Afternoon.
Lucas and Nemona enjoyed a hearty lunch prepared by Audino and the Squad of Falinks. At the table, Lucas reminded Oranguru to keep an eye on Nemona in the afternoon—to make sure she didn't spend the entire time battling and forgot to rest. That would only hurt her chances at the Champion Test on the 12th.
Once everything was arranged, the Lucas who had been all teacherly poise just moments ago turned into a student himself. Hugging several medical tomes thicker than his own life, he trudged heavily toward the direction of Los Platos.
…
Los Platos Pokémon Center.
At the moment, Joy Rin was frowning in distress over a stack of documents officially sent by the Paldea League.
The Joy family oversaw the world's Pokémon medical system, but because of the vast distances between regions, the clan had been divided into separate branches for each region.
Strictly speaking, the Joy family developed independently within their respective Leagues, each holding a certain degree of influence, but there was no such thing as a main family or headquarters overall.
As a result, tasks issued by their local League generally couldn't just be ignored.
All the more so when those tasks were supposed to be beneficial to them—or at least, that's what the older generation of Joys believed.
"Foreword Manual on Strengthening Pokémon Centers' Emergency Crisis-Response Capabilities"
That was the full title of the manual in her hands, a volume so thick it could compete with a dictionary.
It had been compiled by the Paldea League Headquarters; as for the specific contributors, they were not listed.
As far as she knew, this monstrous book of a manual had been distributed precisely into the hands of every Joy currently employed at a Pokémon Center in Paldea.
Her elder cousin, younger cousin, and even distant relatives had all received the exact same manual.
Joy Rin was certain that if she ever found out who had been involved in compiling this manual, or who had proposed these rotten ideas, she'd be more than happy to "welcome" them with her full "uprooting a willow tree bare-handed" strength.
Truly, they were the embodiment of evil.
Her workload was already heavy enough on a normal day, yet she now had to carve out time to study all these so-called fundamentals. They said it was all related to future tactics that could improve Pokémon Centers' defensive capabilities.
Because Paldea's Pokémon Centers were relatively peaceful and stable, they were using this region as a pilot program first, hoping to gather experience and then gradually roll the system out to other regions' Pokémon Centers. Were they treating them like lab rats?
There was even going to be an exam later on. It was downright inhumane.
When Lucas arrived at the Los Platos Pokémon Center with the Eevee sisters, what he saw was Joy Rin exuding the aura of a professional test-taker, flipping through a massive book with a face full of resentment.
Lucas thought it was some kind of medical pharmacopoeia and asked curiously, "Studying even during your lunch break?"
Joy Rin looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "What do you think? This is a mandatory training assignment that counts toward performance evaluations."
"…Oh."
Lucas's expression immediately grew odd. Yeah, that did sound like suffering.
But his question seemed to have opened the floodgates. Joy Rin's words began pouring out like water from a broken dam.
The more Lucas listened, the more he realized something wasn't right—especially when he heard her growl, "Once I find out who came up with this horrible idea, I'm gonna use them as a tree and punch them," which left him covered in a cold sweat.
He finally understood what was going on.
After that impromptu exhibition battle between the academy staff and Gym Leaders at Naranja Academy—where his Chansey had given Geeta a bold idea—she'd decided to popularize the "Minimize + Toxic + Seismic Toss + Stealth Rock + Serene Grace Egg Bomb" set in order to strengthen Pokémon Centers' direct defensive power.
His student Joy Shizuka had become the number-one test subject for this plan. He'd seen Shizuka and Larry frequently being called to the Director's office recently; it seemed that this manual thick enough to be a murder weapon might have been put together by the two of them, the Normal-type specialist Larry, and possibly some additional assistants.
Geeta was probably planning to lay the groundwork in all Pokémon Centers under the Paldea League's jurisdiction first, then continue to refine things as Shizuka grew.
Who knew if Joy Rin, this girl of overwhelming brute strength, would end up thinking that Lucas was the true source of all evil, and then visit him with her iron fists.
With his survival instincts in overdrive, Lucas didn't dare add a word. Instead, he quickly changed the subject, placing the afternoon tea and desserts prepared by Alcremie on the front desk and gently hinting that they should get started on today's study session.
He had never been so eager to study in his life.
As they began their usual supplementary lessons, Chansey, who had just returned from its ward rounds, glanced at the Eevee sisters and looked a little disappointed.
It had been hoping to play a few more rounds of cards with Comfey. After several games against a few patient Pokémon recently, Chansey felt its luck was finally turning around.
This time, it was sure it wouldn't lose to Comfey so easily!
Since Comfey hadn't come, practicing a bit with the two little Eevees didn't sound half bad either…
With that thought, a mischievous glint flashed in Chansey's eyes. It waddled forward on its stubby legs, its plump, springy body bouncing slightly as it moved toward them.
