Chapter Eleven

In such a small town, news of a strange van rolling in was big news. The highway wasn't yet built, so traffic was scarce. Who was coming? And why? It was so late at night. The townspeople looked out their windows to see the approaching visitor. None, however, opted to venture outside for a better look. They would let the law enforcement decide what it was.

Radley frowned as he also looked towards the unfamiliar vehicle. He and Kalin had been just about to head home after their long evening of tending to the dinner crowd at the diner. He had Evie tucked inside his jacket, while Evan was securely strapped into a basket Kalin had affixed to his motorcycle. Now this van was pulling over right in front of the diner.

"Eevee . . ." Evan said, tensing. He didn't like how the van was making him feel.

"What's this now?" Kalin said in audible annoyance.

Scotch got in front of them. "We'll see what they want," he said. "You guys get the Eevees home."

Radley was touched. And for the Eevees' sakes he was about to agree. But the van door slid open before he could leave.

"Leaving so suddenly, Mr. Ramon?"

The humans all paled at the familiar voice. Evie whimpered, hiding deeper in Radley's jacket. Evan growled. Despite not knowing the person, the Eevees could sense something evil in the voice. That, plus the humans' distress, told them this was not a good person.

"I knew it," Kalin snarled. "What do you want now, Portman?"

"Believe it or not, I'm more interested in your little pets than I am in you," Portman said. "Although you will certainly play a vital role in this situation regardless."

"You're with Team Rocket, aren't you?!" Radley exclaimed.

"They want me to join them," Portman said. "I'm quite willing to consider the offer. The kind of research they want is right up my alley." She stepped out, gripping a strange and unfamiliar object that looked like a ray gun. A worried Espeon padded at her side.

Radley immediately revved his engine. "You are not getting the chance to use that thing on Evie!" he snapped.

"Or on Evan," Kalin added with narrowed eyes. He tried to will his powers to activate. If they only would! But as usual, they seemed locked in place, deep within his being. He could not draw them out.

"It's mainly the female I want," Portman said. "The male has already done his part in enabling me to come here at all."

Evan went stiff. "Eevee?!"

Radley wavered, distracted from driving away to safety. "What?!"

Kalin laid a hand on Evan's back. "Just what are you talking about?" he demanded, his voice filled with ice and warnings.

"He's been such an efficient spy," Portman said smoothly. "He doesn't remember, but an implant was put in his eye while all of you were unconscious from the mass Pineco explosion. He's been broadcasting everything you do in range of his sight to me and to Team Rocket."

"Eevee-vee!" Evie cried in outrage.

Evan looked completely stricken. He promptly tried to slam his head against the side of the basket.

Kalin grabbed him. "No!" He held the trembling animal firmly in place. "That's not how to fix it."

"EEVEE!" Evan screamed.

"Fascinating," Portman sneered. "A small Pokemon trying to engage in self-harm, and you of all people trying to stop him. I can't think of many people more enamored of self-harm than you, Mr. Kessler. You originally came to this place as a fancy way of committing suicide, after all."

Kalin clenched his teeth. "I was wrong. And I don't want Evan to hurt himself. He's an innocent victim in all this!"

Evie started to emerge from Radley's jacket, worried for her friend. "Eevee?! Vee-vee-vee!"

Portman's eyes gleamed. "Yes! Just as I planned!" She pointed the ray gun.

"Look out!" an unfamiliar female voice suddenly screamed.

The Bunch desperately tried to grab for Portman and the gun, but her henchmen appeared and got in their way. Each had a vicious, Team Rocket-trained Houndoom at his side.

Scotch jumped back. "Oh gosh!"

Biff stared in horror. "What can we do against that?!"

The Houndooms snarled.

"Nothing, is what," Billy scowled in helplessness.

Radley was already on high alert. He desperately held on to Evie as he tried to drive away, but in spite of his best efforts, the gun clipped her shoulder and they fell off the motorcycle.

"VEE!" Evie wailed. She pushed away from Radley, her eyes wild and frantic.

