Hatching! Adorable Newcomer! (BONUS)

Thanks for 700 powerstones.

------------------

The eggshell began to crack, and through the growing gap, a tiny figure inside became faintly visible.

Everyone held their breath, eyes glued to the Pokémon egg on the table.

Snap!

A small pink hand poked out, waving clumsily as it searched for a firm grip on the eggshell but struggled to find one, adding to its adorable appearance.

After some effort, the tiny Pokémon finally managed to grab the edge of the shell and wobble its way out, revealing a curious pink head. A tuft of light pink hair rested on top, and its large, round lavender eyes sparkled with wonder.

The Pokémon's eyes brightened instantly upon seeing Johan.

Johan froze in surprise as he recognized the little Pokémon—it was a Tinkatink from the Paldea region!

Tinkatink, a dual Fairy- and Steel-type Pokémon, was known as the "hammer-wielding Pokémon." It loved making and hammering things, often perfecting its creations by hammering them over and over until satisfied. However, it frequently had to defend its tools from other Pokémon that liked to eat metal, since Tinkatink's refined hammer was a high-quality piece, with all impurities meticulously hammered out.

Now, the little Tinkatink clung to the eggshell, wobbling as it tried to climb out. But the smooth eggshell acted like a cradle, and Tinkatink suddenly tumbled right out, its little legs kicking frantically in the air.

"Chu! Chu!"

Johan snapped back to reality, his face breaking into a smile as he reached down to steady the little one.

As soon as Tinkatink steadied itself, it gave Johan a shy smile before suddenly looking around frantically, searching for something.

Where's my hammer?

But when it caught sight of the almost-empty dinner plates, Haunter holding a fork, and Vulpix wearing a bib, Tinkatink froze in its tracks.

It stared in horror and let out a startled chirp.

"Chu?!"

Are they going to eat me?!

Wait, let me find my hammer first!

"Ka-kah~~"

Haunter flashed a grin and extended a friendly hand.

Curiously enough, instead of scaring the newly hatched Pokémon, Haunter's smile seemed to put Tinkatink at ease, and its eyes turned back to an inquisitive gaze.

"Oowu~~"

Vulpix hopped onto the table, waving a little paw in greeting.

Tinkatink tilted its head and returned a cheerful smile.

"Chu~~!" I know you all!

Clearly, Tinkatink had grown accustomed to Haunter and Vulpix's sounds while still inside the egg. It wasn't scared at all and even reached out to shake Haunter's hand.

It gave a little shake.

"Ka-kah~~ (//▽//)" How cute~~

Then Haunter suddenly realized something was missing.

It looked down to find that the fork and knife it had been holding had disappeared!

When did that happen?

Meanwhile, Tinkatink held the fork and knife with a determined look, butt sticking out as it knelt on the table. Soon, the sounds of "tink-tink-tink" filled the room as it carefully pounded pieces of eggshell with its new tools.

Before long, Tinkatink triumphantly held up a small makeshift hammer, eyes shining with joy.

My hammer!

Did it just… use "Pickpocket"?

Johan watched the whole scene, wondering if Tinkatink's stealthy swipe of Haunter's fork and knife was thanks to its "Pickpocket" ability.

"This is… a Tinkatink?" Cynthia finally said aloud, her voice filled with surprise.

Johan nodded, his amazement mirroring Cynthia's.

Although he was unfamiliar with Tinkatink itself, he knew a lot about its final evolution, Tinkaton.

Back when he first played Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Tinkaton was one of his favorite Pokémon during his early exploration. With its cute pink theme, adorable appearance, massive hammer, and unique Fairy- and Steel-typing, it had quickly won over countless players.

That charming image of a tiny Pokémon wielding a giant hammer had earned it some famous nicknames, like "Hammer Kid" and "Mini Piledriver."

Plus, Tinkaton had a powerful Steel-type exclusive move: "Gigaton Hammer," with an astonishing base power of 160! Though in the games Tinkaton hadn't always fit well into competitive battle scenes, cuteness was forever.

In this real Pokémon world, the possibilities for Tinkatink were limitless.

And compared to having a big eater like Munchlax or Larvitar hatch, Johan was relieved. He decided it was only right to let Joseph Stone know about the hatching.

"President Stone, sorry to interrupt… I just wanted to let you know that the egg hatched."

Joseph sounded delighted. "Oh? Really? What kind of Pokémon was it?"

"Uh… it's a Tinkatink."

"A Tinkatink, huh? Hahaha! How interesting! Congratulations, Professor Johan!"

"Where exactly did you find this egg, anyway?" Johan couldn't help asking.

"Oh, no need to be secretive," Joseph said with a laugh. "Devon Corp bought a large tract of land in the Paldea region, and I found it while inspecting the area."

No wonder, Johan thought. Devon Corporation's extensive ventures had even reached the far-off Paldea region, beyond most people's knowledge.

Ordinary folks in regions like Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh likely didn't even know Paldea existed, much like how few knew of places like Orre or Almia.

"It's a lucky little thing, getting a trainer like you," Joseph continued warmly, sounding pleased with his choice to gift the egg.

After a few more words, Johan and Joseph ended the call.

"Seems that's one very fortunate little Pokémon," Cynthia murmured in agreement, having overheard. After tasting Johan's cooking, she wholeheartedly agreed.

When Johan looked back at the table, Tinkatink had wandered over to the sofa, where Haunter had earlier knocked out a couple of holes.

Tinkatink stood before the sofa, its expression suddenly serious.

Haunter and Vulpix exchanged a confused glance as they followed it, unsure what the little one was up to.

Then—

"Chu!!"

Tinkatink jumped into the air, hammer raised high, and brought it down on the sofa.

A faint layer of frost appeared on the hammer.

Is it… trying to repair the sofa?

Johan and Cynthia exchanged a curious glance.

But in the next second—

BOOM!

With one hit, the sofa that had only two holes shattered completely!

Splinters of wood flew across the room.

Just one swing had reduced the sofa to nothing but debris!

A drop of cold sweat appeared on Johan's forehead.

Is this… a newly hatched Pokémon?

Did you work out in that egg?!

"Looks pretty healthy to me," Cynthia commented with a smile.

Healthy? he thought incredulously. Doesn't this seem a bit… excessive for a freshly hatched Pokémon?

The sofa had been salvageable until now…

Vulpix and Haunter looked equally serious.

But their reason differed slightly from Johan's.

"Oowu~~ (Seems like it's not exactly the type to learn our family hypnosis technique~~)"

Vulpix remembered how Haunter had taught it the "Johan Family Hypnosis Technique," and it had been eager to pass it on to their new friend.

Haunter rubbed its chin thoughtfully, mimicking Johan's typical expression.

"Ka-kah~ Ka-kah~ (Oh, I wouldn't say that~)"

"Oowu? (What do you mean?)"

"Ka-kah Ka-kah~~"

Haunter's paw shifted into a hammer shape, and it demonstrated a downward swing.

Our family hypnosis technique focuses on rendering opponents powerless while leaving a lasting mental impact. With that swing, though… I'd say it achieves the same outcome.

"Oowu?!" Vulpix tilted its head, curious.

It counts like that?

But upon reflection, it seemed like a pretty solid theory.

A big grin spread across Vulpix's face, and it nodded in satisfaction.

Perfect—truly one of the Johan Family.

And it also noticed that when Tinkatink swung its hammer, there had been a frosty sheen—clearly an Ice-type move.

Maybe they'd have a lot more in common than they initially thought.