In the white light, the Pokémon Egg slowly changed from an egg shape into the form of a small worm.
Yoshino Eichi could now see it clearly. In front of him appeared a Pokémon with a single horn, beady green eyes, a round little nose, and a segmented body.
That's right, it was a Weedle.
Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon.
Ability: Shield Dust
Hidden Ability: Run Away
The freshly hatched Weedle wriggled toward Eichi as soon as it saw him. He quickly scooped it up into his arms.
For newborn Pokémon, the first living being they see is treated as family.
"Weee~" Weedle rubbed its face against Eichi. He gently stroked it with his finger.
Weedle's face relaxed into a blissful expression.
It was Weedle!
Eichi felt both happy and disappointed. Happy, because Weedle was easy to raise and could quickly become battle-ready. Disappointed, because it wasn't a rare Pokémon. As a transmigrator, he had dreamed of hatching a starter or even a pseudo-legendary.
Still, his very first partner had finally hatched.
He turned to ask, "Aunt Keiko, what should I feed a newborn Pokémon?"
Aunt Keiko said, "Newly hatched Pokémon should drink Miltank's MooMoo Milk, or a little honey produced by Beedrill."
She went downstairs to fetch supplies and returned with a bottle of milk and a feeding dish.
She poured the milk into the dish and handed it to Eichi.
Eichi set Weedle on the table and placed the dish in front of it.
Weedle tasted a sip. Finding it delicious, it let out a happy squeak and eagerly drank the rest. Afterward, it grew drowsy and soon fell asleep.
Newborn Pokémon, just like human infants, spend most of their time eating and sleeping.
Once Weedle was asleep, Eichi asked, "Aunt Keiko, this is my first time raising a Pokémon. Is there anything I should be careful about?"
She replied, "Newborn Pokémon are fragile, but Bug-types grow quickly. There isn't too much to worry about."
Still, she gave him plenty of advice before getting back to her busy work.
Not wanting to disturb her further, Eichi said goodbye. As he left, Aunt Keiko gave him the rest of the milk.
Holding Weedle in his arms, he stopped by a shop and bought three bottles of milk and two jars of honey.
One bottle of milk cost 50p, and one jar of honey cost 100p. He spent a total of 350p.
After storing the supplies in his backpack, he returned home with Weedle.
He gently placed Weedle on the bed, then sat at his desk and opened a blank notebook.
Eichi planned to record what he knew about Weedle, along with its future training and care, so he wouldn't forget.
Based on Bug-type growth rates, he could start training it as early as tomorrow.
Most Weedle began with three Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, and Bug Bite.
Some special ones could even learn Electroweb.
Before Weedle evolved into Kakuna, it needed solid practice with its basic Moves.
As the saying went: tall towers rise from the ground. A strong foundation was essential.
For feeding, Eichi decided to give it MooMoo Milk rather than artificial milk.
There were two kinds of milk: artificial cow's milk, the kind most families drank, and Miltank's MooMoo Milk, which was more nutritious and delicious, but much more expensive.
In the anime, Goldenrod City's Gym Leader Whitney lived on a ranch with tens of thousands of Miltank. They must have made a fortune every year.
During the milk-feeding stage, Eichi would supplement with honey. Once Weedle grew a bit, it could switch to Pokémon Food.
Of course, Pokémon Food also varied in quality.
The cheapest kind just filled a belly, costing 20p per bag, enough to feed one Pokémon for a day.
The best kind, costing about 200p per bag, was rich in nutrition and tasted great.
If he wanted Weedle to go far in the future, he had to feed it the best. He couldn't let it fall behind at the starting line.
By the time it evolved into Kakuna, Weedle could switch to Pokéblocks.
Pokéblocks had been discovered in the Hoenn region. Originally created for Pokémon Contests to enhance beauty, researchers later developed many varieties to boost different stats.
They were essentially upgraded Pokémon Food and had since spread across every region.
Next came training. First physical training, then Move practice.
To become strong in battle, a Pokémon needed a sturdy body.
As the saying goes, to defeat others, you must first learn to endure hits.
For Weedle to grow strong, Eichi had to put it through real training.
Move practice was also vital. The power of a Move depended on how well it was mastered.
An unpracticed Move would hardly deal damage in battle.
For example, two Pokémon could be raised in the same way, but the one whose moves weren't polished enough would always lose if they fought.
Ideally, Moves should be trained until the Pokémon can use them reflexively. The moment a Trainer gave a command, the Pokémon should execute it instantly.
Eichi paused in his writing. He remembered a small forest not far from home, perfect for training Weedle.
He glanced at the sleeping Weedle. "Alright, tomorrow we'll train in the grove."
He also intended to train himself alongside Weedle. After all, a Trainer without physical fitness couldn't succeed.
In his past life, he had attended a boarding school where physical training was mandatory. He had even practiced martial arts for a few years.
While his skills weren't amazing, he was used to hardship.
That night, when his father returned home, Eichi told him about Weedle's hatching.
His father nodded and simply reminded him to take good care of Weedle, and to ask for money if he ran short.
After dinner, Weedle woke up hungry.
Eichi fed it some milk, then dipped a small stick into honey and let Weedle lick it.
Weedle happily chirped, "Weee~," clearly enjoying the treat.
Its bond with Eichi grew closer. Once full, it fell asleep again.
Eichi tucked Weedle into bed, read a little, then went to sleep himself.
Outside, the full moon hung high in the sky. The forest Pokémon had all drifted into slumber. Occasionally, the hoot of a Noctowl echoed in the night.
Everything was peaceful.