From the Past

Some creatures, after hatching from their eggs, often have their first meal from the broken eggshells around them.

The Pokémon standing in a little nest wrapped in a soft blanket, gulping down eggshells, was the same.

This Pokémon had soft yet thick fur and stood on all fours, looking somewhat like Growlithe, Officer Jenny's standard partner.

However, compared to Growlithe's black-and-orange fur, its coat was longer and more vivid, predominantly red with black stripes.

Its greatest difference from Growlithe was its nearly milky-white tail, the milky-white mane that even covered its eyes, and the small yet extremely sharp horn Above Head.

Unlike the delighted Pokémon around him, Luo Mu blinked, shock instantly appearing on his face.

This was a Growlithe recorded as having lived in ancient Sinnoh, namely the Hisui Region. It could be called the ancestor of modern Growlithe—a Growlithe that should have gone extinct by now.

Logically, this Pokémon should have been extinct long ago. How had it Appeared before Granny Juzi's explorer son?

Luo Mu could not figure it out. Was it caused by Dialga's power? Or were there still a few Hisuian Growlithe and Hisuian Arcanine living somewhere he did not know about?

Since he could not figure it out, he decided not to think about it. Luo Mu was easygoing about such things. A Hisuian Form was a Hisuian Form; it did not stop him from raising it.

Luo Mu quickly had Serperior and Dragonite bring over warm water and the Moomoo Milk that had been kept warm. Once Growlithe had finished eating and still seemed hungry, he carefully stepped forward.

Growlithe seemed Not Yet to have opened its eyes. It pressed its nose to the blanket and sniffed here and there, seemingly searching for food to fill its stomach.

Luo Mu's footsteps startled Growlithe, but once its keen nose caught his scent, it quickly calmed down. It obediently sat where it was, waiting for Luo Mu to feed it.

Luo Mu only felt that this Growlithe was as adorable as Dragonite had been when it was little. He bent down, picked Growlithe up, and set it on his lap. Taking the towel Serperior handed over with its vines—wrung dry, carrying only a trace of moisture and warmth—he gently wiped Growlithe's body.

His original plan had been to bathe the newborn Pokémon, which still had some sticky fluid on its body, with warm water. He had not expected it to hatch into a Fire- and Rock-Type Growlithe. Being four times weak to water, it was better suited to a cleansing sand bath like some Ground Type Pokémon than a warm-water bath.

That was something he had not considered.

With Moltres here and the towel containing little water, Growlithe's fur dried quickly despite being somewhat long.

Next, Luo Mu took the bottle of warm Moomoo Milk, held Growlithe in his arms, and fed it with practiced, gentle movements.

Not far away, Dragonite looked at the familiar blue bottle from its memories, and a glistening droplet seeped from the Corners of the Mouth.

It still remembered how Luo Mu had held it and fed it milk when it was little. Back then, it had only thought the warm Moomoo Milk was incredibly delicious.

Now, watching Growlithe enjoy Luo Mu's meticulous care just as it once had brought about a different feeling.

Perhaps because it had been cooped up In the Pokémon Egg for too long, Growlithe guzzled down two full bottles of Moomoo Milk. Only after its little belly had become round and full did it let out a milky burp and stop eating.

Pokémon were far more adaptable than ordinary animals. While feeding it, Luo Mu noticed a pair of eyes hidden beneath Growlithe's fur, watching him intently yet innocently.

A process that ordinary animals needed several days to complete took Growlithe less than half an hour.

"Woof woof~~"

Having eaten its fill, Growlithe was clearly much more energetic. Everything in the outside world was full of attraction to it.

It looked left and right, quickly noticing the Pokémon gathered in the room.

Luo Mu had thought Growlithe would be scared or wary, but unexpectedly, it was like someone with social anxiety. Its four limbs were still a little unsteady as it walked, yet it went to each Pokémon and used its tiny black nose to sniff their scents one by one.

Eldegoss and the Gossifleur greeted Growlithe warmly, and Growlithe happily responded.

But Luo Mu's five main Pokémon could not quite relax. They stood stiffly in place and simply let Growlithe sniff them, not daring to make the slightest reckless move, as though afraid that an inadvertent movement might hurt this tiny life.

Seeing the beginnings of doting affection on their faces, Luo Mu could only feel that the farm would probably produce a little tyrant in the future—one who feared neither heaven nor earth, with a whole group of aunties and uncles backing it up.

Growlithe trotted along happily. Its adaptability was downright terrifying; after merely sniffing around once, its gait had already become steady enough for it to bounce along.

It hopped over to Moltres, whose body was likewise stiff and who seemed somewhat at a loss. After sniffing it with its tiny nose, Growlithe's eyes hidden beneath its fur lit up. "Woof woof!" (Mama!)

Moltres was so startled by that cry that it completely forgot the dignity and bearing of a Legendary Pokémon. It plopped onto the ground, its pupils shaking wildly as though struck by an earthquake.

Growlithe paid no attention to Moltres's reaction. After rubbing its head against it, it turned and Looked at Luo Mu.

Serperior, which had been somewhat gleeful over Moltres's misfortune, suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Woof woof!" (Papa!)

Bang—!

With a loud crash, Serperior lost control of the force in its happily swaying tail tip and directly punched a large hole through the wooden floor.

Serperior was trembling with rage, its entire body in a blazing red state.

It had never expected that, despite all its precautions, an anomaly would appear in the house!

This Moltres had fallen from the sky less than half a month ago, yet it was already this scheming!!

Certain that little Growlithe could not possibly understand anything and that Moltres had to be stirring things up behind the scenes, Serperior glared furiously at Moltres, which had been frozen in place by Growlithe's single sentence.

Luo Mu did not understand what Growlithe meant. He only thought it was acting cute. Under the strange gazes of the other Pokémon, he smiled, crouched down, and expertly rubbed its fluffy head.

Serperior—sank!

That night, no matter how lively Growlithe's hatching had been, once it tired itself out and showed obvious sleepiness, Luo Mu arranged for the other Pokémon to return to their own nests to rest. If they did not sleep soon, it would be midnight.

According to his observations, aside from himself, Growlithe seemed especially close to Moltres. Was it because of the influence from those days during its hatching?

Luo Mu did not hesitate for long. He temporarily moved Moltres's sleeping place into the house, and considering that Growlithe had just been born, he also temporarily slept in the living room.

That night, Serperior lay in its empty bed, gritting its teeth in fury.