After receiving Lin Feng's clear confirmation, Alolan Vulpix's expression immediately lit up.
In truth, she had already been thinking seriously about whether to evolve.
One by one, her companions were evolving. She knew very well that after evolution, her strength would increase dramatically.
That would bring her one step closer to defeating Rayquaza.
But evolution also meant becoming bigger.
That hesitation had troubled her for a long time.
Because growing up meant changing, and if she became larger, she could not help but wonder whether she would still be… lovable to Lin Feng.
After all, Lin Feng rarely took the initiative to catch large-bodied Pokémon.
Dragonite, Milotic, Serperior, Salamence…
By contrast, it was often the smaller Pokémon, like Eevee, the previously unevolved Bounsweet, the tiny fairies, and Alcremie, who would climb into their Trainer's arms whenever he had nothing to do.
"Do you want to evolve?" Lin Feng asked.
He froze the moment the words left his mouth.
Looking down at the energy cubes in his hand, he suddenly realized something and turned to Alolan Vulpix.
"Good girl. After you evolve, do you want to become smaller?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Seeing that Lin Feng had guessed her thoughts, Alolan Vulpix did not deny it at all. Instead, her eyes shone brightly.
"Well…"
Lin Feng hesitated.
The temporary version of the wish-size energy cubes, made from three peaches, could only produce ninety cubes in total.
Just supplying Serperior and Milotic through the winter already felt tight.
If Alolan Vulpix wanted them too after evolving, he would either need to use the permanent version, or triple the amount.
Wait.
If Ice Ninetales grew three times larger through evolution, then shrinking her size by three times afterward would actually be perfect.
That realization hit him all at once.
Still, he explained honestly, "But there are only forty wish-size energy cubes right now. After those are used up, there might not be any more."
The moment he finished speaking, Serperior beside him said calmly, "Five more small fruits grew on the tree earlier."
"Five more?"
Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
"Then Alolan Vulpix evolving is no problem at all."
If the tree could continue producing those wish-size peaches, then the future supply of size-changing energy cubes would be secured.
Alolan Vulpix had already been wavering. Hearing Lin Feng say this, she immediately looked at him with eager anticipation.
Lin Feng did not waste time.
He directly took out the SSS-rank Ice Stone he had previously obtained as a reward.
"Just touch it."
In truth, Alolan Vulpix's energy had already reached the level required for evolution. She had simply been held back by her own worries.
Perhaps she thought that growing bigger would make it harder to play with everyone?
Alolan Vulpix nodded.
Facing the Ice Stone radiating an intense chill, she took a deep breath, raised one paw, and gently placed it against the surface.
The instant she made contact, it was as if a switch had been flipped.
Powerful waves of icy energy surged wildly into her body, drawn in like a vortex.
At the same time, brilliant white light erupted around her.
During the evolution, the six round, fluffy tails behind her lengthened rapidly. One by one, they multiplied.
Only when nine tails, each over a meter long, fully formed did they finally stop.
They swayed behind her like elegant palm-leaf fans.
Her body, once slightly compact, grew slender and graceful.
When the white light faded, the first thing visible was a pair of sapphire-bright eyes, clear and radiant.
Her face transformed from cute to noble, refined, balanced, and elegant.
Long, flowing mane-like fur draped from her head.
Nine snowy-white tails floated behind her, filling the air with soft brilliance.
Even her voice had changed.
The gentle sweetness was gone, replaced by something crisp and refreshing.
Feeling the difference in her body, Ice Ninetales instinctively lifted a paw.
She raised her head and suddenly realized something.
When she used to stand on the table, she had to look up to meet Lin Feng's eyes.
Now, standing on the same table, she had to lower her head to look at him.
Without thinking, she tried to do what she always had.
She leapt straight toward Lin Feng.
"Huh? Hey, hey, hey!"
Lin Feng had been about to congratulate her.
Instead, the newly evolved Ice Ninetales turned into a flash of white and tackled him head-on.
Before he could react, she had already pinned him to the ground and began licking his face, just like before.
"Stop licking, stop licking!"
Ice Ninetales now stood about 1.5 meters tall, with a body length close to three meters including her tails.
Pinned beneath her, Lin Feng truly could not get up.
At that moment, he suddenly understood exactly how that trainer must have felt when they were pinned down by a Rapidash during a battle.
"So strange?"
Hearing Lin Feng's voice, Ice Ninetales stood up.
She looked down at him, feeling a strange novelty as the once very large Lin Feng now seemed so small.
Lin Feng stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said helplessly, "Of course it feels strange. After evolving, you are three or four times bigger than before. You cannot pounce on me like you used to."
"Alright…"
Ice Ninetales did not look disappointed.
She flicked her tails, and all nine long tails danced lightly through the air.
She lowered them beside Eevee.
The three Eevee, seeing how enormous Ice Ninetales had suddenly become, could not resist grabbing onto her tail fur with their paws.
Only then did Lin Feng finally have the chance to examine Ice Ninetales' status properly.
Pokémon: Ice Ninetales
Gender: Female
Ability: Enhanced Snow Warning (+)
Ability Quality: Gold
Individual Values: …
Strength: Level 58–59
Moves: Hypnosis, Moonblast, Tail Whip, Powder Snow, Ice Shard, Icy Wind, Imprison…
Affinity: 100
Joy: 80
(Lin Feng is so small. Everyone is so small…)
"That is basically elite level already…"
Looking at the suddenly grown Ice Ninetales, Lin Feng could not help but feel deeply moved.
Alolan Vulpix had hatched in mid-July.
Only four months had passed.
Yet she had already reached the peak of quasi-elite level.
If she participated in the Youth Cup, she would truly be a Pokémon he had personally raised from the very beginning.