The warmth of the sunlight filters through the trees, casting soft shadows on the ground as Sandshrew slowly emerges from its favorite little burrow. It stretches its tiny paws, feeling the ground beneath them, a familiar sensation that’s becoming more comforting with each passing day. The small Ground-type blinks at the world around it, its eyes wide with curiosity. There’s so much to explore, so many new things to discover. The air smells different here, not like the wild where it once roamed alone, but more peaceful. Safe, even.

Its paws still ache a little from the injuries it sustained in the wild, but the pain is lessening each day. Sandshrew wiggles its body, the familiar soft scratch of its sandy scales rubbing against the earth. It’s starting to feel more like itself again, and that makes its little tail wag with excitement. But it’s still cautious. Not everything is known, and there’s so much still to learn about this new place and the Human that has been tending to it.