“Lugia?!”
Both Professor Oak and Professor Cerise exclaimed in shock.
Although they had already suspected that the ruins were related to Lugia, hearing that this egg belonged to Lugia was still staggering.
“That’s right.”
August nodded, then began recounting everything that had happened inside the underwater ruins.
“…In short, Gardevoir and I managed to stabilize it, but we couldn’t make it hatch. Since I helped keep the egg alive, the Unown allowed me to bring it out.”
Hearing this, Professor Oak stepped forward and carefully examined the egg.
Even without specialized equipment for analyzing Pokémon eggs, he could immediately tell—this egg was in terrible condition.
Oak frowned deeply.
“By all logic, an egg in this state should be long dead… The fact that it’s still holding on is nothing short of a miracle.”
“But even if we take it to the Pokémon League headquarters and use the best medical resources available… I doubt we’d be able to hatch it.”
August wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the faint silver sheen of the egg seemed to dim ever so slightly upon hearing those words.
And as for Oak’s assessment…
August trusted him.
Professor Oak wasn’t the type to exaggerate.
If he, the leading authority in Kanto’s Pokémon research, said that even the League’s best facilities couldn’t hatch it—then that meant they really couldn’t.
…But then again, August had never placed his hopes on the League in the first place.
He gently ran his hand over the egg’s surface.
“Actually… I do have an idea,” he admitted. “I’m just not sure if it’ll work.”
Saying this, he took out a small box containing the [Herba Mystica] he had obtained earlier.
At the same time, he also retrieved the [Mystic Energy Pokéblocks] he had crafted.
Under the curious gazes of Oak and Cerise, August explained:
“This box contains [Herba Mystica] from the Paldea region—special herbs with potent healing properties. And these Pokéblocks here were made using those same herbs.”
“I tested them before—when my Magikarp ate just one, it immediately evolved into Gyarados. That means this stuff definitely contains powerful restorative energy.”
“I just need to know…” August looked at Oak. “Is there a way to get this energy into the Lugia egg?”
After hearing this, both Cerise and Blue turned to Professor Oak as well, waiting for his response.
Oak sighed, rubbing his temple.
“August, you really know how to give me a difficult problem.”
It was a well-known fact that Pokémon didn’t eat while inside their eggs.
So how exactly was he supposed to feed an unhatched Lugia?
As Oak mulled over everything he had read about Pokémon eggs, Blue—who had been silent up until now—suddenly spoke up.
“I remember hearing something back in Johto—there’s a hot spring on Mt. Silver that can heal frostbite caused by Ice-type moves.”
“Since Lugia is the Guardian of the Seas, it should be able to absorb energy through water, right?”
“So what if… we turn the Herba Mystica into a medicinal broth, then soak the Lugia egg in it?”
“The medicine could seep into the egg through the cracks in its shell, allowing it to absorb the healing effects that way.”
After she finished, Blue looked rather pleased with her own idea.
However—
Oak, Cerise, and August all turned to stare at her.
Their expressions were… difficult to describe.
Faced with their collective gaze, even the usually fearless Blue started to feel a little nervous.
“D-Did I say something wrong?”
Oak coughed lightly.
“No, no… It’s just that your method is a little… unconventional.”
Cerise and August both nodded in agreement.
Unconventional?
More like downright bizarre!
Egg + Water + Seasoning…
And the shell was cracked, so the broth would seep in…
Wasn’t this just a giant boiled egg?!
August was suddenly worried that, instead of healing Lugia, they might end up marinating it.
But after thinking it over for a while…
He couldn’t come up with a better solution than Blue’s idea.
“…Should we just try it?”
After all, he’d be watching closely.
If something went wrong, he could step in immediately.
Once the thought entered his mind, it refused to leave.
He reached out with his Verdant Aura, connecting with the egg’s consciousness.
After confirming that it didn’t object, August took a deep breath.
“Alright. Let’s get cooking.”
…
Using a large basin as a container, August carefully poured in some warm—but not too hot—water.
Next, he finely chopped the five different Herba Mystica: Spicy, Sweet, Bitter, Salty, and Sour.
To ensure maximum effectiveness, he also added a few healing berries that were known for their restorative properties.
Soon, a strange yet surprisingly pleasant aroma began wafting from the concoction.
Cerise hesitated.
“…Are we really putting the egg in?”
To be honest, it wasn’t just him.
Even Professor Oak—who had decades of research experience—felt a little uneasy.
And Blue, the one who suggested this idea in the first place, was now starting to look nervous as well.
After all, they were about to boil a Legendary Pokémon’s egg.
If its parents found out, they’d probably be hunted down for life.
But now that they were here, August surprisingly felt calm.
He waved his hand dismissively.
“Relax. I’m watching closely, and this is all for Lugia’s sake. Even if the real Guardian of the Seas found out, it wouldn’t blame us… probably.”
…Wait.
That last part suddenly didn’t sound so convincing.
No. I can’t second-guess myself now.
Clenching his teeth, August took the egg—
And gently lowered it into the medicinal broth.
At the same time, he placed his hands on the eggshell, keeping his [Viridian Power] activated to monitor its condition.
One second…
Two seconds…
Ten seconds…
Half a minute passed.
The egg remained completely still.
August couldn’t sense any changes—no increase in vitality, no worsening of its condition.
“…Did it fail?”
So far, the medicinal broth didn’t seem to be having any effect.
Had they used the wrong method?
Or maybe the [Herba Mystica] just wasn’t compatible with Lugia’s egg?
As August frowned in thought, Professor Cerise suddenly gasped.
“Look!”
August turned his head—
And saw a faint silver glow spreading across the egg’s surface.
The glow intensified with each passing second.
At the same time, through his [Viridian Power], August sensed something astonishing—
The tiny flicker of life within the egg was growing stronger.
The medicinal broth was seeping through the cracks—
And the egg was absorbing it.
The broth level in the basin rapidly decreased before their very eyes.
Finally, when the last drop was fully absorbed—
The egg shone brilliantly.
Then—
Shake.
At first, it trembled lightly.
Then the shaking grew more intense.
The already cracked eggshell let out an audible crack.
Then—
With a final snap and a burst of blinding light—
The shell completely shattered.
After all the effort August had poured into this…
After everything he had gone through to heal this egg…
Lugia had finally hatched.
August let out a relieved sigh, looking down at the newborn Pokémon.
Its body was pure white, with dark blue fins along its back.
It had the unmistakable appearance of a baby Lugia.
…But there was something off.
August’s nose twitched.
Wait.
Why does it smell… weird?
—
This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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