Pokemon: Raised by Legends, Chapter 31-34

Chapter 31 - Building a Home

Autumn rain fell without end.

Fuyuki stood inside the Secret Base, staring at his own hands in disbelief.

Secret Power wasn’t a one-time thing. It was an ability, a Pokémon move he had mastered himself. Once it was unlocked, he could use it freely from then on.

For now, he could use it up to three times a day, but that didn’t seem like the true limit. It felt more like something that would slowly increase as he grew stronger.

Did that mean humans were basically a kind of Pokémon too?

The thought slipped into his mind before he brushed it aside.

Whether that was true or not didn’t matter right now.

There was something far more important waiting to be done.

A Secret Base with only one room was nowhere near enough.

Since he still had two uses of the ability left today, Fuyuki decided to use them all at once.

The interior of Mount Tensei was massive. Under Entei’s puzzled gaze, he walked up to one of the walls and reached out.

The familiar white light bloomed again.

When it faded, a brand-new room stood before them.

Entei’s pupils shrank.

But what shocked it even more was that the Little One wasn’t finished yet.

He walked to another wall and repeated the motion.

Another spacious, empty room appeared.

“Little One…” Entei stared blankly at the scene. It hadn’t expected his power to be this overwhelming.

“All done!” Fuyuki clapped his hands, clearly pleased with his work.

Entei stepped closer, standing beside him as they looked at the rooms together.

“These are…?”

Fuyuki grinned. “This one’s Raikou’s room. This is Marshadow’s room. And this one’s ours!”

“…They don’t need that much space,” Entei said after a pause.

“Yeah, that’s true.” Fuyuki nodded thoughtfully. Raikou barely came back all year, and Marshadow spent all day in the shadow world.

“In that case…” An idea struck him. “We’ll turn this room into a bathroom so it’s easier to bathe.”

“And this one can be a storage room for food!”

With a thousand Shock Points left, he opened the system shop as he talked and started planning more renovations.

【Bathtub: Furniture for bathing together with Pokémon. Cost: 700 Shock Points.】

【Fully Automatic Flush Toilet: Household item for personal hygiene. Must be installed where there is a water source. Can be paired with a Distortion Space Connector. Waste is automatically flushed into the Distortion World. Cost: 1000 Shock Points.】

【Refrigerator: Appliance for preserving food. Requires a generator. Cost: 1500 Shock Points.】

【Wooden Dining Table: Full furniture set for meals. Cost: 500 Shock Points.】

【Tableware Set: Full set of dining utensils. Cost: 300 Shock Points.】

【Fabric Sofa: Sofa for resting. Cost: 600 Shock Points.】

【Wooden Walls: Change the wall material of a room. Cost: 2000 Shock Points.】

【Marble Walls: Change the wall material of a room. Cost: 3000 Shock Points.】

【Pink Wallpaper: Replace room wallpaper. Cost: 200 Shock Points.】

【Automatic Lighting Window: Can be installed inside caves to simulate real sunlight shining in from outside. Cost: 1000 Shock Points.】

Fuyuki: “…”

He couldn’t afford any of it. Not even close.

All the excitement drained out of him at once.

“What’s wrong, Little One?” Entei asked immediately.

“Not enough power… I can’t keep remodeling.” He explained it in a way Entei could understand. “It’s like when Raikou uses Thunder, it needs Electric-type energy first.”

Entei understood. He was out of energy.

Even so, for someone so small to do all this already was incredible.

Still, seeing the Little One so dejected made Entei’s chest ache.

“You’ll be able to do more once you grow up,” it said gently.

Fuyuki sighed again, his little face full of worry. The wild Pokémon nearby had already given him all the Shock Points they had. No matter how many tricks he pulled now, or even if he spoke Pokémon language, nothing surprised them anymore.

“I really want to grow up faster,” he muttered.

Entei licked his face. “You will.”

The remaining thousand Shock Points were awkward, not enough for anything worthwhile. He decided to save them for later.

