In the world Su Bai came from, there was a well-known legend.
A carp swims upstream against the current. If it leaps over the Dragon Gate, it transforms into a true dragon.
In the world of Pokémon, a similar tale existed.
Only this time, the protagonist wasn't just any carp.
It was Magikarp.
And here, this story wasn't just a myth.
If a Magikarp could truly leap over the waterfall—its own Dragon Gate—it could evolve into the mighty Gyarados!
What's more, Gyarados's first move after evolving at Level 21?
Waterfall.
Su Bai stared at the surveillance monitor.
"Don't tell me… this kid Zhou Xiaofei is about to stumble into success?"
If Magikarp really managed to cross that waterfall…
It might not only learn Waterfall, but also—
Evolve into Gyarados!
For every Pokémon lover, Gyarados holds a near-mythical status.
A symbol of transformation—from the weakest, to one of the strongest. That contrast alone is awe-inspiring.
At this point, Su Bai found himself even more focused than Zhou Xiaofei—who probably didn't even fully understand what he was attempting.
Magikarp dove straight into the waterfall.
The powerful current immediately battered its body.
On the shore, Zhou Xiaofei clenched his fists and shouted with everything he had:
"That's it! Use Splash again!"
Obediently, Magikarp whipped its tail, slapping hard against the water as it fought upstream against the crashing torrent.
And then—
This Pokémon, widely considered the weakest in the world, suddenly gave off a completely different aura.
It was as if climbing this waterfall was its true calling, a natural instinct etched into its very bones.
The same current that had just dislodged massive rocks failed to stop it.
Magikarp's sturdy bones and surprisingly heavy body allowed it to withstand the crashing pressure!
With another slap of its tail—
It rose again!
Su Bai's eyes widened as he watched Magikarp launch itself into the air—
"Wait… is it actually going to make it?!"
He was stunned.
But the very next moment… a hilariously frustrating turn of events played out.
Because its tail had angled the wrong way, Magikarp's leap formed a lopsided arc.
When it fell, it completely missed the waterfall.
Its blank eyes stared stupidly at the roaring current as it drifted further away.
Then—splash—it crashed straight back into the water, sending up a spray of mist.
"Ah! Magikarp!"
Zhou Xiaofei scrambled over, not caring that he got soaked. He rushed to scoop up Magikarp and quickly fed it a healing potion, his face full of worry.
Meanwhile, Su Bai slowly realized…
He'd actually stood up just now without noticing.
Watching this, he finally let out a breath and sat back down with a thud.
"Damn, that scared me… I thought Magikarp was really going to evolve into Gyarados on the spot."
A little disappointed—but mostly relieved—he muttered:
"At least the world's still following normal logic."
Because if Magikarp had just casually evolved into Gyarados like that…
He might've started wondering if Zhou Xiaofei was secretly some chosen child of destiny.
Zhou Xiaofei, however, didn't show the slightest hint of discouragement after the failure.
Instead, he brought Magikarp back to the waterfall—ready to try again.
Su Bai glanced at the screen, where Magikarp was shown tumbling back into the water over and over again.
He yawned.
"Looks like Xiaofei won't be finishing this tonight."
"Kids really do have endless energy…"
He turned to Diancie. "If Xiaofei falls asleep on the training field later, be sure to bring him back."
Diancie nodded with a giggle and continued watching the tireless training.
The Next Morning.
As Su Bai opened the doors of the Pokémon Center, he was met with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
It startled him so much, he nearly took a step back.
"Xiaoyu? You're here this early?"
He waved at Li Xiaoyu, looking confused.
Their regular customers were all busy with the city-wide tree-planting campaign lately.
Even someone like Wang Tao had taken his Grotle and Hippopotas out to plant trees.
After all, as a Trainer, even if you weren't planning to grow berries, it was still important to understand how things worked.
With Hippopotas digging holes and Grotle planting trees, Wang Tao's efficiency was unmatched.
Li Xiaoyu, on the other hand, marched straight in with fiery determination.
"Early? I've been waiting outside since midnight!"
She pulled out a Poké Ball with an electrified expression.
"I'm camping in your store today!"
"I'm going to show Wang Tao and the others—"
"My Eevee evolved!"
With that declaration, she tossed the Poké Ball into the air.
In a burst of light, a sleek, black Pokémon appeared in front of Su Bai.
He froze in shock.
"Umbreon?! You really did it?!"
Li Xiaoyu beamed proudly. "Yup yup yup! My Eevee finally evolved!!"
Su Bai's dumbfounded reaction had clearly satisfied her.
That had been her whole plan—she hadn't even slept last night, waiting just to make this big entrance.
In fact, she'd kept Umbreon inside the Poké Ball all morning just for the dramatic reveal.
Because ever since Ding Yue's Fletchling evolved, and her own Eevee didn't, she'd been feeling down about it.
Among the regulars, everyone's Pokémon had evolved—
Except for Pei Jingguo's Pawniard, which had a notoriously difficult evolution path…
And Zhang Qun's team of pseudo-legendaries, of course.
But Eevee's evolution required saved-up training points, and that had frustrated Li Xiaoyu to no end.
Now?
Her Eevee had evolved.
And she was absolutely going to show it off.
"Wow! What a beautiful Pokémon!"
Came a gasp from beside them.
It was Zhou Xiaofei, wide-eyed and full of admiration.
He rushed over and gently patted Umbreon's little head, amazed.
Compared to the cute, fluffy base form of Eevee, Umbreon was clearly something else.
Sleek. Noble. Dignified.
Covered in rich black fur, its ears and tail bore golden rings that shimmered under the light.
Similar golden rings adorned its forehead and limbs—mysterious, radiant, and regal.
Its red eyes gave it a powerful presence, far different from its old appearance.
"Did it evolve last night?" Su Bai asked, impressed.
Li Xiaoyu nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I was brushing its fur like always—and then it just evolved, out of nowhere!"
She hugged Umbreon close, eyes teary with joy.
"I thought I'd need to save up forever just to afford an evolution stone…"
"But my little Eevee evolved all on its own!"
Su Bai smiled.
"Looks like you've really been taking care of it well."
"Your bond must've hit the threshold for evolution."
This wasn't a game. Affection here couldn't be raised just by walking a few laps.
True bond-building took time, effort, and genuine emotion.
Brushing its fur, feeding it, training it daily—if even one thing made the Pokémon unhappy, its affection could even drop.
So while friendship-based evolutions weren't impossible, they definitely weren't easy either.
In fact, Su Bai had assumed that Li Xiaoyu's Eevee would evolve through an elemental stone instead.
To achieve a friendship evolution in such a short time…
"Yeah," Su Bai thought, "this girl really might have that 'Eevee magnet' constitution after all."
Note:
Hi, everyone. This chapter is my last update today, and I'm unsure if I can update tomorrow. I still have summer classes, and it's the final week. Thanks for your consideration, reviews, likes, and power stones!