Luke regarded this dark, disheveled creature before him, finding it hard to associate it with the gentle and adorable Eevee he had in mind.
Has someone had ever been bitten by Eevee?
Luke's expression became odd, but he observed the little creature digging a handful of sand. As Haunter cautiously approached, Eevee tossed a pawful of sand at it and attempted to flee.
"Vui~ ——!"
Before it could take more than a few steps, the pain struck, causing Eevee to collapse with a reluctant, hoarse growl.
Moonlight filtered through the forest, casting its pale glow.
Blood trickled down from Eevee's hind legs, staining the ground beneath.
"I truly mean no harm."
Luke stepped closer to Eevee as he spoke, his tone soothing.
The filthy creature shivered, finding itself cornered and giving off a low growl as a warning.
"Vui~!"
"Jie jie~?"
Curious, Haunter floated towards Eevee, extending a paw as if to poke it. Suddenly, Eevee lunged forward and bit Haunter's paw.
With a swift pullback, Haunter clutched his cheek, his face paling as he groaned in pain, reminiscent of Munch's famous painting, "The Scream."
The uncle arrived at the scene, panting heavily as he propped himself up on his knees. "Caught... caught it?"
"I'm not sure," Luke hesitated, his gaze fixed on the battered Eevee.
With matted fur and scorched patches on its neck, as well as bloody wounds on its hind legs and sharp claws, the only bright aspect about Eevee was its alert and gleaming eyes in the darkness. It seemed pitiful, indeed.
The uncle stammered, his tension dissipating. "Yeah, it's not this one... this one isn't even a bit—"
"Vui~ ——!"
Eevee appeared offended, struggling with renewed energy, its eyes blazing with anger.
The uncle took a step back in response.
At that moment, Haunter floated in front of Eevee, its eyes glowing with a calming blue light, readying a Hypnosis attack.
"Bu, Bu..."
Eevee struggled to resist, shaking its head before finally succumbing to the drowsy effects and collapsing.
Luke heaved a sigh, his gaze fixed on the now sleepy and vigilant Eevee.
"Continuing to keep it like this doesn't feel right... I'll take it home for now."
The uncle visibly relaxed, nodding appreciatively. "Thank you for your efforts, Little Luke. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask your uncle!"
"I'll have to go back and tend to this little one's wounds first."
Luke gently picked up Eevee by the scruff of its neck, surprised by how light the little creature was.
Gazing at the skinny, peaceful expression on Eevee's sleeping face, Luke muttered to himself, "You've endured quite a bit in these mountains..."
Pokémon like Eevee were suited for domestication, yet they often found themselves abandoned. Appearance played a significant role in the treatment of Eevee, and those born with more irritable temperaments were often discarded as defective.
While harsh, this was the reality faced by many pet Pokémon.
"Jie jie~?"
Haunter pointed at the Poké Ball on Luke's waist, his expression curious as he looked back at Luke.
"Didn't you see how it resisted earlier?" Luke sighed in exasperation. "I can't catch it right now. But I'll do it eventually!"
"Jie jie~ …..."
Haunter scratched his head and poked Eevee's slumbering form again, chuckling softly to himself.
As dawn approached, the gray light of early morning cast a faint glow over the eastern horizon. Several exhausted Hoothoot perched atop trees, resting after a long night.
Luke faced the challenge of bringing Eevee back home with a sense of foreboding.
"Should I give it a bath first?" Luke inquired tentatively, looking to Haunter for a response.
"Jie jie~?"
"Forget it, I shouldn't have asked."
Luke pulled out his phone, momentarily contemplating seeking assistance from his boss. However, considering the early hour, the higher-ups were likely still asleep.
Sighing, Luke ran a hand through his hair, muttering to himself, "Red has an Espeon named Vee, but its temperament isn't this prickly..."
"Who else owns an Eevee? Regardless, I need to take care of it now!"
Rolling up his sleeves, Luke set a pot of water to boil, grabbing some alcohol and cotton dressing from home.
"System, any recommended medical abilities?"
[Would you like to purchase the 'Emergency Medical Aid (One-time)' for 500BP?]
"Only one time? Do you even know your user?" Luke clenched his teeth. "Fine, I'll buy it!"
[Ding——Purchase successful]
[Remaining BP points: 570]
Feeling a sense of familiarity with the system's direct approach, Luke snapped off the bandage with a twist.
"Help me hold it down. If it wakes up, use Hypnosis again. Got it?"
"Jie jie~!" Haunter flashed Luke a thumbs-up.
Gently unraveling the knotted fur, Luke revealed a blood-soaked wound on Eevee's calf. The creature stirred in its sleep, snorting softly.
"All like this, and it can still run..."
