Nina’s excitement jolted Kerry awake. And the poor girl nearly got trampled by the stampede of Pokemon rushing past her to crowd around the incubator, all of them eager to be the first to greet their newest member.

  A wobble, then a crack. The uneven lines barely perceptible if not for the thin membrane of light leaking through. An air of icy mist gathered, condensation formed against the warmth of the surrounding machinery

  A gasp, either from Nina or one of her Pokemon. She couldn’t tell — they were all holding their breaths. Even Kerry, who was standing on her tiptoes trying to peer over the bulky frame of Nina’s Crobat.

  The crack spread and with each wobble, the oval shell gradually came apart. A stubby leg poked out, blue, slimy and raw. Every struggle brought with it a pulse of iridescent light and every broken fragment revealed yet another part of the Pokemon; another leg, then a wiggling tail, vibrant, translucent fins, or were they sails? Nina recalled that term being closely associated with this particular Pokemon.

  Then, with another flash of light, the strongest one yet, a long, slender neck poked out with a feeble cry. Atop which adorned a disproportionately large head, squinting pair of eyes and vibrant sails, their colors shifting constantly, from green to yellow to orange to pink then purple and red.

  It was like Arceus had stolen a piece of an ephemeral aurora, slapped it onto film and stuck them atop an ancient saurischian dinosaur.

  Another chunk of egg cracked and fell, freeing the way for the baby Amaura contained within to tumble out in a mess of limbs and neck, fragments of eggshell and strings of amniotic fluid still clinging stubbornly to its flawless blue hide.

  “Am…”

  One more squeaky cry and those dainty little eyelids squinted and opened, revealing the big gleaming sapphire eyes hidden within, the pristine virginal lens of those irises reflecting the expectant looks of its new family.

  ***

  Nina grinned from ear to ear as she watched Brinny and her newborn Amaura — which she named Aurora — clumsily bouncing on Nitey’s tubby belly like a trampoline. All the while, there was a small, localized rain of hail and snow pouring into the Dragonite’s gaping maw.

  The gluttonous rascal was using his juniors as sentient kakegori dispensers, as evident by the two colorful squeezy bottles of sugary syrup in his hands, primed for deployment at any moment.

  Even Kerry’s baby Eevee was joining in on the fun, yipping and yapping as he bounced around on the Dragonite’s belly, utterly unfazed by the refrigerated room. If this kept up, Nina had a good idea on what Eeveelution Kerry would end up with.

  “You’re going to have the worst brain freeze of your life, Nitey.” Nina warned, only to receive a throaty drawl in return.

  “Niiiiiiteeee…”

  “Seriously, how do you consume so much ice cream and still be so bad at using Ice Type moves?” The girl remarked, but was perfectly content to just continue watching. Aurora seemed to be having a great time bonding with her new family and that was what’s important.

  “I’m starting to sympathize with Leanette now…” Nina couldn’t help but feel a strong parental urge to smother her new baby with love. But as with all things, moderation was key. She did not intend to go all stir crazy like her body’s biological mother. If one were to hold a child too tight against their bosoms, they were bound to suffocate. That said…

  “I’ve only had Aurora for less than a day. But if anything were to happen to her, I will burn this world to the core and myself along with it.”

  “Hmm? Did you say something, Nina?”

  The girl jolted and turned around to address the speaker clad in full winter gear. “Oh, nothing to worry about, Professor. Just thinking out loud.”

  Elm chuckled and settled into a chair. “Then do you mind if we discuss the minutiae of your darling new Amaura?”

  “Of course, sir.” Nina promptly stood up and joined the Professor at his table. “Is there something wrong with Aurora’s health? What do the lab results look like?” She asked, in an almost frantic tone.

  The man responded with a reassuring smile and passed a tablet over to the girl. “No need to worry, Nina. Aurora’s looking quite healthy. Though I do recommend a period of observation just to make sure that there were no complications associated with the revival process. As much as I would like to say that the Fossil Egg was flawless, we can’t be entirely certain. The process of refolding protein strands can be fickle at times…”

  Nina stiffened, then forced out a nod to fight back her rising anxiety. “Relax, Nina… Professor Elm’s an expert. The best in the field…” She assured herself. But then, images of the dying Aerodactyl that Nina saw the last time she was here kept flashing through her mind, until she was brought back by a gentle hand on her shoulder.

  “I can understand your worries, my dear.” The Professor assured with a genial smile. “I still remember how anxious my wife and I were when Toki birthed prematurely. But truly, our preliminary testing shows nothing wrong with Aurora. And should any complications emerge in the future, well… We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

  Nina clenched her jaw to bite back her retort before responding with a reserved nod. “Be rational, Nina. The Prof is right, better to engage in a more productive manner.” Taking in a deep breath, she calmed herself.

