Slowly opening his eyes, Abra looked at the dark surroundings and quickly recalled what had happened before he fainted.
He remembered that some time ago, a group of people came to the island and attacked the Pokémon living here.
To protect him from being discovered, his father first sent him away, then drew the pursuers away.
After that, his father never came back, and Abra began a wandering life.
Still just a child, Abra grew up quickly. But without many ways to fight, he could only sneakily grab some berries to eat. Once discovered by other wild Pokémon, his only choice was to use Teleport to escape.
In such an environment, there would always be times when Abra couldn't evade the attacks perfectly.
One mistake left a wound on his back from a Raticate.
If not for his quick use of Teleport, he would have become that Raticate's meal.
Thinking about that, Abra couldn't help but shiver.
Suddenly remembering what had happened, Abra touched his wound and was surprised to find it bandaged, though it still stung faintly.
"You're awake. Eat something first. That will help you heal."
Out of nowhere, Gu Yuan's voice sounded, startling Abra.
On instinct, Abra tried to use Teleport to escape. But the movement pulled his wound, slowing his reaction.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. This is my place. I also wrapped the wound on your back. So you can relax."
Gu Yuan placed a bowl of soup, made from dried meat he had collected, in front of Abra. Then he stepped back, leaving plenty of space.
Catching his breath, Abra stopped thinking about fleeing. He considered Gu Yuan's words carefully. It did seem like he had wandered into someone else's home. And the bandaged wound was proof.
But that wasn't the most important thing. The real issue was that the soup smelled so good.
After so long without a proper meal, just smelling it made Abra's body move on its own.
"Growl…"
Under the smell's temptation, his stomach growled loudly, as if begging for the soup.
"Go ahead and eat. Don't worry, there's plenty. I made a lot."
Smiling, Gu Yuan walked to the cave entrance and ate his own portion.
Charmeleon and Eevee, who had eaten only fruit for days, now enjoyed a change of diet and ate happily.
With the food in front of him, and with others eating too, Abra could no longer resist. He picked up the bowl and began drinking.
In no time, the soup was gone.
Abra glanced at the pot outside the cave. He wanted more but couldn't bring himself to ask.
Gu Yuan, acting like a caring big brother, served him another bowl.
Without hesitation, Abra drank again, gulp after gulp.
Seeing this, Gu Yuan smiled. Wasn't this a good start?
After three bowls, Abra finally stopped, satisfied.
Rubbing his full belly, he felt it was the happiest day since his father had left.
"You can stay here until your wound heals. Then you can go. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
After lunch, Gu Yuan spoke gently to Abra.
To be honest, when saying such words, Gu Yuan felt like a man trying to invite a woman to his house, saying that they'll just watch a movie and have dinner together, nothing more.
But for the innocent Abra, this worked perfectly.
In his simple thoughts, Gu Yuan was now completely different from the bad men who hunted him and his father.
Accepting Gu Yuan's arrangement, Abra nodded obediently.
After eating, with a sense of safety he hadn't felt in a long time, Abra allowed himself to feel sleepy in front of others.
At this stage, even if he didn't practice psychic powers, an Abra needed to sleep about 18 hours a day. Otherwise, his brain would tire out.
But in his past life on the run, peaceful sleep was impossible. He had always forced himself to stay awake.
"Go ahead and sleep. You'll be safe here."
Gu Yuan patted Abra's small head, gently lulling him to sleep.
After only a moment of resistance, Abra dozed off.
Gu Yuan covered him with a blanket, feeling a pang of pity.
Though he didn't know Abra's full story, he could guess.
It reminded him of himself, wandering alone, with no sense of safety, afraid he would never wake if he closed his eyes.
Thankfully, Gu Yuan now had the strength to protect himself, to create his own sense of safety.
Perhaps too tired, Abra slept an entire day.
During this time, Gu Yuan didn't stop. He went out to battle wild Pokémon nearby.
When Abra woke again, it was already the next evening.
The first thing he smelled was the familiar scent of soup.
It was still soup, partly because ingredients were limited, partly because Gu Yuan's cooking skills were lacking. Even making soup was already considered impressive for him, so he was afraid of messing up if he tried something more complicated.
After all, his goal was to use cooking to win Abra over as a partner, not to drive him away with a messy dish.
Once more, Abra showed his appetite, drinking three bowls in a row.
Patting his round belly, his crescent-shaped eyes curved happily. Though truth be told, Abra's eyes always looked like that.
The next day, Gu Yuan had to travel farther; if not, he wouldn't be able to get more points, but this time, Abra accompanied him, hanging on him as if he were afraid that Gu Yuan would disappear at any moment.
He had no choice in the matter. Leaving Abra alone in the cave, sleeping by himself, wasn't safe. So Gu Yuan carried him along. He didn't need Abra to fight anyway.
In Gu Yuan's arms, Abra felt warmth he hadn't known for a long time.
Seeing Gu Yuan, Charmeleon, and Eevee fight side by side so closely, Abra felt envy.
In that moment, he missed his father and the feeling of having a family.
Gu Yuan, meanwhile, was focused on battles. He couldn't watch Abra's feelings at every moment.
Back at the cave, Gu Yuan let Charmeleon and Eevee play freely while he cooked.
According to his plan, in two or three days he would face the final hunt. He needed to leave behind food that was hard to carry and make dried rations for the last stretch.
Looking at Gu Yuan, then at Charmeleon and Eevee, Abra felt like he had finally found home.