Chapter 63: The Green Chick
During the days Ryū and the others were returning to the Royal Capital, something interesting happened back home with Ryuuki.
One afternoon, a bored Ryuuki wandered alone in the small ranch in her backyard. It was essentially a small zoo her father had built for her, filled with chickens, dogs, and sheep.
"Sigh... when will Alan and the others be back?" Ryuuki listlessly scattered a handful of golden birdseed onto the ground. A group of chicks immediately started pecking at it.
Ryuuki used to find this interesting, but after spending time with Ryū, these ordinary animals seemed dull. They weren't intelligent like him; their behavior was predictable and repetitive.
"I really envy my aunt. I want my own Pokémon, too," Ryuuki sighed and squatted down dejectedly. She didn't know that the Magikarp she raised was a Pokémon, because it was too useless, even more so than an ordinary fish.
"Ouch!!!"
As Ryuuki stared blankly at the ground, she felt a sharp peck on her foot. She turned around angrily to see which chick wanted a hot bath.
The next second, she froze. Before her was a round, dull-eyed... green chick? Ryuuki knew this wasn't a normal chick. It was a Natu, the "Little Bird Pokémon."
"A green chick," Ryuuki blinked, meeting Natu's gaze. This Natu was only 0.15 meters tall, even smaller than the surrounding chicks and the Pokédex value. It was undoubtedly a newborn.
"..." Natu didn't speak, just quietly stared at Ryuuki with a vacant expression. Ryuuki couldn't even see her reflection in its large eyes.
"Where did you come from, little one?" Ryuuki squatted down curiously. She was certain there were no green chicks on her ranch.
"..." Seeing Ryuuki squat down, the Natu hopped back twice to create some distance, then stood silently, still staring.
"Strange little chick. Here, eat," Ryuuki smiled and threw the rest of the birdseed at Natu's feet.
"..." Natu immediately lowered its head and began to peck, clearly very hungry. After finishing the seeds, it ran to the dog's bowl and drank all the milk in it.
"Woof woof!!" The little black dog, Xiao Hei, ran out of his kennel, barking angrily at Natu for stealing his milk.
"..." Natu was startled and flapped its tiny wings, hopping behind Ryuuki to hide.
"Alright, Xiao Hei, I'll pour you some more," Ryuuki said, patting the dog's head. She then turned and gently picked up the Natu.
"Mmm... soft, and so light," Ryuuki said, rubbing Natu's tender feathers.
"..." Natu flapped its wings twice in her arms, but seeing that struggling was useless, it simply settled into her embrace.
"You're a Pokémon, right?" Ryuuki asked. After seeing so many different kinds with Ryū, she could now tell, just by observing their eyes and behavior. This Natu was the kind she could safely interact with.
"..." Natu was indifferent. It couldn't understand the concept of a 'Pokémon,' but as a Psychic-type, it could sense that this creature in front of it had no ill will. Psychic Pokémon like Ralts are very sensitive to emotions, which is why they often only appear before kind-hearted children, like Max in the Hoenn region.
"If you have nowhere to go, then stay here with me. I'll raise you to be as big as Alan!"
"..."
"You don't know who Alan is, do you? He's my good friend. When he comes back, I'll introduce you!" Ryuuki continued, talking about many things the Natu couldn't understand.
"..." Natu stared blankly, then shook its body and nodded. It couldn't understand the words, but it could feel the girl's happy mood. This upright ape seemed to like it, and the feeling made it feel safe. It decided to stay.
"Yay! Then we're friends from now on!"
"..."
"I need to give you a name. You look a bit naturally dazed... how about I call you Dazey? Hehe, isn't that a good name?"
Ryuuki happily held Natu and spun around. Feeling the breeze, Natu subconsciously flapped its tiny wings, experiencing the sensation of 'flying' for the very first time.
It felt wonderful. She wanted Ryuuki to experience it, too.