Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Lucas produces his first egg as a breeder, and Icarus gains the ability to communicate with his trainer telepathically.

Chapter 33

Lucas emerged from the shower stall, the warmth of the water still lingering on his skin as he gently dried his face with a towel. He went to his locker and took out his clothes, getting ready to dress.

"Are you done for the day?" Macho, one of the regulars, asked He had a massive, muscular figure that lived up to his namesake. His dedication to the Fighting Dojo was unwavering, and he was always present during Lucas and Max's training sessions.

"Yep, I'm just waiting for Max to finish," Lucas replied.

"You cannot sculpt a physique like mine without dedication," Macho said, flexing his impressive muscles.

"I am satisfied with where I am. Not everyone has the time or desire to achieve your level of physique."

Macho approached Lucas and produced a vial from his pocket. "Maybe this will help. It improves a Pokemon's training efficiency and helps with human strength training."

"Are you dabbling in steroids now?" Lucas teased.

"Steroids? What are those?" Macho asked, puzzled.

"Forget it," Lucas sighed. "Is this a new potion? I've never seen it before."

"It was made by my cousin," Macho explained. "It's the ideal tool for the Fighting Dojo's pursuit of peak physical perfection."

"You didn't mention the name," Lucas pointed out.

"The Macho Brace. It is experiencing some difficulties in obtaining approval from the Alchemist Guild. Only a few minor adjustments are required."

"Is that how you lost your hair this week?" Lucas quipped with a smirk.

"I told you that I shaved my hair!"

"Whatever, dude, I hope it doesn't have any negative effects on your love life."

"What do you mean?" Macho yelled as Lucas exited the shower.

He navigated the building until he found Max, who was sparring with a Fighting Dojo Pokemon. Ashe watched the match from the sidelines, captivated. When she saw him, she dashed over and leapt into his arms.

While waiting, Lucas assessed Max's progress. The intensive training of the past fortnight yielded impressive results. Their daily sessions at the Fighting Dojo had significantly boosted Max's fighting-type affinity. This progress meant more options for teaching him new moves. Lucas also noticed an improvement in Max's free-form fighting trait as a result of the intense sparring with other fighting-type Pokemon.

Max's increased fluidity in movement enhanced both his offensive and defensive capabilities. His quick footwork, especially on defence, allowed him to expertly evade incoming attacks. Not only was speed important, but so was movement efficiency.

After two weeks, Max had trained all of his stats and used the experience in his cache to reach level twenty-five. Thanks to the two rare candies he fed Icaria, his entire team gained extra experience on top of what they earned in the battle arena. Except for Meowth, who had reached level 18, all of his Pokemon were now between levels 25 and 26.

Max finished his training and ran over to him.

"Congratulations," Lucas declared. "Your fighting-type affinity now stands at fifty percent."

"Kid!" Max exclaimed, extending his hand expectantly.

"I suppose I did promise you the growth potion upon reaching this milestone," Lucas mused. "We'll administer it when we return. I will have Brock prepare some meals so you won't go hungry after taking it."

As he exited the building, Lucas made sure his coat protected him from the biting cold. Ashe perched on his shoulders, her tail wrapped around his neck like a scarf, radiating a comforting warmth.

December heralded the arrival of winter with a sudden drop in temperatures. People wrapped themselves in layers of warm clothing before venturing outside, and children happily played in the snow, enjoying their free time now that school was out for the year.

Everyone had already started decorating their homes for Christmas, and stores were getting into the festive spirit. In this world, Christmas began as a commemoration of the postwar peace treaty, made possible by legendaries.

The end of the war resulted in the quick formation of a church, which established a holiday to commemorate the official date when the war ended. Before this, the day held no special significance and was simply another day. The holiday became so popular that it spread to other regions. Unfortunately, the Church of Arceus also spread and its presence can now be found everywhere. Only the Rota Kingdom was free of its influence, making it an appealing place to live even if you disagreed with the church's ideals.

