Friday morning.
Johan yawned, stretched his arms, and instinctively reached for his nightstand.
Only to grab thin air.
Wait a second—had he actually managed to wake up naturally again?
But why did his face feel so tingly... and slightly sore?
"Chu."
In its sleep, Tinkatuffk rolled over and kicked Johan's pillow.
If Johan had still been asleep, that foot would've landed directly on his face.
He rubbed his cheek with a peculiar expression.
No wonder I had that nightmare... he thought, recalling the vivid dream of being bear-hugged by a shiny female Machamp, struggling, getting punched in the face, and ultimately giving up.
Since evolving, Tinkatuffk's height had increased by 30 cm—but its weight had skyrocketed from a mere 8.9 kg to a whopping 59.1 kg!
Even excluding the hammer, that was a terrifying gain.
To make matters worse, Tinkatuffk was well-fed, consistently exercised, and literally pumped iron—its strength was no joke.
Even an unconscious kick in its sleep...
Johan rubbed his face again.
"The fact that I'm alive... and this is just a little numbness... Maybe I'm not normal anymore?"
Could it be?
One day, he might "evolve" into a Super Rookie himself?
"Wait."
Johan's brows furrowed.
Why are Haunter and Vulpix still asleep?
Normally, Tinkatuffk was the only one who indulged in sleeping in from time to time.
Something felt... off.
Unable to figure it out, he decided to push his unease aside and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
However—
When he passed through the living room, his eyes landed on a pile of assorted items in the corner.
It was a massive collection of objects, covering a variety of categories.
The bulk of it was berries, but there were also strange, unfamiliar objects: venomous-looking teeth, claws, stone and metal chunks caked in mud, and even some seemingly unmeltable ice crystals...
Johan's forehead creased with dark lines.
Were you guys... out "shopping" last night?
"Morning."
The door to the guest room creaked open. Cynthia stepped out in her loose Pikachu pajamas, pink Jigglypuff slippers, and messy blonde bedhead.
She let out a long yawn, muttered her greeting, then froze mid-step.
Her pale cheeks flushed a faint red.
Bam!
She retreated back into her room, slamming the door shut.
Johan: "..."
It's not like I haven't seen you in pajamas before.
When Cynthia re-emerged, she was dressed in a light short-sleeved shirt.
Fortunately, the house's Magcargo, perpetually active in the fireplace, kept the temperature cozy even in snowy weather.
The two sat at the dining table for breakfast.
It wasn't long before Cynthia noticed the pile of items in the corner.
"Hmm."
She furrowed her brow.
Just as Johan opened his mouth to ask about it, Cynthia spoke:
"There's not much."
"Huh?"
Johan blinked in shock.
"You knew about this?"
Cynthia took a small bite of bread, nodding lightly.
"Mhm. Garchomp and the others told me that since you, Haunter, Vulpix, and Tinkatuffk rarely visit, they wanted to send you back with some local 'specialties.'"
Specialties?
Wait a minute—
Did that mean... Garchomp and its crew were in on this?
Johan's mind conjured images of Haunter and Garchomp rampaging through Mt. Coronet, their path littered with wailing Pokémon and stolen treasures.
No wonder Haunter and the others hadn't sneaked out in Hoenn.
It wasn't a lack of desire—they just needed a "guide."
But now that this precedent had been set...
What's done once can easily become habit.
As he watched Cynthia calmly sip her tea, unfazed by the loot pile, Johan couldn't help but wonder:
Am I the odd one out here?
9:00 AM.
The second day of the Researcher's Conference began.
Unlike the first day, which focused on theoretical discussions, this time the big names brought out their actual discoveries.
For instance, Professor Oak's student, Professor Elm, presented a detailed framework of Pokémon egg groups.
When Haunter realized it belonged to the "Amorphous" group, while Bidoof was part of the "Field" group, its face turned ashen.
Garchomp, too, sulked upon learning it was classified under "Monster" and "Dragon" groups.
Professor Elm also elaborated on Ditto's unique characteristics.
Ditto belonged to a category he called the "Ditto Group."
Yet it could breed with any Pokémon outside the "Undiscovered" and "Ditto" groups—even disregarding gender!
The room buzzed with astonished murmurs, even from the seasoned researchers.
"See?" Johan said, trying to console Haunter. "No Bidoof? There's always Ditto!"
Haunter's tear-filled eyes quivered as it sniffled.
"Ka-kah..."
Do you even hear yourself?!
Johan fell silent.
"Hey, liking someone doesn't have to mean breeding," he offered.
Haunter blinked.
"Ka-kah?"
You know what? That actually makes sense...
Finally. A rational response.
Later, notable researchers took turns presenting their work.
When Professor Rowan began discussing Milotic's natural evolution, he invited Johan, Cynthia, and Milotic to join him on stage.
For a moment, Johan basked in the collective admiration of the academic audience.
Among them, Professor Sycamore seemed particularly moved.
Having once been similarly invited on stage by Rowan, he empathized deeply with Johan's experience.
The rest of the day passed smoothly, as researchers unveiled findings both familiar and novel to Johan.
For instance, Professor Kukui's research on the intersection of Pokémon moves and wrestling techniques explored ways to optimize move-learning efficiency.
Although TMs had existed for years, some moves remained notoriously difficult to master.
Professor Kukui aimed to simplify the learning process through his innovative methods.
Haunter and Tinkatuffk especially enjoyed his lecture, picking up several useful tips.
As the conference stretched into the evening, Johan had to leave early.
The academy's dean had reminded him repeatedly about the upcoming mentor assessment.
At the airport, Cynthia, along with Garchomp and Dragonite, saw Johan off.
"See you next time," she said, waving.
"Next time," Johan replied with a small smile.
Probably sooner than you think, he thought to himself.
Initially, Johan had hoped to visit Professor Rowan's lab to use its "transmitter," a machine capable of creating the magnetic field needed for Haunter's evolution.
However, Rowan mentioned that Professor Elm, who specialized in communication research, was nearing a breakthrough.
With patience, Haunter's evolution could be achieved more safely and reliably.
For now, Johan was content to wait. Safety came first.
Haunter, however, was reluctant to leave Mt. Coronet.
The mountain's abundance of wild Pokémon with "treasures" made it a paradise.
That night.
Finally home, Johan collapsed onto his new couch and pulled out his phone.
[Grain in the Field]: I'm home. (Gengar-smirk.jpg)
[Eevee Eats Cabbage]: Welcome back. (Gengar-peek.jpg)
Whether in this world or another, returning home after a trip always brought an inexplicable exhaustion.
Just as Johan was about to wash up, another message arrived.
[Who Am I]: Are you there?
Mewtwo? When did it get so polite?
Johan stared at the text, momentarily stunned.
Unbeknownst to him, Mewtwo had learned from its previous failed attempts to contact him. This time, it started with a cautious greeting.
[Grain in the Field]: I'm here.
Inside Team Rocket's Kanto base, Mewtwo exhaled in relief.
Finally.
Now, what was I going to ask again?
Before it could recall, Johan's follow-up message snapped its focus back.
[Grain in the Field]: ?
Mewtwo's eyes glowed faintly as it activated its psychic powers, briefly freezing the nearby Porygon.
Not this again, Porygon thought.
[Who Am I]: Recently, I've been seeing a figure in my subconscious. I don't know who it is, but I feel like it's connected to me somehow...
A figure?
Mew?
Johan mused silently.
This time, Mewtwo's calm demeanor surprised Johan. Compared to their initial interactions, this felt... composed.
He smiled.
It's grown so much.
[Who Am I]: Can you help me meet it? I want to see it.
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Powerstones?
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