For such a momentous occasion, Zack decided that he wanted it to happen at the clearing.
It was not for the size, for it was very small, nor for the beauty of the trees, whose multi-colored leaves rippled in the wind, dazzling all those who visited the clearing with the natural colors of fall. No, it was because it was the place where Zack had met his first Pokemon.
He was eight when he first saw her. Zack, who frequently visited the clearing, was reading a book on Pokemon found in his region, Johto. Daydreams of Pokemon battles were common as Zack flipped through the book, reading about all about the many species of creatures in the land. He'd always wanted a Pokemon ever since his older sister, Abby, had shown him that four-legged, striped companion of hers. He tried to remember what it was called but failed. All he could remember was the large, jagged thing on its head. He knew it wasn't from Johto, because it did not appear in the book, but other then that, he had no clue.
Seeing that Pokemon sparked a desire to have one of his own-hopefully, a big, powerful one that he could win battles with. Images of tournaments, trophies, and a crowd cheering his name(Za-ack! Za-ack! Za-ack!) only fueled his wish for a strong Pokemon.
Caught up in his daydreams and wishes, he didn't notice her until she was almost right on top of him. A blur of brown made him glance up, just in time to see a frantic ball of fur tackle him and knock him onto his back. Groaning, he attempted to sit up...only to discover that he couldn't. He tried again, and was met with failure again. After several more tries, the weight suddenly vanished, and he sat up to see who his attacker was.
To his surprise, it wasn't a huge,scary Pokemon. It was a tiny brown Pokemon that sat on its hindquarters, peering at him with curiosity. He reached out with his hand to pet her, but she backed up with an expression of terror, as if expecting pain.
"It's alright," he whispered, calmly and gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Ever so slowly, the little furball approached him, ready to bolt if anything scared her. Zack waited, fidgeting impatiently, until she finally touched his hand with her head. As he expected, the creature's fur was soft and silky, although a bit dirty. She looked up at him happily and cried, "Ee! Ee vee ee!"
The sound the Pokemon emitted was somehow familiar. Zack tried to recall where he had heard it before. Then, it hit him. An elderly lady, whom his mom seemed to know when she came to visit, had come to his house once with a purple, four-legged Pokemon, with a forked tail and a red orb in the middle of its forehead. When he asked her what it was, she had smiled and replied, "Espeon and I have been close friends ever since I was a young girl just about your age. She came to me as a tiny brown Pokemon, named Eevee."
Bursting with enthusiasm and curiosity, he'd asked, "What do you mean? How can a Pokemon look so different when it gets older?"
'Ah," she said, nodding. "You don't know about evolution, do you? Well, evolution is when a small Pokemon becomes strong enough to change into another Pokemon, and grow big and strong. There are many, many kinds of Pokemon that can evolve, but what's so special about Eevee is that it can evolve into eight different types of Pokemon."
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "I want an Eevee! It sounds so cool!"
The older woman looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Do you want to see what an Eevee looks like?"
Hopping up and down, he made his head move up and down furiously.
"I'll take that as a yes, then!" And she retrieved a leather-bound book and placed it in his hands. Then, she proceeded to open it, and flip through, until she stopped on a page and pointed at the image of the Pokemon drawn on it.
"That," she whispered softly, "is an Eevee."
Eyes wide with wonder, Zack took in the picture of the small brown Pokemon, knowing then that this was the Pokemon he wanted.
As the memory faded, Zack continued to stare at the Eevee, who was now curled up comfortably in his lap. Now, after three years, he had found the very Pokemon he'd hoped to find for three years. As he and Eevee looked into each other eyes, he sensed a bond had been formed. They were now friends for life, and the possibilities were endless.
*****************************************************************************************************
It was now fall, four years later, when Zack and Eevee decided to do it. Everything was set; the location, the time, and...the stone. They both wanted this to happen, to become an even stronger team. They'd been journeying around Johto for the past year, battling Trainers and catching Pokemon. He'd even gotten a couple Gym Badges, all thanks to her. But he wanted this chance now, to evolve Eevee and make her more powerful. Also, he realized with a start, he'd never witnessed the process of evolution, and this was the most opportune time to see it occur.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he inquired, bending down on one knee and glancing at her. Eevee, smiling, cried out, with what Zack assumed was an affirmative.
Taking a deep breath, Zack stood up on both of his legs. The two companions ambled down the trail that led into the forest until they found the point where they need to diverge from the established pathway. They began to run through the woods with wild abandon, eager to reach their destination. Once, Zack jumped up into the air while sprinting and let out a whoop of joy. Eevee responded with an "Ee!" of elation, jumping once as he did. Then, as the two reached a steep, downward hill, they slammed into one another, fell down onto the ground all tangled up, and began to roll down the hill.
