The Birth of Espeon

"My Lord! There is yet more to the plan; we have help from various parties from Hoenn, the Kanto region, the Jhoto region, and even some obscured organizations like Team Rocket who will be participating." The Chairman blurted out the names of all the parties involved in the upcoming ambush the League had planned against the Blackthorn family.

"Oh, the Empress herself is willing to participate!" The old man's eyes widened in astonishment at the mention of Team Rockets name. The mere mention of the Empress's involvement sent shivers down his spine. After suffering a devastating defeat at the hands of the Blackthorn's Ancestor millennia ago, the Empress remained elusive; she was an enigmatic figure holding an exalted position even among legendary trainers.

His grudge against the Blackthorns ran deep, and he had been eagerly awaiting an opportunity for revenge. If the Empress herself was willing to participate alongside him, it meant two legendary trainers against their enemies. Even if the Blackthorn's ancestor still lived, they could potentially handle him or, with luck on their side, eliminate him. However, the Chairman's next words poured cold water on the old man's grand plans, leaving him feeling gloomy.

"No, my Lord! It's Mr. Giovanni that has promised to support us from the dark, but we have made ample preparations, and we also have a trump card." The Chairman immediately took out a poke jammer ready for demonstration.

The old man's interest waned knowing that the empress was not going to be present but just her progeny slithering in the shadows. The old man knew about Giovanni; many who knew about the true Empress felt that he was a disappointment to the Empress bloodline.

Her name was revered and feared; even her opponents showed respect for the woman who liked to face all challenges head-on. But Giovanni was different; he was a cunning snake waiting to take advantage of everything around him. As he felt disappointed, the Chairman's explanation about the poke jammer caught the old man's attention.

"Say that again! What is this device capable of?" The old man's interest was piqued once more, and the Chairman enthusiastically started explaining about the PokeJammer from the start.

The old man wasted no time, commanding the Chairman to activate the device. In response, he tossed out a special Pokéball, eager to test the device's effectiveness. To his surprise, just as the Chairman had explained, the Pokéball remained inert.

His mind raced with possibilities, understanding the dangers posed by such a device, especially if his Pokémon were caught off guard. With an evil smirk, the old man looked up at the Chairman.

"You dared to bring such a dangerous device before me without my explicit permission? I wonder if this new device has any weaknesses." His poisonous aura once again began to seep out as he contemplated the potential of this new tool. He needed every detail to ensure he wouldn't be blindsided by it in the future. There was a good chance it could be the key to destroying the Blackthorn family root and stem.

"My Lord! I will personally share all the details of this device with you, and the League will assist in building a mainframe at your desired location to modify your pokéballs, ensuring they won't be affected by such a device in the future," the Chairman offered, understanding there was no room for negotiation.

It was a command he had to follow if he wanted to leave alive. He realized how naive he had been to try and corner the old man using the PokeJammer device and negotiate. The old man's next action proved it as he casually recalled the Pokéball and, with sheer brute force, tore it apart, releasing the Pokémon in the most brutal manner possible. The huge Venusaur that manifested cried out in protest, but the old man paid no heed to its complaints.

The Chairman couldn't help but gulp in absolute fear. Pokéballs were designed to be nearly indestructible as they housed a separate dimension. Yet the old man tore through it with his aura power, demonstrating mastery beyond comprehension. This feat wasn't achievable by just anyone; it was reserved only for exalted individuals who had reached grandmaster levels in aura manipulation, level 7 aura and above.

"It seems you didn't consider such a method of releasing Pokémon, did you? But don't worry, not everyone can achieve this feat, so your device should still be effective," the old man remarked casually, tossing away the scrapped Pokéball and crushing the still-pulsing PokeJammer.

"I expect any and all devices that counter this to be built specifically for me within the week, along with a copy of the original blueprint," he ordered, indifferent to the Chairman's response.

"Yes, my Lord, it will be done. So, about your assistance regarding the Blackthorn matter..." The Chairman hesitantly queried, knowing that securing this man's support was the linchpin for their plans. Even if they could muster the entire League, without the old man's help, they would be sitting ducks.

