Meanwhile, in a forest near Fallen Leaf Town.
Two Pokémon familiar to Yan Yang were darting through the trees.
They were Pikachu and Togepi.
On this bright, sunny morning, Pikachu and Togepi traveled together. Sunlight spilled through gaps in the treetops, bathing them in a warm glow.
Pikachu bounced along energetically in front, occasionally stopping to wait for Togepi behind it. After all, Togepi was still a little slow.
Togepi toddled along right behind, its round little body swaying with every step, looking especially adorable.
Every few steps, Togepi would stop curiously and examine all the new things around it with its big eyes. Sometimes, it would spot a beautiful flower or a particularly special leaf and excitedly call Pikachu over to share its joy.
Pikachu liked seeing Togepi like this, though it did slow their journey down considerably.
But they had just helped a lost Sandshrew, so there was no need to hurry along.
As they walked, they came to an open area filled with flowers of every color. Many Butterfree and Beedrill danced through the air here, along with ordinary butterflies and bees, all seemingly drawn in by the flowers.
With so many flowers around, the two kinds of Pokémon did not come into conflict. The ordinary butterflies and bees went without saying. Thanks to that, this sea of flowers seemed even more lively.
Pikachu and Togepi were deeply captivated by the sight before them. It was their first time seeing such beautiful scenery.
Why not rest here today? Both Pokémon thought the same thing.
Their thoughts really were in perfect sync. After confirming it, Pikachu decided to make this their temporary resting spot.
Pikachu told Togepi it was going to look for food and asked Togepi to stay here.
Then Pikachu left.
Togepi quietly remained where it was, waiting for Pikachu to return.
Pikachu was its good big brother and always took care of it, so Togepi was very obedient.
After waiting for quite a while, Pikachu still had not returned, and Togepi gradually began to feel bored.
Just then, an especially beautiful yellow butterfly caught its attention.
It was a butterfly colored like Pikachu.
If I catch it, Pikachu will definitely like it, right?
Thus, Togepi made up its mind. It had to catch that yellow butterfly.
Togepi followed the butterfly farther and farther away...
When Pikachu returned with enough food for the two Pokémon to have a full meal, it discovered that Togepi was gone. It called out several times without receiving any response and immediately grew worried.
It began searching everywhere and calling Togepi's name, but the forest was far too large. Togepi seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Please don't let anything happen to it," Pikachu silently prayed as it searched.
Elsewhere, Togepi had no idea how far it had gone. After putting in a tremendous effort, it finally caught that butterfly.
It was overjoyed. Pikachu would definitely like this butterfly and surely praise it.
But when Togepi looked around, it found the surroundings completely unfamiliar. It did not seem to know where it was at all.
It seemed to be lost.
Togepi was a little frightened. In a moment of carelessness, the butterfly in its hands flew away.
"Ah, my butterfly!" Togepi was devastated. Now the butterfly was gone, and it was lost too. Pikachu would definitely scold it.
But scolding aside, could it please reunite with Pikachu soon?
Togepi had always been timid. Though it had improved a great deal after adventuring with Pikachu, it was still very scared when it was all alone.
So it walked in a panic, failed to notice the slope beneath its feet, and carelessly stepped on a small stone nearby, losing its balance.
"Togepi~!" Togepi cried out in alarm, then began rolling down the slope. Its little body tumbled across the grass, slowly at first, then faster and faster.
Fortunately, the slope was not steep, and the ground was covered in relatively soft grass. Togepi only suffered a few minor injuries, though it was left badly dizzy.
Perhaps it was only psychological, but Togepi felt as if its entire body hurt terribly.
Unable to hold it in any longer, it began to cry.
A few Pokémon passed by now and then, but none of them asked what had happened.
Pokémon surviving in the wild did not pay much attention to the misfortunes of unfamiliar Pokémon. Besides, Togepi was not badly hurt. Only when injuries were severe would Pokémon choose to help.
At this moment, a black Pokémon was running nearby. If Entei had been there, he certainly would not have found it unfamiliar.
It was Qing Mu's Houndoom, the one belonging to the villain from the time Raikou had been rescued.
Houndoom carried a bundle on his back. Inside were things his master had told him to collect from other people.
As an intelligent dog, it was only natural for him to help his Trainer share the burden.
It was just that his master still seemed as heartless as ever and hardly paid him any attention.
Although his master had stopped hitting him after what happened last time, he was still cold toward him.
I really wish he would praise me.
As Houndoom thought this, he suddenly heard crying from somewhere in the distance.
It seemed a Pokémon was asking for help.
Houndoom felt a little restless.
But his master had given him a deadline: he had to return by noon. At his current speed, he would have more than enough time, but if he went to help that Pokémon, he definitely would not make it back in time.
Besides, his master had always taught him to be fierce and get rid of his bad habit of meddling in others' affairs.
If I become the way my master likes, he'll definitely like me, right?
With that thought, Houndoom tried hard not to listen to the crying and simply charged forward without looking back.
But after running only a few dozen meters, Houndoom stopped again.
He hesitated.
The crying continued, and it sounded terribly sorrowful.
Judging from the sound, it seemed to be a rather young Pokémon.
Should I really ignore it?
What if something has really happened?
Houndoom did not know what to do.
On one side was his beloved master; on the other was a young Pokémon that might be in trouble.
Houndoom felt like his mind was about to shut down.
He really wanted to leave it alone and be a Pokémon who obeyed his master.
But should he really just walk away like this?
Houndoom thought of his mother.
She had been a Houndoom driven from her original pack because of her gentle nature.
His own personality must have come from his mother.
After leaving the pack, she found him, abandoned shortly after birth, and painstakingly raised him.
She truly had not needed to do so much for one of her kind who was unrelated to her by blood.
But she had done it anyway.
In the end, she accidentally wandered with him into another Pokémon's territory. She was beaten so badly that she was gravely injured and near death.
He had cried for a very long time back then.
She showed no sign of sadness. Instead, she remained calm and spoke some final words to him. "I hope you won't be as cruel as those others of our kind, okay? Don't let the evil inside you influence you, all right?"
He had agreed, then watched with his own eyes as that Houndoom died, her expression still peaceful.
After simply dealing with her body, he, still a Houndour at the time, began wandering again.
He tried hard to forget that Houndoom's existence, keeping only her final words firmly in his heart.
He did not know how long he had wandered before meeting his current master.
Even though his master could be rather fierce, always made him do things he disliked, and often hit him, Houndoom truly liked him and was willing to remain by his side...
After briefly recalling those memories, Houndoom finally made his decision.
At worst, his master would beat him up.
He did not want a Pokémon in need of help—especially such a young Pokémon—to be sad.
It was not only because of the final request left to him, but also because of what he demanded of himself.
He would be a powerful, ferocious Houndoom with a kind heart, different from those others.
I'm sorry, Trainer. I may not be able to live up to your expectations. You'll forgive me, won't you?
Before you continue