"Vulpix," Ashe cried urgently, drawing Lucas's attention to something outside.

Lucas followed her gaze and saw a group of people braving the cold to continue their protest. They focused on him because of his relationship with Sabrina. In the two weeks since they made their relationship public, they have received both positive and negative reactions. Unfortunately, the negative responses, primarily from the church, appeared to overshadow the positive ones.

While the church had not issued a public statement, their silent supporters were outspoken in their opposition, resulting in protests wherever Lucas went. Some of their supporters even pursued him, condemning his relationship with Sabrina as sinful. The strange people he encountered continued to surprise him, with Zero standing out as the worst of the lot.

As the protestors spotted him, they raised their signs and shouted, though their efforts seemed lacklustre, likely due to the biting cold.

"Don't mind them," Lucas reassured Ashe, giving her a comforting pat. "They'll leave once they've had their fill of the cold."

Ashe seamlessly integrated into the team, demonstrating her distinct personality from the moment she hatched. She was generally amiable and got along well with everyone, but provoking her could result in fiery outbursts that caused unintended burns to her teammates. Unlike humans, Pokémon didn't go through distinct developmental stages before adulthood, making age a less important factor in their lives. With longer life spans than humans, there was no concern about outliving them.

Their cognitive growth accelerated within their eggs, influenced by their surroundings and the bond formed with their trainer. Since Ashe already shared a bond with Lucas, they didn't need to go through the process of getting to know each other. Her curiosity and desire to learn were insatiable, and Lucas was more than happy to indulge her thirst for knowledge. Ashe absorbed everything like a sponge, quickly grasping new concepts and developing an understanding of the world around her.

Upon returning home, Lucas found Brock engrossed in potion-making in the kitchen. While Lucas was training Max, he tasked him with creating an affinity potion specifically for fighting types, which aided Max in honing his skills even further.

"How was your training session?" Brock asked. "Did you encounter any more protests?"

"Only a few," Lucas replied. "The cold weather today appeared to deter all but the most devoted from protesting my supposed wickedness."

"Ah, the cold does have its silver lining," Brock remarked with a shiver. "I despise winter, though."

"Are you going home to spend Christmas with your family?" Lucas asked, taking an apple from a bowl on the counter and sitting at the table. He had worked up an appetite during his training session.

"If you grant me the time off, boss," Brock replied gratefully. "Thanks to the potions I sell and the generous pay you provide, I've managed to support my siblings with a good sum of pokedollars. But I'm anxious about my father finding out, so I feel the urge to check on them."

"I would like to accompany you so I can see Pewter City," Lucas said. "Though I will spend Christmas with the Ketchum family."

"Sounds like a solid plan." Brock agreed as he carefully filled vials with his latest potion batch, ensuring that no drop was wasted.

"You're good at alchemy," Lucas commented. "It didn't take you long to move on from salves. I don't know why you needed my help in the first place.'

"That is because I have the time and resources to dedicate myself to it without worrying about my siblings."

Lucas considered what he would do with the remainder of his day. He needed to get outside to explore and grind his Pokemon's effort values. He was waiting for a warmer day when he wouldn't have to worry about freezing to death.

In addition, he needed to complete some bonus evolution conditions for his Pokemon. Max and Saphira would soon reach level thirty, and he wanted to be prepared to evolve them when that happened. Saphira had some difficult conditions to meet, particularly two of them. One of them required a level fifty dragon scale but had no idea where to obtain one. The other involved defeating an opponent ten levels higher than her. Not only was that a difficult condition in and of itself, but he would have to go to a higher-level zone to find such an opponent.

Lucas was still waiting for news from the mayor about the mines, but he understood that the delay was likely due to inclement weather. Despite the setback, his recent success in selling growth potions had helped him become a millionaire. He never imagined achieving such wealth when he first arrived in this world. However, at the most recent auction, they sold for significantly less. It appeared that some powerful individuals were bidding low on them while intimidating everyone else to prevent them from competing. He should have expected such tactics, but they were still annoying.

