Chapter 104
Three days had passed since the first wave of Pokemon eggs had hatched, and the Fairy Tail guild hall had transformed into something entirely new. The sound of Pokemon cries mixed with human conversation created a symphony that would have been impossible to imagine just a week ago.
Erza stood in the courtyard, watching her Riolu practice combat stances with intense focus. The little Pokemon had taken to training with the same dedication as its trainer, though Erza was still learning to balance her warrior instincts with the gentleness required for raising a young Pokemon.
"No, no, like this," she demonstrated a basic sword stance, then paused, remembering her partner didn't use weapons. "Actually, let me check what moves you can learn."
She pulled out her Pokédex and scanned Riolu again, scrolling through the moveset information. "Force Palm, Counter, Feint... these could work well with your natural fighting style."
Across the courtyard, Laxus was having his own training session with considerably more electrical discharge involved. His Pichu had proven to be enthusiastic about practicing its abilities, though the tiny Pokemon's control was still developing.
"Alright, little guy, let's try a small Thunder Shock," Laxus instructed, pointing at a training dummy.
"Pichu!" the electric mouse cried, releasing a bolt that was significantly stronger than intended. The training dummy exploded in a shower of sparks and stuffing.
"Well," Laxus said, looking at the destroyed target with amusement, "we'll work on the 'small' part."
Inside the guild hall, Simon had discovered an unexpected benefit to having a sword Pokemon. His Honedge was currently demonstrating techniques to some of the newer guild members, floating gracefully through forms that Simon had spent years perfecting.
"It's like having a teaching assistant," Simon mused to Kagura, who was sitting nearby with her Flabébé perched delicately on her shoulder. "Though I'm starting to think it knows techniques I haven't learned yet."
"Pokemon have instinctive knowledge of their abilities," Kagura replied, consulting her Pokédex. "Flabébé here apparently knows moves I've never heard of. Fairy Wind, Petal Blizzard... sounds like it could be quite formidable despite its size."
The Flabébé chimed softly in response, its flower glowing with a faint, warm light.
"Gray!" Cana called from across the hall, where she was feeding her Spinda some Pokemon food from the vending machine. "Your ice cube is melting!"
Gray looked down to see his Snom had indeed created a small puddle of ice around itself, which was now melting on the warm guild hall floor.
"It's not melting, it's just... adjusting to room temperature," Gray protested, though he quickly used his ice magic to refreeze the area around his Pokemon. "And it's not an ice cube, it's a Snom."
"According to my Pokédex, Snom eats snow that has accumulated on the ground," Levy called out, looking up from her research station where she had multiple Pokemon care books open alongside her Cleffa. "Maybe it needs a colder environment?"
"Great, so now I need to keep my entire living space frozen," Gray muttered, though he was already forming an ice platform for his Snom to rest on.
The Pokemon Center healing stations had become gathering points throughout the day. Even minor training accidents or overexertion were quickly resolved by the miraculous machines, though some guild members were still amazed by the technology.
"I've been studying these healing stations for three days," Porlyusica announced to anyone who would listen, "and I still can't understand how they work. The energy signatures are completely foreign."
"Maybe that's the point," Makarov suggested from his position at the bar, where he was watching the guild's new dynamics with interest. "Sometimes the best gifts are the ones we don't fully understand."
Speaking of gifts that weren't fully understood, the guild's attention was drawn to the table where the unhatched eggs were kept. Natsu's egg had been particularly active today, pulsing with heat at irregular intervals..
"It's getting more active," Lisanna observed, carefully maintaining her distance from the superheated shell. "Whatever's in there is definitely fire-type."
"And probably powerful," Macao added, having witnessed one of the egg's heat bursts scorch the wooden table beneath it. "We might want to move it somewhere fireproof."
Mirajane's egg, by contrast, remained completely still. No glow, no movement, no signs of life at all. It was beginning to worry some of the guild members.
"Maybe it's dormant?" Levy suggested, though she sounded uncertain. "Some species might need very specific conditions to hatch."
"Or maybe," Elfman declared with his usual volume, "whatever's in there is going to be incredibly manly when it finally emerges!"
