Chapter 41: Sylveon

Andrew and his group carefully stepped onto the ice, being cautious not to slip and fall.

"Vulpix~"

At that moment, a soft sound was heard. A small head peeked out from behind an ice rock, curiously watching Andrew and his companions.

"It's a Vulpix!" Andrew exclaimed. And it was an Alolan Vulpix.

"Vulpix~"

Seemingly startled, the Vulpix quickly retreated behind the ice rock.

"Oh, sorry~~" Andrew said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He then addressed the ice rock, "Sorry for scaring you, Vulpix."

As Andrew spoke, more and more little heads began to appear from behind the ice rocks, revealing that they were all Alolan Vulpix.

"Everyone, come out."

Kimia stepped forward and called out to them. Soon, Vulpix emerged from behind the ice rocks and gathered around her.

She knelt down, gently petting Vulpix while speaking to Andrew, "These Vulpix have just recently arrived at the breeding area and are still getting used to it."

Andrew realized, "So that's what's going on."

"Would you like to pet them?" Kimia asked.

Considering what had just happened, Andrew inquired, "Will it scare them?"

"Not anymore," Kimia replied with a smile. "They were just startled by your sudden voice."

Andrew approached Kimia slowly. Vulpix didn't shy away.

"Can I pet you?" Andrew asked one of Vulpix as he knelt down.

"Pix~~"

Vulpix squinted its eyes and nodded.

Andrew's face brightened. He gently placed his hand on Vulpix's head and rubbed it softly.

"Vulpix ~~"

Vulpix was very affectionate, nuzzling its head into Andrew's hand.

The texture of Vulpix's fur was remarkable—fluffy and cool, silky smooth like satin, different from any other fur Andrew had ever touched.

After petting Vulpix's head, Andrew also stroked its back. Vulpix remained affectionate, allowing Andrew to continue.

Seeing this, the other Vulpix gathered around Andrew.

"Vulpix ~"

"Vulpix~"

"Vulpix~"

…

They surrounded Andrew—some jumped into his arms, licking his cheeks; others nuzzled his arms, licking his palms; some brushed against his legs, while others called out, begging to be petted… In short, Andrew felt incredibly happy.

It was like being in paradise.

"It seems they really like you," Kimia said, smiling as she covered her mouth.

After playing with Vulpix for a while, Andrew and his group began heading down the mountain. When they reached the edge of the flower field, Andrew called out, "Munchlax, time to go home!"

"Munchlax~~"

Munchlax, hearing this, immediately left its playmates and ran to Andrew's side.

"Did you have fun?" Andrew asked with a smile, pinching Munchlax's chubby cheeks.

"Munch~ lax~" It was fun, I liked it.

Munchlax responded happily.

"It's getting late; let's head home," Andrew said. "We'll come back next time."

"Munch~" Munchlax nodded eagerly.

As Andrew was about to continue down the mountain, he suddenly felt something was off.

"Munchlax, where's Komala?"

Munchlax looked down at its empty hands and realized that it had lost Komala. It jumped up in a panic, like a puppy whose tail had been stepped on.

Where's Komala? Where's my Komala?

"Let's find it quickly," Andrew said.

The group began searching for Komala.

Kimia reassured Andrew, "Don't worry; it won't get lost in the breeding area."

Andrew nodded, "You're right."

Kimia thought for a moment and asked Flamel to get help from the breeders working nearby. They were the most familiar with the area.

Soon, a breeder near the waterfall in the flower field called out, "Your Highnesses, I found it!"

Following the voice, Andrew and the others arrived to find Komala in a standoff with another Pokémon.

"Komala!" Andrew called out.

Upon hearing Andrew's voice, Komala rolled to Andrew's feet, hugging its log pillow. Andrew deftly bent down and picked it up.

"Syl~"

At that moment, the Pokémon facing Komala let out a surprised cry and stared intently at Andrew.

Before Andrew could react, the Pokémon was already by his side.

"Syl~ Syl~~"

The Pokémon danced around Andrew, looking very anxious.

Princess Kimia suddenly slapped her forehead, "Oh no, I was so busy I forgot to tell you, Andrew. This is Sylveon."

Andrew looked at Kimia in confusion.

Kimia then introduced the Pokémon formally, "Andrew, this is Sylveon, the guardian deity of the Azoth Kingdom, and once the Pokémon of Queen Anna."

(Note: In this story, Pokémon with higher levels have longer lifespans. With a high enough level, even a regular Pokémon might have a lifespan similar to that of a legendary Pokémon.)

Upon hearing Kimia's introduction, Andrew looked at Sylveon in astonishment, "Could you be… Anna's Eevee?"

"Syl~ Syl~~"

Sylveon nodded happily.

But soon, Sylveon grew puzzled. Wasn't Andrew supposed to be dead?

Seeing Sylveon's furrowed brow, Kimia explained, "Sylveon, here's what happened…" She recounted the story Andrew had fabricated.

Sylveon didn't question it. In its view, Nikola was an exceptional figure.

Andrew sighed with amazement and said to Sylveon, "So you evolved into Sylveon."

Strictly speaking, Andrew wasn't very familiar with Sylveon. By the time Eevee was with Anna, Andrew was nearly "dead," and his health had limited his interaction with Pokémon, except for Diancie, who was still a Carbink at that time.

Meeting old friends like Andrew or Sylveon five hundred years later, both felt incredibly joyful.

"By the way, Sylveon, what caused the conflict with Komala?" Andrew asked.

"Syl~ Syl~"

Sylveon shyly explained the situation.