The old man tapped rhythmically while the Chairman stood nervously, deep in thought. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again. "No, this wouldn't be enough. Even if that old monster of the Blackthorns is already six feet under, their remaining strength cannot be underestimated.

Even with my intervention, there are relics that can defend against me, even if they are not true legendary rank masters like myself. We need more if we truly want to pull this off. As it stands, even with these devices, you will have only a 30% chance of success, and that's with me in the mix." The old man's survival over a millennium in this brutal world had honed his ability to estimate his enemies with precision. It was this caution that had kept him alive for centuries.

"Well, we still have another trump card, my Lord! We planned to invoke a massive Pokémon tide simultaneously across all the borders that the Blackthorn family is safeguarding. Originally, we even planned on triggering a Pokémon tide from within their territory, but the plan's success has not been confirmed yet," the Chairman explained, gaining some confidence. This was an extensive plan laid out by the best minds he knew, with the likes of Giovanni, the patriarch of the Stone family, and other exalted individuals among them.

"Oh, an all-out tide? That's interesting. It will surely divert the attention of the majority of the Blackthorn family's forces, leaving their internal security vulnerable. I'm sure you are planning to use these devices during the tide as well, correct?" The old man questioned with a cruel glint in his eyes.

Following the man's idea would condemn all the trainers who try to defend against the Pokemon tide, Blackthorn family or not, to certain doom, as they would not be able to release their Pokémon. But the Chairman had no choice in the matter anymore and simply nodded his head in confirmation.

"Even then, I am not sure it would be enough. Do you think the Blackthorns, who have stood for millennia, would not have countermeasures for such an eventuality? Even if the tide were led by Epic Level Pokémon, they might be able to handle it," the old man remarked while his fingers traced the table, pondering the situation. He knew the Blackthorns were not to be underestimated, standing as the pinnacle among human families.

"Well, My Lord, that is why we are planning to provoke natural Legendary Pokémon into taking the lead for the tide. And as an added measure, we are planning to add a second natural legendary Pokémon to the mix, one from the north and the other from the south. There is no way the Blackthorns will be able to handle two natural legendary pokemon at the same time, especially if their old ancestor is dead." The Chairman added with glee.

The League was going all out, even willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of people in the aftermath. Natural Legendary stage Pokémon were akin to natural disasters, a force of nature, and the League was planning to provoke not one but two at the same time.

"Young lad, you are playing a truly dangerous game here. Do you think the natural legendaries are the same as the ones that we raise? No, their superior bloodlines have made them apex predators since the time they were born. There is a reason that nature restricted their numbers to such an abysmal number; it's to maintain balance. You are trying to deal with forces that you truly do not understand," the old man's voice turned solemn.

Even he held reverence for such a Pokémon. There was a reason why, in all these centuries, no one was able to subdue a natural legendary Pokémon with brute force, even though there were Legendary class trainers. Fighting such a Pokémon was a totally different ball game.

But the old man understood that if the League was willing to involve two natural legendaries, then the Blackthorn family was as good as dealt with. However, there was one thing that intrigued him, so he couldn't help but question further.

"I'm just curious; how did you guys even manage to locate the dwellings of these natural legendaries? The only one known to many is the Moltres on top of Mt. Silver. Are you guys planning to provoke it under the nose of the Blackthorn? Last I heard, they had complete control of Mt. Silver," the old man questioned curiously. Even he himself wouldn't dare venture into the Blackthorn territory to provoke a natural legendary Pokémon like Moltres.

"No, my Lord! Moltres is out of our current reach to even target. The two natural legendaries that we have located are a Zapdos, which is currently nested a few thousand miles outside the northern Johto border, and an Articuno, whose nest is a few hundred miles southwest of the Sevii Islands."

