Whitney's eyes widened in shock, while her Ursaring flinched, cowed by the oppressive presence of Dragonite. Instinctively, it stumbled back a few steps.
"No… Dragonite may be a mighty dragon, but it's four-times weak to Ice. I still have a chance!"
Whitney's heart stirred as she shouted repeatedly:"Ursaring, don't let it scare you! Use Ice Punch!"
At her command, Ursaring's spirit surged. Frost spread across its fist as it lunged forward, hurling a chilling strike toward Dragonite.
And yet—
Dragonite didn't even budge. It stood calmly, unshaken, while Yozora remained utterly composed. Only when Ursaring drew dangerously close did Yozora speak, his voice faint but firm:"Dragonite, use Seismic Toss, borrow its force against it!"
In an instant, Dragonite slipped past the icy fist with surprising agility, grasped Ursaring with practiced ease, and swung it like a hammer throw.
"Boom!" With a resounding crash, Ursaring's head slammed into the ground. The once-smooth field now bore a deep crater, fissures spidering outward. Ursaring lay twisted within, eyes spiraling, completely unconscious.
The battle was over.
Yozora had needed only Flaaffy and Dragonite to defeat Whitney's full team of three Pokémon. Both of his remained with strength to spare—he hadn't even lost one. It was a complete rout.
"I lost…" Whitney recalled Ursaring with a powerless sigh.
"Yozora, you may not be a rookie, but judging from your age, you can't have been traveling long. Yet your strength is already overwhelming. I never stood a chance." Her expression was filled with genuine awe.
"I wouldn't say that. I just had some good luck, that's all." Yozora answered humbly.
He was being truthful in his own mind, but Whitney nearly collapsed at his words.
That kind of crushing power… you call that just luck?!
"Well, anyway… here's the Plain Badge."
Whitney pressed the golden emblem into his hand and blinked playfully with a smile."Yozora, I'll be looking forward to your performance at the Silver Conference~"
"Thank you." Yozora accepted it with gratitude. With this, he had earned his third Johto League Badge.
After parting with Whitney, Yozora set out once more.
Not long after reaching his next city, he encountered more troublemaking Team Rocket grunts.
Lately, Team Rocket's activities had grown increasingly rampant—Yozora could feel it. As usual, he assisted Officer Jenny in their arrest, and after several consecutive deeds of merit, the Jenny family's goodwill toward him rose considerably.
"Yozora, this is for you."
Goldenrod City's Officer Jenny handed him a coin.
Yozora lifted his eyes—at first glance it seemed like any ordinary coin, except for the engraving of a Growlithe on its surface. He paused, stunned."This is…?"
Jenny smiled."In the forest between Goldenrod City and Ecruteak City, we have a police training base. If you show this coin to the officers there, you'll be granted a Growlithe."
"A Growlithe?" Yozora was taken aback.
He had indeed wanted one for a long time, especially one with the Intimidate Ability. He had always wondered—what if he raised a Growlithe with Intimidate stacked multiple times?
Jenny nodded."Yes. Growlithe are noble Pokémon. Yozora, you carry a heart of justice, and your compatibility with Growlithe is excellent. I'm certain you can raise it well."
"Arf!" Jenny's Growlithe barked beside her in agreement.
Clearly, not only Jenny herself, but even her partner Growlithe had recognized Yozora.
"Thank you so much, Officer Jenny." He bowed gratefully before setting out toward the forest she had mentioned.
It took him nearly half a month of travel before Yozora finally reached the forest training base.
Although called a police training facility, it wasn't for rookie officers—it was specifically a Growlithe academy.
With their sharp senses, the Growlithe noticed his presence the moment he approached. Their barking rose in unison.
In minutes, Yozora found himself surrounded by at least a hundred Growlithe.
"Who are you?" A young Officer Jenny stepped forward.
She looked about fifteen or sixteen, long green hair tied back. Though her face was youthful, her brows carried an unmistakable heroic spirit—truly a member of the Jenny family, righteous even at such a young age.
To avoid misunderstanding, Yozora quickly produced the coin engraved with Growlithe.
"My apologies!" The young Jenny's face softened at once."Carrying that coin means you're a hero who has aided our police force many times."
She bowed deeply, embarrassed."My name is Akiyuki. Forgive me—I almost mistook you for a suspicious intruder."
The Growlithe surrounding him retreated, no longer baring fangs but instead watching curiously, tails wagging despite themselves.
These were all still young, freshly born, small in stature yet bursting with liveliness.
"It's fine. You were just doing your duty." Yozora waved his hand casually before smiling."My name is Yozora. The Officer Jenny from Ecruteak told me I could receive a Growlithe here?"
