The very first thing Eevee saw when it opened its eyes after hatching… was Ariel's face.
She had lifted it gently from its egg, smiling with pure joy as she held it high into the air.
From that moment on, Eevee had regarded the girl as the most important person in the world.
So when it learned Ariel loved Sylveon, Eevee immediately made becoming a Sylveon its one and only goal in life.
It trained constantly, battled stronger Pokémon, pushed itself to grow stronger—all so it could evolve into the beautiful Sylveon.
But no matter how hard it tried, it never succeeded.
What if it couldn't evolve into Sylveon? Would Ariel be disappointed?
Deep down, Eevee was scared.
If it evolved into something else… would Ariel still like it?
Bewear noticed Eevee's state. Blinking slowly, it asked a question with concern in its eyes.
Eevee lowered its head sadly.
The raincloud above its head began to pour again.
"Gu~?"
Looking at the big Pokémon in front of it, Eevee hesitated, then poured out everything it had been keeping in its heart.
Kawaki stood nearby, quietly observing the two Pokémon interact. He pulled up Eevee's status once more.
Then something caught his eye—this Eevee was male.
He had a theory. Stepping outside, he found Ariel and asked her more about Eevee's behavior and personality.
Ariel's face lit up with pride.
"Eevee's such a reliable partner! When we first started traveling, we ran into all kinds of dangerous Pokémon, but Eevee protected me every time! Don't be fooled by its size—it's actually really strong!"
Kawaki nodded thoughtfully. It seemed this Eevee had a natural gift for strength.
Logically, it would be much more suited to evolving into Flareon or Leafeon—forms that focused on physical power.
But this Eevee wanted to evolve into a cute and gentle Sylveon...
A male Eevee, strong, and most likely Brave or Adamant in nature.
Not exactly what you'd call… adorable.
Fairy-type moves, like Baby-Doll Eyes, leaned heavily into cuteness. The way Eevee had tried to use it earlier—more like a fierce Leer than a charming appeal.
He'd been going about it all wrong. No wonder the move hadn't clicked.
"What's wrong, Boss?" Ariel asked.
"I think I know why Eevee can't learn Baby-Doll Eyes," Kawaki said.
He shared his findings with her.
Ariel blinked in surprise. "So… does that mean Eevee just isn't suited to becoming Sylveon?"
"There's no such thing as 'not suited' when it comes to Pokémon," Kawaki replied. "It's not about suitability, but desire."
Even if a Pokémon leaned toward physical strength, that didn't mean it lacked potential in special moves. With proper training, even a strong Eevee could make a wonderful Sylveon.
So the real question was: did Eevee truly want to become one?
Ariel fell silent, reflecting on his words.
Until now, it had always been her dream to see Eevee evolve into Sylveon.
She simply adored Sylveon's appearance—it was perfect for Contests.
Kawaki said no more. He'd already identified the root of the problem. Even without his cheat ability, he was at least 70% confident he could help Eevee learn Baby-Doll Eyes.
Back in the yard, Eevee and Bewear were still talking.
The little Eevee let out a long sigh while Bewear gently patted its back with a furry paw.
"I think I've figured out why you can't learn the move," Kawaki said as he returned.
Both Pokémon turned to him in surprise.
"Bewear, can you demonstrate Baby-Doll Eyes for Eevee again?"
"Gu~!"
Bewear complied.
"Eevee, watch carefully," Kawaki instructed.
Eevee raised its head and stared into Bewear's eyes.
Something about the big Pokémon's expression made Eevee feel warm inside. It didn't want to fight. Its whole body softened.
Moments later, the demonstration ended.
"How do you feel?" Kawaki asked.
"Buiii…" So cute!
"Exactly," Kawaki said with a grin. "The point of Baby-Doll Eyes isn't to intimidate, but to melt your opponent's heart—to be charming and lovable, like when you act spoiled or playfully beg."
"Can you do that?"
Eevee tilted its head thoughtfully… then tried again.
Its eyes went crossed.
Kawaki sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Forget it. He had more important things to do today.
Time to activate the cheat.
With a thought, Kawaki passed all the knowledge, technique, and instinct needed to use Baby-Doll Eyes directly into Eevee's mind.
Eevee's eyes lit up.
A faint pink glow slowly began to gather in its pupils.
In that instant, Eevee felt it—it had learned the move.
Baby-Doll Eyes – success.
When Ariel and the others rushed over, the first thing they saw was this:
Eevee's eyes shimmering with a soft pink hue—the signature glow of Baby-Doll Eyes.
Eevee… had learned it!
"Buiii!" the little fox cried out, racing toward its Trainer to proudly show off the new move.
"That's amazing!" Akai and Henry cheered, genuinely happy for their friend's success.
"You did awesome, Eevee!" Ariel praised.
"Buiii!"
"Congratulations," Kawaki said with a smile. "Looks like your Eevee's quite gifted—it only took one explanation."
"Thank you so much, Boss!" Ariel's heart was filled with gratitude.
But now that everything had settled, there was one more thing she needed to ask.
"Eevee, do you want to evolve into Sylveon?"
"Bui?" Eevee's rising Joy froze in place.
Ariel looked at it seriously.
"I mean… whether or not it has anything to do with me—do you want to become Sylveon?"
"Buiii…" Eevee didn't quite know how to respond.
"I'm sorry," Ariel said softly. "All this time, I've never really asked how you felt. But I've realized something—Contests aren't only for cute Pokémon. No matter what you evolve into, we can still compete together!"
Flareon's courage and strength, Vaporeon's grace and beauty, Espeon's pride and poise…
"So don't worry, and don't pressure yourself. No matter what you become, you'll always be the best partner by my side!" Ariel said sincerely.
These past few days, both Akai and Henry had sensed how much pressure Eevee was under.
All for the sake of becoming Sylveon.
Eevee's heart swelled with emotion.
But in its eyes now burned an unwavering determination.
It wasn't just for itself—for Ariel, too, it wanted to become Sylveon!
In that moment, a brilliant light burst from its body.
It was... the light of evolution!