Suddenly, Ninfia

I awake early in the morning to the sound of my Eevee scratching at the door to be let out. I groggily get out of my warm bed and opened the door for him, staring down the hall as he made a dash for his little box, the large bell around his neck jingling the whole way. My dad must have shut him in after I fell asleep, poor little guy. I wonder how long he's been holding it.

My eyes roll into the back of my head as I trot down the hall. I don't know how many times I've told my dad not to do things to upset him. At this rate my little Demon will never become an Umbreon. Maybe I can just go crazy with feeding him pof-

Tweedly dee tweedly doo

Huh, my xtransceiver is ringing, I should answer it.

Hi! It's me, Pip! You know my Rattata? Well, he's different than other Rattata. It's like my Rattata is in the top ten percent of Rattata! Alright, see ya!

He hung up.

Maybe I can just go crazy with feeding him poffins. That'll make him happy.

I make my way over to the fridge and pull it open, gazing in dismay at the empty berry box sitting inside. How am I supposed to make poffins now? Well I do have some money left from battling, I guess I'll just have to go into town and buy some fresh ingredients.

As I turn to the door, Professor Zap's voice echos in my head. It's dangerous to go out alone, always take a pokemon with you.

I sigh and turn around calling out for Demon and waiting impatiently as he scurried into the room. He really wasn't my first choice for a pokemon at all. I remember being so bummed out when all the really cool starters had been taken, and all Professor Zap had left was an Eevee he had caught earlier that day.

But Demon is alright I guess, he's pretty tough for an Eevee and he'll be even tougher once he evolves. That's why I've got him wearing that dumb bell, he likes it a lot and I guess I like that, even if it does look super un-manly.

I've never kept him in a ball, I've always heard that makes them unhappy. I do everything I can to make him really happy, honestly I'm not sure why he hasn't evolved yet, it's been over a year. Maybe I need to get into more night battles.

First thing's first though: I need berries. So I head out the door with Demon close behind and start down the small trail to town. I hardly made it twenty steps when I spotted Snails in his usual spot on the trail, turning every way to look for challengers.

I really don't feel like a battle right now, so I decide to wait until his back is to me. I've gotta time it just right. One... Two... Now!

I dash pas- suddenly he's facing me. How even? Ugh...

I'm seriously sick of this dude, every bucking day... And what is this? A level five Corsola? Where does he even get this crap?

Demon's 25 level advantage on this thing should let me finish it off quickly, but I send him in with his best move just to be safe. "Demon, use Bite!"

He dashed forward as instructed, sinking his teeth into the Corsola's weird body.

"Wow I didn't think you knew that move!!!" Snails leaned forward in astonishment.

I watched happily as it's health meter quickly drained to nothi- Oh my Celestia, a focus sash? You're gotta be kidding me.

And he used Harden... Some ponies...

I guess another Bite will finish this fight? I tell Demon to use Bite again, and the opponent's Corsola fainted.

"Aw man. I can't believe I lost."

Eleven experience? Not even worth it...

Demon is evolving!

What?! No, not now! You can't do this to me Demon. I don't know how to stop this, what do I do? I don't want an Espeon!

I press my hooves to my eyes and shake my head rapidly back and forth, hoping that somehow it's still early enough that he'll become an Umbreon.

But when I lower my hooves and look at Demon, my heart sinks into my hooves and I almost feel like I want to cry. I don't know what I'm looking at right now, but it sure as hay isn't an Espeon. I've never seen it before, and my Pokedex isn't helping any. Clearly this thing isn't from my region.

I take a breath to try to calm myself as I look over the pokemon in front of me from its fluffy pink ears to the ribbons dangling from its bowties. If it weren't for the bell still hanging around his neck, I wouldn't believe this was Demon I was looking at. He looked anything but fierce.

Well... I guess I won't be needing those berries anymore. I hang my head and trot back to my house, avoiding the gaze of the mail pony as he stops to look in shock at the pink pokemon trailing lovingly behind me with its obnoxious bell swinging to and fro.

When I get inside, I pick Demon up and put him on the table, carefully untying his bell and letting it slip off. He doesn't need it anymore anyway. He makes some weird noise I've never heard him make before. Sounds like now he's something called a Ninfia. More like a Nin-fail.

I can't believe that's what Demon turned into, I can't be seen in public with that. I flutter into my bedroom, my gaze catching the mirror and my round muzzle. Every pony thinks I'm a filly already, that stupid pokemon will just make it worse.

I turn angrily away from the mirror, crawl back into my cozy bed, and lay with my arms over my face as tears start streaming down it. This is just the sort of luck I have, a crappy starter with a crappy evolution. Tomorrow I'm getting a new pokemon, Demon can go in a ball and I'll stick him in a PC where he won't be my problem anymore.

My shoulders start to shake and I realize I'm full out sobbing, I don't want to get rid of Demon, I just don't want to be seen with him, or to battle with him, or to even look at him. I just want the old Demon back.

Why didn't I know how to stop him? He shouldn't have evolved today, this is all my fault, and now my best friend is gone.

I feel a paw on my shoulder and glare up at the body it's attached to. What does this stupid thing want? It can't even call itself a guy anymore, maybe it's not even a pokemon.

Then he leans down, presses his creamy face against mine and curls up next to me, purring just like he always does. Maybe he really is the same old Demon after all. I don't know though, how can he be the same when he's so different?

He looks up at me with his wide blue eyes and chirps as he jumps to his little pink paws, rubbing himself against me until I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

He smiles and lets out a high pitched Ninfia, and I smile back at him, cuddling him like I always did.

"Yeah, I love you too buddy."

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