-------------

Lyra stayed for dinner, as did her sister Kris when she walked over from the hotel to see what was taking so long.

The next morning we set off for what would be the first of a few unsuccessful days looking for Sawsbuck and a shiny Cottonee. Not that we didn’t see any Deerling or a couple normal Cottonee, but our real objectives were nowhere to be found.

Tonight, we’re at the Pokemon Center. Cindy and Lyra are carefully monitoring our eggs while Kris and Lacy assist. It seems our unborn pokemon have decided to hatch together, Ralts a day late and Sandshrew a day early. Every few minutes the eggs, out of incubators and on a pile of towels, give a solid wobble.

Jane, Naomi and I are off to the side and out of the way until the moment of hatching. I’m looking over our pokemon teams list on my dex app tracker.

“So are we taking everyone to Alola? What about team limits if we catch pokemon there, and are we allowed to use them when we get back?”

Naomi nods without taking her eyes off her egg, “We can use what we catch, some might cry foul but we’re rookies. It’s not our fault they can’t afford hopping out of the region for a week. It’s not like we’re going to catch anything stronger than Jane’s Onix at our level.”

Jane is snuggling her growing Sandile, “I’m not leaving Crooky, and I put so much work into gaining Marble’s trust, I don’t like the idea of leaving her here for a week either. Not to mention my Venipede, I just got him to warm up to me as well.”

Naomi shakes her head, “We have scheduled commitments remember? I suggest we each pick three, preferably a couple of our water types.”

She grimaces remembering she only has a clam.

I check the monitors for any changes but find nothing new, “I have to take the sandshrew to the Alola lab, Blue would benefit from the trip, and my Zilla needs bonding time anyway. There's my three…or should I take my Skrelp too?”

Honestly, my Joltik is already showing signs of molting again and she loves Lacy, Shak will be happy to laze about his home forest for a break, “Watts you should just take Ruby, the odd little Clauncher loves you anyway.”

“Well…” I can see the gears turning as she twists in her seat, emotions battling logic, “Fine, she’s very sweet for a water insect. I should take my new Swablu, Nimbus. Delphi can relax for a week, she loves Lacy’s yard… Maybe we should take four? That lets me bring Froosh and my Clamperl.”

“What about this Ralts?” I point over to the toweled eggs.

She bites her thumbnail, “I’m telling you we each need at least two water types, both for this trip and eastern Hoenn later.”

“Well I have King and Spike,” Jane starts, referring to her Magikarp and Corphish, “I want to keep training my new Aerodactyl… Crooky can you keep Marble happy?”

The little guy stands on his hind legs and puffs out his crocodile scaled chest.

“Alright,” I check my notes, “Jane will take Magikarp, Corphish, Venipede, and Aerodactyl. Naomi will have Mienfoo, Swablu, Clauncher and Clamperl.”

Watts cuts me off with a sigh, “I can’t not take my new baby.”

“Alright Miss Three Pokemon Only,” I chuckle, “Your Ralts will be fifth as you take everything but your starter.”

She blanches a bit, “Pearl can stay…”

“Alone, in that massive tank?” I give her my best dad glare.

“You’re right, Fine.” her figure wilting in her seat a bit.

“Lastly myself,” back to my notes, “I’ll have Phantump, Skrelp, Tirtouga, and Sandshrew… honestly this is going to get more difficult as we get more pokemon.”

Jane helps her croc do some squats to work his hind leg muscles, “Normal rookies can’t afford to catch so many pokemon.”

“There was once a bill put to vote for rookies being restricted to just three pokemon their first year,” Naomi sits back up properly, “obviously it didn’t pass.”

“I suppose we’ll just have to be picky about what we try to catch in Alola,” thinking about the caribbean back on earth, “Are we staying on one island? If not, will we take the plane everywhere? I’ve not seen a map to guess if your boat can meet us there.”

“The Jolteon actually left for Alola after dropping us off in Slateport, she’ll meet us there,” As Naomi pulls up a map to show me, the machines monitoring the eggs begin to ring.

With a soft crackling noise, a rounded green horn pokes out of Naomi’s egg. As it twists and saws, slowly bits of shell fall away revealing an aquamarine colored head of what looks like fern leafs…

So, I can remember what Gardevior looked like in the pokemon games. This ain’t that. The fern like hair parts to reveal something akin to a Mandrake fantasy creature. The small body looks like an infant shaped garlic bulb. Soo, an anthropomorphic garlic bulb with blue fern leaves for hair and a green pestle/horn.

Naomi is over the moon cooing at her new pokemon as I step over to Lacy, “Soo, that's what they’re supposed to look like?”

She raises a brow at me, “Not exactly, the most common variant is more green and red. But as a plant based fairy pokemon they adapt their appearance to their habitat. Just like your Phantump.”

I want to ask more but the second machine starts to ring, seems my egg felt left out.

Before I even take a second step back to the table a razor sharp claw spikes from the side of the egg, it’s color a dark like cast iron.

Naomi steps back, protectively shielding her Ralts while also letting Kris and Cindy look it over. Jane hovers behind me next to Lacy.

Lyra already has a tablet, taking pictures and adding notes as the rest of a small arm claws out of the shell. The short, fuzzy fur looks very coarse and dark grey in color. The back of the arm has hints of rust red scaling.