  “I did some reading while the tests were pending,” she continued. “I understand that most Amaura clones are actually fairly well adjusted given how intact their genetic material is.”

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  The professor nodded. “That is true. Almost all the Amaura remains we’ve uncovered thus far came either from expeditions to the Poles or stray icebergs that have drifted to sea. So you can imagine just how well-preserved they were.”

  Nina nodded. “Yes, which brings me to my main concern. I’ve also read that the lifespan of a modern day Amaura, whether it be revived or cloned, is pitifully limited due to environmental factors — specifically, an issue with the climate.”

  In fact, Nina was triple layered underneath her jacket just to contend with the chilling cold of the room they were in. And even that wasn’t cold enough to be ideal for a species of Pokemon hailing from the Ice Age.

  “Indeed… This is precisely the matter that I would like to discuss with you.” Elm replied. “But first, yes, you are correct that the life expectancy of an Amaura in the modern era falls short of their full potential under ideal environments.”

  The girl opened her mouth to speak, but was gently held back by a look from the scholar.

  “Amauras date back to a time when the entire world was but a frozen ball of ice — frankly, I’m surprised we don’t find more Pokemon from that era similarly preserved in ice. But I digress. The point is, Amauras are Pokemon that have adapted to a sub-zero environment. However, you would be mistaken to think that they don’t have mechanisms in place to deal with warmer climates. I’m sure you would have read up on Aurora’s abilities at this point?”

  “Refrigerate and Snow Warning.” Nina chimed as she flipped open her Pokedex. “The first is the ability to turn all Normal Type moves into Ice. The second is the ability to summon a localized hailstorm wherever they go.”

  “Is that the precise wording in the Pokedex?”

  The girl nodded and tipped the device over to the man for inspection.

  “Ha. Seems like we’ll have to update the database. Refrigerate is actually the ability to convert ALL Normal Type Energy into Ice Energy, ambient or no. Not just active moves. Which goes a long way to help ensure the health of the species. Basically, even in ‘warmer’ temperatures like this room — which is maintained at around zero degrees celsius, by the way — there wouldn’t be any major issues. And Snow Warning — a misnomer — can summon full on Blizzards if you train Aurora well enough...”

  That last part really lit a spark in Nina’s eyes. Not that the Professor noticed since he was busy typing away at his laptop, likely already in the process of rewriting the League’s database.

  It was at this point that Nina felt a chill against her leg, like someone had pressed a block of ice against her. With a shiver, she looked down to find a wide eyed Amaura staring back at her with Brinny by her side.

  “What’s the matter, Ra-Ra? Are you hungry?” Nina cooed as she scooped the freezing cold reptile and her seal-y boi into her embrace.

  “Am~” The Amaura’s sails were flashing orange and red. Which Nina learned was a sign that her baby was hangry.

  Nina giggled and reached into her pockets for a can of Magikarp, basically the Pokemon World’s equivalent of canned tuna, and popped it open. As it turned out, Amauras were omnivorous and Professor Elm assured her that it was perfectly fine for the newborn sauropod to have solids at this stage. Just that Nina should probably mash up the fish first for easier consumption. Which was what she was doing right now with a fork in a bowl.

  With all the gusto of a baby dinosaur, Aurora squealed in delight, dipped her head into the bowl and began nibbling. Much to the consternation of a jealous Brinny, who started barking for food as well. “Bri! Bri!”

  “Silly Brinny, you just ate dinner not too long ago.”

  “Bri…”

  Nina sighed. “Alright, fine. You can have a small slice of Oran as a snack but no more, okay?”

  “Bri! Bri-onne!”

  While the two juvenile Pokemon were busy munching away, Nina turned her attention back to Professor Elm. “Question about Aurora’s abilities; are they passive or is she able to turn them on and off?” Sometimes a regular old Normal move was more strategic in a battle. And having it rain ice and snow every time she let Aurora out of her Pokeball just felt like a massive inconvenience.

  Elm nodded. “Those abilities aren’t tied to the species’ physiology. Unlike, say, Rough Skin. So yes, you should be able to train her to extend some control over them. In fact, I would encourage you to. Not that a professional Gym Trainer needs any reminding.”

  The girl replied in affirmation and the Professor continued. “Now then, we’ve already spoken about Aurora’s diet; milk is fine, but a healthy mixture of solids would be preferred. Vegetables as well, to avoid any bad habits. I believe there is a strain of herbs that grows exclusively in the snowlands of Paldea. I would be curious to see how such a plant might help with an infant Amaura’s development. Not to worry, I’ll handle the procurement. But for now…”

  Professor Elm placed a hefty container on the table which he opened with a hiss and a deluge of icy mist. “Never-Melt Ice, painstakingly carved into the shape of a collar. I had it commissioned the moment that we realised we had an Amaura Egg in hand. Once you feel like Aurora’s about to outgrow the accessory, bring it back and I’ll have the craftsman make a new one. The old one will likely be passed down to some other Pokemon in need.”

