Kanto Region, Heavenly Green Mountain, winter.
On that cold winter day, the snow fell endlessly outside, and time seemed to pass slower and slower inside the cave.
Amid the swirling snow, it was as if only Dongshu and the Fire Emperor remained in the world.
They huddled together in the little cave, keeping each other company on that vast, desolate stretch of land.
The Fire Emperor had never experienced anything like this before.
Ever since Lord Ho-Oh had revived him hundreds of years ago, he had carried an important mission.
For centuries, the members of the Ho-Oh Guard had been racing across this land almost without pause.
"..."
The Fire Emperor's face was shrouded in shadow as he looked down at the Little One beside him. His expression gave nothing away, but his heart was soft.
It was the same deep love that countless parents felt for their children: silent, yet deafening.
Dongshu, an adult soul in a child's body, had naturally noticed all the Fire Emperor's quiet efforts.
What amazed him was that the Fire Emperor, a Legendary Pokémon, would go so far for him.
He went out to find food for Dongshu, licked his fur, and used his own body heat to keep him warm...
All of it showed that the Fire Emperor truly was raising him as his own child.
It was impossible not to be moved. With no way to repay him, Dongshu could only work hard to learn Pokémon Language from the Fire Emperor.
Throughout the winter, almost every day as soon as Dongshu woke up, he would talk with the Fire Emperor and practice.
The extraordinary talent Dongshu displayed for learning also amazed the Fire Emperor.
Every now and then, it earned Dongshu a few to a dozen Shock Points.
Dongshu kept saving them, spending none except when he wanted a change of taste. Then he'd use five Shock Points to buy a bottle of Moomoo Milk.
Three months passed quietly as Dongshu slept nestled in the Fire Emperor's embrace.
Humans didn't need to hibernate, but life in the cave—eating until he was full, sleeping until he'd had enough, then eating again—was hardly any different.
With the Fire Emperor protecting him, Dongshu had finally made it through the hardest part of winter.
He hadn't fallen ill, frozen to death, or starved.
Dongshu couldn't help feeling relieved. He wasn't the only one; the Fire Emperor, too, felt the weight lift from his heart.
At last—the Little One had survived the winter.
The old father felt a wave of relief.
By the time Dongshu left the cave again and ventured outside, the world had changed beyond recognition.
The snow had melted, the rivers had thawed, and life had returned. The forest had put on a fresh green coat, brimming with vitality.
Three months had passed, and Dongshu was now a year and four months old.
Gifted as he was, he could now stand up and slowly begin walking on his own two feet.
He still couldn't go very far.
The Fire Emperor silently watched Dongshu from behind as he toddled along.
His expression was stern and his body tense, ready at any moment to rush forward and break the Little One's fall.
But Dongshu didn't stumble. After taking a few steps, he turned back excitedly and said:
"Fire Emperor, spring is here!"
He still couldn't manage long sentences, but he could now clearly express himself in Pokémon Language.
The Fire Emperor couldn't help feeling a little disappointed at the way Dongshu addressed him. Was the Little One still unwilling to call him Father?
Never mind... As long as the Little One was happy, that was all that mattered.
He sighed inwardly, then walked over to Dongshu and gazed with him at Heavenly Green Mountain in the spring.
His great, fluffy head dipped gently. "Mm. The weather's starting to warm up."
The Fire Emperor looked out over the land below. He could clearly see that with spring's arrival, the Pokémon living there were beginning to leave their dens and roam outside.
"I want to go to the forest!" Dongshu stared down at the woods, his eyes shining.
He wanted to see if he could use the Pokémon Language the Fire Emperor had taught him to communicate with other Wild Pokémon.
The Fire Emperor nodded in agreement. Besides, the Berries they had stored in the cave were almost gone.
They could go down the mountain and gather some more for the Little One!
With that in mind, the Fire Emperor habitually took Dongshu by the scruff of his neck, intending to put him on his back.
But the moment he bit down, the Little One cried out in pain.
Dongshu had grown quite a bit over the winter, and his old clothes no longer fit. With the Fire Emperor's help, he had taken them off long ago; now all he wore was a large leaf wrapped around himself.
The Fire Emperor had bitten him right on the neck.
"Ow!"
The Fire Emperor looked at the Little One, who was accusing him with Tearful Look.
I almost forgot... The Fire Emperor lowered his head and licked the spot he'd just bitten. Then he crouched and said in a deep voice:
"Climb onto my back!"
Dongshu was already good at climbing onto the Fire Emperor. Once he was settled, the Fire Emperor stood and headed down the mountain.
Before long, the human and Pokémon reached the forest they'd visited before.
The Fire Emperor expertly found a Berry tree, set Dongshu on the ground, then used Extrasensory to pick the Berries.
Dongshu turned his attention to the nearby grass. He wanted to find a Wild Pokémon and test how well he'd learned Pokémon Language.
Unfortunately, the Pokémon here seemed to fear the Fire Emperor. As soon as he appeared, they ran off elsewhere, watching from a distance and hardly ever coming near.
Dongshu spotted a Nidoran in the distance. While the Fire Emperor was picking Berries, he struggled to his feet and slowly made his way toward it.
But when the Nidoran saw him approaching, it seemed to be startled by something. It hurriedly darted into the grass and disappeared.
Dongshu: "..." Was he really that scary?
Dongshu looked around, then quickly set his sights on a Wild Pokémon Beedrill.
All right, then—you're up, Beedrill!
He changed direction, trying to get close to the Beedrill so he could talk to it.
The Beedrill was remarkably alert. It noticed Dongshu's intentions almost immediately.
Though this was only the edge of its territory, Beedrill was fiercely territorial, and immediately saw the human's actions as an invasion.
A shrill buzzing rang out from its back as its wings vibrated at high speed.
But in the next moment, Beedrill spotted a terrifying figure behind the human intruder.
The Fire Emperor: Stare—
Beedrill's pupils contracted, and it immediately flew off without looking back.
Dongshu: "?"
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