The old man laughed out loud like a madman as the Chairman disclosed the names of the Pokémon they were planning to involve. The tide initiated by such Pokémon would be of the highest scale. He truly underestimated the League's resolve. But then, the Blackthorn family was worth such preparations. If one were to bury a family like Blackthorn forever, then it should be done with honor and grandeur befitting their status. The old man's aura soared as if madness had consumed him.

"After so many centuries, vengeance will finally be mine!"

The Chairman had to endure almost two hours of negotiation to finalize and secure the support of the old man. Though he wanted to tear apart the old monster for demanding so much in exchange for his help, there was nothing he could do. In the end, he had to relent and agree to submit the lion's share of the profits they would gain after the fall of the Blackthorns.

As the Chairman stepped out of the mansion, he witnessed the grim aftermath of the encounter. The fate of the remaining four Master Class trainers was evident in the scene before him: a one-sided slaughter. The lifeless bodies of Pokémon, once formidable in their Palladium stage, now lay strewn across the front of the mansion.

The evil Seviper that had accompanied the old man was even helping itself to the Pokémon corpses. His heart ached at the loss of the six master-class trainers. Currently, Master Class trainers are the League's highest fighting force; anything higher is not the League's forces but entities acting out of mutual benefit.

However, despite the loss, the Chairman resolved himself. Once he gained access to the Blackthorn family's knowledge and wealth, the League would no longer have to fear any of the Legacy families. Then, the four regions—Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh—would be completely under his thumb.

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Back on the cruise, the days passed relatively smoothly. Despite the occasional hiccup, the voyage proceeded without major incident. However, beneath the tranquil surface of the ocean lies a dangerous realm. Even the two Epic stage Pokémon that escorted the ship found themselves engaged in battle at least once or twice a day. The vastness of the ocean meant that the cruise ship often intruded upon the territories of Epic Pokémon, and these powerful creatures did not take kindly to new contenders encroaching upon their domain.

Many of these clashes were brief, lasting only a few minutes. Once the Blastoise and Gyarados accompanying the ship made it clear that they had no intention of challenging the wild Pokémon for territory, the battles would often subside. However, the wild Pokémon remained vigilant, ever watchful for any potential threats to their domain.

Currently, Claire and I find ourselves in Professor Oak's temporary research room. The professor had requested my presence to discuss various topics, particularly regarding the possibility of Eevee evolving into types other than the three known ones: Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon.

Today, I was overseeing the professor's experiment to create the first-ever Espeon. I had selected the highest-potential Eevee from Oak's collection—a Dark Blue Potential. With the Portable Space Pocket (PSP) device, Oak could transport his entire collection wherever he pleased, making it convenient for him to conduct experiments on the go. Therefore, he had no qualms about parting with the potential first Espeon that might result from our intervention, knowing that such evolutions could occur naturally in the wild.

I envisioned this Espeon to be Claire's second Pokémon. Despite her relentless efforts in fishing for Pokémon, I was adamant that her next companion should possess at least Indigo potential. Even in the case of the traditional Eevee evolutions, I planned to make some discreet modifications without Oak's knowledge. While he could replicate the Espeon evolution process with the information I provided, enhancing the potential of Pokémon was beyond his capabilities.

"Little Aron, we are all set," Oak remarked, his eyes scanning the array of instruments meticulously arranged before us. Each piece of equipment held the promise of a breakthrough, marking this moment as one poised to be an epoch-making event.

While Oak originally intended to share the discovery and procedure with the rest of his team, it was my revelation in this lifetime. Consequently, my word held sway, and I had prohibited anyone other than Oak from knowing the exact details and procedures involved, especially with individuals like Archer lurking around.

Even the professor was barred from documenting the procedure; he would need to commit every detail to memory. Fortunately, he had a Porygon handy. As for Oak's suggestion of publishing my new discovery, that would have to wait until the current League was completely dismantled.

"Well, Professor, did you find the material that I asked you to bring along?" I inquired, observing Claire playing with the Eevee on the cusp of evolving into Espeon. Claire had already claimed the Eevee as her own Pokémon; Eevees were known for their gentle nature and easy attachment to children.

