Back at home, Owen's parents began preparing lunch while Owen carried the Pokémon egg back to his bedroom.
He carefully placed the incubation device on his desk and began flipping through the Guiding Manual. On the very first page, an illustration of the Pokémon met his eyes.
The creature's appearance was based on a fox, with a body covered mostly in brownish fur. It had a bushy tail with a cream-colored tip and a fluffy mane of the same color around its neck.
Its legs were short and slender, each with three toes and pink paw pads. Its eyes were a matching brown, drawn with a lively spark, and its long, rabbit-like ears were incredibly cute.
Eevee. Normal-type. The Evolution Pokémon.
No matter how many times he looked at it, it was still adorable. It was no wonder Eevee was considered the perfect pet; it was the definition of "moe."
"According to the manual, I just need to press the buttons in order to drain the nutrient solution. From that point on, the Trainer must stay by the egg's side at all times."
Owen mused that the process of becoming a Trainer here was quite different from the anime. In the show, starters given to new Trainers had usually been raised for a while and were ready for battle immediately after being caught.
But here, rookies like him basically had to start from the hatching stage and raise them personally.
There were benefits to this regulation, of course: it made it much easier for the Pokémon and Trainer to establish a deep bond. After hatching, Pokémon usually develop a strong dependency on the first creature they see.
Owen didn't rush to start the process. He continued reading. The back of the manual contained some data on Eevee—though "data" was a generous word.
It was just a few lines of basic info and a list of moves it could learn.
Owen quickly lost interest. This was clearly an ultra-low-spec version of a Pokédex, probably on par with those single Pokémon cards James used to carry around in the anime.
"The only useful part is the food recommendations. Most of this is common knowledge you can find online, but it's better than nothing."
Time flew by. By the time Owen finished reading the manual, lunch was ready. Owen rarely ate with his parents; he usually ate at the school canteen, and his parents were often too busy with work to cook. Today was a special exception.
Having the family gathered for a meal felt good to Owen.
After lunch, Owen's parents helped him tinker with the incubation device. They hadn't grown up under the current favorable policies and weren't Trainers themselves—plus, they were much poorer back then and couldn't afford the upkeep—so they were quite curious about Pokémon.
The operation was simple. In under ten minutes, the nutrient solution was successfully drained. Looking at the now-sticky egg, Owen decided he would keep it with him even while showering or sleeping. He absolutely could not miss the hatching.
Preparations and Luxury
Two days later.
Wearing a scarf in the middle of a June heatwave, Owen took a delivery of fresh milk and moved it to the living room table. Don't ask why he was wearing a scarf in the summer—the thing was just too comfortable.
The Silk Scarf. Made from the secretions of Trubbish and silk from Bug-type Pokémon through a multi-stage process, it was a luxury item.
It was a Pokémon "Held Item," with a price tag comparable to an LV bag. His parents had bought it as a gift for the unborn Eevee—and by extension, a gift for Owen on becoming a Trainer.
When held, this scarf slightly increases the power of Normal-type moves. It was perfect for Eevee.
Owen had even "death-tested" it by trying a Tackle against a wall while wearing it; it still hurt like hell, but that wasn't the point. It just felt incredible against the skin. That texture... words couldn't describe it.
Quickly opening the delivery box, Owen pulled out a bottle of milk and examined it to see how it differed from the regular stuff. This was the food he had prepared for Eevee.
Pokémon are much sturdier than animals or humans; some can fight the moment they are born. As for eating, they aren't as picky as human infants—as long as it's nutritious, it works.
In the anime, Brock's Happiny could speak, walk, and even throw an adult human dozens of meters into the air right after hatching. While that specific Happiny might have been uniquely gifted, it proved how miraculous these creatures were.
According to Tiffany's recommendation, feeding a newborn Pokémon Moomoo Milk would help it grow much stronger. This was also a highlight in the Guiding Manual.
Miltank are cow-like Pokémon of the Normal-type. The species is entirely female. After absorbing enough nutrients, a Miltank can produce 20 liters of milk a day.
This milk is incredibly nutritious for both humans and Pokémon, far surpassing regular cow's milk.
It has always been a premium product, and ranches breeding Miltank exist all over the world. Owen felt this was the only choice for Eevee's first meal.
One 250ml bottle of Moomoo Milk costs 45 credits. Owen bought a case of 24 bottles; with the discount, it came to a total of 998 credits.
A typical worker's monthly salary was only around 3,000 to 4,000 credits. This milk was absurdly expensive... but the newborn stage was the most critical for nutrition. Owen didn't care about the cost. Once the milk arrived, he didn't even dare drink any himself.
Well... eventually, he couldn't resist trying one bottle to see what the fuss was about.
"So good."
After downing the bottle, Owen licked the white liquid from his lips. The lingering sweetness was unlike any other dairy product.
"Once I'm rich, I'm going to let my parents drink Moomoo Milk like water..." New goal unlocked. As a member of a culture that loves good food, he couldn't resist the temptation of high-quality ingredients.
Milk was just the start. Before Eevee hatched, Owen was incredibly busy using the 6,000 credits in his savings to buy other things online that might be useful.
Over those two days, he felt exhausted by nightfall, proving a simple truth: if you aren't a "salted fish" during the day, you won't have insomnia at night.
The Moment of Truth
Another day ended. Owen briskly rinsed off with warm water and, feeling refreshed, placed Eevee's egg by his bed to sleep.
In his sleep, Owen dreamed. He dreamed he was crushing the College Entrance Exams, becoming the top scorer in Fairview.
Elite universities were throwing olive branches at him, promising incredible resources. He and Eevee rose to fame rapidly, passing the Professional Trainer exam before even graduating from college. Fame and fortune followed.
Then, the dream ended. Sunlight streamed into the room, but the Pokémon egg was also emitting a brilliant light. Bathed in this double radiance, Owen blinked his eyes open, unwilling to leave the dream.
As he looked at the egg, which was slowly beginning to crack, his expression instantly shifted to one of pure anticipation.
I've waited long enough.