Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

"I see…" Luo Yuan muttered, stepping closer and tapping the Pokémon egg with his knuckles, producing a solid thud-thud sound.

Just as Professor Bill had said, the eggshell was indeed extremely hard.

"So, what's the plan? Should I just crack it open?" Luo Yuan traced his hand along the egg, seeming to search for the best spot to apply force.

Sensing danger, the Pokémon within trembled slightly, as if aware of what Luo Yuan was planning.

Bill quickly waved his hands to stop him. "Wait! Any external force might harm the Pokémon inside."

"Actually, I think I could manage it," Luo Yuan replied, a hint of confidence in his voice. "I have fine control over my psychic power. I could apply just enough pressure without hurting it."

But Bill, unaware of the extent of Luo Yuan's psychic abilities, suggested, "I have a better idea."

---

Ten minutes later, they stood before the enormous "Consciousness Transfer" machine, the latest of Bill's inventions.

"This is your 'better idea?'" Luo Yuan asked, arching an eyebrow.

Bill held up a report, explaining, "Studies have shown that it's beneficial for Pokémon to break out of their eggs from the inside. It promotes development and is, in fact, the ideal method."

"And according to the scan, the Pokémon inside has fully developed, making it suitable for a consciousness transfer."

Bill's thoroughness was evident in his tone as he gestured toward the machine.

Luo Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

He'd read similar research himself—while the exact mechanism was unclear, studies showed that Pokémon who hatched on their own often exhibited higher overall strength than those assisted from the outside.

Luo Yuan wasn't aware, however, that this principle might not apply to his peculiar egg.

Since Bill's plan seemed logical, he set aside the idea of breaking the egg with psychic force.

If the plan was to try a consciousness transfer, he could assist the Pokémon from the inside—especially since his usual method of connecting with it via Viridian energy had been disrupted. The egg had absorbed so much dragon energy that it blocked deeper communication.

"Alright, who's going in, you or me?" Luo Yuan asked.

The machine had been thoroughly tested and deemed safe, but Bill was still cautious.

"I'll do it!" Luo Yuan stepped forward confidently.

He wasn't one to hesitate once he'd made up his mind. Besides, he was curious to experience what it felt like to inhabit a Pokémon's consciousness.

He stepped into the machine and signaled for Bill to start.

In an instant, he felt a pulling sensation from deep within his mind.

His psychic powers instinctively formed a mental shield, resisting the pull, but realizing this was part of the transfer process, he allowed the shield to relax.

The next thing he knew, part of his mind seemed to flow through a tunnel, arriving in a dark, enclosed space.

"Is it done? Something feels… a little strange."

Instead of a complete transfer, it felt as though his mind was split between two perspectives—one part remained in his own body, and the other was now seeing through the eyes of the Pokémon inside the egg.

His experience was different from Bill's. Rather than a full swap, he could control both his body and the Pokémon's simultaneously.

"But… where is the Pokémon's original consciousness in all of this?" he wondered.

Suddenly, within his dark surroundings, he heard a faint, curious clicking sound in his mind.

A weak, hesitant consciousness cautiously reached out to him, as if sensing the presence of someone familiar.

It didn't resist him; instead, it seemed instinctively drawn to him, feeling a strange sense of kinship.

"Guess its consciousness didn't transfer over," Luo Yuan mused, realizing that his mental defenses had likely prevented any influence on his own mind.

He focused on communicating with the small consciousness, trying to get a sense of what kind of Pokémon it was.

However, the Pokémon itself seemed somewhat foggy-minded, unable to provide clear answers.

No matter—his goal was simply to help it hatch.

Moving the foreign body, Luo Yuan tried to get a feel for its limbs, which were tiny and uncoordinated, as he attempted his first strike at the shell.

Thud!

The force rebounded, knocking his borrowed body back.

Pain echoed through his awareness.

"Just ramming into the shell won't work…"

With this realization, Luo Yuan turned back to the consciousness within.

"What moves can you use?"

The little Pokémon replied with a confused "Kaa?"

Not understanding what "moves" were, it sent him a small bundle of memories when Luo Yuan explained.

"Dragon Breath, Outrage, Iron Tail, Metal Claw, Iron Head, Sand Tomb, Twister… Quite a list of inherited moves."

With so many moves, why hadn't it broken the shell itself?

Luo Yuan sent it a questioning thought.

"Kaa… Kaa? (What's 'hatching?')"

"…Right. It never even thought of hatching on its own."

Looks like I'll be doing this myself, he thought.

Out of all the moves, he chose Metal Claw as the simplest and most direct.

Focusing on the energy within, Luo Yuan felt it gather in the Pokémon's claw, and he swung.

Crack.

A faint splitting sound reached his ears as a sliver of light peeked through the crack in the shell.

As that beam of light touched the Pokémon's consciousness, something stirred in it. The little creature's awareness came alive with excitement, awakening a sense of urgency.

"All right, I'll leave the rest to you."

Without waiting for Bill's help, Luo Yuan directed his consciousness back to his own body with his psychic power.

"Luo Yuan?!" Bill, who was just about to press the button to retrieve Luo Yuan's consciousness, was taken aback.

He hadn't even started the machine yet. How had Luo Yuan returned on his own? Did the transfer fail?

Luo Yuan gave him a reassuring smile.

Then, to Bill's amazement, he stepped out of the chamber and moved to stand before the Pokémon egg.

Crack… crack…

The sound of breaking shell filled the room as the cracks expanded.

Finally…

"Kaa-ka!"

A small, blue-bodied Pokémon with a disproportionately large head, a prominent fin on top, and football-shaped protrusions on the sides of its head, emerged from the egg.

"Gible!"

Luo Yuan recognized it immediately.

To his surprise, this Gible was a shiny—its rare coloring evident in its unique blue shade.

---

T/N: LETS GOOO I LOVE GIBLE ALSOOO, I'M EATING SO GOOOOD RN

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