Tall trees stood like guardians, their branches and leaves interwoven into a dense canopy of shade. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the treetops, leaving mottled patches of light across the ground.
The ground was blanketed in thick fallen leaves and moss, with the occasional low shrub and colorful little flower scattered among them.
This was an uninhabited forest, home to countless wild Pokémon.
Hoothoot, Bopo, and other Pokémon rested in the trees. A breeze rustled through, leaves brushing together with a soft whisper, while all kinds of bird Pokémon chirped merrily from the branches as though performing a beautiful chorus.
The gentle sound of running water occasionally drifted over from afar. Magikarp, Lanternfish, and other Water-type Pokémon played in the lake.
Amid the dense grass, Chikorita, Sentret, and other Pokémon paused one moment and darted about the next, together displaying boundless life and vitality.
Unfortunately, the pleasant scene did not last. A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by booming thunder. A torrential downpour was about to arrive uninvited.
The Pokémon in the forest began searching for shelter from the rain, though some remained completely unmoved, as if they had no idea what was about to happen.
Only when the rain truly began to fall did they panic and hurriedly search for somewhere to hide. Yet even after being drenched for a long time, they failed to find shelter and could not help wailing where they stood.
At that moment, a fierce gust swept up the fallen leaves around them. Accompanied by a scorching aura, a massive lion-like Pokémon came racing through the rain.
His entire body seemed covered in blazing flames. The rain evaporated the instant it touched him, unable to wet him at all.
With every step he took, flames danced around him, radiating a heat that made him impossible to approach.
This was Entei, one of the Legendary Beasts and a famous Legendary Pokémon of the Johto Region. His gaze was firm and powerful, as though he could see through everything.
He came to a stop and looked around. Then he let out a roar, his voice carrying unquestionable majesty and power.
The Pokémon in the rain stopped crying. As though they had found someone to rely on, they followed Entei.
Entei began leading the group away. The temperature of his body gradually fell, no longer scorching, but warm.
After several minutes of walking, the Pokémon arrived at a cave. This was where Entei rested in this area. The cave was extremely spacious, and the Pokémon that entered shook the rainwater from their bodies before crying out gratefully to Entei.
Entei's expression did not change much. After all, this was simply his duty. Helping Pokémon in trouble was one of the responsibilities of a Legendary Beast.
Entei lay down, preparing to rest. Once the rain stopped, he would continue traveling about and helping other Pokémon in need.
"Waaah... waaah..." A crying sound drifted over from afar. It was faint, likely because it had traveled quite a distance. Entei's hearing was excellent, and even through the heavy rain, he heard it.
He immediately rose to his feet. Without caring how heavily it was still raining outside, he plunged into the downpour to search for the source of the sound.
"Waaah..." The crying continued to echo beside his ears. Though he was clearly following its source, the sound was growing fainter and fainter. What that meant went without saying. Entei quickened his pace.
Before long, Entei reached a small river nearby. The sky remained dark and gloomy, as though covered by a gray curtain.
The once-calm river had become turbulent beneath the heavy rain. Its color had turned murkier, the current had noticeably quickened, and ripples spread across the surface.
The scenery along both banks was blurred by the curtain of rain. The rushing water surged forward, scouring the riverbed and producing a ceaseless roar.
Entei's eyesight was excellent as well. Through the rain, he quickly spotted a basket on the water's surface. It had been caught on the branch of a fallen large tree by the roadside, swaying as though the swift current might sweep it away at any moment.
Entei knew very well that the sound had come from that basket.
The river's roar and the crying from within the basket formed a stark contrast, like destruction and new life locked in a struggle. The victor would be decided soon enough.
Entei swiftly went to the tree, picked up the basket caught on its branch, and quickly returned to the cave.
The Pokémon in the cave were delighted to see Entei, who had helped them, return. They jumped about around him, then turned their attention to the basket in his mouth. They were extremely curious about what it was, as though they had never seen anything like it before.
