"Which Pokémon is it?" Conan asked excitedly.
Was it the dainty and elegant Dratini, the tough-headed Bagon, or the well-mannered Axew?
"It's a Trapinch," Kawaki explained. "The Pokémon inside this egg is called Trapinch."
"Trapinch?" Conan's eyes widened. Trapinch… that doesn't sound like a Dragon-type at all!
"Before evolving, Trapinch is a Ground-type," Kawaki continued. "You might not recognize the name, but I think you'll know its final form."
"What is it?"
"Flygon. The mysterious Pokémon known for stirring up fearsome sandstorms."
Flygon... Conan's mind instantly jumped to a match he'd seen at the Ever Grande Conference.
In the match, one of the trainers had used a Flygon that whipped up a terrifying sandstorm with its wings—an incredibly powerful Pokémon.
"After evolving into Flygon, Trapinch gains the Dragon typing along with Ground, and it can learn powerful Dragon moves like Dragon Claw, Dragon Breath, and Dragon Dance."
As he spoke, Kawaki glanced at the egg.
[Trapinch Egg: A Pokémon egg that will hatch into the Ground-type Pokémon Trapinch.]
[Health Status: Healthy]
[Father: Flygon (Elite-level)]
[Mother: Flygon (Gym Leader-level)]
An elite-level father and gym-leader-level mother—this egg had great potential.
"So, what do you think? Want to choose this as your starter Pokémon?" Kawaki asked.
Conan hesitated.
Sure, Flygon was technically a Dragon-type… but it wasn't quite the kind of dragon he'd been dreaming of...
After a moment of indecision, Conan asked, "Are there any other Dragon-types?"
"Unfortunately, no," Kawaki shook his head. "But there are plenty of other Pokémon that are great for beginners. Let me show you a few."
"Please do!" Conan replied.
Kawaki smiled, then gestured toward another egg.
"This one's a Wurmple egg. It'll hatch into a Bug-type Pokémon that evolves into either Beautifly or Dustox."
Bug-types are known to grow quickly, making them ideal for beginners. A new trainer starting with a Wurmple could quickly gain a solid team member.
For example, two trainers start out: one with a Wurmple, and the other with a Dratini. By the time the Wurmple has evolved and helped win a few badges, the Dratini might still not even be a Dragonair.
Sure, they weren't equal in the long run—but with proper training, even a weak Bug-type could stand up to a powerful Dragonite.
More importantly, early strength gave new trainers the ability to capture slower-growing Dragon-types later on.
Conan still looked uneasy. He was clearly not fond of Bug-types, and Wurmple was… a very common sight in grassy areas and forests.
Seeing this, Kawaki quickly moved on.
"How about Oddish?"
Grass-types are not only easy to raise, but also cost-efficient. Most can survive with just sunlight, water, and soil.
They're an excellent choice for young trainers who may not have much money.
Conan looked even more conflicted.
Kawaki didn't rush him. With so many options, it was hard for anyone to make a quick decision—especially when choosing your very first Pokémon.
He introduced several more eggs.
But Conan remained torn.
It's so hard to choose! Seriously hard!
Then, the image of the Flygon he'd seen at the Ever Grande Conference flashed through Conan's mind again. He gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.
"I've decided. I want Trapinch!"
Close enough! Flygon rounds up to a Dragon!
(Swablu somewhere off-panel: "Excuse me? I evolve into a Dragon-type too!")
"In that case, I'll leave this little one in your care," Kawaki said, handing Conan the Trapinch egg.
Trapinch usually lived in dry deserts and were rare to encounter, making them an uncommon Pokémon.
Based on their capture difficulty and rarity—plus hatching and care costs—a Trapinch egg would typically sell for around 100,000 PokéDollars at most daycare centers.
Not cheap, but also not outrageous.
Since these eggs came from the League and didn't require Kawaki to invest resources, he decided to offer them at a 20% discount.
After explaining the situation, Kawaki said, "So you only need to pay 80,000 PokéDollars."
"Thank you so much!" Conan replied, deeply grateful. He had brought 200,000 PokéDollars with him—every bit of savings counted.
After paying, Conan eagerly prepared to take the egg home.
But Kawaki stopped him. "Trapinch will take about two more weeks to hatch. Since the daycare just opened, we don't have spare incubators yet. You'll need to buy one from the Poké Mart in town. They're cheap, don't worry."
"Got it! Thanks again!" Conan said, then hopped on his bike and took off with the egg.
Seeing his daycare finally sell its first egg, Kawaki let out a long sigh of relief.
Only by earning money could he support more Pokémon.
And being able to sell eggs meant the daycare had officially entered a stable business phase.
The Pokémon world may seem like a utopia, but there were still gray areas.
The rarer the Pokémon, the higher the price.
This demand, combined with the difficulty of acquiring certain species, is what gave rise to Pokémon Hunters—illegal groups who dealt in rare Pokémon due to their staggering value.
Daycares were the only legal place to sell baby Pokémon and eggs.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Kawaki turned back to the remaining eggs. One in particular caught his eye.
[Castform Egg: A Pokémon egg that will hatch into the Normal-type Pokémon Castform.]
[Health Status: Healthy]
[Father: Castform (Elite-level)]
[Mother: Castform (Elite-level)]
[Incubation Progress: 15/23 days]
His daycare was still missing a Water-type Pokémon to help irrigate the herb and berry gardens.
Castform could alter weather and summon rain—perfect for the job.
In that case, he'd raise this one himself.