"Oh yes, the stone. What did you call it? Ah, the sunstone . That's a catchy name. In the future, we may need to patent that under your name," Oak replied, his face glowing with excitement. It had been decades since he had obtained an ancient scroll containing details regarding possible Eevee evolutions.

For nearly two decades, he had dedicated himself to unraveling this boundless knowledge. Today marked the first step toward that goal. He began rummaging through his PSP to locate the stone. Meanwhile, I discreetly fed the Eevee a colorful candy—a special treat designed to enhance its potential during evolution.

After a minute of searching, Professor Oak pulled out a smooth, shiny stone from his PSP and handed it to me. "Well, Aron, here you go," he said, his expression reflecting a mixture of surprise and determination. Never had he anticipated that he would one day collaborate with a six-year-old child in uncovering the mysteries of the Pokémon world. Despite the unexpected turn of events, this was the purpose for which he had dedicated his life: understanding Pokémon in truth and forging a path for humans to coexist harmoniously with these remarkable creatures.

Under my guidance and with the Eevee's consent, the Professor carefully removed the Everstone tied around its neck. I passed the sunstone into Claire's hands, and now it was a waiting game. The two main factors in Eevee's evolution into Espeon were the presence of daylight and the sunstone , along with a solid bond with its trainer.

With my blessing from Arceus, I could sense that Claire had already formed a strong bond with the Pokémon. The professor and I waited with bated breath as little Claire held both the sunstone and the eevee in her hands. The professor administered some growth-promoting serums to trigger the evolution, and as the clock ticked on, exactly twelve minutes since we began, both the sunstone and the Eevee were engulfed in a bright cocoon of light.

The evolution process was swift, and within moments, the bright light subsided, revealing a graceful Espeon in the place where the cheerful Eevee had once stood. I immediately utilized my powers to study the Pokémon, checking if its potential had indeed been upgraded as I had expected.

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[ESPEON]

Species: Sun Pokémon

Gender: Female

Status: Healthy

Level: 33

Stage: Silver

Height: 0.9 m

Weight: 27.6 kg

Type: Psychic

Potential: Light Indigo

Ability: Synchronize

Hidden Ability: Magic Bounce

Stats:

HP: 501

Attack: 377

Defense: 360

Special Attack: 591

Special Defense: 476

Speed: 525

Moves:

Tackle, Tail Whip, Sand Attack, Confusion, Quick Attack, Swift, Psybeam, Morning Sun, Psychic, Last Resort, Power Swap, Future Sight, …

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Although I was confident in the process and delighted to confirm that Espeon's potential was upgraded to Light Indigo, both Claire and Oak were dancing as if they were over the moon. I couldn't decide whose moves were worse: my clumsy little sister's or the legendary trainer who had been around for centuries.

"Espeon," the Pokémon cried softly as it nestled back by Claire's side. She easily scooped up the Pokémon in her arms and started playing with it.

"Professor Oak, aren't you forgetting something?" With my words, the professor snapped out of his reverie and quickly began reciting details to the Porygon, which converted his words into secure digital data. This information was accessible only to Oak; even I couldn't pry it out of Porygon with all my knowledge.

"Professor, why don't you go ahead and evolve a second Eevee for the sake of redundancy? Then you won't have to pester little Claire for her Espeon to monitor further details." I had a hidden agenda as well: I didn't want Oak to discover the discrepancy in the Espeon that I had evolved for Claire. So, a second Espeon was the logical and safe option.

Oak happily agreed to it, recognizing the sense in my suggestion. He couldn't continuously pester the little girl to part with her Pokémon. Soon, he took out a second chunk of sunstone and picked up an Eevee with which he had the best affinity. He repeated the procedure, and just after ten minutes, we had a second Espeon standing before us. However, unlike Claire's with its light indigo potential, this one only had a dark yellow potential, which was leagues away. After giving the professor a few more fine-tuned details, I took Claire and left so as not to disturb him any longer.