Chapter 9: Marshadow: Furball Control! (Two Chapters Combined)
To avoid starving during the winter when food would be scarce, Holt began to intentionally store Berries from that day onward.
Berries were already quite resilient and could be stored for a long time. With the cold temperatures of winter, they would last even longer.
At first, Entei thought Holt was just storing extra food because he couldn't finish it all, but soon, it realized what Holt was doing.
Considering the recent climate changes and the difficulty Entei had in finding Berries, it dawned on Entei that Holt was preparing for winter!
The little one was so clever! Entei admired him and immediately decided to help out.
Human infants needed a lot of sleep to grow.
Thus, Holt spent most of his days sleeping.
While Holt slept soundly, Entei would leave the cave, head down the mountain to find more food, and bring it back to the cave.
Gradually, the cave started to accumulate more and more food.
Whenever Holt woke up, he would find a small pile of round Berries beside him.
Holt was very satisfied with Entei's efforts, but...
Why were there only Berries?
Shouldn't there be other wild foods around, like chestnuts, nuts, or mushrooms?
Although they didn't have cooking utensils, as a Fire-type Pokémon, Entei could use its flames to cook roasted chestnuts, nuts, or mushrooms.
Holt didn't want to spend the entire winter eating just Berries.
So, on a pleasant autumn day, when Entei was about to leave to find more food, Holt eagerly shouted at it.
Entei paused and looked back, puzzled, as Holt climbed up and clung to its front limbs.
"What's wrong?" Entei asked.
Did the little one not want it to go out?
But Entei knew better. Humans were different from Pokémon. They needed food to stay healthy and grow. Without it, they would become weak and eventually starve.
Realizing this, Entei shook its head, looking serious, and communicated telepathically:
"There isn't enough food yet, and winter is coming. We need to find more."
At these words, Entei noticed that Holt loosened his grip on its leg and raised his head, blinking at it.
...How cute, Entei thought, feeling its heart soften.
But the next moment, Holt stretched out his hand, seemingly wanting a hug.
Entei finally understood.
The little one wasn't trying to stop it from leaving. He wanted to come along!
Entei quickly grabbed Holt's clothes with its teeth, placed him on its back, and began running toward the cave entrance.
"Hold on tight!"
Holt quickly wrapped his arms around Entei's neck.
Despite the chill of the autumn breeze, Entei's body radiated heat, creating a warm shield around them, blocking the cold completely.
At the peak of Mt. Tengan, on a raised rock, Marshadow quietly stood, its gray mist-like body swirling gently in the wind.
Its gaze was fixed, observing the figure moving through the mountain range below.
Entei was once again searching for food for the human child.
The Yunying Mountain range was remote and rich in natural resources. It was also home to many wild Pokémon.
Monferno, Bellsprout, Cubone... Holt even spotted a Farfetch'd patrolling its territory with a leek in hand.
These Pokémon, seeing Entei, quickly retreated, silently watching from the shadows.
They seemed to revere and fear Entei.
And Entei was used to this kind of respect.
Its thick pads crushed the yellowing leaves beneath it, making a rustling sound.
Soon, Entei and Holt reached a Berry tree standing tall in the forest.
It was a common Berry tree, the kind that bore blue, strawberry-like fruits called Berries.
Entei set Holt on a patch of leaves, then walked over to the tree, gently shaking it with its claws. In the next moment, ripe Berries began to fall to the ground with soft thuds.
These Berries were Entei's goal for the day.
It picked up the Berries and prepared to take them back to the cave.
However, Holt wasn't content with just Berries. He quickly turned his head, eyes scanning the area.
Soon, he spotted a cluster of wild mushrooms beneath a tree.
It was... Matsutake!
As a mushroom enthusiast in his past life, Holt loved eating mushrooms. While not an expert, he could easily identify different types of wild mushrooms.
He immediately tugged on Entei's mane, signaling it to look in that direction.
"What's wrong?" Entei asked, following Holt's gaze to see the mushrooms beneath the tree.
