Chapter 2: Eevee

Eevee's long, rabbit-like ears twitched ever so slightly, catching the faint sounds of someone approaching quickly.

In this moment, she felt a surge of emotions she hadn't experienced in either of her lifetimes—excitement, and a mix of complexity.

Was she finally going to feel his warm embrace again, the one that made all worries fade away? Just the thought of that unforgettable sensation—a memory etched so deeply it transcended lifetimes—made Eevee's body tremble with anticipation.

"I'm back, Ethan," she thought. "This time, I'll make up for all the regrets of my past life and stand beside you at the summit."

Eevee's mind drifted as her memories rewound to the day of her rebirth.

The Riverhaven Pokémon Breeding Base was the largest facility in Riverhaven City for breeding Pokémon.

It was also the best place for students and residents to acquire their ideal Pokémon companions.

Spanning thousands of hectares, the base was home to Pokémon as numerous as schools of fish swimming through rivers, with populations in each area numbering in the tens of thousands.

One ordinary spring day, a group of adorable yet unremarkable Eevee hatched from their eggs.

As one of the most popular Pokémon species, the base hatched tens of thousands of Eevee every year—nothing unusual about that.

What was unusual, however, was one particular Eevee in this group. From the moment she was born, she displayed extraordinary traits.

She ate the most, ran the fastest, was the most physically active, and her intelligence was nothing short of astonishing.

Her outstanding qualities and potential earned her special treatment at the breeding base.

After all, the base operated like a business. A gifted Eevee like her was sure to fetch a high price. The investments made in her upbringing would pay off many times over when a Trainer chose her.

Without a doubt, she became the star Pokémon on the base's sales list.

After maturing out of infancy, she was regularly showcased to potential clients. Every day, staff led visitors to the area where she lived.

Clearly, the base believed it was time for their investment in her to yield returns.

But a strange thing happened. Whenever visitors arrived, the usually energetic Eevee would become gloomy and withdrawn.

Some clients even asked, "Does she have some sort of depression?"

Other times, she behaved aggressively, avoiding human interaction altogether. She seemed more like a Mankey than an Eevee.

Her peculiar behavior turned away client after client.

The staff were perplexed, assuming this clever Eevee didn't want to leave the place she was born and raised or part with her companions.

What they couldn't possibly know was that this seemingly ordinary Eevee, apart from her talent, carried the soul of someone who had lived twice—a reincarnated Eevee.

Eevee had no way of knowing if Ethan would choose her again from the countless Eevee in this life.

So from the moment she was born, she chose a different path. She worked tirelessly to stand out from the crowd, striving to become exceptional.

For someone who had reached Elite-level strength in her past life, this wasn't hard. What was challenging were the unforeseen changes her actions brought, like the flapping of a butterfly's wings altering the future.

Her exceptional qualities quickly made her a prized Pokémon in the eyes of the base staff, earning her unprecedented popularity.

But then a troubling thought crossed her mind: could her newfound fame prevent her from meeting Ethan?

Whenever someone came to choose an Eevee, she acted as strangely as possible.

For now, she avoided the crisis of being chosen by someone else.

But her sharp mind soon realized another issue.

With her current price, there was no way Ethan—poor as he was—could afford her.

Talent, once shown, couldn't be hidden. Even if she tried to play dumb now, the staff would see through her and never lower her price.

There was only one solution left: escape!

Once the decision was made, Eevee quickly set her escape plan into motion.

The breeding base wasn't heavily guarded. The area was vast, and the sheer number of Pokémon made strict oversight impossible.

Besides, no baby Pokémon in the base had ever thought of leaving behind a life of guaranteed food and care to become a wild Pokémon.

At least, not until now.

Eevee's escape plan went off without a hitch. She snuck onto a truck transporting Pokémon to smaller breeding facilities.

Among a dozen other Eevee with similar appearances, she blended in and successfully made her way out.

Once outside, the world stretched before her like an endless ocean waiting to be explored.

Though her current strength couldn't rival even a sewer-dwelling Rattata, her cunning and wit as a reincarnated Eevee helped her navigate dangers with ease.

At last, she arrived at the place etched in her memories—Ethan's home.

Standing on the familiar cobblestone streets beneath the pink-tinted tiles, she was flooded with memories of her happiest days.

Every weekend, Ethan would take her shopping at the market, fulfilling her every whim.

An idea struck her—she would wait for Ethan on the path he always took to the market!

In her mind, Ethan's kind nature wouldn't allow him to ignore her plight.

Excited by the plan, Eevee rolled in a muddy puddle left by the rain, let a loyal Rattata add a few convincing claw marks to her fur, and then collapsed on Ethan's usual path, awaiting the person she'd been longing for.

That led to the scene unfolding now.

Ethan stopped a few meters away from the Eevee, cautious not to rush over.

Having lived in this world for nearly a year, he'd learned that it wasn't wise to impose his will on wild Pokémon.

To them, humans could be hell.

What he saw was a pitiful Eevee in need of rescue, but to the Eevee—who knew what harm she had endured—he might appear as a potential threat.

His careful eye noticed how the Eevee's trembling intensified as he approached.

"She's afraid of me," he deduced, deciding not to make any sudden moves.

As someone who valued order and clear goals, Ethan disliked disruptions to his routine.

But for reasons he couldn't explain, the moment he saw this Eevee, his heart stirred.

Overcome by an inexplicable urge, he crouched down and softly asked a question that would alter the course of his life forever.

"If you need my help, could you nod your head?"