Pokémon: The Cheating Life

Chapter 27: Rich Man, Let's Be Friends!

Pokémon: Dratini

Level: 16

Gender: Male

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 3.3 kg

Ability: Shed Skin

Moves: Dragon Dance (Egg Move), Wrap, Leer, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage

Dratini's stats weren't particularly strong at the moment, but as a top-tier pseudo-legendary, its potential was undeniable. With proper training, it would undoubtedly become a formidable force.

Ron decided to follow Ash's route toward Cinnabar Island, then take a ship back to Cerulean City, head straight to Viridian City, and finally return to Pallet Town to prepare for the Indigo League.

As he rode a rented bicycle with Lillie, they crossed a newly constructed bridge. Dratini sat comfortably in the front basket, while Sylveon lay lazily on Ron's shoulder. It had been a while since Sylveon had seen Ron. Although staying at Professor Oak's lab was comfortable, it still preferred traveling alongside its trainer.

As they rode along, they didn't encounter any cycling gangs, which meant no unnecessary trouble—allowing Ron and Lillie to enjoy their peaceful ride.

After returning the bikes, they passed through Pikachu Forest, where they saw a large gathering of Pikachu. A few of them were high-tier, but neither Ron nor Lillie had any desire to capture one.

Before nightfall, they arrived at the Eevee Brothers' estate—a family that had grown wealthy through the sale of evolution stones. They decided to stay the night.

When the three older brothers—dressed in tight clothing and sporting brightly dyed hair—heard Ron's name, they became excited.

"You're the one who discovered Eevee's new evolution method, right? Welcome, welcome! Stay as long as you like!"

Thanks to their enthusiasm, Ron and Lillie were warmly accommodated in the mansion.

---

The next morning, after a lavish breakfast, the three brothers brought out their youngest sibling, Taiichi.

The eldest brother, Raizo, who owned Jolteon, spoke up.

"Ron, we hope you can teach us how to evolve Eevee into Sylveon. In return, we'll pay you 5 million. How about it?"

Before Ron could respond, Taiichi clutched his Eevee tightly, looking upset.

"But, brother! I don't want Eevee to evolve!"

"Stop joking!" the three brothers said in unison.

"Taiichi, we're doing this for your own good. Eevee only becomes stronger when it evolves," said Archie, the Flareon trainer.

"Exactly! Originally, we wanted your Eevee to evolve into one of our three forms, but now that we've learned about another evolution, Sylveon would be perfect," added Mizuki, the Vaporeon trainer.

Raizo made another offer, "Ron, please help us. If 5 million isn't enough, how about 10 million?"

Lillie nudged Ron and whispered, "We should help Taiichi. His brothers are just like my mom—they force Pokémon to evolve without considering their feelings. We need to support him."

Ron sighed, then turned to the brothers.

"Hold on, let me speak first."

Raizo was overjoyed. "Ron, you've changed your mind? Don't worry, we'll compensate you well. How about 50 million?"

Ron shook his head. "Taiichi, are you sure you don't want Eevee to evolve?"

Taiichi nodded firmly. "I want to be an Eevee Trainer, not a trainer of its evolved forms."

Ron smiled. "That's going to be difficult. Eevee is a Pokémon that evolves very easily. Even if you don't use a stone, if you spend enough time with it, it will eventually evolve on its own."

Archie's eyes lit up. "Wait, is that how Sylveon evolves?"

Mizuki added, "That's such a simple method!"

Ron shook his head. "No, that's just one of Eevee's evolution paths. Evolution is a natural part of a Pokémon's growth. You don't need to force it, but you also shouldn't try to prevent it either. You should consider your Pokémon's feelings."

Taiichi hesitated, then turned to Eevee. "Eevee, do you want to evolve?"

"Buii…" Eevee let out a soft cry, looking at Taiichi with teary eyes.

Ron chuckled. "You two really share a strong bond. I can understand Pokémon language. Eevee just said, 'I'll do whatever Taiichi wants.'"

Taiichi smiled. "If you want to evolve, I won't stop you. But I hope you evolve naturally and not through an evolution stone."

Eevee looked up at Taiichi and nodded.

Seeing this, Ron finally revealed the Sylveon evolution method.

"Eevee can evolve into Espeon or Umbreon based on its bond with its trainer. If its friendship level is high, it evolves into Espeon during the day and Umbreon at night. Sylveon, however, requires Eevee to learn a Fairy-type move and form a deep enough bond with its trainer."

Hearing this, the three brothers' eyes sparkled.

Raizo sighed, "The world is truly vast, and we still have so much to learn. Taiichi, if you ever get the chance, travel like Ron does. That's the only way to truly expand your knowledge."

After that, he pulled out a checkbook, quickly wrote down a number, and handed it to Ron.

"Thank you, Ron. You helped us understand something important and gave Taiichi clarity. This is just a small token of appreciation—please don't refuse."

Ron glanced at the check and felt his hands tremble.

"Isn't this… too much?"

"It's fine, take it. It's only 50 million. As a Trainer, you should know that Pokémon-related items are ridiculously expensive. This is nothing to us," Archie said casually.

Hearing this, Ron's mind went blank.

They're so rich…

He emotionally accepted the check, immediately contacted his system, and converted the funds into Pokémon currency.

He set aside 10 million for his future estate expenses and converted the remaining 40 million into diamonds!

As he looked at the 40,000 diamonds displayed on his system panel, he finally felt a sense of financial security.

Though he still lacked enough potential enhancement potions, at least he could now buy important items.

First on his list: Beedrill's Mega Evolution stone, powerful TM moves, and attribute points for himself.

After bidding farewell to the Eevee brothers, Raizo generously gifted each of them an evolution stone set, containing a Leaf Stone, Fire Stone, and Water Stone.

Though it wasn't a complete set, it was still a thoughtful gift. And if they didn't need them, they could always sell them for more money.

As Ron hummed a tune, he and Lillie resumed their journey toward Grampa Canyon.

Meanwhile, he eagerly opened the system store and began shopping.