Chapter 12: Training Is So Much Fun!

Ethan was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. In just two days, Eevee had already begun sensing the Fairy-type energy flowing within her body.

Could my Eevee truly have the potential of a Champion-tier Pokémon?

"Great! Next, try channeling the Fairy energy within you toward your eyes," Ethan said, aiming to guide Eevee further.

Getting greedy for progress, Ethan encouraged her to take the next step.

Baby-Doll Eyes was a move that released energy waves through the eyes to lower an opponent's attack. Combining energy with the eyes was the key to learning the move.

However, after several attempts, Eevee "frustratedly" shook her head.

Ethan patted her head with a gentle smile. "It's okay. You've already done an amazing job. We'll take it one step at a time."

For Eevee to sense Fairy energy within just two days far exceeded Ethan's expectations. He hadn't expected her to master Baby-Doll Eyes so quickly.

If she did manage to accomplish what most Pokémon couldn't achieve in half a year with such ease, that would truly be terrifying.

Satisfied with the progress on Fairy-type moves, Ethan decided to switch to training a few Normal-type moves that were easier to learn.

He had chosen three moves: the offensive move Swift, the boosting move Work Up, and a lesser-known move, Echoed Voice.

Swift was a staple offensive move for Eevee in the early stages. As a move that never misses, it was practically a must-learn skill.

Moreover, if Eevee's ability turned out to be the hidden ability Anticipation, it could transform into Pixilate upon evolving into Sylveon—

Normal-type moves would then become Fairy-type moves, with their power increasing by 20%.

In that case, Swift would become an unmissable Fairy-type move with damage output similar to Aura Sphere.

By any measure, it was worth mastering.

That said, whether Eevee's ability was the rather useless Run Away or the rare Anticipation still required further observation.

The second move, Work Up, was one of Eevee's few boosting moves.

In Pokémon battles, stat-boosting moves played a critical role.

Besides the straightforward purpose of raising stats, such moves could act as bait to lure opponents into making a move during a stalemate.

Additionally, Work Up could serve as a foundation for learning Calm Mind after Eevee evolved into Sylveon.

Finally, Echoed Voice was meant to prepare for a crucial move for Sylveon: Hyper Voice.

Eevee showed remarkable talent. Within just one morning, she had already begun manipulating the Normal-type energy most active within her body, channeling it to various parts.

At this pace, Eevee could likely master one of these moves within a week.

For a Pokémon that had just started training, this was an astonishing rate of progress.

By then, Eevee would have developed basic combat capabilities.

Currently, Eevee's moveset included only the inherited moves Yawn and Fake Tears, along with Growl, Tackle, and Tail Whip.

Only a complete novice would even bother with those.

Thinking about this, Ethan's gaze toward Eevee grew more satisfied.

He hadn't expected the Eevee he'd picked up on a whim to be such a treasure. With talent like this, if she wasn't an SSR-tier Pokémon, she was definitely an SR-tier at the very least.

Eevee blinked her large eyes at Ethan's smile.

Is he satisfied with just this?

If Ethan knew she already had over a dozen moves mastered, who knows how he'd react.

Better keep it under wraps. My trainer has a fragile heart—don't want to scare him.

Busy days always flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three more days had passed. Eevee had now been living with Ethan for a full week.

Over the past few days, Ethan and Eevee had barely left the house except to buy groceries and Eevee's food.

There was a simple reason: the joy of training was simply too addictive!

To be more precise, it was the sense of fulfillment that came from seeing his hard work pay off. The steady progress and positive feedback were incredibly rewarding.

Ethan finally understood why so many people in his previous life were passionate about working out.

Three days wasn't long, but Eevee brought Ethan plenty of surprises. Not only had she mastered Swift, but she had also learned Quick Attack, a move with similar principles.

She had also made significant progress with Work Up and Echoed Voice. With her talent, it wouldn't take long before she mastered them too.

The only slight disappointment was the lack of progress with the Fairy-type moves Baby-Doll Eyes and Charm. This was likely due to insufficient Fairy energy within her body.

Ethan wasn't worried. He continued training with Eevee at a steady pace, following the plan he had laid out.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something important.

"Good afternoon! I'm here to mooch lunch again!"

A familiar voice from outside the yard snapped Ethan out of his thoughts. He suddenly remembered—today was video recording day!

Over the past few days, he had been so absorbed in training that he had completely forgotten about it. He hadn't even gone out to buy ingredients for lunch today.

The channel's popularity had been rising recently, and he couldn't afford to miss an update now.

Fortunately, he still had some unused footage from the last shoot, which could be repurposed in a pinch.

Before Ethan could think of a solution, Rosa walked into the yard with her Snivy in tow.

Having grown up together, she was completely at ease in Ethan's home.

"Wow! Is that the latest training machine from Silph Co.? When did you get it, Ethan? Are you suddenly loaded?" Rosa exclaimed, spotting the two massive machines taking up most of the yard.

Ethan stood up, holding Eevee. "I bought it a few days ago with the money I saved on Eevee's adoption fee. Practically emptied my wallet."

"Well, it's worth it. Unlike the two ancient ones at my place—they're so loud the neighbors complain constantly. I'm making my dad replace them when he's back!" Rosa grumbled.

"How about we swap machines now and then? You've got the stamina and special attack models, right?" Ethan suggested casually.

"Deal!" Rosa nodded, then asked, "By the way, what's for lunch today?"

Ethan coughed. "I was thinking of doing a special episode comparing homemade and restaurant meals. So… we're eating out today."

Rosa's face fell instantly. She narrowed her eyes. "You forgot about the video, didn't you? Too busy with training?"

Ethan shot back, "You were worse when you started training Snivy. Didn't see you for a whole week back then!"

Oh? And if I didn't come looking for you, I bet I wouldn't see you for a whole month. Can't you be more proactive?

Snivy sighed as the two began their usual bickering. Extending a vine, she pulled them both toward the door.

If she didn't step in, they'd probably start dragging out embarrassing stories from when they were toddlers.

Eevee closed the door behind them, watching Snivy lead Ethan and Rosa away. A warm smile spread across her face.

How nice. Nothing has changed.

(End of Chapter)