“Hah…”
August let out a deep breath, withdrawing his hand from the egg’s surface, his expression weary.
Healing this Pokémon egg had been far more difficult than he had imagined.
First, there was the internal damage to Lugia itself that needed repair.
Then, there were the cracks on the eggshell that had to be mended.
Just these two aspects alone had drained an enormous amount of his energy.
Even with [Viridian Power]—enough for the Unown to call him the Healer—and even with Gardevoir’s healing boosted by the [Mind Pte], the sheer effort required to mend this egg had nearly exhausted him.
And yet…
As he gazed at the egg before him, his expression turned somewhat complicated.
How do I put this…?
The results were… passable.
It was healed. But not completely.
On the positive side, the life force inside the egg had stabilized. Even without continuous support from his [Viridian Power], Lugia was no longer losing vitality—a clear sign of recovery.
But on the downside…
The cracks on the eggshell, particurly the gaping hole that had been tainted by Ghost energy, remained unresolved.
And more importantly—
The Lugia inside showed no signs of waking up.
Let alone hatching.
Logically speaking, after being sealed away by an ancient civilization for centuries, this egg should have already reached its hatching period.
After all, in reality, Pokémon eggs didn’t need someone to walk a set number of steps to hatch.
Yet, this one remained dormant.
There was only one pusible expnation.
Could it be that the Ghost energy consumed too much of Lugia’s life force… leaving it too weak to break the shell?
Looking at the egg, August found the idea very likely.
For this egg to have survived the corruption of Ghost energy for so long was already a miracle.
Even with the best possible outcome, it was unrealistic to expect more.
But the fact remained—Lugia was stuck.
"Should I try [Healing Wish]?"
Gardevoir’s voice echoed in his mind through telepathy.
[Healing Wish]—a move that fully healed its target but at the cost of the user fainting.
August’s face immediately darkened.
He refused to let Gardevoir use such an extreme method.
Even if the patient was a Legendary Pokémon.
"No need. I have another idea."
August suddenly thought of the [Herba Mystica] he had obtained earlier.
In the Scarlet & Violet storyline, these legendary herbs had the power to restore Koraidon and Miraidon to full strength.
If five doses of [Herba Mystica] could completely cure them, surely it could help this damaged egg recover.
But there was a problem.
August could only use it to create [Mystic Energy Pokéblocks].
Without Arven’s cooking skills or the Scarlet & Violet Books, he couldn’t guarantee that he’d be able to fully unlock the [Herba Mystica]’s potential.
And there was another issue.
August eyed the egg…
It had no mouth.
Even if he made the Pokéblocks… how was he supposed to feed it?
Was he supposed to stuff it through the hole?
“…This is going to be tricky.”
After some thought, August decided to consult the almighty Professor Oak when he returned.
But first, he had to convince the Unown to let him take the egg.
---
On the ship, Professor Cerise was intently monitoring his equipment.
For some time now, he had detected an energy signature gradually increasing in intensity.
Finally, after completing another calibration, the screen dispyed a precise location.
"Based on the readings, the energy source is confirmed to be inside the ruins," Professor Cerise reported.
Blue, watching the screen with him, furrowed her brow.
"I'm no expert, but… doesn’t this energy signature look like it’s breathing?"
"That’s correct," Professor Oak nodded.
"If it were merely an inanimate object emitting energy, it wouldn’t have such a rhythmic, pulse-like pattern."
At this point, they were nearly certain—this was a living Pokémon.
They just didn’t know what August had encountered.
Hopefully, he’s alright…
As the three of them worried, the screen suddenly flickered.
The energy source had begun to move.
“…This is…”
Their attention snapped back to the monitor.
The energy signal was rising.
And it was rapidly approaching.
Professor Cerise’s face tensed.
"Professor, the energy source is heading straight for us—fast!"
"I see it…"
Professor Oak’s gaze shifted away from the screen—to the ocean itself.
Bubbles burst onto the surface.
And then—
Spsh!
A massive Dragonite breached the water, soaring into the sky.
Right behind it, the slender form of Dragonair followed, cutting through the air.
Seeing the two Pokémon, the trio momentarily rexed.
But then their worry resurfaced.
“Where’s August?”
Blue, noticing his absence, felt an odd sense of unease.
The three of them scanned the water anxiously.
The bubbles at the surface grew denser—
Something was about to emerge.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A surge of water erupted from the depths.
From within the cascade, a swarm of Unown ascended, bck shapes flooding the sky.
And at the center of them all—
August, Gardevoir, and a massive silver egg, safely carried by the Unown’s psychic energy.
As they gently descended, Gardevoir used telekinesis to pce August and the egg onto the ship’s deck.
August waved to the Unown.
"Thanks for the lift!"
Then, turning to the others, he smiled.
"I’m back. Sorry for making you worry!"
But as soon as he said that—
He realized no one was looking at him.
All eyes were glued to the huge silver egg beside him.
Not because they didn’t care about him—
But because…
It was impossible to ignore something this massive.
“…What is that?”
Blue finally voiced the question that was on everyone’s mind.
August blinked.
"This?" He casually patted the egg.
"Obviously, it’s a Pokémon egg."
"We know it’s an egg," Professor Cerise said.
"But it’s… way too big!"
In his years as a researcher, he had seen plenty of Pokémon eggs.
But never one this size.
"I don’t know why it’s so big either," August admitted.
"But I can tell you what species it belongs to."
Professor Oak, Professor Cerise, and Blue all leaned in.
“What is it?”
August smirked and slowly spoke the name—
Leaving all three of them stunned.
