Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

After Nanyin officially became a disciple, Master Fu introduced her to the Pokémon living nearby.

They have all received kindness from humans to some extent, and are willing to repay that kindness with convenience. In addition, with the support of the master-disciple relationship, simple help is just a matter of lifting a finger.

"Thank you for your help today too."

Waving its leaves to indicate its indifference, and as the girl tightened her arms around its waist, the carnivorous flower extended its vines, hooked onto the tree branches above, and used repeated swings to accelerate and pull until it reached the desired location.

After giving away the remaining energy cubes from yesterday and offering a simple thank you, Nan Yin also met the ever-restless old man.

Holding a watering can, Grandpa Fu was bending over, judging whether the plants needed fertilization and watering based on their condition.

"Nanyin, you're here."

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, the old man sensed something before the girl even got close and spoke up.

"Master Fu".

"Hmm, how did you read yesterday?"

Putting away his tools, Master Fu asked in a low voice.

“It was very rewarding.”

Without hesitation, it is the truth from the heart.

The book the old man lent him not only contained recipes for various energy cubes, but also his classification and summarization of different Pokémon, his inferences about their preferences, and his nutritional balance plans.

While the prescription is valuable, the approach of treating the root cause is even more precious.

"It's only been one night, so don't boast. Let me test you: how will the energy cube you make from Yuezhu fruit, Biba fruit, and Cijiao fruit turn out, and what will it taste like?"

"Yuezhu fruit is mainly sweet and is the main ingredient for the base. Spicy fruit tends to be spicy and is used as a secondary ingredient to neutralize it. Although the outer skin of Biba fruit is spicy, the inside is sweet and sour and is used as a starter to adjust the color."

Without much thought, and after much deliberation, Nan Yin had thoroughly figured out the problem.

"If there are no mistakes, the final product will only have a uniform color of lotus root starch."

The answer was undoubtedly correct, but the old man sighed instead.

Sure enough, the child probably didn't get much rest last night. That formula is located in the middle of the book; it's impossible to find it in just a few hours in the evening.

His suspicions were confirmed. From the moment he saw Nan Yin this morning, he could tell that she was not in good spirits and had heavy eye circles.

"That's well said, but you also need to pay attention to your own schedule. Health is the foundation of a breeder. If you can't even guarantee your own health, how can you expect others to believe in your breeding skills?"

He patted the girl's shoulder earnestly and gestured for her to follow him into the inner room.

"Come with me, Nanyin. I've taught you the basics of nurturing. Further improvement in this area relies more on parallel practice and the accumulation of time. There are no shortcuts."

"I will continue to work on this."

He nodded slightly in agreement.

There's nothing wrong with admitting this. Even with the help of mental power, Nanyin music is only outstanding in terms of craftsmanship, and it's not up to par for serious audiences.

When faced with the same Pokémon, all she can do is follow the rules; she can't adjust the formula flexibly according to the current state of the target Pokémon like Fu Ye does, so as to achieve more efficient absorption.

"That's good, having the intention is enough."

Looking into the girl's eyes and seeing her sincerity and lack of arrogance, the old man couldn't help but be moved.

Master Fu has never been a stubborn old man who hoards his skills. Long before he became a disciple of Nanyin, he had already taught his skills to other people who were willing to learn.

However, most of them thought they could make a lot of money through this skill, but in the end they would only be wavering and end up with poor skills and no success.

Those kids just can't settle down.

Lost in thought, the old man understood that in today's rapidly changing world, young people have more choices and more paths to take, and they no longer need to devote themselves to difficult and arduous tasks.

The so-called inheritance and lasting fame are nothing more than the stubborn thoughts of the older generation.

No matter how wonderful the vision, it needs a material foundation. When a beginner sits at the table all night and can't even make a few basic energy cubes, who can remain calm and unwavering?

Some things require talent and a certain affinity.

