Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

However, all of this is just wishful thinking and speculation. Apart from far-fetched conjectures, there is not even a single crucial piece of evidence.

However, if the professor can test and find that the active energy in the Pokémon he sent is of the same origin as Xerneas... then perhaps there is some explanation.

……

Unfortunately, Xia Chen did not receive a definite reply from Dr. Blatano.

"This energy analyzer is a new generation product developed by the Vladali Institute. It is still under testing, and the testing period is a bit long, about five days. I will let you know when it is ready."

Dr. Blatano said this on the holographic communicator.

Xia Chen hung up the call, speechless. Five days... the Sacred Tree Festival was long over.

Although he couldn't be sure what might happen during this period, if anything did happen, the possibility was definitely highest during the Sacred Tree Festival.

Since the doctor did not give a definite answer, Xia Chen could only put aside his guess for the time being.

Fortunately, this tree did not originate from Yveltal, so even if something goes wrong, it shouldn't cause any damage. Otherwise, Xia Chen would definitely have run away overnight.

…………

Although it is close to Miare City, the pace of life in Lavender City is much slower than that bustling metropolis.

Even the tallest building here isn't half the height of the sacred tree, making it a veritable city for leisure and retirement.

As the Sacred Tree Festival draws ever closer, Xia Chen can clearly see that the number of transient people in Xiangxun City is gradually increasing as he rides his bicycle on the road.

They all share a striking common feature: they are usually accompanied by a Pokémon that can still evolve.

Undoubtedly, these are trainers from all over Kalos who came to participate in the "Ceremony of Evolution," and there are even tourists from other regions like Xia Chen.

It's not that evolution is impossible elsewhere, but evolution blessed by the divine tree sounds special, and some people like things with a sense of ritual.

On January 13th, the Sacred Tree Festival, a unique festival in Xiangxun City, finally arrived.

In the early hours of the morning, tens of thousands of people and elves, under the command of local Alliance personnel and Officer Jenny, poured into the area covered by the shade of the Divine Tree, waiting for the first Divine Leaf to fall.

Xia Chen was awakened by the noisy commotion. He rubbed his head groggily before realizing that the Shenmu Festival had already started today.

I glanced at my phone instinctively. Good heavens, it's only 5 a.m.! Are you watching the flag-raising ceremony here?

Unable to fall asleep, Xia Chen muttered as he got out of bed, searching for Eevee and Ralts.

Even he, who has excellent sleep quality, was woken up, let alone the two little ones who are sensitive to their environment.

Xia Chen turned on the light and glanced around before finally spotting them on the balcony. Eevee and Ralts were lying there, seemingly looking out at something.

Xia Chen curiously went over and was also stunned by the spectacular sight before him.

As the moon sets and the stars fade, in the darkest hour of dawn, the faint starlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, barely illuminating the massive trunk of the sacred tree, as thick as a city wall.

Beneath the sacred tree, a dense crowd of people and elves gathered, gazing upwards with anticipation, waiting for a certain moment to arrive, like devout believers in some ancient and mysterious ritual.

Of course, if you insist on comparing it to a zombie apocalypse... that's not entirely wrong.

Xia Chen couldn't help but take out his phone to record this shocking scene that is rarely seen in modern society.

…………

Xia Chen was watching the commotion with amazement when a knock sounded at the door.

The door opened, and sure enough, the person who entered was Miss Ma Xiu, dressed in her finest attire.

She was still wearing that magnificent dress that was said to be worth five thousand gold beads, like a saintess of the "Sacred Tree Cult" worshipped by the believers below.

The saintess extended a warm invitation, "Such a grand occasion, Mr. Xia Chen, wouldn't you like to come down and experience it for yourself?"

Xia Chen shook his head. "I suddenly feel that the role of the observer is more suitable for me. I'll try it out in a couple of days. Anyway, the Shenmu Festival isn't just today."

Ma Xiu was somewhat envious. "He really is a future lazy gym leader who can do whatever he wants. It's a pity that I have no choice in what I do."

As the gym leader and one of the city's most famous landmarks, she would naturally attend such an important event.

Xia Chen was curious about what Ma Xiu was going to do. Was she going to help Officer Jenny and the others maintain order?

Ma Xiu shrugged and replied, "What else could it be? It's just an exhibition match with some guest. It's the same thing every year. Don't they get tired of it?"

A thought flashed through Xia Chen's mind.

Speaking of which, after the Beautiful Energy Cube was developed, besides its use in Milotic's evolution, another more important use has been left unused.

The girl in front of me possesses strength, fame, and a love for elves.

Moreover, the Fairy type is the most suitable attribute for flashy battles, so why not deceive... no, why not point out a clear path for a lost girl?

He suddenly said, "Miss Ma Xiu, have you ever thought... that besides battles, the charm of elves can also be displayed in another way?"

Ma Xiu raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "For example?"

