With Reden confidently convincing herself that her theory about his magic circles was correct, Arthur felt completely at ease.
Though she had managed to grasp the core mechanics of the two overlapping magic circles, she had ultimately overcomplicated things—and got it entirely wrong. One circle was linked to a concealed space within the Spirit Realm, where he stored data on the Pokémon templates he had created. The other connected to a random location within the Spirit Realm, designed to establish a link with a random animal soul.
Coordinates to another world? If he knew how to acquire those, he would've already tried reaching out to the Pokémon World and bringing real Pokémon here. But that was simply impossible.
Even if, by some miracle, Reden managed to decipher the magic circles, at most, she would uncover the coordinates of his hidden data storage and a random area within the Spirit Realm. Most likely, she'd end up believing she'd failed. And even if she did try to open the hidden storage, it was layered with illusion-based magic circles and secured behind multiple complex passwords—making it nearly impossible to even realize something was there, much less cracking it.
Speaking of that hidden storage… Arthur reminded himself that he needed to feed it more mana. More mana meant more Pokémon embryos, which meant more soulless Eggs. That was also why he constantly needed a large supply of mana-replenishment potions.
While Reden was silently basking in her misguided confidence, Rosaria came over and stretched lazily. With a tired sigh, she said, "The moment I step outside this tent, I have to become the cold and menacing princess again… Ugh, what a stressful life."
Arthur smiled. "I doubt Ponyta will let you keep up that facade for long."
Mid-stretch, Rosaria froze and turned to him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Arthur responded with a sage-like smile, voice laced with wisdom. "What desire has consumed humanity the most throughout history? Is it Greed? Lust? Gluttony? Wrath? Sloth? Envy? Pride? No, none of them!"
Seeing Reden and Rosaria—along with Lena and Wentia, who had wandered over at some point—now watching him intently, he paused for dramatic effect before declaring:
"It's the desire to pet everything!"
His words made them stunned, but after thinking about it carefully, they couldn't refute him!
Rosaria realized that with how affectionate Ponyta could be sometimes, would she really be able to resist? Could she honestly ignore Ponyta just to maintain her public image?
She couldn't!
With a wry smile, she gave in. "You're right…"
After stepping out of the tent, Arthur and Lena were met with cold, suspicious stares from the Kros Knights stationed around its perimeter.
What could two commoners possibly have discussed with Princess Rosaria that took the entire afternoon? The unspoken question hung in the air like fog.
Arthur paid them no mind, and Rosaria had no intention of offering explanations—at least not yet. She emerged shortly after Arthur's departure, her expression composed and unreadable. Ponyta, Reden, and Wentia trailed obediently behind her.
Though she'd agreed with Arthur that it would be nearly impossible to maintain her usual public image in the future, she still had to make the effort—appearances mattered, especially for royalty.
Her eyes flicked sideways to her Ponyta, watching carefully. She braced herself for one of its sudden, affectionate sneak-attacks—a surprise nuzzle at just the wrong time.
In truth, she would've liked to stay in Rastor Village for at least a week—long enough to witness the hatching of one of the Pokémon Eggs and ensure Arthur was around to help with the newborn's care. But she couldn't linger. Her original mission had been to inspect the villages within her assigned territory. Her siblings also had their own regions to oversee—part of their father the king's grand design: a training ground to mold his children into capable rulers.
Unfortunately, Rastor Village was one of the final stops on her inspection route. Time was running short, and after spending half the day talking Pokémon with Arthur and Lena, she had yet to begin her official duties here.
---
Back at the house, Arthur and Lena barely had time to step inside before the scolding began. Their parents, who had returned much earlier from hunting in the forest, were waiting.
"Where have you two been all day!?" their father, Hector, bellowed.
With his wild, short golden hair and the collection of scars etched across his skin, Hector looked more like a seasoned warrior than a farmer. A sword hung on his hip, completing the impression.
Their mother, Anna, stood nearby. Her long, wavy hair shimmered in hues of sky-blue with hints of nature-green, like leaves brushing against a clear sky. Her striking blue eyes, though beautiful, were sharp enough to cut—and right now, they were fixed on her children like daggers.
Arthur and Lena lowered their heads in unison. "We're sorry…"
But their parents' anger quickly faded as their eyes landed on the strange egg cradled gently in Lena's arms.
"Lena, what is that egg?" Hector asked, his curiosity piqued.
Anne stepped closer, equally intrigued. "That's an unusual egg… it almost looks like it has a turtle shell pattern. How peculiar?"
Overwhelmed by their sudden interest, Lena almost laughed in relief. Instead, she exhaled quietly, thankful. Somehow, the Pokémon Egg had saved her and her brother from a thorough scolding!
