The moment Auron saw the egg, only one thought echoed in his mind:
"Whoa! A golden legend!"
It was the first Pokémon egg he'd seen that had a gold-tier potential.
Pokémon: Munchlax
Gender: Male
Type: Normal
Ability: Thick Fat (Halves damage from Fire and Ice-type moves)
Potential: Gold
Moves: Lick, Tackle
Egg Moves: Belch, Curse, Fissure, Counter
Auron didn't hesitate. A gold-tier Munchlax? That was as rare as it gets.
"Congratulations on your purchase, young Master Vale. We hope to see you again soon," the manager said with a beaming smile as he personally escorted Auron and Ashen out of the Love Pokémon Store.
"My apologies, Dr. Vale, I can't walk you out any farther. We've got other clients arriving soon to view the new batch of high-potential eggs."
"No worries. You've got work to do—we'll see ourselves out," Ashen replied with a polite chuckle, then turned to leave with his son.
As they walked back, Ashen glanced sideways at Auron. "So that was a Munchlax egg, right?"
"Yep! And Snorlax has always been one of my favorites."
"Well then," Ashen nodded, "with a second partner in the works, it's time to double down. I know you'll ace the practical exam, but make sure you use the next few days to boost your written scores while the eggs are still hatching."
"Got it, Dad."
When they returned home, Auron's mother wasn't back yet. Ashen headed off to find old test papers and exam prep materials, while Auron placed the newly acquired Munchlax egg beside Zubat's in his room.
He gently rested his hand on the Zubat egg. "Come on, little guy. It's about time you hatched. I've even brought you a baby brother. You'll need to grow strong enough to protect him, alright?"
He patted the Munchlax egg affectionately and headed out to join his dad for study time. What he didn't notice was the faint shimmer that glowed from the Zubat egg once he left the room.
…
Two days flew by.
Thanks to the premium-grade incubator, it was finally hatching day. Most eggs hatched in about three days with a high-grade incubator, five with mid-grade, and seven with basic. Without one, the timing was unpredictable.
Since the trip to the store, Auron had buried himself in studying every major subject covered in the written portion of the entrance exam—especially the Pokémon theory section.
Fortunately, much of it was stuff he already knew from his past life. What he didn't remember clearly, he refreshed through reading and practice tests.
It was strange how people could struggle to recall facts when studying formally, but remember entire encyclopedias of information when it was something they loved. That was exactly what Auron was experiencing. The moment he finished the textbooks and mock tests, it all clicked.
Then, as he worked through another practice exam, the egg beside him began to glow.
Auron glanced up, eyes widening as the light intensified. He grabbed his phone to record the moment—this was his first ever Pokémon hatching in real life.
The glow flared. And with a flash, the egg burst open.
Floating just above the incubator's base was a tiny bat-like Pokémon, its wings a soft blend of blue and violet.
Zubat chirped twice and fluttered to Auron's shoulder, wrapping its wings gently around his neck in affection.
"Haha, you're here! You're really here!"
Auron beamed and danced around the room, hugging Zubat tight. His lifelong dream had just come true—his first real Pokémon partner.
Still overjoyed, he brought Zubat over to the small table and placed several energy cubes in front of him.
"Here, I made these just for you. Perfect for newborn Pokémon to boost nutrition."
"Zuu~"
Zubat squeaked happily and picked up a cube with its wings, nibbling away at it with clear delight.
Auron sat beside him, watching contentedly. Zubat ate slowly, still adjusting to the world, but Auron was in no rush. Just seeing him was enough.
For the first time in his life, he had a partner that was entirely his own—something he had once only dreamed of.
The two sat in their own little worlds—Zubat with his meal, and Auron lost in his thoughts—until the front door creaked open.
"Hey—Zubat!" his mom exclaimed in delight upon seeing the little bat feasting on the table.
Ashen handed a small bottle to Auron. "Here—Moomoo Milk . It's packed with nutrients. Great for newborns. Be sure to give him some later."
"Thanks, Dad."
"You're not gonna thank your mom? I had to remind him today was hatch day before he went out and bought it," she said with a playful pout.
"Thanks, Mom~" Auron grinned sheepishly.
Her mock-jealous tone made both father and son chuckle. Even Zubat, sensing the cheerful energy through his echolocation, chirped with extra enthusiasm and munched faster on his cube.
Then—
Ring-ring!
Auron's phone buzzed, breaking the moment. His parents retreated to the kitchen while he picked up the video call.
"AUROOOON!!"
"Why the yell, man? I'm here—what's up?"
"My Growlithe and Torkoal just hatched!!"
It was Jace, his childhood friend, practically bouncing on the screen.
"Nice! My Zubat hatched too."
"Zubat? That's awesome! When are you gonna bring him out so we can all meet?"
"In a couple days. He just hatched, so I want him to settle in first. By the way… Did you seriously call me mid-feeding time?"
"Of course I fed them! Look—they're totally chill now. Passed out together, even."
He flipped the camera around, showing Torkoal snoozing in his bed with Growlithe curled up on its back.
"Wow… not bad. Your Sunny Day team is off to a strong start. Got plans for the rest of the lineup?"
"Hm? Not really. I figured I'd grab a Special Attacker and a speedster next. Just five Fire-types and a support."
Auron sighed. "You know a Sunny Day team isn't just about slapping five Fire-types together, right?"
Jace rolled his eyes. "Duh. I know that much. You need a utility sixth member for weather transitions—ideally someone with Baton Pass or stat moves. If not, then maybe something with U-turn or Volt Switch."
Auron blinked. "…Wait. What?"
Jace crossed his arms proudly. "Don't act so shocked! I've been watching team comp videos online for weeks."
"You actually researched this?"
"Of course I did! Ask your dad if you don't believe me."
Ashen wandered over, wiping his hands with a napkin. "What's this about me?"
"Dad, is a standard Sunny Day comp five Fire-types and one utility slot?"
"That's right. The sixth is usually the Drought user, or a support with status/baton-pass options. Some even go with U-turn or Volt Switch."
"See? Told you!"
"Jace," Ashen chuckled, "you building a Sunny Day team?"
"Yes, sir! I've got Growlithe and Torkoal already."
"Well done. Sunny Day comps have a low floor but a high ceiling. It's up to you to make it shine."
"Thanks, Uncle! Auron—I'm heading out to grab some Moomoo Milk for the little guys. Catch you later!"
"Later."
As the call ended, Auron sat there, dazed.
Ashen noticed. "What's up, son?"
"Nothing… I'll look something up. Can you give Zubat the milk in the meantime?"
"Of course."
Auron quickly retreated to the study, fired up the computer, and began digging through historical records. What he found left him both surprised and amused.
Despite the presence of Pokémon, the broader history of their country hadn't changed much. The chaotic era of the recent past had still occurred, and personal Pokémon battles only became mainstream after peace returned.
Back then, Pokémon had been used almost exclusively in large-scale military campaigns. One-on-one duels were rare. Sunny Day and Rain Dance teams—structured team comps—were a fairly new concept, only rising to popularity in recent years.
Which explained why beginner teams like "All Fire-types" or "All Water-types" were still the norm. Only later did people realize those comps fell apart once weather effects wore off.
That's when smarter trainers started adding a sixth utility Pokémon to bridge the gap and extend control over the battlefield.
"So the meta hasn't evolved yet…" Auron mused.
"…Maybe Jace could be one of the first to break that ceiling?"
He grinned.
A second later, the study echoed with an unholy snort of laughter.
(End of Chapter)
-------
Please Give me Power Stones support me on Patreon @ patreon(dot)com/SorenEclipse : Read 15 Chapters Ahead on Patreon