"Yes," Akiyuki nodded. "That Jenny is my cousin. You may choose freely from among our Growlithe here—though only one, of course."
Yozora began inspecting them carefully, using his system one by one.
Their potential was indeed solid—they were descendants of police Pokémon. Most were still Rookie Level, but with Elite potential as a baseline, even several at Gym Leader potential.
But none beyond that.
Yozora felt a twinge of regret. Gym Leader potential was decent, but not ideal for him.
Seeing his expression, Akiyuki spoke up."If none of these suit you, Mr. Yozora, it's alright. We also have some newborn Growlithe inside the base, as well as Pokémon Eggs close to hatching."
Curious, Yozora followed her inside.
There, he found a batch of tiny Growlithe—some barely palm-sized, yawning endlessly as they adjusted to the world around them.
Beside them lay dozens of Pokémon Eggs, their shells warm and faintly glowing, nearly ready to hatch.
Checking them all, Yozora's eyes lit up when he discovered one with Elite Four potential—a "Heavenly King Egg."
"Pokémon Eggs are allowed too?" he asked, lifting it carefully.
"Of course."
Akiyuki smiled and handed him an incubator."We have egg incubators here. They speed up the process safely, though Flame Body works best for hatching."
Placing the egg inside, Yozora watched it glow faintly in the warmth. Its light flickered like a heartbeat—sign that it was close to hatching.
"Judging from my experience, this egg will hatch within a week." Akiyuki said with confidence.
After giving him a few more instructions, the officers and their Growlithe escorted Yozora out.
Seven days later.
True to Akiyuki's words, the egg hatched just before he left the forest.
With a burst of dazzling light, the egg vanished, replaced by a small Growlithe—barely palm-sized, adorably fluffy.
But its fur was golden.
Yozora froze, then burst out in joy."A Shiny Growlithe! No wonder it had Elite Four potential!"
He couldn't help but chuckle darkly."If Akiyuki and Officer Jenny knew I'd just casually picked up one of their Shiny Growlithe… I wonder how they'd react?"
The newborn barked affectionately at him, as if recognizing the one who had given it life.
Dragonite, Gengar, Miltank, Eevee, Flaaffy, and Crystal Onix all gathered around, gazing at it with fondness.
Miltank, maternal instincts overflowing, immediately scooped the pup into her arms and began feeding it milk.
Yozora opened its profile:
Pokémon: Growlithe
Type: Fire
Abilities: Intimidate + Intimidate + Intimidate + Intimidate
Stage: Infant
Potential: Pseudo-legendary tier
Moves: Howl, Bite, Flamethrower, Agility
Description: A majestic Growlithe, born with overwhelming presence that strikes fear into foes.
Yozora camped on the spot instead of traveling, waiting until the pup outgrew infancy.
Thanks to Miltank's rich milk, it took less than three days. The pup doubled in size, officially stepping into Rookie Level.
Despite its small body, it radiated fierce aura. Even a single glance from its eyes sent shivers through nearby Oddish or Rattata, leaving them quaking until they fled.
"Impressive…" Yozora murmured.
The aura alone was enough to disable foes of the same tier without even battling.
When he tested it against higher-level wild Pokémon, the effect was still remarkable—opponents weakened drastically, their confidence shattered, attacks hesitant.
Even strong Pokémon became as timid as rookies.
"If four Intimidates are this powerful… what about five?"
Yozora thought deeply. With his system, every one of his Pokémon already carried four Ability slots. If he could form a true bond, the fifth would unlock.
Just as Jenny had said, his compatibility with Growlithe was exceptional. Their eyes met—complete understanding flowed instantly.
A perfect match.
With his martial technique Mind's Eye amplifying that bond, Yozora knew it was only a matter of time before they reached true synchronicity.
One week later, Yozora emerged from the forest with his new partner.
After just seven days of training, the pup had grown into an Elite-tier Pokémon. Though barely ten days old, its size nearly matched an adult Growlithe's.
Coupled with its golden fur, it now exuded such majesty that even its mere presence deterred challengers.
Pokémon: Growlithe
Type: Fire
Abilities: Intimidate + Intimidate + Intimidate + Intimidate + Intimidate
Stage: Elite (Initial)
Potential: Tier 3 Legendary
Moves: Howl, Bite, Flamethrower, Agility, Fire Fang, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen Charge, Take Down
Description: A noble Growlithe, born with overwhelming presence that strikes fear into foes.
Their bond complete, Yozora added the fifth Intimidate.
With it, the pup's potential skyrocketed beyond pseudo-legendary tier—its bloodline now rivaled that of a Legendary cub.
(End of Chapter)