Gift

In the forest, Yan Yang was playing games with a group of Pokémon.

"One, two, three..." Yan Yang closed his eyes and began counting.

While Yan Yang counted, the Pokémon began hiding.

Hoothoot flew to the tallest tree and hid behind the dense leaves; Chikorita quietly hid in a patch of flowers, revealing only a pair of curious eyes; Girafarig chose a large rock as its hiding place; Sentret covered its body with fallen leaves and branches, hiding in a small pit and blending into the ground...

"...Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred. Are you all hidden? I'm opening my eyes."

After Yan Yang finished counting, he began searching everywhere for the hidden Pokémon.

He spotted Hoothoot in the tree first, because Hoothoot could not help making a small sound when he climbed up, immediately drawing Yan Yang's attention.

Next, he found Chikorita in a patch of flowers. Its eyes were still rather easy to spot.

After that, Yan Yang found Girafarig, whose tail had accidentally been left sticking out. If he could not see that, he really would have become Dora.

Chikorita, Natu, and Bopo were also found one by one. Now only Sentret remained undiscovered.

Yan Yang continued searching, but he still had not found Sentret when time ran out.

Sentret happily leaped out of the pit, declaring victory in the game of hide-and-seek.

Everyone gathered together, laughing and jumping happily. They not only enjoyed the game, but also deepened their friendship with one another.

Yan Yang sat to the side, watching the Pokémon dance with joy, and he felt cheerful as well.

He did not know how long he had lived in this forest. He had been here ever since he could remember and had lived with the Pokémon for a long time. He knew they were all innocent, lovable creatures.

At first, he had been a little afraid of the other Pokémon, and some of them had been afraid of him too. Everyone had feared one another, but thankfully Entei stepped in to mediate, and now they were all good friends.

Although there were still many Pokémon in the forest he had yet to meet, he would work hard to get to know them. Father had also said that having more companions was good for him.

Speaking of Father Entei, Yan Yang fell into thought.

The first Pokémon he had known since he could remember was Entei. Entei had always taken good care of him. Even though he looked stern and often scolded him, Yan Yang was truly very grateful to him.

When he had first learned to speak, he had called him Father. Even Yan Yang himself did not know why he had said that. Clearly, they were different, yet he could truly understand what Entei meant through his Roars.

The other Pokémon were the same. Perhaps it was some kind of talent for languages?

He also wanted to know where exactly he had come from, but whenever he asked about it, Entei refused to say anything and casually found an excuse to brush him off. Still, Yan Yang roughly knew a few things.

He was human, while Father was a Pokémon. They were different species, so if they were father and son, they naturally could not be blood-related. Since he had become Entei's child here, it must have been because his biological parents had abandoned him.

Whenever he thought of this, Yan Yang felt a little downcast. Entei had clearly said he was the best and most well-behaved child, so why would anyone throw him away? Was I not cute enough?

As a human, he still hoped to have companions of his own kind. But Entei had said there were no other humans here. He was the only human.

Entei often laughed and said Yan Yang was the only human he knew who lived in the wild alongside Pokémon, and that it was amazing. Perhaps he would even become the key to taking the relationship between humans and Pokémon a step further in the future.

Those compliments made Yan Yang a little embarrassed, though Entei could say more if he wanted. Maybe all children liked being praised.

After living with Entei for so long, Yan Yang had memorized the warmth of his back and belly, the softness of his mane, the softness of his paw pads, the sharpness of his claws...

In any case, Yan Yang was truly fascinated by every part of him. Every day, he wanted to sleep on Entei, and if he was not allowed to, he would cry and make a fuss.

Although Entei gave him an extremely light smack every time, he always indulged his somewhat unreasonable demands.

Though sleeping with Father did not count as an unreasonable demand, did it?

If you can't find a book by its title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!

Perhaps Yan Yang had rubbed against his fur and touched his paws too often, because Entei had long since grown used to it. Later, he would consciously hold Yan Yang while sleeping without needing to be asked.