Radley really wasn't sure how it happened. One moment everything was normal. The next, the ground was shaking, space was distorting, and a huge booming cry was echoing off of buildings and mountains.

"EEVEE."

But Evie was still standing next to him, sweet and cute and little and bewildered. "Eevee?!"

Radley sat up with a jerk. "What the . . . ?!"

There was absolutely a Gigantamax Eevee standing there, smiling big, the tail casually swishing back and forth . . . but it wasn't Evie and it wasn't Evan either.

". . . What just happened here?!" Scotch exclaimed.

Portman was just staring in utter fascination. "The Dynamax Cannon didn't work!" she exclaimed. "Your Eevee is not capable of Gigantamax. But somehow I've torn a hole in a space-time rift and pulled one out from somewhere else, most likely Galar!"

". . . That really isn't something to be proud of," Kalin said flatly. "What do we do with it?"

The Gigantamax Eevee looked around, studying everything very carefully, and reached out a huge paw. "EEVEE." She placed it on the roof of Portman's van. To everyone's shock, she then sent the huge vehicle flying down the street like a toy car, where it kept going until it crashed into a tree. "EEVEE! EEVEE!" She clapped her front paws in glee.

". . . Well, you were right about them getting more playful," Radley said. He grabbed Evie and stood up. "But she's dangerous! That van could have hit somebody or crashed into a building!" His eyes narrowed. "You started this mess, Portman. You'd better fix it."

"Not to worry! Of course I can fix it." Portman took out the Dynamax Band and put it around her wrist. "Eevee! Cease and desist! Do only what I tell you!"

The Gigantamax Eevee just tilted her head in confusion. "EEVEE?" Then she got up, shrugging it off, and went over to the church. As she sat down in front of it, she pawed at the bell tower. When the bell rung, she exclaimed in delight and rung it some more.

"Oh yeah, you've got everything completely under control," Radley said with dripping sarcasm.

"She might be a wild Eevee," the mysterious voice spoke again. "I don't think the band would work on a wild one."

"Why don't you talk to it?" Portman suggested.

The Espeon stepped forward, the red orb on her head glowing.

". . . I think she's the one talking," Radley said in amazement.

"Hello?" the Espeon called. "We're sorry we took you away from your home, Eevee. We'll try to send you back, but in the meantime, please don't play with things here in town. Someone could get hurt."

The Gigantamax Eevee looked over at her. "VEE?"

"What did she say?!" Portman demanded.

". . . She said she's not hurting anything," the Espeon sighed. "She just wants friends to play with."

"Eevee! Eevee-vee-vee!" Evie exclaimed.

"She's offering to play with her," the Espeon said.

Radley looked down at Evie with a start. "That's not a good idea!" he cried. "She could so easily hurt you without meaning to!"

"Just like you were worried you might hurt Radley," Kalin added.

"Vee," Evie sighed. "Eevee-vee!"

"She wonders if playing with the Gigantamax Eevee will help her get back to a normal size," the Espeon said.

"It might make her want to play even more," Radley said. "The whole town might get ripped up!"

Evie nuzzled him. "Eevee-vee!"

"She suggests taking the Gigantamax Eevee to the desert," the Espeon said. "I think we should just try to send her home."

"Send her home?! Before we've had time to properly study this phenomenon?! Of course not!" Portman scoffed. "My men will battle and capture her and I will take her back to Team Rocket!"

Before anyone could say anything more, her henchmen were sending their Houndooms into battle. The Gigantamax Eevee was delighted. Far from feeling threatened, she saw it as another game.

The ground began to shake.

"What's happening?!" Scotch yelped.

"It's her attack!" the Espeon said. "G-Max Cuddle!"

". . . Just what is that supposed to do?!" Radley cried, desperately holding on to Evie as everything shook.

"Pokemon of the opposite gender will be attracted to her and not want to fight her!" the Espeon said.

". . . And ten to one most of those Houndooms are guys," Radley said when most of them stopped looking vicious and started wagging their tails.

Evan looked away. He had barely said anything, too upset about learning he was a spy to have the strength to become involved with the disaster.

Kalin looked down at him. "You're not affected, are you?"

