Chapter 586: One in a Million Probability

Luo Mu walked all the way to the living room.

But unlike the urgency he had imagined, the atmosphere in the living room was mostly relaxed.

The Gigalith Core lay motionless in front of the fireplace, as if it were a college student unwilling to leave its blanket in winter.

The doors to Kappu's and Ballion's rooms were wide open; they had likely been taken by Gyarados and Dragonite to Lake Thunder to acclimate.

As Luo Mu passed the staircase corner, he nearly stepped on a pair of mice holding a feather duster to shake off dust.

Meanwhile, the Kingdra was lounging leisurely, coiling its vine whip around the Alolan specialty Triple Bee donut Luo Mu had brought back, dipping it lightly on the back of the Honeylurk, then swallowing it whole.

Yes, it had coated the already sweet Triple Bee donut with the sweet honey secreted by the Honeylurk's back, then added a crispy crust on top.

It was hard to imagine such a thing could be done by a mother—or even a godmother.

Just then, the Gigalith Core, lounging by the fire like a pampered master, spoke slowly: "Little Snake, share a piece with me, won't you?"

Kingdra: "."

It subtly frowned, but remembering Ash's morning introduction, Kingdra reluctantly gave the Gigalith Core a small piece of donut.

This thing seems to have a big background—I'll wait until I get to know it better, then whip it with my vines.

The double sweetness of the donut easily soothed Kingdra's minor irritation over the matter; when Luo Mu arrived, Kingdra gave him a genuinely friendly expression and quietly curled its tail tip around his finger.

"Gaa~"

Kingdra urged Luo Mu to sit on the sofa and called out with concern.

It had heard from Gyarados and Dragonite that although this was a vacation, Luo Mu had gone through plenty in the Alola region.

Considering that, today I'll reluctantly show him some concern!

"I'm fine. How have you all been doing on the farm these past few days?"

Understanding Kingdra's intent, Luo Mu smiled and asked.

After returning last night, he had collapsed straight into bed and hadn't yet checked on how the Pokémon left behind on the farm had fared.

Although Regieleki was overseeing everything, without Ash's help, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Kingdra thought for a moment, then picked a few key points to tell Luo Mu—more precisely, it used its vines to trace out characters in the air.

Like Gyarados still holding the front line at the frozen stream.

The temperamental Snorlax nearly got into a fight with Menglei Drum, but was subdued by Regieleki.

That human called Boss had been sending occasional Paldian ancient gold coins to the farm; the Treasure Hunter's chest was now nearly half full.

The Chewtle in the new orchard nearly got snatched away by a passing Gulliver, but the Sky Guard Skarmory spotted it in time and drove it off immediately.

Regielece has been lingering near the glass greenhouse lately.

Ho-Oh returned to its homeland for a visit and brought back some local specialties.

And shortly after Ho-Oh left, the Speeddog that had chewed straight through Luo Mu's "windproof Speeddog safe" had now gnawed all his hidden slippers to shreds and buried them underground.

Luo Mu initially found this amusing, but his expression grew increasingly strange, then turned completely black.

Gyarados, Menglei Drum, and Snorlax's antics? Not worth mentioning—they happen all the time.

As for the Paldian ancient gold coins, Luo Mu occasionally received text updates from Boss while in Alola; he didn't need to check, he already knew the exact count.

Currently 456 coins—still 543 short of the goal of 999.

Boss is surprisingly efficient; if this pace continues, he'll likely gather all the coins within a few months.

Luo Mu looked at the Honeylurk, eyes drooping as it basked in the warmth.

The incident with the Chewtle had long been a concern of his, which motivated him to establish the farm's Sky Guard.

These Pokémon are, strictly speaking, Luo Mu's hired employees—not Pokémon he captured.

He provides them shelter and food; in return, they tend his fruit trees and help ripen the berries.

He provides the Skarmory and Bluegill with ample food so they don't need to migrate in winter; in return, they guard the farm's skies, just as they would protect their own territory.

Clearly, his decision was wise.

Luo Mu might have some idea about Regielece's behavior, but he needed further confirmation; Ho-Oh's local specialties could be examined later.

