Evolution Stone and Fire Z

Among the stones Pidgeot had brought, three or four were ordinary rocks, though their colors were quite pretty. No wonder someone had taken a liking to them.

However, Yan Yang's attention was fixed on two unremarkable-looking stones.

Yan Yang picked up one of them.

It was a purple, roughly diamond-shaped stone with three layers of color. At its very center was a dim heart-shaped pattern.

"An Evolution Stone?" Yan Yang named the stone.

An Evolution Stone was a defensive item containing mysterious power. If the Pokémon holding it could still evolve—excluding Mega Evolution—its Defense and Special Defense would be boosted.

In the games, it was a powerful item that let weak Pokémon turn things around. Some unevolved Pokémon that already had decent bulk could become absurdly tanky with one of these. It was a support item with an excellent reputation in the games.

The Evolution Stone could not exactly be called extremely rare, but it should not have been something commonly seen either. Yan Yang had not yet entered human society, so he did not know how rare many items truly were. Still, he had seen quite a few Fire Stones, Thunder Stones, Leaf Stones, and the like, and had even collected some himself. But this was indeed his first time seeing an Evolution Stone.

However, compared to the other stone, the Evolution Stone no longer seemed so rare.

Yan Yang picked up the other stone, one that even he found unbelievable.

It was a small, standard diamond-shaped stone, entirely red, with a flame emblem representing the Fire type at its center.

"Fire Z from the Alola Region!" Yan Yang's heart raced with excitement.

This was a specialty of the Alola Region, one of the crucial items for using the local signature Z-Moves. When paired with a Z-Ring, it could unleash the immensely powerful Fire-type Z-Move—Inferno Overdrive.

Z-Moves were special, powerful moves created when a Trainer invoked the power of nature, Z-Power, to enhance a Pokémon's move. They were extraordinarily powerful, but in exchange placed an enormous burden on both Trainer and Pokémon. In the games, they could only be used once per battle.

Reality surely would not work exactly like that. Maybe as long as one had enough energy and strength, they could keep using them.

Getting one of these would not be easy. It seemed that one had to pass someone else's trial to obtain it. It might be fairly common in the Alola Region, but in other regions, it was a rare treasure.

Good grief, where had this Pidgeot picked these up? No, could a Fire Z really be picked up just anywhere? Could some careless fool like Ash have dropped it in the Johto Region after finishing a trip to Alola?

That did not matter for now. The important thing was to quickly ask where it got it. He wanted to try his luck too—maybe he could even find a Z-Ring. The little person in Yan Yang's heart roared, though he knew it was nothing more than wishful thinking. That thing definitely would not be easy to find.

When Litleo saw the Fire Z, he sensed the Fire-type energy within it. Fire-type Pokémon naturally liked such things. He waved his little paws in the air, his eager little face practically spelling out, "Yang, I want this."

Although Yan Yang wanted it badly as well, he still explained the importance and rarity of the two stones to Pidgeot, asking whether it truly wanted to give such precious things to him.

Tricking those shady merchants would be one thing, but deceiving innocent Pokémon would make Yan Yang feel awful.

Pidgeot did not think much of the two items. Besides, they were completely useless to it now—it could not learn Fire-type moves in the first place, and it had already evolved into its final form. That made both items worthless to it.

For wild Pokémon, setting aside things with collectible value, even the rarest item was probably not worth as much as a filling meal if it was of no use to them.

Besides, it had already said it would give the things away. It could not take them back just because they turned out to be valuable. That would be too disgraceful, and it could not bring itself to do such a thing.

Yan Yang: You can't do it, but I probably can. (●'◡'●)

Since Pidgeot did not care, it would be inappropriate for Yan Yang to keep hesitating. He accepted all the stones at once, and quickly too, as though afraid Pidgeot might change its mind.

"Want to stay for a meal? You came so early—you probably haven't eaten, right?" Yan Yang was in an exceptionally good mood after receiving a gift from a friend, so he invited Pidgeot to breakfast.

But Pidgeot had no such intention. Once it saw that Yan Yang had accepted its stones, it prepared to leave.

Before leaving, it specifically said that it might not come again in the future. After all, it had its own matters to attend to. If fate allowed, they would meet again someday.

Yan Yang said he understood. Entei was raising him, while Pidgeot had to rely on itself for everything. It only needed to live its own life peacefully.

Seeing that Pidgeot had already flown far away and Yan Yang still had not come back to his senses, Litleo suddenly pounced, pinning all the stones beneath himself as if protecting his treasures.

The stones were all small, and he really did manage to cover every one of them. Only the Fire Z in Yan Yang's hand escaped that treatment.

Yan Yang: "You little punk."

Those ordinary stones were pretty, and someone had given them to him. They could not be ruined.

Yan Yang and Litleo battled wits for a while before he successfully retrieved every stone from beneath Litleo's paws.

After taking them all back, Yan Yang looked smug, his expression practically saying, You little brat, and you thought you could fight me?

Having lost his precious stones, Litleo was dejected, anxious, and a little angry.

But after a while, he seemed to think of something. He began pretending to be frail and helpless, letting out soft little whimpers as his expression turned innocent and pitiful.

Yan Yang: "!"

This little guy had learned that already?

Yan Yang could not take it anymore. He scooped him up and gave him a thorough, vigorous rubdown. Burying his face in all that fluff was truly one of life's greatest pleasures.

Hehe, little cuties like you were born to be devoured by Trainers.

Now it was Litleo's turn to be speechless. He had only wanted the stones—how had he ended up being "violated"?

I, Yan Bao, am no longer a pure little Litleo.

After getting his fill of fluff, Yan Yang gave him the Evolution Stone and Fire Z, while keeping the other stones for his collection.

Litleo was overjoyed to get the stones back. Though he had not gotten all of them, this was already very good. Besides, he had received the two he liked most and that were the most useful, so he could not ask for more.

Seeing Yan Bao's satisfied face, Yan Yang thought, Silly child, these things were yours to begin with.

Both items were special tools and would not be easily damaged, making them perfect for a naughty child to play with.

The Fire Z had no use for now—no, it probably would not have any use for a very long time. Yan Yang did not believe he could find something like a Z-Ring in the Johto Region.

And even if he did find one, what would be the point? In the game settings, it seemed that Z-Moves could only wield their power in the Alola Region, or rather, in places where the Tapu family existed. He did not know whether the same was true here, but for now, it could only be used as an ornament.

The Evolution Stone was a good thing. Most Pokémon had rather poor defenses early on, and with this, their durability could be assured. It would also help against opponents with similar levels. Though it seemed useless for now—Yan Bao had yet to enter training.

Still, it was indeed time to begin training. Although Yan Yang was still a novice in this regard, he would work hard.

After playing with Litleo for a while, he grew anxious again and began worrying about Entei. He wondered whether Entei would encounter any danger.

With Entei's strength, there should have been no need to worry about such things. Yet Yan Yang felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart, along with an equally indescribable sense of reassurance.

He had the feeling that something major might happen this time, but that it would definitely be resolved.

For some reason, he felt that his relationship with Entei had taken another step forward.

If you think this book is good, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.