Chapter 20. Growlithe Hatches

After their little celebration and Jenny's lecture, Alex went to his room with the egg and carefully placed it in the corner. He immediately booted up his laptop and started reading about the Growlithe line. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jenny's advice—he just considered it basic due diligence as a Pokémon trainer.

From his research, he found that apart from their fiery tempers, Growlithe were typically quite loyal. They wouldn't hesitate to tear apart any threats to their pack. Male Growlithe, in particular, were even more ruthless and fearless than the females, who usually took care of the eggs and young.

As for their care, baths weren't necessary since they could set their bodies on fire to eliminate dirt and oils. However, they required a thorough daily brushing to keep their fur clean and free from tangles.

They also needed regular exercise to keep their excessive energy levels in check. This wasn't an issue for Officer Jenny, whose job involved patrolling the city, but it would be a huge problem for Alex, who had to sit in class most of the day.

'I suppose we'll have to extend morning training,' Alex thought with a sigh.

Continuing his research on the Growlithe line, Alex found that they required a Fire Stone to evolve, but the process wasn't instant. Unlike in the games, Growlithe wouldn't evolve just by touching one—they had to be mentally prepared.

For wild Growlithe, maturity and a strong sense of self were crucial. When they deemed themselves worthy, they would leave their pack and embark on a journey, typically seeking a Fire Stone near volcanoes to complete their evolution.

This journey wasn't just about evolving—it was a rite of passage that toughened them up. Once they evolved, they would either return to their original pack or start one of their own.

For bonded Growlithe like Jenny's, the requirement was mental maturity. She shared that her Growlithe had suddenly desired to evolve after successfully rescuing her from an attacker during an ambush on patrol. Before that, he had been an overly eager, energetic pup. After the incident, he took on the responsibility of protecting her, marking his transition into adulthood.

Based on his research, the key factor for evolution seemed to be the need for power or responsibility. Many recorded cases of Growlithe evolving into Arcanine pointed to the Pokémon developing a strong drive to grow stronger.

This posed a tricky situation for Alex. As a student, his Growlithe wouldn't have many opportunities to experience real danger or responsibility. Most likely, it would take graduation and traveling outside the city before his partner developed that need.

That was a problem for future Alex. Present Alex was more worried about being drooled on with scalding saliva.

After taking notes on Growlithe's needs—including purchasing a fire-resistant brush, clothes, and gloves—Alex shifted his focus to researching Pokémon eggs.

Initial searches suggested that an incubator was all that was necessary for successful hatching. Unconvinced, Alex scoured the internet for research papers, and what he found was quite interesting.

While an incubator alone was sufficient, the hatching process could be accelerated by providing an environment rich in the Pokémon's natural energy.

A Growlithe egg typically took about a month to hatch in an incubator, but the process could be shortened to a week if surrounded by concentrated Fire-type energy.

Research indicated that hatching in a better environment didn't necessarily make Pokémon stronger, but it did result in them being more energetic after birth. That was all Alex needed to hear. He immediately decided to buy a bunch of Fire Stones and stuff them into the incubator.

He theorized that increased energy at birth might translate into higher Individual Values (IVs). Alex had never focused on breeding Pokémon in the games, so he wasn't entirely sure how IVs worked, but if there was a chance to influence them at birth, he was willing to go all out.

The next day, Alex returned from school with enough unprocessed Fire Stone shavings to completely bury the egg in the incubator. It might have been overkill, but they were cheap—the student who sold them to him had a father working in Fire Stone processing. He collected the shavings and sold them at the student market, targeting suckers like Alex who believed they still had some residual energy.

The student had even said this outright, knowing that people like Alex would convince themselves it was worth the cost. That was why the shavings were priced so low—if they were any more expensive, people would just go to his father, who would give them away for free.

For the next week, Alex carried the incubator in his backpack wherever he went. Eventually, the egg hatched one night while he was in his room.

The process took slightly longer than expected since the environment wasn't a perfect Fire-type habitat, but it still cut the hatching time in half.

To ensure proper bonding, Alex quickly stored Raticate in its Poké Ball before the Growlithe hatched.

After a few seconds of radiant light, the egg transformed into a Growlithe. It was slightly larger than average, standing a few inches taller than Alex's Raticate, which was already within standard size.

