The wind howling across Route 217 didn't just bite; it gnawed. It was the kind of cold that turned breath into immediate ice crystals and made the very air feel like it was made of jagged glass. To any sane traveler, this stretch of Sinnoh was a frozen purgatory.
But if you were close enough to the orange speck moving through the whiteout, you wouldn't hear the chattering of teeth. Instead, you'd hear a one-sided conversation—or rather, a very heated debate between a human and a jacket.
"See? I told you so!" Julian's voice was muffled by a thick wool scarf, but the triumph was unmistakable. "I knew you wouldn't have the heart to let me trudge through this icy hellscape all by myself. You're my favorite living space-heater, and you know it."
Julian looked down. Poking out from the top of his heavy-duty down jacket was a tuft of cream-colored fur and two dark, inquisitive eyes. Growlithe looked like a very fluffy, orange kangaroo joey, tucked securely against Julian's chest.
Julian leaned down, rubbing his cold nose against the top of Growlithe's warm head.
"Woof... (Hmph. Don't flatter yourself. The others literally flat-out refused to leave their Poké Balls in this weather. I'm only here because I'm the only one with a high enough BTU output to keep your stubborn heart beating.)"
Growlithe grumbled, though he shifted his weight to press more of his internal Fire-type warmth against Julian's sternum.
"Hehe~ Whatever helps you sleep at night, big guy," Julian chuckled. The isolation of the route was oppressive, and the sheer boredom of the white horizon was enough to drive a man mad. Having a snarky puppy tucked into his clothes was the only thing keeping him sane. "Seriously though, I owe you one. Walking this wasteland alone would be cold, boring, and honestly, a little depressing. You're the MVP of the Sinnoh Winter."
Feeling a bit more daring, Julian slipped off his left glove, braving the flash-freeze of the air for a split second before sliding his bare hand under the hem of his jacket. He found exactly what he was looking for: the thick, plush base of Growlithe's tail. He sighed as his frozen fingers were instantly enveloped in radiant heat.
"Woof woof! (You absolute rascal! Even in a blizzard, you're looking for a fix? Didn't you get your fill during that marathon petting session back at the hotel?)"
Growlithe craned his neck, looking up at Julian with a mix of disbelief and "I-should-have-seen-this-coming."
"Hey, it's a survival tactic!" Julian defended himself, his hand moving rhythmically through the warm fur. "Fire-type fur is a miracle of nature. It's consistent, it's soft, and it's currently the only reason my fingers haven't turned into icicles. Besides, back at the hotel, you were a moving target. Now? You're a captive audience. You can't run away without freezing your own paws off!"
Julian let out a delighted laugh, the sound carried away instantly by the gale.
"Woof... (You're hopeless. But seriously... are you doing okay?)"
Growlithe's playful annoyance shifted into genuine worry. He looked at Julian's face, which was pale despite the orange glow of his jacket.
"Huh? What do you mean? I'm fine! I'm the king of the mountain!" Julian adjusted his grip, trying to look as sturdy as possible as he crunched through a fresh drift of snow.
"Woof, woof! (Stop the act, Jing. I can feel your heart racing, and I know your legs are turning to jelly. I saw you rubbing your calves when we stopped for water ten minutes ago. You've been climbing for three days straight carrying that massive backpack and me. Just let me down! I can walk!)"
Growlithe started to scramble inside the jacket, his paws scrabbling against Julian's shirt as he tried to find a way out.
"Whoa! Hey! Easy there, you're tickling me!" Julian squeezed his arms tight against his chest, locking Growlithe in place. "No way. I'm not letting you down. If you're out there, you'll have to constantly use Ember or Flare Blitz just to keep your core temp up in this wind. That's a waste of energy we might need if a wild Mamoswine decides to ruin our day. Stay put. You're my portable radiator, and I'm your personal carriage. It's a fair trade."
"Woof~ (It's not a fair trade if you collapse from exhaustion before we hit the city limits! This is too much for a human!)" Growlithe whined, finally settling his paws but keeping his gaze fixed on Julian's weary eyes.
"It's fine, really," Julian panted, his breath hitching slightly. "The snow stopped falling an hour ago. Without the fresh powder piling up, the walking is ten times easier. Don't worry about me. My Aura has been buzzing like crazy lately—it feels like my physical limits are being pushed back. I'm way tougher than the 'Past Julian' ever was. Look at this!"
Julian tried to strike a bodybuilding pose, flexing one arm while holding Growlithe with the other. He ended up stumbling over a hidden rock and nearly face-planting in the snow.
"Woof woof... (Majestic. Truly. Now, if you won't let me walk, how about we just...)"
Growlithe's eyes drifted toward the top of Julian's backpack. Julian saw the look and his heart skipped a beat. He knew that look. It was the "shortcut" look.
