Aoki looked at the stones in front of him, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration.
They were all oddly shaped rocks, and while they might hold some geological value, they were of no practical use to him. If Stone Steven had just given him money instead, it might have been better. Still, he decided to check them carefully—after all, he had the Eye of Data. If there was anything special hidden among these stones, he would be able to detect it.
Suddenly, his eyes locked onto an oval-shaped object. His pupils shrank in disbelief.
Could he be mistaken?
This wasn't just an ordinary stone—it was a Pokémon Egg.
More than that, it wasn't just any Pokémon Egg. It was half-dead, its energy nearly depleted. But what truly shocked Aoki was the Pokémon inside.
Pokémon Egg: Jirachi
Type: Steel, Psychic
Ability: Serene Grace
Strength: ?
Potential: Level 2 Legendary
Aoki's heart pounded.
A Legendary Pokémon egg?!
Although he had ambitions of capturing and training Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, he never expected one to literally fall into his lap. Even if it was only an egg, as long as he could hatch and raise it properly, he would be holding the future power of a Level 2 Legendary in his hands.
For an ordinary trainer, hatching a Mythical Pokémon's egg might be an impossible task. However, Aoki was different—he had the system. With the right resources and knowledge, he could very well succeed.
Keeping his expression neutral, Aoki casually picked up the egg.
"This one should do," he said, acting as if it was an ordinary Pokémon Egg. "I might be able to hatch it. Let's see if luck is on my side."
"No problem, you can have it," Stone Steven replied without hesitation.
He had already recognized it as a Pokémon Egg but had no idea what species it belonged to. And, honestly, he wasn't particularly interested in raising another Pokémon. His passion lay in collecting rare stones, and to him, the Metagross stone Aoki had given him was far more valuable.
"Thanks," Aoki said, carefully storing Jirachi's egg in his backpack.
As long as he could successfully hatch it and nurture it, becoming a Champion-level trainer wouldn't just be a dream—it would be a certainty.
Departure from the Cave
"Well then, I guess this is where we part ways."
Stone Steven gathered his remaining collection and disappeared into the dark forest.
Aoki, on the other hand, found a clearing nearby, lit a fire, and prepared some food. After eating, he began his Pokémon's nightly specialized training.
• Boss Lairon focused on comprehending the Profound Truth, the lingering effects of the Profound Truth Berry still working within it.
• The newly captured Boss Lairon was also training hard, aiming to break into the Elite level as soon as possible.
• Combusken was practicing a new Fire-type move—Flare Blitz.
• Frogadier had already begun Dark Pulse training ahead of schedule.
• Treecko, nearing evolution, was undergoing intense physical conditioning.
• Bagon had a solid moveset but needed to refine its attack power and speed—so it was focusing on Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, and Dragon Dance.
While his Pokémon trained, Aoki got to work preparing a special incubation formula for Jirachi's egg.
Restoring Jirachi's Egg
Through his Eye of Data, Aoki had determined that Jirachi's energy levels were too low, leaving the egg in a near-stasis state. If he could provide the necessary energy, the egg could resume development and eventually hatch.
However, standard incubation fluids wouldn't be enough. Their energy concentration was far too low for a Legendary Pokémon egg.
So, Aoki improvised.
Using Pokéblocks made from high-energy berries, he ground them into a liquid paste and mixed them with the hatching fluid, creating a powerful nutrient solution.
Once the mixture was ready, he placed Jirachi's egg inside the incubator and held his breath.
Would it work?
His eyes were locked onto the egg, his heart pounding with anticipation.
As time passed, he noticed something—the green color of the fluid was slowly fading.
The energy was being absorbed!
His Eye of Data refreshed.
Pokémon Egg: Jirachi
Hatching Progress: 0.1%
Aoki almost jumped with joy.
The method worked!
While the energy provided so far was only enough to barely begin the process, it proved that Jirachi could hatch.
Of course, this was just the first step. At this rate, he would need massive amounts of incubation fluid to reach full hatching progress. But Aoki was determined—even if it took 1,000 or 10,000 batches of this special formula, he would make sure Jirachi was born.
After all, even a pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Salamence was worth hundreds of millions, let alone Jirachi. The value of this egg was priceless.
Aoki carefully stored the egg incubator back into his backpack. He was now completely out of incubation fluid, so he couldn't continue the process immediately.
But as soon as he reached the next town, he would buy out their entire stock.
Or better yet—get it in bulk.
After all, with only 0.1% progress, he still had a long way to go.
Journey to Rusturf Tunnel
Aoki turned to his Pokémon.
"Boss Lairon, everyone, let's call it a night. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we move early."
"Dora…"
"Not exactly."
"Add or not."
His Pokémon responded in their own way, then curled up in comfortable spots and fell asleep.
The next morning, Aoki prepared breakfast for his Pokémon, and they quickly devoured it.
"Alright, since we're done eating, let's move out. We need to get to the next town as soon as possible."
Normally, Aoki would spend a few days training in the wild before heading into a new city. But with Jirachi's egg now his top priority, he couldn't afford to waste time.
Without further delay, he and his Pokémon set off.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance of a tunnel.
Rusturf Tunnel
This was Rusturf Tunnel, an important passageway in the Hoenn region.
By traveling through it, Aoki could reach Rustboro City, and from there, take a ship to Dewford Town.
His next Gym battle awaited.
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