But just then, it was as though Joy Rin had eyes in the back of her head. Her sharp rebuke cut through the air.
"Chansey, don't you dare lead the kids astray!"
She slapped the table and stood up with a "whoosh," glaring at Chansey with fury.
Lucas, meanwhile, stared in horror at the crack that had appeared in the solid wooden desk.
Recently, Joy Rin had been receiving a flood of complaints: trainers and ordinary families were bringing their Pokémon to the Center for care, but when those Pokémon went home, many of them seemed to have developed… a card-playing addiction.
The most serious cases didn't even feel like training anymore. All they could think about was playing cards.
After checking the security footage, she discovered that Chansey had been sneaking into the wards in the middle of the night while she was asleep, dragging any Pokémon it could find out of bed to play cards.
Not only had it given everyone an addiction to cards, they were all sporting dark circles under their eyes. Chansey's were especially bad, nearly as heavy as the Pancham in the photos her relatives had sent from Kalos!
And now, Chansey wanted to drag the Eevee sisters into this bottomless abyss too?
Joy Rin had heard their story from Lucas, and she'd personally participated in treating the older Eevee before. That only made her more unwilling to let something like this happen.
Such bright, lively eyes—if they ended up like Chansey, hollowed out and card-obsessed all day long…
Joy Rin stormed over to Chansey and rummaged through the pouch on its belly where it kept its egg. Sure enough, she pulled out a brand-new, unopened deck of cards.
"These are confiscated. And your dinner outing at the izakaya tonight is canceled!"
In front of Chansey's reluctant and crestfallen eyes, Joy Rin tossed the deck straight into the trash.
Once she had walked off, Chansey finally dropped the act under the Eevee sisters' curious stares and let out a tiny sigh of relief.
It reflexively patted the nurse's cap on its head, then carefully adjusted it to make sure nothing inside slipped out or made a sound.
That deck hadn't even been the important one. At worst, it would just make Joy Rin's dwindling vigilance spike again for a while.
As a fully employed Pokémon nurse at the Center, Chansey of course received its own paycheck.
Even if the official pay stubs couldn't be hidden from Joy Rin's sharp eyes, Chansey had quietly saved up some private funds over the years, and had supplemented those with the winnings from its card games with patient Pokémon. It could easily afford to buy a hundred more decks of cards.
The only things it truly feared were Joy Rin's strict inspections and sudden spot-checks.
But judging by the current situation, her guard seemed to have completely dropped for now. Which meant that tonight, it could definitely gather a few friends for a little get-together at the Pokémon Center…
A strange gleam flickered in Chansey's beady green eyes, making the Eevee sisters feel an inexplicable chill.
After two full hours of supplementary lessons, Lucas fled the Center with the two Eevees tucked under his arms, not even staying for afternoon tea for fear of exposing himself.
He didn't head straight back to the farm, however. Instead, he made it to Levincia before five o'clock.
"Let's see… it should be around here."
Holding up a gold-stamped business card, Lucas looked around at his surroundings.
Then he spotted his destination—a dealership. Just one glance was enough to tell that it was not the kind of place ordinary people walked into casually.
With the mindset of "I'm only looking; I don't have to buy," Lucas stood before the automatic glass doors.
Besides, he didn't really think a high-end dealership like this would stock the kind of car he wanted. From the beginning, he hadn't considered those flashy low-chassis sports cars as options.
But the subtly meaningful smile Sebas had worn when he handed over the card had left Lucas with a faint sliver of hope.
The doors slid open. A comfortably warm gust of air, tinged with a woody fragrance, washed over him. It wasn't sandalwood—more like cedar mingled with a faint metallic scent.
The moment his sneakers sank into the carpet, he could tell the feel was different. Lucas's expression didn't change in the slightest; he didn't feel embarrassed or anxious, and the thought of being out of place never even crossed his mind.
"Bui~"
The Eevee sisters' eyes sparkled as they looked around. It was their first time in a place like this!
The soft glow from the crystal chandeliers rippled across the black marble floor. A pair of polished leather shoes approached from afar, belonging to a male sales consultant in a dark-gray suit.
The moment he saw Lucas, he hurried over, his right hand—gloved in pristine white—gesturing with a courteous "please" motion.
"Welcome, sir. Are you here to select your next car?"
His attitude was excellent. Even though Lucas was dressed casually, the man showed not even the slightest hint of disrespect.
Lucas didn't answer immediately. He let his gaze wander around the interior of the dealership and saw that only a handful of luxury cars were parked inside. Aside from some display models, most of them were probably pre-ordered and waiting for pickup.
Back in his previous life, he'd watched plenty of immersive car-shopping videos. Typically, customers would choose and order on site, and the dealer would then assemble the car according to their requirements and deliver it here.
Looking at those handsome, ultra-low-profile cars, he couldn't help feeling a touch of reluctance.
