Gold Aptitude…

  Feebas had only been at Green Aptitude before. Ethan had anticipated some improvement upon evolution, but he never expected such a massive leap.

  It had jumped straight to Gold.

  "Miloo~?"

  [System Notification: Congratulations! You’ve raised Milotic’s Happiness Level from 70% to 98%. Rewards: 20 bags of Golden Fertilizer, 1 Intermediate Rare Candy (moderately increases energy intensity), and a Rain Dance TM.]

  At that moment, Milotic finally snapped out of the lingering glow of its evolution. It turned to the water’s surface, gazing at its reflection with disbelief.

  Its mind felt clearer than ever.

  I’ve evolved?

  Every Feebas inherently knew it could evolve into Milotic.

  But they also knew how slim the chances were. Feebas evolving into Milotic was like a dream come true—a near-mythical transformation.

  Most Feebas spend their entire lives as Feebas…

  Only a lucky few ever manage to evolve, often due to some extraordinary, unforeseen event.

  It was akin to a Magikarp leaping over the Dragon Gate—an almost mythical transformation.

  Because of this, Feebas had never dared to dream of evolving into Milotic. It had even thought Ethan’s words earlier, spoken at the tank, were just to cheer it up.

  “Miloo~!” (I’ve evolved!)

  "Yes, you’ve evolved!" Ethan said with a grin.

  After evolving into Milotic, Ethan’s Viridian Force allowed him to understand its emotions and words with remarkable clarity.

  “Milotic!” (I’m so happy!)

  Overwhelmed with joy, Milotic couldn’t contain itself. Its tail instinctively wrapped around Ethan’s body, lifting him off the ground as if trying to “give him a ride.”

  The sudden sensation of weightlessness, combined with the constricting grip akin to a python’s embrace, left Ethan momentarily breathless.

  "Whoa, whoa! Milotic, put me down!" he shouted, caught off guard.

  But Milotic, too thrilled to notice, happily swam around the small irrigation pond with Ethan still in tow, splashing water as it went.

  "Alright, alright, Milotic, that’s enough. Let me down," Ethan said with a mix of exasperation and amusement, his hands pressing gently against Milotic’s smooth, elegant body.

  Although Ethan understood Milotic’s excitement, if this continued, he was definitely going to end up soaked.

  "Miloo~"

  A long, melodic cry echoed as Milotic seemed to realize its enthusiasm might have gone overboard. With a gentle, trembling motion, it carefully set Ethan back down.

  "You’re way too big now—living in the fish tank isn’t an option anymore. For now, you’ll stay here by the pond. Keep an eye on the crops for me, and if you have time, help water them, alright?"

  "Miloo~!"

  Milotic nodded earnestly.

  After evolving, it could clearly feel that its mind was much sharper. Unlike before, when it needed ages to process Ethan’s words, now it understood him instantly.

  "Then I’ll leave it to you!" Ethan said with a cheerful grin.

  "Snivy~?"

  Beside them, Snivy had been watching the entire interaction. Its face was filled with astonishment, unable to hide its surprise at the spectacle.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Snivy knew that Pokémon could evolve, but witnessing such an extreme transformation—from plain and awkward to stunningly beautiful—was truly the pinnacle of life’s mysteries.

  Maybe it would be its turn soon?

  Feeling the occasional restless energy within itself recently, Snivy found its thoughts drifting toward the anticipation of its own evolution.

  "Don’t worry, your turn is coming soon," Ethan said with a knowing smile, as if sensing Snivy’s emotions. He gently patted its head.

  However, in his heart, Ethan felt a tinge of reluctance.

  That evolution happened a bit too fast… he thought to himself. I haven’t even gotten enough chances to enjoy cuddling it yet.

  The next day.

  July 12th.

  Two days remained until the Baby Cup tournament.

  With Milotic now stationed in the plantation, Ethan no longer had to wake up at the crack of dawn to supervise Squirtle’s watering tasks.

  With Milotic's golden aptitude, it mastered the Rain Dance TM in mere moments. It could now condense water vapor in the air over small areas for irrigation, making it an ideal caretaker for the plantation.

  This was also why Ethan had sent Squirtle back. With Rain Dance in the mix, the clumsy turtle could finally "retire."

  The only regret…

  Squirtle's arms were too short. Otherwise, Ethan could’ve had it help harvest the forage grass in a couple of days.

