After a busy day, Wen Qi withdrew all his Pokémon into the small world, letting it nurture them. This was the first time Audino and Mr. Mime had entered the small world. Previously, Wen Qi considered them household Pokémon, not needing to worry about their strength, and since they were usually busy outside, he never had the chance to bring them in.
When Audino entered, the small world didn't change much, given her Normal type. But when Mr. Mime came in, he activated the Psychic and Fairy zones, causing the small world to expand significantly. The Psychic zone, in particular, felt beneficial to Wen Qi. He thought about spending more time there, hoping it might enhance his psychic abilities.
Wen Qi's current basic psychic powers were mostly useless in daily life. If he could upgrade to intermediate, he could move objects with his mind, and more importantly, use telepathy to secretly command Pokémon—a skill he desperately wanted. However, his psychic talent was mediocre; if not for his two lifetimes of experience, he probably wouldn't have awakened it at all. He felt that even with the zone's help, improvement would take years, so he still hoped for system rewards.
Lately, the system hadn't issued any tasks for a long time. Even after hosting such a big competition and battling forest Pokémon, no tasks appeared, leaving Wen Qi puzzled. "Did the author forget about the system tasks?" he muttered to himself.
Shrugging it off, Wen Qi first settled the other Pokémon and then headed over to Growlithe. Today, no matter what, he had to make Growlithe evolve—having a mount later would be convenient.
Growlithe's stats were as follows: - Pokémon: Growlithe - Level: 30 - Type: Fire - Ability: Intimidate (Lowers the opponent's Attack upon entering battle) - Potential: Deep Cyan - Moves: Leer (Proficient), Ember (Proficient), Howl (Proficient), Bite (Proficient), Flame Wheel (Proficient), Helping Hand (Proficient), Agility (Proficient), Flamethrower (Proficient), Double-Edge (Proficient), Protect (Proficient), Fire Fang (Proficient), Fire Spin (Proficient), Flare Blitz (Proficient), Sunny Day (Beginner), Overheat (Beginner), Heat Wave (Beginner), Blast Burn (Beginner), Dig (Beginner) - Status: Absorbed legendary power, Fire-type power increased by 20%
Growlithe's internal Fire-type energy was abundant. Wen Qi planned to first use Fire-type Essence Fragments to boost its strength, likely reaching level 32. Then, using a top-tier Fire Stone, Fire Essence, and Life Essence together, he could not only significantly raise its level but also elevate its potential to Light Blue, giving him another main Pokémon.
Wen Qi shared his plan with Growlithe, who eagerly accepted, yearning to grow stronger and evolve sooner to help Wen Qi. He took out the Fire-type Essence Fragment and handed it to Growlithe. Without hesitation, Growlithe swallowed it whole. Instantly, a dazzling red light enveloped it, like a burning miniature sun. Flames surged from its body, spreading a wave of scorching heat. Growlithe closed its eyes, trembling violently as it endured the immense energy impact. Its fur stood on end like a blazing torch, the surrounding air searing hot from the powerful energy.
After a while, the light gradually faded, and Growlithe slowly opened its eyes. Its gaze grew sharper, as if it could pierce through anything, and its aura noticeably intensified. Already imposing, it now exuded even more dominance. "Woof woof!" Growlithe barked excitedly, hopping around to show off its changes. Wen Qi could clearly feel its power had surged, successfully reaching level 32. Its movements were quicker, its flames burning fiercer, as if ready to unleash astonishing strength at any moment.
Wen Qi then brought out Fire-type Energy Cubes, letting Growlithe eat more to prepare for the upcoming evolution and potential boost. Although evolution wasn't dangerous, Wen Qi wasn't sure if the potential could be raised. Still, as the protagonist, how could it fail? Otherwise, readers would probably curse the author out.
After eating its fill, Growlithe rested a bit and then looked at Wen Qi with renewed vigor. Wen Qi knew Growlithe was ready but still asked, "Growlithe, are you ready? It's about to start. Do you have confidence?" Growlithe barked loudly in response, and Wen Qi understood—it was full of confidence.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Qi directly brought out the top-tier Fire Stone, Fire Essence, and Life Essence. This time, he only lacked Fire Essence, spending ten thousand to buy a bottle; the rest were previous system rewards, so he didn't mind. He slowly poured the Fire Essence into Growlithe's mouth, and it swallowed without hesitation. Instantly, the flames on Growlithe shot up wildly, dancing as if to incinerate everything around. Its body began to tremble violently, letting out pained whimpers as it endured the colossal energy impact. The scorching energy rampaged inside it, its skin turning red-hot like glowing iron. Its fur stood straight from the energy surge, and the surrounding temperature skyrocketed, even making Wen Qi feel the rolling heat, with sweat beading on his forehead.
After a moment, seeing Growlithe gradually adapt to the Fire Essence's energy, Wen Qi placed the top-tier Fire Stone before it. A glint of determination flashed in Growlithe's eyes as it clamped its jaws around the stone. The moment it touched the Fire Stone, a powerful flame vortex erupted from Growlithe, engulfing its entire body in a massive fireball. Inside, Growlithe howled in pain, but its cries were filled with an intense desire for evolution and unwavering resolve. Wen Qi watched nervously, his hands unconsciously clenching, silently cheering for Growlithe.
Gradually, the flames began to recede, and Growlithe's form became clear. Its body was undergoing astonishing changes. Its limbs grew thick and powerful, muscles sculpted like carved lines, brimming with explosive strength. Its once-short tail became long and strong, swishing with a whoosh. Its head contours sharpened, its gaze fiercer and more majestic, like a heroic king. Yet, the evolution wasn't over.
Wen Qi quickly brought the Life Essence to Growlithe's mouth, and it swallowed it in one gulp. The Life Essence's power spread rapidly through its body, replenishing the vast life force consumed during evolution. Light shone from Growlithe again, this time brimming with vibrant vitality. Its body further strengthened, its fur becoming softer and glossier, shimmering with a golden luster. The flames on it shifted from orange-red to a deep, mysterious blue, hotter and more powerful.
Finally, the light completely dissipated, and Growlithe had successfully evolved into Arcanine. The evolved Arcanine stood majestically, head held high, eyes full of confidence and pride. Its body was larger than before, muscles firm and lines smooth, like a perfect work of art. The blue flames burned even brighter, exuding an awe-inspiring, powerful aura. Arcanine shook itself and let out a resounding roar that echoed through the entire small world, as if announcing its rebirth. Its level jumped directly to 38, and its potential successfully rose to Light Blue.
Wen Qi could clearly feel the immense energy emanating from Arcanine, his heart filled with joy as he shouted excitedly, "Awesome, Arcanine!" Arcanine happily ran to Wen Qi, nuzzling his leg affectionately, letting out soft whines to express its joy and gratitude. At that moment, Arcanine had become a powerful ace in Wen Qi's hand.