Chapter 39: Turning Up the Heat
"Use Flamethrower!"
"You use Flamethrower, too!" It was an exciting time for Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon. The Red Sands Desert was now only a short distance away, which meant Ash was that much closer to his first Area Boss battle. This, of course, meant Ash and his Pokémon would need to train harder than ever, which is what Nikki and her Vulpix were helping him and his Growlithe do. The two Fire types launched their Flamethrower attacks at each other, the two attacks proving to be equal in strength.
"Not bad, Nikki. Vulpix's Flamethrower is real impressive," Ash complimented.
"Thanks. I could say the same thing about Growlithe's," Nikki returned. The two battling Pokémon were just as impressed with each others' performance.
"(Your Flamethrower's gotten a lot stronger, Vulpix,)" Growlithe praised.
"(So has yours. The heat I felt off it was incredible,)" Vulpix responded.
"Okay, let's get back to it! Energy Ball!" The Grass type attack was quickly charged and ready to fire, but Ash had a counter strategy in mind.
"Confuse her with Double Team!" he called. Before Vulpix could fire she found herself surrounded by Growlithe. Ash thought he had found a way to confuse her, but the smirk on Nikki's face quickly made him second-guess that assumption.
"You know what to do, Vulpix," Nikki said.
"(Indeed I do,)" the Fox Pokémon agreed. She closed her eyes, making Ash and Growlithe worry about what was coming next.
"Don't tell me she's doing it again," Ash hoped. His hopes, unfortunately, went unanswered, for moments later Vulpix let loose her Energy Ball. The only thing that saved it from being a direct hit was Growlithe's agility. Ash sighed as Double Team once again failed to work against Vulpix.
"How in the world does she do that?" he wondered.
"How about we call the battle now," Nikki suggested. Ash agreed only so he could pick Nikki's brain and discover the secret behind Vulpix's ability to see through Growlithe's Double Team.
"How does she do it?" he asked. "No matter how many times I try I can't seem to get Vulpix to fall for Growlithe's Double Team. What's her secret?" Vulpix looked up at Nikki.
"(Should I tell them?)" she asked.
"Go ahead," Nikki replied. With a smile Vulpix walked up to Growlithe and tapped him on the nose.
"(I can smell you,)" she stated. The looks on Ash and Growlithe's faces could be described in one word… dumbfounded.
"You can… smell him," Ash repeated, not sure if he heard her right. "That's how you knew which one was the real Growlithe? You smelled him out?"
"(That's right. I just followed my nose,)" Vulpix stated. Ash just shook his head at her reply.
"Unbelievable. To think the trick to seeing through Growlithe's Double Team was so simple," he sighed.
"(Too bad there's no way to mask his scent in the middle of a battle,)" Pikachu stated.
"Tell me about it," Ash agreed.
"So, should we take a break from training? We've been going for a while now and I think the Pokémon all deserve a rest," Nikki suggested. Ash agreed with her and informed the Pokémon they had the rest of the day off. As the Pokémon left to enjoy the rest of the day Growlithe and Vulpix were off discussing the Fox Pokémon's unique battle strategy.
"(So you used your nose to find the real me through all those copies,)" he started.
"(Yeah. Glad to see it worked,)" Vulpix commented.
"(Just how did you come up with that anyway?)" the Puppy Pokémon wondered. Vulpix smirked. This was the perfect opportunity for one of her stories, and she wasn't going to pass it up.
"(I came up with the idea when I had to take on a Grimer one day,)" she started. "(We were battling in a real dark cave, but as you may know Vulpix are known for having great eyesight. Unfortunately for me that Grimer knew that too, because the first thing he did was spit some Sludge in my eyes and blind me.)"
"(That had to be annoying,)" Growlithe commented. By now some of the other Pokémon had gathered around to hear Vulpix's tale.
"(It was, but was still able to track him with my ears. I figured that as long as I could hear where he was I could still fight back, but then he used Screech. Normally that would be painful to the ears, but since we were in a cave it was made that much worse. When he was done I was completely deaf,)" Vulpix continued.
