"Seeing is believing, Gym Leader Grey. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Karen lifted a pale, elegant hand, flicked her curls into place, then held her palm hovering before Grey. "Karen—League inspector, working toward a spot on the Elite Four."
"Grey, Fighting Dojo leader."
Grey clasped her hand lightly, then let go. "Nice to meet you, Karen. You're here to do a pre–Gym League evaluation, right?"
"Correct. But before that, I thought we could get acquainted."
She tossed her long curled hair back, gave the stream a quick glance, and her expression shifted.
She reset herself fast, drew a Poké Ball from her belt, and popped it onto the floor.
Pop—
"Awooo!"
Red light faded, revealing a large black hound standing amid the dojo's cracked tiles.
Its body was jet-black. White bone rings curled around each leg. A long tail trailed behind, and a pair of white, hornlike ridges crowned its head like ram horns.
A hellhound at first glance.
Houndoom.
The chat exploded the moment it appeared.
Because the Dark type's still "new" to the public eye here, Dark-type Pokémon carry an unfair stigma. The filter was on, and it wasn't kind.
Even holding back for Grey's sake, some comments still stung.
[Houndoom… my hometown's lullaby said if you stayed up late, it would carry you off.]
[Isn't that the one that walks out of the gates of hell?]
[Pretty lady with a Pokémon like that—kinda scary.]
[Got bit by a Houndour when I was a kid—logging off!!!]
"…Sigh."
Karen's eyes dimmed at the scrolling takes, though she put on a cool, careless face a beat later.
People with tinted glasses—peasants, really.
She slid a curl behind her ear, refusing to let chat kill her mood, and looked to Grey—
"?"
—only for her brain to blue-screen.
Grey had crouched, a Pokéblock in hand, coaxing the hound. "Pss pss pss—good dog. Want a Pokéblock? Down! Yep, now up!"
"Gym Leader Grey, this one doesn't really like strange—"
"Uruu~ woof-woof~"
And Houndoom… actually did exactly what Grey said, on cue.
For a moment, Grey might as well have been its trainer.
Karen?
A bystander.
"??"
Mouth open, Karen stared as Houndoom got "educated," a little dizzy.
If she remembered right, it had taken her months to earn Houndoom's trust.
And now it had been bought off with a Pokéblock?!
Or… was this because she'd raised it well?
That thought let her nod to herself, a little soothed.
"Good dog—lemme scritch you."
Grey, full dog-whisperer, fed it another Pokéblock, patted its head, then reached for its lower jaw.
"No! It'll bite!"
Karen's heart jumped into her throat. Sure, Houndoom was following Grey's lead—but the lower jaw is a sensitive spot. It'll snap at strangers!
She already had her ball half-raised to recall it.
But…
Houndoom didn't lash out. It leaned into Grey's hand, a rumbling "prrrr" rising from its throat.
Karen watched his fingers work under its jawline with practiced ease.
The "fearsome hellhound" in everyone's mind turned into a Growlithe—hind leg pumping the air—and then just flop, rolled over to show a pale belly.
And then…
That tail started wagging like crazy.
Clack!
Karen dropped the Poké Ball.
"???"
In three minutes flat, Grey had turned her worldview upside down.
When had her Houndoom ever been this open to a stranger?!
Even Will had trouble getting near it.
To outsiders it was a bone-crunching demon dog.
And now it was… as docile as a Growlithe.
"G—Gym Leader Grey, you…"
"What's wrong? It's very sweet."
Grey pressed an ear to the warmth of Houndoom's belly with both hands rubbing circles. "Ahh—good dog."
At that point, Karen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
[Houndoom's this well-behaved?]
[It really does look sweet…]
[Not gonna lie—this does look like a Growlithe.]
[Pss pss pss, good doggo~]
[Why is Grey so cute when he's dog-charming—suki!]
Chat cooled off. There were still a few barbs, but more messages turned into honest reappraisals of Houndoom.
[Ok, consider me converted. Grey, can you ask how to handle Houndooms? I'm in Johto—there are Houndoom around my neighborhood. (Just subbed)]
"Thanks to 'Top Dog' for the membership. I'll let the expert take this one."
Grey gave Houndoom a last couple of chin scritches, dragged himself up, and said to Karen, "Mind explaining to our friend?"
He knew why Karen had sent out Houndoom—this was a live stream.
Chances were, she wanted to "borrow" the platform to shift a few hearts about Houndoom.
And with the Aura shift she was giving off, that guess felt right.
So Grey was happy to boost her signal and hand her the moment—and a favor in the bank.
Just a small kindness.
He just didn't know…
what Karen was feeling right now.
"Thank you."
Karen dipped her head to Grey, then faced the stream again. With a warm, knowledgeable big-sis voice, she said:
"Houndoom doesn't attack people by default. They're pack Pokémon. If you see them in dense human areas, they're usually cornered and looking for food."
"If you can, leave some food for them. When you offer it, try not to carry heavy negative emotion. Give it a few days—they'll come back to repay the kindness."
[Got it. I'll try some steamed buns and meat buns—reporting back in ten.]
[Godspeed, brother.]
[Everyone, bow in respect!]
[Bow one…]
[Bow two…]
[Which Ghost-type just cast Curse in here, lmao?]
Karen: "…"
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