Ripples

As a Legendary Pokémon, Fire Emperor did not need to replenish its strength through food like ordinary Pokémon did.

Looking at the Berry the human child offered, Fire Emperor's solemn, imposing face fell silent for a moment. It did not accept it.

It was not that it disliked it. It simply did not need it.

Yet when it refused, the human child immediately withdrew the Berry with a crestfallen expression, looking deeply saddened.

Fire Emperor: "..."

Fine, Fire Emperor thought.

It extended a paw with soft pads and dragged the Berry over, then lowered its head and bit into it, finishing it in a few bites.

Fire Emperor did not look at the human child's expression again. It rose to its feet and gazed into the distance.

It could not stay here for too long.

As a member of the Ho-Oh Guard, there were still many things in this world awaiting it.

It had to send this human child back to human territory.

Like a large cat, Fire Emperor circled behind Dongshu and gently picked up the back of his clothes in its teeth, intending to carry the human child to a human town this way.

But before it could even take two steps, it heard a violent burst of coughing from the child's throat. His tiny hands also began struggling wildly.

"Cough, cough—"

His clothes were pulling against his neck!

Dongshu felt a wave of suffocation wash over him and instinctively began flailing.

But the sensation quickly disappeared because Fire Emperor set him down.

"Cough, cough—!"

Dongshu sat on the ground, gasping heavily.

Fire Emperor stood beside him, watching him thoughtfully.

Soon, the intelligent Legendary Pokémon realized that human children were not Pokémon. If it carried him by the neck for too long, he would feel uncomfortable.

Then... what about riding on its back?

Fire Emperor looked again at Dongshu's short little arms and legs.

It decisively picked Dongshu up again and tossed him onto its back.

"Hold on tight!" Fire Emperor said in a deep voice.

Dongshu's body tensed, and he instinctively hugged Fire Emperor tightly.

Feeling that the human child on its back had secured his grip, Fire Emperor immediately sped up.

However, Dongshu was not even a year old yet, and his strength was limited. Before long, the arms gripping Fire Emperor's fur had run out of strength.

The moment his hands loosened, Dongshu began to slide off.

Just as he was about to fall from Fire Emperor's back, the running Fire Emperor seemed to sense something. It deliberately slowed down and finally stopped in an open clearing.

Dongshu slid down to the ground along Fire Emperor's somewhat coarse fur.

He looked at Fire Emperor, trying to communicate with it.

"Waa, waa!"

Fire Emperor could not understand him. Its gaze fell on the human child's arms, and it quickly grasped the situation.

This Little One was too young. His strength was limited, and he could not sit securely on its back.

"Hmm..."

Fire Emperor could not help furrowing its brow, its imposing face growing even more solemn.

This was a problem.

If it were alone, it would need less than half a day to cross this forest and reach a human town.

But with a child in tow, its speed would be greatly reduced.

"..."

Fire Emperor fell silent for a moment and sighed inwardly.

"Fine. This human child's parents died protecting Pokémon. As a Pokémon, I should take proper care of their child."

There was no other way. Fire Emperor could only proceed slowly.

Where was Fire Emperor taking him?

At first, Dongshu did not know what Fire Emperor was thinking.

But watching Fire Emperor's actions, he soon realized something.

Fire Emperor seemed to be planning to send him back to a human town!

For a moment, Dongshu's heart filled with gratitude toward this big cat.

If he could speak, he would definitely thank Fire Emperor properly.

But unfortunately, his vocal cords had yet to fully develop, so he could only make babbling sounds.

One human and one Pokémon walked and stopped as they continually made their way through the vast forest.

Before they knew it, two days had passed.

Over those two days, Fire Emperor and Dongshu followed a very regular routine.

They traveled during the day and rested at night.

Whenever it was time to eat, Fire Emperor would settle Dongshu somewhere safe before heading out on its own to search for Berries.

While Dongshu ate the Berries, Fire Emperor would lie nearby and watch him silently.

At night, Fire Emperor would wrap the human infant in its embrace, using its own body heat to keep him warm.

Just like now.

Fire Emperor silently watched Dongshu, its expression neither sad nor happy, making it impossible to tell what it was thinking.

Dongshu did not mind. After spending the past two days together, he had become absolutely certain that this Fire Emperor would not hurt him.

Because of that, Dongshu had grown bolder and bolder.

He burrowed into Fire Emperor's embrace and buried his face in its fur, unable to stop himself from sighing inwardly.

Fire Emperor is so warm!

Especially the fur on its belly. Unlike the slightly coarse fur on its back, the fur on its abdomen was so soft and fluffy. If he sniffed carefully, he could even catch the scent of sunshine, mixed with the delicious smell of popcorn.

Thinking that, Dongshu could not help burrowing even deeper into Fire Emperor's embrace.

What a joke—this was the embrace of a Legendary Pokémon! Sleeping in the arms of the Legendary Pokémon Fire Emperor was something he could brag about for the rest of his life!

Dongshu knew very well that once they returned to a human town, he and Fire Emperor would have to part ways.

The world was so vast; who knew whether they would ever meet again?

Even if they did have another chance, it would probably be more than ten years from now.

He might as well take this opportunity to pet Fire Emperor a little more.

Fire Emperor lay on its side in the grass. Turning its head, it looked at the human infant pressed against its belly, and it could not help feeling somewhat surprised.

This Little One actually liked it so much and relied on it so deeply...

At that moment, a thought suddenly surfaced in Fire Emperor's mind.

If Little One knew that it was going to leave him alone in human territory and that he would never see it again, he would surely be very sad, wouldn't he?

Perhaps he would be so sad that he would burst into tears, just like when they had first met.

Ripples stirred in Fire Emperor's heart, and the feeling threw its thoughts into disarray.

Fire Emperor closed its eyes and tried not to think about it, but its mind began turning beyond its control.

Little One's parents were already dead. From now on, he would no longer have a father or mother.

And as far as Fire Emperor knew, human infants this age had no ability to live on their own. They needed someone to care for them in order to grow up healthy.

Little One could not speak, could not walk, could not forage for food, and was even afraid of the cold when sleeping. After returning to human territory, how would he live? Who would take care of him? Who would find Berries for him to fill his stomach?