Chapter 584: Double Hatching!
~Third POV~
[Kanto Region, 2 Months Later, Pallet Town – Sky's Airship]
The morning sun over Pallet Town was a soft, golden hue, filtering through the reinforced glass viewports of his personal airship. It was Team Rocket's state-of-the-art airship that served as Azure Sky's mobile base of operations.
2 months had passed since the snows of Sinnoh and the thunderous applause of the Pokémon League. Azure, now 17 years old, his birthday passing a few weeks ago, making this a full year and carrying the weight of multiple regional victories, leaned back into the plush leather of his sofa.
On his shoulder, Pikachu was busy grooming his tail, while a particularly fluffy Eevee sat perched atop Azure's head like a living crown. Tucked snugly into the breast pocket of his jacket, a small Pichu—a transformed Mew—snored softly, its tiny nose twitching with every breath.
*Crunch—Crunch*
Azure murmured, reaching out, "Pass the bowl, Pikachu. And no ketchup, please…"
Pikachu nudged a large bowl of salted popcorn toward him with a sparky grin, "Pika-pi! (Sure. Here ya go!)"
In front of them, a massive holographic screen flickered to life, showing the bustling crowds of the Sinnoh Pokémon League. The preliminary rounds were underway. Azure watched with a nostalgic smile as the Sinnoh Pokédex holders—Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum—appeared on screen.
Azure said fondly, his voice reflecting a mix of pride and weariness, "They've come a long way, haven't they?"
Rotom buzzed out of the Arc Phone resting on the coffee table, "Zzt-vwoop! Analyzing current battle data, Azure!"
The ghost-type hovered in the air, its digital eyes flashing, continuing in an ecstatic tone, "Diamond's Torterra is showing a 15% increase in defensive output since the Canalave Gym incident. Pearl's Infernape is… well, it's currently screaming at a Geodude. Standard procedure, zzt!"
Azure chuckled, adding, "That sounds like them."
From the corner of the room, a long, purple shadow stretched across the floor. It detached itself from the wall, rising to reveal a Shiny Gengar.
Her red-tinted eyes sparkled with mischief as she floated toward the popcorn, snatching a handful before Azure could protest. Azure joked, "Hey, Gengar, how about saving some for the rest of us?"
She cackled, her voice a raspy, ethereal echo that vibrated in the room, "Gen-gar-hara! Sure, Boss!"
*Crunch*
She tossed a popcorn kernel into the air and caught it in her massive mouth. Azure's gaze drifted from the screen to the center of the table. Resting in a cushioned incubator was a translucent blue egg with a glowing red core.
It was a Manaphy Egg—a gift from Green, his girlfriend, given to him two months ago before they parted ways for their respective projects. It had been his constant companion ever since, a silent promise of a new life.
He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing the warm surface of the shell. He whispered, "Any day now, little one."
A voice echoed from Azure's own shadow. Darkrai's silhouette remained merged with the floor, but its voice was clear—calm and cold, yet respectful, "I wonder what it sounds like. The Prince of the Sea is a rare soul."
*Whirr-clack-clack*
Suddenly, the airship groaned as a gust of wind buffeted the hull. The stabilizers hissed, adjusting the vessel's altitude over the rolling greens of Kanto. On the screen, Platinum's Empoleon unleashed a devastating Hydro Pump.
The crowd roared, the sound muffled by the airship's insulation, but the excitement was palpable. Azure said casually, leaning forward, "The finals are going to be spectacular. I wonder if—"
*Crack*
The sound was sharp, like a twig snapping in a silent forest.
Azure froze. Eevee jumped off his head, landing nimbly on the table. Pikachu stood at attention, ears twitching.
*Crr-ack—Shhhhh*
The Manaphy Egg began to glow. At first, it was a soft pulse, timed with the beating of a heart. Then, it intensified. A brilliant, blinding cerulean light erupted from the incubator, filling the entire lounge.
Rotom shouted, spinning wildly, "Zzt! High energy readings! Hatching sequence initiated! Cover your eyes, zzt!"