"(So wait… you couldn't see or hear? How did you end up winning?)" Growlithe asked.
"(Well, as you can imagine I was thinking 'That's it! I'm done for! I can't see, I can't hear, there's no way I can win this!',)" Vulpix said. "(But then, I realized something.)"
"(What was that?)" Growlithe inquired. Before replying she tapped her nose.
"(I could still smell him,)" she answered. "(Even with my sight and hearing gone my nose still let me know exactly where he was.)"
"(I bet. Grimer have a real pungent odor. It's real hard to miss,)" Pikachu stated.
"(And that pungent odor was just what helped me keep track of him,)" Vulpix said. "(Eventually I was able to defeat him and find my way out of that cave.)"
"(How did you do that?)" Buneary wondered.
"(I used my nose to try and smell my way out. I was able to sniff out the fresh air that would lead me to the mouth of the cave, but even my nose couldn't help me avoid all the rocks I tripped over getting there,)" Vulpix explained. "(I can't even begin to count how many times I caught my foot on a rock and fell.)"
"(But the fact you're here means you eventually got out,)" Growlithe said.
"(That's right. By then my hearing had come back, but I still couldn't see, so using my ears and my nose I found a nearby stream where I could wash the sludge out of my eyes. After that I made it a priority to train myself to be able to battle under various conditions, including ones where I couldn't see,)" Vulpix continued.
"(And that's how you were able to see through my Double Team so easily,)" Growlithe assumed.
"(You got it,)" Vulpix confirmed.
"(Hey, Pikachu, do you think her story was true or made up?)" Buneary whispered.
"(Hard to say, but it would explain how she got the idea to use her nose to help her combat evasion moves like Double Team,)" Pikachu responded. While the two of them wondered how much of Vulpix's story was true the Fox Pokémon was still engaged in a conversation with Growlithe.
"(You know, you're an amazing Pokémon,)" Growlithe praised.
"(Oh stop it. You're going to make me blush,)" Vulpix cooed.
"(I mean it. I've never met a Pokémon that could compare to you,)" Growlithe continued. "(You've got great battle sense… not to mention you're beautiful as well.)" If Vulpix wasn't blushing before what Growlithe just said certainly made her start.
"(Do you… really mean that?)" she wondered.
"(Every word,)" Growlithe confirmed. Vulpix's blush grew deeper with each second that passed, her feelings for Growlithe growing right along with it.
"(Remember when we first met… and I tried to tell you something, but couldn't… and you said you'd wait as long as it took for me to say it?)" Growlithe inquired.
"(Yeah,)" Vulpix answered.
"(Well… I think… no, I know I'm ready to tell you now,)" Growlithe announced. Vulpix held her breath as she waited for Growlithe to say the words he couldn't the time before.
"(Vulpix… I…)" Before he could begin he spotted something strange in the bushes behind Vulpix.
"(Growlithe? Is something wrong?)" Vulpix wondered after he suddenly stopped talking.
"(What's that behind you?)" Growlithe said. At first Vulpix thought he may have been stalling, but once she turned around she saw the same thing he did. There was a strange glow coming from the bushes behind her, and just like Growlithe she too wondered what was causing it.
"(Come on. Let's see what that is.)" Vulpix nodded and followed the Puppy Pokémon towards the bushes. Out of the corner of her eye Nikki noticed Vulpix and Growlithe heading towards the bushes.
"Where are they going?" she wondered. By then the two Fire types had reached the bushes and looked behind them.
"(What's that?)" Vulpix asked. On the ground were two glowing stones. They appeared to be orange in color and had a flame in the center.
"(What do you suppose they are?)" Vulpix repeated.
"(I don't know,)" Growlithe asked. He reached out with a paw to touch the mysterious stone when…
"Growlithe, don't!" Ash's sudden warning made Growlithe immediately withdraw his paw. Shortly after that he, Nikki, Pikachu and Buneary all appeared next to them.
"Whew. Good thing we stopped you in time," Ash sighed.