Curled up against Entei’s warm, fluffy belly, he listened to the steady autumn rain outside the cave.

Inside, it was dry and cozy. The wooden floor was covered with thick wool rugs, soft underfoot. Rain pattered faintly beyond the cave walls. Surrounded by that comfort, drowsiness crept in fast.

Entei stayed still, letting him use its body as a pillow.

Resting there, Fuyuki couldn’t help but think that ever since coming to the Pokémon world, he had never imagined he’d end up like this, lying beside Entei, one of the Legendary Beasts.

Fate really was strange.

“Entei,” he called softly.

Its gaze shifted to him at once.

“What were you doing before?” he asked.

Entei paused, then answered, “Before… like Raikou, I traveled across the land, helping Pokémon in need. That was the mission Ho-Oh entrusted to us.”

“Ho-Oh?”

“Mm.” Entei nodded its massive head, looking through the curtain of rain toward the distance. “Raikou, Suicune, and I should have died one hundred and fifty years ago. Ho-Oh used its power to revive us. Since then, we’ve been searching for it.”

“Died?” Fuyuki froze, memories of the Legendary Beasts’ origins surfacing in his mind.

They were said to be three unknown Pokémon that perished in a fire at the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City.

Ho-Oh revived them, and they became its envoys, watching over humanity.

The legend was real.

He looked up at Entei.

In its eyes, he almost saw that day.

A night of torrential rain, thunder tearing through the sky. Lightning struck the tower, flames roaring to life.

Three Pokémon were trapped inside, burned alive.

Then Ho-Oh appeared, scattering Sacred Ash and bringing them back to life.

In that rebirth, they fused with the forces around them and gained new power.

The lightning that struck the tower became Raikou.

The raging flames became Entei.

The falling rain became Suicune.

Looking at the dignified, ever-serious big cat in front of him, Fuyuki felt a tight ache in his chest.

How much must it have hurt, being trapped in the flames like that?

“Did it hurt?” he asked quietly.

Entei stiffened, realizing what he meant.

But that day was so far in the past now that even the pain had faded from memory.

Not wanting the Little One to worry, it shook its head gently. “It didn’t hurt.”

“You’re lying,” Fuyuki said, voice muffled.

Chapter 32 - Suicune: Have You Forgotten Our Mission?

Entei didn’t say anything else.

It gently licked the Little One’s cheek, then lifted its head to watch the endless autumn rain outside.

More than a hundred years was enough for many things to change. It was no longer the naive, innocent Pokémon it once had been.

Over that long stretch of time, it had experienced countless events and met countless people.

Because of that, Entei understood very clearly that its Little One was nothing like an ordinary human child.

The Little One never wanted to call it Dad.

The Little One seemed to know far more than a child should.

At times, the Little One even acted like a tiny adult.

All of it pointed to the same truth.

This was not an ordinary human infant.

But so what?

The time they had spent together was real. The affection the Little One showed it was real too.

No matter what, this was its Little One. Its child.

It would protect him for a lifetime, no… forever.

In that moment, countless thoughts passed through Entei’s mind.

Human lives had an end. As a parent, it would never allow the Little One to leave this world.

When Ho-Oh returned, it would beg Ho-Oh to grant its child eternal life, just like it, Raikou, and Suicune.

No matter the price, it would gladly pay it.

By afternoon, the rain stopped.

The air was thick with the scent of wet soil and fresh grass, and a brilliant rainbow hung across the sky.

When Fuyuki first saw it, he thought Ho-Oh, their so-called photographer, had come back. After a closer look, he realized it was just an ordinary rainbow.

The ground outside was soaked. One step out and his feet would be caked in mud.

He didn’t want to get filthy, but he also wanted to harvest the Berries that had already ripened.

That way, in a couple of days, the trees would bear fruit again.

With no other choice, Entei let him ride on its back and carried him to the orchard. Together, they picked all the Berries from the trees, placed them into baskets, and stored them in the warehouse Fuyuki had dug out.

Looking at the piles of Berries stacked like small hills inside the Secret Base, Fuyuki broke into a wide grin.

