Garchomp and Hydreigon Evolve!**
[Pokémon: Meloetta]
[Strength: 1.1 (Early Infant Stage)]
[Type: Normal / Psychic]
[Ability: Serene Grace]
[Moves: Relic Song, Sing, Confusion, Round]
[Potential: Divine]
As Meloetta was born, her information appeared clearly before Ethan's eyes.
Just as he finished reading it, the tiny Pokémon that had just emerged from the eggshell slowly opened her bright, crystalline eyes.
For a brief moment, Ethan—sitting on the bed and holding Meloetta—locked eyes with her.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness… as if their hearts were naturally in sync.
Just as Ethan was about to speak and greet her, Meloetta suddenly narrowed her eyes, fluttered up lightly like a fairy, and landed on his shoulder. She hugged his cheek and spoke in a soft, childish voice:
"Daddy!"
The room fell dead silent.
Ethan froze.
Hatterene froze.
The young Entei froze.
Even Metagross paused.
None of them had expected Meloetta to speak—
let alone call Ethan Dad.
Ethan couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
It was true that newborn Pokémon often treated the first being they saw as a parent figure…
but he was only eighteen.
Becoming a father felt a little too early.
Still, seeing the way Meloetta clung to him so affectionately, Ethan smiled helplessly.
"Hello, Meloetta. My name is Ethan," he said gently.
"But… I'm not your dad."
"If you don't mind, you can call me big brother instead."
He was surprised she could speak human language, but considering that Meloetta was the legendary Pokémon who taught humans how to sing—and that nearly all sound-based moves originated from her—it didn't feel that strange.
The title "Dad," however, was a bit too much.
Meloetta tilted her head. She didn't really understand the difference between dad and big brother, but since Ethan asked her to change, she obediently did so.
"Big brother!"
"Brother Ethan!"
Her voice was soft and sweet, just like a little girl's.
The way she said it sent a faint shiver down Ethan's spine.
This was the first time in his life someone had called him "big brother" in such an affectionate way. It felt awkward at first—but after hearing it a few more times, he gradually got used to it.
Since a new member had joined the team, Ethan naturally went to introduce her.
He stepped onto the balcony and looked toward the Pokémon resting in the courtyard.
"Everyone, this is Meloetta," he said with a smile.
"From today on, she's our partner."
"She's still a child, so please take good care of her."
The moment Ethan spoke, Gliscor—who had been hanging upside down in his balcony shelter—immediately swooped out and hovered nearby, carefully examining Meloetta from head to toe.
Despite his harsh past and solitary life, Gliscor was the type who didn't want others to suffer as he once had.
Though he usually looked fierce, his expression now was surprisingly gentle.
"Grrk~"
Meloetta seemed to like him as well. Floating over, she whispered something softly to him, though no one else could hear what was said.
The other Pokémon in the courtyard showed no hostility either. One by one, they greeted Meloetta warmly.
Even the small flame-bird resting on Skeledirge's snout seemed fond of her and played with her briefly.
But Meloetta had just been born. Even as a Mythical Pokémon, she was still in her infancy.
She needed energy.
She needed rest.
After a short while, she returned to Ethan's arms and fell fast asleep.
Ethan didn't disturb her. He simply looked down at her sleeping face, an unconscious fond smile on his own.
With Meloetta newly born, Ethan had little time to personally oversee training.
But that didn't mean training stopped.
His Pokémon were already strong enough to train independently. And for the areas they couldn't refine on their own, Metagross took over as an uncompromising instructor.
With Metagross supervising, Swampert, Skeledirge, and Gliscor were ecstatic.
They could genuinely feel the improvement from its guidance.
Garchomp-in-training and the young Entei, however, were far less happy.
Neither of them was particularly fond of intense training.
Especially Entei—under Ethan's supervision, he often trained inconsistently. Whenever Ethan frowned, Entei would just act cute until Ethan softened.
Metagross, on the other hand, was merciless.
No exceptions.
No excuses.
If training wasn't up to standard, it continued.
No food until it was complete.
For Entei and Gabite, eating was non-negotiable.
So even if they disliked training, they pushed themselves daily for the sake of their meals.
Meanwhile, Baxcalibur and Hydreigon's growth remained steady.
Baxcalibur, in particular, kept getting bigger.
From 3.5 meters after evolving, it had now surpassed 4 meters.
It had even met its mother—owned by Jiang Wanyi—and despite her being massive, Baxcalibur still looked noticeably larger beside her.
