Even though the white Mickey-like Pokémon was trembling while being surrounded and toyed with by the Meowths, he still maintained a fierce expression on his face.
He raised his tiny hands, opened his mouth, and revealed his small front teeth, seemingly trying to scare the Meowths away. But obviously, it only served to make him look cuter.
"A pair of mice… No, is it a whole family of mice? Wait, no, it's just a single one!"
Hoshino looked at him with confusion but didn't dwell on it too much. These Meowths had already caused enough trouble today—one had run off earlier in the afternoon, leading to him failing his test, and now they were bullying this adorable little mouse. These guys were never up to any good.
"Cyclizar, go!"
"Cycli!"
Cyclizar launched himself forward like a bullet. Gengar also wanted to join in and throw a few punches at these annoying creatures, but Hoshino stopped her.
"Don't. Shadow Punch isn't very effective against them."
"Gengar..."
Gengar drooped her head in disappointment. By then, Cyclizar had already arrived. The Meowths turned their heads upon hearing the commotion, and upon seeing him, they immediately panicked and tried to flee—but they were too slow.
With a single sweeping tail attack, most of the Meowths were sent flying. The remaining ones scrambled away in terror. They were only bold enough to sneak attack Hoshino but had no courage to stand against Cyclizar.
Seeing his tormentors flee, the little mouse Pokémon finally dropped his fierce pose and was about to bolt as well—only to be stopped by Hoshino.
"Squeak!"
The little mouse once again raised his hands and let out a babyish roar, but it was completely ineffective—Hoshino simply picked him up.
"You're pretty badly hurt. Let's get you treated. After all, I'm a victim of the Meowths too..."
Though he said that, the little mouse Pokémon remained in his defensive stance, clearly frightened and trying to make himself feel secure.
"Gengar?"
Gengar floated over and landed on Hoshino's arm, reaching out to touch the little mouse—only to be startled when he suddenly whipped his head around at her.
Hoshino watched the interaction, then glanced at the flickering notification on his Pokédex. He wondered why this Pokémon was here all alone.
Tandemaus were usually born as a pair, one male and one female.
Sometimes, a single one would be born alone, but he would soon find his other half—once bonded, they would never leave each other's side. They were childhood sweethearts, the epitome of pure love!
They would grow together, and before they knew it, they would have offspring, turning from a pair into a full family.
But for a Tandemaus to be reduced to just one—it was an extremely rare occurrence, only happening if the other half had suffered some kind of misfortune.
In such cases, the one left behind would usually choose to follow after his partner soon after… They never let the other walk the lonely road alone.
"Cycli?"
Cyclizar curiously reached out a hand to touch the adorable little mouse—he loved cute things. But the moment his fingers brushed against the mouse's ear, the Pokémon let out a sharp squeak, making Cyclizar jump back in surprise.
"Don't tease him. The little guy is clearly traumatized. Let's take him back for treatment first. We can figure things out later and see if he needs our help."
"Cycli~"
Holding the small mouse in his hands, Hoshino put on his wind goggles, hopped onto Cyclizar, and headed home. Gengar floated alongside them, still very curious about the little Pokémon.
The journey back was uneventful, with no further Meowth encounters. By the time they returned to the Wanderers' District, Kabukicho was starting to liven up for the night.
Throughout the ride, the little mouse Pokémon remained in his defensive stance in Hoshino's hands, neither resisting nor escaping. Eventually, they arrived at the Yorozuya office.
"Finally home. Feels so much better here… What a disastrous day. And I still have a group battle exam tomorrow..."
Hoshino flicked on the lights, casually placed the groceries he bought to the side, and walked into the living room, complaining all the while.
He gently set the little mouse on the sofa and, returning to his usual expression, warned him, "The streets here are dangerous. Don't go running around. I'll grab some medicine to treat your wounds."
The moment he left, the little mouse finally lowered his hands. He then jumped off the sofa and bolted toward the corridor—only to crash into Gengar, who had phased up through the floor. The impact sent him rolling back a few times.
"Gengar?"
Gengar patted her belly, then floated over. But the moment she approached, the little mouse immediately struck his defensive pose again, letting out a fierce but adorable growl. However, before he could react further, Hoshino had already picked him up from behind.
"Don't run around. Let me treat your wounds. You don't want to collapse from your injuries before you find your companion, do you?"
Hearing that, the little Pokémon froze. After a brief hesitation, he finally relaxed his hands, though his eyes remained wary.
Hoshino knew then that his guess was right—this little Tandemaus had lost his partner.
Pokémon like this were naturally inseparable. They must have some kind of special bond that let them sense each other's condition.
If the other Tandemaus had suffered misfortune, this one would have felt it too—and in his grief and despair, he would find a place to end his own life.
Bringing the Pokémon back to the living room, Hoshino pulled out a can of medicinal spray. He spoke gently, "This might sting a little. Bear with it."
As he sprayed the medicine over the Meowth scratches and bandaged them, the little Pokémon remained silent, still on guard.
Gengar sat on the sofa, quietly watching. Meanwhile, Cyclizar returned, carrying a crate of Moomoo Milk he had just fetched from the izakaya downstairs—since Gengar was still a kid, she needed plenty of milk.
"Cycli?"
"Just leave it in the kitchen. I'll heat some up when I cook later."
"Cycli~"
After treating the mouse's wounds, Hoshino left him on the sofa and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The moment he left, Gengar and Cyclizar moved closer to greet their new friend.
After everything that had happened, the little Pokémon seemed much better—he no longer immediately raised his hands in defense.
Gengar plopped down beside him. The two Pokémon were similar in height, making them look like neatly placed plush toys from a distance.
"Gengar~"
"..."
"Gengar~"
When the little Pokémon didn't respond, Gengar enthusiastically greeted him again. Recently, she had been spending time at the izakaya downstairs, chatting with other Pokémon, and was becoming more outgoing.
Finally, after Gengar's constant attempts, the little mouse responded.
"Eeeng…"
Unlike his previous fierce cries, this one was soft and gentle—his true voice, matching his fluffy appearance.
"Gengar~"
Gengar's eyes lit up with excitement. She reached into her belly and pulled out a tiny dress—she had a habit of storing her favorite things inside herself. Without hesitation, she handed the dress to the little mouse, insisting that he should wear it—because cute things shouldn't be running around naked.
"???"
"Gengar!"
"Eeeng!!"
The little mouse immediately bolted, leaping onto Cyclizar's head. He was a boy—how could he wear a dress? And this wasn't the time for that! He needed to escape!
Noticing his attempt, Cyclizar swiftly grabbed him and placed him back on the sofa, crouching down with a friendly smile.
"Cycli~"
"..."
Seeing him scared, Gengar set the dress aside and comforted him.
After hearing that his partner had been captured, both Gengar and Cyclizar instantly knew what to do.
The Yorozuya Team was here to help!
"Gengar!"
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