Ursaring and Cubone

They crossed a patch of grass and forded a small stream, arriving in an unfamiliar area.

The forest was vast, and Yan Yang hadn't been everywhere. Seeing the unfamiliar scenery around him, he felt a slight lack of security, but with his companions by his side, that sense of safety returned.

Pikachu led the way ahead, chattering as it walked, explaining what it knew.

Soon they arrived at a cave.

Unlike their home, this cave was much smaller, with no other plants around it, giving it a lifeless feel.

Their own cave was still nicer to look at.

In truth, that cave was just one of Entei's resting spots in the Johto Region, but because of Yan Yang, it had become his fixed habitat—their home.

No, now it should be called the home of three; Yan Bao was officially a member too.

Inside the cave, an Ursaring was sleeping, its loud snores indicating it was in a deep slumber. Its massive size suggested that waking it might lead to something unpleasant.

Beside it was a Cubone, likely the Ursaring's child, lying on a rock and playing by itself without making much noise, as if it too didn't want to disturb the sleeping Ursaring.

And on the rock beneath it, the description matched what Pidgey had said. If nothing was off, that was the stone Pidgey had been searching for a long time.

As expected, the moment Pidgey saw that stone, it got excited instantly, fluttering in the air: "Jie~ Yes, that's it, that's the stone I lost."

Pidgey wanted to retrieve the stone right away, gathering strength to charge over and snatch it, but Yan Yang stopped it.

Yan Yang warned Pidgey not to act rashly. The Ursaring's strength was not to be underestimated; if they forcibly took the stone, it might enrage the beast.

With Pidgey's small frame, how could it possibly beat a big bear?

Pidgey wasn't a single-minded Pokémon either. After carefully sizing up the situation and its own tiny body, it quickly reached the conclusion: their group couldn't win against the opponent.

Pidgey felt a bit dejected, but more than that, it was angry. Its own belongings were right there with the other party, and it couldn't just take them back openly—this was utterly frustrating for a Pokémon.

Yan Yang quietly observed the two bear Pokémon inside the cave:

"Ursaring (Stranger) Gender: Female Type: Normal Level: 40 Ability: Quick Feet (Speed increases when afflicted with a status condition) Item: None Moves: Omitted Status: Deep sleep Evaluation: A dangerous Pokémon. An Ursaring with a child is even more dangerous, though perhaps not."

"Cubone (Stranger) Gender: Female Type: Normal Level: 5 Ability: Honey Gather (When not holding an item, may pick up Sweet Honey after battle) Item: Pidgey's precious stone (No special effects besides heating up) Moves: Omitted Status: Awake, healthy Evaluation: A cute little bear that loves honey very much—a habit it won't outgrow. With the Honey Gather ability, it might be the happiest Cubone."

A level 40 Ursaring!

Good thing they didn't let Pidgey charge in foolishly. If the opponent wasn't easy to talk to, that would've been a suicide mission.

In the wild, Pokémon above level 40 weren't very common. Aside from those that had lived a long time, wild Pokémon without human trainers found it extremely difficult to level up—at least in this region.

Like the larger Pokémon he knew, such as Odistar's mother, the big Odistar, who was only in her twenties.

So, without guidance from other Pokémon or a stroke of luck, wild Pokémon could only gain experience through constant battles.

Without a doubt, this Ursaring was the kind of Pokémon that had been through countless fights.

Since it fought a lot, its temper probably wasn't great either. Bears might seem simple and honest, but when they go berserk, even many fierce beasts can't beat them.

Pokémon also followed certain natural laws to some extent.

So, it was better to start with the smaller one.

Since it was a bear Pokémon that loved honey the most, why not trade some honey with the Cubone for the stone?

In the small backpack Yan Yang carried, he happened to have some sweet honey chunks, which he'd gotten from a friendly Beedrill swarm not long ago.

After hearing Yan Yang's plan, Pidgey still felt a bit frustrated. Why did it have to trade something else for its own stuff? Those honey chunks looked really sweet—was it really necessary to use them for a trade?

After all, they had only just met a short while ago, so it was truly touching that they would help it like this.

The place it had lived before was fiercely competitive—food, shelter, everything had to be fought for on its own, and very few Pokémon ever offered help unprompted.

Pidgey thought to itself: With a personality like that, wouldn't he starve to death in the wild?

Whether he'd starve or not was unknown, but having a Legendary Pokémon by his side probably meant he couldn't grasp the hardships other Pokémon faced in the wild. Besides, the Pokémon in that place were all easy to get along with and often helped each other; most of what he saw were harmonious scenes.

Knowing Pidgey's concern, Yan Yang didn't say much. He also realized that he seemed to be living in a warm Pokémon society built by Entei and the others, and hadn't witnessed many harsh realities.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Yan Yang quietly crept closer to the cave.

The scent of honey drifted gently on the breeze—a fragrance with the elegance of flowers and the sweetness of fruit, deep and alluring, carrying a hint of richness.

The aroma flowed slowly through the air and soon reached Cubone's nose.

Cubone, with its insatiable sweet tooth, simply couldn't resist the temptation of honey. It glanced at the Ursaring still sound asleep nearby and saw no sign of it waking up.

Seeming to breathe a sigh of relief, Cubone climbed down from the rock and slowly shuffled out of the cave.

As soon as it stepped outside, it saw a kid and a few Pokémon standing right in front of it, looking somewhat unfriendly.

Cubone was a little scared, but the allure of honey outweighed its fear. It bravely walked toward the honey chunk in Yan Yang's hand.

When it reached Yan Yang, Cubone didn't know what to do. It rubbed its paw over its drooling mouth, looking utterly adorable.

"H-hey... c-can you give me that honey? I really like eating it." Cubone's voice was still childish and soft, making anyone want to hand over what they were holding.

But giving it away for free wasn't an option.

"Do you really want this honey?" Yan Yang held up the honey chunk to tempt it.

Cubone nodded frantically, drool already spilling from its mouth—a complete little glutton.

"But I want to eat this honey too. I can't just give it to you for nothing, right? Shouldn't you give me something in exchange?"

Pikachu and Togepi watched Yan Yang like this and felt that this human kid was pretty clever.

Cubone scratched its head. It didn't have anything on it—what could it use to trade for the delicious honey?

If it couldn't get anything, it wouldn't get the honey.

Watching Cubone think, Yan Yang felt the timing was about right and began to reveal his goal: "How about this—I like pretty stones. If you give me a nice stone in exchange, that'll do."

Cubone understood. They needed a stone. It just so happened there was one at home. Even though that stone was nice to look at and fun to play with, it was nowhere near as good as tasty honey. In this Cubone's eyes, food was far more important than toys.

After thinking it over briefly, Cubone agreed to the trade.