"Ka-kah?"
Should we explore inside?
Haunter was visibly intrigued, its curiosity sparked by the influence of Bubble Rodent's Adventures.
Though the area wasn't too far from the Sinnoh Historical Research Institute, delving deeper into Mt. Coronet's forest meant potentially encountering wild Pokémon of considerable strength.
"Oowu~~"
Vulpix shook its head, cautioning against the idea. What if we encounter danger?
Meanwhile, Tinkatink, cradled in Johan's arms, said nothing. Instead, it tilted its head, staring curiously at a specific part of the forest, its expression thoughtful.
Before Johan could reply, Blue suddenly burst back onto the scene. The boy who had walked away confidently moments ago now seemed panicked, his forehead slick with sweat as if fleeing from a nightmare.
Following closely behind him and his Charmander was a swarm of angry Stunky.
As Blue approached Johan, he gasped between breaths:
"Run! Get help!"
Help?
A single Stunky's stench could pollute an area spanning kilometers, but an entire horde? If they reached the Sinnoh Historical Research Institute, it would undoubtedly disrupt the Pokémon Researcher Conference and possibly require a venue change.
Ignoring Blue's plea, Johan calmly addressed Tinkatink:
"Tinkatink."
"Chu!"
The tiny Pokémon understood immediately. It leapt gracefully out of Johan's arms, landing softly on the snowy ground.
Despite the rapidly approaching Stunky, Tinkatink remained unfazed. It smiled sweetly, casually twirling its hammer.
The Stunky horde, however, didn't slow down. They didn't see Tinkatink as a threat—what could a small, pink creature like it possibly do?
Blue also couldn't comprehend Johan's actions.
Why not use Haunter? That Pokémon looks far more capable in a fight than… that baby thing!
But what happened next made everyone—including Blue, Charmander, and the Stunky—realize their mistake.
Johan's calm voice rang out:
"Don't let them release any gas."
No stink bombs allowed.
"Chu!"
Tinkatink sprang into action.
Its hammer lightly tapped the ground.
BOOM!
A loud crash reverberated as the earth trembled slightly. A sharp spire of rock erupted from the center of the Stunky horde.
Stone Edge!
There wasn't even time for the Stunky to cry out. They were all knocked out on the spot.
Blue: "…"
He exchanged a dumbfounded look with Charmander, both equally stunned.
That… was terrifying.
The only conscious creature left was the last in the line: a Skuntank, the evolved form of Stunky.
Initially, Skuntank had only come to avenge its fallen Stunky allies. However, upon seeing the pink menace that had just taken out its group, it realized…
I made a mistake.
Skuntank's tail curled defensively over its head, a sign that it was ready to release a toxic spray if needed. At the same time, it forced a smile, carefully retreating step by step.
Tinkatink, however, wasn't having it.
"Chu~~"
It smiled, appearing adorable and harmless. But to Skuntank, the sight was downright horrifying.
Without hesitation, Skuntank turned tail and bolted.
Yet before it could escape, Tinkatink's frost-covered hammer came down.
WHAM!
Skuntank collapsed instantly, knocked out cold.
"Uh… w-what just happened?" Blue muttered, still trying to process the scene.
How could something so small wield such overwhelming power?
Johan clapped a hand on Blue's shoulder and smiled as he walked toward the forest.
"Wait—please wait!" Blue called after him.
"Hm?"
Johan half-turned.
"My name's Blue. May I know yours?"
"Me?" Johan chuckled, holding up the badge pinned to his chest.
"Johan. Just a teacher."
With a casual wave, Johan disappeared into the forest.
"Johan… teacher?" Blue repeated, murmuring the name under his breath.
Why does that sound so familiar?
For now, he didn't have the answer.
But one thing was certain—Johan's display had deeply impacted the young Trainer's mindset.
After a moment's pause, Blue and Charmander headed back to the research institute.
Shortly after, the Stunky and Skuntank began regaining consciousness.
"SCREEEE!"
A mournful wail echoed through the forest, startling flocks of bird Pokémon into the air.
Meanwhile, Tinkatink happily distributed stolen Pecha Berries to Haunter, Vulpix, and Johan.
"I didn't even know we picked these up…" Johan muttered, staring at the berry in his hand.
It turned out that during the battle, Tinkatink had "borrowed" them from its defeated opponents.
If the Stunky hadn't been so foul-smelling, it might have looted even more.
Vulpix nibbled delicately at its berry.
"Oowu?"
Are we really going on an adventure?
"Ka-kah~ Ka-kah~~"
Yes, yes, let's explore! Haunter was thrilled.
Johan smiled wryly at their enthusiasm but focused on Tinkatink, who led the way with its hammer over its shoulder.
"Because it seems Tinkatink has found something interesting," Johan remarked.
Initially, Johan had been hesitant to venture deeper into the forest, especially in a place as dangerous as Mt. Coronet.
But Tinkatink's peculiar behavior had caught his attention—it had been fixated on a specific direction since their arrival.
"Chu~ Chu~"
Tinkatink hummed a cheerful tune as it marched ahead like a little village chief, brimming with confidence.
Suddenly, Tinkatink stopped, its hammer glowing faintly.
Its eyes lit up, and without hesitation, it dashed forward.
What awaited them was…
"Help! Somebody help!"
A slightly pudgy man in a lab coat came running through the woods. He clutched a brown satchel and looked panicked, though not overly distressed.
Trailing behind him were three small Nosepass-like figures—clearly Mini-Noses.
"Is that… Professor Birch?"
Johan was surprised to recognize him.
If there had been Poochyena and Zigzagoon chasing him, the situation would have been instantly clear.
Upon noticing Johan, Birch grinned despite his predicament and called out:
"Hey, handsome, could you lend a hand?"
Tinkatink didn't wait for instructions.
It gleefully charged at the Mini-Noses.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
Its small hammer swung with wild precision, sending the Mini-Noses scattering like bowling pins.
Professor Birch finally stopped running, bending over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.
"Thanks… thanks a lot!"
"Professor Birch, what were you—" Johan began.
But Birch scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well, I couldn't resist checking out the wild Pokémon here on Mt. Coronet."
Before Johan could respond, Tinkatink cried out excitedly:
"Chu! Chu!"
It had pinned one of the Mini-Noses to the ground. Despite its struggles, the Mini-Nose couldn't budge.
Tinkatink's eyes sparkled as it twirled its hammer, ready to strike.
The trapped Mini-Nose suddenly emitted electrical sparks, seemingly calling for reinforcements.
A second later…
WHAM!
A hefty Probopass, the evolved form of Nosepass, came flying into view.
It had intended to pull the Mini-Noses toward it with its magnetic field, but instead, it had been dragged into Tinkatink's grasp.
The sight of the confused Probopass left Birch astonished.
"Fascinating! It really exists—a Probopass in Mt. Coronet! Its magnetic field must be incredible!"
Professor, maybe focus on the danger first?
Several minutes later…
Tinkatink emerged from the forest, cheerfully humming its familiar tune. Over its shoulder, it carried a Mini-Nose like a trophy.
Haunter, meanwhile, had snagged one of Probopass's "mustaches" and was proudly wearing it as a disguise, stroking it like a sage.
Vulpix trotted alongside them, its tail wrapped around a gleaming gold nugget.
"Oowu~~"
Look how shiny it is!
Watching his Pokémon strut ahead, Johan sighed and rubbed his forehead.
It's official. The "Outlaw Squad" has started their crime spree.
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Powerstones?
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