He should consider working with the government or starting his own business to secure his future. The issue with owning his business was that he lacked strength, making him vulnerable to those who would try to take everything from him. Team Rocket came to mind. Perhaps partnering with the government can provide him with the resources and protection he needs to strengthen his position before venturing into his own business.

"Would you like to visit Pewter City because it's the closest city to the Rota Kingdom?" Brock questioned.

Lucas nodded. He had made no secret of his interest in the kingdom. Given how troublesome the church had been recently, it sounded like the ideal place to settle down. However, it was only an idea for the time being because there were several factors to consider.

He would like to visit the kingdom first to determine whether it is a good place to start a business. It would not be wise to enter a market with so much competition unless he could distinguish himself from the other Pokemon Breeders. Another consideration is whether Sabrina would be open to relocating with him. Although she is currently on suspension from her position as the Saffron City gym leader, she could resume her duties in the future. It would be difficult to commute because teleportation towers aren't permitted; the only way to get there was to take the main road into the kingdom.

"Do you know where Meowth is?"

Brock shrugged. "Beat's me. He left earlier and hasn't returned yet."

"He better not be getting into trouble."

Lucas instructed Brock to prepare meals for Max, and he fed him the growth potion later that afternoon. While keeping an eye on him, he checked his status, as he had made significant progress in the previous two weeks as well.

He had advanced to level thirty thanks to the experience gained from training his Pokemon's stats. The function he received for reaching that milestone was known as Region Maps. It provided him with access to a global interactive map. It showed him the areas he had already explored, but everything else remained obscured. There was some basic information provided, such as harvestable ingredients, Pokemon territories, and key landmarks.

It would save him a lot of time drawing maps, and it might also help him uncover some hidden secrets that would be difficult to discover otherwise. The cost to upgrade the function was fifty thousand pokedollars, which he didn't hesitate to spend immediately. It displayed a new icon on the map, indicating where he had previously discovered hidden items. It also showed the number of hidden items left within a one-mile radius. While it didn't provide an exact location, it would save him time from searching in vain for items that weren't present.

He also spent a hundred thousand pokedollars to improve his Itemfinder function, which expanded the list of items once more. It was the last upgrade for that function, so there would be no more improvements, but it was already overpowered.

After consuming the growth potion, Max's appetite surged to new heights as he devoured over a dozen meals in a single sitting. Lucas was curious to see just how big he would become in the next week.

Lucas snapped awake, his senses on high alert as he scanned his surroundings. Something had roused him from his slumber, yet his mind remained muddled with sleep. Fumbling in the low light, he turned on the bedside lamp, revealing his Pokemon sleeping on the floor. Typically, they preferred to sleep in his room over their habitats, except when Sabrina was around. Notably missing were Icarus and Icaria, whose bond seemed to have deepened recently.

"Lucas…Can…hear…me?"

Lucas blinked, trying to place the voice. Did it originate from within his mind?

"It's Icarus."

"How come I can hear... Wait, has our bond grown strong enough to allow us to communicate telepathically?

"Still... difficult to... speak this way."

Lucas rubbed the sleep from his eyes, feeling a surge of excitement at his newfound ability. He quietly slipped out of bed, taking care not to disturb his sleeping Pokemon, and made his way into the kitchen. He made himself some hot chocolate and sat down at the table.

Lucas attempted silent communication with Icarus, eventually achieving some success after several attempts.

"Did you wake me up just to reveal our telepathic connection?" Lucas asked. "As much as I appreciate it, this could have waited till morning."

"No," Icarus replied. "Icaria and I have produced an egg."

"Really?"

Lucas listened as Icarus described how he and Icaria became closer after spending time in the habitat together. They decided it was the right time, and everything went smoothly. The egg brought them so much happiness that they were willing to sacrifice a few levels to produce it.

With each word spoken, Icarus' communication over their bond grew stronger, allowing him to articulate entire sentences without hesitation.

