On the second day after Steven left, the Swampert and Quagsire left in Carver's care finally produced an egg.
It was discovered in the grass by one of the caretaker Clefairy after feeding them breakfast.
"Clefairy!"
Two Clefairy gently carried the egg and brought it to Carver, who was eating breakfast.
"It's finally here?"
Carver was a little surprised. He took the egg and focused on it. Instantly, its information surfaced in his mind:
[Mudkip Egg: An egg that will hatch into the Water-type Pokémon Mudkip.]
[Health Status: Healthy]
[Father: Quagsire (Elite-level strength)]
[Mother: Swampert (Elite-level strength)]
[Hatching Progress: 1/30]
Mudkip?
That's Hoenn's Water-type starter!
But he had more important things to consider.
As Carver focused, more text appeared before his eyes:
[Prenatal Training Available: Teach a move to the unborn Pokémon inside the egg that it normally wouldn't learn as it grows.]
[Current available prenatal move slots for Mudkip: 1. The number of moves depends on the Pokémon's talent, energy affinity, and perception. The higher the stats, the more moves can be taught. Lower stats mean fewer moves.]
[Available Moves: Baby-Doll Eyes, Tackle, Sleep Powder, Swords Dance, Protect, Toxic, Odor Sleuth]
[Proceed with Prenatal Training?]
[Note: Prenatal moves cannot be inherited by future generations.]
"Both parents are only Elite-level… So the baby has limited talent and can only learn one move prenatally," Carver mused.
He looked at Growlithe lying nearby.
Growlithe's parents were both at Champion-level, so its talent was high, and it could be taught five advanced moves prenatally.
This Mudkip, however, was limited to just one.
As a starter Water-type Pokémon, its final evolution, Swampert, possessed excellent strength.
If it also had Swords Dance, its power would skyrocket.
Torrent ability + Swords Dance + Waterfall…
Other Pokémon at the same level likely wouldn't stand a chance against such a powerful strike.
Realizing this, Carver suddenly became aware of a major issue:
Illegal Pokémon like this could disrupt the world's battle balance if they became widespread.
The whole system of Pokémon battling could fall into chaos.
Imagine Hydro Pump Gardevoir, Dragon Dance Garchomp…
Such anomalies would definitely draw the attention of certain powerful figures.
After careful thought, Carver decided to adjust his strategy:
Only teach non-game-breaking moves.
Base the decision on the client's character, values, and love for Pokémon.
Even without offering this service, the daycare had plenty of other profitable operations.
All Carver really wanted was to earn enough to live happily with his Pokémon.
Still, he had already promised the client this time. So…
Prenatal Training Activated!
Move Chosen: Swords Dance!
As the egg emitted a blue glow, the first Mudkip in the world capable of Swords Dance was born!
A few days later.
The blonde girl returned to the daycare to check on the egg.
"Mister, did my Pokémon lay an egg?" she asked.
Seeing her, Carver stood up from behind the counter and went to the incubation room, returning with the Mudkip egg.
"Congratulations, your Swampert and Quagsire produced a Mudkip egg," he said.
"Yay! That's great!" the girl cheered, taking the egg excitedly. "Can it learn Swords Dance?"
It already has, Carver thought, but he simply shook his head and replied,
"We'll only know for sure after it hatches. But I've done my best—I believe it will gain something special."
The Mudkip wouldn't hatch for another month, and wouldn't show its true power until some time after that.
"Thank you so much!" the girl said joyfully.
Carver smiled. "Now that the egg is here, would you like to continue boarding Swampert and Quagsire at the daycare?"
"No need!" she said with a shake of her head. "Everyone's missed them, so I plan to take them on the road with me again!"
"Then I wish you safe travels," Carver said.
With that, the boarding ended. The girl took back her Pokémon and paid the fees.
One week of boarding at 3,000 Pokédollars per day, plus the breeding fee—it totaled 30,000 Pokédollars.
For the daycare, this was a substantial income.
And with the recent sale of several unhatched Pokémon eggs, the daycare was starting to build up some decent savings.
Looking around the spacious daycare, Carver began planning his next upgrades.
"A TV for watching regional news… A PC for remotely transferring Poké Balls… And a Pokéblock machine…"
The food quality for Pokémon needed an upgrade, too.
Until now, they had been eating berries from the orchard and store-bought food—filling, but not exactly gourmet.
To truly nurture Pokémon, boost their fur, health, and energy, nutrient-rich Pokéblocks were essential.
First things first: install all the new equipment.
Carver decided to close early and take a trip to Autumnleaf Town.
In truth, he rarely went there.
Partly because it was far, and the Stufful Taxi experience wasn't pleasant, and partly because he worried about the safety of the Pokémon left behind.
If he and Stufful weren't around, and a Pokémon thief or hunter broke in and stole from the backyard—it would be disastrous.
To a hunter, even Clefairy were rare and valuable.
So when he did go to town, he stocked up on ingredients.
Thanks to Oddish tending the herb garden, the vegetables were growing well. Other than meat and some specific ingredients, the daycare was nearly self-sufficient.
"Hmm… Guess I'll have to upgrade the security, too."
Looks like there's still a lot left to do.
Might as well take this opportunity to fully prepare Autumnleaf Town's infrastructure!