The sun had slipped behind the western mountains, unnoticed by anyone.
After battling through most of the afternoon, both Daisy and the Spearow lay exhausted, sprawled across the grass.
Cole sat beside them, using his Special Ability to give each one a massage that not only relieved their fatigue but also purified their Source Energy — a truly beneficial treatment.
The Spearow, having much less Source Energy than Daisy, were easier for Cole to treat. He finished purifying their energy in no time.
Chirping happily, the Spearow flew up to thank him, clearly satisfied with their "payment".
"Will you come back tomorrow? The same treatment will be waiting for you." Cole asked the Spearow.
Since training required persistence, and the Spearow had shown excellent work ethic today, he wanted to establish a long-term arrangement with them.
The Spearow, excited by such a good offer, immediately agreed and arranged to meet at the same spot tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Daisy lay there feeling utterly hopeless — the mere thought of enduring this ordeal daily made life seem meaningless.
If she could just move right now, she would definitely teach that ungrateful child of hers a lesson!
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
When Cole got home, he met Alfred returning from school.
Seeing Cole and his Pokémon coming back from the hillside, Alfred asked, "Cole, did you go training with Daisy?"
"Yes." Cole nodded, still speaking with a slight stutter.
Alfred asked casually, "Cole, do you want to become a trainer in the future?"
Cole honestly shook his head, "Don't know... haven't decided."
Alfred nodded and walked into the courtyard with him, though his glance toward Daisy held a hint of envy.
The moon rose as evening fell.
During dinner, Meili asked Alfred, "Alfred, I heard your school will be filling out future intention forms soon. Have you thought about what you want to do?"
He was about to turn ten — a crucial turning point for children in the Pokémon world, when they choose whether to become trainers.
Most children complete primary education at ten. Those continuing to secondary education then face important career choices.
Those who aspire to become trainers (including traditional trainers, coordinators, breeders, and other professions) can either travel with Pokémon and compete, or take the Pokémon course at school for deeper knowledge.
Those pursuing other careers take the regular course through secondary education before entering the workforce. For further specialized knowledge, they can work toward higher education.
In the Pokémon world, primary and secondary education are compulsory for everyone choosing non-trainer professions.
Now the almost ten-year-old boy faced this important choice.
"I've already decided — I want to take the regular course and graduate early to work." Alfred answered without hesitation.
Meili advised him, "This concerns your future. Consider it carefully."
Alfred nodded, "I know, I've been thinking about it for a long time. Don't worry."
Paul looked up from his meal, confused, "Brother Alfred, didn't you tell us before that you wanted to become an Elite Four trainer?"
Looking at the rice grains on the kid's face, Alfred gently wiped them clean and explained, "Those were just childhood dreams — becoming an Elite Four member isn't that simple."
Paul replied with childish determination, "Oh, then I'll definitely become an Elite Four member in the future. I'm not joking."
Alfred turned his attention to Cole sitting across from him, "Cole, keep practicing your speech. Once you can communicate with others without trouble, I'll take you to school."
"Mm, thank you... Alfred." Cole nodded.
At this, Meili said contentedly, "Our Alfred is becoming more and more like a big brother."
Hearing this, Alfred, who rarely showed emotion, displayed an unusual hint of shyness.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
During this week, Cole took Daisy to the small forest behind the hillside every day to battle with the Spearow. Her progress was remarkable.
Initially, when facing attacks from more than ten Spearow, she could only counter awkwardly, ending each battle wounded and exhausted. But as time went on and she mastered her skills, her performance in battle became increasingly graceful.
Though the old mother was indeed lazy, there was no denying that Gardevoir was naturally gifted as a Pokémon species — with proper supervision, even a lazy one could excel.
The Spearow grew stronger too. With Cole helping them purify and condense their Source Energy, their strength improved rapidly. Their appearance transformed as well, with greater vitality and shinier, more lustrous feathers — they became the most stunning Spearow in their community.
After today's battle, while Cole was using his Special Ability to relieve the Spearow's fatigue as usual, a thought struck him.
'Hey~ with this Special Ability, wouldn't massage therapist be the perfect profession for me? With these skills, charging ₽9,999 per session wouldn't be unreasonable, right? Maybe... open a Wellness Center in the future?'
{T/N: I know that ₽ is the Russian Ruble symbol, but it's the closest currency symbol to the one used in the Pokémon world.}
While lost in thought, the Spearow in his hands suddenly began emitting a strong white light, startling him.
He quickly realized the Spearow was about to evolve.
Evolution again?
Cole couldn't help thinking of the Magikarp who had worked for him before.
Could his Special Ability promote Pokémon evolution? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? After all, Pokémon don't just evolve at random.
The other Spearow noticed what was happening and gathered around Cole, landing on his head, shoulders, and thighs, chirping excitedly as they discussed their companion's situation.
In the white light, the Spearow's body grew larger and larger, becoming more than twice its original size in an instant. When the light faded, a majestic bird Pokémon stood before everyone.
Fearow!
"Ya~gu~"
The Fearow soared upward from Cole with excitement, flapping its wings and circling through the air in pure joy.
The other Spearow followed, lifting off from Cole and surrounding their newly evolved companion, chirping their congratulations and admiration.
Once the celebration subsided, the Fearow landed and bowed to Cole in gratitude.
"Fearow, let me examine you!"
