Back at the apartment, Kashiwagi couldn't wait another second.
He hurriedly set up the inflatable pool and guided his Shiny Milotic inside.
SPLASH!
Water cascaded everywhere.
Milotic's massive frame pressed against the sides, sending clear streams of water flowing across the floor, shimmering with a multi-colored glow under the sunlight hitting her golden scales.
It was a breathtaking sight—though it didn't change the fact that she had to coil herself tightly just to fit.
"Mi-looo?"
Milotic looked left and right, and seeing the water level dropping rapidly, she simply slithered out of the pool.
She wasn't like her old self; she no longer struggled to breathe the moment she left the water.
After all, she was now an amphibian Pokémon.
Kashiwagi looked up at her.
Standing tall, she reached over two meters high. Her head was only about a ring and a half slimmer than the heavy-armored Aggron. Her seductive, pale-blue eyes were the size of fists. Up close, she actually carried a fair bit of natural intimidation.
Strictly speaking, Milotic's official length of over eight meters was a bit "inflated"—those fan-like golden scales at the tip of her tail accounted for nearly a meter on their own.
Taking away the tail, the remaining seven meters of her body didn't look too outrageous given her girth.
At least, compared to the eighteen-meter Steelix, she was still within the realm of "fitting inside a house."
"Mi-looo~"
Milotic lowered her head, nuzzling Kashiwagi's cheek affectionately. She then curled her pale-blue, hair-like fins, which dangled from her head, around his waist, pulling him close.
"Whoa! You can actually control your 'hair' like that?"
Kashiwagi was surprised. In reality, her control was limited to simple curling; lifting things or performing fine motor tasks was still out of the question.
As she leaned in, Kashiwagi noticed something he'd missed during the awards ceremony.
Feebas used to have a faint, fishy odor—a result of the protective mucous and secretions on her skin. Now, that scent had been replaced by a unique fragrance.
It wasn't just pleasant; breathing it in felt genuinely refreshing. The source was still her skin secretions, but the difference was night and day.
One was thick, cloudy, and off-putting like slime; the other was silky, clear, and refined like a liquid essence.
He took a bit of it and held it up to the light to examine. When sunlight shone on it, It shimmered with a kaleidoscopic, pearlescent glow.
Good grief.
She's like a classic Mary Sue protagonist from an old novel—the ugly duckling turned into a swan. She went from one extreme straight to the other.
"Mi-looo?"
Milotic, completely unaware of her trainer's thoughts, tilted her head, curious about what her Trainer was doing.
"It's nothing... I'm just amazed at how much you've changed."
Kashiwagi shook his head with a smile, patting her blue hair like fins and gesturing for her to step back. "Let me get a good look at you."
"Mi-looo~"
Milotic gracefully wiggled backward. She didn't even need to turn around to retreat, showing a level of comfort with her new body that surpassed his expectations.
He was thoroughly satisfied. Then, his eyes fell upon the pathetic, overflowing inflatable pool.
Do I need to buy a bigger pool?
Space in his bag was getting tight. To fit larger items, he'd have to sacrifice food and water reserves. Was a bigger pool even worth the hassle?
As for the old fish tank, it was definitely retired—she couldn't even fit her head in it now.
If he wanted to make room, he'd probably have to clear out some of the things Mawile bought but never used. Her personal stash took up the most space, especially her plushie collection—and that was after he'd sent a bunch of them back to Pyrite Town.
Thinking of Mawile made Kashiwagi a bit stressed. Finding common ground with her was proving to be a challenge. Maybe I should just let nature take its course and wait for 'destiny' to strike, he mused.
After all, he still had to help Aggron master the power of Mega Evolution first.
"Everyone, come on out! Meet your 'new' teammate!"
He clicked his Poké Balls open one by one.
Seeing the flashes of light, Milotic lowered her head slightly, looking a bit bashful. She didn't care much for the opinions of strangers anymore, but she cared deeply about how her friends saw her.
Especially Mawile and Aggron—one was her best friend, and the other was the big brother who had always looked out for her.
The Pokémon materialized.
Within a split second, their eyes were glued to Milotic's elegant, breathtaking form.
"Maw-wile~!"
