As Xia Yu was searching for a Pokémon with the potential to grow into an Elite Four–level powerhouse, a sharp, piercing howl suddenly echoed from deep within the cave.
Before he could react, a purple shadow flashed past like a ghost, tearing through the darkness as it lunged straight toward Xia Yu.
"Volcarona, Fiery Dance—Flame Vortex!"
A scorching wave of heat erupted instantly. Charlotte reacted the moment she sensed danger, her eyes locking onto the purple blur. At her command, Volcarona spread its blazing wings, releasing a spiraling vortex of intense flames that surged forward and blocked the incoming attack, forming a fiery barrier in front of Xia Yu.
"Charizard, intercept it!"
At the same time, Charlotte reached to her waist, throwing a Poké Ball into the air. With a burst of white light, Charizard appeared, letting out a powerful roar as it moved to face the Crobat that had revealed itself.
[Crobat]
Gender: Male
Type: Poison / Flying
Potential: Overlord Level
Ability: Infiltrator
(Can bypass barriers, substitutes, and similar defensive techniques)
Moves:
Absorb, Gust, Supersonic, Hypnosis, Bite, Air Cutter, Cross Poison, Air Slash, Leech Life, Venoshock, Mean Look, Scary Face, Quick Guard, Toxic, Wing Attack, Psychic
The dense and refined move pool made it obvious—this Crobat was nothing like an ordinary wild Pokémon. It was far more like a carefully trained battler that had gone through countless fights.
After its surprise attack failed, the Crobat didn't press forward recklessly. Instead, it flapped its wings and retreated to a rocky outcrop at the far end of the cave. Its crimson eyes fixed firmly on Charizard and Volcarona, filled with wariness rather than fear.
"Jii—ji!"
The Crobat's cry was shrill and piercing, accompanied by a constant release of ultrasonic waves that rippled outward through the cave tunnels, vibrating against the stone walls.
"Xiaoyu, have you decided yet?" Charlotte shouted without taking her eyes off the Crobat. "This Crobat is calling for backup. If too many Zubat show up, even I won't be able to protect you perfectly."
Almost as soon as her words fell, the sound of countless wings flapping echoed from every tunnel connected to the cave. Dense black shadows poured in from all directions as waves of Zubat swarmed toward Charlotte and Xia Yu.
"Almost done," Xia Yu said, his voice tense but controlled. The enormous number of Pokémon Eggs scattered around him made it difficult to focus, and his vision swam as he searched for the one with the highest potential. "Just give me a few more minutes."
"Hurry," Charlotte replied helplessly. The Zubat themselves posed little threat to her Pokémon, but sheer numbers were dangerous. If even one slipped through, Xia Yu could be injured.
Xia Yu no longer dared to waste time. He focused entirely, pushing aside distractions and scanning the final section of the cave.
Then—
There it was.
[Pokémon Egg]
Species: Noibat
Gender: Male
Type: Flying / Dragon
Potential: King Level
Ability: Telepathy
Moves: ???
...
Found it.
After confirming several times that he hadn't mistaken it for another egg, Xia Yu carefully cradled the Pokémon Egg in his arms and retreated to his elder brother Xia Luo's side.
The instant the Crobat saw the egg, it let out a furious, ear-splitting screech. Its eyes burned with rage as it spread its wings and dove straight toward Xia Yu.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!"
A torrent of blazing fire burst from Charizard's mouth, forcibly intercepting the enraged Crobat midair.
"You've chosen?" Charlotte asked calmly, her gaze finally shifting to the egg in Xia Yu's arms. The patterns on its shell were clearly different from the surrounding Zubat Eggs.
"Yes." Xia Yu nodded firmly.
"Then let's leave." Charlotte stepped in front of Xia Yu protectively and gave another command. "Volcarona—Heat Wave, full power!"
A scorching storm of heated air swept through the cave. The overwhelming temperature forced the Zubat swarm to retreat in panic, and countless Zubat were unable to endure the heat, dropping from the air and scattering across the cave floor.
...
Chapter 3 – Family
Zubat, Noibat, and Woobat all belonged to bat-like Pokémon species, and their most infamous technique was the irritating and disorienting Supersonic.
