Pokemon: Raised by Legends, Chapter 55-56 (Patreon)

Chapter 55 - I Just Made the Same Mistake Every Trainer Makes

“Bulba! Bulba!”

The moment Bulbasaur burst out of the bushes, it slammed straight into an overwhelming presence.

A massive figure stood in its path, radiating terrifying pressure.

Bulbasaur froze on the spot, its body going stiff as a weak cry slipped from its mouth.

“Bulba…”

At the same time, a panicked shout rang out from the bushes behind it.

“Bulbasaur, come back, now!”

A girl who looked about ten hurried out of the undergrowth.

When she saw Bulbasaur had stopped, her eyes lit up.

“Thank goodness! Bulba—”

Her words cut off abruptly.

Something felt wrong.

She slowly lifted her head and looked up at the towering shadow in front of her.

A huge, unfamiliar Pokemon stood there, its face fierce, two massive fangs jutting from its jaws, eyes locked on her with clear wariness.

She had no idea what kind of Pokemon it was, but she could feel it.

This thing was hostile.

“Aaaahhh—!”

A scream echoed through the forest as she stumbled back and fell hard into the grass.

“Bulba! Bulba!”

Seeing the girl fall, Bulbasaur grit its teeth. Fear clawed at its chest, but it still forced itself forward, planting itself in front of its Trainer.

“Bulbasaur…”

The girl froze, staring at its small back.

Her chest tightened. She was moved, but at the same time, she braced herself for the worst.

She shut her eyes, waiting for the attack.

Nothing happened.

Seconds passed.

Then a strange sound came from the looming Pokemon.

“Rrrow? Rrrow?” (Hey, are you two okay?)

The girl cautiously opened her eyes.

The next thing she saw nearly made her brain short-circuit.

A human head popped up from on top of the Pokemon’s head.

“Huh?!”

Her eyes went wide.

Wait… was this Pokemon like Bulbasaur, one that had a Trainer?

Then she heard the boy speak again.

“Rrrow? Rrrow?”

Why was he talking like a Pokemon?

Seeing that the girl and Bulbasaur posed no threat, Raikou finally eased its gaze.

Noticing Fuyuki clambering up and making rrrow sounds again, it couldn’t help but remind him, “They’re humans. They can’t understand Pokemon speech.”

Fuyuki, who had been rrrowing nonstop, went silent.

…Right.

He had been living with Pokemon for so long that copying Entei’s cries had become second nature. Running into humans again, he’d instinctively spoken the same way.

Scratching his head in embarrassment, he opened his mouth, trying to switch back to human language.

The moment he did, everything felt wrong.

How did humans talk again?

His teeth, tongue, and lips fought each other for a bit before he finally forced the words out.

“Are… you… guys… o-okay?”

The girl’s eyes went round.

Bulbasaur looked just as stunned.

Because it had clearly heard this human speaking Pokemon language just a moment ago.

“Bulba…”

Seeing Bulbasaur, Fuyuki felt an immediate sense of warmth. He looked down at it and spoke in Pokemon language, smiling.

"Bulbasaur, don't be scared. We're not bad guys. This is Raikou. It's my Second Father. We're just playing around here."

“Bulba!”

Bulbasaur’s eyes widened even more.

Mom! This human really was speaking Pokemon!

Still a little dazed, the girl finally managed to piece things together. This Trainer and his Pokemon didn’t seem to mean any harm. They were just passing through.

But still…

He was amazing.

So young, and already partnered with a Pokemon this strong.

“H-Hi, I’m Aoi, from Viridian City!” she said quickly. “Sorry about that earlier. I thought… I thought this Pokemon was wild.”

Her cheeks were red, clearly remembering her earlier panic.

“It’s… it’s okay!” Fuyuki smiled and introduced himself. “I’m… Fuyuki! N-nice to meet you!”

“Huh? Are you stuttering?” Aoi asked without thinking. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth and bowed. “S-sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“N-no, it’s just that I haven’t spoken human language in a long time,” he said. “I’m a bit rusty.”

As he kept talking, it started to come more naturally.

Aoi, on the other hand, looked completely lost.

“Human language?”

Wait…

She thought back to those strange rrrow sounds earlier, an unbelievable idea forming in her mind.

Could this Trainer speak Pokemon?

“I can actually speak Pokemon too,” Fuyuki said with a grin. “I’ve been living with Pokemon all these years. If there’s anything you want to say to Bulbasaur, I can help translate!”

Her eyes widened in shock.

It was real.

At the same time, messages began flashing across Fuyuki’s system panel.