Both Zack and Eevee tried several times to halt their downard tumbling, but it was like attempting to take a Farfetch'd's stick from its owner; all they got for trying was pain. Twigs and jagged stones jabbed them in their backs as they continued to roll down the precipitous hill. Fortunately, they stopped near the bottom. Unfortunately, they were stopped by crashing into the base of a particularly wide tree.
Standing up and wincing as he did so, he asked, "Are you alright? Nothing broken?"
Eevee got up and replied, "Ee vee!" in answer, although without the jubilance of earlier. Then, she simply started walking, towards the clearing. Zack stared after her for a few moments, then followed.
At long last, they reached the clearing. Leaves of red, orange, brown, and gold rustled in the breeze, and all was silent and peaceful. Rays of sunlight shone through the gaps of the treetops, giving the place a little warmth and light. Whenever Zack reminisced about his love of nature, his thoughts always turned to this place. Nothing man-made could ever surpass the splendor of this little glade.
Eevee nudged him with her head, breaking him out of his daze. He nodded to her, and she proceeded to the center of the clearing, turning to face him once she reached it. As she looked at him expectantly, he realized he'd forgotten something important. "Oh! The stone," he shouted, and he rummaged through his bag until his hand grasped a small, hard object. And he pulled out the Thunderstone.
Zack had remembered beforehand that there were several different evolutions from Eevee. Remembering what the lady with the Espeon had given him, he'd searched the pages of the book and found all the information he could. Finally, after due consideration, he realized that he wished to have an Electric-type Pokemon. The were the coolest Pokemon, summoning lightning bolts and generating electricity from their very bodies! So, with that in mind, he chose to go with Eevee's Electric-type evolution, which required a Thunderstone to evolve from Eevee.
Now, feeling the weight of the rock on his palm, he squinted, scrutinizing it. It had cost him all of his money to buy the Thunderstone from that shopkeeper, so he sincerely hoped that it worked. Examining it, Zack noticed the luster, the glow of electrical energy pulsing within the stone, the slight vibration that made it seem like the Thunderstone was alive. It seemed genuine, and in perfect condition.
Glancing up, he noticed that Eevee was still looking at him. He took a deep breath, and started towards Eevee. However, as he approached her, he had some misgivings. What if Eevee wasn't friendly to him anymore? What if she didn't even recognize him? And what if something went wrong and it evolved into something else entirely?
Zack squashed those doubts. It was going to work. He knew it; he could feel it. There was no turning back now. He and Eevee had made up their minds about this, and they were going to do it. He felt a thrilling rush of excitement. He couldn't wait to be a spectator to this marvelous process, this milestone in Eevee's life. Shedding all worries and fears, he grinned encouragingly to his partner and placed the stone on the ground before her.
At first, nothing happened. He backed up, waiting for a spark, a glow, anything. But Eevee remained the same, and so did the Thunderstone. Zack felt crushed. All that time waiting, all that money spent, all this anticipation, and for what? Eevee wasn't gonna evolve; she-
Suddenly, the Thunderstone glowed with a brilliance that nearly blinded Zack. He rubbed his eyes and squinted, as the light gradually dimmed. He could now see clearly the electrical energy running up and down the exterior of the stone...and transferring to Eevee. It cloaked her protectively, covering her entire body, which began to shine it the same manner as the stone had done. She looked him in the eyes as an Eevee, one last time. What he saw there was happiness and acceptance. Then, the stone dissolved, and the remainder of the energy surrounded the shimmering Pokemon. And she absorbed the electrical power, glowing from head to foot.
What happened next was breathtaking. The shape of Eevee's entire body shifted and rippled like a mirage, then began to change. She became bigger, he legs longer. The bushy tail changed into a much shorter one that barely protruded from its hindquarters, with jagged tips of fur standing on end. In fact, her fur stood on end everywhere. Finally, her face became longer, her ears growing bigger. The glow faded, and Zack beheld the new and improved Eevee.
This Pokemon was yellow and white, and much larger then Eevee. Zack, scared of what he might see but not one to avoid his fears, looked this Pokemon straight in the eyes...and saw the same eyes of the Eevee that had accompanied him for years. She still recognized him. He ran over and hugged her, then yelped as the crackling fur shocked him with a jolt. She looked at him apologetically, then closed her eyes. Instantly, the electricity faded. When she opened her eyes again, he looked into them and remembered what her name was.
"Jolteon," he breathed, recalling the name from the book. "You are called Jolteon."
The newly-evolved Jolteon glanced at him, nodding. Then, she gave him that expectant look he knew so well.
"Ah, I see," Zack remarked. "You wanna race back home."
Jolteon cried, "Jolt Jolteon!" in agreement, then sped up the hill. Laughing, Zack took off, back up the hill, to the region of Johto, where battles with Trainers awaited. And Zack knew he could beat every single one with Jolteon by his side.
