Chapter 286: Eevee's Transformation
Although the Crystal Onix had evolved and mastered many new moves in one go, it still wasn't enough.
The Crystal Steelix could learn even more techniques, such as Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Sandstorm, and Sand Tomb.
There was also Dig and Iron Tail.
Only by mastering all of these could Crystal Steelix truly become stronger.
As for Ampharos, it didn't even get a chance to take the field.
In the entire six-on-six battle, Dragonite shone the brightest. That couldn't be helped—Dragonite was simply too powerful.
To Yozora, during his journey through Johto, Dragonite was undoubtedly his strongest ace, with Eevee coming second.
Dragonite, Eevee, Crystal Steelix, Ampharos, Tangrowth, and Growlithe.
In Johto, these were the six Pokémon Yozora relied on the most. His Miltank served as support, while Gengar was mainly used against Team Rocket.
Among the six, Dragonite had been with him the longest, raised from a Dratini he caught back in Kanto.
In other words, after traveling through Johto for over half a year, he had only captured five new Pokémon.
That was because there simply weren't that many rare Pokémon to be found here.
Aside from those six, Yozora also wished to train a Scizor and a Tyranitar.
Tyranitar was difficult—pseudo-legendary Pokémon were far too rare to simply catch on a whim.
But Scizor wasn't completely out of reach.
Though wild Scizor were nearly impossible to encounter, Yozora only needed to capture a Scyther with its Hidden Ability, then use a Metal Coat to evolve it.
After earning the Mineral Badge, Yozora set his sights on the next Gym.
During the journey, on a bright and sunny morning, he began a special training session with Tangrowth, aiming to help it master Solar Blade and Solar Beam.
"Good, just like that, Tangrowth—absorb as much of the sun's energy as you can."
Under the sunlight, Tangrowth strained to soak in the solar rays.
"Now, gather all that energy into your arms—use Solar Blade!" Yozora directed.
In Yozora's vision, Tangrowth's arms—or at least one of them—would instantly flare with blinding white light.
But that was only in theory. In practice, Tangrowth lagged behind, sweat beading as it struggled.
Only after three full seconds did one of its arms finally shine with a dazzling white glow.
Without a doubt—that was Solar Blade.
"Boom!"
With an explosive crash, Tangrowth swung its glowing arm, cleaving a boulder into fragments.
Dust billowed into the air. Yozora, however, frowned.
The power of Solar Blade was unquestionable, and Tangrowth had indeed mastered the move. But the charge time was far too long.
On a day like this, with blazing sunlight, Solar Blade should be instant.
If it took Tangrowth three seconds under clear skies, then under different weather—or worse, in rain—wouldn't it take more than ten seconds to charge?
By then, the battle would already be over!
Why was it so slow?
Was it simply because Tangrowth had just learned the move and lacked proficiency?
No, even without skill, under sunlight, it should still be able to gather energy quickly.
"No… something's off. Which part of the process is wrong?" Yozora muttered, rubbing his chin.
There were only two steps—absorb and release.
The release was fine.
Then the problem must be in the absorption. Was Tangrowth absorbing incorrectly?
For once, Yozora felt stumped.
Throughout his journey, he had captured many Pokémon—nineteen in total—but Tangrowth was his only Grass-type.
He had no prior experience training Grass-types or developing Grass-type moves.
"Ba-ri ba-ri…"
Seeing Yozora worry, Tangrowth felt guilty. Stretching an arm, it patted Yozora's shoulder as if to comfort him.
Yozora blinked, then his eyes lit up.
"I get it now! Tangrowth—when you absorb sunlight, focus your mind on your arms!"
"Come on, let's try again."
Tangrowth nodded. Under the sunlight, it concentrated on its right arm. At once, its hand brimmed with solar power, shining brilliantly.
"Yes! That's an instant Solar Blade!" Yozora smiled in satisfaction. Of course, this only worked under sunny weather.
In other conditions, Tangrowth would still need to charge.
"Next, Solar Beam! Tangrowth, focus your energy between your palms!"
Tangrowth nodded, and beneath the blazing sun, a radiant white orb of energy quickly formed between its hands.
A beam of pure white light burst forth, devastatingly powerful—like an Ultraman firing a laser blast.
"Excellent, Tangrowth! You've mastered both Solar Blade and Solar Beam."
"Ba-ri ba-ri!"
Trainer and Pokémon high-fived, both overjoyed.
By then, noon had arrived, and Yozora began preparing lunch.
But during the meal, Eevee suddenly glowed with a strange light. "Eevee!" it cried nervously.
In moments, it transformed into a graceful Espeon.
Espeon resembled a sleek feline, its body and eyes violet. Its jewel-like red gem glimmered on its forehead, radiating mysterious psychic power.
That's right—Espeon was a Psychic-type.
"???"
Yozora was dumbfounded.
Had Eevee… evolved?
According to legend, when a Trainer's bond with Eevee reached maximum friendship, it could suddenly evolve into Espeon during the day.
But Eevee had already used the Tri-Color Evolution Stone. It shouldn't have been able to evolve at all.
Could it be… this was yet another transformation form? A new Espeon Form?
"Eevee, try changing back!" Yozora urged, nervous but expectant.
If Eevee couldn't revert, then the Tri-Color Stone would have been wasted.