"(Are those things… dangerous?)" Growlithe inquired as he turned his attention back to the stone.
"Not dangerous, but they can alter your life," Nikki answered.
"(What are they?)" Vulpix asked.
"Fire Stones," Ash told her.
"(What do they do?)" the Fox Pokémon inquired.
"When used on certain Pokémon, like you or Growlithe, they can make you evolve," Nikki explained.
"(Evolve?)" Growlithe questioned.
"Yeah," Nikki confirmed. "You'd evolve into an Arcanine and Vulpix would evolve into a Ninetails." The two Fire types looked at each other and then back at their trainers.
"Here. Look at these," Nikki said. She and Ash both took out their Pokécomms and showed Growlithe and Vulpix their evolved forms.
Name: Arcanine
Species: The Legendary Pokémon
Pokécomm Entry: The sight of it running over 6,200 miles in a single day and night has captivated many people.
Name: Ninetails
Species: The Fox Pokémon
Pokécomm Entry: Each of its nine tails is imbued with supernatural power, and it can live for a thousand years.
"That's what each of you will evolve into," Nikki said. The two small Fire types were left in awe by what Ash and Nikki had just showed them.
"(Amazing,)" Growlithe replied. Vulpix nodded in agreement, unable to find her voice at the moment.
"They are powerful Pokémon, but once you evolve there's no going back," Ash explained. "It's a big step and we wanted to make sure you two were absolutely sure you wanted to evolve." Now the two of them understood why Ash had warned them against touching the Fire Stones.
"(Well, with what you just said, I think Vulpix would agree with me saying we'll need some time to think,)" Growlithe stated.
"(Yeah. This isn't something we can just decide to do on a whim,)" Vulpix agreed.
"We understand," Nikki told them. She and Ash then each took one of the Fire Stones and put them in their backpacks.
"Just let us know when you two are ready and we'll let you have the Fire Stones," Ash said. The two Fire types nodded as Ash and Nikki left them alone. Though they had the rest of the day to enjoy themselves they couldn't get their minds off the Fire Stones, and the possibility of evolving into something stronger than they already were.
Once nighttime arrived Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon turned in. Because there wasn't a Pokémon Center nearby they had to make do sleeping out under the stars. However sleep did not come easily for two certain Pokémon. With thoughts of evolving still swirling around in their heads Growlithe and Vulpix took a walk through the forest to try and come to a decision.
"(So, what do you think? Our evolved forms looked amazing,)" Vulpix commented.
"(Yeah, they did,)" Growlithe agreed. "(Just seeing them made me want to evolve right then and there, but…)"
"(Let me guess… going through such a big change is a bit frightening, right?)" Vulpix assumed. Growlithe nodded.
"(I want to evolve, I really do… but I'm a little afraid that my appearance won't be the only thing changing. What if… What if I become a different Pokémon all together, both in appearance and personality? I don't want to change who I am,)" the Puppy Pokémon said.
"(I know what you mean,)" Vulpix agreed. "(If it changes who I am then I'm not sure if I want to evolve either, not matter how strong I may become.)" The two Pokémon came to a stop in a clearing and looked up towards the star-lite sky.
"(So what do we do?)" Vulpix asked.
"(I say we ask Ash and Nikki about it tomorrow and then decide,)" Growlithe answered. Vulpix nodded in agreement with him. With that decided they were about to head back when a yawn escaped Vulpix's mouth.
"(You tired?)" Growlithe wondered.
"(Just a little,)" Vulpix replied. "(I'm… just going to take… a… quick… nap…)" Before Growlithe could say anything Vulpix had drifted off to sleep, resting her head against him. Growlithe knew they had to get back to Ash and Nikki, but Vulpix looked so peaceful he found it difficult to want to wake her.
"(I guess it wouldn't hurt to rest here a bit before heading back.)" With that he too closed his eyes, deciding on a quick nap before heading back.
The normally peaceful morning was interrupted by the sound of furious scurrying. Despite only wanting to take a short nap Growlithe and Vulpix accidentally slept through the entire night and were now hurrying back to the camp where they were sure Ash and Nikki were wondering where they went.
