The username read: Kneel and call me Mom if you lose.
The reply beneath it was short and direct: How did you end up in Forest City? Don't move. I'm coming to find you.
Nova stared at his screen.
He knew that username. He knew it very well. And the moment he read it, he felt something between amusement and mild panic settle in his chest.
Thelma, he thought, what are you doing on this forum right now?
There were no Grass-type Pokémon anywhere in Granny Jenny's kennel. That had nothing to do with anything. The point was that Thelma was apparently planning to come to Forest City, and that was an entirely different problem.
The replies cascading in below her comment were somehow worse.
The young lady still hasn't let the schemer off the hook. Brothers, get your popcorn.
Airship tickets to Forest City — grab them now before prices go up. You don't want to miss this.
Why are all the trainers from Goldenlight City suddenly going strange at the same time?
You clearly don't know the history. That username is Thelma Tucker — daughter of Grass-type Gym Leader Charlie Tucker. She and the schemer have been going at it for months.
Quick question — her win rate is reportedly 89.7%. Do people actually kneel and call her Mom when they lose?
Nova put his phone down for a moment and looked at the ceiling.
He picked it up again and scrolled further, hoping to find something sensible. He did, eventually.
Would someone with Thelma's battle record actually be interested in a breeding kennel? Does that mean there really is a Champion-tier Pokémon in there?
Go see for yourself. The talent on those pups is real. Someone's going to find a serious partner there.
That was enough. Nova closed the thread, went to his contacts, and called Thelma directly.
She picked up on the second ring.
"What do you want?"
"Are you actually coming to Forest City?"
"What if I am? Scared?"
"No," he said. "I'm trying to work out the timing. If you're already on your way, I can wait a few days."
A brief pause. "Which kennel has the Grass-types?"
"It's a breeding kennel. There are no Grass-type Pokémon. That's not how kennels work."
"Fine. How many Pokémon do you have now?"
Nova hesitated slightly. "Two. The Egg that Mr. Charlie gave me hasn't hatched yet."
"Two." She sounded unimpressed. "That's not enough for a proper six-on-six. Why haven't you caught more?"
He didn't answer that directly. The honest reason was that maintaining two Pokémon with appetites the size of Nidoking and Corviknight already stretched his budget more than he liked to admit. The League bounty from the desert was still being processed. And beyond the money, Nova's standards for his team were strict — he wasn't going to add a partner just to fill a slot. If a Pokémon couldn't keep up, forcing the partnership would be unfair to both of them.
He changed the subject. "So are you coming or not?"
"No," Thelma said flatly. "I'm not flying all the way to Forest City for a two-on-two. The ticket isn't worth it."
"Fair enough. I'll get stronger as fast as I can. Next time we meet, I'll make sure it's worth your time."
"See that you do."
She hung up.
Thelma set her phone on the desk and let out a slow breath.
The truth was, she had genuinely considered going. More than considered it.
But she had thought it through, and the conclusion made her hesitate. If she went now and beat him again — which was likely — then what came next? She'd need a new reason to chase him down. And if she was being completely honest with herself, she was a little afraid of something else too. There was a version of events where she finally won so decisively that she stopped feeling the need to keep pushing. And she didn't want that to happen. Not yet.
She left the ticket booking page open and didn't close it. She just didn't confirm the purchase.
Three days later, trainers from across the region began arriving at Jenny Family Kennels.
They came steadily, some from nearby towns and some who had booked airship tickets as soon as the thread went live. Each one was hoping to find a partner among Granny Jenny's final litter. Most left satisfied — the kennel's reputation had been earned honestly, and whether someone was a hobbyist looking for a companion or a serious competitive trainer hunting for an edge, there was something worth taking home.
The Hisuian Growlithe, as far as any of the visitors could tell, had never existed. Nobody found it. Nobody saw it. A few people asked directly and were met with polite shrugs.
The instigator of everything was already gone.
Nova had left Forest City two days earlier, flying home on Corviknight with the Hisuian Growlithe tucked against his chest.
It was not being cooperative about this arrangement.
Despite being ten levels old and barely the size of Nova's forearm, the pup squirmed constantly — twisting left, lurching right, making determined attempts to launch itself off Corviknight's back despite being several hundred metres above the ground. Nova kept a firm grip and tried not to think about what would happen if he didn't.
Groowl! it barked, wriggling again.
He looked down at it and pulled up its details on his system.
Species: Growlithe — Hisuian Form
Level: 10
Ability: Intimidate
Hidden Ability: Rock Head
Traits:
Unstoppable — Extremely lively with enormous stamina; provides a significant boost to HP and minor boosts to Speed and evasion.
Natural Leader — When other Pokémon are present in the party, automatically assumes a leading role; HP increases. If sent out first in battle, survives a single otherwise-fatal hit with 1 HP remaining.
Granite Body — Rocky outer coat is exceptionally hard; Defense rises sharply, and Rock-type contact moves deal increased damage.
Volcanic Core — Rich internal Fire-type energy; Fire-type moves deal increased damage, and incoming damage from Grass, Water, and Ice is slightly reduced.
Moves: Rock Head Headbutt (inherited), Double-Edge (inherited), Ember, Bite, Glare, Howl
Training Notes:
Prioritise level progression. Monitor diet carefully — increase Fire- and Rock-type energy intake through volcanic minerals, Pecha Berries, and hard ore. Develop physical attack movepool. Evolve using a Fire Stone when ready.
In the end, the choice hadn't been difficult.
Nova had assessed every purple-tier Pokémon in the kennel carefully, and this one stood above the rest. But it wasn't just the numbers that decided it. From the moment the pup had barrelled into him on the first day, there had been something about it — a kind of energy, a stubbornness that felt familiar and oddly fitting.
After seeing its full profile, he had no doubts at all.
The Hidden Ability Rock Head paired with the inherited Double-Edge Headbutt was a powerful combination on its own — Rock Head eliminated all recoil damage, which turned Double-Edge from a risky move into a reliable one. Add four strong traits on top of that, and the picture became clear: Natural Leader providing a safety net in battle, Granite Body shoring up both offense and defence, Unstoppable boosting raw durability, and Volcanic Core granting resistance to three common types while powering up Fire-type attacks.
His current team had a gap that this Pokémon filled precisely. Nidoking leaned toward Special Attack and covered ranged offense, with Earthquake as its main physical option. Corviknight was built for endurance — a defensive wall, not an attacker. What the team was missing was a dedicated physical attacker, something that could hit hard, hit fast, and keep coming.
A Hisuian Arcanine trained properly would carry Flare Blitz and a recoil-free Double-Edge Headbutt. Anything that got in its way would feel it. After evolution, it would also gain access to Extreme Speed — one of the fastest priority moves in existence, and a form of travel that had its own practical value on the road.
This one addition would change the shape of his entire team.
Nova looked down at the squirming pup again.
Growl! GRROWL!
"Stop moving," he said.
It attempted to headbutt his wrist.
He held on tighter and thought about the two Eggs still waiting to hatch back at the inn. Both were gold-tier. He had no idea what was inside them yet.
If a purple-tier Pokémon was already this promising, he wasn't sure he was ready to find out what gold looked like.