A sudden ascent, then a sharp dive—this kind of maneuver carried a burst of acceleration.
Normally, when a Flying-type Pokémon used such a move, not only did its accuracy improve, but the power of its attack was also greatly enhanced.
"Not bad speed," Yozora smiled faintly, "but we're not pushovers either. Eevee, use Dig!"
Dig was a move Eevee had just learned a few days ago, and against high-altitude attacks like this, it proved extremely effective.
Gifted as it was, Eevee had already mastered Dig with surprising skill in such a short time. With a resounding thud, it burrowed into the ground, leaving Noctowl to strike only empty air.
"Now—use Swift!" Yozora ordered.
Eevee suddenly popped up from another tunnel it had dug, opening its small mouth and unleashing a barrage of golden stars toward the Noctowl hovering in the sky.
Unfortunately, the nimble Noctowl dodged them all with ease.
And so began a drawn-out battle of attrition.
Under Falkner's command, Noctowl continuously launched attacks from the air, but Eevee kept slipping underground, rendering those assaults useless.
Yet Eevee's Swift was equally ineffective, unable to land a solid blow on its opponent.
Both sides exchanged moves again and again, but neither could strike true.
As time dragged on…
Though neither Pokémon had been directly injured, both were clearly running out of stamina.
"Yozora, you've got some real skill," Falkner admitted with a nod.
Even though it was simply Dig, the way Eevee's agility rivaled that of a Flying-type Pokémon was proof enough of Yozora's training prowess.
"Likewise," Yozora replied lightly.
He had noticed Noctowl slowing down, fatigue creeping into its wings. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Now's our chance! Eevee, use Swift once more!"
Eevee sprang into action, spitting out a rapid stream of glittering stars.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The exhausted Noctowl could no longer evade. The golden stars pelted its body again and again, until at last it let out a pitiful cry.
The bird spiraled downward, crashed onto the ground, and lay still with closed eyes, face twisted in pain—it could no longer continue.
The referee waved his flag. "Noctowl is unable to battle! Eevee wins!"
"Eevee!" Overjoyed with its victory, the little Pokémon leapt happily into the air.
Its fur was matted with dirt from repeated Digging, and its breath came heavy with exertion. Yet even as it steadied itself, its eyes still burned with fighting spirit.
"Well done, Eevee," Yozora praised warmly.
For now, Eevee hadn't tapped into any evolution—or transformation—yet it had already defeated an opponent. Naturally, Yozora chose to let Eevee remain in battle.
Eevee's stamina was limited due to its current level, but that wasn't a major issue. After all, jade needed polishing to become a gem. With more battles, Eevee's endurance would naturally improve.
What mattered more than stamina…
…was that its willpower and fighting spirit had been thoroughly awakened.
"Excellent work, Noctowl. Return," Falkner said, recalling his Pokémon. Then he immediately drew out a second Poké Ball. "Now you'll face the starting point of all bird Pokémon—Dodrio!"
With a flash of white light, a three-headed bird Pokémon appeared.
Yes, it was firmly standing on the ground.
Dodrio, despite being a bird Pokémon, had no wings—and thus could not fly.
The evolution of Doduo, it gained a third head along with a massive increase in strength.
"Yozora," Falkner called out, "Dodrio may not have wings, but its desire to fly is stronger than any other bird Pokémon! And its speed… is second to none!"
With that declaration, he snapped his command: "Go, Dodrio! Use Quick Attack!"
"Shoo!"
Dodrio's speed was blinding. Even before Falkner's words fully fell, it had already turned into a blur, charging straight at Eevee.
Yet Yozora remained calm, his eyes full of confidence. "Eevee, dodge it!"
"Swish!"
Eevee flickered aside, moving even faster than Dodrio itself. At the very last instant, it evaded the Quick Attack completely.
"What?!"
Falkner froze in shock. Witnessing Eevee's terrifying speed left him utterly stunned. "It's been burrowing this whole time… and yet it has speed like this?!"
Yozora caught the disbelief on Falkner's face and allowed himself a satisfied smile.
The truth was, Eevee hadn't been this fast at the start of the match.
But Falkner didn't know—Eevee possessed the Speed Boost ability.
With every passing moment, its speed had risen, and by now, it had doubled!
And what did double speed mean?
Eevee was naturally an agile Pokémon. Even if it wasn't quite as fast as Dodrio at first, with speed doubled, the gap was erased—no, more than erased.
It was absolute domination.A crushing advantage in speed.
Eevee's earlier use of Dig had hidden this fact from Falkner, but now it was too late to adjust.
"Finish this, Eevee—use Thunderbolt!" Yozora commanded.
"What? Thunderbolt?!" Falkner blinked, confused.
But the next instant, he was struck dumb.
Eevee's body shimmered, and in a flash it transformed into Jolteon, unleashing a devastating Thunderbolt that slammed into Dodrio.
"Waaagh!"
Bolts of lightning exploded across Dodrio's body, wracking it with searing pain.
As a Flying-type Pokémon, Dodrio was doubly weak to Electric attacks. Now struck directly, its agony was overwhelming, piercing straight to the bone.
Falkner specialized in bird Pokémon, and he knew their weaknesses all too well. He had spent his career drilling them in speed, using swiftness and evasive maneuvers to avoid Electric-type moves.
But once struck head-on, there was nothing he could do.
"Crash!"
Under the relentless surge of electricity, the Senior-level Dodrio didn't last even a second before it collapsed heavily to the ground.
Its three eyes rolled into spirals—it was completely out of the fight.
"Dodrio is unable to battle! Eevee wins again!" the referee declared, raising his hand.
But Falkner—and even the Gym's watching disciples—had yet to recover from their shock.
What kind of nonsense was this?!Eevee had suddenly evolved into Jolteon in the middle of battle?!
Didn't Eevee's evolution into Jolteon require a Thunder Stone?!
…
…
(End of Chapter)