Chapter 4: Incubation
The next day arrived in a blink, and I found myself back at school. As I sat in my seat, I was already thinking ahead—after class, I'd head to Viridian City to ask Aunt Rachel if I could borrow an incubator.
Just then, my desk mate AJ turned around. With his fiery red hair, thick eyebrows, and wide eyes, AJ had the kind of smile that made people instantly trust him. Most thought he was just a straightforward, honest guy—which he was, most of the time. But now and then, he could be surprisingly clever, almost sneaky in a way that didn't match his usual image.
"Hey Evan," AJ said, leaning over. "Didn't you head out to catch your first Pokémon yesterday? How'd it go? Did you get one? What kind?"
I shrugged. "Not exactly. But I did find a Pokémon egg."
AJ's eyes widened. "A Pokémon egg? Whoa, that's some serious luck! Do you know what kind it is?"
"Not yet," I said. "You can't tell what kind of Pokémon it'll be until it hatches."
AJ nodded, realizing it made sense. "Right, right."
Then he perked up. "Oh! I got my first Pokémon yesterday too! Wanna know what it is?"
I glanced at him, already picking up on the show-off vibes. "What is it?"
He grinned. "It's a Mankey!"
A pig-monkey Pokémon known for its explosive energy and its hidden ability, Anger Point. A Fighting-type with a fiery spirit. It eventually evolves into the powerful Infernape.
That was a solid starter. No wonder AJ looked proud.
His dad used to be a trainee at a Fighting-type gym, but he got eliminated due to a lack of talent and came back home to Viridian. Now he's captain of a local construction crew. Their family's doing better than mine, that's for sure. AJ's Mankey probably came from his dad's old Infernape—makes sense.
When classes finally ended, I booked it straight to Viridian City.
It took about thirty minutes to reach the city. Once I entered, the energy hit me immediately—bustling streets, shops lined up one after another. Most stores catered to humans, but if you wanted Pokémon-related stuff, the department store was the place to go.
As the home of the Viridian Gym, the city was packed with people—locals, travelers, trainers. Some were clearly on their way to challenge the Gym, while others just passed through.
I ignored all that. I was here for one thing.
Following my memory, I found the Pokémon Daycare where Aunt Rachel worked.
Despite being called a "house," the daycare was more like a facility—three stories tall, with a backyard the size of a basketball court. It was tucked away in a quieter part of the city.
Inside, the place was buzzing. Trainers, breeders, customers—all coming and going. No one greeted me at the door. They were all too busy.
I spotted Aunt Rachel massaging a Persian—an elegant, high-class feline Pokémon. The kind nobles love to pamper. A woman in flashy clothes stood next to her, probably the Persian's owner.
I didn't want to interrupt, so I wandered the daycare for a bit.
I saw all kinds of Pokémon—even some from other regions. There was a Roserade, a Lopunny, a Glameow…
I was impressed. This place had everything.
I made my way to the back garden—full of rock formations, trees, little rivers. Pokémon were playing and relaxing everywhere.
Then I saw it.
"Oh man… is that a Dragonite?" I whispered.
I kept my distance but stared in awe. My first time seeing a pseudo-legendary. It noticed me staring, but just yawned and kept napping.
Eventually, I found a spot near Aunt Rachel and waited for her to finish.
After a while, she noticed me and walked over with a smile. "Evan? What brings you here today?"
"Aunt Rachel," I said quickly, "Can I borrow your incubator?"
She blinked. "You've got a Pokémon egg?"
I told her everything about finding the egg the day before.
Rachel frowned. "Sorry, I'm not allowed to lend out the store's incubators. They're for official use only."
My stomach dropped. "What should I do, then?"
Seeing my worried face, she paused, then smiled gently. "How about this—you leave the egg here, and I'll hatch it for you."
I lit up. "Really? Thank you, Aunt Rachel! I'll go get it right now!"
I rushed all the way back home, carefully packed the egg in my backpack, and raced back to the daycare. I was panting and dripping with sweat when I got there.
I handed over the egg. Aunt Rachel took it gently and examined it. "Come with me."
We went up to the second floor. The room was lined with machines—rows of eggs carefully placed inside each one.
She walked to one of the square-shaped machines and pressed a few buttons. The transparent lid lifted with a soft hiss. She placed the egg inside, and the cover closed slowly over it.
I watched her every move, fascinated.
After checking the settings, she turned to me. "According to the scanner, it might hatch in a couple of days."
"Really? That soon?" I beamed. "Can you tell what it'll be?"
She shook her head. "Not exactly. But judging by the shell pattern and energy reading… I'd guess it's either a Grass-type or Bug-type."
I hung around the incubator a bit longer, thanked Aunt Rachel, and went home.
The next day after school, I dashed back to the daycare.
Seeing me running in again, Aunt Rachel chuckled. "You're back already? Go check on your egg."
I found it right away. No changes—yet.
I wandered around a bit more, then sat down and pulled out a book to kill time.
After reading for a while, something odd caught my eye.
I walked over to the incubator and placed my hand on the lid. For a brief second, I saw a green flash on my palm.
Then the egg wobbled.
I blinked. Was I seeing things?
But it shook again—more clearly this time.
I bolted downstairs to grab Aunt Rachel. She followed me back up, glanced at the egg, and checked the monitor.
"It's hatching," she said calmly.
The words had barely left her mouth before the egg began to glow with a brilliant white light.
(End of Chapter)