Lost Togepi, Troubled Houndoom

Meanwhile, in a forest near Fallen Leaf Town.

Two Pokémon familiar to Yan Yang were moving through the trees.

They were none other than Pikachu and Togepi.

On this sunny morning, Pikachu and Togepi traveled together, the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the canopy and draping both Pokémon in a warm, golden glow.

Pikachu hopped along energetically in the lead, occasionally stopping to wait for Togepi behind it, as its pace was naturally a bit slower.

Togepi followed closely with a waddling gait, its round body swaying with every step, looking exceptionally adorable.

Every few paces, Togepi would stop out of curiosity, using its large eyes to observe everything new around it. Sometimes, it would discover a beautiful flower or a unique leaf, excitedly calling out for Pikachu to come and share in the joy.

Pikachu loved this side of Togepi, though it did significantly slow down their journey.

However, having just helped a lost Sandshrew, there was no real rush to get anywhere.

As they walked, they arrived at an open area filled with colorful flowers. Many Butterfree and Beedrill were fluttering about, along with ordinary butterflies and bees, all seemingly drawn by the blossoms.

Because there were so many flowers, the two types of Pokémon did not come into conflict, not to mention the ordinary butterflies and bees; thanks to this, the sea of flowers appeared even more vibrant.

Pikachu and Togepi were deeply captivated by the scene before them; it was the first time they had seen such a beautiful sight.

Why don't we rest here for today? both Pokémon thought to themselves.

Their thoughts were truly in sync, and after confirming it, Pikachu decided to make this their temporary resting spot.

Pikachu told Togepi it was going to find some food and instructed Togepi to stay put.

Then, Pikachu left.

Togepi waited quietly in place for Pikachu to return.

Pikachu was its big brother and took great care of it, so Togepi was quite obedient.

After waiting for a while, Pikachu still hadn't returned, and Togepi gradually began to feel a bit bored.

Just then, a particularly beautiful yellow butterfly caught its attention.

It was the same color as Pikachu.

If it could catch it, Pikachu would surely be very happy.

With that, Togepi made up its mind to catch that yellow butterfly.

And so, Togepi followed the butterfly, wandering further and further away...

When Pikachu returned with enough food for both of them to have a full meal, it discovered that Togepi was gone. It called out several times with no response, and immediately felt a surge of worry.

It began searching everywhere, calling out Togepi's name, but the forest was too vast, and Togepi seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Please, don't let anything happen, Pikachu prayed silently while it searched.

On the other side, Togepi didn't know how far it had traveled, but after a great deal of effort, it finally caught the butterfly.

It was overjoyed; Pikachu would definitely love this butterfly and would surely praise it.

However, Togepi looked around and found the surroundings very unfamiliar; it seemed to have no idea where it was.

It appeared to be lost.

Togepi felt a bit scared, and in a moment of carelessness, the butterfly in its hands flew away.

"Ah, my butterfly!" Togepi was heartbroken. Now the butterfly was gone, and it was lost; Pikachu would surely scold it.

Scolding is one thing, but please, let me find it soon.

Togepi was naturally timid, and although it had improved after its adventures with Pikachu, it was still very frightened when left all alone.

Because of this, its walking became frantic, and it didn't notice the slope beneath its feet, accidentally stepping on a small stone and losing its balance.

"Toge-toge~!" Togepi let out a cry of alarm, and immediately began to roll down the slope. Its small body tumbled across the grass, slowly at first, then faster and faster.

Fortunately, the slope wasn't steep and the ground was covered in soft grass, so Togepi only suffered minor injuries, though it felt quite dizzy.

Perhaps it was psychological, but Togepi felt like it was in a lot of pain.

It couldn't help but start to cry.

A few Pokémon passed by, but none stopped to ask what had happened.

Pokémon surviving in the wild didn't pay much attention to the plight of strangers, and since Togepi wasn't seriously hurt, the others chose not to intervene.

At this moment, a black Pokémon was running nearby; if Entei were here, it certainly wouldn't find it unfamiliar.

It was the Houndoom belonging to that villain named Qing Mu, the one from when they rescued Raikou.

Houndoom carried a bundle on its back, containing items its master had ordered it to retrieve from others.

As a clever dog, it was only natural to help its trainer shoulder the burden.

It was just a pity that he still seemed so heartless, barely acknowledging it at all.

Although he had stopped hitting it after the last incident, his attitude remained cold.

I really wish he would praise me, Houndoom thought, just as it heard a cry coming from somewhere in the distance.

It seemed that a Pokémon was seeking help.

Houndoom felt a bit restless.

However, its master had set a time limit, requiring it to return by 12:00 PM. At its current speed, it would have more than enough time, but if it went to help that Pokémon, it would certainly be late.

Moreover, its master had always taught it to be fierce and to break the bad habit of being a busybody.

If it became the kind of Pokémon its master liked, then he would surely like it, right?

Thinking this, Houndoom tried hard not to listen to the crying and charged forward blindly.

However, after running only a few dozen meters, Houndoom stopped again.

It hesitated.

The crying continued, sounding incredibly sorrowful.

Judging by the sound, it seemed to be a rather young Pokémon.

Should it really just ignore it?

What if something truly terrible happened?

Houndoom was at a loss for what to do.

On one side was its beloved master, and on the other was a young Pokémon that might be in trouble.

Houndoom felt its brain was about to crash.

It desperately wanted to walk away and be a Pokémon that listened to its master.

But was it right to just leave like this?

Houndoom remembered its mother.

She was a Houndoom who had been driven out of her original pack because of her weak personality.

It must have inherited its personality from her.

After she left, she found it abandoned right after birth and raised it with great difficulty.

In truth, she didn't have to do that for a member of the same species with no blood relation.

But she did it anyway.

In the end, she accidentally led it into the territory of other Pokémon, where she was beaten into a critical state and left with little time to live.

It had cried for a long time back then.

She showed no signs of sadness; instead, she was very calm and spoke her final words to it: "I hope you won't be as cruel as those others, okay? Don't be influenced by the evil within you, can you do that?"

It promised her, and then watched with its own eyes as that Houndoom passed away, her expression remaining peaceful.

After simply handling the body, it, still a Houndour then, began its life as a stray.

It tried hard to forget the existence of that Houndoom, yet it kept her final words etched in its heart.

It didn't know how long it had wandered before it met its current master.

Even though he was a bit fierce, always made it do things it didn't like, and often hit it, it truly liked him and wanted to stay by his side...

After a brief recollection, Houndoom made its decision.

At worst, it would just get a beating from its master.

It did not want a Pokémon in need of help, especially a young one, to be sad.

This was not just because of its mother's final request, but also because of its own standards for itself.

To be a powerful and fierce Houndoom, yet one with a kind heart, distinguishing itself from those other guys.

I'm sorry, Trainer, I might not be able to live up to your expectations, but you'll forgive me, right?