"(I can't believe we did that!)" Growlithe barked. "(It was only supposed to be a short nap!)"
"(We're both guilty on this one!)" Vulpix replied. "(For now let's focus on getting back to camp! We'll worry about the explanation later!)" They picked up the pace, hoping they hadn't caused Ash and Nikki to worry about them too much. Within minutes the campsite came into view.
"(Yes! We made…)" Growlithe's celebration was cut short once he saw the situation in front of him.
"(What's wrong, Growlithe?)" Vulpix asked once she saw him stop. He said nothing and just motioned in front of him. When Vulpix looked she gasped.
"(Oh no…)" On one side of the campsite stood Ash and Nikki, and on the other side was Team Rocket. Behind the trio were Pikachu and Buneary, each locked in a separate cage, along with a sack that more than likely contained Ash and Nikki's Poké Balls. The situation was made even worse by the fact that Arbok and Weezing were keeping Ash and Nikki at ay, stopping them from retrieving their Poké Balls.
"(Oh no! How did this happen?!)" Vulpix gasped.
"(We'll find out later. Right now we have to help our trainers,)" Growlithe said. Vulpix nodded in agreement as the two Fire types waited for the right time to jump into the fray.
"Give us back our Pokémon!" Ash demanded, though in the back of his mind he had a feeling his demands would go unanswered.
"Not a chance, twerp! They're ours now!" Jessie declared. Behind her Pikachu and Buneary banged on the bars to their cages.
"Just give it up. There's no way you're breaking free of those cages," Meowth stated.
"And since we have all the twerps' other Pokémon in the bag there's no back-up for them to call on," Jessie added. "Face it! We hold all the cards here!" It appeared as though Team Rocket was right, but at that moment Growlithe and Vulpix burst onto the scene to try and even the odds.
"G-Growlithe! Vulpix! Where did you two come from?!" Nikki gasped.
"(We'll tell you later. Right now we have to take care of these clowns,)" Growlithe stated. Jessie, James and Meowth simply laughed at the declaration.
"You can't be serious! Our Pokémon are too strong for you lightweights!" Meowth spat. Weezing moaned and Arbok let out a menacing hiss. Despite facing opponents that were clearly much stronger than they were neither Pokémon showed any fear.
"Arbok, Poison Sting!" Jessie ordered. With a loud hiss Arbok opened his mouth and spat out hundreds of poisonous needles.
"Dodge it!" Ash and Nikki shouted. Growlithe and Vulpix did as instructed and quickly move out of the way of the attack.
"Now use Flamethrower!" they instructed.
"Use Smokescreen!" James countered. Moments before Growlithe and Vulpix fired their Flamethrowers Weezing blanketed the area around himself and Arbok with Smokescreen. When the two Fire attacks penetrated the smoke cloud no one knew whether they hit their targets or not.
"Poison Sting!"
"Sludge Bomb!" They got their answer when the two attacks flew out of the smoke cloud. Vulpix was showered by Arbok's Poison Sting while Growlithe was blasted back by the explosion from Weezing's Sludge Bomb.
"We've got to clear that Smokescreen," Nikki said.
"I'm on it. Growlithe, use Flame Wheel to get rid of that smoke!" The Puppy Pokémon cloaked his body in flames and swirled through the Smokescreen, revealing Team Rocket's Pokémon.
"Now switch to Flamethrower!" Ash instructed. Growlithe quickly stopped his Flame Wheel and spat a Flamethrower.
"Use Sludge Bomb to block that!" James ordered. Before the Fire attack could hit it was successfully blocked by Weezing's Sludge Bomb.
"Iron Tail, Vulpix!" Nikki called. The Fox Pokémon charged in and swung her Steel-charged six tails at Weezing. Unfortunately the Poison Gas Pokémon lazily floated up and out of Vulpix's reach.
"(Drat!)" Vulpix groaned.
"Look out!" Vulpix was so focused on Weezing she failed to notice Arbok rapidly approaching her. By the time Nikki warned her the Cobra Pokémon was literally on top of her.
