After last night's lively housewarming party, only Cole, Daisy, Popplio, and Helioptile remained at home tonight.
Cole waved and announced, "Tonight I'll make everyone a delicious feast!"
"Garde~" — Yay!
"Woo woo~" — Agreed!
"Ah-bi~" — Can't wait!
The three Pokémon cheered in unison.
Using the leftover ingredients from yesterday, Cole prepared some dishes from his previous life for everyone.
Though the food turned out average due to limited ingredients and seasonings — and his years without cooking — everyone still ate with great enjoyment.
The happy atmosphere of family dining together, combined with everyone trying these novel dishes for the first time, made the meal special.
As they were eating and chatting merrily, Helioptile suddenly let out a loud cry that startled everyone.
"Woo~" — What are you screaming about!
Popplio, who had always maintained a one-sided rivalry with the gecko, was the first to criticize.
Whoosh~
Helioptile ignored it and quickly scrambled from the chair onto the table, rushing to the incubator containing the Pokémon egg.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~"
It pointed at the Pokémon egg in the incubator, calling out excitedly.
"You say you just saw it glow?" Cole asked.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~"
It nodded frantically.
"Woo~" — Where did it glow? I didn't see anything!
Popplio interjected from the side.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~" — Really, I really saw it!
Usually Helioptile never responded to the sea lion's provocations, but today it seemed somewhat anxious and hurried to defend itself.
Cole quickly comforted it, saying, "I believe you. Maybe this Pokémon egg is about to hatch — after all, we've had it for two months now."
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~" — Yes, that must be it!
Just then, another flash of white light passed over the Pokémon egg. This time not only did Helioptile see it, but Cole, Daisy, and Popplio all saw it clear as day.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~"
The gecko jumped up and down excitedly.
"Alright, alright, we all saw it." Cole said with a smile, "Looks like this Pokémon egg really is about to hatch. Why don't we take it out of the incubator?"
"Ah-bi~"
Helioptile nodded firmly, then quickly pressed the incubator's switch button and carefully carried the egg out.
Seeing how carefully it was handling the egg, Cole said with amusement, "Looks like you really like this new friend who hasn't even hatched yet."
Helioptile gently patted the Pokémon egg, nodding shyly.
At this moment, the Pokémon egg lit up again, even brighter than before.
"Helioptile, put the egg in the center of the table, and we can watch while we eat." Cole suggested.
"Ah-bi~"
It nodded and carried the Pokémon egg to the middle of the table, while Daisy thoughtfully added a soft cushion underneath it.
So the family continued eating and chatting while waiting for the new member to arrive.
As time passed, the frequency of the egg's glowing increased, and the light grew increasingly intense.
But it seemed in no hurry to hatch — everyone had finished dinner, cleared the table, and washed the dishes, yet it still hadn't emerged.
Popplio was getting a bit impatient. Lying on the table, it complained.
"Woo~ Woo~" — How much longer before it comes out? Why is it being so slow!
Cole said helplessly, "How can you rush something like this? A baby needs to take its time being born — for all you know, you might have been even slower when you were born!"
Just as he finished speaking, the dark green Pokémon egg suddenly burst with light, an intense milky white glow enveloping it completely.
When the light faded, a little creature about twenty centimeters tall appeared before everyone. It had grayish-green rocky skin, a long blunt horn on its head, and a red diamond-shaped scale on its belly, resembling a small dinosaur.
Larvitar!
Seeing this Pokémon, Cole was overjoyed — he couldn't believe they'd actually hatched a pseudo-legendary baby! The Three Legendary Birds were the best!
The newly hatched Larvitar looked bewildered at everyone gathered around. Far from being afraid, it glared at the human and others one by one — quite temperamental, but also very cute.
Cole stepped forward, opened his arms, and said with a smile, "Little one, congratulations on being born. Come, let brother give you a hug."
"Yow~"
Just as he reached out, Larvitar swatted his hand away with a "pat", its expression clearly saying "don't touch me".
"The little one's quite fierce." Cole said sheepishly, then took out a berry and offered it, "Are you hungry? Want to eat?"
When one plan failed, he tried another.
Larvitar stared at the berry for several seconds, then looked up at him, silently accepting it. With a crunch-crunch, it devoured the berry in two bites, not even leaving a seed.
After eating, it paused, looking at Cole with hesitation.
"What's wrong?" He tried to make his expression as gentle as possible.
Larvitar hesitated for a moment, then silently reached out its short arms toward him again.
"Still hungry?" Cole asked tentatively.
"Yow~"
Larvitar nodded slightly.
Seeing this, he quickly took out several more berries and placed them in front of it. Larvitar immediately picked one up and started munching away eagerly.
Soon the berries were all eaten up clean, and the little Pokémon looked at Cole again. This time its eyes had lost their previous wariness and ferocity, replaced by a hint of expectation.
Baby hungry, baby want more food~
"The little one sure can eat!" Cole exclaimed, but his hand still obediently reached for more berries.
