In a room on the second floor, Natsu and a group of Pokémon from the farm huddled around the incubator, watching nervously.
Ever since Zorua had brought this egg back, it had shown no reaction for a long ti.
At one point, they even wondered if it was a dead egg.
However, the life energy pulsing from within indicated that it was growing steadily.
Not just Natsu—every other Pokémon was equally puzzled.
Did Togepi take this long to hatch back then?
"Toki?"
No way, it just popped out instantly.
Togepi, pacing around Natsu’s feet, looked at its companions with confusion.
In its mory, its earliest monts were hazy.
It felt like it had only taken a short nap, and the next thing it knew, it was looking at Natsu.
It didn’t feel like much ti had passed at all.
Hmm… Not much of a reference point.
"Audino."
Audino pushed open the door, holding two bottles of warm milk.
Aside from the milk, it had also prepared a variety of items to care for the newborn Pokémon.
Clean towels, toys to catch attention, soothing incense to relax the atmosphere—
Anything that might be useful, Audino had prepared it.
It was a much more thorough setup than what Natsu had arranged when Togepi hatched.
"Hoo~"
Testing the temperature of the MooMoo Milk against the back of its hand, Audino conjured tiny flas on its fingertips.
These flickering flas hovered around the bottle, gently warming the milk.
As a Normal-type Pokémon, Audino had quite a versatile skill set.
If not for its widespread use in the dical field, it could have been a formidable support Pokémon in double battles.
"Audino."
After preparing the milk bottle, Audino turned to the gathered Pokémon watching the scene unfold.
Too many onlookers could put pressure on the newborn.
Its soft voice, like a feather brushing against the heart, made everyone feel slightly ticklish inside.
Despite their curiosity, under Persian’s leadership, the Pokémon obediently left the room.
"Uumah!"
At the back of the group, Ogerpon made a cheering motion toward Natsu, as if encouraging him.
Natsu couldn't help but laugh.
Why does it feel like I'm the one giving birth?
Now, only Natsu, Audino, and Zorua—who was busy playing with a ball—remained in the room.
Truly playing with a ball.
Sohow, Zorua had found a Poké Ball and was rolling it around.
It looked similar to the one used to catch Ting-Lu earlier.
The difference was that this one was entirely water-blue—
Kind of like a Dive Ball.
"You little troublemaker, you brought it back and then completely ignored it."
"Suosuo!"
Who says I ignored it?! I played with it, okay?!
Zorua imdiately protested.
Natsu, you can’t slander like this!
I used to cuddle with the egg whenever I had nothing to do!
How is that ignoring it?!
Zorua refused to take the bla for this.
"That’s even worse than ignoring it."
Natsu ruffled Zorua’s head before turning his attention back to the incubator.
The egg inside wobbled occasionally, as if eager to enter the world.
Natsu had considered taking it out, but Audino stopped him.
Audino explained that it wasn’t quite ti yet—this was just the Pokémon inside gathering strength and testing the mont.
The real hatching would begin when the shaking beca much more intense.
That would be the right ti to take it out.
Natsu had always been good at listening to advice.
He knew he wasn’t an expert in every field, so he never stubbornly insisted on doing things his way.
Trying to argue against professionals with half-baked knowledge was just plain foolish.
Seeing Natsu accept its guidance, Audino felt a sense of relief.
Back when it was an intern at the Pokémon Center, it had encountered all sorts of frustrating cases—
People who didn’t follow dical advice, those who used ho redies instead of proper treatnt, those who stopped dicine without permission, and those who outright refused professional help.
Every day, those patients had given Audino endless headaches.
When it first arrived at the farm, it had seed relaxed on the outside, but inside, it was anxious—
Worried that its new trainer might be one of those people who refused to listen.
That would have made life really difficult.
Luckily, Natsu was a good person.
Humming a light tune, Audino took so of Natsu’s worn clothes and placed them around the room.
