Fire Vulpix, Ice Vulpix, Larvitar, and Jirachi lined up one after another by the edge of the tent.
Each of them stretched out a tiny paw or little hand and lightly touched Metagross's metal arm, as though completing some kind of solemn shift changing ceremony. Only after that did they obediently return to Theo's side.
Inside the tent, warmth filled the air.
Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix curled up on either side of Theo. One carried a cool refreshing temperature while the other radiated gentle warmth. Their body heat intertwined together, perfectly balancing the surrounding air into a comfortable and cozy atmosphere.
Larvitar squeezed itself beside Fire Vulpix. Before long, it let out a huge yawn, its round eyes slowly drooping as sleepiness overtook it.
Meanwhile, Jirachi quietly floated beside Theo's pillow. The yellow ribbon-like streamers on its body slowly wrapped around its tiny form, cocooning itself like a soft and warm baby blanket.
The little fellow blinked while staring at Theo. Quietly, it stretched one tiny hand out from the blanket and lightly poked his forehead before softly rubbing his cheek, letting out a sweet and gentle murmur.
"Jira~"
Theo gently tucked Jirachi's little hand back inside the cocoon of ribbons before lightly pinching its soft cheek.
One human and one Pokémon both wore warm smiles as they slowly closed their eyes together.
The night gradually deepened.
Inside the tent, the breathing of the little Pokémon became slow and steady. Sweet smiles rested on all their faces, as though they were dreaming about the joyful moments they had experienced during the day.
The campsite completely sank into silence.
Only the rustling sound of wind brushing through leaves and the occasional distant chirping of insects could be heard.
Outside the tent, Metagross quietly remained on guard, protecting everyone in the camp.
It was a peaceful and stable night.
...
As the sky gradually brightened, the first rays of dawn pierced through the gaps between the leaves and shone upon the campsite tents, coating the orange canvas with a thin layer of golden light.
Inside Theo's tent, Larvitar was the first to wake up. It stretched lazily, rubbed its eyes with its tiny claws, and let out a soft "Lar."
When it noticed Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix still sleeping beside it, it could not resist gently rubbing its head against them.
The two Vulpix were awakened by the nudge. They yawned, shook the fluffy fur on their tails, and instantly looked much more energetic.
The three little Pokémon were just about to start playing noisily when Theo gently stopped them. He placed a finger against his lips in a quiet "shh" gesture before pointing toward the still sleeping Jirachi beside the pillow.
"Quietly. Jirachi is still sleeping."
The three little ones immediately closed their mouths obediently. They exchanged glances with one another, blinked, and then tiptoed out of the tent behind Theo.
Outside the tent, the campsite was already lively and bustling.
Volcarona stretched its magnificent three pairs of wings beneath the morning sunlight, leisurely loosening its body. The patterns on its wings resembled flowing flames and reflected beautifully against the nearby Beautifly belonging to May.
Beautifly fluttered its black and yellow wings proudly, showing off the red and blue patterns decorating them as though competing with Volcarona to see which was more beautiful.
"Tyraant!"
Tyrantrum released a low growl while lying on the grass. Riding on its back were four tiny passengers: Pikachu, Treecko, Skitty, and Munchlax.
The four little Pokémon tightly grabbed onto the white mane around Tyrantrum's neck. Every slight movement from the massive dinosaur Pokémon caused bursts of excited cheers from them as they happily enjoyed the thrill of "dragon riding."
Especially Munchlax.
While lying there comfortably, it still had half a leftover berry from last night hanging out of its mouth, looking utterly satisfied with life.
At that moment, Brock had already set up the cooking stove and was busily preparing breakfast.
On the stone slab before him sat chopped vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and various other ingredients. Something bubbled away inside the pot with loud gurgling sounds, and the rich aroma drifted far through the campsite.
Zweilous stood nearby, greedily sniffing the delicious scent coming from the pot. Its eyes remained firmly locked onto the canned meat heating beside the firewood pile, eagerly waiting for its extra meal.
Earlier, it had secretly rummaged through Theo's backpack and dug out several cans of meat. Brock was currently helping heat them up.
The two heads, Black Char and Blue Char, stared at the stove from both sides without blinking. Saliva uncontrollably dripped from the corners of their mouths and splattered onto the grass below with repeated "pat, pat" sounds.
"Don't rush. It'll be ready soon."
"Lar! Lar!"
The instant Larvitar saw Brock, it immediately ran over on its short little legs and hugged his pant leg while acting spoiled.
Brock laughed and rubbed its head before handing it a small piece of sliced meat.
"Here, eat this first. Wait a little longer, breakfast will be ready very soon."
Larvitar sat on the ground happily gnawing on the meat chunk. Even while eating enthusiastically, its little eyes still closely watched Brock's every movement, afraid of missing out on any delicious food.
On the other side, Ash was currently directing his Charizard in a sparring match against May's Blaziken.
Charizard swung its powerful claws forward with fierce wind pressure, slashing toward Blaziken.
Blaziken agilely sidestepped the attack before flicking its wings and delivering a precise kick directly into Charizard's abdomen.
Charizard staggered backward slightly before letting out an unwilling roar and charging forward once more.
The two Pokémon exchanged blows fiercely, neither willing to give ground. Every punch and kick produced heavy thudding sounds that echoed through the air.
Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix quickly ran over to watch the battle, occasionally crying out "Vuu Vuuu" as cheering support.
Seeing that they now had an audience, Ash's blood began boiling with excitement. He could not help shouting loudly:
"Charizard, give it more power! Use Mega Punch!"
Following the command, Charizard gathered its strength and slammed a heavy punch directly into Blaziken's shoulder.
Blaziken was knocked backward several steps, clutching its shoulder in obvious pain.
"Ash!"
May immediately planted her hands on her hips and glared angrily at him.
"We agreed this was just sparring. No moves allowed! Why are you cheating again?"
"Ah… sorry, sorry!"
Only then did Ash snap back to reality. He scratched his head awkwardly and apologized embarrassedly to May and Blaziken.
"I got too excited. I won't do it next time."
Blaziken, however, was very magnanimous. It nodded toward Charizard to show that it was fine before thumping its chest proudly, clearly signaling:
"Come again."
Theo was quietly watching the lively scene before him when he suddenly heard faint movement coming from inside the tent.
His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately turned around and hurried back.
Inside the tent, Jirachi was lying atop the sleeping mat. Its tiny head twisted slightly from side to side while its long eyelashes trembled softly before its eyes slowly opened in a dazed haze.
The blue eyes, still misty from sleep, looked around blankly at first. But the moment it saw Theo entering the tent, they instantly lit up brightly.
"Jira~"
It softly called out while its tiny body slowly floated upward. The yellow "baby blanket" wrapped around it instantly spread apart, revealing two short little hands and feet.
Then it slowly floated over to Theo before suddenly plopping directly onto the top of his head. It rubbed its tiny head affectionately against his hair like a spoiled child seeking attention.
"You're awake?"
Theo laughed softly and lifted Jirachi down from his head. Sliding his hands beneath its arms, he pulled the little Pokémon into his embrace and lightly scratched its tiny nose with his finger.
"You little sleepyhead, finally awake? The sun's already shining on your butt."
Jirachi blinked before stretching out its tiny arms to hug Theo's neck. Its little mouth moved slightly.
"Play… play…"
Clearly, it still remembered what Theo had told it before bedtime last night.
It was already filled with anticipation for all the "fun things" waiting for it today.
(End of Chapter)