But if it could… then Eevee would have gained an entirely new transformation.
"Shua!"
Espeon shimmered—and turned back into Eevee.
Yozora's heart soared. As he thought, Eevee had gained a brand-new form.
"And if it can become Espeon by day… then at night, it should turn into Umbreon!" Yozora thought, waiting eagerly for nightfall.
Sure enough, when darkness fell, Eevee transformed once more—this time into Umbreon.
Umbreon's sleek black body was marked with golden rings, not as elegant as Espeon but undeniably beautiful.
Its crimson eyes gleamed with a predatory, dangerous aura.
Espeon was Psychic-type, while Umbreon was Dark-type, specializing in Foul Play, Dark Pulse, and Shadow Ball.
"Fantastic, Eevee."
Yozora stroked Umbreon's head. A flash of light later, it reverted to its adorable Eevee form, happily nuzzling into his hand.
Yozora realized something.
Each of Eevee's forms carried a different personality.
Eevee itself was gentle and cute. Jolteon was calm, Flareon was hot-tempered, and Vaporeon was serene.
As for Espeon and Umbreon—he had only just met them.
From what he observed, Espeon seemed closest to Eevee's own temperament, while Umbreon was aloof, even cold.
In that single day, Yozora had helped Tangrowth master both Solar Blade and Solar Beam.
And Eevee had unlocked two new forms.
Unfortunately, Eevee couldn't freely switch between Espeon and Umbreon—they depended entirely on the time of day.
During daylight, Eevee could only become Espeon. At night, only Umbreon.
Of course, Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon remained available at will, regardless of day or night.
With his training complete, Yozora no longer lingered, hurrying toward the next Gym.
Along the way, he encountered many wild Pokémon, but none that caught his interest.
About a week later, he finally reached Mahogany Town, a snow-covered village nestled between mountains.
After resting at the Pokémon Center for a day, he headed to the Mahogany Gym.
Its Gym Leader was Pryce, a stern old man in his seventies. Though his body seemed frail, his eyes were sharp as ice, filled with wisdom from decades of battle.
"Oh? You're Yozora, from Pallet Town?" Pryce asked, his tone calm and steady. "Not long ago, Ash passed through here. His battle showed me that even the young can teach the old."
"Gym Leader Pryce," Yozora said respectfully, "I've come to challenge you. Please battle me at your full strength."
Pryce studied him in silence, then gave a slight nod. "Full strength, you say… Very well. But do not expect mercy from me. If you seek the Glacier Badge, you must withstand the chill of winter itself."
The two entered the icy battlefield, the ground slick with frost and a deep pool of freezing water in the center.
"Three-on-three," Pryce declared. "Show me the strength of youth."
"My first Pokémon—Lapras!"
A majestic Lapras emerged from the pool, already at peak Gym Leader level.
"Go, Ampharos!" Yozora countered.
After recent training, Ampharos had reached high Gym Leader level, only slightly weaker than Lapras.
But type advantage was on its side.
Lapras was Water + Ice type. Against Electric moves, it was fatally weak.
"If it's type advantage you're after, then I'll defeat it before it can even strike!"
"Lapras, use Ice Beam!" Pryce commanded.
"Ampharos, Double Team!" Yozora ordered at the same time.
In a flash, Ampharos split into a dozen illusions, confusing Lapras.
Sure enough, Lapras charged icy energy in its maw—but facing a dozen targets, it hesitated.
"From left to right, sweep them all!" Pryce barked.
Obeying, Lapras unleashed beam after beam, shattering clones one after another—yet none were real.
"Cotton Guard!" Yozora called.
Quickly, Ampharos cloaked itself in layers of soft cotton, boosting its defense.
Lapras finally struck true, freezing Ampharos solid in a block of ice.
"Now—Hydro Pump!" Pryce seized the moment.
"Boom!"
The water cannon blasted Ampharos, shattering the ice prison.
But the sheer force also hurled Ampharos backward dozens of feet.
Even so, it stood tall, eyes burning with defiance.
"What incredible defense…" Pryce muttered.
After withstanding both Ice Beam and Hydro Pump, Ampharos seemed almost unscathed.
"Cotton Guard… what a broken move…" Pryce grimaced.
It doubled defense outright. How was he supposed to break through that?
Perhaps fire could burn the cotton, igniting a devastating explosion.
But he was an Ice-type specialist—he had no fire moves!
For a moment, Pryce felt utterly helpless. Cotton Guard was disgusting. Ampharos was disgusting.
"Lapras, keep using Hydro Pump! Wear it down!" Pryce shouted.
"Dodge it!" Yozora countered.
Whoosh—Ampharos blurred, avoiding the incoming blasts with ease.
Lapras fired again and again. Ampharos dodged each one, faster and faster…
It moved like golden lightning.
"So fast? An Ampharos shouldn't have that kind of speed!" Pryce gasped.
This had already surpassed his understanding.
The answer was simple: Ampharos's Speed Boost Ability.
With each passing moment, its speed climbed higher and higher—until now, it had reached the maximum, a six-stage boost.
Its speed had Quadrupled.
Quadrupled!
Ampharos might not be a naturally fast Pokémon—but with speed Quadrupled, even a lumbering creature could fly like the wind.
(End of Chapter)