After Jenny left, Lucas worried about the investigation's progress.
With so few clues, and the culprit seemingly very familiar with humans and able to evade even Officer Jenny, Lucas wasn't optimistic about a speedy resolution.
He decided it was time for his cheat system to help and asked in his mind, "Any clues?"
[...]
[Hint: Perhaps in four nights, that little black shadow will visit your farm again.]
"Riddles?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow, but didn't press for details.
From the hint, he deduced a few things:
First, the culprit was lying low. Without a breakthrough, finding it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Second, if the system said it would show up again in four days, then as long as he increased security and didn't alert the culprit, he could just wait for it to take the bait.
No need to rush—just be patient and catch it red-handed.
Lucas had no idea why a Poison-type Pokémon would target his farm, aside from the Stunky that once attacked the Eldegoss.
Why would it poison his crops?
It puzzled him.
…
The next morning, Lucas was woken by something wet.
He opened his eyes to find an excited Growlithe licking his face.
Lucas didn't blame it—Growlithe had been looking forward to today for a long time.
Once Growlithe passed its test, Lucas would let it evolve—Moltres would take them to a volcano, where Growlithe would evolve using magma energy instead of a Fire Stone, becoming the legendary Pokémon that runs across the land.
Yawning, Lucas scooped up Growlithe, ruffled its head, and smiled. "Looks like you're ready. Let's get going."
"Woof woof!"
Growlithe's tail wagged even harder.
After washing up and having breakfast, Lucas recalled Growlithe, hopped on Dragonite, and, watched by all the Pokémon, flew out of the farm.
"Hisss?" (Worried?)
Serperior glanced at Moltres and asked.
Moltres shook its head. "Caw." (I've taught it everything I can. The rest is up to it.)
…
Meanwhile, Lucas rode Dragonite high above, wind roaring in his ears. He patted Dragonite and asked, "Are you sure the Pokémon you found near the Tera Crystal yesterday is a good match for Growlithe?"
"Drago~"
Dragonite didn't even look back—totally confident.
It had observed for a while. That Pokémon was about as strong as Growlithe, though its type gave it a slight advantage.
Lucas: "…"
Now he was worried if Growlithe could actually win.
Dragonite flew quickly. Soon a deserted beach appeared below, with a sparkling Tera Crystal in the center.
Since this was wild country, the Tera Crystal had been left alone, which gave Lucas the chance for Growlithe to have a real battle.
His eyes narrowed as he spotted the opponent: a Pokémon with a massive right pincer, blue shell, and long yellow antennae—Clawitzer, a pure Water-type.
Clawitzer's body gleamed with crystalline light—it was Terastallized, with a water-shaped crown.
Lucas chuckled, "You really found Growlithe a tough opponent."
All Clawitzer have the Mega Launcher ability—like Mega Blastoise, boosting pulse and aura moves by 50%, like Dragon Pulse, Water Pulse, Dark Pulse, or Aura Sphere—a very offense-oriented ability.
With its Water Tera Type, its power would be off the charts.
"Drago~?"
Dragonite hovered innocently. Growlithe always hung out with Moltres—shouldn't it face a real challenge?
"You troublemaker, I'll settle with you later."
Lucas tapped Dragonite's head, directing it to land.
Before Dragonite landed, Clawitzer spotted them. Water surged in its huge claw—a torrent more like a flood than a Water Pulse shot out.
"Drago~" (How rude…)
Dragonite dodged easily, landed Lucas, and, ignoring Clawitzer's warning, pinned it with glowing green Dragon Claws, rendering it immobile.
Clawitzer had ruled this beach for a long time, attacking anyone who entered its territory. But this time it had picked the wrong fight.
Pinned effortlessly, it struggled in vain, despairing.
"Cool~"
Lucas whistled, impressed by Dragonite's display.
But he didn't forget the real task. He released Growlithe and smiled. "Growlithe, here's your opponent. Ready?"
Growlithe wiggled its rear, tail wagging, curious about its surroundings.
Then it spotted Clawitzer, still pinned by Dragonite.
Growlithe became even braver—after all, it used to dominate Dragonite in play. Dealing with a Clawitzer pinned by Dragonite should be easy, right?
"Woof woof!" (Dragonite, let it go! Let me handle it!)
Growlithe barked excitedly, eager to roast Clawitzer's blue shell red.
Seeing Growlithe impatient for a challenge, Dragonite released Clawitzer and stepped back to watch.