"(Now you're mine!)" Arbok hissed. Vulpix was frozen in fear, meaning she couldn't defend herself. With that in mind Growlithe took it upon himself to defend her. He quickly jumped between Vulpix and Arbok.
"Use Roar!" Ash shouted. Growlithe let out the most intimidating bark he could muster, but in the face of Arbok it sounded like nothing more than a yelp. Jessie laughed at the attempt.
"You think that can intimidate Arbok!? Show them what real intimidation looks like!" she said. Arbok looked down at the two small Pokémon before him and hissed loudly. Both Fire types flinched, succumbing to Arbok's intimidation tactic.
"Now swat them away," Jessie ordered. With a swipe of his tail Arbok sent Growlithe and Vulpix rolling across the ground. The two Fire types were left dazed, leaving them wide-open for a follow up attack.
"Now immobilize them!" Jessie ordered. Arbok and Weezing burst forth from the Smokescreen and targeted the two downed Fire types. Weezing brought his entire body weight down onto Growlithe while Arbok coiled himself around Vulpix.
"No!" Nikki cried.
"Try to break free!" Ash urged. The two smaller Pokémon tried to break free, but the larger and stronger Team Rocket Pokémon would have none of it.
"I think it's time to put an end to their resistance," Jessie said.
"I couldn't agree more," James agreed. On their command Arbok and Weezing made things even more difficult for Growlithe and Vulpix. Arbok tightened his coils while Weezing floated up a bit before coming crashing down onto Growlithe once again.
"Don't give in! You can do it!" Ash urged, but no matter how much he tried to encourage them they were in dire straits. Arbok and Weezing were using their size advantage to literally crush the life out of the two Fire types.
"What do we do now? They're not strong enough to free themselves," Nikki commented. Ash didn't want to agree with her, but deep down he knew she was right. Growlithe and Vulpix didn't have the size or physical strength to try and go toe-to-toe with Arbok and Weezing… unless…
"Ash! The Fire Stones!" Nikki shouted. The Pallet Town trainer looked at her as she reached into her backpack and grabbed the Fire Stone she placed there earlier.
"If we use the Fire Stones on them they'll evolve and be strong enough to beat Team Rocket's Pokémon," Nikki explained. Understanding her ide Ash searched through his backpack and found his Fire Stone.
"Growlithe! Vulpix!" The two looked towards Ash and Nikki upon hearing their names called.
"Catch!" Ash and Nikki threw the Fire Stones towards their Pokémon. As the stones flew through the air Growlithe and Vulpix looked to each other.
"(No… choice,)" Growlithe said. "(We… have to… to win…)"
"(Then let's evolve… together,)" Vulpix added. The two smiled at each other as the stones landed next to them. Growlithe reached out with a paw while Vulpix used her tails to reach her Fire Stone. The minute they touched them both Pokémon and the stones began to glow. Both Arbok and Weezing released them and jumped back out of shock.
"Oh man… not good!" Meowth groaned. Ash and Nikki smirked as they watched their Pokémon undergo their changes. Both got noticeably larger. The small tuft of white fur on Growlithe's head grew into a large mane while Vulpix's six tails uncurled and split to create three more. When the glow finally faded Arcanine and Ninetails were revealed, both ready for battle.
"Alright!" Ash cheered.
"Now let's win this!" Nikki shouted. Despite having just witnessed two simultaneous evolutions Team Rocket remained confident.
"Just because they evolved it doesn't mean you're going to win!" Jessie declared. "Poison Sting!" Arbok opened his mouth and fired another Poison Sting volley.
"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" Ash shouted. Arcanine's powerful leg muscles easily let him jump over the incoming Poison Sting. As he neared the apex of his jump he inhaled and breathed out a massive Flamethrower, the Fire attack engulfing the Cobra Pokémon.
"Smokescreen, Weezing!" James ordered. Looking to conceal himself Weezing spewed a thick smoke cloud. However, Ash and Nikki weren't concerned at all.
