The luxury cruise ship sliced through the water, but for one passenger, the steady rhythm of the hull felt like the ticking of a doomsday clock.
"Hail... hail..."
Growlithe lay flat on the deck, his chin resting on his paws. His eyes were fixed on the thin, dark line of the horizon that was steadily growing wider and more detailed. That was Pastoria City. The land of swamps. The land of humidity. The land where his Fire-type dignity went to die.
He let out a long, pathetic whine. How did I let this happen? he thought, his ears drooping until they practically touched the wood. He replayed the scene from a few days ago in his head—Julian's smug face, the way he'd been baited into agreeing to be the "lead shooter." He had fallen for the oldest trick in the book: the "Are you scared?" trap.
Now, with every passing minute, it felt like the sentence was being carried out. Every centimeter the ship moved forward was one centimeter closer to a face-full of Water-type moves.
"Oh, come on now. You don't have to look like you're heading to the gallows," Julian said, leaning over and scratching the top of Growlithe's fluffy head. "You're the one who barked so loudly about how brave you were. I'm just holding you to your word."
"Woof-woof... (I don't like this at all...)" Growlithe blinked, his eyes becoming wide and watery. He looked up at Julian, tilting his head at the perfect angle to trigger the human's "must-cuddle" instinct. It was a tactical use of Charm, his last-ditch effort to escape the impending bath.
Julian didn't fall for it. Instead, he reached down and squeezed Growlithe's cheeks, mushing his face into a hilarious, wrinkly expression. "Nice try, but the puppy eyes won't work this time. You've got to face the music. Type disadvantages are just puzzles, and you're a very smart puzzle-solver."
He gave the pup's face one last squeeze. "Think about the others. Sylveon, Floette, even Togetic—they all had to fight through matchups that made them want to hide in their Poké Balls before they evolved. It's part of growing up."
Growlithe pulled his face away and gave Julian a skeptical, half-lidded look. (￢_￢) "Woof-woof! (Are you sure? Do you honestly think I can keep my fur from turning into a frizzy mess for three more days?)"
"Absolutely sure!" Julian replied, his voice brimming with a confidence that Growlithe found deeply irritating. "We've discussed this as a team. It's time for everyone to learn how to handle the heat—or in this case, the cold splash. And look at it this way: if you keep refusing to fight, I might have to spend all my time brushing Sylveon's ribbons instead of your fur. And I'm sure Sylveon wouldn't mind the extra attention."
Julian flashed a blindingly confident smile. (～￣▽￣)～
Growlithe's head snapped toward his teammates, who were gathered nearby, looking far too smug for his liking.
"Sylveon-voice! (Don't look at us like that,)" Sylveon chirped, wrapping a ribbon around her own tail. "Fly-fly... (Just like we all banded together to stage an intervention when Julian was getting too carried away with the petting, we've agreed that this is for your own good. You can't just skip Gyms because they have a swimming pool.)"
"Jia-gei! (That's right! We've all been through the ringer. It's character building!)" Togetic added with a cheerful flutter.
"Mishi-mishi! (Even I took a hit for the team at the Academy!)" Carbink chimed in, bouncing once. "Mishi! (It's not that bad!)"
"Floette-voice... (It's just a tiny bit of water. If you follow Julian's instructions, you'll be fine. He's already working on a plan,)" Floette murmured, finishing her nectar.
"Bu..." Growlithe started to object, but he was cut off by a loud, electronic chime.
"Attention passengers. This cruise ship will arrive at the Pastoria City docks in thirty minutes. Please gather your luggage and prepare to disembark. We hope you enjoyed your voyage and look forward to seeing you again."
The announcement repeated, echoing across the deck. Julian stood up, stretching his arms toward the sky. "Well, that's our cue. Everyone, back to the rooms. Let's get packed and ready to hit the swamp."
The five Pokémon responded with varying degrees of excitement. Floette and Togetic were already heading toward the door, while Carbink floated along behind them. Only Growlithe remained, letting out a final, mournful woof that sounded suspiciously like a sob.
