In the blink of an eye, Snivy's body was enveloped in a dense white light.
Within the glow, her appearance began to change rapidly.
"Snivy…"
Snivy gritted her teeth, enduring the overwhelming surge of power.
But at that critical moment, the light of evolution around her suddenly dimmed and disappeared.
Lucien froze.
Was this... a failed evolution?
"Hu... hu…"
Snivy panted heavily, as though resisting evolution had drained a tremendous amount of energy.
Observing her closely, Lucien suddenly understood.
It wasn't that Snivy's evolution had failed, she had rejected it.
But why?
Puzzled, Lucien knelt down and asked softly, "Snivy, don't you want to evolve?"
Evolution meant becoming stronger. Logically, most Pokémon naturally pursued evolution to gain power, few ever resisted it.
No… perhaps that wasn't always true.
Lucien recalled examples from history and research.
Some Pokémon, after evolving, lost control of their power, their bodies suffering irreversible consequences.
For instance, when a Paras evolves into Parasect, its body dies as the mushrooms take full control, a tragedy for any true Trainer to witness.
"Snivy…"
Snivy's expression wavered, then she firmly shook her head.
That's right. She didn't want to evolve.
Her mind flashed back to a night long ago, a full moon hanging high over the forest.
That was the night she encountered a Serperior.
It was magnificent and powerful… but its lack of arms and legs terrified her.
If she evolved, she too would lose her limbs, her hands that could grasp, her legs that could stand proudly.
To her, that felt like becoming… helpless.
Snivy was proud and independent. Even though Lucien cared for her deeply, she couldn't bear the thought of depending on him for everything.
Lucien couldn't fully understand her words, but looking into her eyes, he clearly saw her fear and determination.
Though he felt a twinge of disappointment, he knew this wasn't a game; he could never force her to evolve.
Lucien took a slow breath and said gently, "It's alright. It doesn't matter if you don't evolve."
"Snivy…"
Snivy blinked in surprise, then looked up at him.
Lucien smiled. "We can still grow stronger together, right?"
Wasn't Ash's Snivy the same?
Even unevolved, she had defeated far stronger opponents, even evolved ones like Gigalith.
There were many such examples in the world of Pokémon.
More importantly, Snivy could still learn Leaf Storm without evolving into a Serperior.
Even Serperior needed to reach an advanced level to master it naturally, but with focus and training, Snivy could master it early, long before evolution.
Lucien decided to respect her choice completely.
"Snivy…"
Snivy's eyes softened. She gazed at Lucien for a moment, then turned her head away, pretending to hide her emotion.
But in that quiet moment, her affection for him deepened, her friendship had grown from 70 to 90.
Even so, deep inside, Snivy still felt a flicker of fear…
She feared that if she refused to evolve, one day, Lucien might abandon her.
After all, through their time together, Snivy knew that Lucien truly wished to see the Pokémon around him grow stronger, and evolve, just like Dratini.
However, Snivy couldn't accept herself in that future form. She preferred to stay by Lucien's side just as she was.
Seeing that Lucien didn't force her but instead encouraged her, Snivy felt deeply moved.
She had truly grown fond of this human.
"Alright, let's put this behind us," Lucien said gently, patting Snivy's head. "From now on, we'll continue training as usual."
"Snivy!" she responded firmly, her pride momentarily replaced with quiet resolve.
Just then, a voice called out.
"Lord Lucien! You're here!"
Lucien turned to see the old steward, Elif, hurrying toward him.
"What is it?" Lucien asked.
"Ryan, Cleveland, and Christina have returned!" Elif reported.
Lucien immediately recalled the group he had sent out a few days earlier to survey the surrounding Pokémon ecosystem.
He quickly returned to the hall with Snivy and Dratini. Sure enough, Ryan and the others were waiting there.
Christina handed him a worn notebook, her eyes sparkling. "Lord Lucien, we've completed the mission you assigned us!"
The quiet Cleveland stood respectfully to the side, while Ryan grinned. "Mission accomplished! After the snow melted, a lot of new monsters have appeared around the area!"
"Oh?" Lucien's curiosity was instantly piqued.
He sat down and opened the notebook, filled with neat sketches and field notes.
The first page showed a small, sheep-like Pokémon with oval eyes, green-tinted curls, and a body covered in fluffy cotton.
"Is this… Cottonee?" Lucien murmured.
Christina had noted beneath the sketch:
'Very lively, but seems to have no fixed habitat. They are so light that they often get blown away by the wind.'
Cottonee… They could produce fine cotton, perfect for quilts or clothing, Lucien thought.
But the problem was their nature, they were so light that they might drift away with a single gust.
Lucien continued flipping through the pages.
Compared to winter, the spring ecosystem was far more diverse.
He saw records of Basculin, Roselia, Emolga, Heracross, Pinsir, the Spring Form Deerling, Zangoose, Spinarak, Sewaddle, Skorupi, Bouffalant, Squirtle, Shellder, Jigglypuff, and even a Leafeon.
"Just as I expected," Lucien murmured, turning to the final page.
There, he found a familiar, woolly Pokémon, its thick fleece glowing faintly, with a small orange orb at the tip of its tail.
"Mareep…" he whispered.
Christina had written a note beneath it:
'These docile and social Pokémon are very approachable, even to strangers. However, they store electrical energy in their wool, touching them without warning can cause a numbing shock.'