Looking at the steady fluctuations and data on the diagnostic device, Nurse Joy said to Logan: "Pokémon egg's health is good. If you keep carrying it, I believe it will hatch soon."
That reassured Logan a lot. After all, he didn't expect the game's direction to turn this way when he chose the Pokémon egg. Following the usual pattern of previous generations, you'd create your character, head out from home, meet a neighbor, and receive your First partner Pokémon. But now all of those plotlines are gone, and he's here in Cameran Palace, a remote spot.
If he'd known in advance, he'd rather not have chosen the Pokémon egg and just played the normal start. Still, Logan figured that after playing so many Pokémon games, this kind of twist was refreshingly novel. He took the Pokémon egg from Nurse Joy and held it close to his chest with care. Since the Pokémon egg's health is good, the plan was to let it hatch naturally. The key now was to learn how to operate around it.
Logan tried to open the UI, but whether he swiped left or right, nothing responded. Logan was stunned. No UI? Then how do you save, how do you quit? He panicked, not knowing what to do.
Next to him, Joy saw his odd behavior and asked, puzzled, "Kid, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly so flustered?"
Hearing Nurse Joy ask, Logan suddenly didn't know how to explain his current situation to an NPC. Could he be playing a game? Was she just a tool? So rude! Not knowing where to start, Logan could only sigh, "It's nothing. I'm a bit tired. Can I rest at the Pokémon Center?"
"Sure! Just go to the front desk and register, and you can rest at the Pokémon Center."
Hearing Logan say it's nothing, Joy didn't press further. After Logan registered at the front desk, they headed to the resting area.
In the lounge, Logan kept trying all sorts of ways to pull up the interface, but none of them worked. It left him utterly speechless. He wasn't new to stealthy-type games, but this was the first time he couldn't bring up the operation interface.
Eventually, Logan had to abandon the meaningless attempts. He figured he'd meet other players eventually and ask them. For now, focus on the Pokémon egg's hatch! After some self-consoling, Logan again turned his attention to the blue-patterned Pokémon egg in his arms.
In the long history of Pokémon games, the typical method to hatch a Pokémon egg is to carry it around and walk everywhere. So he might as well stroll around Cameran Palace with the egg! With nothing to do anyway, Logan wandered Cameran Palace with the egg in his arms.
He left the Pokémon Center to browse the shops, but since he couldn't open the UI and had no money, he couldn't buy anything and had to leave empty-handed. Then he visited a clothing shop. News-wise, Aura Guardian Sir Aaron's day was approaching, and the shop offered warrior outfits for rent at half price. It was then Logan remembered this place was once guarded by an Aura Guardian, and that giant tree was the Tree of Beginning.
What a coincidence that his birthplace is right where the Tree of Beginning stands. There seems to be some deeper meaning, but Logan can't figure it out. Deciding that not figuring it out is fine, he continued to wander Cameran Palace, this time intent on really seeing what the city saved by the Aura Guardian looked like.
However, just as Logan was about to leave the clothing shop to wander elsewhere, the shop clerk suddenly yelled, "Catch the thief!"
That shout startled Logan. He turned to see what was happening, when a Mankey sped by, clutching a set of Aura Guardian clothes in its hands. The Mankey, unable to stop, knocked Logan aside, and Pokémon egg flew out of Logan's arms.
If this keeps up, the Pokémon egg will be dropped. Frantic, Logan hit the ground and fixed his eyes on the egg in the air, already thinking of how to catch it safely. But at the moment Logan hit the ground and was getting up, the Mankey caught the egg with one hand.
Seeing this, Logan quietly congratulated himself that he hadn't dropped it—only to realize the next moment that he had really messed up, because after seizing the egg, Mankey bolted, carrying the egg, and flew off from the clothing shop.
What followed was total chaos. Logan, furious, scrambled to his feet and chased the thief. Mankey, holding the egg with one arm, ran through the town's streets, while Logan chased tirelessly, not wanting to lose his first Pokémon.
The pursuit dragged on beyond the town walls. On the way, Logan grabbed a wooden stick, since he didn't have a Pokémon and figured he'd need something to defend himself if he caught up.
Thus, with a stick in hand, Logan chased the fleeing Mankey into a forest area. The Mankey suddenly stopped atop a tree. Logan, thinking it would return the egg, found that the Mankey instead turned its back to him, tapped its butt, and smirked with a smug grin.
That taunt only made Logan angrier. He swung the stick at the Mankey, but at that moment, the Mankey roared and the surrounding trees sprouted even more Mankey. Facing so many Mankey, Logan was momentarily dumbfounded.
"Geez! Brought me here just to gang up on me? Hey! If you've got the guts, single combat—the winner keeps the Pokémon egg!"
But Mankey didn't understand a word of Logan. With the egg in its grasp, the Mankey waved a hand, and the surrounding Mankey encircled Logan. He knew he wasn't a match for the wild swarm, but the egg in Mankey's hands had to be recovered. Logan steeled himself, gripped the stick tighter, and the fight was on.
At that moment, the Mankey holding the Pokémon egg suddenly emitted a brilliant glow. Was it about to hatch? Logan was surprised, yet thrilled, because finally he would know what Pokémon would hatch.
After the intense light, a smaller-bodied Pokémon appeared. It was blue, with its legs and lower torso in black, red eyes, and a black mask pattern on its face.