The next day, the daycare welcomed a brand-new life.
Under Kawaki and Bewear's watchful care, Castform successfully hatched from its egg.
Its round, doll-like body floated gently in the air, blinking curiously at its surroundings before its gaze settled on Kawaki.
This Pokémon, which looked very much like a teru teru bozu, had an unmistakable dazed look in its eyes—completely puzzled by its current situation.
Kawaki's gaze passed over Castform.
A second later, Castform's data floated up before him.
[Pokémon: Castform]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Forecast]
[Moves: Tackle, Ember, Water Gun, Powder Snow]
[Status: Healthy]
[Mood: Õ_Õ?]
[Joy: 5]
[Friendship: 40 (It heard your voice while still in the egg)]
[Entry: Am I born...? —Castform]
Kawaki: "..."
Why does this Castform seem... not particularly bright?
Still, he greeted her warmly as always: "Hello, Castform! I'm Kawaki."
Castform blinked slowly and looked at the human in front of her.
Wait a second—it knew this voice! It remembered hearing it from inside the egg!
Back then, it heard this human say: "Hurry up and hatch!"
That sense of being eagerly awaited filled Castform with joy.
"Cast~!"
Castform let out a cheerful squeal.
Hearing the sound, Chingling floated over, curious about the newcomer.
"Ching ching?"
Did Mama have another baby?
Chingling floated in front of Castform and asked innocently, "Ching ching?" (Were you born from Mama too?)
Castform looked confused. "Cast?"
"Ching ching!" (Mama is Kawaki! He hatched us from our eggs!)
"Cast…" Castform was still a bit fuzzy.
But... that would make her one too, right?
Young "Mama" Kawaki had no idea what the two Pokémon were discussing.
Seeing the two getting along so well, he smiled and patted their tiny heads.
Looks like Chingling and Castform were getting along nicely!
That would save him a lot of trouble.
After all, if the Pokémon in his team didn't get along, it would be a nightmare to manage.
"In that case, I'm counting on you to look after Castform, Chingling."
"Ching ching!" Chingling nodded excitedly.
Chingling and Castform—one modeled after a wind chime, the other like a weather charm—made a perfect match visually and were ideal decorations for the daycare too.
But Kawaki had something more in mind for Castform.
As everyone knew, Castform was quite a unique Pokémon.
Its body structure was highly reactive to environmental changes, and it could shift forms depending on temperature and humidity.
On cloudy or mild days, Castform stayed in its default state.
On bright sunny days, it would absorb heat and glow red, entering a sun-like form.
On rainy or humid days, it would take on a raindrop-like form.
And in winter, it would adopt a snow-cloud-like appearance with fluff around its head.
It was a fascinating Pokémon.
However, these transformations weren't under Castform's control.
That said, there were exceptions.
With the right training and enough power, a Castform could learn to manipulate the energy in its body—or use moves that change the weather—to shift forms at will.
"Ching ching!"
Chingling stopped midair and waved for Castform to follow—it was time to show her their home!
Castform gently bobbed along behind.
They descended to the first floor, where a group of Clefairy were seated around a small table, watching TV from the couch.
"Ching ching~" (Those are Clefairy—they're the ones who cook our meals!)
"Cast…" Castform stared at them and quietly took note.
"Ching ching!" (And there's more to see!)
Chingling gleefully waved her over again.
They went to the backyard, a large field of lush green grass surrounded by low fences—not enough to stop big wild Pokémon from getting in.
There, Castform spotted a proud-looking Pokémon with fiery red fur patrolling the yard.
As it ran past, Castform felt a wave of heat rush by.
The moisture in her body began to react, turning red at a visible rate.
She was about to transform into her Sunny Form—but just then, Growlithe ran off, and the heat dissipated. Castform's body quickly returned to normal.
"Ching ching~!" (That's Growlithe—he's family too!)
Growlithe.
Castform made a mental note of him as well.
The two Pokémon floated over the fence to the herb and veggie garden Kawaki maintained.
There, Castform saw neat rows of square garden beds with green sprouts growing strong.
Two Clefairy were watering the plants using Wailmer-shaped watering cans.
Nearby stood rows of sturdy berry trees, each laden with big, round berries.
Beneath the trees, a strange Pokémon had its head buried in the soil—no one knew what it was doing.
Castform stared, a question mark appearing over her head.
Chingling cheerfully explained:
"Ching ching!" (This is where Mama grows the berries we eat! Those two are Clefairy—they're helping water the crops!)
"Ching ching…" (That Pokémon is Oddish—it's a bit different. It really likes napping during the day…)
Even Chingling didn't fully understand Oddish.
But to avoid giving Castform the wrong impression, she added:
"Ching ching!" (But don't be fooled—Oddish helps take care of the seedlings too!)
"Cast…" Castform blinked.
Chingling floated happily around her.
"Ching ching!" (Mama says we're all one big family, and we should help each other out!)
Kawaki raised and cared for them, and every Pokémon in the daycare contributed in their own way.
The Clefairy who handled chores, Growlithe who patrolled and protected the grounds, Oddish who tended the crops, and Bewear—the guardian and parent figure of them all.
And Chingling, who helped bring in customers!
Everyone lived and worked together as one.
"Cast…" Castform echoed Chingling's words.
Family…
"Cast?" Am I part of the family too?
Castform looked uncertainly at Chingling.
In response, Chingling rang out brightly and answered:
"Ching ching!"
Of course! We're all family!