With a sudden flash of white light, Eevee transformed into Flareon without warning. Its entire aura surged upward, rising from Commander-tier to Lord-tier in an instant.
At the same time, scorching flames burst from Flareon's mouth, blasting straight toward Scizor.
At such close range, Scizor had no chance of dodging. The flames engulfed it completely, sending the Bug–Steel Pokémon crashing backward with a heavy thud.
The difference was obvious.
Flareon's fire was far stronger than Dragonair's, and against Scizor's typing, it inflicted a devastating four-times weakness.
Scizor stood no chance. In the blink of an eye, its body was charred black, eyes rolling into swirls before it collapsed unconscious on the ground.
"Scizor is unable to battle! Eevee—uh… Flareon wins! Since Gym Leader Bugsy has no remaining Pokémon, Challenger Yozora is the victor of this match!" The referee raised his flag high, snapping Bugsy out of his daze.
Even then, Bugsy stared across at the victorious Flareon in disbelief.
But just as quickly as it had appeared, the flames around Flareon dimmed—and it reverted back into an Eevee.
Bugsy froze, even more shaken than before.
Damn it, Falkner definitely knew about this Eevee's special ability! He must have kept it from me on purpose when we talked on the phone…
Grinding his teeth, Bugsy walked forward, handed over the Hive Badge, and asked cautiously, "Yozora, does your Eevee really have the ability to freely change between Eevee and Flareon?"
"Yes." Yozora nodded simply.
Bugsy's jaw dropped. Who would ever expect such a cute, harmless-looking Eevee to instantly transform into a mighty Flareon?But what he didn't know… was that this Eevee could also change into Vaporeon and Jolteon.
"A miracle Eevee…" Off to the side, Akai and Tiane were both dumbfounded. In their eyes, every Pokémon Yozora owned was incredibly rare—each one alone could send the entire world into a frenzy.
With the Hive Badge in hand, Yozora now possessed two badges in the Johto Region.
No sooner had Yozora and his friends departed, Bugsy dialed Falkner in Violet Gym."Falkner, you really did me dirty! Yozora's Eevee can transform into Flareon whenever it wants. How could you not warn me beforehand? Because of that, I lost the battle!"
"What? Flareon?!" Falkner sounded startled. "When I battled him, his Eevee turned into Jolteon!"
"Jolteon?"
The two Gym Leaders went silent—then realization struck them both at once.
That Eevee wasn't limited to one form. It likely had the ability to transform into Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon…
And if you counted Eevee itself, that meant four forms it could freely switch between!
"Fire, water, electricity—using all three elements interchangeably? That's terrifying! Not to mention, Eevee looks weak by default. It's the perfect disguise! If an opponent lets their guard down even for a second, they could lose instantly!" Both Gym Leaders broke into cold sweat.
Meanwhile, Yozora, Akai, and Tiane were walking down the street when they noticed a commotion ahead.
Slowpoke were everywhere—but each one had its tail brutally cut halfway off, blood still dripping. Even in their dullness, the poor creatures felt pain, crying out in pitiful howls along the roadside.
Kindhearted townsfolk were kneeling beside them, applying bandages and medicine.
"What happened here?" Yozora hurried over to ask.
He soon learned the truth—it was Team Rocket's doing.
The criminals had grown bold enough to invade the town itself.
Azalea Town had a place known as Slowpoke Well, where many Slowpoke lived. Team Rocket had been cruelly hacking off their tails to sell on the black market.
"Damn it! Team Rocket has been running rampant lately! It's not just Azalea Town—across the entire Johto Region, they've been breaking laws and stirring chaos everywhere!" a furious villager explained.
Yozora's expression hardened.
Their arrogance must have been fueled by the new Forced Evolution Device. With it, Team Rocket's strength had skyrocketed.
BEEP!
A sharp whistle cut through the air as Officer Jenny arrived on her motorcycle, Growlithe trotting at her side. The crowd parted to make way, and Growlithe immediately lowered its head, sniffing for the criminals' scent.
Trained to perfection, it quickly picked up the trail and began pursuit.
Worried Jenny wouldn't be able to handle Team Rocket alone, Yozora offered to help. Akai and Tiane, however, stayed behind to continue treating the injured Slowpoke.
And with that, the three companions split ways.
"Thank you, Yozora. But remember—fighting Team Rocket is no joke. Don't push yourself too far," Jenny said firmly, revving her motorcycle as she followed Growlithe's lead.
Yozora only smiled faintly. He was worried about her… yet she was the one worried for him.
He didn't argue. About half an hour later, they tracked the trail into the wilderness—and there they found them: seven Team Rocket members, gathered together.
Jenny didn't hesitate. Facing seven at once, she stood tall, radiating righteous authority. Growlithe, emboldened by her presence, barked fiercely at the criminals.
Its Intimidate ability flared, yet given its low level—only a Senior Level Pokémon—the effect was limited. If anything, it risked provoking them further.
"You lot, surrender at once!" Jenny shouted, snapping her handcuffs open with a metallic click.
But the seven men only laughed. Their uniforms marked them as ordinary grunts, who under normal circumstances would never dare to defy her…
But now, they had the Forced Evolution Device.
"Go, Fearow!"
"Go, Gengar!"
Poké Balls burst open in rapid succession. Alongside Fearow and Gengar came a Golem, Crobat, and even an Ampharos—clearly a freshly caught Mareep that had been cruelly forced to evolve.
The battle was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)