With this much food, they wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry this winter.

At the same time, at the foot of Mount Tensei.

An elegant blue figure stepped onto the land.

It lifted its head toward the peak hidden among the clouds, a faint frown forming.

Entei was there.

Suicune broke into a run along the mountain path, its ribbon-like tail swaying lightly as it moved.

As it advanced, it carefully observed its surroundings.

Mount Tensei hadn’t changed.

At least, it looked the same as the last time it had been here.

Then what was it that kept Entei here, refusing to leave?

The scenery rushed past. As the embodiment of the north wind, Suicune moved at incredible speed.

Before long, it reached the mountainside.

There was still some distance to the summit.

Yet it could clearly sense Entei’s presence here. More than that, Marshadow was here too.

No… not just them.

Suicune frowned slightly. It could faintly sense another presence, one different from Entei and Marshadow.

That presence was incredibly weak. It felt similar to what it sensed from Pokémon that had only just hatched from an egg.

A bold, almost unbelievable guess surfaced in Suicune’s mind.

Had Entei, Marshadow, and Raikou secretly raised a Pokémon infant here on Mount Tensei?

That didn’t make sense.

Neither Entei nor Raikou had the kind of personality that would do something like that.

And Marshadow even less so.

It stopped.

Lost in thought, Suicune suddenly halted and looked ahead at a cave.

It remembered this place. Long ago, while guiding the Rainbow Hero through trials, they would sometimes rest here.

But compared to its memory, the cave had changed drastically.

Beside it, a grove of Berry trees had appeared at some point.

The trees were neatly arranged, clearly planted by someone’s hand.

Moving closer, Suicune peered into the cave.

The once uneven stone walls had been transformed into a neat, square room, like a human dwelling.

What shocked it even more was the wooden floor, rich with the scent of nature, laid across the cave ground.

“What is this?” Suicune’s eyes widened.

Just then, a familiar figure walked out from inside.

Suicune looked up and saw Entei emerge from the cave, lifting its head to meet its gaze from afar.

“Entei…”

Suicune was about to speak through telepathy when, in the next instant, it noticed something behind Entei.

A human infant it had never seen before.

Suicune’s pupils shrank sharply.

At the same time, the child noticed its arrival and froze on the spot.

After a brief pause, Suicune shifted its gaze back to Entei.

Its voice was gentle, like flowing water.

“Entei, what exactly is going on here?”

“As you can see, I took in this infant,” Entei replied, its voice dignified. “Let me introduce him. Suicune, this is Fuyuki, my child.”

Took in… child…

Suicune’s pupils trembled violently.

How was this possible?

Why would Entei, a Pokémon, bring a human infant back to Mount Tensei and raise him as its own?

More importantly, it seemed to have forgotten its mission.

Suicune’s tone grew serious.

“Entei, we need an explanation.”

“The Little One’s parents died protecting Pokémon. In the human world, he has no family left, so I brought him back to Mount Tensei and decided to raise him,” Entei explained concisely. “Marshadow and Raikou are already aware of this.”

Suicune fell silent.

So it was the only one left in the dark.

It had no right to interfere with Entei’s choice, nor did it want to.

It spoke softly instead. “Entei, you have stayed on Mount Tensei for far too long. You and I both have our missions. We do not have the time to care for a human child.”

Entei remained silent.

Because it had already made its choice.

Between fulfilling its mission and caring for the Little One, it chose the latter.

“If Ho-Oh places blame, I will bear it alone,” Entei said solemnly.

“Ho-Oh will be returning soon,” Suicune replied.

Among the Legendary Beasts, it was closer to Ho-Oh than the others. It knew far more about Ho-Oh’s movements than Entei or Raikou.

They hadn’t hidden the conversation from Fuyuki.

He reached out and grabbed a tuft of Entei’s fur.

Ho-Oh was coming back?

No, with Ho-Oh’s personality, it probably wouldn’t blame Entei… probably.

