The forest lay still under the snow-white moonlight that cascaded down. Luke picked up the Poké Ball, resting quietly on the ground, feeling somewhat helpless.
"This is troublesome... I wonder if you'll turn around soon."
Fortunately, Luke had taken Eevee's mood into consideration.
After a while, was he just fighting an imaginary battle?
Within the confines of the Poké Ball, the dirty Eevee shifted uneasily, glancing around its surroundings. It sniffed the air, recognizing a familiar and reassuring scent.
Through the Poké Ball, it could see the outside scene.
Lifting its head, Eevee gazed blankly at Luke, then flopped onto the ground, an expression of disdain crossing its features, its eyes narrowing.
"I'm just a bit tired right now. I'll take a nap... let's just pretend like I don't know anything."
With this thought, Eevee's weariness suddenly overcame it, and its eyelids began to droop.
Both Luke and Haunter exchanged glances, simultaneously scratching their heads.
"What should I say?"
"Jie jie~?"
"Eevee, Get☆Daze!"
The uncle stepped forward, kicked the Raticate that was playing dead, and scratched his head.
"Eevee was wronged last time... By the way, how did Eevee end up here again?"
Luke said with a faint smile, "Maybe it wanted to prove itself."
Eevee didn't offer any excuses. It repaid Luke by driving away the group of Raticate and didn't expect to run into Luke again.
At that moment, Eevee couldn't help but crack a grin. Thankfully, Luke didn't catch a glimpse of its tears.
"I'll take this Raticate to the Pokémon Center."
The uncle retrieved a Poké Ball, rolled his eyes, and said, "It gets free food and drinks there. It's happier than living on the mountain... for now!"
A burst of red light enveloped the Raticate, and after three shakes, the Poké Ball stopped.
The matter was settled.
Luke's greatest gain was realizing that this Eevee was just a bit haughty.
The sky was growing dim, and Eevee had just been through a heated battle. Luke decided to let it rest for a while.
Using the Pokémon Pokédex, Luke scanned Eevee's moves.
[Eevee, Normal Type
Ability: Anticipation
Moves: Growl, Sand Attack, Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Swift, Bite]
This Eevee was an individual rather than part of a larger group, and there was no mention of a "Helping Hand" move in the list.
However, apart from the Fairy-type move "Baby-Doll Eyes," its mastery was quite impressive.
Eevee possessed considerable combat experience. Even during their initial encounter, Haunter had almost met defeat.
This suggested that the little creature must have faced numerous challenges on the mountainside.
"Thanks for your hard work," Luke muttered with a smile. "I'll take care of you from now on."
The Poké Ball trembled slightly.
As the review week came to an end, Luke prepared to return to school for final exams.
Before the exams, there was another Net Friend Competition to participate in, making his schedule quite packed.
After a home-cooked breakfast, Luke bid his parents farewell and boarded the high-speed train back to Magic City.
...
On the train, Luke scrolled through his phone and was taken aback.
"Wow, trending at the top!"
"Teacher Luke's Late Night Canteen" had managed to surpass "Professor Oak's Backyard," claiming the top spot on the trending list and attracting a large number of viewers.
"No way, Teacher Luke is not really an all-around Content Uploader, right?"
"Seriously, a video about cooking."
"I thought Teacher Luke was already accomplished with gaming content, but who would've thought his mom is such a great cook?"
"Unbelievable! Who is this guy trying to compete with Teacher Luke? Bring him back!"
Within less than a week, this new program had already garnered over a million views, and the completion of the system's task was prompted.
[System Mission: "I'm Really Not an All-Around Content Uploader"
Mission Objective: Reach the top position in any video category (except the gaming category).
Task Reward: 2000BP points, Programming Lv3, Silk Scarf *1
Note: This task can be completed multiple times.]
[Programming Lv3: You can proficiently use various common algorithms and programming languages; a 40% increase in the probability of successfully running code that initially fails.
(Have you seen this in action, Great Grandpa? He's actually a 25-year-old programmer who indulges in hobbies.)]
Luke's eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Are you absolutely sure... that this Ability won't lead to baldness?"
[Alert: The Ability provided by this system is devoid of any side effects. Please proceed with confidence.]
Luke breathed a sigh of relief, though he remained somewhat cautious.
"I guess I can't use this Ability too frequently..."
"If the judgment goes awry, I'll be in deep trouble!"
Another task reward turned out to be the [Silk Scarf].
[Silk Scarf: A luxurious scarf that slightly boosts the power of Normal Type moves. (A limited luxury edition, you're totally worth it.)]
Luke stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"I sometimes wonder if your quirky system has a built-in inventory check feature."
Ever since he acquired Eevee, the system seemed to provide random rewards, tailored to suit Eevee's needs.
While it's not truly random, the rewards did seem reasonable in this era where even the system relies on extensive data analysis.
...
Arriving at his house's door, even before Luke pulled out his key, Haunter slipped its hand through the door and effortlessly twisted the doorknob.
"Ka-cha ——"
With a backward twist, Haunter smiled triumphantly as it moved towards Luke.
Haunter: (o≖◡≖)
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Luke's lips. "Are you an unofficial locksmith?!"
Such a convenient way to bypass the door, indeed!
Upon returning home and opening the Poké Ball, a flash of red light appeared.
Eevee emerged with a sleepy yawn, rubbing its eyes with its small, dirty paws.
"Vui~?"
Suddenly, Eevee's ears perked up, and upon spotting Luke, its stiff tail drooped.
It gave a tentative wag or two before immediately ceasing its movement.
Luke grinned. "This is going to be your new home from now on!"
"Vui~."
Eevee half-opened its eyes, feigning disinterest, and glanced around without much enthusiasm before giving in to a yawn.
"Jie jie~ jie jie~!"
Haunter chuckled, making a boxing gesture as it stepped forward to greet Eevee, who responded with a swift bite.
"Jie jie~?!"
Haunter's eyes widened in shock as it examined its bitten hand, tears welling up in its eyes.
"Why does this scenario feel so déjà vu..." Luke muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.
The small creature still appeared somewhat cautious, pacing uneasily around the living room, almost as if it was contemplating escape.
Luke fetched the Silk Scarf and presented it to Eevee. "Here you go, consider it a welcoming gift."
"Vui~?"
With its dark eyes wide, Eevee gazed at Luke quizzically, tilting its head adorably.
"This is my gift to you, a little something for you." Luke smiled.
Eevee blinked, momentarily taken aback. It shifted its gaze away and nonchalantly leaped onto the windowsill.
Luke reluctantly stepped closer, gently plucking a tuft of fur from Eevee's neck.
"Vui~ vui~!"
Eevee struggled as much as it could, but the process was inevitable.
Luke smiled faintly, carefully wound the soft Silk Scarf around its neck, and tied it into a cute bow.
Seeing that its resistance proved futile, Eevee pouted and begrudgingly accepted the gesture.
Eevee: (○｀3′○)
Releasing its hold, Luke watched as Eevee nimbly hopped off, giving its head a little shake.
As Eevee noticed the dirt stains on the white scarf, a fleeting look of concern crossed its eyes.
Biting the scarf hanging around its neck, Eevee set the Silk Scarf aside, seemingly uncomfortable.
"Don't you like it?"
"Vui~."
Eevee shook its head and resumed grooming its dirty fur, displaying a stubborn demeanor.
Luke pondered for a moment, then stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"How about we take a bath together?"
Eevee hesitated for a while, its face turning slightly red, before finally emitting a low growl from its throat.
"Vui~ ..."