Chapter Forty - Rescue! That Warmth

In the tranquil cave campsite, Su Yi focused intently on the needle and thread in his hands, stitching carefully through flesh and skin. He dared not move too quickly, yet his heart burned with anxiety over the Grimclaw Dragon’s injuries.

Dewleaf thoughtfully picked up a towel and gently dabbed the sweat from Su Yi’s forehead.

“Lucky...” Nearby, the Chansey ceased its healing waves, exhausted and slumping to the ground. It seemed that the Grimclaw Dragon’s wounds were so grave—beyond the brink of death—that even the healing waves had little effect.

“Chansey, Dewpaw! Come help!” Su Yi called without looking up.

“On it, meow!” Dewleaf washed its hands and moved to Su Yi’s side.

“Lucky!” The Chansey mustered its strength.

Su Yi was clearly overwhelmed; the Grimclaw Dragon’s wounds were too much for one person to handle.

“Chansey, wipe away the blood. Dewpaw, spray the wound medicine on the stitched areas,” Su Yi instructed as he continued sewing.

The cat and the Chansey each performed their tasks, helping Su Yi treat the wounds.

The Grimclaw Dragon lay motionless, its breathing growing ever weaker.

“Dewpaw, release the Firebug and the Scratcher Bird for me,” Su Yi said.

“Right away, meow!” Dewleaf took the capture balls from Su Yi’s belt and released the Scratcher Bird and Firebug.

“Scratcher Bird, pile up some rocks for a hearth. Firebug, light a campfire. Dewpaw, set up a rack and boil some water.”

Under Su Yi’s calm and orderly direction, his companions quickly set to work and finished their tasks efficiently.

With the needle and thread clenched between his teeth, Su Yi took out his skinning knife, sterilized it several times over the fire, and then carefully pried out tooth fragments embedded in the flesh. He cut away the rotting meat, after which the Chansey wiped away the blood with a hot towel, and Dewleaf promptly sprayed the wound medicine.

Once the wounds were treated, Su Yi once again focused all his attention on stitching.

In the valley, time was lost—there was no sun or moon.

No one knew how long had passed before Su Yi finally set down his trembling, numb hands.

“Phew! The stitching’s done.” Su Yi twisted his stiff neck and stood up. In that moment, he felt his legs go numb and his head spin.

“Damn, how long was I squatting?” He quickly moved to stretch his body, and Dewleaf thoughtfully handed him a cup of hot water.

After easing his fatigue, Su Yi checked on the Grimclaw Dragon again. Though it still seemed barely alive, its injuries were less ghastly and its abdomen was no longer bleeding profusely.

“As long as it regains some strength and can eat, we’ll manage,” Su Yi said.

Right now, the Grimclaw Dragon was utterly still. It couldn’t even be fed potions or revives—forcing them down risked choking. Su Yi feared that a single misstep could end its life.

He worried that the dragon might die in his ball before he could return to Master Ma’s dojo, so he chose to treat the wounds here rather than return to the Pokémon world. There was no Pokémon Center on Armor Isle, and this was the best care Su Yi could provide for now.

Now, it was up to the Grimclaw Dragon to survive the blood loss and avoid infection.

Su Yi released his three companions.

“I’ll need you all to take turns watching the Grimclaw Dragon. We’ll rest for a while.” With that, Su Yi led Dewleaf and the Chansey back to the tent to rest.

...

A sudden howl rang out!

It was the Great Jaws Dragon’s cry!

Su Yi sprang up and rushed out of the tent, finding the Dire Hyenadrake and Scratcher Bird awake as well. The Great Jaws Dragon was watching the Grimclaw Dragon warily.

Heavy, labored breaths...

The Grimclaw Dragon seemed to have passed the critical point, but was so weak it still couldn’t move. Lying on the ground, it panted with difficulty, eyes full of vigilance as it watched Su Yi and his party.

“You’re feeling a bit better, aren’t you?” Su Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

“I know you’re confused right now. After what you’ve been through, it’s like a brush with death. But don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. Please, eat this—it’ll help you heal.” Su Yi approached, offering a Revive Shard.

At this range, the Grimclaw Dragon could easily have fatally injured Su Yi with a final desperate strike.

Su Yi’s fist clenched, his palm sweating. His three companions beside him tensed, ready to intervene at any moment.

The Grimclaw Dragon looked at Su Yi, then lowered its gaze to the bandages and sutures on its abdomen, as well as the empty bottles of medicine and bloody gauze around it. Some spark of understanding seemed to dawn in its intelligent eyes.

“You’re still not healed. You need these,” Su Yi coaxed gently, taking another step and holding the Revive Shard closer.

Huff. The Grimclaw Dragon slowly stretched out its head toward the shard, sniffing it curiously, though unable to discern what it was.

“Go ahead and eat it. You need to get well soon,” Su Yi encouraged, offering it right to the dragon’s mouth.

The Grimclaw Dragon looked into Su Yi’s eyes, finding only sincerity and hope.

At last, it extended its tongue, licking the Revive Shard into its mouth.

Immediately, a warm current spread from its abdomen. The weakness faded significantly, its body began to recover under the medicine’s effect, and hunger returned.

Sensing its own improvement, the Grimclaw Dragon realized Su Yi had not deceived it.

“You must be hungry. I’ll get something ready.” Hearing the dragon’s stomach rumble, Su Yi quickly began preparing food.

He chopped meat into a fine mince, whisked it into beaten eggs, and steamed the mixture. Once it was done, Su Yi mashed the meat-egg custard and fed it to the Grimclaw Dragon with a spoon.

The aroma of fresh meat mingled with the richness of egg. The Grimclaw Dragon devoured the soft, easily digested food eagerly.

A generous portion of meat-egg custard was soon gone. Feeling full, the dragon relaxed completely.

“Got a bit of strength back? Let me change your medicine,” Su Yi said, approaching with the last of the wound medicine and fresh bandages.

The Grimclaw Dragon looked at the supplies in Su Yi’s hands, then slowly lay down and exposed its abdomen.

“Thank you for trusting me,” Su Yi smiled, then knelt and carefully unwrapped the old bandages and applied fresh medicine.

The Grimclaw Dragon watched in silence as Su Yi meticulously sprayed the wound and wrapped it with new bandages.

“There, that’s all for now. Just rest and eat well; heal up.” Su Yi paused, then asked, “Would you like to rest inside the ball? It’s quieter there—better for recovery.” He held out the Grimclaw Dragon’s capture ball.

The dragon shook its head and simply lay down to rest.

“Alright then,” Su Yi said with a touch of resignation, turning to prepare food for his other companions.

By the campfire, Su Yi distributed the carefully prepared meals among his team, then sat down with Dewleaf and Chansey to enjoy a rare, peaceful supper.

The Grimclaw Dragon glanced toward the fire. The Dire Hyenadrake was savoring pieces of roast meat, unhurried and calm. The Scratcher Bird cradled its egg custard, nibbling delicately. The Great Jaws Dragon gnawed contentedly on a bone-in roast.

Su Yi picked out a slice of sashimi and placed it in Dewleaf’s bowl, praising him warmly. Chansey, as always, beamed with joy.

The Grimclaw Dragon smacked its lips, recalling the soft, delicate meat-egg custard. Glancing at its carefully bandaged wounds, it settled down with peace of mind and soon drifted into slumber.