After Evan let his Pokémon take care of the store in the breeding house, he flew out on the Pidgeot.
He headed directly toward the city.
Many passing Trainers saw Evan's golden silhouette and felt a pang of envy. The golden light flashed in the sky, causing several people to look up, much like the way people stop to admire the roar of a sports car.
Pidgeot flew gracefully through the air, its feathers glinting in the sunlight. It looked simply majestic. Riding a Pidgeot was sure to turn heads.
Evan had Pidgeot take him to the market. Upon landing, he immediately drew a lot of attention. He returned Pidgeot with an expressionless face and went straight to the prop shop, where the shopkeeper was already waiting.
The shopkeeper, upon seeing Evan, began to complain. "Boss, I've gone through a lot of trouble for this Prism Scale you wanted. I've traveled to many cities and contacted numerous partners. Prism Scales are rare items. I managed to buy a few pieces from collectors. You can imagine how hard they were to find."
Evan smiled slightly. "How many Prism Scales did you manage to get?"
"I have ten pieces," the shopkeeper said, his eyes lighting up. "If you want them all, it'll cost you five million pokédollars—500,000 per piece. That's already a fair price."
Evan nodded. "Alright, bring them here. I'll take them all. Also, prepare some evolutionary items like Metal Coat for me."
Evan had no intention of bargaining. The market price for Prism Scales typically ranged from 550,000 to 600,000 pokédollars, and even then, they were hard to come by. The shopkeeper's offer was reasonable, and Evan figured the shopkeeper wasn't making much profit.
The shopkeeper, thrilled by Evan's decisiveness, hurried to gather the requested items. Among them was a Metal Coat, which Evan planned to use to evolve the Onix in his backyard into Steelix. He also intended to evolve his assistants Scythers into Scizors when the time came.
Evolution stones were unnecessary since Evan had a large supply. His focus was on items required for specific evolutions. If the three Onix in his care grew stronger, evolving them into Steelix would make them formidable quasi-Elite Pokémon. No wild Pokémon in the back mountains would be able to penetrate their defenses.
Evan prided himself on being a responsible guardian and was particularly concerned about his home's security.
Altogether, Evan spent ten million pokédollars. He also bought a space bag to store the items conveniently.
After finishing his shopping, Evan wasn't in a hurry to return. He wandered around the market, picking up additional supplies. Though he earned money quickly, he spent it just as fast—after all, money was meant to be spent.
When all necessary purchases were made, Evan released Pidgeot again and returned to the breeding house. The round trip took just over an hour. Upon arrival, Pidgeot was sent off to continue its training, while Evan headed to the lake.
The lake Pokémon immediately poked their heads out upon sensing Evan's presence, awaiting his instructions. Evan smiled warmly. "Good, good. You all go and play. I'm not here for you this time. Feebas, come here."
The other water Pokémon dispersed as Evan waved to Feebas, who swam eagerly toward him.
Evan called out to the Feebas, signaling them to come over. Hearing his voice, the Feebas' eyes lit up with excitement.
Could it be…?
In an instant, eight eager Feebas swarmed over, each radiating enthusiasm. Evan smiled warmly at the group, who seemed to be in particularly high spirits recently. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the Prism Scales.
"Here, take one each," he said. "Evolve into Milotic."
The Feebas became electrified with excitement at Evan's words, all eagerly rushing forward. Evan quickly distributed the Prism Scales to the group. As each Feebas touched the shimmering scale, a bright light enveloped them, signaling the beginning of their evolution.
During this time, Violet's Milotic which was already in Evan's care—served as an inspiration. Isla and the others often showed videos of Milotic to the Feebas, reinforcing their dreams of transformation. The lake's Pokémon had also stopped discriminating against the Feebas, knowing they would soon evolve into stunning Milotic. After all, why look down on someone destined to become so elegant?
The positive environment and the intermediate energy cubes Evan had been feeding them had already shifted the Feebas' mindset. Their beauty had long since reached the required standard for evolution. Now, with the Prism Scales in hand, their transformation was inevitable.
Eight simultaneous evolutions into Milotic was a breathtaking sight. Even Pidgeot and the other Pokémon, who had just been pulled over for training, stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle. To Pokémon, evolution was a sacred process, and they observed it with solemnity and awe.
As the brilliant glow of evolution faded, eight graceful Milotic appeared. The transformation of the once-awkward Feebas into stunning Milotic resembled an ugly duckling blossoming into a majestic swan.
"Mi~~!!" The Milotic let out sweet, melodic cries. They leaned their long, elegant necks toward Evan, affectionately rubbing against him. Evan chuckled, overwhelmed by the sight of the stunning Pokémon.
"Truly amazing!" Evan exclaimed, a smile lighting up his face. "From now on, I want you to help manage this lake. Do you understand? And if possible, I'd like you to ensure the next generation continues. Those who can pair up, go ahead and do so. You're not young anymore."
The Milotic exchanged shy glances, their radiant forms glimmering under the sunlight. Their bashful reactions made Evan laugh softly.
Nearby, the usually playful Magikarp observed the transformation of their friends. Their expressions shifted, and subtle changes in their attitude began to take root. Then, with a loud splash, one Magikarp launched itself high out of the water, executing a Water Splash right in front of Evan.
"Bang!" The splash soaked Evan, causing him to roll his eyes.
"All right, all right," Evan said, shaking his head. "Stop trying to steal the spotlight. Honestly, you bunch of lazy fish—who knows when any of you will actually evolve?"
Evan sighed, crossing his arms as the Magikarp swam around aimlessly. "Not even useful as ornamental fish," he muttered with mock exasperation.