It was not for the size, for it was very small, nor for the beauty of the trees, whose multi-colored leaves rippled in the wind, dazzling all those who visited the clearing with the natural colors of fall. No, it was because it was the place where Zack had met his first Pokemon.
He was eight when he first saw her. Zack, who frequently visited the clearing, was reading a book on Pokemon found in his region, Johto. Daydreams of Pokemon battles were common as Zack flipped through the book, reading about all about the many species of creatures in the land. He'd always wanted a Pokemon ever since his older sister, Abby, had shown him that four-legged, striped companion of hers. He tried to remember what it was called but failed. All he could remember was the large, jagged thing on its head. He knew it wasn't from Johto, because it did not appear in the book, but other then that, he had no clue.
Seeing that Pokemon sparked a desire to have one of his own-hopefully, a big, powerful one that he could win battles with. Images of tournaments, trophies, and a crowd cheering his name(Za-ack! Za-ack! Za-ack!) only fueled his wish for a strong Pokemon.
Caught up in his daydreams and wishes, he didn't notice her until she was almost right on top of him. A blur of brown made him glance up, just in time to see a frantic ball of fur tackle him and knock him onto his back. Groaning, he attempted to sit up...only to discover that he couldn't. He tried again, and was met with failure again. After several more tries, the weight suddenly vanished, and he sat up to see who his attacker was.
To his surprise, it wasn't a huge,scary Pokemon. It was a tiny brown Pokemon that sat on its hindquarters, peering at him with curiosity. He reached out with his hand to pet her, but she backed up with an expression of terror, as if expecting pain.
"It's alright," he whispered, calmly and gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Ever so slowly, the little furball approached him, ready to bolt if anything scared her. Zack waited, fidgeting impatiently, until she finally touched his hand with her head. As he expected, the creature's fur was soft and silky, although a bit dirty. She looked up at him happily and cried, "Ee! Ee vee ee!"
The sound the Pokemon emitted was somehow familiar. Zack tried to recall where he had heard it before. Then, it hit him. An elderly lady, whom his mom seemed to know when she came to visit, had come to his house once with a purple, four-legged Pokemon, with a forked tail and a red orb in the middle of its forehead. When he asked her what it was, she had smiled and replied, "Espeon and I have been close friends ever since I was a young girl just about your age. She came to me as a tiny brown Pokemon, named Eevee."
Bursting with enthusiasm and curiosity, he'd asked, "What do you mean? How can a Pokemon look so different when it gets older?"
'Ah," she said, nodding. "You don't know about evolution, do you? Well, evolution is when a small Pokemon becomes strong enough to change into another Pokemon, and grow big and strong. There are many, many kinds of Pokemon that can evolve, but what's so special about Eevee is that it can evolve into eight different types of Pokemon."
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "I want an Eevee! It sounds so cool!"
The older woman looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Do you want to see what an Eevee looks like?"
Hopping up and down, he made his head move up and down furiously.
"I'll take that as a yes, then!" And she retrieved a leather-bound book and placed it in his hands. Then, she proceeded to open it, and flip through, until she stopped on a page and pointed at the image of the Pokemon drawn on it.
"That," she whispered softly, "is an Eevee."
Eyes wide with wonder, Zack took in the picture of the small brown Pokemon, knowing then that this was the Pokemon he wanted.
As the memory faded, Zack continued to stare at the Eevee, who was now curled up comfortably in his lap. Now, after three years, he had found the very Pokemon he'd hoped to find for three years. As he and Eevee looked into each other eyes, he sensed a bond had been formed. They were now friends for life, and the possibilities were endless.
*****************************************************************************************************
It was now fall, four years later, when Zack and Eevee decided to do it. Everything was set; the location, the time, and...the stone. They both wanted this to happen, to become an even stronger team. They'd been journeying around Johto for the past year, battling Trainers and catching Pokemon. He'd even gotten a couple Gym Badges, all thanks to her. But he wanted this chance now, to evolve Eevee and make her more powerful. Also, he realized with a start, he'd never witnessed the process of evolution, and this was the most opportune time to see it occur.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he inquired, bending down on one knee and glancing at her. Eevee, smiling, cried out, with what Zack assumed was an affirmative.
Taking a deep breath, Zack stood up on both of his legs. The two companions ambled down the trail that led into the forest until they found the point where they need to diverge from the established pathway. They began to run through the woods with wild abandon, eager to reach their destination. Once, Zack jumped up into the air while sprinting and let out a whoop of joy. Eevee responded with an "Ee!" of elation, jumping once as he did. Then, as the two reached a steep, downward hill, they slammed into one another, fell down onto the ground all tangled up, and began to roll down the hill.