"Ee-ee-ya-ya!" Holt eagerly crawled over to the Matsutake mushrooms and began picking them with his hands.
"This is..." Entei was confused. It had never eaten these mushrooms and rarely saw other Pokémon eating them.
Holt held the Matsutake mushrooms in his arms.
Seeing this, Entei finally understood. The little one wanted those mushrooms!
Well, since Holt liked them, Entei decided to take them back to the cave as well.
Entei picked up a large leaf to serve as a bag and placed both the Berries and mushrooms on it. Then, it grabbed the leaf and began heading back.
As a Pokémon, Entei had never thought much about not having hands. But now, it realized how much easier it would be if it had them.
"We should head back with these Berries," Entei said.
However, Holt wasn't satisfied yet.
He glanced around and soon spotted another batch of fresh, thick mushrooms under a large tree.
It was... Hazelnut mushrooms!
Holt quickly crawled over, picked the mushrooms, and placed them in the large leaf with the other items.
Entei sighed in exasperation but obediently carried the leaf and followed Holt.
Looking at all the mushrooms around him, Holt's mouth began to water.
After eating Berries for so long, he was craving something different.
He could almost imagine how tender and delicious these mushrooms would taste once cooked—thick, juicy, and full of flavor.
Matsutake, hazelnut mushrooms, chicken mushrooms, beefsteak mushrooms, shiitake...
Before long, the large leaf was full to the brim with mushrooms.
"Alright, little one. There's no more room. Let's save some for next time," Entei said helplessly.
Holt still seemed a bit unsatisfied, but after crawling around for so long, he was getting tired. So, he obediently climbed onto Entei's back.
The human and Pokémon returned to the cave, and Entei placed the large leaf of mushrooms and Berries beside them, forming small piles of food.
Holt sat on the soft leaves Entei had gathered for him, looking at all the food. He felt deeply satisfied.
However, the body he inhabited was still too young, and before long, Holt began to feel drowsy.
He couldn't help but yawn and rub his eyes.
Seeing this, Entei lay beside him, resting as well.
Holt was truly tired, so he laid his head on Entei's arm and snuggled into the warmth of its fur, falling asleep contentedly.
Entei closed its eyes and began resting as well.
Sometime later, a small, delicate figure slowly appeared from the shadows of the cave, silently observing them.
No one noticed Marshadow's presence.
Marshadow's eyes flickered with orange-red ghostly fire.
The days on Mt. Tengan were long and uneventful. With Ho-Oh away, and Suicune and Raikou often off on their own missions, Marshadow had remained behind.
Though it hadn't shown itself, Marshadow had been quietly observing Entei and the human child.
It still couldn't understand why Entei had brought a human child to Mt. Tengan.
But after watching them interact over the past few days, Marshadow thought it might finally understand.
Entei was a very responsible Pokémon.
The human child's parents had died protecting Pokémon, and as a member of the Ho-Oh Sacred Guardians, Entei had taken it upon itself to care for their child.
That was why Entei had brought him to Mt. Tengan.
Entei had already seen this human child as its responsibility.
Given Entei's character, Marshadow figured it would never abandon the child.
As a member of the Ho-Oh Sacred Guardians, Marshadow felt it was necessary to understand the human child more deeply.
If he was like the other humans who hadn't passed the Rainbow Hero trials—full of desires, greed, and dark thoughts—Marshadow would never allow him to stay on Mt. Tengan, in Ho-Oh's sacred domain.
Marshadow had seen too many humans like that.
But now, looking at the scene before it, Marshadow was unsure of how to respond.
It had never encountered a human like this.
With its mind in a whirl, Marshadow slowly withdrew into the shadows, leaving the cave quietly.
As it vanished, Holt shivered, waking from his dream.
When he opened his eyes, Entei also looked at him.
It was just a nightmare! Holt thought, slowly letting go of his anxiety.
He looked at Entei and eagerly said:
"Ee-ee-ya-ya!" Tomorrow, he wanted roasted mushrooms!