"Teacher Johan, President Gengar, and the esteemed Vice Presidents, take care~~!"
At the café's entrance, after a quick three-minute crash course, Johan reluctantly handed the shop over to the trio, though his heart was filled with trepidation.
It'll be fine, right?
Say what you will about Jessie, James, and Meowth's inability to catch Pikachu, but their business skills were maxed out.
If they could make even a small roadside stall flourish, surely they could manage a café.
Besides, even if wild Pokémon caused trouble, Meowth was a top-tier translator. Worst-case scenario, they had Wobbuffet—a Pokémon capable of reflecting Giratina's attacks.
Though Johan felt conflicted about Team Rocket, he couldn't help but like the trio.
Why?
Their love for Pokémon was undeniable.
"They've only just become official Rocket members and haven't completed many missions yet," Johan mused.
This might be the perfect opportunity to redirect their energy.
If they gave up stealing others' Pokémon and focused solely on Pikachu... well, Pikachu would never be theirs anyway. And it wasn't Johan's place to disrupt their "love-hate relationship" with Ash.
"By the way," Johan turned back after taking a few steps.
"Yes, Teacher Johan!"
"I'll see if Officer Jenny can help you get temporary residency permits. Prepare your personal info—keep it simple."
The trio's eyes widened before they nodded eagerly.
As Johan walked away, they huddled together.
"Teacher Johan... has connections with the Jennys?" Jessie whispered, awestruck.
"The Jennys are as influential as we are!" James added, visibly impressed.
"Breaking through the Jennys' network... That's incredible, nya!"
The three exchanged determined looks.
If we complete Teacher Johan's tasks flawlessly...
...we'll surely earn Giovanni's favor and rise through the ranks!
"What a wonderful feeling!" The trio grinned foolishly in unison.
"Wobba~!"
"Let's aim for a spaceship! Or better yet, a Gundam!"
Arriving at the academy's counseling office, Johan found himself with a moment of peace before training began.
Gengar had wandered off to the daycare to play with the old lady there.
Tinkatuff was practicing "Swords Dance" in the corner. Thanks to the old principal's preparation of the necessary materials, Tinkatuff's progress was steady. It was now focusing on speeding up the move's execution.
Dratini, meanwhile, was curled up on a single-seater sofa, napping.
Recently, Dratini's training regimen had been the most intense of Johan's Pokémon. As the daycare caretaker had said, increasing the intensity of "Dragon Rush" and "Dragon Pulse" training had noticeably boosted Dratini's appetite and energy.
Its body was even slightly larger now, a sign that it was steadily converting its stored energy into strength.
Johan sat in a chair, gently brushing Vulpix's soft, snowy-white fur with a wooden comb.
The fur was so smooth that the comb barely met any resistance.
Vulpix stared at Johan with its large, crystalline blue eyes, silent but content.
"Your fur is in great condition," Johan said with a smile.
Vulpix might have thought it was a cat rather than a fox, but at least it didn't shed fur everywhere.
This grooming session served as both a massage and a way to relax its muscles.
"Oowu~~"
The little Pokémon let out a soft, sugary cry.
"So, have you decided whether or not to evolve yet?" Johan asked.
Hearing this, Vulpix buried its head in Johan's lap, wagging its tail slightly.
"Alright, alright~~" Johan chuckled, shaking his head fondly. "No rush. Take your time."
When it came to evolution, Johan always prioritized his Pokémon's feelings.
Vulpix didn't outright reject the idea of evolving. Though Gengar's evolution into Haunter had left a negative impression, Johan had shown Vulpix pictures of how beautiful an Alolan Ninetales could be.
But still...
"Oowu..." Vulpix mumbled, sniffing Johan's scent.
It wasn't that it disliked the idea of evolving.
It was just that, after evolving, it might no longer fit comfortably on Johan's lap to enjoy his scent and warmth.
The comforting, familiar scent...
