Talks with Steven and a surprising evolution

Vali answered her pokenav as she was preparing a small bag for a trip home, "Hello, Steven."

"Hey, Vali," Steven looked a bit stressed, "How are you doing?"

"Not too bad, I am going to be working a lot harder since apparently my time limit has kind of increased a bit," Vali told him with a slight wince, "It's mostly because of the whole older soul and magic thing. It should be fine, but we're going to have our work cut out for us,"

"You're going to burn out like this," Steven warned her.

Vali shook her head, "Blaine is keeping a strict eye on us alongside all the other gym trainers. They're pretty much making it mandatory for me to go home on the weekends now. I'm packing a bag to head back to Pallet for the weekend as it is," She smiled weakly, "I'll be fine," She eyed him, "You're one to talk. You look like its been days since you've slept, I can see the slight paleness of your skin which means you haven't been outside, and I doubt you've eaten much lately."

Steven frowned slightly at her, "I've eaten," She raised an eyebrow at her, "I ate last night."

"Last night isn't today and it's nearly four in the afternoon," Vali shook her head at him, "And I'm the one who gets absorbed in my work," She gave him a pointed look, "Go eat something and spend time with your team. They'll be missing you,"

Steven chuckled softly, "I suppose it is time I took a break and it might help me figure out a way around a problem I've been having."

Vali looked at him curiously, "What kind of problem? Is there anyway I can help?"

Steven shook his head, "Nothing you can really help with right now. Just some difficult parts of the finalizing process of a contract I'm taking part in, it's something I've dealt with before, but each time is always different."

Vali nodded in understanding, "That makes sense, I hope it all goes well though do remember to take care of yourself."

"I will," Steven smiled lightly while shifting a bit, "So Lance told me you've been to Blackthorn about two or so weeks back,"

Vali grinned a bit at the memory of her time there, "It was a fun trip. Blaine and I'd gone on a trip for some training in the Silver Mountains. It went well, but Blaine decided it would be best to rest within Blackthorn for awhile. We ended up being guests of the Blackthorn clan and Lance happened to be there. He showed me around and I got to see the beauty of it," The beautiful landscape was still ingrained within her mind, "I wish that we could have stayed a bit longer. Empress was getting so strong there and Smaug was enjoying himself a lot," She sighed softly, "But I..."

"What's wrong?" Steven looked at her in concern.

"It made me miss the times we traveled together," Vali told him with a soft smile, "Traveling across MT. Silver even if it was only a certain area and exploring Blackthorn with Lance, it reminded me of the time we spent traveling across Kanto together," She sat down on her bed, "Part of me still feels a slight aching need to train though its not pressing, I have no doubt it'll grow at some point,"

"That's what being a trainer is about," Steven said with a soft expression, "The wanderlust gets to us all and pushes us forward even when we eventually find a place to settle for awhile,"

Vali nodded as she leaned back against the wall her bed was set against, "When the time comes, I hope we might travel together once more."

Steven smiled lightly, "I'd like that, Vali. It would be nice to travel together again and my offer to show you Hoenn still stands."

Professor Oak smiled at Vali as she made her way into the area of the lab he'd been working in, "Ah, Vali. It's wonderful to see you."

"You as well, Professor," Vali told him as she spotted the fire-stones in the room, "Are you working with evolutionary stones again?"

"Yes, I've been attempting to verify some of the theories that Professor Juniper has been coming out with," Professor Oak smiled brightly at her as Eevee hopped off her shoulder and began to wander around the room, "How are you doing, Vali? You're looking tired,"

"We decided to train a lot harder," Vali told him with a tired smile, "And I'm trying to make things go a lot smoother as well. I have some research that I've been doing recently," She took out her note book and handed it over to him, "I could use your help on this as I've been having some trouble with it,"

Professor Oak nodded and took the notebook, "What is it that you've been researching?"

