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When Sato discovered that Growlithe had successfully reached level 43, he had originally planned to let it evolve on the island. Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.
With no reinforcements in sight, Sato had no choice but to let Growlithe evolve secretly within the tunnel and use the terrain to his advantage—allowing Growlithe to unleash a burst of powerful Fire-type energy during the evolution process to purge their enemies.
Rewinding to a minute earlier, in the tunnel that was now lit up as brightly as day, Growlithe was bathed in pale, high-temperature flames and the dazzling light of evolution.
His body underwent rapid restructuring and transformation under the tempering of the flames and the blessing of the evolution light.
Gradually, the mutated Fire Stone—which contained a trace of Groudon's primal essence—melted into a shimmering golden-red liquid that began to dye the light of evolution engulfing Growlithe.
As the process continued, Growlithe's originally slow-growing frame began to expand at a visible pace. The small Pokémon that had once stood only 1 meter tall and 1.3 meters long was transforming into a towering canine Pokémon over 2.5 meters tall and at least 5 meters in length.
As Growlithe's body swelled, the crimson-gold liquid formed from the mutated Fire Stone gradually diminished. Finally, it vanished completely as Growlithe's form stabilized.
There was no doubt: the vast and pure Fire-type energy within the Fire Stone had been entirely absorbed, fueling Growlithe's metamorphosis.
In the end, a majestic Arcanine appeared before Sato—flames of pale white burning atop his head, tail, and four paws. He padded forward on blazing feet and then obediently lay down in front of Sato.
Though the flames burning on Arcanine's body were clearly searingly hot, Sato was surprised to find that the surrounding temperature was extremely comfortable—maintaining a steady 25°C. Even with Arcanine so close, he didn't feel any heat.
"I see now... You've gained a lot from this evolution, haven't you, buddy?"
Sato quickly realized this phenomenon was likely the doing of his loyal partner. He immediately activated the system's scanning ability to examine Arcanine's status.
Upon reading the results, he smiled with satisfaction, stepped forward, and fondly stroked Arcanine's large head.
....
Pokémon: Arcanine
Level: 43
Type: Fire
Ability:Flash Fire
Gender: Male
Known Moves:Bite, Roar, Ember, Leer, Odor Sleuth, Helping Hand, Reversal, Fire Fang, Take Down, Flare Blitz, Agility, Retaliate, Crunch, Heat Wave, Outrage, Thunder Fang, Extreme Speed
Egg Moves: None
Tutor Moves:Stored Power, Flame Wheel, Flame Charge, Overheat, Flare Blitz
TM Moves:Protect, Hidden Power (Grass), Double Team, Fire Spin, Flamethrower
Held Item: None
IVs:
HP: 30 (31)
Attack: 31 (31)
Defense: 28 (31)
Special Attack: 31 (31)
Special Defense: 27 (31)
Speed: 30 (31)
[Overall IV Rating:177 — Gold Tier]
Special Fire-Type Ability:
Thermal Control — (A Fire-type Pokémon with this ability can manipulate the temperature of surrounding flames by consuming its internal Fire-type energy. The degree to which heat can be raised or lowered depends on the Pokémon's fire control prowess.)
....
From the data, it was clear that the pleasant ambient temperature was entirely Arcanine's doing. Not only had the mutated Fire Stone significantly enhanced his stats, but it had also awakened a powerful new Fire-type ability: Thermal Control.
Although Sato didn't yet know the full extent of this new ability's power, from its description alone, he could tell it was incredibly useful.
Whether lowering enemy flames' lethality or amplifying the intensity of his own, Thermal Control was a game-changer. With this ability, Arcanine would hold a distinct advantage even against equally powerful Fire-type opponents.
And just as importantly—Sato would never again have to worry about being consumed by fire or burned, as long as Arcanine was by his side.
Thanks to Thermal Control, flames could now be safely regulated to a comfortable, room-like temperature.
Still, more than anything, what brought Sato the most joy wasn't the new ability—it was that Arcanine had finally completed his transformation from an underdog to a true powerhouse.
Once, Growlithe had been a blue-tier Pokémon with a total IV of just 138. Now, he had become a gold-tier Pokémon with a total IV of 177—a massive leap in potential.
To Sato's delight and surprise, Arcanine had also learned two high-powered Fire-type moves during evolution: Overheat and Flare Blitz.
....
Move Notes:
Overheat (Special Fire) – Power: 130. Effect: Uses all its strength in one blast. Harshly lowers the user's Special Attack after use.
Flare Blitz (Physical Fire) – Power: 120. Effect: Charges while cloaked in fire, deals recoil damage, and may cause burns.
....
Arcanine had high and balanced Attack and Special Attack base stats (110 and 100 respectively), making him a true mixed attacker. As a "dual-blade" type Pokémon, he could fully unleash the potential of both moves.
With these additions, Arcanine was now like a tiger with wings—his combat strength had once again soared.
What's more, he had successfully learned both Outrage and Extreme Speed as planned. Sato could now confidently say that Arcanine's strength had definitively surpassed that of the team's former second-strongest member, Crobat.
If Arcanine could quickly master the synergy between Outrage and Extreme Speed, then even Swampert—the team's current powerhouse—might not be able to keep him suppressed.
Wielding Extreme Speed, Arcanine had become a true guerrilla tactics expert: able to engage and retreat freely, and capable of pulling off devastating one-hit kills with surprise strikes.
As long as his stamina held out, most opponents would be terrorized by his hit-and-run strategy and fearsome finishing power.
After all, Arcanine was no longer the petite Growlithe of the past—he was now a mighty beast of a more than considerable size.
With his current physical build, Sato no longer had to hold back. He could now let Arcanine freely use high-recoil moves like Flare Blitz, Double-Edge, and Take Down—attacks he had once forbidden out of concern.
Now, Arcanine wasn't just a skirmisher—he could go full berserker mode when needed, turning battles into decisive, high-impact clashes.
Sato could already imagine the scene when Arcanine combined Flare Blitz with Extreme Speed—a vision that would surely leave a lasting impression on most opponents. Some might even be haunted by the memory for a long time.
"Let's go, Arcanine. Let's take a walk. The battle's probably not over yet. Now's the perfect time to test your new power."
Sato casually climbed onto Arcanine's back, laying comfortably across the thick, warm fur that blanketed him. He patted Arcanine's massive head with a smile.
"Woof!!"
As soon as Sato was on his back, Arcanine sprang to his feet. After letting out a mighty bark in response, the pale flames wrapped around his limbs suddenly flared up.
A moment later, Sato felt himself being propelled forward—everything around him turned into a blur. By the time he regained his bearings, he and Arcanine were already back on the roaring battlefield.