Night finally fell.
Darkness swallowed the land, and all of Viridian Forest sank into pitch black silence. Cold wind swept through the trees, and Fuyuki couldn't stop shivering.
From time to time, faint rustling sounds came from outside, probably wild Pokemon moving through grass and brush.
Curled up inside the tree hollow, he didn't dare move.
Wild Pokemon were dangerous. If it were something like Pikachu, he might survive, but if he ran into Beedrill or Arbok, that would be the end. A full reset on the spot.
Right now, he felt hungry, exhausted, and freezing.
With a flicker of thought, a pale blue panel slowly appeared in front of him.
The code he had personally written in his previous life, adapted from a web novel, now unfolded completely before his eyes.
[Shock Value System: A magical cheat ability that generates currency by shocking others. Currency can be used in the shop to exchange for items and tools.]
This was the cheat ability of the protagonist from Reincarnated in Another World, Grow Stronger by Shocking Others. In the original story, the system allowed the main character to exchange points for all kinds of abilities.
But for some reason, possibly due to world integration, those abilities were gone.
In their place were items that fit the Pokemon world.
Things like Moomoo Milk, Casteliacones, various Berries, Energy Cubes, Poke Balls, Potions, attack boosters, evolution stones, and more.
There were also plenty of strange items.
Furniture like premium fabric sofas, wallpapers, luxurious double beds.
And even Pokemon-world-exclusive black technology.
[Secret Power: A mysterious force that can be used to excavate mountains or tree trunks, creating a Secret Base.]
[Space Technology: Developed using Palkia's spatial power. Compresses space to increase storage capacity.]
Right now, all Fuyuki wanted was a warm cup of Moomoo Milk to fill his stomach.
But a single bottle cost 5 Shock Points.
He had been in this world for less than a year, trapped in the confused state of infancy. He'd had no chance to earn any points at all.
A dangerous forest. No food. Bitter cold.
Maybe he really was going to die here.
He could clearly feel his strength slipping away.
Cold… so cold…
His consciousness slowly faded.
He didn't know how much time passed. Maybe only minutes. Maybe several hours.
In his haze, warmth slowly returned to his body, as if something soft and furry had wrapped around him.
Mom…
He murmured softly without thinking.
Beneath an ancient tree in Viridian Forest, Entei lowered its head, watching the human infant burrow closer into its thick fur. Its feelings were tangled and complicated.
Had this child mistaken it for his mother?
The image of the lifeless woman in the overturned car surfaced in its mind.
Your mother is already gone, Entei thought.
She died protecting Pokemon from those vile Pokemon Hunters.
Looking at the infant again, its gaze filled with sympathy, pity, and something even harder to name.
It let out a quiet sigh, then carefully curled around the child, using its own body heat to keep him warm.
The night passed in silence.
The next morning, when Fuyuki opened his eyes, a massive furry face filled his vision.
"Waaah!"
He yelped in fright.
In the next instant, the tightly closed eyes on that face snapped open, revealing a pair of majestic golden-red eyes staring straight at him.
That was… Entei?!
It came back? And it had used its body heat to help him survive the night?!
Fuyuki froze.
Then his stomach let out a loud growl.
Entei's gaze slowly dropped and settled on his belly.
The human infant was hungry.
Without saying a word, the legendary beast stood up, shook the dew from its fur, placed the child back into the tree hollow, and ran off into the distance.
Hungry… so hungry!
After more than ten hours without food or water, Fuyuki felt like his stomach was glued to his spine.
Even so, he scrambled to the edge of the hollow, peeking outside.
Where did Entei go?
He didn't know why Entei treated him like this, but one thing was clear. Right now, Entei was the only thing he could rely on.
If it abandoned him, he would die here today.
Entei didn't go far.
It quickly found a wild Berry tree, picked several Berries, and returned to the tree hollow.
From a distance, it saw the infant poking his head out, looking around anxiously, as if searching for something, waiting for something.
The moment their gazes met, Entei clearly saw the child's eyes light up.
Was he… looking for me?
That realization surprised it.
Carrying the Berries in its mouth, Entei walked over and placed them in front of the child.
Berries were a miraculous fruit in the Pokemon world, packed with rich nutrients. Many Pokemon relied on them as food.
So it went to find food for him!
Pokemon really were intelligent creatures.
Grateful, Fuyuki glanced at Entei, then grabbed a Berry with both hands like someone dying of thirst finding water. With teeth that hadn't fully grown in yet, he tore open the skin and eagerly sucked out the juice.
Entei lay down like a giant cat, resting its massive head on its forepaws, eyes unblinking as it watched the infant eat.
After finishing one Berry, Fuyuki felt energy return to his body.
He let out a satisfied burp, then looked up at Entei, suddenly remembering something.
Entei had worked so hard to find food for him. It probably hadn't eaten yet.
He picked up another Berry and held it out toward the legendary beast as thanks for saving his life.
Even though Entei had found the Berries, he couldn't just eat everything himself. That would be rude.
Entei froze.
It stared at the child's bright, shining eyes.
This child… was sharing his food with it?