October 27.
It was an important day.
Because today, Sprigatito was going to hatch.
Early in the morning, aside from a few Pokémon still busy with their routines, nearly all of Lin Feng's partners gathered in the garden. In the center, surrounded by their expectant eyes, sat a faintly glowing green Pokémon egg.
[Species: Sprigatito
Mother: A two-year-old Floragato with exceptional natural talent
Notes: …
Inherited Moves: Leech Seed, Ally Switch
Hatch Time Remaining: 5 minutes]
There were still five minutes left on the timer, but the egg was already glowing softly. Those with aura-sensitivity could feel the tiny life inside struggling to break free from its shell.
Lin Feng simply watched quietly. This was their moment, not his.
Beside him, the young Alolan Vulpix was so excited she had started stamping her paws anxiously. Why was it taking so long?
A clean white light burst through the shell, and the egg seemed to melt away. A soft mewl echoed across the garden.
The newborn Sprigatito blinked up at the world, her fur a pale, tender green. Her eyes were bright and pinkish, her neck wrapped in a tiny leaflike collar, and two whiskers curled like young sprouts.
Sprigatito had arrived.
She was roughly the same size the Vulpix had been at birth, barely larger than two fists pressed together. Vulpix herself was now two or three times that size. Even Pokémon did not spring into adulthood on day one. But with a rich supply of natural energy, most would reach their stable juvenile form within a week.
Unable to resist, Lin Feng brought up her panel.
[Species: Sprigatito]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Overgrow]
[Potential: Red Tier]
[Individual Values: HP 22, Attack 28, Sp. Atk 19, Defense 27, Sp. Def 24, Speed 31]
[Level: 3–5]
[Moves: Ally Switch, Leech Seed]
[Description: A newborn Sprigatito who, thanks to being nourished by Verdant Force during incubation, is already deeply attached to you.]
[Affection: 80]
[Joy: 60 (Mewl. The warm place… the source of comfort…)]
Eighty affection.
She had barely opened her eyes, and she already loved him this much. Not only that, Verdant Force seemed to have even boosted her HP slightly.
Lin Feng grinned. With affection this high, he could cuddle her as much as he wanted.
"Vii!"
The excited one was not just Lin Feng. The Vulpix practically leapt into the air and bounded over, her crystal-clear eyes shining. "Vii! Vii!"
(I am the captain of the Vulpix Squad. Join us! I will take great care of you!)
The newborn Sprigatito took one look at the fluffy white creature and immediately backed up in fright.
"Meow-ha…"
That single step backward made Vulpix's heart crack in half.
Sprigatito blinked, looking around anxiously. She had felt a warm presence wrapped around her while inside the egg. Now she saw a Dragonite flying overhead, a ring of Eevee, Vulpix, Serperior, the maid Kirlia, and more… but none of them matched the warmth she was searching for.
Panicking, she tried to retreat from all the unfamiliar faces.
Before she could get far, a pair of arms lifted her gently.
She twisted to look, ready to struggle, but the moment she saw Lin Feng's smiling face, her eyes lit up.
This was the warmth she remembered.
"Meow-ha!"
She reached toward him with both tiny paws.
"Meow, meow…"
The sound softened Lin Feng instantly. His expression melted into pure tenderness. "Alright, alright. I've got you."
He shifted her so she could curl comfortably against his chest.
"Meow…"
Nestled against him, she breathed in the familiar scent she had known even before birth. Overwhelmed, she could only show her affection by licking the hand that held her.
The maid Kirlia approached with a bottle of freshly warmed Moomoo Milk. For newborn Pokémon, Moomoo Milk was the ideal first meal. One of the Miltank in this ranch was even a Dominant-class mother, and her milk quality was S-tier.
Sprigatito hesitated. Lin Feng's arms were warm, but the sweet scent of milk tugged at her attention. She turned toward the bottle with a tiny squeak.
Kirlia quickly handed it over.
And so, Sprigatito's very first feeding was done by Lin Feng himself.
She drank eagerly, latched tightly to the bottle, milk dribbling down her chin as she gulped too fast. Lin Feng continued stroking her soft, downy fur, while Kirlia gently wiped the milk from her mouth.
Vulpix could only stare in shock.
In her mind, Sprigatito was supposed to join her Vulpix Squad upon hatching. Instead, she went straight into the trainer's arms.
"Vii…"
She stomped her paws in protest. Serperior lightly tapped her with its tail, and she grudgingly calmed down.
When Sprigatito finished the bottle, she let out a tiny milk hiccup and snuggled deeper against Lin Feng, her eyes half-closed in contentment.
Only then did Lin Feng begin introducing everyone.
He sat on the grass, placing Sprigatito on his lap.
"This is Vulpix."
Vulpix immediately flashed her brightest smile.
"Meow…"
Sprigatito turned her head away.