It turned out to be a misunderstanding. While Sylveon was out for a walk, it sensed a suspicious presence nearby, which raised its alarm. It thought someone with malicious intent had sneaked into the royal breeding grounds, so it went to investigate, resulting in a standoff with Komala.

Andrew attempted to use his Observational Eye to check Sylveon's data but, as expected, it was inaccessible.

Sylveon had genuinely lived for five hundred years. Unlike Andrew and Diancie, who had been in suspended animation, Sylveon's level was beyond comprehension.

Diancie and Sylveon were also familiar with each other and were thrilled to meet again.

Andrew, Diancie, and Sylveon then sat on the grass and chatted for a long time. They talked about events from five hundred years ago, Anna, the changes over the centuries, and their hopes for the future.

From Sylveon, Andrew learned that Anna's Pokémon were not limited to just Sylveon. Back then, Anna had personally participated in battles, using her Pokémon to quell domestic uprisings and repel invasions, earning her the title of Battle Queen.

Unfortunately, Anna's battle partners had all passed away within a hundred years after her death, leaving only Sylveon to protect the Azoth Kingdom she had fought so hard to safeguard and her descendants.

Andrew also learned from Sylveon that Nikola had created more Magearna than he had known.

The royal family had a princess and a prince, and Nikola originally planned to create two identical Magearna—one for each. However, the process of creating them was more complicated than expected. Nikola only managed to complete one before Andrew's death.

The first Magearna was intended for Andrew to assist with his illness, but due to its somewhat confused nature, it ended up becoming Anna's companion.

When Nikola started on the second Magearna, Andrew was already near death. Nonetheless, Nikola finished the second Magearna after Andrew's passing. Unlike the widely known first Magearna, the second one was known only to Nikola and the then-reigning Anna.

Sylveon had later learned about the second Magearna by chance, and by then, both Magearna's whereabouts were unknown.

Hearing Sylveon's story, Andrew felt a deep sense of nostalgia.

Realizing it was getting late, Andrew hugged Sylveon and said, "Sylveon, I'll come visit you again."

"Syl~ Syl~"

Sylveon extended its ribbon and hugged Andrew and Diancie in return.

After parting with Sylveon, Andrew stood up. "Well then, Sylveon, see you next time."

"Syl~"

Sylveon waved its ribbon to say goodbye.

As they left the breeding grounds, Andrew sighed deeply but smiled as he said to Diancie and Munchlax, "Let's head home!"

After leaving the palace, Andrew stored away the food cart and teleported Diancie and Munchlax back home first. He then took Komala to the Nebel River, where Lapras was waiting. He rode it back to the Nebel Plateau.

After culinary training that night, Andrew, Munchlax, and Komala relaxed in the bathtub. Andrew leaned against the edge of the tub, lost in thought about Sylveon's words.

He already knew his sister Anna had faced many challenges after ascending to the throne, but he was surprised to learn she had fought on the battlefield herself.

His sister, once delicate and cheerful, was now remembered as the "Battle Queen." He could hardly imagine the hardships she endured to become the perfect Queen Anna in the eyes of the people.

And Magearna… where were they now? What had become of them?

"Munchlax ~~"

Seeing Andrew deep in thought, Munchlax suddenly scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on Andrew's face, then laughed heartily.

Andrew snapped back to reality and pointed at Munchlax. "So, you want to mess with your master? I can't let that slide. Take this!" He then splashed water back at Munchlax.

"Munchlax ~~"

"Hahaha~~"

The master and apprentice started a water fight in the bathtub.

Poor Komala, floating in the tub, was tossed around by the splashing waves and couldn't get a peaceful rest.

Suddenly, Komala slammed its log pillow into the water, causing a huge splash. The water level in the tub dropped significantly, leaving Komala sitting shallowly in the water.

Munchlax and Andrew exchanged amused glances and laughed even more.

Komala: o(▼皿▼メ;)o

Eventually, Diancie's voice called from outside, "How long are you going to be in there?! Aren't you going to bed? What about work tomorrow?"

At Diancie's question, Munchlax covered its mouth, sneaking a laugh like a mischievous little mouse.

After bathing, Andrew dried off his Pokémon and then went to bed himself.

The next morning, Andrew took Komala to the royal city market again, where Raleigh was still there to help with Slurpuff.

Andrew's business was as busy as ever, and he and Raleigh were constantly on the move.

In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed since Raleigh began helping out.

In these ten days, Raleigh had indeed improved. Although he wasn't exactly outgoing, he could now handle customer teasing with a straight face.

His efficiency had also improved significantly—he could now serve customers accurately even with his eyes closed.

That morning, after finishing selling buns, Andrew counted the day's earnings.

They had sold 3,079 dumplings, earning 61,580 Pokédollars, and 4,683 steamed buns, earning 46,830 Pokédollars.

Total: 108,410 Pokédollars.

Andrew then checked his bank account balance: 1,293,714 Pokédollars.

With the bank account, he no longer had to count cash manually.

His daily earnings were between 90,000 and 100,000 Pokédollars.

While over a million might seem like a lot, it was still insufficient for purchasing a shop in the royal city. Andrew thought.

He also checked his Happiness Points balance: 850,567. It was close to reaching 1 million.

Andrew opened the system interface, and a notification popped up:

Congratulations, Host, on completing the achievement of serving 5,000 Pokémon. Reward: +3 Constitution.

A smile appeared on Andrew's face. "Great, Constitution increased again!"

He checked his personal data:

[Andrew]

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 16 (+500)

Constitution: 16

Intelligence: 10

Culinary Rating: Rookie Chef

(End of Chapter)