Some creatures, after hatching, make their first meal out of their eggshell.
The Pokémon now standing in its little nest of blankets, gulping down its shell, was no different.
This Pokémon had soft, thick fur, and walking on all fours, somewhat resembling Officer Jenny's partner Growlithe.
But instead of the black-and-orange fur of a regular Growlithe, its fur was longer and brighter, mostly red with black stripes.
The biggest difference from a regular Growlithe was its creamy-white tail, creamy-white mane covering even its eyes, and the small, sharp horn on its head.
Unlike the delighted Pokémon around him, Lucas blinked, and then his face was instantly filled with shock.
This was the ancient Hisuian Growlithe from the Hisui region, an ancestor of the modern Growlithe, supposedly extinct.
Logically, this Pokémon should be long gone—how did it appear before Granny Touko's explorer son?
Lucas couldn't figure it out. Was it Dialga's power? Or was there a hidden place where a few Hisuian Growlithe and Arcanine still lived?
Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to worry. Hisuian form or not, it didn't matter—he could still raise it.
He quickly had Serperior and Dragonite fetch warm water and the Moomoo Milk he'd kept warm. When the Growlithe finished eating and was still hungry, Lucas gently approached.
The Growlithe, seemingly still blind, sniffed around the blanket searching for food.
Lucas's footsteps startled it, but after sniffing Lucas's scent, it calmed down and sat obediently, waiting for food.
This Growlithe was just as cute as Dragonite had been as a child. Lucas bent down, picked it up onto his lap, and took the towel from Serperior's vine. He gently wiped the Growlithe clean.
Originally, he'd planned to bathe the newborn Pokémon in warm water, but since it turned out to be a Fire/Rock-type Growlithe—four times weak to water—it was better to clean it with a towel, just like Ground-types preferred sand baths.
He hadn't considered that.
Thanks to Moltres's warmth, and the towel being only slightly damp, the Growlithe's long fur dried quickly.
Next, Lucas took the bottle of warm Moomoo Milk and cradled the Growlithe, feeding it with practiced gentle movements.
Not far away, Dragonite watched the familiar blue bottle, a single sparkling drop at its mouth.
It remembered being fed warm, delicious Moomoo Milk as a baby by Lucas. Now, seeing Growlithe getting the same care brought different feelings.
Whether it was pent-up hunger in the egg or not, the Growlithe guzzled two whole bottles of Moomoo Milk, eating until its tummy was round, then finally stopped with a burp.
Pokémon adapt much faster than ordinary animals. While being fed, Lucas noticed a pair of eyes hidden beneath the Growlithe's fur, watching him intently and curiously.
"Woof woof~~"
Fed and full, Growlithe was much more lively. The world outside fascinated it.
It looked left and right, quickly noticing all the Pokémon gathered in the room.
Lucas expected Growlithe to be afraid or wary, but instead, the little guy, walking a bit unsteadily, trotted to each Pokémon and sniffed their scent with its tiny black nose.
Eldegoss and the Gossifleur twins greeted Growlithe warmly, and it responded happily.
But Lucas's five main Pokémon stood awkwardly, letting Growlithe sniff them, not daring to move for fear of accidentally hurting the little life.
Seeing their doting behavior, Lucas thought: Looks like the farm's going to have a bold little tyrant with a bunch of aunts and uncles backing it up.
Growlithe quickly adapted—after sniffing everyone, it was already running and hopping steadily.
It bounced over to Moltres, who was just as stiff and unsure, sniffed, and its eyes—hidden under fur—lit up as it barked, "Woof woof!" (Mommy!)
Moltres was so shocked by the cry that it forgot all about its legendary dignity, plopping down in a daze, its pupils quivering like an earthquake.
Growlithe didn't care, rubbing its head against Moltres, then turned to look at Lucas.
Serperior, who had been gloating, suddenly sensed trouble.
"Woof woof!" (Daddy!)
Bang!
With a loud crash, Serperior's tail, which had been swaying happily, smashed a hole in the wooden floor.
Serperior was trembling with rage, practically overheating.
It had guarded against everything, but now there was an anomaly! This Moltres had only been here for half a month and already pulled off such a scheme!!
Blaming Moltres for misleading the naive Growlithe, Serperior glared daggers at the legendary bird, who was still in shock.
Lucas, not understanding Growlithe's meaning, thought it was just being cute. Smiling as the Pokémon looked on oddly, he squatted and ruffled its furry head.
Serperior—defeated!
…
That night, no matter how lively Growlithe's hatching was, after it got tired and sleepy, Lucas had everyone return to their beds. If they didn't sleep, it'd be midnight.
From what he could tell, Growlithe seemed especially attached to Moltres besides himself. Was it because of the days spent hatching together?
Without worrying too much, Lucas moved Moltres's sleeping spot indoors and, since Growlithe was just born, he slept in the living room to keep watch.
That night, Serperior lay in its empty bed, grinding its teeth in frustration.