“Item: Feather of the Legendary Bird of Frost Origin: A feather taken from the strongest Articuno, said to have been formed from snow and ice itself. Effect: Can exert an intimidating influence over certain Pokémon to a certain extent, especially Ice type and Flying type Pokémon. It also continuously emits a trace of icy energy, making even the most unbearably hot summer days noticeably cooler.”
After reading the feather’s description, Sunny concluded that it did not seem especially useful.
Still, he did not mind.
Its greatest value was not its practical effect, but what it represented.
It was proof that he and Entei had defeated Articuno together.
As a memento, it was priceless.
Besides, feathers from Legendary Pokémon were exceptionally durable.
They could be preserved for an incredibly long time without being damaged.
The only downside was that in weather this cold, simply holding the feather made his hand feel freezing.
Seeing this, Entei carefully took the feather into his mouth for him before carrying Sunny back home.
“We’re finally home!”
Sunny could not help grinning.
Everything that had happened today was unforgettable.
It had truly been an incredibly fulfilling day.
It would be wonderful if every day could be like this.
Unfortunately, a child’s energy had its limits.
After experiencing so many exciting events, exhaustion finally caught up with him.
He fiddled with the scarf around his neck for a moment before lying down beside Entei and quietly falling asleep.
Entei rested as well, although his mind remained active.
He kept thinking about everything that had happened today.
Humans really are complicated creatures.
Sometimes, he simply could not understand what they were thinking.
Their technology was undeniably impressive.
They had actually managed to invent something capable of influencing a Pokémon’s mind.
And they had already begun using it against a Pokémon as powerful as Articuno.
Who knew what kind of absurd invention they would create next?
Throughout his long life, Entei had witnessed countless incidents of humans slaughtering and enslaving Pokémon.
Compared to the past, his temperament had become much calmer over the centuries.
Even so…
Those kinds of humans still filled him with disgust and hatred.
Fortunately, they were only a small minority.
Most humans genuinely cared for Pokémon and were willing to grow stronger together with them as partners.
Hmph.
Let’s just hope those troublemakers don’t stir up any more disasters.
Otherwise…
I’ll beat every single one of them I come across.
He shook those thoughts from his mind.
It was better to think about Sunny instead.
The child had matured tremendously.
His intelligence was almost unbelievable.
His command during today’s battle had been calm, decisive, and remarkably precise.
If he lived in human society, he would undoubtedly become an outstanding Pokémon Trainer.
Not to mention…
He was still only five years old.
Still, Entei could not help worrying.
Sunny carried countless mysteries within him.
Entei was genuinely afraid that one day, something he did not know about might suddenly happen to the child.
Fortunately…
Everything seemed perfectly normal for now.
Perhaps I’m simply overthinking things.
He’s only a child.
What could possibly happen to someone so young?
Still…
When will Sunny finally tell me everything himself?
The more Entei thought about it, the more tangled his thoughts became.
The old him had never thought this much.
In these past few years alone, he had probably done more thinking than he had throughout the previous several hundred years combined.
Just then…
A sound came from outside the cave.
Entei immediately stood up alertly.
After making sure he had not accidentally awakened Sunny, he quietly walked outside.
Now that Sunny had the Flame Scarf, Entei no longer needed to remain beside him every single moment.
Outside stood a Furret.
Entei naturally recognized it.
Its child often played together with Sunny.
The two had become very close friends.
He still remembered that when they had first met, Furret had firmly refused to allow its child to play with Sunny.
Later, after becoming familiar with each other, Furret gradually accepted him.
It even frequently brought berries over as gifts for Sunny.
Why had it come to find them at a time like this?
Had something happened?
Furret anxiously paced back and forth.
The moment it saw Entei emerge, it looked as though it had found its savior.
It hurried over, waving its paws frantically while making a series of anxious gestures.
It was clearly panicking.
After a brief exchange, Entei immediately followed Furret away.
Thanks to the scarf’s warmth, Entei felt reassured.
He no longer needed to worry about Sunny getting cold while he was gone.
…
Sunny had no idea how long he had slept.
By the time he woke up, the sky was already beginning to grow dark.
Entei was nowhere nearby.
He had probably gone out on another patrol.
Sunny suddenly felt that Entei truly lived an exhausting life.
Outside, he constantly traveled through the forest helping Pokémon in need.
Sometimes, he even ventured into human society to quietly observe humans.
At home, he had to take care of Sunny himself, preparing food, clothing, and countless other necessities.
If Sunny had to handle that many responsibilities every day, he would definitely end up complaining nonstop.
Yet Entei never once complained.
He was simply such a pure-hearted and kind Legendary Pokémon.
No wonder he had always been Sunny’s favorite.
Sunny felt that he should contribute more as well.