But the biggest issue was—

Luo Mu clenched his fists tightly, his face as dark as a soot-covered pot. He'd wondered why Speeddog wasn't lounging at home—turns out it had sensed his return and fled ahead of time!

"When I catch you—"

Silently vowing revenge in his mind, Luo Mu turned back to Kingdra.

These matters were important, but what he cared about most right now was the Pokémon egg.

Yet Kingdra didn't seem in a hurry, leaving Luo Mu uncertain.

He decided to ask outright and stood up, preparing to head to the incubation room.

Kingdra wrapped the wool scarf Luo Mu had prepared for it around its body, wriggled, and followed along.

Luo Mu and Kingdra walked through the pasture area, where snow blanketed the ground, leaving only a few large trees and buildings—where they happened upon two Sylveon taking a stroll.

Honestly, if Kingdra hadn't reminded him, Luo Mu might have absentmindedly overlooked the two Pokémon.

Just because their winter appearance was so deceptive.

Compared to the other three seasons, Sylveon had evolved winter fur nearly identical to snow, to better hide from predators in the wild.

Their branch-like antlers had turned white, looking perfect for hanging red lanterns.

Their bodies bore white spots for camouflage, their neck fur had thickened into a white scarf, and their legs were clad in white "boots."

Though Grass-type Pokémon, these two Sylveon, thanks to the farm's excellent diet, had grown thick, insulating fur that made them utterly unfazed by the cold.

Spotting Luo Mu, the two Pokémon immediately trotted forward with light, graceful steps.

As they leaned in, they carefully angled their antlers away, afraid of pricking him.

After spending a moment with them, telling them he had other duties, Luo Mu led Kingdra toward the incubation room.

Opening the door, Luo Mu and Kingdra slipped inside, then slammed it shut behind them, fearing cold air might disturb the eggs.

During his and Ash's absence, Kingdra and Regieleki had taken turns caring for the eggs.

So Kingdra was very familiar with the environment.

Slithering to one of the eggs, Kingdra pointed its tail tip at the incubator and called out.

"Gaa."

Luo Mu looked over and saw the egg glowing steadily at a regular rhythm.

Having hatched many eggs himself and studied the process, Luo Mu knew this state well.

Compared to the intense glow during active hatching, this dim, rhythmic glow meant the Pokémon inside had grown strong enough to break free—it only awaited the right moment.

In other words: it could hatch at any time.

Now Luo Mu understood why Kingdra hadn't seemed overly anxious.

The egg was in that in-between state—neither urgent nor delayed. Judging by the glow's frequency, hatching would likely occur in the late hours of tonight.

Luo Mu exhaled slightly, wondering whether to wait here all day or assign a Pokémon to guard the room.

But then, a voice suddenly spoke up.

"No wonder you rushed here—so it's the birth of new life. That's truly an urgent matter."

The Gigalith Core, having silently followed them, dispelled its invisibility, gazing at the incubation room's eggs and nodding thoughtfully.

All strong little ones. Good.

"Gigalith?!"

Since the Gigalith Core carried no malice, the system gave no alert; Luo Mu was naturally startled.

Kingdra's eyes flickered with surprise, then it irritably flicked its tail.

To sneak up on me like this—this Pokémon that looks so weak… isn't ordinary!

"I am Gigalith, the noble guardian who silently upholds order."

The Gigalith Core replied in its odd tone, then turned to the thirteen eggs.

"Pulu-lu—"

Like a constipated Usami, the Gigalith Core's small body strained as if exerting all its strength.

Soon, a faint green glow lit the room; like a snake shedding its skin, the Gigalith Core leaped backward, leaving its old body behind.

"This is—"

Both Luo Mu and Kingdra showed surprise.

"This is one of my eyes—a single cell I split off."

The Gigalith Core answered, then directed the cell to climb up the high wall, where it could oversee all thirteen eggs, then vanished.

Then, the Gigalith Core repeated the act, splitting off a second cell, which crawled onto Luo Mu's body.

