"Eevee, have you found it?" Gary asked.
Eevee shook his head, indicating that he hadn't found any other Eevee.
An hour had passed. Gary and Eevee had walked nearly ten kilometers. They'd encountered two Eevee along the way — but both already had owners.
Those two were clearly pets: low-level, with ordinary potential and no signs of combat training. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
Gary looked down at his Eevee thoughtfully, wondering if enhancing its Ability might improve its perception.
"Eevee, wait a moment," Gary said.
Eevee tilted his head curiously, unsure why Gary wanted him to stop.
Gary crouched down, placed his hand gently on Eevee's head, and used an Ability Enhancement Stone.
[Ding! The Ability Enhancement Stone was used successfully.]
After the enhancement, Eevee immediately felt the difference — his fur bristled as his senses sharpened dramatically. Every tiny sound, scent, and vibration became clearer than ever before.
Seeing Eevee's reaction, Gary opened the data scan for the nineteenth time.
Potential: Quasi-Legendary
Ability: EX Anticipation — Can detect danger within a certain range; evasion rate increased by 60%.
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Sand Attack, Helping Hand, Quick Attack, Swift, Bite, Copycat, Baton Pass.
TM Moves: Hydro Pump, Thunderbolt, Dream Eater, Fire Blast, Solar Beam, Psychic, Dig, Waterfall, Rest, Hyper Beam, Gravity, Body Slam, Iron Tail, Last Resort, Endeavor, Reflect, Protect.
Friendship: 255 (Max)
Gary blinked in disbelief.
"Whoa… sixty percent evasion rate? That's even higher than EX Telepathy!"
Eevee looked up at Gary, wide-eyed, unsure what had just happened. He didn't feel stronger, nor did he learn any new moves — but his senses were completely different now.
"Don't be surprised," Gary said with a smile. "I just enhanced your Ability — now your perception's sharper than ever."
Eevee's tail wagged in excitement. He hadn't expected even his Ability could be improved like that.
Now, he felt just like when he used to spar with the Pokémon back at Professor Oak's lab — but this time, dodging attacks felt effortless.
"Let's go," Gary said. "Let's keep searching."
Eevee immediately went into full search mode, nose twitching and ears perked like a tracking dog.
Now that his senses were heightened, he worked much harder than before — making Gary suspect that Eevee hadn't been putting in his full effort earlier.
Minutes turned into hours.
The sun gradually dipped below the horizon, and the city lights flickered on one by one.
By now, Gary and Eevee had walked over forty kilometers. The streets were empty, surrounded only by quiet roads and patches of forest.
"That Eevee shouldn't have run this far," Gary muttered, stopping.
"Eevee don't usually travel at high speeds — not all of them are like you."
He decided not to go farther. "Eevee, let's head back."
Gary released Charizard, picked up Eevee, and climbed onto its back.
"Charizard, let's fly. We'll search from the sky — it'll be faster."
"Char!" Charizard roared, spreading its powerful wings.
It flapped once, soaring high into the night sky. From above, the streets of Celadon City looked like glowing rivers of light.
With Charizard's speed, they covered the forty kilometers they'd walked in less than ten minutes.
Just as they neared the Pokémon Center, Eevee suddenly tensed up.
Eevee cried out sharply.
Charizard instantly slowed down and hovered midair.
"Eevee, did you find something?" Gary asked.
Eevee nodded, then leapt off Charizard's back, gliding down toward the streets below.
Charizard tucked its wings and descended quickly after Eevee.
Eevee led Gary toward a small park near the Pokémon Center.
The park was quiet and mostly empty, illuminated only by a few street lamps casting pools of yellow light.
Looking down, Gary saw a chubby boy sitting alone on a bench, holding a brown-furred Eevee in his arms.
Because Gary was watching from above, the boy didn't notice him.
A quick scan identified the Pokémon:
Gary's eyes widened. The boy couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old — how could a kid that young own such a high-level Pokémon?
Before Gary could approach, a cold voice broke the silence.
"Kid, hand over that Eevee."
Two shadowy figures stepped out from behind the trees, standing just a few meters away from the boy.
"Mightyena? Sableye!?" Gary exclaimed quietly.
Those Pokémon weren't native to Kanto — seeing them here meant only one thing.
Two figures emerged from the darkness — a man and a woman in black Team Rocket uniforms. One had green hair, the other blond.
"Cassidy and Butch…" Gary muttered.
The Eevee in the boy's arms sensed the threat immediately. Its fur stood on end as it jumped out of his grasp, baring its teeth.
It growled fiercely, trying to intimidate the intruders.
But Mightyena and Sableye didn't even flinch.
Cassidy smirked. "So, you are Experiment No. 3. Are you coming with us willingly, or do we have to make you?"
Eevee glared defiantly and fired a burst of Swift from its mouth.
"Dark Pulse!" both Rockets shouted in unison.
Mightyena and Sableye released twin Dark Pulses, the dark energy waves colliding with Eevee's Swift midair and overpowering it instantly.
Eevee cried out in pain as the attack struck, but it refused to collapse — its eyes burned with determination.
"Eevee!" the boy shouted, rushing forward.
He threw himself in front of the battered Pokémon, shielding it with his own body.
"Kid, move out of the way," Butch warned. "Unless you want to get hurt too."
Hurting civilians in public could draw the police, which would cause unnecessary trouble for Team Rocket. Still, this mission was important — retrieving the experimental Pokémon was the top priority.
"If you get in our way, don't blame us."
"I won't let you take Eevee!" the boy shouted, spreading his arms protectively. Despite his fear, he stood his ground.
Gary watched from above, his expression hardening.
He could feel the tension thickening in the air. The missing Eevee that Team Rocket was searching for — it had to be this one.
Cassidy's eyes narrowed. "Have it your way."
"Mightyena, Crunch! Sableye, Shadow Claw!"
Both Pokémon lunged forward, their attacks gleaming in the lamplight.
But before they could reach the boy—
a brilliant blue flame blazed through the air.
Charizard roared as it landed between them, wings spread wide and flames crackling from its tail.
Gary leapt down beside it, eyes sharp.
"Back off, Team Rocket."
Cassidy scowled. "Gary Oak?"
"Looks like you two haven't learned your lesson," Gary said coldly. "Charizard — Flamethrower!"
Charizard unleashed a massive wave of fire that illuminated the entire park. Mightyena and Sableye barely dodged, their Trainers shielding themselves from the heat.
Gary stood his ground. "If you want that Eevee… you'll have to get through me first."
"Vee!!" the injured Eevee cried, its eyes shining with renewed courage as it stood beside Gary's own Eevee.
Two Eevee, side by side — one battle-worn, one unyielding — ready to face Team Rocket together.