A new note appeared on the phone, in someone's distinctive tone:
"New Champion~ The box little Dragonite brought is Silph Co.'s latest nutritional supplement. It's a bit expensive, but the effects are immediate! Details in the manual. That's all~ (<ゝω·)~☆kira"
Some people's personalities shine through their words—like this new Gym Leader of Levincia City.
It wasn't just the note that got to Lucas; it was seeing his bank balance that brought him down.
After buying some trial crop seeds, fertilizer, and enough pasture seed to cover the ranch area, Lucas had 210,000 league coins left.
But now, his bank balance clearly showed that, of the 210,000, only 60,000 remained.
In other words, this box of hatching nutrients cost him 150,000 league coins.
What kind of supplement costs 150,000? The one he used for Dragonite only cost 50,000.
Now his savings were in crisis!
With a heavy heart, Lucas angrily tore open the box, muttering, "Once you hit 1,000 fans, I'm dragging you here for a live stream sales event!"
The box wasn't big. Inside, three bottles of vibrant green liquid were well-protected by foam.
Lucas didn't even look at the liquid, feeling like they were just incarnations of money—just looking at them hurt.
He snatched the manual and read it. After a while, his anger faded, replaced by a sigh.
Iono had put some thought into it.
This nutrient was Silph Co.'s latest product, aimed at Pokémon eggs with congenital deficiencies or those unable to hatch, supplementing lost nutrients, and improving issues after hatching.
The three bottles were to be used once per week, forming a three-week course.
Finding such a nutrient meant Iono was taking the Pokémon egg seriously.
Fine, he'd go easy on her when she did a livestream sale.
Lucas set the manual down, opened his phone, and muttered, "Almost forgot! While there's still battery, I should call Professor Sada to check in—they must be worried sick."
But no matter how many times he checked, there were no missed calls from Professor Sada. Lucas frowned, looking at Arven, who seemed like he wanted to say something but didn't.
Could it be that even Professor Sada didn't know Arven had gone out?
Lucas could almost laugh—he'd been completely fooled by this kid. Arven hadn't just come to play.
His parents had broken a promise, and in his sadness and confusion, he'd run to Lucas—a character who didn't even exist in the original plot—for comfort.
As for Professor Sada and Professor Turo, they probably had some urgent business and hadn't noticed Arven was missing.
Lucas looked at Arven, who seemed scared he'd be kicked out. He remembered Arven's hidden loneliness in the game and couldn't muster any anger. He sighed, "Forget it, just tell me what your parents are up to. Were they already gone last night?"
"Yes."
Arven nodded slightly, telling him how Dragonite had taken him home the night before, the empty house, the uncollected groceries on the table, and the note his parents left.
Lucas crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "So, they had to break their promise because of urgent work?"
Arven nodded, his voice muffled like he'd just cried. "Yeah."
"Listen, Arven," Lucas said, rubbing his forehead, "Even if your parents were in a hurry, they still left a note to explain things instead of just disappearing like before. Doesn't that show they care about you?"
Lucas wasn't just speaking for Professor Sada and Turo. Should he scold the parents for being irresponsible? No way; Arven was still very attached to his parents. He'd be crazy to speak ill of them in front of him. The only thing to do was comfort him.
Arven just blinked and didn't reply. Lucas' phone beeped with a busy signal.
He kept trying to call Professor Sada but only got a busy tone—she must be somewhere with no signal.
Plus, they left in such a hurry, probably for something related to the Paldea crater.
Lucas glanced at Arven and decided not to send him home to South Province Area One. "Forget it, just sleep here tonight. We'll figure out the rest tomorrow, okay?"
Arven nodded eagerly. He hated the empty house. He'd rather sleep at Lucas' place.
"Then it's settled."
Lucas stopped trying to change Arven's mind. Sometimes, you have to take things one step at a time.
...
The Next Morning.
Lucas, used to waking early for training, got up at seven on the dot.
He looked around—nothing sneaking into his bed. Good. Seems Serperior, Mimikyu, or Dragonite hadn't crawled in.
Mimikyu was probably still searching outside for a Pokémon with the Flame Body ability, so it made sense it wasn't home.
The three-story farmhouse, after all his work, was starting to feel cozy.
On the nightstand, the Pokémon egg—soaked in Silph Co. nutrients—rested quietly in the incubator. Overnight, the once green liquid had changed color.
The manual said that when the solution went from green to clear, all its energy had been absorbed by the egg.
"Isn't that change a little fast?"
Lucas was puzzled and couldn't figure it out, so he asked mentally, 'System, what do you think?'
[Master, I'm sitting and watching.]
'Don't joke around! Just answer me!'
[Master, have you misunderstood the system's scope? You're treating me like a search engine!]
Lucas tried to confuse the system: 'We have to innovate. Who says a hint system can't become a search engine? If the egg hatches, I'll have another fighter, right?'
'Power accumulates bit by bit.'
[Master, you're right!]
[This is an egg from a distant past. It's very gifted, but ordinary energy isn't enough to hatch it. Recommended hatching: 1. Provide enough energy. 2. Get help from a strong Pokémon with Flame Body.]
Lucas was silent for a while, poking his head and muttering, 'Why didn't I ask you from the start?'
[Maybe… you're forgetful?]