第26章 圣诞节 进化

Time flew in the blink of an eye to December 24th.

Before Christmas Eve, in order to welcome Christmas the next day, the school began distributing various colorful decorations for students and teachers to decorate the school and classrooms.

When Hu Yang returned from training by the river, great changes had already taken place on campus.

Snowmen wearing Santa hats, Christmas trees adorned with ribbons and lights, and teachers and students whose faces were red from the cold.

It was also time for the end of the school day, and the students in the school had returned home one after another, where they would enjoy a two-day Christmas holiday.

"Is the school all decorated?" Erika, wearing winter clothes, and Nishida Gang walked over from the snow, carrying a bunch of things.

Nishida Gang nodded. "Just the staff dormitories left."

Hu Yang asked in surprise, "You guys didn't go home?"

Unlike him, many teachers at the school had families.

"I wanted to go." Nishida Gang wore a helpless expression. "Unfortunately, the ferry tickets to Slateport City were sold out."

Erika smiled and said, "Same here."

Hu Yang couldn't help but chuckle.

Erika showed the ribbons and Santa hats she was holding in her arms to Hu Yang, and said, "Right on time, shall we go decorate the dormitories together?"

Hu Yang naturally had no problems with that.

When the three of them finished being busy, the time had already reached eight o'clock in the evening.

Hu Yang sent them off, returned home, and looked at the room full of Christmas flair, instantly feeling a strange sensation.

He took out a few Santa hats Erika had left behind, put one each on Budew and Cramorant, while Gengar floated nearby, looking on with envy.

Hu Yang: ...You can't touch them.

Gengar looked very dejected.

Hu Yang smiled, hung a Santa hat on the wall, and then had Gengar stand back a bit so that it could fit right against the Santa hat.

Pity there's no camera... Otherwise, he could take a photo for Gengar.

Gengar felt a bit better after that, using its claw to touch that ordinary Santa hat very dearly.

"Do you want to collect this one too?" Hu Yang asked.

During this time, whenever he prepared gifts for Budew and Cramorant, he would also prepare a portion for Gengar out of politeness.

Gengar cherished every single item, having Hu Yang put all those things together in a cardboard box.

Hu Yang didn't understand this, but still fulfilled Gengar's wish.

Gengar nodded, watching him put the Santa hat into the small cardboard box with its own eyes.

After putting away the Santa hat, Hu Yang went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Infected by the festive atmosphere, he had bought a lot of ingredients from outside ahead of time, preparing to make a sumptuous Christmas feast.

When he placed the final chocolate-frosted strawberry cake onto the table, fireworks began to bloom outside the window.

Those were the people of Petalburg City celebrating the holiday.

"Merry Christmas!" Hu Yang placed a small piece of cake in front of Budew, smiling softly. "Please continue to take care of me from now on."

This was the first holiday he spent in this world; although he came here all alone, with everyone's company, he didn't feel lonely.

"Gah!"

Cramorant also revealed a trace of happy emotion from its usual dazed expression, letting out a silly cry toward the food on the table.

"Ni!"

Budew was extremely happy; this winter was completely different from all the previous winters for it.

This was the happiest winter of its life.

It liked this human very much, and at this moment, the thought of wanting to stay by his side forever arose in Budew's heart.

And the very instant this thought formed, a rich white light suddenly lit up on its body.

Gengar and Hu Yang's gazes were instantly drawn over.

That light was...

Evolution!

An indescribable surge of excitement rose within Hu Yang's heart.

This scene of witnessing with one's own eyes the transformation of a Pokémon cultivated through one's own hard work felt completely different from looking at a Pokémon evolve outside a game screen.

Surprise, excitement, happiness, anticipation.

Amidst the rich light of evolution, Budew's figure rapidly underwent changes.

A refreshing fragrance that put one's mind at ease drifted out from the radiance.

Its body stretched from a small grassbud into a humanoid form resembling a forest fairy.

Two roses of different colors grew from its slender wrists.

One red, one blue.

A moment later, the light dissipated, and a brand-new Pokémon appeared before Hu Yang.

"Roselia!" Roserade let out a happy cry.

At the same time, the information in Hu Yang's mind changed accordingly.

Species: Roserade ♀

Type: Grass, Poison

Ability: Leaf Guard

Base Stats: 400 (HP: 50, Attack: 60, Defense: 45, Sp. Atk: 100, Sp. Def: 80, Speed: 65)

Learned Moves: Mega Drain, Stun Spore, Seed Bomb, Paralysis Bomb (Stun Spore + Seed Bomb), Landmine Bomb (Seed Bomb +), Poison Sting, Magical Leaf

Current Emotion: Happy, Joyful

Physical State: Relaxed, Satisfied

Friendship: 100 (It likes you very much and wants to be with you forever)

Hu Yang's eyes grew moist with emotion.

Compared to humans, Pokémon truly were very simple creatures.

As long as they chose a human, they would dedicate everything they had, even their lives, to the other party.

Such a thing was something even humans could not easily accomplish...

"Thank you." Hu Yang reached out and stroked Roserade's cheek, speaking softly.

"Roselia!" Roserade gave a happy response.

Christmas Eve finally passed away in a warm atmosphere, and lying in bed at night, Hu Yang's mind recalled the bits and pieces of coming to this world.

Budew's evolution held very important significance for him.

Starting today, he would officially possess a certain level of battle capability.

Moreover, the evolved Roserade had also comprehended two brand-new moves.

Hu Yang was already eager to test the power of these two moves in battle.

Yet right at this moment, a sound suddenly came from the direction of the kitchen.

Hu Yang's train of thought was interrupted, and he held his breath, listening to the movement outside.

Don't tell me it's haunted again?

But that sound quickly vanished, and quiet returned to the room once more.

"Maybe it's a mouse." Hu Yang breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to close his eyes and sleep, when suddenly another rustling sound rang out from outside.

Immediately following that, the bedroom doorknob turned, and amidst a subtle click, the door opened.

Hu Yang turned alert, instantly turning on the light, and then saw a tiptoeing Surskit holding a gift sneaking in through the crack of the door.

"Surs!"

The suddenly lit light scared Surskit half to death, and the gift box held by its antennae dropped onto the floor with a pat.

Hu Yang and the other few Pokémon focused their gazes on Surskit.

He recognized this Surskit; it was Principal Kiriyama's Pokémon.

Surskit was so scared that its body went limp. Looking at its face, which was red from the cold, Hu Yang twitched the corner of his mouth, got out of bed to check the situation, and asked,

"Did Principal Kiriyama send you over?"

The discovered Surskit sheepishly nodded its head.

Hu Yang walked over to the window, and sure enough, he saw Principal Kiriyama, who was cosplaying as Santa Claus.

Hu Yang: ...No wonder he told the teachers who weren't going home during yesterday's meeting to remember to hang socks on their bedheads before sleeping; so he wanted to pull this stunt.

Budew evolving once friendship is high is a personal setting of mine for the sake of the story in this book; the games also require daytime environments.