Pastoria City wasn't just a city; it was an extension of the Great Marsh. Located in the humid southeastern corner of Sinnoh, the air here felt heavy, like a warm, wet blanket draped over your shoulders. The scent of damp earth and thick, wild grasses hung over everything.
The city was famous for its mascot, Croagunk, whose statues and likenesses were everywhere. It was a place for the rugged and the waterproof. Because the marsh kept the summer heat at bay, it was a paradise for Water-types, which naturally meant the Gym Leader here was a specialist in all things liquid.
As Julian stepped off the gangplank, he took a deep breath, relishing the change in climate. "Ah! Now this is more like it. The air actually feels alive here. Much better than the frozen silence of Snowpoint."
He immediately pulled out his camera, snapping photos of a passing Croagunk and the colorful crowds milling around the docks. "This place has so much character!"
"Woof-woof-woof! (I hate this place!)" Growlithe groaned. The moment he'd stepped off the ship, the humidity had hit his fur like a physical weight. He began scratching frantically at his hindquarters, trying to fluff up his coat, but the damp air just made it go limp.
"Hey, easy there," Julian said, noticing his partner's distress. "The ship had high-end climate control, so the transition to the 'real' world is a bit shocky. You'll adapt. Just be patient."
"Woof-woof! (I want to go into the ball! Put me back!)" Growlithe's tail was drooping so low it was practically sweeping the street.
"Not a chance," Julian said, picking the heavy puppy up and cradling him in his arms. "If you don't adjust now, you'll be a shivering mess when the battle starts. We need to find a hotel, make an appointment at the Gym, and stop by the Pokémon Center for a quick wellness check. You need to be in peak condition."
Growlithe squirmed in Julian's grip, his legs kicking out. "Woof-woof! (Can we skip to the Center? My fur feels itchy and gross!)"
"Fine, fine. Center first, then the hotel," Julian conceded, laughing at his partner's dramatics.
That night, the atmosphere in their hotel room was a bit more relaxed—mostly because Julian had produced a bowl of specially prepared grilled meat.
Growlithe was face-down in the bowl, tearing into the steak with a ferocity that suggested he was eating his feelings. His fur was a mess, and bits of a strange, blue-tinted jam were stuck to his muzzle.
"Woof-woof! (Actually, Julian, why didn't you give me this before? It's a bit bitter, but it's delicious!)"
Julian was sitting at the edge of the bed, chin in hand, watching the carnage. "I didn't give it to you because it was a nightmare to make. That's Passo Fruit jam. It's naturally bitter, and it's meant to help Fire-types regulate their internal temperature in humid environments. I had to mask the taste with about three different types of berries just to make it edible, but adding too much weakens the cooling effect. It's a delicate balance."
He watched Growlithe lick the bowl clean. "But I'm glad you like it. Does it help?"
"Woof-woof! (Yeah, I feel a bit more 'chill' inside. Keep working on the recipe though!)" Growlithe didn't even look up as he licked his paws.
"Everyone's a manager in this house," Julian sighed. "First Floette wants 'zingier' blocks, now you want gourmet jam. I'm a trainer, not a five-star chef! But fine, I'll keep tweaking it."
Julian stood up and walked toward the bathroom, where the sound of running water began to echo. "By the way, now that you've had your cooling snack and you're feeling 'adapted,' it's time for phase two of the acclimatization process. You've got Passo Fruit jam all over your face, so you're getting a bath. A real water bath."
Julian's eyes glinted with a hint of hidden satisfaction. This is definitely for his own good, he told himself. It's scientific training. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he stepped on my face in Snowpoint. Absolutely nothing.
Growlithe froze. The last bit of meat in his mouth was forgotten. He slowly turned his head toward the bathroom door, then toward Julian.
"Woof-woof... (You wouldn't.)"
"Oh, I would," Julian said, holding up a bottle of premium Pokémon shampoo. "Think of it as a pre-Gym warm-up!"
"WOOF-WOOF-WOOF! (NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)"
Growlithe's howl of protest rang through the hallways of the Pastoria Hotel, loud enough to make the guests two floors down wonder if a legendary Pokémon had just been sighted. The battle for the Wetland Gym hadn't even started yet, but Julian's first "victory" was already in sight.