Only after this did it speak: "I'll have these cells monitor the room. If any egg is about to hatch, they'll alert you."

Luo Mu paused for two seconds, then nodded: "Thank you."

"No need. Consider it my contribution for eating and drinking here for free."

The Gigalith Core smiled, clearly operating by its own standards.

Far better than that other creature who clings to a golden-haired girl just to mooch meals.

Luo Mu, silent for several seconds: ". Then, thank you?"

So the Gigalith Core had already planned to mooch meals on the farm?

"No thanks needed. Just don't complain about how much I eat."

The Gigalith Core happily wagged its tail. Splitting cells consumed energy and stamina; photosynthesis was free but too slow—eating to convert into energy was far more efficient.

In Alola, it had ready access; here in Paldea, it couldn't even form 10% of its true form.

Though in an emergency, it could forcibly summon every cell on the planet to assume its full, peak state.

But unless absolutely necessary, it still tried to avoid doing so.

At this moment, Luo Mu's farm could perfectly meet its own needs.

"Fine."

Luo Mu replied cheerfully—after all, the Gigantamax Core was so tiny; how much could it possibly eat?

A few sugar beans would probably fill it up. He'd even fed a Firebird himself—what was there to fear from a Gigantamax Core?

With the Gigantamax Core monitoring the hatchery, Luo Mu relaxed and left with Kingdra, heading straight to the neighboring lake zone to check on Capu-Fini and Ballsea.

Aside from the area used for raising edible fish, the ice covering the lake where aquatic Pokémon normally swam now floated scattered across the surface.

Kingdra was leading a chorus of Wooper, while the audience consisted of Gyarados, Milotic, Dragonite, Haxorus, and the newcomers Capu-Fini and Ballsea.

Gyarados, unusually, was not lounging by the brook but had joined Milotic, whom it hadn't seen in a week.

Clearly, this was the aquatic Pokémon's welcome ceremony for the two new members.

Excited, Ballsea leapt onto an ice floe and performed by blowing an enormous bubble with its nose.

The bubble was so large it could engulf Kingdra and float on the water's surface.

Seeing this for the first time, several Pokémon were stunned, gathering around Ballsea in awe.

Seeing this, Luo Mu smiled and said to Kingdra beside him: "Let's go."

"Garak?" (Aren't you going to say hello?)

Kingdra looked puzzled.

"Let them interact first. We'll handle the farm's other matters."

Luo Mu shook his head—he'd only come to observe how Capu-Fini and Ballsea were adapting.

Since they were doing so well, he had no need to interfere; this was the perfect moment for them to bond with their future companions.

There would be plenty of time ahead for them to build relationships.

In a few days, he could consider taking Capu-Fini to the Paldea Sea to prepare for absorbing the ocean currents, until it could once again produce the mist that would let Dragonite's leader see the departed.

Time slipped away; after a full day of busyness, Luo Mu finally finished all the farm's tasks.

Tomorrow, the two Pokémon chefs would arrive by Pokémon airliner in Paldea—he'd need to pick them up, so Luo Mu decided it was best to get some sleep early.

But before he could get into bed, the Gigantamax Cells on his body, which had remained inert all day, suddenly stirred.

He hastily pulled on his clothes, ordered Simisage to prepare thirteen sets of items needed for newborn Pokémon, and rushed toward the hatchery like a man facing a battle.

As expected.

Inside the hatchery, the thirteen Poké Balls' flashing frequency had accelerated to the point where they seemed to glow continuously.

Simisage arrived with Regieleki, and together with Luo Mu, they immediately began preparations.

Hot water, towels, warm milk—all were being readied.

This signaled that a tough battle was about to begin.

Soon, the Poké Balls, glowing intensely, began to hatch—outside the windows, Pokémon gathered in droves—

Including the mothers of these thirteen eggs: five Miltank.

The continuous hatching overwhelmed Luo Mu and his team, but what was most incomprehensible was—

Seeing the uniform male calf forms emerging from each hatching egg, Luo Mu nearly lost his composure.

Wait, did you secretly tweak the hatching odds?!

(End of Chapter)