“Are those what I think they are?” Ashley squealed. “What an incredible find!”

“No wonder the pirates attacked the ship,” Zach mused aloud. “Those would be worth fortunes to the right buyer. Too bad the manifest is lost to the sea. I suppose you’ll just have to hatch them on your own to find out what they are.”

“I couldn’t take more than three,” Tommy sighed. “All of those poor Pokémon. Lost to the bottom of the ocean.”

“Well you three will certainly have your hands full,” Zach told them. “Be sure that you hide those from your classmates. You don’t want them to try to steal any of the eggs. Or I can hold onto them tonight? Give them back to you when we get back to school tomorrow night?”

“No, I want to hang onto mine,” Tommy smiled. “Thank you for offering though.”

“Think nothing of it,” Zach smiled. “Now get them inside, out of the rain. They need to be warmed and incubated.”

Tommy stuffed the eggs back into his shirt and sidled his way across the cave to their campsite, Ashley and Nessa trying their best to block him from view. They made it back to the camp with none of their classmates bothering them and he set the eggs down gently next to the fire.

All of the eggs were different and unique and he had no clue what would hatch from any of them. The first egg was white with red and blue speckles, the second egg was gray with a single white band circling the top, and the final egg was brown on the bottom that faded to white as it approached the top.

“Which ones do you two want to take?” Tommy asked Ashley and Nessa.

“You found them Tommy,” Ashley said. “You should pick first.”

“No, I couldn’t,” he told them. “I’ll take the one that neither of you two choose.”

“Ugh, fine. I should have known you would have insisted on picking last,” Nessa grumbled. She frowned as she looked down at the eggs. “How do we even know what’s going to hatch from each of them?”

“Would it change how you feel if something you hadn’t expected came out?” Ashley asked.

“I would like to think not,” Nessa mumbled. She crouched low over the eggs and extended her hand placing it gingerly on each one. When her hand rested on the gray egg with the white stripe she smiled up at her teammates.

“I felt something when I touched it,” Nessa beamed. “I'll take this one. Is that okay Ashley?”

“Yeah that’s fine. That white one with the red and blue spots is really cute,” she looked up at Tommy as she finished her sentence.

“Go ahead,” he laughed. “I said I would take the last one.”

“Thanks, Tommy,” Ashley bent down and gingerly picked up her egg.

He smiled down at the last one, the brown and white one and picked it up carefully. He knew it wouldn’t break easily, it had survived the trip from the cargo ship, but he still tried to be delicate with it nonetheless. It was warm when he picked it up, from the fire, or from the Pokémon inside? The egg pulsed in his hands and he knew that he ended up with the one that was meant for him.

He looked up, a big grin on his face but he blushed and looked away quickly when he saw the two girls. Each of them was cradling their eggs against themselves as if they were newborns, they may as well have been holding their own children. Tommy felt like he was witnessing a private moment and quickly returned his gaze to his own egg.

Would he be able to care for it properly? What if he didn’t have what it took? The egg pulsed softly again in his hands as if to reassure him. He ran his hands over its smooth warm surface in appreciation and smiled.

“What’s the time?” Tommy asked, bringing the two girls out of their reverie. “My PokéNav broke when I fell down the chasm earlier today. Hemlock is going to kill me.”

“It’s already 11:00,” Nessa stood, egg still held tightly in her clutches. “We should probably turn in, who knows what Zach has planned for us on our last day.”

“Good night then,” Tommy said as Nessa turned towards her tent. He looked over at Ashley and spoke pointedly, “I’ll see everyone in the morning for breakfast.”

She covered her mouth with her free hand but he saw the smile in her eyes. “Good night then Tommy. See you for breakfast.”

Ashley retreated to her tent with her egg and Tommy was left alone by the fire. He spent a few minutes tidying up and then collected his egg and went to bed.

He brought the egg to his mouth and kissed it, feeling rather foolish, but trying his best to imagine that it was his own child. He tucked it under his arm and was soon snoring soundly.

Tommy’s eyes snapped open bright and early just as they always did and he grumbled to himself about never being able to sleep late as he stretched his arms and legs. There was an odd lump in his sleeping bag and he bolted upright as he remembered the egg. Throwing back his sleeping bag revealed it, nice and warm from being tucked into his arm all night.

“Good morning,” he whispered, gripping it carefully in both hands and bringing it to his forehead. “Let’s go for a stroll.”