Mawile gasped and marched forward, shamelessly reaching out to stroke Milotic's golden scales as if touching a rare, priceless treasure.
"Mi-looo~"
Milotic nuzzled her affectionately, then turned to nuzzle Blissey. The "Contest Trio" had always shared the tightest bond.
"Hap-pyyy~!"
Blissey beamed, her eyes full of joy.
A short distance away, Hydreigon poked his heads forward, sniffing the air around Milotic.
As a Pokémon that recognized teammates primarily through scent, Milotic's drastic change had him completely stumped.
Is this... Feebas?
He turned his heads toward Kashiwagi for confirmation, but as his peripheral vision caught the fan-like shape of her tail fin, he knew instantly.
Other Hydreigons might not have noticed, but he would never forget the specific frequency and rhythm of how she flicked her tail.
The memory of her practicing Waterfall alongside Aggron was burned into his mind.
"Hydrei-g-o-n!"
Impressive! He gave her another sniff, committing the new scent to memory.
"Po-ry...!"
Porygon's eyes were wide with envy and admiration. With Milotic's evolution, it was the only one left in the core team who wanted to evolve but hadn't yet. It felt the pressure.
Maybe I should talk to the Trainer... is five-hearts of friendship really necessary? Can't we just evolve now?
On Porygon's back, Galarian Corsola—occupying her "throne"—offered no comment.
Unless Kashiwagi specifically asked her to speak, she preferred to simply appreciate Milotic's beauty with her eyes. A bit of eye candy was good for a life of "lying flat" and doing nothing.
Ever since the Trainer had warned Hydreigon, the three-headed dragon hadn't bothered her once.
Funnily enough, she almost felt a bit restless without the harassment. My brain must be broken, she thought.
Wait, Ghosts don't have brains.
She amused herself with the dark joke. Normally, she wouldn't have this many internal monologues, but ever since she started "working," her body felt like a giant machine that had been rebooted—it was humming along, and she couldn't find the off switch.
"G-R-O-O-O-A..."
Steelix lowered her mountain-like head. She was genuinely surprised that the tiny, scrawny Feebas had turned into a shape similar to her own—and a pretty one at that.
Too bad, She's still not as majestic as my hardened, tempered, shiny steel body!
Big is better! Hard is stronger!
Steelix had never been dissatisfied with her size. On the contrary, her massive, imposing frame was her greatest pride.
Whenever she flew through the air and saw the looks of envy (and terror) from people and Pokémon below, she felt like roaring at the sky in triumph. And usually, after she roared, they looked even more "envious."(AN: more like terrified~giggle~)
It was the best feeling in the world!
"Mi-looo~"
Milotic scanned the familiar faces of her companions, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw their attitudes hadn't changed.
Though she was head-over-heels in love with her new body, she didn't want her friends to treat her differently. Being treated like she always had been was the greatest gift.
So Finally...
Milotic looked cautiously toward the edge of the group, where Aggron stood silently, having not yet approached. She slithered over tentatively. "Mi-looo?"
He hadn't said anything yet, and it made her nervous.
The next second...
Aggron slowly raised a massive claw, placing it gently on Milotic's head. With immense tenderness, he stroked her and let out a low, soft rumble.
"Aggro-nn."
(Congratulations. You worked so hard for this.)
In that instant...
Milotic's eyes welled with tears. She threw herself against Aggron's chest, nuzzling him with everything she had.
"Mi-looo~~!!"
Yes. This was what she had wanted to hear most.
In the whole world, aside from her Trainer, only Aggron knew exactly how much effort she had poured into climbing that Dragon Gate Waterfall.
He knew how many times she had wanted to give up, and how many times she had grit her teeth and kept going.
Because they had walked that path together!
Every step of progress, every scratch and bruise, every night spent in discouragement, and every battle fueled by pure determination.
Without those experiences, Milotic didn't think she would have made it this far.
While her Trainer's encouragement was vital, chasing the back of that towering, admired figure was the reason she refused to let go.
So hearing Aggron's congratulations and comfort, the dam of emotions inside her finally broke, and tears poured uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Mi-looo!"
I really did it! I tried and did my best!
For this evolution, to live up to everyone's expectations—I worked so hard! And I never gave up until the very end!
