"Come on, Crawdaunt, absorb this into your body."
Inside the Pokémon Center, Sieg carefully removed a mysterious droplet, shaped like a pendant, from an exquisitely wrapped gift box.
As the droplet drew near Crawdaunt, a powerful suction force suddenly activated. The droplet slipped from Sieg's fingers and slowly merged into Crawdaunt's body.
"Craw-daaunt~"
Crawdaunt let out a satisfied cry, its fierce gaze softening into a squint of comfort.
"A 10% boost to Water-type moves. With this, Crawdaunt's Razor Shell will be devastating."
Sieg imagined the future when Crawdaunt would eventually master Crabhammer.
Suddenly, the Pokédex rang out with urgency.
"Riiing ring, riiing ring~"
Sieg opened it and exclaimed, "Eevee is about to hatch?!"
Without delay, he dashed through the Pokémon Center, heading toward the Petalburg Gym. Excitement could not be hidden from his face.
Inside the incubation room, Sieg watched the egg in front of him with eager anticipation. By his side, May staring wide-eyed, her face glowing with curiosity.
This was her very first time witnessing a Pokémon hatch.
Sieg is amazing~
May thought sweetly, her heart brimming with joy.
Suddenly, the egg within the incubator began to glow with a soft white light.
Creak...
Cracks started to form along the shell, slowly spreading.
Snap~
A furry little head poked out cautiously, taking its first peek at the unfamiliar world beyond the shell.
"Hello there, little one~"
Sieg greeted it gently, unable to resist reaching out to stroke the soft fur atop its head.
"Eevee~"
Eevee shrank back timidly, its small, fuzzy ears instinctively folding down. But sensing no malice, they perked up again.
Its bright, round eyes darted around, exploring the world outside the shell with cautious wonder.
Snuggling closer to Sieg's palm, its tiny nose wrinkled as it sniffed his fingers. Then, tentatively, it gave them a gentle lick.
"Eevee..." (Salty...)
Sieg chuckled and said, "Of course it's salty, bud. Humans sweat."
He gently cradled the small Eevee in both hands, using one to smooth out its messy, damp fur.
Feeling the warmth of his palm, the little Pokémon nestled against it and let out a soft, contented mewl.
"Eee~"
Newborn Pokémon are always very sleepy. Before long, Eevee was curled up in Sieg's hands, fast asleep.
"Eevee is so adorable!"
May watched enviously from the side, her eyes sparkling. When the egg cracked and Eevee poked out its head, she'd unknowingly clenched her small fists.
"Someday I'll catch an Eevee too," she promised herself in silence, her resolve quietly set.
Sieg brought Eevee to the Pokémon Center for a full check-up tailored for newly hatched Pokémon. Only after confirming everything was perfectly fine did he let out a breath of relief.
The little Eevee had the Ability Adaptability and had inherited two moves: Yawn and Wish.
Watching Sieg walk away, Nurse Joy Lin thought to herself, "So Crawdaunt evolved, and now he's got a newly hatched Eevee? Looks like it came from the Petalburg Gym. It seems he's already accepted an investment. I wonder when I'll hear from the family about this."
Being scouted by the Petalburg Gym already said a lot about Sieg's potential. As a branch member of the Joy family, Joy Lin was feeling the pressure. She couldn't just let a prodigy like him slip away unnoticed.
After all, discovering and nurturing a true talent always earned substantial rewards for someone like her.
"Miss Joy, could you help me heal my Taillow...?"
Another trainer approached for treatment, interrupting her thoughts. Joy Lin returned to her busy routine.
...
For the next few days, Sieg remained in the city, refraining from taking on any missions.
During this time, Eevee successfully transitioned through infancy. Thanks to the growth serum provided by the Petalburg Gym, its development went exceptionally well.
"It's time to leave. I've already got the Petalburg Gym badge, so the next stop is Rustboro City."
Sieg had spent only a short time in Petalburg City, but in that span, he'd grown tremendously. Crawdaunt had evolved, his League permissions had been upgraded, and a new partner, Eevee, had joined his team.
Reflecting on the past two weeks, Sieg was deeply satisfied. After packing everything into his spatial backpack and giving his clean room one last glance, he left without hesitation.
"Before I go, I should say goodbye to Mr. Norman, Mrs. Caroline, and May..."
Sieg reminded himself, knowing that, having received backing from the Petalburg Gym, he was now half a member of their circle.
Outside the gym, May was her usual lively self, but today her face bore sorrow and reluctance. Her glistening eyes were filled with tears that threatened to fall at any moment.
"Sieg... do you really have to leave? Can't you stay a little longer and keep me company?" Her voice trembled with sadness and disappointment.
Still young, May couldn't fully grasp the concept of parting. She couldn't understand why her big brother had to go so suddenly, and she certainly couldn't accept it.
Her innocent expression, mixed with the struggle to hold back her tears, tugged at his heart.
She bit her lip tightly, doing her best not to cry, but the tears welled up faster and faster until they finally spilled down her cheeks.
"May, I need to travel. I have to collect badges and compete in the League tournament. When the time comes, make sure to cheer me on in front of the TV, okay?"
Sieg forced a smile as he knelt down and patted her head.
"Mr. Norman, Mrs. Caroline, thank you for your guidance and care these past days. I've received so much, I'm truly grateful for everything you've done."
Sieg gave a respectful bow.
Norman, rarely free, had come personally to see him off. "The Rustboro Gym specializes in Rock-types. Their old leader just retired, and the new one is quite young."
"Given your team's type advantage, I imagine claiming the badge should be easy."
Sieg nodded in gratitude, then turned to May for any parting words.
"Sieg, I found this TM in my dad's room. It might be useful to you."
May took out a TM disc from her pocket like a cherished treasure and offered it to Sieg.
Norman and Caroline's expressions darkened at the sight, and their gaze toward Sieg grew subtly colder.
"Alright, alright, just take it," Norman said with a sigh.
"It's just a basic TM, nothing particularly valuable. Think of it as a small investment."
Though he said that, Norman still felt uneasy. How had his beloved daughter become so attached to this boy?
Just because he saved her once?
Focused so much on battling, Norman had missed much of May's early years.
"Thank you, Mr. Norman. I came across this rare medicinal herb while out in the wild. Please accept it as a token of gratitude."
Sieg retrieved a carefully preserved Starspotted Bloom from his spatial backpack. He had picked it the day he rescued May in the forest.
Knowing Norman might not accept it, Sieg simply handed it to May instead.
"Wow, it's beautiful! Thank you, Sieg, I'll treasure it forever!"
May took the starry-blue flower delicately in her hands, holding it close to her chest.
Sieg slowly walked toward the city gates, waving goodbye.
"See you again!"