Chapter 26 – She Named Me Shiny Moon
The morning air smelled like burnt berries and campfire tea.
Kai sat cross-legged on a mossy log, half-listening to the breeze while sipping from a chipped thermos Misty had begrudgingly handed him earlier. The forest chirped and hummed with casual indifference—nothing divine, just nature doing its thing. Riolu was trying to kick a pinecone with precision, missing every third try. Frogadier leaned against a tree with his arms crossed like a brooding ninja caught in the world's longest vacation.
Gardevoir hovered nearby, a book in her lap—some ancient aura manual Kai couldn't read without her mental translation.
But no one was paying attention to any of that.
Because the egg was glowing.
Not faintly.
Not mysteriously.
But cheerfully. Bright. Warm. Like a soft lamp humming in the corner of the world. It rested on a soft bed of cloth beside Misty, who was blinking at it with a groggy expression halfway between awe and, "why is my tea cold again?"
"...Is it supposed to do that?" Misty asked, voice scratchy.
"Arceus didn't exactly leave a care manual," Kai muttered.
Ash crouched low near it, Pikachu on his shoulder, both of them staring at the golden-flecked shell like it was some sacred pastry. "It's humming. That's new."
"Definitely humming," Pikachu agreed, twitching his tail.
Gardevoir closed her book with a soft psychic snap. "Its aura is resonating. The bond is strengthening. It's responding… to comfort."
"To who?" Misty asked.
Gardevoir smiled faintly and turned to Kai. "Him. And his future family."
Misty blinked, and for a moment, her cheeks turned very pink. "T-That's… oddly specific."
"Technically accurate," Kai said, sipping his tea to hide his grin.
Then—thump.
The egg shifted.
Everyone froze.
"Did it just—"
Thump. Again. Firmer. Like a heartbeat.
Kai set down his thermos.
The air around them warmed slightly, not from the sun, but from something within the egg.
Gardevoir's eyes softened. "It's dreaming."
"What do gods dream about?" Ash whispered.
The egg pulsed again.
And then… a soft voice. Barely a whisper. A child's echo.
> "Kai… warm…"
Riolu's ears perked up.
Frogadier leaned forward ever so slightly.
Kai stared, wide-eyed. "It spoke."
"No, it thought," Gardevoir corrected. "It's not using words. It's using feelings. It's… learning communication by aura."
Ash sat back, stunned. "That's crazy."
Misty frowned. "So this egg already knows Kai?"
"Not just knows," Gardevoir said quietly. "It loves him."
The group fell into a weird silence. Not solemn. Just confused awe. Like watching a legendary Pokémon… purr.
Then Misty blurted out, "Wait a second, it spoke his name! What if it imprints only on him? He's not its parent!"
Ash turned. "You jealous?"
"I am concerned," she retorted, crossing her arms.
Pikachu squinted at the egg. "It's getting brighter."
Blaze waddled over, tail flicking, and sat protectively next to the egg. Riolu joined, plopping down with zero ceremony.
"Maybe it's gonna hatch early," Kai said, half-joking.
"Don't jinx it," Misty muttered.
Gardevoir blinked, suddenly focused. "Actually… Kai. The system?"
He blinked. "Right."
A soft pulse entered his mind.
> [System Notification: Arceus Avatar Bond – Progression Phase 2 Initiated]
[Estimated Hatch: Chapter 30]
[Emotional Sync Detected – Avatar identifying family structure.]
Kai blinked at the last line. "It's forming an emotional structure."
"What does that even mean?" Misty asked.
"It's choosing its… priorities," Kai said. "Who it trusts. Who it'll protect."
Ash scratched his head. "Wait, does that mean I'm on the list?"
Just then, the egg pulsed brightly again.
Another faint echo entered everyone's mind. This time cheerful, giggling.
> "Pikachu! Funny!"
Pikachu blinked. "It knows me?!"
> "Misty. Warm hug…"
Misty went very red. "I-I'm not hugging an egg!"
> "Ash… nice. But loud."
Ash looked personally attacked.
Then, a pause. A pulse of light. Gentle and final.
> "Kai… mine."
Silence again.
Then Misty muttered, "Oh, now I'm jealous."
Gardevoir chuckled. "That's a soul imprint."
"But it hasn't even met us yet," Ash said.
"It already has," Kai replied. "It feels everything. Knows the future."
Misty stared at the egg with narrowed eyes. "What name do you think she'll give it?"
As if on cue, a flicker of aura shimmered over the shell.
And a name. Clear. Soft. In the voice of a little girl not yet born.
> "Shiny Moon!"
Everyone stared.
Ash looked between them. "That's the name?"
Gardevoir smiled. "Yes. That… is what she'll call Arceus."
Misty blinked. "It sounds like something a five-year-old would call a magical plushie."
Kai smiled. "Exactly."
> [System Notification: Divine Nickname Registered – Avatar Identity: "Shiny Moon"]
[Emotional Stability Enhanced. Aura Recognition Elevated.]
The egg glowed gently again, then dimmed… like a baby going back to sleep.
Kai reached out and gently placed a hand on the shell. It felt warm. Steady. Real.
A god.
Sleeping like a child.
And somewhere deep inside, Kai knew—
She was watching.
And smiling.
---
Later that afternoon…
Ash sat cross-legged beside Blaze, trying to toast two pieces of bread on his tail flame.
"Why does this smell like socks?" Misty groaned, holding her nose.
"Because I don't know what I'm doing," Ash muttered.
Pikachu was building a mini fort out of moss and rocks.
Kai rested under a tree, Gardevoir leaning against the trunk beside him. The egg was in his lap, still pulsing faintly every now and then.
Riolu was asleep on his foot.
And Frogadier was standing guard atop a rock like he was born for it.
Misty approached with a small packet in hand. "I got these from Erika before we left—berry chews. She said they help with aura balance."
Kai took one and popped it into his mouth. It tasted like sweet dust.
"Thanks."
She sat beside him, eyes drifting to the egg. "It really said my name?"
"Yeah," he said. "And it liked your hugs."
Misty flushed. "I didn't even hug it!"
"Not yet."
Misty gently poked the shell. It pulsed in response.
> "Misty. Soft."
Her jaw dropped.
Kai smiled.
Behind them, Gardevoir folded her arms. "It already considers you part of its circle."
Kai nodded. "She knows who we are. Who she'll be raised by."
Misty blinked. "Raised?"
Kai looked at her, warm and steady. "She's going to be our family."
Misty's mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Then she looked away and whispered, "You're making it really hard not to fall for you again, you know."
Kai grinned and pretended not to hear.
---
Night fell again.
The group gathered by the fire.
Pikachu had stolen half the moss fort and built a new one.
Blaze roasted berries expertly now. Ash was finally improving.
Gardevoir levitated a few stones into a circle around the fire, making small psychic flames dance in patterns.
The egg sat on a blanket between Kai and Misty.
It pulsed again.
And from inside, a faint hum.
A lullaby of aura.
Not in words.
Just warmth.
Just family.
And somewhere in that egg—Arceus, the Avatar of All, smiled softly.
Because this wasn't a battle.
This wasn't about power.
This was home.
And her name…
Was Shiny Moon.
> Chapter End