Pokemon:Trainer

"Fufu!"

Fennekin, the fox Pokémon.

It has an easily excited personality. After eating twigs, it becomes full of energy and courage to face strong enemies. However, its body temperature rises easily, so it uses its large ears to dissipate heat and cool down.

In later generations, scholars praised Fennekin in folklore: "In the firelight of the branches, one can glimpse the illusion of the future."

Of course, Link recognized this unique starter Pokémon from the Kalos region, but he was currently in Hoenn. How could a low-ranking Marine Team member have obtained such a rare Pokémon egg here?

Were these pirates involved in smuggling rare Pokémon in addition to human trafficking?

Link couldn't figure it out, but there was no time to dwell on the mystery. For now, he had to assume the Marine Team had an affinity for dog-type Pokémon.

"Fennekin, I'm Link, a trainer passing through. The situation is special. Both you and I are in danger, so I hope you can stay with me for now," Link said softly, glancing at the newborn Pokémon.

I'll return you to Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy later, he thought. This egg might belong to one of the ship's guests.

"Fu?"

Fennekin tilted its head in confusion, clearly not understanding the words.

Link didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Even with the system's translation feature, it was impossible to communicate meaningfully with an pokemon so newly hatched that it hadn't formed any values.

"Fu…"

Just then, Fennekin's stomach let out a loud growl. It was hungry.

Shaking his head, Link set aside his thoughts and took out rations he'd prepared earlier. Mixing them with fresh Moomoo Milk, he offered the meal to Fennekin.

The Pokémon immediately perked up, its mouth watering in anticipation. It eagerly devoured its first meal.

While Fennekin ate, Link checked the [Cultivation] tab, but as expected, the Pokémon's information didn't appear.

Before long, the newborn cub had finished its meal and curled into a ball, falling asleep peacefully under Link's gaze.

What a simple life—eat and sleep, Link thought with a small smile.

But the tranquility was short-lived. The ship's violent shaking and distant battle noises woke the cub. It blinked up at Link, its wide eyes pleading for help.

"You've been in that egg for so long—why don't you get up and move around to digest your food?" Link teased.

"Fu?"

Fennekin tilted its head again, its expression hazy. It slowly nodded, though it clearly wanted to sleep more.

If it kept this up, Link mused, it might grow into a pudgy "magical girl" Pokémon—or rather, given the species' gender ratio, a rotund little "gentleman."

Sensing its trainer's unspoken thoughts, Fennekin's expression changed. It forced itself to stand, though it remained groggy.

Link had a sudden idea. Digging into the supplies he'd looted earlier, he pulled out a pack of teething sticks, opened it, and waved one in front of the sleepy Pokémon.

The change was immediate. Fennekin sprang to life, snatched the stick from Link's hand, and began chewing furiously. Bits of the stick flew everywhere, littering the room.

[Fennekin has an easily excited personality and becomes energetic after eating twigs.]

Just as expected, Fennekin became wildly energetic after finishing the teething stick.

"Fufu!"

"Why?" Link muttered with a chuckle, ruffling Fennekin's fur. "Alright, time is short. Show me your moves—Scratch, Ember, Hypnosis, Telekinesis, whatever you've got. We need every advantage to survive."

Fennekin raised its head proudly. Fighting was an instinct for Pokémon.

It focused on the wall, opening its mouth. A stream of bright red sparks shot out, leaving a faint burn mark behind.

"'Ember,' huh? Not bad for a start," Link said, clapping softly. "Can you do anything else?"

Excited, Fennekin nodded. Its jewel-like red eyes glowed deep blue, and to Link's astonishment, the double bed in the room rose into the air—along with the unconscious Marine Team member lying on it.

Is this Telekinesis? Can Fennekin even learn that move?

The cub manipulated the bed with ease, spinning it through the air before gently placing it back down.

"You're a genius, little fox," Link said, still stunned. "Most Fennekin can't use abilities like this right after hatching. Do you have anything else up your sleeve?"

Before he could finish, Link felt a sudden wave of dizziness. His eyelids grew heavy, and he was on the verge of falling asleep.

"H-Hypnosis?! No, I can't sleep now!"

Panicked, Link pleaded, "Stop! This isn't the time to nap!"

Fennekin stopped, and the sleepiness lifted. Link let out a sigh of relief.

Aside from Ember and Hypnosis, Fennekin had a few other basic moves, such as Scratch and Tail Whip, but these were barely useful in battle.

Its psychic abilities were impressive, though. While its raw power was low, its precision was exceptional. It could use its telekinesis to extract a [Learning Crystal] from a pile of debris or pluck a single hair from Link's head. It could even remotely trigger a Poké Ball's release mechanism.

Link suspected its ability was "Magician," though it might simply have extraordinary psychic talent and high special attack stats.

There was no time to investigate further. Using Fennekin's limited range of 15 meters, Link quickly devised tactics for sneak attacks—stealing Poké Balls, using Hypnosis on unsuspecting trainers, or disabling Poké Balls mid-battle.

While its overall strength was low, Fennekin's abilities were far more practical in real-life combat than in games.

As Link explained these strategies, Fennekin's eyes glazed over. It swayed on its feet, clearly overwhelmed.

"Alright, fine," Link said with a wry smile. "Take another nap. You've earned it."

But time wasn't on their side. Just as Fennekin began to doze off, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.

Someone was outside.

(End of Chapter)