That's why he valued Nanyin so much, and why he brought her to this place, this little-known breeding house.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, accompanied by a creaking sound, warm air seeped out from the cracks.

"Uncle Fu, where is this place?"

Unable to adapt to the temperature change, Nanyin naturally couldn't understand why there was such a difference between inside and outside.

Upon hearing the girl's question, Master Fu's face remained calm, but a hint of pride appeared in his eyes.

"Initially, I, the old man, did I say that I had made some achievements in the field of incubation and genetics? And this is where all the theories are put into practice, and also the place for the third lesson."

As the light changed, a rich, mellow aroma wafted out first, followed by the revelation of the piled-up straw.

When you really focus your attention, the dazzling array of egg species completely dominates every inch of your field of vision.

This is?

Stunned to the point of being speechless, Nan Yin still lost her composure despite her best efforts to control her emotions.

"You're scared, aren't you, Nanyin? These are all eggs that I've intentionally or unintentionally kept over the years. I've collected nearly three hundred of them."

With his hands behind his back, the old man, carrying the still-shy young girl, walked step by step into the deepest part of the inner room.

"Today's main topic is to analyze the attributes and development status of the Pokémon inside based on the depth and coloring of the egg's markings, and the practical example is—"

"it."

Pointing straight ahead, at the very end of the field of vision, a giant egg, far larger than its neighbors and blue-purple in color, stood majestically.

"Nanyin, tell me, how long do you think it will take for this child to hatch?"

"...roughly two months."

Without even getting close enough to touch it, Nanyin decisively gave the answer based solely on her observation.

For no other reason than—

The scan results for the Palu Pokédex have been obtained:

Individual: Giant Dragon Egg Gender: Female

Status: Incubating, 1344 hours remaining, total 56 days

Description: A descendant of dragons, one can feel the vibrant life force of a solemn soul within, as if some strange creature is about to hatch.

Possesses the following keywords: [Clever], [Lightning Speed], [Athletic]

Brainpower: Global attack +30%, work speed -50%

Speed ​​Boost: Global speed +30%

Athlete: Global Speed ​​+20%

Chapter Sixteen: Entrustment and Duty

Two months?

He murmured to himself that the girl's answer was just right, but Fu Ye felt an even greater sense of urgency.

Hopefully, there's still enough time, at least until I have a little ink left in my belly...

Suppressing his inner worries, the old man smiled and gently encouraged her.

"It seems you had some prior knowledge of this, which should make your lectures much easier."

He flattened his palm, pressed it against the shell of the giant egg, and instead of speaking, he carefully felt the changes and directions of the patterns on his skin.

Finally, he looked up at Nan Yin.

“At first, I mentioned observing with my eyes, but now we are going to draw with our hands.”

Without going into details, the old man simply gave up his seat, and Nan Yin understood his meaning.

Master Fu wanted to put it into practice himself and do it personally.

Stepping closer, I reached out my fingertips to touch the thick eggshell.

Following the gentle friction, the delicate touch filled in the initial impression that was only visually apparent in the morning.

"How does it feel?"

"Instead of the pits and bumps that the eyes see, to be precise, the surface of this egg is quite smooth, and the texture is extremely fine."

Nodding in affirmation of the girl's words, the old man put his hands behind his back and began to speak in a gentle and detailed manner.

"That's right. A thing is usually composed of shape, color, texture, and taste. Most of the time, we trust the feedback from our first sense, sight, but in reality, what we see is not always the truth."

"Just like raising elves, it requires not only observation and manual measurement, but also summarizing the findings after several days of detailed investigation, correcting shortcomings, and updating the plan."

Having said all that, seeing those past memories still brimming with vitality, while feeling gratified, Grandpa Fu couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

“Ice Caves, White Sandalwood Forest, Azure Bay, Mirror Caves—in my youth, I explored these wildernesses and mountains of Carlos with great enthusiasm, collecting data and recording my findings. As I approached middle age and returned to my hometown to settle down, I realized that, without even noticing, I had taken in so many children.”