As the glow faded, Alex was met with a pair of adorable puppy-dog eyes. He instinctively felt Growlithe's hunger, signaling that their bond had successfully formed.

"Hey there, Growlithe. Want something to eat?" Alex asked.

Growlithe nodded, which immediately struck Alex as odd. It was strangely calm and collected—not the hyperactive ball of energy the research papers had described.

Jenny had told him that when her Growlithe hatched, it had run wild, knocking things over and making a mess. His, on the other hand, was just sitting there patiently, waiting for food.

Alex pulled out some cooked Beedrill and Weedle meat he had prepared for Raticate, and Growlithe devoured it eagerly.

After finishing, it looked up at him again, silently asking for more.

Surprised, Alex gave it another serving. Then another. And another.

It wasn't until the fifth serving that Growlithe finally seemed satisfied.

This Growlithe ate five times more than Raticate, despite being the same size. It was like feeding an entire team of Raticates. Alex could already feel his wallet crying.

Then, just as suddenly as it had hatched and eaten, Growlithe lay down and fell asleep.

Alex blinked in shock.

'Why is my Growlithe already tired? It just hatched, ate, and went to sleep.'

Coming out of his daze, Alex immediately grabbed his Pokédex and scanned Growlithe. Something was definitely unusual.

Name: Growlithe, Novice

Type: Fire, Male

Ability: Justified

Moves: [Please demonstrate abilities while scanning]

Description: Growlithe, the Puppy Pokémon. Known for its fierce loyalty and protective nature, it will bark and bite at any intruder that threatens its territory. Its exceptional sense of smell allows it to remember scents for life, making it an excellent tracker. Though naturally friendly and playful, Growlithe is fearless in battle, using its powerful fire breath to ward off enemies. It thrives on companionship and training, growing stronger through discipline and care. When properly raised, it becomes a steadfast guardian, always ready to defend its pack.

Justified? He must have inherited it from Arcanine. The scan doesn't show any abnormalities. Do I have to bring him to the Pokécenter for a check-up? Alex wondered.

After thinking it over, he decided to swing by tomorrow before training to make sure nothing was wrong. Leaving it for now shouldn't cause any problems.

He could also ask Jenny in the morning, as she was most likely already asleep. With that in mind, Alex gave up for the day and decided to call it a night.

Taking out a spare Poké Ball, he pressed the button and lightly tapped Growlithe with it. After a few shakes and a click, he placed it on the shelf next to Raticate's. He then pressed the button again, releasing the sleeping Growlithe back onto the floor, none the wiser.

Next, he released Raticate, who glanced at the sleeping Growlithe, shrugged, and settled down for the night.

Alex lay in bed, tossing and turning over the matter until he too eventually drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Alex woke up to the feeling of hot breath on his face.

Opening his eyes, he saw Growlithe staring down at him as if asking for more food.

"Grau! (Food!)" Growlithe demanded.

"All right, I'll get you more food. Just get off me," Alex said lazily. It was still quite some time before breakfast, and he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Making his way to the kitchen as the little pup trotted alongside him, Alex ran into Jenny, who was preparing breakfast.

"Morning."

"You're up early," Jenny said without looking up from the stove.

"Guess who woke me up?"

Jenny looked over and immediately smiled.

"It hatched! Hello, Growlithe. I'm Jenny," she said enthusiastically.

"Grau," Growlithe replied with a polite nod.

"It's very relaxed. Did you just come back from exercising?" Jenny asked, worriedly.

"He was like this after he hatched. Do you know anything?"

"No, I…" Jenny started, then stopped as if she had just remembered something.

Alex waited patiently as she processed the memory.

"He might have gotten it from Espeon. She's very relaxed—almost unbothered by the world. That is, until you piss her off."

"That explains it, then. He got it from his mother. But does it explain why he eats five times what Raticate usually eats, despite being the same size?"

"That, he gets from his father. Arcanine eats five times more than normal Arcanines. He had five times more energy to burn off as a Growlithe as well. He caused quite a bit of trouble," Jenny said, reminiscing.

"Ouch. My wallet is going to take a hit when he evolves. Oh well, let's hope all that food he's sleeping off will make him five times stronger instead," Alex joked.

"Haha, good luck with that," Jenny said with a chuckle.

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