Chapter 11: Encore

Before this, Aiden had never quite understood where Eevee's "Timid" nature manifested.

Because he hadn't felt that Eevee was timid in any way.

From traveling alone to other regions and interacting with strangers, it clearly didn't have any social anxiety.

It wasn't until now, noticing Eevee trembling as it watched the battle between two Pokémon on the screen, that Aiden finally understood its nature.

So its timidity manifested in a fear of battling…

Aiden couldn't help but sigh.

This was troubling—handling a Pokémon without the courage to fight was no easy task.

If there were ratings for the compatibility of Pokémon abilities and natures in reality, the combination of "Timid" and "Anticipation" would undoubtedly score very low.

Pokémon with this combination would likely start avoiding battles from a young age and wouldn't be suitable for being raised as mainstays.

Of course, this wasn't Eevee's fault.

There was no such thing as a perfect Pokémon—it was the Trainer's job to figure out how to bring out their full potential.

Otherwise, wouldn't he just be a useless Trainer?

"Don't be nervous. It's okay if you can't learn it."

Aiden stroked the little one in his arms, who looked a bit frustrated, encouraging it with both words and a supportive gaze.

When he had been lost and disheartened, Eevee had never complained even once. Instead, it often comforted him in its own small ways.

He truly loved this Eevee and even felt lucky to have such an understanding companion as his starter Pokémon.

So, if Eevee really didn't want to battle, he definitely wouldn't force it.

After all, companions should respect each other and accept each other's flaws.

But if that were the case, to keep the Sunshine Gym operational, he'd need to scout one or two Pokémon that could serve as mainstays.

If possible, he still preferred to focus on raising his starter Pokémon.

Thinking about this, Aiden sighed softly.

The Eevee in his arms seemed to sense something, lifting its head to notice the furrowed brows of its Trainer.

"Buii?! Σ(;д)"

Perhaps due to its Anticipation ability, its sixth sense activated suddenly, and it inexplicably felt a sense of impending danger.

Though it wasn't clear what it was, it had a strong feeling that its Trainer was thinking something terrible!

You're not planning to raise another Pokémon, are you?

No, you can't!

After some mental preparation, Eevee finally mustered the courage to stand on its hind legs on Aiden's lap and reached out with its small paw to smooth the worry lines at the corner of his eyes.

Eevee couldn't speak human language, but its body language was easy to understand.

For its Trainer, it was willing to try!

Feeling the warm body temperature from the soft little ball of fluff, Aiden smiled affectionately and lifted Eevee off his lap.

So there really was some bond between him and Eevee after all!

"Let's try again, Eevee."

"Buii!"

Eevee's eyes became resolute as it stared intently at the Gastly demonstrating the move on the screen.

So this was it—by concentrating the Ghost-type energy within itself, it could create a light that interfered with the opponent's consciousness.

But…

I don't think I have any Ghost energy?

Eevee slowly tilted its head in confusion, mimicking Gastly's movements on the screen several times, but still couldn't use the move.

Next, it tried Roar and Skill Swap, with the same result.

"Buii…"

Eevee's previously high spirits wilted, and its round little head drooped in defeat.

Seeing this, Aiden couldn't help but start reflecting.

Had he misunderstood something?

According to the move chart in his memory, these moves were indeed impossible for Eevee to learn.

But precisely because of that, he had deliberately chosen them.

Because theoretically, with the move Sketch, Eevee should be able to replicate most moves.

Wait…

Sketch?!

He vaguely felt like he had hit upon the key point.

If Sketch was treated not as a move but as a form of artistic expression…

Could it trigger some subtle chemical reaction?

"Let's try again, Eevee. This time, try using your tail to 'draw' the move you see."

"Believe in yourself—you're the best Pokémon!"

Encouraged by Aiden, Eevee quickly regained its fighting spirit, its fluffy tail dancing in the air.

The current move being taught in the video was Encore.

Encore was a Normal-type move, which naturally had a certain affinity with Eevee.

This time, Eevee watched intently, observing every frame of Primarina's movements while keeping Aiden's advice in mind.

Rather than learning the move, it was trying to "paint" the move with its tail, just like Smeargle had done at the art gallery.

What would Master Smeargle do?

"Buii…"

Eevee's eyes were glued to the screen, its tail occasionally brushing strokes in the air. It had entered a state of complete focus.

Seeing this, Aiden quietly sat beside it, silently accompanying it as it repeatedly watched the short instructional video.

Time passed slowly.

Just as Aiden's mind began to wander and drowsiness crept in…

A subtle feeling suddenly welled up inside Eevee.

My Trainer said I'm the best Pokémon.

I can tell he genuinely believes it.

So, to live up to my Trainer's expectations, I need to put in more effort!

With this thought, a surge of emotion overwhelmed Eevee, causing its tail to instinctively follow its thoughts.

In that moment, Eevee felt invincible.

"Buii!"

Stroke by stroke.

Its fluffy heart-shaped tail tip traced elegant symbols in the air. As the final stroke fell, a white energy dot appeared and slowly shot toward the direction Eevee was looking at.

Finally, it collided with the wall of the gym training field and disappeared.

Seeing this, Aiden couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

As he had guessed, Eevee, having learned Sketch, could master moves it originally couldn't learn.

Encore was just the beginning, but it was already a highly practical move.

Encore, a Normal-type status move, forced the opponent to repeat the last move they used.

It had significant tactical value in real combat.

"Amazing! You really are incredible, Eevee."

Aiden smiled, lifting Eevee high into the air with both hands.

This was the first move Eevee had learned under his guidance—it was a milestone moment.

The sense of ceremony was essential!

"Buii~"

Hehe, I really am the best!

Enjoying the Trainer's praise, Eevee gradually lost itself in the moment, its eyes growing dreamy.

To meet its Trainer's expectations, it needed to work even harder!

…

Evening.

Perhaps because Aiden had overdone the pep talk earlier.

Even after dinner, Eevee remained immersed in studying, repeatedly watching the instructional videos for the other three moves.

At first, he thought it was a struggling student, but after a little guidance, it turned into a relentless learner.

Could it be that I'm secretly a motivational speaker?

"If you get tired, go back to the room and rest!"

"Buii!"

Seeing how serious Eevee was, Aiden decided not to disturb its enthusiasm.

It was almost time for his livestream.

After nearly a full day of buzz, his fan count had already surpassed 20,000 thanks to just one video, and the view count had naturally entered the millions.

"At a time like this, I should strike while the iron is hot and maintain this momentum, right?"

Aiden thought to himself, decisively opening his livestream.

He had already announced today's stream time and content in advance, so the moment he went live, a flood of viewers poured in.

"Hello, everyone. I believe many of you are new viewers who came from my video."

"So, as I promised in the video—"

"Today, let's give our opponents a little taste of Spike's shocking power!"

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