"Stop looking at that one, young man. That egg is cracked. The Pokémon inside won't live long."
Ye Qing snapped out of his thoughts and looked toward the voice. The speaker was an elderly man in a traditional Chinese jacket who looked like he knew his stuff.
Holding a magnifying glass and a powerful flashlight, the old man bent over and carefully examined the eggs around him.
"Thanks for the warning."
Whatever the case, the man meant well. Ye Qing thanked him, then continued inspecting the egg.
Seeing him still studying that same egg, the old man shook his head slightly, feeling that his good intentions had gone unappreciated.
Pokémon: Chimchar (level 0) Potential: B+ Status: Weakened Gender: Male Type: Fire Ability: Blaze Held item: None Egg moves: Fire Punch, Encore, Fake Out, Quick Guard Basic moves: None Tutored moves: None TMs: None Notes: Chimchar has a mischievous nature and an insatiable curiosity, but he also possesses a fierce fighting spirit and an indomitable will.
B-grade potential! Ye Qing was ecstatic. Not only was this a starter Pokémon, but his talent was frighteningly high. With proper training, he could easily become an Elite Four member's main battler!
But why was he weakened? Was it because of those cracks in the shell? Still, it was fortunate in a way. Otherwise, someone would probably have already picked out this noticeably larger egg.
When Ye Qing gently touched the cracks in the shell, he suddenly felt an extremely faint force repeatedly striking it from within, as though the Pokémon was refusing to accept his impending death.
Moved, Ye Qing set down the Whismur egg and carefully picked this one up. Under the old man's astonished gaze, he turned and headed toward the checkout.
Outside, Ye Mom paced anxiously, while his father remained calm, leaning against the railing with his eyes closed.
When she saw Ye Qing approaching, Ye Mom hurried over.
"This is the egg? Why is it covered in cracks?"
Ye Mom was shocked. She had never imagined her son would pick a defective egg.
His father also came over to inspect it closely, then looked at Ye Qing, apparently waiting for an explanation.
Ye Qing gathered his thoughts and met his parents' eyes firmly. "There's more to this egg than meets the eye. Trust me!"
"This is your decision, so make sure you've thought it through!" His father was feeling uncertain now and could only stress the point again.
"I've made up my mind."
Ye Qing didn't hesitate. He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. The egg might have defects, but with modern technology, they weren't a major problem.
Naturally, the owner knew something was wrong with the egg. He came over at just the right moment and explained with a smile, "I'll give you a fair deal. This egg is priced at thirty thousand, and I normally don't bargain. But if you buy an incubator and incubation fluid here, I'll let you have it at its wholesale price of ten thousand!"
His father's expression shifted several times. He exchanged a glance with his wife, then finally nodded and paid by card after seeing the determination in his son's eyes.
Holding the filthy Pokémon Egg, Ye Qing suppressed his excitement and chose an incubator and incubation fluid on the tablet the owner handed him.
He opened the incubation page, which listed three different grades of incubators and incubation fluid.
Basic incubator Description: Equipped with automatic temperature monitoring and regulation systems that adjust the temperature according to the Pokémon Egg's stage of incubation. Price: 1,000 Intermediate incubator Description: Includes standard temperature regulation plus a simulated sunlight system that supplies energy to the Pokémon Egg through photosynthesis. Price: 5,000 Advanced incubator Description: Includes standard temperature regulation and sunlight systems, plus a Nature's Lung ventilation system that provides the Pokémon Egg with better airflow and increases its absorption of oxygen and other beneficial gases. Also features shock absorption, protecting the egg against tipping and falls within certain limits. Price: 10,000 Basic incubation fluid Description: Provides basic nutrients. Price: 500 Intermediate incubation fluid Description: Contains abundant nutrients and can shorten a Pokémon Egg's incubation time. Price: 2,000 Advanced incubation fluid Description: Can neutralize harmful metal ions produced during the Pokémon Egg's metabolism, reducing harmful factors during its early development. Price: 5,000 Special-grade incubation fluid Description: In addition to the above benefits, can repair damaged Pokémon Eggs to a certain extent. Price: 50,000
Seeing Ye Qing's gaze linger on the special-grade incubation fluid at the bottom, the owner added at just the right moment, "This is a new incubation fluid our company has released. It's still rare on the market and is only distributed within the Pokémon League."
Ye Qing looked up at him. Could this owner have laid a trap, just waiting for me to walk into it?
Does he know this is a Chimchar egg? That way, even if someone with a discerning eye buys it, they'll have to buy the incubation fluid too?
Still, even if he knows it's a Chimchar egg, he definitely doesn't know how incredibly talented this Chimchar is!
"Dad, I want this advanced incubator and the special-grade incubation fluid."
Ye Qing turned to his father beside him.
"All right."
His father was an amateur trainer, so he naturally knew that this treatment was the only chance of saving his son's egg. His sole concern was whether the Pokémon inside was rare and gifted enough.
Ye Mom stroked Ye Qing's hair. She had rarely seen her son this confident over the years.
The owner placed the Pokémon Egg into a machine and cleaned it in front of everyone. Before long, an orange egg covered in cracks was revealed.
He placed the Pokémon Egg into the incubator filled with incubation fluid. Since they had spent seventy thousand in a single purchase, the owner threw in a Great Ball worth one thousand Pokémon Coins as a gift.
Poké Balls were different in this world. Great Balls contained a single-use medicinal spray that could treat a Pokémon's severe injuries and various status conditions once.
Once the medicinal spray ran out, it could be refilled at a Pokémon Center.
This feature greatly improved trainers' ability to survive in the wilderness, sparing them the need to rush back to a city whenever their Pokémon were injured.
As he walked along the bustling street, Ye Qing couldn't calm his excitement. He hugged the transparent incubator tightly with both hands, watching the Chimchar egg bob up and down in the thick incubation fluid.
Once Chimchar hatches from his Pokémon Egg, I'll be a Pokémon trainer!
Unlike ordinary animals, Pokémon had tenacious vitality. With the help of the incubation fluid and incubator, the cracks in Chimchar's egg were hardly a problem.
"Oh? Ye Qing!"
Just as Ye Qing was happily imagining his future, he suddenly heard someone call out.
He turned and saw his best friend, Wang Yao.
Although Shanhai City was a major metropolis just below first-tier status, it had only three Pokémon Academies. All the final-year high school students would be buying Pokémon Eggs or newly hatched Pokémon that weekend, so running into a classmate on the street was nothing unusual.
"Hello, Uncle Wang, Auntie."
Since they had run into each other, Ye Qing naturally went over to greet them.
Wang Yao's parents were both dressed casually, but their expressions carried the air of people accustomed to authority.
"Oh, it's Ye Qing. Hello to you too."
Wang Yao's family and Ye Qing's mother had known each other for years. The adults had often played together as children, so they soon struck up a warm conversation.
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