Pokemon Paldea [190-192] (Patreon)

Chapter 190: Growlithe, the Hidden Trump Card!

Gaining its freedom, Clawitzer thought Dragonite had finally let go, so it fled in a panic.

Just as Clawitzer tried to rise for another attack, Growlithe energetically jumped in front, issuing a challenge!

"Arf arf!"

Clawitzer responded with an angry strike.

A hastily charged Water Pulse came out with the momentum of a Hydro Pump. Luckily, Growlithe's reflexes—honed through regular training—were fast enough. Instinctively dodging to the side, the Water Pulse blasted into a nearby sandcastle built by another Pokémon.

The power of that move startled Growlithe. Was it really going to fight this guy?!

If that Water Pulse had landed, it could easily have knocked out half its health.

Even Lucas was surprised by Clawitzer's power. It seemed the combination of its Mega Launcher ability and Tera Water boost gave Clawitzer strength beyond its normal limits.

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Rock Tomb."

Growlithe focused, gathering rock-type energy. Several sandbag-sized rocks formed in midair, attacking Clawitzer from all four directions, sealing off its escape routes.

Clawitzer wasn't fazed. Water streamed around its body, boosting its speed. At the last second, it broke through the stone blockade, dark energy forming in its giant claw.

This time, it was Dark Pulse!

Sensing the critical moment, Lucas gave a swift command: "Flamethrower!"

Having taken the battle seriously after almost stumbling at the start, Growlithe leapt high, using its speed to disrupt Clawitzer's aim, and unleashed a searing flame from Clawitzer's blind spot.

Clawitzer's reflexes weren't bad—it hastily adjusted its attack, unleashing the deep, sinister Dark Pulse.

Flamethrower and Dark Pulse collided, instantly causing a powerful blast. Energy clashed, creating an explosion that left both sides temporarily blinded.

Unlike the flustered Clawitzer, Growlithe kept moving, dashing across the sand. Plus, Growlithe had the keen sense of smell unique to canine Pokémon!

Not missing the perfect opportunity, Growlithe quickly picked out Clawitzer's scent in the dusty air.

Determination flashed in Growlithe's eyes. With intense rock energy gathering at its forehead and its ability negating any side effects, Growlithe slammed Clawitzer with Double-Edge, blasting it into the sand!

Hearing Clawitzer's involuntary cry of pain, Growlithe grinned—its attack had worked!

As the smoke cleared and sand settled, the battered Clawitzer's form emerged.

Lucas smiled. This move was effective, and after several rounds, he'd also noticed Clawitzer's weaknesses.

Though its Tera form and abilities gave it tremendous firepower, in all other areas, Growlithe—well-trained—had the edge.

In agility, speed, and battle smarts, Growlithe was overwhelmingly superior.

After all, Growlithe had received training from Kukui's Lycanroc, practiced fire moves with Moltres, and been mentored by the main team's Pokémon.

Under Lucas's direction, these advantages were enough to secure victory.

Now that Clawitzer was injured, it had no way to deal with Growlithe.

Its moves were powerful, but with both Growlithe and Lucas on guard, they had little effect. The more Clawitzer fought, the more frustrated it became, getting hit several times by Growlithe until its strength waned.

Knowing it couldn't keep going like this, Clawitzer steeled itself for a last-ditch effort—taking a Crunch from Growlithe head-on, its eyes suddenly shone as it drew upon all its water-type energy.

With the nearby ocean teeming with water energy, and boosted by the mysterious crystal, Clawitzer's entire body glowed as if covered in crystalline light. A water jet burst from its claw, launching Clawitzer into the air.

Next, Clawitzer, betting everything, unleashed a wild barrage of water jets mid-air, disregarding energy cost.

Clever move.

Since it couldn't lock onto Growlithe, it turned to area attacks from above. As fast as Growlithe was, it couldn't outrun multiple rampaging water jets.

