Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 59: Eevee: Eevee!

Though he claimed it was a tough choice, there really wasn't much to debate.

First, Pikachu was ruled out.

While Pikachu was undeniably the most popular Pokémon both before and after Asahi's transmigration, not every Pikachu was as exceptional as the legendary "Pikagod."

Most Pikachu were just electric mice with 320 base stats. Cute, but not strong.

Even evolving it into Raichu wouldn't make it overly powerful—and doing so would lose the charm of having a Pikachu in the first place.

Next, Clefairy was also eliminated.

While Clefable combined cuteness with respectable strength, if Asahi ever wanted one, he could easily lure a whole group of Clefairy from Mt. Moon with some Pokéblocks. No need to rely on the system.

That left Eevee.

Eevee's cuteness and rarity made it the perfect choice. Even as a ranger, Asahi had only seen a few. Plus, with eight possible evolutions to choose from, there was always one to suit his preferences.

So, Asahi decisively chose Eevee.

[I just hope the system's Eevee won't be disobedient…]

If it refused to listen, things would get troublesome.

A top-tier Eevee would require Gardevoir's intervention if it acted up.

Recalling Pidgey to its Poké Ball, Asahi made an excuse to part ways with Green and returned to his room.

He asked Gardevoir to stay nearby just in case, then sat on the bed and used the system to retrieve Eevee's Poké Ball.

Swoosh

A red-and-white Poké Ball appeared in Asahi's hand.

Opening it, a flash of white light burst forth.

A soft brown-furred Eevee with large sparkling eyes appeared in the room, wagging its fluffy tail with a heart-shaped pattern. Its small head tilted curiously as it looked around.

The moment it saw Asahi, Eevee let out an excited cry and leaped toward him.

"Eevee~!"

It nuzzled its head against Asahi's face, making his nose itch.

Eevee's immediate affection caught Asahi off guard.

He opened the system panel.

[Pokémon: Eevee (♀)]

[Type: Normal]

[Ability: Anticipation]

[Friendship: Trust]

[Level: 50]

[Moves: ...]

[Held Item: None]

A female Eevee with a Hidden Ability and a well-rounded move set—it had just reached the Elite tier. Asahi was more than satisfied.

"Eevee?"

Eevee looked curiously at Asahi, unsure why her trainer seemed so happy, but her own joy mirrored his, and her eyes curved into crescent shapes.

Seeing her cheerful expression, Asahi patted her head and handed her an energy cube.

Eevee took a small bite, and the taste made her eyes brighten with delight. Her Friendship stat on the system panel jumped, rising directly from "Trust" to "Close Bond."

"Just one energy cube to win you over? That's way too easy! Even the Clefairy at Mt. Moon aren't this simple to please…" Asahi thought, staring at the satisfied Eevee in disbelief.

But this was a good thing. If every Pokémon were as troublesome as Magikarp, he'd have lost his mind by now.

"Welcome to the team, Eevee!"

"Eevee~!"

Eevee happily bounced around the room, full of energy.

Watching her carefree antics, Asahi felt his own stress melt away.

Just then, Asahi suddenly felt as though someone was watching him. When he turned to look, Gardevoir didn't lift her head, calmly flipping through her book.

Asahi was sure of his instincts.

He glanced between Gardevoir and Eevee.

[Could Gardevoir be jealous?]

The thought had barely formed when Gardevoir suddenly looked up at him.

Only then did Asahi remember that they were still connected through telepathy.

"…"

Man and Pokémon locked eyes briefly before awkwardly turning away.

Eevee, watching the scene with wide eyes, tilted her head in curiosity.

"Eevee?"

Her small head was filled with confusion.

---

While Asahi was bonding with Eevee in the hotel…

Inside the Vermilion City Gym, Lt. Surge sat in the center, two Magneton floating around him, and a bandolier of small Electrode grenades strapped across his chest.

In his hand, he held the Celadon Game Corner token he had picked up earlier.

Based on recent intel from Team Rocket, the Game Corner in Celadon City had been attacked by an organization called the "Masked Corps" over a week ago, suffering significant losses.

Now, someone had deliberately used a token from the Game Corner to provoke him. Lt. Surge suspected that the Masked Corps was behind this as well.

But…

"Damn it! Who leaked this information?!"

What infuriated Lt. Surge the most wasn't the provocation itself but the fact that his connection to Team Rocket had been subtly hinted at.

His identity as a Rocket Executive was a closely guarded secret within the organization, known only to a handful of his subordinates. It was supposed to be highly classified.

Yet, somehow, the Masked Corps had uncovered this information, leaving Lt. Surge enraged.

The only silver lining was that they hadn't reported him to the League.

"If they haven't contacted the League, it means they either plan to attack or negotiate. Either way, that's good news for us," Lt. Surge muttered as he forced himself to calm down.

Turning to a nearby subordinate, he asked, "Are the traps ready?"

"They've all been set, sir! If anyone enters the Gym, they'll never leave!" the subordinate replied with confidence.

"Good."

Lt. Surge nodded in satisfaction, gently stroking the Electabuzz at his side. He remained seated in the Gym's center, quietly awaiting the Masked Corps' arrival.

---

Asahi, meanwhile, had no idea that Lt. Surge had filled the Vermilion City Gym with traps in anticipation of his arrival.

Not that it would have mattered to him. Gardevoir's psychic abilities could easily neutralize any trap. A single sweep of her powers would expose them all.

In any case, Asahi wasn't planning to confront Lt. Surge just yet.

Until Lance made his move in Celadon City, Asahi had no intention of acting in Vermilion.

Taking Eevee with him, Asahi headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

As soon as he sat down, he was met with Green's astonished gaze.

"Eevee? Is that your Pokémon?"

Green stared at the Eevee dozing off on Asahi's shoulder, surprised. She had seen all of Asahi's Pokémon before, but this was her first time seeing Eevee.

"Yeah, she was being cared for elsewhere until now. I brought her out specifically for dealing with Lt. Surge," Asahi said with a smile.

It wasn't exactly a lie. After all, Eevee had been "cared for" by the system.

---