging to join him... instead, it just ate and ran?
"Eevee, take note. After you take advantage of a stranger, quit while you're ahead and don't let them lead you by the nose."
"Cha!" Eevee let out a bored yawn. She certainly wasn't going to admit she was less savvy than a salty fish.
Her lazy attitude gave Owen a slight headache. He pointed at the gathering Magikarp and said, "Alright, time to get to work—"
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: [email protected]/Master_Studios677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.