From the Past

Some creatures' first meal after hatching from an egg was often the broken eggshell around them.

The Pokémon standing before him in a little nest wrapped in a blanket was no different, greedily gobbling down eggshells.

It had soft, thick fur and stood on all fours. It looked somewhat like Officer Jenny's standard partner, Growlithe.

But unlike Growlithe's black-and-orange fur, this Pokémon's coat was longer and more vibrant, mostly red with black stripes.

The biggest differences between this Pokémon and Growlithe were its nearly milky-white tail, its milky-white mane that covered its eyes, and the small but very sharp horn on its head.

Unlike the other Pokémon around him, who looked delighted, Luo Mu blinked, and shock instantly showed on his face.

This was Growlithe (Hisuian Form), a Pokémon recorded as having once lived in Ancient Sinnoh—that is, the Hisui Region. It could be considered the ancestor of modern Growlithe, and should have gone extinct long ago.

By all rights, this Pokémon should have been extinct. How had it appeared before Grandma Juzi's son, the explorer?

Luo Mu couldn't figure it out. Could it have been caused by Dialga's power? Or were there still a few Hisuian Growlithe and Hisuian Arcanine living somewhere he didn't know about?

Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it. Luo Mu took things in stride. So what if it was a Hisuian Form? That wouldn't stop him from raising it.

Luo Mu quickly had Serperior and Dragonite fetch some warm water and the Moomoo Milk he'd kept warm. Once Growlithe finished eating but still seemed hungry, he carefully approached.

Growlithe seemed not to have opened its eyes yet. It sniffed around the blanket, as if searching for food to fill its belly.

The sound of Luo Mu's footsteps startled Growlithe, but as soon as its keen nose caught his scent, it quickly calmed down. It sat obediently where it was, waiting for him to feed it.

Luo Mu thought Growlithe was just as adorable as Dragonite had been when it was little. He bent down, picked Growlithe up, and set it on his lap. Then he took the towel Serperior offered with its vines. It had been wrung out, leaving it just a little damp and warm. He gently wiped Growlithe down.

He'd originally planned to bathe the newborn Pokémon in warm water to wash off the sticky fluid still clinging to its body. He hadn't expected a Fire-type and Rock-type Growlithe to hatch. Since it was four times weak to Water, it would be better suited to a sand bath, like some Ground-type Pokémon, than a warm-water bath.

That was something he hadn't considered.

With Moltres here and the towel barely damp, Growlithe's fur dried quickly, even though it was a little long.

Next, Luo Mu took the bottle of warm Moomoo Milk, cradled Growlithe in his arms, and fed it with practiced, gentle movements.

Nearby, Dragonite spotted the familiar blue bottle from its memories. A glistening drop of saliva escaped from the corner of its mouth.

It still remembered what it had felt like when Luo Mu held it and fed it milk as a baby. Back then, it had thought the warm Moomoo Milk was delicious.

Now, watching Growlithe enjoy the same attentive care it once had, Dragonite felt something different.

Perhaps because it had been cooped up in its Pokémon Egg for so long, Growlithe downed two full bottles of Moomoo Milk. It only stopped after its little belly was round and full, letting out a milky burp.

Pokémon adapted far better than ordinary animals. While feeding Growlithe, Luo Mu noticed a pair of eyes hidden beneath its fur, gazing at him with focused, innocent curiosity.

A process that took ordinary animals several days took Growlithe less than half an hour.

"Woof, woof~~"

Now that it was full, Growlithe was clearly more energetic. Everything in the outside world fascinated it.

It looked left and right, soon noticing the Pokémon gathered around the room.

Luo Mu had expected Growlithe to seem afraid or wary, but instead, like a social butterfly, it trotted on unsteady legs from one Pokémon to the next, sniffing each of them with its little black nose.

Whimsicott and the Hoppip greeted Growlithe warmly, and Growlithe happily greeted them in return.

But Luo Mu's five main Pokémon were less at ease. They stood stiffly in place, letting Growlithe sniff them without daring to move, as if afraid that even an accidental movement might hurt the tiny creature.

Seeing the way they were already doting on it, Luo Mu couldn't help thinking that one day, his farm would be home to a fearless little tyrant with a whole crowd of aunties and uncles backing it up.

Growlithe trotted around cheerfully. Its adaptability was incredible. After sniffing everyone once, it was already walking steadily enough to bounce around.

It bounced over to Moltres, who was just as stiff and uncertain, and sniffed it with its little nose. Growlithe's eyes, hidden beneath its fur, lit up, and it barked, "Woof, woof!" (Mom!)

That bark startled Moltres so badly that it completely forgot all about its dignity as a Legendary Pokémon. It dropped right onto its rear, its pupils shaking wildly like the ground in an earthquake.

Growlithe paid no mind to Moltres's reaction. After rubbing its head against Moltres, it turned to look at Luo Mu.

Serperior, who had been feeling a little schadenfreude, suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Woof, woof!" (Dad!)

Bam—!

With a loud crash, Serperior's tail tip, which had been swaying happily, struck the wooden floor with too much force and punched a hole right through it.

Serperior was trembling with anger, its whole body turning red-hot.

It hadn't expected that, no matter how carefully it had guarded against it, an unexpected variable would show up in their home!

Moltres had only fallen from the sky less than half a month ago, yet it had already become so scheming!

Knowing that little Growlithe couldn't possibly understand what it was saying, Serperior was sure Moltres had put it up to this. It glared furiously at Moltres, who'd been stunned into stillness by Growlithe's words.

Luo Mu didn't understand what Growlithe meant. Thinking it was being affectionate, he smiled and crouched down, expertly rubbing its fluffy head as the other Pokémon gave him strange looks.

Serperior: sunk!

That night, no matter how lively things had been when Growlithe hatched, once it had played itself out and started looking unmistakably sleepy, Luo Mu sent the other Pokémon back to their nests to rest. If they didn't go to bed now, it would be midnight.

From what he'd seen, apart from himself, Growlithe seemed especially close to Moltres. Could that be because of the days they'd spent together while it was hatching?

Luo Mu didn't hesitate for long. He temporarily moved Moltres's sleeping spot into the house. Since Growlithe had just been born, he decided to sleep in the living room for the time being.

That night, Serperior lay in its empty bed, grinding its teeth in anger.