But…
What exactly could a five-year-old body accomplish?
Looking around at their somewhat messy home, inspiration suddenly struck him.
I’ll clean the cave!
Most caves were dark, damp, and covered with moss.
Some even leaked whenever it rained.
But their cave was completely different.
Because of Entei’s presence, it remained warm all year round.
Naturally, there was no moss.
And there was no way Entei would ever choose a cave that leaked.
Entei occasionally cleaned the cave himself.
However, because of his enormous body, there were many corners he simply could not clean thoroughly.
Now…
It was Sunny’s turn to shine.
Once he made up his mind, he immediately got to work.
There were no proper cleaning tools.
So he could only use the old clothes he had already outgrown as makeshift cleaning rags.
He carried them outside, soaked them with fresh snow, then returned and began wiping everything.
The cave walls.
The floor.
The large stone surfaces.
Even the tiny cracks and hidden corners.
He cleaned every single place he could reach.
Sunny was the sort of person who was slightly obsessive about cleanliness.
He firmly believed in one principle.
If you’re not going to do something, then don’t do it at all.
But if you do decide to do it…
then do it properly.
If only he had been tall enough to reach the cave ceiling.
Otherwise, he would have cleaned that too.
Cleaning alone was not enough.
Everything needed to be organized.
Before, everything had been scattered randomly around the cave.
Now, he carefully gathered similar items together into neat sections.
The cradle.
The baby bottle.
His clothes.
The berries.
The pretty stones he had collected.
The interesting little gifts other Pokémon had given him.
Everything was sorted carefully.
The cave immediately looked far more pleasant, and finding things would become much more convenient as well.
As his work continued, the cave became cleaner and cleaner.
Even the air seemed noticeably fresher.
Only after a long time did Sunny finally stop.
Satisfied at last, he ended his cleaning session.
Looking at his hard work, Sunny felt incredibly proud.
Back in his previous life, he had often cleaned his own room.
Yet he had never once experienced the same overwhelming sense of accomplishment that he felt today.
Of course…
He was also completely exhausted.
A five-year-old body simply lacked the stamina.
He collapsed onto the familiar pile of dried grass where he usually slept, breathing heavily.
Only after lying there for several minutes did he finally recover.
By now, the sky outside had already become completely dark.
Judging by the time, it was probably only around six in the evening.
Winter nights always arrived much earlier.
There was less time to play during the day.
On the other hand…
It also meant Entei spent more time at home with him.
Soon, Sunny heard approaching footsteps outside.
He immediately recognized them.
Dad’s back.
He quickly got up and ran outside to greet him.
Before Entei had even entered the cave, Sunny had already rushed over and wrapped both arms around one of his forelegs.
Entei looked down at him helplessly, yet with unmistakable affection in his eyes.
This child…
Really was as clingy as ever.
“Dad, what were you doing outside?” Sunny asked curiously.
Entei explained everything.
It turned out that Furret’s child had gone missing.
The worried Furret had come asking for Entei’s help in searching for the little Pokémon.
In the end, they finally found it sleeping inside a hollow tree.
Apparently, while taking shelter from the snowstorm, the little Sentret had accidentally fallen asleep.
Since it had stayed up late the previous night, it ended up sleeping for an unusually long time and completely missed the time it was supposed to return home.
Sunny found the whole story rather amusing.
He had never expected that little Sentret to be so carefree.
It even stayed up late?
How could such a tiny Pokémon actually manage that?
Perhaps…
It was simply part of a Pokémon’s nature.
After returning to the cave, Entei immediately noticed how spotless everything looked.
It was obvious someone had thoroughly cleaned the place.
“You did this?”
he asked.
Sunny nodded.
“You really didn’t have to.”
“I could have cleaned everything myself.”
“You should just relax and enjoy being a child.”
There was a trace of heartache in Entei’s voice.
“No.”
“I wanted to.”
“It felt really nice.”
“It made me happy.”
Sunny insisted without hesitation.
“…Very well.”
“If you want to do it, then do it.”
“If you don’t want to someday, that’s perfectly fine too.”
“I’ll support whatever you choose.”
As always, Entei respected his child’s wishes wholeheartedly.
“Yay!”
Sunny beamed.
Entei was truly far too easygoing.
He rarely refused any of Sunny’s requests.
He always trusted him.
Always supported him.
To Sunny…
Entei was not only the greatest Pokémon in the world.
He was also the greatest father anyone could ever hope for.
Outside, the night had become completely dark.
The howling wind had gradually softened.
The forest fell into peaceful silence.
Yet inside the warm cave, the gentle conversation between father and son echoed clearly through the quiet darkness, filling the little home with warmth that seemed to make even the cold winter night feel cozy.
(End of Chapter)