Chapter 34

He truly considered Roy one of his own, a rising star and the hope of Sheng Hai University. Otherwise, he would not have gotten so worked up over this.

"Old Xing, come over here for a moment."

Dr. Zhang pulled Professor Xing aside and handed him a cup of warm water.

Only after Professor Xing had caught his breath did he smile and advise, "Geniuses all have firm minds of their own. You can't persuade him."

"But we can't just watch him go down the wrong path! Opportunities to come to your Breeding House and pick a Pokémon are rare. How can he waste one for nothing?"

"Don't worry, Old Xing." Dr. Zhang smiled. "I know how highly Sheng Hai University regards him. I'll make an exception. On the records, I'll treat it as though Roy never came to the Breeding House today. We'll postpone the date he adopted a Pokémon for a while."

Professor Xing's eyes lit up at that.

It really was a good solution.

In their eyes, Roy had made this impulsive decision entirely out of his love and sympathy for Pokémon.

...It might not have been wise, but it was a fine quality.

...Anyone who could feel such sympathy for an unborn Pokémon could not be some heinous villain.

Though neither Dr. Zhang nor Professor Xing said it aloud, they both admired him.

Still, if even the authorities could not save the Pokémon Egg, Roy certainly could not save it either.

Once the Pokémon Egg completely "died," Roy would accept reality.

Then Professor Xing could give Roy a proper scolding, establish his authority as a teacher, and let Roy return to the Breeding House to choose another Pokémon Egg.

What? Roy had chosen Pokémon Eggs from the Breeding House twice? That broke the rules?

What a joke. Roy had never come here at all. This Pokémon Egg had "died" at the Breeding House.

The next time he came to the Breeding House would be his first time.

Rules were dead, but people were alive.

Dragon Country's traditional culture had ensured that this would always be a society built on personal connections.

After the two of them settled the matter, they returned to Roy.

Dr. Zhang smiled. "Since you insist so strongly, this Pokémon Egg will be entrusted to your care."

Professor Xing was quite the actor too, sighing dramatically at the side as though he had no choice.

At that moment, after receiving official approval, Roy's System panel reacted and formally recognized the Pokémon Egg as Roy's property.

Pokémon Egg: Vulpix (Alola Form)

Gender: Female

Type: Ice

Ability: Snow Warning

Moves: None

Overall Evaluation: None

Popularity Points: None

Warning: The Pokémon Egg is currently in critical condition. Please administer treatment as soon as possible.

Warning: The Pokémon Egg is currently in an unsuitable environment. Please make adjustments as soon as possible.

It's actually an Alolan Vulpix...

Roy immediately felt that fate had come full circle.

Before awakening the system, Vulpix had been his original target. He had never expected that after all those twists and turns, he would still end up with a Vulpix.

On the ride home, Roy held the incubator the whole time, looking at the snow-white Pokémon Egg soaking in nutrient solution.

Professor Xing glanced at the rearview mirror and reminded him:

"The nutrient solution is meant to simulate the Pokémon Egg's native environment... We know very little about the Alola Spirit Realm, so this nutrient solution is far from perfect. It would be good enough if it could achieve half its intended effect. But even so, don't take the Pokémon Egg out. Something is better than nothing."

"Don't worry, Professor."

Roy gave a solemn promise.

Yet the first thing he did after getting home was something that would earn him a beating from Mom Luo.

Roy directly removed the Pokémon Egg from the incubator. He raised a hand and muttered a few words, and soon, a round pendant appeared in his hand.

Circular Charm (A charm containing a mysterious power that can protect Pokémon Eggs), 30,000 points deducted.

The Pokémon Assistant system Roy had loaded was not omnipotent. It could not directly raise a Pokémon's various stats or let it grind monsters and level up instantly.

The system's true wonder lay in allowing Roy to exchange for all kinds of items from the Pokémon World and use various "external aids" to help him raise Pokémon.

Even exchanging a skill for a Pokémon was really just buying a move-learning disc.

As long as something had once existed in the Pokémon World, the system could exchange it for him.

The Circular Charm Roy had exchanged was described in the games as something that "increases the chance of Pokémon left at the Breeding House producing Eggs"—

It sounded suspicious, like some sort of computer accessory that could force Pokémon to mate...