Azure didn't look away. He couldn't. Through the glare, he saw the shell dissolve into shimmering particles of light.
*FLASH*
"Mana…?"
The light faded, leaving behind a small, blue Pokémon with long, drooping antennae and large, soulful yellow eyes. It sat in the middle of the incubator, looking up at Azure with pure, unfiltered curiosity.
Azure breathed, his heart swelling, "Manaphy…"
He reached out, and the tiny creature hopped into his palms. It felt cool to the touch, like seawater, yet it radiated a soothing warmth. Azure smiled, "Welcome to the world, little prince…"
The Pokémon chirped, rubbing its head against Azure's chest, "Mana! Mana-fi!"
Azure called out without looking back, "Gengar! Can you get some Moomoo Milk? Our new friend looks hungry."
Gengar saluted, fading into the floor to head toward the galley, "On it, Boss!"
But as Azure moved to lift Manaphy closer, he stopped. Something was wrong. Or rather, something was extra. In the bed of the incubator, where the Manaphy egg had just been, a second egg sat.
It hadn't been there a second ago. It was slightly different—paler, with a less vibrant core. Azure squinted, asking, "What the…? Rotom, did you see—?"
*Pop*
Before Rotom could scan it, the second egg burst open. There was no blinding light this time, just a soft puff of mist. Emerging from it was another Pokémon. It looked remarkably like Manaphy, but its body was slenderer, its headpiece different, and it lacked the same regal aura.
It was a Phione.
The room went silent. Pikachu tilted his head. Eevee sniffed the newcomer.
Azure blinked, his brain racing through his knowledge of Pokémon biology, muttered, baffled, "Phione? Wait. Manaphy is the only one who can produce Phione, but usually through breeding… did this egg just… mitosis itself?"
Gengar reappeared a moment later, floating with two chilled bottles of Moomoo Milk held in her ghostly hands. She stopped mid-air, her jaw dropping as she looked from the Manaphy in Azure's arms to the Phione now bouncing on the table.
Gengar asked, her voice reaching a high-pitched squeak of bewilderment, "Did it just multiply from hatching? Boss, did you break the world again?"
Azure admitted, "I… I don't know… maybe?"
Azure could only watch as Phione let out a happy "Phi-phi!" and leaped up, clinging to Azure's shoulder next to Pikachu.
Rotom began snapping dozens of holographic photos, commenting, "Zzt! Phenomenon undocumented! Manaphy hatching resulting in spontaneous Phione generation… This defies standard Sinnoh Mythos! I need to record this! Zzt-vwoop!"
Azure felt a tugging at his heart. He could feel their emotions—Manaphy's was a deep, oceanic calm, while Phione's was a bubbly, frantic joy. They weren't just Pokémon; they had imprinted on him instantly.
He took the bottles from Gengar as he said sheepishly, "Well, regardless of how it happened, they're here now."
He handed one bottle to Manaphy and held the other for Phione. The two infants grabbed the bottles with surprising strength, guzzling the rich milk.
*Gulp-Gulp-Gulp*
As they finished, their eyes grew heavy. Manaphy let out a tiny yawn, its antennae drooping. Phione snuggled into the crook of Azure's neck. Within minutes, both were fast asleep, their breathing synchronized.
Azure leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. Two more lives to protect. Two more partners for the journey ahead.
He quickly checked their status screens and bio info.
[Manaphy the Seafaring Pokémon. 80% of its body is made of water. Manaphy hatches from a distinctive Pokémon Egg that resembles its appearance, the Manaphy Egg, featuring a blue color with multiple glowing yellow dots and a red gem-like center.
Unlike other Mythical Pokémon, Manaphy can breed; however, the Eggs it lays always hatch into Phione, which have been seen accompanying Manaphy in small groups. Despite this and the physical similarity between the two species, their relationship is not yet fully understood. Manaphy is highly susceptible to its environment and swims long distances to return to its birthplace, the cold seafloor.