Larvitar really could eat — despite being less than twenty centimeters tall, it had already eaten a pile of berries in no time. That little belly was like a bottomless pit, showing no signs of fullness despite eating so many berries.
He seriously suspected that the Three Legendary Birds might have hurriedly passed this little one to someone else because they were afraid it would eat them out of house and home.
The little one had just been born, and after eating its fill, it immediately closed its eyes and fell fast asleep on the table.
"Ah~ Let's carry it to the room to sleep."
As he spoke, Cole reached out to pick up Larvitar, but on the first try, the little one didn't budge; on the second try, the little one rose up, but he put it back down.
"Is this one a bit heavy?" He asked with a bewildered expression.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~"
Helioptile tried to pick up Larvitar too, but couldn't lift it — its small frame wasn't much bigger than the new baby's.
"Let me try again!" Cole said.
This time he managed to lift Larvitar, though his face turned red from the effort. Taking careful steps, he struggled to carry the baby Pokémon to the room.
"Phew~ That was exhausting!" He said, wiping sweat from his brow. After settling Larvitar, he turned to the other three, "It's time for our hidden energy circuit illumination. We'll go to sleep after we finish! Who wants to go first today?"
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~" Helioptile raised its hand first!
"Alright, you'll start today."
Cole led the three Pokémon to the special room built for illuminating hidden energy circuits. After Helioptile lay down on the bed in the middle of the room, he began his work.
First, he injected the gecko with anesthetic to eliminate any pain sensation.
Having learned injection techniques from Nurse Joy and practiced extensively, he administered it so skillfully that the Pokémon lost consciousness without feeling a thing. Then he began illuminating the hidden energy circuits.
Years of practice had made him extremely familiar with Helioptile's internal energy circuits, and his skilled operations allowed him to complete the work quickly.
Of the three Pokémon, the gecko had started illuminating hidden energy circuits last. While Daisy's progress was slow due to her complex circuits, Helioptile still lagged somewhat behind Popplio.
After finishing, Cole carried it to the side to rest and looked at Daisy and Popplio, "Who's next?"
Daisy stepped forward without hesitation.
Cole had been gradually switching from using Helioptile's electromagnetic waves to anesthetic when illuminating hidden energy circuits.
Though electromagnetic waves worked, they weren't as effective at blocking pain as anesthetic, and some sensation could still get through. Now that he could afford it, there was no need to settle for second best — anesthetic was the safer choice.
Daisy was soon finished as well.
Finally it was Popplio's turn. It obediently lay down on the bed, closed its eyes, and remained still, ready for the procedure.
Cole followed his usual plan for illuminating hidden energy circuits, carefully balancing the amount to avoid overwhelming the Pokémon while maintaining effectiveness.
After completing Popplio's daily quota, he noticed something surprising — only a tiny portion of its hidden energy circuits remained, less than a fifth of what was typically done in the next session.
Why not finish it all today? A slight adjustment to the schedule shouldn't cause any problems.
So he continued, illuminating that final small portion.
When Popplio's hidden energy circuits were fully illuminated, Cole witnessed something remarkable — its entire energy circuit system began to glow faintly, the surging Source Energy sparkling like stars across the night sky. The sight was breathtaking!
The newly illuminated circuits seamlessly merged into the complete energy circuit cycle.
After the procedure, the Pokémon slowly awakened from their anesthesia.
"How does everyone feel?" Cole asked.
"Ah-bi~" — Just like before, nothing feels particularly different.
Helioptile answered.
Daisy nodded in agreement.
Cole turned to Popplio, "What about you, Popplio? All your hidden energy circuits are illuminated now!"
"Woo~"
As the sea alionbegan to respond, everyone froze — its voice had transformed completely, becoming clear and crystalline, like the sound of first love's song.
Popplio was just as shocked by its new voice, quickly covering its mouth with its flippers.
Popplio: (°□°)
Whose voice is this?
"This must be from having all the hidden energy circuits illuminated — don't worry, it's nothing bad." Cole explained.
Hearing this, the sea lion finally removed its flippers from its mouth.
"Woo woo~ Woo woo~"
It tentatively began to speak, and its voice had indeed become pleasant to hear. To Cole, Popplio's voice felt like sipping an ice-cold drink on a sweltering summer day after exercise, when sweat drips down your back.
The feeling refreshed his very soul — a pure spiritual delight.
"Let's go outside and see how these voice changes affect your moves!" He suggested.
"Woo~"
Popplio nodded eagerly, keen to understand its new voice.
Everyone headed outside, found an open space, and the sea lion stepped forward to sing.
The first move it tried was Disarming Voice.
✲ Disarming Voice ✲
As the beautiful song rang out, the air began to vibrate violently — as if it might explode at any moment — yet Cole and the others remained entranced by the melody.
Bang~
The violent vibrations triggered a powerful explosion, and the tremendous blast finally snapped everyone out of their song-induced trance.
