The Fairy Tail guild hall buzzed with an energy, for the past week, ever since Aiden had left on his hundred-year quest with Irene, the remaining guild members had been fixated on the Pokemon eggs he'd given them. Several of the Pokemon eggs had begun showing signs of activity—soft glowing, gentle movements, and hairline cracks that appeared and disappeared like breathing.
"Mine moved again!" Levy called out from her spot near the bar, carefully cradling her egg. "I swear it did!"
"They all move, sometimes," Cana grumbled from her table, though her own egg sat prominently in front of her, and Levy had caught her talking to it more than once. "Doesn't mean anything special."
Master Makarov observed the scene from behind the bar, a knowing smile playing across his weathered features. In all his years leading Fairy Tail, he'd seen his children excited about many things, but never quite like this. There was something almost parental in the way they tended to their eggs, protective and nurturing in a way that reminded him why he loved this guild so much.
The first crack appeared on Erza's egg during her morning training session in the guild's courtyard.
"Everyone, come quickly!" she called, her usual commanding tone replaced by something softer, more uncertain. "I think... I think it's happening."
The guild members who were present rushed outside, forming a loose circle around Erza as she knelt beside her egg. The soft blue shell, which had been glowing intermittently for days, now pulsed with steady light. Hairline fractures spread across its surface like a spider web, and something inside was definitely moving.
"What do I do?" Erza asked, looking unusually vulnerable. "Should I help it? What if I hurt it?"
"Just let it happen naturally," Levy said, consulting one of the Pokemon care books she'd gotten from the Poké Mart vending machine. "The book says they need to hatch on their own when they're ready."
The egg gave a particularly strong pulse, and a small section of the shell fell away. A tiny black paw pushed through the opening, followed by another. Within minutes, a small, blue and black Pokemon had emerged, shaking off the last bits of shell with determined movements.
"A Riolu," Levy breathed, pulling out her Pokédex to scan the newly hatched Pokemon. The device beeped softly before displaying information. "They're known for their strong sense of justice and loyalty. Says here they can sense auras and emotions. Erza, it's perfect for you."
The Riolu looked up at Erza with large, red eyes, studying her face intently. Then, to everyone's amazement, it stood and performed what could only be described as a respectful bow.
Erza's breath caught. "Hello there, little one." She extended her hand slowly, and the Riolu sniffed it before placing one tiny paw against her palm. "I'm Erza. I guess... I guess I'm going to take care of you now."
The Riolu made a soft sound that might have been agreement, then surprised everyone by dropping into a fighting stance, mimicking some of the combat forms it had observed Erza practicing.
"Already ready to train," Gray observed with a grin. "Definitely suits you, Erza."
Before anyone could respond further, a sharp crackling sound drew their attention to the other side of the courtyard, where Laxus had been working on his lightning magic. His egg, which had been steadily building electrical charge for days, suddenly discharged in a brilliant flash.
"Laxus!" several voices called out in concern, but when the light faded, the blonde mage was standing perfectly fine, staring down at the tiny yellow Pokemon that had emerged from his egg.
"Pichu!" the little electric mouse declared, sparks dancing between its cheeks as it looked up at Laxus with obvious adoration.
"A Pichu," Laxus said slowly, crouching down to get a better look. Gray pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the tiny electric type. "You're pretty small, aren't you?"
"Says here Pichu stores electricity in its cheek pouches, but it's not very good at it yet," Gray read from his device. "They discharge electricity when startled or amused."
The Pichu responded by generating a small bolt of electricity that perfectly matched the frequency of Laxus's own magic. The two electrical energies merged and danced together in the air between them, creating a light show that made several guild members gasp in amazement.
"Well, I'll be damned," Laxus murmured, extending one finger toward the Pichu. The tiny Pokemon immediately climbed onto his hand, settling comfortably on his palm. "Looks like we're partners now, little guy."
The Pichu chirped happily, completely unafraid of the intimidating S-Class mage. If anything, it seemed to recognize a kindred spirit.
"That's incredible," Levy said, her own egg clutched protectively against her chest. "They really do seem to match personalities!"
The excitement was contagious, and soon other guild members were checking their own eggs with renewed interest. Simon had been quietly polishing his swords near one of the tables when his egg began to glow with an ethereal light.
"Simon!" Kagura called out, pointing to where his egg was beginning to crack. "Yours is hatching too!"
Simon set down his blades and watched in fascination as his egg split cleanly down the middle. What emerged wasn't quite what anyone expected—a Pokemon that looked like a sword itself, its blade gleaming in the afternoon light.
"Honedge," the sword Pokemon announced in a voice like ringing steel, floating up to hover at Simon's eye level.
"A sword Pokemon," Simon said, wonder clear in his voice. "Literally a sword."
