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Upon returning to Ursaring Forest, Sato's first priority was not to confront the Pinsir or Scyther colonies but to revisit the treehouse by the river where he had once lived.
This small treehouse had been created by Bellossom using Secret Power, forming a cozy space inside a massive tree trunk. Though not very spacious, it had been more than sufficient for Sato, Zubat, and Gloom back then.
Even though he had been away for over a month, stepping back into this tiny dwelling filled him with a sense of familiarity. After tidying up and adding some decorations like carpets and wallpaper, he finally left the treehouse.
It was now past 4 PM, and unless something unexpected happened, Sato planned to spend the night there.
After finishing the cleanup, Sato still didn't go looking for trouble with the Pinsir or Scyther colonies. Instead, he had Growlithe lead the way back to the place where he was born.
The moment Growlithe returned to Ursaring Forest, he had been visibly excited, his small eyes constantly fixed in the direction of his home.
Sato, noticing this, naturally understood what was on his Pokémon's mind and let him take the lead.
Under Growlithe's guidance, Sato quickly arrived at the small grove where Growlithe's family had once lived—an area rich with red berries.
Now, the red berries hung abundantly on the tree branches, attracting many wild Pokémon like Rattata, Pidgey, and Sandshrew, all foraging for food.
"Woof! Woof!"
Growlithe happily dashed through the grove, barking excitedly, which startled many of the wild Pokémon. A small flock of timid Pidgey was so frightened that they took off in a panic.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Not long after Growlithe's enthusiastic barking, two distinctly different barks echoed from within the grove.
Moments later, two slightly larger Growlithe with thicker fur emerged in front of him.
These two were none other than Growlithe's parents. Seeing their son return after all this time, even Growlithe's usually stoic father couldn't help but show a hint of joy.
"It's been a while, Growlithe. Look, I've raised your son well—he might even be stronger than you now."
Sato stepped forward, smiling as he used his system's scanning function to check Growlithe's father.
At last, he could clearly see his stats—a Growlithe with a total individual value of 155, classified as a Pokémon with purple-tier potential.
His talent was undoubtedly impressive, and in the past month, he had leveled up to 35.
Growlithe's mother, on the other hand, had a total individual value of 112, classified as blue-tier potential, with a level of 28.
Although Growlithe's potential wasn't as high as his father's, his level had already surpassed him by two. Sato was confident that, under his careful training, Growlithe's strength had likely already exceeded his father's.
"Woof!"
Growlithe's father still wasn't particularly fond of the human who had taken his son away. He shot Sato a brief glance, let out a bark that could barely be considered a greeting, and then lost interest in him.
"Woof! Woof!"
His mother, however, was much friendlier. She barked warmly at Sato and even wagged her tail in greeting.
Originally, Growlithe's family had four members, but his brother was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, like Growlithe, he had also been driven out by their father to live independently.
Though Growlithe's father was pleased to see his son's impressive progress in such a short time, he wasn't the type to admit defeat easily.
"Woof! Woof!"
After hearing Sato's remark about his son surpassing him, Growlithe's father first nodded at his son before baring his fangs and swiftly shifting into a battle stance, barking at Growlithe with clear intent.
"Alright! Since your father is challenging you, there's no reason to back down. Show him how much you've grown during this time!"
Sato immediately understood the meaning behind Growlithe's father's actions and encouraged his Pokémon.
"Groww!"
Growlithe, realizing what his father wanted, was instantly filled with fighting spirit, lowering his stance as he prepared for battle.
His mother, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all. She simply stepped aside to watch, cheering for both her mate and her son.
Despite being two levels lower, Growlithe's father had superior potential. He had also spent years battling in the wild, accumulating far more combat experience than Growlithe, who had only recently begun his journey.
However, Growlithe wasn't fighting alone—he had a Trainer behind him. A Pokémon and Trainer working together was far more than a simple sum of their strengths.
Soon, the battle between Growlithe and his father commenced in a wide-open grassy area.
Because Sato had incorporated some of Growlithe's father's battle techniques into training, the fight began with both Pokémon igniting intense orange flames around their bodies.
Right from the start, both Growlithe and his father activated their Flash Fire abilities while using Flame Charge, heating up their bodies to enhance mobility and overall physical performance.
The two Pokémon began sprinting across the field, leaving trails of fire in their wake.
At first, their speed seemed evenly matched. The initial exchanges were cautious, with both using Tackle to test each other's strength.
Both Pokémon glowed white as they leaped into the air, colliding mid-air before bouncing off from the impact.
But experience made the difference—Growlithe's father had already mastered Double Kick and the ability to multitask. While using Tackle, he simultaneously delivered a Double Kick with his front legs, gaining an early advantage.
Yet, despite landing an extra hit, he wasn't satisfied with the outcome.
Through the exchange, he realized that his own physical condition was slightly inferior to his son's.
Even though he had struck first, the aftermath of their collision was telling—both had been pushed back roughly the same distance.
This discrepancy in physical ability was something Sato had expected.
After all, Growlithe's daily diet consisted of top-tier Pokémon food, second only to specialized performance-enhancing meals.
On top of that, he had been training every day with high-grade PokeBlocks to boost his stamina and skill execution—something his father had never had access to.
Over the past month, Growlithe's physical conditioning had improved at an astonishing rate. Now, it was evident that his body had already surpassed his father's.
"Excellent, Growlithe! Your endurance is stronger than your father's—use that to your advantage and take him down! Use Tackle again!"
Sato's eyes gleamed as he gave the command.
"Woof!"
Growlithe barked in response, flames flaring even higher around him. His body glowed white once more as he charged forward, aiming directly at his father, who was bracing for impact.