Pokémon: Helping Pokémon Pays Off [33]

Bewear, despite its cute and cuddly appearance, is widely recognized as the most dangerous Pokémon in the Alola region—without exception.

They typically inhabit forests, rarely venturing outside. Every known habitat has warning signs posted, strictly forbidding anyone from entering.

According to available data, Bewear in the Lental region hibernate during winter, but due to Alola's mild climate and abundant food supply, they remain active year-round.

This was common knowledge for Hoshino. However, what was happening right now was beyond his comprehension. A Bewear had appeared behind them without making a sound, capturing them all in an instant.

Cyclizar, who was supposed to be unstoppable, had already been knocked unconscious by a crushing bear hug. Gengar was too scared to move. And so, along with his unfortunate team, Hoshino found himself clutched in Bewear's arms as she dashed toward the forest near Mount Mahalo.

"What is this even supposed to be…"

Hoshino's expression was blank. He wasn't sure how to describe it—it almost felt like being carried off as war loot after a battle. That was pretty much his current situation.

This Bewear's strength was absurd. Why had he never heard of such a powerful one living on Melemele Island? This was practically an elite-tier combatant!

Yet, she was unusually quiet, showing no expression beyond her typical dopey bear face. Hoshino had no clue what she was thinking…

Before he knew it, they had arrived deep within the forest, stopping beneath a massive tree. Bewear entered a hollow in the trunk and finally set them down in a corner, right next to a pile of Berries.

"Uh… this isn't looking good…"

Hoshino was genuinely panicking now. Why place them next to food? Was this some kind of preparation? Was she planning to eat them?! He had come looking for rare ingredients, but instead, he was the one on the menu?

Thankfully, his worst fears didn't come true. Instead, Bewear suddenly picked him up.

"Eh? Wait—"

One berry, two berries, three… ten! She stuffed his mouth with berries one after another, and then she did the same to the unconscious Cyclizar, feeding him until he couldn't possibly eat another bite.

After force-feeding them both into submission, Bewear then turned to the trembling Gengar. But just as she reached for her, her expression suddenly changed.

"Bear~"

"G-Gengar…"

Gengar covered her face with her tiny hands, too terrified to look. Yet, Bewear gently held out a Berry to her, as if trying to feed a child.

Watching this, Hoshino slowly sat up. His mouth was burning from the unprocessed mix of bitter, spicy, and sweet flavors exploding all at once.

"This is awful… But wait, so she's not planning to eat us? Then what's going on…"

Seeing Bewear continue to feed Gengar, he thought for a moment before speaking up.

"She's pink, yeah, and she looks like a doll, but Gengar isn't your kid, you know? She's clearly not a Stufful."

"..."

Bewear turned to look at him, then back at the nearly crying Gengar. She tilted her head, seemingly realizing something was off.

After a moment of silent observation, she suddenly dropped the Berry she was holding and carefully lifted Gengar in both hands, examining her closely. Then, her expression fell into disappointment—she had finally recognized her mistake.

"..."

Hoshino carefully studied her reaction, forming a theory in his mind. Despite her ridiculous strength, she didn't seem outright violent.

And considering that she had suddenly grabbed them and brought them here… it was probably because of Gengar. She must have mistaken her for her lost child due to too many similar traits.

Feeling slightly braver, Hoshino cleared his throat and asked in a calm voice, "Uh… O mighty bear god! May I ask a question? Are you looking for your child?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Bewear's head snapped up, and she let out an ear-piercing, high-pitched cry.

"BEAR!!!"

"WHAT THE—"

The sheer volume nearly knocked Hoshino unconscious. Cyclizar jolted awake in fright, while Gengar—still in Bewear's arms—finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

But the moment she heard Gengar cry, Bewear abruptly stopped. She immediately started comforting her, acting as if Gengar really were her own child.

"…Is it just because they're both plush-like? Or maybe because Gengar's still small…"

Hoshino, still covering his ringing ears, continued observing. It was clear that Bewear was extremely fond of Gengar. The exact reason was unclear, but if she tried to take her away by force, that was out of the question.

