"Alright then... 3, 2, 1—battle start!"
Surrounded by Swampert, Moltres, and a group of Poliwhirl, Kai sharply swung his right arm downward to signal the beginning of the match.
Growlithe was the first to make a move. Drawing on the techniques it had learned from Kukui's Lycanroc, it let out a long howl to boost its power before flames welled up in its mouth and quickly shaped into a set of blazing, fang-like jaws—it lunged straight at Poliwhirl!
Fire Fang—a Fire-type move!
It wasn't that Growlithe preferred type disadvantages. Rather, it had only recently been born and had a limited move pool, and it certainly didn't have the knowledge—or memory—to memorize a full type chart like a veteran battler.
Poliwhirl, on the other hand, was fully aware that its Water typing granted resistance to Fire-type moves. Confidently, it chose to take the hit while counterattacking with Water Gun.
Seeing this, Kai couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh. Sometimes, being clever could backfire. Compared to the newborn Growlithe from before, today's Growlithe was an entirely different beast.
Like a gust of wind, Growlithe darted to Poliwhirl's side. Poliwhirl instinctively raised its left arm to block and began charging its Water Gun at close range, preparing to unleash a powerful blast right in Growlithe's face.
It had reasoned that since it hadn't yet mastered any game-changing melee techniques, protecting its body was more important than guarding its arm.
But in that very instant, Poliwhirl realized it had miscalculated.
Growlithe's Fire Fang clamped down hard on Poliwhirl's arm, sending a searing jolt of pain and heat through its limb. That alone would've been manageable—but what happened next wasn't.
With a fierce shake of its head, Growlithe summoned a burst of raw power that Poliwhirl couldn't resist, flinging its opponent into the air with surprising force.
And it didn't stop there.
With a sharp bark, Growlithe gathered rocky energy, forming several boulder-sized stones midair and launching them at Poliwhirl, striking it in mid-flight and slamming it back to the ground.
The whole combo had been so smooth and fast that Poliwhirl was left completely stunned. Its charged Water Gun dissipated into harmless droplets that rained down from the sky. Growlithe, now wet, gave a vigorous shake to dry its fur.
Meanwhile, Poliwhirl hit the ground hard and didn't get up for a long moment.
This combo, passed down directly from Kukui's Lycanroc, had completely caught Poliwhirl off guard.
The rest of the battle was no better. Wounded and slowed, Poliwhirl was unable to keep up with the now well-trained Growlithe, whose physical development had nearly caught up to it.
Even when Poliwhirl landed a clean Water Pulse, Growlithe endured it and finished the match with a reckless but powerful Double-Edge, knocking Poliwhirl out.
As the Poliwhirl brothers bowed their heads in disappointment, and Swampert remained stoic, Moltres looked like a proud parent with its head held high. Kai quickly stepped in, bringing out pre-prepared medicines to treat both Pokémon on the spot.
After carefully checking them over again to ensure there were no lasting injuries, Kai finally relaxed. He decided he'd take them to Comfey later for a proper healing session.
He reached out to scoop up the two Pokémon—Poliwhirl looking disheartened, and Growlithe still buzzing with excitement—and carried them over to where Swampert and the others were waiting.
As soon as Kai set Poliwhirl down, its three little Poliwhirl brothers immediately rushed over, chirping worriedly. Their overlapping cries only made Poliwhirl's headache worse in its already gloomy mood.
Still, Poliwhirl knew they were just worried about him. For their sake, it managed a tired smile and gave them a reassuring nod.
While Poliwhirl sulked, Growlithe was practically vibrating with joy, its tail wagging so hard it could've lifted off. When it trotted over to Moltres for approval, the fiery legendary gave it the full recognition it wanted—letting Growlithe hop onto its rounded back like an overindulgent parent spoiling a child.
After this match, Kai had a much clearer understanding of both Pokémon's potential.
Growlithe's raw talent was unmistakably superior. Kai wasn't someone who cared only about innate ability, but even he had to admit the gap. From the pace at which it learned moves alone, it was obvious—Poliwhirl still had a relatively basic movepool, while Growlithe had already mastered several powerful techniques.
In particular, Double-Edge, when combined with Growlithe's now-confirmed hidden ability Rock Head, was terrifying. According to game data, it became a high-power STAB move with 150 base power and no recoil.
Add in Growlithe's rapidly developing physical strength, and the gap between it and Poliwhirl would likely only grow wider in the future.
That said, Poliwhirl's intelligence made it a standout in its own right. It was great at reading the battlefield and reacting in real-time, making training much easier for its Trainer. It had also learned a variety of utility moves—Mist, Haze, Hypnosis—that could be unexpectedly effective.
Unfortunately, it had faced off against Growlithe's direct and overwhelming approach—and underestimated the difference in power between them. That's what cost it the battle.
Not long after, Kai returned home with a gleeful Growlithe and a crestfallen Poliwhirl.
Comfey, who had finished a full session of photosynthesis, was already waiting for them—next to it sat a Delibird whose feathers had grown back.
The poor thing still looked frail, helpless, and pitiful, but the moment it saw Kai, its eyes lit up, and it waddled over with little plapping steps.
Normally, a Delibird would just fly, but this one—rescued by Luxray—clearly had psychological trauma. It chose to walk instead, and the way it waddled like a clumsy penguin was oddly comical.
Kai barely held back his laughter.
Delibird wrapped its wings around Kai's leg like a baby bird clinging to its parent, clearly relying on him.
But Kai's bemused expression hinted that there was more to the story.
Back in Pinwheel Town, Nurse Joy had specifically told him that this Delibird wasn't a chick—it was a fully grown male Pokémon.
What's more, its tail was much larger than that of an average Delibird. Nurse Joy even suspected it might've been the leader of a Delibird flock.
That was exactly what had Kai nearly cracking up. If Nurse Joy was right, then this Delibird—once a dignified alpha in its group—was now acting like a baby bird, begging for affection at his feet. The mental image was hilarious.
And if, by chance, its flock ever saw it acting like this…
The image in Kai's head was of a short clip he once watched before his transmigration: a gruff, scar-faced stray cat leader who, while adored and respected in its colony, would act like a total softie in front of humans.
Until one day, its gang of kittens saw it cuddling on a rooftop, utterly destroying its image.
Barely suppressing his laughter, Kai rubbed his eyes and tried to maintain a straight face. "Comfey, I'll leave the aroma therapy for all three of them to you."
"Comfey~!"
Wearing a warm, confident smile that said Leave it to me, Comfey led Kai and the three Pokémon into a nearby room.
The space had once been an old storage room—small and narrow—but Kai had cleaned it out and set up a simple folding bed inside. With Comfey around, the modest space had effectively been turned into a makeshift farm infirmary.
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