"Vii…"
Vulpix's ears drooped dramatically.
Lin Feng pulled her closer too, then lifted Sprigatito to face him. "My name is Lin Feng. Starting today, I am your trainer."
Sprigatito's ears perked up, and she chirped happily, nodding her little head.
"Meow."
It sounded exactly like "Yes, you're my trainer."
Lin Feng then turned her toward the others.
"These are all my partners. This is Vulpix."
Sprigatito finally managed a polite, tiny greeting.
"Meow."
Eevee Nine quickly hopped over, introducing himself with a proud cry. Sprigatito nodded curiously.
"And this is Serperior. This is Eevee Five…"
But as the introductions went on, Sprigatito's eyes began to glaze. The number of faces overwhelmed her. With a soft huff, she burrowed back into Lin Feng's chest, refusing to absorb any more new information.
Lin Feng realized he was rushing too much.
A newborn could not be expected to meet every Pokémon at once. So he set her down to explore freely.
Sprigatito took a careful step onto the garden path. The moment she spotted rows of colorful flowers, her eyes brightened.
A Combee flew past. She paused, then toddled after it on unsteady paws. The Combee was far too busy gathering nectar to pay her any mind and buzzed off again. Other Combee zipped around the garden, and Sprigatito tilted her head, fascinated.
One Combee landed near the barn, so Sprigatito followed.
Behind her, everyone watched with interest, curious where the tiny leaf kitten would wander.
The barn was a little low. Serperior could enter fine, but Dragonite had to duck his head. That did not stop him from following; his curiosity was too strong.
The Miltank inside mooed in surprise at seeing so many visitors.
The loud sound startled Sprigatito. She spun around, searching for Lin Feng. But then she saw the gentle faces of the Miltank and calmed down. She even took a few steps toward them.
"Moo?" (Want milk?)
"Moo." (It is sweet.)
The motherly instinct of the Miltank kicked in immediately at the sight of such a tiny baby. Sprigatito sniffed the sweet scent lingering in the barn, tempted, but she had already eaten and politely walked away.
Past the barn was the orchard.
From the water, Milotic and Primarina surfaced to observe her, while Tsareena bounded over enthusiastically. Now that she had evolved, Tsareena's lively personality had fully bloomed.
"Tsa?"
"Meow."
But Sprigatito remained cool and aloof, giving only a brief mewl before continuing.
Until…
A massive Salamence appeared at the edge of the orchard, guarding the entrance between the farm and the living quarters.
Sprigatito froze. Every strand of fur on her body puffed up. She turned and bolted toward Lin Feng.
"Meow meow meow!"
Salamence lazily opened one eye, annoyed to have been woken up, yawned, then rolled to face the other direction.
Lin Feng lifted the trembling Sprigatito into his arms. She relaxed immediately.
With most of the area explored, Lin Feng finally carried her to his room and placed her on his bed. Vulpix and the Eevee soon jumped up as well. After brushing dirt from Sprigatito's paws, they all settled beside her.
"It might be a bit crowded," Lin Feng said, "but for now, this is where you'll sleep."
He glanced at the pile of fluffy bodies. His bed was definitely starting to become too small. Once the Eevee evolved, things would become even more cramped.
"Meow."
Sprigatito happily dove under the blanket, chirping excitedly.
Newborn Pokémon expressed themselves vaguely, so even with aura and Verdant Force, Lin Feng could only interpret her feelings roughly.
She loved this place because it smelled like him.
Vulpix and the Eevee leaned in again, hoping to play. But Sprigatito yawned once, curled into the covers, and fell asleep instantly.
Lin Feng whispered, "She was just born. Let her rest, alright?"
Watching her soft breathing, he could not help feeling a rush of affection. Newborn Pokémon were always adorable. Their fur had not fully developed, still soft and downy like fine cotton.
He wanted to scoop her up and give her a good cuddle.
But the maid Kirlia stepped in, gesturing for silence. Newborn Pokémon needed lots of rest to absorb energy and grow quickly.
Vulpix and the Eevee nodded and tiptoed outside.
"I'll leave her with you. Let me know when she wakes up."
Lin Feng patted Kirlia's head, entrusting her with the task.
"Ayi." (Of course.)
After leaving the room, Lin Feng headed to the orchard. Salamence was awake now, staring blankly at nothing in particular. Lin Feng unfolded his portable chair and sat beside him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Salamence exhaled with disinterest.
He had expected this. Salamence did not do much besides eat and sleep. He never blended in with the others. Dragonite was still youthful and could play easily with everyone. Salamence, however, was a mature, nearly century-old dragon, far past the stage of simple games.
Lin Feng patted its shoulder. "Let me guess. You were thinking about Rayquaza."
This time, Salamence finally lifted its head.
"Grr…" (It is very strong.)