Fuyuki looked at Entei with worry, thoughts racing through his mind.

Soon, one idea rose above the rest.

If things really went south, they could just run.

Travel the whole world, shock everyone, rack up enough Shock Points, then exchange them for a hundred Rare Candy and push Entei straight to level 100.

Then they wouldn’t have to be afraid of Ho-Oh at all.

Chapter 33 - Star-Crossed Companions

Of the thirty-six strategies, running was the best one.

In short, get out of here.

With his cheat ability, as long as he had enough time to grow, even a tiny Swinub could one day slay gods.

But obviously, none of that was going to happen.

Entei would never do something like that, and Ho-Oh wasn’t the kind of Pokémon to casually blame its subordinates either.

Sensing the Little One’s tension, Entei lowered its massive head and gently brushed his cheek. The usually stern voice carried a rare trace of warmth.

“There’s no need to worry. Ho-Oh is not a bad Pokémon.”

Suicune’s pupils shrank.

Had it heard that right?

Entei… was speaking to a human infant in that kind of tone?

After comforting Fuyuki, Entei turned back to Suicune and said in a deep voice, “When Ho-Oh returns, I will report this matter personally.”

With that, it turned around and led the child back into the cave.

Suicune was left standing there alone, watching their retreating figures with a complicated expression.

It calmly reviewed the situation.

From what Entei had said, Marshadow and Raikou clearly knew about this already.

Then why hadn’t they stopped it?

Marshadow only handled trials for the Rainbow Hero, so ignoring this was understandable.

But Raikou?

As far as Suicune knew, Raikou had always been extremely hostile toward humans.

A memory surfaced, of Raikou staying on Mount Tensei for a time before leaving.

A guess formed in Suicune’s mind.

Maybe Entei’s stance had been too firm. Raikou might have tried to persuade it, failed, and eventually gave up, choosing to leave Mount Tensei and continue its own mission instead.

Yes. That had to be it.

“Forget it. Ho-Oh will be back soon. I’ll leave everything to Ho-Oh,” Suicune thought.

After all, it and Entei were equals, and once Entei made up its mind, nothing it said would change that.

With that conclusion, Suicune didn’t linger any longer and turned to leave.

It planned to remain on Mount Tensei for a while, waiting for Ho-Oh’s return.

Entei brought Fuyuki back into the cave.

It lay down on the rug, its gaze heavy as it looked outside.

The day was finally approaching.

According to Suicune, Ho-Oh would be returning to Mount Tensei very soon.

Seeing how serious it looked, Fuyuki spoke up to comfort it. “Don’t be scared, Entei!”

“I’m not afraid. I’m just… worried,” Entei thought. It wasn’t afraid of Ho-Oh’s blame.

What it feared was Ho-Oh ordering it to send the Little One back to the human world.

The child depended on it so much. No, more accurately, it had already grown used to the child’s presence without realizing it.

It couldn’t bear to part with him.

But as Ho-Oh’s envoy, it couldn’t disobey a direct order.

Conflicting emotions surged through Entei’s heart. It closed its eyes, struggled internally, then made a decision.

If Ho-Oh ordered them to separate, it would take the Little One and leave Mount Tensei, raising him alone.

The world was vast. There would always be a place for them.

When the child grew up, it would return to Mount Tensei and accept Ho-Oh’s judgment.

No matter the punishment, it would accept it willingly.

“It’s fine.” The worry vanished from Entei’s face, its voice growing firm and resolute, like a promise. “No matter what happens, I will protect you.”

After spending so much time with the big cat, Fuyuki could read its thoughts from its expression alone.

That look was way too serious. It felt like Entei had just made a decision that would shake the heavens.

Was it really planning to defy Ho-Oh for his sake?

An image popped into Fuyuki’s head, Entei carrying him through the forest at full speed, while a demonized Ho-Oh chased after them with Raikou and Suicune.

If that happened, wouldn’t they really become a pair of star-crossed companions?

No… Ho-Oh probably wasn’t that evil. At worst, it would kick him off Mount Tensei and make Entei send him back to the human world.

