"Steelix, use Iron Defense!"
"Tauros, use Iron Tail!"
The enormous Steelix's entire body flashed with silver light, hardening its skin like iron and greatly increasing its defense.
Tauros's three tails released a white glow as it decisively launched Iron Tail at the enormous Steelix, but the attack was easily endured. Steelix even pushed Tauros back, forcing Tauros to struggle to stabilize its body.
"Tauros, your physical strength and running speed are your strong points. I need you to further develop these two advantages. Right now Steelix is training your power, and afterward Scizor will train your running speed."
"One more reminder—during training, remember to stop at the right moment. Don't act recklessly." Red reminded them.
(After all, every one of you is family I cherish…)
Beside a quiet lake, Red and many Pokémon were undergoing group training. This time, however, the focus of the training was Tauros, who had only recently joined the team. Its instructors were Steelix and Scizor.
Crimson Gyarados acted as a companion coach for the two little ones, Dratini and Eevee. Their training wasn't nearly as serious as Tauros's—at most it could be considered playful sparring. After all, Crimson Gyarados didn't want to leave a psychological shadow in the hearts of the two children.
At first, Crimson Gyarados couldn't understand why its training routine was to accompany these two little brats and "play." But under Red's explanation—beautifully phrased as "tempering one's state of mind"—Crimson Gyarados eventually chose to submit, treating it as a special kind of training.
'If you can't even meet Steelix's passing standard, don't expect me to make time to train you.' Scizor scolded, forcing Tauros to focus and show twice its usual perseverance in training.
Scizor intended to use harsh words to continuously crush the last remnants of Tauros's arrogance, making it completely forget the pride it once had as the leader of the Tauros herd. Only then could Tauros gradually grow stronger and stop being influenced by negative emotions.
"That guy Scizor is really strict when acting as an instructor…" Red said helplessly. After all, Scizor had always been a Pokémon that placed extreme importance on training. Otherwise, it wouldn't have mastered its post-evolution changes so quickly, completely transforming its flashy slashing style into fierce pincer strikes.
Thinking of this, Red couldn't help glancing toward Crimson Gyarados in the lake, who wore a look of utter despair. At this moment, Crimson Gyarados's body had turned into a living slide for Dratini and Eevee. The two little brats happily jumped onto Crimson Gyarados's forehead again and again, gleefully sliding down its long tail and splashing onto the lake's surface. They were having far too much fun.
(Where am I? What exactly am I doing…)
This was Crimson Gyarados's despairing inner monologue. Was this really training?
...
Stone Town—this was a small town located at the foot of Evolution Mountain. Most residents here were wealthy merchants who sold Evolution Stones, having grown rich by excavating rare stones from the mountain. The name "Stone Town" originated from this very fact.
After several days of training, Tauros's strength improved once again. It also gained the recognition of Steelix and Scizor, both of whom were very satisfied with this hardworking newcomer.
"Alright Eevee, stop licking my face all the time." Red said helplessly.
After arriving at Stone Town, Red released Eevee and let it rest on his shoulder. He was preparing to head to the Evolution Garden Party being held in Stone Town. It was an Evolution Stone feast organized by the sons of a wealthy local merchant—the Eevee Four Brothers—who provided trainers visiting the town with the Evolution Stones they needed for free.
"I didn't expect you'd choose that form of evolution. You really are a girl who loves beauty."
Red looked at the evolution data displayed on his Pokédex and teased Eevee. At the same time, he gently stroked Eevee's cheek. Eevee shyly lowered its head, not daring to meet Red's gaze.
"Brother!"
A familiar voice came from behind. Hearing it, Red's lips curled into a smile. He knew his reckless younger brother had also arrived in Stone Town.
Turning around, Red saw Ash running toward him excitedly. The Pikachu on Ash's shoulder cried out anxiously, unable to hold on. It ended up falling off Ash's excited body and landing on the ground, rolling its eyes speechlessly as it rubbed its reddened backside.
"Is this the Eevee that Miss Erika adopted? I didn't expect you'd catch it, Red." Brock said in surprise. Since he had said goodbye to Ash's group earlier, the three of them didn't know what had happened after Celadon City.
Red didn't explain much. He simply said that it was Eevee's own choice, then looked toward the Eevee in Misty's arms.
"This child should belong to the Eevee Four Brothers up ahead."
"We found this Eevee by accident too. We don't know why its trainer abandoned it." Misty said angrily. If that really were the case, she would "reluctantly" catch Eevee and evolve it into Vaporeon with a Water Stone.
Of course, that was only a joking thought from Misty. After all, Eevee's collar had an address written on it, meaning it must have been temporarily left behind for some reason.
"What a luxurious mansion!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.
Red and the others arrived at the large courtyard where the garden party was being held. Inside the yard were fountains and lawns, as well as white tables covered with food for visiting trainers to enjoy.
Many trainers who needed Evolution Stones had gathered here, hoping to obtain the stones their Pokémon required.
A flash of white light faded. It turned out that a Poliwhirl had absorbed the energy of a Water Stone and evolved into Poliwrath, excitedly jumping into the pool to enjoy itself.
The arrival of Red and his group also caught the attention of the Eevee Four Brothers. The brothers were Sparky with yellow hair, Rainer with blue hair, Pyro with red hair, and Mikey with brown hair. Sparky, Rainer, and Pyro were triplets, so there was a noticeable age gap between them and their youngest brother Mikey.
Led by Sparky, the three older brothers focused more on Red, their eyes filled with the admiration of devoted fans.
"Could you be Dr. Red, the one who published On Eevee's Multiple Evolutions? It's a great honor to meet you—welcome to our humble home!" Sparky said excitedly as he enthusiastically shook Red's hand. The other two brothers quickly followed, eager to take photos with Red.
"Is my brother really that famous?" Ash asked in confusion.
(Only you don't know how famous Red is…) ×2
Misty and Brock looked speechlessly at the confused Ash.
"Dr. Red, are you also troubled about Eevee's evolution? We can provide you with the purest Evolution Stones here." Sparky said.
"Not really. This child has its own choice. We came here to return this Eevee." Red said, pointing to the Eevee in Misty's arms.
"Thank you very much for finding our missing Eevee." Rainer said gratefully upon seeing the Eevee.
"That's great—Mikey's Eevee has finally been found. After all, the star of this garden party is Mikey's Eevee." Pyro said happily.
"Mikey, your Eevee has been found." Sparky turned and called out.
Mikey stepped out from the crowd, looking at the Eevee running from Misty's arms toward him with a complicated expression.
"Don't foolishly lose Eevee again in the future." Pyro said.
"If you lose it again, you won't deserve to be a trainer." Rainer added.
"Was it really lost? Eevee was tied to a tree with a rope." Misty asked suspiciously.
"Why did you bring Eevee back?!" Mikey demanded, looking painfully at the Eevee acting spoiled in his arms. Mikey didn't want Eevee to evolve into any form. He only wanted Eevee to stay as it was and simply remain by his side.