He threw on a sweatshirt and tucked the egg in his front pocket; the pouch-like front pocket for warming hands was the perfect size to hold the egg. He stepped outside and noticed the distant flashes of lightning as the squall had passed and continued far to the north to break over Olivine. He called Solosis from his Pokéball and the little guy settled in his hood and then Tommy was off, climbing the island again. He had to reach the summit, to watch the sunrise one more time because this would be his last chance for a while. It was just as indescribably beautiful as it had been the previous morning, only this time he had one more friend to share it with; he put his hands in his pocket and rubbed the egg. Tommy grinned to himself as Solosis slept soundly in his hood.

He recalled Solosis to his Pokéball to let him sleep and returned to camp and did some light exercises. The last of the sausages were tossed onto the fire along with the rest of the mushrooms for breakfast and the crackling of fat and the scent of cooked meat had his stomach grumbling in anticipation. Ashley and Nessa emerged from their tents in their pajamas and plopped down by the fire. They were each holding an egg in one hand and stifling a yawn with the other.

As they were eating breakfast Zach stopped by their campsite. “Pack up all of your gear. I’ve been called away for something so I need to take everyone back to the school early. We’re leaving in thirty minutes.”

Soon Tommy was back on the bus, his egg tucked away in his pack along with everything else. He was glad they were leaving early, and from the cheers that had resounded from each campsite that Zach visited that morning, Tommy knew everyone else was happy too. They would all get to go home after a brutal weekend and relax before school on Monday.

“Do you two want to come over today?” Tommy asked Ashley and Nessa hesitantly while they flew in the buses back towards Goldenrod. “We have some incubators at the ranch that I might be able to loan to you two. Mating season for the Miltank isn’t until the end of the year so we won’t be using them for a few months. My dad might be willing to part with them for a while. Plus we can have a big dinner to celebrate us passing the excursion.”

“Oh, we wouldn’t want to impose!” Nessa started out. “Won’t your family be excited to have you back? They’ll want to spend the day with you.”

“I mean, I guess so,” he shrugged. “But they won’t mind. My mom said she doesn’t want to hear about all of the dangerous things I do, those were part of her conditions on me being a trainer. So it’s not like I’m going to sit at the table with everyone for the rest of the day and recount everything I did. I had a lot of dangerous things happen to me that I probably shouldn’t tell mom…”

“We kind of did get in quite a bit of danger, didn't we?” Ashley laughed. “Yeah, why not? I’ll come over. Not like my parents are waiting at home with bated breath for me. They’re busy and probably won’t pick me up early anyway.”

“I’ll call my mom when we land,” Nessa said. “She should say yes too I think.”

They landed at the school just a few hours later. Zach hopped down from the bus and began to collect everyone’s rental Pokémon one by one, much to Tommy’s disappointment. He had been hoping Zach would forget but that was wishful thinking.

”And finally Mr. Hartford,” Zach said casually as he walked to stand beside Tommy. “I’m afraid that it’s time for you to return Solosis to me.”

Tommy reached down to the single Pokéball on his belt and ran his fingers over the ball as he looked into Zach’s face. He couldn’t decipher anything from the man’s stoic features.

He sighed and unclipped the Pokéball, passing it to Zach who stashed it away in his pack. “Well I would like to say that it was an enjoyable weekend, but you three were an immense handful. Anyway good luck with the rest of your year! I’ll see you guys around I’m sure.”

He strode quickly towards the park exit and Tommy watched with regret as the pack carrying Solosis got further and further away from him.

“Are you ready to go?” Nessa asked. “We can come by another day if you’re not feeling up to it anymore?”

Tommy shook his head to clear his thoughts. “No, I’m fine. Let’s head to reception.”

The three of them left the park and made their way to the reception building to use the telephones.

Tommy called his house and heard his mother’s voice on the other end of the phone, “Hello?”

“Hey mom, it’s me,” he said. “We’re back at school.”

There was a pause on the other end of the call for a few seconds.

“Mom?” Tommy asked. “Can you hear me?”

“Tommy!” He heard his mother’s shaky voice from the other end of the phone, “I’ve been so worried. I’m so happy you’re back safe! I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too mom,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. “Are either you or dad free to come pick me up early? We’re already back at school.”

“Of course!” His mom said quickly. “I’m on my way out the door now!”

“Oh, hey mom?” Tommy said. “Can my two teammates come over? I promised them a big celebration dinner, I’ll help you cook?”

“Of course,” Mom said. “I’ll head over now to get you three, I love you.”

“Love you too, mom,” he told her as he placed the phone back onto the receiver. He turned to Nessa and Ashley, “Okay, my mom is on her way. Did you two talk to your parents already?”

“Yeah, I asked and my mom is fine with it,” Nessa said.

