There was still about an hour before Yuto would arrive with members of the Pokémon League.
The Pokémon that had regained their freedom remained where they were under Entei’s overwhelming aura.
None of them dared to run around recklessly.
Instead, they quietly waited in place.
Even so, without the cold iron cages imprisoning them anymore, they were all in much better spirits.
Their emotions had gradually stabilized.
After all, being locked inside a cage truly was a miserable experience.
Entei stood nearby, silently watching over them while reassuring them that someone would soon arrive to take them home.
Meanwhile, Sunny decided to search the surrounding area to see if there was anything useful.
Taking things from criminals came with absolutely no guilt whatsoever.
Of course, some important items had to be left behind as evidence for the League investigators.
He also thought he should probably avoid leaving fingerprints.
Then again…
Did it even matter?
He did not live in human society, so there was no fingerprint record belonging to him.
Even if he left prints everywhere, nobody would ever be able to identify him.
The hunters’ tents were incredibly shabby.
It was obvious they had never intended to remain here for very long, so they had brought only the bare essentials.
That made sense.
Given their identities, staying in one place for too long would only increase the chances of being discovered.
After searching through everything, Sunny only found a few unused Poké Balls, several ordinary evolutionary stones commonly seen in the Pokémon world, and a small supply of medicine.
Just as disappointment began creeping into his heart, Hawlucha suddenly seemed to discover something.
Curious, Sunny hurried over.
It turned out to be a backpack.
It looked completely brand new, as though someone had only recently purchased it.
This was no ordinary backpack.
It was one of the spatial backpacks commonly used throughout the Pokémon world, practically an essential travel item for Trainers.
When watching the anime, he had often wondered how people managed to pull out countless items from their bags, even bulky objects like barbecue grills and camping equipment.
Only later had he realized that almost everything was stored inside these specially designed backpacks.
They were practically Doraemon’s four-dimensional pocket.
No one could ever guess just how much they were capable of holding.
The technology in this world really was astonishing.
If something like this had existed in his previous life, traveling would have been so much more convenient.
Opening the backpack, Sunny was surprised to discover that it contained only a single Pokémon Egg.
Beside it rested a folded note.
There was nothing else inside.
He carefully examined the Egg.
Soft crimson patterns covered its shell, making it appear to belong to a Fire-type Pokémon.
Picking up the note, he began reading.
“Dear kid, this is a Pokémon Egg your uncle brought back from the Kalos region. I worked really hard to get it. I didn’t steal it, so don’t refuse it. I hope you’ll like it…”
The rest of the note contained various scattered messages.
After finishing it, Sunny let out a quiet sigh.
This was a Pokémon Egg that one of the hunters had prepared as a gift for his nephew or niece.
Between every line, he could feel genuine affection toward the child.
Someone capable of loving a child so sincerely could have become a wonderful parent.
So why…
Why choose such a path with no return?
As for the line claiming it had not been stolen…
It was almost certainly stolen.
Cradling the Egg in both hands, Sunny could feel the warmth unique to Fire-type Pokémon radiating through the shell.
As his fingers gently stroked the surface, it almost felt as though the tiny life inside was responding to him.
This was the first Pokémon Egg he had ever seen.
It was also the first one he had ever touched.
Wild Pokémon were extraordinarily protective of their Eggs.
Any threat toward them would immediately provoke an intense response.
Sunny had absolutely no desire to provoke Pokémon during that stage.
Parents protecting their offspring were terrifying.
Yet…
He found himself deeply attracted to this Egg.
He could not explain why.
Some vague feeling inside him kept telling him that he shared a mysterious connection with the little life within.
If he let this Egg slip away…
It felt as though he would lose something incredibly important.
His decision was made.
He would personally raise this Pokémon.
He did not feel much guilt over taking it.
After all, the Egg itself had been obtained through improper means.
Furthermore, it belonged to a Pokémon from another region.
Even after the League recovered it, there was no guarantee they would send it back to Kalos.
In fact, the more likely outcome was that it would remain in Johto.
A rare Pokémon Egg from another region would undoubtedly become something worth preserving and eventually entrusted to another interested Trainer.
If that was going to happen anyway…
Then why shouldn’t he raise it himself?
Besides…
He was just a child.
What bad intentions could a child possibly have?
“If you probably can’t go back home…”
“Then come with me.”