  As forward-thinking as Elm was, though, the collar was clearly oversized for the freshly hatched Aurora. So she couldn’t wear it just yet.

  Nina flinched as she touched the bitingly cold material. “Thank you, Professor. You’re being very kind with your generosity.”

  The man chuckled. “Not at all. We have a vested interest in Aurora’s health as well. You might not recall, but even we don’t keep Amauras in our reserve due to how demanding they are. Let alone one naturally hatched from a revived Fossil Egg — a world’s first if you can believe it. In fact, we’ve already gathered a plethora of precious data on the species’s incubation cycle. All we ask is that you keep in contact with regular reports about Aurora’s health and take extra good care of her.”

  Nina nodded. The latter was a given. As for the former… “Would you also be willing to subsidize any other equipment or items as and when they become necessary?”

  “Of course! Provided you share the usage data with us.”

  “No problem.”

  “Then I’ll make a few more calls. See if any of my associates have recommendations to give. I’ll also register you in our transfer machine — an extra option should it become necessary. I know that teacher’s ranch is stubbornly limited in its biome diversity. And speaking of which, your team is currently full, is it not?” Elm said as he gestured towards all of Nina’s Pokemon on display.

  “Are you asking me to leave my newborn baby in your care?” Nina asked with a bit of edge to her voice.

  “No, not at all!” Elm quickly dismissed the accusation with a frantic wave. “I was just showing concern since I know you’re a journeying trainer. A temporary solution until you come up with more permanent arrangements.”

  Nina huffed. “You need not worry. I’ll be returning to Cerulean City after this for an extended training period in the Mizuhana clan’s power spot. I’m sure the Gym’ll be able to come up with a solution for Aurora.”

  The Professor let out a sigh of relief. He knew better than to separate an angry mother from her newborn baby, perceived or otherwise.

  “But nevermind all of that.” Nina continued. “I have another question. What the heck was an Amaura doing in Mount Moon?” To Nina’s knowledge, despite the rich Fossil deposits in Cinnabar Island, there had never once been reports of Sail Fossil findings in the region.

  “Aha!” Elm immediately perked up at the topic. “I agree, that is indeed quite a puzzling mystery. And do you know what’s more interesting? When I called over to the Pewter Gym earlier, Forrest actually informed me that the other Fossil Egg they found — which they have since revived — actually contained a Shieldon.”

  “Wait, that’s not right.” Nina frowned. “They told me that those two Eggs were found in close proximity to one another, likely from the same nest. And Shieldons? In Kanto?” Were the Harrison brothers lying about the Fossils’ origins?

  “Exactly! And no. Although rare, there have been traces of Shieldons uncovered in Indigo in the past, likely strays from ancient Hisui. Bastiodons were hardy creatures capable of traversing very long distances and surviving almost anywhere with even the barest of resources. So that second point isn’t that big of a concern. The real mystery is in the Amaura Egg and its placement.”

  “Could Brock and Forrest have lied?” Nina asked, finally voicing her doubts out loud.

  “Then they wouldn’t have willingly ceded the Egg to you. I’m inclined to believe in their ignorance on the matter. Though it would be hard to tell without aid from a Psychic Pokemon.”

  Nina agreed with the sentiment. The Harrisons had been nothing but good to her so far. She would hate to jeopardize their friendship over such a baseless conspiracy. Especially since she was the largest beneficiary.

  They continued to discuss other possibilities like tectonic shifts, which Elm actually illustrated with a handy little simulation in his tablet. The prevalent theory was that during the Ice Age, Amauras were everywhere since a lot of the ocean was frozen over.

  Thus, it could very well be that Aurora was a one in a billion chance, that a stray Amaura Egg had somehow been lucky enough to be preserved near the area which eventually became Mount Moon.

  “And it is widely believed that the cause for their extinction is due to the rapid warming of the planet caused by a consecutive chain of volcanic eruptions along the equator. This then resulted in a drastic climate change that occurred too rapidly for the Amaura population to adapt.”

  Therefore, it could also be that Mount Moon used to be volcanic and that Aurora’s nest had been smothered during the tail end of the Ice Age. Nina thought that sounded the most plausible, although there was really no way to know for sure.

  Regardless, she wasn’t too bothered. But Professor Elm would not give up so easily, proclaiming that he would get to the bottom of this mystery one day.