"Wow, that's amazing," Lucas told him. "I wish I was there to see it, but I can't complain about the results."

He had produced his first egg as a Pokemon Breeder. Although he didn't contribute to the actual task, what he did in the background, such as training Icarus and Icaria, would benefit the Pokemon in the long run, both in terms of potential and its starting point in life.

Lucas opened his menu to look inside Icarus' home. Icaria had made a small nest in the tree where she had placed the egg. The egg was brown and white, matching the colour of its parents' feathers.

"How does Icaria feel about giving her egg to someone else?" Lucas asked.

He hadn't given it much thought before, and now he was worried about breaking the promise he made to Ash about giving him a Pidgey egg.

"She's fine with it," Icarus replied. "She understands that bonding with a human will provide her child with the best chance of success in life. Simply give her a few days with the egg before giving it to the boy."

"That's good to hear," Lucas said with relief. "I want to make sure Icaria is comfortable with the decision before I give the egg to Ash."

Lucas remained in the kitchen for quite some time, a newfound sense of energy coursing through him. His mind was already working out his next steps in his quest to become a successful Pokemon Breeder. He realised he needed to be more strategic in his egg production methods. He couldn't simply add Pokemon to his team solely for the purpose of breeding. There had to be a clear boundary between his breeding Pokemon and his main team, which he relied on for exploration and battles.

It would be unsustainable to devote so much effort to training each Pokemon, as he would exhaust both himself and his resources. But the Pokemon he used for breeding couldn't be weak either, because their strength might have an impact on the eggs they produced. It was an interesting dilemma to be in. Should he hire additional staff to train and care for his breeding Pokemon? Maybe he should ask Gloria for some advice. She had her own breeding business in the city with a large staff, and she owed him a favour for saving her eggs.

Another consideration was deciding which type of Pokemon to breed first, but he quickly figured out the answer. Many Pokemon species were considered rare because they were difficult to breed in captivity and had small wild populations. If he were to solve that issue with even one of these Pokemon, then he would have a path towards a successful career.

Eevee was the best example. Its widespread popularity led to widespread overhunting, resulting in a significant decline in its population. Eevee was once as plentiful as Rattata, but it has since become a rare and highly sought-after creature, fetching high market prices. The desire to discover all of its possible evolutions was what drove its increased value and desirability.

Outside of Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon, the remaining forms were much rarer because the conditions for evolution were unknown and occurred by chance.

Although Eevee was already a large market, breaking into it wouldn't be easy or inexpensive. Perhaps he should do some more shopping and look at other Pokemon.

"There is no need to make a decision right now," Lucas said, yawning. "I should go back to sleep."

Lucas slept until late in the morning. He would have slept in for longer if there wasn't something else that disturbed his sleep. He had a vivid dream in which he was still sleeping in his bed but could see everything in the room, even though his eyes were closed. Brock entered his room and placed a breakfast tray on the bedside table.

It wasn't terrifying, like a nightmare, but it was strange enough to startle him awake. He sat up in bed and almost immediately glanced to the right. The tray was on the table, and the breakfast looked exactly like it did in his dream. Unnerved, he brought the tray into the kitchen and placed it on the counter.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Brock greeted him. "I see you finally decided to join the land of the living. You look awful."

"Thanks for sharing," Lucas replied sarcastically. "I just had the weirdest dream."

Lucas told him about the dream, which remained vivid in his mind.

He anticipated Brock's laughter, but instead, his expression turned serious. "Did anything else occur last night?"

"Yeah. Icarus can now communicate with me telepathically."

"When a bond deepens to that extent, it can unveil latent abilities that the individual might not have been aware of," Brock explained.

Lucas' eyes widened. "Are you referring to an Aura Guardian?"

Lucas was not completely surprised, given his previous readings on the subject. Every individual possessed some level of aura, which protected them from certain Pokemon abilities like mind reading. Those with heightened auras may awaken as Aura Guardians, capable of perceiving and manipulating aura to perform extraordinary feats.