  On the cobblestone path leading to the plantation, Ethan glanced at Snivy, who was brimming with determination, and nodded approvingly.

  The plantation was mostly complete for now, so his next focus was clear: the Baby Cup!

  Two days of training should be more than enough to prepare for the tournament.

  Ethan took out an Energy Block crafted from Wacan Berries and handed it to Snivy with a smile.

  This Energy Block was designed to enhance move comprehension—perfect for Snivy at this moment.

  "Snivy, you’ve done a great job mastering Vine Whip and Grassy Terrain while clearing weeds. I also noticed you know Leaf Tornado and Leaf Blade. Leaf Tornado works great as a ranged move, while Leaf Blade is excellent for close combat. Let’s see how well you’ve grasped these two skills."

  "Snivy?"

  Snivy tilted its head. It didn’t recall ever showing Ethan its Leaf Tornado or Leaf Blade before.

  How did he know?

  No way… Is my Trainer really this sharp? He sees through me completely!

  But as the thought settled, Snivy’s lips curled into a proud smirk.

  In the wild, it had spent the most time practicing these two moves. This was its chance to truly impress Ethan!

  Its resolve firm, Snivy’s orange-yellow eyes turned sharp and focused.

  With a graceful leap onto an empty patch beside the cobblestone path, its tail began to glow with a verdant green light. The leaf-like tip of its tail swirled gently, as if preparing to unleash its skill.

  In the blink of an eye, a towering vortex formed, almost as tall as a person.

  Emerald green leaves whirled violently within the wind, creating a sharp slicing sound as they cut through the air. The base of the vortex churned with such intensity that it tore through the ground, revealing the yellow-brown soil beneath.

  "Not bad! Now let’s see if you can add another Leaf Tornado into the existing one!"

  Just as Snivy prepared to release the move, Ethan’s voice rang out, catching it off guard.

  [Leaf Tornado – A move that uses wind currents to drive leaves, enveloping and attacking the opponent.]

  The skill worked by utilizing wind flow to propel leaves; the faster the wind, the stronger the attack.

  Ethan had suddenly recalled a theory: if Snivy could release a second Leaf Tornado within the existing vortex, syncing their frequencies, the combined attack would double in power.

  And theoretically, this stacking process could be repeated multiple times.

  In essence, it was a weaker version of Leaf Storm with immense potential for growth.

  Snivy froze momentarily, then its eyes lit up with realization.

  Focusing intently on the spinning vortex before it, Snivy channeled its Grass-type energy through its tail.

  Within the vortex, a second, smaller whirlwind began to form.

  However, the moment the two whirlwinds merged, their conflicting wind speeds and directions caused chaos. What had been a well-controlled Leaf Tornado turned into a wild, unruly force, spiraling out of control like an untamed horse.

  The chaotic tornado veered off course, heading straight toward a nearby paddy field.

  Snivy’s eyes widened in panic.

  That was someone else’s rice field!

  Just as Snivy froze, unsure of what to do, Ethan’s calm voice cut through the tension.

  "Don’t panic! The speed of an out-of-control vortex is actually quite slow. Focus on controlling it! Match the wind speeds and frequencies of the two Leaf Tornadoes—keep them in sync."

  Hearing these words, Snivy snapped out of its panic and refocused, its determination rekindled.

  There was only one thought in its mind:

  I can’t cause trouble for my Trainer.

  It concentrated intently, slowly bringing the turbulent vortex back under control. The wind speeds within the tornado began to harmonize, the chaotic spinning gradually smoothing out.

  Finally, with full control regained, Snivy directed the combined Leaf Tornado toward a large boulder.

  Clang!

  The sound of leaves slicing into the rock echoed, leaving deep cuts on its surface. Snivy stood tall, proud of its achievement.

  As the vortex dissipated, every single leaf had left gashes over ten centimeters deep in the surface of the rock.

  "Snivy~!" (I did it!)

  Snivy let out a sigh of relief before its face lit up with excitement.

  The power of this double Leaf Tornado was at least twice as strong as before!

  "Not bad," Ethan said with a nod, his expression full of praise.

  Initially, he had been worried that attempting a double Leaf Tornado would be too much for Snivy on its first try. He had even been prepared to dash to the paddy field and manually disperse the vortex if things got out of hand.

  But to his surprise, Snivy had managed to pull it off.

  And as long as it succeeded the first time, the rest was just a matter of practice and refinement.