Chapter 50: The Egg is Hatching!
The other tray held another stone, but this one was much more aesthetically pleasing than the ugly Hard Stone, which looked like it had been dug out of a sewer. This one was a beautiful, translucent blue, with what looked like tiny bubbles trapped inside, radiating a faint Water-type energy. It was, of course, a Water Stone, though its quality seemed to be on the lower end.
Finally, Kenji looked at the prize in the center, the one held by the head staff member. His prize.
Inside the incubator sat a red egg with black-and-yellow patterned spots. Just from its appearance, he could guess it was a Fire-type.
A Fire-type starter, huh?
He activated his scan.
Tepig (Unhatched)
Level: 0
Ability: Blaze (When HP is low, Fire-type moves are boosted.)
Potential: E+
Tepig, huh?
An E+ potential starter was still quite good. It would have no trouble reaching its final form, Emboar. It was just a shame that, compared to the other Fire/Fighting starters like Blaziken and Infernape, Emboar had always been the least popular.
Kenji accepted the incubator, thanked the staff, and turned to leave.
With the tournament over, the crowd was beginning to file out. Kenji didn't rush. He waited until the main throng had dispersed before heading for the exit with Melody.
"Kenji! Over here!"
As soon as they stepped outside the club, he saw Leo waving, standing under the hot sun.
"I knew you'd win, man!" Leo said, rushing over. "What egg is that? It looks like a Fire-type. Is it a Charmander? Or a Torchic? A Chimchar?"
Leo, as usual, was a whirlwind of non-stop chatter. Kenji, long since used to his friend's antics, simply held the incubator out to him.
Leo, not thinking, took it and began examining it curiously.
"It's a Tepig egg," Kenji said. "Take good care of it."
"Oh, a Tepig... wait, what?" Leo's brain caught up to Kenji's words. He snapped his head up, his expression one of pure confusion.
Kenji smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I said, 'take good care of it.' It's yours now."
"No way! This is way too valuable! It's a starter Pokémon egg! I can't take this," Leo immediately refused, shaking his head so hard it looked like a bobblehead. He tried to shove the incubator, which now felt like it was burning his hands, back at Kenji.
Kenji didn't even lift his arms to accept it. His expression turned serious. "Leo, are we friends or not?"
"What? Of course we are!" Leo replied, stunned.
"Then don't argue with me. I'm giving it to you, so you're going to accept it," Kenji said, his voice firm.
"But..."
"Leo, your parents have treated me like family for years. Without their help, I never would have made it through high school. Let me finally repay some of that kindness," Kenji said earnestly. When Leo still looked hesitant, he added, "Besides, I already have three Pokémon. I don't have the time or energy to raise a fourth right now."
Leo's mouth opened and closed. Seeing the unshakeable look in Kenji's eyes, he finally nodded, his voice thick with emotion. "Okay... Thank you, Kenji."
Seeing Leo accept the egg, Kenji's stern expression softened.
"Alright!" Leo's mood brightened instantly. "My treat! Let's go celebrate the champion and the third-place winner!"
Laughing, the three friends left the Windswept Battle Club.
Back in his apartment, Kenji immediately summoned the system interface for his Hex Core draw. He had already experienced just how powerful these rewards could be.
"Do you wish to..."
"Yes!" Kenji confirmed, cutting the system off.
[Ding! Drawing Hex Core...]
This draw had no guaranteed quality. He could get another Prismatic, or a Gold, or even a Silver. He didn't have to wait long.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have received the Silver-tier Hex Core: Giant Slayer!]
Kenji's initial disappointment at getting a Silver-tier reward vanished when he read the name. Giant Slayer?
He pulled up the description.
Silver-tier Hex Core: Giant Slayer
Effect: In a Pokémon battle, for every level your Pokémon is lower than the opponent, the Gold earned from that victory is increased by 10%.
Gold? Kenji's mind buzzed. Since awakening, his system had only shown him the fusion function.
"System, battles give me... Gold? Why have I never seen this before?" he asked internally.
[Ding! This function is locked until the Host becomes an official, licensed Trainer. Please look forward to it!]
Kenji sighed. So, he was still in the tutorial phase. The system's other functions wouldn't unlock until he started university and received his formal Trainer's License.
The rest of the summer passed. Kenji's life settled into a new routine, splitting his time between his apartment, the Edgecliff Gym, and now, the Windswept Battle Club. Beedrill and Gyarados had more or less mastered the moves he had planned for them. The rest of the time was dedicated to sparring and training to raise their levels and improve their combat application.
Time flew by, and soon, it was late August.
In his living room, Kenji was squatting in front of his coffee table, staring intently at the incubator.
Inside, the purple-spotted Ekans egg, after weeks of silent incubation, finally had a small crack on its surface. The shell was trembling, a clear sign that the life inside was about to emerge.
He had already replaced the nutrient solution multiple times. In that same period, Leo's Tepig had already hatched and was running around. Now, finally, his Ekans was ready.
He was, to put it mildly, incredibly excited.
He sat there, just watching, as the minutes ticked by. An hour later, with a sharp crack, the entire eggshell was suddenly enveloped in a brilliant, milky-white light...