Cole crouched down, placed his hand on the Fearow, and channeled his Special Energy.
The most striking change after evolution was in Fearow's internal energy circuits — they had become more extensive and complex, with improved efficiency in absorbing Special Energy from its surroundings.
The energy circuits themselves had evolved!
Cole recalled the base stats system from Pokémon games in his previous life — could these energy circuits be their real-world equivalent?
In the games, Spearow and Gardevoir had different base stats, just as their energy circuits differed in reality. Gardevoir possessed larger and more intricate circuits, with superior efficiency in Special Energy absorption and greater Source Energy storage.
Similarly, Spearow and its evolution Fearow had different base stats, matching how Fearow's energy circuits had grown larger and more sophisticated.
Cole theorized that these circuits weren't static — Pokémon could enhance them through evolution, training, and development to become stronger.
He wondered: if a Rattata's naturally inferior circuits were developed to their absolute peak through evolution, could they potentially surpass those of a wild Tyranitar?
The possibility thrilled Cole — his Special Ability let him observe these energy circuits in detail. Wouldn't this give him a unique advantage in helping Pokémon develop?
He felt like thanking the gods of transmigration — this gift was incredible!
Starting life on a deserted island with no background and in poverty didn't matter anymore. With the potential to grow stronger, everything else would fall into place.
Having this Special Ability was worth it!
Containing his excitement, after finishing the wellness treatment for all the remaining Spearow, Cole started working on Daisy.
After every exhausting session, what she looked forward to most was the wellness treatment — without it, she likely couldn't have persevered through these days.
"Gar~de~"
Letting out a satisfied sigh, Daisy felt all the training had been worth it.
After the wellness treatment, Cole took out the jar of Pokémon food Officer Jenny had given him and poured out two pieces to feed her. Looking into the bottle, he saw less than ten pieces remained.
He needed to find a way to make money! Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to support his mom's retirement!
It was frustrating being too young — no one would hire him for work.
After Daisy had eaten her fill, Cole said to her, "Why don't we look for some berries nearby? Otherwise, when the Pokémon food runs out, you'll go hungry."
"Garde~" — Okay!
Daisy nodded — since Cole had regained his senses, she had grown accustomed to following her son's guidance.
After resting, the pair said goodbye to Fearow and the others, then began searching for berries in the small woods. However, berries proved elusive — they searched for a long time without finding even a trace of a berry tree.
Just as mother and son were at their wits' end, a Bunnelby suddenly poked its head out of the ground. Upon spotting the human and Gardevoir, it immediately tried to retreat into its burrow.
Daisy reacted quickly, using her psychic power to hold the Bunnelby in place.
"Garde~Garde~" — Let me ask you something. Do you know where there are any berry trees around here?
The Bunnelby trembled, shaking its head vigorously but remaining silent.
"Garde~Garde~" — Hey~ if you don't talk, I'll have to hit you!
As she spoke, she flexed her tender green little fists.
(﹒﹒)'
The Bunnelby continued trembling without making a sound.
Daisy lost patience and used her psychic power to yank the Bunnelby out of its hole.
"Garde...Gar?" — Are you going to speak up or not? This is getting annoying!
Finally, the trembling Bunnelby pointed in a direction.
"Garde~" — That's better!
Daisy nodded with satisfaction and released the Bunnelby, which vanished in a flash.
Following the Bunnelby's directions, mother and son walked out of the small woods into a large grassland. Not far away stood a massive tree laden with round blue fruits.
Cole approached the tree and exclaimed excitedly, "These must be Oran Berries! Look how many there are!"
"Garde~Garde~" — Baby, let's hurry and pick them! There are so many!
Having raised a child alone in the wild, Daisy understood the importance of food well. The sight of such abundance filled her with excitement.
Just as she used her psychic power to pluck a fruit, an angry roar erupted behind them. Mother and son spun around to find a furious Diggersby that had appeared out of nowhere.
Oh no! This fruit tree has an owner!
✲ Mud Shot! ✲
Without warning, Diggersby launched its attack, hurling a massive ball of mud toward the mother and son. A direct hit would bury them instantly.
"Daisy, Mystical Fire!" Cole shouted quickly.
"Garde~"
✲ Mystical Fire! ✲
She drew a circle in the air with each hand, and from each circle burst forth a column of crimson fire, instantly engulfing Diggersby's mud ball.
The powerful fire columns halted the mud ball's momentum, causing it to drop harmlessly to the ground.
∑(o_o;)
Diggersby was stunned by the Gardevoir's display of power, thinking: They're incredibly strong! Who are these mysterious visitors?
Though it considered itself the "king" of this area, the clever Pokémon quickly changed tactics. Instead of attacking again, it began gesturing accusingly at Cole and Daisy, letting out a stream of complaints.
Through its animated gestures, Diggersby conveyed that they had no honor — sneaking around like thieves! It had spent so long cultivating this fruit tree, and here they were, trying to steal its precious harvest!
"We didn't know this was your tree." Cole explained apologetically, "Here, we'll give this fruit back to you."
He took the fruit from Daisy's hand and offered it to Diggersby.
Seizing the chance to save face, Diggersby accepted the fruit and swallowed it whole, then made a show of magnanimously forgiving their transgression.
Just then, Cole noticed a small sapling swaying in the wind beside the Oran Berry tree.
A thought struck him: 'I could grow my own berries!'
✲✲✲
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