"Just how Elrond can sense various dark-types," Vali explained as she rubbed the back of her neck, "I've been working with Elrond in order to write it so far. It's a bit of a mess and to be honest it's definitely not up to your standards. I really could use your help,"

"That's an interesting study," Professor Oak hummed in thought as he opened her notebook and began reading it, "Fascinating," He scanned the pages rapidly, "So voids? That would explain so much, I wonder if regular psychics would be able to learn this method,"

"I honestly don't know and it'll be interesting to find out," Vali replied while eyeing Professor Oak.

"I will definitely need to tes-" Professor Oak was cut off by a loud shattering sound.

They both whipped around to find Eevee standing over a fire-stone currently sitting on one of the many tables. The shattering sound had come from a glass container that had been surrounding the large stone. Vali looked at Eevee in shock and horror, "Eevee, what in the world are you doing?!"

Eevee looked at her with a surprisingly determined look on his face. Eevee stepped towards the fire-stone and Vali realized what he was doing as did Professor Oak, "Eevee, don't you dare! That stone belongs to Professor Oak, I'll find you a stone if that's what you want!"

Professor Oak shook his head rapidly, "Don't worry about it, Vali. It'll help with my research especially since Eevee rarely evolve in Kanto."

Vali opened her mouth to protest before closing her mouth at his words. Eevee stepped forward at the apparent approval and touched the fire-stone. Immediately the light of evolution engulfed him and Vali muttered under her breath, "I'm happy for Eevee, but I have more training plans to devise."

The energy within the room became heated and Vali's inner flame pulsed as the heat within it burned brighter. She gasped softly and pressed a hand to her chest. It felt like she was able to feel the changes happening to Eevee as they occurred. Every bit of pain Eevee felt as he shifted and changed into a Flareon was given to her as well. She took it with gritted teeth as her inner flame flared with the forming ember at the center of the new Flareon. She barely heard Professor Oak's concerned questions as Eevee's body practically boiled it's way through the transformation. With a cry that matched Eevee's as he completed the transformation, Vali found herself collapsing as Flareon's body burst free from the evolutionary light.

Vali's deep breath matched Flareon's as their inner flames pulsed together as one. She closed her eyes for a moment as Professor Oak's words finally reached her, "Vali, what just happened?"

"My inner flame and Eev-Flareon's connected during his evolution," Vali explained in a slightly breathless tone after a moment, "I felt everything he did. It hurt so badly, but also felt invigorating," She swallowed heavily, "I need a moment,"

"How is this possible? Not even psychics could become connected so deeply with their pokemon during evolution," Professor Oak shook his head at as he looked between the panting duo.

"I don't know," Vali murmured as she slowly opened her eyes, "It didn't happen when Balto evolved or Smaug evolved,"

Flareon let out a low sounding groan as he slowly stood up from where he now lay on the table after his evolution prompting Vali to look at him. Vali peered at the flame pokemon feeling tired just like him. He had fuzzy orange red fur with puffy cream colored fur around his neck in the form of a mane, a bushy tail, and a tuft of fur on his head. Long ears that remind her faintly of a rabbit sat on his head, they had coal black interiors and a small black triangular shaped nose. He had somewhat larger paws that with three small toes each and a yellow paw pad on the bottom. He had deep obsidian colored eyes that gleamed in the light. With a tired look on his face, Flareon released another groan as his eyes met hers and she understood exactly what he was trying to convey.

Vali slowly made her way around the glass on the floor as she said, "I feel it too, Flareon. We share a connection deeper than before."

Vali reached Flareon and slowly reached to touch him. Flareon met her in the middle and Vali felt her inner flame pulse again. She closed her eyes with Flareon's as the connection between them seemed to strengthen. She smiled softly and opened her eyes as Professor Oak gasped out, "Dear Mew, you both just glowed. It happened so quickly, but I saw it."

"Our bond," Vali said as she picked up Flareon and grimaced a bit at how much heavier he was, "I think it's permanent now,"

"Truly?" Professor Oak looked at her in interest, "Could we perhaps-"

Vali cut him off, "We can talk about it later. For now though, I think you should check over Flareon. I think we're both fine, but I'd rather be sure. After that, we'll head home and get some rest since I'm pretty much exhausted."

Professor Oak chuckled softly, "Yes, I think that's a perfectly good idea."