Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 398: Naoki’s Evolution Class

Chapter 398: Naoki’s Evolution Class

Naoki believed that evolving Pokémon was not just about power—it was about understanding and respecting their choices. While he hoped the remaining Eevees would evolve into forms not yet present on the ranch, he knew the decision ultimately belonged to them.

When the Eevees returned from their outdoor play, Naoki gathered them in the living room. The nine pokemon sat in a neat row, their curious gazes fixed on him. Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon sat in the middle, their evolved forms a source of fascination for the others.

"Ahem." Naoki cleared his throat, drawing their attention. Glaceon and Umbreon exchanged knowing glances, while the unevolved Eevees waited eagerly to see what Naoki had to say.

Koraidon wheeled in a small blackboard, and Naoki began pinning pictures of Eevee’s evolutionary forms onto it. Each image was carefully categorized and labeled, making it easy for the Eevees to follow along.

“I wasn’t planning to introduce this topic so soon,” Naoki began, his tone slightly exasperated, “but three mischievous Eevees stumbled into my treasure chest, found the evolution stones, and evolved ahead of schedule.”

The unevolved Eevees turned their wide eyes toward the trio in question. Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon glanced away sheepishly, sticking out their tongues in an attempt to look endearing. 

“Buyibuyi~” (Sorry, we didn’t mean to!)

Naoki sighed, shaking his head, but a small smile tugged at his lips. He continued, “Eevee, each of you holds unlimited evolutionary potential. Evolving means becoming stronger, just like Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon have.”

The Eevees listened intently, their tails wagging in anticipation. 

Naoki pointed to the first image on the blackboard. “Let’s start with Flareon, just like our fiery friend here.”

All eyes turned to Flareon, who puffed out its chest proudly.

“Flareon, as the name suggests, has the power to control fire. It can release high-temperature flames to attack its enemies and even roast berries to perfection.”

“Buee!” Flareon nodded enthusiastically to confirm Naoki’s words. To demonstrate, it inhaled deeply and exhaled a small flame.

The flame, unfortunately, landed directly on the carpet, igniting it instantly.

Naoki froze. “F-F-Flareon! What have you done?!”

The room erupted into chaos as Naoki scrambled to extinguish the flames. Thankfully, Vaporeon acted swiftly, using its Water Gun to douse the fire.

When the smoke cleared, Naoki surveyed the scorched carpet with a grim expression. “From now on, no one is allowed to use moves indoors. Is that clear?”

“Bu-yi…” Flareon lowered its head, its ears drooping in guilt. 

Naoki softened, rubbing Flareon’s head. “I’ll let it slide this time, but never again, okay?”

Flareon nodded vigorously, its eyes shining with determination. “Bu-yi!”

Naoki adjusted his focus back to the lesson. “You’ve all seen what Flareon can do. Now, let’s talk about Vaporeon.”

Vaporeon perked up at the mention of its name, its fin-like tail wagging happily. 

“Vaporeon,” Naoki explained, “gains the ability to live in water after evolving. It can freely control water and use moves like Water Gun to attack. In daily life, Vaporeon is incredibly helpful—it can water crops or even extinguish fires, as you’ve just seen.”

Naoki observed the Eevees as they curiously studied Vaporeon. Some seemed intrigued by its aquatic abilities, while others appeared less interested. Sensing their shifting focus, he turned his attention to another Eevee evolution.

“Next, let me introduce you to Glaceon,” Naoki said, his gaze landing on the cool and collected Pokémon. 

“Glaceon wields the power of ice and snow. It’s especially useful during summer—you won’t need to worry about heatstroke if Glaceon is nearby! In short, Glaceon is a reliable and refreshing companion.”

Glaceon gave a subtle nod, a quiet confirmation of Naoki’s description. Its reserved demeanor added to its charm, leaving the younger Eevees in awe.

“Now, onto Jolteon,” Naoki continued, pointing to the spiky-furred Electric-type Pokémon. “Jolteon evolves through the Thunder Stone. It’s capable of generating powerful electrical attacks that can paralyze opponents. Jolteon’s strength is undeniable.”

Jolteon, known for its high-strung nature, surprisingly appeared calm in Naoki’s presence. Perhaps because it had hatched from an egg under his care, Jolteon was unusually docile. To demonstrate its abilities, it stored electricity in its fur, causing tiny sparks to crackle and light up the room. The other Eevees watched in wide-eyed amazement.

“Next up is Umbreon,” Naoki said, shifting to the elegant, moonlit Pokémon. “Umbreon evolves when bathed in the light of the moon. It’s nocturnal and prefers to roam under the stars, blending seamlessly with the shadows.”

“Additionally, Umbreon’s black fur helps it camouflage at night, making it almost invisible to opponents in darkness.”

