Ho-Oh: This Child is Destined to Be Used by Me!

Wintertree didn't want to die yet—though tossing trash into Giratina's Reverse World would be convenient, it was far too immoral.

Wintertree continued reading. Besides the Reverse World connector, this fully automatic flush toilet could also be fitted with a dedicated conversion machine.

The machine would turn waste into organic fertilizer and biogas—the former for fertilizing, the latter for generating electricity.

Bought!

With a flick of Wintertree's mind, a toilet materialized out of thin air in the marble-tiled bathroom.

The conversion machine automatically installed itself into the mountain beneath the toilet, linking up with the fully automatic eco-garden and generator. The biogas it produced would power the generator, sustaining the entire eco-garden and some appliances.

As for the daily household trash...

Wintertree searched the system shop for relevant items.

[Muk's Den: A nest with Muk's distinctive flair, perfectly blending a garbage dump with a sludge pit. If a Muk is placed here, it will devour all nearby trash as a delicacy. Cost: 2000 Shock Points.]

[Garbodor's Den: A nest with Garbodor's distinctive flair. Trash can be dumped here daily, and the Garbodor living inside will automatically eat it. Cost: 2000 Shock Points.]

"Using Pokémon to handle the trash, huh?"

Wintertree wasn't too surprised—after all, this world had all kinds of Pokémon, each with different preferences.

Some Pokémon liked eating berries, some liked cake, and others fed on emotions and souls.

For Pokémon like Muk and Garbodor, human-produced trash was their favorite delicacy.

But...

These two dens didn't come with a Muk or Garbodor included, meaning if he wanted to use their power for trash disposal, he'd have to go catch one himself.

For Wintertree right now, that was clearly impossible.

Still, the shop had a direct trash decomposition function—20 Shock Points per use. It was cost-effective in the short term, but over time, relying on Pokémon would save more money.

Toilet, bathtub, sink, showerhead...

Before long, the bathroom was finished.

Next up was the kitchen.

The home was a wreck, and Wintertree patched it up bit by bit.

Ho-Oh stood to the side, watching Wintertree's performance with fresh curiosity.

Like a magician, he kept pulling out all sorts of furniture, carpets, wallpaper, appliances, and more.

Once one room was done, Wintertree would rush to the next, even using his Secret Power to carve out a second floor.

Gradually, this originally empty, bare "cave" transformed under Wintertree's efforts into a cozy little nest full of warmth and natural charm.

"Done!"

After laying the last carpet on the second floor, Wintertree patted his hands in satisfaction.

The secret base had now been remodeled into a perfect three-bedroom, one-living-room, two-bathroom home.

The whole house sat inside Azure Mountain. The first floor held the living room, dining room, storage room, and kitchen, connected to the Pokémon eco-garden space.

Up the stairs to the second floor was where Wintertree had prepared a sleeping area for himself and the Pokémon.

Since they were all family, Wintertree had turned the entire second floor into one huge space, with thick, soft carpet laid over the wooden floor.

In winter, he, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Marshadow, and Ho-Oh could all snooze together here!

Wintertree had also installed a fireplace in the big second-floor room, and even cut out a window to look out at the scenery beyond Azure Mountain.

Compared to human living spaces, Pokémon would probably prefer a home full of natural vibes.

So Wintertree replaced all the walls and floors of the secret base with wood, making it feel like living in a treehouse.

A cabinet stocked with drinks and snacks sat in the room—if anyone got hungry or thirsty, they could grab treats right there.

After all that work, he was utterly exhausted!

Wintertree wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat down on the carpet, panting.

Ho-Oh gazed at the space and asked with interest, "What is this place?"

"This is where I, Entei, Marshadow, Raikou, Suicune, and you, Ho-Oh, all sleep together!" Wintertree grinned.

Ho-Oh was a bit flattered: "This One is included too?"

This human child... this human child thought of it at every turn! Ho-Oh felt deeply moved inside.

Whether it needed it or not was beside the point—just the sincerity of this human child's heart was precious.

"Of course!" Wintertree chuckled. After these two days together, he'd found that Ho-Oh wasn't so mysterious and lofty after all.

At least compared to Giratina, Ho-Oh was easy to get along with.

"When winter comes, Ho-Oh, you come here too and spend it with us!" Wintertree invited.

Ho-Oh looked at its Rainbow Hero with those golden-red eyes, then replied softly, "Alright, This One agrees."

"Whew... so tired. Ho-Oh, I'm going to sleep." Wintertree couldn't help but yawn.

"Sleep now," Ho-Oh said softly, gently. "I will watch over you until you wake."

Hearing this, Dongshu drifted into a deep sleep beside Ho-Oh, his worries melting away.

Ho-Oh looked at the thinly clad human child beside him. After a moment, he lowered himself, sheltering little Dongshu beneath his body.

Like an old hen brooding over her eggs.

Ho-Oh gazed at the surroundings, then recalled the day's events. His golden-red eyes shimmered with disbelief.

He never imagined that their little Dongshu possessed such wondrous power.

Pure in nature, kind at heart, loving Pokémon...

This child was simply born to be their Rainbow Hero!

*

Dongshu slept straight through until five in the morning the next day.

Before he even opened his eyes, he felt as though he were wrapped in a warm embrace.

Had Fire Emperor returned?

When Dongshu blinked his eyes open, he found it wasn't Fire Emperor beside him—it was Ho-Oh.

At that moment, he was like a chick sheltered beneath a mother hen.

The downy feathers on Ho-Oh's belly were warm and soft, like the finest silk in the world. Dongshu couldn't help burying his face in them.

So comfy!

But as he stroked, his hand suddenly brushed against a loose feather.

Dongshu picked it up and looked at it, then exclaimed in surprise, "Ho-Oh, you're shedding!"

Ho-Oh: "..."

"This is the Rainbow Feather, the embodiment of my power," Ho-Oh said softly. "When I am not here, it will guard you in my stead."

It was something Ho-Oh had prepared for Dongshu while he was still fast asleep.