Xia Chen smiled mysteriously and invited her into the room.

…………

After seeing Ma Xiu off, Xia Chen returned to the balcony.

Since I can't sleep, I might as well wait with the people below for the "gift of evolution" to arrive.

A few days ago, Ma Xiu told Xia Chen that the sacred tree has a spirit, and its falling and growing leaves are very regular. It falls at sunrise and stops at sunset, never late or early.

And after three days, when all the fallen leaves have drifted down, new life will sprout overnight on the bare branches.

Sitting on the balcony, Xia Chen and the three elves quietly waited for the sun to rise.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint glimmer of dawn finally appeared on the horizon.

Among the crowd, a sharp-eyed person spotted the glimmer of light and exclaimed, "It's dawn!"

Then, cheers rose and fell, eventually merging into a wave of sound.

As if awakened by the noise of these people, the light on the horizon became more and more conspicuous. Although it was still far from shining brightly on the earth, everyone knew what it meant.

Daylight has broken, and the ceremony of evolution has begun.

The first rays of dawn appear, and the first leaf falls.

The sound of leaves rustling in the air filled the air. Xia Chen, sitting on the balcony, looked up and saw a few faint rays of morning light filtering through the leaves, which drifted slowly towards their destined destination.

Xia Chen suddenly felt that this angle of observation was a bit poor; it would be much better if he could fly in the air and look down from above...

Unfortunately, none of my Pokémon can fly.

Speaking of which, should I raise a spirit that can carry me through the sky?

It's a bit of a shame to come to the fairy world but not be able to soar through the blue sky.

Alternatively, you could catch one while traveling in the Carlos region to use as a means of transportation.

I'll ask Ma Xiu in a few days if there are any suitable wild elves around here.

Although Xia Chen was looking at the leaves falling from the sky, his thoughts had already drifted off to who-knows-where.

Ibrahimovic stared blankly at the scene before him, lost in thought.

……

For the past few days, Ibrahimovic had felt that she had some recollection of the city, but she was quite certain that she had never been here in the ten years of her previous life.

So, you probably heard about this city from some news report?

Ibrahimovic thought that was probably the case, since the sacred tree was a well-known tourist attraction in the Carlos region.

If so, it probably wouldn't be a serious incident, otherwise I wouldn't be completely unprepared.

But right now, watching the leaves fluttering in the sky, the memories dormant in Eevee's mind seem to be slowly awakening.

She remembered seeing news reports about the city of Aroma and the sacred tree.

The headline of that news article was—

[A Lament for the Sacred Tree: A Retrospective of the Last Sacred Tree Festival!]

In other words, this sacred tree is about to come to an end!

Ibrahimovic forgot whether the news was from this year or not.

It will either be this year or next year, because she clearly remembers that she hasn't evolved yet back then.

This is why Eevee only remembered this important message when it witnessed the scene of the Gift of Evolution.

Once the sealed box of memories was opened, more and more information flooded into Eevee's mind.

……

After all the leaves fell for the last time, no new leaves ever grew on the branches of the sacred tree again, and the sacred tree no longer exuded that vibrant aura.

The news report did not provide a definitive explanation for the specific cause of this phenomenon.

But Ibrahimovic remembered that the news mentioned that on the last day of the Sacred Tree Festival, someone saw a strange branch emitting colorful light at the base of the tree, but the incense-loving citizen did not investigate further out of reverence for the sacred tree.

When everyone discovered the next morning that the sacred tree had not sprouted any new buds, the strange branch had already disappeared without a trace.

Ibrahimovic's attention to this detail stemmed from Xia Chen's observation of the news at the time, remarking, "Doesn't this sound a bit like Xerneas's horns?"

No one knows what color Xerneas's horns are. The legend of the god of life has been circulating in the Carlos region since ancient times, but few people have ever seen them.

Even during his most recent awakening, witnesses only reported seeing a huge, imposing figure with long antlers, resembling a deer, before being knocked unconscious by the burst of energy.

Eevee knew that his trainer had a unique source of information and always knew things that others didn't.

So when she recalled the incident of the sacred tree withering, this detail naturally came to mind.

So, perhaps this is an opportunity?

Ibrahimovic's mind began to stir.

This is something related to legendary Pokémon... Even if it's just a possibility, Eevee doesn't want to miss it.

……

It's worth noting that the only such item ever to appear at an auction was an unmelting piece of ice from Regice, about the size of a chocolate bar.

This item was purchased by Lorelei, the Ice-type Elite Four member of the Kanto region, for a staggering 150 million.

Besides marveling at how rich Kona is, everyone is also talking about how rare the legendary Pokémon items are.

If we follow the color-coding method in the game, ordinary evolution stones and attribute gems are simply blue sky and white clouds.

Further up the hierarchy, items like Mysterious Water Drop and Dragon Fang can be classified as high-tier, rare purple cards.