"Gengar…"

After being soothed for a while, Gengar finally stopped crying. However, she still seemed extremely nervous, as if nowhere outside of home felt safe anymore.

Instinctively, she floated over and clung to Hoshino's clothes, holding onto him tightly. Unexpectedly, in this moment of distress, she had subconsciously mastered the ability to float.

Hoshino gently held her in his arms, patting her lightly. Then, he looked up at Bewear, who was now staring at him. Keeping a straight face, he introduced himself.

"Ahem. Actually, I'm the owner of Kabukicho's Anything Agency—Hoshino. My job is to help Pokémon with their life problems. If your child is missing, you can hire us to help find them!"

"..."

Bewear didn't respond. She just stared at him expressionlessly. Hoshino had no idea what she was thinking, so he took a deep breath and continued seriously.

"I'm someone who always keeps my promises. If you trust me, I'll make sure to find your child. But let me be clear—Gengar isn't up for negotiation. She's my partner and a proud member of the agency!"

"..."

Still no response. Bewear remained silent, simply watching him.

Cyclizar tensed up beside him. He had already been knocked out once by a bear hug—if another one was coming, he wasn't ready.

And then…

Bewear suddenly spread her arms wide.

Was she about to attack?!

Cyclizar lunged forward in a panic—

Only to be immediately scooped up into an overwhelmingly powerful bear hug.

"Bear!"

This time, Bewear's cry didn't carry any hostility. But the sheer force of her embrace left Hoshino gasping for air.

Still…

He could tell.

This was a gesture of gratitude.

"…She actually believes me?"

Just as he thought that, she finally released them.

Cyclizar, however, immediately fainted again. It was as if that bear hug was super effective against him.

"Cough, cough… I almost died again…"

Catching his breath, Hoshino finally confirmed his guess—Bewear's child was missing.

But how did such a strong Pokémon lose her kid?

Or… did the kid run off on her own?

Well, it didn't matter.

This was a huge job.

And if he could gain Bewear's friendship?

Well, considering she could one-shot a guardian deity, the benefits spoke for themselves.

With that thought, Hoshino straightened up and asked seriously, "We'll take the job. But do you have any clues that could help us find your child?"

"..."

"…Didn't think so."

Hoshino sighed. If she had any clues, she would've found them by now. He might have to check with that lazy boss of his and see what they knew about this "bear god."

"Gengar…"

Seeing that things had calmed down, Gengar slowly turned around. She was still wary but no longer looked as terrified.

Meanwhile, Bewear suddenly pulled something out—a jar of Sweet Honey—and handed it to her.

Gengar hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking it.

Hoshino saw this and softly said, "When someone gives you something, remember to say thank you."

"Gengar~"

Gengar let out a cry, then pried open the jar. At the end of the day, she was still a child less than a month old, with an immature mind. Emotions came and went quickly—she needed proper guidance.

At that moment, Bewear suddenly turned and left the tree hollow, leaving them all behind. No one knew where she had gone or what she was doing.

"Uh…"

Hoshino froze, still holding Gengar. She just left? What were they supposed to do now? Run? Could they even outrun her?

For a moment, he wasn't sure whether to stay put or make a break for it. But after some thought, he decided to wait for Bewear to return.

Letting Gengar sit on his shoulder while eating the Sweet Honey, Hoshino walked over and nudged Cyclizar awake. The moment Cyclizar regained consciousness, he frantically scanned his surroundings, searching for the bear, clearly on the verge of developing PTSD from those bear hugs.

"Relax, eat some berries to calm down first."

"Cycli…"

Cyclizar wasn't feeling happy at all. He took a bite of a Figy Berry, but it tasted so bad that he barely felt edible. For some reason, he wasn't even hungry—he had no idea that while he was unconscious, he had already been force-fed.

Hoshino's gaze shifted away from the pile of berries, but suddenly, he noticed something else buried underneath. He quickly moved the berries aside and pulled out the object hidden beneath them.

It was a palm-sized white stone with markings resembling an arrow. In the center, a bold white "Z" was inscribed, and below it, there was a small diamond-shaped indentation. It looked strange—

"Is this… a Sparkling Stone?"

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