Chapter 37: Egg Hatching

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of slippers on the floor made the Firebird’s already racing heartbeat thud like a drum.

Damn, I accidentally made a sound!

What do I do? Should I destroy the evidence?

But even if I did, I’d still get pounded anyway.

Just as the Firebird’s movements froze completely, Luo Mu arrived with his Pokémon; when he saw the Firebird, standing like a flamingo in rigid stiffness, its face etched with visible terror, and the Egg beneath it glowing wildly inside the incubator like a flash grenade.

He understood everything.

His wildly pounding heart gradually returned to normal speed; the tension that had gripped Luo Mu’s entire being dissolved at once, and only then did he realize his back was soaked in cold sweat.

“What was that? You scared me.” Luo Mu exhaled deeply, looking at the stiff Firebird, and chuckled: “Don’t panic—the Egg’s fine. This is just a sign it’s about to hatch.”

Hearing Luo Mu’s words, the five Pokémon with fearsome, godlike auras relaxed their battle stances; realizing nothing was wrong, they gathered around to glance at the Egg, then, filled with wishes for its successful hatching, yawned and shuffled back to their rooms for a nap.

The panic came fast and left fast.

Only Luo Mu and the relieved Firebird remained, staring at each other; after a few breaths, Luo Mu broke the awkward silence: “Firebird, weren’t you hatched from an Egg yourself? Why are you so startled by this?”

Luo Mu was curious—were these genderless Legendary Pokémon hatched from Eggs, or born directly from nature itself?

The Firebird fell silent, as if recalling memories from long ago; after a moment, it gave a definitive answer.

“When I gained consciousness and opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was magma all around me. I have no memory at all of being inside an Egg that glowed.”

Luo Mu nodded thoughtfully; judging by the Firebird’s words, it must have been born in some volcano—very likely through natural creation...

Walking up to the Firebird, Luo Mu crouched and picked up the incubator; he found the third nutrient solution had turned completely transparent. In just over a week, this Egg had absorbed nearly all the nutrients a normal Egg would take twenty-one days to consume.

Watching the Egg glow rhythmically, Luo Mu wondered what kind of Pokémon would emerge from within.

Luo Mu suggested: “Before the Egg hatches, let’s move inside and wait comfortably.”

The weather hasn’t warmed yet; we should provide a warm environment for the new life before it’s born.

The Firebird had no objections; it slowly shuffled after Luo Mu, its body having not moved in days, having spent all its time eating and sleeping.

At the front door, Luo Mu swung both doors wide open—barely enough space for the Firebird to pass through with its wings tucked in.

Before entering, Luo Mu had asked the Firebird whether its flames, like those of Ponyta and Rapidash, could be controlled so they wouldn’t ignite the surroundings.

Otherwise, with the wooden furniture and flooring in this small cottage—so easily flammable—Luo Mu would never have dared bring it inside.

Bringing the Firebird to the fireplace in the living room, Luo Mu tossed in firewood, then looked at the Firebird.

Firebird: “?”

Why are you staring at me like that?

Luo Mu sighed: “Light it. You’re the only Fire-type here, and I can’t spit fire.”

“And just a few small flames—don’t set the house on fire.”

Firebird: “.........”

The Firebird never imagined it would one day be reduced to the function of a lighter or match; after a long pause, it didn’t flare up—only felt that, since arriving at this farm, its temper and emotions had stabilized at an astonishing speed.

It rolled its eyes at Luo Mu, opened its long beak, and three orange-red flames, perfectly controlled, landed in the fireplace, instantly igniting the wood; warm golden light spread from the hearth.

“Excellent control,” Luo Mu applauded, and the Firebird lifted its head proudly, clearly pleased with the praise.

Luo Mu moved the Egg to a spot near the fireplace, beside the Firebird, whose body still radiated warmth like a miniature sun; the first step in Pokémon hatching—creating a warm incubation environment—was complete.

Luo Mu also prepared several bottles of room-temperature MooMoo Milk he’d specially bought last time, along with hot water and large towels.

In Pokémon Centers, when Nurse Joy assists with birth, that’s essentially all they provide beyond monitoring equipment.

Luo Mu stayed beside the fireplace with the Firebird, occasionally adding more wood, keeping watch over the Egg.

He kept watch all day.

Until the Pokémon who had gone out to tend the farm returned, surrounding the Egg in three layers, the sky turning dusky yellow—the Egg’s glowing frequency finally reached its peak.

Its flashing became nearly continuous, making the Egg look like a glowing lightbulb.

The air inside grew thick with tension; even the usually hyperactive two Little Cottons sensed it, sitting quietly beside White Fluff.

Finally, as the light reached its peak, the crisp crack of the Eggshell shattered the stillness, jolting every Pokémon and human present.

Crack, crack—

The shell fractured faster and faster; the tiny life within understood this was its only chance to escape. The nutrient solution Luo Mu had bought had restored its weakened body with new strength; the creature strained with all its might, pushing its tiny horn against the inner shell.

In the silent room, even the Firebird, like Luo Mu and the others, watched with encouraging eyes, silently cheering on the life inside the Egg.

The Firebird didn’t know if it had been infected by Luo Mu and the others—or if, during these fleeting days in its life, its constant proximity to the Egg had stirred up unfamiliar emotions.

Once, the Firebird had viewed all weaker beings as ants; now, it sincerely wished for this impossibly fragile life to be born into the world.

The Egg hatched in just three minutes—but those three minutes felt as long as a full year.

“Ooo~~~”

At the very moment dusk surrendered to darkness, a short, loud cry rang out—like dawn breaking—bringing forth new life.

A look of relief spread across Luo Mu’s face; he whispered softly: “Little one, welcome to this beautiful world!”