Since returning from the Electric Wilderness, Owen had been buried in his research materials.
In the blink of an eye, July was coming to an end. During this time, he occasionally ventured out—mostly to specialized training gyms like charging rooms to give Magneton some "extra credit."
This guy was now a massive financial drain, consuming resources faster than even Eevee. It wasn't that Eevee no longer needed cultivation, but rather that Owen found it difficult to source high-quality nutrients suitable for its unique condition.
Nowadays, when Owen looked at Magneton, he didn't see a silver-shining Pokémon; he saw a gold-plated one. If you factored in the expenses from the Electric Wilderness, Owen had sunk well over seven figures into Magneton since the day he caught it as a Magnemite.
Of course, as a Pokémon raised on a million-dollar budget, Magneton's strength and potential were well worth the price tag.
Aside from the move Thunder, which it learned immediately upon evolving, Owen had only tasked Magneton with learning one other move over the past month: Tri Attack.
Owen had spent a tremendous amount of effort tracking down teaching methods and gathering the necessary resources. He didn't want Magneton to learn it as a simple offensive move; instead, he wanted it to master the underlying principle.
Tri Attack uses three types of beams, containing the power of paralysis, burn, and freeze. It's a method of controlling three different status-altering energies simultaneously.
Once Magneton grasped this, its execution of the "Railgun" technique—the combination of Lock-On, Electromagnetic Force, and Magnet Bomb—became significantly smoother. The Super Electromagnetic Railgun was finally taking shape.
As for standard moves like Light Screen, Reflect, Gravity, Thunder Wave, and Thunderbolt, their effectiveness had naturally increased with evolution.
However, being conventional moves, Owen didn't value them nearly as much as the Railgun.
Eevee, too, had made great strides.
Through constant practice with its Espeon form and acclimating to its post-evolution power, its control over the Berserk Gene had improved remarkably.
Originally, it could only muster two full-power Psychic attacks before exhausting itself; now, it could break that energy down into over a dozen smaller-scale uses.
While the individual power was lower, its combat duration was much longer.
Learning to modulate its output and manage its stamina was the most important step for the current Eevee. This prevented the awkward situation of having to waste a "Finishing Move" on a weak opponent.
In Pokémon battles, a one-shot KO is satisfying, but endurance is key.
Beyond that, its basic conditioning and move proficiency hadn't lagged behind—especially with Hidden Power Fire, which it could now manifest with impressive finesse.
"Finally..."
Six months after their first success, Owen and his team had finally developed a new usable Pokéblock. This purplish-red block was arguably the highest quality one they had ever produced, surpassing the light blue version in both purity and effect.
However, Owen found the result a bit "egg-painful" (frustrating). The effect of the purplish-red Pokéblock was to increase physical strength.
Specifically, if Eevee ate these regularly, the power of its Tackle and Iron Tail would increase. The problem was... now that Eevee could evolve into Espeon, Owen planned to focus on its mental energy.
Having a powerhouse of psychic energy go in for a head-on Tackle or physical melee combat felt a bit... "iron-headed" (foolish).
Still, extra physical strength never hurt. It just meant the "price-to-performance" ratio wasn't optimal for Eevee.
If Owen were to catch a Fighting-type or a massive, strength-based Pokémon, this block would be perfect.
He filed the recipe away. Aside from the occasional treat for Eevee and Magneton, he would save it for his future team members. This was undeniably a High-Grade Pokéblock.
Interestingly, the purplish-red block had a subtle secondary effect: it refined their "aura."
If the light blue block made them look beautiful and elegant, the purplish-red one made them look "cool" and "sharp."
Eevee now looked more valiant and heroic—when it got serious in a fight, no one would dare mistake it for a mere fluffball.
Just like Owen, it was now "cool enough to drop dregs" (exceptionally handsome). Seeing the change, Owen almost wanted to try one himself, but unfortunately, Pokéblocks don't work on humans.
"Vee!!"
As August began, Eevee finally cleared the latest game it had been grinding. It rolled around on the carpet in excitement, wrapped in the brand-new silk scarf Owen had gifted it.
But before it could even crack open an ice-cold drink to celebrate, Owen walked over with words that made its heart turn cold.
"We're heading out. We have a scheduled battle today!" Owen said with a beaming smile.
"Vee?..." Eevee suddenly felt "unwell." It had just finished its game... it was time to binge-watch shows! Why go out now? And for a battle?
"Don't worry," Owen said, lowering its guard. "You can just rest. Magneton is the main fighter today."
He walked over, scooped Eevee up, and plopped it onto his shoulder.
"Vee-vee?" Eevee was curious. Who were they fighting?
"Leo and Lynnea. Lynneais leaving soon, and we'll be heading to Shanghai shortly. We probably won't see each other for a long time, so a farewell battle is a good way to say goodbye..." Owen was full of enthusiasm.
Eevee nodded. If it was Leo and Lynnea, it really wouldn't have to lift a paw. However, looking at Owen's excitement, Eevee wondered... had he been looking forward to this for a long time?
It suspected Owen had been itching to use Magneton to "hang and beat" Munchlax and Growlithe for a while now.
Considering Magneton's current strength, Eevee remained silent. If Munchlax and Growlithe hadn't made massive progress, they were in for a rough afternoon.
Fairview Public Battle Court.
The courts were currently crowded with the newest batch of rookie trainers. Owen and his friends were now the "seniors." Watching the rookies engage in straightforward, back-and-forth brawls made Owen feel a bit nostalgic.
Rookie pecking is so much easier. Modern high-level battles involve too much scheming; it's mentally exhausting.
After a short wait, Owen saw Leo jogging up the steps. Soon after, Lynnea arrived. The three had agreed to meet at 4:00 PM, and the timing was perfect.
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