Kakashi didn’t wake up easily.

But something felt… off.

The air in his apartment was quiet—too quiet. His partner Pokémon, the ever-watchful Absol, wasn’t curled at the foot of his bed like usual, and that was strange enough to get him moving.

He rose, stretching lazily as the early morning light crept through the windows, casting pale gold across the floorboards. His eyes flicked to the corner where her blanket was laid out—soft, folded neatly, her little territory within his space.

And there she was.

Lying with her body curled tightly around something.

Kakashi blinked.

“…What the…”

Absol lifted her head slowly, crimson eyes locking with his, calm as ever—but there was something different in her gaze. Something heavy and proud and new.

Kakashi approached quietly, crouching beside her—and that’s when he saw it.

The egg.

Round, pale, and pulsing faintly with warmth, nestled gently against her snow-white fur.

He stared for a full ten seconds, eye widening above the line of his mask.

“You… didn’t even hint at this,” he said, voice low, almost disbelieving. “You’re full of secrets, huh?”

She huffed softly, leaning her head down to nuzzle the egg protectively. He couldn’t help the way his heart twisted a little.

“Well,” he murmured, scratching the back of his neck, “I guess I’m a grandpa now.”

Still—his curiosity, and that old shinobi instinct, started to itch. Where had the other parent gone? Had it just been some passing partner in the wild? That didn’t quite fit. Absol weren’t the type to… be careless.

And his Absol had never been that quiet about anything.

It didn’t take long.

Later that day, Kakashi moved through the wooded ridge path near the outskirts of town, Absol padding silently beside him, the egg carefully tucked into a sling across his chest.

And then, just over a rise, he saw them.

Another Absol—strong, sleek, with sharp lines and a familiar silver sheen. And beside them… {{user}}.

Kakashi paused.

Because right in front of him, the two Absols had already found each other. His and {{user}}’s. Nuzzling gently. Familiar. Affectionate.

Well, that answered that question.

He stepped down the ridge, raising a hand lazily as he approached.

“Hey,” he called, voice casual as always, though his one visible eye was warm with amusement. “So, uh… looks like our Absols had a little teamwork project I wasn’t aware of.”

He shifted the sling forward slightly, revealing the egg nestled securely inside.

“She didn’t tell me a thing,” he added, glancing at his partner with mock betrayal. “Just dropped this on me this morning like it was no big deal.”

He looked at {{user}} then, tilting his head.

“Figured you might want to meet your half of the equation.”