Chapter 127: Evolving Growlithe to Arcanine

The morning light filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the Pokémon Center's backyard. 

The air smelled faintly of smoke, mingling with the dewy freshness of the grass beneath my sneakers. 

My heart drummed in my chest, fingers tightening around the Fire Stone in my hand. 

The fiery surface of the stone pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat, as if it knew what was coming.

Growlithe's Pokéball felt cold in my hand. 

I released it with a flick of my wrist. 

A flash of light, and there it was, sitting alert beside me. 

Growlithe's amber eyes reflected the early sun, its fur already bristling. 

It sensed it too—the moment. 

Erin stood a few steps away, her usual calm demeanor irritatingly intact. 

She said she'd stand there, and she did, like it was just another day. 

Her hands casually rested in the pockets of her tailored trousers, her expression neutral. "I'll stand here," she had said earlier, like she wasn't about to witness something monumental. 

I nodded in her direction, feeling the tension wrap tighter around my spine. 

Shadow, my little powerhouse, leaped down from my shoulder and sprawled out lazily at Erin's feet. 

My lips twitched in mild irritation. 

I needed him alert, not dozing off, but I let it slide. 

He always performed when it mattered.

Growlithe shifted beside me, its excitement palpable, tail flicking with anticipation. 

"You ready for this?" My voice came out low, almost a whisper. 

Even I could hear the weight in it. 

Growlithe growled, low and steady. 

Its eyes gleamed with an intensity that matched my own. 

The Fire Stone in my hand grew hotter, buzzing with a barely-contained energy.

I knelt, feeling the ground cool beneath my knee as I brought the stone closer to Growlithe. 

A spark leaped from the stone to its fur, crackling with an almost violent energy. 

I had to suppress a grin. 

This was it.

"Here we go," I murmured, pressing the stone against Growlithe's side.

In an instant, the air ignited. 

Heat exploded between us, a scorching wave that had me stepping back, shielding my face from the sudden brightness. 

Growlithe was engulfed in light, its shape twisting, elongating, transforming into something far larger, far more powerful. 

The heat seared the ground, distorting the air like a desert mirage. 

Sweat trickled down my neck, but I didn't move. 

Couldn't.

Growlithe—no, not Growlithe anymore—roared. 

The sound ripped through the air, a primal, wild force that left my ears ringing. 

When the blinding light finally faded, Arcanine stood before me. 

Taller, stronger, flames licking around its mane and tail like they were born to be there. 

Its eyes... damn, those eyes. 

They gleamed with intelligence and power, the kind of power that didn't just stop at strength—it transcended it. 

For a split second, I felt a pang in my chest. 

Was this still my Arcanine?

Or had evolution changed something between us? 

But then it stepped forward, lowering its massive head to press its snout against my chest, a soft rumble vibrating through its throat. 

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. 

The bond was still there, stronger now, if anything. 

Arcanine's power pulsed in sync with my heartbeat.

The backyard had gone silent again, the aftermath of something big. 

Erin, ever the calm storm, broke the quiet. "Congratulations."

Her voice was so even, it almost grated on my nerves.

I walked toward her, closing the distance between us, her cool gaze tracking my every move. 

Without hesitation, I leaned in, brushing my lips against her cheek. "That's how you should congratulate me," I said, my voice low.

She blinked, like she hadn't even considered it. 

Then, almost mechanically, she kissed me. 

No hesitation. 

Just compliance. 

I stood there, dumbfounded. 

I wasn't sure what I expected, but that wasn't it.

I stepped back, a strange tension settling in my gut. 

I shoved it down, locking the moment away. 

I called Arcanine back into its Pokéball, the familiar click grounding me. 

"Let's go," I said, my voice sharper than intended. 

Erin nodded, falling into step beside me without a word. 

Shadow, still lounging at her feet, sprang back onto my shoulder with a burst of energy, like he hadn't been half-asleep a moment ago.