Once he had shouted it the first time, saying it again no longer seemed as difficult or embarrassing as before.
Dongshu looked at Fire Emperor and said, "Dad, let's go home!"
Fire Emperor's voice sounded slightly unsteady.
"Alright."
Just one word—concise, perfectly fitting Fire Emperor's dignified, solemn personality and his habit of silently giving everything.
Yet the tremor in that final note revealed just how excited he truly was.
Fire Emperor picked up speed, and Dongshu waved at Butterfree. "See you later, Butterfree!"
"Fwee..."
Butterfree could only watch helplessly as the unusual father-and-son pair vanished from sight.
After that, Krabby remained at the place where its mother rested forever.
Dongshu often visited Krabby at that graveyard, bringing it plenty of food each time.
Time slowly passed.
Krabby seemed to gradually emerge from the grief of losing its mother.
On an ordinary day, Krabby came from the graveyard to Cave in search of Dongshu and told him that it was leaving.
Dongshu was immediately shocked upon hearing the news.
"Did you meet a human Trainer?" he hurriedly asked.
Krabby looked confused, but it still shook its head. "Kra!"
It was not because of any Trainer.
Rather, its mother had once told it that the world was vast, very vast. So, it wanted to leave this forest and see the world its mother had described.
"I see..." Dongshu could not help asking, "Are you going by yourself?"
"Kra." Krabby nodded.
"Will you come back someday?" Dongshu asked again.
"Kra..." Krabby did not know the answer to that question either.
"Alright, then."
Though Dongshu felt somewhat sad, he was still willing to respect Krabby's choice.
"Maybe we'll meet again out there someday! Krabby, go on. Take care!"
"Kra..."
Tears seemed to glimmer in Krabby's eyes.
It looked at the companion it had