Ren walked down Route 101, the sun warm on his face and the Egg cradled carefully in his arms. The Ralts he'd caught earlier trotted beside him, its headache seemingly gone after munching on the Lum Berry. The chat in the corner of his vision was buzzing with activity:
MudkipFan4Life: Ralts looks so happy! Kid's a natural Trainer.
ContestQueenLisia: Still waiting for that wardrobe upgrade. Those jeans are a crime.
PkmnTrainerJ: Where's he going next? Oldale Town?
Ren smirked. "Yeah, Oldale's next. But first, let's see if we can find some wild Pokémon to train with."
The system pinged:
[Mission: First Battle!]
[Reward: 1,000 PokéDollars + Random Item from Audience]
As if on cue, the tall grass rustled. A small, scruffy Poochyena leapt out, baring its teeth.
PkmnTrainerJ: Oh, here we go! First battle!
MudkipFan4Life: Ralts vs. Poochyena? Easy win!
ContestQueenLisia: Unless the kid messes up.
Ren glanced at Ralts. "You ready?"
Ralts nodded, stepping forward with a determined look.
"Alright, Ralts! Use Disarming Voice
!"
Ralts' opens it mouth, and a wave of fairy energyslammed into the Poochyena, sending it skidding back. The wild Pokémon growled, shaking off the attack, and lunged with a Tackle.
"Dodge it!" Ren called.
Ralts sidestepped just in time, the Poochyena crashing into the dirt.
MudkipFan4Life: Nice dodge!
PkmnTrainerJ: Kid's got good instincts.
"Finish it with another Disarming Voice
!" Ren commanded.
Ralts obliged, and the Poochyena collapsed, defeated.
[First Battle: Victory!]
[Reward Received: 1,000 PokéDollars + [Audience Gift: Potion]]
Ren grinned. "Great job, Ralts!"
The chat exploded with cheers:
MudkipFan4Life: THAT'S MY BOY!!!
ContestQueenLisia: Fine, I'll admit it. He's not terrible.
PkmnTrainerJ: What's next? Hatching the Egg?
Ren checked the Egg, which was glowing faintly. "Looks like it's close to hatching. Let's get to Oldale Town first."
---
Oldale Town – Pokémon Center
Nurse Joy greeted Ren with a warm smile. "Welcome! Would you like me to take care of your Pokémon?"
"Yes, please," Ren said, handing over Ralts' PokéBall.
As Nurse Joy worked, Ren sat in the lobby, the Egg resting on the table in front of him. The chat was still active:
MudkipFan4Life: What do you think's in the Egg?
ContestQueenLisia: Probably something basic, like a Magikarp.
PkmnTrainerJ: Nah, it's gotta be something cool. Look at the swirls on the shell!
Ren chuckled. "Guess we'll find out soon."
The Egg began to glow brighter, cracks forming on its surface. The chat went wild:
MudkipFan4Life: IT'S HATCHING!!!
ContestQueenLisia: Finally!
PkmnTrainerJ: Place your bets, people!
With a soft *crack*, the Egg split open, revealing a small, blue Pokémon with a fin on its head.
MudkipFan4Life: MUDKIP!!! I KNEW IT!!!
ContestQueenLisia: Ugh, of course it's a Mudkip.
PkmnTrainerJ: Kid's got a Water-type Starter. Nice!
Ren grinned, picking up the Mudkip. "Hey there, little guy. Welcome to the team."
Mudkip chirped happily, nuzzling against him.
[New Pokémon: Mudkip Added to Team!] [Reward Received: 500 PokéDollars + [Audience Gift: TM55 – Scald]]
Ren's eyes widened. "TM55? That's a powerful Water-type move!"
MudkipFan4Life: TEACH IT TO MUDKIP!!!
ContestQueenLisia: Wait until it evolves. Then it'll really shine.
PkmnTrainerJ: Kid's got a solid team now. Ralts and Mudkip? That's a great start.
Ren decided to save the TM for later. For now, he had a new teammate to train.
---
End of Chapter 2