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The tide rose and fell, and the waves rolled against the rocks as if the sea itself were singing.
Deep inside the damp Tidal Cave stood a great hatchery, built specifically for raising Water-type Pokémon eggs.
"This is our hatchery," a beautiful young supervisor explained softly to the group. "Every rare Pokémon egg from the Golden Secret Realm is hatched here, including eggs of prized Pokémon like Horsea and Squirtle. None of these eggs are for sale to the public. Each one has been officially registered and recorded by the Association."
"Mm. There's no need to explain further. We'll look at the eggs ourselves." Jacob nodded, letting his gaze sweep over each incubation box. With his system's scanning ability, he checked the potential of every egg in the room almost like a machine, calling out the results one after another.
"Gym Leader-level."
"Overlord-level."
"Lord-level."
"Quasi-Heavenly King-level."
...
Jacob had come to the Golden Secret Realm today for two reasons.
First, he wanted to find two Pokémon for Davis. He had once promised Davis that he and his sister would each receive a Pokémon with strong potential, and a promise was a promise. If he wanted his people to risk their lives for him without hesitation, he had to reward them properly in return. Davis hadn't finished the task he'd been given, but rewarding him now would only make his loyalty run deeper.
Second, Jacob wanted to see whether the Golden Secret Realm held any Pokémon with truly exceptional potential. What if, by some chance, there was one with Champion-level potential or higher?
He walked slowly down the aisle, stopping now and then, and spent more than ten minutes checking every egg in the hatchery. By the end of his walk, he had found only two eggs worth taking: a Squirtle with Quasi-Champion-level potential, and a Magikarp with King-level Qualification potential.
There was no Champion-level Pokémon among them, but the Magikarp and the Squirtle were more than good enough for the Davis siblings.
Once he'd made his choice, Jacob turned to Som. "How many can I take?"
Som straightened under the weight of the question and answered carefully. "Under normal circumstances, taking an egg from here requires a selection quota issued by the Association—"
Jacob raised a hand, cutting him off. "Skip the formalities. Just tell me the number."
Som exhaled. "Two. That's my full quota for the year. If I report one accidental loss inside the hatchery, I could stretch it to three, but that's the most I can offer."
"Only two a year?" Jacob asked, genuinely curious. Trainers who guarded secret realms like this one were usually given selection quotas, but it surprised him that even a Champion like Som had so few.
"Mm," Som said, nodding. "The Four Heavenly Kings get one a year. Champions get two."
"Fair enough." Jacob nodded. "Pack these two eggs for me first." He pointed to the Squirtle and Magikarp eggs, then asked, "Is this everything? Are there no others?"
Som thought for a moment. "There are still a few dozen eggs that haven't been put on display yet. They were laid this past week and haven't been graded. You're welcome to take a look. If something catches your eye, I can arrange to have it quietly reclassified into a lower grade so you can simply purchase it."
"Let's go see them, then." Jacob nodded. He understood exactly how these arrangements worked.
The Pokémon Association enforced strict rules, but there were always ways around them. A Champion like Som, so long as he avoided eggs laid by especially powerful Pokémon or by Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, had plenty of legal means to quietly acquire a small number of eggs. Even the Association knew this happened, and turned a blind eye as long as things didn't get out of hand. It was simply one of the privileges that came with being a Champion. The world had never been entirely fair, and it wasn't about to start now.
The thought carried Jacob back to when he had first set out as a Trainer. Back then, in a small town like Starlight City, there had been no secret realms at all — he couldn't have found a single Pokémon with King-level Qualification potential even if he'd wanted to. His father, Rory, had been a Bug-type Gym Leader, but even he had never been allowed into a secret realm's forbidden or VIP areas. If he had been, Jacob's journey as a Trainer might have started much sooner.
But now he was Giovanni — High School Cup Champion and a gifted Pokémon doctor. These days, all it took was a short walk through a secret realm's forbidden area to find Pokémon with King-level Qualification potential or better. The very Pokémon that ordinary people could only dream of were, to him, hardly worth a second glance.
...
Jacob followed Som into a smaller hatchery next door, where the newly laid, ungraded eggs were kept. There weren't many — only thirty or forty in all.
He scanned through them quickly.
A Horsea with Champion-level potential. That was a pleasant surprise.
Near the last few eggs, Jacob suddenly slowed. His eyes lingered on one egg in particular. He studied it closely, then looked up at Som. "Is this... a Horsea egg?"
"Mm," Som said, nodding. "Kingdra is one of the signature Pokémon raised here."
"Pack this one too."
"Of course." Som nodded and glanced down at the egg again. He couldn't see anything unusual about it himself, but if Giovanni had chosen it, it had to be special.
...
From there, Jacob and the group moved on to the young Pokémon area. Unfortunately, the only notable find was a single Mareanie with King-level Qualification potential, and it was already under close watch by the secret realm's staff. Jacob didn't press the issue — what he'd already gained that morning was more than enough, and there was no reason to put Som in a difficult position over one Mareanie.
...
Afterward, the group left the secret realm together and headed to the Golden Hotel in Golden City for lunch.
Having secured three Pokémon with King-level Qualification potential or higher in a single morning, Jacob was in a good mood. He had already decided how to divide them: the Magikarp with King-level Qualification potential and the Squirtle with Quasi-Champion-level potential would go to the Davis siblings, just as he'd promised.
As for the Horsea with Champion-level potential, he had two ideas in mind. If he couldn't find anything with even greater potential within the month, he would give the Horsea to Whitney. He had once promised her a Pokémon with Champion-level potential, and while a Kingdra couldn't quite match a Garchomp of the same tier, it was still an excellent gift. Still, if it was at all possible, Jacob hoped he might find a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon with Champion-level potential instead — something truly worthy of making up for what he owed Whitney.