"Two sick white bear cubs?" Su Feng's mind raced, quickly identifying the Pokémon Haunter described. "No giant white bear?"
"Kee? (Giant bear? Didn't see one.)" Haunter shook her head, then gasped. "Kee! (Feng—you can understand me now!?)"
Her eyes lit up with excitement. Previously, Su Feng had only guessed her meaning through gestures. Now, they could truly communicate.
Su Feng shrugged. "Guess so."
[Is the host talking to Haunter?]
[He's always "talked" to his Pokémon, but this feels… different?]
"Cha? (Brother Feng?)" Combusken yawned awake, blinking at the conversation.
"Morning, Combusken," Su Feng said, patting its head. "Feel like checking out the cave with me?"
"Cha~ (Sure!)" Combusken stretched, ready to protect Su Feng as always.
The cave's L-shaped layout hid a small inner chamber. There, two fluffy bear cubs huddled together. The larger one, with a runny nose, snarled defensively: "Roar! (Bad human, go away!)" Its voice sounded like a young boy's—more adorable than threatening.
Su Feng raised his hands calmly. "Don't worry. We're just sheltering from the storm. We'll leave once it stops."
"Roar! (Liar! My mom's coming back soon!)"
Su Feng glanced at the smaller cub. Its nose was dry, and its eyes drooped weakly. "Your brother's sick, isn't he?"
The larger Cubchoo hesitated, then nodded.
"I might be able to help," Su Feng offered. "But if you don't trust me, we'll stay outside."
"Roar! (Fine!)"
Su Feng left but warned, "The storm's getting worse. Your mom might not make it back in time. Your brother's condition is deteriorating."
Back by the fire, Su Feng drank warm water from his backpack—its contents seemingly frozen in time.
"Cha!? (You understand us now!?)" Combusken finally processed the revelation.
Su Feng smirked. "Keep it to yourself."
He pulled up a photo of the cubs for his stream:
"Cubchoo, the Frost Bear Pokémon. Pure Ice-type."
"Its blue upper body contrasts with its white lower half. The snot dripping from its nose? That's a sign of health—the stickier, the better. When sick, their snot turns watery."
"Their mucus fuels their Ice-type moves. But if the snot dries up…" Su Feng pointed to the smaller cub in the photo. "…they're in serious trouble. Without treatment, it could develop long-term issues."
[Wait, so the one WITHOUT snot is the sick one??]
[Nature's trolling us. My allergies make me hate my own snot!]
[That bigger cub is such a protective sibling. My heart!]
"Kee? (Can you save them?)" Haunter asked worriedly.
"If they let me," Su Feng sighed. He'd found a recipe for Pokémon cold medicine in the system shop—a mix of crushed berries and herbs. But he needed the Cubchoo's cooperation.