Another five Shock Points?
This time, Fuyuki was the one left stunned.
He had thought earning this stuff would be difficult. Instead, it came shockingly easy.
Almost as if responding to his actions, Entei leaned in and gave his face another lick.
His face instantly smeared with slobber, Fuyuki hurriedly pushed at the legendary beast's muzzle, refusing any more big-cat affection.
Seeing this, Entei stopped grooming him. It closed its eyes again, settling down to rest and conserve its strength. Once the Little One finished resting, they would continue on their journey.
But the very next second, Entei felt the child lean in and plant a soft kiss on its forehead.
Entei opened its eyes.
Only then did it realize, a bit belatedly, that the Little One seemed to be playing with it.
It had no idea how to respond. It had never raised a cub before, let alone experienced anything like this.
In the past, it had spent its days traveling from place to place, carrying out the duties of Ho-Oh's Guard and rescuing Pokemon trapped in danger.
It looked at the Little One in front of it, then instinctively leaned in and gave him another lick.
Fuyuki: "..."
This time, Entei didn't provide any Shock Points. That was understandable. After all, it wasn't the first time anymore.
This body was far too young. After playing for a bit, Fuyuki quickly grew tired.
He obediently burrowed into Entei's warm chest, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
He wasn't worried about danger or wild Pokemon attacks. As a Legendary Pokemon, Entei was more than powerful enough.
Drowsiness washed over him, and before long, he drifted into a deep sleep.
Once the Little One was asleep, Entei resumed grooming him.
Only after the child was clean and neat again did it finally stop.
A gentle breeze passed through the slowly falling autumn leaves. In that quiet moment, Entei clearly felt its heart growing fuller.
Fuyuki slept for a long time.
When he woke up, he found himself still curled up in Entei's embrace.
Entei was already awake, with several round Berries placed in front of him.
Seeing the child open his eyes, Entei rose and nudged the Berries toward him with a paw.
Fuyuki didn't refuse. In a good mood, he ate one of the Berries, and then the man and Pokemon continued on their way.
He didn't know where Entei was taking him, but as long as he stayed by its side, he wasn't worried.
With food, drink, and no danger in sight, Fuyuki finally relaxed. Riding on Entei's back, he began observing this strange yet familiar Pokemon world.
Caterpie crawling along tree trunks. Butterfree fluttering through the forest. Pidgeotto gliding across the sky. Beedrill fiercely guarding their territory…
Day by day, time passed.
Without realizing it, the man and Pokemon left the forest behind and entered a vast, unbroken mountain range.
The types of Pokemon living here were completely different.
The Caterpie, Butterfree, and Oddish common to the forest were gone, replaced by groups of Geodude, Sandshrew, and Nidoran roaming the land.
Only by standing there could one truly feel how vast and magnificent this world was.
Fuyuki's eyes shone with longing. If his age allowed it, he would have taken out a Poke Ball and caught a few Pokemon he liked.
Of course, that was impossible.
Right now, he still needed someone to take care of him.
That day, as they crossed a mountain ridge, Fuyuki suddenly noticed flashes of lightning in the sky ahead.
Faint roars echoed from that direction.
Entei seemed to sense something. It stopped and lifted its head.
Fuyuki didn't understand at first, but when he looked up, he saw a powerful figure advancing through the crackling lightning.
It was a Pokemon that resembled a saber-toothed tiger, its body covered in golden fur, limbs thick with muscle, fangs sharp and imposing.
Like Entei, it bore a black, steel-like crest on its forehead that covered its brow, nose, and mouth. Beneath it hung X-shaped blue whiskers.
Behind it, a pale blue, lightning-bolt-shaped tail crackled with electricity.
The moment it appeared, its gaze locked onto Entei and the child on its back.
Fuyuki instantly felt an overwhelming pressure wash over him.
That Pokemon was… Raikou.
Lightning surged across Raikou's body. With every step, arcs of blue electricity leapt from its form.
Closer.
The instant Raikou reached Entei, a predator's pressure descended on Fuyuki, making him instinctively cling tighter to the legendary beast beneath him.
Entei sensed the Little One's reaction. Its brows knit together, and its voice turned stern.
"Raikou, that's enough."
Raikou withdrew its gaze from the child, its tone icy.
"What are you doing? Why did you bring a human infant back into Mount Tensei's territory?"
"His parents died protecting Pokemon. As Pokemon, we should take care of their child," Entei replied in a low voice.
It wasn't explaining. It was stating a fact.
"You're inviting disaster," Raikou shot back. It had seen far too many humans harm Pokemon, and deep down, it distrusted them completely.
Even if this one was only a child.
Its warning was sharp. "Humans are treacherous and cannot be trusted."
"The Little One is different." Entei knew Raikou's past. It had no desire to argue, only shaking its head firmly. "This has nothing to do with you."
Raikou cast a cold glance at Fuyuki. Seeing how clearly Entei protected the child, it snorted and stepped aside, walking past them without stopping.
It left only a single sentence behind.
"Hmph. I hope you won't regret the choice you made today."
The Little One was so well-behaved, so dependent on it. How could he be like other humans? Entei thought.
The three members of Ho-Oh's Guard each had their own duties. Unless they faced an overwhelming crisis, they rarely interfered with one another.
So after a brief warning, Raikou left on its own.
Entei didn't dwell on it. It believed firmly that its Little One was different.
And more importantly…
It lifted its head, its gaze piercing through the mist-shrouded mountains ahead, finally settling on the tallest and most magnificent peak among them.
Their destination, Mount Tensei, had arrived.