The attack's range even reached Lucas behind them. Dragonite stepped in, shield glowing green as it easily absorbed Clawitzer's enraged strike with Protect.

Lucas considered having Growlithe use Protect too, to wait out Clawitzer's energy and then finish it off.

But as Growlithe dodged the sweeping water jets, it turned and gave Lucas a determined look.

It wanted to defeat Clawitzer head-on in this final strike!

Lucas hesitated, emotions swirling, then sighed deeply. Glancing at Dragonite in front of him, he felt a strange, bittersweet pride, like a parent watching a child grow up in an instant.

"Do what you want. I support you."

With those words, Lucas made his stance clear.

This was Growlithe's rite of passage, the final step toward evolution. It deserved to choose its own path.

Feeling Lucas' support, Growlithe's fighting spirit soared. It had secretly trained this move for a long time, hoping to surprise Lucas and show its growth.

Now, it was time for the results of two months' training to blossom!

Growlithe dodged another water jet, then stopped running and stood its ground—not out of desperation, but waiting for the next attack. As the next jet swept by, thunder rumbled in the sky.

Lucas and Dragonite were both stunned. Could it be—

In the next instant, lightning crackled around Growlithe, its muscles fully activated by the electric surge, pushing its physical abilities to new heights. Becoming a dazzling bolt, Growlithe burst through the water jets, charging straight at the airborne Clawitzer.

For a moment, lightning filled the sky.

Lucas's finger trembled. He muttered, "Wild Charge?"

Where had Growlithe learned that move? The answer was obvious.

In both Lucas and Dragonite's minds, the image of Luxray appeared.

Boom!!

Clawitzer, smoking, crashed to the ground. With a crisp shattering noise, the spent Tera crystal and Clawitzer's Tera form shattered, scattering into light.

Lucas couldn't hide his wide smile any longer. Proudly, he said, "Now that's a real surprise!"

Chapter 191: Three Distant Islands Across the Sea

"Electric Tera Shard."

Lucas picked up the Tera shard that had dropped where the Tera crystal was, feeling like he'd just cleared a dungeon and Clawitzer—the boss—had dropped a bunch of loot.

Growlithe, exhausted, lay limply in Dragonite's arms, panting with its tongue out, almost too tired to move. After showing off, it had nearly crashed, but luckily Dragonite had caught it.

Clawitzer wasn't so lucky. Watching Lucas leave behind some berries as compensation and emotional damages, Clawitzer silently let two tears roll down.

What had it done wrong? It was just minding its own business in its territory, only to be attacked out of nowhere.

It's just berries! It could go pick some if it wanted!

Staring at Lucas, Dragonite, and Growlithe leaving, Clawitzer paused its chewing, savoring the sweet taste and immediate effect of the berries. It tucked the remaining berries under its claws, not wanting any pesky electric birds to steal them.

Honestly, these berries were tastier than any it had ever picked. Delicious!

…

On the way back, Lucas, for once, didn't recall Growlithe into its Poké Ball. Instead, he carried it in his arms.

He stroked its smooth fur and the cloud-like hair drooping from its face, feeling very satisfied with Growlithe's performance.

Not just for using Wild Charge, but also Growlithe's outstanding battle instincts had impressed him.

No wonder Growlithe would eventually become the iconic police dog Pokémon.

It wasn't blindly obedient, but Growlithe's command-following was top-notch. It was clever, able to seize opportunities at the right moment. That final, decisive Wild Charge to bring down Clawitzer showed it had truly become an excellent Pokémon.

As someone who trained Growlithe for battle, Lucas was happy with its growth. This trial was meant to test Growlithe's battle skills, so Lucas had personally directed it.

Now, it looked ready to evolve into Arcanine.

…

Back at the farm, Moltres—who had been waiting—immediately soared into the sky. When it saw the tired but energized Growlithe, it finally relaxed.

Growlithe had performed well.

"Moltres."

Lucas's voice called out. Moltres met his gaze, seeing the seriousness in Lucas's eyes. Moltres froze for a moment, then understood.

