A dazzling light flashed as the silhouette within the white glow expanded, eventually reaching nearly two meters in height.
The majestic Arcanine stood proudly on the battlefield, its flaxen, fluffy fur billowing in the wind.
A perfect fusion of strength and beauty, the very embodiment of loyalty and coolness—the Legendary Pokémon among Touran's ancient legends.
Countless people had been captivated by its elegant demeanor.
Its awe-inspiring roar was enough to make anyone kneel in reverence.
That being said...
Natsume tilted his head in confusion as he stared at his own chubby Doduo-like Arcanine.
...Is my Pokémon maybe a little too well-fed?
The two Arcanines faced off on the field, with Natsume's clearly being a whole rounder.
Sure, as a tanky defensive pivot, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing...
But the problem was—
Natsume gulped, his heart skipping a beat.
If this guy ever starts wrecking the house, I'm so screwed!
"Arcanine!"
Arcanine turned its fluffy head and grinned dopily at Natsume.
I feel it, Trainer! Your fighting spirit!
This battle's victory belongs to me!
Natsume: "Just try not to break the other guy's bones, okay...?"
"Arcanine~ (O_o)??"
"...Truly magnificent."
Blaine gazed at the battlefield, unable to hold back his admiration.
The reason he had become a Fire-type Trainer in the first place was because he had been utterly captivated by Moltres' dancing flames.
Fire-type Pokémon possessed a beauty as radiant as rubies and an unyielding fighting spirit.
And this Arcanine... moved Blaine in ways he couldn't even put into words.
Fighting relentlessly for its Trainer until the very end...
Blaine wiped the corner of his eye with his palm before putting his sunglasses back on.
"Alright, let's continue the battle!"
Blaine's Arcanine had the Ability Flash Fire.
Judging from its moveset, it specialized in Fire Spin and Fire Blast, functioning as a special-attacking cannon.
A direct approach... would still give them an edge.
Natsume glanced at his Arcanine's move list, noting the newly mastered Extreme Speed post-evolution.
In theory, Extreme Speed was a close-range move that relied on agility.
But... Natsume skeptically eyed his Arcanine's physique.
With a body like that... can it even pull off Extreme Speed?
"Use Extreme Speed?" Natsume tested.
"Arcanine!! (｀0｀)"
With a thunderous roar, Arcanine charged forward like a Type 59-modified tank, its massive frame barreling toward the opponent.
"Fire Spin—on yourself!" Blaine commanded sharply.
Flames erupted, cloaking Blaine's Arcanine like a fiery mantle.
Flash Fire activated, forcibly halting the Extreme Speed as a torrent of Fire Blast surged forth.
If this were a Growlithe, it might not have survived the blast.
But after evolution, Arcanine had grown even tougher—plowing headfirst into the roaring flames!
"Damn, that's brutal!"
Natsume couldn't help but click his tongue before shouting, "Double-Edge!"
Empowered by Double-Edge, Arcanine kicked off the ground, leaping through the Fire Blast as freely as the wind itself!
But the problem was...
Watching his Arcanine bare its fangs, tongue lolling wildly, Natsume's expression twisted.
That one's an Arcanine.
Mine's just a rabid mutt.
"Use Burn Up!" Blaine bellowed.
After Burn Up, Arcanine would lose its Fire typing.
And as one of the most powerful Fire-type moves, Burn Up packed an insane punch!
Flames roared skyward, dyeing Natsume's vision crimson.
Blaine's Arcanine crouched low, the ground beneath its paws unable to withstand the heat, crystallizing into glassy particles.
Meanwhile, under the effects of Extreme Speed, Natsume's Arcanine's Double-Edge only grew more ferocious!
BOOM!!
Burn Up—a golden fireball.
Extreme Speed—a white shockwave.
Like two heavy tanks colliding, the deafening impact shook the entire Cinnabar Gym!
At the same time...
Deep within the volcano beneath Cinnabar Island...
A master of flames—Entei—slowly opened its eyes.
Both Arcanines were sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground, their fur singed black.
But Blaine's Arcanine wasn't faring much better.
It felt like every bone in its body was about to shatter.
Struggling to stand, it finally collapsed with a heavy thud.
Blaine took a deep breath.
"...I lose."
"Arcanine~"
The fallen Arcanine cracked open an eye, turning its big head toward Natsume with a hopeful look.
"Yeah, you did great."
Natsume stepped forward, smiling as he patted Arcanine's head, feeling its warm tongue lick his hand.
"You can rest now."
"Arcanine~"
Arcanine nuzzled into Natsume's palm, finding a comfortable position before letting out a snort and drifting off to sleep.
You saw that, right?
This old man totally wrecked those losers.
As long as it's not an internal battle, I'm still plenty strong!
A red beam shot out from Natsume's Poké Ball.
Sylveon gently touched Arcanine with its ribbons, confirming it was okay before sighing in relief.
"Everyone's giving it their all..."
Natsume crouched down, patting Arcanine's head as if soothing it to sleep.
With a mix of exasperation and relief, Natsume-sensei shook his head.
"That was an outstanding match."
Blaine approached, shaking Natsume's hand with a smile. "It's been a long time since I've had a battle where I could go all out like that!"
