Nozomi signed his name on the egg, and Nurse Joy immediately clutched it like a treasured prize, gently tucking it into the pouch on Chansey's belly.
"…"
Nozomi had assumed the egg was some kind of rare Pokémon egg—but to his surprise, it turned out to be a Chansey egg!
Beside them, the Chansey who had just received the signature stared pitifully at the egg with a sorrowful expression.
Was this really okay?
Look at Chansey—it looked like it was about to cry!
In the end, Nozomi bid farewell to this starstruck, idol-chasing Nurse Joy.
It was getting late, and the Pokémon Center was filling with trainers looking for a place to stay. Joy was busy with work, so Nozomi didn't linger long. He headed straight for the hot springs.
"Phew!"
Sinking into the warm water, Nozomi took a sip of the fruit juice the attendant brought and let out a long breath.
"This is the life."
The long journey had left his body exhausted. Though his stamina usually masked it, the instant he relaxed in the spring, he could feel the fatigue seep into his bones.
Beside him, Leafeon watched her trainer's blissful expression and hesitantly dipped a paw into the water—only to retract it immediately, wincing from the heat.
For a Grass-type like her, the temperature was definitely on the hot side.
While soaking, Nozomi didn't just idle. They'd been traveling non-stop, and he hadn't had time to review his team.
Among the newly captured Pokémon, Aerodactyl had already seen some action, but the Larvitar he'd taken from Team Rocket—and the Magikarp he'd caught earlier—were still untouched.
Thinking of this, he released both.
Splash, flop, splash!
The golden Magikarp flopped on the stone floor beside the pool, shimmering brilliantly in the evening light.
Meanwhile, the freshly released Larvitar looked dazed at first—but as it felt the humidity in the air and saw the steaming water, its face instantly filled with fear.
Ground and Rock types like Larvitar had every reason to dread water.
"Larvitar. Magikarp."
Nozomi beckoned gently.
Larvitar hesitated. It knew Nozomi was its trainer, but its instinctive fear of water made it falter.
Yet after a brief inner struggle, it overcame its fear and waddled to his side.
"Larvitar."
Now that Nozomi could examine it closely, he realized how small it was—about the size of a plush toy. Its demeanor was completely unlike the mighty Tyranitar it would one day become.
"You've got a long way to go," Nozomi murmured.
Though Tyranitar's typing came with many weaknesses, as a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, it was undeniably powerful.
With proper training, this Larvitar could one day become one of his main team members.
At that moment, Magikarp, seeing Larvitar approach, decided to join them as well.
Flop. Flop. Flop. It bounced toward Nozomi.
And just as it was about to reach him, Magikarp gave a mighty leap—
Splash!
It dove straight into the hot spring, sending up a burst of steam that made Nozomi jump.
"Magikarp, are you okay!?"
He hurriedly scooped it out of the water. The temperature wasn't boiling, but it was still far higher than what Magikarp were used to. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally cook his fish.
Fortunately, Magikarp were among the hardiest Pokémon in the world, capable of surviving in nearly any body of water—and Nozomi's shiny one was even more resilient.
When he lifted it out, it was still thrashing about energetically.
"Phew… thank goodness."
He exhaled in relief.
That could've gone very wrong. If his Magikarp had turned into boiled fish, he'd have no tears left to cry.
But just as that thought crossed his mind, a blinding light erupted from the Magikarp in his arms.
A fierce crimson glow pulsed within it.
"What the—!? Is it evolving!?"
Nozomi knew this day would come eventually, but wasn't this a bit too sudden? A hot bath triggered its evolution? Was this some new form of evolution method?
The light was so bright he could barely look at it. He could feel the Pokémon growing heavier and longer in his grasp.
He didn't dare let go.
If he did, he was sure the entire hot spring would be destroyed—and he definitely didn't want to pay damages. No matter how rich he was, that wasn't how he wanted to spend his money.
Thankfully, Nozomi had telekinesis. He supported the transforming Pokémon in the air above the water—since it was an open-air spring, there was plenty of space.
Under the cloak of light, Magikarp's body expanded, lengthened, and thickened until, at last, the glow faded—revealing a massive crimson Gyarados suspended in midair, held up by psychic force.
"So heavy…"
Even through his excitement, Nozomi could feel the strain.
He carefully lowered Gyarados onto the open ground beside the spring and exhaled deeply.
Finally, it was over.
"You really couldn't have picked a worse time to evolve," he sighed.
Gyarados seemed to understand it had caused trouble and lowered its head, nudging him gently in apology.
Thankfully, this evolution didn't go the way some trainers' experiences did—where Magikarp evolved and immediately attacked them.
Though its bright red scales made it look ferocious, this Gyarados's temperament was surprisingly gentle.
"That's good. I'd rather have one that listens."
Some claimed that the angrier a Gyarados became, the stronger it got—but Nozomi never believed that.
He believed in control, not chaos.
With Gyarados's extraordinary potential and his own skill as a trainer, Nozomi had no doubt they could take on anyone.
As he ran a hand along the dragon's gleaming scales, the door suddenly opened. An attendant stepped in—and froze, staring wide-eyed at the scarlet Gyarados before nearly collapsing in fright.
"S-sir! Are you all right!?"
In the Pokémon world, everyone knew what a Gyarados was—an embodiment of destruction when enraged. But to see one inside their resort?
"Don't worry," Nozomi said calmly. "This is my Gyarados. Sorry for the scare."
Hearing that, the attendant let out a shaky breath of relief, though the shock hadn't worn off. A Gyarados—especially a blood-red one—wasn't something you saw every day.
"It won't cause any trouble, will it?" Nozomi asked.
"N-no, of course not!" the attendant stammered.
After all, the guest before him was the wealthy young man who'd rented out the entire hot spring. He was just there to ensure the customer's safety, not question his choice of bathing partners.