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Chris booked a connection exchange on Tuesday morning.
After class that morning, Chris took Haunter to the connection exchange room. A teacher in charge of connection exchanges was already waiting.
"It's Chris! Do you have any Pokémon that need to evolve through trading?" The teacher in charge, Hank, happened to also be Chris's Pokémon Pokédex teacher.
Chris, the only freshman to earn a junior breeder qualification certificate, was a star pupil in the eyes of all the teachers. As a protégé of Principal Vladimir, Chris often received special attention.
"It's Haunter. Please help, Teacher," Chris said, handing over the Poké Ball containing Haunter.
Hank inspected the Poké Ball with interest. "A custom-made Poké Ball? It's lovely."
"Thank you, Teacher," Chris replied politely. The Premier Ball, which was seen in the games, didn't officially exist. Seeing one often made people assume it was a customized Poké Ball. Essentially, it was a visual upgrade with no additional effects compared to a standard Poké Ball.
Hank placed the Poké Ball containing Haunter onto the machine. Another identical machine stood nearby, with a mechanical platform featuring a groove just large enough for a Poké Ball. A chimney-like pipe above connected to the machine on the ceiling.
After placing the Poké Ball, Hank pressed the button. The Poké Ball vanished, seemingly sucked through the tube. A moment later, it reappeared on the other platform.
Hank picked up the Poké Ball and handed it to Chris. "The evolution should be complete. Release it and check."
Chris took the Poké Ball and released the Pokémon. In a flash of silver light, a familiar black face materialized. However, it wasn't the Gengar they had expected—it was still Haunter!
Haunter grinned mischievously at Chris and immediately used "Lick." Judging by its practiced technique, this was a move it had used often. Though Haunter couldn't harm Chris seriously, the paralysis effect of its Lick was enough to leave him incapacitated temporarily.
Chris, without a Cheri Berry to cure paralysis, quickly tossed another Poké Ball. "Slakoth, I need your help!"
Slakoth appeared, yawning lazily. Oblivious to Haunter's incoming Ghost-type attack, it nonchalantly took the Lick. True to its nature, Slakoth resumed resting, unbothered by the ordeal.
Chris quickly returned both Pokémon to their Poké Balls and turned back to Hank.
Hank scratched his head. "This is strange. Haunter is quite large, but I don't see why it didn't evolve. Should we try again?"
"Could Haunter be holding an item?" Hank asked. "Sometimes, items like an Everstone can interfere with evolution."
Chris nodded, released Haunter again, and removed the "Gastly Barrier" it was holding. He handed it to Hank, who repeated the trade process. Hank handed back the Poké Ball, and Chris released the Pokémon once more.
Haunter reappeared in front of Chris, its elongated tongue quickly extending for another well-placed Lick.
Chris hurriedly released Slakoth again, but this time, Haunter was ready. It dodged the incoming Slakoth and landed a precise Lick on Chris instead.
"Ugh, I'm numb!" Chris muttered, feeling the effects physically. He turned to Hank, hoping for an explanation.
"Could the machine be broken?" Hank wondered aloud, equally puzzled. He decided to test two other connection exchange machines with Chris. Yet, the results were the same—Haunter still didn't evolve into Gengar.
"This may have to do with your Haunter," Hank finally concluded. "It could be a Breeding-related issue. I suggest consulting Principal Vladimir. I recall that he has a Gengar himself."
The possibility of all the machines being broken at once seemed improbable. Since the connection exchange process was functioning correctly, the issue had to lie with Haunter.
Unable to identify the problem, Hank could only recommend seeking Principal Vladimir's help.
"Alright, thank you, Teacher," Chris said stiffly, recalling Haunter back into its Poké Ball. He left the exchange room, his mind spinning.
Chris thought back to the Bell Tower. Haunter had reached level 60 there but had never evolved. At the time, Chris assumed it simply hadn't had the chance to undergo a connection exchange. Now, it seemed the issue was more complex.
Something about Haunter's unique traits, such as the "Imprison" or "Ancient" suffix in its name, stood out as a possible cause. But how could he resolve this now?
Chris decided to call Theodore for advice. Unfortunately, all he got was a busy tone—Theodore was tied up with something.
"Chris, why are you here?" a familiar voice called out. It was Olivia, who walked up to him with a curious expression.
"I just went to the exchange room to try evolving my Pokémon," Chris replied.
"Did it work?"
"Not quite... for now, I don't need the exchange machine anymore."
"Then head to the principal's office!" Olivia exclaimed. "Professor Theodore recommended you to Principal Vladimir for the Breeder Winter Camp. I was just about to call you about it."
"Breeder camp? What's that?" Chris asked, intrigued.
"The Breeder Winter Camp is organized by the National Breeders Association," Olivia explained. "It gathers promising primary and intermediate breeders from across the country for intensive study. If your results are excellent, you can be promoted to the next breeder level at the end of the camp."
Chris's eyes lit up as Olivia continued, "Didn't you ask me before about becoming an intermediate breeder quickly? Well, here's your opportunity!"