Ethan had asked Professor Zhang Benchun about it.
The professor's answer?
"I don't know."
Research into revived ancient Pokémon was still incomplete.
But one thing was certain—bigger size meant greater combat power.
The only downside was that its cabin would need yet another renovation.
Ethan decided to leave that problem for later.
Half a month passed.
Thanks to careful nutrition and care, Meloetta finally left her infant stage and became a Normal-tier Pokémon.
Her energy skyrocketed.
Whenever Ethan trained his team, she'd float around curiously, watching everything.
Sometimes, she'd suddenly start singing on the training field.
Her voice was breathtaking.
Ethan felt that even the world's greatest singers couldn't match even one percent of her song.
And more astonishingly—
Her singing removed fatigue.
Normally, Pokémon like Gliscor and Swampert could train at peak efficiency for about four hours a day. Beyond that, fatigue severely reduced effectiveness.
But when they heard Meloetta's singing—especially her signature move Relic Song—they'd fall into a short, restorative sleep.
Just one hour later, their stamina was fully replenished.
When they realized this…
Gliscor and Swampert reacted as if they'd discovered a priceless treasure.
They began training nearly ten hours a day—high-quality training.
Naturally, where there was joy, there was despair.
Entei and Gabite were miserable.
They already disliked training—
and now fatigue wasn't even an excuse.
The thought of being squeezed dry by Metagross made them visibly wilt.
Seeing their expressions, Ethan laughed and reassured them.
"Don't worry. Mandatory training is still just four hours."
"The extra sessions are voluntary."
Only then did Entei and Gabite relax.
Still, with Meloetta's songs aiding recovery, everyone's growth improved dramatically.
Standing in the training field, seeing how much his team had progressed in just one month since returning from Sea Cliff Island, Ethan felt deeply satisfied.
He glanced at the treasures stored in his storage ball—spoils collected from various academy principals—and smiled.
"That's it for today's training."
The Pokémon froze.
They clearly hadn't expected that.
Then Ethan began distributing items.
"Swampert—top-grade Mystic Water."
"Hatterene—top-grade Twisted Spoon."
"Baxcalibur—open up. Take this top-grade Hard Stone."
One by one, Ethan handed out the precious items he'd acquired.
Only Meloetta and Metagross received none.
Meloetta was still too young.
Metagross refused outright—claiming the items no longer provided meaningful improvement.
Ethan didn't argue.
He trusted his Pokémon's judgment.
The others, however, consumed their treasures without hesitation.
Power surged.
Entei — 1.45 (Charcoal)Gabite — 1.55 (Dragon Fang)Hatterene — 1.57 (Twisted Spoon)Gliscor — 1.58 (Soft Sand)Swampert — 1.59 (Mystic Water)Skeledirge — 1.60 (Spell Tag)Zweilous — 1.64 (Black Glasses)Baxcalibur — 1.65 (Hard Stone)
At this moment, Ethan possessed:
1 Commander-tier Pokémon5 Overlord-tier Pokémon2 King-tier Pokémon
With this lineup, he could probably become Champion in a remote League.
Even in the Eastern Alliance, excluding Metagross, he had the qualifications to compete for a Four Heavenly King position.
As power surged, Gabite and Zweilous finally reached their limits.
Light engulfed them.
Roars echoed across the training field.
When the glow faded—
Garchomp and Hydreigon stood in their place.
Garchomp had completely shed its former immaturity.
Towering at 2.5 meters, with powerful legs, razor claws, and an imposing gaze—it was impossible to associate it with the clumsy Gible of the past.
Hydreigon's change was subtler.
It had always been violent.
So violent, in fact, that Ethan rarely let it spar—
it fought with lethal intent.
Only Baxcalibur could calm it slightly.
Now, standing nearly three meters tall and only slightly smaller than Baxcalibur, Hydreigon radiated pure menace.
Ethan glanced at the newly built cabin and sighed.
"Looks like that one needs rebuilding too."
"Otherwise, these two are going to bring it down overnight."
Still, he was delighted.
Even Entei—the weakest—had reached Commander tier.
The professional trainer exam would be easy.
"…But I wonder if I can go straight for three stars," Ethan muttered.
"I'll ask Grandpa Gao later."
Just then, in the corner of the training field, a small blue canine Pokémon quietly appeared.
It watched the powerful Pokémon with undisguised longing.
Noticing it—prompted by Metagross—Ethan looked over.
"That Riolu again?"
"It's been coming here for days now…"
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