Time passed quickly. By the end of the morning, all the senior students had finished selecting their Pokémon eggs.
Mr. Li returned to the classroom and addressed us.
"You've all selected your Pokémon eggs. Remember, these Pokémon are your partners and family, not just pets.
"Starting today, you will have a fourteen-day vacation. This time is for your eggs to hatch and for you to bond with your Pokémon during their larval stage. If you notice anything abnormal with your egg, or if it doesn't hatch properly, contact me immediately for a replacement."
As soon as he finished speaking, the class erupted into cheers.
"Alright, that's it! Go home and take care of your eggs!"
"Great!"
At the school gate, I said goodbye to my best friend, David.
"See you in fourteen days!" he called out.
"See you!" I waved back, already thinking about which mall to visit to buy an incubator and nutrient solution.
Just as I was lost in thought, a mocking voice broke through my daydreams.
"I can't wait to see your desperate expression when you come back empty-handed," sneered Sister Disdain.
I glanced at her and shrugged. "Haha. Sure, whatever you say."
---
After school, I rushed to the largest mall in the area: Rongchang Mall. It was a high-end place, somewhere I'd never dared to shop before. But now, things were different. Thanks to my system, I had recently won 200,000 Pokémon coins in cash through sign-ins and lucky draws.
As soon as I stepped inside, the staff greeted me warmly.
"Welcome!"
I quickly found the specialty store for incubators.
"Hello! How can I help you?" a polite saleswoman asked.
"What kinds of incubators do you have?" I asked.
She smiled and explained patiently. "We have three types of incubators: low-tier at 5,000 Pokémon coins, mid-tier at 8,000 Pokémon coins, and high-tier at 12,000 Pokémon coins. Similarly, we offer three levels of nutrient solutions, priced accordingly.
"Each incubator works differently. Low-tier models may cause malnutrition at birth, so we recommend mid- or high-tier options."
I nodded. "I'll take two high-tier incubators and two high-tier nutrient solutions."
"Alright, sir. That will be 48,000 Pokémon coins."
I paid without hesitation. Then I wandered through other sections of the mall but didn't buy anything else.
Soon, I returned home.
---
The first thing I did when I got home was lock myself in my room. Carefully, I took out the Fire Chick egg from my bag.
As soon as I held it, an information screen appeared before my eyes.
[Pokémon: Fire Chick]
[Status: To be hatched]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Speed Boost (speed increases every turn)]
[Potential: King]
[Stats: Physical Attack: 31 / Special Attack: 31 / Physical Defense: 31 / Special Defense: 31 / HP: 31 / Speed: 31]
[Moves: Scratch, Growl]
[Inherited Moves: Endure, Double Kick, Flame Burst]
"Oh my god!" I muttered in disbelief.
I quickly placed the Fire Chick egg and another Pokémon egg into the incubators. The display showed the estimated hatching times:
Bobo: Incubating... (3 days)
Fire Chick: Incubating... (7 days)
Suddenly, I remembered something. I retrieved the bottle of King-level Qualification Liquid from the system space.
"Sister Tongzi, how do I use this thing?" I asked.
[The King-level Qualification Liquid can either be added to the incubator for absorption alongside the nutrient solution or fed directly to a hatched Pokémon.]
Following the system's advice, I poured the liquid into Bobo's incubator. The display updated:
[Bobo's potential is improving: Professional > King.]
Then, I ordered a box of Moo Moo Milk online. True to its reputation, the Pidgeot delivery service brought it to my door within an hour.
With everything set, I sat back to relax—until a new problem popped into my mind.
How was I going to explain this Fire Chick egg to my parents? Should I say I found it? Won it in a lottery? Stole it?
Maybe the lottery excuse would work. But a Pokémon like Fire Chick seemed too rare for a family like ours.
I decided to tell my parents the truth but agreed with myself to keep it a secret from anyone else for now.
---
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Knock, knock!"
"Brother, it's time for dinner!" called my younger sister, Wenruo.
"Coming!"
At the dinner table, I hesitated, then shared my story with my parents.
They listened seriously before my father finally spoke. "Don't tell anyone about this Pokémon until you become stronger. At least wait until you've reached the advanced stage."
Then he handed me a card. "Here's 500,000 Pokémon coins. Use it to take good care of your Pokémon."
I nodded and accepted the card, feeling a mix of gratitude and sadness.
My gaze shifted to my father's Pokémon standing nearby.
[Pokémon: Machoke]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Guts (attack increases if it's affected by a status condition)]
[Level: 30 (Advanced Stage)]
[Potential: Professional]
Machoke was my father's partner and the strongest Pokémon in our family.
---
On the third day, something exciting happened.
[Ding! System Task Released.]
[Host, please obtain your first Pokémon.]
[Reward: 100 points and one exclusive Poké Ball.]
I stared at Bobo's egg, which was wobbling in the incubator. Suddenly, a loud "crack" broke the silence.
A small head poked out of the eggshell, and soon, the whole Pokémon emerged.
I gently cleaned Bobo with a warm towel and fed him some Moo Moo Milk.
The system displayed his stats:
[Pokémon: Bobo]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Keen Eye (accuracy cannot be lowered)]
[Level: 1 (Larval Stage)]
[Potential: King]
[Moves: Tackle]
[Inherited Moves: Defog, Brave Bird, Foresight]
Holding Bobo in my arms, I smiled and asked, "Bobo, will you be my partner?"
Bobo chirped happily and tapped the Poké Ball with his beak. A flash of red light absorbed him into the ball.
The ball shook twice before locking with a ding!
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the task.]
[Reward: 100 points and one exclusive Poké Ball.]
Excited, I couldn't help but mimic the pose of a certain Pokémon Trainer from my favorite anime.
"I caught a Pidgey!" I exclaimed dramatically.
"Brother, what are you doing? Aren't you too old for this?" Wenruo teased, standing at the door with a smirk.