NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Unexpected Gift
Lance flew towards Pallet Town on his Aerodactyl, clutching an egg tightly in his hands.
His left eye was bruised, a painful reminder of the punch he had received.
As Aerodactyl landed near Professor Oak's research lab, Lance dismounted and hurried to the entrance, cradling the egg carefully.
Professor Oak was outside, feeding a group of Oddish. He glanced up as Lance approached, his eyes widening at the sight of Lance's black eye.
"Lance! What happened to you?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
Lance ignored the question, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I'll explain later, Professor. Right now, I need you to call Ethan. I have something important to give him."
Professor Oak frowned but nodded. "Ethan started his journey about 15 days ago. He should be on his way to Cerulean City by now."
Lance's anxiety visibly increased, his hands trembling as he clutched the egg. "Can you contact him? I need to give him this egg."
Professor Oak's eyes fell on the egg, recognizing it immediately as a Dragonite egg.
Although Professor Oak was still confused as to why Lance had a black eye he still called his alakazam
In a flash, Alakazam appeared, ready for instructions.
"Alakazam, teleport to Ethan and bring him here," Professor Oak instructed.
Alakazam nodded, disappearing instantly. Moments later, Ethan, who was on route to Cerulean City, found himself standing in front of Professor Oak and Lance, bewildered.
"What's going on?" Ethan asked, confusion etched on his face.
Without a word, Lance thrust the egg into Ethan's hands.
"Take care of this egg. It's going to hatch very soon."
Then, without giving Ethan a chance to respond, Lance and Professor Oak turned and walked into the lab, leaving Ethan standing there, holding the egg, utterly perplexed.
Ethan blinked, looking down at the egg in his hands.
"What just happened?" he muttered to himself.
Deciding to get some answers, Ethan pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the egg.
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[ Dratini ] [ F ]
[ Type : Dragon ]
[ Description : Long considered a symbol of good fortune, Dratini's presence is said to bring blessings. It lives quietly in pristine waters, rarely seen by humans. Its gentle nature belies its immense power as a Dragon-type Pokémon. ]
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After scanning the egg, Ethan was very excited when he found out it was a Dragonite egg, overjoyed by the result of the scan.
However, he was still confused about why Lance had given him this egg and decided to settle in a quiet spot until the two of them came out of the room.
On the other side, inside the lab, Lance and Professor Oak settled into their chairs.
"So, what happened?" Professor Oak asked.
Lance sighed, recounting the story. "About a year ago, my Dragonite laid this egg.
She's very fond of Ethan and wanted him to have it. I was supposed to give it to him before he started his journey, but I forgot."
Professor Oak raised an eyebrow. "And Dragonite found out?"
Lance nodded, wincing as he touched his black eye. "Yeah, well... she wasn't happy."
Professor Oak chuckled, trying to hide his amusement. "I can imagine. Did she give you 'the look'?"
Lance shook his head. "Worse. She gave me 'the punch'. Right in the face. I've got a black eye to prove it. I spent a week hiding behind a bookshelf. I still have nightmares about it."
Professor Oak laughed. "Well, at least you weren't blown away like my poor assistant. Dragonite once sneezed and sent him flying into a tree. We had to get him down with a ladder."
Lance groaned. "I just hope Ethan likes the egg. If not, I might need a new hiding spot."
After some time, Ethan saw Lance and Professor Oak stepping out of the lab, their expressions more relaxed. Ethan stood up and approached them, holding the egg securely.
Upon seeing Ethan, Lance gently explained, "Ethan, this egg belongs to my Dragonite. She believes you're a capable trainer and wants you to care for it. Please take good care of it."
Ethan responded earnestly, "Absolutely, I'll take great care of it."
Lance patted Ethan on the shoulder. "I have no doubt you will. Just remember, raising a Dragonite is a long journey, but it's worth every moment."
Professor Oak added, "If you ever need any advice or help, don't hesitate to reach out. We're always here for you."
Ethan nodded and replied, "Yes, I will Professor "
He then reached for his belt and unclipped a Poké Ball.
Ethan turned toward Professor Oak and exclaimed, "Professor, I've caught a new Pokémon!"
Hearing Ethan's statement, Professor Oak inquired, "Ethan, which Pokémon have you caught?"
Ethan grinned and tossed his Pokéball, calling out, "Onix, come out!"
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As Ethan released his Onix, both Lance and Professor Oak stood there, utterly dumbfounded.
Never in their lives had they seen or heard of such an Onix.
Even Professor Oak, who was familiar with shiny Pokémon, found this Onix to be beyond anything he had encountered—a creature of crystal rather than stone, its entire body shimmering with a unique and beautiful luster.
"This is incredible," Professor Oak murmured, awe coloring his voice.
He stepped closer to examine the Crystal Onix, marveling at its sparkling form. "Ethan, where did you find this Onix?"
Ethan beamed with pride, patting the Crystal Onix affectionately. "It was deep inside Mt. Moon. I stumbled upon it by accident, and I couldn't believe my eyes."
Lance nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the Crystal Onix. "I've heard legends about Crystal Onix, but I never thought I'd see one. This is extraordinary."
Professor Oak nodded thoughtfully. "I'd like to conduct some research on this Crystal Onix, if you don't mind. It could provide invaluable insights into Pokémon evolution and adaptation."
"I'd be honored," Ethan replied eagerly. "But there's something else, Professor. Could you increase my Pokémon limit to 12? I want to have all my companions with me."
Professor Oak smiled warmly. "Considering your unique circumstances, I don't see why not. You've earned it, Ethan."
With the matter settled, Ethan then asked, "Professor, could Alakazam retrieve some of the crystals the Onix had hidden earlier? I'd like to keep them as a memento and for future use."
"Of course," Professor Oak agreed readily. He signaled to Alakazam, who teleported away in a flash.
While they waited for Alakazam to return, Ethan turned to Lance and noticed Lance's black eye
"What happened to your eye?"
Lance coughed, looking embarrassed. "It's a minor incident."
Professor Oak burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. Ethan, though still curious, decided not to press further.
Just then, Alakazam returned with the crystals, depositing them near Ethan's former residence. Ethan thanked Professor Oak and Lance once more before preparing to depart for Cerulean City.
With a final wave and words of gratitude, Ethan was teleported back to Cerulean City.
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