Pokemon: Psychic Master

"Oowoo~~"

Little Ninetales let out a soft breath and affectionately licked Johan's cheek.

No matter what, this battle had been thoroughly satisfying for her.

Though, she was a little tired now.

Especially from Delphox's Future Sight attack. If not for Ninetales' own decent psychic abilities that managed to block part of the psychic onslaught, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly afterward.

This proved once again:

Being cautious and steady is absolutely necessary.

Otherwise, pulling off a one-vs-six sweep wouldn't have been so easy.

"Rest for now." Johan gently rubbed the little fox's increasingly silky head.

"You've done an outstanding job today."

With that, he took out a Luxury Ball and recalled her, planning to visit the Pokémon Center shortly to help her recover.

"Johan-sensei, you're incredible!!"

"You've stopped playing fair, haven't you? First, it was one-vs-three. Now it's straight to one-vs-six?"

"Johan-sensei! I want to have your babies!"

Uh... sorry, not interested in having babies with guys.

As Johan walked toward the players' tunnel, the crowd in the stands was still buzzing with excitement from the incredible battle.

A one-vs-six sweep had set a new record for the Indigo Conference this year.

At the same time, more people began to realize:

This guy doesn't belong in this tournament!

He should be competing in the Masters Division or at least against Gym Leaders!

What was he doing here? Treating the Indigo Conference like a beginner's cup?

Some even rushed to the league's official website to look up Johan's trainer profile, only to be utterly shocked.

Wait, hold up. The guy who just pulled off a one-vs-six sweep in the quarterfinals... is still classified as a Junior Trainer?!

A Junior Trainer participating in the Indigo Conference was already considered exceptional. But pulling off a one-vs-six sweep? That was downright absurd!

As Johan made his way through the tunnel, he ran into Mélanie, who had just suffered a crushing defeat.

She looked a bit dejected.

Understandable.

Getting swept in a tournament—especially by a single Pokémon—wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Seeing her like this, Johan couldn't help but feel a little apologetic.

After all... his little Ninetales did get a bit carried away during the battle.

"Ahem."

Breaking the awkward silence, Johan patted Mélanie on the shoulder with a serious expression.

"You were excellent out there. Don't doubt yourself."

"The future is yours."

Mélanie's expression softened slightly.

She nodded and said, "I'm fine. My teacher already called me."

Teacher?

Right—Mélanie's mentor was Valerie, the Gym Leader of Laverre City in Kalos.

"That's good to hear," Johan replied.

Mélanie continued, "She said you're welcome to visit Laverre City anytime. She'd love to spar with you, Johan-sensei."

Johan's expression stiffened.

What is this, a martial arts novel?! Beat the student, and now the teacher wants a piece too?!

He coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem... sure, if I ever get the chance..."

Then, without missing a beat, he turned and walked away.

Time to make my escape!

Kalos? Laverre City?

Better avoid that place altogether from now on.

Meanwhile, Mélanie watched him leave, a newfound respect gleaming in her eyes.

Her teacher, Valerie, had reassured her over the phone:

Even she wasn't confident she could defeat Johan.

That realization made Mélanie feel much better.

After all, she'd never been swept by her teacher during their training sessions.

Johan's strength was simply on another level.

"I'll do better next time," Mélanie whispered, clenching her fists.

Back in Hoenn

At the Sunlight Café in Rustboro City, a crowd of teachers and students from the Rustboro Pokémon Academy gathered to watch the live broadcast of the Indigo Conference.

"Johan-sensei is amazing!"

"Damn, is he still going to take the teaching exam for the Battle Department next year?"

"Man, when I first competed in the League, I barely made it to the Top 32."

"A one-vs-six sweep? That's insane!"

The news of Johan's semifinal advancement was now trending on the League's official website, skyrocketing his popularity.

Naturally, this boost in fame also brought more business to the café.

"Ei~~"

The café's Indeedee siblings hummed cheerfully as they prepared drinks and desserts.

