Su Yu looked genuinely puzzled when she saw Xiaoqing peeking in with that excited expression. "Xiaoqing? What's going on?" Before she could say more, the little girl rushed in, carefully holding something in her arms, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Brother Su Yu, it's shining! Look!!" Only then did Su Yu notice that Xiaoqing was holding a Pokémon Egg—one that was glowing softly, its light pulsing as if responding to a heartbeat.
Su Yu froze for a moment before realization hit him. This was the Pokémon Egg Professor Wang had given him. "Is… is it hatching already?" He quickly put down what he was doing and stepped forward. Xiaoqing immediately handed the egg over, explaining that she had seen it glowing while passing by Su Yu's room and brought it over so it wouldn't hatch alone. She understood surprisingly well that when a Pokémon is born, the first creature it sees often becomes the one it imprints on. If she stayed, things could get complicated later.
With a bright smile, Xiaoqing waved her hand. "It's up to you now, Brother Su Yu. I'm going to leave." She paused, then added, "Oh, and I'll heat up some Moo Moo Milk for you. You'll probably need it." Before Su Yu could even respond, she had already run off, full of purpose.
Su Yu gently placed the egg on the table and waited quietly. News spread quickly through the breeding house, and soon the children realized that Su Yu's Pokémon Egg was about to hatch. Many of them couldn't sit still and rushed over, only to be stopped by the more sensible ones, who urged them to wait outside. Even the wild Pokémon in the backyard had already returned to the mountains after their meal, leaving only Su Yu's own Pokémon behind. Pikachu, Ralts, and Pidgeot gathered nearby, sensing that something important was about to happen.
Inside the room, the light from the egg grew brighter and brighter. A soft cracking sound echoed, followed by visible fractures spreading across the shell. Finally, the egg broke open completely, and a small orange lizard Pokémon emerged—Charmander. Su Yu's gaze locked onto the newborn Pokémon as it blinked its eyes and let out a soft cry.
Professor Wang had mentioned that the egg had been recovered from the water, so Su Yu had always worried there might be complications. As he examined the little Charmander closely, he noticed something unusual. Its eyes weren't the typical gray-blue seen in most Charmander; instead, they were a striking golden color, giving it a strangely majestic look. It wasn't a Shiny Pokémon—its body color was completely normal. The only difference was its eyes. His attention then shifted to its tail flame, which burned brightly and steadily, a clear sign of excellent health.
"Lii—!" Charmander looked up at Su Yu with excitement, calling out instinctively. Su Yu smiled and carefully picked it up. "Welcome to the world, little one," he said softly. "Let's do a quick checkup first." Something about this Charmander felt unusual, and Su Yu wanted to be absolutely certain there were no hidden issues.
Carrying the newborn Pokémon, Su Yu stepped outside. The moment the children saw the Charmander in his arms, their eyes lit up. Excited whispers filled the air, while Pikachu, Ralts, and Pidgeot reacted with visible enthusiasm. Su Yu quickly raised a hand. "Alright, everyone. Go wash up and rest for today. You can come play tomorrow. I need to check this little one first." Though disappointed, the children obediently said their goodbyes and headed back to the orphanage. Xiaoqing shouted one last reminder that the Moo Moo Milk was already heating up in the kitchen.
Once things quieted down, Su Yu took Charmander to the genetic scanner. Pikachu and the others followed closely, curious about what he was doing. After activating the machine, Su Yu carefully placed Charmander onto the scanner and began operating the console. Moments later, a detailed report appeared on the screen.
Pokémon: CharmanderStrength: Beginner (not suitable for training)Gender: FemaleAttribute: FireAbility: Blaze, Solar PowerGene Sequence: Mutation detected. Minor genetic alterations present. Further examination required.
Su Yu frowned slightly at the last line. Everything else looked excellent—almost perfect—but the genetic mutation confirmed his earlier unease. Was it related to the egg being submerged in water? He couldn't be sure yet. Still, judging by Charmander's vitality, it didn't seem to be anything dangerous.
"That's enough," Su Yu said gently, waving for Charmander to come down. The little Pokémon immediately ran toward him without hesitation, clearly attached already. Pikachu and the others crowded closer, curious and excited. Holding Charmander again, Su Yu smiled faintly. "Let's get you fed first. After that, we'll all rest."
He glanced at Pidgeot and added casually, "Bidiao, find yourself a place to sleep. There are plenty of empty rooms. If not, outside works too." Pidgeot let out a displeased cry, clearly unhappy with that suggestion, as Su Yu walked off carrying the newborn Charmander toward the kitchen.