The passage opens with Slowking immediately rushing to find Aoki after dinner. Seeing the expression on Slowking's face, Aoki instantly understood the situation. His face showed surprise before both human and Pokémon vanished from sight.
In Aoki's room, a specialized incubator sat on the table containing a Ralts's egg. The timer had reached zero, and powerful psychic energy pulsed from within the shell. Slowking had sensed this psychic disturbance, prompting his urgent alert about the imminent hatching.
Aoki carefully opened the incubator lid. Freed from its confinement, even stronger waves of psychic energy radiated from the egg, now mingled with distinctive fairy-type energies. The shell began audibly cracking - first small fractures that gradually expanded across the surface. A visible mist of combined psychic and fairy energy seeped through the cracks, dissipating like breath on a cold morning.
The fractures spread until a tiny white hand emerged through the broken shell. Piece by piece, the egg fragments fell away to reveal the newborn Pokémon. Its green, bowl-cut hair covered most of its head, featuring two flat red horns - front and rear - that serve as sensory organs for both psychic abilities and emotional perception. Peering through its hair were round red eyes above a small mouth. The Ralts's body was entirely white except for its green hair and red horns, appearing to wear a simple white coat.
"Raaa..." the Ralts called softly, looking up at Aoki with curious eyes. Aoki smiled warmly - the hatching had proceeded far more smoothly than anticipated. However, he soon noticed something unusual about this Ralts. While not a shiny variant, it bore a distinctive streak of light blue amidst its green hair.
"This is... unexpected," Aoki murmured, puzzled by the anomaly. He theorized it might relate to Azelf's blessing - the blue Psychic-type legendary's influence could have enhanced the Ralts's willpower during incubation, manifesting as this physical trait.
"Raa-luu..." the Ralts called again, extending its tiny arms expectantly. Psychic energy pulsed from its horns, establishing a telepathic link between Aoki, Slowking, and itself. Through this connection came a clear mental projection: "Up... hold!"
Chuckling, Aoki gently lifted the Ralts, noting its pleasantly warm body temperature - characteristic of the species when experiencing positive emotions. Compared to his Larvitar, the Ralts felt incredibly light and soft, like holding a warm cushion.
"Slowking, meet your new apprentice," Aoki announced with amusement. "You'll need to train her properly."
Slowking's face morphed into comical surprise, his features twisting into what could only be described as a living question mark. Though aware Aoki had planned to find him a psychic apprentice, he never anticipated a female... and so adorably tiny!
Seeing Slowking's stunned expression, Aoki laughed heartily - it had been ages since he'd seen the usually dignified Slowking so flustered.
"Ralts, Slowking will be your mentor from now on," Aoki explained to the newborn in his arms. The Ralts's ability to project "hold" telepathically confirmed she'd already developed substantial psychic awareness in the egg.
The Ralts studied the pink, crown-wearing Slowking standing beside Aoki. After a moment's consideration, she smiled brightly. "Raa-luu!" she cried cheerfully, instantly melting Slowking's reservations with overwhelming cuteness. Perhaps having such an apprentice wouldn't be so bad after all...
Then Aoki froze completely.
A new telepathic projection entered his mind: "Ma...ma?"
"W-what? Mama?" Aoki stammered, nearly choking. Beside him, Slowking desperately tried suppressing laughter, his entire body shaking with the effort. Suddenly, becoming a teacher seemed far less challenging than Aoki's predicament.
"Ahem, Ralts, I'm not your mother," Aoki corrected gently. The Ralts's face immediately crumpled, eyes welling with tears. Seeing this, Aoki quickly amended, "How about... calling me 'Papa' instead?"
"Pa...pa?" The Ralts's tears vanished instantly, replaced by wide-eyed curiosity.
"Yes, Papa!" Aoki affirmed. Given the choice between maternal and paternal titles, he'd much prefer the latter, despite being wholly unprepared for parental designation.
"Papa!" the Ralts projected joyfully, though not fully comprehending the term's meaning. Simply addressing Aoki this way filled her with inexplicable happiness.
With a resigned smile, Aoki cradled the Ralts while Slowking - still trembling with suppressed amusement - followed them outside. The other Pokémon, finishing their post-dinner activities, immediately crowded around upon seeing the newborn. They'd known about the impending hatching but hadn't expected it tonight. The arrival coincided beautifully with Altaria's earlier evolution - a double celebration.
Initially shy, the Ralts buried her face against Aoki, but soon warmed to the others' friendly overtures. Larvitar and the others patiently helped her overcome timidity. Given her infancy, Aoki limited her playtime but permitted light activity after she drank her first meal - specially prepared Moomoo Milk from Miltank. The ignored eggshell fragments remained scattered where they'd fallen.