And if Ho-Oh really did that…

A fierce determination ignited in Fuyuki’s heart.

Just you wait. Don't underestimate a kid with nothing to lose.

When he grew up and became a Trainer, he’d immediately exchange for a hundred Rare Candy, raise his starter Pokemon straight to level 100, and return to Mount Tensei for Ho-Oh’s so-called ten-year promise.

He’d defeat Raikou, Suicune, Marshadow, and Ho-Oh itself, conquer them with sheer strength, stuff the whole family into Poke Balls, and then no one could stop him from staying with Entei.

So…

“Don’t be scared, Entei!” Fuyuki said again.

Entei didn’t respond. It simply licked his cheek, like a great tiger grooming its cub.

“Did Suicune leave?” Fuyuki peeked toward the cave entrance.

“No. It will likely remain on Mount Tensei until Ho-Oh returns,” Entei replied.

“Alright then.”

Thinking of Suicune reminded Fuyuki of that one from the anime that got captured in fishing nets by humans.

Was it the same one?

He had no way of knowing.

Even though Entei was filled with worry over Ho-Oh’s return, there were moments when it wished time could stop, letting it stay here with the Little One forever.

But time never waited.

Days passed one by one, and before they knew it, autumn was nearing its end.

The temperature outside steadily dropped, cold winds howling through the mountains from time to time.

Entei stood at the cave entrance, watching the sky with a solemn expression.

It had a feeling that this winter would be especially harsh.

Still, with it around, the Little One wouldn’t freeze.

All autumn long, the two of them kept harvesting Berries. In just two months, the Secret Base was filled to the brim.

Looking at the room nearly overflowing, even Entei couldn’t hide its shock.

Frowning, it asked with concern, “…Little One, can we really eat all of this?”

Berries could last a long time, but even they would eventually spoil.

“If we can’t finish them, we’ll share them with everyone in the forest!”

Fuyuki had only wanted enough food to avoid going hungry.

Now there were too many. Letting them rot would be a waste.

Entei had no objections.

One human and one Pokémon, each carrying a basket full of Berries, headed down the mountain together.

Chapter 34 - Suicune: Raikou, You Too?!

At the peak of Mount Tensei.

Suicune’s ribbon-like tail drifted lightly in the wind, fluid and graceful. Its calm, water-clear gaze rested on two figures far below on the mountain path, one large, one small.

Two full months had passed since the day it last encountered Entei.

During those two months, Suicune had remained on Mount Tensei.

Though it never revealed itself before Entei or the human infant, it kept watch over them the entire time.

It saw Entei harvesting Berries with the child in the orchard.

It saw the two curled together in a cave, sleeping side by side.

It saw the infant occasionally pull out human food and share it with Entei and Marshadow.

It saw Entei often take the child down the mountain to play with the Pokemon living there.

And today, once again, Suicune watched as the child and Entei shared the Berries they had gathered with wild Pokemon who had no connection to them at all.

Suddenly, a familiar presence brushed against its senses.

Even without turning around, Suicune knew who it was.

Marshadow had arrived.

Suicune kept its gaze fixed on the figures below.

“That human infant,” it said softly. “His name is Fuyuki, isn’t it?”

Marshadow’s eyes flickered in the shadows. “Yes.”

After a brief pause, it added, “He really likes Entei.”

“Of course,” Suicune replied. “He was raised by Entei.”

It was obvious. The child relied on Entei completely, clinging to it whenever possible, as if he wished he could stay by its side all day and night.

“But…” Suicune finally turned its head, looking at Marshadow beside it. “Why are you telling me this now?”

Marshadow lifted its head, gaze deep and unreadable, and spoke slowly.

“If Ho-Oh ever turns back and holds us accountable, I hope you’ll help us plead our case.”

Suicune froze for a moment. “You too…?”

“That human infant is different,” Marshadow shook its head. “When Entei first brought him back, he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even walk. Just a tiny little thing, sleeping in Entei’s arms.”

