c3: New Year's Present
Time had come for China's biggest traditional celebration the New Year Festival. Taking this rare opportunity, Chen Xiaoxiao decided to give herself a short break.
After a month of intense wild Pokémon farming and leveling, she had almost cleared out all the wild encounters in Donghu Park.
Kirlia had now reached 60% of Level 29, and with more than ten days of vacation left, casual training would be enough to raise her to Level 30 and trigger her evolution into Gardevoir.
Once that evolution occurred, her strength would soar dramatically. While evolving from Ralts to Kirlia had only resulted in a mild power boost about two combat levels the next evolution was completely different.
Evolving into Gardevoir raised her base stats (Species Strength) from 278 to 518, an enormous leap, especially in Special Attack and Special Defense.
Chen Xiaoxiao believed that after the evolution, with continuous training, Gardevoir's level could reach 35 or even 36, hitting the peak strength of the Elite stage.
At just 6 years old, and nearly 7, owning a Pokémon already at peak Elite stage didn't make her utterly invincible among her peers but it did put her clearly among the top of her age group.
(After all, this world is vast. There were certainly cases where wealthy or influential families began training and developing Pokémon immediately after birth, giving their children major early advantages.)
Meanwhile, her System Points had also surpassed the 20,000-point threshold, peaking at 21,987.
But Chen Xiaoxiao wasn't in a rush to spend them. Most of the current items in the System Mall weren't essential at her stage, so she opted to save the points and only use them strategically when needed. After all, the items wouldn't disappear.
---
On the fourth day of the New Year, as Chen Xiaoxiao lay in bed beneath a warm blanket with her beloved Kirlia nestled by her side, a sudden knock echoed from the door.
"Xiaoxiao, get up!" called Grandma from outside.
Having allowed herself this rare vacation, Chen Xiaoxiao had no intention of waking up early. She grumbled, pulled the quilt tighter over her head, and decided to play dead.
"Qilu~" (Xiaoxiao, wake up.) Kirlia blushed slightly, gently urging her through telepathy.
"Chen Xiaoxiao, if you don't get up now, you'll miss Eevee."
Grandma, guessing her granddaughter was trying to sleep in, felt reluctant to disturb her. But she truly had something important to handle today. So, she continued knocking this time using her secret weapon.
She knew just how much Xiaoxiao wanted an Eevee.
In recent months, she had observed Chen Xiaoxiao training Pokémon early every morning without ever interfering or probing further. Still, she clearly saw how much effort the girl had poured into her journey.
It had taken Chen Xiaoxiao just over five months to evolve a newly hatched Ralts into a powerful Kirlia, and soon into Gardevoir. That spoke volumes.
As an Apex-level Breeder, Grandma could easily tell that Chen Xiaoxiao's method wasn't just lucky it was also responsible, allowing Kirlia to develop without pushing beyond her limits.
It wasn't surprising, either. The family had long held a pure Psychic lineage, and she also knew that Xiaoxiao had awakened her own Psychic abilities. Given that, it was natural she would share a powerful resonance with Psychic-type Pokémon and likely inherited Breeder talent as well.
This world was filled with mysterious abilities, and outside the user themselves, nobody really understood what they did. Such abilities along with a Trainer's Pokémon were always considered trump cards, and naturally, no one shared them openly.
Even the most elite Professors and research experts had never been able to fully study or define them.
In today's modern, relatively harmonious society, human experimentation had become unthinkable. Even if someone wanted to test powers, they'd need the ability to capture and subdue capable people first which was no small feat.
Eevee?!
"Wait, I'm getting up right now!"
Chen Xiaoxiao sat bolt upright and shouted in surprise.
She had wanted an Eevee for a long time.
She had even visited her Grandma's Breeder Field multiple times, checking out the Pokémon available. Though many of them had Elite-level potential, none aligned with her planned growth path.
Worse, she never saw an Eevee among them.
She'd finally asked her grandmother about it and had been disappointed to learn there wasn't a single Eevee on site.
But she understood why. Though not technically classified as a rare species, Eevee was still extremely difficult to find.
In the wild, they did exist but definitely not within city limits.
Due to their adorable appearance, combined with eight unique evolutions, each linked to one of the eight elemental types, and a base stat total of 525 after evolution, Eevees were in extremely high demand.
Among wealthy young Trainers and heirs of powerful families, Eevee was almost a status symbol.
There were even viral posts online with clickbait titles like:
"Say Goodbye to Being Single: The Best Pokémon to Attract Girls That Every Loser Should Know."
In that article, the Eevee evolutionary line was crowned "Top Tier for Attracting Partners" thanks to their variety, adaptability, and undeniable charm.
As soon as the article was published, it quickly became a viral sensation praised and shared by countless "single Trainers" across the web!
At the same time, it indirectly triggered a spike in the market price of Eevee eggs, sending them soaring and to this day, they remain among the highest-valued Pokémon eggs, even surpassing the usual starters like Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle, known collectively in Kanto as the "Yusanjia."
After all, the target demographics are completely different. Strength might not be the key, but owning an adorable and versatile Eevee was a guaranteed conversation starter especially with young ladies.
Whether or not a relationship developed, even starting a conversation meant an opportunity and for many, that was more than enough.
Chen Xiaoxiao jumped out of bed and hurriedly dressed. After washing up in record time, she dashed into the living room, eyes darting about in excitement.
