Two days had passed since the tournament, and everyone had returned to their normal academic lives. Due to the exchange tournament between the two academies, Kelly, Tetsu, and Eichi had missed several days of classes.
However, this didn't matter. Eichi had long since self-studied the second-year curriculum. Even if he were absent for the entire semester, he wouldn't fall behind. Tetsu and Kelly were the same; influenced by Eichi, they also practiced self-study in advance, ensuring their coursework remained unaffected.
Just after a class ended, during the break, Tetsu turned around and bumped Eichi's shoulder. "Hey, Eichi, when is your Pokémon egg going to hatch?"
Without waiting for an answer, he added impatiently, "My Trapinch still has four days left. The wait is killing me!"
Eichi put down his third-year textbook. That was right—a third-year textbook. He had already finished all second-year subjects and was now moving on to third-year knowledge.
He thought for a moment and decided not to tell Tetsu that his egg would hatch today. When it happened, there were certain things that were better kept private.
"It should hatch within the next few days," Eichi replied.
"Really?" Tetsu asked. "Then you must tell me the moment it hatches. I'm dying to know what Pokémon is inside. You have to tell me!"
"Alright," Eichi promised. "I'll let you know as soon as it hatches."
After the morning classes and lunch, Eichi returned to his dormitory and eagerly took out the incubation pod. It looked the same as yesterday, but the countdown number at the base had disappeared.
This indicated that the Pokémon egg would hatch sometime today. Most importantly, Eichi could feel the egg inside vibrating slightly. It was clearly close to hatching.
From the moment he received it, Eichi had been continuously infusing it with Bug Force, hoping its talent grade would be higher upon birth.
He checked his schedule; luckily, there was only one class this afternoon. It was a Fire-type course taught by a burly man who was usually very kind to the students and often dismissed class early.
This time was no exception. The teacher finished his lecture early and let everyone go.
"Let's head back together, Eichi," Tetsu said while packing his books.
Eichi, who had finished packing long ago, declined. "Wait a moment. I have something to take care of, so I won't be going with you."
With that, he shouldered his backpack and hurried out. Tetsu watched him leave, feeling confused.
"What's the rush?" he muttered to himself before turning to a nearby classmate. "Want to head back together?"
"Sure, no problem!" the classmate replied happily.
Meanwhile, Eichi hurried toward the edge of the campus. Along the way, he could clearly feel the egg shaking inside the incubation pod. It was ready to hatch!
He quickened his pace, left the school gates, and headed into the forest. He chose the forest rather than the academy because he believed hatching in nature allowed a Pokémon to absorb natural essence, which was beneficial.
He had heard this from Teacher Takemoto, especially regarding Bug-type Pokémon. Although the benefits might not be massive, every little bit helped.
As he walked through the forest, the backpack began to shake violently. Eichi knew the time was near. He released his Bug Force to scout and found a river up ahead, realizing exactly where he was.
He sped up, the scenery blurring past him as he dashed toward the riverbank. Eichi arrived at the water's edge just as the egg began to thrash wildly in his pack.
He set the backpack down and pulled out the incubation pod. The egg inside was rocking intensely. Eichi pressed the button on the base, and the outer shell popped open. He carefully took the egg out and placed it on the ground.
Then, he pulled out three Poké Balls. "Come out, Beedrill, Scizor, Heracross!"
As his three Pokémon emerged, Eichi gave an urgent command. "Beedrill, Scizor, Heracross! Guard the perimeter. Do not let any other Pokémon near this area!"
Eichi was being exceptionally cautious for the sake of a smooth hatching process, but one could never be too careful. The three Pokémon understood the gravity of the situation and formed a defensive triangle around the site.
In the center, the Pokémon egg finally reached its moment of birth. Suddenly, its demand for Bug Force spiked, greedily absorbing the energy from Eichi.
After a minute of shaking, the surface of the egg emitted a burst of blue light. Within a dazzling white glow, the shape of the egg began to change. The round silhouette slowly flattened into an oval.
A minute later, the light faded, revealing its form. It had two exceptionally long feelers on its head and two large, scythe-shaped eyes. An oval shell covered its back, ending in a triangular pointed tail.
The shell was a silvery-blue color, while the rest of its body was red. It looked remarkably like a giant water bug from his previous life. Eichi's eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
"This is... a Wimpod!"
Wimpod, the Turn Tail Pokémon. It was a Bug/Water-type and the pre-evolution of Golisopod. They were typically found in the Alola region, which was incredibly far from the Johto region. He had no idea how this egg had ended up here.
Furthermore, Golisopod, its evolved form, had a base stat total of 530—on par with most starter Pokémon. It had been one of his favorite Pokémon in his previous life. This was a magnificent surprise; he was beyond satisfied.
The first person Wimpod saw upon birth was Eichi. It felt an indescribable sense of closeness toward him. It gave a cheerful cry and quickly scuttled to Eichi's feet to be near him.
Heracross was the first to run over to see the new member. Seeing Heracross move, Beedrill and Scizor also hurried over. They had never seen a Wimpod before and were filled with curiosity.