Chapter 26 - Christmas Evolution

Hello readers, it is I, JohnMichaels!

I return with a second chapter this week, mostly cause I felt bad for the 8 or so-month hiatus without notice. And I hope you all enjoy it!

I've decided on how I'll be updating from this point onwards, and I've landed on this. Every week I'll post one guaranteed chapter, and for every 30 Powerstones I get I'll release an extra chapter. I feel like 30 is fair, but depending on how this upcoming week goes I'll raise or lower it.

If you have any questions or see any mistakes feel free to let me know! Thank you all for reading, and have a wonderful day!

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In a blink of an eye, it was December 24th. To prepare for Christmas the school gave out various colored decorations for students and teachers to decorate the classrooms and halls.

When Quinn came back from training by the river, the campus looked very different from what it did when he left; a snowman wearing a top hat, a Christmas tree decorated with tinsel and lights, and teachers and students alike laughing out in the snow.

School had just ended, and the students were all heading home. Both students and teachers would have the next two days off.

Quinn, seeing Maya and Olly approaching in their winter clothes asked, "Is all the decorating finished?"

Olly shook his head, "Mostly, only the staff dormitories are left."

"Are you guys going back for the break?" Quinn asked.

Most of the teachers have a family go to back to, unlike him.

(E/N -- Well damn, don't know if he's sad or apathetic about it.)

"I would go back," Olly shook his head helplessly, "but all the tickets to Slateport City were sold out."

Maya smiled sadly and said, "Me too."

She lifted the tinsel and Santa hat towards Quinn, and asked, "Want to go decorate the dormitories with us?"

Quinn nodded, grabbed the hat and tinsel, and walked to the dormitories with them. By the time they had finished decorating, it was already 8 o'clock in the evening. Quinn said his goodbyes and returned to his dormitory.

Looking at the room full of Christmas decorations he had a strange feeling. He took out a few of the Santa hats he was given by Maya and put them on Budew and Cramorant. He looked toward Gengar who was waiting excitedly, "You can't touch it..."

Gengar could only smile sadly.

Quinn grinned, having an idea. He walked over to the wall and pinned the hat up by the poof on the end, asking Gengar to stand under it.

"It's too bad I don't have a camera..." Quinn muttered, wanting to get a picture of them all together.

Gengar touched the hat with a sincere smile on his face, suddenly feeling a bit warmer.

"Do you want to keep the hat?" Quinn asked.

Since last time, when he gets something for Cramorant or Budew he'll get one for Gengar out of courtesy. Gengar cherished everything he was given and asked Quinn to place it all in a cardboard box. Although Quinn didn't quite understand why he still did as Gengar asked.

Gengar nodded, and personally supervised Quinn as he placed the hat into the box.

After putting on his own hat, he began to make dinner for everyone. Infected by the festive atmosphere, he bought a lot of ingredients from town in advance to prepare a sumptuous Christmas dinner.

When he put the strawberry cake on the table, fireworks began to go off outside.

"Merry Christmas!" Quinn put a small piece of cake in front of Budew, and laughed softly, "Please take care of me in the future."

This is his first holiday since he crossed over. Although he came here by himself, with everyone's company he didn't feel alone anymore.

Cramorant showed a happy expression, visible through his usual dazed expression, and made a cry for the food on the table.

Budew also gave out a happy cry, feeling much happier than her usual winters. At this moment, the thought of staying with Quinn forever rose in her heart. At the moment when this happened, Budew suddenly started shining with intense white light.

Gengar and Quinn immediately looked over with a face of shock!

'That light... Budew is evolving!' Quinn thought as an indescribable sense of excitement rose in his heart. Witnessing the evolution of a Pokémon that he has worked hard to train is completely different from the feeling of watching a Pokémon evolve through a screen.

Within the intense light, the body of Budew is quickly changing in front of their eyes. A strong floral fragrance spreads throughout the room, its body extends into a more humanoid form resembling a Celebi. Two roses, one red and one blue, grow from its newly made wrists.

After a while, the light began dissipating, revealing the newly evolved Pokémon to Quinn and Gengar's eyes.

"Rose!" Roselia let out a happy cry.

At the same time, a screen appeared in Quinn's mind.

[Roselia♀]

Typing: Grass, Poison

Ability: Leaf Guard

Base Stats: 400 (HP: 50, Attack: 60, Defense: 45, Sp. Atk: 100, Sp. Def: 80, Speed: 65)

Known Moves: Mega Drain, Stun Spore, Seed Bomb, Growth, Stun Bomb (Stun Spore + Seed Bomb), Mine Bomb (Seed Bomb Variant), Poison Sting, Magical Leaf

Current Mood: Happy, Joyful

Physical State: Perfect

Friendly Degree: 100 (It likes you a lot, and wishes to stay with you forever.)

Quinn's eyes began to tear up. Compared to humans, Pokémon are really simple creatures. As long as they choose a human being, they will dedicate everything they have, even their own lives, to that person.

(E/N -- Debated trying to adjust this cause I can't see the description applying to every single Pokémon, I mean even in the anime just cause a Pokémon has been caught doesn't mean it likes or even accepts the person...)

"Thank you," Quinn said, placing his hand on top of Roselia's head.

Roselia nuzzled into Quinn's hand happily.

Christmas Eve ended in a warm atmosphere. Laying in bed that night, Quinn thought back on everything that has happened since he crossed over.

Budew's evolution means a lot to him. From today, he'll officially have a consistent battler. Furthermore, Roselia's evolution allowed her to understand two new moves, Poison Sting and Magical Leaf. Quinn couldn't wait to test these moves out.

Just as Quinn began drifting off to his own thoughts, he suddenly heard a noise from outside the window. Quinn immediately snapped awake and listened to the noise with bated breath.

'I'm not being haunted again, right?' he thought.

But as fast as the sound came, it quickly stopped.

'Maybe it was just a mouse.' Quinn thought, breathing a sigh of relief. But right before he could drift off into his own thoughts again, the noise returned!

Immediately afterward, the door handle of the bedroom began to turn, and with a click the door swung open slowly. Quinn was alert and put his hand on the light switch immediately, and then saw an Ambipom attempt to sneak into the room holding a gift.

He turned on the light, startling the Ambipom, and the gift held by the hands on its rear dropped to the ground with a thump.

Quinn and his Pokémon locked eyes with the startled Ambipom. He knew this Pokémon, it belonged to Principal Moss. Ambipom was so frightened that he simply dropped and lay on the floor, recovering. Seeing it lay down, Quinn's eyebrow twitched.

Standing up and approaching the Pokémon, he asked, "Principal Moss asked you to drop that off here?"

The Ambipom, being caught red-handed nodded reluctantly. Quinn walked to the door and unexpectedly saw Principal Moss standing there dressed up in a Santa costume holding a large bag of presents.

Quinn could only stand silently, recognizing that this is why Principal Moss asked the teachers who went home to put up a stocking in their rooms.

(A/N -- In the games, if Budew has a high enough friendship value it will evolve. Even though the game requires it to be daytime, this is my book and for the purpose of plot it isn't necessary.)