With a loving look at Growlithe, as if wanting to remember its small form forever, Moltres watched it for a long time.

Moltres was deeply moved. Though only two months had passed—a mere nap for a legendary Pokémon—Growlithe had grown from a wobbly pup to such a fine Pokémon.

Yet those two months were the most vibrant in Moltres's long life, coloring its once-monotonous memories.

It was almost time to take Growlithe to its birthplace, to use the power of magma to help Growlithe undergo a special evolution.

News of Growlithe passing its trial spread quickly once it returned.

Soon, Growlithe and its caretaker Moltres were surrounded by farm Pokémon offering congratulations.

A very excited Luxray licked Growlithe's fur in praise, Serperior gave a curt "well done" before leaving, Swampert admired Growlithe's tenacity and invited it to wrestle after evolving.

Ceruledge was already thinking about what tasty food to make for the evolved Arcanine, while Dragonite hugged Growlithe and Moltres together, looking blissful.

Only poor Mimikyu—who had no presence when Lucas wasn't around—was left spinning in place, desperately wanting to congratulate Growlithe too!

…

And so, the next day arrived.

This time Lucas didn't ride Dragonite, but sat on Moltres's back—after all, only Moltres knew the exact location.

Actually sitting on Moltres, Lucas realized its back was surprisingly broad.

He felt the continuous warmth from Moltres's feathers, and the flames that, despite burning brightly, wouldn't even singe his shoelaces. Lucas looked around curiously, feeling like a country bumpkin.

Now he could call himself a man who'd ridden a legendary beast.

At the farm, Lucas had reminded Luxray and the others to only eat food guarded for 24 hours, and that he and Moltres would try to return before the night when the poison-type Pokémon was expected.

Meanwhile, full security was in place—every Pokémon on guard for intruders. If the poison-type Pokémon acted early, they'd catch it immediately!

Last time, it had snuck in by catching them off guard, but with this full alert, any intruder would be noticed at once.

Of course, Lucas also told them to keep up appearances; otherwise, if the culprit noticed the tight security and stayed away, that would be a problem.

"Caw!!"

The time had come. Moltres let out a piercing cry, flapping its flaming wings and scattering sparks.

Too bad it was daytime. If it were night, Moltres's wings would trace a dazzling ribbon of fire across the sky.

Wind roared in Lucas's ears, the clear sky above lifting both his and Moltres's spirits. Soon, the farm was just a tiny black dot below.

As they climbed higher, the rich land of Paldea came into view.

But Lucas and Moltres weren't heading for Paldea—they were flying out over the endless sea.

Moltres flew slower than Dragonite. Setting off at 8 am, by 3 pm, the sea was unfamiliar to Lucas, and the Pokémon species had changed.

All signs showed that Lucas and Moltres had left Paldea's waters, entering a mysterious, unknown sea.

Lucas patted Moltres and asked, "When Luxray and Ceruledge met you, it was on a volcano in Paldea, right? So where are we headed now?"

Moltres's answer reached Lucas's mind via telepathy.

Lucas paused, murmuring, "The volcano where you were born… the place where it all began?"

"There are three islands in these waters?"

Chapter 192: Hello, Volcano

On the highest peak of an island shrouded in thunderclouds and roaring thunder, a yellow legendary bird cloaked in violent electricity opened its eyes.

If it wasn't mistaken, that hot-tempered, fire-breathing idiot seemed to be back?

Zapdos's eyes glinted with interest and anticipation.

Perfect. It had slept for ages—now that Moltres was back, it'd be happy to have a battle to stretch its rusty body.

Of course, if Moltres refused, Zapdos wouldn't mind unleashing thunderbolts on the magma sea in the volcano, wrecking its rival's home.

After all, Moltres had done the same to it before.

Zapdos glanced at a spot near its peak, where the rocks were scorched black. That used to be its favorite sleeping spot, until Moltres destroyed it.