Lena told their parents to wait a moment as she hurried over to a corner of the room, enlisting Arthur's help to build a makeshift nest. Once they'd carefully secured the egg in place, she practically lit up with excitement and launched into an animated explanation about Pokémon. Every so often, she'd swap out Arthur's name with "Arceus" to hide some truths.
She had been itching to tell her parents about Pokémon ever since Arthur first summoned Caterpie, and now that he'd finally given her the green light, she fully embraced the role—channeling her inner "Professor Oak" for Hector and Anna.
Arthur simply smiled and left her to it, quietly slipping into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
Ever since he was old enough, Arthur had volunteered to cook for the family. The food here was far too bland for his tastes. He wasn't a trained chef by any means, but being an average cook from Earth made him practically a Master Chef by Rastor Village standards. After tasting his food once, Hector, Anna, and Lena had happily handed over all cooking duties to him. That arrangement worked out well; with his family managing most of the chores, and daily annoyances, and once the morning farm work was done, Arthur had plenty of time left to focus on his research.
It took Lena quite a while to explain everything, long enough for Arthur to finish roasting the Jujig Boar their parents had brought back from the forest that afternoon.
Jujig Boars were native to the region—weak monsters by classification, and plentiful in the nearby woods. No matter how often they were hunted, their numbers never seemed to dwindle. In fact, their population had grown so aggressive at one point that the village chief had to issue official missions to the Adventurer Guild just to keep their numbers in check.
Speaking of the Adventurer Guild... Arthur mused that it might be worthwhile to eventually introduce Pokémon to adventurers as well. But for now, relying solely on Princess Rosaria felt like a more stable approach for his own growth.
Once the table was set, everyone sat down, and the conversation gradually shifted toward Arthur.
Hector eyed his son thoughtfully. "I heard from Zack's Anna that you presented a fire horse to Her Highness, the Princess. Was that one of these... 'Pokémon' too?"
Zack's Anna was their neighbor—and Zack, her husband. It was a bit of a headache, but such confusion was par for the course in Rastor Village where every third woman seems to be named Anna.
Arthur nodded as he took a bite of grilled Jujig Boar. "Yes."
For the first time, he pulled out his Poké Balls. "Come out—Beedrill, Butterfree."
Now that the first phase of his dream had shown promising results, it felt like the right time to introduce his parents to Pokémon—before the next stage began.
"Beedrill!"
"Butterfree~"
With flashes of light, a wasp-like creature and a vibrant butterfly emerged, hovering gently above the dining table.
Hector's eyes were immediately drawn to Beedrill, his warrior's instincts stirred by the sleek, dangerous-looking insect. Anne, on the other hand, looked absolutely enchanted by Butterfree. Lena, however, went pale—visibly tensing as she tried not to flinch away from the pair.
"Sis," Arthur said gently, "I know they're insects, but they're not like the ones you're used to. Just look at how cool and cute they are!"
He reached up and gave both Beedrill and Butterfree affectionate pats on the head, then offered them each a piece of grilled Jujig Boar. Butterfree's natural diet was flower nectar, of course, but it had no trouble eating meat. In fact, his Butterfree had developed a strong preference for monster meat—likely because it had never tasted any delicious nectar since birth.
Foods imbued with magical energy were far more nourishing, and in this world, it was rare to find nectar that could match the magical potency found in monster meat.
"I-I'll try to get used to them…" Lena gulped, her voice trembling as she forced herself to meet the gazes of the two Bug-type Pokémon.
Hector leaned back, studying the Pokémon thoughtfully. "These two… they're also Pokémon?"
Arthur nodded and lowered his gaze slightly. "Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
His mother's expression softened with a hint of sadness. "You should've told us you had such a cute and beautiful pet."
She seemed completely smitten with Butterfree, who had, at some point, settled comfortably in her lap, happily munching on the grilled meat while basking in her gentle petting.
Hector, however, didn't seem to mind. He waved it off with a casual smilet. "It's fine."
Then, after a moment, he added—trying and failing to hide his excitement—"So… do you have any more of those Pokémon Eggs? You're not planning to leave your old man and mom out, right?"
Arthur smiled wryly and shook his head. "Right now, I can't. Summoning them requires specific materials."
To do it, he'd need to access his hidden template storage and use it to craft new Eggs. Artificially creating a Pokémon Egg wasn't a simple task—it burned through money fast. The only reason he had managed it so quickly in Rosaria's tent was because those Eggs had already been prepared in advance. They'd only lacked infant animal souls and a small infusion of his mana to form the living embryo inside the crafted eggshell.
Seeing both of his parents visibly disappointed, he glanced at Butterfree, and Beedrill—who were now curiously tilting its head at Hector—and paused, thinking for a moment.
