"Family? Huh, don't lie," the man scoffed. He already knew from his own relatives that Ann and the other kids only relied on each other to survive.
Without waiting for a reply, he hurled a Poké Ball.
Brian watched as the Pokémon emerged.
HoundourType: Dark/FireGender: MaleAbility: Early BirdQualification: OrangeLevel: 20Skills: Ember, Leer, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Incinerate
Very weak, Brian muttered under his breath.
"Your Pokémon is very weak," Brian said aloud. Then, without hesitation, he released Tangrowth.
The man's face twisted in anger at the insult. "Houndour, use Leer—then follow up with Ember!"
Houndour glared to weaken its opponent's defense, then lunged forward, jaws wide for a Bite.
Brian stood there, calm, his expression as if he were staring at a corpse. "Tangrowth, once you're done, follow me."
He took Ann by the hand and began leading her out of the alley. Behind them, Tangrowth sidestepped the incoming Bite, scattering Stun Spore in an instant before finishing with Ancient Power. In a flash, both the Houndour and its trainer were lifeless—hardly surprising, given Tangrowth's overwhelming level.
"How about that man from earlier? Will he still bother us?" Ann asked.
"No. You won't be seeing him again."
"Hmm… thanks, bro."
They hadn't walked far when a voice called from behind.
"Tangrowth, you're already here. How about that man?" Ann exclaimed, glancing back.
Tangrowth nodded and came to walk beside them. Brian didn't bother recalling him into his Poké Ball, letting the Pokémon accompany them.
"By the way, how did you find me?" Ann asked.
"Jeremy said you went to buy fruit. It's already dinner time and you hadn't come home yet, so Mom got worried and told me to look for you."
"And why were you buying fruit alone? Didn't you invite the others?"
"Sorry, brother," Ann replied, her face guilty but her heart strangely warm—she hadn't felt this kind of concern in a long time.
"Don't do it again. Once you're a Gym-level trainer, you can go wherever you want without worrying your family."
"Brother, your expectations for me are really high," Ann said with a shy smile.
"You have to believe in your Pokémon, Ann. They have great potential."
"Okay, brother. I'll work hard to become a strong trainer!" she said, fists clenched with determination.
As they continued walking, a man stepped in front of Brian. It was his former neighbor.
"Brian! Stop by for a bit, I have something to ask," said the owner of the local bakery.
"Oh, Uncle Bross, what is it?" Brian asked as he approached.
"It's like this, Brian. My son—same age as your little brother—is almost ready to have his own Pokémon. Do you sell Pokémon eggs? I know your shop sells Pokémon food."
"No, Uncle. But if you want, I can find one for you. Why not just wait until the school gives them out?" Brian suggested. After all, every graduating student received a Pokémon, just like he had.
"My son can't wait until graduation. These days, lots of kids already have Pokémon by fifteen—especially from wealthy or influential families who get them at ten. I've got no choice but to buy him one."
"Doesn't your little brother already have a Pokémon?"
"Haha, yes, Uncle. So, what type are you looking for?"
"Insect type. My boy loves them."
"Come to my shop in two days," Brian said.
"Alright, I'll be there."
Brian had actually been planning to sell both Pokémon and eggs, partly out of curiosity to see what he'd get in return—selling Energy Cubes had once netted him a Rare Candy.
When they returned home, Ann was promptly scolded by their mother.
The next day, Brian went to the hidden park to find insect-type Pokémon eggs, inviting Jeremy to come along. They didn't linger—Brian collected ten eggs: one green-talent, three yellow, and six orange. Back at the shop, he stored them safely on a display shelf.
A day later, two visitors entered—Bross and his son.
"Dad, do they really sell Pokémon eggs here? I thought Brother Brian's shop only sold Energy Cubes," Jimmy asked.
"What do you know? I met him two days ago and he said he could get us one," Bross replied.
They spotted Brian at the cashier.
"Uncle Bross, Jimmy—welcome," Brian greeted.
"Brian, are the Pokémon eggs ready?"
"Yes, Uncle. Which one would you like?" he said, leading them to the shelf lined with eggs of varying prices, from cheap to costly.
The two examined them, expecting the expensive ones to be rare dragon-types—only to find they were insect Pokémon.
"Brian, why does this Surskit egg cost 100,000 coins? And why are Caterpie and Weedle priced at 30,000 when they're usually only 10,000? Is there a difference?" Bross asked, baffled. A hundred thousand coins could buy a starter or even a dragon-type Pokémon.
"Uncle, this Surskit egg costs 100,000 because its parents are Gym- or even Master-level Pokémon. The 30,000-coin ones have Senior Trainer-level parents," Brian explained smoothly. Of course, he couldn't mention that Surskit had green-level talent.
Bross and Jimmy were stunned. In their eyes, the price was actually cheap—on the market, a Pokémon like that could fetch 150,000 coins.
They whispered among themselves. Originally, they had planned to buy a 10,000-coin egg, but the Surskit tempted Bross into changing his mind.
"Brian, we'll take the Surskit egg," he said at last.
"Alright, Uncle. Here you go," Brian replied, handing it over.
Bross and Jimmy left with joyful faces.
Once they were gone, Brian returned to the counter to check if selling the egg had earned him a reward.
Sure enough, a message popped up.
Congratulations! You've received an Egg Incubator.
Egg Incubator – A device that will hatch any egg in 3 days, regardless of type.
Reading the description, Brian realized this was an incredible tool.