…

On another island, shrouded in cold, its legendary master had not returned. The frigid world was as silent as death.

Lucas had thought the three islands Moltres mentioned would be the ones from his memories.

But seeing them himself, he realized they weren't—the climate wasn't the tropical Orange Islands, but cold and harsh.

Of course, the Orange Islands are south of Kanto, and Kanto is half a world away from Paldea.

Even at Dragonite's top speed, it would take half a day to get there.

Moltres, slower than Dragonite, had flown only seven hours. There was no way they'd crossed the world.

Here were three unknown islands in an uncharted sea.

The left island was tall, its peaks wreathed in red clouds and constant snow—a single glance felt freezing.

The right island was all jagged rocks and peaks, shrouded in storm clouds and unending rain, with lightning constantly crashing down.

The central island looked barren, just bare mountains and rocks, with lush vegetation at the base. But the inner peaks held unimaginable energy, with magma flowing gently and the air saturated with fire, rock, and earth energy.

Three different climates and geologies, all in the same sea. Truly rare.

These three islands resembled the islands of fire, thunder, and ice from Lucas's memories, but weren't the same.

Moltres landed near the volcano's rim, where the temperature wasn't too high and the rocks weren't scalding. Lucas dismounted, his Poké Ball automatically opening as an excited Growlithe leaped out, eager to explore.

Was this where it would evolve?

Moltres gently picked Growlithe up and placed it on its back. The volcano might look calm, but if Growlithe got too excited and fell into the magma, it would be bad.

Even as a fire-type, Growlithe couldn't withstand the heat inside the magma—one wrong move and it'd be badly hurt.

Growlithe wanted to run around, but a stern look from Moltres made it sit quietly on its back, hanging its head in disappointment.

Lucas chuckled. Moltres really was a strict mother—but thanks to Growlithe, that once-proud Moltres had become much more caring.

A moment later, Lucas gazed at the magma sea, marveling at it.

Few Pokémon could survive in that. Maybe Moltres, Heatran, Groudon, and a few legendary fire-types. Of regular Pokémon, only Blaine's Magmar came to mind, though maybe stronger fire-types could manage.

Regardless, the magma sea was one of the harshest environments—probably only fire, rock, and ground types could thrive here, given the incredibly dense energy.

Moltres didn't waste time—it was here to help Growlithe evolve, nothing more.

Moltres glanced at the magma sea where it had first gained consciousness, then turned to Lucas, transmitting a thought. Without warning, Moltres swooped down, dropping a screeching Growlithe into the magma with it.

"Uh…"

Lucas winced. Moltres was nothing if not decisive—wasting not a second.

Growlithe alone could never enter the magma safely, but with Moltres, it should be fine. Still, Growlithe was bound to suffer a bit; Lucas felt a mix of worry and schadenfreude.

The magma didn't even ripple as Moltres and Growlithe plunged in. After a splash, everything was calm again, as if nothing had happened.

Lucas digested Moltres's message, raising an eyebrow—it all made sense: "So, two idiots might come to cause trouble? Got it."

In his mind, the images of a yellow and an ice-blue legendary bird appeared.

"With three islands, the other two birds should be here too. While you train, I'll handle them!"

Lucas grabbed two Poké Balls, confidence shining in his eyes.

…

…

…

"I quit—I quit—I regret this!"

Lucas flopped onto the ground like a stubborn kid, radiating dejection and laziness.

He'd just been planning to challenge Zapdos and Articuno, maybe even recruit them.

But in reality, he hadn't even set foot on those islands before suffering a crushing defeat.

On Moltres's back, he hadn't realized how big this island was—now, climbing down, he saw just how huge it was. Without Dragonite, he'd be lucky to reach the base by nightfall. He was already regretting not bringing Dragonite.

Forget challenging Zapdos and Articuno—by the time he reached the bottom, Growlithe might already have finished evolving, while he was still foolishly planning to ride Swampert to the other islands.