Chapter 186:
"Mew?"
Seeing Hayashi Kaede suddenly rubbing his hands and smiling, Mew didn't find it odd and instead asked, "Mew?" (What is it?)
"It's just... just..." Now it was Hayashi Kaede's turn to act awkwardly.
Just a few days ago, he had been lecturing Mew about treasures from the World Tree, and now he was coveting its treasures himself.
"It's just, do you have more of these World Tree leaves? If they're consumables... could you bring some over from time to time...."
Hayashi Kaede rarely found himself in such a awkward predicament.
"Mew?"
Hearing this, Mew tilted its head and looked at the teapot in Hayashi Kaede's hand. It could tell the water inside was made from the World Tree leaf it had given.
It seemed, Hayashi Kaede had been right earlier—he did want treasures from the World Tree!
Mew couldn't help but imagine: if someone really sneaked into the World Tree and caused damage, would it truly affect the World Tree?
Thinking this, Mew decided that upon returning, it would have the World Tree generate its own "protective" measures to drive away outside humans!
Heh, It was so clever!
Meanwhile, Hayashi Kaede, seeing Mew remain silent for so long, thought the leaves might be particularly precious items from the World Tree. He sighed inwardly. "If they're very rare and would affect the World Tree, then forget it."
Compared to his desire for Aura power, the World Tree was clearly far more important!
"Mew~" (Not really, there are plenty, but they're on the World Tree. Wait for me to go back and get them for you, Kaede~)
Mew shook its head, covering its mouth as it laughed. "Hee..." (You wait for me...)
After speaking, it flew up into the sky.
Meanwhile, Hayashi Kaede's smile gradually widened.
The word plenty caught his utmost attention.
Didn't that mean obtaining Aura power was just a matter of time?
Hayashi Kaede picked up a cup and poured one for himself. Although this sip was still bitter and didn't grant him Aura power, his mood improved significantly.
Having hope was better than having none.
Looking at the Pokémon who had all finished eating, Hayashi Kaede was about to clear the cups and plates from the table when a surge of energy fluctuation suddenly caught his attention. He turned to look.
It was Combusken, who had just drunk the tea. To suppress the bitterness in its mouth, it had gone back to the Alcremie for some cream to counteract the taste.
However, the moment it ate it, its body began to glow white.
Then its form quickly stretched, grew taller, larger, and more proportionate.
The sudden scene attracted everyone's attention, but no one found it strange.
It is because Combusken had been faintly glowing white lately and now was the right time for evolution.
When the white light faded, what appeared before everyone was a Blaziken with a V-shaped mark on its forehead, long cream-colored hair at the back of its head, orange-red fur covering its thighs, and standing nearly two meters tall!
Unlike the typically handsome Blaziken after evolution,
Perhaps because it had just evolved, it still looked a bit dazed. It was still holding a plate with unfinished cream.
But the power surging through its body, plus the change in perspective, all told it that it had evolved.
"Blaziken?"
Blaziken looked at the plate of cream in its hand, momentarily unsure whether to eat it or put it down.
It kind of wanted to eat it, but now, all the Pokémon were looking at it. It felt a bit awkward to eat now.
"Go ahead and eat finish what you have on your plate!" Hayashi Kaede walked over to it, somewhat helplessly saying.
Although his Pokémon rarely experienced battles, so it was difficult for them to evolve during combat.
But...
Evolving while eating cream...
What more right after evolving, still being preoccupied with the cream in its hand... was really... quite something that you would expect from a foodie, Kaede mentally complained.
Watching Blaziken start eating again, Hayashi Kaede sighed inwardly.
He remembered how he had once wanted to raise Blaziken to be a hero of the town, like that Blaziken in Kalos.
But now...
The feathers swaying in the wind, the crimson hue on its legs, the slender figure. Everything was fine if you ignored the cream-covered mouth.
[Pokémon: Blaziken]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Speed Boost]
[Aptitude: Red]
[IVs: ...]
[Level: 40—43]
[Moves: Ember, Peck, Quick Attack, Flame Charge, Sand Attack, Aerial Ace, Night Slash, Brick Break, Dig, Agility, Detect, Flamethrower...]
[Friendship: 94]
[Happiness: 70 (Finally not bitter anymore. Since I have evolved... will I be able to eat more too?)]
"Blaziken~"
Only after finishing the cream did Blaziken contentedly examine its current condition. Its arms and legs might look slimmer, but they were clearly stronger. Squeezing the muscles on its left arm with its right hand revealed firm, hard muscle, and the fire energy within was more active too.
It looked down and realized that the Trainer it once had to look up to now seemed a bit shorter than itself.
So, its confidence returned. "Blaziken!"
"You want to compete in running?" Hayashi Kaede was taken aback, then laughed. "Okay, before dinner this afternoon, we'll have a running race."
"Blaziken!" (Winner gets barbecue!)
Blaziken couldn't help but make a demand.
"Alright, alright, if you win, I'll treat you to barbecue...."
Hayashi Kaede couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry but agreed to its request.
At that moment, Bounsweet was brought over by Indeedee (little sister), and Brionne also swam over leisurely.
Both Pokémon expressed their congratulations on Blaziken's evolution.
Blaziken just grinned goofily, then raised a fist, vowing that in the future, it would definitely protect them like the Blaziken hero Hayashi Kaede had described!
This put Hayashi Kaede's mind somewhat at ease.
It seemed the guy hadn't completely forgotten the stories he'd told.
Bounsweet, who had just arrived, was initially a bit scared.
Seeing its former playmate suddenly become so tall, but upon hearing Blaziken's words, the expression on its pale red flesh immediately turned happy again.
"Bounsweet~" (Mhm mhm~)
Brionne, however, looked at Blaziken with a hint of envy.
Gardevoir walked over to it and patted its head. "Gardevoir..." (Don't worry, you'll be there soon too~)
Brionne froze for a moment, then nodded very seriously.
It could see that the Trainer seemed to be expanding a new Berry Plantation lately. Once ready, the new Plantation would definitely need caretakers.
Milotic preferred staying in this Plantation, so after evolving, it could help the Trainer take care of the new one..
"Bounsweet...."
Beside them, Bounsweet, brought by Indeedee (little sister) holding it, had its smiling expression falter. It looked at the increasingly large and powerful Blaziken, then at the determined, evolved Brionne.
Its smiling expression gradually fell, and finally, its gaze landed on the micro Everstone it carried.
Everyone seemed to be getting stronger and becoming more useful to the Trainer. So, should it still keep this Everstone?