Both Zack and Eevee tried several times to halt their downard tumbling, but it was like attempting to take a Farfetch'd's stick from its owner; all they got for trying was pain. Twigs and jagged stones jabbed them in their backs as they continued to roll down the precipitous hill. Fortunately, they stopped near the bottom. Unfortunately, they were stopped by crashing into the base of a particularly wide tree.
Standing up and wincing as he did so, he asked, "Are you alright? Nothing broken?"
Eevee got up and replied, "Ee vee!" in answer, although without the jubilance of earlier. Then, she simply started walking, towards the clearing. Zack stared after her for a few moments, then followed.
At long last, they reached the clearing. Leaves of red, orange, brown, and gold rustled in the breeze, and all was silent and peaceful. Rays of sunlight shone through the gaps of the treetops, giving the place a little warmth and light. Whenever Zack reminisced about his love of nature, his thoughts always turned to this place. Nothing man-made could ever surpass the splendor of this little glade.
Eevee nudged him with her head, breaking him out of his daze. He nodded to her, and she proceeded to the center of the clearing, turning to face him once she reached it. As she looked at him expectantly, he realized he'd forgotten something important. "Oh! The stone," he shouted, and he rummaged through his bag until his hand grasped a small, hard object. And he pulled out the Thunderstone.
Zack had remembered beforehand that there were several different evolutions from Eevee. Remembering what the lady with the Espeon had given him, he'd searched the pages of the book and found all the information he could. Finally, after due consideration, he realized that he wished to have an Electric-type Pokemon. The were the coolest Pokemon, summoning lightning bolts and generating electricity from their very bodies! So, with that in mind, he chose to go with Eevee's Electric-type evolution, which required a Thunderstone to evolve from Eevee.
Now, feeling the weight of the rock on his palm, he squinted, scrutinizing it. It had cost him all of his money to buy the Thunderstone from that shopkeeper, so he sincerely hoped that it worked. Examining it, Zack noticed the luster, the glow of electrical energy pulsing within the stone, the slight vibration that made it seem like the Thunderstone was alive. It seemed genuine, and in perfect condition.
Glancing up, he noticed that Eevee was still looking at him. He took a deep breath, and started towards Eevee. However, as he approached her, he had some misgivings. What if Eevee wasn't friendly to him anymore? What if she didn't even recognize him? And what if something went wrong and it evolved into something else entirely?
Zack squashed those doubts. It was going to work. He knew it; he could feel it. There was no turning back now. He and Eevee had made up their minds about this, and they were going to do it. He felt a thrilling rush of excitement. He couldn't wait to be a spectator to this marvelous process, this milestone in Eevee's life. Shedding all worries and fears, he grinned encouragingly to his partner and placed the stone on the ground before her.
At first, nothing happened. He backed up, waiting for a spark, a glow, anything. But Eevee remained the same, and so did the Thunderstone. Zack felt crushed. All that time waiting, all that money spent, all this anticipation, and for what? Eevee wasn't gonna evolve; she-
Suddenly, the Thunderstone glowed with a brilliance that nearly blinded Zack. He rubbed his eyes and squinted, as the light gradually dimmed. He could now see clearly the electrical energy running up and down the exterior of the stone...and transferring to Eevee. It cloaked her protectively, covering her entire body, which began to shine it the same manner as the stone had done. She looked him in the eyes as an Eevee, one last time. What he saw there was happiness and acceptance. Then, the stone dissolved, and the remainder of the energy surrounded the shimmering Pokemon. And she absorbed the electrical power, glowing from head to foot.
What happened next was breathtaking. The shape of Eevee's entire body shifted and rippled like a mirage, then began to change. She became bigger, he legs longer. The bushy tail changed into a much shorter one that barely protruded from its hindquarters, with jagged tips of fur standing on end. In fact, her fur stood on end everywhere. Finally, her face became longer, her ears growing bigger. The glow faded, and Zack beheld the new and improved Eevee.
This Pokemon was yellow and white, and much larger then Eevee. Zack, scared of what he might see but not one to avoid his fears, looked this Pokemon straight in the eyes...and saw the same eyes of the Eevee that had accompanied him for years. She still recognized him. He ran over and hugged her, then yelped as the crackling fur shocked him with a jolt. She looked at him apologetically, then closed her eyes. Instantly, the electricity faded. When she opened her eyes again, he looked into them and remembered what her name was.
"Jolteon," he breathed, recalling the name from the book. "You are called Jolteon."
The newly-evolved Jolteon glanced at him, nodding. Then, she gave him that expectant look he knew so well.
"Ah, I see," Zack remarked. "You wanna race back home."
Jolteon cried, "Jolt Jolteon!" in agreement, then sped up the hill. Laughing, Zack took off, back up the hill, to the region of Johto, where battles with Trainers awaited. And Zack knew he could beat every single one with Jolteon by his side.
