Pokemon: Psychic Master

"Little Johan, don't underestimate them," Mustard remarked with a knowing smile, as though he'd already seen through Johan's thoughts.

Johan snapped back to attention.

Right.

No matter how they looked, these were still Pokémon raised by Mustard, the former Champion of Galar and a martial arts legend!

"Then..."

Before Johan could finish, Honey, Mustard's ever-charming wife, interjected with a smile:

"How about a no-holds-barred match? Both sides use two Pokémon each. What do you think?"

"Sounds perfect to me," Mustard agreed, sliding his hands into his pockets with an air of calm confidence.

"It's been a while since I've broken a sweat. Good time to get these old bones moving."

Johan hesitated briefly, his expression mixed.

No-holds-barred?

Unlike unrestricted battles, which only allowed Pokémon to clash and protected trainers from direct harm, no-holds-barred matches were different.

In this format, trainers and Pokémon could both engage in combat—trainers could even directly target one another!

Victory could be achieved by incapacitating both of the opponent's Pokémon or by rendering the opposing trainer unable to continue.

Such matches weren't common in Galar and were almost unheard of in official circuits.

But Mustard had traveled the world. It was no surprise that he'd encountered and embraced this battle style.

Not only was he the former Champion, but he'd also been a Gym Leader specializing in Fighting types and was the master who trained Bea, the human "Machamp" herself!

So this was the catch.

Fighting him... wouldn't get Johan killed, right?

Still, perhaps this battle was meant to evaluate his Pokémon's abilities and his own capabilities as a trainer.

With newfound resolve, Johan's eyes sharpened.

"Oh-ho! Look at that fighting spirit, Little Johan!" Mustard praised, his demeanor growing more focused.

Johan shouted his first command:

"Tinkatuff, use Ice Hammer!"

Tinkatuff, who had been quietly observing from Johan's side, immediately tightened its grip on its hammer. Without hesitation, it swung the frosted weapon in a powerful arc, sending shards of ice scattering toward Mustard.

Mustard, however, remained unfazed.

"Impressive force. This kind of raw power... has incredible potential if properly refined."

Even as he analyzed, his commands came swiftly and decisively:

"Rookidee, Brave Bird!"

Brave Bird?

Johan's eyes widened in disbelief.

Rookidee was Galar's humble early-game "starter bird." Who would bother teaching it something as demanding as Brave Bird?

But sure enough, the small avian's body ignited with pale blue flames as it flapped its wings and launched itself directly toward Tinkatuff.

"And Rockruff, Stone Edge!"

Rockruff's claws dug into the ground, summoning sharp stone pillars in a straight line—toward Johan.

Johan wasn't even surprised anymore.

If Rookidee could pull off Brave Bird, then why not a Stone Edge-wielding Rockruff?

"Gengar!" Johan commanded. "Shadow Ball!"

"Ka-kah! (Let's go!)"

From Johan's shadow, Gengar emerged with its signature mischievous grin.

This was where Gengar truly shined—its utility and unpredictability made it invaluable in wild fights and no-holds-barred modes.

With eerie precision, Gengar conjured a dark, crackling orb and hurled it directly at the incoming pillars of rock.

But then, something caught Johan's attention.

"This... this is..."

He glanced around at the field, his mind racing.

Rookidee's relentless assault, Rockruff's pinpoint strikes—this wasn't random chaos.

"Single-Strike and Rapid-Strike Styles," Johan muttered to himself.

Mustard, impressed, gave a small nod.

"Figured it out already, eh?"

The ice hammer collided with Rookidee mid-dive, sending the bird flying.

Even Tinkatuff paused briefly, its hammer still held aloft.

For such a small Pokémon, Rookidee had unleashed a surprising amount of force.

Before Tinkatuff could resume its attack, Rockruff pivoted, flinging pawfuls of sand directly into its face.

"Gengar, Hypnosis!" Johan redirected his focus.

Gengar flashed toward Mustard, its spectral hands glowing hypnotically.

However, Mustard simply shut his eyes and rolled forward, dodging the hypnotic waves effortlessly.

Gengar pouted.

If Johan hadn't forbidden its use of the "Johan Family Hypnosis Special" (a deliberately overpowered version of the move), Mustard wouldn't have stood a chance.

Meanwhile, Rookidee, despite being thrown back, launched itself from above again, wings blazing with Brave Bird.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball again! Tinkatuff, focus on the Stone Edge!" Johan barked his next set of orders.

Gengar's eerie laughter echoed as it hurled twin shadowy orbs—one at Mustard and the other at Rockruff.

Tinkatuff's hammer frosted over once more as it leapt into the air, smashing through the sharp rock spires Rockruff had conjured.

"Nice!" Johan grinned as the battlefield shifted in his favor.

But Mustard wasn't done yet.

Dodging Gengar's first Shadow Ball with an acrobatic twist, he clapped his hands together.

"Rockruff, Sand Attack, and Rookidee, one last Brave Bird!"

Before Rockruff could follow through, Tinkatuff smashed its hammer down, freezing the field and cutting off any chance of another attack.

Meanwhile, Gengar's second Shadow Ball hit home, knocking both Rookidee and Rockruff out of the fight.

It was over.

Or so Johan thought.

"Gotcha!" Mustard lunged forward, grabbing the haft of Tinkatuff's hammer mid-swing.

What followed could only be described as slapstick.

With an audible "whoosh," the small but deceptively strong Tinkatuff yanked Mustard off the ground, sending him tumbling into a nearby bush.

"Ka-kah! (That's what you get!)" Gengar teased as the dust settled.

"...This hammer... is heavy," Mustard groaned, lying flat on his back.

Victory belonged to Johan!

Honey approached the scene with an amused expression.

"Phew, what a fight!" She grabbed the hammer effortlessly, spinning it once before handing it back to a stunned Tinkatuff.

Johan blinked.

"Wait, you can lift that?"

Honey just smiled.

"There's a reason I keep Mustard in line, you know."

"Chu~"

Tinkatuff accepted the hammer gratefully, already thinking about how to make it even heavier.

"Great battle!" Mustard declared, dusting himself off. "You've passed the test!"

Johan was less enthused.

This "test" had been rigged from the start.

He hadn't wanted to win, but Mustard's relentless attacks had forced his hand.

Still, Johan tried to protest:

"Mustard-sensei, I don't just capture Pokémon on a whim. It has to feel... right."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Mustard reassured him. "Just wait until you meet the little fella I have in mind."

As Mustard led the group into a dense forest, Johan's curiosity grew.

"There," Mustard said, pointing to a small clearing.

Lying in the grass, a Pokémon snoozed peacefully.

Even after all the commotion, it hadn't stirred.

Johan scanned it with his Pokédex.

Beep!

"Kubfu. The Wushu Pokémon. Known for its determination and courage, it trains diligently to become stronger."

A Kubfu?

The little bear rubbed its eyes groggily, noticing Johan and his Pokémon for the first time.

It immediately perked up, tightening the band-like fur around its head and assuming a fighting stance.

Its gaze was intense, brimming with resolve.

"Ku!"

Halt! This tree is mine!

Johan blinked, turning to Mustard.

"What... did it just say?"

Mustard smiled slyly.

"It said, 'Don't damage the trees.'"

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Powerstones?

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