Pokémon Egg Hatches

Pat, pat, pat.

The sound of slippers on the floor made Moltres's already accelerated heartbeat pound like a drum.

Damn, I accidentally cried out!

What should I do? Should I destroy the evidence?

Even if I did that, I'd still get beaten up.

Just as Moltres froze completely, Luo Mu arrived with a group of Pokémon. When he saw Moltres, stiff as a board and standing on one leg like a flamingo, its face a mask of visible terror, and beneath it, the Pokémon Egg in the incubator flashing wildly like a strobe light, he understood everything.

His wildly beating heart gradually returned to normal. The imposing aura Luo Mu had exuded dissipated, and only then did he feel the cold sweat soaking his back.

"What the heck, you scared me," Luo Mu sighed, looking at the stiff Moltres and chuckling, "Don't be nervous, the Pokémon Egg is fine. This is just a sign that it's about to hatch."

Hearing Luo Mu's words, the five Pokémon with fierce, ghost-like auras also relaxed their combat stances. Knowing there was no danger, they each took a look at the Pokémon Egg before returning to their rooms to catch up on sleep, wishing the egg a smooth hatching.

The misunderstanding came and went quickly.

Only Luo Mu and the relieved Moltres were left, looking at each other. After a few moments, Luo Mu broke the awkward silence. "Moltres, weren't you hatched from a Pokémon Egg? Why are you so surprised by this?"

Luo Mu was curious. Were these genderless legendary Pokémon hatched from eggs, or were they born directly from nature itself?

Moltres was silent for a moment, as if recalling memories. After a short while, it gave a definitive answer.

"The first thing I saw when I gained consciousness and opened my eyes was lava all around me. Hatching from a Pokémon Egg, or anything like that, I have no recollection of it glowing."

Luo Mu nodded thoughtfully. Analyzing Moltres's words, it seemed to have been born in a volcano, and most likely, it was a natural birth.

He walked up to Moltres and crouched down to pick up the incubator. He noticed that the third bottle of nutrient solution had also turned transparent. In just over a week, this Pokémon Egg had almost completely absorbed the nutrient solution that a normal Pokémon Egg would take twenty-one days to absorb.

Looking at the rhythmically glowing Pokémon Egg, Luo Mu wondered what kind of Pokémon would hatch from it.

"Before the Pokémon Egg hatches, let's move inside and wait slowly," Luo Mu suggested.

The weather hadn't warmed up yet, so it was best to provide a warm environment for the new life before it was born.

Moltres had no objections. Its body, which hadn't moved from its spot for days, having only eaten and slept, slowly followed Luo Mu's footsteps.

At the main entrance, Luo Mu opened the double doors as wide as possible, barely allowing the wing-tucked Moltres to pass through.

Before Moltres entered, Luo Mu had asked about it. Its burning flames were like those of Ponyta and Rapidash; as long as it intended to contain them, they wouldn't burn the surroundings.

Otherwise, with the wooden furniture and floors of the cottage being so flammable, Luo Mu wouldn't dare let it inside.

He led Moltres to the living room fireplace and tossed some firewood in, then looked at Moltres.

Moltres: "?"

Why is he looking at me like that?

Luo Mu said helplessly, "Light it. You're the only Fire-type Pokémon here, and I can't breathe fire."

"Also, just a few small flames will do. Don't set the house on fire."

Moltres: "..."

Moltres hadn't expected to be reduced to the function of a lighter or matches. After a long pause, it didn't get angry, only feeling that its temper and emotions were stabilizing at an extremely rapid pace during its time on the farm.

Rolling its eyes at Luo Mu, Moltres opened its beak. Three clusters of orange-red flames, under its control, landed in the fireplace, instantly igniting the firewood. A warm, bright yellow light emanated from the hearth.

"Impressive control," Luo Mu praised, clapping his hands. Moltres raised its head, clearly pleased by the compliment.

He moved the Pokémon Egg a short distance from the fireplace, next to Moltres, which radiated a warmth like a small sun. The first step of Pokémon hatching, creating a warm incubation environment, was complete.

Luo Mu also prepared several bottles of Moomoo Milk at room temperature, which he had specifically purchased during his last shopping trip, along with hot water and a large towel.

Normally, at a Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy would provide similar conditions, aside from monitoring equipment, when assisting with births.

Luo Mu and Moltres stayed by the fireplace, occasionally adding firewood, guarding the Pokémon Egg.

They guarded it for the entire day.

By the time the Pokémon who had been tending to the farm returned, they surrounded the Pokémon Egg in layers. The sky gradually turned dusky, and the Pokémon Egg's flashing frequency finally reached its peak.

Flashing almost continuously, the Pokémon Egg looked like a constantly lit bulb.

The air in the room was filled with tension. Even the usually lively Hoppip sensed it and sat obediently beside Whimsicott.

Finally, as the light reached its apex, a crisp cracking sound from the eggshell startled everyone, human and Pokémon alike.

Crack, crack--

The eggshell cracked faster and faster. The little life inside the Pokémon Egg understood that this was its only chance to leave. The nutrient solution Luo Mu had bought had restored its originally weak body, and the little life inside the egg used its small horn to push against the inner shell.

In the silent room, even Moltres, like Luo Mu and the others, watched the little life within the Pokémon Egg with encouraging eyes, silently cheering it on.

Moltres didn't know if it was influenced by Luo Mu and the others, or if, during this very brief period of its life, it had developed unusual emotions from being inseparable from the Pokémon Egg.

Moltres, who once viewed all weaklings as ants, now sincerely wished for the incredibly fragile life within the Pokémon Egg to be born into this world.

The Pokémon Egg's hatching lasted only three minutes, yet those three minutes felt as long as a whole year.

"Wooo~~~"

The moment the sky completely transitioned from dusk to darkness, a short, clear cry, like the dawn, brought new life.

A smile of relief spread across Luo Mu's face. He said softly, "Little one, welcome to this beautiful world!"