Chapter 21 Caring for a Mystery

"The first person to make the existence of Pokemon eggs known was Professor Oak's apprentice, Professor Elm." Professor Cerise says. "He pointed out how nobody has ever seen a Pokemon lay an egg before."

"Nobody's seen it? How can that be?" Serena asks.

"It would be so much easier for us if we could figure that out." Ren adds.

"Some researchers have hypothesized that Pokemon simply pick up their eggs from someplace, but we have no evidence for that, either." Chrysa says.

"In other words, Pokemon eggs still hold many mysteries." Professor Cerise says.

"I've never seen a Pokemon lay an egg either, come to think of it..." Ash says.

"Yeah, I still remember that we found a Noibat egg under the tree and it hatches into Noibat just when we find it." Serena says.

"How about we try to find a Pokemon Egg in the wild as we did before?" Ash asks.

"You won't find an egg that easily..." Ren says.

"You'll never know until you try!" Serena says. "Let's go."

Then the two trainers leave, and Professor Cerise says, "I'm counting on you."

Raboot is watching the two trainers, and he sighs as he also follows them.

As they are walking through the local park, Ash says, "I remember that Pokemon eggs are found in tall grass and other places like these..."

"Hey, Ash! Look!" Serena points at the Exeggcute, and Ash says, "Exeggcute?"

"Exeggcute, the Egg Pokémon. A Grass and Psychic type. Exeggcute is made up of six eggs that communicate with each other using telepathy." Rotom says.

"All right, go Pokeball!" Ash throws the ball, and then it is successfully captured. "Exeggcute's data has been added in the Pokedex."

Just then, Ash's Rotom Phone goes off, alerting him that another World Coronation Series participant, a Trainer named Hayden from Fuchsia City, who's ranked as the 1,024th, is nearby and wants to challenge him.

"1024th place, huh?" Ash says.

"Hayden?" Serena asks as she notices a man walking towards them. "It must be that guy."

The Rotom Drone appears and he says, "The World Coronation Series has approved this Normal Class battle! The battle will be between Hayden from Fuchsia City and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! This battle will be a 1 vs.1. All right, both sides send out your Pokemon at the same time."

At Rotom's mark, both Trainers send out their Pokémon, with Ash choosing Pikachu and Hayden going with Tauros. "Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokémon. A Normal type. Tauros run in herds in the wild. The herd member with the longest, thickest, and most scarred horns is said to be the leader."

"Longest, thickest, and most scarred horns...That Tauros must be the boss of its herd..." Serena says.

Pikachu's Iron Tail collides with Tauros's Horn Attack, and the battle goes on until Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt to finish the match.

"Tauros is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! And thus the winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Rotom says.

"They did it again!" Serena cheers with her Sylveon, but Raboot is just watching.

Ash tries to hug Pikachu, but Pikachu winces in pain after the attacks from the battle. "Let's go to the Pokemon Center." Ash says.

Just then, Ash senses something familiar, and he goes into a trance. Serena says, "Congratulations, Ash." But she also notices how Ash is not paying attention.

"Is there something wrong?" Serena asks.

"It happens again, I just felt as if someone was calling me." Ash says.

"Happen again? And what do you mean someone is calling you? There is no one around except for us." Serena says, but then she also feels it as well.

"What was that?" Serena asks, "I think I can hear it as well."

"If I have to guess, I think this sensation is similar to the time when I met a Riolu back in Sinnoh." Ash says.

"Riolu?" Serena is confused.

"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Hayden walks towards them and he says, "That was a powerful Thunderbolt! You've raised your Pikachu well."

"Thank you." Ash says as they shake hands.

"Based on the results of this battle, the World Coronation Series rankings will be updated!" Rotom says.

"Let's have another battle if we meet again somewhere." Hayden says as Ash nods.

Ash and Serena head to the Pokemon center, and they are in such a hurry. They arrive at their destination, and while Pikachu is being treated, Ash and Serena follow the strange sensation to a back room, where they find the case with the Pokémon Egg inside.

"Is that a Pokemon Egg?" Serena asks.

"Why does this egg have wires hooked up to it?" Ash asks.

"A Day-Care worker gave this to me." Nurse Joy replies. "It's a very mysterious egg. For some reason..."

Just then, the Egg suddenly breaks free from the wires and rolls towards Ash and Serena. Ash touches the egg and says, "It's so warm!"

Pikachu, Sylveon, and Serena also touch it, and Serena says, "You're right."

Nurse Joy is shocked at first, but then she says, "Perhaps I'll leave the egg to you. This egg was found in the Sinnoh Region, but for some reason, it just won't hatch...it's been handed from Day-Care worker to Day-Care worker until it finally arrived here."

Ash says, "You sure are laid-back. Come on out." Ash says. "There's so much more fun out here than in there."

"Ash, Serena, please take good care of this egg." Nurse Joy says.

"Of course." Ash and Serena say in unison. Serena says to the egg, "It is nice to meet you."

Later, at the Cerise Laboratory, Yamper is barking at the egg, and Chloe says, "Don't bark it, Yamper! You'll scare it."

"Bring entrusted with an egg means being entrusted with a Pokemon's life." Chrysa says. "Quite the heavy responsibility, Ash, Serena."

