Electrode spun back and forth, producing a constant rattling sound like marbles.
With no mouth to eat, Magneton squinted its eyes, still sticking to Lei Gong to absorb intermittent static electricity from it.
However.
Lei Gong, pretending to sleep, would occasionally open its eyes to glance around, its breathing becoming slightly heavier.
Honestly, if there was thunder outside, it would rush out to draw natural lightning; even if there was no thunder, it could dash into the clouds to absorb the current inside.
Helplessly, it now didn't have that energy and could only watch Baimu silently as he scooped out food with a ladle.
As expected.
Lei Gong found that it also received a bowl, a large one, with a tantalizing aroma akin to the strongest cat mint, rushing into its nostrils.
Even though it initially didn't intend to eat, it couldn't resist the temptation.
Human cooking... is it really this enticing?
"Eat quickly; you need energy to let your wounds heal, right?" Baimu's cheerful voice entered its ears.
Lei Gong turned its head, immediately realizing that other Pokémon were already digging in with gusto, the sounds of chewing and bowls clattering against the ground were constant.
Ho-oh Guard doesn't eat offered food—
Alright.
It couldn't be considered offered food.
After much deliberation, Lei Gong decided to set its brain aside temporarily and quietly buried itself in eating; at the end of the day, it couldn't go against its own stomach, could it?
Baimu and Blissey watched it start eating and both showed satisfied smiles.
Very soon, the large bowl of food in front of Lei Gong saw its bottom.
Those large teeth didn't hinder its eating, as its rough pink tongue licked the bowl to scoop up large amounts of food, chewing them quickly after a series of crunching.
"Another bowl? There's more!"
Baimu, without waiting for Lei Gong to speak, picked up its bowl, "Do you want it?"
The latter remained silent, staring at the big pot.
"Do you want it? Don't want it?"
"..."
"Then I'll give you a serving, okay!"
Lei Gong moved its gaze to Baimu's face, its front paws slightly tensed.
'Asking all sorts of questions, just serve it!'
Baimu, seeing the teasing had gone far enough and wouldn't push it further, quickly filled Lei Gong's bowl with a smile and placed it in front of it, "Keep eating, I'm sure it'll satisfy you."
"Roar..."
Lei Gong lowly growled and continued eating.
Beside them, Plusle and Minun, sharing a plate, also finished their servings, their chubby tummies plump, and started rolling around humorously at Baimu's feet despite the mess on the ground.
"Pula~"
"Meina~"
The blue and red little bunnies, now fully fed, looked quite happy.
Baimu picked them up and rubbed them vigorously. As the third-generation Electric Rat, Plusle and Minun didn't have much presence but were undeniably cute.
At first glance, they might seem like a version of Pichu, but they indeed have their differences.
Especially their remarkably symmetrical colors, which, upon touching each other's hands, spark red and blue fireworks-like decorations, akin to fireworks.
But after touching them, Baimu felt a little reluctant.
Even the adorable Electric Rat has a strong smell, similar to the Zigzagoon he touched earlier, full of a wild scent.
Lei Gong doesn't have that many complex odors.
Although they both live in the wild, is it possible that Legendary Pokémon are more complex in this aspect?
He turned his head to look at Lei Gong's belly, feeling an urge to bury in for a good sniff.
"Roar?"
Seemingly detecting his intense curiosity, Lei Gong, who was eating, alertly raised its head, instinctively twisting its body to hide its belly from Baimu's view.
"Hmm?"
Baimu was momentarily confused, turning his head to the left.
Lei Gong subtly adjusted its lying position, facing its belly away from him, showing only the violet swirling-cloud on its back.
He then turned his head to the right, and the big cat adjusted again.
Baimu: "..."
Lei Gong: "..."
Through eye contact, a silent exchange seemed to take place between man and Pokémon.
'I haven't even reached out!'
'Once you do, it'll be too late!'
An implicit electric light seemed to flash between them.