"Eevee," said Evan.

Kalin petted him. "Maybe it's just because you're not battling, or maybe it's because you're hurting too much. What happened isn't your fault. You were cruelly used and that's intolerable." His eyes flashed.

Evan looked up at him. "Ee?"

"Of course I still trust you!" Kalin exclaimed. "All of us do! As soon as this is over, we'll find how to safely turn off the thing in your eye. But it's fine! It doesn't change how much we love you!"

Evie looked over at him. "Eevee-vee!" she firmly added.

Evan snuggled Kalin, still looking sorrowful. "Eevee . . ."

"Even if we can't turn it off, it won't change," Kalin said. "You're one of us! We won't abandon you!"

Evan looked at him in disbelief. "Eevee?!"

"Eevee," Evie said sadly.

Kalin undid Evan from the basket and held him in his arms. "We never turn our backs on family."

Tears filled Evan's eyes and he cuddled close.

The Espeon smiled. "They didn't even need my help to communicate," she said. "He's a good Trainer."

"Of course he is," Radley smiled back. "But hey, who are you anyway? You seem nice. How did you end up with someone like Portman?!"

"I'm Prinna," she told him. "I'm only here because Team Rocket would have killed my owner if I'd said No. They're holding him hostage back at the base."

Radley's lip curled. "That's sickening!"

"And we don't have enough power on our side to get him out," Kalin frowned.

A light went on in Radley's eyes. "Say, why don't we see if this Gigantamax Eevee will help us?" he suggested. "Then we'd definitely have enough power."

Prinna perked up. "You mean that?!"

"Sure," Radley said. "And with Portman's equipment messed up in the van crash, she can't get any word back about killing your owner."

Prinna started, looking to Portman with wide eyes. Indeed, the mad scientist was clenching her teeth and tapping her communication device in frustration. There was no signal.

The Gigantamax Eevee stood, tail still swishing, expecting more fun.

"Will you help us save my owner?" Prinna asked her.

"EEVEE." The Gigantamax Eevee sounded nonchalant, but willing.

"Oh thank you! Do you have a name?" Prinna wondered.

"EE-VEE-VEE!" was the booming reply.

"Isla," Prinna reported.

". . . It took that much to say 'Isla'?" Kalin grunted.

By now many of the townspeople had ventured out, shocked by the sight of the 60-foot Eevee. Murmurs of disbelief swept over the crowd.

"Whoa! What happened?!" West gasped. "That's not Evie, is it?!" He looked worriedly to Radley and saw that Evie was safe in his arms.

"This is Isla, apparently," Radley said. "Portman brought her through a space-time rift."

". . . Cool!" West said. ". . . As long as she doesn't hurt anything. . . ."

Portman's henchmen were still standing around, at a loss for what to do now that their Houndoom were mostly not interested in battling. The female ones tried to lunge, but Isla swept them back into their Trainers with her fluffy tail and a cheery exclamation.

Seeing their chance, Scotch sneered and ran over to Portman, grabbing her arms. "It gives me the greatest pleasure to tell you you're under arrest," he said.

Biff and Virgil joined him. But Portman looked unaffected.

"I can just be released again. After this display, even though it wasn't what we expected, Team Rocket will still be extremely excited!" Portman's eyes gleamed. "And it only adds more mystery to Mr. Ramon's Eevee. Why doesn't she evolve?!"

Radley looked fondly down at Evie. "Honestly, she doesn't evolve because she doesn't want to. It's as simple as that."

"Eevee," Evie said lovingly.

"She says she'll evolve for you any time you want her to," Prinna said. "But only for you."

Radley held Evie close. "And I only want you to do what will make you happy, pretty girl. I'm happy with you no matter what you look like or what special powers you have."

"Eevee-vee!" Evie exclaimed in joy. She was purring now.

Radley chuckled. "Okay. So how about we go save Prinna's owner?"

Evie cheered. Evan looked uncertain that he could be useful, but he didn't object.

Isla lowered herself to allow Radley, Kalin, and Prinna to climb onboard. Then, following Prinna's directions, she lumbered off to find Team Rocket headquarters while the Bunch arrested Portman and her henchmen.

