The orange glow of the Mushroom Night Light illuminated the entire Secret Base, while the Warehouse was packed full of Berries.
The heat radiating from Fire Emperor provided a steady supply of warmth, and the great door kept out the Blizzard beyond.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the cave had become a perfect little winter home.
Though fierce winds howled and snow fell thickly outside, inside the cave it was as warm and cozy as spring.
The two big cats had Dongshu sandwiched between them,
while Suicune lay on the other side, gazing at the scene before it with mixed feelings.
Marshadow stayed in the Shadow World, seemingly long accustomed to all this.
Perfect!
Looking at his handiwork, Dongshu felt as though he were playing Animal Crossing with Pokémon elements.
With everything set up like this, should he exchange for a fireplace to decorate the place, too?
Then even if Fire Emperor went out in the future, the Secret Base would stay warm.
And with a soft sofa, plus a table laden with bread, fruit drinks, and roast chicken, this little home would be perfect.
Dongshu opened the System Store and began searching for furniture.
[Brick Fireplace: A fireplace built from red bricks and cement. Exchange cost: 500 Shock Points.]
[Cast Iron Fireplace: A fireplace made from high-temperature cast iron alloy. Exchange cost: 1500 Shock Points.]
[Fabric Sofa: A soft, comfortable sofa for resting. Exchange cost: 600 Shock Points.]
[Wooden Dining Table: A complete dining set, including table and chairs. Exchange cost: 500 Shock Points.]
[Bread: Freshly baked, fluffy, and sweet. Exchange cost: 3 Shock Points.]
[French Vanilla Roast Chicken: Roast chicken made with lemongrass and a variety of seasonings, with a distinctive flavor and an exotic feel. Exchange cost: 10 Shock Points.]
He had to admit, the food in the System Store was incredibly cheap.
The 50 Shock Points he'd just earned from Suicune's reaction were enough to buy a whole lot of bread and roast chicken.
But...
Dongshu glanced at his balance.
Shock Points: 1720
He had a thousand Shock Points left over from his last exchange for Secret Power. And throughout the whole autumn, he'd worked hard to get Shock Points out of Wild Pokémon. That was how he'd managed to save up so many.
It was enough!
After all, what was money for if not to enjoy yourself? Rather than miserably saving up and waiting around, he might as well enjoy himself while he could.
[Brick Fireplace, exchange!]
[Fabric Sofa, exchange!]
[Wooden Dining Table, exchange!]
His balance instantly dropped by 1600 Shock Points.
The next moment, dazzling white light flashed through the cave.
A Brick Fireplace with a fairytale look and feel appeared against the wall of the Secret Base, seamlessly blending into it. The chimney at the top, built to vent smoke, automatically bored through the mountain and connected to the outside.
Next, a complete set of soft Fabric Sofas appeared beside the Carpet.
Last came a Wooden Dining Table, about three meters long and two meters wide. Several chairs appeared beside it, and the table came with extra items such as a vase and a fruit basket.
Dongshu had deliberately kept quiet about this before making the exchanges.
The sudden change gave Fire Emperor and the others quite a scare.
Fire Emperor and Raikou were relatively unfazed, earning him only eight Shock Points between them.
Suicune, on the other hand, generously gave him 25 Shock Points!
That meant Suicune had been utterly astonished by what had just happened.
There was plenty of room on the sofa, so Dongshu immediately scrambled up and beckoned Fire Emperor and Raikou over.
But they were so enormous that as soon as the two Pokémon climbed on, the Fabric Sofa—which had seemed quite large—became cramped and crowded.
Dongshu: "..."
Raikou and Fire Emperor weren't used to it, though. After a little while, they went to lie down on the Carpet beneath the sofa.
"Now, time to light the fireplace!"
Dongshu opened the System Store again. The next moment, all kinds of wood appeared before his eyes.
[Applewood: Wood for burning. It burns slowly, produces good heat, gives off a small, visible flame, and has a pleasant aroma. Exchange cost: 1 piece/1 Shock Point.]
[Cedar: The flames are small, but it gives off plenty of heat. It has a lovely fragrance and makes a pleasant crackling sound as it burns. Exchange cost: 1 piece/1 Shock Point.]
[Yew Wood: Burns slowly, with a strong fire and a pleasant fragrance. Exchange cost: 1 piece/1 Shock Point.]
[...]
Dongshu was dazzled by the choices, but fortunately, the firewood for the fireplace wasn't expensive. One split log cost just one Shock Point.
He bought five at random, then asked Fire Emperor to put them in the fireplace. After that, Fire Emperor lit them with Sacred Fire.
The next moment, the logs blazed in the fireplace.
As the temperature rose, a unique woody fragrance slowly spread through the cave.
He had 148 Shock Points left.
Dongshu turned his attention to the food.
He couldn't eat some of it yet, since he was still so young, but Raikou, Fire Emperor, and the others could enjoy it.
For these big cats who took such good care of him and raised him like their own child, Dongshu was more than happy to treat them.
Moomoo Milk, exchange!
Bread, exchange!
French Vanilla Roast Chicken, exchange!
Poffins, Pokémon's favorite, exchange!
Along with the Moomoo Milk Suicune had brought back, a lavish winter dinner was ready.
After all that, he had 50 Shock Points left, and the Wooden Dining Table was now covered with an array of steaming, fragrant dishes.
They were already quite familiar with Little One's powers, but seeing it all before them still surprised them to some degree—Suicune, Fire Emperor, Raikou, and even Marshadow, who had been watching in secret.
And in one fell swoop, they earned Dongshu back the 50 Shock Points he'd spent.
"Marshadow, come on out!" Dongshu called to his shadow.
A moment later, a Pokémon even taller than him slowly emerged from the shadow.
"Marsha..."
"I made this food for everyone. Fire Emperor, Raikou, Marshadow, and Suicune, come on, give it a try!" Dongshu called cheerfully.
The Pokémon before him all froze for a moment.
They stayed where they were.
Puzzled, Dongshu took them by the paws and led them toward the dining table.
"Come on, eat!"
Fire Emperor followed Dongshu to the table. Looking at the feast before it, it didn't start eating right away. Instead, it lowered its big head and licked Dongshu.
"Didn't this take a lot of your strength?" Fire Emperor asked.
"It's okay! I can earn it back later. And look, Fire Emperor—this place feels much more like a home now!" Dongshu said excitedly.
A home...
Raikou, Marshadow, and Suicune all looked over.
Fire Emperor paused. It looked at the bright-eyed human child before it, then spoke softly:
"Yes. It's our home."
Before you continue