Sister Eevee's figure began to change, enveloped in intense white light.
"She's evolving!"
Nemona jumped to her feet, voice filled with excitement.
She'd missed Umbreon's evolution last night, but now she would witness Sister Eevee's transformation!
Which evolution will it be?
Thanks to her friend Penny, Nemona knew her Eeveelutions: five required special stones or energy-rich wild rocks; three evolved under mysterious conditions.
She couldn't imagine someone had slipped a stone into the food, so Nemona bet on the third type.
Since Umbreon evolved at night, the remaining possibilities were:
Espeon.
Sylveon.
Which one would it be?
She stood still, keeping her rowdy Water Tauros in check, gazing expectantly at the glowing white silhouette.
With experience from last night, Lucas, Oranguru, and Calyrex each moved automatically.
Just as before, they kept the other Pokémon at a distance while Calyrex quietly activated its psychic power.
Unlike moonlight, sunlight was far more intense. But even gathering all he could, the amount still fell short of what Umbreon received from the moon last night.
The day might have been clear, but with it being winter, the sunlight was nowhere near as fierce as in midsummer.
External help was needed.
Though lack of sunlight wouldn't make the evolution fail, Calyrex's standards were always exacting.
In an instant, Calyrex's telepathy reached out to select Pokémon:
"Assist me!"
Ceruledge, Moltres, Arcanine, and Victini responded instinctively, using Sunny Day to intensify the sunlight.
Under the sudden blaze, the evolutionary light around Sister Eevee shone even brighter.
Her body began to change. Rabbit-like ears transformed into fennec-fox-like ones; a tuft of fur grew to frame her face. Her fluffy tail stretched long and branched at the tip, chestnut fur turning deep violet with a velvety sheen.
Most striking of all was the red gem on her forehead, constantly absorbing sunlight channeled by Calyrex and awakening new psychic power.
That was why Calyrex needed help—he'd felt at once that Sister Eevee was awakening psychic potential.
The more sunlight she absorbed, the stronger her psychic powers would become, just as Umbreon's body was strengthened by moonlight.
Calyrex saw she had sharp potential, which showed in her usual cleverness.
She quickly absorbed all the sunlight Calyrex provided.
A moment later, the light faded.
Espeon opened her luminous violet eyes, the jewel on her forehead dazzling. An invisible psychic wave pulsed out.
Calyrex's hand rose to block its effects. Even Oranguru sensed the intensity—nearly on par with his own.
It was hard to believe: Espeon had just evolved and already had this level of power.
"Byee!"
Seeing her big sister awake, Umbreon's eyes lit up. She padded forward to nuzzle against Espeon.
Espeon responded warmly, soaking in her new power and cuddling back.
Curiously, their evolutionary paths now meant Espeon was the smaller of the two.
…
Levincia, at the dealership Lucas visited the previous day.
A silver matte-finished RV stood waiting, occupying a spot that had been empty yesterday.
Pokémon technology was full of surprises. When Lucas first saw this high-tech RV, he was stunned.
It wasn't an ordinary RV. It had Ditto and Kecleon-style adaptive camouflage, lowering the risk of wild encounters.
Its rest area could emit soothing frequencies like the Soothe Bell, with customizable features: static therapy for Electric-types, geothermal modules for Rock-types, and more.
Even more impressive were systems like the Swampert Mucus Filter and Centiskorch Incinerator for ecological recycling. All conveniences were packed in.
Pokémon tech was condensed into this mobile home, living up to its name.
For road trips, this RV would be invaluable.
Despite all this, its price, while more expensive than the land he'd bought, wasn't as high as the famed million-dollar bicycle.
Lucas never could figure out the world's odd economy.
Standing by the glass doors, the eager sales advisor saw the two new Eeveelutions and paused for a moment.
"Wait, weren't there two Eevee here yesterday? Did they switch out—no, they evolved!"
He quickly recovered his composure.
"Mr. Lucas, here for the test drive? Right this way, please!"
Lucas nodded and followed, with Espeon and Umbreon trotting behind.
At the parked RV, the advisor began his tour of its many modules and features.
Seeing it in person clarified Lucas's vague impressions.
The engine used special quartz pipes to burn waste into clean heat for emergencies—just add fire from a Pokémon or source.
Usually, the RV ran on a clean-energy reactor, converting various power sources.
Inside, the RV was a comfortable haven of warm wood and light. The Soothe Bell's tones gently flowed through the space, encouraging tranquility.
Espeon and Umbreon closed their eyes, enjoying the melody.
The advisor demonstrated the customized modules: static massages for Electric-types, temperature-controlled bedding, and more.
Judging from their blissful expressions, Lucas thought, his Pokémon surely liked it.
Next came the actual test drive.
Lucas already held a license. Unlike small cars, the RV took practice to handle—but it also had an AI driving system; with this world's tech, you simply entered your destination to cruise safely.
Afterward, the advisor conspiratorially shared a secret with him:
"The main company is almost done developing a new smart butler module. Soon, certain Pokémon will be able to control the RV directly—and free upgrades will be provided for current buyers!"
Because Lucas had the boss's business card, he got the inside scoop.
He guessed the goal was to let Pokémon like Porygon and Rotom manage the RV, and the free upgrade would be a big selling point.
Thinking about his planned Terarium Dome and Director Cyrano's struggle with automated systems, he realized that one day, after training a smart butler Pokémon in the RV, he could use them to manage the Terarium Dome's climate.
But, in the end, Lucas's decision was swayed by the hopeful looks in his Pokémon's eyes—Espeon and Umbreon weren't alone; he'd seen it on the faces of many others at the farm, too.
Occasional short road trips with different Pokémon, to relax and bond, sounded pretty good.
He eyed his savings and felt a surge of confidence—enough to buy a few bikes, surely.
"I'll take one. Later, let's talk about customizing modules and decoration."
"And a pickup—custom. RVs aren't fit for hauling crops, but a pickup's perfect for the job!"
The custom build would take about a month, enough time before harvest season.
Quality was assured.
The advisor hesitated only for a second—not at the money, but at hearing Lucas order a pickup as a farm cargo vehicle.
…
Returning to the farm with Espeon and Umbreon, Lucas found Nemona's training had just wrapped up.
Exhausted and battered, she and her Pokémon had clearly had no luck fighting Luxray's team.
Nemona had planned to have her Pawmot fight again after healing, but Lucas stopped her.
"But—"
"No buts."
He looked at the evening sky and, in rare seriousness, said, "That's it for today. For your big test tomorrow, you and your Pokémon need to rest and be at your best."
"Okay..."
Nemona, always trusting Lucas, reluctantly agreed.
"Sebas's already here. Hurry up and go home."
Nemona looked at him uncertainly, asking, "Teacher, will you watch my Champion Test tomorrow?"
"That depends on your performance. Now go rest!"
He hurried her to Sebas's car and watched them drive off.
Becoming a champion didn't depend on his watching but on Nemona herself.
Strictly speaking, unrelated people weren't allowed to attend the exam—but if Nemona did well, Lucas figured he could be flexible.
…
League Calendar Year 799, January 12
At 8 AM, Lucas, dressed formally and accompanied by his Pokémon, settled onto the living room sofa and turned on the TV.
The broadcast from Paldea TV began—hosted by up-and-coming streamer Iono.
The lively, vibrant voice filled the room:
"Your eyeballs are MINE—caught in my Electroweb! and 'Ello, 'ello, hola! Ciao and Bonjour! Its Iono!"
"Today, I'll be your narrator for the full Paldea Pokémon League Champion Test broadcast!"
"Can the young challenger Nemona pass her test? Let's witness it, together!"