"Did you guys see that? The way Lockhart got his wand snatched was absolutely ridiculous."
Not far from the classroom, Ron began mimicking Lockhart with exaggerated tones, but he only succeeded in making Harry laugh. Hermione thought he was childish, and Malfoy felt he hadn't captured the essence—not as good as his own impressions.
"By the way, Big D, what do you want with these things?" Ron pointed at the cage in Dudley's hands.
After being locked back in the cage, the Cornish Pixies were still chattering noisily. Seeing Ron talking about them, several even made faces at him. Clearly, they could understand human language.
Unlike Doxies, which were like cockroaches among magical creatures—completely impossible to communicate with.
"I want to use them for some experiments. Oh, and Ron, they're insulting you."
"Insulting me? What are they saying?" Ron was stunned, then his eyes widened. "Big D, you understand what they're saying?"
"I know a little bit of pixie language."
Dudley explained as he walked. "They say you're as noisy as a duck... well, now they're calling you a red-haired duck."
"Cool!"
Ron exclaimed with genuine admiration, not about being called a red-haired duck, of course. No one would bother arguing with a bunch of pixies.
"Just a little, just a little," Dudley said with mock modesty.
'He even understands pixie language... truly worthy of Big D,' Malfoy and Harry thought simultaneously.
'How does Dudley know everything? I have to get him to teach me,' Hermione thought.
Midnight, the moon climbed the treetops, young wizards had long since entered dreamland, and all of Hogwarts gradually quieted down.
After finishing his workout, Dudley returned to his dormitory—still the same first-year room, still single occupancy. Malfoy had wanted to move in together, but Dudley firmly refused. Why share a room when you could have one to yourself?
Besides, the roommate would be a guy? Unfortunately, Hogwarts still didn't allow co-ed dormitories.
Finding a table, Dudley brought out the cageful of Cornish Pixies. These little troublemakers who'd been caged all day were still very active.
Hooking his finger, the transmutation circle glowed faintly. A hand extended from the cage and grabbed one of the Cornish Pixies.
Cornish Pixies weren't particularly cute creatures, but their blue skin reminded Dudley of creatures from a certain fairy tale. Smurfs. He seemed to remember taking the title Gargamel once. Of course, Smurfs were much cuter than these things.
Dudley wanted to try his Magical Creature Training skill. This was a very special ability, like Magical Creature Speech, it only worked on magical creatures.
The captured Cornish Pixie looked somewhat frightened, as if sensing something, desperately trying to escape the wooden palm, but it was futile.
Dudley looked at the faint "Tameable" text above its head and activated Magical Creature Training.
The moment he activated it, the Cornish Pixie immediately became rigid, like it had been hit with a Petrification Curse. Soon, its head emitted a blue glow.
Dudley felt like something had been drained from his body, but according to his status panel everything was normal; even his magic power showed no change, as if it were just his imagination. Before he could think more, he felt something new in his mind.
There seemed to be a connection with this Cornish Pixie.
To confirm this, Dudley waved slightly, and the wooden hand immediately released the Cornish Pixie. No escape, no attack, no pranks—instead, it completely changed from its usual troublemaking and looked at him timidly.
Dudley's heart stirred. He pulled out his homemade magical creature feed (pixie-specific) and gave it one piece. The Cornish Pixie immediately devoured the feed hungrily.
So that's it... it was hungry.
One piece of feed was quickly finished, so Dudley gave it a second piece. Dudley felt he could understand what the other was thinking, though this feeling was still unfamiliar and needed practice.
Similarly, the Cornish Pixie could understand what he was thinking. With one thought from Dudley, the Cornish Pixie flew up and brought a book from the table.
Just like familiars in other magical worlds. Maybe even more useful than familiars.
Next, Dudley discovered that in the system display, the original "Tameable" text had changed to "With proper care and training it can evolve."
Can it evolve? Evolution?
Hm? Why does this feel strange?
Dudley had an odd thought. This... am I really not raising Pokémon? Or am I a... Digimon tamer?
Dudley touched his smooth chin. So the question was: where was his Divine Plan?
Maybe I could cosplay as a Druid.
Dudley wanted to know what this evolution was about—whether it was the evolution he understood—so he chose evolution.
Instantly, brilliant but not blinding light enveloped the Cornish Pixie's entire body. Its body began transforming before Dudley's eyes, sometimes big, sometimes small, sometimes tall, sometimes short.
Ten seconds passed, the light finally faded, and a brand new Cornish Pixie appeared before Dudley. The moment the Cornish Pixie completed its transformation, he seemed to see little stars twinkling around.
The overall design was still that of a Cornish Pixie, but its body had more than doubled in size. Its originally scrawny body had also filled out somewhat, and what had been two antennae on its head had gradually become a pair of sharp little horns.
This... and you still say you're not a Pokémon?
Dudley looked at the dramatically changed Cornish Pixie and couldn't help thinking, Am I going to get a cease and desist letter?
Cornish Pixie LV2.
This was the text displayed above the evolved Cornish Pixie's head.
"From now on, you'll be called Pixie."
Regardless of whether it was willing, Dudley forcibly decided the name. Pixie was a fairy from European folk tales. Cornish Pixies were small fairies, and small fairies were also fairies, so...
Of course, the name was Pixie, not Pikachu. Dudley said he refused any cease and desist letters—if they insisted on sending them, he'd just have to acquire Game Freak early, since it was only 1992.
The evolved Cornish Pixie hadn't just grown larger—its strength had obviously increased, it was faster, and it seemed to have gained some special abilities.
Snap! Pixie snapped its fingers, blue powder traced across its fingertips, and then a book levitated in the air.
"Your ability?"
Pixie nodded.
Oh ho, Dudley was immediately interested, then he looked toward the cageful of Cornish Pixies.