Flame Scarf

Winter arrived quietly.

The winter forest possessed a tranquil, mysterious beauty.

When the frigid north wind howled past, the forest was blanketed in pristine snow. The tree branches hung heavy with glittering snowflakes, and whenever sunlight pierced the clouds and shone upon the snow, it reflected a dazzling brilliance.

If someone walked through such a forest, they would find thick snow beneath their feet, every step producing a "crunch, crunch" sound.

The surrounding air was exceptionally fresh. Taking a deep breath felt as though it could cleanse every speck of dust from one's lungs. Now and then, Ice-type Pokémon or Pokémon unafraid of the cold could be seen playing in the snow, leaving trails of footprints behind.

Unfortunately, some people could no longer appreciate such beautiful scenery.

At that moment, Yan Yang was curled up in Entei's arms. Even in such a warm place, he could not stop himself from trembling.

So cold... Why was this winter so cold? And no matter how cold it was, I shouldn't be freezing this badly. Yan Yang was somewhat puzzled. Why had he become so sensitive to the cold? Back then, he had been a warrior who dared to take cold showers in winter.

Could it be that crossing over gave me abilities, but also gave me weaknesses?

Entei looked worriedly at the child beneath him, his heart filled with anxiety. He had never expected Yan Yang to be so afraid of the cold. The winters of previous years had been perfectly fine.

What surprised Entei even more was that even his usually proud flames seemed unable to dispel the chill within Yan Yang's body. There seemed to be an even stronger power inside him, preventing Entei's flames from bringing him warmth. Only Entei's normal body temperature could make Yan Yang feel even a little warm.

However, that was not actually enough for someone afraid of the cold.

It's all my fault. I clearly knew this winter would be extremely cold, so why didn't I prepare more things to ward off the chill? I'm so stupid I could cry. Entei sank into deep self-reproach.

Yan Yang could not leave his side at all right now. Only Entei's body heat could make him feel a little better, leaving Entei with no chance to go out and search for warm clothing or medicinal herbs to drive away the cold.

What was he supposed to do now? Entei was at a loss, feeling useless for the first time.

Yan Yang sensed Entei's worry and wanted to comfort him, but he was also afraid of upsetting him further. For a moment, he found himself in a dilemma.

Yan Yang remembered something and said through chattering teeth, "Dad, that scarf... the scarf you gave me. Help me get it."

Understanding immediately, Entei rose and quickly took the scarf from the basket. He hurried back and helped Yan Yang put it on.

Once the scarf was on, Yan Yang unexpectedly discovered that waves of heat seemed to be flowing from it. He still felt a little cold, but it was no longer the kind of cold that made it impossible to go outside.

Was this scarf really that effective? I only wanted to ease my condition by wearing it, but it directly solved my fear of the cold.

Yan Yang could not help examining the white scarf closely. To his surprise, God's Eye actually provided information:

Item: Entei's Flame Scarf

Origin: A special scarf made by the Legendary Pokémon Entei using a special Fire Gem, a Silk Scarf, and a wisp of Entei's own flames. Because it was crafted with concern and love for a certain special person, the scarf gained even more miraculous power.

Effect: In addition to possessing the effects of its original materials, the scarf continuously provides heat whenever its wearer feels cold.

Note: The additional effect is only effective on Yan Yang. Due to Entei's flames, the Fire Gem has undergone a special change and will not disappear after a single skill use, but it has a thirty-minute cooldown.

Only after learning what the scarf did did Yan Yang understand why he was no longer afraid of the cold.

The gift Entei had given him actually had such an effect.

And this scarf could not only be used by him—it could also be given to Entei. The Silk Scarf could increase the power of Normal-type moves, while the Fire Gem, originally a one-time item that strengthened moves, had now become a permanent item.

Although it had a thirty-minute cooldown, that was no big deal. Entei's Normal-type and Fire-type moves would both receive a fairly significant boost.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

However, with Entei's strength, he probably would not need this thing, right? There were not many Pokémon capable of making Entei use his full strength, were there?

It would be great if Entei had one more Normal typing. Entei can still learn plenty of Normal-type moves, and with a Normal type, many of those moves would receive a same-type bonus.

He had already observed that many of this world's Pokémon battle mechanics were similar to the games, including but not limited to same-type bonuses, type matchups, Ability activations, item usage... In short, many things were the same, though some things differed.

Ahem, I seem to have gone a little off-topic. I don't need to consider any of that right now.

When Entei noticed that Yan Yang no longer seemed afraid of the cold, he was somewhat puzzled and asked him what had just happened.

After thinking about it, Yan Yang told Entei what the scarf did.

Entei was surprised as well. He had never imagined that the scarf would be so helpful with Yan Yang's fear of the cold. Back then, he had merely wanted to infuse a little of his own flame into it, so that the scarf would carry his aura and make Yan Yang feel more at ease. He had never expected it to produce such a special effect. It was truly unheard of.

Still, Entei felt that Yan Yang had been rather strange lately.

Ever since his last birthday, Yan Yang seemed to have changed a great deal. He used to love acting spoiled and being stubborn, and he had been innocent and childish. Recently, however, he seemed much more mature and rarely acted like a child anymore. Although he still liked snuggling against Entei and sleeping on him, Entei still felt that he was very different now.

Yan Yang was only five years old. This was not the age when humans suddenly matured, was it?

Furthermore, Yan Yang knew many things, especially a great deal about Pokémon. Entei had never taught him many of those things, yet he knew so much—he even knew many things Entei himself had never heard of. Including this time: how had he known what the scarf did when even Entei himself had not known?

It seemed little Yan Yang had his own secret now, and it was definitely no small secret.

Entei looked at Yan Yang happily fiddling with the scarf and shook his head.

Why am I thinking so much? A child is a child. As long as he still calls me Father and recognizes me as his dad, he will forever be my child, no matter what he becomes or what his origins are.

Seeing Entei deep in thought, Yan Yang still felt somewhat nervous. He knew Entei would wonder why he knew so many things.

The change in his mindset would affect his behavior. Entei was very smart and would definitely notice. Yan Yang himself had not made much effort to hide it either, acting openly as if he were afraid Entei would not notice his recently strange behavior. Yet inwardly, he was more panicked than anyone.

His plan was to wait for a suitable opportunity before explaining his situation to Entei. Everything would then fall into place naturally.

If Entei asked him directly, he probably would not lie to him. It seemed he could not bring himself to lie in front of such a powerful yet gentle Pokémon dad.

At most, he would steer the conversation elsewhere.

Arceus and the others basically all know about my situation, so why can't my dad know? And if I meet them in the future, I probably won't be able to hide it from Entei anyway. I might as well tell him directly when I get the chance.

What worried him, though, was whether Entei would still want him after learning the truth about him.

Even though he felt there was an eighty percent chance Entei would not abandon him, he could not help being afraid. Something this outrageous would make anyone uncomfortable. Even Pokémon would find it hard to accept someone who did not belong to this world, right?

After all, those who were not of one's kind must harbor different intentions.

Fortunately, no matter how strange Entei found him, he never asked what had happened to him.

Yan Yang was grateful that Entei had not raised any questions. Otherwise, he truly would not have known what to do.

Perhaps one day in the future, even if Entei still did not ask, he would take the initiative to tell him.

Yan Yang thought about it for a long time. In the end, sleepiness overtook him, and he lay back down in Entei's embrace, falling into a deep sleep.

Entei gently raised a paw and adjusted his scarf into a shape more suitable for sleeping.

Outside the cave, the snow was still falling, as if it intended to drape the forest in even more white.