"This fluff is unreal," Radley remarked, trying to see around the huge, furry ruff.

"Eevee!" Evie said. It looked very nice and warm. But she was still thankful she didn't have the ability to Gigantamax.

Isla definitely covered a lot of ground quickly, and soon she was approaching the base. She bent to look in the window.

The sight of an Eevee filling up the entire window was enough to send Portman's other thugs out of the room screaming bloody murder. But Dr. Bridger came over in amazed relief. "Hello?"

"You're okay!" Prinna said in relief. She jumped down as soon as she could, and Dr. Bridger unlocked the window to hug her close.

"Uh, hi there," Radley greeted. "I guess you already know who we are. Prinna says you've been watching us for days."

"Eevee," Evan mumbled.

"Yes, that's unfortunately true," Dr. Bridger sighed.

"Can you get the implant out of Evan's eye?" Kalin demanded.

"Yes, I can," Dr. Bridger assured him. "It's basically like a contact lens. I can remove it here or we can go back to your home."

"I'd like to get away from here," Radley said. "We've already called the police to come shut it down. Isla might scare everyone into surrendering."

"EEVEE," said Isla.

"I'm glad this isn't your little Eevee," Dr. Bridger said, petting Isla's leg. "She was so terrified of it happening. Oh, forgive me for telling you something you already know. . . ."

Radley gave a tired smile. "I'm really glad too."

"Eevee-vee-vee?" Evie asked.

"She wonders what's going to happen to Isla," Prinna said.

"Well . . ." Radley looked to Kalin, who shrugged. "I thought we'd need to send her back. . . ."

"EEVEE," Isla said. "VEE. VEE!"

"She says she's wild and it's boring back home," Prinna said. "She would love to have a forever home."

"Oh. . . ." Radley frowned a bit, petting Evie. He didn't want to turn her down, but he did wonder how they would manage an Eevee who could Gigantamax. What if it happened right in the house? Then that would be the end of their house. Still, he hadn't once thought about such problems in connection with Evie. Maybe it wouldn't happen at all unless certain conditions were met.

Kalin shrugged again. "We could probably manage three. Or Scotch and Biff could take her."

Radley laughed. "If she's normally so playful, she and Scotch would sure get along."

Kalin nodded. "He was disappointed not to have found any Pokemon. He would love her, and I'm sure Biff would warm up too."

"I'm glad," Prinna said. "I was going to suggest the Doctor and I take her, but we'll probably be going into the Witness Protection Program and it would be hard to manage."

Dr. Bridger looked more like he thought he would be going to prison, but he didn't comment.

"We'll make sure she has a good home," Radley said. "But uh . . . this Gigantamax thing is temporary, right?"

"Oh yes. It will likely wear off soon and she'll be a regular Eevee again," Dr. Bridger said. "And it shouldn't ever happen again unless she's playing in certain spots in Galar or hit with the Dynamax Cannon attack from the Pokemon Eternatus."

"Good," Radley said with a weak smile.

"And if you give her Max Soup, it will take away her ability to Gigantamax altogether," Prinna added. "But just make sure you don't give any to your other Eevees or they'll develop the ability to do it!"

Radley winced. "We'll sure be careful, thanks."

Dr. Bridger perked up as the police cars started to arrive. "Well, the coast should be clear now. Let's get back to your town and I'll remove Evan's implant there, where we'll be safe."

"Ee!" Evan exclaimed in joy.

"Good," Kalin said.

Everyone jumped when there was a sudden flash of light. No longer towering over everything, Isla now blinked up innocently at everyone from the ground and scratched behind her ear with a back paw. She was no bigger than Evie and Evan.

Radley chuckled. "Hi there."

"Eevee," Isla said lazily.

"Vee-vee-vee!" Evie greeted.

Kalin shook his head. This would be interesting indeed. And now, he realized, there was a new problem. ". . . We won't be able to ride Isla," he said. "How will we get back?"

Radley pulled out his phone. "I'll call a cab."