c5: Gardevoir and the Unknown Pokémon Egg Hatching
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, as the morning sun slowly rose over Donghu Park, the crisp winter air buzzed with energy.
After bonding closely with her newly adopted Eevee the previous day, Chen Xiaoxiao had taken another step to strengthen their connection. She spent 2,000 system points to redeem a genuine Soothe Bell an item known throughout Trainer circles to enhance friendship between Pokémon and Trainer, as referenced in the Pokémon Adventures manga during Silver's bonding arc with his Sneasel.
Now, it was back to training.
Accompanied by Kirlia and Eevee, she advanced deeper into the vibrant wildflower zone nestled in the park's heart, clearing out bug-type wild Pokémon for experience and practice.
"System," she said, eyes narrowing with calculation, "exchange for one Apex-tier Bug-type energy cube, and one pack of Common Bug-type cubes."
Moments later, a radiant, honey-scented energy cube materialized in her hand.
Chen Xiaoxiao passed the gleaming Apex cube to Kirlia. "Take this and do your thing. Lure them in."
"Kirlia." (Understood.) Kirlia gave a crisp nod, used Teleport, and darted off among the trees.
It didn't even take five minutes.
She returned leading a parade of curious wild Pokémon Caterpie, Butterfree, Weedle, and Beedrill. The mid-stage evolutions like Metapod and Kakuna had expressed interest in coming too, but unfortunately, their physical limitations left them rooted to the ground stiff, silent, and left behind (cue weeping in the tall grass).
"Same rule as always," Chen Xiaoxiao called, the corner of her mouth quirking into a grin. "Winners of one-on-one duels get Kirlia's Apex cube. Losers can share the common ones with me. Kirlia will spar with Butterfree and Beedrill. Eevee, you'll take Caterpie and Weedle."
She gave Kirlia a playful glance.
"Kirlia, you're free to go wild."
"Chirooo." (No problem.) Kirlia flourished with her arms.
Once again, Chen Xiaoxiao was weaponizing food for battle.
Ditto. Eevee. Wild encounters. Was there anything food couldn't bribe?
In Chen Xiaoxiao's opinion, the Apex energy cubes produced by the system were the equivalent of divine ambrosia irresistible to any Pokémon with functioning taste buds. She didn't even have to sell the idea anymore. The wild Pokémon lined up willingly, as if it were a gym queue.
Why were they so obedient? Why wasn't she being swarmed?
Simple: Butterfree were naturally gentle creatures. They wouldn't attack unless provoked.
As for Beedrill well, they remembered.
The first time Chen Xiaoxiao had tried luring wild Pokémon with snacks, she'd underestimated their temper. She had been swarmed by an aggressive cluster of Beedrill. Panicked but prepared, she had executed a flanking maneuver using Teleport to reposition herself behind them, then commanded Kirlia to max out Calm Mind six stacks and sweep them all with a single empowered Confusion.
Like slicing bamboo.
Even Weedle and poor Kakuna hadn't been spared. That entire Beedrill colony was crushed into submission.
And no, that wasn't the end of it.
Driven by vengeful spite and stubbornness, Chen Xiaoxiao returned twice daily for a week straight, challenging them, breaking their pride, and then bribing them.
Eventually, a truce was struck: from now on, whenever Chen Xiaoxiao came to train, it would be in the form of friendly 1v1 duels with snacks provided. Win or lose, everyone got a taste.
(The Beedrill still shiver at the memory.)
One bite of Chen Xiaoxiao's system-produced energy cubes and they were hooked. Compared to the bitter berries and diluted nectar they used to forage, the cubes were gourmet-level cuisine. It was no wonder they tolerated this arrangement.
After all, even common energy cubes retail at around ¥80 each.
Apex-grade? Ten times that.
Only someone with a game-breaking system like Chen Xiaoxiao could afford to hand those out like Halloween candy.
This, more than anything, illustrated the reality of the Trainer profession: money was power. The more resources you had, the stronger your team, the farther you could go. In exchange, high-level Trainers could access rare zones and uncharted regions. A single item say, a flawless Evolution Stone could sell for millions.
"Eevee, dodge Caterpie's String Shot with Quick Attack. Then finish it off with Confusion!"
(Note: As seen in the anime, Quick Attack can be used to both evade and reposition.)
"Booy!"
Eevee vanished in a blur, the silk threads from String Shot falling uselessly behind her.
In a heartbeat, shimmering psychic stars formed behind her, fired like arrows toward Caterpie.
The tiny bug squealed, rolled over with spiraling eyes, and collapsed in the grass.
Defeated in seconds.
Battle over? Not even close.
Chen Xiaoxiao laughed to herself it really was just bribery by food.
For all the tactics and strategy involved in Pokémon Contests or Trainer battles, sometimes a well-timed snack outperformed the best-trained moveset. In many wild encounters, it only took one or two well-placed attacks to finish the job.
After giving one last order, Eevee took down its final opponent with a clean move. Kirlia had already finished her matches and had even used Heal Pulse to restore her opponents, allowing the gathered Bug-type Pokémon to recover enough to sit up. Now, with hopeful eyes, the forest creatures stared at Chen Xiaoxiao, practically drooling.
The scene was almost too cute to handle.
"Kirlia, Eevee, and everyone else worked hard today," Chen Xiaoxiao said warmly. "Kirlia, go ahead and share the snacks."