The older sibling, in particular, was delighted. She had watched Johan's entire match, and although she wouldn't say it out loud, she couldn't help but feel proud.

"Ei? Ei~~?"

The younger Indeedee quietly approached his sister with a suggestion:

Should we run a celebratory discount?

Her eyes lit up at the idea.

Great idea!

Let's celebrate our boss's victory!

The announcement of the discount was met with enthusiastic cheers from customers.

By the end of the day, the café had been so busy that the siblings were utterly exhausted.

Meanwhile, in Unova

At her private villa, Cynthia watched the match with Caitlin.

Cynthia gently squished the cheeks of the Eevee sitting on her lap, molding its face into a round shape.

"Johan's getting stronger."

"Eevee! Eevee!"

The little Eevee, puffing out its cheeks, suddenly felt more determined.

Until now, it had been hesitant about evolving.

But after watching today's battle, it made up its mind:

I want to evolve into a Glaceon!

Just like Ninetales—graceful, elegant, and powerful!

"Roar~~"

Cynthia's Garchomp exhaled two plumes of white steam from its nostrils.

"Not bad," it muttered.

"A one-vs-six sweep. That's... passable."

But Caitlin was far less composed.

While she was happy for Johan, as a specialist in Psychic-type Pokémon, seeing him demolish a fellow Psychic trainer stirred a mix of emotions.

"If I fought Johan... how many Pokémon would I lose?"

Before today, she had been confident.

Now?

She wasn't so sure.

Later That Afternoon

Johan arrived at a small cabin near Victory Road, where Agatha resided.

Honestly?

He wasn't too thrilled about visiting her.

Even after all this time spent with his Gengar, Johan still found Agatha scarier than any Ghost-type Pokémon.

His Gengar, however, seemed completely at ease.

When they reached the door, Gengar politely knocked.

"Ka-kah?"

Another Gengar peeked out through the door. Its wicked grin vanished when it recognized Johan and his Gengar.

"Let them in," Agatha's raspy voice called from inside.

"Ka-kah~~"

The wooden door creaked open.

Inside, darkness reigned. A mysterious fog clung to every corner.

Unbeknownst to Johan, lurking in the shadows outside was a small, curious Pokémon—Marshadow.

Marshadow scratched its head in confusion.

"Marsha?"

As the Guide of Shadows, it was baffled.

How could Johan, a mortal, walk into that house unscathed?

Even Ho-Oh's chosen couldn't enter without permission.

But when Agatha's Gengar noticed Marshadow's gaze, it narrowed its eyes.

"Ka-kah?"

Marshadow flinched and vanished into the shadows.

Once inside, Johan activated his Aura to illuminate the room.

Sitting at a table was Agatha, leaning on her cane, her expression as grim as ever.

"Sit," she commanded coldly.

A teapot floated over, pouring Johan a cup of tea.

Scanning the room with his Aura, Johan noticed an unsettling number of Ghost-types lingering in the shadows: Gastly, Misdreavus, Duskull, Banette...

Even rarer species like Sinistea, Polteageist, and Greavard were present.

Thankfully, the tea wasn't served in a Sinistea or Polteageist cup.

Taking a cautious sip, Johan decided to get straight to the point.

"I'm here for two reasons..."

One was to let his Gengar learn from Agatha's expertise.

The other?

Deliver a message from Professor Oak.

Agatha scoffed.

"Of course. That old fool wouldn't dare come himself."

Johan took a deep breath and said,

"Professor Oak wanted me to tell you... 'It's getting colder. Dress warmly.'"

Agatha's expression softened for a brief moment before she scowled again.

Meanwhile, Johan's Gengar was eagerly learning from Agatha's Gengar.

Though...

The lesson seemed to be heading in a bizarre direction.

Specifically:

"How to turn a deceased trainer into a Ghost-type Pokémon."

Agatha's Gengar chuckled darkly.

"Ka-kah! You've come to the right place, my friend!"

Because that's exactly the kind of thing it had been researching for years.

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Powerstones?

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