Entei and Suicune

Suicune brought Yan Yang to another part of the forest. Entei was indeed there, currently rescuing a Cyndaquil that had accidentally fallen into the water. The Cyndaquil thanked Entei profusely for the help before hurrying away.

As it left, the Cyndaquil was a bit distracted and bumped into the newly arrived Suicune. Seeing Suicune's expressionless face, it fled in a panic; clearly, the Cyndaquil knew it shouldn't be lingering here.

Entei was somewhat surprised to see Yan Yang on Suicune's back, and he felt a bit nervous. His secret of adopting a human had been discovered by his brother, though he hadn't really tried to hide it—most of the Pokémon living nearby already knew.

Suicune settled Yan Yang down and took Entei aside, preparing to have a serious talk.

Yan Yang wanted to sneak a listen, but the two of them deliberately lowered their voices, making it impossible for him to hear what they were saying.

Under the shade of the trees, the two Pokémon looked at each other, both wanting to say something.

"Aren't you going to explain how I suddenly ended up with a nephew?" Suicune asked first, his expression unreadable.

"This happened, that happened... anyway, the humans didn't want him, so I'm raising him. I couldn't just watch him die, could I?"

"I just didn't expect you to do something like this. It's not like you at all. Don't tell me that after this child called you Father, you just... I never thought you had this side to you. You aren't even this nice to us, little brother." Suicune's voice carried a playful, almost jealous tone.

"Go on, get lost. How old are you? You don't need me to take care of you." Entei looked at him with disdain; he wondered what was wrong with his older brother.

"Have you run into Raikou?"

"No, but I don't really want to. I'm afraid he might overreact to Yan Yang."

"What are you thinking? He wouldn't do anything to a human cub." Suicune found it ridiculous. Had their second brother's reputation really fallen so low in the eyes of his younger brother?

"I know, but once the child grows up, it might be different. It's better to keep it hidden from him for now."

"You can't hide it forever. What will you do when he finds out?"

"I'll deal with it then."

"By the way, when are you going to send him back to the humans?"

Entei fell silent. He seemed to have never considered it; he had apparently grown accustomed to life with Yan Yang.

"You know he can't live with you forever. Humans are social creatures; they need their own kind. He can't stay in the wild with you forever," Suicune said with a grave and earnest expression.

"...I'll see. I need to think about it carefully." Entei felt conflicted. He seemed reluctant to let go, and he wondered when he had become so indecisive. It should have been such an easy decision to make.

Unable to hear their conversation, Yan Yang began to quietly observe Entei's status.

Entei (Father)
Gender: None, strongly leans male
Type: Fire
Level: 90 (max)
Ability: Inner Focus, Pressure
Held Item: None
Moves: Stomp, Meditate, Roar, Extreme Speed, Fire Fang, Crunch, Extrasensory, Sunny Day, Fire Blast, Eruption, Sacred Fire, Snarl, Flare Blitz...
Status: Mood extremely complex and conflicted
Evaluation: As a father, it is better not to evaluate.

It was the first time Yan Yang had seen such an extensive list of moves, and he was a bit stunned. His bond with Entei had grown deep enough for him to directly perceive Entei's skills.

He also noticed the anomaly in the abilities. He hadn't paid attention when looking at Suicune earlier, but the fact that there were two abilities suggested that not all Pokémon in this world had only one, or perhaps this was a unique trait of Legendary Pokémon?

Did this also mean that this Pokémon world wasn't the same one from the anime or games?

However, Entei seemed to be in a bad mood now, and not knowing what they were discussing made Yan Yang feel uneasy as well.

He could guess the content of their conversation; they were likely discussing whether to send him back to the human world. After all, a human really wasn't suited to living in the forest forever.

To be honest, he did want to return to human society, but if that meant leaving Entei, he absolutely couldn't do it. Entei was his father now, and more than that, he was the Pokémon he had loved most in both his past and present lives. He didn't want to leave him at all.

Still, he did want to experience the joy of being a Pokémon Trainer. After all, having transmigrated into the Pokémon world, he would feel like he'd wasted his second chance if he didn't get to experience that.

The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. Forget it, he wouldn't think about it anymore. It was still too early for that, and worrying now wouldn't change anything.

Suicune and Entei finished their chat and went their separate ways.

Before leaving, Suicune pressed his head against Yan Yang's forehead as a sign of affection, happily telling him to come to him if he ever needed help, only leaving in a hurry once Entei started urging him.

Entei brought Yan Yang back home and found a spot to zone out. Entei often did this, staring blankly for at least an hour at a time. It was unclear whether he was lost in thought or using meditation to strengthen himself.

Yan Yang fidgeted, jumping around on him to get Entei's attention because he could feel that Entei was in a bad mood and felt he should do something.

A five-year-old's body wasn't exactly light, but Entei didn't seem to notice, letting him mess around on his back.

Tired from jumping, Yan Yang buried his face in Entei's mane, breathing softly.

"Little Sun, what do you think of Suicune?" Entei suddenly asked.

"Huh? Uncle Suicune? He's great, very gentle and reasonable. I like him a lot."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Mm, he told me a lot of stories about you guys," Yan Yang answered honestly.

"Oh, Little Sun, I'll ask you one last question. Have you ever thought about returning to human society? You must tell me your true thoughts," Entei asked seriously, his voice carrying an unquestionable tone.

"I, I... I do miss other human friends, and I, I would like to go see that place," Yan Yang started, his speech becoming intermittent and his voice trembling as he felt a surge of emotion. "But, wherever Father is, that's where I am. If you don't go, I won't go. I don't want to be separated from you. I, I love you, Father..."

Yan Yang was so anxious that tears began to stream down his face. He didn't know why he felt like crying now; he had endured so many grievances in the past without ever shedding a tear, so why was he crying now?

It must be the child's body and emotions influencing him. Yes, that must be it. It definitely wasn't because he felt like Entei was going to abandon him and send him back to human society. Yes, that had to be it.

He had a feeling that if he said the wrong thing, he might never see Entei again.

Seeing the child actually crying, Entei panicked and hurriedly comforted him, "Don't, don't cry. Didn't I tell you not to cry so easily? Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I promise I won't separate from you, so get some rest now."

Entei tucked Yan Yang into his chest. Entei's belly was truly a magical place; every time he lay there, he felt an overwhelming urge to sleep.

Yan Yang was already exhausted, and once he reached such a soft, warm spot, he was soon snoring away.

Entei looked at the sleeping child, his eyes filled with tenderness.

He was truly worthy of being a powerful yet gentle Pokémon.

Entei already had some thoughts in his mind; he would eventually send Yan Yang back to human society.

Suicune was right; a human could not live in the wild forever. He could not let Yan Yang give up the opportunities in the human world just because of him.

If one day in the future Yan Yang really had to return to the human world, he might choose to become his Pokémon and stay by his side. After all, he wouldn't be at ease if the boy lived in human society all by himself.

This might be an irrational decision; as a Legendary Pokémon, he shouldn't just be captured by a human like this. However, he didn't feel that way much at all. As expected, he had already formed an unbreakable bond with this human, and he simply couldn't bear to part with him.

But that was a matter for the future. For now, he still needed to take the coming winter seriously. According to Suicune, this year's winter might be the coldest one in a hundred years.