Love Is Always Feeling Indebted

Time flew by, and the years passed like a shuttle.

Dongshu and Fire Emperor lived a leisurely, carefree life on Heavenly Green Mountain.

Sometimes they ran through the mountain forest together; sometimes they climbed to the peak of Heavenly Green Mountain to watch the sunrise and sunset; sometimes they shared the Berries they could not finish with the Pokémon of the forest.

Under Fire Emperor's deep, fatherly gaze, little Dongshu ran freely across this land.

As he ran, the scenery around him slowly began to change as well.

The tender shoots that had emerged in early spring gradually deepened in color. The sunlight grew fiercer, the temperature slowly rose, and the scorching weather and cicadas chirping in the forest seemed to announce the arrival of summer.

He ran through spring, through summer, through autumn, and through winter.

As the sun and moon turned and the seasons changed, Dongshu's small body continued to grow taller.

Yellowing fallen leaves spiraled down. In the autumn wind, Dongshu ran to Fire Emperor's side and threw himself into its thick fur.

That year, Dongshu turned six.

The Little One who could not even walk in the past had now grown into a healthy, sturdy boy like a little cannonball.

"Fire Emperor, I shared all the Berries with everyone in the forest!"

A happy smile appeared on Dongshu's face.

Over the years he had lived on Heavenly Green Mountain, all the Wild Pokémon living nearby had come to know him. Dongshu's favorite thing to do each day was share the Berries he could not finish with these Pokémon and watch them smile happily.

"Mhm." Fire Emperor nodded. It raised its head to glance at the sky, then said through telepathy, "It'll be dark soon. Let's go home!"

"Mhm!"

Dongshu eagerly followed behind Fire Emperor, chattering on about what had happened in the forest that day.

"Electabuzz and Magmar got into another argument over Berries. Luckily, I got there in time and shared my Berries with them!"

"Krabby accidentally lost its bone club today. I thought it had thrown it into some patch of grass, but Arcanine had taken it away! If we'd arrived any later, that bone probably would've been eaten by Arcanine!"

"And, and! Today I also ran into Nidoking and Nidoqueen. They looked really anxious. At first, I didn't know what had happened, but after asking, I found out their child, Nidoran, had gone missing."

Fire Emperor listened to Dongshu as they walked.

"Did you find Nidoran?"

Dongshu looked proud. "Of course! That little troublemaker accidentally fell off a cliff while chasing a butterfly and got stuck in a crack between some rocks!"

As he spoke, Dongshu pulled a beautiful gemstone fragment glowing red from his pocket.

"This Star Fragment was a gift from Nidoking and Nidoqueen to thank me for saving Nidoran!"

As they spoke, father and son had already returned home.

Dongshu skillfully conjured three portions of food and placed them on the dining table.

Seeing this, Fire Emperor could not help but feel guilty.

It had clearly been the one to adopt the Little One and become his father, yet in the end, it was always the Little One who found ways to prepare food for them.

Whenever it thought of this, Fire Emperor felt deeply indebted.

Dongshu did not notice what Fire Emperor was thinking. Looking at his own shadow, he called out, "Marshadow, come out and eat!"

As soon as he spoke, Marshadow's faint figure emerged from the shadows.

The moment he saw Marshadow, Dongshu excitedly rushed over and hugged it, rubbing his face against its.

"Marshadow, I'm taller than you now!"

Marshadow looked helpless. "Marsha..."

Still, it did not push away the human child before it, simply letting him hold it.

After all, little Dongshu was someone it had watched grow up with its own eyes.

"Alright, come eat." Fire Emperor sat beside the dining table and watched Dongshu and Marshadow interact before speaking in a deep voice.

"Mhm!"

Dongshu pulled out a chair and sat down, then began enjoying the food before him.

"Once I grow up a little more, I'll be able to cook for myself. Marshadow, Fire Emperor, when that time comes, I'll cook for you!" Dongshu said.

"Then I'll be looking forward to it." A trace of amusement colored Fire Emperor's dignified tone.

"Marsha~"

"But, when will Lord Ho-Oh, Raikou, and Suicune be back?"

Dongshu carefully counted the time. He had not seen them for several months and missed them quite a bit.

"Lord Ho-Oh should return when it starts snowing," Fire Emperor replied.

After all, this was the understanding they had developed over the years.

During the cold winter, no matter where they were, they had to return to Heavenly Green Mountain and spend the season with the Little One.

"All right." Dongshu sighed helplessly. Busy, everyone was busy. Better to be busy!

Still, thanks to Ho-Oh, over the past four years, he had raised Marshadow, Fire Emperor, and Ho-Oh all to Lv100.

With only Raikou and Suicune left, Ho-Oh's whole family would be fully leveled.

That way, before he turned ten, he would achieve the feat of maxing out all three Legendary Beasts!

Unfortunately, Ho-Oh was simply too busy. He could only return two or three times a year; otherwise, Raikou and Suicune would already be max level too.

After breakfast, Dongshu took Fire Emperor and Marshadow to the large Bathtub in the Bathroom for a comfortable soak.

Amid the swirling mist, a rumble of thunder suddenly sounded outside.

Immediately afterward, torrential rain came pouring down.

"It's raining!" Dongshu immediately noticed the change in the weather outside.

"Mm." Fire Emperor nodded.

Dongshu quickly finished bathing, then had Fire Emperor use Hot Wind to dry the water from his body and hair. After that, he hurried up to the second floor and leaned against the window, gazing out at Heavenly Green Mountain in the rainy night.

"What heavy rain," Dongshu murmured.

Still, this kind of weather was perfect for curling up under warm blankets with Fire Emperor and the others to sleep!

Dongshu lay down on the soft blanket. Fire Emperor carried over the bedding and tucked him in, then lay down beside him.

Listening to the rain outside, with Marshadow and Fire Emperor by his side, Dongshu soon fell into a deep sleep.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Dongshu, still fast asleep, suddenly heard a hurried knocking at the door.

He woke up at once. Opening his eyes, he saw that dawn had come, but the rain had not stopped.

"I'll get it!"

Over the years, Dongshu had long grown used to Pokémon coming here as guests. He skillfully got dressed, ran downstairs, and opened the door.

Sure enough, just as he had expected, it was Krabby, who lived in the forest with its mother.

At that moment, Krabby looked utterly frantic. It looked at Dongshu as if it were on the verge of tears.

"Cubone!"

"What?" Dongshu was startled. "Your mother is missing?"

Krabby nodded. When it woke up that morning, its mother was nowhere to be seen. No matter how it called out, she did not return.

Dongshu immediately realized how serious this was.

That Graveler mother loved her child Krabby dearly. There was no way she would suddenly disappear.

"Don't panic, Krabby." With that, Dongshu turned to Fire Emperor. "Fire Emperor, I want to go take a look!"

Fire Emperor glanced outside, then said in a deep voice, "I'll go with you."