There are rumors of its seafaring habits, with Hisui's coastal waters being cited as one of its rare travel spots. It is born with a special power that allows it to bond with any human and Pokémon. Manaphy can learn and even speak the human language. Manaphy is known as the "Prince of the Sea".]
|Name: Manaphy (Seafaring Pokémon)
|Type: Water
|Tera: Water
|Level: 1
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: None
|Ability: Hydration
|Nature: Timid
|Moves: Tail Glow, Water Sport, Water Gun, Bubble, Heart Swap (IM) (1 Move left to learn)
[Phione the Sea Drifter Pokémon. Phione hatches from Eggs laid by Manaphy and has been seen accompanying it in small groups. Despite this and the physical similarity between the two species, their relationship is not yet fully understood. Phione possesses a sac on its head, which it can use to inflate and drift in the water in search of food.
When the water grows warm, it will drift in packs with others of its kind. No matter how far it has drifted, it will always return to the place where it was born. Against natural predators, it uses a defense mechanism that allows its body to blend in with ocean waters.]
|Name: Phione (Sea Drifter Pokémon)
|Type: Water
|Tera: Water
|Level: 1
|Gender: Female
|Held Item: None
|Ability: Hydration
|Nature: Bold
|Moves: Water Sport, Water Gun, Bubble, Heart Swap (IM), Take Heart (IM) (2 moves left to learn)
Azure smirked, seeing this, but comfortably hugged them closer. Then he looked back at the TV, where the Sinnoh Dex holders were celebrating a victory. The world was moving on, and soon, he would have to move with it.
/////
[Unova Region, Meanwhile, Nuvema Town – Cedric's Lab]
The rain was a relentless, icy curtain that blurred the lines between the black sky and the darkened forest. It drummed against the roof of the Cedric Juniper Lab with the force of a thousand drumming fingers, a chaotic symphony that masked the sound of a breaking window.
Inside the lab, the air was sterile, smelling of ozone and old paper. Professor Cedric Juniper stood paralyzed, his breath hitching in his throat. He was a man of science, a man of peace, but the figure standing before him looked like an apparition from a fever dream.
The young man had long, waist-length green hair that seemed to glow faintly in the dim emergency lighting. A strange, mathematical puzzle hung around his neck, and his eyes—dull, yet piercing—were focused on the three Poké Balls sitting on the research table.
Cedric gasped, clutching his chest as he asked, confused by the intrusion, "Why? Those Pokémon… they are for the new trainers. They are meant to bridge the gap between our species!"
N's voice was like ice cracking on a lake, "Bridge the gap?"
It was devoid of traditional malice, filled instead with a heartbreakingly sincere sorrow as he replied, "You call it a bridge. I call it a shackle. You trap them in these cold, digital spheres. You force them to fight for your 'research,' for your 'data.' Can you not hear them, Professor?"
N stepped forward. His Zorua, a sleek creature of shadow and illusion, hissed at Cedric's feet. N whispered, his eyes welling with tears, "They are crying. The Snivy is terrified of the expectations you've placed on it. The Tepig wants only to run until its lungs burn. The Oshawott… it is so lonely, and you treat it like a specimen."
Cedric yelled, stepping forward, "That's not true!"
N commanded softly, "Zorua. Stop him."
*Smack*
With a blur of dark energy, the Zorua lunged. It didn't use a lethal move, but a calculated Foul Play, striking Cedric's leg with the force of a hammer. The Professor let out a cry of pain and collapsed, his knee buckling.
N didn't look back. He reached out and picked up the three Poké Balls. He pressed the release buttons one by one.
*Ping—Ping—Ping*
In three flashes of white light, the Unova starters appeared. They looked around, confused and shivering in the drafty lab. N said to the Tepig, "Go… The world is vast. Do not let them find you again."
The Tepig looked at N, then at the fallen Professor, and bolted out the broken window into the rain, disappearing into the woods. N turned to the Oshawott.
The small water-type looked up at Cedric, then back at N. It let out a mournful cry and moved toward the Professor, nudging his hand, "Osha!"
