The Clefairy danced gracefully around the massive Moon Stone at the center. The one that had just arrived leapt right in, joining the others.
Though this was the cave interior of Mt. Moon, the ceiling above was open to the sky. Through it, the night's star-filled heavens shone down, with a crescent moon glowing gently overhead.
As the Clefairy continued their circle, leaping and twirling with their Moon Stones in hand, the stones gleamed brighter and brighter under the moonlight.
Then, a dazzling beam of light fell from above, striking the great Moon Stone. The Clefairy halted mid-step, turning their gazes toward the stone.
Ash and the others stared in shock. From their view, it looked like a ray of moonlight had descended straight from the heavens.
Did Clefairy's dance really reach the gods? Had a divine presence truly descended?
In the Pokémon world, "gods" were usually Legendary Pokémon. But a Legendary tied to the moon? Ash, Brock, and Misty had no idea. Even as Gym Trainers, Brock and Misty weren't walking encyclopedias. They couldn't possibly know everything.
This spectacle was something none of them had ever seen.
The radiance lasted for dozens of seconds before fading away. The giant Moon Stone remained, as though nothing had happened at all.
But Ash's sharp eyes spotted something new atop it. "Brock, Misty—look there! Is that… a Pokémon Egg?"
Following his finger, Brock and Misty squinted. Sure enough, a smooth egg sat on top of the stone.
Its shell was green and white—a common coloration for Pokémon Eggs. Generally, you couldn't tell what species was inside just by looking.
But why would an egg suddenly appear atop the Moon Stone?
Was it linked to that light just now? Could it really have come from the moon?
Puzzled, they slowly approached. Maybe it was because Ash and the others carried a calm, harmless aura—or maybe the Clefairy had already explained to the group—but their approach drew no resistance.
As they reached the stone, it suddenly erupted in a blinding light!
The cave, moments ago shrouded in night, burst into brilliance as bright as day.
Ash and the others shielded their faces instinctively. The flash came and went quickly, vanishing within seconds.
But as the light faded, the once-radiant Moon Stone dulled. Its glow was gone.
Cracks spidered across its surface. With a deafening crack, the massive stone split apart before their eyes.
"What's happening?! The Moon Stone shattered!"
"When a stone loses its glow, it means its energy's been fully spent. A used Evolution Stone will always break apart," Brock explained quickly.
But Ash wasn't listening. He'd already dashed forward—because the Pokémon Egg atop the stone was falling.
With quick reflexes, Ash caught it in his arms. Seeing it unharmed, he let out a breath of relief.
But before he could speak, the egg let out a faint sound.
Right in his hands, cracks spread across the shell.
"The egg's breaking?! Did I crack it when I caught it? Brock, Misty, should we rush to a Pokémon Center in Pewter City?!" Ash asked in a panic.
"Wait, Ash—it doesn't look broken. It looks like…" Misty started to reassure him, but before she could finish, the egg in Ash's hands flared with another burst of radiant light!
Three times in less than ten minutes, the cave had been filled with blinding light. If their eyesight weren't healthy, Ash thought, they'd all be blind by now.
Ash squeezed his eyes shut. Pikachu, Brock, and Misty shielded their faces with their hands. Ash couldn't—his arms were full with the egg. If he let go, it would smash to the ground.
When the glow faded, Ash cautiously opened his eyes.
In his hands was a small blue mushroom-shaped head, a piece of white shell still stuck on top.
As his vision cleared, the full figure came into view.
A tiny Pokémon with a round blue "mushroom cap" of hair, split down the middle by two red horns—one pointing forward, the other back. Her face was hidden under the cap, only a small mouth visible as she breathed.
Her body was pale pink, still wearing a shard of eggshell on her head. Her little feet rested inside the broken shell, making her look both adorable and a little silly.
[Species: Ralts]
[Gender: Female]
[Tier: Beginner — Primary]
[Ability: Telepathy]
[Moves: Tackle, XXXX]
[Stats: Attack E (S) / Sp. Atk E (S) / Defence E (S) / Sp. Def E (S) / HP E (S) / Speed E (S)]
Ash: !!!
No way… was he seeing this right? His Eye of Insight wasn't broken, was it?!
Six S-rank stat caps?!
According to what the other Ashes in the Chat Group had said, even a single S-rank cap was one-in-ten-thousand rare among Normal Pokémon. But all six stats capped at S? That wasn't "one in a million"—it was beyond imagining.
Even among millions of Pokémon, one might never find a full-S. An S cap wasn't just the Peak of aptitude—it hinted at something more.
What that "something" was, the seniors had never explained. They'd told him only: if you ever meet a Pokémon with S aptitude, come back and ask. Anything earlier would just mess with your mindset, make you restless.
But none of them could've expected this. Barely half a month into his journey, and Ash had already encountered not just an S-cap Pokémon—but one with all six.
This wasn't luck. This was absurd.
"Ralts?" The little one tilted her head, then locked her unseen gaze on Ash. Though her eyes were hidden by her hair, Ash could feel her looking straight at him.
"Uh… hi there?" Ash stammered, not knowing how else to greet her.
"Ralts!!" The instant he spoke, she leapt out of the eggshell, tiny arms hooking around his neck, pressing her tiny body against him.
She was so small, Ash barely felt her weight at all.