Panting with fear, the young girl ran as fast as she could down the sidewalk. Behind her in hot pursuit was an angry Growlithe. The girl had been on her way home from school when the dog Pokémon had appeared from out of nowhere and decided to chase her. As the terrified girl rounded a corner, she bumped into a dark-haired boy a few years older than her.
"Save me! The Growlithe's after me!" the girl cried as she scrambled to her feet.
As the dog Pokémon rounded the corner, growling, the teenage boy pushed the auburn-haired girl behind him.
"Hello, Growlithe. You're a nice Pokémon, aren't you?" the boy said calmly.
To the girl's amazement, the Growlithe stopped snarling and began to wag its tail. She was even more surprised when the dog-type Pokémon approached the boy and licked his hand. The boy knelt down and patted the Pokémon's head.
"Okay, that's better. Now you run along home and leave her alone, okay?"
As the Growlithe turned around and sauntered back to its house, the girl stared at her rescuer in open-mouthed astonishment.
"How did you do that?"
"You have to remember that dog-type Pokémon like Growlithes will chase anything that's running because they're hunters by instinct. The best approach is to act calm and show them that you're willing to be their friend."
"Wow. You must know a lot about Pokémon."
"Actually, I'm planning to study Pokémon when I start college next fall." The boy extended his hand. "My name's Spencer, by the way."
She shook her new friend's hand. "My name's Delia. I want to thank you for saving me."
"No trouble. Just remember what I told you about dog-type Pokémon, and I don't think that Growlithe will bother you again."
"I will. Thanks." She waved as Spencer disappeared around the corner.