Just as everyone was waiting for the unborn Fennekin inside the Egg to finally breathe its last, Ash suddenly sensed a powerful Psychic-type energy fluctuation coming from the Pokémon Egg resting on the scanning platform in the laboratory.
"Hmm?! What is this…?"
After his Aura picked up the Psychic fluctuation, a look of surprise appeared on Ash's face.
Aura was a power born from the mind and spirit. Through the Psychic energy radiating from inside the Egg, Ash could clearly sense and interpret the emotions contained within it.
Unwillingness.
A refusal to give up.
And, most importantly—
An overwhelming desire to live.
"So the reason this Fennekin Egg developed a conflict and rejection during the fusion of its genes is because the latent Psychic-type gene is simply too powerful?"
"Is it unwilling to die without ever hatching, without ever being born into this wonderful world?"
"Does it desperately want to live?"
As he sensed the unwillingness and intense longing for life coming from the Fennekin inside the Egg, Ash was moved.
His eyes remained fixed on the Fennekin Egg lying on the laboratory's scanning platform.
Then, a decision suddenly formed in his mind.
"Professor, I'm a Psychic, and I possess healing abilities."
"Would you allow me to try treating the Fennekin Egg?"
Once he had made his decision, Ash did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately turned toward Sycamore, who had already given up on saving the Fennekin Egg.
"You want to use your Psychic abilities to treat the Egg?"
Hearing Ash's words, Sycamore finally reacted.
He remembered that Ash was a Psychic who possessed abilities capable of healing injuries.
The research topic concerning the conflict and rejection that could occur during the fusion of attribute genes while a Pokémon embryo was developing inside an Egg was one of the most important research subjects at Sycamore's institute, second only to Mega Evolution.
Sycamore had conducted a great deal of research into the subject.
However, he had never considered using Psychic abilities as a form of treatment.
After all, as far as anyone knew, Ash was the first human in the Pokémon world to possess genuine healing Psychic abilities.
Now that Ash had voluntarily offered to help, Sycamore was naturally willing to let him try.
"Of course. But, Ash, while you're treating the Egg, would you mind allowing me to use our instruments to scan and observe the entire treatment process?"
Sycamore made his request.
"Sure."
Ash nodded.
His claim that his healing ability was simply a Psychic ability was, to a certain extent, a cover story. He wasn't particularly worried about revealing it, nor was he afraid of allowing the researchers to study the process.
At this point, he had much more confidence in his own strength and position.
"Excellent."
Sycamore immediately hurried over to the laboratory equipment and began operating the instruments.
Ash also walked into the laboratory and approached the platform where the Egg was being monitored.
Looking at the Fennekin Egg whose life force was rapidly disappearing, Ash immediately extended his hand and placed his palm against the surface of the Egg's shell.
"Healing Grace!"
"…"
"…"
The moment Healing Grace was activated, a brilliant emerald-green glow appeared around Ash's hand pressed against the Egg.
A vast surge of vitality flowed from his palm and poured into the Pokémon Egg whose life force had been rapidly fading.
"This is…?!"
As Ash began treating the Egg with his Psychic ability, Sycamore stared at the data displayed on the monitoring equipment.
His mouth opened so wide that it looked as though someone could have stuffed an entire Egg into it.
"Professor! The decline in the Fennekin Egg's life force has stopped!"
A researcher beside the equipment spoke in surprise and excitement.
"Not only that—the Egg's life force is rapidly recovering!"
"Mm-hmm. I can see it."
Sycamore nodded while staring at the readings.
"Professor! The Fennekin Egg's life force has already returned to peak healthy levels!"
"More importantly, the Fire- and Psychic-type genes inside the Fennekin have begun successfully fusing!"
"The Fennekin's physical development is accelerating as well!"
The researcher continued excitedly.
"According to our previous scans and projections, even if the Fennekin inside the Egg managed to survive the genetic fusion, it should still have needed another two or three days before it could hatch."
"But according to its current condition, once the Fire- and Psychic-type genes finish fusing, the Fennekin should be able to hatch immediately!"
The researcher was visibly delighted.
"Mm-hmm. I'm seeing it too…"
Sycamore stared at the laboratory monitor.
The various readings were constantly changing, with the indicators that had previously been plummeting now climbing rapidly.
His face was filled with astonishment and excitement.
When Ash had first proposed using his Psychic abilities to treat the Egg, Sycamore had agreed.
But in truth, he had not expected much.
He had simply thought that it was worth trying one more method and that, even if the treatment failed, the process could provide additional experimental data for their research.
What Sycamore had never imagined was that this seemingly insurmountable problem—
the genetic conflict and rejection that occurred during attribute-gene fusion in a developing Pokémon Egg, a problem that had baffled both the medical and biological sciences—
was actually being solved by Ash right before his eyes.
Ash had once again created what could only be described as a miracle of medicine and science.
Sycamore was stunned.
The researchers inside the laboratory were stunned.
Even Joy, Serena, Clarissa Joy, and the others standing outside the laboratory were equally astonished.
As for why Ash was capable of creating such miracles, there was a very simple explanation.
He had already used his Psychic abilities to help a Magikarp learn Tackle, creating a miracle in both the Trainer and Pokémon breeding professions.
And Ash's Viridian Force Healing Grace was even more extraordinary.
It could heal stubborn illnesses that the medical community had been unable to cure, as well as certain terminal diseases.
Previously, when Team Flare had created a Mewtwo clone, the embryonic cells had suffered genetic collapse.
Even that condition had been healed by Ash using Healing Grace.
Compared with that, the genetic conflict and rejection occurring inside this Fennekin Egg was hardly a difficult problem at all.
As for the so-called medical and scientific miracles…
If Ash were not deliberately trying to avoid exposing too much about his abilities, there was little doubt that he could create even more miracles that would go down in history.
"Professor!"
A researcher suddenly cried out in excitement.
"The attribute genes inside the Fennekin Egg have successfully fused!"
"Professor! The Fennekin Egg's development has reached the standard required for hatching!"
"The Egg is about to hatch!"
Crack! Crack!!
As Ash continued using Healing Grace to inject vitality into the Fennekin Egg, the Fire- and Psychic-type genes inside the Pokémon finally completed their fusion.
At the same time, the immense vitality flowing into the Egg accelerated its development even further.
The Fennekin Egg had now reached the point where it could hatch.
Crack… crack…
A thin crack appeared across the top of the Egg.
Then, almost immediately, that crack began spreading wider and wider.
"The Egg is hatching!!"
At the laboratory entrance, Bonnie shouted excitedly.