As more pieces of egg shell fall away I’m presented with what looks like a rusty pangolin. His small snout sniffs about the room while his curious big eyes take in everyone. Lyra takes another picture before handing me a towel and showing me how to help clean off any remaining egg residue.

“Awesome,” Lyra gives her notes a last glance before setting the tablet down. “Two interesting variants, let's get these darlings washed, warm, and fed.”

Soon I’m sitting in a chair with an anteater the size of my fist gently sucking on a milk bottle. I don't think sandshrew are actually anteaters tho...or sort of I guess. The dex app says they eat ambush bug type pokemon or local berries.

Naomi is coaxing her nervous little garlic fairy into eating a blended berry juice under Lyra’s guidance.

Kris gets off the phone, “Birch said he’ll be here first thing in the morning to see the newborns, he was stuck at an investors dinner tonight.”

Naomi points to her bag, “Jane, can you grab the wooden case in there and open it up.”

As Jane opens up the case to reveal two pokeballs, Naomi grins, “I had these special ordered as well.”

The first ball looks like glossy white fern leaves wrapped into a ball, the second, fittingly, looks like it’s made of cast iron.

Lyra closes the lid back on Jane, “I know you rookies like to jump to the next thing immediately, but I’m telling you as an expert, It’s best to bond with your newly hatched pokemon a couple days before putting them in a ball for the first time. Preferably even a week but I know you’ll be traveling.”

Lacy sits on the armrest of my chair, “So what are you naming them?”

Looking at my little guy, “I think Rusty is pretty straight forward.” He stops lapping at the milk bottle long enough to glance at me before continuing.

Naomi seems to have had one ready all along, “Lasura, after the blue gemstone.”

Lacy smiles, “Well it sounds regal, that's for sure, and Rusty is adorable.”

Eventually we make it back home with an all clear from Cindy that the freshly hatched pokemon have a clean bill of health. I take a washbin worth of sand from Blue’s sandbox to let Rusty sleep in. Jane’s Sandile actually takes charge of helping the little guy dig a cozy burrow.

It’s as I’m lying in bed with Lacy in my arms that I make a troubling realisation, “If you’re coming with us then none of the pokemon can stay here…”

Fortunately the Doc happens to be smarter than me, “About time you realised that, just make sure you register Naomi’s yacht as temporary lodging.”

“How long were you going to wait before mentioning it if you already thought of it?”

She laughs, “I was going to wave goodbye to your pokemon from the car.”

The next morning features some embarrassed girls and I packing up all our pokemon and gear when the doorbell rings.

Opening the door reveals a bulbous, five foot, stone statue blocking the porch… and then it’s row of eyes looks at me.

“Holy shit!” nearly jumping out of my pants.

“Morning Kurt!” the voice of Professor Birch sounds out, “Move already Kiln!”

The big black statue shimmers and disappears, from the back of the house I hear Jane let out a girly shriek.

Birch nervously chuckles, “Sorry, my son’s Claydol is a bit mischievous, But, teleport is certainly the fastest way to get from one town to the next.”

“Kuuuurt?!” Lacy calls from the back, “Who’s pokemon is this?”

“Good morning Doctor Cutter, it’s my son’s, borrowed him to drop by this morning.” another friendly, totally unapologetic chuckle, “Now, let's see your newborn sandshrew. The rest of the clutch won't hatch for a couple days at least. Less external stimulus inside the lab compound you see.”

Little Rusty is still asleep in his burrow but Birch just uses an extendable camera probe to check him out.

“He looks fantastic, and the readings are showing a successful steel typing. You get that Ball miss Wattson had built?” He brushes the sand off his palms from the washbin...right onto the carpet.

I suppose we were gonna have to vacuum anyway.

Still, “Let's head out back, and yes, here ya go.”

I hand him the dense, metal ball which he immediately places in a slot inside his briefcase, laptop thing. It starts to show a sync progress bar. He explains as we step outside.

“That ball will be in constant contact with our lab network, or more specifically, the project data that all related labs have access to.”

The expert in pokemon habitats takes special interest in Naomi’s Ralts. I suppose it’s directly related to his field and the princess is only too happy to explain.

“My aunt has taken the lead on a special pokemon preserve near Dewford in cooperation with the other casinos. They bring in rare pokemon or popular ones that are more likely to adapt their appearance to their home. Then they hire expert landscapers and designers to create a space that is more likely to result in such variants.”

“Brilliant,” He happily nods in approval, “I would have loved to be involved but it really is an ingenious use of published research. I can’t think of a more clear cut example of our studies translating to actual income. Although I’m sure the league gave their approval?”

Naomi nods, “Of course.”

He bristles a bit, “Hrmf, no, it's nothing against your aunt dear. I know I’m a bit unpopular with the paper pushers, but when a project so directly related to my expertise arises I’d prefer to be the one consulted.”

Realising this conversation may not end, “Well I’m glad you caught us this morning Professor. We were just heading out the door after all. Have a plane to catch from Mauville this afternoon, and we still have a bit of shopping to do in the mall.”

Thankfully he and his son’s Claydol make their exit, at least after also registering Naomi’s Ralts as a new project to monitor. It’s still weird to see the pair of rotund figures simply vanish from the front porch in a swirl of sand.

------------