Luke mumbled, "Seems to be a characteristic trait of runners."
Given the severity of the injury, stitching the wound was a necessary step, though the sight of the split skin made Luke inhale sharply.
"Vui~ …..."
Eevee emitted a soft groan, its eyes squeezed shut in discomfort. Its grimy face bore an expression of both panic and helplessness.
Luke patted its head and snipped off the blood-soaked fur, gently cleaning the wound with an iodine-soaked cotton swab.
"Vui~!!!"
Suddenly, Eevee's eyes shot open, and it struggled against the pain, attempting to rise.
"Jie jie~!"
Haunter extended its tongue to lick Eevee, the hypnotic blue light in its eyes shimmering.
In response, Eevee stiffened, its form growing limp once again.
"This isn't a sustainable solution."
Luke wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.
"Apply pressure firmly, and I'll use both paralysis and hypnosis!"
"Jie jie~!" Haunter eagerly nodded in agreement.
The sun slowly began to rise.
Both Luke and Haunter were perspiring heavily and sighed in relief simultaneously.
Throughout the procedure, Eevee woke up three times, was put under hypnosis three times, and lashed out whenever it got an opportunity.
If Luke hadn't been quick to avoid its attacks, he might have ended up in the hospital.
"That was a close call," Luke muttered.
"Is this a doctor-patient dispute? It's been quite risky!"
Finally, the wound was properly treated.
Luke spread a makeshift bedding on the floor and gently laid Eevee down, carefully tying a bow with a bandage.
As it rested, Luke took a moment to examine it.
Indeed, it was a female, and everything appeared normal.
There was nothing wrong with tying the bow!
Late in the morning, the soiled Eevee was still fast asleep.
During this time, the uncle came by and clicked his tongue in amazement as he inspected Eevee. "I truly didn't expect this little thing to have such a strong bite!"
"That's most likely due to its Bite move," Luke replied. "It also has some minor injuries on its body, probably from skirmishes with other Pokémon on the mountain."
This wild Eevee possessed a high level and demonstrated mastery of the Bite move, indicating a significant combat experience.
Luke couldn't help but wonder about the circumstances that had shaped Eevee into such a fierce and resilient character.
To be cautious, Luke refrained from allowing his parents to get too close, opting to care for Eevee alongside Haunter.
"Vui~…"
It wasn't until after lunch that Eevee, its stomach rumbling with hunger, weakly opened its eyes.
Before it, it found two heads tilted curiously—a human and a Haunter.
"Yeah, you're awake," Luke greeted, his face leaning against Haunter.
"Jie jie~ jie jie~!" Haunter also attempted a friendly smile, doing its best to appear approachable.
Eevee shrank back a little, a flicker of uncertainty in its eyes. It lay on the quilt and emitted a low growl as a warning.
"Vui~?!"
Suddenly, Eevee let out an adorable cry.
Balancing on its injured hind leg, it propelled itself back over half a meter.
Within its sight sat a bowl of Pokéblocks—freshly made by Luke from a variety of Berries.
The village chief owned a superior Berry mixer, producing higher-quality Pokéblocks than those made at Luke's home.
This marked the first time Luke had successfully crafted perfectly made Oran Berry cubes.
"Want to give it a try?" Luke asked earnestly.
"Jie jie~ jie jie~ (¯﹃¯)"
Haunter's mouth watered, and it nodded eagerly, though saliva continued to dribble down its chin.
In contrast, Eevee bared its teeth, remaining prone on the ground, seemingly poised for an attack.
"Alright, alright, we won't watch," Luke assured, raising his hands.
"We'll leave, so you can eat it!"
"Vui~!"
Eevee made a dismissive sound as it initially turned away from the food.
Haunter gazed at the Pokéblocks, a tear forming in its eye, feeling rejected.
You won't even eat it for my sake...
Haunter seemed about to say something, but Luke had already ushered it away.
The two stood outside the blue brick wall, peeking at Eevee through a gap.
"It really won't eat?"
Luke was perplexed. "These are Master Rank craftsmanship Pokéblocks!"
"Jie jie~ ﾍ( ;´Д｀ﾍ)"
Haunter burst into tears, wishing it were the Eevee in that moment.
Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed in the yard.
Ka-cha ka-cha, like the soft sound of chewing.
Luke's eyes lit up.
After another prolonged wait, Luke pushed open the courtyard gate.
"Vui~?!"
Eevee lifted its head from the bowl in surprise, its face a mix of astonishment and innocence, its mouth smeared with red Berry juice.
Seemingly trying to process something, Eevee opened its mouth, only to abruptly retreat into the bedding, burying its head beneath the quilt.
"Vui~ vui~ !(〃＞目＜)"