Pokémon Breeder's Story

Chapter 20: This is Unscientific!

The scene before her completely exceeded the girl's understanding. Allowing a Pokémon to learn a move it was normally incapable of learning was something she had never even heard of. Although the very existence of Pokémon was unscientific, a... Sleep Powder Growlithe, that was absolutely impossible, right?

The shock in the girl's eyes was impossible to hide.

Kenji smiled slightly and continued his bluff. "The existence of Pokémon itself cannot be explained by science. They are incredibly mysterious creatures, so mysterious that even different species can mate, combine, and reproduce. And these combinations of different species often bring about some unimaginable surprises."

Unlocking a Pokémon's greater potential, even breaking through their original species' limitations...

The girl listened, stunned.

Kenji then asked in a tempting tone, "So, would you like to give it a try?"

The girl finally snapped back to reality from the shock of the Sleep Powder Growlithe. She looked at the Poké Balls in her hand, recalling the moves she had just seen on the small blackboard out front. Baby-Doll Eyes, Swords Dance, Sleep Powder...

Let's set Baby-Doll Eyes aside for now. If her Swampert could learn Swords Dance... the girl couldn't even begin to imagine how much stronger it would become. The image of a Swampert with Swords Dance shining in a competition flashed through her mind, and her heart began to pound.

She couldn't help but ask, "Can a Swampert learn Swords Dance?"

"Unfortunately, we cannot directly teach Swampert that move. However, it can be done through breeding." After a pause, Kenji added, "But, the breeding center has just opened, and we don't have a Ditto at the moment. You will need to provide a Pokémon that can breed with your Swampert."

"I understand!" The girl took out another Poké Ball. "Come on out, Quagsire, I choose you! You too, Swampert!"

Two beams of white light flashed, and a majestic Swampert and a cute, dopey-looking Quagsire appeared in the breeding center's lobby.

Kenji's gaze swept over the two Pokémon.

[Pokémon: Swampert]

[Gender: Female]

...

[Pokémon: Quagsire]

[Gender: Male]

...

Both Pokémon belonged to the Water 1 Egg Group, meeting the conditions for breeding. They were also of different genders, so they could produce an egg.

"Quagsire and Swampert already like each other!" the girl said. "So, owner, you won't need to specially work on their relationship!"

Kenji nodded. That certainly made things more convenient. Although forcing two Pokémon to mate and produce an egg sounded a bit strange, in truth, one couldn't judge them from a human perspective.

The way Pokémon produced eggs was very special. Unlike humans, when two Pokémon that were in love stayed together for a long time, their life energies would attract each other, eventually leaving their bodies and merging in the outside world to form a Pokémon egg. Of course, even if there was no love between two Pokémon, as long as they spent a lot of time together, their energies could still combine to produce an egg. This wasn't something the Pokémon themselves controlled, but rather a mutual attraction of their energy fields. This was the reproductive method of the creatures known as Pokémon.

"Alright then. Leave your Swampert and Quagsire in our care, and come back in a few days to check on them!" Kenji said.

Cultivating a relationship takes time, and producing an egg also takes time. During this period, most trainers would opt for the accompanying fostering service. Other breeding centers charged about 3,000 Pokédollars a day for fostering, and breeding cost even more.

The girl paid the fee, said a few words to her Swampert and Quagsire, and then left, full of anticipation.

As soon as their trainer left, Swampert and Quagsire immediately turned their gazes to Kenji.

"Next, Bewear and I will take you to the place where you'll be living for the next few days!" Kenji said to the two Pokémon with a smile.

Swampert and Quagsire had no objections; after all, their trainer had already told them. They followed behind Kenji and Bewear, pushed open the small wooden door behind the counter, and a wide, open backyard immediately appeared before them. The place was lush with greenery, overflowing with vegetation, and filled with a vibrant atmosphere.

Kenji settled Swampert and Quagsire in the lake and instructed Bewear to provide them with food at a fixed time each day.

Right now, the entire lake—no, the entire backyard—was occupied by just the two of them. A lone male and a single female, a tinderbox waiting for a spark. Kenji figured it wouldn't be long before he discovered an egg they had produced in the grass during one of his walks.

But before that, he had to go through the routine of raising their Joy Value and Friendship. He brought food and berries and placed them by the lake.

Swampert and Quagsire had already entered the water, with only half of their heads exposed. They heard the sound and turned to look.

Kenji showered the two Pokémon with praise, saying things like, "Your trainer has raised you so well, it seems she really loves you." Pokémon are just that simple and pure, even big ones like Swampert. Combined with the berries and snacks, a small, happy sun appeared above both of their heads. Their Friendship and Joy Values increased visibly.

And before Kenji's eyes, several lines of text appeared one after another.

[Swampert's mood has improved. Joy Value +30. Received Swampert's gift: "Protect" Skill Machine.]

[Skill Machine (Protect): A Normal-type move. Completely blocks the opponent's attack. The move may fail if used consecutively or if there is a large power gap between the users. Uses remaining: 9999/9999.]

[Quagsire's mood has improved. Joy Value +35. Received Quagsire's gift: "Toxic" Skill Machine.]

[Skill Machine (Toxic): A Poison-type move. Badly poisons the opponent. The poison damage increases with each passing turn. Uses remaining: 9999/9999.]

Two very practical moves for novice and intermediate trainers.

Kenji was very satisfied. He smiled at the two Pokémon. "Well then, I won't disturb you two. For the next little while, please get along well! If anything comes up, or if you need help, you can come to the front and find me or Bewear."

Judging by the girl's demeanor, she seemed to be a very skilled trainer. For his first egg-hatching service, Kenji didn't mind giving her a small gift. Not just a Swampert that knew Swords Dance; if the egg had enough talent, he wouldn't mind teaching it Sleep Powder prenatally as well.

That way, when the girl took this Pokémon to a higher-level competition venue, her unprecedented Swampert would be revealed to the world. At that time, the world would surely want to know how she did it. And then, the fame of his breeding center would resonate throughout the entire competitive scene.