Chapter 224:
Lunchtime hadn't quite arrived yet when a furtive figure clambered out of the water channel.
Blinking its gleaming eyes, it glanced at the nearby Brionne and Milotic, giving them a somewhat ingratiating wave. Then it tilted its head up toward the sky, where a Pidgeot circled high above, and its demeanor grew even more deferential.
Wartortle knew that the moment it poked its head out of the water, that Pidgeot had already locked onto it.
The only reason it wasn't chased away was simple—first, the plantation's owner allowed it to come and go, and second, it had been around long enough to be considered an old regular.
Catching the rich aroma wafting through the air, Wartortle swallowed hard. Looking up, it spotted a pink kitten-like Pokémon—Sprigatito—arriving with Jirachi in tow.
A pang of envy hit it.
It's so much easier when you've got connections, it thought bitterly. No need to sneak in through the waterway. You just get the good food straight away.
Poor me, I have to crawl in here like a thief.
Just then, Gardevoir and Younger Sister Indeedee emerged from the kitchen.
At once, every Pokémon in the plantation perked up—lunchtime! They all rushed excitedly toward the garden. Wartortle's eyes brightened, and without hesitation, it followed the crowd.
By the time it reached the garden, Gardevoir and Younger Sister Indeedee were already handing out food to each Pokémon. Hayashi Kaede, who had just finished delivering lunch to the Construction Team and returned with Sandshrew, arrived at the same time.
He caught sight of Wartortle, chuckled softly, but didn't say anything.
"Alright everyone, dig in!"
At his call, the Pokémon cheered in delight.
Lunch passed quickly. During the meal, Jirachi proudly shared the plush toys it had won using Takagi Megumi's money.
The atmosphere was cheerful and noisy. The Alcremies, spotting the plushies shaped just like themselves, were overjoyed. One curious Alcremie even went up to lick one—only to find it had no taste at all.
A subtle difference stood out: since the plushie Jirachi caught wasn't a shiny Gardevoir, the blue Gardevoir gave the toy of its differently-colored counterpart a quiet, amused smile.
Dragonite seemed fond of its plushie as well, though Salamence appeared unimpressed—it simply yawned and went back to eating its Energy Cubes.
Then, Jirachi sighed regretfully. "It's just a shame we couldn't find a Mew one. So strange."
Hayashi Kaede let Jirachi enjoy its moment, smiling faintly as he turned to Bounsweet.
It too had received a plushie in its own likeness, though it was slightly larger than Bounsweet itself. The little Pokémon just stared at it in dazed silence.
Hayashi Kaede picked it up gently.
"Bounsweet?"
Bounsweet blinked up at him, confused.
"See? Doesn't this doll look just like you?" he asked, holding up the plushie it couldn't lift by itself. It really was a bit bigger than Bounsweet, and given its tiny frame, there was no way it could hold it.
"Bounsweet…" (It does… but it's bigger than me…)
Bounsweet seemed uneasy, noticing that every other Pokémon could hold their own plushies just fine.
Hayashi Kaede smiled faintly. "Tell me, little one—do you want to evolve? After you do, you'll be much bigger than this plushie."
"Bounsweet?"
Bounsweet froze, then looked away, its gaze flickering nervously.
"Bounsweet…"
It did want to—but was too shy to admit it.
And part of it was afraid that if it evolved, Hayashi Kaede wouldn't like it anymore.
"Bounsweet…" (But I promised before not to evolve…)
"Hahaha. What if I'm the one who wants you to evolve now?" Hayashi Kaede said with a chuckle, taking responsibility for the earlier promise himself.
"Bounsweet?!" Bounsweet's little eyes lit up. "Bounsweet?" (Really?)
Hayashi Kaede lifted the plushie and said gently, "Of course. If you want to evolve, we'll just put your Everstone on this plushie instead. It can be the one that never evolves."
"That way, there'll always be one of you that stays just the same."
Bounsweet stared at the plushie, then at the Everstone hanging around its neck. The hesitation that had been weighing on its heart finally melted away. With a bright, sunlit smile, it nodded. "Bounsweet…" (Okay!)
And so—
Hayashi Kaede carefully unfastened the cord holding the Everstone and gave it a light tug.
The moment the stone fell away, Bounsweet's energy began to surge.
Its strength had long reached the threshold for evolution; only the Everstone had held it back. Now, freed from that restraint, its body was engulfed in dazzling white light.
Within the glow, its round, bulbous body stretched and shifted, taking on a more humanoid shape. The leafy stems on either side of its head lengthened, while the one in the center remained unchanged. Its height rose gradually—until it stood about 0.8 meters tall.
When the light faded, the Bounsweet was gone—replaced by a Steenee.
Its once small yellow eyes had turned large and pink, and the red fruit shell that once formed its face had transformed into part of its pale, creamy "flesh," giving it an irresistibly sweet, almost edible appearance. Around its waist bloomed a purple skirt-like fruit, beneath which grew a pair of legs. Its tiny arms were now slender and white.
"Steenee?"
Steenee blinked open her new eyes, feeling the change in her body. She picked up the Bounsweet plushie she couldn't lift before and laughed joyfully.
[Pokémon: Steenee]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Oblivious]
[Potential: Blue]
[Level: 24–26]
[IVs: …]
[Moves: Splash, Play Nice, Sweet Scent, Razor Leaf, Magical Leaf, Draining Kiss]
[Friendship: 94]
[Happiness: 80 (So happy… I evolved…)]
"Congratulations, Steenee~"
Hayashi Kaede's voice came from nearby, full of warmth.
"Steenee~!"
Hearing his words, Steenee couldn't contain herself—she leapt straight into his arms.
At 0.8 meters tall, standing on the table, she fit perfectly in his embrace—not too big, not too small, just like holding a child.
And after evolving, her fruity fragrance had become even stronger. As she nestled against him, Hayashi Kaede couldn't help but indulged into the fragrance subconsciously.
"Alright, alright…"
After holding her for a moment, he gently set her down.
Steenee wanted to try out her new body. She walked a few circles on the table, delighted by how much easier it was to move around than before.
"Steenee~!"
When she turned around, she suddenly noticed that every pair of eyes in the room was on her.
"Steenee?"
Her voice grew shy and soft, and her creamy-white face flushed a deeper pink.