The Honedge moved closer, examining Simon's weapons with obvious interest. Then, to everyone's amazement, it began to demonstrate some basic sword techniques, its movements precise and elegant.
The afternoon was filled with similar moments of wonder and discovery. Gray's egg hatched during the hottest part of the day, revealing a tiny, white Pokemon that immediately sought out the coolest spot it could find—right next to Gray's ice magic.
"Snom," the little ice worm said, looking up at Gray with trusting eyes.
"You're so... small," Gray said, clearly having expected something more intimidating. "And kind of cute."
"Aww, Gray has an adorable Pokemon!" Cana called out, earning her a glare from the ice mage.
"It's not adorable, it's... strategically compact," Gray protested, even as the Snom nuzzled against his hand, enjoying the cool temperature his magic provided.
Kagura's egg had been showing activity all week, and finally cracked open to reveal a small, pink Pokemon with a flower-like appearance.
"Flabébé," the tiny fairy Pokemon chirped, immediately floating up to perch on Kagura's shoulder. Its flower seemed to resonate with Kagura's calm, graceful nature.
"So delicate," Kagura murmured, gently stroking the Pokemon's tiny head. "Yet I can sense strength in you."
As the day wore on, more eggs began to hatch. Cana's produced a Spinda. Each pairing seemed perfectly suited, as if the Pokemon had been waiting for just the right moment to meet their partners.
The guild hall buzzed with activity as the new Pokemon explored their surroundings and bonded with their trainers. The Pokemon Center healing stations that Aiden had installed proved their worth when Natsu accidentally singed Levy's new Cleffa during an enthusiastic greeting, and the automated healing process fascinated everyone.
"These machines are incredible," Porlyusica muttered, examining the healing station with professional interest. "The technology is unlike anything I've seen."
The Poké Mart vending machines were equally popular, dispensing Pokemon food, basic care supplies, and educational materials that helped the new trainers understand their partners' needs. Most importantly, each member had received a Pokédex from the vending machines—free of charge, naturally—that could scan their Pokemon and provide detailed information about abilities, moves, and species data.
"According to my Pokédex," Erza said, pointing the red device at her Riolu, "Riolu is the Emanation Pokémon. It can sense the auras of all things and understand human emotions from over half a mile away."
"That's incredible," Kagura murmured, scanning her own Flabébé. "Mine says Flabébé draws energy from flowers and can control them to an extent. It chooses a flower at the beginning of its life and takes care of it."
Levy had appointed herself the guild's unofficial Pokemon expert, reading every care guide she could get her hands on and cross-referencing everything with her Pokédex.
"According to this," she announced to the gathered guild members, "Pokemon eggs hatch when they're ready, based on how many steps the trainer takes while carrying them. Each species has different requirements."
"Steps?" Gray asked, his Snom comfortably curled up in his palm.
"Movement, essentially. The more active you are with the egg, the faster it develops. It's not about magic or special conditions—just time and care."
"Leave it to Levy to turn Pokemon care into a research project," Jet said fondly.
As evening approached, the guild settled into a comfortable routine with their new companions. Erza was already working on a training schedule for herself and her Riolu, while Laxus had discovered that his Pichu could amplify his electrical attacks when they worked together.
But not everyone had experienced the joy of hatching. Several eggs remained stubbornly intact, including Natsu's, which glowed ominously with an inner fire that made everyone give it a wide berth, and Mirajane's, which remained perfectly still and showed no signs of activity whatsoever.
"Why haven't they hatched yet?" Lisanna wondered, looking between her own newly hatched Minccino and her sister's dormant egg.
"According to the books, some Pokemon just take longer to develop," Levy said, consulting her notes. "Each species has different requirements for how much activity they need before hatching."
"Or maybe," Makarov said thoughtfully, watching Natsu's egg pulse with dangerous-looking heat, "some Pokemon are waiting for very specific moments to emerge."
The guild master's words proved prophetic as Natsu's egg suddenly flared with intense heat, causing everyone nearby to step back quickly. But instead of hatching, the egg simply returned to its previous state, leaving everyone wondering what kind of Pokemon was waiting inside.
"Well," Erza said, her Riolu perched contentedly on her shoulder, "I suppose we'll find out when they're ready."
As the guild settled in for the evening, the sound of Pokemon cries mixing with human laughter filled the air. It was a new chapter for Fairy Tail, one that Aiden had made possible even in his absence. And somewhere in the back of everyone's mind was the knowledge that this was just the beginning—that their absent guild mate had likely prepared many more surprises for them to discover.
The eggs that remained unhatched seemed to pulse with anticipation, as if they too were waiting for the right moment to reveal the wonders they contained.
Author's Note:
I apologize for the delay in this update. I've been occupied with school for this past few days and unfortunately, that left me with limited time to write.
Also, just a heads-up: this marks the beginning of the final arc before the story enters canon events.
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