"I believe this is right up your alley," Ash commented.
"That it is," Nikki agreed. "You know what to do, Ninetails."
"(Of course,)" she replied.
"Don't think you'll hit your target in this Smokescreen! You can't even see what you're aiming at!" James scoffed.
"(True, but I don't need my eyes to hit my target,)" Ninetails countered. Arcanine smiled, knowing exactly what Ninetails was up to. He just looked on as she closed her eyes and fine-tuned her other senses. Ears twitching and nose sniffing she searched for her target. After a few seconds a smile appeared on her face.
"(There you are!)" she barked.
"Alright! Flamethrower!" Nikki called. The Fox Pokémon fired a Flamethrower into the smoke cloud, striking Weezing with pinpoint accuracy. The Poison Gas Pokémon burst out the back of the smoke cloud and fell to the ground at Team Rocket's feet, spewing more smoke as he did. Unfortunately for them Team Rocket found themselves being blinded this time around.
"H-Hey! I can't see anything!" Meowth shrieked.
"James, do something!" Jessie demanded.
"What?! Why me?!" James protested.
"Your Weezing created this mess, so it's only fair you clean it up!" Jessie said.
"I don't care who does it, just as long as it gets done!" Meowth griped. With an annoyed sigh James grabbed Tropius's Poké Ball and called out the Fruit Pokémon, who then proceeded to tackle him to the ground.
"(Rice ball, please,)" he requested.
"I'll get you your rice ball as soon as you get off me and clear this smoke," James replied.
"(Okay!)" Tropius quickly went to work, flapping his wings and clearing out the smoke cloud left behind by Weezing. Once the job was done James made good on his promise and fed Tropius his rice ball. In one bite Tropius downed the snack.
"(Yummy… thank you!)" With a quick word of thanks James returned Tropius to his Poké Ball.
"Well, now that that's been taken care of we can finally get back to dealing with the twerps," Jessie said. "Now, let's…"
"Oh no!" A panicked scream from Meowth brought the group's attention to the Scratch Cat Pokémon.
"What?! What is it?!" James asked.
"They're gone!" Meowth screamed. He and Jessie were about to ask what he was talking about, but one quick look at their surroundings provided the answer. The sack containing the stole Poké Balls was gone and both Pikachu and Buneary's cages had been torn open.
"Impossible! Those two couldn't have escaped on their own and taken the Poké Balls with them!" Jessie shrieked.
"Well somehow they did!" Meowth retorted. "The only question is how!"
"Hey! Team Rocket!" All three looked up when they heard their names called, but what they saw didn't leave them feeling too terribly confident. Standing across from them was a very confident Ash and Nikki, along with Arcanine, Ninetails, Pikachu, Buneary and the sack full of Poké Balls.
"No way! How did they get them back without us noticing?!" Meowth shrieked.
"You can thank Weezing's Smokescreen for that," Nikki stated. "Once you guys were blinded it was easy for Arcanine and Ninetails to sneak in, get our Pokémon and Poké Balls back and sneak back out."
"And now I think it's time to send you on your way," Ash added. As Team Rocket looked Pikachu, Buneary, Arcanine and Ninetails all had devious smirks on their faces.
"I don't think we're going to like where this is going," Meowth whimpered.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
"Buneary, Hidden Power! Ninetails, use Energy Ball!" Team Rocket screamed in terror as Ash and Nikki's Pokémon fired their attacks. The combination of Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Hidden Power and Energy Ball created a chain reaction that, as Ash perfectly put it earlier, sent Team Rocket on their way.
"We're blasting off again!" they shrieked as they vanished out of sight.
"Whew… we managed to drive them off," Ash sighed.
"Yeah. Great work, everyone, especially you two," Nikki praised, directing the last of her praise to Arcanine and Ninetails.
"She's right. If it weren't for the two of you we would have been in a real bind," Ash added. "We were lucky you showed up when you did, and that you were willing to evolve." The two Fire types beamed with pride amidst the praise they were receiving. During this they glanced at each other, sharing a smile.
