Chapter 6: Raikou: Humanity is Deceptive, Not to Be Trusted!
Another 5 Shock Points?
This time, it was Holt's turn to feel shocked.
He had expected it to be difficult to earn this, but he never imagined it would be so easy!
Entei seemed to respond to his actions, licking his face again with its tongue.
Holt got a face full of saliva and quickly pushed Entei's face away, rejecting the big cat's lick.
Seeing this, Entei stopped licking. It closed its eyes and prepared to continue resting, conserving its energy for the next leg of the journey once Holt had rested.
However, the next moment, Entei felt the little one lean forward and give it a kiss on the forehead.
Entei opened its eyes, slowly realizing that the little one seemed to be playing with it.
Entei didn't know how to react. It had never raised a cub before and had never had such an experience.
In the past, it had always been on the move, fulfilling its duties as a member of the Ho-Oh Sacred Guardians, rescuing Pokémon from traps.
It looked at the little one in front of it and instinctively licked its fur again.
Holt: ...
This time, Entei did not provide any Shock Points, but that was understandable. After all, Entei had already been shocked once. It probably wasn't as surprised now.
The body was still very young, and after a little play, Holt felt a bit tired.
He obediently curled up in Entei's warm embrace and closed his eyes, falling asleep.
Holt wasn't worried about danger or wild Pokémon attacks, as Entei, being a Legendary Pokémon, was incredibly powerful.
As sleepiness overtook him, Holt quickly drifted off to sleep.
Seeing the little one asleep, Entei began to lick its fur again.
Once Holt was clean and tidy, Entei stopped.
A gentle breeze passed through, and in the softly falling autumn leaves, Entei clearly felt its heart slowly becoming more fulfilled.
*
Holt slept for a long time.
When he woke up, he found himself still nestled in Entei's embrace.
Entei had already woken up, and in front of it were several round Berries.
When Holt opened his eyes, Entei slowly rose and nudged the Berries toward him with its paw.
Holt didn't refuse, happily eating one of the Berries, and then, human and Pokémon continued on their journey.
Holt didn't know where Entei was taking him, but as long as he was with Entei, he didn't worry.
With food and drink, and no danger, Holt was finally able to calm down and began observing the strange yet familiar Pokémon world while riding on Entei's back.
Caterpies crawling on tree trunks, Butterfrees fluttering through the forest, Pidgeys flying across the sky, and Beedrills fiercely guarding their territory...
Time passed, and before long, one human and one Pokémon had exited the forest and entered a vast mountain range.
Here, the types of Pokémon living in the area had changed drastically.
The common forest Pokémon like Caterpie, Butterfree, and Oddish had disappeared, replaced by groups of Geodude, Sandshrew, and Nidoran.
Being in the middle of it all made Holt realize how vast and expansive this world truly was.
Holt's eyes filled with longing. If it weren't for his age, he would have immediately taken out a Poké Ball and caught a few of the Pokémon he liked.
Of course, that was impossible.
After all, he still needed someone to take care of him.
One day, while crossing a mountain pass, Holt suddenly saw lightning flashing in the sky ahead.
He could vaguely hear growling roars coming from that direction.
Entei seemed to sense something, halting its steps and looking up toward the sky.
Holt was a little confused, but when he looked up, he saw a powerful figure walking slowly toward them, riding the fearsome lightning.
It was a Pokémon that looked similar to a saber-toothed tiger, covered in golden fur, with strong limbs and sharp fangs.
Like Entei, this Pokémon wore a black, steel-like headpiece covering its forehead, nose, and mouth, with blue X-shaped whiskers beneath.
Behind it, a tail of electric light crackled and sparked.
The moment it appeared, its gaze locked onto Entei and the little one on its back.
Holt immediately felt a strong pressure sweeping over him.
That Pokémon was... Raikou!
At this moment, Raikou's body crackled with violent thunder, releasing bursts of blue electric energy with every step.
It was getting closer...
When Raikou finally reached Entei, Holt felt an overpowering aura of a wild beast press down on him, causing him to instinctively cling to Entei.
Entei sensed Holt's unease and furrowed its brow, its tone becoming stern:
"Raikou, you've gone too far."
Raikou's gaze shifted from Holt to Entei, its voice cold as ice.
"What is this? Why have you brought a human child into the territory of Mt. Tengan?!"
"He lost his parents protecting Pokémon. As a Pokémon, I have a duty to care for their child!" Entei said in a deep voice.
It wasn't an explanation to Raikou, but a statement of fact.
"You're nurturing a future threat!" Raikou growled. Having seen too many humans harm Pokémon, it had a deep-seated mistrust of them, even if the human in question was just a child.
Raikou's voice was filled with warning: "Humans are deceitful creatures. They cannot be trusted!"
"He's not like the others." Entei understood Raikou's feelings but didn't want to argue. It simply shook its head, "This is none of your concern."
Raikou shot a cold glance at Holt, noticing Entei's clear defense of the human. With a disdainful snort, it moved aside and walked away, leaving only one final warning.
"Hmph. I hope you won't regret your decision today."
The little one was so obedient and relied on it so much... How could he be like other humans? Entei thought.
The three members of the Ho-Oh Sacred Guardians all had their own missions and tasks. They wouldn't interfere with each other unless faced with an enormous crisis.
So, after giving a few warnings, Raikou left.
Entei paid it no mind. It believed that the little one was different.
More importantly...
Entei lifted its head, its gaze passing over the misty mountains ahead, finally settling on the highest, most majestic peak.
Their destination: Mt. Tengan.