"How about this," he said, "you two become Butterfree and Beedrill's Trainers from now on… That is, if they both agree."
Butterfree didn't hesitate. It nodded eagerly, swaying its antennae up and down in delight.
Beedrill, however, hesitated. After a short pause, it slowly shook its head.
Anna lit up with joy, beaming as she reached up to pet Butterfree with even more affection. Hector, on the other hand, looked absolutely heartbroken.
He'd taken a liking to the big wasp-like creature immediately—but clearly, it wasn't mutual..
Arthur sighed inwardly, a bit annoyed by Butterfree's eagerness to leave him. First Ponyta, and now Butterfree? Am I that bad of a Trainer?
He glanced at Beedrill, his eyes shining with tears. At least you still choose me. I love you, Beedrill!
Beedrill felt a chill run down its exoskeleton. Arthur's emotional stare was… intense.
Is it too late to change Trainer now? Beedrill questioned itself.
Trying to lift his father's spirits, Arthur promised to summon a Pokémon Egg for him once the ordered materials arrived. Then, he left Lena in charge of teaching their mother how to use a Poké Ball, the Pokédex, and other Pokémon basics. Hector listened in as well, eager to prepare for the future.
Meanwhile, Arthur retreated to his room, finally allowing himself to rest.
Today had been exhausting.
But even as he lay on his bed, something continued to nag at him. I feel like I forgot to tell Rosaria something... What was it again?
However, no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't come to him. With a sigh, he pushed the thought aside and let himself drift off.
---
Seven days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Rosaria had left on the first day, promising to return a week later after the Pokémon Eggs had hatched. She would bring the requested materials and research funds at that time. Since there were so many things to prepare, it was impossible to gather everything in just one day, and they would need the full week to get it all ready.
During this time, Arthur spent most of his days with his family, enjoying their company and the newfound freedom of his Pokémon, who now flew around the yard instead of being cooped up in their Poké Balls to hide from public eyes.
He had worked for years to make his Pokémon dream a reality, so taking a small vacation was well-earned—at least until Rosaria's next visit. However, it wasn't a complete break. He still had to craft a new version of Pokémon for when Rosaria brought the baby Pokemon over. He'd already gathered enough materials for one Poké Ball, so all he had to do was craft it and wait to test it.
Meanwhile, Lena had been pestering him nonstop about getting a new Pokémon Egg for Arthur.
Her reasoning was simple: once her own Pokémon hatched, she wouldn't have anyone to battle with since Beedrill was far too strong for a newborn.
Arthur didn't think twice before agreeing to her request. After all, he still had one Harmonite left, and more were set to arrive soon. It didn't make much sense to hold on to it, so why not get a new Pokémon for himself?
He also owed a lot to Lena, who had been supporting his research using her own savings. So when she made such a simple request, he happily agreed.
That decision turned out to be a good one—Beedrill eventually became Hector's Pokémon.
This happened when Beedrill showed interest in joining the hunting team. During multiples afternoon trips to the forest, Beedrill grew closer to Hector, and the two of them formed a bond.
Arthur couldn't help but feel a little melancholic. My fourth Pokémon won't leave me too, will it? He thought as he stared at the yellow egg with the black hue at its base that he had just summoned.
Though a tinge of sadness lingered, Arthur was happy knowing that his Pokémon had found places where they truly belonged.
Besides, this arrangement was an excellent way to promote Pokémon in the village. When Butterfree and Beedrill accompanied Hector and Anna on their hunting trips, the results were remarkable. Their diverse moves and strategies made dealing with tough situations look effortless. Butterfree, in particular, with its multiple status-effect moves, made the hunts smoother and more efficient, earning the admiration of the other villagers.
His dad came home bragging every day, proudly telling Arthur how the other villagers were dying to get their hands on a Pokémon of their own.
Arthur could only ask his dad to tell them to be patient a little while longer.
Eventually, once he noticed Lena's Egg becoming more active—and determined it would hatch soon—Rosaria returned to the village on the eighth day since she left.
She arrived quietly in the evening, this time accompanied only by Wentia and Reden. There was no squad of Kros Knights to escort her. They didn't even inform the village chief. Instead, they simply showed up at Arthur's doorstep and knocked.
Because they hadn't brought a carriage, the journey from Kross, the Royal Capital, to Rastor Village only took a single day. Had they traveled with the usual royal entourage, it would've taken at least three.
Their sudden appearance stunned Hector and Anne, who froze for a moment before panicking. They scrambled to welcome the princess, frantically tidying up and trying to make the house look presentable the moment they saw Rosaria's familiar, expressionless face.
