At the highest peak of Mount Tensei, Marshadow stared at the glass bottle the human infant had handed it, momentarily lost in thought.
It had encountered many humans before, peering into their dreams and memories, learning countless things about them.
For example, the liquid inside this bottle was called Moomoo Milk. It was rich in nutrients and highly beneficial to both humans and Pokemon.
Human infants, especially, needed it more than anyone.
Unlike Pokemon, human babies were weak and fragile. If something went wrong, they could shatter like glass.
More importantly, from the memories of past Rainbow Heroes who had come to undergo trials, Marshadow knew that human infants had to drink Miltank's milk while growing up. It helped them become stronger and healthier.
And yet, something so important to that human infant was now being offered to it.
Even though it didn't need it at all.
"Marsha…" Marshadow murmured softly.
Images surfaced in its mind, fragments it had seen in the dreams of the human infant Entei had brought back.
…Was this kindness?
Fuyuki's so-called fortune of thirty-five Shock Points barely made a dent in the dazzling system shop.
He racked his brain for ways to earn more, only to realize that every idea either didn't suit his age or simply wouldn't work.
At the end of the day, he was still an infant not even a year old. He couldn't walk, couldn't talk, and spent most of his time asleep.
Eventually, he felt completely deflated.
Sigh… whatever. I'll just take things one day at a time.
He lay on the "leaf bed" Entei had made for him, giving up entirely.
Seeing the Little One let out such a humanlike sigh, Entei felt puzzled.
What was the child worried about?
Food?
Its gaze shifted to the nearby piles of Berry stacked like small hills. As a Legendary Pokemon, it didn't need to eat at all. Every bit of that food was for the Little One, more than enough to last until next spring.
Safety, then?
This was Mount Tensei, the territory of Ho-Oh and Ho-Oh's Guard. No human, no Pokemon, would dare cause trouble here.
With Entei protecting him, no one could hurt the child.
No matter how much it thought about it, Entei couldn't figure out why the Little One was sighing.
So it said nothing.
It simply walked over and lay down beside him.
Hm?
Fuyuki sensed Entei's presence and turned his head, looking at the Pokemon that so clearly guarded him.
He had never imagined being adopted by a Pokemon.
Much less one that treated him like its own child.
Had Entei noticed his sigh and come over just to keep him company?
There was no way he wasn't moved. From the very beginning, Entei had been far too good to him.
Fuyuki reached out and hugged the Pokemon's massive paw.
Entei… what should I even do for you?
Calling it his father was out of the question. Calling a Pokemon "Dad" was just too strange.
Treating it as just a Pokemon didn't feel right either. What they had wasn't a normal Trainer and Pokemon relationship.
"Sigh…"
He couldn't help letting out another breath.
Whatever. There was still plenty of time. If nothing unexpected happened, he and Entei would be together for a long while.
There was no point overthinking it now. Instead of stressing about all that, he might as well check how much Shock Points it took to buy a Rare Candy for Entei.
If it wasn't too expensive, he could just buy dozens of them and see if he could feed Entei straight to level one hundred.
Then they could walk sideways through this world without fear.
Rare Candy was a special item. Unlike other goods, it couldn't be exchanged directly. You had to select a nearby Pokemon first to see the price.
In his mind, Fuyuki thought, Entei.
Almost instantly, a number appeared beside the Rare Candy listing.
[Rare Candy (Entei Only): A Rare Candy used to increase a Pokemon's level. Cost: 46,000 Shock Points.]
Fuyuki fell silent.
Entei decided that the Little One had probably been stuck inside the cave for too long and was bored, which was why he kept sighing.
Even though it was a Pokemon, Entei understood that human infants needed careful attention and gentle care.
That afternoon, during a relatively warm spell, Entei picked up the Little One and carried him into the forest for a walk.
Late autumn had already arrived. The mountains were growing bleak, and when the north wind blew, even lightly dressed people would start shivering.
Normally, this kind of weather wasn't suitable for taking infants outside. They could easily catch a cold.
But with Entei there, it wasn't a problem.
Sacred Fire roared like molten lava within its body, heat radiating endlessly from it. That warmth wrapped around Fuyuki, keeping him comfortably warm.
Perched on Entei's back, Fuyuki was thrilled to finally be outside. His attention was quickly drawn to the wild Pokemon living in the forest.
Mankey swung between trees using vines. Marowak and Cubone, mother and child, stayed alert but showed clear reverence when they spotted Entei. Groups of Kangaskhan moved through the forest together, each carrying a baby.
These Pokemon bustled about the forest, all of them busy with something.
Fuyuki watched them with curiosity.
Before long, he realized what they were doing.
They were searching for food.
That made sense. Pokemon were remarkable creatures, able to sense the approach of winter.
And as far as Fuyuki knew, many Pokemon had the habit of gathering and storing food before the cold season arrived.
He saw a group of Kangaskhan stop beneath a Berry tree. The large mother gently plucked Berry from the branches and handed them to the baby tucked safely in her pouch.
The little one ate happily.
The mother watched with a soft smile, eyes filled with warmth as her child ate.
There were several Kangaskhan in the group. Before long, almost every Berry on the tree was gone, only a few left behind.
Once their bellies were full, the group turned and left.
Watching that scene, Fuyuki couldn't help thinking of the mountain-like piles of Berry Entei had gathered over the past few days.