League Calendar Year 198, July 4th, Clear Skies.
Today was an extremely important day for the ranch. After finishing breakfast, Silas waited in the nursery together with Minccino and the others, quietly anticipating the arrival of a new little life into this world.
Of course, it was not only Minccino and the small ones who were waiting. Tropius and Meganium stood outside with the Applin and Flapple, while the three Noivern had gathered together for once without fighting or roughhousing, peering through the small window into the room. The three Mudsdale brothers were stacking up with the Mareep herd nearby, forming a tall and wobbly tower. Everyone was waiting for that final moment.
On the wall, the clock ticked steadily. Tick tock, tick tock. The brass pendulum swung forward with unwavering slowness.
Silas sat on a small wooden stool, his fingertips resting lightly on his knees, tapping gently in rhythm with the pendulum's swing. Even he had not realized that as the moment drew closer, his heart had grown tense and filled with anticipation.
"Min Min!"
At that moment, Minccino suddenly cried out excitedly, pointing its tiny paw at the Pokémon Egg.
Everyone turned to look. The egg was trembling faintly, its surface glowing with a brilliant white light.
At the same time, Silas opened the system panel to check.
[Kangaskhan's Egg: The first child of a young Kangaskhan mother. It had received the blessing of the stars. Time until hatching: 60 seconds... 59 seconds...]
It was about to begin.
Pairs of eyes turned toward the egg, some curious, some expectant, some filled with gentle affection.
Even the nursery door had been pushed open slightly, a narrow crack just wide enough for Pokémon to squeeze their heads through. From top to bottom, the order went Morpeko, the Meowth, Dolliv, Popplio, Rowlet, Litten, Diancie, Alcremie, and the five Floette.
That tiny crack in the door was bearing far more than it should have.
With so many Pokémon squeezed together, it was impossible not to cause some commotion. From outside, one could see baked seeds rolling out one after another, along with tiny paws scrambling desperately for space.
Surprisingly, Morpeko did not rush inside.
Just as Silas was about to stand up, a crisp cracking sound rang clearly in his ears.
A crack appeared along the top of the Kangaskhan Egg, running downward. The Pokémon inside was breaking through the shell.
From within that fracture, an increasingly radiant white light poured out, as if the Creator had bestowed the first blessing upon the newborn Pokémon.
"Kang Kang~!"
With a tender, youthful cry, the white light faded away.
On the soft cushion lay a small Pokémon that closely resembled Kangaskhan. Its body was light purple, and at this moment it was curiously looking around before wobbling to its feet.
Its little nose twitched gently, as if registering everyone's presence.
"Kang!"
"Kang Kang~"
With its fresh new mind working perfectly, the little Kangaskhan greeted Silas.
Its adorable and slightly silly appearance instantly melted his heart.
He carefully extended his hand, letting the small Pokémon clasp it. He could clearly feel its soft and warm body, accompanied by a rich milky scent.
"Welcome to this world, little Kangaskhan."
At that very moment, one head after another popped up behind Silas. Minccino and the other little ones offered their blessings together.
"Min!"
"Phion!"
"Cyc~"
"Doll!"
"Meow!" four voices at once.
"Floe!" five sweet calls in unison.
"Welcome, little Kangaskhan," Diancie conveyed gently through telepathy.
The little Kangaskhan showed not the slightest hint of unfamiliarity. It was surprisingly bold for a newborn, and it seemed to remember everyone's presence and aura already.
It waved its tiny arms at the gathered Pokémon, revealing a sweet smile that could melt absolutely anything.
Minccino was the first to approach. It climbed down along Silas's arm and gently touched the little Kangaskhan.
In contrast, the newborn was far bolder. It immediately wrapped its arms tightly around Minccino.
Minccino squeaked that it hurt. The little one had inherited Kangaskhan's immense strength.
With Kangaskhan's permission, the other Pokémon quickly surrounded the newborn as well.
The baby Kangaskhan released Minccino and immediately turned to pounce on Cyclizar, climbing all over him until Cyclizar dared not move at all, allowing the baby to scramble up and down its body.
Popplio and Rowlet performed little shows for it. The regular Meowth shared its favorite ball of yarn. The Alolan Meowth presented a large ancient silver coin that it had painstakingly collected.
Everyone crowded around the little Kangaskhan, eager to play with it.
Silas stepped back to Kangaskhan's side. Watching the lively and heartwarming scene before him, he smiled faintly and gently patted Kangaskhan.
"Look, everyone likes your baby Kangaskhan. You do not need to worry."
"Kang~" Kangaskhan kept its loving gaze fixed on its child, a simple and happy smile on its face.
For the first time truly becoming a mother, Kangaskhan had felt anxious and uncertain.
But the scene before her eased much of that worry.
Minccino and the others did not get to play with the little Kangaskhan for long. Soon, Cyclizar walked over with steps so light they could not have been softer, the baby perched on its back, already drowsy.
The light purple body had curled into a tiny ball. Its sparkling eyes were now half closed, occasionally letting out faint little murmurs of "kang kang," as if talking in its sleep, its face carrying a blissful smile.
The surrounding Pokémon instantly quieted down, afraid of waking it.
"Looks like it is tired from playing," Silas said softly. He stepped forward and gently lifted the baby from Cyclizar's back, handing it to Kangaskhan.
As they separated, the little Kangaskhan unconsciously clutched Silas's arm.
Moments ago it had been so energetic. Now it was completely peaceful.
"Kangaskhan, I will leave it to you for now. I will go prepare some baby food."
"Kang!"
Kangaskhan responded and carefully placed the little one into her pouch.
Silas then guided the gathered Pokémon downstairs. Though they were reluctant and insisted they could wait upstairs, he firmly refused.
"No. Right now, baby Kangaskhan needs rest. When it wakes up, it can come downstairs to play with you all." Silas gently pinched Minccino's tiny nose. "When that time comes, you can take it around the ranch to play."
In an instant, anticipation lit up the faces of Minccino, Cyclizar, and the others.
They no longer insisted on staying upstairs. Instead, they pushed Silas to hurry and leave so they would not disturb the baby's rest.
Chuckling, Silas lightly flicked their foreheads before heading downstairs. He still needed to explain the situation to the Noivern, the Mareep and the Mudsdale outside.
Only after reassuring them did they return to their work, though the three Noivern lay down by the door to wait.
Leaving them there, Silas tied on his apron and entered the kitchen. Together with the Indeedee siblings, he began preparing baby food for the little Kangaskhan.
He had long since developed the recipe. He only needed to adjust a few ingredients.
Very quickly, a fresh serving of exclusive baby food for the little Kangaskhan was completed. The ingredients used were the finest from the ranch, and the effects would be even stronger than the previous baby food made for Litleo.
Before Silas's eyes, the information appeared on the system panel.
[Baby Supplement · Kangaskhan Edition (B+): Made using colors that little Kangaskhan likes, rich in nutrition. Because of the emotional care poured into its preparation, the dish has undergone subtle changes.
Dish Effect 1: Accelerated Growth: To a certain degree, it speeds up the growth rate of young Pokémon and slightly enhances their potential.
Dish Effect 2: Shield of Blessing (Exclusive to little Kangaskhan): Because it received everyone's blessings at birth, during battle it may nullify one guaranteed hit attack.]
(End of Chapter)