But in truth, the charm housed the blessed power of "fertility."

A blessing upon the very concept of "fertility."

Roy hung the Circular Charm around the Vulpix Egg and tied it in place.

When he checked the System panel again, Roy found that the "unsuitable environment" warning had disappeared.

However, the damage caused by the massive fire started by the poachers remained. The Pokémon Egg was still in critical condition.

Naturally, Roy had come prepared before taking the Vulpix Egg. He exchanged for the next item.

Vitality Block (Contains immense life energy. It can restore vitality to any dying Pokémon and instantly return it to perfect condition), 50,000 points deducted.

The Vitality Block was pale yellow and looked like a strange, irregular star.

Roy gently touched the Vitality Block to the eggshell. With a thought, he watched it slowly melt into the shell.

In an instant, through Roy's Aura vision, Vulpix's life flame—which had been like a candle flickering in the wind—suddenly blazed fiercely.

The Pokémon World's version of a Senzu Bean truly lived up to its reputation.

Just then, Roy suddenly sensed intimate, dependent Mind Energy coming from deep within the Pokémon Egg.

Though she had yet to be born, Vulpix's hazy consciousness could still clearly sense that Roy had saved her life.

Roy gently stroked the eggshell and smiled softly.

"Little one, if you really want to thank me, hatch a little sooner."

He had gone to so much trouble and spent eighty thousand Popularity Points just to save Vulpix's life.

Was it worth it?

Roy thought it was. He was no saint, but his love for Pokémon was real. At every moment, lives were being harmed somewhere in the world. Roy could not save everyone, but at least he had the ability to save the little life before him.

Do good deeds and ask not what lies ahead.

Still, once Roy learned that the Egg would hatch into an Alolan Vulpix, he immediately knew those points had absolutely not been wasted. In fact, he would probably make a killing.

...The reason was simple.

This little one's species was just far too good-looking.

Vulpix itself was an adorable Pokémon, popular with both boys and girls.

But Alolan Vulpix was more than merely cute. With its appearance like a spirit of the snow, it was practically an angel.

—No one could resist white fur.

—Especially people from Chong Country.

"If I remember correctly, the merging of Spirit Realms usually takes two or three years. There have even been cases where it took more than a decade. Before a Spirit Realm merges, the Pokémon League forbids anyone from entering it or catching the Pokémon within," Roy muttered.

"My situation is an exception..."

"In other words, once my Vulpix is born, she'll be the only legal Alolan Vulpix in the entire world for at least two years?"

Roy could only call that incredible.

With such an unparalleled advantage, why would Vulpix need to worry about Popularity Points?

As long as she stood there quietly as a pretty ornament and Roy snapped pictures from a few angles, her Popularity Points would explode in an instant.

With enough Popularity Points and points, Roy could raise her into greatness even if she were some useless protagonist.

At dinnertime.

Whenever Roy was home, he let his Pokémon roam freely instead of keeping them inside Poké Balls.

Another chair had been added to the dining table today.

"Oh my, Squirtle is so adorable! Just looking at him makes me happy!"

Mom Luo walked over with a beaming smile and placed a bowl filled with Miltank-brand milk in front of Squirtle.

"Here, eat more. You have to eat plenty to grow strong!"

"Squirtle, Squirtle."

Squirtle sat in his chair, scratched his cheek, and shyly swung his little round feet.

Roy gave him a pitying look.

Poor kid. Only ugly, not-too-bright children get called cute by adults.

Like Riolu, who was sitting upright nearby like an honor student. Back then, Roy's parents had unanimously praised him as handsome, saying he looked like a real heartthrob among dogs.

"Oh, the house is getting livelier and livelier." Mom Luo had been very happy lately. Her child was doing well as a Trainer, and there were so many "new children" at home for her to fuss over...

She glanced at the snow-white Pokémon Egg on the sofa.

Mom Luo, who lacked even basic Trainer knowledge, did not find anything strange about it. She smiled and said, "Once this Egg hatches, that'll be your third Pokémon... At this rate, this house won't be able to hold them all!"

Dad Luo knew a little more and reminded her, "It's already getting too crowded. These kids are still in their juvenile stages and haven't evolved yet. They'll be even bigger after evolving."