“Same here,” Ashley grinned, so the three of them headed out to the front of the school and waited on the steps for Tommy’s mom to show up. Soon enough his family’s silver pick-up truck was trundling into the drop off zone and Tommy slung his pack over his shoulder and stood up.

“Tommy!” The car door flung open before the car was even in park and Tori raced across the plaza and wrapped her brother in a massive hug. His mom was there not even a second later and he was then being embraced by the two most important women in his life. He fiercely hugged them back and held them in his arms.

“I missed you both,” Tommy said; it was hard to swallow past the lump in his throat. Tori was hiccuping into his stomach and his mom looked up at him with red eyes. He kissed his mom on the forehead and bent down to give Tori a kiss on the top of her head.

“Nessa!” Tori said, seeing the girl for the first time. She ran over and wrapped her arms around the poor girl’s waist.

“This is Nessa and that’s Ashley,” he told his mother, gesturing in turn to each of the two girls. “They were my partners on the expedition.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ashley said, giving a slight bow.

“Thank you for packing all of the food,” Nessa said, bowing as well. “You really saved us on the trip.”

His mother looked shocked for a moment but recovered quickly. She swept the two girls in a great hug that they were surprised by at first, but soon returned in full.

“Thank you for taking care of my boy,” Tommy’s mom said, pulling back from their embrace. “He didn’t cause too much trouble for either of you two I hope?”

“No ma’am! If anything we caused him trouble, he took care of the both of us this entire weekend!” Ashley blurted quickly. Then, realizing who she was speaking with, her face reddened and she stared at the floor.

“I see,” Mom said, turning to Tommy with a grin on her face.

“Can we go?” He asked nervously, he felt it was only another minute until his mother said something that embarrassed him. He collected his gear and got into the passenger seat; the three girls climbed into the back with Tori in the middle.

As mom drove away Tommy reached into his bag and pulled out the egg.

“Look what I found, sis,” he said, handing the egg back to Tori.

“It’s beautiful!” Tori said, hastily snatching it from his hands and holding it to her body. “What is going to hatch from it?”

“I have no clue,” he said, shrugging, “I rescued it from a cargo ship, sinking into a maelstrom.”

His mother’s grip tightened on the steering wheel next to him.

“Get Ashley and Nessa to show you theirs,” He said quickly, clearing his throat.

The three of the girls in the back were all chatting, Tori completely enamored by each of the three eggs. She was greedily clutching all three of them in her arms and Ashley and Nessa were laughing at her. His mom adjusted her rear view mirror and smiled while looking at everyone in the back seat.

“So, which one?” She murmured under her breath to Tommy.

“Mom!” He hissed. Ashley and Nessa were laughing with Tori still, but he could swear he saw them lean forward as his mom spoke.

“Both?” His mom asked to Tommy’s horror, trying to hide her laughter but doing a horrible job.

He groaned and didn’t answer. While everyone else chatted away, he stared out of the window for the rest of the trip, watching as the pristine buildings of Goldenrod soon gave way to the rolling hills and fields of Route 34. The little truck bumped and jostled along and soon rolled into the drive of the ranch house. Ashley and Nessa both inhaled sharply when they saw his home.

“It’s beautiful,” Ashley spoke as she stepped out. She looked around at the trees and fields, the towering two story farmhouse as the wind whistled softly through her blonde hair.

“My son!” Tommy heard a thunderous voice yell as the front door of the house opened. His father stepped out onto the porch and walked out front to greet everyone. He wrapped Tommy in a massive hug, threatening to crush his ribs but Tommy didn’t care; he hugged back as hard as he could.

“And who knew your guests would be such lovely ladies!” His father boomed. He laid his hand across his son’s shoulders and grinned through his beard. “I’ve been waiting for the day you would bring home a girl but to think you would bring home two!”

“Dad, come on! You’re just as bad as mom! The both of you are going to make them uncomfortable!” Tommy flushed, getting out from under his father’s arm. He turned to Ashley and Nessa who were laughing at his expense. “Please, ignore everything they say, they’re just trying to embarrass me!”

“Of course I jest,” His father laughed. He clasped the hands of each of the girls. “It is a pleasure to have you in our home. Please, call me Sebastian, I thank you for taking care of my boy out in the field. I only hope that he was able to make himself useful to the both of you.”

Tommy frowned as his father introduced himself to the two girls. He shook Nessa’s hand casually but when he shook Ashley’s hand Tommy swore that he saw his dad give a slight bow, inclining his head while muttering something to her. Ashley blushed and looked away.

“Please, come inside!” Dad said. “I’ve just finished lunch; grilled chicken, baked beans, and green vegetables.”

