From the Past

Some creatures, after hatching from their eggs, have their first meal be the broken eggshells around them.

The Pokémon standing before him, nestled in a small bed wrapped in a fleece blanket and greedily devouring eggshells, was no different.

This Pokémon had soft, thick fur and stood on all fours, resembling a Growlithe, the standard partner of Officer Jenny.

However, unlike the black and orange fur of a Growlithe, its fur was longer and more vibrant, predominantly red with black stripes.

The biggest differences between this Pokémon and a Growlithe were its near-white tail, the white mane that covered its eyes, and the small yet sharp horn on its head.

Unlike the other Pokémon nearby who wore expressions of joy, Luo Mu blinked, his face instantly showing shock.

This was a Growlithe that had activity records in the ancient Sinnoh Region, also known as the Hisui Region. It could be considered the ancestor of modern Growlithe, a Hisuian Growlithe that should be extinct by now.

Logically, this Pokémon should have gone extinct long ago. How did it appear before Grandma Juzi's explorer son?

Luo Mu couldn't understand. Was it caused by Dialga's power? Or perhaps, in some place he didn't know, a small number of Hisuian Growlithe and Hisuian Whimsicott were still active?

Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it. Luo Mu was pragmatic; it was a Hisuian form, so be it. It wouldn't stop him from raising it.

Luo Mu quickly had Serperior and Dragonite fetch warm water and some Moomoo Milk that had been kept warm. After the Growlithe finished eating and still felt hungry, he gently approached it.

The Growlithe, as if it hadn't opened its eyes yet, nuzzled the blanket, sniffing around as if searching for food.

Luo Mu's footsteps startled the Growlithe, but upon smelling Luo Mu's scent with its keen nose, it quickly calmed down, sitting obediently in place, waiting for Luo Mu to feed it.

Luo Mu found this Growlithe incredibly cute, just like Dragonite when it was young. He bent down, picked up the Growlithe, and placed it on his lap. He took the wrung-out towel, still slightly damp and warm, that Serperior handed him with a vine, and gently wiped the Growlithe.

His original plan was to bathe the newborn Pokémon, which still had some sticky fluid on it, in warm water. He hadn't expected a Fire-type + Rock-type Growlithe to hatch. Being quadruply weak to Water, it would be better suited to a sand bath, like some Ground-type Pokémon, rather than a warm water bath.

This was something he hadn't considered.

Since Moltres was here, the towel didn't hold much water, and the Growlithe's fur, even though slightly long, dried quickly.

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

Dragonite, watching from not far away, saw the familiar blue bottle from its memories, and a drop of clear liquid trickled from the corner of its mouth.

It remembered the feeling of Luo Mu holding it and feeding it milk when it was young. Back then, the warm Moomoo Milk had smelled so good.

Now, seeing the Growlithe enjoying Luo Mu's meticulous care just as it had, it felt a different kind of emotion.

Perhaps it was because it had been cooped up in the Pokémon Egg for too long, but the Growlithe guzzled down two full bottles of Moomoo Milk, only stopping its meal after its little belly was round and it let out a milky burp.

Pokémon's adaptability was far superior to ordinary animals. During the feeding, Luo Mu noticed a pair of eyes hidden beneath the Growlithe's fur, gazing at him with focus and innocence.

What took ordinary animals several days, this Growlithe accomplished in less than half an hour.

"Woof woof~~"

Having eaten its fill, the Growlithe was clearly more active. Everything in the outside world held a strong appeal for it.

It looked left and right, soon noticing the cluster of Pokémon surrounding the room.

Luo Mu expected the Growlithe to show fear or wariness. To his surprise, the Growlithe, like a social butterfly, took its wobbly steps and went to each Pokémon, sniffing them with its small black nose.

Whimsicott, along with the Hoppips, greeted the Growlithe friendly, and the Growlithe responded cheerfully.

However, Luo Mu's five main Pokémon were a bit stiff. They remained in place, allowing the Growlithe to sniff them, not daring to make any sudden moves, as if afraid of accidentally hurting this tiny life.

Seeing their doting expressions, Luo Mu felt that the farm would likely soon have a little tyrant who feared nothing, backed by a bunch of aunts and uncles.

The Growlithe trotted happily. Its adaptability was terrifying; after just a round of sniffing, it was already stable enough to hop.

It hopped over to the side of Moltres, who was also stiff and a bit bewildered, sniffed with its small nose, its eyes hidden in its fur lit up, and barked, "Woof woof!" (Mom!)

Moltres was startled by the bark, completely disregarding its divine beast dignity and prestige, and sat down on the ground, its pupils trembling violently as if in an earthquake.

The Growlithe didn't mind Moltres's reaction. After nuzzling it with its head, it turned back to look at Luo Mu.

Serperior, who had been somewhat amused, suddenly had a bad premonition.

"Woof woof!" (Dad!)

Bang--!

With a loud noise, Serperior's tail tip, which had been wagging happily, couldn't control its force and poked a large hole in the wooden floor.

Serperior was trembling with rage, its entire Pokémon body in a state of "red heat."

It never expected that after all its precautions, an anomaly would appear in its home!

Moltres had only been here for less than half a month, yet it was so cunning!!

Considering that the little Growlithe surely knew nothing and that Moltres must be the one pulling the strings, Serperior glared angrily at Moltres, who was frozen in place by the Growlithe's words.

Luo Mu didn't understand what the Growlithe meant. He thought it was just being affectionate. Under the strange gazes of the other Pokémon, he smiled and crouched down, skillfully ruffling its fluffy head.

Serperior -- Defeated!

That night, no matter how lively the Growlithe's hatching had been, once it tired itself out and showed clear signs of sleepiness, Luo Mu arranged for the other Pokémon to return to their respective beds to rest. If they didn't sleep now, it would be almost midnight.

Based on his observations, besides himself, the Growlithe seemed particularly close to Moltres. Could it be the influence from the few days it was incubating?

Luo Mu didn't hesitate. He directly moved Moltres's sleeping area into the house. Considering the Growlithe had just been born, he also slept in the living room temporarily.

That night, Serperior, lying in its empty bed, gritted its teeth in anger.