These clothes carried Natsu’s scent, which would help the newborn Pokémon feel more comfortable with him.
A chaotic mix of unfamiliar scents could confuse or unsettle a newly hatched Pokémon.
This thod wasn’t guaranteed to work, but at the very least, it wouldn’t hurt.
A lot of things labeled as “unnecessary” were, at their core, simply acts of goodwill.
"Audino."
After a brief observation, Audino told Natsu it was ti to take the egg out.
By its estimation, in just a minute or two, new life would arrive.
Since newborn Pokémon tend to recognize the first creature they see as their closest companion, Audino gave Natsu a few simple instructions before leaving.
Before stepping out, it also scooped up Zorua and carried it out the door.
"Suosuo!"
Let go! I wanna watch!
"Audino."
Alright, alright, we’ll check later.
Like coaxing a child, Audino gently patted Zorua’s back while walking outside.
Having interned at a hospital, Audino had mastered just the right amount of force to hold Zorua securely—
No matter how much Zorua struggled, it couldn’t escape.
The first Pokémon on the farm, aside from Natsu, to successfully restrain Zorua had appeared.
Though, to be fair, Zorua hadn’t been trying that hard to escape.
Still, it was a victory.
When Audino erged carrying Zorua, the other Pokémon outside looked at it with wide eyes—
Awe-struck at the sight.
As expected of a Pokémon from the big city, it had effortlessly accomplished what none of them could.
Back inside the room, Natsu placed the egg on a cushion and sat down on the couch.
For so reason, he felt oddly nervous.
Unlike with Togepi, this ti, the Pokémon about to hatch was definitely not ordinary.
Zorua had hinted at this multiple tis before.
See? I brought you a huge surprise!
Shouldn’t you reward with an extra al or sothing?
To which Natsu had firmly refused.
Your appetite is already as big as Corviknight’s.
If you keep eating like this, won’t you turn into a little piglet?
Natsu was highly skeptical.
Back in the room, the egg's movents grew more intense.
A blinding white light seeped through the shell.
At that mont, Natsu felt like he was sitting in front of a bomb about to explode.
Finally, a crisp cracking sound echoed through the room.
The glow of life burst forth in its brightest form.
"Nyaa!"
(A very ani-style cry—crossed out)
As the light faded, a small Pokémon appeared on the cushion.
Its water-blue body looked almost liquid.
It had a tiny fra and a large, round head adorned with flat flotation sacs and ribbon-like feelers.
Above its eyes were two blue circular markings, connected by a thin black line.
A red gem was embedded in its chest.
Even though he had already anticipated it, seeing this Pokémon in person still left Natsu deeply shaken.
"Hello, Phione."
Steadying his emotions, Natsu reached out and greeted it softly.
That’s right—
The Pokémon that hatched from the egg was none other than the mythical Pokémon, Phione.
To be honest, Phione was a rather awkward Pokémon in many ways.
It carried the title of a mythical Pokémon,
But many people were reluctant to recognize it as one.
First of all, Phione is the child of Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea.
From a title standpoint, you could say this child is...
A commoner of the sea?
From a stat perspective, this little one is a classic jack-of-all-trades.
High EQ: Well-rounded, no weaknesses.
Low EQ: Nothing special, all weaknesses.
Phione’s base stats are a perfectly balanced 80 across the board, totaling 480.
What does that an in comparison?
Slowking: 490.
Corviknight: 495.
Gardevoir: 518.
Yeah… not great.
You could say it inherited Manaphy’s balance, but not its strength.
Manaphy’s stats are all 100, with a total of 600.
Of course, we know a Pokémon’s strength isn’t just about base stats.
Abilities and move pools matter too.
As for its ability, Hydration allows it to recover from status conditions when it rains.
Its move pool is decent, and it shares an exclusive move with Manaphy—Heart Swap, which heals status conditions while boosting Special Attack and Special Defense.
All in all, it’s a fairly solid Pokémon.
