Theo happily followed his trainer out of the Violet City Gym.

The world seemed so much smaller now that he was a Quilava. The gym doors, the flowers growing nearby, and even his trainer. Theo came up to Kamon's knees now. He wondered how big he would get when he evolved again.

Theo looked over at the grey badge pinned to Kamon's jacket. He had helped his trainer win that. He really was a good starter after all. He'd kept Chimer from killing Kamon, he'd known when to evolve at just the right time, and now he'd won his trainer his very first gym badge. Maybe Kamon wouldn't have been better off with Totodile after all.

Kamon's phone began to ring. Kamon opened his Pokégear to answer it, and Theo listened closely. He was pleased to notice that his hearing had improved as a Quilava.

Theo recognized Professor Elm's voice at once. "Hello, Kamon?"

"Hi Professor Elm," Kamon said. "You've actually called at a great time. I have some great news about Theo, and my gym challenges too. I managed to-"

"We've discovered something!" Professor Elm interrupted. "The details are…well, I can't really say anything, but we want you to carry that egg!"

"Ah!" Kamon's face went pale. "Right, the… um… egg. I remember that."

Theo felt just as guilty as his trainer did. After all, he might have stopped Kamon from smashing the egg to pieces during his trainer's ill-advised jump down the ledge back near the start of their journey. And Theo had helped Kamon pick out another egg to deceive the professor with. Theo felt his new confidence start to erode away. Kamon seemed to be losing his edge too; he was sounding like his old awkward self again.

"You wanted something about the egg…?" Kamon stammered. "Was it bad news?"

"Oh no," Professor Elm said. "My assistant is at the PokéMart in Violet City. Could you go meet him and pick up that egg?"

"Sure!" Kamon said, all too quickly. "No problem!"

"That's great!" Professor Elm said. He hung up the phone.

Kamon wiped sweat from his forehead and turned to Theo. "Okay, this is going to be fine. We're not in trouble or anything. Professor Elm doesn't suspect anything's wrong with that egg."

"Quil," Theo said dubiously. He wondered if Professor Elm would notice something was wrong when the egg hatched into… well, whatever it would hatch into. It could hatch into a Phione, for all they knew.

Kamon and Theo walked silently towards the Violet City PokéMart. Both of them were nervous about the egg they were going to receive. Their nerves intensified when they reached the Violet City PokéMart and saw it was covered with police tape. The patrons inside the store were being escorted outside by police officers.

"You'll have to come back tomorrow," the officer said. "We've received a report that a known Pokémon thief was just in this area. We need to check the store for clues and speak with witnesses. If you need to finish your shopping, go to the PokéMart in Cherrygrove City."

Next to a group of elderly ladies exiting the store, Theo noticed Professor Elm's assistant. A scrawny young man named Kevin; he was holding a multi-coloured Pokémon egg and was being removed forcefully by the police officer.

"But I can't leave the store!" Kevin cried. "I was told by Professor Elm to wait here and give a trainer this egg!"

"So wait outside," the officer said.

"I can't risk it!" Kevin protested. "If I mess up this assignment, Professor Elm's going to fire me. He already said he wants replace me with his Vileplume. He's doing a paper on Pokémon that do domestic chores. And the Vileplume makes better coffee than I do!"

"Sounds boring," the officer said.

"I can't be fired!" Kevin cried. "Working as a lab assistant is all I know! I don't have any other job skills! I'm not smart enough to be a full-fledged researcher, and I could never train Pokémon myself! Being in the outdoors makes my eyes watery!"

The police officer ignored Kevin. Kevin looked around in despair, and Theo felt sorry for him. He barked to get the assistant's attention.

"Hey Kevin!" Kamon waved. "I'm over here! You were looking for me?"

"Yes!" Kevin cried. "I'm so glad you're here! Long time no see, Kamon. I've been waiting for you. And is this… oh! Well, it certainly looks like Theo's changed for the better!"

"He sure has," Kamon said. "He evolved right before we got the Violet City Gym Badge. He fought really well in there."

Theo smiled up at Kamon. His trainer's praise always made him feel better.

"That sounds great," Kevin said. "But I'm actually here about this." Kevin took the egg in his hands and gave it to Kamon.

"This is from Professor Elm," Kevin said. "The thing is… we would like you to take care of an egg!"

Kamon looked conflicted at this. He looked at the egg in his hands, as though he was afraid it might explode.

"Turn him down," Theo thought. "You're already taking care of that egg Primo gave you – or technically I'm taking care of it. Kevin's egg is only around because you broke the first one! You can barely take care of one Pokémon egg, let alone two! And what happens when they hatch!?"

Kamon seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Kevin that's a really kind offer, but I don't know if I'm the trainer you want. I just received another Pokémon egg, so my attention's kind of all wrapped up in that… Maybe you could give that egg to Lyra? I bet she'd take good care of it."

Kevin looked like Kamon had struck him. "But… but you can't refuse!"

"Why not?" Kamon asked.

"Because Professor Elm will blame me!" Kevin cried. "He'll say I did a bad job of convincing you to accept the assignment, and then I'll get fired! I'll have to sleep in the street, and steal from shopkeepers to survive! I can't make it on the streets, Kamon!"

Kevin's despair was growing increasingly noisy. People were turning away from the police at the PokéMart, and starting to look over at Kamon and Kevin. Theo felt embarrassed for the both of them.

"Alright, fine," Kamon sighed. "I'll take the egg."

"Thank you so much!" Kevin's face lit up. "You saved me from having to beg in the street for food! You helped me keep my dignity!"

Kamon looked like he thought that ship had sailed a long time ago, but it would be rude to say so. Kevin continued to speak.

"After you left, Professor Elm received a phone call. I have no idea what they were talking about. But after a while, Professor Elm suddenly cried out, "I can't think of anyone more suited than Kamon!" Then he insisted that I hand this egg to you."

"Was that really how it happened?" Kamon asked.

Kevin shuffled his feet. "More or less. I may have embellished the truth a bit. Professor Elm didn't exactly insist I hand the egg to you… I kind of had to beg him for the assignment."

"Sorry to hear that," Kamon said.

"I also have to wax his car," Kevin said. "But basically, that's how I came here to deliver the egg to you. It seems that a Pokémon will hatch from it only when you keep it in your party of Pokémon."

"Plus you can't break it," Theo thought. "That's an important part of the hatching process."

"That's another reason we've chosen you, Kamon. From what I've seen, you have a strong, happy team of Pokémon. So anyway, please take care of the egg! If you don't, I'll probably lose my job!"

"Er… right. I'll do my best." Kamon smiled awkwardly. Theo knew that both he and Kamon would try their hardest to keep this egg from breaking too; Kevin's guilt trip could really get to you. Theo just wondered if their best efforts would be enough.

Kevin left the PokéMart crime scene, and Theo and Kamon were alone together. Kamon placed their new Pokémon egg in his backpack, right next to the old egg. Now that the panicky lab assistant was gone, Theo felt himself start to calm down. Maybe everything would work out. Kamon certainly wasn't going to try any cliff-jumping with two Pokémon eggs in his backpack. And Theo would keep watching the eggs twenty four hours a day. Maybe both eggs would turn out alright. Maybe they'd grow up to live long, happy, lives.

He was sure wrong about that.