Cynthia was also wondering what kind of cute little creatures would hatch from the two Pokémon eggs she had obtained.
The ones responsible for incubating the eggs were Togekiss and Blissey. Togekiss took the morning shift, and Blissey worked the night shift.
Most Pokémon eggs don't take very long to hatch. Eggs that are offered as prizes or in trades have usually already been cared for for a month or two, long enough to confirm there's nothing unusual about them.
Once they reach the hands of Pokémon Trainers, these eggs often hatch in less than a month; there are even cases where they hatch right after being received.
After returning to Sinnoh, Cynthia resumed her usual routine, dropping by the Pokémon League when she had time, helping out when needed, and staying home otherwise.
She had previously told Luther about her daily routine, and Luther had truly been envious. It was clear that he genuinely wanted to live that kind of life.
But with the shady group known as the Rabble lurking in the background like a shadowy wolf, he couldn't afford to be lazy or slack off. In a way, it was a good thing, his talents would be wasted if he stayed too laid-back.
After finishing her stir-fried noodles, Cynthia noticed her phone screen was glowing. That's when she remembered she had set it to silent mode. She picked it up and saw several missed calls from Diantha.
She called back.
"What do you need?" she asked.
Diantha yawned; it was obvious she was just about to go to sleep.
"You didn't pick up, so I thought you were asleep. Did you win two Pokémon eggs at the Lunar Ring Mall?"
"Yeah. The store that tests move power was running a shady promotion, so I taught them a little lesson. Why?"
Diantha made a thoughtful "oh," paused a moment, then said, "The Pokémon eggs given out during that promotion were all supplied by a company under a contract. But apparently, a few other Pokémon got mixed in by accident."
Cynthia scratched her head. "Other Pokémon? So what? Aren't they all just Pokémon?"
"Do you remember last year when researchers from every region were sent to…"
"Hold on, are you saying these eggs came from that place? I thought until the Pokédex and all the data were fully integrated with the other regions, the Pokémon League wasn't recommending any eggs or Pokémon be released? Trainers unfamiliar with their habits could easily mess things up."
Diantha sounded troubled too. "You know how merchants are… The Pokémon League only advised against it. They never banned it. Besides, that's how it always was before the regional leagues unified."
At that moment, Blissey came running over, cradling a Pokémon egg. She heard Cynthia discussing eggs and thought they were calling for her.
"…You're not about to tell me I got one of the really special ones, are you?"
"During the Lunar Ring Mall's event, nineteen Pokémon eggs were given out. Afterward, someone hatched one and notified the Pokémon League. That's when they realized something was up. They checked, and the company admitted that three or four special Pokémon eggs had accidentally been included. But there's no way to confirm which ones before they hatch, so the Kalos Pokémon League has issued a notice: any trainer who hatches an unfamiliar Pokémon should stay in touch with the League."
"…They want them back?" Cynthia asked.
In Cynthia's view, once something reached her hands, it was hers. She had raised so many Pokémon already, she wasn't some rookie. No way would she return it. Not in this lifetime.
"That's what the Kalos Pokémon League is recommending."
"Oh? So you're trying to use Kalos League rules to restrain the Champion of Sinnoh? Stop acting like a mouthpiece for them. Just tell them this: I can raise it, and I will raise it. If it hatches, it's part of my team. If they want it back, they can come to my house and ask me themselves."
Diantha sighed. She had expected exactly this kind of answer.
"But... Luther also got a Pokémon egg that day, didn't he? His Marill won the Big Eater Contest, and he took one of the eggs too."
Diantha yawned again. "I'm not even going to ask him. Once something's in his hands, there's no way he'll give it up. Last time he even said that he doesn't have enough Pokémon right now. If he buys a house or a ranch in the future, this few Pokémon would make the place feel too empty. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads-up so you're mentally prepared."
With that, a sleepy Diantha said goodnight to Cynthia and hung up the phone.
Cynthia tossed her phone onto the sofa, crouched down in front of Blissey, and carefully examined the Pokémon egg in her arms.
Togekiss also came running over with another egg in its hands.
"Eggs from that place? Don't tell me both of mine are the special ones?"
As she spoke, Cynthia pressed her ear to the egg, listening intently. She knew this wouldn't help her figure out anything, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity.
"Get me a scale."
Roserade, hearing Cynthia's voice, quickly rummaged through a cabinet and brought over an electronic scale.
Cynthia weighed both Pokémon eggs. The weights were almost identical. Based on her previous incubation experience, there was nothing unusual in their data, everything looked normal.
After thinking for a moment, Cynthia picked up her phone and sent a message to Luther.
"Hey, you there?"
A moment later, Luther's message notification popped up.
"I'm here, I'm here. You're still awake?"
"Let's video call."
Cynthia sent a video call request, and Luther accepted it quickly.
"Hmm… your Ralts evolved?"
The screen showed half of Kirlia's body, which shifted Cynthia's attention away from the egg for a moment.
"Yeah, it just happened naturally…"
Luther gave a brief explanation of what had happened that afternoon. Cynthia fell into thought, quietly sighing, Ralts really was just like Luther in personality.
"Show me your Pokémon egg."
Luther turned his camera to the Pokémon egg. Cynthia examined it carefully, then looked at her own egg and sighed.
Just as she expected, it was a waste of effort. There was no way to tell the difference… but now that her curiosity was piqued, it was unbearable.
"What's wrong with my Pokémon egg?" Luther asked.
Cynthia thought for a moment. She wasn't sure if Luther had picked the one, so she decided to leave a bit of suspense and surprise for him.
Most importantly, she couldn't be the only one feeling annoyed!
"You'll understand when it hatches. I don't know how to explain it."
Luther was confused.
"No, come on! Now I'm super curious and it's killing me!" Luther quickly followed up, "What happened? Just tell me, please?"
Hearing Luther's reaction made Cynthia feel much better all of a sudden.
If you're suffering, sharing it with someone else makes it bearable!
"Alright, alright, stop asking. Just hatch it and see. Good night, Luther. Oh, and good night to Kirlia and Mai too."
Cynthia waved at the screen, not giving Luther a chance to stop her, and ended the call without hesitation.
Luther stared at the now-black screen of his phone, feeling restless and agitated!
Cutting off halfway through the conversation was just too cruel. He was already really curious about what might hatch, and now Cynthia had to go and stir things up with that call.
It suddenly reminded Luther of that old meme: "What exactly did the Sandslash say?"
(End of Chapter)
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