It was so hard... it was so difficult!
Please, big brother... praise me some more!
"Aggr-o..."
Aggron stood there, slightly stunned, as he held the sobbing Milotic.
He caught sight of Kashiwagi nearby, smiling and nodding encouragingly, and his expression shifted into one of helpless yet profound affection.
"Aggr-ron~"
Yes. You were wonderful. You've outdone yourself.
You will always be my pride.
He gently comforted the weeping, clingy Milotic. Having personally witnessed her growth and actively participated in her training, he had long since come to view her as his most precious protégé.
In this moment, Aggron finally understood exactly how his Trainer felt watching him grow from a small, weak Aron into the powerhouse he was today.
That surge of overwhelming pride was almost impossible to keep down.
"I'm starting to feel like a third wheel here," Kashiwagi quipped, leaning his back against Blissey's soft head while his right hand absentmindedly scratched Hydreigon's chin.
He tossed a self-deprecating smirk toward the rest of the team.
The others watched Milotic with warmth. No one looked down on her for her emotional breakdown; instead, there was only light envy, playful teasing, and a deep sense of closeness.
Kashiwagi mused that he'd never seen a Pokémon cry like this after evolving, even in the anime.
It just went to show that you only truly understand the diversity of Pokémon—and the fact that they possess high-level sapience and complex emotions—when you raise them yourself.
Strong emotion, after all, is the hallmark of a higher being.
As if hearing his "third wheel" comment, Milotic turned her head. With a swift, graceful flick of her tail fin, she scooped Kashiwagi up and sandwiched him right between herself and Aggron. "Mi-looo~!"
You're not a third wheel!
"Oof! Okay, okay, I take it back! But I'm being crushed over here...!" he muffled out.
To make matters worse, Hydreigon saw the group hug and decided he wasn't about to be left out. With an excited roar, he lunged forward, effectively blocking Kashiwagi's only escape route.
"Hydrei-g-o-n!"
"Hap-pyyy~!"
Even Blissey joined in the dogpile. Then came Porygon, followed by a reluctant Galarian Corsola, while Steelix coiled his massive body around everyone to form the outermost ring of the giant hug.
Mawile stood back, arms crossed, putting on her usual "I'm too cool for this" act. But moments later, she naturally floated up and perched herself on Aggron's other shoulder, mischievously tugging at Kashiwagi's hair through a gap in the huddle.
"Maw-wile~!"
"...I'm truly 'blessed' to have you all," Kashiwagi groaned, sounding like a man about to be flattened into a pancake.
Sensing their Trainer's mock-misery, the Pokémon burst into laughter together. Even Milotic, still teary-eyed, couldn't help a giggle, and even the corner of Corsola's mouth twitched upward.
...
A few minutes later, a breathless Kashiwagi finally regained his freedom.
He pulled the Mystic Water from his pocket and used a thin, pale-blue cord to tie it to the inner side of Milotic's left hair-like fin.
Since the fin thickened toward the bottom, the item was unlikely to slip off during her normal movements.
"Here. This is your evolution gift."
"Mi-looo?"
Milotic caught a glimpse of the crystalline teardrop out of the corner of her eye. She was delighted.
"Mi-looo~!"
Seeing this, Hydreigon immediately darted forward and bit onto the hem of Kashiwagi's shirt.
"Hydrei...?"
Where's my evolution gift? How come I didn't get one?
"What do you mean 'where'? Did you already forget about learning Roost?"
Kashiwagi yanked his shirt out of the dragon's mouth and gave him a stern look. "Keep complaining and I'll take Roost back!"
"Hydrei..."
The dragon turned his head away dejectedly.
However, the exchange reminded Kashiwagi of something. It was time to open some Move Blind Boxes.
If he kept hoarding them, they'd just become family heirlooms.
Now was the perfect time to boost Milotic's combat power—and maybe the others could benefit too.
"Time to get to work."
Kashiwagi headed back inside to his sofa to browse his inventory, leaving the Pokémon outside to play in the water.
His current stockpile of moves included: String Shot, Low Kick, Facade, Weather Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Brave Bird, and sixteen Move Blind Boxes.
He knew Milotic could learn Weather Ball, so he set that aside for her. The others were either poor fits or incompatible.