But as a Mythical…
It could probably compete for the title of “Most Disappointing Mythical.”
That aside, Phione is one of the rare Mythical that actually exists in large numbers.
The Pokédex describes them as living in warm seas, inflating the float sacs on their heads to drift on the ocean’s surface. When the water temperature rises, you can see them floating near the coast.
Yes, them.
Phione isn’t rare.
After all, Manaphy can breed with Ditto to produce Phione eggs.
(Soone should probably investigate Manaphy’s private life—redacted.)
Also, the Pokédex has this to say:
"Its azure blue body blends in with the sea, allowing it to avoid predators."
Excuse , what kind of Mythical has predators?!
A flood of thoughts flashed through Natsu’s mind before he quickly adjusted his mood.
Regardless of whether Phione counts as a Mythical, it was born on the farm.
Maybe one day, it would follow Manaphy back to the ocean.
But for now, it was his responsibility to take care of this child.
“Phi?”
Sitting on the cushion, Phione blinked at Natsu in confusion, as if it hadn’t quite figured out the situation.
This human’s scent, the atmosphere around him… it all felt familiar.
Like it had sensed them back when it was still in the egg.
That made Phione feel at ease.
And this human had a warmth about him that was… comforting.
Sleep-inducing, even.
“Phi.”
Under Natsu’s astonished gaze, Phione wobbled forward a couple of steps before flopping right into his arms, eyes half-closed.
Like a sleepwalker, it reached out and hugged him, mumbling softly.
Natsu instinctively held Phione gently, pausing for a mont before realizing what had just happened.
Looking down at the tiny, sleeping Pokémon in his arms, he couldn’t help but smile.
It was both the joy of witnessing new life and the realization of Phione’s affectionate nature.
Finally, a well-behaved child on the farm.
It had been a long ti since they’d had one like this—ever since Cinccino.
For so reason, the farm hadn’t seen a gentle, clingy Pokémon in ages.
Hisuian Zorua? A socially withdrawn little girl.
Always lurking in dark corners, whispering to Ogerpon.
Togepi? A little troublemaker.
Spends all day scheming, only to get chased around by Cinccino.
Emolga? A little scher.
By now, the number of fish it’s been hoarding could probably field a full soccer team.
With substitutes. And a coaching staff.
Kirlia? A hardcore Corviknight fangirl.
Enough said.
Natsu just hoped the farm wouldn’t end up with a delinquent Gardevoir. That would truly be a nightmare.
Gazing at the adorable Phione, Natsu picked up a bottle of Moomoo Milk, fitted with a pacifier, and offered it to the little Pokémon.
“Phi?”
Half-asleep, Phione caught the sweet scent in the air and struggled to open its eyes.
Not by much, but it was clearly trying.
Like a student desperately trying to stay awake in class.
Once it saw what was in front of it, Phione instinctively latched onto the bottle and started drinking.
This was the highest-quality Moomoo Milk available on the market.
Specially formulated for newborn Pokémon.
The price per bottle would be a financial gut punch to most families.
If Natsu had any expertise in dairy farming, he wouldn’t be giving his money away like this.
Maybe I should get so Miltank in the future.
Watching Phione drink contentedly, Natsu mused.
He already had Ampharos and a herd of Wooloo—adding a Miltank herd wouldn’t be a stretch.
Raising a few was raising a few. Raising a lot was still just raising a few.
Besides, with the Pokémon population on the farm growing, Natsu could already foresee the inevitable baby boom next spring.
Hormones would kick in, instincts would take over, and before long, Pokémon eggs would be everywhere.
There would be plenty of newborns to care for then.
“Audino?”
As Natsu was mulling over his plans for next year, a voice ca from the doorway.
It was Audino.
Maybe it was an instinct etched into its very being.
Or maybe it was the training it received back at the Pokémon Center.
Either way, when it ca to caring for newborn Pokémon, Audino had an unwavering sense of duty.
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