He led Nanyin around the house, introducing the origins and characteristics of each type of egg as if they were his own treasures. Between the lines, one could feel the glorious years of an old man.

When he returned to the giant egg, a few tears welled up in Grandpa Fu's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Nan Yin, I got emotional for a moment and made you miss the lecture."

"No, Master. Just as you said, life experiences are also a kind of teaching."

Instead of offering an apology, Nan Yin borrowed the principles previously shared by the old man, demonstrating that she did not believe the words she heard were meaningless.

The girl loved listening to stories. In the past, she found everything interesting, whether it was the casual conversations between her art teachers or the occasional boasts of her main subject professors.

"You child, really..."

To ease her sorrow and tears, the old man intended to gently stroke Nanyin's head, but after raising his hand halfway, he chose to put it down.

After all, his apprentice was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, so it wasn't appropriate to do this.

He cleared his mind of the jumbled thoughts and returned to the course.

"If the other egg species are merely the result of chance or unintentionality, then this child can be said to have been orchestrated under my subjective influence and ultimately born."

Professor Oak's Dragonite, Professor Iris's Garchomp, Champion Alder's Hydreigon, Elite Four member Salamence... Moves are inherited from the father, bloodlines are determined by the mother, and connections were exhausted to include several powerful individuals, which is how this giant egg came to be.

“Nanyin, we all know that the potential of each Pokémon is not the same. Many times, they will have a huge gap at the starting line, just like Caterpie and Volcarona. The length of their growth period and the process of metamorphosis mean that they can never be on the same track.”

"But through the breeding of different races and individuals, there is also a chance to awaken their deeper talents, explore their hidden potential, and even the possibility of miracles."

Having stopped talking, Master Fu once again handed the initiative of the conversation back to the girl.

"Master, according to your theory, how can we determine whether these eggs have inherited the desirable traits we need?"

Not being dull-witted, Nan Yin quickly found the oversight in the words and phrases.

only--

"There is no way."

With a bitter expression on his face, the old man let out a short sigh.

"Just like humans, heredity is random, and no one can guarantee that the outcome will be satisfactory. Ten times, a hundred times, a few days, a few years—these are just fluctuating numbers on this arduous journey. Therefore, we can only keep trying and making mistakes, keep trying, and build it up piece by piece with time and hard work."

Perhaps realizing that the conversation was too heavy, after a brief silence, Master Fu softened his tone and slowly began to speak.

"But luckily, this egg is the best I've seen in all these years. If I'm not mistaken, it could give birth to a Pokémon with exceptional potential, enough to prove my hypothesis, and even rival those legendary Dragon-type Pokémon in terms of racial advantages."

As he spoke, the old man raised his head and looked out the window at the sky, as if to confirm what the legend in the story referred to.

"Then, Master, may I ask, what are your expectations for that child?"

Even though Nan Yin had a general idea of ​​the Pokémon's talents through the Palkia Encyclopedia scan, she still only had a vague understanding of the specific information and needed to ask around.

"Perhaps it can learn multiple moves from birth, or perhaps it has an unusual physique and well-developed tendons. If there are no accidents, it should be able to learn Dragon Dance and Dragon Pulse when it is young."

"Of course, those are the real scenes that can only be seen after hatching. Before that, besides sitting and waiting, we, as breeders, have one more thing to do."

Taking out powdered crystals from a nearby cabinet, Mr. Fu then explained.

"In addition to being influenced by innate factors and the gifts from their parents, the nutritional intake during the incubation period of a Pokémon is also crucial to its potential, and this is the only factor that can be changed by external forces."

"Even though this eggshell looks sealed, it actually has holes that are invisible to the naked eye. By applying medicinal powder to the outside, we can allow the Pokémon inside to absorb it and grow smoothly."

He handed the prepared ingredients to the girl, and at this moment, the old man also explained his plans, which he had made since yesterday.