"Let's crack these boxes!"
But what type should he aim for? Ice? Water? Dragon? Psychic? Normal?
"Let's start with Ice."
Milotic already had Scald, which was great, and she'd likely pick up Hydro Pump or Surf later. Water coverage was fine—it was better to give her an Ice move to broaden her offensive range.
Kashiwagi took a deep breath, tapped the Ice-type category, and hit Open.
The text on the screen began to shake.
Box #1: [Blizzard]
"Whoa! Leading with the big guns?" He took a sharp breath, feeling like he could almost stop right there.
Blizzard was fantastic for Milotic.
In the games, the accuracy was shaky, but in reality, if you timed a wide-range move like that correctly, it was incredibly hard to dodge.
But greed is human nature.
Kashiwagi found himself thinking Aggron could use one, too—the big guy always struggled with learning special moves.
With that thought, he opened another.
Box #2: [Avalanche]
"Ah..."
Kashiwagi covered his face. Greed really was a sin. Avalanche? Really? Who can even use that well?
He walked back outside and checked his team. Once he confirmed both Milotic and Aggron were compatible, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He promptly taught Blizzard to Milotic and Avalanche to Aggron.
"Mi-looo?"
Milotic, suddenly feeling a surge of new power, lost her grip on it for a split second. A massive burst of powdery white snow sprayed directly at Hydreigon, who was currently soaked and splashing around with a water hose in his mouth.
The dragon's expression froze like an ice sculpture. In an instant, he turned into a giant, three-headed Snow-Dragon and plummeted from the air.
THUD!
"Mi-looo!?"
Milotic rushed over in a panic, realizing she'd accidentally caused a disaster.
Luckily, Blissey was as calm as ever. She performed a double-cast of Soft-Boiled and Heal Bell in record time.
Combined with Aggron silently breathing a bit of Flamethrower heat onto him to raise his body temperature, Hydreigon was soon back among the living.
The Dragon slumped on the ground, his three heads shivering like wet roosters that had just been dunked in a pond.
Next to him, Milotic looked absolutely mortified, her golden scales shimmering with guilt.
"..."
Hydreigon's left head shook as it pointed a trembling nose at her, letting out a low, teeth-gritting growl.
"Hydrei... g-o-n!"
(Because you're pretty... I forgive you!)
"Mi-looo~"
Milotic finally let out a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the true culprit, Kashiwagi, was back on the sofa, aggressively unboxing more moves.
He decided to aim for the Psychic-type category next. He was hunting for utility: Reflect, Light Screen, Magic Coat, or Mirror Coat.
However, the Psychic move pool was vast. It was easy to accidentally pull something weird—like Kinesis.
"Come on, lucky scale, show me what you got!"
He tapped the screen, clutching the Lucky Scale, his face a mask of nervous tension.
Box #3: [Teleport]
Box #4: [Hypnosis]
Box #5: [Trick Room]
"Are you kidding me?"
Kashiwagi's hand hovered over the sixth box, but he didn't dare press it.
The pulls were getting weirder by the second. Teleport and Hypnosis were one thing, but Porygon already knew Trick Room. Who else was supposed to learn it?
With a headache brewing, he ran back outside and started feeling up his Pokémon again, checking their compatibility.
The group was starting to get confused by all the random touching, but the results made Kashiwagi yell with joy: "Hahaha! The 'Luck Scale' never lies!"
Porygon could learn Teleport, and Milotic was compatible with Hypnosis!
"You two are up!"
Kashiwagi taught the moves immediately.
The other Pokémon saw the white light of the Move Tutors and instinctively backed away, eyeing Porygon and Milotic with extreme suspicion.
They had no desire to end up like Hydreigon.
Galarian Corsola, still perched on Porygon's back: "..."
Can someone please take me with you?
Fortunately, Milotic had a much better handle on things this time. She merely released a wave of shimmering, mottled pinkish-purple light into the air.
One look at the mesmerizing pattern was enough to make the others look away instantly, terrified of nodding off.
Porygon, on the other hand, vanished on the spot, leaving Corsola to fall with a dull thud onto the grass.
Corsola: "?"
What's going on here?