Tommy led Ashley and Nessa inside his home, wondering what they thought. They passed through the hall where the two girls stopped to admire pictures of Tommy and his family and slowly made their way back into the kitchen.

Lunch tasted amazing. After eating nothing but mushrooms, fish, and sausage for the past few days Tommy was glad to eat something different. He supposed he should be grateful and not complain though, many students had struggled and had not had the opportunity to eat much while they had travelled. Tommy’s dad wanted to hear all about the trip so he took turns telling stories with Nessa and Ashley; he tried his best to leave out details for the sake of his mom who was trying her hardest to be a good sport and listen attentively.

After lunch, Tori dragged Ashley and Nessa out to the corral to meet Ponyta and some of the other Pokémon, leaving Tommy to help his parents clean up.

“It’s a handsome egg,” his father was holding it in his hands and leaning over the counter while Tommy helped his mom do the dishes. “Make sure you care for it properly son.”

“Can I bring an incubator up to my room?” Tommy asked his father. They were normally kept in the barn so the Miltank could watch their eggs but the incubators were portable and could be moved around. He hesitated, “And I sort of promised Ashley and Nessa they could each borrow one. Is that okay? Mating season isn’t until the end of the year so Miltank shouldn’t be laying their eggs for a while.”

“No son, I’m sorry,” Das shook his head. “The machines are too expensive and I cannot take the risk. The three of you will have to raise your eggs the old fashioned way. Keep them with you as much as you can and they will hatch before you know it.”

“What do you want for dinner?” Mom asked him. “We were going to go to the Mart this evening and then pick you up from the school when you got back, but now that you’re here dad will just go. He needs to get more supplies to fix the fence again.”

“Again?” Tommy said, passing clean dishes to his mother who was drying them. “How many times is that now? Is something wrong with Tauros?”

“It’s been too many times,” his dad sighed, still leaning over the counter. “I’ve been checking everyday now, riding Mudsdale around the perimeter while you and your sister are at school. I finally found something promising this weekend while you were gone. Tracks, on the eastern fence, by the pond you like to fish at. Are you interested in taking a ride out there tomorrow night after school?”

“I still say it’s too dangerous for him, Sebastian,” his mother said. “I mean he doesn’t even have a Pokémon yet, all he has is the egg!”

Turning Solosis back to the school had been the hardest thing Tommy had done. He had almost considered asking Zach if he somehow could have kept the little guy but Tommy knew it was futile to bother. Zach had already cut him a lot of slack and he didn’t want to press his luck. He kept reaching down on his belt clasping at the empty space where Solosis’ Pokéball had been. He gave silent thanks that he had stumbled across the egg because he would have felt completely alone if he had returned home without the egg or Solosis.

“I’ll go,” He said firmly, “What kind of tracks are they?”

“Big paw prints,” his dad said. “Maybe a wolf or a mountain lion. Possibly a Pokémon, though there aren’t many wild Pokémon around this close to the city. We’ll ride out tomorrow when you get back from school.”

Ashley, Nessa, and Tori walked back into the kitchen, Tori looking pleased with herself. Tommy watched as his sister led the two girls upstairs to her bedroom, he overheard her telling them about all of her dolls.

“So you’re cooking dinner for both of them then?” His dad asked with a grin. His mother covered her mouth with the towel that she was drying the dishes with. “What am I getting from the store then?”

“Ground beef, so I can make burgers on the grill. Get some potatoes too so I can fry them,” Tommy said, narrowing his eyes at his parents. They were sharing looks between each other and smiling. “And will you guys stop already? I told you that they’re my friends, you’re going to make them never want to come back.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” his mother said slyly. “They’ll be around.”

“What do you mean?” Tommy responded.

“Nothing son, nothing,” his dad smiled, coming around the counter and wrapping his arms around mom’s waist. “Go find your friends, I’ll help your mom finish up.”

Tommy spent the rest of the day with his sister, Ashley and Nessa. Dad left for the store in the afternoon to pick up groceries so everyone was relaxing in the house waiting for him to get back.

When Tommy finally sat down he hadn’t realized how tired he was. Ashley and Nessa fell asleep cradling their eggs on the couch and Tori was sitting in the chair clutching his.

Tommy was just starting to nod off when he heard a crash coming from the corral behind the house. The girls were jolted from their sleep but he was already racing out the back door. He heard the Miltank mooing frantically, running back to the corral and the barn from the direction of the pond. When he looked up into the sky he saw a massive plume of smoke rising up into the evening air.

He took off towards the pond, Ashley and Nessa scrambling to keep up with him, while Tori and mom were left to yell futilely in the doorway of the house.