"No. Absolutely not. Don't even think about it," Julian said, his voice suddenly sharp and serious. He shifted his weight, shielding the side pocket of his backpack where a small, velvet-lined box was tucked away.
"Woof! (But Jing! If I evolve right now, I'd be huge! I could carry you, the backpack, and probably Togetic too! We'd be at the Gym in twenty minutes! You wouldn't be tired, I'd be stronger—everyone wins!)"
Growlithe's voice was pleading now. He hated seeing Julian struggle. The Fire Stone was right there, just inches away.
"I said no, Growlithe," Julian repeated, his gaze softening but remaining firm. "Your current foundation isn't ready. You're strong, yeah, but you haven't hit the ceiling of what your current form can achieve. If you use that stone now, you'll get a massive power spike, sure—but you'll hit a wall later. You'll be stuck in the 'Elite' bracket forever. I want more for you than just being a fast-travel mount. I want you to be a legend."
"Woof... (But I don't care about being a legend! I care about you not breaking your back on a mountain!)"
"That's why I'm the Trainer and you're the Pokémon," Julian countered, gently bumping his forehead against Growlithe's wet nose. "We reach the destination together, the right way. You'll get that Fire Stone when your strength is on par with Floette's and Sylveon's. Not a second sooner."
Growlithe let out a long, dramatic sigh, his head drooping over the edge of the jacket. Then, a spark of mischief entered his eyes. He knew Julian's weakness.
"Woof woof? (Are you sure? Just think about it... if I evolve into Arcanine, I'll be way fluffier. You could bury your whole body in my mane. You could use my tail as a literal king-sized mattress. You could nap on my back while I run through the fields. Wouldn't that be... 'heavenly'?)"
Julian's brain immediately betrayed him. He saw it: the vision of a massive, majestic Arcanine, a sea of orange and cream fur so deep he could literally disappear into it. He could almost feel the sheer, overwhelming softness of a legendary-tier mane.
His face flushed a deep crimson that had nothing to do with the cold. He let out a shaky breath, his resolve wobbling like a Jellicent.
"Cough... I—no. That's... that's a low blow, Growlithe. A very low blow. I admit, the 'belly-pillow' scenario is incredibly tempting, but my dignity—and your future—are not for sale!"
Growlithe saw the crack in the armor. He went for the kill.
He began to wiggle violently inside the jacket, his four paws scratching at Julian's chest in a rhythmic, ticklish assault. He kicked his hind legs out, forcing the zipper of the jacket down a few inches, and then pressed his warm, soft belly directly against Julian's abdomen, rubbing back and forth.
"Woof~ woof! (Agree! Agree! Fluff for everyone!)"
"GAH! Stop! Stop it! That's the most ticklish spot! Growlithe, you're sliding! You're going to fall out!"
As Growlithe wiggled deeper into the jacket, Julian had to scramble, his hands diving under the coat to catch the puppy's rear end before he slid past the waistline. He hoisted the heavy, warm ball of fur back up to chest-height, his face a mess of laughter and frustration.
Once Growlithe was secure again, Julian delivered a firm, yet affectionate Bonk to the puppy's head.
"Woof! (Jing! You actually struck your loyal heater! The betrayal!)" Growlithe whimpered, covering his ears with his front paws and looking up with the biggest puppy-dog eyes in the history of Sinnoh.
"Don't give me that! You were trying to use biological warfare on me!" Julian said, quickly pulling his glove back on to hide his trembling hands. "And for the record, it didn't work. The Fire Stone stays in the bag."
Growlithe shot one last, longing glance at the backpack before huffing. "Woof... (Fine. You're a stubborn human.)"
"And you're a stubborn dog. That's why we get along," Julian said, his voice turning warm as he looked toward the horizon. The silhouette of a city was finally starting to emerge through the mist. "Look. We're almost there. We've made it through the worst of it without taking the easy way out. Doesn't that feel better?"
"Woof~ (Maybe a little.)"
"Tell you what," Julian said, leaning his head down so his forehead rested against Growlithe's. "If you train hard and close the gap between you and the girls, I'll let you evolve the second we finish the Sinnoh League. And then? I'll spend a whole week doing nothing but grooming your Arcanine mane. Deal?"
Growlithe's eyes locked onto Julian's. He saw the pride, the trust, and the unwavering belief Julian had in him. The desire to "help" by taking a shortcut vanished, replaced by a burning ambition to actually earn that evolution.
"Woof! (Deal! I'm going to be the strongest Arcanine you've ever seen. Floette won't even know what hit her!)"
"That's the spirit," Julian laughed, adjusting his pack one last time. He felt a fresh surge of energy—not from his Aura, but from the bond vibrating between them. "Alright, space-heater. Let's finish this. Snowpoint City is waiting!"
"Woof!"
With a loud crunch of snow and a renewed sense of purpose, the orange speck continued its journey across the frozen route, heading toward the final frozen challenges of the north.