The ochre scales on Axew's body gleamed with a unique, warm luster in the faint light of the cave.
Just as Eevee had said before, they resembled fallen autumn leaves and settled sunlight, forming a strange contrast with Axew's timid nature.
"Axew," Xinhai said calmly as he looked at the frail little Pokémon, "Eevee told me about what happened to you before. But what I want to say is that none of it was your fault."
Axew's body stiffened slightly. It lowered its head, its claws unconsciously clenching again.
Xinhai did not rush to say anything else. He remained crouched, trying to keep his gaze level with little Axew's.
"You know, Axew," Xinhai said softly, though his voice reached Axew's ears clearly, "to Eevee, me, and everyone else, this warm color on your body isn't strange at all. On the contrary, it's very special, very beautiful."
Axew raised its head, its purplish-red eyes filled with confusion and doubt.
"Actually, every person and every Pokémon in this world is one of a kind." Xinhai's gaze swept over the companions beside him, his tone sincere and firm.
"Blaziken's feathers lean more toward crimson because it awakened the Fire of Belief. Gardevoir's Psychic type became blue-white because of her second awakening. Eevee is even more special, possessing the potential to adapt to nearly every Type. Krokorok's scales and armor are far thicker than those of its kind because it experienced a second awakening of the Ground type...
"Even I'm different from many Trainers. It's precisely because I understand these differences so well that I don't like traveling with other Trainers."
As he said this, Xinhai sighed. Then he looked at Axew again, his eyes turning gentle once more. "So, every one of us, every Pokémon, has something unique about us. We all have