"Xia Xia? That name…"
As someone who had watched the Pokémon anime, Ye Yinchuan couldn't help but mutter to himself upon hearing the name.
Seeing that the newcomers were an ordinary mother and daughter, Ye Yinchuan quickly let it go.
The family of three gathered in front of the camera, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
"Please protect the child's privacy. Don't show her face."
Ye Yinchuan reminded them. The little girl looked to be at most in fifth or sixth grade, and this Pokémon egg was clearly meant for her.
"Anchor, so… is this a Squirtle egg?"
The man asked, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation.
This egg was something he had carefully picked out at the egg market.
They were an ordinary working-class family, burdened with car and mortgage loans.
After paying off their loans and covering living expenses, there wasn't much left from their monthly income.
But his daughter, Xia Xia, loved Water-type Pokémon, and as a father, he wanted to give her the best he could.
So, he did his homework and managed to find this "Squirtle" egg at the market.
At this point, the wife chimed in:
"Dear, lower your expectations a bit, so you won't be too disappointed if it's not what you hoped for. Right, Xia Xia?"
"Mom, Dad, even though I really like Squirtle, I'd be happy with any other Pokémon too. Especially since Dad picked it out for me. I'll take good care of it… as long as it's a Water-type, I'll be super happy!"
Hearing the family's conversation, Ye Yinchuan couldn't help but smile.
This family had such a harmonious vibe.
What surprised him a bit was how articulate and clear-thinking Xia Xia was for a fifth or sixth grader. She was quite bright.
As he examined the Pokémon egg, admiring it, his Appraisal Eye quietly activated.
The egg was slightly rounder than the average Pokémon egg, but that wasn't particularly special.
At the moment, the egg was enveloped in a glow of energy, making it hard to see its color and patterns, which undoubtedly made the appraisal more difficult.
The most important condition for a Pokémon egg to hatch is absorbing enough energy.
This can happen naturally, or it can be accelerated by carrying the egg or using an incubator.
Once enough energy is absorbed, the egg will start to hatch, just like this one.
Through the glow of energy, Ye Yinchuan could vaguely see that the egg was mostly blue, with some yellow light scattered across it.
The glow itself was also bluish, giving off a shimmering, watery effect.
Even without using his Appraisal Eye, he could tell that this was most likely a Water-type Pokémon egg.
The yellow parts reminded him of Squirtle's belly.
Indeed, based on appearance alone, it was easy to assume this was a Squirtle egg.
But Ye Yinchuan had his Appraisal Eye.
Through the panel that popped up, his expression darkened slightly.
The species of the egg was now clear.
However, his eyes soon softened.
"I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
[This is definitely a Squirtle egg! If it's not, I'll eat my hat!]
[The anchor's such a drama king, his expression changes are so subtle!]
"Let's hear the good news first."
The family of three looked nervous.
"The good news is, this egg will hatch into a Water-type Pokémon."
"Yay!"
Xia Xia immediately started jumping around.
"I wanted a Water-type Pokémon! When I grow up, I want to wear a swimsuit and play in the water with them, go to the beach and have fun!"
Seeing the girl's innocent and lively demeanor, Ye Yinchuan smiled warmly.
What a beautiful wish.
"And the bad news?"
"The bad news is, this Water-type Pokémon isn't a Squirtle…"
The man visibly forced a bitter smile.
The wife, though she had mentally prepared herself, still felt a pang of disappointment.
It was like buying a lottery ticket. Even though people know the odds are slim, seeing "Thank you for playing" still leaves a sense of不甘心 (unwillingness).
Especially since the chances of this egg being a Squirtle were much higher than winning the lottery.
"This egg is a Psyduck egg."
Ye Yinchuan didn't beat around the bush. Seeing the questioning looks, he directly revealed the answer.
"Ah… Psyduck, huh."
The disappointment on their faces was more than Ye Yinchuan had expected.
"Is Psyduck really that weak?"
Ye Yinchuan wondered to himself.
When he thought of Psyduck, the first thing that came to mind was the Psyduck from the anime that belonged to Misty.
Though it was ditzy, its "Disable" and "Confusion" moves were absolutely devastating.
Oh, and by the way, "Disable" in the anime is called "Body Block" in the games, just a translation difference.
[Psyduck is super weak! Its IQ is generally low, and it's barely even suitable as a daily life Pokémon!]
[It's even worse in battles! Raising a Psyduck would drive you crazy!]
[If it could evolve into Golduck, that'd be cool though.]
Seeing the comments, Ye Yinchuan roughly understood.
In this world, Psyduck was probably like Misty's Psyduck in the early anime.
It didn't listen to commands and was weak.
It might not even be able to use Disable or Confusion properly.
"Psyduck is also a Water-type Pokémon, and it's so cute and silly!"
The little girl looked up Psyduck on her phone.
"But why does it say here that unless it's a particularly smart individual, Psyduck isn't suitable as a partner?"
The wife sighed. "Is it too late to return it?"
"Probably too late, because…"
The man pointed at the cracks forming on the egg. This Psyduck was about to hatch!
They didn't have the money to prepare another Pokémon for their daughter.
"Wow!"
The little girl hugged the Psyduck egg with both hands.
Bathed in the glow of energy.
Her eyes sparkled, filled with anticipation for the new life and her future companion.
It was clear that the little girl's feelings toward Pokémon weren't driven by功利 (practical benefits).
"Crunch!"
The eggshell cracked, and a small yellow duckling, holding its head, emerged with a dazed expression.
"Quack?"
Psyduck tilted its head, looking at the little girl with curious yet vacant eyes.
"Hi, Psyduck! I'm Xia Xia. From now on, we're partners!"
The little girl's smile was radiant, as if she were truly greeting a new friend.
[Are they really going to raise this Psyduck? It's such a waste of time!]
[If you're raising it as a mascot, it might barely work…]
[Don't rush, the anchor hasn't said anything yet! If it's really not suitable, he'll probably advise against it!]
The comments section was buzzing with reactions to the scene.
"Anchor, Psyduck is so ditzy. Is it really suitable as my daughter's first Pokémon?"
The man couldn't help but ask.
Ye Yinchuan stared at the screen, confirming Xia Xia's feelings toward Psyduck and checking Psyduck's stats panel.
Then, he spoke with certainty:
"Who said Psyduck is ditzy? This Psyduck is amazing!"