The Pyrite Colosseum tournament concluded with Yamamino claiming the championship.
The television broadcasted the scene of the young man being personally presented with his medal by Duking. It was a moment of immense glory, showered in falling confetti and cheers.
That same afternoon.
Kashiwagi's reward for placing in the Top 8 was delivered to his doorstep. He had specifically hand-picked this item—a crucial piece of gear that he'd even offered to pay extra for—but in the end, the price had been surprisingly reasonable.
"Huh?"
He looked at the two small boxes and the envelope handed to him by the Colosseum employee, feeling a bit surprised. "Why are there two?"
"The person who gave me these said you'd understand once you opened them."
The employee tipped the brim of his hat in a brief greeting and turned to leave.
The top-tier factions really are something else, Kashiwagi thought as he watched the man walk away. In Pyrite Town, perhaps only those associated with the Colosseum or the Mayor's office would dare treat a member of a syndicate with such casual indifference. They had the backing; they didn't need to fear the gangs.
Returning to the living room with the boxes, Mawile, who had been watching TV, immediately locked onto them. "Ma-wile?"
"Yep, they're finally here."
Kashiwagi waved the boxes at her, and she scurried over excitedly, eager to help unwrap them.
"Hold on, let me check the letter first. We'll get to the rest in a second."
He gently stopped Mawile. In the past, even if he'd said that, Mawile would have torn them open anyway and then looked at him with an innocent, "who-me?" expression. But lately, her behavior had improved significantly. Ever since Aggron evolved, she had become much more obedient—when he said "don't touch," she didn't touch. Her occasional bouts of stubbornness had even become somewhat endearing.
There was no return address on the envelope.
He tore it open and checked the signature, realizing it was a note from Yamamino. It contained only a single sentence: "Perhaps you need this more than I do."
What?
He nodded to Mawile, who had been waiting on pins and needles. She joyfully tore into the packages.
Inside one box sat a pale purple, teardrop-shaped stone. Inside the other was a small, glittering silver bell attached to a red silk ribbon.
"Maw-ile?" Mawile looked at them curiously.
Kashiwagi's eyebrows shot up. "A Soothe Bell?"
He truly hadn't expected Yamamino, whom he'd only known for a short time, to give him such a generous gift. The Soothe Bell's effect was to help a Pokémon and its Trainer bond more quickly—it was clearly intended for Chansey. After all, she was the only one on the team who needed high friendship to evolve into Blissey.
However...
"I just got the Eviolite, too," Kashiwagi said, picking up the purple stone, feeling a bit conflicted.
The original Top 8 prize was a set of three Evolution Stones (Fire, Water, and Leaf). However, Kashiwagi had done his homework with Frobo and learned that the Pyrite Colosseum held a variety of strange and powerful items. He had asked the Colosseum organizers if he could swap his prize for an Eviolite.
At first, the official said no. But when Kashiwagi mentioned he was willing to pay the difference, the man went to consult his superiors. He returned shortly after, telling Kashiwagi he could take it for an extra 100,000. Kashiwagi knew then that someone in the Colosseum was doing him a favor.
The Eviolite's effect was to boost the Defense and Special Defense of Pokémon that could still evolve. It was perfect for Chansey, whose natural defenses were low; in the games, an Eviolite Chansey could actually be "tankier" than a Blissey of the same level and EVs.
If he gave Chansey the Soothe Bell for daily wear and only switched to the Eviolite for battles, she might evolve before he knew it. It would be a shame to bench such a "god-tier" item so soon. Then again, benching the Soothe Bell felt like a waste of a gift.
For a moment, Kashiwagi struggled to choose.
Meanwhile, Mawile's eyes lit up when she heard the Soothe Bell could increase the "closeness" between a Pokémon and its Trainer. She hadn't given up on her grand ambition of "taming" her Trainer. Although it currently looked like she was the one being tamed, the description of the Soothe Bell made it impossible for her to sit still.
Mawile looked up at Kashiwagi and gently tugged on his sleeve.
"What is it?"
He looked down to see that Mawile had already tied the Soothe Bell to the joint where her head met her massive horns. It sat there like an ornament, and she looked up at him as if waiting for a compliment.
"...You like this thing?" Kashiwagi asked, surprised.
Mawile nodded vigorously. As she moved, the Soothe Bell swayed gently, emitting a soft, melodic chime—nothing like the clanging of a regular bell. The sound was naturally relaxing.
Mawile was instantly hooked.
"Wait a second..." Kashiwagi thought it over. "The Soothe Bell is meant to speed up Chansey's evolution, and I can't exactly buy a second one right now. I need to ask Chansey how she feels about evolving first. You can wear it for now, but if I need it, you have to give it back."
"Ma-wile~" Mawile chirped dismissively, completely immersed in the bell's pleasant ringing.
Looking at her, Kashiwagi wondered if she'd actually taken a word he said to heart. She'd probably "forget" the deal within two days.
He gave her head a pat and took the Eviolite into the kitchen.
There, Chansey was holding a kitchen knife, attempting to cook a meal on her own. The pink Pokémon didn't have many hobbies; she didn't care for "reforestation" like Aggron, nor could she sit and watch TV with a plushie all day like Mawile. Her current goal was to master cooking to lighten Kashiwagi's load and bring smiles to her teammates' faces.
This was her first time cooking solo, and her movements were surprisingly efficient—at least, they were until Kashiwagi walked in.
"Chansey."
"Lucky!"
She jumped at the sound of his voice, nearly nicking her hand with the knife, her expression instantly turning to panic.
Kashiwagi sighed. "Don't be nervous. I'm not here to inspect your cooking. Put the knife down for a second; I want to talk to you about something."
He was genuinely worried that if he got any closer, her nerves would send that knife flying. The poor thing was so worried about living up to expectations that she constantly put herself under immense pressure.
"Lucky..."
Chansey set the knife down and followed Kashiwagi to the dining table.
"Do you want to evolve as quickly as possible, like Aggron did?" Kashiwagi asked, placing the purple stone in front of her. "Or would you rather take it slow and use this Eviolite to boost your strength right now?"
He had already explained the item's effects to her when he first started searching for it, so she had been quietly looking forward to this for the past few days.
But being asked to make the choice herself caught her off guard.
Evolve? Eviolite?
She stared at the raw purple stone for two seconds before deciding to forfeit the decision. "Lucky!"
"You want me to choose?"
"Lucky!"
Seeing her nod firmly, Kashiwagi wasn't at all surprised. Chansey was the least assertive of the group; she habitually deferred to his judgment, maintaining absolute trust without a hint of complaint. But even if he knew the answer, he felt it was important to ask.
"Alright. Then the Eviolite is yours. Keep it safe and close to you." Kashiwagi tapped the stone on the table.
Compared to Aggron, Chansey was in no rush to evolve. What she really needed to work on was overcoming her psychological weaknesses, learning more status moves, and—most importantly—bolstering her defenses.
"Lucky!"
Chansey beamed, tucking the Eviolite into her belly pouch right alongside her nutritious Egg. From the outside, you couldn't even tell there was a stone in there.
"Then I'll leave you to it. Good luck with the cooking."
Kashiwagi stood up, rubbed Chansey's soft head, and went to the backyard to find Aggron.