Before long, a light rain began to fall.
With the gentle spring drizzle, the long winter officially came to an end, and the first signs of a new season bloomed.
The snow blanketing the fields slowly melted. Streams trickled down the mountainsides, trees began bearing fruit, and Pokémon that had spent the winter hibernating finally emerged from their dens, leaping onto trees to snack on fresh berries.
Elara, who'd only recently been born, had wrinkled skin like most newborns. But in just a few days, she'd grown healthier and rounder. Her soft pink hair and black eyes made her look especially adorable.
Maybe it was the unique human physiology in the Pokémon world, or maybe Elara was just special, but she hardly cried. Other than when she was hungry, she was unusually quiet.
Whenever someone, whether human or Pokémon, approached, she would open her big, curious eyes and gaze at them silently, as if trying to understand the world.
Just like now.
Elara was lying in her little crib, and Naoki sat beside her, smiling warmly as he gently dangled a small rattle above her.
"Hey there, Elara. I'm Daddy!" he cooed, wiggling the toy.
Sure enough, the jingle-jangle of the rattle caught her attention. Elara babbled softly, waving her little arms in the air, her eyes locked on the shiny toy.
"Come on, say 'Da-da!'" Naoki cooed, drawing out the syllables playfully.
Elara: "Waaah!"
Naoki: "…"
Iono raised an eyebrow. "She's still a baby. Of course she can't talk yet. Now look what you've done, comfort her!"
Naoki winced as Elara's cries grew louder. Iono quickly picked her up, gently rocking her.
"There, there… it's okay, sweetheart~"
Just then, Cyclizar trotted in from outside, its curious eyes flicking from side to side.
Elara's crying came to a sudden stop. Her gaze locked onto Cyclizar, clearly fascinated.
"Graaoh?" Cyclizar tilted its head, visibly confused by the reaction.
Naoki chuckled and guided Elara's tiny hand toward their Pokémon friend. "This is Cyclizar—Daddy's partner. It's super strong!"
Elara cooed softly. "Yaya…"
"Graaoh~" Cyclizar responded, still unsure what the tiny human was saying, but trying to play along.
Naoki smiled. "Cyclizar, want to try holding Elara?"
"Graaoh?!" The Pokémon reeled back in surprise, its eyes wide. It looked at Elara nervously, clearly unsure about this new responsibility.
"It's okay," Naoki encouraged. "Just be gentle, like I am."
Cyclizar hesitated, then slowly extended its foreclaws. But as it tried to hold her, it realized its inflated throat sac was in the way, making it awkward to carry anything delicate.
"Graa…" Cyclizar looked disappointed and a bit flustered.
Then, it had an idea.
With a soft thump, it dropped down and shifted into its riding posture, flattening its body like a bike.
Now the little one could ride on its back!
Naoki gently placed Elara on Cyclizar's back, supporting her with both hands. Cyclizar carefully walked forward with short, steady steps.
Moments later…
Waaah!
The room echoed with fresh wails.
Naoki and Cyclizar froze.
"Oops," Naoki muttered.
Iono sighed and facepalmed. "You two… seriously? Hand her over."
Naoki sheepishly passed Elara to her mother.
Iono began nursing the baby, and sure enough, once her tummy was full, Elara slowly drifted into sleep.
With practiced care, Iono laid her back into the crib to rest.
But just then, the Pokémon Egg nestled beside Elara began to glow with a brilliant crimson light.
A soft "crack" echoed through the treehouse.
Tiny fractures appeared at the top of the eggshell, spreading outward like spiderwebs. One by one, bits of shell flaked away and dropped to the soft bedding.
Naoki, Iono, and the surrounding Pokémon watched in awe.
The crimson glow grew brighter and brighter, until it felt like a miniature sun was radiating inside the treehouse. Warmth flooded the space.
Then—fwoosh! The light burst outward and faded.
In its place was a newborn Pokémon.
It looked like a larva, glowing with radiant heat. Its body was creamy white with orange-red highlights, five flaming antennae curled around its head like a crown, and its large, sky-blue eyes shimmered with innocence and power.
Larvesta had hatched!
Iono covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "Is… is that a Larvesta?"
"Yeah," Naoki whispered, equally stunned. "It's even more incredible than I imagined."
