บท 63: Chapter 63: The Hidden Evolution

I leaned back, feeling the cold air rush past me as Pidgeot soared through the sky. The wind tugged at my hair, but I barely noticed. Below, the world spread out like a map—trees, rivers, and distant towns fading into a blur. I pointed towards a secluded clearing. "Land there," I said calmly, my voice steady as always.

Pidgeot's head dipped in acknowledgment, and with a swift flap of his wings, we began descending. The ground rushed up to meet us, but I stayed relaxed, eyes scanning the area for any threats. Pidgeot landed with a soft thud, kicking up dirt and leaves. Without hesitation, I hopped off his back and reached for my Pokéballs.

"Come out," I murmured, releasing Venusaur, Raichu, and Kadabra.

Venusaur emerged with a low growl, its massive form towering over me. Without warning, it used its vine whip, wrapping me in its tendrils and pulling me close. The hug was almost crushing, but I laughed, patting the thick vines. "Easy, big guy."

Raichu bounced over, pouting, his cheeks sparking with joy. He wriggled his way between me and Venusaur, demanding his share of attention. I pushed them both off lightly, stepping back, wiping the dirt from my clothes.

"Alright, enough of that." I turned to Kadabra, whose serious gaze never wavered. His spoon hovered slightly, vibrating with a subtle psychic hum. When I placed my hand on his head, he stiffened. His voice echoed in my mind, calm but questioning. "𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥?"

I smiled, walking a few paces away, stretching my arms as I spoke. "You're going to evolve. It's time to get stronger."

Kadabra's thoughts flashed through my mind again, sharp and quick. "𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘒𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘢, 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳."

I let out a breath, lying down on the ground as Raichu jumped on my chest, settling in like he belonged there. Venusaur and Pidgeot had wandered off, playing with a lazy sort of energy, but my focus stayed on Kadabra.

"There's an evolution," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "One that most think doesn't exist. Ancient. Rare. Alakazam."

Kadabra stiffened. I could feel his shock ripple through the air. "𝘈𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘻𝘢𝘮," he repeated, voice shaking slightly in my mind.

"That's right," I said, looking up at the sky, watching clouds drift by. "Alakazam's brain can outperform supercomputers. When he closes his eyes, it heightens his other senses to extremes. Imagine that kind of power."

There was silence for a moment. Then Kadabra's voice cut through my thoughts again, more resolute this time. "𝘐'𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺."

I sat up, lifting Raichu off me and setting him on the ground. His ears drooped, but I gave him a reassuring pat. "Stay sharp, alright?" Raichu's cheeks sparked again as he nodded, though his eyes were wide with concern.

I glanced around. "Pidgeot, get in the sky. Make sure no one comes close. Venusaur, secure the area. Raichu, you're on defense if anything goes wrong."

All three Pokémon nodded without hesitation, moving into position. Pidgeot shot into the sky with a powerful flap of his wings, Venusaur's vines snaked out across the clearing, and Raichu stayed close, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

I stood, summoning the holographic display with a flick of my wrist. The transparent screen floated in front of me, shimmering with blue light. I scrolled through the data until I reached Kadabra's evolution tab. The option was there, glowing softly.

"You sure about this?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳," Kadabra's voice came back, steady and sure.

"Good."

With a swipe, I activated the evolution. The air around Kadabra began to shimmer, and the psychic energy around him intensified. His body glowed, first faintly, then blindingly bright. The spoon in his hand snapped upright as the vortex of energy tightened, crackling with dangerous power.

Raichu tensed beside me, his eyes wide with fear. I knelt beside him, placing a hand on his back. "Do you trust me?" I asked quietly.

Raichu nodded, though his body still trembled.

"Do you think I would hurt my Pokémon?"

Raichu shook his head, sparks flaring from his cheeks.

"Then don't worry."

The energy burst outward suddenly, a wave of force that made the ground shake. I threw an arm over my eyes, feeling the raw power vibrate through my bones. Raichu pressed his face into my chest, his small body trembling.

When the light faded, Kadabra was gone.

In his place stood Alakazam—taller, sharper, holding two spoons that pulsed with a faint psychic glow. His eyes burned with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Alakazam," I breathed, lowering my arm.

The holographic display pinged, confirming the successful evolution.

"How does it feel?" I asked, my voice low.

"𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭… 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦," Alakazam replied, his voice now deeper, more resonant in my mind.

I nodded. "I'm not letting you take any action for now. We need to keep this under wraps until I find a reason to reveal your evolution."

Alakazam nodded once, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

I scrolled through the moves on the holographic display. My eyes widened. "Well, well… You've got quite the list of new tricks." I smirked, selecting a range of moves: Psyshock, Future Sight, Calm Mind, and others. There was no flashy effect, just a quiet confirmation as I pressed the button.

"Pidgeot, Venusaur, Raichu—come back," I called. One by one they returned, congratulating Alakazam in their own way. Raichu gave a joyful cheer, while Venusaur gave a slow, approving nod. I recall Venusaur, Raichu and Alakazam in their pokeballs.

I climbed onto Pidgeot's back, feeling the tension ease from my shoulders. "We've got one more evolution to handle," I said. The wind began to whip around me again as Pidgeot's wings beat the air.

"Let's find that lake," I murmured. "Where no one can interfere."

Pidgeot nodded and took to the sky.