Umbreon emitted a soft, melodic cry: “Umbree~” as the blue rings on its body glowed faintly, creating a magical ambiance. 

Naoki smiled at Umbreon’s display, then turned his attention to the remaining unevolved Eevees. “Now, let’s talk about some evolutions we don’t have on the ranch yet.”

At this, the four unevolved Eevees perked up, their ears twitching with excitement. 

“First, there’s Leafeon,” Naoki said, pointing to the corresponding picture on the board. “Leafeon is a Grass-type Pokémon that can photosynthesize like a plant. Because of this, it always smells fresh and carries a unique, grassy aroma.”

One little Eevee tilted its head and stood up, curiosity shining in its eyes. “Buee?” (What does grass smell like?)

Naoki paused to think before calling Koraidon, who quickly summoned the nearby Gogoat. “Let’s show them,” Naoki said, gesturing for Gogoat to activate its Grassy Terrain.

A soft green light spread across the room, accompanied by the faint, earthy scent of freshly grown grass. The Eevees twitched their noses, sniffing eagerly.

“That’s what grass smells like,” Naoki explained.

“Buee!” one Eevee cried happily, clearly enchanted by the scent.

Meanwhile, another Eevee wrinkled its nose, less impressed.

Naoki quickly instructed Gogoat to disperse the energy from its Grassy Terrain, shifting focus to the next evolution.

“Now, let me introduce Espeon,” Naoki announced, pointing to the image of a sleek Pokémon with lavender fur. “Espeon is the opposite of Umbreon. It absorbs sunlight and converts it into psychic energy. Not only that, Espeon has an exceptional ability to predict the future.”

The Eevees turned their attention to the photo, their eyes lighting up with awe. 

“Booee!” (Wow!)

The Pokémon in the picture radiated elegance, its soft, velvety fur glinting faintly. A beautiful ruby embedded on its forehead gleamed with an otherworldly glow. The Eevees were visibly enchanted by its beauty.

Naoki chuckled at their reaction and moved on. “And next, I’d like to introduce Sylveon.”

The Eevees shifted their gaze to the next image. Sylveon’s photo depicted a Pokémon with pristine white fur accented by soft pink tones. Adorned with a bow and ribbon-like feelers, Sylveon exuded a graceful charm.

“This is Sylveon,” Naoki explained. “A Fairy-type Pokémon. It may look gentle and cute, but it’s incredibly powerful. Sylveon can hold its own even against fearsome Dragon-types that are much larger than itself. It fearlessly jumps into battle to protect its trainer and friends.”

Naoki paused, observing the Eevees’ reactions. Some were clearly intrigued, while others seemed thoughtful.

“Well,” he said, “have you thought about what kind of Eeveelution you want to become in the future?”

Before they could respond, Naoki remembered an important point and added, “Of course, evolving isn’t the only path. Staying as an unevolved Eevee is perfectly fine too. Even without evolving, Eevee can grow into a strong and reliable partner.”

He smiled warmly at the group, continuing, “And let’s not forget Eevee’s ultimate move: Extreme Evoboost. This special Z-Move, used with the help of all eight evolved forms, combines their powers with Eevee’s to create a spectacular attack.”

The Eevees tilted their heads in curiosity.

“In the Alola region, this move doesn’t just deal damage. It raises Eevee’s attack, defense, special attack, special defense, and speed by two stages, making it incredibly powerful. To perform this move, I’d need a Z-Crystal and Eevium Z.”

The Eevees listened intently, their eyes shifting between Naoki and the photos on the blackboard. They seemed intrigued by the possibilities but hesitant to make a decision.

Naoki didn’t rush them. “It’s your choice,” he said gently. “You don’t have to decide right now. What’s important is that you’re happy with the path you choose.”

However, before the unevolved Eevees could respond, Flareon bounded forward enthusiastically.

“Bueeeeee!” (Naoki, Naoki! I want to become the Partner Eevee!)

Naoki blinked, startled, then sighed heavily. “Flareon, you’ve already evolved. You can’t de-evolve!”

“Buee…” Flareon’s ears drooped, disappointment clear in its posture.

Naoki felt a pang of guilt seeing its dejection. “It’s my fault,” he muttered to himself. “I should’ve introduced all the Eeveelutions earlier… or at least kept those Evolution Stones out of reach.”

Naoki sighed, knowing there was no way to change what had already happened. He decided to comfort Flareon instead.

“Don’t be upset, Flareon,” Naoki said with a reassuring smile. “You’re incredibly powerful just the way you are. When winter comes, you can help us make a fire to keep warm. You’re an important part of the team.”

Flareon’s ears perked up, and its fiery tail wagged excitedly. “Buee Buee?” (Really? Does Naoki like me?)

