Chapter 5: Entei: From Today, I Am His Father
In the forest with autumn leaves falling, a strong and agile figure carried a young child, running swiftly over the golden blanket of fallen leaves.
Rustle, rustle!
The thick, powerful pads of Entei crushed the dry, fragile leaves beneath it, creating a rustling sound.
Entei's golden-red eyes stared ahead.
The little one's parents had died protecting Pokémon, so as a member of the Ho-Oh's sacred guardians, it was Entei's responsibility to care for their child.
Now that the little one had no parents, from today on, Entei would be his father!
Entei was heading toward Mt. Tengan, their territory. Not only was Entei there, but also Mewtwo, Suicune, Raikou, and Ho-Oh itself.
Secondly, the little one's existence required Ho-Oh's approval.
While Entei was lost in thought, it suddenly felt the little one grabbing at its fur.
Entei quickly refocused, slowing down, and finally stopped next to a towering tree.
Turning around, Entei looked at the little one. Its usual stern, majestic gaze softened with a hint of affection.
"What's wrong?" Entei asked telepathically.
Though Holt still couldn't speak, Entei felt certain the little one could understand.
At that moment, Holt felt completely numb.
From the moment he was carried away from the human town by Entei, he still couldn't quite comprehend what was happening.
Had Entei kidnapped him?
No, that was impossible...
But right now, more importantly, he really needed to pee!
"Ee-ee-ya-ya!"
Let me down!
Seeing Holt's panicked expression, seemingly trying to tell it something, Entei couldn't help but feel a little troubled.
What was wrong with the little one?
Just as Entei was about to ask, it suddenly felt a warm sensation running down its back.
Holt's body stiffened, and he had a look of resigned determination on his face.
This was it… Holt thought. Entei would probably just bite him to death now, right?
Entei's pupils shrank as it suddenly realized what had happened!
At the same time, a response appeared on the once still panel in Holt's mind.
[Legendary Pokémon Entei's dignity cannot be violated. Your action of urinating on a Legendary Pokémon not only shocked others but also marked the first time in Entei's life.]
[How many first times are there in life? Entei's shock points +5!]
"..."
Five minutes later.
In the forest, a clear stream flowed gently.
Entei's entire body was submerged in the water, with only its head visible. Its golden-red eyes stared toward the bank where Holt sat.
There seemed to be a look of helplessness in Entei's eyes.
Holt was feeling very guilty. Thankfully, Entei hadn't killed him, but instead, it had found a river and jumped in to cool off.
But seeing Entei's comical appearance while bathing, Holt couldn't help but giggle.
Entei: ...
The next moment, Entei stood up from the water. Its massive body leaped gracefully, landing perfectly on the bank.
Entei shook off the water from its fur, then summoned the fire energy within its body. In an instant, the water in its orange-red fur was dried.
Then, Entei moved its powerful legs, walked slowly over to Holt, lay down behind him, and began licking its fur.
Of course, it wasn't literally fur, but rather the way Entei, being a big cat Pokémon, cleaned itself to stay tidy and neat.
As Entei's tongue passed over his face, Holt was left in shock.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, one that he had never dared to consider.
Could it be that Entei saw him as its... cub?
But that was impossible, right?
After all, they had only known each other for a few days.
Could it be because Entei saw that he had lost both parents and felt sorry for him? Or perhaps it was because, once back in the human town, no one would take care of him? So out of compassion, sympathy, or perhaps even a sense of responsibility as a member of the Ho-Oh guardians, Entei decided to adopt him?
Had the time they spent together made Entei see caring for him as a responsibility?
Holt was in awe.
If that was the case... then everything Entei had done made sense!
What was this?
Though shocked, Holt didn't find it impossible to accept.
After all, there had been many instances in anime where humans were adopted and raised by Pokémon.
For example, in the movie featuring Satoshi and the Nidorans, or the anime where a child lost their parents in a plane crash and was adopted and raised by a kind Dragonite.
"Does this mean... from now on, I'll live with Entei?" Holt thought, both shocked and happy.
He was shocked that this Legendary Pokémon, Entei, was adopting him, a human child, as its cub.
And happy because he wouldn't have to part with Entei.
After all, his parents were gone, and he had no relatives in this world. Entei was now the only family he knew.
More importantly...
The recent "peeing incident" had allowed Holt to figure out how to use his cheat system.
While Entei continued to lick its fur, Holt focused his mind, and the panel appeared in front of him once again.
What was once 0 shock points now turned into 5.
This meant he could now exchange for a bottle of MooMoo Milk.
[MooMoo Milk: 100% nutritious milk, produced in the big milk cans, long-term consumption helps strengthen the body. Required to exchange: 5 shock points.]
"No... I should save it up. What if I encounter something special later on?" Holt thought.
At that moment, Entei had finished licking its fur.
It seemed to realize that Holt was still too young to handle the long journey, so instead of continuing on, Entei lay down on the golden leaves, offering itself as a large, fluffy cushion for Holt.
Holt turned and looked at Entei. It seemed that Entei had sensed his gaze, for it opened its eyes and met his stare.
"What's wrong?" Entei silently asked.
But the little one didn't respond.
Instead, he awkwardly turned around and gently reached out to touch Entei's face.
Entei froze for a moment but made no move to stop him.
Entei really was a handsome Pokémon!
In real life, Entei's appearance was a blend of a lion and a Tibetan Mastiff, looking both mighty and dignified.
Holt couldn't resist and leaned in to give Entei a kiss on the cheek.
The next moment, he felt Entei stiffen.
Then, the panel appeared again with a notification.
[Entei, who has been solitary since birth, has never been this close to anyone or any Pokémon. Your affectionate gesture has greatly surprised Entei.]
["Perhaps the little one has already seen me as his father," Entei's shock points +5!]