Because the team had welcomed four new little cuties, the four-member squad stayed in Rustboro City for two extra days to let the newcomers get acquainted with the veterans.
Worth mentioning was that, during these days of training, Erina's Milcery was the first to evolve into Alcremie, graduating from its infant stage and becoming a proper lady.
"I thought Eevee would evolve first—"
Hayashi leaned in close to the sweet-smelling Alcremie, eyeing the two strawberry-like decorations on her head with a slightly odd expression. "By the way, can you eat these strawberries?"
Hisako, standing nearby, looked horrified. "Why would you even ask that?! Aren't they part of her body?"
"Actually, some Pokémon have edible body parts," Sabrina chimed in. "The most famous example is the bananas on Tropius's chin—their flavor improves based on how well the Tropius is raised. It's said that a perfectly raised Tropius can have bananas worth tens of thousands each!"
Wow, talk about the Lamborghini of bananas.
"So then..." Erina and Hisako both turned their gaze toward Alcremie. "Can the strawberries on Alcremie actually be eaten?"
"Nee?" Sensing her trainer's curiosity, Alcremie bit her tiny hand in distress before looking pleadingly at Hayashi. "Nee, nee-nee!"
Ever since evolving from Milcery into Alcremie, her cries had matured slightly from "Mii" to "Nee"—though to everyone else, she still sounded as adorably babyish as ever.
"Mhm, mhm—"
Hayashi nodded understandingly before explaining to the other three, "Alcremie says the cream she secretes is similar to Tropius's bananas—a renewable resource. The regeneration speed depends on her strength and daily energy intake."
Hisako nodded. "What about the strawberries?"
"Nee, nee-nee~ nee! Nee!"
"The strawberries can be eaten too, but she can't regenerate them herself. You'll need to replace them with fresh strawberries."
"However, she can infuse the strawberries with her cream to make them exceptionally sweet—and it's not just strawberries; other foods work too."
"Additionally, she can absorb other creams to change the flavor of her own secretions into caramel, vanilla, mint, and so on."
After hearing Hayashi's translation, Erina and Hisako both gaped in astonishment.
"So, Alcremie is basically a super food processor?" Hisako remarked, watching the Pokémon on the table proudly puffing her chest with a "Look how amazing I am!" expression. "And a universal cream production device?"
"Nee!"
That's right! I can help my trainer make the most delicious cream treats!
Meanwhile, Erina thoughtfully walked over to the dining table, bent down with her hands on her knees, and gently asked, "Little Alcremie, could you give me a strawberry to see?"
"Nee—"
Alcremie swiftly plucked a strawberry and handed it to Erina with both hands.
Erina took the strawberry, held it up to inspect its sheen, then placed it on the cutting board. She sliced it into several pieces with a fruit knife, picked up one slice, and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm—"
The moment the strawberry touched her tongue, Erina hugged herself and let out a soft moan. It was as if she had fallen into a fairy-tale world filled with adorable strawberry people, all holding hands with her, dancing to "Shin Takarajima" while singing "Gunjou."
A few seconds later, Erina reopened her eyes and turned to Hayashi, Hisako, and Sabrina with utmost seriousness. "You all have to try this too! The quality of this strawberry is astonishingly high."
The three exchanged glances before stepping forward to each take a small slice. The last piece was handed by Erina to Alcremie.
"Nee!"
Alcremie closed her eyes blissfully as she held the strawberry to her mouth, nibbling on it delicately.
On the other side, Hayashi and Sabrina were like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit—let's just skip their reactions! Hisako let out a blissful hum, her face flushed with happiness as she said, "The cream's flavor is perfectly infused, the texture is smooth and sweet without being cloying—it's even better than the highest-grade strawberries I've ever tasted!"
"Little Alcremie, are there any basic requirements for strawberries like these?"
"Mii—"
"She says no. She can turn any strawberry into this quality, though the time it takes may vary."
After confirming Alcremie's abilities, Erina happily lifted Alcremie with both hands and exclaimed, "Little Alcremie, your abilities are amazing!"
Not only could it produce premium cream, but it could also cultivate high-quality fruit (though the yield was pitiful). Alcremie was practically the dream creature for any pastry chef.
Thinking of a certain dessert fanatic among the Elite Ten, a sly expression crossed Erina's face. "I already know how to handle Senior Akane—"
Hearing Erina's words, Hayashi flashed a classic villainous grin and chuckled darkly, "Heheh! Senior Momo, surely you wouldn't want to miss out on such an amazing Pokémon like Alcremie, would you?"
