Growlithe kept struggling, but the further damage from aggravating its wounds drained its strength again, gradually turning its cries into pitiful whimpers.
"All right, all right, I'll let you go. Just don't bite me."
Su Bai released his hold on Growlithe and placed an Oran Berry in front of it.
"Little guy, you're way too stubborn. Don't worry, we're not bad people. Eating your Berries will help you recover your strength faster."
"Pika!"
Pikachu picked up the Oran Berry and used its two stubby little arms to tear it in half. It ate one half itself and offered the other to Growlithe.
Growlithe sniffed it cautiously. Seeing Pikachu eat some eased its wariness a little, and it picked up the Oran Berry in its mouth and ate it.
Su Bai took out a few more Oran Berries, splitting each one between Pikachu and Growlithe.
After eating a few Oran Berries, Growlithe wasn't quite so weak anymore. Only then did Su Bai take the Potion Cynthia handed him and turn to Growlithe.
"Be good and stick out your tongue."
Growlithe took a small step back. Though it was no longer quite so hostile, it still wasn't willing to trust Su Bai completely.
"This is a Potion. Your wounds need medicine to heal."
Su Bai didn't grow impatient. He simply smiled at Growlithe.
Growlithe met Su Bai's gaze for a while before finally relaxing and obediently sticking out its tongue.
Su Bai sprayed the medicine onto Growlithe's tongue, leaving Cynthia puzzled.
"Su Bai, why don't you apply the medicine directly to Growlithe's wounds?"
"Growlithe's thick, dense fur naturally keeps liquids from reaching its skin. The heat its body gives off also evaporates moisture, so spraying its wounds directly doesn't work very well."
But spraying the medicine onto Growlithe's tongue and letting it lick its own wounds would work much better.
Growlithe lay half-curled on the ground, licking its wounds little by little.
Seeing Growlithe actually do that, Cynthia gave Su Bai an amused look.
And you said you didn't know anything about raising Pokémon?
Su Bai really didn't. All of this was included in the Pokémon-rearing knowledge the system had given him.
Qi Shijun had already arrived, but he stayed outside the cave.
The youngsters needed a little privacy.
Once Growlithe had licked all its wounds, Su Bai applied some medicine to prevent infection.
Once it had obeyed him the first time, many more times followed. Growlithe comfortably enjoyed Su Bai's treatment and eventually fell asleep in his arms.
It wasn't until the Officer Jenny sent as backup arrived that the siren woke Growlithe.
Still uneasy after waking, Growlithe leaped out of Su Bai's arms and ran wildly around the cave. It took him a long time to calm it down again.
Still, that was a good thing. It meant Growlithe had recovered.
The two of them took Growlithe out of the cave and saw Qi Shijun speaking with the Officer Jenny from J City Police Station.
"Elite Four Qi, thank you for reporting this so promptly."
"Captain Wang, you shouldn't be thanking me. Thank my nephew instead."
This Officer Jenny was named Wang Officer Jenny, and she was the captain responsible for Pokémon-related crimes at J City Police Station.
The Dragon Nation had a Jenny Family too, but its Officer Jennys were ordinary police officers, without the extensive privileges their counterparts enjoyed in other regions.
The Jenny bloodline wasn't quite so dominant when mixed with Dragon Nation blood. Although the girls born into the family looked similar, they weren't completely identical. The Dragon Nation's Jenny Family also had no rule requiring husbands to marry into the family; only the girls born into it had to share the name Officer Jenny.
As for what surnames and given names those girls used within the main Jenny bloodline, that was their own business.
That evening, Su Bai and Cynthia were invited back to the police station to assist with the investigation. Growlithe still hadn't recovered from its fright and didn't trust anyone else yet, so Su Bai had to keep holding it for the time being.
To keep his precious nephew from facing too much trouble, Qi Shijun simply stayed with them throughout.
Wang Officer Jenny only asked Su Bai a few questions and requested descriptions of the criminals' appearances.
Su Bai asked for paper and a pen instead.
Watching Su Bai produce lifelike portraits of a man, a woman, and a Meowth with a few swift strokes left even Qi Shijun stunned.
