Pokemon: A different Ash

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"You're right! We've been ignoring this principle," Sparky admitted after a long silence, looking earnestly at Ash.

Many Professors had explained this concept during their lectures, warning Trainers not to rush evolution. However, with evolution stones becoming so readily available, people often overlooked this important point.

Evolution doubled a Pokémon's strength, but since cases of disobedience were relatively rare, this cautionary wisdom had gradually faded from common practice. The Trainers' hunger for power had indeed clouded their judgment.

Meanwhile, Mikey stood silently at the edge of the battlefield. After a moment of hesitation, he seemed to gather his courage and walked purposefully onto the field.

"Brother Sparky!"

"Mikey?"

"Thank you for doing so much for me, but I've made my decision. I want to be Eevee's Trainer and follow a different path from my brothers!" Mikey declared, looking at his three brothers with newfound determination. For the first time, he found the courage to share his true feelings with them.

"So you already had your own ideas all along. You should have told us sooner!" 

Sparky realized that Mikey had never expressed his thoughts before, and they hadn't bothered to ask what he truly wanted. Mikey was their younger brother—they couldn't force him to make choices just to satisfy their own pride.

"There's no need to hide things from us. You're our brother!" Pyro added warmly.

"That's right—we're the four Eevee brothers!" Rainer chimed in, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.

"Brother Rainer, Brother Pyro!" 

Mikey was visibly moved by their support. Ash walked back to join Misty and Brock as the touching family scene unfolded before them and the other guests.

"Those four have such a wonderful relationship," Misty couldn't help commenting, a hint of envy in her voice.

Ash glanced at Misty, knowing they were thinking the same thing—comparing these brothers to Misty's own sisters, the four Cerulean Sisters. By comparison, Misty's three siblings fell far short of how Mikey's brothers treated him. No wonder Misty sounded envious; if her sisters treated her with such respect and acceptance, she'd probably think she was dreaming.

"Since you want to be Eevee's Trainer on your own terms, we have something for you," Sparky said to Mikey, ruffling his hair affectionately before snapping his fingers.

A servant promptly approached, carrying a small box which he handed to Mikey before opening it.

Inside lay a new collar. Beneath the collar was what appeared to be an ordinary pebble.

"What's that?" Misty asked in confusion. If they respected Mikey's decision, why give him a stone?

"That's an Everstone—a special stone that prevents Pokémon from evolving when they carry it," Ash explained. In the games, if Trainers didn't want their Pokémon to evolve, they could simply cancel the evolution when it began. But since it was easy to forget, there was an item called the Everstone that could prevent evolution entirely.

"I see! I didn't know such a thing existed!" Misty nodded with understanding, somewhat amazed. This world truly was magical, with stones that triggered evolution and others that prevented it.

"Yeah! But since most Trainers want their Pokémon to gain evolution's power, this item is much cheaper than evolution stones," Brock added. Compared to the various evolution stones, Everstones were considerably less expensive because so few Trainers used them.

"Thank you, Brother Sparky!" Mikey replied emotionally, touched by his brothers' support for his decision.

With their help, Eevee was fitted with the collar containing the Everstone. Mikey then approached Ash and his friends to express his gratitude. If not for Ash, he might never have found the courage to speak his mind.

The atmosphere of the entire party suddenly became much more cheerful. Everyone was laughing and chatting, and Ash's group joined in the festivities.

"Everyone! Since we're all gathered here, let's take a photo together!" suggested one of the guests.

"Great idea!"

No one objected, and Ash's group happily participated. Everyone gathered with their Pokémon in Sparky's manor grounds for the picture. Shortly afterward, the party came to an end, and the other Trainers gradually departed.

Ash, Misty, and Brock finally prepared to leave as well. The four Eevee brothers personally escorted them to the gate, but before they could depart, Sparky held them back.

"Ash, thank you for everything today," Sparky said earnestly. "You've taught us valuable lessons and helped Mikey find his own path."

"It's nothing, really—just my natural reaction," Ash replied with a modest shake of his head.

"We still want to express our gratitude. If you don't mind, please accept this."

Sparky produced a small box and slowly opened it. The three friends initially expected it might contain an evolution stone, but were surprised to see something else entirely.

Inside the box was a blue scarf. In one corner, exquisitely embedded, was a yellow bead resembling a crystal, about the size of a human pupil.

"What's this?" Misty asked, puzzled.

"Pika-pi!"

Pikachu peered at the item in the box, the electric sacs on its cheeks involuntarily emitting small sparks.

"Since you've chosen not to evolve your Pikachu, I think this will be quite useful," Sparky said, handing the box to Ash, who immediately recognized the item.

"Is this... a Light Ball?" Ash asked with surprise.

"As expected from a Trainer who uses Pikachu so skillfully—you recognized it right away!" Sparky smiled, unsurprised by Ash's knowledge. 

"A Light Ball? What does it do?" Misty asked curiously.

"When held by a Pikachu, the Light Ball greatly increases the power of its Electric-type moves," Sparky explained.

Ash accepted the gift with gratitude, knowing how rare and valuable such an item was. This would make Pikachu even more formidable without needing to evolve into Raichu.

As they said their goodbyes and continued on their journey, Ash reflected on the day's events. Sometimes the greatest strength came not from evolution, but from understanding the unique qualities each Pokémon already possessed—and the bond between Trainer and Pokémon that allowed those qualities to shine.