"You want me to hide the eggs!?" Latias exclaimed. "Well, yeah, mom did tell you about the egg hunt before didn't she?" Ash replied. Ash leaned back over the couch and looked up at her curiously. "Well, a little, but I didn't know that's what the big event was. Isn't it rather boring having just one person look for them?" Latias inquired. "Hmm, you know I never really thought about it. I don't think there's ever been a boring egg hunt though. Except maybe that one time when Gary fell asleep when he was hunting for them, but that was fun in its own way." "Pika Pi?" Ash glanced down at Pikachu who was flipping through channels on the television with his tail. "Well, sure, if you want. I mean this is your first Easter as well. I don't think mom would mind." "Mind what?" came Delia's voice from the kitchen. "Pikachu was wondering if he could hide eggs with Latias." "Of course! The more the merrier!" "See?" Ash glanced up at the clock on the wall and stood up from the couch. He walked over and grabbed a basket filled with hard-boiled eggs painted in various colors and styles. "Here, you have an hour to hide them all. If you're not back by then I start hunting for them early." Latias grabbed the basket. "Also, as a secondary punishment, no video games tonight." Latias looked horror stricken, but recovered quickly and leaned in close to him. "If you don't find all the eggs, then you don't get a kiss from me for a week." she whispered. Ash's face paled and Latias ran out the front door with a giggle and with Pikachu close behind. Before the door closed, Ash saw a flash of blue followed by a red and white streak.
Ash stood stock still for a few minutes before plopping back on the couch. "Totally unfair." He muttered under his breath. He aimlessly flipped through the channels stopping on one showing a Gengar and Onix fighting in a tournament. "Déjà vu." He stated before beginning his pointless journey of channel flipping. Every few minutes Ash would glance up at the clock. Everytime he checked, only a few minutes would have passed. Ash sighed and gave up on trying to find something interesting to watch. "I already miss her." He muttered lying down on the couch. It felt like he was awoken the moment his eyes shut. Standing over him was a smiling Latias in her Lati form. "How long have I been out?" "A little under half an hour. So not very long. Here!" Ash sat up and yawned. He took the basket from her and stood up. "I guess it's my turn then?" A mischievous look sparkled in Latias' eyes. "Are you sure you don't wanna give up now? If you do, I'll only limit your punishment to 4 days!" Ash grinned and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Where's the fun in that? I'll be back before you know it!" he exclaimed.
"Or so I thought." Ash stated dropping himself into the sand. He laid back and began to think. "If I were Latias, where would I hide the eggs." As he thought of several different locations, something yellow caught his attention. "Oh no, you have got to be kidding me." He muttered. Ash looked up the small cliff face and saw a yellow egg nestled inside a crevice. "Of course. She can fly. I really should have said something about that." Ash began to slowly, but surely climb of the rock face. He eventually reached the eggs and pocketed it. When he arrived back on the ground he placed the egg in the basket. "One down, 29 to go."
After the first egg, finding the rest were a simple matter of thinking like Latias (which was a lot harder than he originally thought) and Pikachu. Sometimes he would find an egg in a tree branch and other times he would find one tucked away in a shaded area. His search led him to an underwater cavern, the top of the windmill at Professor Oak's lab (Charizard was recruited for that one) and even a meeting with his favorite Spearow flock. By the time he finished, the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. He trudged home feeling victorious, that is until he recounted the eggs. "29? 29!? You have got to be kidding me!" He spun his head around hoping to catch a glimpse of the last egg, but ended up sighing in defeat. "Might as well return and admit my defeat. It's too dark to keep looking anyways."
When Ash returned, he was greeted with a feast fit for a king. He was also greeted with a shocked mother and a giggling wife. "You two," he said pointing at Latias and Pikachu "are the best egg hiders in the Ketchum family." "You look like you had a fight with an Ursaring and lost!" Delia exclaimed. "After running into my old Spearow pals, I feel like it." He replied. "Go and clean yourself up. Then we'll start dinner." Ash did so without a second's hesitation. When he came back down, the table was set and everyone was already seated. He pulled out a chair for himself and dinner began. As they all chowed down, Ash shared everything that had happened except the fact that he had missed an egg. He pointed to Latias with a turkey leg. "Next time you hide, no flying." Latias smiled and nodded. "At least you found them all." Ash frowned and continued eating, feeling like he had missed something important regarding the last egg.
As the night wore one, so did everyone concentration as they all grew more and more tired. Latias ended up going to bed before any of them. Ash helped Delia put away leftovers and clean the dishes before heading up to bed himself. Ash opened the door to his room slowly and tiptoed inside. On the top bunk he saw Latias sleeping peacefully. "Why did I have a bunk bed as a kid? I'm an only child." He shrugged the thought away and changed into his pajamas. Right as he was climbing into bed he stopped and turned around slowly. Right beside a portrait of him and his friends in Alto Mare was an egg. He picked it up and smiled warmly. Painted on it was a simple heart. Ash set it down and leaned over the top bunk. "Happy Easter." He whispered. Latias smiled and opened her eyes. They gazed at each other for a while before Latias leaned in and gave him a kiss. "Happy Easter."