Naoki stepped closer to the newly hatched Larvesta, his gaze warm and gentle. He released a faint pulse of his aura towards the tiny Pokémon to help convey his intentions.
"Hello, Larvesta," he said softly. "I'm Naoki, and this is my daughter, Elara. From now on, the two of you will grow up together. I'm counting on you to take care of each other."
Larvesta blinked slowly, its bright blue eyes shimmering with innocence.
It turned its head, noticing the sleeping human baby nestled beside it. Somehow, her presence felt familiar, comforting. As if the bond between them had already been formed.
Naoki caught the flicker of emotion in Larvesta's expression and tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Oh… maybe that's it," he murmured.
He remembered something: even within their eggs, Pokémon possess a faint awareness of the world around them. It was likely that Larvesta, having spent so many days in the same crib as Elara, had grown used to her scent and presence. That subtle familiarity had bloomed into trust and closeness from the very moment it hatched.
Seeing that, Naoki's heart swelled with joy.
"Then it's decided," he said with a smile. "From now on, the two of you will grow strong together."
Larvesta looked back at Elara with its gentle gaze, sensing something important about this tiny human. Though it couldn't quite understand it, deep down, it felt that their fates were entwined—that they were destined to walk the same path as partners… as family.
The gears of fate had begun to turn.
And so, in that quiet spring morning, Elara met her very first Pokémon, not through capture or battle, but through something far rarer: destiny.
Not long after, Indeedee arrived, balancing a tray of warm milk and fresh berries. Known across the ranch for her nurturing skills and gentle heart, she was always the first to care for newly hatched Pokémon.
She handed the food to Naoki, who crouched down and offered it to Larvesta.
Having used up much of its strength to break out of its shell, the tiny Pokémon was clearly hungry. It looked at the food, then at Naoki, then slowly leaned forward and began to eat.
Once it had eaten its fill, a wave of sleepiness settled over it.
With a tiny yawn, Larvesta curled up beside Elara and closed its eyes, falling into a peaceful slumber.
Naoki let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Finally hatched…"
Although Alder had assured him that the egg would hatch within a few days, it had taken well over a month. Now, seeing both Larvesta and Elara sleeping soundly, Naoki felt a weight lift from his chest.
He exchanged a glance with Iono, then quietly stepped out of the room with their Pokémon, letting the two little ones rest undisturbed.
Downstairs, Iono still looked a little dazed.
"Was that really Elara's first Pokémon?" she asked, her voice soft with awe.
"Seems like it," Naoki replied, nodding. "And what a first partner to have."
Iono was still wrapping her head around it. "That's… amazing. I mean, Larvesta is super rare! Most Bug-types are easy to catch and raise, like Caterpie or Wurmple. But Larvesta? That's on a whole different level!"
Naoki chuckled. "Definitely not your average forest-dwelling Bug-type. Honestly, this kind of first Pokémon is something even the children of famous trainers or rich families would envy."
"Didn't your parents prepare a Pokémon for you when you were little?" he added.
Iono shook her head. "Nope. I got my first partner when I turned ten, just like everyone else back then."
"Right, right," Naoki nodded. "Back then, the Paldean League required children to be at least ten years old before starting their journey. Probably to make sure they were old enough to care for their Pokémon properly."
He glanced back up toward the nursery. "But Elara's case is a little different. It's not like a formal trainer-Pokémon bond. It's more like… a shared childhood. They'll grow up side by side, not as trainer and Pokémon just yet, but as companions. What they become in the future will be up to Elara."
As he said this, Naoki turned his eyes toward the trio of Legendary Beasts—Entei, Raikou, and Suicune—who lay quietly in the garden, keeping watch from a respectful distance.
Who could say what lay ahead?
Maybe one day, Elara would grow strong enough to befriend them for real. Maybe she'd become known as the girl who traveled with Legendary Pokémon.
Maybe she'd even go on to challenge the League and beat the strongest trainers in the world.
She could rise up to punch Leon and outshine Geeta, becoming the youngest Champion in Pokémon history.
And when that day came, Naoki would stand tall and proudly declare to the world:
"That's my daughter."
...
Bonus Chapter @1.5K
Read 50 chapters ahead @patreon.com/Keepsmiling818