Natsume returned the handshake, coughing awkwardly. "I didn't expect... this guy to be so straightforward."
It was a 3v3—with proper rotations and defensive plays, victory was achievable.
But sensing Arcanine's determination...
Natsume-sensei had been willing to fight alongside it until the very end.
"The Pokémon Center is nearby. Let me take you to the emergency room."
Seeing Arcanine's singed, disheveled fur, Blaine offered.
"Emergency room won't be necessary."
Natsume glanced at his snoring Arcanine and chuckled.
"This guy's just... sleeping."
Seriously, is this a Snorlax or what?
Who just conks out after a battle?!
Blaine scratched his gleaming bald head, about to say something when his expression suddenly turned grave.
An overwhelming pressure made Natsume's heart skip a beat—his Poké Balls all opened on their own.
His team immediately formed a protective circle around him, their expressions fierce.
The shadow appearing at the gym's entrance made Blaine pause.
Following Blaine's gaze...
Natsume turned—and his breath hitched.
Flowing crimson-orange fur, a white cloud-like mane, and red hexagram patterns on its cheeks...
A lion-like deity stared down at Natsume, its gaze piercing and evaluative.
The Legendary Beast—Entei!
Legends said only Trainers with pure hearts could witness Entei's presence—all others would be consumed by sacred flames.
Blaine's eyes swept the area before he nodded in understanding.
Due to their friendship, Entei had taken residence in Cinnabar's volcanic depths.
Perhaps the earlier battle had disturbed it.
Or perhaps... it had sought out a Trainer it deemed worthy for a battle.
Either way, for this young man, it was an opportunity!
Right now...
Natsume felt like he was standing in a volcano, surrounded by scorching magma.
Meeting Entei's deep gaze, he took a steadying breath.
"...The hell you lookin' at?"
A cold sweat dripped down Blaine's forehead.
Is he... provoking it?
Or does he actually want to battle Entei?
Natsume froze too.
He'd meant to greet it properly, but the words just came out wrong!
Entei's aura flared as it suddenly opened its maw—a wave of heat rushing forth.
Instinctively, Natsume raised an arm to shield his face.
The scorching wind made his clothes flap wildly.
But after a few seconds, the heat abruptly vanished.
When he opened his eyes, Entei was gone.
"Arcanine~~"
Still asleep, Arcanine lazily rolled over.
Golden embers flickered across its body like dancing butterflies, healing all its burns in an instant.
"That was Sacred Fire—it healed Arcanine's wounds."
Blaine adjusted his sunglasses. "Seems like... you and Arcanine have earned Entei's recognition."
Natsume blinked.
"Any side effects?"
"Just healing. No side effects."
Blaine scratched his head. "Though it might get a bit more energetic."
Natsume: ???
Making Arcanine even MORE energetic?!
Entei, what kind of cursed blessing is this?!
Seeing Natsume's conflicted expression, Blaine laughed. "When Entei chose me, I was even more excited than you! Go ahead, laugh it off!"
"Haha," Natsume forced a smile.
"Now that it's awake, Entei won't stay on Cinnabar Island anymore."
Gazing at where Entei had vanished, Blaine murmured, "Who knows when we'll see it next..."
"Ah, right—this is for you!"
Blaine pulled a Badge from his pocket, placing it in Natsume's palm.
"Consider this your visa for the Gym Challenge."
[Ding! Quest Updated]
[Badges Collected: (2/8)]
Seeing the system notification, Natsume sighed.
Well... I kinda expected this when preparing for the challenge.
Six more to go—just gotta stay focused!
"And one more thing."
Blaine rummaged through his pockets before pulling out a red USB drive.
"Every Gym winner gets a TM. This one's an upgraded version."
"Which move?"
"Fire Blast," Blaine said cheerfully.
"No thanks, I'm good!" Natsume's face paled.
"Ha! No need to be shy. I've met plenty of modest young Trainers like you!"
...
Night had fallen.
At Cinnabar Island's open plaza, Red and Yellow were preparing to head back to their hot spring inn.
"I wonder how Natsume-sensei's Gym challenge went," Red mused.
"Should be over by now, right?" Yellow tilted her head. "We could always call Mr. Blaine and ask."
Red nodded, dialing the number—and was surprised when Blaine picked up.
But before he could speak, his instincts as a battler kicked in.
His hair stood on end as he spotted a shadow moving across the rooftops in the snowy night.
A lion-like silhouette, leaping between buildings before vanishing into the darkness.
Entei... Why was it here?
A thought occurred to him.
"Mr. Blaine," Red's voice turned serious. "Your battle with Natsume-sensei..."
"I gave it my all—and still lost."
Blaine chuckled.
"Even Entei acknowledged him. No wonder you call him 'sensei.'"
"Is that so?"
Hearing Blaine's confirmation, Red smiled.
Now he understood why Natsume-sensei hadn't let them watch the match.
A secret weapon capable of impressing Entei... was definitely something to keep hidden.
"Come on, Yellow—let's go back and throw Natsume-sensei a victory party!" Red's steps lightened.
"Wait for me, Senior Red!"
Under Cinnabar Island's clear night sky, bathed in moonlight, the two walked side by side back to the hot spring hotel.
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