Brock nodded. "It seems you have unlocked aura vision, enabling you to perceive your surroundings even with your eyes closed. Some Aura Guardians possess only one ability, while others manifest several. You should try and activate it again."

Lucas closed his eyes. He focused on the image, trying to sharpen the details. He pictured the colour of the walls, the shiny countertops, the dark wooden cabinets, and Brock standing in front of him. As he continued to visualise the scene, the kitchen began to take shape in his mind, becoming a tangible object with dimensions rather than a fictitious image created by his imagination. Brock stood in front of him, making a rude gesture.

"Stop that," Lucas muttered, before realising what he had said.

"I was right," Brock boasted.

Lucas opened his eyes. "This turn of events is truly unexpected. If the church were to discover this, their hatred towards me would only grow stronger."

"They aren't just going to hate you. They will persecute you if they discover the truth. I bet the Rota Kingdom looks even more appealing right now."

When he was alone again, Lucas opened his menu. He hadn't noticed anything different last night, but he had been preoccupied with the news about the egg. Discovering he had a new profession didn't come as a huge surprise to him.

The Aura Guardian was the new profession. He took out the guidebook and looked up information on it. The more he used his abilities, the more he would level up the profession. It already had the aura vision skill unlocked, so he expected to gain more aura-related abilities as his profession progressed. Unlike his other skills, he couldn't spend skill points to improve them, so he would have to work hard to master them himself. At least he wouldn't have to spend his valuable skill points on them.

Aura was a finite resource, so he couldn't cheat and use aura vision continuously to gain experience. He would have to determine his limit and then wait for his aura to recover before using it again.

After thinking about it some more, he wasn't disappointed that he became an Aura Guardian, even though it would complicate his life. He was most excited to see what other skills he would develop in the future. For the time being, he could work with aura vision. He wondered if it could be used for anything other than a visual aid for the blind, as it didn't seem particularly useful otherwise.

He was about to close the menu when he realised he had unlocked something else. His Pokemon Breeder profession had finally reached level five, and he had acquired a new skill.

Skill: Skilled Breeder Level: 1/5 Next: 4SP Type: Passive Charges: -

Description: A great breeder understands how to produce Pokemon eggs more efficiently and how to maximise their potential. The first level of this skill increases the likelihood of all Pokemon producing eggs by 25%. Furthermore, every egg he produces will take 25% less time to hatch but it won't lose any of the benefits, such as developing a stronger bond with its trainer.

Without a doubt, this was an exceptional skill. It had to be the top priority moving forward. If he had more skill points, he would level it up to its full potential without hesitation. The second level was already relatively expensive. One could only imagine how much it would cost to max it out completely.

Lucas' thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

"Hello, Lucas," Delia's familiar voice resonated through the receiver. "Am I interrupting something important?"

"No, I'm not busy at the moment. How are you doing?"

"I'm well, thank you. The kids are doing great too. When do you think you'll come by for a visit?"

"You called at just the right time," Lucas said. "I have produced my first egg. I'm sure Ash is going to be excited that he will be getting a companion soon."

"That's wonderful news! But I insist on paying for it. I can't let you give it away for free."

Lucas chuckled. "It's not necessary. I don't mean to brag, but I have recently become very wealthy as a result of a potion I created."

Delia sounded surprised. "Well, if you say so. When should I expect you?"

"In two days. By the way, I was thinking of bringing a friend along. Do you mind?"

"Sabrina?"

"No. His name is Brock; I met him on the cruise ship and later hired him as my assistant. He's fifteen."

"Of course, he's more than welcome here."

After exchanging pleasantries and hanging up the phone, Lucas couldn't shake the nagging feeling. Delia's tone had been slightly off, with a hint of unease underneath her usual warmth. Was he overthinking it, or was there more to her call that he didn't understand?

Two days later, Lucas and Brock arrived in Pallet Town. Because of the continued bad weather, they chose to ride in a carriage rather than on their bikes. He had purchased a bike for Brock so he could get around easier. ily. They made their way to the Ketchum residence and disembarked from the carriage.

