The Pantheon

Mewtwo Returns

The resort suite was too quiet for someone who'd been surrounded by students, professors, and a pack of overenthusiastic Pokémon all week, giving various guest lectures. Ashley sat cross-legged on the floor, a towel spread beneath her, the soft hum of the ocean spilling faintly through the open balcony doors. The air smelled like salt and mango lotion, that came free with the hotel's spa set.

The light shifted across the room as the sun dipped lower, hitting the egg just right so the surface almost seemed to glow. Ashley tilted her head, studying it. "You know," she said, "most people come to Alola for a break. Sand, sun, the whole vacation thing. I came for that too, technically. And somehow ended up with a full-time job and a baby."

The egg didn't reply, of course it didn't, it was a Pokémon egg. But she swore it felt a little warmer.

She leaned her head against the edge of the couch, letting her eyes rest half-shut. The smell of the ocean drifted in through the balcony—salt and something faintly sweet, probably from the hotel gardens below. It should have been relaxing. It was supposed to be relaxing.

"I think I'm cursed," she said to the egg, voice quiet and amused. "Every time I plan to take it easy, the universe hears it as a challenge." She huffed a laugh. "At this rate, I'll start a new trend: 'emotional growth vacations.' Book three nights, have one day of spa, then stop poachers, and accidentally become a teacher. Great deal."

The egg shifted then—just slightly, barely more than a tremor under her hands.

Ashley's breath caught. She froze, waiting, and when it pulsed again, she grinned. "Okay, okay, that was definitely movement. You really are listening."

For a second, she just stared, smiling like an idiot. The helpless smile that crept up when something good caught you off guard.

"Hey, little one," she said softly. "You picked a good time to show off. I was starting to think the world had officially gone insane." She rested her hand lightly against the shell, thumb tracing one of the pale swirls—the surface was smooth and solid. "You've got a long road ahead of you, kid. But you're in good company. We've got a weird little family waiting to meet you."

The egg pulsed once more, slower this time. Ashley exhaled, feeling some of the tension she hadn't realized she was holding finally leave her shoulders.

"Yeah," she murmured, "that's what I thought too."

She placed the egg carefully into its padded nest on the coffee table and sat back against the couch. The ocean was still audible, and the quiet didn't feel so heavy anymore.

For once, she didn't reach for her Poké Balls or her Xtransceiver or anything else to distract herself. She just sat there, breathing, watching the last strip of orange light disappear below the horizon.

"Okay," she said finally, rubbing the back of her neck. "No saving the world tonight. Just us. Deal?"

The egg didn't answer, but that faint, rhythmic warmth under the shell said enough. Ashley smiled, leaned her head back, and let the sound of the waves fill the silence again. But soon she was distracted by the sudden frantic noises coming from the speakers.

The news broadcast flickered across the flat-screen—too bright against the dim resort room. The reporter was standing outside the Aether Foundation building, her voice sharp and polished, the kind of professional calm that only made the scene behind her feel worse. Officer Jenny stood just beyond the frame, a Gumshoos at her side as two officers led a man in handcuffs toward a police car.

Ashley didn't need the nameplate at the bottom of the screen to recognize him. It was one of the top scientists Professor Kukui had namedropped during one of their breaks in between classes.