Caleb looked at the group of weak Pokémon behind Riolu and asked, "So, you were protecting them just now?"
Riolu didn't speak, only raising its head to stare fixedly at Caleb.
Caleb was utterly confused. Just then, rustling sounds came from behind him. He turned and saw Ursaring and Scyther leading a large group of Pokémon that lived in this forest toward them.
Dozens of hostile gazes instantly locked onto Mamoswine. Mamoswine shivered and immediately shrank behind Dragonite, seeking shelter.
Caleb spoke up to explain on its behalf, "Don't act rashly. Mamoswine probably didn't mean to destroy the forest."
Mamoswine nodded rapidly, it knew nothing! It was just a poor, innocent, and helpless little piggy...
Scyther shot Mamoswine a warning glare before turning its attention to Caleb and saying with restrained dignity, "Scy!" (Thank you!)
Ursaring, ever the boisterous one, rushed over and gave Caleb a big bear hug.
Caleb pushed the overenthusiastic oaf away with a deadpan expression. He then scanned the group of Pokémon before his gaze finally settled on the leek held by a Farfetch'd.
He asked, "Where did you pick this from?"
"Fahh?" Farfetch'd was taken aback, looking blankly at the leek in its wing before answering, "Fah Fah Fah-fetch!" (I found it in the forest!)
A thought struck Caleb, and he immediately said, "Can you take me there tomorrow to see?"
He was suddenly nostalgic for the taste of scallion pancakes... Of course, this deserted island had no pancakes. The reason he wanted the leeks was to use them as seasoning in his ramen...
"Fahh-fetch!" Farfetch'd agreed readily.
"Neigh!"
Just then, a Ponyta from the group trotted over... It lowered its head and affectionately nuzzled Caleb's face, warm breath puffing from its nostrils.
Sensing Ponyta's thoughts, Caleb was startled. He asked, "You want to take me back?"
Ponyta nodded briskly, turning around and gesturing for him to climb onto its back. The surrounding darkness was dispelled by the bright flames flickering across Ponyta's body...
Caleb hesitated... he was a little worried his pants might catch fire fro sitting on Ponyta's blazing back.
But when he actually mounted it, all he felt was a comforting warmth beneath him. The imagined scenario of his pants igniting never came to pass.
He let out a sigh of relief and waved to the gathered Pokémon, "See you all later! Farfetch'd, remember to come find me tomorrow, okay?"
"Fahh!" Farfetch'd nodded cheerfully.
Suddenly, Caleb recalled a detail about Farfetch'd from the Anime... Farfetch'd's meat is delicious, and when cooked with the stalk it carries, the flavor becomes even more exquisite. As a result, they were hunted to near-extinction by humans.
He glanced back at Farfetch'd. The duck had a tuft of feathers sticking up like a cowlick and a V-shaped mark on its forehead, standing there waving its leek in farewell.
"Let's go!" Caleb gently patted Ponyta's flaming mane, and off they went...
It wasn't until the figures of Ursaring and the others had completely vanished from sight that he abruptly remembered something.
Riolu!
Wild Riolu weren't exactly common. But… After a moment of contemplation, Caleb pushed the thought out of his mind.
He didn't have any Poké Balls on him, so even if he caught it, there'd be no way to take Riolu out of this Instance. In that case, it was better not to get attached... no need to make parting harder when the time came.
With a pang of regret, Caleb returned to the cave where he was staying...
...
Sandshrew and Marill heard something approaching the cave, and they immediately woke from their sleep and snapped to alertness...
Only when they saw it was Caleb and Dragonite did they relax again.
Lying down on the pile of grass, Caleb, who hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep, quickly dozed off again.
After he fell asleep, a blue-and-black figure appeared at the mouth of the cave and peered inside through the crevices.
Riolu hesitated for a moment at the entrance but ultimately chose not to enter. It stood there for a few minutes before turning and leaving...
....
~The next morning~
Caleb slept until the sun was high in the sky...
He was woken by Farfetch'd's loud call. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the duck standing beside him, happily holding a bundle of leeks.
The fresh and pungent scent of wild scallions hit his nose...
Caleb: "…"
"What time is it?" Instinctively, he reached to check his watch before remembering he was in an Instance. He stopped mid-motion and instead pointed at the leeks in Farfetch'd's wing, "These…"
"Fahh fetch!" (For you!) Farfetch'd pushed the leeks into Caleb's arms.
"Thank you!" Caleb was genuinely touched. He planned to cook a pot of scallion ramen later.
When he stood up and walked to the cave entrance, he was met with a small mountain of berries and leeks piled beside the doorway.
He froze for a couple of seconds before turning back to Farfetch'd and asking, "Did you bring all these?"
Farfetch'd shook its little head. Those weren't from it... it had just arrived.
'Then who left them? Could it have been the other Pokémon from the forest?'
Caleb scanned the surroundings but didn't spot any other Pokémon nearby.
It suddenly struck him just how kindhearted the Pokémon in this forest were... They might squabble among themselves, but when faced with a common threat, they banded together. They helped the weak and knew how to repay kindness.
Smiling at the thought, Caleb gladly accepted their goodwill. He called Dragonite, Sandshrew, and Marill over to help carry the berries and leeks into the cave.
Farfetch'd also hurried over to lend a wing. Only Mamoswine remained huddled in the corner, secretly drooling over the fresh delicious berries.
Since he had brought Mamoswine back, Caleb naturally took responsibility for its meals. He pushed a pile of berries toward it.
Mamoswine shot him a grateful look before burying its snout in the food, devouring everything with gusto.
In the blink of an eye, the entire pile of berries had vanished into Mamoswine's stomach. It then lifted its head and gave Caleb the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes...
If Marill had been the one giving him that look, Caleb might've softened. But seeing that expression on Mamoswine's face was just… wrong.
Caleb: "…"
He was starting to panic. This guy's appetite was way too big…
Between Dragonite, Sandshrew, Marill, and now Mamoswine, he was seriously going to go broke feeding them all.
So he solemnly patted Mamoswine's tusks and said, "Brother Peppa, I think you're perfectly fine now. How about you leave right away?"
Mamoswine's eyes lingered on Dragonite's food as it absentmindedly replied, "Grunt grunt?" (Didn't we agree I'd stay until tomorrow night?)
Caleb was speechless... 'Since when was it an extra day?!'
He cleared his throat and corrected, "It's tonight. Also, we're running low on food, so please go find your own meals from now on. Thank you!"
....
Shocking! Mamoswine Actually Gets Abandoned Due to Its Huge Appetite! Is This the Collapse of Morality or the Distortion of Human Nature? Stay tuned for the next episode of 'Release... That... Pokémon!'