【Aoi is shocked that you’ve already partnered with such a powerful Pokemon at such a young age. Shock Points +30!】

【Aoi is extremely shocked that you can speak Pokemon language. Shock Points +100!】

She really was stunned.

“Little One, we should go,” Raikou said. It had never liked humans other than the Little One, and they’d lingered here long enough.

"Father, let's play a bit longer!" Fuyuki said, clinging to its ear and whining smoothly. "I've never talked to humans this close before!"

Raikou fell silent.

After a moment, it gave in and stopped moving.

Fuyuki leaned over and planted a loud kiss on its head, leaving it slightly dizzy.

Then he turned back to Aoi.

“Is this Bulbasaur your Pokemon? I thought it was wild at first…”

Aoi finally snapped out of it and nodded quickly.

“Yeah! It’s my starter Pokemon. We had a fight earlier, so Bulbasaur ran away from home…”

“Bulba! Bulba!”

The moment that came up, Bulbasaur puffed up angrily. A fight? It was clearly because its Trainer fell in love with every Pokemon she saw!

Now that it knew Fuyuki could understand it, Bulbasaur couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Bulba! Bulba!” (Aoi is the worst! She said I was her favorite, but ever since we started traveling, she falls for every Pokemon she sees! She’s a big liar!)

Fuyuki went quiet.

“Huh? Is Bulbasaur talking to you?” Aoi asked, curiosity bubbling up now that the shock had faded. “Can you tell me what it’s saying?”

“…It says you’re a big liar,” Fuyuki replied honestly. “You said it was your favorite, but you love every Pokemon you see.”

“What?!” Aoi’s eyes flew open. “That’s not true! I just made the same mistake every Trainer makes! Bulbasaur is still my favorite Pokemon!”

“Bulba! Bulba!”

Bulbasaur was so mad it laughed. It immediately urged Fuyuki to listen properly.

These words were unforgivable.

Scumbag Trainer!

Fuyuki said nothing.

Images of Entei and the others arguing over who got to take him traveling flashed through his mind, and he suddenly felt awkward.

So it wasn’t just him.

Watching the scene, Raikou felt an odd sense of familiarity.

Their Little One was kind of the same.

No… not exactly. In the Little One’s heart, Entei was always first. The rest of them had to line up behind.

Raikou’s resentment flared.

Damn it, why hadn’t it been the first one to pick up the Little One back then?

Fuyuki had a bad feeling about staying any longer. He waved hurriedly.

“Uh… you guys keep arguing. We’ve got somewhere to be, so we’ll get going!”

Raikou didn’t hesitate. The moment the words left Fuyuki’s mouth, it bolted off, carrying the Little One away from the trouble.

Only after reaching the far side of the forest did Raikou finally slow to a stop.

Chapter 56 - Ash and Serena

“What a shame… I really thought that Bulbasaur was a wild Pokemon,” Fuyuki muttered.

“You like that kind of Pokemon?” Raikou asked, a little surprised.

“I heard that when human Trainers turn ten, they receive a starter Pokemon from someone and travel together,” he explained. “I didn’t know where to get one, so I thought I might as well catch one myself and make it my starter partner.”

"There's no need for that," Raikou said calmly. "Whether it's me, Suicune, Entei, or even Ho-Oh, any of us would gladly become your starter Pokemon and travel with you."

It paused, then added, “I wield the power of lightning. If you want to challenge Gyms, I can lend you my strength and defeat every opposing Trainer.”

The meaning was clear. Raikou hoped that when the Little One turned ten, he would choose it and set out together.

“No, that’s different,” Fuyuki said, shaking his head. “You’re my family. What I want is a partner, a friend, someone who grows with me.”

Raikou almost said that it could be that partner too, but the thought faded.

Their power had already changed beyond recognition thanks to the Little One.

On this land, even beyond the seas, there were very few who could stand against them.

If they fought together, almost no one in this world could stop them.

If anyone ever dared bully the Little One, they would face their wrath.

The Little One was a good child. He loved Pokemon, and he would treat them well.

With that thought, Raikou spoke again. “What kind of Pokemon do you like? If I encounter any in the future, I can invite them to Mount Tensei to be your friends.”

Raikou expected him to agree.

Instead, Fuyuki shook his head again.

“No, I want to meet them myself!” His eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Just like Ash in the anime, traveling every corner of the world, meeting Pokemon, getting to know them, becoming friends.

And if both sides wished for it, they could be caught and live together from then on.

“Then do as you wish,” Raikou said.