"I would say we need to hit the road and get to the nearest Pokémon Center, but according to the Pokécomm there isn't one," Nikki announced.
"In that case I say we set up camp right here," Ash suggested. "I mean, we've already got everything set up. All we have to do is clean up the mess left over from the battle with team Rocket." With no one protesting the suggestion Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon got to work cleaning up their temporary campsite.
Based on the events from earlier in the day it came as no surprise that sleep not only came easily, but quickly for some of the group. For two, though, sleep was the furthest thing from their minds. With their energy levels still running high from their evolutions earlier in the day Arcanine and Ninetails were sitting together a bit away from the group.
"(Wow… I still can't believe everything that happened today,)" Ninetails admitted.
"(You said it,)" Arcanine agreed.
"(I mean, at first I was nervous about evolving, but looking at you gave me the confidence to go through with it,)" the Fox Pokémon explained.
"(I'm just glad we decided to evolve together,)" the Legendary Pokémon replied. "(I have to say I like the way you look now. Your evolved form looks so elegant.)" Ninetails was visibly blushing from his compliment.
"T-Thank you, and just to let you know your evolved form looks so powerful and dependable, not to mention attractive,)" Ninetails said. Now it was Arcanine's turn to blush. After that the two of them sat in silence for a bit.
"(So… you wanted to tell me something earlier,)" Ninetails suddenly said. Because of all the chaos that happened earlier Arcanine had almost forgotten that little fact. For a brief moment he forgot what he was going to say, but once he looked at Ninetails the words seemed to come to him.
"(Well… what I wanted to say to you… was something I should have said already,)" he began. Ninetails gave him her full attention.
"(Like I said, when we first met I tried to tell you something, but I couldn't find the words,)" Arcanine continued. "(But that's changed now. I know exactly what I want to say.)"
"(Y-Yes?)" Ninetails replied in eager anticipation.
"(When I first met you I… I thought you were very attractive. But now… I find you absolutely beautiful, the most beautiful Pokémon I've ever seen,)" he declared.
"(You really think I'm beautiful?)" Ninetails questioned.
"(I do, but there's so much more to you than that,)" Arcanine stated. "(You're also smart, strong, graceful… you're everything anyone would want.)" Ninetails was left speechless. The way Arcanine was describing her, the things he was saying about her… it all left her too stunned to respond.
"(All those things are why I… I… I love you,)" Arcanine admitted. "(I should have said those words sooner, and I regret not being able to. But now I…)" He was interrupted by Ninetails kissing him. When she was done it was Arcanine's turn to be left speechless.
"(N-Ninetails?)" he stuttered.
"(You know, even though I knew what you wanted to say to me I… it still left me speechless,)" she admitted. "(And… it makes what I want to tell you easier.)"
"(What do you mean?)" Arcanine asked. Ninetails giggled a bit before answering Arcanine's question.
"(I love you too, silly,)" she said. Arcanine's eyes went wide for a moment before brightening up.
"(Y-You do? Really?!)" he stuttered. Ninetails nodded, which put a huge smile on Arcanine's face. Despite his overwhelming joy there was a question on his mind that he just had to ask.
"(If you knew I loved you, and since you loved me too, why didn't you just tell me?)" he wondered.
"(Well… I was waiting for you to say it first,)" Ninetails admitted.
"(So wait… You didn't want to say anything until I said it first?)" Arcanine inquired with a curious expression on his face. "(Why's that?)"
"(Well, traditionally the guy always says 'I love you' first,)" Ninetails sheepishly explained. After hearing this Arcanine smiled.
"(Well… who are we to break tradition,)" he stated. The two of them laughed before briefly locking eyes. The two of them shared a short kiss before Ninetails rested her head in the crook in Arcanine's neck. The Legendary Pokémon rested his head on top of hers, and there they remained there for the rest of the night.
As Growlithe and Vulpix took the next step and evolved into Arcanine and Ninetails their for each other grew along with them. Now with two new powerful Pokémon by their sides what will come next for Ash and Nikki on their journey? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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