The First Night

While Terrance lived at Qinggu House, he had kept up his physical training alongside his studies as a breeder. But because he devoted most of his energy to reading, he was only a little fitter than the average child his age.

Carrying the container, Terrance came to a tree and took out a piece of fruit to moisten his dry mouth.

The path was difficult, but humans in this world were remarkably hardy. Terrance was fit enough to handle it.

"The optimal incubation temperature for Flying-type Pokémon is 40 degrees. Even with the nutrient solution giving off heat, it's still not warm enough. Besides, Swablu's Dragon-type bloodline has been greatly enhanced, so I need to find a suitable place to hatch it."

Glancing down at the thermometer in his hand, Terrance knew that the embryo in an ordinary Flying-type Pokémon Egg could die if the incubation temperature exceeded 40 degrees. But the nutrient solution could regulate Swablu's egg, allowing its optimal temperature to be raised somewhat.

A good incubation environment also had a considerable effect on a Pokémon's innate potential.

The white Pokémon Egg with blue markings floated in the middle of the nutrient solution, rocking as though it might crack at any moment. After watching it for a long while, Terrance prepared to get up and head for the upper slopes of Mt. Chimney.

That area was close to the crater, and the temperature at its outer edge might be suitable for Swablu to hatch.

Altaria had arrived with the Pokémon Egg early that morning. According to Master Katsumune, if this Swablu was raised well, it would be no weaker than the core Pokémon of the Elite Four in any region. That gave Terrance tremendous encouragement.

Although a Pokémon's potential didn't mean everything, it was a good start. Terrance was confident he could raise Swablu well.

Talent was important, but it still came down to the effort put in afterward.

High in the sky, a dark figure watched Terrance's every move. It was Altaria. Although Terrance was the one being tested, Altaria couldn't stop worrying about its child, so if the Pokémon Egg came under threat, it would appear immediately.

Another figure watched Terrance and the others from the shadows of the woods. It was Master Katsumune's Pokémon, carrying out Katsumune's orders to protect Terrance in secret.

Without Beautifly with him, it was still too dangerous for Terrance to travel through the forest alone. No one could guarantee that an accident wouldn't happen.

Terrance, however, was unaware of any of this.

Rustle, rustle-

Terrance had only just set off when he suddenly saw a dark shape leap up. He hurriedly hugged the Pokémon Egg close and assumed a stance ready to defend himself or flee.

Only when Terrance got a clear look at what it was did he breathe a sigh of relief.

It was a very small brown creature that looked a lot like an acorn.

A Seedot!

Shaking his head, Terrance went around the little fellow. Pokémon of this kind looked so much like ordinary acorns that they often startled Pokémon searching for food in the forest, developing a strange tendency to frighten others. Pidgey out foraging were especially prone to being startled by Seedot.

Seedot generally didn't attack unprovoked, so after successfully startling Terrance, it hopped straight into the grass.

It had been a false alarm. Fortunately, it wasn't an aggressive Pokémon.

Mt. Chimney was a long way from here. Terrance proceeded very carefully, keeping a close eye on his surroundings, but even by the afternoon, he still hadn't reached the mountain.

"There's a lake..."

A forest lake could be considered a small ecosystem. Many Pokémon often lived around one, and many others came to drink at certain times.

He was already close to Mt. Chimney, and he hadn't expected to find a lake here.

There weren't many Pokémon around the lake at the moment. As Terrance approached, he could clearly see Barboach swimming in the water.

But as soon as the Barboach saw Terrance coming, they dove into the mud at the bottom of the lake.

"Splash~~~~~~~~~~!!!!"

"Splash~~~~~~!!!!"

The two sounds rang out at once, sending plenty of water flying. From where Terrance stood behind them, he could see that two Marill had jumped into the lake to play.

There were probably many more Pokémon around, but Terrance hadn't spotted any of them. He didn't want to stay long, either, so he continued toward Mt. Chimney without resting.

The sight of these Water-type Pokémon filled Terrance with fondness and a touch of sadness.

Beautifly hadn't actually been the first Pokémon at Qinggu House. When Terrance first arrived there, Grandma Oran had another Pokémon by her side, but that Vaporeon had been very old and passed away not long afterward.

As a result, Grandma Oran had fallen seriously ill.

Anyone would have been heartbroken to lose an old companion who had stayed by their side for decades.

"Sigh..." Terrance let out a long sigh. He rather disliked the feeling of parting through life and death.

Looking at the little life in his hands that was about to be born, Terrance had no idea what things would be like decades from now.

But it wasn't time to think that far ahead.

Swablu hadn't even hatched yet, and a bright future was waiting for them to forge. Holding the Pokémon Egg, Terrance looked forward to the little life's birth.

"Once I get through these thorns, I should be able to climb Mt. Chimney, right?"

Terrance continued onward, recalling Master Katsumune's words. Some paths might be blocked by thorns, but in the wild, it was better to cross a difficult thorny path than take a road strewn with rocks.

"Snip... snip..."

Terrance had prepared a knife long ago. There were clear signs that people had passed through here, and the path wasn't too difficult. After putting the Pokémon Egg in his backpack, he cut his way through the thorns... but by evening, he still hadn't emerged from the thicket.

Terrance stopped, intending to spend the night here. Clearly, no Pokémon lived in a place like this, so it was relatively safe.

On his first night here, Terrance felt very lonely.

Unlike before, Beautifly wasn't at his side this time. The cold, dark night sky pressed constantly on Terrance's senses. This was his first time staying alone in the wild, and honestly, he really disliked the feeling. Humans were social creatures; the more people there were, the more at ease they felt. Perhaps because he had only just set out on his journey, he was still having some trouble adapting to the situation.

Although he was right beneath a volcano, the night was worlds apart from the scorching heat of the day, and Terrance still felt a chill. To protect Swablu's egg, he had no choice but to hold it close as he slept, using his body heat to give the Pokémon Egg a comfortable environment.

This test could also be considered a trial for Terrance himself. It would last a full month, which wasn't long for any trainer, but Terrance couldn't help clicking his tongue at the indescribable unfamiliarity of it. This feeling of being completely cut off from people, unlike traveling, really wasn't pleasant.