51 Chapter 51

"So you interested in Growlithe or not?" you asked, "She's not as big and strong as my buddy here, but she's a sweetheart and no slouch either."

May rolled her eyes, "I don't know why you're so invested in me, you haven't even given me your name yet," she replied, but waved her hand away, "But sure, go for it."

You seriously hadn't introduced yourself yet? "My name's Cobalt," you introduced yourself easily, "Oh, here." you continued, holding out her pokedex to her, which she quickly took.

You brought out your own, and quickly began cycling through what of your pokemon are stored up in their pokeballs right now. All the ones you mainly use for battling are out right now, as are all of the Rhyhorn, but Tyrogue, Growlithe, and your two new captures are in their balls currently.

"Looks like I can transfer her over," you said, before tapping your chin, "Now who should I switch out?"

"Transfer?" May tilted her head to the side curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I can only hold up to six pokemon currently," you replied, "The rest get sent off to where my pokemon stay when I'm not using them, which for me is Professor Oak's in Pallet Town, and I usually have to get him to send them over, but I can switch them with my pokedex itself if they're currently in storage."

"Huh." May hummed, tilting her head in wonder. But that was all she did.

"I'll send Poliwrath back for now, he's seen quite a bit of action so far," you mused, lifting his pokeball from your belt and placing it atop your pokedex, and with a press of a button, Poliwrath's pokeball disappeared, and was replaced by another, "There we go." you noted, placing your pokedex back into your pocket.

You'd probably grab Poliwrath back later on, you might need him for the gym in Cerulean City.

"Woah," May blinked, sliding down off of Growlithe's back ,"That was quick."

"The wonders of pokedex technology," you laughed. Now before you erase your ownership from the pokedex, you best check to see if Growlithe actually wants to go with May, "Come on out Growlithe."

In a burst of light, your second Growlithe appeared. Much more slim, and of course, much, much shorter in comparison to your other Growlithe, she barely reached around half of his height.

"Grow?" she warbled a bit in confusion, looking around before her eyes lit up when she saw you and bounded over to rub up affectionately against your legs.

"Hey girl," you greeted warmly, crouching down to ruffle her head gently, "How are you?"

She ruffed happily and licked you on the cheek. "Look's like you've been doing well," you noted, looking her over. she looked much healthier now, fur pristine and warm, no longer quite as thin and much happier looking. "So listen girl, I've got a question for you." you continued, placing a hand on her head to keep her from jumping up on you again.

"Grro?" she hummed, tilting her cute little doggy head to the side a bit in curiosity.

Smiling, you patted her on the head with one hand and pointed towards May who was standing beside your other Growlithe, "My friend here wants to start her own journey so she can travel, but she has no pokemon," you explained, "Since you've been training with all my other pokemon, you'll definitely be tough enough to help her out, do you want to help her out? you don't need to if you don't want to, I'm still happy to have you as my pokemon."

Growlithe looked at May, who waved awkwardly at the fire type. "H-hello." she stuttered.

The fire type blinked owlishly, before walking over and circling around the brunette girl sniffing at her. "Err, what's it doing?" May asked, looking at the pokemon weirdly.

"She," you corrected, "She's getting a sniff of you. Growlithe are great judges of character, it's one of the reasons why they like me so much I think."

"O-oh." May breathed out, calming down.

After a moment, she pulled back and turned to your other Growlithe, barking at him. You saw your larger canine shrug and give a bark back, looking at May and rolling his eyes and giving another shrug.

You got the feeling the bigger of the two just called May helpless and really in need of the help.

The female of the two sighed and shook her head with a roll of her eyes. Then turned to you and nodded, "Grow." you intoned, with another roll of her eyes.

You chuckled.

"What does that mean?" May asked, before narrowing her eyes at you, "Hey, stop laughing!"

"They think you need all the help you can get," you explained through your laughter, "And I'm pretty sure my bigger Growlithe explained why you need a pokemon and she decided you really need someone to look after you.

"..Ouch," May winced, "I mean, it's kinda true, but it's a little hurtful to hear even the pokemon think I'm an idiot."

Walking over, the smaller of the two butted her head against May's leg and pulled her off of her feet, making her land on the smaller canine's back, it was a bit awkward with their size differences, but she'd been training with all your pokemon back at the ranch since you got her, so she'd gotten quite powerful in her short span of time with you.

May yelped as she landed on the fire types back, but Growlithe didn't seem to mind as she carried the girl over to you and sat down, promptly letting May roll off her back and fall into the dirt on her own back, "See this is what I meant," May bemoaned, "I've got no idea how to deal with pokemon, they're all so rough."

"Chin up, it looks like she's accepted to help you out," you responded, "And with how strong she's gotten training with my other pokemon, you should have no problem travelling with her at your side, I dare say she'd give that Vibrava your dad trained up for you a run for its money."

"Fine fine," May sighed, waving her arm, "I'll stop complaining. At least she's super cute."

"Lithe!" the female Growlithe beamed in pride.

Smiling, you bent down and pet her on the crest atop her head, "Looks like this'll be your last day as my pokemon huh girl?" you mused, and you couldn't help but be sad. But with you, all she'd be doing is living her life on the ranch, at least with May she'd get to travel the world and do whatever she wanted, "Still, this won't be the last time we meet, I promise to stick in contact with May and whenever we're near I'll come visit you."

"Rooooowwwww." Growlithe howled lowly and sadly, and gave you one last butt on the leg with her head and an affectionate rub, before pulling back and promptly sitting her ass down atop May's face and beaming at you proudly.

May spluttered and wiggled around underneath the furry butt pressing down on her face.

"That's ma' girl." you praised, raising the pokeball and returning her, allowing May to shoot up and splutter out a breath, glaring at you.

"Did you teach her that?" she growled, "You're really gonna have trouble getting a girlfriend in the future Cobalt."

"You'd be surprised," you hummed in reply, pressing down on the button of the pokeball until it went green, and then let loose a click as the colour dulled away, alongside your ownership of the Growlithe.

Your remaining Growlithe jogged up to your side and rubbed against you in comfort and you smiled. It was sad so see her go, but at least you know she'll go somewhere nice, if Norman is anything to go for at least.

And a sunny climate like Hoenn is a much better place for a Growlithe.

"Heere." you said, holding the unclaimed pokeball out to May, whom took it hesitantly.

"Err," she floundered, "What do I do with it?"

She really did know little to nothing huh? "Just press your thumb to the button in the middle," you instructed, "It'll take a bit of your skin to lock the pokeball to your dna and ownership."

"Sounds simple enough," she shrugged, then did so, and hissed a little when the button glowed orange, "Ow! You didn't say it would sting like that."

"Don't be a wimp," you shrugged with alright, Growlithe barking out a laugh alongside you, "Every trainer gets taught this early on, we're so used to out the skin on our thumb's have become much rougher and we barley feel anything at all."

"..This trainer thing is a lot more complicated than it looks." May sighed.

"Chin up," you said, grasping her chin gently with your rough thumb and pushing her face up to look you in the eye, and for a moment, she just stared into your eyes and you thought you saw a flush spread across her cheeks before disappearing, "Now you just gotta grab one or more of the pokemon from up on the roof and your dad will definitely get off your case."

"..Fine." May sighed, then shook her head and grinned, "But let's make it quick, I'm starving and could go for some noodles right about now."