"Kid, when did you learn to do that?"
"Uncle Qi, did you really think I never did anything worthwhile at school?"
Su Bai smiled, then added a few keywords in the notes beneath the portraits.
"A talking Meowth," "long red hair," and so on.
The final line was particularly striking: "If you encounter anyone matching these descriptions, ask them who they are. It may work wonders."
Once he was done, Su Bai left J City Police Station with Cynthia, paying no attention to Qi Shijun and Wang Officer Jenny's bewilderment.
The Team Rocket Trio weren't bad at heart, but they were still actively trying to do bad things. Su Bai liked them a lot, but getting them out of the Dragon Nation came first.
Although it was late, summer nights in the Dragon Nation were a food lover's paradise.
The aroma of grilled skewers drifting over from the nearby food street made Su Bai's stomach growl.
The smell of lamb skewers attracted Growlithe too. The silly pup even forgot its fear, staring straight at the bright lights in the distance, wagging its tail and drooling with hunger.
Su Bai picked the pup up, gave its head a good rub, then turned to Cynthia.
"Want a late-night snack?"
"A little."
"Come on. Let's head to my place first."
Su Bai took Cynthia home first.
Although late-night barbecue was more enjoyable at a street stall, Cynthia's beauty drew far too much attention.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, and for the safety of any drunken hooligans, Su Bai chose to order delivery at home.
Five kilograms of Spicy Crawfish, five kilograms of Thirteen-Spice Crawfish, and two hundred skewers each of beef and lamb.
Of course, Su Bai and Cynthia couldn't possibly eat all that themselves. The order included portions for the Pokémon.
In fact, once it was divided among everyone, each of them really didn't get that much.
After the delivery arrived, Cynthia let her Pokémon out.
Su Bai only had the pup and Pikachu on his side.
He carefully slid the meat off the bamboo skewers for Pikachu to eat at its own pace, then casually tossed the pup a Thirteen-Spice Crawfish.
He didn't dare give it anything spicy, afraid it might breathe fire.
The pup sprang up and caught the whole crawfish in its mouth.
Then Su Bai saw Growlithe's canine teeth glow white. With barely a squeeze of its jaws, the hard shell shattered, and sauce dripped from its mouth onto the floor.
"Cynthia, was that just..."
"That's right. This little one has already learned Crunch at such a young age."
Cynthia smiled slightly.
"It's very talented."
"Talented? I think it just wants to eat! Greedy pup!"
Despite saying that, Su Bai tossed the pup a few more crawfish.
Growlithe happily gobbled them down one by one, its eyes sparkling.
Cynthia looked at Growlithe, then Pikachu, then Su Bai, finding the scene wonderfully heartwarming.
"Su Bai, why don't you catch this Growlithe?"
Cynthia's words left Su Bai deep in thought.
There was no question that he liked Growlithe too.
"Of course I want to catch Growlithe, but it has to make its own choice. Pokémon are living beings of flesh and blood too. We can't force them."
Hearing Su Bai's answer, Cynthia saw him in a new light.
Even Garchomp and Lucario's impressions of Su Bai improved greatly.
Then they watched Su Bai pick up a crawfish in his left hand, pull out a tissue with his right, and crumple it into a ball before crouching down and holding both in front of Growlithe's face.
"Pup, if you want to be my Pokémon, eat this crawfish. If you don't, wipe your mouth with this tissue, and we'll part on good terms."
Without a moment's hesitation, Growlithe lunged straight for the crawfish and snatched it into its mouth.
"Great! I'll go buy a Poké Ball tomorrow."
Su Bai turned to Cynthia.
"You saw that, right? I didn't force Growlithe. It made its own choice."
"Are you sure it even listened to what you said?"
Su Bai's blatant cheating left Cynthia unsure whether to laugh or cry. Did that really count as a "voluntary choice"?
Garchomp and Lucario exchanged glances, both looking disdainful.
Even Pikachu walked over to Garchomp on its stubby little legs, then turned to give Su Bai a sidelong look.
You beast!
Before you continue