Looking at the huge crater in the distance, Cole asked in disbelief, "Popplio, did you do this?"
Popplio itself was shocked, having never imagined its voice could amplify Disarming Voice so dramatically. But getting stronger was a good thing, so it proudly puffed up its little chest.
"Woo~" — That's right, it was me!
Cole patted its head and said, "Well done, well done! Having all hidden energy circuits illuminated really is powerful! Want to try some other moves?"
"Woo~" — Yes!
Popplio nodded firmly and tried Sing next, but as soon as it opened its mouth, Cole and the others felt their eyelids growing heavy. He quickly shouted.
"Stop, let's save this move for another time."
If they had continued testing moves, everyone would have fallen asleep.
Just then, another thought struck him, and he asked the lively sea lion: "Popplio, now that all your hidden energy circuits are illuminated, evolution shouldn't have any negative effects. Would you like to evolve?"
Its eyes instantly lit up at his words.
"Woo~ Woo~" — Really? I can really evolve now?
It had wanted to evolve for a long time. If Cole hadn't warned that evolving too early might affect its future growth, cautioning against focusing only on the present, it would have become a Brionne long ago.
All Popplio dream of evolving into beautiful, elegant, and powerful Primarina — it's an instinctive desire encoded in their genes.
"Of course you can. If you want to evolve, just take off your Everstone." Cole answered.
Without hesitation, Popplio yanked off the Everstone hanging around its neck and hurled it to the ground, as if settling an old score with the stone.
Do you know how long I've waited for this day?
Cole quietly picked up the Everstone and tucked it into his pocket: Why throw it on the ground? We can use it for Larvitar later!
With the Everstone removed, Popplio's body began to emit a rainbow-colored light. Within the glow, its form slowly grew taller and larger, transforming before their eyes.
Helioptile and Daisy watched with bated breath, not daring to blink as they witnessed Popplio's evolution — a sacred and solemn ritual for all Pokémon.
"Brionne~"
As the rainbow light faded, the newly evolved Pokémon let out a joyful cry.
No, it should be called Brionne now!
Its voice carried a touch more maturity than before, though still maintained its youthful charm.
"Brionne~" — I've finally evolved!
It examined its new form with wonder.
The transformation was striking: its skin had lightened to match the color of the sea, its eyes sparkled with newfound charm, its ears had become delicate braids, and it now wore an elegant layered dress.
In short, it was adorable!
"Congratulations, Brionne!"
Everyone gathered to offer their congratulations.
Then everyone returned to their rooms to sleep. Tonight, Helioptile chose to stay with Larvitar instead of going to Cole's room.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Cole felt something tugging at his hair.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~" — Wake up, wake up, Cole, quick, wake up!
"What's happening? Is there an earthquake?" He opened his eyes, his head throbbing.
He'd spent the previous night working late to illuminate Popplio's hidden energy circuits and test its abilities. He'd hoped to sleep in, but here he was, being roused at this early hour!
This was just... too painful!
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~" — Cole, this is terrible! Larvitar is eating dirt in the garden! You need to do something!"
Helioptile kept urging him.
Dragged to the courtyard in a daze by the gecko, Cole found Larvitar with its bottom in the air, digging up dirt from the flower bed and stuffing it in its mouth.
Daisy's flowers and plants lay completely dug up and scattered about.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~"
Helioptile pointed at Larvitar in confusion — why would it eat dirt when it had already been given plenty of berries this morning?
"Alright, alright, calm down, I'll go ask." Cole said soothingly.
He was now fully awake.
"Larvitar, what are you doing?" He asked gently as he approached the flower bed, reminding himself to be patient with the newly hatched Pokémon.
Quick and agile, Larvitar stopped digging at the sound of Cole's voice. With a little kick of its short legs, it flipped over the flower bed's edge, still holding up a clump of dirt as if asking:
Want some?
Cole asked, "Does it taste good?"
He suddenly remembered that Larvitar, being a Rock-type Pokémon, needed to consume rocks during its growth to meet its developmental needs.
Larvitar shook its head.
"Yow~ Yow~" — Not very tasty.
Cole didn't scold it, understanding that its body was likely sending signals about what it needed, causing it to act on instinct.
He planned to ask Emely about arranging Larvitar's diet when he got to school, and get some custom Pokéblocks made for it while he was at it.
He threw away the dirt clump in its hand and said, "Let's not eat this anymore. I'll get you something better to eat later."
"Yow?" — Really?
Larvitar stared steadily at him.
"Of course it's true!" Cole promised.
Alright then! Larvitar cheerfully jumped out of the flower bed, then walked away with its hands behind its back, swaying from side to side.
Seeing this, Helioptile hurriedly followed after it.
Cole was now completely awake and no longer sleepy, so he decided not to go back to bed. Instead, he would go for a run outside, then return home to wash up, eat breakfast, and head to school with his backpack.
✲✲✲
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