Entei nodded to the Pokémon, then set the basket down beside the cave entrance.
The rainwater on his body had long since been dried by his own warmth. Entei looked at the basket with some concern. It appeared to be something humans used. Could there be danger inside?
The crying from the basket had stopped the moment Entei picked it up. With a solemn expression, Entei opened the lid. There was nothing dangerous inside, only a baby sleeping soundly.
His cheeks were rosy and tender. Beneath his closed eyelids, his eyelashes trembled lightly. His tiny hands were clenched into fists, and his body was shivering, as if he were dreaming of something frightening.
Beside the baby was a small bottle filled with milk.
"This is... a human cub?" Entei looked utterly incredulous. How could a human appear in a place like this, especially one so small? He looked to be only a few months old at most.
Entei raised a paw and touched the baby's forehead. It was a little hot. The child was definitely running a fever. He probably was not asleep at all, but had passed out from the fever.
That made sense. The rain had been so heavy, and the basket was not waterproof. Rainwater had seeped inside and soaked the baby's body. Of course he would develop a fever.
The other Pokémon were extremely curious when they saw the baby in the basket. They had never seen a human in all their lives, and now that they had heard this was a human cub, they naturally had to take a good look.
But seeing that the cub appeared sick, they grew nervous as well. Sentret, Bulbasaur, Bellsprout, and the others looked at one another, unsure what to do. After all, no matter whose cub it was, getting sick could easily cost it its life.
Yet Entei was not overly worried. He opened his great jaws, gathering waves of scorching energy from deep within his throat. Moments later, that energy transformed into streaks of white flame and shot straight toward the unconscious baby.
Anyone unaware of the truth might have thought Entei was killing the innocent child. Little did they know that these flames were not flames of destruction, but Sacred Fire.
Sacred Fire was an exclusive move of Ho-Oh and Entei. It was not merely fire for attacking, but also possessed healing effects capable of driving away sickness and evil auras.
Sure enough, after being "burned" and treated by the Sacred Fire, the baby's body stopped trembling. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced at Entei, who had cured his fever, seeming very much at ease.
Then he closed his eyes again. Before long, soft snores could be heard. He seemed to have fallen asleep.
Seeing that the cub was all right, the other Pokémon returned to their places and sat down. It was fine. It was fine.
Yet that brief exchange of gazes stirred something within Entei. He had clearly never met this cub before, but he somehow felt strangely familiar. He had no idea why.
Perhaps it was an illusion. Or perhaps all human cubs looked about the same, and he had seen one before, which was why the baby seemed familiar.
But how had this child ended up in this uninhabited forest? Clever Entei roughly guessed that this might be a child abandoned by humans.
Thinking of that, Entei became angry. Just how heartless did parents have to be to throw their child into a river and let him be carried away, leaving him to live or die on his own?
Oh, they had thoughtfully included a bottle of milk. That meant they had a little conscience, but not much.
No wonder Lord Ho-Oh had become disappointed in humans. They had once driven Pokémon away because they feared their power, and now there were even people who did not want their own children. It was truly disappointing.
Not all humans were like this, of course, but Entei had happened to encounter such a case. It worsened his opinion of some humans even further.
If he had not met the Brave of the Rainbow and several other kind humans, he might have gone to teach this child's parents a lesson himself.
Looking at the sleeping baby, Entei considered how he should deal with this unfortunate child.
Send him back to the humans? His impression of them was terrible now. Even if he sent the child back, no one might adopt him. He might even be abandoned a second time, so Entei would absolutely not send him back.
Then what should he do? Entei already had an answer in his heart: since the humans did not want him, Entei would raise him for now and see what happened later.
He had no idea why he made such an absurd decision. It seemed he was simply following the truest thoughts in his heart.
He also did not know that from this day onward, a human and a Pokémon would become bound together.
Just then, the heavy rain stopped. The sun scattered the clouds, and warm sunlight shone into the cave, falling upon the baby sleeping soundly.
Before you continue