The sudden evolution instantly drew everyone's attention. After all, wasn't the reason they had all come here because of the miraculous evolution caused by the moss-covered rock?
"Leafeon!"
"Beep beep beep~~~"
"Leafeon, the Verdant Pokémon of the Grass-type. One of Eevee's evolved forms. It performs photosynthesis like a plant, which makes the air around it fresh and clean."
"Eevee, ee~~"
The little Eevee in Sieg's arms blinked its lively eyes, curiously watching its evolved counterpart.
Would it one day evolve into something like that as well?
Its fluffy ears perked up with curiosity.
"Don't worry, little Eevee. If you want to evolve into Umbreon in the future, that would be great. But if you'd prefer another form, I won't force you. Everything depends on your own will."
Holding the little Eevee, Sieg gently stroked its soft fur as he spoke tenderly.
Of course, if it didn't evolve into a Dark type, then it would only be suitable as a support Pokémon or a pet.
Becoming part of the main battle team would be out of the question.
Sieg had already committed to a specialized team path, with Dark type at its core and as the main force.
…
The next few days brought heavy rain.
Everyone was stuck at the camp, unable to head out. Notably, two more trainers' Eevees evolved into Leafeon.
With the discovery of the moss-covered rock, more and more trainers arrived at the site to set up camp.
"Sieg, my brother and I are heading out to search for some Shroomish. Want to come with us?"
Sieg, who was inside his tent reading a book on Pokémon cultivation, paused at the sound of the voice.
He gently put the book down and stepped outside.
The twin brothers, the girl, and Matthew were already geared up in exploration outfits, clearly planning to look for traces of Shroomish while the rain had just ended.
"I think I'll pass. The paths are still muddy right now. I'll wait a couple more days before heading out."
Sieg politely declined their invitation. He had always preferred walking the path alone.
The four looked a little disappointed but still bid Sieg farewell and ventured deeper into the heart of Petalburg Woods.
"The mushrooms and spores that fall off of Shroomish are great medicinal materials, and just what I need for a few of the Pokéblocks I'm working on."
Sieg wanted to capture a Shroomish, not to train as a battle Pokémon, but more for support and utility.
With just a bit of food, he could continuously collect the mushrooms that naturally fell off its body.
It was a very worthwhile investment.
As the sun rose and dried the earth over two days, the jungle paths were no longer muddy.
Like most others at the camp, Sieg set off to search for Shroomish.
Shroomish usually liked damp places and lived in the moist grounds deep within forests.
During the day, they would stay motionless under the forest shade, beneath fallen leaves. Damp, rotting leaves and soil were their favorites.
When sensing danger, a Shroomish would shake its body and release poisonous spores from the top of its head.
These spores were extremely toxic. They could cause plants to wither instantly, and any creature that inhaled them would suffer intense joint pain.
Sieg carefully searched through the forest. Shroomish were communal Pokémon and very timid, often startled by the slightest sound.
That was one of the main reasons he didn't want to search with a large group.
"Eevee, are you sure it's here?"
Sieg looked down at the little Eevee in his arms, who was wrinkling its nose as if sniffing something in the air.
"Eevee, ee~~"
The little Eevee nodded confidently. Its sense of smell had always been sharp.
Sieg examined the tiny footprints on the ground and the nibbled, withered leaves, and felt certain in his judgment.
Sieg bent down slightly and gently parted the grass.
Hidden beneath a large tree, several mushrooms came into view. But upon closer inspection, they looked a bit different.
"Beige upper body with green spots, green lower body, a small opening on top of the head, and a ring of frills... It's a Shroomish!"
Sieg's eyes lit up immediately. He pulled a Luxury Ball from his belt.
With a flash of white light, Crawdaunt appeared.
"Crawdaunt, use Razor Shell. Go easy, don't knock it out."
With Sieg's command, Crawdaunt took a step forward, raised its pincers high, then slashed down sharply.
The Shroomish that had been hiding under the roots of the tree were startled awake. In an instant, several of them dashed off on their tiny legs.
"Carvanha, go after the one on the left."
"Fearow, you take the one on the right."
Sieg crossed both hands and pulled out two more Luxury Balls, releasing two more Pokémon.
Aside from the Shroomish that had been knocked unconscious by Crawdaunt's attack, the others tried to escape, releasing bursts of poisonous spores from the tops of their heads as they fled.
"Fearow, blow them away!"
As if Sieg would let them have their way.
Once all three Shroomish were unconscious, Sieg tossed Poké Balls one by one and captured each of them.
"Beep beep beep~~~"
"Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokémon, Grass type. It inhabits the damp forest floors deep in the woods and feeds on composted leaf litter."
"Height: 0.4 meters, Weight: 5 kilograms, good development, Ability: Poison Heal.
Known moves: Tackle, Absorb, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain.
Egg move: Drain Punch."
Sieg scanned each of the Poké Balls containing the Shroomish, and the Pokédex displayed their detailed information.
"Tsk, tsk... Only this one, with Drain Punch as a breed move, is decent. Poison Heal can be paired with some tactics as well."
Sieg decided to keep that one to use as a support Pokémon and sell off the other two.
"If I can get my hands on an Everstone in the future, it might be worth raising," Sieg muttered to himself.
Shroomish's evolved form, Breloom, was considered a very solid Pokémon, known for its powerful punches.
But what truly made it popular was a move called Spore, a sleep-inducing move said to never miss.
While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, its accuracy was still frighteningly high.
Unfortunately, only the Shroomish line, the Foongus line, and the Parasect line could learn it.
Parasect were mostly found in the Kanto and Johto regions.
Foongus were in Unova.
The only downside was that Shroomish could only learn Spore at level 40. If it evolved before then, it would lose the chance to learn the move.
So, to learn Spore, Shroomish had to remain unevolved until at least level 40.
However, Shroomish naturally evolves into Breloom at level 23, which is why an Everstone is needed to keep it in its current form.
When Sieg returned to camp, most people came back disappointed. They hadn't found any sign of Shroomish.
Large search parties caused too much noise, so the timid Shroomish had long since hidden themselves away.
Sieg had no intention of selling the other two Shroomish to people in the camp. After all, the League officially prohibited the selling of Pokémon.
He didn't want to stain his record over a minor infraction.
Sieg's future career path demanded a spotless resume.
"I'll wait until I reach the black market in Rustboro City," he thought to himself, thinking of the two Shroomish stored in his spatial backpack.