"Ah! Look! Buizel just evolved!"
That's right—Buizel had evolved!
Even Buizel itself was stunned. It had surpassed the required evolution level by more than twenty levels already, yet it only evolved just now—right after defeating Wake's Floatzel.
Ash was thrilled.
In the world of Pokémon, evolving means a huge leap in strength.
Buizel's body grew noticeably larger before everyone's eyes.
And then, a majestic Floatzel appeared before them!
"Floatz~!"
"Buizel evolved into Floatzel!" Dawn exclaimed.
She quickly pulled out her Pokédex, while Ash's Eye of Insight scanned the newly evolved Floatzel.
[Pokémon]: Floatzel
[Category]: Sea Weasel Pokémon
[Type]: Water
[Ability]: Swift Swim
[Potential]: Purple
[Level]: 47
[Moves]: Crunch, Sonic Boom, Growl, Quick Attack, Water Gun, Pursuit, Swift, Aqua Jet, Aqua Tail, Double Hit, Whirlpool, Razor Wind, Agility, Ice Fang, Ice Punch, Bulk Up, Focus Punch, Hydro Cannon...
Floatzel was no longer the same.
Thanks to an Attribute Enhancement Card used prior to its evolution, its potential had already reached a whole new tier. And now, after evolving, it instantly learned several powerful new moves!
Moves like Bulk Up, Focus Punch, and Ice Punch—all essential for close combat!
No wonder it had purple potential.
After all, that's already considered Legendary-level potential!
"Congrats, Ash! Your Floatzel just became a real powerhouse. I'm really looking forward to your performance at the Lily of the Valley Conference! Hahaha!" Yoshin burst out laughing.
He was clearly optimistic about Ash's future.
Ash nodded and looked warmly at Floatzel.
"Floatzel, let's keep working hard together!"
"Floatz~!"
And so, Ash and the others left Pastoria City, continuing their journey toward Celestic Town.
Celestic Town…
It was the hometown of the Champion—Cynthia.
And according to the original plot, something big was about to happen there soon.
Team Galactic was no longer sitting still.
Cyrus, the mastermind, was about to make his move.
In pursuit of his vision of a "New World," Team Galactic was launching their final operation.
Ash had no intention of interfering prematurely.
He planned to make his move at Mt. Coronet, when Team Galactic's forces would be fully gathered—so he could end it once and for all.
That evening, they crossed a mountain pass.
But—just their luck—it started to rain.
"Ugh! Rain? Seriously? There goes my good mood…" Dawn pouted, clearly annoyed.
"Piplup, piplup!"
Piplup joined in her protest.
"Ash, Dawn, look over there! That big mansion—we could take shelter from the rain there!" Anabel pointed toward a nearby manor.
The mansion was brightly lit—clearly inhabited.
"Yeah, good idea. It's risky to wander in the mountains during a storm. Lightning, landslides—it's better to be safe." Ash agreed.
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu nodded earnestly, remembering the many times they'd been caught in worse back in the Kanto and Johto regions.
They arrived at the mansion and rang the doorbell.
Soon, a girl named Monica answered.
From their conversation, they learned the mansion belonged to an elderly gentleman, Mr. Backlot known simply by the nickname "Admiration."
He adored Pokémon and had taken in many of the local ones, building a huge back garden right inside his estate.
The garden was full of flowers, trees, and fun little toys.
Most of the Pokémon he cared for were small and adorable—Cleffa, Pichu, Igglybuff, Azurill… there were many.
Coincidentally, it was snack time for the Pokémon.
Monica, Mr. Backlot's caretaker, brought out trays of freshly made bread and treats from the kitchen.
The moment she laid them out on the floor, the delicious aroma spread through the air.
Soon, a dozen little Pokémon— Cleffa, Pichu, Igglybuff, Azurill and more—came running down from the second floor and began munching away happily.
"Wooly wooly~!"
Suddenly, a Swinub bolted in out of nowhere!
Without saying a word, it dove headfirst into the snacks and hogged them all!
Monica didn't panic at all. She calmly went back to the kitchen and brought out an extra-large tray of snacks.
Swinub squealed in joy and buried its whole body into the pile of food, quickly devouring everything.
"Is that Swinub one of the Pokémon the old man adopted? Its appetite is incredible!" Dawn asked, watching it curiously.
She found the Swinub oddly adorable—especially the way it squealed while eating, and the way its belly puffed up after stuffing itself. It lay there, motionless, completely satisfied.
Dawn reached out to pet it. Swinub didn't resist.
Its fur was smooth and slippery—very soft to the touch.
"Nope, that one's a wild Pokémon from around the area," Monica explained. "It just drops by whenever it's snack time."
Soon after, Monica began preparing dinner. When Dawn saw how well-stocked the kitchen was, she asked if she could use it to make snacks for their own Pokémon.
Ash and Anabel pitched in.
Thanks to Ash's teaching, Anabel's cooking skills had improved a lot.
The old man had no objections, of course.
He even told Monica to bring out some Berries—since adding them to Pokémon treats made them much tastier and more nutritious.
By the time they finished, it was already 8 or 9 p.m.
As soon as Dawn finished preparing the snacks, Swinub—drawn by the smell—charged straight into the kitchen!
It immediately dove into the treats Dawn had made with such care!
"Piplup!"
Piplup was just about to eat its share—only to see Swinub swipe it away. It stood there, frozen in disbelief.
Dawn quickly brought out an extra-large tray of snacks and placed it in front of Swinub.
"Well, Swinub, how about it? Want to come with me? I can make yummy treats like this all the time!"
She'd made up her mind—she wanted to catch this greedy little Swinub.
"Wooly? Wooly wooly!"
Swinub blinked in surprise—and then let out a happy squeal in agreement!
It really liked this girl who had made such tasty snacks just for it.
"Wow, Dawn, looks like Swinub really likes you!" Anabel smiled, clearly seeing that the little glutton wasn't just here for food—it genuinely liked Dawn.
And so, Dawn added a new companion—Swinub!
They spent the night at the mansion, and the next morning, the skies were clear and blue, with not a cloud in sight.
With a new friend in tow, the trio resumed their journey toward Celestic Town!
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T/N:
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