Chapter 39: Togekiss
After Marcus nonchalantly knocked the researcher out with a single kick, he muttered, "Egg this, egg that." Then he turned his gaze back to Kenji.
Kenji's eye twitched. He hadn't expected the usually composed Gym Leader to be so casually brutal. Seeing Marcus looking at him, Kenji reluctantly held out the egg, resigned to giving it up.
Marcus raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eyes. "What's this? Changed your mind? Don't want the egg anymore?"
Kenji froze, his head snapping up to meet Marcus's gaze. In that instant, he understood the unspoken message. An irrepressible wave of joy washed over him. He quickly schooled his features, trying not to look too ecstatic, and snatched the egg back, clutching it tightly. "Yes! I want it!" he nodded frantically.
Marcus chuckled. He tossed the unconscious researcher onto Pidgeot's back alongside the others. "Consider the egg your reward for helping capture this Team R scum. Need a lift back?"
Kenji shook his head. "No, thank you, Uncle Marcus. You go ahead. I can get back on my own."
Marcus nodded, didn't argue, and recalled his Pidgeot. He then released a Tropius from another Poké Ball, mounted it, and flew off into the distance.
Kenji watched until Marcus was just a tiny speck in the sky before finally letting out a long, shaky breath. He had been incredibly lucky. If it had been a League investigator instead of Marcus, there was no way he would have been allowed to keep the egg.
He owed Marcus yet another favor.
Kenji rubbed his nose, feeling a little embarrassed. Since they had met, Marcus had given him Treasures, granted him free access to the gym's top-tier facilities, and even subtly helped showcase his Beedrill's strength during the assessment battle (that Scyther matchup was clearly intentional). Metropolis Academy's extravagant offer, including the pseudo-legendary, was also likely influenced by Marcus confirming his "special ability."
And now, Marcus had indirectly gifted him a Champion-potential Ekans egg with a unique ability.
Kenji let out a soft laugh. He needed to find a way to repay Marcus... or maybe Melody.
He carefully placed the egg inside his backpack and hurried back toward the city. Once he reached the main road, he managed to hitch a ride back to Edgecliff. From there, he took a taxi straight to the Pokémon Center.
He first went to the rest area, released Beedrill and Gyarados, and gave them their lunch. Then, he went alone to the shopping section and purchased an incubator specifically designed for Pokémon eggs, along with several bottles of nutrient solution. The incubator provided the optimal environment for hatching, while the solution supplied essential nutrients to speed up the process. Neither was cheap; the total came to a hefty 250,000 Pokédollars.
The expense stung, but thinking about the Champion-potential egg inside made it feel entirely worthwhile. While he was there, he also bought himself a proper storage backpack for 450,000.
In just a few minutes, he had spent 700,000. Kenji looked at his drastically reduced bank balance and sighed.
He placed the incubator, now containing the precious egg, into his new storage backpack, recalled his well-fed Pokémon, and checked the time. It was still early. He decided to head back to the Edgecliff Gym.
When he arrived, Melody wasn't in the usual training area. Kenji didn't think much of it. He released Beedrill and Gyarados and let them begin their individual training routines. Both his Pokémon were incredibly self-motivated; they didn't need him constantly watching over them.
Pokémon training, much like human studying, could be a tedious and repetitive process. Some Pokémon simply lacked the drive to battle or grow stronger, while others were too easily distracted or preferred playing. Those types required constant supervision from their trainers.
Kenji considered himself lucky. Both Beedrill and Gyarados possessed an intense desire to improve. They trained diligently on their own, leaving him with plenty of free time.
He pulled out his phone, sent Melody a quick message asking where she was, and then started browsing online battle videos, studying strategies.
A few minutes later, Melody replied, asking where he was. He told her he was in the training area. She didn't respond after that.
A few more minutes passed. Kenji caught a familiar figure jogging toward him out of the corner of his eye.
"You're back already?"
Melody bounced over, a bright, cheerful smile on her face. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes sparkled with an infectious energy. She seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood—bordering on ecstatic.
Kenji looked her over, then his gaze fell to her waist. Where there had been two Poké Balls yesterday, there were now three.
"What's got you so happy? Catch a new Pokémon?" he asked, surprised.
Melody giggled and nodded, not bothering to be coy. "Yep! Just caught it."
"Oh? Let's see it," Kenji said, curious.
Melody readily obliged, unclipping the newest Poké Ball from her belt and tossing it into the air.
"Go, Togekiss!"
A beam of red light shot out, and a white, airplane-shaped Pokémon with red and blue triangular markings on its belly appeared, hovering gracefully in the air.
Kenji blinked, stunned. He hadn't expected her new partner to be a Togekiss.
Togekiss, the final evolution of Togepi, was an incredibly rare Pokémon with a unique evolution path. Togepi evolved into Togetic through high friendship, and Togetic evolved into Togekiss using a Shiny Stone.
Togekiss
Level: 39
Ability: Serene Grace (The chances of a move's secondary effects occurring are doubled.)
Potential: B+