Day 9 back in the Orange Archipelago. Clear.
Reiji couldn't sleep. The moment he opened his eyes, his mind went straight back to Poliwhirl's evolution. It was only a little past five in the morning. The sky was barely turning gray, and the sun hadn't even risen yet.
Magmar had shown him a new way to use the environment during evolution, but the method clearly worked best on unusual Pokémon. Magmar could melt Fire-type resources with its own heat and absorb them more easily. Psychic-types might be able to drain Psychic-type energy in a similar burst. Ghost-types would benefit most from a place rich in Ghost-type energy, and Dark-types probably worked in the same general way. Poison-types were simpler: pile on higher-grade poison energy, as long as the Pokémon could endure it.
He should have realized it sooner. If Poison-type Pokémon could be raised that way, there was no reason other types couldn't. The real problem was absorption.
Gengar and Weezing could handle being flooded with poison because their bodies were closer to gas than flesh, so toxins didn't hurt them the same way. Magmar was the same with lava. It could swim in it, and lava clearly did more than help it relax. It might even support Magmar's future growth.
Then Reiji caught the real issue.
He hadn't missed this method because it was useless. He had ignored it because it took too long.
Without a way to absorb everything quickly, who knew how much time it would take? Lava might speed up Magmar's digestion, but it still couldn't compare to the evolve and devolve method. With enough resources, he could finish that kind of training in a single day. Letting a Pokémon soak in lava until it reached Champion tier? Who knew how long that would take.
Still, that wasn't the problem in front of him right now. Even if the ideal environment only gave a strong boost to a few special Pokémon, most Pokémon should benefit from it to some degree. The difference was only how much.
Magmar's ideal place had been a Volcano. For Poliwhirl and other Water-types, the best place would be somewhere thick with moisture and rich in Water-type energy.
The first place that came to mind was Samiya, the Sea Temple tied to Manaphy, Prince of the Sea. Evolving Poliwhirl there would probably be incredible.
But where was he supposed to find it? The ocean was endless. For all he knew, the temple could be anywhere.
Reiji sighed, got out of bed, washed up, and opened the cabin door. The lake outside was quiet. Finding the right place for Poliwhirl's evolution had become the biggest problem of the morning.
If he had never discovered this trick, evolving Poliwhirl anywhere would have been fine. But now that he knew the environment mattered, he couldn't bring himself to do it carelessly.
He warmed a cup of milk, sat on the swing, and stroked Eevee's fluffy fur while staring out over the lake, still thinking.
The sun had not risen yet, and the citrus trees were covered in dew. Droplets fell onto him now and then, but he barely noticed. Then the first edge of sunlight slipped over the mountain. Gold spilled through the trees, lighting every dewdrop until the orchard seemed to glitter. Mist rose between the trunks.
Reiji's eyes sharpened.
Now.
He didn't need to search for a place.
This was the moment.
Reiji stood and looked toward the lake. The surface shone gold under the newborn sun, and the leaves around him were heavy with bright beads of dew.
The air was wet. The dew hadn't dried. The morning sun had just arrived.
Timing, place, and people had all lined up.
"Poliwhirl, get ready to evolve. Come with me!" Reiji called to Poliwhirl, which had been jogging across the grass. He grabbed his bag and ran toward the lakeshore, stopping on a patch of grass the sunlight had just reached.
He pulled out every Water-type resource he had: Poliwhirl's Pokéblocks, Mystic Water, Sea Incense, Water Gems, Water Stones, Damp Rocks, Big Pearls—anything tied to Water energy.
None of them were high-grade Water Stones. Most were Advanced-tier items. The only quasi–Elite Four-tier Water item was the Mystic Water tied around Poliwhirl's arm. Aside from the top-grade Water Stone needed for the evolution itself, everything else was there to help.
Sea Incense was made from seaweed and could boost the power of Water-type moves, so he added that too.
Then came the Fighting-type resources. Poliwrath would gain the Fighting type after evolving, so those mattered as well. He set out his Fighting Gems and the quasi–Elite Four-tier Black Belt tied around Poliwhirl's arm.
He didn't have much for the Fighting side, so he simply put down every Fighting Gem he owned. Whether any of it would help was up to Poliwhirl.
Once everything was ready, Reiji glanced up. The sun was climbing fast. They couldn't wait any longer.
He had Poliwhirl step into the middle of the items, then took the top-grade Water Stone from his bag. This Stone was the real key.
The moment it came out, moisture gathered around it.
As expected of a top-grade Water Stone. The air around them turned damp almost at once.
"Poliwhirl, are you ready?" Reiji asked, looking at Poliwhirl standing in the sunlight, surrounded by all those colorful items.
"Poli!" Poliwhirl nodded hard.
It was sudden, but it had been ready to evolve for a long time. There was no hesitation.
"Good." Reiji turned to the Water-types. "Everyone, over here. Aim Water Gun toward the lake and spray upward."
The Water-types lined up along the shore and fired into the air, building an arch of water over Poliwhirl. Spray fell around it like rain, and where the sunlight caught the mist, a rainbow appeared.
Reiji had no idea whether this would help, but he was going to give Poliwhirl every advantage he could.
Only then did he toss the top-grade Water Stone over.
"Poliwhirl, catch it. Draw out the Stone's energy, and take in as much from the items around you as you can. Just like you did at the Indigo Plateau Conference—give this everything you've got."
"Poli!"
Poliwhirl roared and caught the Water Stone. Its arm, still wrapped in the Black Belt, closed around it.
A blazing white light burst from its fist.
The glow was so intense that Reiji had to shut his eyes. The others couldn't keep looking either. Even the Water-types making the rainbow arch stopped their Water Guns under the glare.
Only one Pokémon kept moving.
Riolu stepped forward slowly, as if it had sensed something. Rings of Aura spread from it like ripples across water, flowing toward Poliwhirl.
Poliwhirl, already inside the light of evolution, felt that Aura too.
Riolu was the only Pokémon here with Aura, and the closer it came, the stronger the pull became. Something hidden deep inside Poliwhirl stirred in response.
Riolu stopped in front of Poliwhirl and raised its fist.
Aura poured toward Poliwhirl.
Poliwhirl lifted its own fist and met Riolu's.
The moment their fists touched, the world opened.
Everything became clear.
Poliwhirl sensed a leaf landing on the lake. It sensed dew sliding off that leaf. It sensed the messy footsteps of the Pokémon around it, all thrown off by the blinding light. It sensed Mewtwo floating high above them, a massive presence burning in its awareness like a torch.
Its senses spread farther and farther.
At the same time, its body began to change inside the light.
It grew taller.
Stronger.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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