"Yeah." Ash says.

"Dad, can you tell what Pokemon is inside the egg?" Chloe asks.

Professor Cerise says, "There is no way to know before it hatches."

"When will it hatch?" Serena asks.

"Professor Elm's thesis said that, for a Pokemon to hatch from the egg, it needs to spend a certain amount of time with healthy Pokemon." Chrysa says.

Ren adds, "So a lot of trainers carry the egg around with them until it hatches."

Ash says, "All right! Let's go on a stroll! You, me, Serena, and Pikachu. It'll be fun!"

"I don't think the egg can hear you..." Chloe mutters.

"Don't be so sure. Here is an example: There was a Jigglypuff who loved to sing. It would sing to an Egg every day, and when the Egg had eventually hatched into an Azurill, it had sung the same song as Jigglypuff had."

"Does that mean it learned the song by listening to it from inside the egg?" Chloe asks.

"That might be right." Ash says as they head to Cerise Park.

As they see Dragonite and Greninja, they come and Ash shows them. "I was entrusted with this egg. Be nice to it."

Greninja nods, but when Dragonite is getting closer to the egg, he has to pull him back. Ash says, "Save that until after it's come out of the egg, okay?"

Dragonite frowns, but then he hugs Pikachu instead, and Greninja decides to be their bodyguard for a short while.

That night, while Ash and Serena sleep, the Egg begins to glow, which alerts Pikachu, who, in turn, wakes up the others.

"What's up...Pikachu?" Ash asks, and then they see the egg. Serena says, "Isn't this..."

Ash and Serena rush to the Egg as it begins to crack and glow even more intensively. As the glow dies down, they see that the newly hatched Pokémon is a Riolu.

"I know it." Ash says as he scans the Pokemon. "Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. A Fighting type. Riolu can understand how people and Pokémon feel by observing a kind of wave called aura. It has a flexible body with enough power to cross three mountains and two canyons in one night."

"Riolu, I'm Ash and this is my partner Pikachu." "And I'm Serena." Ash and Serena say.

But Riolu just looks around, looking for the source of the Aura it had sensed earlier. Serena asks, "What's wrong?"

As she tries to reach out to it, it uses Vacuum Wave on him, sending her flying back onto his bed. "Serena?" Ash asks with worry.

"Don't worry, Ash. Was that move Vacuum Wave?" Serena asks.

"It sure is amazing." Ash says. "You're so strong even though you just hatched!" Ash says.

Suddenly, Riolu jumps out of the window and rushes away, much to the two's shock. They chase after him, only to find him gone.

"Riolu?"Ash and Serena are yelling, but they didn't get any reply.

"Where did that Riolu go?" Serena asks.

"We have to find it." Ash says. "But that won't be easy. It has a flexible body with enough power to cross three mountains and two canyons in one night."

"But Riolu has only just hatched, there is so much it doesn't understand. We can't leave it alone." Serena says.

Ash nods and says, "Yesterday, I thought that it was calling for us. That's what it felt like. So when Nurse Joy told us it had been in the egg for so long, I was happy. I thought it had been waiting for us all along."

"And we were wrong, though." Serena says.

Ash says, "Here's what we'll do: Greninja and I will go this way, while you and Pikachu go that way!"

"You want Pikachu to come with me?" Serena asks.

"We can cover a wider area that way!" Ash says, and Serena nods.

Ash and Greninja are looking for Riolu, and eventually, they hear its cry. "Was that?" Ash asks as they go look for the Pokemon.

Once they arrive, they find that Riolu is heavily injured by an Onix. "Riolu! Are you okay?" Ash asks the Pokemon.

The Onix is charging its focus on Ash and Greninja, Ash says, "Greninja, let's go!"

As they are transforming, Riolu notices that the aura is the one that he sensed before. "Use Night Slash!" Ash yells.

Greninja charges and slashes at Onix, but before he can attack again, Riolu pushes him out of the way and demands to get to battle instead.

"Riolu? You want to battle?" Ash asks, and Greninja also changes back into its normal form.

"You want to become stronger? I see." Ash says. "Then let me help you!"

Riolu uses Vacuum Wave under Ash's command, stopping Onix's attack. Riolu then tackles Onix, toppling it over, and as Riolu prepares to attack with another Vacuum Wave, Onix finally flees.

"Stop it now, Riolu." Ash says. "You gave it your all, Riolu."

Riolu stumbles, and Ash offers to carry it to the Pokémon Center, but it stubbornly refuses, choosing to walk the way there instead.

Serena also catches up with Ash in the end, as they take Riolu to the Pokemon Center.

"We've restored your Riolu to full health." Nurse Joy says after treating Riolu, and it jumps off the medical table and tries to tell Ash something.

"Are you perhaps asking us to capture you?" Serena asks, and Riolu just nods. Ash takes out a Pokeball and throws it at Riolu, capturing it, making a new addition to his team. He then lets it out, and Riolu proudly takes the lead as the group leaves the Pokémon Center.

Here is a new chapter, and Ash captures the Riolu. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be about Raboot.

New Pokemon: Exeggcute, Riolu