The first crack came at dawn.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just a soft, metallic click that cut through the quiet apartment like a held breath finally released.
Lia was the first to notice.
"Eren," she said, already moving. "The Honedge egg."
Eren was on his feet instantly.
A thin fracture ran across the steel-gray shell, glowing faintly white. The vibrations had changed—no longer restrained pulses, but a steady rhythm, like a heartbeat syncing with the room.
"It's ready," Eren murmured.
The incubator lights dimmed automatically, responding to the egg's internal energy. The system interface flickered to life without being summoned.
[Hatching Sequence Detected.][Stability: Perfect.][External Interference: Not Required.]
The fracture spread.
With a soft chime—almost like metal brushing against glass—the shell split open.
Light spilled out.
When it faded, a blade hovered gently in the air.
A Honedge.
Its steel body was pristine, edges clean and sharp, yet not threatening. A single spectral eye opened slowly along the hilt, pale and observant. Wisps of ghostly energy curled around it like controlled breath.
It didn't move.
It watched.
Lia lowered herself slowly, careful not to startle it. "Hello," she said softly. "Welcome."
The Honedge rotated slightly, its eye fixing on her.
Then it turned—deliberately—to Eren.
The blade tilted forward, just enough to touch the air near his chest.
Not an attack.
A test.
Eren didn't flinch.
"I won't command you," he said quietly. "But I won't abandon you either."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the Honedge pulsed once.
And bowed.
The system chimed.
[Pokémon Registered.][Species: Honedge.][Bond Level: High.][Authority Recognition: Twin-Compatible.]
Lia let out a shaky breath. "It chose us."
"No," Eren corrected softly. "It accepted us."
They barely had time to recover before the temperature in the room began to rise.
The Charmander egg glowed.
Hairline cracks spread across its crimson shell, golden light leaking through like molten veins.
"Oh," Lia said. "That one's not subtle."
The shell shattered with a pop of heat and flame.
A small orange figure tumbled forward, landing awkwardly on the padded floor.
A Charmander.
Its tail flame burned steady and controlled—no wild flare, no instability. Its eyes opened immediately, sharp and alert, pupils narrow with draconic intensity.
It looked at Lia first.
Then at Eren.
The flame flared slightly.
Territorial.
Proud.
Eren knelt, meeting its gaze head-on. "You don't belong to me," he said calmly. "You fight with me. That's different."
The Charmander studied him.
Then took one step forward.
And another.
It pressed its forehead lightly against Eren's knee.
The flame steadied.
[Pokémon Registered.][Species: Charmander (Dragon Bloodline – Suppressed).][Bond Level: High.][Bloodline Stability: Perfect.]
Lia laughed softly, wiping at her eyes. "You realize," she said, "we're officially trainers now."
Eren looked at the two Pokémon—one hovering silently, one standing proud beside him.
"No," he replied. "Now we're responsible."