Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

Late at night, the world was quiet, and the gentle moonlight bathed the living room on the first floor, draping a faint veil over the softly glowing aquarium.

If one listened closely, they could hear faint sounds coming from the peaceful tank.

At the bottom of the aquarium, before a large decorative stone, Feebas was fiercely shooting jets of water at it.

The water stream was already thin, and the pressure and resistance in the water rendered it nearly powerless by the time it hit the stone.

The tiny Feebas and the massive stone created a scene reminiscent of "an ant trying to shake a tree."

It was unclear how long this went on, but Feebas finally exhausted itself. Flipping onto its side, it gasped for breath, its gills flaring as it desperately drew in water.

Even someone as determined as Feebas found this almost torturous training method overwhelming.

...

"This training method... are you sure you're not fooling me?" Feebas muttered weakly in its mind.

[Rest assured, Host. This system has served users across multiple parallel universes, boasting a 100% satisfaction rate. Weighted resistance training is a scientifically proven method to improve your mastery and use of Water-type energy. Besides, why not take a moment to check your current physical state?]

Physical state?

Feebas blinked in surprise. Soon, it noticed that the mysterious droplet and White Jade Orb within its body seemed to be steadily releasing energy, flowing through its utterly exhausted form.

The energy nourished every part of its being, and Feebas felt like every cell in its body was cheering in delight!

The energy it had just depleted was almost fully replenished within a minute.

The speed was astonishing!

Feebas had no clear concept of this rate, but in truth, it was as if comparing the charging speed of an electric vehicle to the refueling speed of a gas-powered car.

This feeling of being emptied and then immediately refilled excited Feebas immensely. With a quick flick, it flipped upright, its eyes gleaming as it faced the massive stone again.

The energy it had just replenished began condensing, ready to unleash another Water Gun attack.

"I can keep going all day!"

In the quiet of the night, the faint sounds of water streams resumed in the aquarium.

...

"It's frustrating. It feels like I haven't accomplished much, yet the first week of school is already over. But when I think about it, I've actually done quite a bit: Rosa sent over the seminar's digital invitation, I successfully got my leave approved, and both Eevee and Feebas are growing well."

"Speaking of Feebas, it's quite strange. It spends all day napping in its Poké Ball, but the Pokémon Center's reports show significant energy progress over the past two weeks. Could it be one of those lazy slacker types during the day, but a hardworking night owl when no one's watching?"

"I should sneak a look one night to confirm. But judging by Feebas' rapid improvement, it seems I've picked up another SSR? Could my cheat in this world be extraordinary luck?"

"As for Eevee's evolution research, so far, the 'Baby-Doll Eyes' condition has been met, but now it's down to friendship, isn't it? Though I doubt it's that simple. If learning Baby-Doll Eyes required a sufficient amount of Fairy energy, then wouldn't Sylveon's evolution require the same? Needs further investigation. In any case, let's focus on absorbing these five Fairy Gems first."

"Eevee's strength is already impressive—at least in the Normal-type beginner class, it's unmatched. Teacher Dhan mentioned that next week we'll have an exchange match with the Fighting-type beginner class. I hope Eevee can gain some experience from battling under disadvantageous conditions."

...

Closing his proper journal, Ethan stretched lazily.

Although tomorrow was the weekend, he didn't feel that usual Friday night relaxation.

For him, weekends were even busier than weekdays.

Experimenting with beauty-enhancing Pokéblocks, the daily training of his two Pokémon, and shooting and editing videos...

The more Ethan thought about it, the more despairing he felt. With a sigh, he collapsed onto his bed.

"Ding~"

A message notification chimed on his phone. He grabbed it, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and saw a message from Rosa on the Chat app.

[Registration for the 13th Baby Cup, Riverhaven Edition, is now open! Sign up now!]

(Don't ask why—it's a tribute.)

Rosa: [Ethan, sign up! Let's meet in the finals! Snivy side-eye emoji]

"The Baby Cup?" Ethan muttered softly, not replying immediately but clicking the link instead.

After a quick glance, he got the gist of the competition.

In simple terms, it was a large-scale tournament sponsored by Silph Co., aimed at rookie trainers and their baby-tier Pokémon.

Apart from Riverhaven, other major cities also hosted the event at different times, but there wasn't a grand finals for champions from different regions.

It was more of a fun and encouraging event aligned with the Valoria League's motto: "Trainers start young!"

To prevent high-level trainers from ruining the fun, strict age and Pokémon restrictions were in place.

The rewards were decent, too. The champion could choose between a Pokémon item or egg worth up to 300,000, and... a 100-year Silph Co. premium membership?

Wow. Silph Co. really was a marketing genius.

Listing the rewards side-by-side implied their premium membership was equivalent to an item worth 300,000.

The competition seemed interesting, and the prizes were tempting.

But what did it have to do with a researcher like him?

Ethan knew his limits well. Eevee might be great in the beginner class, but on a stage as big as Riverhaven, it would struggle to stand out.

...

"Eevee~"

Eevee's voice interrupted Ethan's thoughts. Turning his head, he saw Eevee had snuck up beside him, its eyes shining as it stared at the phone screen.

"You want to participate?" Ethan asked in surprise.

"Eevee!" It nodded eagerly, looking more excited than it did before mealtime.

"Hmm..." Ethan hesitated.

Under normal circumstances, even knowing they might lose, he would have chosen to face the challenge.

But this competition was tricky.

Sliding down the page, he pointed at the competition date. "Look—the tournament runs from October 1st to 6th, which overlaps perfectly with our trip to Sylphmere Lake."

"Eevee..."

The light in Eevee's eyes dimmed instantly, and it collapsed onto the bed, looking like a dejected rag doll that had lost its dreams.

Ethan hadn't expected the inability to compete to hit Eevee so hard.

Scratching his head, he tentatively asked, "How about... we register first?"

(Chapter End)