…dilemma.
Its claws clenched into the soft earth beneath it as it stared in the direction ash ketchum had vanished. The forest rustled from the stampede of human trainers and Pokémon tearing through the underbrush, all chasing a phantom. Every instinct in Entei's body screamed for it to go after ash ketchum—to fight, to protect, to retaliate—but reason chained it down.
What should it do?
Protect the real Mew, lying weak and vulnerable in the cave?
Or risk everything to save the mysterious human who had just impersonated Mew, deceived it, and yet willingly used himself as bait to protect the injured Legendary?
The internal battle was excruciating.
Then, something shifted within Entei—a memory.
A moment from not long ago, shackled in a metal cage, tortured and humiliated by men who only saw him as data to be extracted. In those cold chambers, no one came to save him. No one stood for him. And now, this human… this fragile being, who had no obligation, no power comparable to his own, had chosen to run into a storm of enemies just to protect Mew.
He called himself Mew's master.
More importantly, he acted like it.
That's when Entei made up his mind.
"I would rather trust someone who risks their life for others," Entei growled, a blazing aura of fire flaring to life around him, "than sit here and let someone else face the same fate I once did."
Without another word, Entei turned and bounded into the trees, flames blazing at his paws. He left behind the cave, the two wide-eyed Miltanks, and a recovering Mew, who was now finishing its fourth helping of milk and licking the last drops from its paw. Mew looked up and tilted its head, sensing something in the distance.
It blinked.
"…Fan?"
...
Meanwhile, ash ketchum was in the fight of his life.
He had been dodging, teleporting, feinting, and weaving through waves of attacks from trainers who seemed to have eyes everywhere. Despite the body of Mew, despite the speed and cunning he inherited through the transformation, his stamina was running low. Transforming into Mew cost mental energy, and using skills like Aura Sphere and Teleport in rapid succession drained him further.
And yet… he was smiling.
Even as Thunderbolts streaked past him and razor leaves slashed through the trees, even as the world shook from exploding Earthquakes behind him, he laughed.
Because no one was heading toward the cave.
Not a single one.
He had succeeded.
"Come on," he muttered with a grin, "just a bit more…"
But then—
A flash of violet.
Too late.
A Gengar phased out from a shadow behind him and unleashed a Hypnosis.
His eyes widened just before the swirl of psychic energy overtook him.
Ash ketchum fell.
The illusion of Mew shattered in mid-air, revealing a collapsing human form.
"THERE! IT'S THE HUMAN! HE'S NOT MEW!"
One of the trainers screamed in shock. Everyone paused—then, even more aggressively, changed course and began closing in like hyenas on an injured prey.
The leader—the boy on the Dragonite—descended, his eyes filled with cold amusement. "Interesting. So he was just pretending to be Mew…? That's even more valuable than I thought."
"Bind him. We'll dissect him later."
Dozens of Pokémon surrounded the unconscious ketchum, ready to strike if he so much as twitched.
But they never got the chance.
Because that's when the earth shook.
A roar—more like the scream of a volcano—echoed across the forest.
And then—
A Sacred Fire blazed down from above, slicing the sky in two.
The flames scorched the ground around ash ketchum, forming a burning barrier that repelled every trainer's Pokémon. The heat was unbearable, cracking stones and withering trees in seconds.
And in the middle of that inferno…
Stood Entei.
His body was scorched, his fur ruffled, his breathing heavy—but his eyes…
His eyes burned with absolute fury.
"You dare… harm the one who protected Mew?"
The Dragonite boy cursed, "It's Entei! Get him—"
He never finished the sentence.
Because Entei charged.
With the force of a runaway meteor, he slammed into the Dragonite mid-air and sent both it and its rider crashing through trees like bowling pins. Then, roaring again, he landed beside ash's unconscious body and faced the trainers now too afraid to act.
"If anyone comes closer, I'll bury this entire forest in fire," he snarled.
No one moved.
Not one dared.
Because this wasn't just a wild Pokémon anymore.
This was a god protecting its chosen one.
A minute passed. Two. And then, Entei gently picked ash ketchum up by the collar of his shirt and threw him onto his back. Flames surged around them again—then, with an explosive leap, Entei vanished into the trees.
The humans didn't follow.
They couldn't.
Not with the lingering heat still melting the bark off trees and scaring even the bravest Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.
...
Back in the cave, Mew blinked again.
Then giggled.
"Looks like he passed your test, huh?" Mew said to no one in particular.
The two Miltanks looked at each other in confusion.
...
Entei returned nearly an hour later, his flames long extinguished, ash ketchum still unconscious but safe on his back. Mew greeted him with wide eyes and a psychic hug, clearly relieved.
"Your master is… different," Entei said quietly.
Mew nodded.
"He is."
And as ketchum groaned and began to stir awake, Entei looked down at him with something unfamiliar in his eyes.
Respect.
And maybe… the first glimmer of loyalty.