Mr. Fuji's house was a rather large building, with a signboard hanging above the entrance: Pokémon House.
The so-called "Pokémon" were, of course, the creatures known as Pocket Monsters.
At first glance, the sign suggested that Mr. Fuji was running some kind of business. But in truth, that wasn't the case.
He dedicated his life to taking in Pokémon who had been abandoned by their Trainers or had lost their loved ones—in short, those who had suffered deep emotional trauma.
Everything was free of charge.
If someone wished to adopt one of the Pokémon, he would gladly let them take it home, never asking for a single coin in return.
His kindness moved many in Lavender Town. Each day, young people would come here as volunteers to help him.
"I remember now…" Yozora's heart stirred.
In the original games, Team Rocket had killed a Cubone's mother and occupied the Pokémon Tower, forbidding others from entering.
The protagonist forced his way inside, swept through the Rocket members, defeated their executives, and rescued Mr. Fuji. As a reward, Mr. Fuji gave him the Poké Flute.
The Poké Flute's function was simple—it could awaken sleeping Pokémon, such as Snorlax.
When Yozora arrived at Pokémon House, he saw that many Pokémon were sheltered there: Nidoran, Oddish, Psyduck, and even a Growlithe…
But all of them wore expressions of gloom. Their spirits had clearly been wounded, leaving them timid and unwilling to interact with others.
Because of this, Mr. Fuji had been forced to separate them with wooden partitions, allowing each to recover in solitude.
Under normal circumstances, Growlithe was a rare Pokémon. Yet here, no one had adopted it…
Yozora did consider the Growlithe for a moment. But after checking its potential and finding it only of Senior level, he gave up the idea.
What's more, this particular Growlithe had suffered emotional trauma—making it very difficult to train.
Though Yozora possessed a sense of justice, he was by no means a bleeding-heart saint who rushed to save everyone at the cost of himself.
As the saying went, "Buddha saves only those with fate."
If even the Buddha only guided those destined to be saved, then how could Yozora expect himself to do otherwise?
His time and energy were limited. To raise the Pokémon he truly loved to their full potential was already more than enough.
As for that Growlithe—it would have to find its own destiny.
"Young man, today you helped our Lavender Town. As a token of gratitude, please accept this—" While Yozora was feeding the sorrowful Pokémon, though none dared approach his offered food, Mr. Fuji quietly brought forth an item.
It was the Poké Flute.
"Thank you." Yozora accepted the gift.
When played, the flute produced a melodious tune that could awaken Pokémon from slumber.
In this world, the Poké Flute could even be used during battles… unfortunately, with rather lackluster results.
That was because a Pokémon wouldn't instantly awaken the moment the flute was blown. A Trainer had to play through a melody, and only then would the Pokémon slowly rouse.
But in a battle, even a few moments of delay were critical. More often than not, by the time the Pokémon stirred, it had already been struck down.
Too slow. Too impractical. Almost useless in combat.
The truly powerful Trainers had no need for such an instrument. A single commanding shout was enough to wake their partners instantly.
In the original story, Ash could awaken Snorlax with ease—that was the power of their bond.
Naturally, Yozora had no intention of relying on the Poké Flute in battle. But should a Snorlax ever block the road during his travels, the flute would certainly prove handy.
"Young man, you haven't had dinner yet, have you?" Mr. Fuji invited warmly.
Yozora rubbed his stomach—he was indeed hungry.
He had flown all day, from the Safari Zone to the Land of Spirits, and then on to Lavender Town. All he'd eaten was breakfast…
And it wasn't just him—his partners were all hungry too.
"Come out, everyone." With a thought, Yozora released his eight Pokémon.
Especially Pidgeot, who had flown tirelessly the entire day. Tonight, Yozora intended to reward it well.
Mr. Fuji's granddaughter, a lively girl named Reina, soon brought out dinner. Since she and her grandfather had already eaten, they simply watched as Yozora and his Pokémon enjoyed the meal.
Pidgeot was ravenous, devouring the food with gusto, bliss written all over its face.
Among Yozora's Pokémon, Pidgeot had one of the largest appetites, second only to Kangaskhan. And tonight, it ate even more than usual.
"Shiny Golduck, Shiny Graveler—wow! Big Brother Yozora, you have so many rare Pokémon!" Reina, about twelve or thirteen, was bright-eyed, cheerful, and friendly, calling him "Big Brother" with natural warmth.
"Dratini—whoa! Big Brother Yozora, you even have a Dratini… you're amazing!" Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the little dragon.
But Mei was already cradling Dratini in her arms, tending to it carefully. Reina didn't dare disturb them, only watching from a respectful distance—her manners showing she was a well-taught, considerate girl.
"Yes. It took quite a bit of effort to capture Dratini…" Yozora smiled as he ate, slipping into memory.
Back then, he had fused minds with Beedrill, their spirits almost becoming one. The sensation had been incredible.
Though it hadn't triggered another evolution or transformation, the synchronization allowed Yozora to command Beedrill as easily as his own hand—vastly boosting their combat power.
Of course, the strain had been immense…
Even with his Aura Guardian heritage, his training, and his strong mental fortitude, that single instance of unity had nearly drained him dry.
For an ordinary Trainer, even if they shared a deep bond with their Pokémon, achieving such a state would likely be impossible.
After all, without that depth of connection, how could they reach such perfect harmony?
In the original tale, Ash had achieved the same with his Greninja. Their hearts synchronized, and thanks to Greninja's one-in-a-million Bond Phenomenon, it transformed into Ash-Greninja.
Bond Phenomenon—power on par with Mega Evolution.
Together with that mental fusion, Ash and Greninja fought as one, their strength soaring to staggering heights.
But once the battle ended, Ash collapsed in exhaustion.
And Ash was no ordinary Trainer. Like Yozora, he was a natural Aura Guardian, gifted with extraordinary mental strength. Only because of that could he endure the toll.
Even so, one use was his limit. In a six-on-six match, Ash could never synchronize twice.
…
…
(End of Chapter)