Three months had slipped by surprisingly fast since Horthy first welcomed Eevee into his life and began his covert work, gathering and supplying information to Team Rocket. It felt like only yesterday he was just starting out, and now he was already making significant progress.
In this short time, Horthy wasn't just focused on earning enough money to pave his way forward and kickstart his dream career as a Pokémon trainer. That was definitely a priority, but he understood he needed to be well-prepared to succeed.
No, Horthy had also diligently dedicated himself to study Pokémon biology, learning about their unique anatomies and behaviors. He delved into effective methods of physical and psychological development for Pokémon, aiming to understand how to best nurture and train them. He also spent considerable time researching Pokémon battles from recordings in the internet, learning about strategies, techniques, and the relationships between trainers and their Pokémon.
Nurse Joy, with her extensive knowledge and experience in Pokémon care, provided Horthy with invaluable information on how to properly look after Pokémon and help them thrive. This was obviously her specialty, and Horthy was incredibly grateful for her guidance. Meanwhile, as Horthy diligently fed information to Team Rocket, they compensated him handsomely with both valuable intelligence and credits.
These credits were officially registered to his newly acquired Pokémon trainer card, making him now an official trainer before the Pokemon League. This card granted trainers safe access to their funds, which they could use to finance their careers, covering expenses like travel, supplies, and training as they journeyed through the various regions. Obtaining this card also meant that Horthy was now officially recognized as a citizen by the government, a significant step toward achieving his goals.
And now that Horthy had achieved the status of a full-fledged citizen under the law, complete with his trainer card and access to resources, he felt ready to embrace the challenges that lay ahead. He was eager to test his skills and strategies by challenging the formidable Pokémon Gyms scattered throughout the region, battling other aspiring trainers to gain valuable experience, and ultimately prove himself as a capable and dedicated Pokémon trainer.
So at every possible moment, he would find himself training Eevee behind the Pokémon center. Just as he was doing right now, Eevee was in the middle of an exercise, jumping from dummy to dummy with small weights attached to each of her four legs. An exercise to make her more agile, faster and gain more strengh on her legs.
"Eevee again, quick attack," he called out, watching closely. Eevee, with a determined look in her eyes, leaped forward, a white glow briefly surrounding her as she practiced the move. She landed gracefully on the last dummy, ready for the next command.
Only three months had passed since he had received Eevee, but being young, Eevee absorbed experience and information like a sponge. Her body quickly became stronger, adapting to the training regimen he had set. Every day brought noticeable improvements in her speed and power.
From the start, Horthy took advantage of every opportunity to build a strong bond with Eevee. He spent time feeding her, carefully selecting Pokémon food that would help her grow. He made sure she was clean and comfortable, often giving her baths. He almost always left her out of her pokeball, allowing her the freedom to roam and explore. He wanted her to feel comfortable and secure by his side. He also encouraged her to play with Chansey, who worked at the Pokémon Center, or with the various toys that Joy had around, and to explore the grounds of the Pokémon Center, so long as she remained within eyesight.
"Now let's try that move once again Eevee, as it said in that text... Remember, focus your energy, really feel it gathering inside you. Then, bring that energy down, channel it specifically to your tail. Once you've done that, move your tail towards the direction of those dummies, just like we practiced before. This time, try to keep the energy focused and stable as you release it."
"Vee," Eevee responded with a determined nod. She closed her eyes, just as Horthy instructed, and focused intently on that energy residing in her chest. It felt warm, almost like a comforting heat, but also explosive. Trying to replicate that sensation in her tail, she concentrated, focusing on making it feel more and more energized, pulling that inner warmth downwards.
When her tail began to glow, a soft, whitish hue emanating from her fur, Horthy took a more determined stance. He raised his hand, pointing directly at the line of dummies set up in the training area. "Now! Release the energy now, Eevee! Focus all that power!" he said, his voice encouraging but firm.
Eevee nodded her head once more, and carefully turning towards the dummies, she waved her glowing tail. From it, about ten white, star-shaped projectiles emerged, floating out into the open air. They moved at a somewhat slow speed, not as fast as Horthy would have liked, but in the end they did hit their target, impacting the dummies with small bursts of sound, almost like very quiet pyrotechnics. Upon impact, they left scorched black marks on the wooden surfaces of the dummies, a testament to the power contained within the seemingly harmless stars.
The move "Swift", an attack where the user quickly launches star-shaped bolts of normal type energy towards their opponent, is incredibly fast. It's a difficult technique to evade, almost impossible if the opposing trainer and Pokémon lack experience or aren't quick enough to react. This makes it a potentially decisive strike in battle, especially against less seasoned opponents.
Horthy wanted to keep practicing and train Eevee harder, trying the move Swift over and over again, but his training session came to a halt when he got interrupted.
"Good job Eevee, no-"
"Horthy! Listen to me!" Nurse Joy's voice rang out, calling Horthy from the Pokémon Center's back door. She emerged into the courtyard and battle arena where Horthy and Eevee were currently training, her expression suggesting urgency.
Horthy turned to see Joy accompanied by a red-haired girl with glasses. The girl gently cradled a small Pikachu in her arms, and Horthy noticed strange, circular devices attached to the Pikachu's usually vibrant yellow body. "This girl next to me is Kate," Joy explained, "we're conducting some medical tests on her Pikachu."
Horthy approached Eevee, who happily jumped onto his shoulder. From her elevated perch, Eevee greeted Pikachu in a friendly manner. "Vee Vee!" she chirped. "Pikaa!" the Pikachu responded with a soft squeak.
"Ohhh, what a beautiful Eevee!" Kate exclaimed, her voice high-pitched and a little exaggerated. "But why is she missing an eye? What happened to her?" Horthy simply shrugged, offering a vague response. "She was like this when I found her. But she's doing great now..."
An awkward silence hung in the air for a brief moment, until Joy cleared her throat, redirecting the conversation and specifying the reason she had called Horthy over. "Horthy, I called you because I need your assistance with Kate and her Pikachu. You see, Pikachu recently evolved from a Pichu, but it's still having some trouble controlling her electrical output. I thought it would be beneficial to test her abilities in a controlled battle environment and to monitor her performance, especially since the standard medical tests came back within normal ranges."
"A battle?" Horthy asked, now intrigued and more attentive. He turned his head to look at Eevee, who was playfully batting at his hand while he listened to Joy and Kate. "That would be great! It would be Eevee's first real fight, a good way to test her skills."
Joy clapped her hands together once, signaling the start of the preparations. From her paramedic suitcase, she retrieved a scanner, which immediately emitted the familiar sound of a heartbeat monitor, the rhythmic 'thump-thump' indicating that it was ready to go. "Great. Kate, this device is linked to the circular sensors that I've attached to your Pikachu. It will monitor and record Pikachu's vital signs and her control over the electrical energy throughout the battle."
Kate nodded in understanding. Without further delay, both Horthy and Kate walked to their respective sides of the small battlefield. Pikachu eagerly hopped out of Kate's arms, ready for action and electricity sparking around her. Horthy carefully removed the training weights from Eevee, allowing her to move more freely. Eevee, now unburdened, jumped off his shoulder and began bouncing up and down in obvious excitement, eager to finally engage in a real Pokémon battle.