Pokemon: The Untamed Journey

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Pawmi lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily after being struck by Growlithe's Flame Wheel.

Scorched patches dotted its once-sleek orange fur, and despite its resilience, it could no longer stand.

Seeing this, Arven took the chance to call out, "That's enough!"

"…I lost."

Nemona exhaled, her fighting spirit dissipating for a moment. But before she could even process the emotions of her first defeat, she hurried over to scoop up Pawmi, her voice soft and gentle. "You did great."

Even though it was only a friendly match, Nemona knew that had they continued, the outcome would have been the same Pawmi wouldn't have been able to hold out.

Kai crouched down, ruffling Growlithe's fur with an approving smile. "Well done. You've earned a nice meal when we get home."

Then, he walked over to Nemona, his expression warm as he praised, "It's hard to believe that was your first Pokémon battle. Your commands were clear, and you didn't make any major mistakes."

Nemona's eyes widened. "Teacher…"

"But," Kai continued, shifting the tone slightly as he examined Pawmi's condition, "there are two urgent areas where you and Pawmi need improvement."

"First, Pawmi's Thunder Shock takes too long to charge, and it even closes its eyes during the process. That makes it far too easy to dodge."

"Second, Pawmi's physical strength is too low. That's why Growlithe could tank its attacks and counter so effectively."

"In the days before my class begins, you might want to focus on training in those two areas."

Hearing his analysis, Nemona fell deep into thought. 'He noticed all of that… just from a few exchanges?'

Kai chuckled. "No need to overthink it now. First, take Pawmi to the infirmary. You can plan your training afterwards."

Her teacher's words snapped her back to reality, and she looked down at Pawmi's injuries, feeling a pang of guilt.

Healing should always come first!

Nemona gave Kai a grateful nod, quickly bowed, and then turned to Arven. "See you later!"

Without waiting for a response, she dashed off toward the infirmary, holding Pawmi close.

Watching her leave, Arven mumbled, "She's like a storm…"

Kai, carrying Growlithe in his arms, smiled. "That's just how she is."

"…Kai—" Arven hesitated before quickly correcting himself, "I mean, Teacher."

Before he could react, Kai gave him a firm smack on the back, nearly making him stumble. "It's Teacher when we're in school!"

Ignoring Arven's resentful glare, Kai asked casually, "So, how did your talk with your parents go?"

"…It was… fine, I guess."

Despite his gruff response, a slight curve formed at the edge of Arven's lips.

After returning home, for the first time in years, Sada and Turo had spent the night in his room not for work, not for research, but just to talk.

They had shared their dreams with him, explaining why they had devoted themselves so fully to their studies.

They had also promised to make more of an effort to stay connected, even if their work kept them away for long periods.

Kai carefully observed Arven's face and nodded knowingly. Looks like things are changing for the better.

Arven, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny, quickly changed the subject. "By the way, is this Growlithe the one that hatched from the egg?"

"Yeah," Kai replied, rubbing Growlithe's head affectionately. "This little guy gave me quite a bit of trouble. It just hatched three days ago."

"…Three days?"

Arven twitched, 'Only three days, and it's already that strong?'

He glanced at Nemona in the distance. Good thing she doesn't know.

Tentatively, Arven reached out a hand toward Growlithe. When the Fire-type didn't show any aggression, he gently stroked its fluffy fur. The texture felt slightly different from what he expected.

"It's not like the Growlithe I'm used to…" he murmured.

Kai simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying anything. Instead, he casually added, "Oh yeah, let your parents know the egg hatched. That way, they won't waste any more time worrying about it."

Without thinking, Arven nodded. "Sure, I'll tell them when they call tonight."

Then he paused.

Wait.

He turned sharply, realizing too late that Kai had tricked him into revealing his parents had called recently.

Kai grinned mischievously and poked Arven's side. "So, you did patch things up. Why bother hiding it?"

Arven's face turned red as a tomato. Flustered, he yelled, "You tricked me!" before running off.

Kai chuckled, watching him flee. Kids are so easy to read.

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The next morning, Kai stood in front of the farm's crops, surveying the scene.

All of his Pokémon had gathered for the big day.

He set down five large baskets, took a deep breath, and declared, "Today marks the first harvest of our farm! From this moment on, our dream of running a fully functional farm becomes a reality!"

His Pokémon let out enthusiastic cries, their eyes shining with excitement.

Across the five test plots, various crops had ripened beautifully under the care of Serperior and Eldegoss's group.

Lush, deep green cucumbers, plump cabbages, glistening eggplants, ripe tomatoes, and fragrant strawberries filled the fields.

Kai approached the strawberry patch first. A sweet aroma filled the air. Plucking a ripe berry, he popped it into his mouth.

The taste was perfect a balance of sweetness and tanginess, with a hint of refreshing juice and a light aftertaste.

His eyes brightened, 'These are amazing!'

Without hesitation, he knelt down and began harvesting.

The other Pokémon followed his lead.

Serperior's vines carefully plucked cucumbers and placed them gently into the baskets.

Swampert and Dragonite worked together, lifting large cabbages still glistening with morning dew.

Excitement filled the air.

More than just the satisfaction of a job well done, the Pokémon were eager for the next step Kai had promised them a special feast made from the farm's bounty.

Working together, they finished the harvest in just over an hour.

Kai placed the last eggplant into a basket, then looked around at his Pokémon. Many of them were covered in bits of soil from the work.

Smiling, he clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone! Head over to Lake to clean up. I'll handle the cooking!"

The Pokémon cheered in response.

It was a day of hard work and well-earned rewards.

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