After packing up all the research equipment, Oliver led his Pokémon to bid farewell to Celebi and returned home.
The moment they arrived, Garchomp and Milotic headed straight for the backyard as usual.
Milotic slipped into the pool to relax, while Garchomp immediately began training on its own—something Oliver had never needed to worry about.
Celebi, as always, dashed straight into a room and resumed its gaming spree. Over this past month alone, it had already switched through several different games.
Gardevoir, on the other hand, went quietly to the room where Oliver usually made Energy Cubes.
This was worth mentioning.
Over the course of the last month, Gardevoir had not only mastered the production of top-tier Psychic-type Energy Cubes for herself, but had also learned how to make Water-type cubes for Milotic and Dragon-type cubes for Garchomp.
As a result, the entire team's daily meals were now handled by Gardevoir.
And she loved it.
Every time she saw everyone eating the Energy Cubes she'd made with such enthusiasm, she felt deeply satisfied.
Of course, the Energy Cubes sold to the Xiang Corporation were still produced personally by Oliver. The quantity was simply too large—if Gardevoir handled those batches as well, she wouldn't have time left to train.
Standing beside the incubator, Oliver gently placed his hand on the smooth eggshell.
Just like every day before, he began channeling his Aura Power into the egg.
He fully expected the same outcome as always—the egg quietly absorbing the Aura without any reaction.
But then—
A soft, immature voice echoed inside his mind.
"Master!"
Oliver's eyes flew open.
This was the first response he'd received from the Pokémon inside the egg in an entire month.
Could it be…?
Sure enough, in the very next instant, a small crack appeared on the eggshell.
The fracture slowly spread, branching outward.
With Aura Power still active, Oliver could clearly see streams of Aura surging out through the cracks—as if a massive concentration of Aura from within was forcing the shell apart.
Because Oliver had infused Aura Power into the egg every single day over the past month, most of it had been absorbed by the Pokémon inside. But a small portion had also been absorbed by the eggshell itself.
As a result, the shell had become unusually tough.
Cracks rapidly spread across its entire surface, yet it stubbornly refused to fully break—
as though it lacked one final push.
"If that's the case," Oliver said softly,
"then let me give you a hand."
"Aura Power—reside within my heart!"
Oliver sharply increased the output of his Aura.
After a month of constant use, his control and reserves had improved significantly.
Crack—crack!
The sound of breaking intensified.
A flash of white light burst forth—and the eggshell shattered completely, fragments scattering in all directions.
Standing before Oliver was a small, gray, bear-like Pokémon.
Its forehead and the back of its head were covered in white fur, making it look as though it were wearing a white headband.
"It's Kubfu!" Oliver exclaimed in delight.
In his previous life, Kubfu had been one of his favorite Pokémon.
It had debuted in Generation Eight's Sword and Shield DLC, the Isle of Armor, where it was gifted to the protagonist by Mustard, the mentor of the Galar Champion Leon. Kubfu possessed two distinct evolutionary paths, each leading to a powerful form.
Kubfu was known for its resolute and disciplined personality, completing every bit of training with seriousness and dedication.
Oliver's Kubfu, however, was clearly special.
Perhaps because it had absorbed an excessive amount of Oliver's Aura while still inside the egg, its body size at birth was already nearly that of a fully grown Kubfu.
Even more astonishing—
Within the special organ in its abdomen that generated Fighting-type energy, a powerful Aura could be seen faintly glowing.
Pokémon: Kubfu
Level: Beginner – Early Stage
Potential: Champion Level
Ability: Inner Focus
Move: Aura Sphere
Evaluation:
Born with a body naturally attuned to Aura, and having absorbed an extraordinary amount of Aura Power before hatching, Kubfu's talent far exceeds that of ordinary Champion-level Pokémon. If it trains Aura Power together with its Trainer, it may unleash power beyond imagination.
Kubfu was already at Beginner level the moment it hatched, a clear sign of how much energy it had accumulated inside the egg.
And because it had absorbed so much of Oliver's Aura, it had even innately learned Aura Sphere.
Although Milotic and Gardevoir couldn't directly perceive Aura, they both clearly felt the unique presence that erupted the moment Kubfu was born.
They immediately approached.
Garchomp, though unsure what had happened, followed along as well.
Only Celebi remained in its room, completely unmoved—when it was seriously gaming, nothing in the world could distract it.
"Nas?"
"Garde?"
"Roar?"
The three Pokémon stared in surprise at Kubfu standing on the table.
The egg… had finally hatched?!
"You came at the perfect time," Oliver said with a smile.
"This is our new partner—Kubfu. These are your seniors: Milotic, Gardevoir, and Garchomp."
Kubfu looked at Oliver, then at the three Pokémon.
It frowned slightly, as if wanting to say something—but in the end, the instinctive closeness it felt through Aura made it break into a smile.
That single smile instantly dissolved the tension in the room.
Because Kubfu was already fairly large, Oliver couldn't cradle it in his hands like he had with Ralts back then. Instead, he held it in his arms like a small child.
Garchomp and Gardevoir curiously leaned closer to observe the newest team member.
Kubfu, however, showed clear resistance toward Garchomp's fierce appearance and pushed Garchomp's face away with its paw.
Compared to Garchomp, Kubfu clearly preferred gentler, maternal Pokémon like Gardevoir.
Feeling rejected, Garchomp walked off dejectedly.
Milotic, meanwhile, hovered nearby with a conflicted expression—wanting to approach, yet hesitant.
Sensing her pride, Oliver carried Kubfu over to her instead.
Only then did Milotic lower her head and carefully examine the newcomer.
Kubfu, in turn, stared curiously at the elegant and noble Pokémon before it—but what truly caught its attention was the ancient, primordial aura faintly emanating from Milotic.
Because Kubfu was naturally attuned to Aura, it could easily perceive things hidden from others—
such as the presence of Primordial Water within Milotic's body.
Noticing Garchomp sulking off to the side, Oliver deliberately brought Kubfu over.
"Kubfu, this is Garchomp," Oliver said gently.
"He's extremely strong in close combat. You should learn a lot from him in the future."
Hearing that Garchomp excelled at close-range fighting, Kubfu's eyes lit up. It looked eagerly at Garchomp.
Garchomp, in turn, began dancing around excitedly.
Seeing this, Oliver smiled with satisfaction.
After all—
Maintaining healthy relationships within the team was just as important a duty for a Trainer as training itself.
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