It was exactly what he'd expected. Maybe he should just go check out the other dealerships he'd scouted beforehand—
Still, Lucas asked anyway, without much hope. "I'm looking for a pickup or an off-road vehicle. You probably… don't have those, right?"
"We do, sir."
The salesman smiled, answering without a hint of hesitation.
Lucas: "???"
Wait, they actually did?
The salesman's eyes fell on the card Lucas was holding in his right hand. If he wasn't mistaken, that was the business card of his immediate superior—the owner of the dealership.
How this young man had gotten that card didn't matter at all.
All that mattered was that even if they didn't have what this kind of customer wanted, they would still have to find a way to have it.
And in this case, they really did.
"Please allow me to show you our inventory. Oh, and may I offer you something to drink? We also serve dinner here. As for your two lovely Eevee partners, we can have our staff take them to the Pokémon Play Park we have on site, which was specially designed for them."
Every word the salesman spoke was clear and perfectly paced, his considerate professionalism radiating from each syllable.
Following his signal, another staff member approached—a woman whose friendly, gentle smile made her feel less like a salesperson and more like a breeder.
Lucas had to admit that their service really was top-notch.
Since they were going this far, he stopped hesitating. He crouched down and gently petted the Eevee sisters' heads. "Do you two want to go play, or stay with me while I pick out a car?"
The older and younger Eevee glanced at each other, then clung tightly to Lucas's pant legs without the slightest hesitation.
Even if they weren't that shy around strangers anymore, that didn't mean they wanted to just wander off with someone they'd just met.
Seeing their choice, Lucas gave the woman an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, it looks like they want to stay with me."
"It's no problem at all. In that case, I'll get some drinks ready for you. Is there anything in particular you'd like? Our dealership offers…"
She didn't mind in the slightest; instead, she smoothly shifted topics.
Lucas thought for a moment. "Just iced water for me. And warm Moomoo Milk for them."
Oranguru was always nagging him about not drinking cold beverages at home. Today, he could sneak one in.
"Certainly."
The woman nodded lightly and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Lucas was led by the original salesman into a side room, where a tablet was placed in front of him.
As the screen lit up, he found himself facing a catalog of models to choose from—though the prices were rather eye-watering.
Counting the zeros, Lucas wondered how many plots of farmland and Terastal orbs he could buy for that amount of money.
After the salesman applied a series of filters Lucas requested, the number of options quickly shrank. Before long, several very tempting Jeep-style off-road models were displayed.
"If you're set on a pickup, we may need to fully customize one for you. If you don't want to wait about a month, however, I do have a new model to recommend."
While Lucas browsed, the salesman spoke up.
His attitude was excellent, and Lucas didn't mind his pitch. He casually asked, "What is it?"
"Judging by your look, you appear to be a trainer, sir. This model is perfect for road trips shared between you and your Pokémon partners."
Smiling, the salesman tapped his own tablet a few times and then slid it in front of Lucas.
Looking at the model on the screen, Lucas's expression turned surprised. "A motorhome?"
Evening.
Just before dinner, Lucas and the Eevee sisters returned to the farm.
Nemona had already been picked up by Sebas. Evidently, Sebas felt bad about letting her freeload at Lucas's farm for the entire day, meals included.
Even though Nemona had wanted to keep training until bedtime after dinner, that was that.
All she could do was put on a tragic face and promise Lucas that she'd come early tomorrow morning for more training ahead of the Champion Test the day after. Only then did she follow Sebas into the car.
There was no snow tonight, and the moon was bright, so everyone at the farm ate dinner outside.
As they sat at an improvised table, Oranguru asked curiously, "So did you find a car that suits you today?"
Lucas hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded lightly. "I've got my eye on a motorhome. I'm planning to test-drive it tomorrow."
Thinking of the RV loaded with high-tech modules, Lucas had to admit he was a bit tempted.
The older and younger Eevee sisters, happily enjoying their meal, perked up their ears at his exchange with Oranguru. Their rabbit-like ears twitched, and a gleam of longing flashed in their big, dark eyes.
They remembered what had happened that afternoon, when the salesman mentioned going on road trips in a motorhome.
They couldn't help feeling a little excited. If they could do that, it would be wonderful.
As the younger Eevee let its imagination run wild, a scene formed in its head—though soon, Lucas's face appeared in that imagined picture.
It wanted to always stay with Lucas, who had helped and taken them in—no matter whether they were going on a road trip or just staying at the farm.
The next second—
Even the younger Eevee itself didn't realize it, but the moment the moonlight spilled over its silvery fur, something in its heart resonated with the moon's glow. The latent genes inside its body were fully awakened in that instant.
A brilliant milky-white light enveloped its small body.
No one had expected it.
Without any warning at all, the younger Eevee had begun to evolve.