Pokemon: Psychic Master

"Johan's choice is Gengar, making its tournament debut!"

The commentator's voice boomed across the arena as the mischievous Gengar materialized from Johan's shadow.

In the guest panel, Fitzwilliam raised an eyebrow upon seeing the Gengar.

"This Gengar..." he murmured.

It gave him an unsettling feeling—almost like the Gengar belonging to Chrysa, but... even more unique.

Professor Oak chuckled knowingly.

"Oh, Gengar? That's interesting. Let's see how it performs."

Paul wasted no time.

"Honchkrow, Tailwind!"

Tailwind was a strategic opener in many battles, from 6v6 to 3v3 rotations or doubles. Increasing the team's speed could grant a trainer the all-important first-move advantage.

The move Tailwind doubled the speed of all Pokémon on Paul's side for several turns—a crucial setup strategy.

However...

Johan, once a competitive battle simulator enthusiast, knew the Tailwind meta inside out.

He narrowed his eyes.

Opening with Tailwind? Makes sense.

But using Honchkrow instead of Murkrow? Now that's a mistake.

Paul's Honchkrow had the Moxie ability, but lost its access to the Prankster ability upon evolving from Murkrow.

Prankster would have allowed Murkrow to use Tailwind with priority, guaranteeing its setup before any attacks landed.

Without it? Honchkrow's Tailwind setup was slower.

And that slight delay...

was more than enough for Johan's Gengar.

ZAP!

A flash of purple and blue lightning arced across the battlefield as Gengar shot toward Honchkrow at blinding speed.

"What the...?!" The audience was stunned.

Even Paul's eyes widened in surprise.

Gengar's movements left a crackling trail of electric arcs, like a bolt of thunder zigzagging across the field.

"Is that... Thunder Punch?!"

Paul frowned.

Close-range attacks from a Gengar?

That's... not normal.

Most Gengars were known for status moves and long-range special attacks. The idea of a physical attack build—especially one that used Electric-type moves—was completely unexpected.

"Boom!!"

Honchkrow let out a pained screech as Gengar's charged Thunder Punch connected, sending it flying backward with sparks still crackling along its feathers.

It crashed to the ground, unable to continue.

"Honchkrow is unable to battle!"

Silence.

Then, a wave of shocked murmurs swept through the crowd.

"Wait, wait, wait. Did Gengar just one-shot Honchkrow... with a physical move?!"

"Did we just witness... a Thunder Punch from Gengar?"

"What kind of build is that?!"

Even the commentators were left scrambling to catch up.

"Johan read Paul's Tailwind strategy perfectly and made a decisive move!"

In the stands, Flannery's jaw dropped.

"Teacher is... really going all out today?!"

Steven nodded with a serious expression.

"Thunder Punch—paired with Thunder... That's a high-risk, high-reward opening."

Ash, meanwhile, was starry-eyed.

"Wow!! So cool!! Electric moves are awesome!"

Back in the Guest Panel.

Professor Oak chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

"Holding Thunder in your hand, and then landing it as a punch... That's certainly creative!"

Fitzwilliam, on the other hand, remained unimpressed.

"Honchkrow may be down, but Tailwind is still active. Paul's strategy isn't broken yet."

Paul wordlessly recalled Honchkrow, his expression stony.

He had been outmaneuvered, but he wasn't out of options yet.

His second Pokémon emerged in a flash of light:

Ninjask.

The buzzing Bug/Flying-type Pokémon darted across the field with dizzying speed, its wings beating so fast they were a blur.

"Ninjask, Sword Dance!"

In a flash, Ninjask's attack power skyrocketed as it executed a perfect Sword Dance, its wings slicing through the air like blades.

Meanwhile, its Speed Boost ability kicked in, making it even faster.

This was a classic Baton Pass setup.

Johan raised an eyebrow.

Oh? Baton Pass, huh?

Gengar adjusted its sunglasses with a grin.

"Ka-kah! (▼皿▼)σ"

It pointed at Ninjask, striking a pose.

"You want to dance too?"

Ninjask kept spinning through the air, its speed and power both climbing higher and higher.

Paul smirked.

"Let's see you keep up with this."

But Johan simply smiled.

"Gengar—Nasty Plot."

As Ninjask performed its Sword Dance, Gengar cloaked itself in a dark aura, raising its own Special Attack.

Now both Pokémon were building up power.

The tension in the arena was palpable.

"Both trainers are going for stat boosts! This is a showdown of setups!"

But Fitzwilliam shook his head.

"Johan's made a mistake. Stat boosting against a Baton Pass user? He's playing right into Paul's hands."

Paul sneered.

"Ninjask—another Sword Dance!"

However...

Johan's smile didn't falter.

He quietly uttered a single command:

"Shadow Ball."

In a flash, dozens of Shadow Balls materialized around Gengar, orbiting it like dark moons.

Paul's eyes widened in alarm.

"Ninjask, dodge it!"

But it was too late.

Gengar unleashed the Shadow Balls in rapid succession, covering the entire field in a storm of dark energy.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Paul's Ninjask tried to dodge, flitting across the battlefield with lightning speed.

But...

Speed doesn't matter when the entire field is a minefield.

One by one, the Shadow Balls hit home.

"Ninjask is unable to battle!"

The audience couldn't believe their eyes.

"What just happened?!"

"Gengar... spammed Shadow Ball?!"

"Is this a fighting game or a Pokémon battle?!"

"Teacher really went for the Shadow Ball barrage, huh..."

Paul's expression darkened.

Two Pokémon down already...

And then Johan spoke softly:

"Care to dance again?"

Paul gritted his teeth and threw out his next Pokéball.

A massive, hulking Ursaring emerged with a roar.

The bear's eyes gleamed with a fierce, red light.

Its Flame Orb activated, burning it instantly.

"Guts Ursaring?" Johan mused, recognizing the setup.

Indeed, Ursaring's Guts ability negated the usual downsides of a burn, instead giving it a massive Attack boost.

With Tailwind still active, Ursaring was a terrifying sight.

"Ursaring—Earthquake!"

The ground shook as Ursaring slammed its feet down, sending tremors across the battlefield.

Gengar leapt into the air to dodge, but Paul wasn't fazed.

"You can't dodge forever!"

But Johan's next command stunned everyone:

"Gengar, Skill Swap."

In an instant, Gengar swapped its ability with Ursaring's Guts.

"Wait, what?!"

The burned Ursaring lost its power boost, while Gengar gained Guts.

Meanwhile, Gengar's Hypnosis hit Ursaring dead-on.

The hulking bear collapsed into a deep sleep.

Johan chuckled.

"Sweet dreams."

"Gengar, Dream Eater."

With a playful grin, Gengar chomped down on Ursaring's dream, restoring its health and leaving Ursaring completely helpless.

Paul quickly recalled his third fallen Pokémon, his expression sour.

"What just happened...??"

"First Thunder Punch, now Dream Eater? Is there anything this Gengar can't do?!"

Ash watched with wide eyes.

"Teacher's Gengar is too cool!!"

Flannery crossed her arms with a grin.

"Yep. That's our teacher for you."

As for Johan? He simply smiled.

"Now... who's next?"

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Powerstones?

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