"Where's Eevee?!"
At last, she turned her eyes pleadingly to her dear grandmother and asked.
Grandma responded with mild irritation, "Eat your breakfast first. When I'm done, I'll take you to an old friend's licensed Eevee Breeder facility in Guangdong City. You can pick one yourself. Kirlia, come eat too."
She gestured toward Kirlia, who had loyally followed behind Chen Xiaoxiao.
"Chirrut~ (Thank you, Grandma. Good morning!)" Kirlia replied politely, her psychic voice ringing clearly in their minds.
Kirlia was just that kind of Pokémon always courteous, always sweet.
Far from being disappointed that the Eevee hadn't already been prepared, Chen Xiaoxiao was ecstatic at the thought of getting to choose one herself.
She had always known that, with her grandmother's connections, obtaining an Eevee wouldn't be a problem.
But in her previous life, she'd been an orphan in her twenties. She'd grown used to relying only on herself.
If the Pokémon had been available at home, she wouldn't have said a word. But if it wasn't, she certainly wasn't going to ask for one outright.
However, now that Grandma had brought it up on her own, Chen Xiaoxiao felt much more at ease. No matter what, she couldn't let her grandmother's goodwill go to waste.
She also understood that, despite the friendly framing, the so-called "old friend" wasn't simply giving the Eevee away for free. There would definitely be some sort of mutual benefit or exchange involved.
Being allowed to "choose" likely came as part of that arrangement.
(While the Pokémon Alliance prohibits the direct sale of Pokémon, exchanges and private arrangements are permitted. As long as the transactions don't involve mass capturing, trafficking, or actions that disrupt Pokémon ecology, the Alliance generally turns a blind eye.)
Grandma Zhang, as an Apex Breeder, had a reputation that could be intimidating. If she chose on Chen Xiaoxiao's behalf, the other party might worry she'd pick out the best possible specimen.
The name of an Apex-level Breeder carried heavy weight.
If they gifted something too good, they'd feel like they suffered a loss. Too poor a gift, and it might offend the other party.
While individual aptitudes couldn't be fully determined by sight alone, a top-tier Breeder like Grandma could at least identify the potential ceiling based on subtle details.
Chen Xiaoxiao, who had sorted through these thoughts, silently vowed to take full advantage of this rare opportunity. She would not only avoid losing out but walk away with the best possible Eevee.
---
One hour later.
Chen Xiaoxiao followed her grandmother to the skyport, where they boarded the city's only legal civilian air transport: a "Shared Pidgeot." These government-authorized Pidgeot rides were the only Pokémon allowed to fly in city airspace.
(Note: While modern translations have standardized the name as Pidgeot, many veteran Trainers still call it "Bidiao." The author is among them.)
It was Chen Xiaoxiao's first time flying through the sky on a Pokémon's back, and she found the sensation exhilarating and slightly terrifying.
She couldn't help but marvel at how powerful this monopolized industry was.
(For safety reasons, minors weren't allowed to ride solo. Shared Pidgeot units came equipped with smart tech: route planning, QR scan access via official Pokédex, and auto-billing upon arrival.)
Upon arriving at the outskirts of Shencheng, Grandma used her Pokédex's communication system to contact the breeder.
Soon, a cheerful voice greeted them.
"Welcome, Ms. Zhang! Happy New Year please, come in and have some tea."
An older man, roughly in his late fifties or early sixties, stepped forward from the Breeder facility and warmly ushered them into the reception lounge.
"Xiaoxiao, this is Grandpa Yi my old friend. Grandpa Yi, this is my granddaughter, Chen Xiaoxiao."
"Grandpa Yi, Happy New Year," Chen Xiaoxiao greeted sweetly, acting every bit the model child.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two elders spent a little time reminiscing about old days and trade gossip before finally getting to the real topic.
"Xiaoxiao, do you prefer an Eevee egg that you can hatch yourself, or a young Eevee that's already been born?" Grandpa Yi asked kindly.
Chen Xiaoxiao blinked, glanced subtly at her grandmotherbwho gave no signal then answered carefully, "I want to see the Eevee first."
She didn't answer directly according to Grandpa Yi's suggestion. To do so would have meant committing to one path too early limiting her choices. Whether or not her grandmother had prepped her, once you committed, the chances of getting the best Eevee naturally dropped.
In reality, Chen Xiaoxiao was overthinking it. She'd been intimidated by the "Apex Breeder" title, assuming this was some kind of lesson.
But the truth was simpler: even top Breeders needed long-term observation and contact to gauge subtle traits. No one no matter how skilled could perfectly assess a Pokémon's aptitude at a glance.
So Grandma hadn't taught her any specific tricks. She'd chosen to let Chen Xiaoxiao act freely. Teaching too much might cloud the child's own instincts.
After all, this was her granddaughter one she knew was sharp and intuitive.
Otherwise, how could she have captured a Shiny Ralts?
(Well... it was actually a System reward. But Chen Xiaoxiao had lied and claimed she just "ran into it" by chance.)
And of course, there was that Ditto. Only someone as clever as Chen Xiaoxiao would have thought to train a Ditto to mimic her behaviors just to skip training drills.
She'd spent a full week coaching Ditto in her movement habits before swapping out for it in classes.
Grandma Zhang had seen through it all and honestly, she was impressed.
She considered her granddaughter's actions not reckless, but extremely stable.
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