Pokémon：Trainer's Gambit

Eevee had just finished its bath.

Its once messy fur was now smooth, revealing a light yellow coat with a soft white undercoat around its neck.

Dewdrops clung to the fur on its forehead. Eevee shook its head, glancing at the mirror, only to jump back in surprise.

"Dork," Natsume laughed.

"Eevee!"

Eevee shot Natsume a fierce glare, but its adorable appearance made it anything but intimidating—if anything, it only made it more endearing.

Natsume tried to hold onto its soft paw pads to trim its nails, but Eevee resisted so fiercely that he had to give up.

"I'm just worried they'll grow into your skin," Natsume muttered, clicking his tongue.

By now, Eevee had returned to the cute image Natsume remembered, though its eyes were sharper than ever.

To avoid any mishaps during the raising process, Natsume stroked his chin and opened the Chat Group.

"How do you breed Eevee?"

The first to reply was Brock: "Mr. Natsume, did you catch an Eevee?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure how to breed it, so it's giving me a headache."

Brock nodded sympathetically.

"Eevee currently has eight evolution forms, and each one requires a different breeding method. It's definitely a headache!"

"Little Eevee! (Eevee rolling around cutely.jpg)" Yellow chimed in, being adorable as usual.

"Oh, Natsume-sensei, what form are you planning to evolve Eevee into?" Green asked with a smile.

"If you need an Evolutionary Stone, I can sell you one at a discount."

Natsume looked up at the sky, thinking about his feisty little Eevee.

Evolving it into Flareon, the Flame Pokémon, seemed like a good choice.

In winter, he could snuggle up to its fiery red fur for warmth, wrap it around his neck, or even use it as a foot warmer…

Just the thought was enough to make his heart race!

"How much does an Evolutionary Stone cost?"

"Hmm… for a standard quality one, around 600,000. The higher-end ones can go for over a million. Which one are you looking for, Natsume-sensei?"

Natsume's jaw dropped.

I can't afford any of them!

Lorelei interjected, "You could always go for Friendship Evolution. Red's Vee is pretty cute, after all."

Blue Oak's eye twitched.

You call a Vee that can blast a small hill with a Shadow Ball cute?!

As the conversation started to derail, Natsume cleared his throat. "I think we should respect Eevee's own wishes."

Brock nodded solemnly, his face serious.

Respecting a Pokémon's own wishes…

Is this Natsume-sensei's breeding philosophy?

Indeed, compared to breeding methods that focus solely on battle strength, this is quite an advanced and profound perspective.

"Though it's not much, I can share some Eevee breeding case studies," Brock offered.

Brock was the type to give without expecting anything in return, and now that Natsume had earned his respect, he didn't ask for anything in exchange.

Natsume's eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

[File 'Eevee Breeding Case Studies' received!]

The case studies Brock provided covered general Eevee breeding methods, including diet and daily habits.

Training wasn't mentioned, as each Eevee's evolution path was different, requiring different focuses.

Natsume flipped through the file with a serious expression, nodding occasionally.

"Hmm, I don't understand any of this…"

The content was quite advanced, and Natsume's reading comprehension wasn't quite up to the task.

However, he did manage to glean a few key points—

Eevee was an omnivore, with a diet that included berries, raw meat, and grains.

Breeders usually carefully balanced Eevee's diet, and the more extravagant ones even used Pokéblocks for feeding.

"Oh? So Pokéblocks will do?"

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

"Then I'm all set!"

In other areas, Natsume might be completely out of his depth.

But when it came to Pokéblocks, even Brock might not be as skilled as Natsume!

With the breeding methods sorted, the training methods were still up in the air.

But Natsume never planned to be a Trainer in the first place.

Eevee couldn't possibly train itself like Haunter, could it?

No way!

Having one Pokémon was already a stretch, but a second one?

Confidently stepping out of the room, Natsume froze in his tracks.

…

Haunter was giving Eevee a lecture.

"Haunter!"

Haunter had somehow produced a blackboard with messy doodles that were impossible to decipher.

"Eevee?"

Eevee, however, was nodding seriously, occasionally asking questions in return.

"Haunter!"

Haunter nodded, looking pleased, as if Eevee was a promising student.

Natsume sat nearby with a cup of tea, his expression complicated.

Was something wrong here?

Eevee wasn't training itself…

But why was Haunter training Eevee?

You training yourself is one thing, but now you're dragging Eevee into it too?!

A dull ache began to form in Natsume's chest.

He rubbed his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

"It's fine, these are just small things…"

"What's the point of Haunter's lecture? It's not like Eevee can learn a new move, right?"

"Eevee!"

Just then, Eevee lifted its head.

A faint glow emerged from its body, gradually forming another Eevee that looked exactly like it.

Natsume's eyes widened.

No way…

Is that really the Substitute move?!

"Eevee…"

Though it only lasted for less than two seconds, it was indeed the Substitute move.

Eevee was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, but its eyes were filled with excitement.

"Haunter…"

Haunter nodded with satisfaction, a wistful expression on its face, even wiping away a tear of emotion.

This is the most skilled Substitute technique I've mastered.

Now I've passed it on to you, little Eevee!

There were too many things to Make complaints, and Natsume didn't even know where to start.

"This is too hard…"

While it's true that Pokémon can teach each other moves…

Who masters Substitute in just one afternoon?

And now there's a second one?!

"Eevee!"

Seeing Natsume, Eevee ran over excitedly, eager to show off its newly learned move.

Natsume forced a smile and patted Eevee's head. "You did great!"

"Eevee(′▽`〃)"

Suddenly, as if realizing something, Eevee stiffened and turned its head away, though its wagging tail betrayed its true feelings.

Natsume let out a long sigh.

So why are my Pokémon more motivated than I am?

As Natsume zoned out, Eevee stole a glance at him.

For different Pokémon, the meaning of battle varies.

In the back mountains, Eevee had to battle constantly just to survive.

But now, Natsume had given Eevee a new life and a sense of purpose.

To keep battling—

To grow stronger and become the sharpest blade in his hand.

Not just stronger than Haunter, but stronger than all other Pokémon.

Eevee silently watched Natsume, its gaze growing more determined.

I'll make sure my Trainer becomes the strongest Trainer there is!

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