Chapter 30 – The Hatching of Shiny Moon
The air inside their room at the Celadon Pokémon Center had grown unusually still. It wasn't just the quiet that came with early morning, nor the lull of the city's waking heartbeat. It was something else—something ancient.
The Arceus egg rested in the stasis cradle that Gardevoir had gently modified with her psychic energy. It glowed softly, its surface no longer just shining but now pulsing, as if responding to a rhythm older than time itself.
Kai sat beside it, cross-legged and wide awake. Misty sat on the bed, brushing her damp hair from an early morning shower. Ash was sprawled on the floor nearby, playing cards with Pikachu, who clearly had no idea how the game worked.
"Is it just me," Misty said quietly, "or is it… warmer in here?"
"It's the egg," Gardevoir said softly from her post by the window. "It's beginning."
A ripple of aura passed through the room. Blaze, curled in the corner, snapped awake. Riolu let out a quiet yip. Even Frogadier, typically calm, stood and adjusted his stance.
Kai leaned forward slowly. The egg shimmered in gold and white light, the markings across its surface beginning to move, not like cracks—but like constellations rearranging.
> [System Notification: Legendary Aura Detected – Avatar Incubation Complete]
> [Initiating Hatch Sequence – Divine Time Suspension Activated]
Suddenly—
Time stopped.
Misty froze mid-motion, her hand hovering inches from her tea mug. Ash and Pikachu were paused, eyes wide in their last blink. Even Gardevoir stood still, though a faint light around her suggested she was only barely aware of the shift.
But Kai could move.
And so could the egg.
It lifted slightly from its cradle, glowing brighter and brighter, until the room itself seemed to blur.
From behind him, a soft, familiar voice.
> "So she comes, as promised."
Arceus stood there—the original—bathed in soft radiance, taller and more immense than the ceiling could even allow, and yet not pressing upon it. He looked down at the egg, then at Kai.
> "You are ready."
Kai didn't reply. He didn't have to.
The egg cracked—light pouring from every line. The markings expanded into full rings of light. A sound followed—a heartbeat that echoed through space itself.
A piece of creation was being born.
With a final flash, the shell crumbled…
And lying at the center was a small, radiant creature.
White and gold, with starlight fur and miniature golden wheels circling her frame. Her eyes opened slowly—six glowing sapphires peering up with innocent confusion.
"…Papa?"
Kai froze.
"Did she just—?"
"Yes," Arceus said. "She remembers."
The little being blinked again and tried to float. She hovered—then did a wobbly summersault, knocking over a potted plant on the side table.
"Oopsie."
Kai caught her gently. She looked up and giggled.
"I'm Shiny Moon!"
The name echoed through the aura field—final and binding. Not a title. Not a prophecy.
A truth.
Arceus stepped back.
> "She is yours now. Raised by innocence. Born by love. Her power is vast—but her path is hers to choose."
He turned, fading back into a spiral of light.
> "When the stars cry again, I shall return."
And with that, time resumed.
---
The mug clattered in Misty's hand. Ash let out a startled "HUH?!", and Pikachu sparked.
"Wait—what just—"
Kai turned, holding the tiny Arceus girl in his arms.
"Everyone… meet Shiny Moon."
Shiny Moon blinked at them.
Then smiled.
Then sneezed, releasing a burst of golden sparkles that painted the room in temporary glitter.
"Oh no," Misty muttered, "She's cute and chaotic."
"Hi Aunt Misty!" Moon chirped.
Ash blinked. "She talks?"
Moon floated from Kai's arms and landed squarely on Ash's head.
"I like you. You're silly."
Pikachu growled. "Pika-pi!"
Shiny Moon stared at him. "I didn't steal the ketchup. This time."
Gardevoir leaned in, her eyes wide. "Her aura… it's endless. But she's suppressing it completely. Like it's natural."
Moon curled into a floating loop and began orbiting Kai like a sleepy little planet.
"I wanna snuggle forever."
Kai scratched his head. "Well, she's definitely yours, huh?"
Misty raised a brow. "Yours?"
Kai coughed. "I mean… ours. Future… ours."
Misty blushed furiously. Gardevoir gave him a slow, knowing nod.
Ash just grinned. "So… you guys naming your kid now or…?"
Moon interrupted with a yawn that shook the windowpanes.
"I want cookies."
"Already?" Misty groaned.
"Okay but only two," Kai said.
"I'll take nine."
"Two."
"…Seven."
Kai crossed his arms.
Moon narrowed her six eyes.
"…Three and a half."
"Deal."
Ash collapsed back onto the bed. "I already need a nap and it's not even lunch."
---
Later that day, Shiny Moon found her reflection in the window.
"Who's that pretty girl?" she whispered, smooshing her cheek against the glass.
"That's you," Kai said, laughing.
"I'm GLOWY."
Misty sat beside her, brushing Moon's fur. "You're like a marshmallow star."
"I shall conquer the universe with hugs."
"You'll trip over the rug first," Gardevoir muttered.
Moon immediately tripped over the rug.
Kai scooped her up. "You okay, little goddess?"
"I need more cookies to recover."
"No."
She pouted so hard the clouds outside darkened.
"…Okay, fine. One more."
The sun came back out.
---
That night, Moon curled up in a tiny moon-shaped bed Kai and Gardevoir had made from blankets and pillows.
She yawned. "Goodnight, universe. Goodnight, trees. Goodnight, streetlamp that always flickers weird."
Kai smiled. "Goodnight, Shiny Moon."
"…Goodnight, Papa."
His heart caught.
Misty, sitting nearby, brushed hair from her eyes. "That… was cute."
Kai looked at her. "Our future's gonna be loud."
Misty grinned. "And sparkly."
They watched as Moon dozed off, her golden rings pulsing gently with each breath.
The world had changed.
But in this room, everything felt perfect.
---
> Chapter End