After leaving Cerulean City, Hayato set out toward Vermilion City.
Along the way, he noticed that the synthesis counter in his system had refreshed again. Without hesitation, he found a quiet, empty clearing and started operating the interface.
"Time really flies, huh? Half a month already! Third fusion… maybe I'll finally get a powerhouse this time!"
But the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Hayato was no longer as obsessed as he used to be. He knew by now that fate couldn't be forced—if it was meant to be, it would come. Wishing alone wouldn't make it happen.
He summoned Bellsprout and Psyduck. Honestly, he felt a bit reluctant—he'd grown attached to them—but the system surely had its own reasoning. If it could create a powerful Pokémon for good purposes, its value would far exceed that of ordinary ones.
"All right, let's get this going! Appear before me—the super Pokémon Egg as big as a holy mountain!"
The two Pokémon dissolved into radiant streams of light that merged into one. Soon, a Pokémon Egg covered in brown markings appeared before him.
"Still this small? Come on, system, you gotta be kidding me!"
The egg trembled. Then, a pair of soft, furry ears poked out.
"Huh? A puppy? Looks kinda familiar… what Pokémon is this?"
The adorable creature tilted its head and gave Hayato a playful wink.
"Eevee, huh? Well, you're cute as always—but not exactly what I was hoping for. Still, Eevee's got plenty of potential."
[Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. A rare Pokémon capable of evolving into various forms to adapt to different environments.]
Thinking about its evolution paths, Hayato began to ponder aloud.
"Jolteon's great for offense. Espeon and Umbreon are both strong too. Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon aren't bad either. Argh, this is a tough one…"
Then, something came to mind. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a stone.
"This Moon Stone should let Eevee evolve, right? Let's try it! If it becomes an Umbreon, that'll be a top-tier tank!"
He waited for a reaction—but Eevee just tilted its head blankly. Hayato blinked, then smacked his forehead.
"Oh—right! It only evolves at night! The sun's still up… of course it won't work. I'm such an idiot."(TL:he is)
His next synthesis quest had also refreshed: Spearow + Ponyta = ?
He already had a Spearow, but finding a Ponyta would be tricky. Though herd-dwelling, they were rarely seen in the wild.
Just then, a magnificent rainbow flashed across the sky—a radiant bird soared above, leaving trails of light and renewal in its wake.
Hayato froze, awestruck.
"Ho-Oh… I'm actually seeing Ho-Oh with my own eyes! I wish I could capture it… but—"
It was pure fantasy. With his current strength, he couldn't even pluck a single feather from that divine bird.
As night descended, the forest grew silent and eerie. Wild Pokémon like Rattata and Mankey prowled the shadows, sometimes stealing human belongings.
"A full moon tonight? Perfect! Heaven's on my side. Eevee, come out!"
Eevee emerged, soft and fluffy—every girl's dream companion. But Hayato's passion leaned more toward power than appearance.
Moonlight bathed the forest in silver. Eevee gazed up at the moon in fascination. Seizing the moment, Hayato held up the Moon Stone.
The stone began to glow, lifting into the air as it absorbed moonlight. It hovered above Eevee, releasing blinding light that forced Hayato to shield his eyes.(TL:The Author too)
When the brilliance faded, a sleek black Pokémon stood before him, golden rings faintly glowing across its body—Umbreon.
[Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokémon. Eevee's evolution. When exposed to moonlight, the circular patterns on its body glow faintly, stirring mysterious powers.]
At least, that's what Hayato remembered from the data—but when he scanned it:
[No record of this Pokémon found in the Pokédex. Unable to identify.]
Apparently, his Pokédex was outdated—it only contained entries from the Kanto region's common species.
Even so, it could still detect personality traits. Combining that with his own knowledge, Hayato compiled the stats:
Umbreon – Dark type. Nature: Careful.HP: 95 | Attack: 65 | Defense: 110 | Sp. Atk: 60 | Sp. Def: 130 | Speed: 65 | Base Stat Total: 525.A true defensive fortress—thick-skinned and built to endure.
"Looks like a little black cat. Awesome typing too! Hmm… its moveset's kinda basic though. Let's see—Curse, Double Team, Moonlight, Toxic, Heal Bell… yeah, that'd make it a solid tank and team supporter. Maybe throw in Dark Pulse for some offense."
Umbreon could learn all sorts of utility moves—Wish, Yawn, Protect, and more. Its strategy revolved around endurance battles. Even pseudo-legendaries might struggle against that kind of staying power.
After obtaining Umbreon, Hayato slept soundly that night. When birdsong greeted the dawn, he rose refreshed and washed his face in the nearby stream.
"All right, time to move on. Traveling alone isn't so bad—it's peaceful, and there's a sense of freedom. But if I had to pick a companion… maybe Dawn or Lillie. Definitely Lillie. Shame neither of them are in Kanto."
Somewhere deeper in the forest, a small arena had been set up. Rumor said someone there had achieved ninety-eight consecutive wins—enough to spark Hayato's curiosity.
"Ninety-eight wins? That strong? Could they be using a pseudo-legendary?"
When he arrived, the ninety-ninth match had just concluded. The victor—an ordinary Sandshrew—had defeated two opponents singlehandedly.
"Looks like it's been through some serious training… impressive. But with my Umbreon, I should be able to handle it easily, right?"
Then he checked Umbreon's move list and groaned.
"Ugh, no Toxic, no Curse… can't stall at all. At least it knows Moonlight."
The trainer in the ring stretched and sighed.
"So lonely… Once I hit a hundred wins, this event's over."
Hayato's gaze shifted to the flag fluttering above the arena—it read:
"Winner receives TM06: Toxic."
His eyes lit up.
"Haha, talk about luck! Sorry, buddy—looks like you're about to lose your streak."
The tamer, A.J., was just stepping down from the stage when Hayato called out:
"I challenge you!"
A.J. smirked.
"Fine by me. If I win, that's my hundredth streak. Let's make it quick."
The rules were simple: standard 2v2. Hayato didn't flinch.
"Go, Sandshrew!"
"Let's go, Haunter!"
Sandshrew, being Ground-type, couldn't hit Haunter—who floated effortlessly above the arena—with its strongest move, Earthquake. Type advantage was clear.
A.J. frowned and recalled his Pokémon.
"Return, Sandshrew! Go, Beedrill!"
But even that wasn't much better. Bug- and Poison-type moves barely scratched Ghost-types—only Peck, a Flying-type move, could do minor damage.
A few exchanges later, Hayato won easily, his type advantage too overwhelming.
"Haha! A.J., looks like your winning streak ends here!"
A.J. grimaced.
"Don't get cocky! My Pokémon just aren't optimized yet. If we fought seriously, you wouldn't stand a chance. Seriously though, where'd you get that Haunter? It's totally broken—it's my worst matchup!"
"A loss is a loss. Don't make excuses! Now hand over the prize."
Though disappointed, A.J. was a man of his word. He handed over the TM for Toxic without hesitation.
"Here. Make good use of it. That battle taught me a lot too. Next time we meet, I'll be stronger—and I'll beat you."
After a firm handshake, they parted ways. As Hayato continued toward Vermilion City, he taught Toxic to his Umbreon.
(End of Chapter)