Before Arthur could say anything, Lena had already rushed over and hugged Rosaria like an old friend. Beaming, she asked, "Are you here because of the Eggs?"
"Yeah…" she muttered with a stiff smile, recalling how Ponyta's overly affectionate nature had indeed caused quite a few public headaches—nearly breaking her carefully maintained, expressionless image more than once.
Arthur, noticing the lack of Kros Knights, walked over and gave her expressionless face a curious look. "You're here unofficially, aren't you? In that case, there's no need to act so formal with us."
Truth be told, he was a little surprised. He had expected them to visit after one of their Pokémon had hatched—not before.
Rosaria glanced at him, then looked over at his parents, who were frantically dusting furniture and throwing together makeshift decorations to welcome royalty. She let out a stretch and grinned, finally dropping the formal facade.
"What a rude commoner," she said with a dramatic huff. "Not even a proper greeting for a beautiful princess like myself." She puffed out her chest, radiating exaggerated nobility.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, amused. "You might've pulled that off—if Ponyta wasn't currently nibbling on your hair."
"…What?" Rosaria froze, then slowly turned her head. Behind her, Ponyta stood happily chewing on three strands of her long, rose-petal-colored hair.
"Ponyta! What are you doing?!" she cried, face flushing bright red as she scolded the fiery horse. Then she spun around, flustered, to glare at Wentia and Reden. "And you two! Why didn't you stop her?!"
Both of them quickly averted their eyes, barely suppressing their laughter.
"Good job, Ponyta. Glad you came to visit!" Arthur said with a smug grin, which annoyed Rosaria, as he casually used a fire-resistant brush to comb through Ponyta's fiery mane. He had crafted the brush from special materials so it wouldn't burn—originally half-finished before Ponyta became Rosaria's Pokémon. Even though he no longer needed it, leaving a project incomplete bothered him so much that he ended up finishing it anyway.
Seeing the princess so relaxed and down-to-earth, Hector and Anna breathed a sigh of relief and welcomed their unexpected royal guests inside. Aside from Reden, who looked slightly uncomfortable, neither Rosaria nor Wentia seemed to mind the humble, farmer's house at all.
"Mmm… who made this grilled Jujig Boar?" Rosaria asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she took a bite, after Wentia had carefully ensured it was safe to eat.
"That would be Arthur," Lena replied with a small, proud smile.
"Not bad," Rosaria nodded, impressed. It was still far from the palace chef's level, of course, but considering this was a remote village with limited ingredients, it was remarkable how flavorful the meat turned out.
"Perhaps I should bring some palace spices next time, so we can truly test your skills," she added, smiling.
Arthur chuckled nervously. "Please don't…" He was just an average cook by Earth standards. Simple seasonings were manageable, but too many options might overwhelm him and ruin the balance.
After some casual conversation and a simple meal, they finally got to the main reason for the visit.
"Reden," Rosaria said, "show Arthur the Pokémon Eggs."
"Yes, Your Highness." Reden twirled her hands in the air, summoning three gently floating eggs from the void. They were encased in shimmering, purple-tinted glass spheres—clearly magical incubators.
Since the eggs now contained living beings, they could no longer be stored in alternate space. Their earlier appearance from the void was likely due to illusion magic, which safeguarded them.
The three eggs floated before them, faintly trembling. Cracks had already begun forming on the pale green and fiery red one, while the light brown egg showed no signs of cracking just yet.
Taking the cue, Lena brought out her own egg and Arthur's. Both of them were only slightly shaking. Clearly, the magical incubators had accelerated Rosaria's group's hatching times significantly.
This would be the first time Hector and Anna witnessed Pokémon hatching, so they called Butterfree and Beedrill to share in the experience.
Silence enveloped the humble wooden home, broken only by the soft hum of insects and distant chatter from the neighbors as everyone gathered around the eggs.
Arthur gently motioned for everyone—except the egg owners—to step back. While most Pokémon were naturally friendly, it was best for them to imprint on their parents or Trainers upon opening their eyes for the first time.
Rosaria and Wentia carefully lifted their eggs from the incubators and held them close, gently cradling them. Wentia looked nervous, clutching her egg as if it might vanish, while Rosaria's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Reden, arms crossed, muttered a little bitterly, "We got our eggs almost at the same time… Why is mine still not hatching?"
Because yours has slightly higher base stats and a unique evolutionary line, Arthur thought, but kept it to himself.
Suddenly, the two eggs in Rosaria and Wentia's arms began to crack faster. Light burst out from within, flooding the small house with radiant brilliance.
When the glow faded, nestled in their arms were two newborn Pokémon—wide-eyed, curious, and full of life.
"Char~!"
"Bulbasaur~!"
Two distinctive cries rang out, echoing softly through the room.