Sunny smiled warmly at the Egg as he spoke.
Nearby, Entei quietly watched everything without saying a word.
If Sunny liked it…
Then they would simply take it home.
After helping eliminate an entire group of Pokémon hunters, taking a small reward seemed perfectly reasonable.
Besides…
Since it appeared to be a Fire-type Pokémon, Entei would also be able to help guide its growth.
No.
Since it would become Sunny’s Pokémon…
He should invest even more effort into raising it.
He wanted it to become stronger.
Strong enough to protect Sunny.
After all, Entei could not remain by Sunny’s side every moment of every day.
If Sunny had Pokémon companions of his own, Entei would naturally feel much more at ease.
Just like that…
Before it had even hatched…
The little Pokémon inside the Egg had quietly become another member of their unusual family.
“Oh, right.”
Sunny suddenly turned toward Hawlucha.
“Hawlucha, would you like to become my Pokémon and live with us?”
He genuinely liked Hawlucha.
The Pokémon had an excellent personality, and after everything they had experienced together, Sunny sincerely wanted him as a companion.
Hawlucha froze.
His expression gradually became conflicted.
He struggled internally for quite some time before finally lowering his head.
“I’m sorry…”
“I can’t accept.”
“There are still many things waiting for me back in Kalos.”
“I have friends there that I can’t leave behind.”
“I can’t simply abandon them.”
Sunny smiled despite the slight disappointment hidden in his heart.
“It’s alright.”
“If you have somewhere you belong, then you should go back.”
“We’re still friends.”
Although he spoke casually, he could not deny that he felt a little regret. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Hawlucha really was an interesting Pokémon.
Seeing his expression, Hawlucha spoke comfortingly.
“But…”
“If you ever come to Kalos…”
“I’ll welcome you together with all of my friends.”
Sunny’s face brightened immediately.
“Deal.”
“When that day comes, let me see just how much stronger you’ve become.”
Still…
He wondered when he would actually reach Kalos.
It was incredibly far away from Johto.
That day was probably still many years into the future.
He only hoped Hawlucha would not completely forget him by then.
“It’s time to leave, Sunny.”
Entei finally interrupted.
“Those humans will be here soon.”
“Okay.”
Sunny packed everything he had collected into the spatial backpack before standing up.
“Goodbye, Hawlucha.”
“Goodbye.”
…
Not long afterward, Yuto arrived together with a squad of uniformed League personnel.
Every one of them wore serious expressions.
Their Pokémon stood beside them, muscles tense and ready to engage in battle at any moment.
Only…
Although they did find the enemy…
The only enemies left were charred figures resembling lumps of black charcoal.
Not a single one retained any ability to fight.
Looking at the miserable condition of the Pokémon hunters, Yuto involuntarily shivered.
He felt absolutely no sympathy for them.
The scene was simply shocking.
He had never expected Entei to strike so mercilessly.
They had originally agreed that he only needed to arrive around eight o’clock in the morning to handle the aftermath.
Instead…
Entei had beaten them until they were practically hanging on by a thread.
Now the League would first have to heal them before any interrogation could even begin.
The person in charge of the operation, Captain Shin, carefully examined the scene.
After confirming there were no remaining dangers, he immediately began organizing the cleanup effort.
As time passed, however, one question kept growing stronger in his mind.
Who exactly did this?
He supposed the answer would reveal itself later during the interrogation.
After all, Entei had made no attempt to conceal his identity.
Once the hunters regained consciousness, everyone would naturally learn exactly what had happened.
For now, however, Shin could only continue searching the surrounding area.
Despite conducting a thorough investigation, he found absolutely nothing.
Whoever had resolved this incident, along with the Pokémon responsible, had already departed long ago.
Turning toward Yuto, Shin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“How did you know there was a Pokémon hunter base here?”
Although they knew each other, he could not shake the feeling that Yuto had some connection to this incident.
Yuto casually came up with an excuse and smoothly brushed the question aside.
Shin became even more suspicious.
Unfortunately, suspicion alone was not evidence.
Without proof, it remained nothing more than a guess.
Once all of the rescued Pokémon had been safely loaded into the transport vehicles, the League team departed from the forest.
Before long, the Johto League would arrange for every one of those Pokémon from the Kalos region to finally return to the homes from which they had been stolen.
(End of Chapter)
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