The group frantically looked around for their digital friend, eventually spotting the "missing" Porygon perched on top of Steelix's massive head.
Even Porygon looked completely bewildered by the sudden relocation.
"Hypnosis puts people or Pokémon to sleep. Teleport allows for instant travel to a different location," Kashiwagi explained as he walked out of the room.
The team finally relaxed, understanding the new tricks.
However, after all the chaos, Aggron and the others weren't exactly in the mood to play anymore.
They huddled together, peeking into the room, watching their Trainer's face change like the weather—one moment sunny with joy, the next cloudy with frustration.
"Maw-wile." Mawile sat bored on Steelix's head.
Blissey rubbed her small hands together, looking at her Trainer expectantly, wondering if it was her turn for a gift.
Aggron crouched in the corner, poking the dirt with a claw. He saw the leftover ice crystals on the ground and had a moment of realization.
They were used to Kashiwagi's "state" when he was dealing with his invisible menus.
Hydreigon was getting used to it too.
But unlike the others, who were content to watch from the sidelines and keep it as a little secret in their hearts, Hydreigon wanted to be involved.
Everyone had their quirks. The Pokémon did, and the Trainer did too.
You had to be patient with others—especially when he was the one providing the Pokéblocks.
...
Inside, Kashiwagi was blissfully unaware of his team's pity. He had just burned through several Normal-type boxes and was currently hovering between joy and despair.
Box #6: [Protect]
Box #7: [Self-Destruct]
Box #8: [Metronome]
Box #9: [Sweet Scent]
Box #10: [Roar]
He was thrilled about Protect—a literal lifesaver. But the rest?
Self-Destruct? Metronome? The Normal-type pool really was a gamble from hell.
Kashiwagi looked at his remaining six boxes. He was afraid to continue. He'd gone on a hot streak with five Normal boxes in a row, and his "luck" had taken a sharp turn toward "unlucky."
"I should have stuck with Psychic. Gatcha is the worst reward system ever!"
He marched back outside. He saw the team watching him, blinked, and then went through the "compatibility touch" routine one more time.
As it turned out, most of the moves found a home. Self-Destruct for Steelix, Metronome for Blissey, Sweet Scent for Mawile, and Protect for Hydreigon...
Wait. Does that mean Corsola gets nothing?
Kashiwagi froze. This was bad. He couldn't have one Pokémon feeling left out—that was the fastest way to ruin team morale.
Even if Corsola was the queen of "lying flat" and treated her training like a 9-to-5 job, he couldn't treat her like just a hired hand.
What could he give her? Low Kick and Dazzling Gleam were no-goes.
Damnit, this is a money-grabbing scheme!
He realized the only way to fix the "one-off" problem was to open the remaining boxes. He sighed, walked over to the swaying Galarian Corsola, and gave her a thorough rub-down.
"Alright, let's see what destiny has in store for you!"
Corsola: "..."
Why does it feel like I'm being tortured more often today?
Kashiwagi selected the Psychic-type category one last time and hit Open.
Box #11: [Rest]
"Holy...!"
He stared at the screen in shock. He looked left, right, up, and down, feeling as though an invisible eye was watching him from above.
The odds were impossible.
Of all the moves, he pulled Rest—the one move Corsola could learn, and the one move she had failed to master despite sleeping at the bottom of the ocean for centuries!
At least he still had five boxes left for a rainy day.
Eleven boxes down. Everyone had a new move, but overall, Kashiwagi wasn't exactly satisfied.
I mean, look at those Normal-type pulls. Self-Destruct was okay as a last resort with Steelix's Sturdy ability. Metronome was useless for serious battle. Sweet Scent? Mawile was an all-out physical attacker; she didn't need to smell like flowers.
Fortunately, the Psychic pulls saved the day. Teleport was great for utility, Hypnosis was a solid status move for Milotic, and Rest... well, it wasn't as good as Strength Sap, but it would give Corsola a way to tank Special Attackers.
"Whatever. It's enough. It's good."
Kashiwagi rubbed his face and started prepping dinner.
Tomorrow, they would set off for Mauville City.
Once he grabbed his fifth badge, he could head toward the eastern side of Hoenn. There weren't many cities that way, so they could finally pick up the pace.