The next day came quickly, and Eichi went to school. Sitting at his desk, he thought about going into Viridian City after class to borrow an Incubator from Aunt Keiko.
As he was thinking, his deskmate, Aki, turned around.
Aki had fiery red hair, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. When he smiled, he looked simple and honest.
Everyone who saw him thought he was a good-natured person, and he really was. But sometimes, he could be very sneaky, which came as a surprise to those who didn't know him.
Aki leaned over and asked, "Eichi, didn't you go to catch your first Pokémon yesterday? Did you get it? What Pokémon was it?"
Eichi said, "No, but I picked up a Pokémon Egg."
Aki was shocked. "A Pokémon Egg? That's such good luck! Do you know what Pokémon it is?"
Eichi replied, "How could I know? You can only tell once it hatches."
Aki suddenly realized, "Oh, right."
Then he quickly asked again, "Eichi, I got my first Pokémon yesterday too. Do you want to guess what it is?"
Eichi looked at his eager, show-off expression and answered, "No idea."
Aki grinned happily. "It's a Mankey."
Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon.
Abilities: Vital Spirit and Anger Point.
Hidden Ability: is Defiant.
It is a Fighting type, and it evolves into Primeape.
It was a very good starter Pokémon. Aki's father had once been an apprentice
at a Fighting-type Gym, but because he lacked talent, he was eliminated and returned to Viridian Town.
Now he worked as the foreman of a construction team, so his family lived much better than Eichi's.
Aki's starter Mankey was most likely a descendant of his father's Primeape.
When class finally ended, Eichi rushed toward Viridian City.
It took about half an hour, but he finally entered the city.
After walking for a while, he reached Viridian City's commercial street. It was bustling everywhere, the streets packed with all kinds of shops.
Most of them sold things people needed for daily life.
If you wanted to buy something for Pokémon, you had to go to the Department Store.
As the city with the Viridian Gym, Viridian City was exceptionally lively. Many different kinds of people passed by Eichi.
There were also many Pokémon. Some people had powerful ones following them, the kind that made it obvious they were Trainers on a journey.
Some had come to challenge the Viridian Gym, while others were just passing through.
But none of that had anything to do with Eichi. Following his memory, he finally found the Pokémon Day Care where Aunt Keiko worked.
The Day Care was in a quieter part of the city.
Although it may sound like a simple place, it wasn't small at all. It was about the size of a basketball gym, with three floors and even a backyard.
The Day Care was very busy, customers kept coming and going, and there were plenty of people inside as well.
In the crowd, Eichi spotted Aunt Keiko.
He walked into the store, but no one came to greet him; everyone was simply too busy.
He saw Aunt Keiko massaging a graceful Persian, while a richly dressed lady stood beside her.
Since elegant Pokémon like Persian were popular among the city's nobles, Eichi didn't disturb her.
Instead, he wandered around inside.
Here, he could see all kinds of Pokémon, even species from other regions.
Just a moment ago, he had seen a Roselia, a Buneary, and a Glameow…
Even starter Pokémon weren't uncommon here. All of this made Eichi's heart race.
There was also a garden in the back, so Eichi went there.
The garden had artificial hills, trees, and a stream. Many different Pokémon rested and played inside.
"My gosh, whose Dragonite is that?" Eichi gasped in amazement.
He didn't dare get close, but watched it carefully from a distance.
It was the first time he had ever seen a pseudo-legendary Pokémon. The Dragonite noticed someone watching but didn't care, and just kept sleeping.
After exploring, Eichi sat near Aunt Keiko and waited for her to finish her work.
When she was finally free, she spotted Eichi and walked over. "Eichi, what brings you here today?"
Eichi said, "Aunt Keiko, can I borrow an Incubator?"
She paused. "Do you have a Pokémon Egg to hatch?"
Eichi told her about finding the Pokémon Egg yesterday.
Aunt Keiko shook her head. "The Day Care's Incubators aren't mine to lend."
Eichi panicked. "Then what should I do?"
Seeing his anxious look, Aunt Keiko thought for a moment. "How about this? Bring the Egg here, and I'll hatch it for you."
Eichi's face lit up. "Really? Thank you so much, Aunt Keiko! I'll go get it right now."
He ran out immediately. Aunt Keiko watched him disappear and chuckled. "What an impatient kid."
He hurried home, stuffed the Pokémon Egg into his backpack, and rushed back again.
By the time Eichi reached the Day Care, he was drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
He handed the Egg to Aunt Keiko.
She lifted it carefully and nodded. "Come with me."
Eichi followed her up to a room on the second floor.
When the door opened, he saw rows of Pokémon Eggs neatly placed in machines.
Aunt Keiko went to a square device and pressed a button.
The transparent lid opened slowly. She placed the Egg inside, and the lid closed again.
Eichi watched curiously as she operated the machine.
After a while, she turned to him. "I just checked with the Incubator. This Egg will probably hatch in the next couple of days."
Eichi was thrilled. "Really? Can you tell what Pokémon it is?"
Aunt Keiko shook her head. "No, but from my experience, it's likely a Bug or Grass-type."
Eichi stayed in the Incubator room for a little while longer, then said goodbye and went home.
The next day, right after class, he rushed back to the Day Care. Seeing him sweaty and out of breath again, Aunt Keiko smiled and told him to go check the hatching room.
Eichi quickly found his Egg. He checked it, but nothing had changed. He wandered around for a while, then pulled a book out of his bag to read.
After some time, he felt something strange in his eyes. He walked over to the machine and placed his hand on the lid.
For a moment, a faint green light flickered across his hand.
Suddenly, the Egg shook slightly. At first, Eichi thought it was his imagination.
But then, it shook again. Eichi hurried downstairs to call Aunt Keiko.
She came up and checked the Egg, glancing at the machine beside it.
"It's about to hatch," she said.
No sooner had she spoken than the Egg burst into a brilliant white light.