Moonlight cascaded like silk as the gentle sound of a bamboo water fountain echoed through the tranquil courtyard.
After the battle with Blaine, Natsume, drenched in sweat, dragged Gengar along for another half-hour soak in the hot springs.
"Ahhh... this hits the spot."
Natsume rested his arms on the smooth, wet stones with a satisfied sigh.
"Gengar~ (???????????)" Gengar nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the massive Arcanine sat by the edge, dipping its paws into the water before clumsily sliding its entire body in, wearing a dopey grin.
Post-evolution, Arcanine typically stood around two meters tall.
But Natsume's seemed to have... expanded horizontally instead, barely reaching one-seven.
Visually, it looked more like a giant lion—not too exaggerated, just the right size for riding and fitting comfortably at home.
As Natsume ruffled Arcanine's fluffy head, a sudden realization struck him.
Wait... this Friday, I could actually ride Arcanine to work!
I'd save on transportation costs AND get to walk my dog at the same time!
And most importantly—how freaking cool would that be?!
"You're on duty next week!" Natsume grinned.
"Arcanine? (O_o)??"
I don't know what you're scheming, but it's definitely trouble!
After leaving the hot springs, Arcanine shook out its mane, the flaxen fur glimmering faintly under the moonlight.
Natsume ran his fingers through its thick fur, feeling a pang of sentimentality.
Every time one of his little ones evolved, he couldn't help but feel like a proud parent.
Of course, evolution was a leap in life—one Arcanine had chosen for itself.
All Natsume could do was take good care of his "kids."
"Alright," he chuckled, "let's grab some late-night snacks!"
"Arcanine~~!"
Arcanine lifted its head with a spirited howl, its mane billowing majestically in the night breeze.
...
As the night deepened, the crisp early-winter air carried a refreshing chill.
Red and Yellow returned from town, the latter clutching a Clefairy plushie.
"Senior Red won this for me!" Yellow beamed, hugging the plush tightly.
Natsume blinked.
Wait, Red actually bought a gift?!
"It was a prize from a battle event at the night market," Red clarified.
Natsume paused, silently mourning the poor Trainers who'd participated.
Being crushed by the strongest Trainer alive... well, at least they died honorably.
Even though Red had used Yellow's Butterfree, the sheer one-sidedness of the "slaughter" had left the crowd stunned.
Before anyone could recognize them, the two had bolted back to the hotel to share their adventure with Natsume-sensei.
Watching the oddly harmonious pair, Natsume-sensei nodded approvingly.
As the group owner, it's only natural to keep an eye on my members' love lives!
The midnight spread—prepared by Blaine's head chef—included hand-pressed sushi, miso soup, and tamagoyaki.
Sitting on the veranda, Yellow curiously eyed the well-fed Arcanine sprawled on the floor.
"Did it evolve during your Gym battle, Natsume-sensei?"
"Yep." Natsume nodded, handing a piece of tamagoyaki to the Togepi in his lap.
Togepi bowed politely... before immediately toppling over, tiny legs flailing adorably.
Sylveon used its ribbons to prop the egg Pokémon back up, then glanced at Natsume.
He sighed. "It was a tough fight."
Red nodded solemnly.
"Probably... about as intense as my first encounter with the Legendary Birds."
Natsume froze.
Legendary Birds?
What Legendary Birds?!
Since when does a Gym battle involve Legendary Pokémon?!
His gaze shifted to Arcanine, currently devouring a rice ball with grains stuck to its muzzle.
Red's eyes darkened with understanding.
So this was Natsume-sensei's real goal in coming to Cinnabar Island...
Not wanting to interrupt Red's profound moment, Natsume turned to Yellow instead.
"When are you two heading back tomorrow?"
"For a two-day trip, we'll leave by afternoon," Yellow said. "Are you staying longer, Natsume-sensei?"
"Nah, I'll head back tomorrow too." Natsume shrugged. "Got classes on Friday... Feels bad making Erika substitute for too long."
Though honestly, I wouldn't mind her covering indefinitely.
Mostly just wanna ride Arcanine to school and show off.
Sure, it was a bit chubby—but compared to a hyper Husky, a fluffy Alaskan Malamute was still cute! (Damn right!)
The night breeze softened as Arcanine, now full, dozed off on the floor.
Nearby, Snorlax lay on its back, lazily rubbing its belly.
When Blaine arrived on the veranda and saw the towering stack of empty plates, his eyebrow twitched.
Did they just wipe out half a month's profits in one meal...?
Sylveon sat primly like a lady, ribbons swaying gracefully.
Natsume patted its long ears.
"We're heading home tomorrow—you can finally run on your hamster wheel again!"
Sylveon huffed, its beautiful azure eyes fixed on Cinnabar's radiant moon.
...
November 24th, Tuesday
After saying goodbye to Red, Natsume boarded the ferry back to Saffron City.
At the port, Red called out, "Natsume-sensei! Let's battle next time!"
Natsume waved. "Sure, next time!"
Battle Red?
Yeah, maybe when Gold stops being a disaster or Sylveon stops being tsundere.
The chat group, as always, was buzzing.
Green the "Evolver," upon hearing about Arcanine's evolution, immediately demanded:
"Got pics? Show me!"
Natsume-sensei uploaded a photo of Arcanine snoozing adorably.
Crystal was surprised. "It looks... way sturdier than the average Arcanine?"
"Different training methods produce different physiques," Brock noted approvingly. "As a tanky contestant, this is an excellent result."
While Blue Oak examined the image, Red's call came through.
"What's up?"
"Heading back to Mt. Silver soon. Lend me your Charizard."
"Fine." Blue hesitated. "So... about Natsume-sensei's strength—"
"You fought him?"
"No," Red admitted, regretful. "But he challenged Cinnabar Gym and defeated Blaine."
Blue's frown deepened.
"Not just that. I saw Entei on Cinnabar Island."
Red's voice lowered. "Blaine must've called on Entei's power... and still lost."
"...I see." Blue exhaled.
With that level of training, taking down Entei isn't impossible...
"Anyway!" Red adjusted his cap, grip tightening on his phone.
"Battle me today. I'm fired up."
"Tch. Don't regret it." Blue smirked.
...
Back home, Natsume flopped onto the couch with a yawn.
"Gengar, grab me a soda~"
"Gengar!"
"Togepi doo-ee!" (Me too~!)
Stretching out, Natsume reflected on his Cinnabar trip.
Overall, Arcanine's evolution left him with mixed feelings.
Stronger? Absolutely.
More destructive? Oh yeah.
The mental image of Extreme Speed + Thrash made him shudder.
As for Blaine's Fire Blast TM, keeping it at home felt risky.
Better save it for the school's Sunlight Chamber.
The Cinnabar Badge was just a bonus.
The real headache? Entei's Sacred Fire seemed to have boosted Arcanine's energy levels.
Did Entei mistake it for a long-lost relative or something?!
Finally, Natsume shook his head and patted Arcanine's rump.
"Come on, let's burn off that energy in the yard!"
"Arcanine~~!! (⊙o⊙*)"
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