Spring had arrived, but the cold still lingered. Once night fell, the temperature on Mount Tensei dropped sharply, the chill seeping into the rocks.
As day gave way to night, nocturnal Pokemon began to stir outside.
Thanks to Fuyuki's efforts, the cave they lived in no longer resembled its former self.
The rough stone floor had been completely covered with smooth wooden planks, warm to the touch. A large carpet lay across the center of the cave, and beside it sat a small mushroom-shaped night lamp.
Soft yellow light spilled from the lamp, pushing back the darkness and adding a sense of warmth and comfort to what had once been a cold, empty cave.
Raikou lay stretched out on the carpet, head lowered as it watched the human infant beside it stare off into space.
The events of the past few days replayed in its mind, one after another.
Even Raikou hadn't noticed when its attention toward the little human had quietly grown to such an exaggerated degree.
"…What are you thinking about?"
In the end, it still asked.
The aloof, cold voice echoed directly in Fuyuki's mind, breaking his train of thought.
"I was wondering," Fuyuki replied, "what happens if we eat all the food we've found?"
"That is not something you need to worry about," Raikou said. "Since Entei has taken you in, it will naturally take responsibility for finding food."
What Raikou didn't say was that it could also bring food back. It simply wasn't ready to admit that it had already begun, little by little, to accept the human child and the fact that he would be staying on Mount Tensei.
"But what if one day there's no food outside at all?" Fuyuki said, planning ahead as always.
He had just been browsing the system shop, looking through the vegetable and fruit seeds he could currently buy.
He still had 85 Shock Points left. Buying some seeds wouldn't be a problem.
The problem came after that.
They had nowhere to plant them.
Raikou, Entei, and Marshadow all lacked the ability to clear and cultivate land. As for him, even though he knew how, his small body simply couldn't manage it.
"You don't need to worry so much," Raikou said after a brief pause, offering rare reassurance. "No matter what happens, I… Entei won't let you go hungry."
Fuyuki caught the meaning behind what it hadn't quite said.
Maybe it was because his brain hadn't fully developed yet, but sometimes he found himself acting in ways that didn't match the age of his soul.
Like right now.
Feeling Raikou's concern, he didn't hold back. He threw his arms around the legendary beast and said happily, "Raikou, you're the best!"
Entei was number one, Marshadow was number two, and Raikou was number three!
Raikou stiffened for a moment, then closed its eyes and said coolly, "I never said I'd help you find food."
Even so, the pleasure in its voice was impossible to hide.
Got it. Totally got it.
Fuyuki grinned, let go, and flopped back onto the carpet, returning to the system shop.
Before long, he spotted a manual tucked away in a corner.
[Berry Cultivation Guide: Unlocks knowledge related to growing Berries. Cost: 50 Shock Points.]
Other crops were impossible without farmland, so even if he bought seeds, he couldn't plant them.
In that case, why not start with a few Berry trees?
Exchange!
The next second, a flood of information poured straight into his mind.
[Berry Introduction: Berries are a highly miraculous type of fruit tree. Their growth cycle is three days. Once mature, Berries can be harvested from the branches every two days. Their absurdly short growth cycle, combined with the rich nutrients contained in the fruit, is enough to satisfy nearly all Pokemon needs.]
[Berry Planting Method: First, find relatively loose soil. Bury the Berry seeds in the ground and water them daily. The seeds will grow steadily. If conditions allow, fertilizer may be used to strengthen the tree's growth.]
[Berry Harvest: Mature Berries have a wide variety of uses. After harvesting, they can be eaten directly or processed with special tools into foods such as Poffins, Pokeblocks, or juice.]
Fuyuki: zzZ
The sheer volume of information knocked him out on the spot.
The next morning, he opened his eyes.
By habit, he reached out beside him, only to find empty air instead of familiar fur.
Fuyuki sat up at once. The cave was quiet and empty. Raikou was nowhere to be seen.
"Raikou?"
He called out, then climbed off the carpet and headed for the cave entrance.
Before he could take more than a couple of steps, a sleek figure appeared at the doorway.
It was Raikou.
Holding the basket Fuyuki had bought earlier in its mouth, it walked in with steady, powerful steps.
Raikou set the basket down in front of him. Inside were several round, plump Berries.
"These are…?" Fuyuki froze, then looked up.
Raikou had already turned away.
"Don't overthink it. I just didn't want you to starve before Entei gets back. That would be hard to explain."
Fuyuki: "…"
What a stubborn, soft-hearted big cat.
Its words were cold, but its actions told a different story.
Fuyuki picked up a Berry and said sincerely, "Thank you, Raikou!"
Raikou pretended not to hear. It moved aside and sat down, eyes fixed on the child in the distance.
Fuyuki quickly finished eating the Berry, then pattered over to the corner of the cave, somehow pulling out a pile of leftover Berry seeds.
Then he ran back out of the cave with them in his arms.
Raikou paused, then followed, watching the small figure busy itself in an open patch of ground near the cave.
Fuyuki had wanted to Dig the holes himself and bury the seeds, but he was too weak and lacked proper tools. In the end, he could only turn back and look at Raikou for help.
Raikou had been watching in confusion. When the child suddenly looked over, their eyes met.
Then came a pitiful plea.
"Raikou, help me!"
"…What are you doing?" Raikou asked.
"I want to plant these Berry seeds," Fuyuki explained. "That way, once the Berries grow, we won't have to go down the mountain to look for them anymore! And we won't need to worry about running out of food!"
Raikou was genuinely startled.
This human child had thought that far ahead?
And… it actually made sense.
If they could grow Berry trees here, they could harvest food directly in the future.
Despite its deep distrust of humans, Raikou had to admit something.
Humans were a species full of creativity and boundless imagination.
Maybe that was their talent.
For such a small child to come up with this idea… no wonder Pokemon found humans so astonishing.
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200 powerstones for extra chapter.
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