When a female Pokémon gives birth, it is their most vulnerable time, so their male partners are usually extremely vigilant during this period.
Any creature approaching their territory will be driven away.
Some aggressive males may even kill Pokémon that trespass into their territory.
"It's been half a month, and it still hasn't given birth?" Julian asked, puzzled.
The birthing time for Pokémon varies depending on the species, but for Diglett and Dugtrio, it usually takes only a day or two.
Now that half a month had passed and the female Dugtrio still hadn't given birth, the time had exceeded the norm by about tenfold.
Needing half a month to give birth was practically a hallmark of pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.
Faced with Julian's question, the Dugtrio leader hesitated for a moment before revealing the reason.
After listening, Julian's expression turned to one of understanding.
Simply put, its mate was having a difficult labor and couldn't lay the egg, which was why it had dragged on for so long.
"Why don't you ask Ken for help?" Julian suggested.
Given its relationship with Ken, he would surely lend a hand.
The Dugtrio leader had already considered asking Ken for help when it realized its mate couldn't give birth. However, Julian's sudden appearance today brought up the idea again.
Dugtrio: 'Can you help me instead?'
Julian: 'Helping a Pokémon give birth... this is a first'
"I can give it a try."
Thanks to the system, Julian felt confident. If things got out of hand, he could always ask his mother, Tina, for help.
She was a senior breeder, and most breeders had some expertise in Pokémon medicine. Tina, in particular, had notable achievements in Pokémon healthcare.
"Lead the way," Julian said.
But the Dugtrio leader didn't move and instead glanced at Metagross and Dragonite beside Julian.
Because of Julian's Aura, the Dugtrio leader trusted him, even though it was their first meeting. However, it clearly didn't want to bring such powerful and threatening Pokémon near its mate.
Julian smiled and returned both Pokémon to their Poké Balls.
This action deeply moved the Dugtrio leader, and its goodwill toward Julian increased significantly.
Dugtrio: 'My mate is right below us.'
As ground-type energy emanated from the Dugtrio leader, the ground beneath Julian's feet slowly sank. The descent was smooth, with no jolts or shakes, showing the Dugtrio leader's precise control over its energy.
After a few seconds, Julian found himself underground. The earth above closed seamlessly, leaving the surroundings in complete darkness.
However, before long, green glimmers of light began appearing around him. As the glowing lights increased, Julian realized he had entered a spacious underground chamber.
The underground space was roughly 300 square meters, illuminated by glowing green stones embedded throughout the area.
These stones served as a light source, though their color wasn't exactly comforting.
In the subterranean chamber, besides the Dugtrio leader and its mate, there were three other Dugtrio, each at the pseudo-Elite level.
These three were guarding the female Dugtrio closely.
The female Dugtrio was in visible pain, her face contorted with discomfort. When she saw her mate arrive, there was a flicker of joy in her weary eyes.
The Dugtrio leader rushed to her side, speaking softly to comfort her. He also mentioned that he had brought someone who could help.
The female Dugtrio shifted her gaze toward Julian.
As Julian approached slowly, the female Dugtrio remained highly wary of him, given the delicate situation. However, the Dugtrio leader kept reassuring her, which prevented her from lashing out at Julian.
"Just give her this, and she'll be fine"
Julian said, pulling out a medicine he had just purchased from the system shop.
The medicine was specifically designed to aid Pokémon during childbirth.
Judging from the female Dugtrio's condition, it was clear she was experiencing a difficult labor. If this continued, her life would be at risk.
The Dugtrio leader nodded and immediately brought the medicine to his mate. However, she visibly rejected it. Even with the medicine right at her mouth, she refused to consume it.
This left the Dugtrio leader utterly anxious. Faced with his struggling mate, he couldn't yell or force her.
Feeling helpless, the Dugtrio leader turned to Julian for assistance.
"Gastly, Hypnosis," Julian instructed.
A Gastly suddenly materialized in front of the female Dugtrio, its eyes glowing as it emitted waves of hypnotic energy.
The three pseudo-Elite Dugtrio immediately reacted, preparing to attack the Gastly, but the Dugtrio leader swiftly stopped them.
Thanks to Gastly's ability to remain completely invisible when needed, it usually stayed hidden near Julian as a constant guardian.
If someone ever attempted to harm Julian, Gastly could easily take advantage of its stealth to incapacitate or even kill them.
Although the female Dugtrio was also a pseudo-Elite-level Pokémon, and Gastly's Hypnosis wouldn't typically work so easily, her prolonged labor had left her utterly exhausted. In her weakened state, she quickly succumbed to the hypnosis.
Now under the spell, the female Dugtrio finally entered a deep and peaceful sleep, something she hadn't had in days.
"Go ahead and give her the medicine now," Julian said.
The medicine, called 100% Safe Birthing Aid, came with a straightforward description: Difficult labor? Not a chance.
True to its name, the medicine guaranteed a smooth delivery.
Even though the female Dugtrio was asleep, there was no concern—it would work just the same.
The system wouldn't ruin its own reputation, right?
With the medicine administered, the male Dugtrio watched his mate with a mix of tension and anticipation.
Moments later, a soft white glow began to radiate from the female Dugtrio.
Julian's curiosity peaked—this was his first time witnessing a Pokémon giving birth.
The light gradually concentrated into a glowing sphere. As the sphere descended to the ground, the white glow surrounding it faded, revealing a brownish Pokémon egg.
The egg's earthy color closely resembled the hues of Diglett and Dugtrio.
However, many Pokémon eggs shared similar shades of brown, so the color alone doesn't guarantee the Pokémon it contains.
Using his Probing Eyes, Julian scanned the egg. Its aptitude showed up as Green.
Even if it had been Cyan aptitude, Julian wouldn't have been particularly interested. After all, Diglett wasn't in his list of Pokémon he wanted to capture.
His criteria were pretty straightforward: a Pokémon needed to either look 'cool' or 'ferocious'. If neither applied, then at the very least, it had to be something Julian found aesthetically pleasing.
Diglett? Well… thanks, but no thanks.
Diglett: 'Thanks for the insult. Much appreciated'
After receiving the Dugtrio leader's heartfelt thanks, Julian left the orchard.
"All right, the issue's been resolved"
Outside the orchard, Julian explained the situation to Robert and Ken, who had been waiting for him.
Declining Robert's offer to express his gratitude further, Julian climbed onto Dragonite and flew off into the sky, leaving the orchard behind.