Interest Cultivation Plan

That afternoon, Fang Yuan and Eevee watched Pokémon battles with great interest.

Even after returning home, Eevee could not stop thinking about them. But having Eevee battle now would be far too much of a stretch.

Growl, Tackle, Tail Whip... those were all the moves Eevee currently knew.

Eevee truly was not suited for battle. Take that Nidoran♂ they had seen earlier—its body was covered in poison. An Eevee that only knew Tackle was no match for it and would instead put itself in danger.

Eevee's gentle temperament made it easy for Fang Yuan to raise, but if he wanted Eevee to possess outstanding strength without evolving, it would not be easy. This was a test for Fang Yuan.

That evening, Father Fang and Mother Fang returned from work. Eevee had already finished its last serving of milk for the day and taken in enough nutrition. Since it had slept for a while after coming back, it was still fairly energetic.

The moment Mother Fang entered, she immediately picked Eevee up and affectionately looked it over, calling it "good baby" and "sweet little darling," making Fang Yuan's face darken.

Faced with his parents' blatant theft of his affection, Fang Yuan found that he... had no way to stop them.

Still, it was something worth being happy about that his parents liked Eevee. After learning that they were Fang Yuan's family, Eevee behaved very obediently around them as well.

Seeing how well-behaved Eevee was, Fang Yuan finally thought of what to do next.

As the saying went, interest was the best teacher. Eevee was not belligerent like Spearow or Beedrill, which were aggressive and quick-tempered by nature, but if he cultivated the right hobbies for it, perhaps he could achieve the same result!

Judging from that afternoon's experience, Little Eevee did not dislike battling. On the contrary, it was very curious about it. That might be an opening.

The next day.

Fang Yuan decisively chose to stay home, lounging around with Eevee... drinking milk while binge-watching shows!

Now this was life.

However, this was not simply a way to kill time.

There was thought behind the movies Fang Yuan chose. The first film they watched together was called Eevee Adventure.

Ever since Pokémon had arrived, film genres around the world had changed dramatically. This movie was a typical example. It was a very famous adventure film about a stray Eevee that met a hot-blooded Trainer. After becoming partners, the two accidentally entered a Secret Realm. There, Eevee and the Trainer encountered danger after danger, but through Eevee's repeated battles of wits and courage against vicious Pokémon, the two protagonists escaped safely and forged a deep friendship.

As a film character, this Eevee displayed excellent battle instincts, nimbly toying with countless powerful Pokémon. It looked incomparably cool. As Fang Yuan and Eevee watched, Fang Yuan noticed that his Eevee had indeed been drawn in, its face full of longing.

Seeing Eevee's expression, Fang Yuan knew he had done the right thing. If he had started training it right away, Eevee would not have refused, but the efficiency would definitely have been low. It was better to cultivate Eevee's interest first and make it yearn to become stronger on its own.

From introductory films for human children like Eevee Adventure and Mysterious Dungeon: Pikachu Rescue Team to rebroadcasts of the World Pokémon League Conference, the two of them tried all kinds of different genres over the course of the day.

Compared with the initial Eevee Adventure, the battles at the League Conference were fiercer, more intense, and more realistic. Even Fang Yuan's blood boiled as he watched those classic battles one after another, let alone Eevee, which had just been immersed in fictional films.

"Eevee~ Eevee~"

Fang Yuan leaned against the sofa. Sometimes Eevee watched while lying in his arms, and sometimes it watched while curled up with the Silk Scarf. Just like that, another day passed...

On yet another new day, Fang Yuan and Eevee went for a simple morning run before once again choosing to stay home.

There were simply too many films in the world to count. No matter what, the two of them could never finish watching them all.

Although Fang Yuan actively selected suitable ones, he still faced an enormous sea of films.

Ding...

While they were watching, Fang Yuan's phone gave a system notification. He glanced at it and saw that it was Senior Tang Ying.

Senior: Still watching movies with Eevee?

Reply to Senior: Yep... Eevee seems to have fallen in love with the feeling.

Senior: Pfft, all right. But remember to take Eevee outside for some fresh air too. Oh, are you free on the first? Our Psychology Club is planning to go out and have some fun together. Once school starts, we probably won't have many chances to gather like this.

Reply to Senior: I'm free. Where are we going?

Senior: The West Coast Resort, Magic City's vacation paradise.

Fang Yuan thought it sounded good and immediately made plans with her. There were still four days until the agreed date. Taking Eevee to the seaside then would be nice too.

After all, they could not just stay cooped up at home all the time. Senior was right.

"Eevee?" Eevee called out.

"Oh... the movie's over? Next one, next one."

"Forget it, I'll teach you how to use the remote."

Eevee: "..."

Come to think of it, Little Eevee had been born for three days already. In four more days, it would be about time for it to finish its newborn stage and enter its growth stage.

A Pokémon's newborn stage was especially short, while its growth stage was extremely long. Once it began to age, however, it quickly headed toward death.

After entering the growth stage, Little Eevee could begin training. Fang Yuan already had a rough plan and decided to begin after they returned from the trip.

Although Senior had suggested that Fang Yuan wait until school started and train according to the school's schedule, Fang Yuan always felt that would leave him behind.

If he followed the crowd and trained hard... at best, he would only rank among the top students at Peaceful City First High School. Yet Peaceful City First High School was not even outstanding compared with key high schools within the province, let alone nationwide. Fang Yuan still wanted to try things himself.

Although the Rookie Trainers at Peaceful City First High School were elites from Flat City and several surrounding towns, Flat City was not a Big City after all. Its resources and conditions still lagged behind metropolises like Magic City and Kyoto. The number of Professional Trainers it produced made that clear. Around Magic City, not only were Trainer clubs everywhere, but there were also all sorts of ancient dojos, battle competitions, and private Breeding Houses. All of these could help local Rookie Trainers grow quickly. If Fang Yuan limited his sights to Flat City alone, he would be doing the knowledge in his head a disservice.

After making his decision, Fang Yuan first told his father about taking Eevee on a trip. Then, he discussed the arrangements afterward with Little Eevee.

His father quickly agreed and transferred him money for food, lodging, transportation, and entertainment. To be honest, Father Fang and Mother Fang truly did not feel at ease letting Fang Yuan travel far alone. Fortunately, he would be going with classmates. Otherwise, Fang Yuan and Eevee would probably only have been able to wander around near Flat City.