"?"
Erina glared at Hayashi with a darkened expression and snapped, "What kind of wrestler nonsense is that? And your actual girlfriend is right here, you know!"
Hayashi immediately straightened up and coughed. "Ahem, what I meant was, if she wants Alcremie, she'll have to become Erina's dog!"
"No, no desu!" Hisako hastily interjected. "I'm the one who's supposed to be Erina-sama's dog!"
Erina sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Hisako, you're my best friend, so…"
Hayashi muttered from the side, "You know what they say—a dog is man's best friend—"
"Pfft—"
Sabrina, once again struck by the hilarity, collapsed to the ground like Yamcha, laughing uncontrollably with sounds like "Haha—hic—honk honk honk—" Her laugh was so pathetically weak it was almost painful to watch.
Even a Blipbug could outclass her!
For reference, Blipbug's base stat total is 180, only 5 points higher than a solo Wishiwashi, making it the second-weakest Pokémon overall.
Erina, flustered and annoyed, shot Hayashi a glare. "Why is it that when you talk to me, you're never this quick-witted!?"
Well, Hayashi was thoroughly defeated this time. He crouched on the ground, sulkily drawing circles while muttering, "So it's my fault I can't talk to girls properly?"
Eevee and Growlithe each patted his shoulders from either side, letting out soft cries—"Eevee!" and "Awoo!"
Eevee: Don't cry, Master! I'm here for you!
Growlithe: Cheer up, Master! You can pet me!
Hayashi instantly transformed into a sniffling mess, hugging Eevee and Growlithe tightly. "In this cold, cruel world, only Eevee and Growlithe bring me warmth."
Erina shook her head helplessly—her boyfriend was at it again with his theatrics. If only he could keep up this entertaining act when talking to female friends, he wouldn't have stayed single for so long.
"Zzz—"
At that moment, accompanied by a strange sound effect, the Eevee in Hayashi's arms was suddenly enveloped in a white glow.
Hayashi's face lit up with joy as he released his hold on Eevee and excitedly patted his own belly, shouting, "Erina, Hisako! Look! It's the light of evolution—my Eevee is evolving!"
Having noticed the glow the moment it appeared, Erina and Hisako quickly rushed to Hayashi's side. Three pairs of eyes (Sabrina was currently in a state of hysterical laughter, resembling Yamcha) stared intently at the little Eevee.
Under the white light, Eevee's body rapidly grew taller and longer. Its once fluffy, scarf-like neck shrank into a ribbon-adorned bow...
A few seconds later, the light dissipated, revealing a graceful and ethereal beauty composed of pink and white—a Sylveon—standing before Hayashi and the others. Even the Vulpix nearby were starry-eyed, exclaiming, "Ohh!"
"Eevee!"
With her voice now more mature, Sylveon let out a gentle call and stood elegantly before Hayashi: Master, I've evolved! Do I look pretty?
"Super pretty!"
Hayashi immediately gave Sylveon a thumbs-up and declared, "The cutest Sylveon in the universe! Unstoppable, god-slaying, Buddha-defying!"
"Eevee~"
Overjoyed, Eevee (now Sylveon) pounced on Hayashi. However, she overlooked her now one-meter-tall stature and ended up knocking the unprepared Hayashi to the ground, licking his face excitedly.
"Whoa, easy there—"
While soothing Sylveon, Hayashi shot a helpless look at Erina and complained, "Eevee evolving into Sylveon feels like going from a small Bichon Frise to a massive Saint Bernard. It's a bit overwhelming."
After all, evolving from Eevee to Sylveon meant a drastic change in height from 0.3m to 1m and weight from 6.5kg to 23.5kg. Even Erina and Hisako were dazzled by the transformation.
Hisako murmured, "I was already amazed when Milcery evolved into Alcremie, but seeing Eevee become Sylveon makes me say it again—Pokémon evolution is truly miraculous!"
Erina nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling as she leaned closer to Hayashi. "Let me pet her! Eevee was already adorable, but Sylveon is downright ethereal..."
No wonder it's called Sylveon. What girl could resist its charm?
"Eevee~"
Sylveon proudly lifted her head: I'm the cutest, prettiest Sylveon!
"Absolutely! My Eevee is the cutest and prettiest!" Hayashi and Erina hugged Sylveon together, sighing in admiration. "The only one in this world who can rival Eevee's charm is probably Erina—"
Struck right in the heart, Erina's face turned bright red as she buried it in Sylveon's fur, inwardly wailing, 'Don't just say things like that out of nowhere—'
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