The garden behind the Waterflower estate had grown quiet under the stars.
Moonlight shimmered across the koi pond, casting ripples like silver lace. Trees swayed gently in the night breeze. A pair of lanterns floated in the air, set by Daisy earlier, their glow soft and warm.
Skylar and Misty sat on a wooden bench overlooking the water.
Their jackets rested behind them, and both wore simple T-shirts—fresh from the post-battle shower, but still carrying the weight of the day.
Misty leaned back, arms behind her head.
—"You're ridiculously calm for someone who just Mega Evolved and won his second badge."
Skylar smiled faintly. "I'm still processing it. Honestly, I keep expecting someone to tell me I imagined the whole thing."
Misty turned her head, looking at him through the corner of her eye.
—"You didn't. You earned that win."
Skylar glanced at her. "And you pushed me to use everything I had."
She grinned. "Good."
Silence passed for a few seconds.
Then Skylar spoke again.
—"Starmie's movement through the fog was genius. I couldn't track its angle even with aura."
—"You read me on the Recover bait," Misty said. "I need to disguise that better."
They fell into a rhythm—deconstructing the fight, not as rivals… but as partners.
Gardevoir, resting quietly under a tree nearby, listened with half-lidded eyes.
Milotic, returned to her Poké Ball after being healed, remained beside Misty's belt.
Next to them, two eggs sat in padded nests on a soft patch of grass.
One pale orange with light blue markings—Skylar's.The other light pink with gentle coral swirls—Misty's.
A gift from the Gyarados of the Lake of Rage, after a day that changed everything.
As the wind passed—
The eggs began to glow.
Faintly at first.
Then brightly.
Skylar's head turned. "Do you see that—?"
Misty blinked.
Then her eyes widened. "Wait—wait, Skylar—SKYLAR—they're—!"
—"They're hatching!"
She scrambled to her knees, cupping her hands over her egg.
Skylar knelt beside his.
Both eggs trembled—light building until cracks formed across the shells.
The light pulsed.
And then—
Crack.Snap.Pop!
Tiny flippers flailed. Water splashed from the aura surrounding the eggs.
From the glowing light, two small forms emerged, flopping gently onto the silk-lined cloths.
Skylar's jaw dropped.
Misty gasped. "No way."
Because what lay in their hands…
Were two Magikarp.
But not just any Magikarp.
Their scales glowed golden in the moonlight.
Shiny.
Not one.
Both.
The garden froze.
The koi in the pond even paused.
Skylar held his breath.
Misty looked between the two flailing fish, her jaw slack.
—"Skylar. Do you know the odds of this?"
He shook his head slowly. "A shiny Magikarp is… maybe one in ten thousand."
Misty whispered, "And both…?"
—"One in a billion."
The Magikarp flopped again—adorable, bright, and very, very real.
Misty scooped hers into her arms like a baby, squealing with disbelief.
—"Oh my—he's perfect!"
Skylar gently gathered his into a soft cloth, marveling at its sheen. "I didn't even believe stories like this actually happened…"
Misty blinked rapidly. "Did Gyarados know this would happen?"
Skylar looked toward the sky. "Or maybe the world wanted to say thank you."
They rushed down the stone path to the garden pond, a shallow, clean-water basin Bryce had built when Misty was a child.
Carefully, they placed both newborn Magikarp into the water.
The golden pair dove instantly, flicking their tails, stirring the clear pond into a whirl of light.
They swam fast—circling each other, leaping once in perfect unison.
—"They're already stronger than they should be," Skylar said.
—"Look how fast they're adapting," Misty whispered.
Skylar pulled two small bottles from his pack.
—"Moo Moo Milk. It's how we used to nourish newborns during extreme growth phases."
He poured a small stream into the water.
Both Magikarp darted toward it eagerly, sipping and swimming without fear.
That's when a voice spoke from behind them.
—"They're not normal Magikarp."
Skylar and Misty turned.
Bryce Waterflower stood at the edge of the garden path, his arms crossed, gaze locked on the pond.
He walked closer, kneeling to get a better look.
—"They're not just shiny. Their frame is larger. Fins more defined. Energy flow is… stable, despite age."
He looked at Skylar, then at Misty.
—"These Magikarp are what we used to call Exemplar Variants. They weren't just rare. They were signs."
Misty frowned slightly. "Signs of what?"
Bryce's expression remained unreadable.
—"Of legacy."
He stood slowly.
—"Raise them well. And don't be surprised if the world starts watching."
Skylar and Misty exchanged a glance.
The Magikarp spun once in the moonlight, shimmering gold against the silver pond.
For a moment, neither trainer said a word.
Because they both understood—
This wasn't just rare.
This was destiny.