N remarked, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face, "It seems your heart is already tainted by the desire to serve. Stay then, little one."
Finally, he looked at the Snivy. The grass-type met his gaze with a proud, defiant stare. It sensed the power radiating from N—the aura of a King. It walked toward him and sat at his feet.
N said calmly, reaching down to stroke the Snivy's head, stating firmly, "You see the truth. You will come with me. We will usher in a world where no Pokémon will ever have to fear a human again."
N walked out into the storm, the Snivy following close behind, and Zorua leaping onto his shoulder. As he walked away from the lab, the cold rain soaked through his clothes, but he didn't feel it. All he felt was the 'static' of the world—the millions of voices of Pokémon crying out in pain across the Unova region.
He thought of his father, Ghetsis. He thought of the Seven Sages. He thought of the throne waiting for him at the heart of Team Plasma's castle. N thought aloud, his jaw tightening, "The Pokémon League is the heart of the poison. The laboratories are the laboratories of despair. To save them, I must destroy the system."
But as he walked, a memory flickered in his mind—an image that didn't fit the narrative of his world. He saw a screen. A video from a few years ago.
The Ninth Pokémon League Tournament in Kanto.
He saw a young man—Azure Sky.
N remembered the way the Pokémon looked at Azure. It wasn't the look of a servant to a master. It was something N had never been able to fully categorize.
He remembered the climax of the Ninth League. Azure's Dragonite had been battered, exhausted, facing off against Red's Aerodactyl. The Aerodactyl had unleashed a devastating Hyper Beam, a move that should have ended the match.
But the Dragonite hadn't fallen. It had braced itself, its eyes burning with a fierce, almost desperate desire. N had listened to the recording of that match a hundred times. He hadn't heard the Dragonite crying for help.
He hadn't heard it begging for the battle to end.
He had heard… love.
A love so fierce it transcended the pain of the Hyper Beam. The Dragonite hadn't stayed standing because it was ordered to. It had stayed standing because it didn't want to let Azure down. It wanted to win for him.
Then, there was the footage of the Tenth League.
Azure and his Mega Charizard X.
Mega Evolution.
N closed his eyes, the rain splashing against his face. He could still 'hear' the Charizard's voice in that video. It was a roar of pure, unadulterated joy. The bond between them during Mega Evolution wasn't a shackle—it was a fusion of souls.
And the Ho-Oh.
N stopped walking. The legendary bird of the heavens, a creature that only appeared to those with the purest of hearts, had chosen Azure Sky...
It had carried him during the opening ceremony, a literal god acknowledging a mortal. Azure hadn't even used Ho-Oh in the tournament. He had benched a god because he trusted his friends—his 'original' team—more.
N whispered into the wind in a confused tone, pondering deeply, "Why? Why does the voice of your Pokémon sound like music, Azure Sky? Why do they not scream when you command them? I don't... understand..."
Ghetsis had told him that all humans were liars. That all trainers were parasites.
But Azure Sky was a hole in N's philosophy.
Azure was the 'Uncrowned Champion.' He had defeated the strongest trainers in the world and then walked away from the titles, as if the fame and power meant nothing compared to the journey itself.
N shook his head, his green hair matting against his forehead. He muttered dismissively, "No. He is an anomaly. A golden mask covering a rotten core. Or perhaps… he is the most dangerous human of all. One who makes the Pokémon believe they are happy in their servitude."
N looked down at the Snivy walking beside him.
N declared, his voice rising above the thunder, "I will find the truth. I will wander this region. I will see the injured, the abandoned, and the exploited. And when I have gathered the strength of the legends, I will confront the League."
In the back of his mind, the silhouette of Azure Sky remained. It was a phantom, a challenge to everything N believed.
N began to walk again, heading toward the heart of Unova.
He would follow his dreams and ideals.
He would be the hero the Pokémon deserved.
But deep down, in a place N didn't want to acknowledge, he wondered. If he ever stood across a battlefield from Azure Sky, what would the Pokémon say?
Would they cry out for liberation?
Or would they tell N that he was the one who was truly alone?
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!