Pokemon: A different Ash

The next morning, Ash woke up early. Misty and Brock were still asleep, so he decided to retrieve their Pokémon from Nurse Joy. Yesterday had been overwhelming.

First, there was the Tentacool incident, followed by the unexpected encounter with Gastly. The Pokémon had barely rested, so Ash left them in Nurse Joy's care overnight.

"Come on, Ash! Your Pokémon are ready!" 

At the counter, Nurse Joy handed Ash his Poké Balls, with Pikachu perched on the tray. Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder, chirping cheerfully. 

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Ash said, taking the Poké Balls and smiling warmly. 

After securing his Pokémon, Ash approached the videophone and dialed Professor Oak's laboratory. 

"Aha! Who's calling this early?" 

The screen flickered to reveal Professor Oak, still in his pajamas, yawning deeply. He'd been up late researching and looked startled to be woken so soon. 

"Professor, it's me!" 

"Ash? Up so early? Did you send over a Pokémon?" 

Rubbing his eyes, Professor Oak glanced at the teleporter. Noticing no Poké Balls, he looked puzzled. 

"No, not a transfer. I have something else to ask you," Ash replied. 

"Oh? What is it?" 

Professor Oak seemed curious, as Ash usually only called about Pokémon-related matters. 

"My Eevee evolved yesterday." 

"Oh? Did you use an Evolution Stone? Is it a Jolteon, Vaporeon, or Flareon? Wait, no, that can't be it—you wouldn't call for something so straightforward." 

Professor Oak paused, thinking aloud. "Unless… is it Espeon or Umbreon? Those don't need Evolution Stones but evolve through bonding and time..." 

He recalled how researchers once thought Moon Stones could evolve Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon, only to discover that their evolution was linked to time of day and affection levels instead. 

"But with your experience, Ash, I doubt you'd call for help with something that simple. Is there a problem?" 

"No, Professor," Ash replied. "It's just… it's none of those. It's not Jolteon, Vaporeon, Flareon, Espeon, or Umbreon." 

Professor Oak's expression shifted. If it wasn't one of the known evolutions, it could mean something new. 

The professor leaned closer to the screen, intrigued. Among researchers, it was widely believed that Eevee's unique genetic structure allowed for infinite evolutionary possibilities. Though only five evolutions were well-documented in the Kanto and Johto regions, the existence of more variations had always been a topic of speculation. 

"Oh? Then what is it?" Professor Oak asked, his curiosity fully piqued. 

"This," Ash said, holding up a Poké Ball. He pressed the button, and a flash of light revealed the Pokémon inside.

As Ash spoke, he took out a Poké Ball and released the mysterious Pokémon inside. A dazzling light illuminated the room, and Professor Oak leaned in closer, his curiosity overriding his drowsiness. 

As the light faded, a pair of scarlet eyes gleamed ominously. Professor Oak jolted upright in surprise. 

The Pokémon that emerged had sleek black fur contrasting with a snow-white mane. Its piercing red eyes and sharp fangs were striking and intimidating. Even for a seasoned researcher like Professor Oak, this was a completely unfamiliar form. 

"This... this is!!" Professor Oak gasped, his face a mix of awe and disbelief. 

Ash nodded. "This is what Eevee evolved into. I've never seen anything like it before, so I'm calling it Devileon for now. Its type and abilities still need to be analyzed, though." 

"Understood. Send it over immediately!" Professor Oak was now fully alert, his excitement palpable. The chance to study a previously unknown Pokémon evolution was a dream for any researcher. 

"Got it!" Ash replied. He turned to the Pokémon. "Alright, head over to Professor Oak for a bit to help with his research. It won't take long." 

The Devileon gave a nod of understanding. Ash patted its head reassuringly before returning it to its Poké Ball. He placed the ball on the teleporter, pressed the button, and watched as it vanished in a flash of light. 

Professor Oak rubbed his hands eagerly as he prepared for the analysis. When the Poké Ball materialized on his end, he wasted no time. 

"The Poké Ball arrived, Ash. Now, let's see what we have here!" 

Professor Oak released the Pokémon, his eyes widening further as the mysterious form appeared before him. "Unbelievable! Eevee has an entirely new evolutionary type!" 

The professor stepped closer, carefully examining the Pokémon's sleek fur and the ruby-like gem embedded in its forehead. 

"So smooth... and this gem! Fascinating!" Professor Oak murmured as he gently touched the gemstone. 

But the Devileon suddenly frowned, and its ruby emitted a brilliant beam of light. 

**"!!"** 

The light struck Professor Oak, and he staggered back. 

"Ahhh! What... is this light?!" 

**Boom!** 

The next moment, Professor Oak collapsed to the floor, dizzy and disoriented. 

Ash, watching from the video screen, called out, "Professor! Are you okay?" 

Professor Oak groaned faintly, clutching his head. "I'm fine… but this is truly extraordinary. This Pokémon might have unique defensive capabilities linked to that gem. Ash, this could change everything we know about Eevee's evolution!" 

Ash smiled. "Take your time, Professor. Let me know what you find!" 

The mysterious Devileon glanced at the screen, its scarlet eyes gleaming with a calm yet enigmatic intensity. Something told Ash that this was just the beginning of its story.