The air in the mountains behind the Breeding House still carried the lingering scent of damp earth.
Shiroishi stood quietly in the center of the clearing, his hands crossed, fingertips shimmering with a pale blue light.
Chakra flowed through his palms, gradually forming a cluster of floating bubbles.
Lively Bubble.
With a gentle push, the bubble left his palm, tracing a stream of light through the air.
The next moment, the bubble suddenly expanded, transforming into dozens of fine water spheres that hovered around him.
These bubbles floated lightly, shimmering with blue and white radiance.
Shiroishi took a deep breath.
He raised his right hand, his index finger trembling slightly.
Lightning Flash.
Before the words faded, his figure blurred abruptly.
A lightning-fast trajectory cut through the night, and he almost instantly moved to another spot, releasing several more clusters of bubbles from his hands.
Pop! Pop!
The bubbles burst from friction with the air, turning into waves of watery mist shockwaves that sent the surrounding leaves flying.
Shiroishi's movements were swift as light, his figure weaving through the forest, each pause accompanied by the explosive sound of bubbles and his body's instantaneous movement.
The bubbles became traps, while his body's Lightning Flash became the assault.
One attack, one dodge; one soft, one hard—perfectly connected.
In just a few breaths, the air in the entire clearing was filled with moisture.
Amid the spreading mist, only Shiroishi's afterimages and the traces of lightning could be seen.
His movements grew increasingly fluid, his steps almost without any unnecessary pauses, the flow of Chakra as smooth as a river.
With his Otsutsuki constitution, Shiroishi possessed strong learning ability and mastery of techniques.
But the next moment, he suddenly looked up, clasped his hands together, and his Chakra surged.
His figure once again turned into a stream of light, this time faster than before.
Using the instantaneous steps of Lightning Flash, he moved through the exploding bubbles, using the shockwaves to rebound his trajectory, seamlessly connecting to the next evasion.
It was as if he had merged with these bubbles, dancing and weaving through the watery mist.
"Eevee! Eevee!"
Nearby, Eevee stood on a rock, its round eyes sparkling brightly.
It wagged its tail excitedly, patting the ground with its small paws while making encouraging sounds, as if cheering for its master.
The tip of its tail also shimmered with light, resonating with Shiroishi's surroundings.
Shiroishi came to a stop in the watery mist, slowly exhaling a breath.
He extended his hand, and a stable water bubble reappeared in his palm, swirling with gentle Chakra.
Lightning Flash combined with Lively Bubble... connected.
The wind rustled his clothes, and in the night, his expression was focused and calm.
Eevee jumped down from the rock, landing lightly on his shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately.
"Thank you, Eevee."
Shiroishi reached out to stroke its head.
"With you here, I can maintain this rhythm."
"Eevee!"
The little one responded happily, its tail gently patting his cheek.
Shiroishi looked up at the moon in the sky, its faint light reflecting in his eyes.
He began training frantically.
Several days later...
The morning rain and mist had not yet dissipated.
Shiroishi had just finished his morning training and pushed open the back door to retrieve the herbs drying outside when he sensed Jiraiya and the others' Chakra.
His brow slightly raised, and he walked toward the front door.
Outside, the morning light was still hazy, and in the thin mist, several familiar figures stood quietly.
Konan held Squirtle, Yahiko had Charmander perched on his shoulder, and Nagato cradled the quiet Bulbasaur in his arms.
The three of them looked vibrant, their faces brimming with unconcealed excitement.
Standing before them was Jiraiya.
"Morning, Shiroishi-kun."
He raised his hand in greeting with a laugh, his tone as cheerful as ever.
Shiroishi was momentarily taken aback before offering a polite smile.
"Mr. Jiraiya... What brings you here so early in the morning?"
Jiraiya grinned, assuming an expression of obviousness. "These kids have been making good progress training with their Ninja Beasts lately. But there are a few details I'd like to consult you about - these little ones did come from your hands after all."
"Consult me?"
Shiroishi's voice carried a note of surprise.
"Exactly."
Jiraiya slipped his hands into his sleeves, speaking casually. "I'm quite curious about these new Chakra lifeforms myself. Since you're both their creator and caretaker, why not have you guide their coordination training?"
Shiroishi needed a moment to process this.
His gaze swept over the three youths.
Yahiko was beaming brightly, Nagato watched with focused intensity, while Konan looked down to play with the Squirtle in her arms.
The sight made him pause briefly.
"...Come train together?"
Shiroishi repeated quietly.
"Mhm." Jiraiya nodded, his expression turning serious. "I've observed that these three share remarkably high spiritual synchronization with their Ninja Beasts.
And since you're the one who gave these beings life, you should understand their nature better than I do.
That's why I think you should join us."
Shiroishi was stunned.
He had never imagined being invited to participate in shinobi training.
Under normal circumstances, such training sessions weren't open to outsiders.
"You want me to participate?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, his voice calm yet carrying underlying caution.
Jiraiya laughed heartily: "No problem! Training isn't just about combat. You understand these Ninja Beasts' fundamentals, and your Chakra control doesn't seem bad either. Besides..."
He paused, giving Shiroishi a meaningful look.
"You once said you wanted to help the Children of Destiny, right?"
Shiroishi fell silent.
So that was it.
Now he understood why Jiraiya was inviting him without any reservations.
That comment about the Children of Destiny - for someone like Jiraiya, who pinned hopes and futures on such elusive concepts, naturally he'd do these unusual things without hesitation.
Shiroishi calmly adjusted his glasses, his expression returning to its usual composure.
"I understand. If it's to help them better master the Ninja Beasts' power, of course I won't refuse."
"That's the spirit!"
Jiraiya laughed cheerfully and clapped him on the shoulder. "Starting today, we'll all train together then."
Yahiko stepped forward, his smile radiant: "Great! Shiroishi's joining us too? This'll be even more fun!"
Just as the group prepared to depart, Shiroishi suddenly turned and walked back into the Breeding House.
Shortly after, he emerged slowly, cradling an egg with peculiar patterns in his hands.
The eggshell displayed an interwoven pattern of milky white and pale gold, with faint symbols shimmering across its surface as if breathing.
The gentle life aura emanating from it made everyone present unconsciously hold their breath.
In truth, the life within this egg was nothing more than a puddle of wriggling genetic fluid similar to Ditto.
Only when it came into contact with the incubator's Chakra would this genetic fluid, fused with Pokémon World Tree cells and Ten-Tails God Tree power, formally transform into a Pokémon.
That is to say, Shiroishi currently had no idea what type of Pokémon would hatch from this egg.
Shiroishi walked up to Jiraiya and smiled slightly. "Mr. Jiraiya, this is the egg I mentioned last time. Why don't you give it a try... and see what kind of life responds to you."
"Oh? I can too?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, laughing heartily. "Haha, what an unexpected surprise!"
His eyes sparkled with childlike curiosity as he unhesitatingly extended his rough palm.
"Are you really giving it to me?"
Shiroishi nodded, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of deeper meaning. "Of course. The birth of a Ninja Beast is merely about choosing who to form a bond with. And I, too, am very curious... what kind of partner fate will bestow upon you."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's smile gradually faded, his expression turning solemn.
He gently cradled the egg in both hands, Chakra slowly flowing from his palms.
In that instant.
A halo appeared on the surface of the eggshell, swirling with light and shadow like rippling water.
It was a strange sense of resonance, as if the life within the egg was responding to his Chakra.
The color of the eggshell slowly began to change, gradually turning completely orange-red, with faint spiral flame patterns emerging at the bottom, as if blazing fire burned within it.