Feeling completely at ease, Vulpix let out a tiny yawn and slowly drifted off to sleep.
The sudden buzz of Johan's phone startled him.
Carefully checking that Vulpix hadn't woken up, he reached for the device.
It was a friend request from an unfamiliar user.
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: Cynthia told me to add you.
"Huh?" Johan muttered, eyebrows raised.
[Cynthia's Young Lady]?
Despite the odd username, Cynthia's involvement left him little choice. He accepted the request after a moment's hesitation.
Soon, a message arrived—a picture.
The image showed a Duosion, the evolved form of Solosis.
Duosion, a Psychic-type Pokémon, was relatively rare. Its final evolution was Reuniclus.
However, Johan quickly noticed something unusual about this particular Duosion.
Normally, Duosion had a green membrane containing a core resembling a small doll. It lacked legs and ears, sporting a detached white orb on its head instead.
But this one...
Its core had tiny legs and noticeable ear-like structures.
[Grain in the Field]: Is this an evolutionary abnormality?
Evolutionary abnormalities referred to Pokémon displaying characteristics of their next evolutionary stage prematurely.
Johan had once seen a Charmeleon with two horns instead of one—a trait typically associated with Charizard.
Now, seeing this Duosion, combined with the username, Johan had a good idea of who he was talking to.
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: Good eye.
[Grain in the Field]: Evolutionary abnormalities are rare, but they typically resolve themselves upon full evolution. There's no need to worry too much.
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: That's not what I'm asking about.
Another message followed—a video this time.
In the clip, the Duosion hovered in midair but was visibly tilted. It attempted to correct its posture but struggled to do so until a burst of Psychic energy helped it stabilize.
Even then, the Duosion seemed disappointed with itself.
Johan frowned.
Another case of Psychic pressure overload.
Natsume was like this. So was Sabrina. And now Caitlin.
Unlike Sabrina, Caitlin's mastery over her abilities wasn't as refined.
Perhaps it's due to Sabrina's heritage or Caitlin's lack of training.
Either way, excessive psychic power often led to personality quirks.
[Grain in the Field]: Your psychic power is putting too much pressure on it.
Psychic-type Pokémon often thrived under psychic trainers, their combined strength far surpassing the sum of their parts.
However, Caitlin's Psychic abilities were... overwhelming.
Johan suspected that this pressure might even be the cause of the Duosion's evolutionary abnormality.
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: Too much pressure?
[Grain in the Field]: My advice is to give it space and time to rest. Avoid intense battles or training for now.
After a pause, he added:
[Grain in the Field]: I can also provide soothing audio to aid its relaxation and sleep.
Moments later, a new message arrived.
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: By the way, Cynthia stayed at my house for three days...
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: She mentioned your name 76 times.
"???"
Why are you keeping count?!
[Cynthia's Young Lady]: You'd better watch out!
Johan felt a chill run down his spine.
What are you going to do, come through the phone and punch me?
Before he could respond, his phone rang.
It was Cynthia.
"Johan, I'm so sorry! Caitlin's just throwing a little tantrum. Don't mind her..."
In the background, Johan heard loud thuds and the calm voice of Caitlin's butler, Darach.
"Miss Caitlin, please... take deep breaths..."
"Johan!" Caitlin's voice rang out. "I'm flying to Hoenn—immediately!"
Johan wiped sweat from his brow.
She wasn't serious, was she?
"Cough," Johan cleared his throat. "It's fine. I won't argue with a child."
"She's just joking," Cynthia assured him.
Darach's voice: "The helicopter will be ready soon, Miss Caitlin. Please remain calm."
"..."
Johan glanced at his surroundings, suddenly feeling the urge to flee.
Why did this feel like the beginning of a love triangle drama—with him as one of the main characters?
"By the way," Cynthia's tone shifted. "Are you attending the festival in Rota City?"
Rota City?
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Powerstones?
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