"Hey! I don't buy it—" Baimu rolled up his sleeves and was about to approach Lei Gong when suddenly the whirring sound of helicopter blades came from outside the cave.
He paused, quickly running out.
He saw police helicopters flashing electric lights under the cloudy and rainy skies, with numerous police cars racing from all directions to encircle the towering mountain.
After nearly an hour and a half of waiting.
Miss Jun Sha and the other police finally arrived at the scene with quite a formation.
Baimu lit a flare to signal the helicopter's position.
A long rope descended.
Several heavily armed officers descended on the mountain using elevators.
At first sight, they spotted the robot holding a crystal system with mechanical claws, instantly on alert, but swiftly saw Baimu, who appeared harmless, and four pale, shivering Pokémon Hunters drenched in rain.
"Resolved?"
The police lowered their weapons, bewilderedly gazing at the Pokémon Hunters.
"Glad you guys are here."
Baimu jogged up, shortly spotting the conspicuous Miss Jun Sha and said, "I've been waiting for you! People and items are here, Lei Gong is inside that cave."
He pointed to the distant cave.
Lei Gong stood prominently at the cave entrance, calmly watching over.
Miss Jun Sha withdrew her gaze from Lei Gong, surprisedly observing the Pokémon Hunters and the robot, "Did you and Lei Gong handle them together?"
"...Technically, it was me and my Pokémon."
Baimu briefly explained the process.
Of course, it was a condensed version.
Certain details he couldn't tell Miss Jun Sha, as mentioning them would surely bring interrogation and reprimand for stirring trouble.
As for whether this group of Pokémon Hunters would confess...
That's none of his concern, as long as he doesn't acknowledge it.
Miss Jun Sha, after listening, felt both surprised and a bit awkward, "Sorry, we're late."
Indeed, they were quite late.
Late by over an hour, and Lei Gong had nearly finished its meal.
"It's fine, thank you for making the trip."
Baimu continued smiling, not overly bothered.
It's reason enough that there's no perpetual way to guard against thieves, let alone in such untouched wilderness; slow arrival is understandable.
Especially since they flew in helicopters, the level of importance is clear.
Thus.
After a swift handover.
Baimu watched reluctantly as the mountain bike and robot moved away.
Before leaving, Miss Jun Sha even asked if he wanted a ride, which he promptly declined. He hadn't bonded with Lei Gong enough to leave so casually.
As the police helicopter departed from that mountain, the ominous rain clouds gradually dispersed, and the radiant sunlight shone through.
"The rain's cleared..."
Baimu shielded his eyes from the slightly blinding light, looking at the rainbow stretching across the sky and turned back to the cave.
The Electric Attribute Wild Pokémon who had sought shelter from the rain exited one by one, circling him before heading back into the forest, as if expressing gratitude.
Plusle and Minun were more direct, hopping onto his shoulder and nuzzling a bit, sparks flowing from their electric storage bags with plus-minus symbols jolting Baimu's hair upright.
"Yow! That's quite a jolt!"
Baimu trembled a bit, then bid farewell to the two adorable Pokémon, watching them head off.
Lei Gong, fully bandaged, was walking last, "Roar..."
"Are you thinking about leaving?"
"Roar~"
"Your wounds haven't healed yet, why not stay with me for now?"
He spoke towards the large cat heading up the cliff top, "I'm planning on heading to Lavaridge Town next, with hot springs that can cure ailments, I think your injuries won't be a problem. Besides, in your current state, Rocket Team will definitely not give up capturing you after knowing these guys failed."
Lei Gong didn't respond, instead jumped to the peak and let out a roaring bellow.
"Roar——!!"
The thunder-like roar reverberated across the universe, its palpable sound wave spreading out far, startling a harmless flock of Taillow in the distant forests.
Finally.
It jumped down from the rocks, lowered its head in front of Baimu and Blissey with closed eyes, "Roar..."
Lei Gong agreed.