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Sato had always woken up at 7 a.m. sharp, a habit formed long ago. But today, even though it wasn't yet 7, he was awakened by the noise outside. Instead of feeling annoyed, he was filled with unexpected joy.
Hearing the familiar barking outside, Sato, who had been thinking about Growlithe all night, reacted instantly. Before Zubat on the roof of the treehouse could alert him, Sato had already opened his eyes and quickly opened the door to look down from the tree.
Sure enough, the familiar figure of little Growlithe stood below. Upon seeing Sato, the barking grew even louder, with his front paws resting on the tree trunk as he looked up at him with excitement.
"How did you come here alone? Where's your father? You're not hurt, are you?" Sato immediately climbed down from the tree and asked with concern as the little Growlithe leaped into his arms.
Zubat had already informed Sato that he hadn't detected Growlithe's father nearby, meaning the little Growlithe had come to find him all on its own.
Growlithe was only level 10, and though it was a Fire-type Pokémon, it was still quite dangerous for it to travel from the small grove to Sato's location alone. One wrong encounter with a strong Pokémon could have spelled disaster for it.
Luckily, Growlithe had not encountered any real danger, and there were no serious injuries on its body—just a few scrapes and bruises. With a bit of ointment and the naturally strong resilience of Pokémon, it would recover in no time.
Growlithe's expression dimmed slightly when he heard Sato's words, but he quickly perked up again. He grabbed one of the PokéBalls from Sato's belt with his mouth, then backed away, placing the ball on the ground. He nudged the PokeBall with his head, rolling it back toward Sato's feet.
"You want to come with me, is that it, Growlithe?" Sato asked, his face lighting up with joy at Growlithe's actions.
"Woof woof woof~" Growlithe nodded eagerly, then sat down with his rear on the ground, gazing at Sato with a look full of anticipation.
Growlithe was indeed intrigued by the world outside, as Sato had described, but he was also reluctant to leave his family. Torn between staying with its loved ones and exploring the world, Growlithe had chosen to remain with its family.
However, what Growlithe hadn't expected was that his father had found out about his decision, he became furious, eventually driving Growlithe out of the grove and forbidding him from returning home. Heartbroken and lost, Growlithe thought of Sato, who had always treated him kindly, and decided to seek him out.
At first, Growlithe was very scared, as he had never ventured beyond the grove before. But to his surprise, the journey was smooth, as he followed Sato's scent, without encountering any major dangers.
"Well, since that's your choice, I respect your decision. I'm really happy to have you join me, Growlithe. So, welcome aboard!" Hearing Growlithe's confirmation, Sato smiled warmly, bending down to pick up the Great Ball at his feet. He then lightly tapped it against Growlithe, who had come close.
The Great Ball in Sato's hand opened upon contact, turning Growlithe into a beam of red light before absorbing him inside. The button in the center of the ball flashed red a few times before dimming.
"I've actually captured a Growlithe!" Sato exclaimed, unable to resist a surge of playful excitement. He struck a dramatic pose with the Great Ball raised high in the air, embracing his inner child.
Of course, after indulging in his moment of childish delight, Sato quickly returned to his usual calm and rational self. He pressed the button on the ball, releasing Growlithe back out.
At the same time, Sato released all his other Pokémon to inform them that Growlithe had officially become part of their team.
Zubat, Nidoran, and Gloom were already somewhat familiar with Growlithe. They had interacted well before, so now that Growlithe had officially become part of their team, their bond deepened even further. Each of the three Pokémon warmly welcomed Growlithe into the group.
While Sato and the others were happily celebrating the addition of Growlithe as a new companion, about 400 to 500 meters away, the male Growlithe came to a stop. He turned his head slightly, looking in the direction of Sato's dwelling, and then let out a loud howl.
Hearing the howl, the younger Growlithe's ears twitched, and a determined look flashed across his face. He, too, turned toward the direction of his father and responded with a strong, youthful howl of his own.
"Hang in there, Growlithe. It seems your father is watching over you. I'm sure you'll meet again someday. When that time comes, show him how strong you've become. I'll help you surpass him and become a powerful Fire-type Pokémon," Sato said, gently patting Growlithe's head as he smiled.
It was clear that Growlithe's safe journey to Sato had not been without the help of his father. The male Growlithe's earlier howl was likely a farewell to his child.
As a Fire-type Pokémon, Growlithe naturally had his own pride. His desire for strength was just as fierce. Hearing Sato's words only intensified his fighting spirit, and his howl grew even louder.
On the other side, after hearing Growlithe's determined response, the male Growlithe's eyes softened, and its worry faded. Without looking back, he continued walking toward the small grove that was his territory.
After a short while, Growlithe stopped howling, and Sato began his morning routine of washing up and preparing breakfast for both himself and his Pokémon.
With Growlithe joining the team, Sato prepared an especially hearty breakfast that morning. For Growlithe, in particular, he roasted another delicious venison leg as a welcome gift.
Unlike usual, after breakfast, Sato decided not to proceed with his regular morning training. Instead, he pulled out a map that would guide them out of Viridian Forest and began following the route toward Viridian City.
According to the map, Sato's current location was on the western side of Viridian Forest's unsafe zone, about 10 kilometers away from Viridian City in the south.
However, the route on the map wasn't completely safe either. It passed through the territories of several strong wild Pokémon groups, and along the way, Sato and his team were attacked several times by wild Pokémon at level 30 or above.
Fortunately, after a week of intense training in the wild, Sato had greatly improved his skills. With Zubat and Gloom, both of whom were now level 24 or higher, protecting him, they managed to escape from any dangerous situations, even if they couldn't win every battle. Each encounter was a close call, but they made it through safely.
Finally, after over eight hours of winding through the forest, Sato and his team, guided by the map, successfully entered the safe zone of Viridian Forest.
After another two hours of travel, the outline of Viridian City appeared on the horizon.
"At last, we're back in human civilization. This week of survival training felt like it lasted forever. Viridian City, here I come," Sato thought to himself, a smile finally spreading across his face as he gazed at the human structures ahead.