“Yeah!” Fuyuki hugged the huge head and kissed it hard. “Raikou is the best!”

Raikou clearly enjoyed that.

Fuyuki hopped down and began scanning the area for wild Pokemon.

“Let me see if there are any Charmander, Squirtle, Gengar, or Eevee around!”

He dove into the grass, only to lock eyes with a Pidgey pecking at bugs.

“Pidgey!” It jumped in surprise.

The next moment, it saw the human grin at it.

“Hi, Pidgey! Are you pooping here?”

Pidgey finally reacted and flapped its wings in panic, fleeing at once.

“…Local Pokemon are really rude,” Fuyuki muttered under his breath.

Back on Mount Tensei, everyone would crowd around him and play together.

Sighing, he stood up and looked around, searching for other Pokemon.

That was when he heard a girl crying.

“What was that?” He looked at Raikou.

Raikou had clearly heard it too, lifting its head toward the sound.

At the same time, deeper in the forest.

A girl in a skirt and round hat moved cautiously across the grass.

Tears welled in her eyes.

“Everyone… where are you?”

Rustle.

The bushes nearby shook.

Serena, who had come to Pallet Town for Professor Oak’s summer camp, yelped and fell back in fright, staring at the bushes in terror.

A Poliwag hopped out.

A wild Pokemon.

She trembled all over.

The Poliwag glanced at her, then bounced away without attacking.

The shock broke her last bit of composure, and tears streamed down her face.

“I didn’t want to come camping…”

Her mother had insisted on signing her up, saying Professor Oak was hosting it himself. She had only agreed because she wanted to meet him.

Now she cried out miserably, “Mom!”

Rustle.

The bushes stirred again.

She snapped her head around and saw a huge Pokemon emerge, shaped like a massive tiger, expression cold, pressure overwhelming.

There was no doubt about it. This was a powerful wild Pokemon.

Her pupils shrank. She froze, unable to move.

“Poliwag!”

Another shout came from a different patch of grass.

A boy dressed like a shorts-wearing kid pushed through the bushes.

The moment he saw Serena on the ground and the terrifying Pokemon in front of her, Ash froze.

“Huh?”

Seeing the tears on her face, a possibility flashed through his mind.

She had been attacked.

Without thinking, Ash rushed forward and stood in front of her.

“Hey! Don’t hurt her!”

Professor Oak had said that as a boy, he needed to protect girls who came from far away.

“Huh?!” Serena stared at him.

At that moment, Fuyuki, following close behind Raikou, emerged from the bushes and saw the scene.

…Ash and Serena?

What were the odds?

One look at their expressions told him exactly what had happened.

Perfect. Reckless and brave, just like Ash.

Ash and Serena noticed him too, both turning their gaze toward the newcomer.

Fuyuki smoothly climbed onto Raikou’s back. Looking at the still-young Ash and Serena, a playful urge bubbled up.

“Rrrow!” He spread his “claws” and deliberately tried to scare them.

“Aah!” Serena squeaked and hid behind Ash.

Raikou said nothing.

“All right, all right, don’t be scared. We won’t hurt you,” Fuyuki said from atop its head.

Only then did Ash and Serena realize that this Pokemon seemed to belong to the boy.

“R-really… it’s okay?” Serena asked softly.

Ash didn’t fully understand the situation either, but seeing no sign of aggression, he relaxed a little. “It should be fine.”

He reached out to help her up.

She cried out in pain.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quickly.

“My foot is hurt…” she said, holding back tears.

“Are you okay?” Ash crouched down, then suddenly remembered something. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around her ankle. “This is when you use this. There!”

She tried to stand, staggered, and nearly cried again.

“It hurts!”

Ash blinked, then said, “Then let’s say a spell!”

He raised both hands and shouted, “Pain, fly away!”

Serena repeated it, but…

“It still hurts.”

Ash frowned, thinking hard.

Then the boy beside them spoke.

“Use this.”

Ash looked over and saw something being handed to him.

“This is a Potion,” Fuyuki said.

“Thanks!” Ash grinned brightly.

He turned back and carefully treated her injury.

“Thank you,” Serena said softly, glancing at Ash and then at Fuyuki.

“All right! Try standing up,” Ash said, holding out his hand.

With his help, she finally stood.

“Come on, let’s go back to camp. It’s that way!”

“Okay!” Gratitude filled her chest.

Ash then looked back at Fuyuki and the mysterious, powerful Pokemon beside him. Excitement surged inside him, but he forced himself to stay calm.

“Hey, we’re attending Professor Oak’s summer camp. Do you want to come play with us?” he asked.