“Little by little, he grew. Entei and I taught him the language of Pokemon, and now he can already communicate with Pokemon using it.”

“He isn’t a human child.”

“He’s our child. A Pokemon’s child.”

Suicune listened in silence.

Unlike Raikou, it wasn’t withdrawn or prejudiced against humans. In fact, while carrying out its duties, it often encountered them.

Good humans. Bad humans.

Suicune understood the difference. It would not hate all humans because of the wicked, nor would it show mercy to evil ones because of the kind.

“This was Entei’s choice,” Suicune said quietly.

Marshadow fell silent. It was about to sink back into the shadow world and leave when Suicune spoke again.

“If Ho-Oh truly does assign blame, I’ll help you plead with it.”

That was the answer Marshadow wanted.

Without another word, it vanished, returning to the shadows.

Suicune turned its gaze back toward the mountain below and murmured softly,

“Fuyuki…”

Raikou returned to Mount Tensei on the second day after the first snowfall of the year.

By then, the mountain was sealed in snow, blanketed in white from peak to forest floor.

Wild Pokemon that usually roamed outside were nowhere to be seen, and the forest was unnaturally quiet.

Raikou’s lithe form cut through the woods, paws sinking into soft snow as it leapt lightly to the cave entrance like a massive tiger.

The moment it appeared, Suicune arrived as well.

Entei and Fuyuki had been sheltering in the cave, watching the snow fall outside, so the instant Raikou showed itself, they noticed.

“Raikou!” Fuyuki’s eyes lit up.

Suicune looked at Raikou. With all three Legendary Beasts finally gathered, it was about to speak when Raikou glanced at it, then walked straight past, heading for Entei and the child.

Suicune: ?

Don’t tell me you too—

“Raikou, you’re back!” Fuyuki said excitedly.

“Mm.” Raikou responded coolly, then lowered the bag it had been carrying in its mouth.

“What’s that?” Fuyuki’s attention snapped to it immediately.

He opened the bag and found several bottles of Moomoo Milk inside.

“A gift for you,” Raikou said. It remembered how much the child liked it.

Originally, it had planned to bring the Miltank itself to live on Mount Tensei.

But the Miltank had already been caught by a human and started a new life on a ranch.

Even so, after hearing why Raikou had come, it asked the ranch owner for a whole batch of Moomoo Milk and sent it along as a gift.

As it spoke, Raikou shot a glance at Entei.

The look practically said: See? The Little One’s going to like my gift more.

Entei: “……”

Pointless, Entei thought quietly.

In the Little One’s heart, Entei ranked first, Marshadow second.

Raikou was dead last.

“Thank you, Raikou!” Fuyuki threw his arms around Raikou in a big hug, sneaking in a good rub of the big cat’s fur.

Raikou looked slightly uncomfortable, but still lowered its body, letting the child wrap his arms around its neck.

“Oh, right, Raikou!” Fuyuki said eagerly. “All the Berries we planted together grew in! We got so many this year!”

“Really?” Raikou said, though it had already noticed the orchard outside the cave.

“Come on, I’ll show you!” Fuyuki grabbed Raikou’s foreleg and tugged it inside.

At first, Raikou didn’t think much of it. This cave was familiar territory.

But the next moment, when it finally saw what lay ahead, it froze in place.

The cave’s interior had completely changed.

Not only that, there were multiple rooms inside now.

After passing through a doorway, a room filled with Berries piled like small hills came into view.

Raikou felt its pupils quake.

This was…

“This is the Little One’s power,” Entei explained from behind.

“Hehe,” Fuyuki laughed shyly.

Noticing snow clinging to Raikou’s fur, he pulled it down to lie still and carefully brushed away the melting snow.

Outside the cave, Suicune stood frozen, watching.

Snow and wind raged as flakes settled on its body. For the first time, Suicune felt like the entire world had quietly left it behind.

What it hadn’t expected was that even Raikou liked the human infant this much.

After a moment of silence, Suicune turned away and left, alone in the storm.