The announcer spoke with rising drama.
Down in the crowd,
a mother pointed at the stage toward the award-winning trainers.
"See that, sweetie? Do you want to stand up there someday?"
"I don't need you to be first. Just being on that stage is enough."
"No, Mom. If I compete, I'm going for first place! I'll stand right at the top!"
The boy's eyes blazed with fiery determination, locked firmly on Lin Yu.
…
After the ceremony, Lin Yu checked into a random hotel in Water Metropolis.
He pulled out the Water Stone he'd received.
By rank standards, an S‑Class Water Stone held energy quality equal to that of a Master-tier Pokémon.
Perfect for Frogadier.
With this, its evolution would come that much faster.
He handed it to Frogadier,
then began thinking about his next move.
He'd have to be careful from now on.
His performance at the tournament had been far too flashy.
Every one of his Pokémon —
Riolu, Charmeleon, Frogadier —
had dominated completely.
He'd anticipated this before the competition.
Using his [Wish Come True] Entry, he'd made a wish:
for an Entry that could lower his presence.
Today was the start of a new week.
He summoned his System Panel and tapped lightly.
A blue light flashed.
[Blue Entry (Malice Target) — While equipped, targets harboring malice toward the user glow visibly; darker hues mean stronger hostility.]
This Entry…
It wasn't exactly what he'd wished for, but the effect was just as good.
After equipping it,
Lin Yu stood by the hotel window and looked down at the pedestrians.
He could clearly see a small dot above everyone's head.
Most were white —
indifferent toward him.
Red or black, he assumed, marked those with ill intent.
Paired with his Aura Power,
the two abilities complemented each other perfectly.
Almost no person or Pokémon with malice could sneak up on him.
"Might as well refresh the System Shop like usual."
He glanced at the unchanged shop and his balance: 1051 Entry Coins.
Lin Yu thought for a moment.
He'd already bought Charizard's Evolution Key Stone Set and stored it in his System Space.
What he still needed were:
Gardevoir's Evolution Key Stone Set
and Lucario's Evolution Key Stone Set.
Riolu would need to evolve into Lucario first before it could use the Key Stone…
In the games,
Riolu evolved into Lucario at 220 Friendship.
It had nothing to do with level.
"Ri-o?"
Truly a Pokémon with Aura Power.
Lin Yu had only just thought of it,
and Riolu abandoned its meal, trotting over to nuzzle his hand affectionately.
Lin Yu smiled.
The first thing Riolu had seen after hatching was him.
They'd fought through so many battles together.
Their Friendship was already through the roof.
Maybe it just hadn't evolved because it was still too young?
Wait…
All four of his Pokémon were about to evolve?!
"It's okay, Riolu. Go back to eating."
Lin Yu patted its head.
He could feel Joy Points rising.
Ever since Riolu joined the team, his Joy Points had climbed much faster.
"Kirl~" (Lin Yu! Lin Yu! Me too~!)
Kirlia floated over, its white skirt fluttering gently in the wind, looking elegant.
"Alright~"
Petting Kirlia felt just as nice as petting a cat.
It was so clingy now — who knew if it would stay this way after evolving into Gardevoir?
Gardevoir had such a dignified, mature aura, after all.
He gently stroked Kirlia's head
and tapped Refresh on the Entry Shop.
Lately, he'd been using [Wish Come True] to refresh the shop once a day.
His plan: accumulate enough time to naturally refresh the items he needed.
[Chameleon Mask — Appearance stays the same, but the user can raise or lower their presence at will, and adjust their first impression on any living being. 200 Entry Coins.]
Looks like another wish came true.
[Purple Upgradable Entry (Wish Come True): Once equipped, a wish of the user's heart will be fulfilled within 1 day to 1 month. Cooldown resets after fulfillment. (5/100)]
The road to upgrading was endless.
Lin Yu sighed softly.
If this were a Golden Entry…
could he even wish for Latias to become his Pokémon?
He swiped the System Panel closed.
Before he could even think further,
the feeling under his hand shifted.
A blinding white light burst forth right in front of him.
"Hm?"
Lin Yu froze.
Then his face lit up with joy.
He'd just been wondering when they'd evolve…
and Kirlia was evolving now!
This was perfect!
Inside the light, Kirlia's figure grew taller and slimmer.
Once a small girl around 145cm,
it now stood nearly 170cm.
The white light faded.
The energetic Kirlia was gone.
In its place stood a graceful figure with short, silky green hair covering one eye.
Its two small green hands resembled leaves.
A small red flower bloomed on its chest.
A flowing white skirt floated weightlessly around it.
"Gardev."
"Gardevoir! You evolved!" Lin Yu jumped up, thrilled.
He was about to check its status
when he was captivated by its voice.
"Gardev." (Lin Yu.)
Evolved Gardevoir's voice had lost the crisp cuteness of Kirlia
and the soft babyness of Ralts.
It now carried a mature, sultry tone that sent a slight tingle up the spine.
They said Pokémon evolution brought genetic transformation —
not just a leap in strength,
but sometimes a shift in personality too.
Gardevoir was no exception.
He still remembered when Ralts evolved into Kirlia — it had thrown itself straight into his arms.
Now it only gently took his hand,
ruby-red eyes staring softly at him as it twirled in a circle.
Its white skirt danced in the air, elegant and ethereal.
"Gardev~" (Do I look pretty?)
"Beautiful. You're even more beautiful after evolving!" Lin Yu answered without hesitation.
Before, when Kirlia heard praise like this, it would blush.
Now Gardevoir accepted it calmly.
Lin Yu couldn't help but smile to himself.
Evolution really did change personality.
His clingy Kirlia was gone.
In her place was a mature, elegant Gardevoir~
"Gardev~" (Then I want an evolution hug~)
Lin Yu: "…"
…Maybe the personality didn't change that much after all.