Kirlia nodded as Chen Xiaoxiao handed her a pack of Common-tier energy cubes, specifically tuned to Bug-type preferences. The Psychic-type Pokémon floated gracefully among the crowd, distributing the cubes evenly. The Caterpie wriggled happily, the Beedrill buzzed in low harmony, and Butterfree released a soft cloud of glittering spores in delight a clear sign of their approval.
Once the feeding frenzy settled, Chen Xiaoxiao and her Pokémon made their way toward a traditional pavilion nestled in a shaded grove of the park. There, she sat down, leaned against a wooden beam, and accessed her system interface with a tap of her fingers.
"The Talent-Enhancing Potion still needs another 10,000 points for redemption," she murmured, scrolling through the options. "No rush. Even though the system said reaching Championship-tier potential will speed up growth, I'm not exactly lagging behind."
She smirked as she checked her current balance just above 20,000 points. She thought for a moment.
"Right now, the most cost-efficient item is definitely the Exp. Share."
Without hesitation, she selected and exchanged for it.
(Note: In this world's system, Exp. Share activates passively after exchange and doesn't require physical attachment to a specific Pokémon. It simply resides in the system backpack.)
"The wild Pokémon here don't even reach level 20," Chen Xiaoxiao noted mentally. "Kirlia can sweep them without effort. I just need to give commands for Eevee to build battle synergy. Goal: evolve Kirlia into Gardevoir by hitting level 30 today."
After resting for an hour, they ventured deeper this time toward the large artificial lake at the heart of Donghu Park.
There, Chen Xiaoxiao tossed out a Water-type Apex energy cube. As its scent wafted through the air, ripples formed in the water. Within minutes, a lineup of Water-types emerged onto the shore: Poliwag wobbled forward, Krabby clicked their claws eagerly, Slowpoke gazed forward lazily, and a few nimble Staryu spun along the ground.
What followed was a methodical training session. For every hour of battle, there was an hour of rest a regimen straight from the Pokémon Adventures manga's training arcs, balancing endurance with experience efficiency.
By the time the sun dipped behind the skyline, Kirlia shimmered with an intense, silver glow.
At level 30, the evolution was inevitable.
Fortunately, Chen Xiaoxiao had anticipated this. She had quietly moved her party to a more secluded corner of the park to avoid attention. If anyone had seen the flash of light and recognized what was evolving, it would've caused a stir.
After all, in recent Trainer Association polls, Gardevoir ranked #1 in the "Most Desired Partner Pokémon" category.
(For context: all runner-up positions were occupied by pseudo-legendary Pokémon such as Salamence and Garchomp.)
"Gardevoir… congratulations."
Chen Xiaoxiao's voice was a little softer than usual. She had intended to pat her companion on the head, but Gardevoir's sudden increase in height made that a bit awkward. She hesitated, then smiled instead.
"Booy, booy!"
Eevee leapt excitedly, dashing around the newly evolved Gardevoir like a spinning top.
"Sha-nai~ (Thank you, Xiaoxiao. Thank you, little Eevee)," Gardevoir replied with a graceful bow.
"System, display Gardevoir's updated stats."
Pokémon: Gardevoir (Shiny Variant)
Gender: ♀
Level: 36 (Peak Elite Tier) (evolution bonus: +6 levels)
Type: Psychic / Fairy
Nature: Calm (Special Attack + / Attack -)
Ability: Synchronize (Transfers poison, paralysis, or burn to the opponent when afflicted)
Hidden Ability: Telepathy
Held Item: Twisted Spoon (Increases Psychic-type moves by 20%)
Potential: Champion-tier (Indicates maximum growth ceiling. High potential also grants accelerated growth.)
As expected, evolution not only boosted her level but catapulted Gardevoir's strength from elite-grade to the upper elite tier.
Then, a sudden alert rang in the interface.
Ding!
[System Notification]: Unknown Pokémon Egg Hatching in 30 minutes.
Chen Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in delight. "Gardevoir, Eevee we're done for the day. Our new teammate's about to hatch. Let's head home!"
"Gardevoir, use Teleport. Let's try to avoid attention."
She returned Eevee to the Poké Ball, and Gardevoir stepped beside her, lightly placing a hand on her Trainer's back.
"Sha-nai. (Understood.)"
Six soft pulses of light flickered through the darkness six sequential Teleports carried them silently over rooftops, weaving around potential onlookers. Though Donghu Park was about 10 kilometers from Chen Xiaoxiao's home, Gardevoir's evolved form could now teleport nearly 2 kilometers per leap. The detour was necessary, not only to stay hidden but also to avoid mid-teleport disruptions from strong ambient auras—something even highlighted in the Pokémon Adventures manga during Sabrina's high-risk teleportations.
Back in her bedroom, Chen Xiaoxiao released Eevee, and the trio took turns showering and changing.
(After a full day outside, Chen Xiaoxiao now officially a refined young Trainer had learned to value cleanliness.)
With just five minutes remaining on the system countdown, Chen Xiaoxiao gently removed the egg from its stasis in the system storage and placed it on a plush towel.
One Trainer. Two Pokémon. All staring with anticipation.
A faint tremor ran across the shell, and a visible fissure split it with a sharp crack. Light spilled out from the opening, growing brighter and brighter with each passing second.
Chen Xiaoxiao's thoughts were a swirl of excitement.
"What kind of Pokémon is so mysterious that even the system can't scan it in advance?"
Then, with one final burst of light, the shell shattered and floating in its place was a cottony, pastel-purple figure that shimmered like a dream.
Chen Xiaoxiao's jaw dropped.
"…Cosmog?!"
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