"Marsh—tom~p!"
"Marsh—tom~p~~!"
As the light of evolution faded away, the small, compact Mudkip was nowhere to be seen.
In its place stood a Marshtomp, about as tall as Ethan's waist, standing upright on two legs.
Compared to Mudkip's pure cuteness…
Marshtomp looked like it had entered that slightly awkward growth phase.
That said, compared to ordinary Marshtomp, Ethan's partner was just a bit chubbier—
Which somehow made it cutely awkward instead.
[Pokémon: Marshtomp]
[Level: 25 (Mid-Exceptional Stage)]
[Type: Water / Ground]
[Ability: Torrent]
[Moves: Tackle, Water Gun, Ancient Power, Bite, Counter, Mirror Coat, Mud Shot, Water Pulse, Rock Slide, Rock Smash]
[Potential: Champion]
"After absorbing the Water Gem, its strength jumped straight to the mid-Exceptional stage?"
"As expected of a top-grade Water Gem…"
"This boosted Marshtomp by two entire major stages."
Under normal circumstances, a standard Water Gem wouldn't have such a dramatic effect.
Usually, being able to raise a Pokémon by two minor stages was already considered exceptional.
Even accounting for Mudkip's previously low level—which allowed it to absorb more energy—
One full major stage would've been the limit.
Reaching two major stages meant the top-grade Water Gem played a significant role.
But more importantly—
It was Marshtomp's Champion-tier potential.
For most Pokémon with average potential, absorbing rare resources didn't yield strong results.
The reason was simple.
A large portion of the resource's energy went toward clearing internal blockages and strengthening the body.
Only the remainder contributed to actual strength growth.
But Marshtomp was already Champion-tier.
Ordinary resources couldn't even begin to "temper" its body.
As a result, nearly all the energy was converted directly into raw strength—
Allowing it to leap from mid-infancy straight to mid-Exceptional stage.
Evolution was usually a cause for celebration.
But for Harold Jade and Anna Stone, it wasn't entirely reassuring.
Marshtomp was simply too young.
Forced evolution at such an early age carried risks of severe aftereffects.
As two of the Donghuang Alliance's top-tier breeding experts, they immediately began conducting a thorough examination.
They checked carefully and meticulously—
Yet found nothing abnormal.
Only then did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ethan, Marshtomp is fine."
"It's just that the Water Gem's effect was too strong."
"At its previous form, it couldn't withstand that amount of energy."
"That's what triggered the evolution."
Harold spoke calmly.
"There shouldn't be any short-term issues."
"But for the next period of time, you'll need to focus on training."
"Otherwise, Marshtomp might struggle to control its strength."
"There's a risk of it going berserk."
Ethan nodded seriously.
He understood this very well.
Rapid growth was good—but too much, too fast, could overload a Pokémon's body.
If Marshtomp's potential hadn't been high enough, that top-grade Water Gem might've caused serious backlash.
"I understand, Grandpa."
"I'll train diligently."
"Right, Marshtomp?"
Marshtomp nodded firmly.
This Pokémon seemed to have an almost obsessive attitude toward training.
Most Pokémon collapsed the moment they heard the word "training," as if the world had lost all meaning.
Marshtomp, on the other hand, looked like it wanted to start right now.
Ethan could only conclude—
He'd gained a partner who was extremely motivated to improve.
Of course, training wouldn't start today.
Marshtomp had just evolved and needed time to adapt to its new body.
Ethan returned it to its Poké Ball to rest properly.
Despite their small size, Poké Balls contained incredibly advanced technology.
Ethan's were custom-made—rumored to be especially comfortable.
He had no intention of mistreating the partners who chose to follow him.
Since they'd come all the way to the Jade Family Breeding Park, there was no reason to rush off.
This was his mother's family home, after all.
Ethan planned to stay for several days.
That evening, Harold had even prepared a welcoming banquet for Anna and Ethan.
But Ethan had never been fond of banquets.
After eating a bit and greeting some familiar faces, he politely excused himself and left the dining hall.
He wandered alone into the Jade estate's courtyard to enjoy the night breeze.
Unlike Ethan's own estate—where many Pokémon lived—
The Jade family courtyard housed fewer Pokémon.
Since Harold loved farming, most Pokémon there were work-oriented:
Diglett turning soil, Cutiefly helping with pollination, Muk handling compost and fertilizer.
Though they weren't familiar to him, the cool night air made the moment peaceful.
"Why'd you sneak out in the middle of dinner?"
"Was the food not to your taste?"
A familiar voice came from the side.
Ethan turned to see Iris Jade walking over.
"Nothing like that."
"The food was great—Uncle and Grandpa were very welcoming."
"I just got full, so I came out to walk it off."
Ethan replied calmly.
"I think you just don't like crowded scenes."
Iris smiled, seeing right through him.
But she didn't tease him further—just let out a soft sigh.
"Honestly, I feel the same."
"Dinner lasting that long is exhausting."
"Standing here, enjoying the breeze and watching Pokémon…"
"That's much better."
Ethan smiled.
"Didn't expect you to be such a free spirit, Iris."
She laughed.
"Of course."
"I'm known as the 'wandering heroine' at Donghuang Academy."
"By the way, Aunt Anna mentioned you'll be enrolling there soon too?"
Ethan nodded.
"In a week."
"Freshman orientation."
Hearing this, Iris nodded thoughtfully.
"Orientation comes fast."
"At first, they mostly teach Pokémon capture basics and breeding fundamentals."
"For you, that should be easy."
Ethan laughed.
"Sounds like you think pretty highly of me."
"Well, yeah."
"You beat me."
"If I said otherwise, wouldn't that be denying myself?"
She raised an eyebrow playfully.
Then she asked, "So, are you planning to stay at the estate this week?"
"Yes."
"Mom wanted to spend time with Grandpa—and then she'll take me to Donghuang Academy."
"Oh, right."
"Is there anything fun around here?"
"If I stay for a whole week, I might die of boredom."
Iris paused, then laughed.
"Didn't expect you to look so well-behaved but have such a wild heart."
"As for fun places…"
"There actually is one."
"I'm heading to the back mountain tomorrow for something."
"How about coming with me?"
The back mountain?
Ethan looked toward the distant hills.
And just then—
[Ding! Purple-Tier Opportunity detected in the back mountain]
[Please follow Iris Jade to investigate]
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