As Yan Yang thought about it, he began grinning foolishly again, as though he had remembered something happy.

However, he had been feeling a little uncomfortable lately. His head often hurt, as though something were about to grow inside it, and vague images kept surfacing in his mind.

Fortunately, the pain only lasted for a while each time. Still, he could never remember what those images were.

He had not told Entei. There was no need to make him worry over such a small matter.

Entei had said his body was very strong, and Yan Yang thought so too. This headache probably was not a big deal. Besides, Father had Sacred Fire. The next time he purified Yan Yang's body, it would probably be resolved along the way. There was no need to worry too much.

Oh, right. Entei had been acting mysteriously today, as though he were hiding something. Yan Yang did not know what it was.

Perhaps Entei himself had not noticed that he seemed particularly awkward today. Yan Yang had noticed it long ago, but he had not exposed him.

Father had his own secrets too. Yan Yang should not pry carelessly. What if it became awkward?

As he was thinking, Sentret came over. Everyone planned to play one more round before going home, and Sentret would take a turn being the seeker. Yan Yang naturally agreed happily.

After another round of games, the sun was already close to setting. The horizon was dyed a gentle orange-red, and the forest seemed to have put on evening clothes in preparation for nightfall.

At this moment, the forest's light became soft and warm. Golden afterglow streamed through the sparse treetops, making the outlines of the trees clearer beneath the setting sun. Every leaf seemed edged in gold, glimmering faintly.

Yan Yang quickened his pace back to the cave. When he found that Entei had not returned yet, he waited at home.

Ever since what happened last time, Entei had forbidden him from running around at night. If Entei was not there, Yan Yang had to stay home properly.

Entei did not actually return home every day. Sometimes, he would be gone for several nights in a row. Yan Yang was naturally very worried. Even though Auntie Miltank would keep him company whenever Entei had been gone too long, he still could not suppress his concern.

But in the end, he would not run outside again, because Entei would always come back someday.

He still remembered how, after Entei finally returned that day, he had thrown himself onto him and cried his heart out. Thinking about it now made him feel rather embarrassed.

Soon, footsteps sounded outside the cave. Entei had returned, and he seemed to have something in his mouth.

"Come, see what nice thing I prepared for you." Entei placed what he had been carrying on the ground. It was a white Scarf with an orange-red gemstone set into one end.

Yan Yang loved orange-red stones like Entei's, and he was delighted to see the white Scarf. He immediately put it around his neck. It fit perfectly, and the gemstone on the part draped over his chest sparkled beneath the cave's firelight.

"Oh, right. Today is your birthday. This is your gift. Do you like it?" Entei asked expectantly.

"I like it. Things Father gives me are the best." Yan Yang was extremely happy. Though he did not know what a birthday was, he somehow understood what it meant. This was the first birthday gift he had received, so it naturally held extraordinary meaning.

But then he took the Scarf off again. Something so important should not be worn casually. He was afraid of getting it dirty or damaging it, so Yan Yang placed it in the basket that had once held him and carefully treasured it.

"Oh, right. Make a wish silently in your heart. I heard that wishes made on your birthday will come true. Remember, don't say it out loud. They say it won't work if you do."

"A wish?" Yan Yang watched a shooting star flash across the horizon outside the cave and silently made a wish in his heart. Then I hope there'll be delicious food every day, Father and the other Pokémon can be happy every day, and... forget it, that's enough.

After making his wish and spending some more time chatting and playing around, it was time to sleep.

A boy slept in the arms of a giant beast. If anyone unaware of the situation saw this scene in the cave, they would surely cry out in amazement.

In the middle of the night, the sleeping boy began to frown tightly, his body trembling slightly.

His head hurt so much. It felt as though his brain was growing.

The boy endured it for a long time before the pain finally stopped. But then countless things suddenly appeared in his mind, and before he could react, he fell unconscious again.