"Cousin, you're truly a generous person."
Fujiwara Renji's voice trembled, and he even forced out a tear or two.
If the Academy Awards existed in this world, he'd be walking away with an Oscar right now.
"No need to thank me, we're family. There's no point in fighting over it, so I'll step back."
Ryuu's hands, however, were swift and precise.
Before anyone could react, the Mega Evolution Key Stone was already tucked into his pocket.
Renji could keep the Electivire egg—Ryuu had already won big.
Fujiwara Kiyoshi watched the scene unfold, his old heart warmed.
He hadn't expected Ryuu to give up willingly.
Although he had originally planned to give the egg to Ryuu, maintaining peace within the family was also important.
"Grandfather, it's mine now!" Renji said excitedly, clutching the incubator as if it were his greatest treasure.
But before he could celebrate, Haruto's expression darkened.
They had come here together, both hoping to get the egg—so why should Renji be the only one to benefit?
Ryuu could already see the storm brewing between the two brothers.
It was none of his concern.
"I've been traveling all day. I'm exhausted—I'll be heading to my room."
Without sparing them another glance, Ryuu turned and walked away.
As he left, he caught one last glimpse of Haruto's wrist—
No Key Stone there.
Good.
Now, let the brothers tear each other apart.
---
Once he was back in his room, Ryuu turned on his computer and immediately started searching.
He had just confirmed something important—
No one in this world had publicly discovered Mega Evolution yet.
That meant he had an enormous advantage.
Before the secret got out, he needed to gather as many Mega Evolution stones as possible.
The more, the better.
After combing through various listings, he finally found something—
A Mega Evolution stone for sale on an auction site.
It was embedded into a bracelet, and the seller clearly had no idea what they were holding.
The price was high, but compared to its true worth, it was laughably cheap.
Ryuu immediately placed an order.
Afterward, he continued digging—but there was too much junk information online, and it was hard to find anything useful.
Still, he wasn't discouraged.
This was just the beginning.
---
By evening, Renji and Haruto had already left.
Fujiwara Kiyoshi sat on the sofa, looking utterly drained.
Ryuu, lounging on another sofa, glanced over lazily.
"Grandfather, so… who ended up with the egg?"
Kiyoshi sighed heavily.
"If only those two were as selfless as you."
Ryuu hid his smirk.
Right—selfless.
"Grandfather, why are you so surprised? I didn't want to see my cousins fighting. It was the right thing to do."
He lied effortlessly.
Kiyoshi felt a surge of pride.
Ryuu had both strength and character—something Renji and Haruto lacked entirely.
Truly, he was the grandson to bet on.
But just as Ryuu was about to settle in for the night, his space backpack suddenly trembled.
His expression sharpened.
He quickly unzipped the bag—
Inside, the incubator was glowing softly.
His heart pounded with excitement.
Ralts was hatching.
"Is your Pokémon egg hatching? Then I'll step outside."
Kiyoshi stood up immediately.
It was a well-known tradition—the first thing a Pokémon sees when it hatches forms an unbreakable bond.
He wanted to leave that moment for Ryuu.
Stepping outside, Kiyoshi waited patiently.
Inside the room—
Click.
A faint crack spread across the shell.
Then—
A small blue figure emerged from the eggshell.
Ryuu's eyes widened.
A Shiny Ralts.
"Ralts…"
A soft, childlike voice whispered in his mind.
Before Ryuu could even react—
A flash of light.
The next second, the tiny Ralts was in his arms.
"Teleport?"
Ryuu was stunned.
A newborn Ralts had already mastered Teleport?
That was extremely rare.
Even among Psychic-types, not every Ralts inherited this ability at birth.
This one was special.
"Here, drink this."
Ryuu quickly took out a bottle of fresh Moomoo Milk, which he had prepared in advance.
Newborn Pokémon couldn't eat solid food yet, so milk was the best source of nutrition.
Ralts hesitated for half a second, then eagerly began drinking.
A gentle knock sounded at the door.
"Is it hatched?" Kiyoshi's voice came from outside.
"Come in."
The door swung open—and the old man's eyes immediately landed on the blue Ralts.
"A Ralts? A Shiny one, no less."
Even Kiyoshi looked surprised.
He had seen Shiny Pokémon before, but they were still extremely rare.
And Ralts itself was already a valuable find—let alone a shiny one.
Ryuu could see the envy in Kiyoshi's eyes.
"You really are lucky, grandson."
"Eh, it's alright, I just picked this one randomly."
Ryuu shrugged casually, as if it weren't a big deal.
Kiyoshi: "…"
Pick one randomly… and it's a Shiny Ralts with absurd talent?
If he had this kind of luck, he would have been an champion level Trainer long ago.
"You should get some rest, but in a few days, let's do some tests on Ralts' abilities."
"Sure, Grandfather."
Kiyoshi had high expectations for this Pokémon.
If it had the right potential, Ryuu's path to becoming an Elite Trainer would be almost guaranteed.
Maybe even—
A Champion.
---
Ryuu yawned.
"I'm going to bed."
Kiyoshi frowned slightly.
"So early? Your grandmother will be back soon."
Fujiwara Kiyoshi's wife—a Quasi-Elite Trainer—was currently away on business.
She had two Elite-level Pokémon, only one short of reaching full Elite status.
Though she didn't hold Elite authority, she was still an exceptionally strong Trainer.
"I'll see her tomorrow. I'm exhausted."
Ryuu stretched lazily.
It had been a long day.
A high-speed train ride, a Mega Evolution stone trade, and now, the hatching of Ralts.
All he wanted was a good night's sleep.
Kiyoshi sighed.
"Alright, rest well."
As Ryuu crawled into bed, he felt Ralts curl up beside him, still holding onto his sleeve.
He smiled.
Tomorrow, the real training would begin.
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