Naoki chuckled, reaching out to pat Flareon’s fluffy head. “Of course!”

The thought seemed to cheer Flareon up immensely. “Buey!” (I’ll do my best!)

Flareon puffed out its chest proudly. “Buee Buee!” (I love being Flareon! I don’t want to be anything else now!)

Meanwhile, the remaining four Eevees seemed to have made their decisions as well.

One of the little Eevees stepped forward and exclaimed, “Buee!” (I want to evolve into Leafeon!)

Naoki smiled warmly. “Good choice. Leafeon has a soothing presence and smells like a fresh meadow.”

Another Eevee looked up at Naoki with curiosity. “Buee Buee?” (Can Espeon Eevee really predict the future?)

Naoki nodded, recalling the information from his book. “That’s right. Espeon has the unique ability to sense and predict what’s about to happen.”

He explained further, “Espeon's fur is incredibly sensitive, allowing it to detect changes in the air. It can sense approaching weather, enemy movements, and even small changes around it.”

Hearing this, the Eevee’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Bueeeeeee!” (Then I want to become Espeon! That way, I can know when Naoki’s coming home!)

Naoki raised an eyebrow, amused. “Why would you need to know when I’m coming home?”

The Eevee froze, its eyes darting nervously. “Buee... Buee!” (Uh… so I don’t get caught eating the ice cream in the refrigerator… oops!)

Realizing it had said too much, the Eevee quickly covered its mouth with its paws. Naoki’s expression shifted to a mix of disbelief and amusement.

“I don’t stop you from eating too much because I want to be mean,” Naoki explained patiently. “I’m just worried you’ll get an upset stomach. Eating too much ice cream can make you feel sick.”

The Eevee drooled at the thought of the delicious treat. “Buee!” (But it’s so tasty!)

Naoki sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. “Fine, fine. If you get a stomachache, I’ll ask my sister Indeedee to use Heal Pulse or Crescent Dance. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll take you to Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center.”

Naoki turned to the remaining two Eevees, his eyes filled with curiosity. “What about you two? Have you decided what kind of Eevee you’d like to evolve into?”

One of the Eevees immediately puffed out its chest and looked at Koraidon, its eyes blazing with determination. “Buee!” (I want to evolve into Sylveon!)

Naoki tilted his head, intrigued. “Why Sylveon?”

The little Eevee’s expression was brimming with resolve. “Buee!” (Because Fairy Eevee can defeat Dragon Pokémon!)

Naoki stifled a laugh as understanding dawned on him. Ah, so that’s what this was about. He recalled an incident from a few days ago when Koraidon had tried to join him and the Eevees on the bed. Naoki had gently refused, worried that the bed was too small and that Koraidon’s large size might accidentally crush the tiny Eevees.

Jealous, Koraidon had taken one of the Eevees off the bed, keeping it close as if staking a claim. The poor Eevee had been so frightened it burst into tears, waking Naoki in the middle of the night. It had taken a lot of soothing to comfort the little Pokémon, and ever since then, it seemed this particular Eevee had decided Koraidon was its rival.

Naoki glanced at Koraidon, who appeared completely unbothered. He couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Sure, you can evolve into Sylveon,” he said, patting the determined Eevee on the head. “But I have to warn you, Koraidon isn’t just any Dragon Pokémon. It’s incredibly strong. Beating it won’t be easy.”

“Bu-yi!” (I’ll do my best!) the Eevee declared, its fighting spirit unwavering.

Koraidon let out a soft, amused rumble. “Ah, gah…”

Finally, Naoki turned to the last Eevee, who had been quiet throughout. “And you? What kind of Eevee would you like to evolve into?”

The little Eevee glanced around nervously, its ears twitching. It seemed unsure, taking its time to deliberate. After a long moment, it spoke hesitantly, “Eevee...” (I want to be a partner Eevee)

Naoki crouched down, his voice gentle. “You don’t have to choose Partner Eevee if you don’t want to. There are so many other evolutions, and I’ll train you to be whatever you want to become.”

The Eevee hesitated but eventually shook its head firmly. Its small face lit with determination as it declared, “Eevee!” (I want to be a Partner Eevee!)

Naoki blinked, momentarily stunned. “You don’t want to evolve into anything else?”

The Eevee shook its head again, this time more vigorously. “Bu-i-bu-i!” (No! I want to be the most powerful Partner Eevee!)

More importantly, it didn’t want to evolve into any of the other forms like its companions. It wanted to stand out, to be unique among all the Pokémon on the ranch—not just in its appearance, but also in its bond with Naoki.

This little Eevee desired to remain as it was: an Eevee. Not out of fear of change, but because it cherished its individuality and the special place it already held in Naoki’s heart.