"Marshadow, after I leave, I'll have to rely on you to help look after the Little One."
After coaxing the child to sleep, Entei found Marshadow within the shadows and spoke quietly.
"I know," Marshadow nodded.
After observing him through the winter, it no longer felt the same resistance toward this human infant as before.
Besides, the kid even shared his milk with it.
Seeing Marshadow agree, Entei finally relaxed.
Still uneasy, it went over the things to watch out for one more time.
Marshadow twitched its mouth.
When did Entei get so talkative?
"Once I drive those evil people away, I'll come back right away," Entei said at last.
"Got it," Marshadow replied, a hint of helplessness in its voice.
Entei turned and walked over to Fuyuki. Lowering its fluffy head, it gently rubbed against the child's cheek. Then, with clear reluctance, it straightened up and took one final look at him.
Moments later, Entei left the cave. That blazing red figure quickly vanished into the forest.
After it was gone, only Marshadow and Fuyuki remained inside.
Marshadow let out a quiet sigh, then slipped into the child's shadow, silently keeping watch.
Time passed.
Outside, the sky slowly darkened. Far off, vast stretches of fiery clouds spread across the horizon, crimson light spilling into the cave.
Raikou stepped inside at an unhurried pace. It stared at the so-called wicked human infant lying on the bed of leaves, snorting softly through its nose.
"Hm…"
As Fuyuki opened his eyes, he saw a lithe figure standing not far away.
Thinking it was Entei, he called out instinctively, "Entei~"
But the backlit figure didn't come closer like it always did. It stayed where it was, those faintly glowing eyes fixed on him.
Fuyuki froze. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, only to realize it wasn't Entei at all, but another of the Legendary Beasts, Raikou.
Entei was already gone…
A wave of disappointment washed over him.
Then a cold voice sounded directly in his mind.
"I'm not Entei. I won't treat you the way Entei does."
After speaking, Raikou walked to the opposite side of the cave, keeping its distance. It lay down, closed its eyes, and seemed to settle into rest.
Fuyuki: "…"
Faced with Raikou's indifference, a sense of grievance crept into his chest.
He hadn't done anything to upset it, had he?
If it were Entei, it would have already rushed over, curled up beside him, and warmed him with its fluffy body.
…Forget it.
He wasn't a little kid. He could take care of himself.
"Grrr…"
His stomach growled.
Fuyuki stood up and wobbled over to the basket of Berries Entei had picked earlier that day, reaching in to grab one.
In the past few months, when his baby teeth hadn't come in yet, Entei would always use Sacred Fire to roast the Berries until they were soft enough for him to eat.
Now that Entei was gone, the Berries in the basket felt especially cold.
The Berry was cold going down, leaving his stomach chilled too.
Early spring was still bitterly cool, and without Entei, the entire cave felt cold.
He tried to keep sleeping, but woke again not long after, shivering.
No bed. No blanket. No Entei to keep him warm.
So cold…
Night deepened. Pale moonlight streamed through the cave entrance.
In the dim glow, Raikou slowly opened its eyes and looked at the human infant trembling nearby.
This had nothing to do with it.
Raikou didn't want to get involved, but the words it had spoken to Entei about protecting the child surfaced again in its mind.
…Fine. I already promised Entei.
Just as Fuyuki hesitated, wondering whether to spend some Shock Points to buy a blanket from the shop, a shadow suddenly moved beside him.
That was… Raikou?!
Before he could react, Raikou had already lain down next to him, like a tiger guarding its cub. He was the cub, and Raikou the tiger.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want you freezing to death and leaving me unable to explain things to Entei," Raikou said coldly.
Fuyuki: "…"
For some reason, this version of Raikou made him a little uneasy.
Unlike Entei, Raikou felt hard to approach, distant and unwelcoming.
He didn't dare act the way he had with Entei, climbing all over it or burying his face in its fur whenever he wanted. He could only lean lightly against Raikou's short, smooth coat, drawing in what warmth he could.
Before long, he felt noticeably less cold.
Now he could finally sleep properly.
Letting out a quiet breath, he shifted slightly, about to drift off, when he suddenly heard a low grunt from Raikou.
Fuyuki's eyes flew open as he looked over.
"Raikou?"
Raikou's eyes stayed shut, giving no response.
But Fuyuki caught a faint scent of blood in the air.
It was coming from Raikou's foreleg.
And that was exactly where he'd been resting his head.
Fuyuki scrambled up at once and cried out in the Pokemon language, "You're hurt!"
Raikou opened its eyes, voice still stiff and cold. "That has nothing to do with you."
This return to Mount Tensei had been for the sake of healing.
Unlike Pokemon trained by humans, who could be taken to a Pokemon Center when injured, wild Pokemon had no such luxury. When hurt, they could only find a safe place and wait to recover on their own.
During this trip, Raikou had run into a particularly strong group of humans. Their target seemed to be it. Working together, they attacked from all sides, trying to capture it.
Raikou had called down heavenly lightning and punished those with ill intent, but it had been injured in the process, no longer able to roam freely as before.
That was why it had returned to Mount Tensei, intending to wait until its wounds healed.
In Raikou's view, none of this concerned the human infant.
But as its words fell, the child climbed to his feet.
Then, without knowing what he did, Raikou suddenly saw a strange bottle appear in the child's hand.
[Potion: A basic spray-type healing item that can treat some of a Pokemon's injuries and restore stamina. Exchange required: 50 Shock Points.]
Fuyuki held the Potion and sprayed it over Raikou's injured foreleg.
The next moment, something incredible happened.
Under the effect of the spray, the wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The dull ache in its leg faded away. Raikou stared, eyes wide, shock and disbelief written across its face.
This human infant… was actually treating its injuries?!