Chapter 257: Ride My Beloved Arcanine
The moonlight flowed like silk. After battling Blaine, Lu Ye, drenched in sweat, soaked in the hot spring for another half hour. "So comfy…" he sighed in contentment. "Gengarr~" Gengar nodded. The large Arcanine sat at the edge of the water, then slowly sank its whole body in, a dopey grin on its face.
After evolving, Arcanine was about 1.7 meters tall. Visually, it looked more like a big lion. Not too exaggerated—just the right size to ride. Lu Ye patted its fluffy head and suddenly realized—this Friday, he could ride Arcanine to and from work! He could walk his dog and save on commuting costs. More importantly, it just looked so damn cool! "Next week, I'm counting on you!" he said cheerfully.
"Awoo (O_o)??" I don't know what you're laughing about, but I'm sure it's nothing good!
Coming out of the hot spring, Arcanine shook its mane. Lu Ye rested his hand on it, feeling emotional. Every time the little ones evolved, he felt like a proud dad. "Let's go," he smiled. "Time for a late-night snack!"
"Awooo~~" Arcanine raised its head and howled, its mane swaying in the night breeze.
Red and Yellow had just returned. Yellow was holding a Clefairy plushie. "Red-senpai gave it to me," she said with a big grin.
What the heck? Red is buying gifts now?!
"There was a battle event at the night market. It was a prize," Red explained.
Lu Ye blinked, and couldn't help but mourn for the Trainers who joined. To be wiped out by the strongest—at least they died with honor!
The late-night snack had been arranged by Blaine—hand-pressed sushi, miso soup, and tamagoyaki. Sitting in the corridor, Yellow curiously looked at the stocky Arcanine. "Did it evolve during the battle, Teacher Lu?"
"Yeah," Lu Ye nodded, passing tamagoyaki to the Togepi in his arms. It bowed respectfully, then tipped over with a wobble. Sylveon used its feeler to help it back upright, its gaze fixed on Lu Ye.
He sighed, "It really was a tough fight."
Red nodded with deep understanding. "Probably… just like when I first ran into the Legendary Birds."
Lu Ye froze. Legendary Birds? What Legendary Birds? It was just a Gym battle! He glanced over at Arcanine, who was chomping away at a sticky rice ball.
Red's eyes were deep. With the Sacred Fire of Entei, it evolved. Was this the real reason he came here? Seeing Red deep in thought, Lu Ye didn't disturb him. He turned and asked Yellow, "When are you two heading back tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow afternoon," she replied. "Is Teacher Lu planning to stay longer?"
"I'll head back tomorrow too," he thought. "Still gotta teach on Friday… Can't keep asking Erika to sub for me." Of course, if she could sub forever, that'd be great too. Mainly, he just wanted to ride Arcanine to school and flex a little.
The night breeze was gentle. After getting its fill, Arcanine lay down and dozed off. Snorlax also lay belly-up, lazily rubbing its round stomach. Blaine walked over, saw the towering stack of plates, and raised an eyebrow. This half-month's income… did it all get eaten away tonight?
Tuesday, November 24th
After saying goodbye to Red, Lu Ye boarded the ferry back. At the port, Red said, "Teacher Lu, let's battle again sometime!"
Lu Ye nodded. "Next time for sure!" Battle Red? Only if Gold stops being a pain someday!
Inside the chat group, the vibe was lively. "Evolution Legend" Blue's eyes lit up when she heard Arcanine had evolved. "Got a pic? Let me take a look!"
Lu Ye uploaded a cute sleeping photo. Crystal looked surprised. "It just feels… way stronger than my Arcanine…"
"Different training methods lead to different traits," Brock nodded. "For a field-control type, this is an excellent result."
Green was still examining the photo when Red's call came in. "What is it?"
"I'm heading back to Mt. Silver. Mind if I borrow your Charizard?"
"No problem." Green paused.
"You want to ask about Teacher Lu's strength?" Red asked.
Green said seriously, "Did you battle him?"
"No," Red shook his head regretfully. "But he challenged the Cinnabar Gym and defeated Mr. Blaine. I also saw Entei on Cinnabar Island. I think Mr. Blaine used Entei's power—and still lost…"
"Is that so." Green gave a small nod. With that kind of skill, defeating Entei isn't impossible…
"In any case!" Red clutched his phone. "Feel like battling today—kinda pumped up!"
"Just what I wanted," Green let out a cold snort, a smirk on his lips.
Back home, Lu Ye yawned. "Gengar, grab me a cola~"
"Gengarr!"
"Chaaah togepiii" (Me too)
Lying on the sofa, he began to reflect. Overall, Arcanine's evolution left him with mixed feelings. It definitely got stronger… but also better at wrecking the house! Extreme Speed plus Thrash—just imagining it made him shudder. Also, Blaine's Fire Blast TM wasn't safe to keep at home. He planned to use it later in the school's Sunlight Room. As for the Volcano Badge—it was a bonus. What left him speechless was… the Sacred Fire seemed to make Arcanine even more energetic. Could it be… Entei felt a sense of kinship?
In the end, he shook his head and patted Arcanine's butt. "Come on, let's go run a few laps in the yard!"
"Awooo~~(⊙o⊙*)"
[Inorin Note:
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