Squirtle never did find out whether there were scallops in the river.
He even went for a long swim, but saw none of those sea-dwelling creatures. Instead, he spotted an Oshawott tending to its shell.
This Pokémon had developed the habit by imitating humans sharpening knives, and it made its shell sharper.
To Oshawott, its shell was as important as Farfetch'd's leek. It was not only a weapon for battle, but also a tool for daily life and a means of defense.
The glow of the setting sun draped the entire river in a new garment, its rippling surface shimmering like flowing gold.
Meanwhile, Torracat stood beside the stream, using the water as a mirror.
Torracat lowered her head and gazed at the surface, which rippled from time to time.
Overall, Torracat's form was not much different from Litten's. Her evolved body was simply much taller and a whole size larger.
The biggest difference was the "bell" on her chest.
It was not a real bell, but Torracat's flame.
Unlike when she had been a Litten and needed to use her own fur as fuel, the evolved Torracat fueled her fire with her emotions.
The more intense her emotions, the stronger the flames she released and the higher their temperature. In a sense, she had become a Pokémon whose power depended more on her state of mind.
As long as her will to fight was strong enough, her flames would never be weak.
Her orange-red and black fur seemed to gleam in the sunset, every strand infused with the vitality of fire.
She unconsciously tensed her muscles as she looked at her reflection in the water-the little Litten she had once been was gone, replaced by a form that radiated far more strength.
Her reflection swayed gently with the ripples,