Ash greeted them at the door, unaware that Lucas had hidden some presents in his bag. They entered the kitchen, where Misty was assisting Delia in baking some cookies, and he introduced Brock to all three of them.

"Please, have a seat, and I'll get the kettle started," Delia said, fussing over them. "The cookies should be ready shortly."

"Lucas didn't mention how beautiful you are, Mrs. Ketchum," Brock said, flashing his most charming smile.

Delia chuckled, charmed by his compliment. "Thank you, but please, just call me Delia."

Ash mimed being sick, and Lucas could understand where he was coming from. Who would want to see some dude hitting on your mother? And one that was so young as well.

"What have you got there?" Ash asked.

Lucas put on gloves to handle the egg before taking it out of his bag. "Just fulfilling a promise."

"No way!" Ash exclaimed as Lucas handed him the egg.

As the boy cradled the egg and admired it, Misty looked on with jealousy, although she quickly hid her expression. Lucas pulled a potion vial out of his bag next and handed it over to the girl.

"What's this?" Misty asked.

"Before I explain," Lucas said. "I need all of you to keep this confidential. If word gets out that I'm distributing these, I'll be in trouble."

They promised him they would keep his secret.

"Do you remember when you asked how Icarus grew so much?" Lucas smiled. "This is a growth potion. Have you heard about it?"

They had undoubtedly heard of it, judging by their amazed expressions. They questioned him extensively, and he patiently explained how he created the potion. With some carefully edited-out details, of course.

"This is too much," Misty said hesitantly. "I can't accept it."

"It's only valuable because of its scarcity," Lucas assured her. "Once it's distributed to more people, the cost will go down quickly. It's not too expensive in terms of the ingredients required to make it."

"Thank you," Misty said, beaming.

Finally, Lucas pulled out a gift for Delia. Her eyes widened with delight as she examined the intricately designed bracelet, each image of her beloved Pokémon captured perfectly in the delicate weaving. She couldn't believe how thoughtful and personal the gift was, and even though she tried to protest, she didn't give it back.

Lucas observed her reaction. He had ordered her a custom bracelet and was worried she wouldn't like it. He was terrible at buying gifts for women, but Delia seemed happy. She slipped it on her wrist and admired it once more.

"You helped me so much after I was kicked out of the orphanage," Lucas explained. "So it's the least I could do."

Delia hugged him. "This is wonderful."

After they finished their snack, Delia gestured to Lucas, indicating that she wanted to speak with him alone. Lucas decided to distract the kids by introducing them to Ashe, and they went outside to play with her. Ash seemed thrilled to have a Pokémon named after him, although it wasn't the same. Brock took the hint and followed them outside.

"Is there something wrong?" Lucas inquired, noting that she was twisting the tea towel with her hands.

"It is about Giovanni," Delia said as she sat down at the table. "Luca, what do you think about the man? Give me your honest opinion."

"I think he is bad news," Lucas answered. "I have no evidence to base my opinion on, but I get bad vibes from him. Even Meowth doesn't like him, and he's an excellent judge of character."

Delia nodded as if confirming her feelings about the situation. "He has been bugging me for a while about any research my late husband might have left behind. I keep telling him there is nothing, but that is not entirely accurate. He left me something and told me not to do anything with it unless something happened to him. I have avoided doing anything with it until now."

"If Giovanni was to find out..." Lucas's voice trailed off.

"That is why I want to give you this," Delia said, reaching into her apron and pulling out a key. "You can do whatever you want with it, but I would recommend that you give it to Sabrina or someone in higher authority."

"What does it open?"

"A safety deposit box. My husband opened a bank account by using forged identification. So, Giovanni wouldn't know about it."

Lucas took the key from her and considered what he should do with it. Should he look into it himself or pass it on to Sabrina?

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Lucas is going to follow the trail of a dead man.

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Thanks for reading.