The guild had settled into routines around their new Pokemon partners. Meal times now involved twice as much food distribution, with Pokemon-specific nutrition being dispensed from the Poké Mart machines. The healing stations saw regular use as both Pokemon and trainers learned each other's limits. And the Pokédex devices had become essential tools, with guild members constantly scanning their partners to learn about new moves or behaviors.
"You know," Levy said, looking up from a particularly dense Pokemon biology textbook, "I think we're only seeing the beginning of what these partnerships can become. According to this, Pokemon can evolve into more powerful forms, and some species can even mega evolve under special conditions."
"Mega evolve?" Erza asked, pausing in her training session.
"It says here it requires a deep bond between trainer and Pokemon, plus special stones called Mega Stones," Levy explained. "I wonder if Aiden left any of those in the vending machines..."
This sparked a minor exodus to the Poké Mart machines as several guild members began investigating what other items might be available. The machines seemed to have an almost endless variety of Pokemon-related supplies, from basic Pokéballs to advanced training equipment.
"Look at this!" Jet called out, holding up a strange collar-like device. "It's called an Exp. Share. Says it helps Pokemon gain experience even when they're not actively battling."
"And these are berries that can heal status conditions," Droy added, examining a selection of colorful fruits the machine had dispensed.
As evening approached, the guild hall took on a new kind of energy. Pokemon were settling in for the night alongside their trainers, creating a sense of expanded family that even surprised Master Makarov.
"It's remarkable," he mused to himself, watching Erza gently brush her sleeping Riolu while Laxus allowed his Pichu to curl up on his shoulder. "Aiden really did think of everything."
The peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by a series of soft cracks coming from the direction of the unhatched eggs.
"Hey, look!" Levy called out, pointing at Natsu's egg. "It's finally starting to hatch!"
The egg, which had been pulsing with heat all day, now had visible cracks spreading across its surface.
"Come on, little guy," Natsu encouraged, crouching down near the egg. "You can do it."
With a final push, a small section of the shell fell away, and a tiny orange head poked out, blinking in the guild hall's light. Within minutes, a small fire lizard Pokemon had emerged, shaking off the last bits of shell.
"Charmander!" the fire type announced, looking around the guild hall with curious eyes.
"A Charmander," Levy said, pulling out her Pokédex to scan the newly hatched Pokemon. "The Lizard Pokemon. Says here the flame on its tail indicates its life force and emotions. When it's healthy, the flame burns brightly."
The Charmander's gaze landed on Natsu, and something clicked between them immediately. The flame on its tail flickered higher, and it bounded over to him with obvious excitement.
"Fire..." Natsu whispered in wonder, and the Charmander chirped happily in response, climbing up to perch on his shoulder.
"We're gonna be best friends," Natsu declared, gently patting the Charmander's head. "I can tell already."
"Just... maybe practice fire moves outside," Gray suggested, eyeing the small scorch marks the egg had left on the wooden table. "Some of us don't want the guild hall to burn down."
"Hey! Charmander wouldn't burn down the guild!" Natsu protested, though his Pokemon chose that moment to yawn, releasing a small puff of flame that made Macao quickly step back.
"Outside practice sounds like a good idea," Makarov agreed with amusement, watching the natural bond forming between Natsu and his new partner.
As the excitement died down, the attention turned once again to the remaining unhatched eggs. Mirajane's egg remained perfectly still, showing no reaction to Natsu's Charmander emerging.
"Still nothing," Mirajane said softly, gently touching her egg's smooth surface. "I'm starting to wonder if something's wrong with it."
"Pokemon eggs can take different amounts of time to develop," Levy said reassuringly. "Some species just need more steps, more time, more specific conditions."
"Or maybe," Elfman suggested, "whatever's in there is waiting for the perfect moment to show how manly it is!"
But even as the guild settled in for what remained of the evening, the mystery of the remaining unhatched eggs continued to linger. Whatever Pokemon were waiting inside them, they weren't ready to emerge yet.
The night was peaceful once again, filled with the soft sounds of sleeping Pokemon and the gentle hum of the Pokemon Center stations. Natsu's Charmander had curled up next to its trainer, its tail flame dimmed to a gentle glow that provided a warm, comforting light.
======
Get early access to 20+ chapters of my fanfics by supporting me on Patreon! [email protected]/ShuuraiFF