Noibat resembled a small purple bat, with large membranous wings and incredibly sensitive hearing. However, it also possessed faint reptilian traits. Its ears were even larger than its head, layered and complex in structure, and a distinct pattern marked the area between its eyes. Highly sensitive to sound waves, it was classified as a sound-wave Pokémon.
In the games, Noibat had the lowest base stat total among all Dragon-type Pokémon, with only 245 points. Even its evolved form, Noivern, was not considered particularly powerful in standard competitive play.
Even so, Xia Yu was extremely satisfied with his choice.
After all, reality was not a game. In the game world, everyone had a complete Pokédex and could dream of owning a Shiny Rayquaza. In real life, even pseudo-legendary Pokémon were incredibly rare, let alone true Legendary Pokémon.
Being able to obtain a Dragon-type Pokémon as his first partner was already far beyond ordinary luck.
"Xiaoyu, remember to take good care of that Pokémon Egg," Charlotte reminded him after they returned home. "It doesn't look like a Zubat Egg at all. Even I can't tell exactly what species it is. We'll only know once it hatches. I'm on leave for a few days, so Volcarona can help incubate it."
Charlotte's words were filled with indulgent affection. Volcarona's Flame Body ability made it exceptionally suited for hatching eggs, significantly speeding up the process. Lending his ace Pokémon for this purpose showed how deeply he cared for his younger brother.
"Okay. Thanks, brother." Xia Yu carefully placed the egg into the incubator at home, smiling softly as he looked at the purple patterns on the shell.
"Hatching Pokémon in reality is different from the games," Xia Yu muttered to himself. "You can't just walk around. Temperature, humidity, and nutrients all matter. If possible, nutrient solutions can greatly improve the Pokémon's physical condition."
His gaze lingered on the egg as he wondered where he could obtain a nutrient solution suitable for both Dragon and Flying types.
A standard nutrient solution cost around 150,000, usually enough to hatch an ordinary Pokémon.
Attribute-specific nutrient solutions were far more expensive, ranging from 750,000 to 1.5 million depending on the element. Dragon-type solutions alone cost 1.5 million, while Flying-type ones were around 1.1 million. Even compromising would still cost over 1.2 million.
The price left Xia Yu speechless.
Although his family was well-off, they weren't absurdly rich. Compared to true powerhouse families, their wealth was still limited. His grandfather had been an ordinary man, and it was only after his father became the Gym Leader of Starlight City that the family rose in status.
"I'm really short on money," Xia Yu sighed. "Where can I make more?"
Pokémon-related industries were the most profitable—Poké Ball manufacturing, Berry cultivation, and Energy Cube production.
His father already owned mountain land dedicated to Berry trees and Energy Cube production.
...
"Click."
The door opened, and Xia Yong entered with his wife.
Xia Yong, fifty-three years old, had graying temples and a sturdy build. Beside him was Lin Xuemei, Xia Yu's mother, a senior Pokémon Nurse and vice president of the city's largest Pokémon Medical Center.
Their gazes fell on Xia Yu sleeping beside the incubator.
"What's that Pokémon Egg?" Xia Yong asked, frowning slightly.
"I brought it back from the wild today," Xia Yu replied. "It's my starter Pokémon."
"Yours?" Xia Yong was stunned. "Xuemei, come take a look."
Lin Xuemei approached calmly. She came from a scholarly family—her relatives included Pokémon researchers and professors.
"This is a Noibat Egg," she said after a brief inspection. "A rare Dragon-type Pokémon. Xiaoyu, you're very lucky."
She smiled warmly. "Old Xia, bring the Dragon- and Flying-type nutrient solution. This is our son's first Pokémon."
Chapter 4 – Tai Jinghua
Xia Yu had never realized just how much his parents doted on him.
They spent over a million without hesitation.
With the nutrient solution, the Pokémon Egg grew increasingly active, shaking more and more violently.
A week later—
Crack.
The shell broke, and a small purple Noibat emerged.
"Welcome to this world," Xia Yu said softly.
He captured it gently, then released it again and fed it an Energy Cube.
Noibat gazed at him affectionately.
"Hidden Quest [Starter Pokémon] completed."
Reward: B-Rank Item — Dragon Scale
A powerful Dragon-type scale, brimming with energy.
And in the real world, even items had grades.