A Warm Little Nest in Winter

The orange glow from the Mushroom Night Light illuminated the entire Secret Base, with the Warehouse packed full of Berries.

The heat radiating from Fire Emperor kept the surroundings warm, while the large door sealed out the raging blizzard outside.

In almost an instant, this Cave had transformed into a perfect little winter hideaway.

Even as the wind howled and snow fell fiercely outside, the Cave remained a cozy, spring-like haven.

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The two big cats sandwiched Dongshu between them, while Suicune lay off to the side, watching the scene with mixed emotions.

Marshadow stayed in the Shadow World, as if already long accustomed to all this.

Perfect!

Looking at his handiwork, Dongshu felt like he was playing a Pokémon-themed Animal Crossing.

Should he exchange for a fireplace to add to the decor?

That way, even if Fire Emperor went out later, the Secret Base would stay warm.

Then a soft sofa, a table piled with bread, drinks, and roast chicken—only then would this little nest be truly complete.

Dongshu opened the System Store and started browsing for furniture.

[Brick Fireplace: A fireplace built from red brick 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 full dining set including table and chairs. Exchange cost: 500 Shock Points.]

[Bread: Freshly baked bread, soft and sweet. Exchange cost: 3 Shock Points.]

[French Vanilla Roast Chicken: Roast chicken made with lemongrass and rich spices, offering a unique flavor with exotic flair. Exchange cost: 10 Shock Points.]

Honestly, the food prices in the System Store were incredibly cheap.

The 50 Shock Points he'd just gotten from startling Suicune could buy a whole pile of bread and roast chicken.

But...

Dongshu checked his balance.

Shock Points: 1720

After exchanging for Secret Power last time, he had about a thousand left, and over the entire autumn, he'd worked hard to milk Shock Points from Wild Pokémon, finally saving up this much.

Enough!

As they say, money's meant to be enjoyed. Why suffer hoarding it when he could just indulge now?

[Brick Fireplace, exchange!]

[Fabric Sofa, exchange!]

[Wooden Dining Table, exchange!]

In an instant, 1600 Shock Points were deducted.

The next second, dazzling white lights flashed through the Cave.

A fairy-tale-style Brick Fireplace automatically settled against the wall of the Secret Base, merging seamlessly with it, while the chimney at the top bored through the rock to connect outside.

Then, a full set of soft Fabric Sofa landed beside the Carpet.

Finally, a wooden table about 3 meters long and 2 meters wide descended, complete with several chairs, and on the table were bonus items like a vase and a fruit basket.

Before exchanging, Dongshu deliberately hadn't told the Pokémon.

The sudden change startled Fire Emperor and the others.

Fire Emperor and Raikou were fine, only giving him 8 Shock Points.

But Suicune generously contributed 25 Shock Points!

That meant Suicune was genuinely shocked by what just happened.

The sofa had plenty of space, so Dongshu eagerly climbed on and called Fire Emperor and Raikou over.

But with their massive sizes, as soon as the two Pokémon got on, the once-spacious Fabric Sofa became cramped and tight.

Dongshu: "..."

Still, Raikou and Fire Emperor weren't used to it, so after a while, they hopped down to lie on the Carpet below.

"Next up, time to light the fireplace!"

Dongshu opened the System Store again, and in a flash, various types of wood appeared before him.

[Applewood: Firewood for burning. Burns slowly, good heat output, small visible flame, pleasant aroma. Exchange cost: 1 piece / 1 Shock Point]

[Cedar: Small flame but strong heat, fragrant scent, makes a lovely crackling sound when burning. Exchange cost: 1 piece / 1 Shock Point]

[Yew Wood: Burns slowly, strong firepower, pleasant fragrance. Exchange cost: 1 piece / 1 Shock Point.]

[...]

Dongshu's eyes went wide with the dizzying array, but thankfully, the firewood for the hearth wasn't expensive—a single split log cost just 1 Shock Point.

He casually bought five logs, then asked Fire Emperor to stuff them into the fireplace, followed by Fire Emperor using Sacred Fire to light them.

The next second, the logs were blazing fiercely inside the hearth.

As the temperature rose, a unique woody aroma slowly wafted through the cave.

148 Shock Points remained.

Dongshu then turned his gaze to the food.

Though some dishes were off-limits due to his tender age, Raikou and Fire Emperor could enjoy them just fine.

He wouldn't be stingy with these big cats who doted on him and treated him like their own cub.

Moomoo Milk, redeem!

Bread, redeem!

French Vanilla Roast Chicken, redeem!

Poffins that all Pokémon love, redeem!

Add in the Moomoo Milk Suicune had brought back, and a sumptuous winter feast was ready.

After this flurry of exchanges, 148 Shock Points dwindled to 50, but the Wooden Dining Table was now laden with a dazzling array of steaming, fragrant dishes.

Though they were already well-acquainted with Little One's power, seeing this scene unfold—whether it was Suicune, Fire Emperor, Raikou, or Marshadow lurking in the shadows—still left them all somewhat astonished.

And that instantly netted Dongshu back 50 Shock Points.

"Marshadow, come out!" Dongshu called toward his shadow.

A moment later, a Pokémon larger than him slowly emerged from the darkness.

"Ma-sha..."

"This is the food I prepared for everyone—Fire Emperor, Raikou, Marshadow, and Suicune, come try it!" Dongshu called out cheerfully.

The gathered Pokémon all froze for a moment.

They stood rooted to the spot.

Seeing this, Dongshu was puzzled and tugged at their paws, pulling them toward the table.

"Come on, eat up!"

Fire Emperor followed Dongshu to the table. He didn't dig in right away but lowered his massive head and licked Dongshu.

"This must have cost you a lot of your power, right?" Fire Emperor asked.

"It's fine, I can earn it back later. And look, Fire Emperor—this place feels more like a home now!" Dongshu said excitedly.

Home...

Raikou, Marshadow, and Suicune all looked over.

Fire Emperor paused, gazing at the bright-eyed human cub before him, then said softly:

"Yeah, it's our home."